Happy_Traveler_2008

I have been using Google Fi for many years and have no issues with data/phone connection in Western Europe or East Asia. Used it in Japan without any issue.  Love the convenience of not paying extra for internet connection overseas.

I have booked guarantees 3 times and had no issues with the cabin location. Just booked a balcony for a March cruise and was assigned a Family Balcony mid ship since all other categories are sold out. My sister had a bad experience and ended up with cabin right above one of the music lounges so was hearing loud music well into the early hours.

On 1/30/2024 at 3:34 AM, Miaminice said:

Here´s the report of our most recent cruise to Japan...
 

We are about to book a fourth cruise to Japan - it´s fabulous.

 

 

Really enjoyed your cruise report! I’m taking the NCL Jewel in March and will be visiting many of the same ports.

I am on the Breakaway from Rome to NYC and we have 3 time changes already. Each time, a card was left outside our cabin the night before.

FYI.   I was not able to buy the Colosseum tickets 30 days before my trip because they sold out quickly. However, the official site now releases more tickets a week in advance so I am now able to buy my tickets online. No need to get higher price tickets through a reseller if you don’t plan to join a tour.

https://colosseo.it/en/opening-times-and-tickets/

2 hours ago, elliotlake12 said:

Does it automatically apply when I book an excursion?

 

I just booked my excursion in the app and the Latitude discount is applied automatically.

On 9/24/2023 at 11:01 AM, sebas030 said:

Well I just called NCL, they can't make the reservation for me for Moderno and Teppanyaki unless I pay now for the meals even if I want to use my platinum vouchers for them.

 

Guess it is going to be a mad run to the reservation desk on embarkation day then...

 

UNLESS... I will be sailing with my 2 teens. I have to buy a 3 meal SDP for my daughter. Do you think that once I make that purchase I will be able to book the restaurants without paying for them upfront ?

I was able to call NCL yesterday and cancel the other specialty restaurant reservations that I made online and booked the Teppanyaki restaurant first before adding back the other reservations. I had 3 specialty meals plus 2 Platinum meals. 

Hi,

I will be traveling on the Breakaway in November with my parents (staying in separate cabins). Since I have platinum status, I will have priority tender access at Cannes. Will I be able to take my parents with Gold status along or do they need to get their own tender tickets? Thanks!

Thanks for all the updates! How is the WiFi speed on board the ship as compared with other NCL ships?

• I just finished this cruise on the Rotterdam and had a wonderful time! Check in around 11:20 only took about 30 minutes or so and the cabin was ready for us. Cabin 4025 has the extra balcony space which is lovely!  We ate most dinners at the Lido because of the food variety, especially the Asian dishes.  My husband is lactose intolerant and they offered him a menu for the dining room for him to choose dishes for the next night.  Had lunch at Pinnacle Grill and that was nice.  Ate 2 dinners at Tamarind and loved the food there!  Apple and bacon pancakes and the spicy spring rolls at Grand Dutch Cafe were outstanding!
• We did the Glass Bottom Boat excursion at Bonaire and saw plenty of corals and many fish, including a sting ray, turtle and scorpion fish so it was highly enjoyable! We also did the Hato Cave and Beach excursion at Curaçao and loved that well since the guide was informative, caves were interesting and the one hour beach stay was very relaxing. Had plenty of time afterwards to explore the town on our own.  Took the taxi to Eagle Beach in Aruba but the day was too windy to enjoy the water much.  Really enjoyed the beach at Grand Turk but be sure to wear water shoes since both the beach and water are full of small rocks. Rented a clam shell at Half Moon Cay and ate delicious lobster and seafood chowder at Lobster Shack. Guava flavored short ribs at the regular buffet are good as well!
• We were well taken care of by all the staff onboard who are very hardworking.  We had an 11 am flight and left the cabin at 7:40 with our luggage and arrived at the airport by 8:20.
•  I thoroughly enjoyed my first HAL cruise and even though the entertainment options are more limited (Step One Dancers were terrific though) than other cruise lines, I appreciate the HAL experience and would like to cruise with HAL again. There’s makeup mirror in the cabin along with a big umbrella and robes. On the final day, there’s luggage scale on each floor for guests to use.

1 hour ago, fsufancc said:

Mrs Fan is looking forward to the afternoon tea.  We are HAL newbies and when I mentioned that they do a formal Tea, she was so excited. 

I love afternoon tea as well!

Hi,

We are sailing on the Rotterdam next month and it’s our first cruise with HAL. Do you have any food recommendations that we must try? My husband is lactose intolerant so is there cheese free pizza that he can order? Thanks in advance for any tips!

8 hours ago, sharkster77 said:

Question for those who have ordered the BinaxNOW kits with online guidance, etc (COVID test that US will accept for re-admittance),  how much in advance should I order our kits?  Trying to strike a balance between having them on hand in plenty of time AND not having them expire too soon.  Not sure how long it will take to receive them.

 

I've seen them on the emed.com site but only in 6-test packs.  optum.com sells 2, 4, and 6-test packs.

 

Thanks in advance.

I used the BinaxNow kits last December for my trip back to the USA and it was a very easy process. As long as you have a good phone and camera (worked on our Samsung S21 phone but not my Google Pixel 4 phone), you can scan the barcode to get started with the test and someone came online within minutes to walk me through the testing process. 

1 hour ago, MudderBear said:

Has anyone with AmEx gotten their $100 yet?  I did it about a month ago (applied $500 toward my balance) but haven't received anything yet.  I did call AmEx and they told me I won't get anything until 90 days after March 30.😝

I used the offer to buy OBC and the credit showed up within a couple of days. 

1 hour ago, stratixman said:

Been thinking about this Amex offer. Where exactly on the HAL website does one go to buy OBC? Been looking but can't any link to purchasing OBC.

Under my reservation, I bought OBC through Purchase Gifts & Indulgences.

Good to know it works for OBC purchase!

I just saw this offer from my American Express Gold card.  I'm going to buy $525 of onboard credit since I've already paid for my cruise in full and see if I can get the $100 statement credit.

Get a one-time $100 statement credit by using your enrolled Card to spend $500+ on cruise line sailings with Carnival, Holland America, Princess, Seabourn, or Cunard by 3/31/2020. See wlcl.com/amex. For reservations only. Terms and exclusions apply.

I too prefer Sail Away rates.  The $300 per person savings is more than enough to cover a few specialty dinners, drinks and internet package.  I was assigned a spacious Aft balcony on the Escape on my first cruise with Platinum status! 

1 hour ago, JimmyBuffet99 said:

Is there a charge for this game? And how is it booked? 

You have to sign up on board the ship.  Can do so on the first day in the Headliners Club along with other shows. No charge to play but pretty difficult to solve.

40 minutes ago, parrotfeathers said:

Does anyone know if the aquarium water appearance is any better than a couple years ago?  It was really cloudy.

I was at Atlantis earlier this month and can see the fish pretty clearly in the aquarium.

40 minutes ago, camz09 said:

Thanks for all your responses. I guess I'll have a talk with an NCL rep for booking.. does anyone know the rules on the dates expiring, if it says "up to Nov 15,2019" does that mean the start and end the of cruise date should be before it or can I book a sailing on or before Nov 15 but it ends beyond that date (7-14 day cruise..Nov 22,etc)??

I was able to book a transatlantice cruise before the certificate end date for a sailing that left after the expiration date.

I found a parking garage within 15 minutes walking distance for $25/day using the Best parking app.  If you exceed the paid time even by a minute, it's still a full day's cost for another $25 so you want to time your pick up time carefully.

I booked a balcony guarantee on the Escape a week before sailing and ended up with an spacious aft balcony.  But then it is the low season right now.

I loved the peanut butter cheesecake from the luncheon menu.

I just received my Platinum status and booked a balcony guarantee on the Escape.  I ended up with an aft balcony on the 12th deck that had an extra big balcony for loungers and chairs.  I am attributing the nice cabin to the Platinum status since I’ve done balcony guarantees before and this is the best cabin yet.