drbabe

Good point.  I imagine that I'll put it in my second rolling suitcase, and send it up to my room.

I hardly drink any alcohol, but I do drink a lot of water, for medical reasons, and am very particular about the taste.  It looks as if we're limited to 12 seventeen oz bottles per stateroom - I figure that most people bring soda, but I would like to bring water.  How strict are they about this?  I'd prefer to bring on a few gallon bottles of purified water, or barring that, a 24 pack of 17 oz bottles/stateroom ( but I hate using those single-serve bottles).  Do I need an MD note in order to bring on the water in gallons?  Has anyone run into a problem recently, or has anyone been able to bring on more, or differently packaged, non-alcoholic beverages/water?

I see there is a public Express bus called breeze from Portland to Freeport, and they mention something about transfers from a local bus to the express. Anyone have info about what bus to take from the port to the express bus, how to buy a ticket?

Call Heidi at budget in Sydney. See if she can help you out.

So I assume that they're enforcing this now?  Hoping the water on board tastes good!  I really don't want to have to buy their bottled water on board - expensive.  

I haven't cruised with NCL in a long time, maybe as much as ten years.  I don't know if their enforced rules have changed.  It used to be that they would allow you to bring on a case of bottled water, even soda - only alcohol was regulated.  Is that still the case?  We don't care about alcohol, and I doubt I'd even bring soda, but I would like to bring a case of water on with me.

On 9/7/2019 at 3:15 AM, sunluva7 said:

My Review is up from our cruise a few weeks ago. It’s a long one, so pour yourself a drink, put your feet up and enjoy.😀

 

In a nutshell, it was a great cruise - nice ship for its age, loved Quebec City and the ports, especially Cape Breton, NS. 

 

Caribbean Princess-Canada NE 08/09/19

 

 

Thanks for your review.  Can I get the name of the tour guide/company you used for Cape Breton?  

Thanks to all.  What I found out is that one would be charged double the bid, to get the upgrade.  So if you bid $50, you would be charged $100 (since they apply it as double occupancy).  Also, they would not charge another base fare if it was bought as single occupancy.

I put in a bid.  Cruise leaves in less than two weeks.  Wish me luck!

I haven't sailed NCL in years, but I just bought a back to back a couple of days ago.  Today got this "priceline"  style bid offer for upgrade from inside (single occupancy) to ocean view or balcony.  I would like to upgrade to a balcony.  I don't know what to do.  This is an undersold cruise, leaving in less than two weeks.  They're asking 0-400 for the bid for the balcony.  I don't know if they'd base this on double occupancy, even though it's single occupancy.  I don't know if these are likely to be bought or not.  

Has anyone been in this situation?  NCL says I'd be charged twice what I bid, because it would be based on double occupancy.  It's so close to sailing, that I guess that they're pretty desperate.  What should I offer?  $50?  $100?  More?

We've been in Barcelona a few days already, so I'm getting to know the layout of the city and the metro. Leaving for a one week cruise, then when we return to Barcelona I will pick up a car at the Hertz rental office near the train station in central Barcelona. But now that I'm here, I'm wondering if it would be better to pick it up to the north along the coast, at the Hotel NH Hesperia del Mar? I'm thinking that it might be easier driving out of town from the hotel, since it looks like it is right by a ring road, than to drive out of the center of town by the train station.

Is there bus service from the port to either the Hesperia or the train station? I see there is subway service, but I'd hate to do it with a suitcase.

No one?

We are getting off the ship in Barcelona on June 25th. We would like to rent a car for the two of us to drive from Barcelona to Madrid.

Anyone know which car rental companies have offices close to the port?

Anyone English-speaking joining this? Daughter and I have booked it, an amazing value. $800/person including all beverages and taxes for a decent oceanview, on a well-known vacations 2 go site. Excursion packages are a great value, too. Come along!

We are in an oceanview, and not higher than silver. Want to know earliest we can board. Also, how early will food be available? We want to drop bags off, get a bite on board, and go back out to stroll venice more.

It's been a while since we've been on NCL, so the UDP is new to us. We will be on the Jade next month in Europe. We have dined at Le Bistro once or twice during 7 day cruises beforehand, especially if a 2for1 was offered, and enjoyed it. This trip, the kids are a little older, and when I saw the UDP, I thought it might be nice to get it for ourselves, and let the kids go to the buffet. It does seem that reservation times are available for the times that we would like to dine. But at $17/person/night x 7 nights, it's only a small savings unless we go to Cagney's every night. I'd be happy to have a good steak once or twice, but would probably go to Le Bistro twice, and maybe sample the other specialty restaurants too, if they were good. But what I remember from years ago, the other specialty restaurants were considered uneven at best. We've eaten in the main dining room without a problem in the past - if we didn't like what we ordered, we just ordered something else. We're not super picky. Anyone have advice? Recent experiences with the specialty restaurants on the Jade?

I love the way you think as we have a similar style. In fact, DW and I have walked from the Piazale Roma to the cruise terminal (with luggage). Your idea will work but you might want to consider that you will only be saving about 5 Euros (total for all of you) by walking from Tronchetto to the port versus using the People Mover. Just pray for good weather because if it raining that will not be a fun hike.

 

Hank

Thanks, Hank. I know I sound like a cheap nutcase (which of course I am), but our plan is to dump the luggage, then go back into Venice until closer to embarkation time. So it's really 15 Euros, which is about $20. And since we already are paying for the vaporetto passes, we might as well use them! We're gonna be coming from our rental apt via vaporetto anyway, so why not ride to the closest vaporetto stop and walk, if it's feasible, then get back on the vaporetto to wherever we plan to spend the afternoon.

We will be embarking on the NCL Jade from the Stazione Maritima. We will have been staying in Venice for a couple of days beforehand, and will have unlimited vaporetto passes still good that day. There are four of us. We would like to get to the terminal early with our luggage (just one small piece for each of us, small enough to take on the vaporetto, and wheeled) by ACTV vaporetto, drop off our luggage and check in, then go back out to tour Venice more, and return before ship leaves. I'd rather take an ACTV vaporetto straight to the terminal, instead of paying for the people mover back and forth twice for the four of us. It appears that there is a stop, Tronchetto Mercato Car Park, close to the passenger terminal, but because it's across water, it looks like it's about 400 meters, which is not so bad.

First of all, is there any better way to do this that's not going to cost us another 20 Euros or so for two round trips on the people mover? It's frustrating that I'll have bought unlimited vaporetto passes, but cannot use them to get to and from the ship easily! Second of all, is the Venezia Terminal Passageri where we're supposed to go to check in for the Jade?

Boy am I sorry that I booked ahead of time. Booked an oceanview guarantee, figuring I'd get an obstructed view on deck 8. Price dropped $100, so I called, hoping for an upgrade. They offered me an "upgrade" - to a porthole on deck 4! I realize that they consider this an upgrade, but for a family with kids, a porthole by the smoky casino is no upgrade. They did offer me a $25 cabin credit as an alternative - but the price dropped by a hundred. I even offered to pay the difference between the "upgraded" porthole on deck 4 and a balcony guarantee - but they refused. Clearly, they don't think their "upgrade" is worth anything, either. Not a happy cruiser.

Planning an inexpensive cruise with family on the Jade. Thinking about an oceanview. Anyone know if the window can be opened for fresh air?

From reading the article, it looks like the ban would begin in Nov 2014, which I guess means that this years Med cruise season would not be affected? I cannot blame them - imagine what a disaster for Venice a giant cruise ship accident could be. I'm praying they don't move it up - planning on back2backs out of Venice in October, which I presume would be unaffected?

We will be in Israel for the next two weeks. We're staying with friends in Hadera, driving everywhere. I thought we'd spend at least two days and one night in Jerusalem. There are five of us. I figured that it'd be easier to drive to Jerusalem and park the car somewhere for the two days that we're there (must find a rental apartment, too) and use busses while we're there, or walk. Any idea where we can park for free or cheaply in the area?

We'll be in Port Canaveral on Tuesday, on the Jewel. We would like to go with the three kids (7-14) to Jetty Park, to the beach. What's our best way of getting there? Rent a car? Walk? Take a taxi?

Preferably free wifi so one can check email?

Well, I'm getting a little nervous here. No response from cashiers@ncl, and final payment is due tomorrow. NCL rep gave wonderful advice: "Just pay the entire amount, and when (IF) the compass reward is applied, NCL will refund your credit card." And I can just imagine the run around I'll be in for if cashiers@ncl.com NEVER responds. Has anyone else heard from them?

AAAAH! I didn't get an automated response. I sent the email to cashiers@ncl.com. I've sent several more emails. I've gotten no response, not even automated. What am I doing wrong?