conandrob240

It starts July 1st. Be aware that some sailings (especially around key holidays) will blacked out. You can book on- line at NCL.com, call NCL or use a TA.

sip under= summer! Sorry!

Available dates right now are only through the end of April 2015. Available dates vary by ship. But overall, it looks like many sip under dates, Thanksgiving week & Christmas week aren't included on any ship.Yes, it is technically 3rd + 4th passenger (s) sail free. Any age okay.

Epic and Brekaway- 11/23 or 24 ( thanksgiving) sailings are not included

Kids Sail Free offer comes back on July 1st!

OMG, seriously?!? There are 100s of extra deck chairs stacked everywhere around the pool deck. The pool decks are too small to accommodate them. Plenty to put on the large balconies without inconveniencing anyone.

Unsophisticated teens! Who would have imagined?!?! Seriously, though, it also depends widely on the sailing.

Where are these lines you are referring to? I arrived at 10:15am, there was absolutely no line at security and no lines at all at the check in counters. I then booked a spa appointment and a few dinner reservations, sat down for about 30 minutes and they started boarding. Small line for boarding as each person had to scan their card but no more than 5-10 minutes.

That looks great. We bought 2 $6 chairs, old sheet and $5 umbrella and just threw/ gave away at the end

I totally agree also. I also loved the passengers. People were there to have fun and enjoy being together. Lots of action all the time, lots going on late into the night but no juvenile partying or silliness. Mature, sophisticated, lively and fun. Service was great- you are absolutely right, it was elegant and subtle, not over the top but perfect!

We had small foldable chairs that pack in a bag that you carry with a strap over your shoulder. So easy and came in very handy lots of beach stops.w e left it with someone on our last day. Also took a sheet from home and a $5 clip on umbrella which was perfect. Wouldn't have done it any other way!

It was always pretty crowded when we sailed Breakaway last month. Most crowded late nights when games were on tv and in the afternoon/early evening of a port day. But, even so, never waited more than a few minutes for a table and service was very good.

About 50 minutes.

You board around 11:30am. Ship sails at 4pm. Arrive at 10, quick through security, no check in lines. Sit & enjoy for an hour and you'll be among the first boarding groups. You can book spa appts and dining reservations in the terminal as something to pass the time.

10am

A 16oz domestic beer came to 6.33 with tax so x 5= $31.65 for a bucket of 6 beers.

Keep in mind that because of UDP (or maybe also because such a big ship), it was near impossible to get or change a reservation for most of the speciality restaurants by the 2nd morning of our 7 day BA cruise two weeks ago. Everything was sold out!

What ship? Prices for BA dropped pretty significantly 30-60 days prior to cruise dates so far this year especially for May.

We are two weeks back from BA. We are foodies. Loved Le Bistro but honestly thought the main dining rooms had very good food and creative new menus.

For those bringing a minor not your own, please ignore these suggestions to provide "proof of relationship" or "paternity papers". What is needed is the legal, official BC or passport for each child, a BC+ photo ID or passport for adult. Plus the current NCL minor form signed by both parents and accompanied by copies of the parents IDs. If you want to do anything extra, a signed letter stating the kid will be traveling with you, dates, destination and allowing you to assume responsibility for all decisions needed to be made for the child.

You are really going to enjoy the Gem in July! The crowds will be so thin, no kids around. :p

In all honesty, you, sir, should really stay home. With the things you like/ dislike and your concerns, you are going to hate being on the Gem. Good luck!

I think you misunderstood what they wanted. Anyone can take a kid. What if the kid were a family friend, how would you have provided "proof of relationship"? What they wanted was birth certificate info from both people as a citizenship requirement for the cruise. And they want their form completed as required.

There are no " different parameters". There are requirements:

1) every person must show proof of citizenship. Either an original BC or passport for a child and original BC+ Gov't issues photo ID or a passport for an adult

2) then if the child is not yours, you need the cruise- specific form filled out as required with whatever documentation it asks for.

Because you failed to have one of both of the above, they probably started asking for other stuff to substitute for it ( which they can accept at their discretion)

And what on earth are "paternity papers"? Isn't paternity listed on a BC?

Well, you most certainly are being taking advantage of if your TA is telling you she can NEVER get you a better price. It should be very easy for her to book you at a new better price (but you may lose some OBC or perks, depending on new offer) up until final payment is made/due. After that, best NCL will do is upgrade or small % ( usually 25% of price diff) in OBC

Maybe, maybe not. My point is that the policy MAY result in 1) people delaying booking until the last minute or 2) choosing to spend money with a line other than NCL. If either of those things happen more frequently so it now tips the financial formula they use now, then something may change. Again, maybe my perspective is skewed as I book mostly NY market cruises, but it seems this is happening much more frequently lately so time will tell how/ if NCL responds.

And I disagree that their only concern is maximizing today's profits. Companies of course want that but they also need to have policies in place that ensure their future financial strength, not just today's profits. They need to have loyal customers to generate growth in the future. Repeat business is a critical component of that model. If that falls off (in part because of dissatisfaction with how they handle price- drops), they may re- consider the policy.

And, I'd argue that "just wait" will become more and more common especially out of travel markets such as NY city with such a huge population that can drive/ train to the port. I'd assume this is the last thing that a cruise line wants- empty ships a few weeks before sailing. So, there may a tipping point in the financial model where paying out price drops ( especially in the form of on- board credit) may be better than low occupancy on ships.