Roce48

Thanks, would you know if both my wife and I can be online at the  same time, or is it one account,username for the cabin.

Does the Sky have computer terminals available that I can check my email using the Free WiFi offer? 

ty

Do all occupants of a cabin need to purchase the drink package if one person does?

Awwww. We were lucky enough to sail to Cuba with a great drink package.

Last February I finally took advantage of the all inclusive drink package offered on the NCL Sky. I don't see it offered this year. Did they stop it?

4 hours ago, Sancho_proudfoot said:

Our  first cruise was an inside, then a run of balconies, and back to an inside last time.  Last  cruise was port-intensive, and the weather, although pleasant enough wasn't  really  'sit out on the balcony for breakfast ' weather.

 

DW does sleep better in an inside cabin (We slept so well on an overnight  time zone change..... watch  said one time,  cell phone said another and the tv said a third time.....We missed breakfast)

Think missing Breakfast is bad?

We missed sail away on our very first cruise because we fell sound asleep in our cozy inside cabin. After the Muster Drill there was a delay in departure time, and we thought we would just rest our eyes for a couple of minutes, only to wake up at sea with no land in sight. LOL

Does the below NCCL Gem itinerary remained docked overnight on Sunday in Bermuda? 

13 hours ago, AF-1 said:

Roce48. My very first cruise in 1987 was on Majesty of the Seas.  We had a ocean view cabin on deck 8.  Here is my feeling. I take a cruise every two or three years.  I sail on different lines so I don’t have any status with one  line. So to make sure My wife and I can have fun and take advantage of the perks we book a suite. We like the extra room that a suite provides, we like not having to make a dinner reservation, we like having reserved seating in showroom. There are a lot of nice perks on the different ships and lines that the extra money it costs is worth it to us.  Yes I know we could get a smaller cabin and use the money for shore excursions.  We do not live near a cruise pirt so we have to fly anywhere to cruise.  No a big deal. It is nice to be taken care of for entire vacation. Takes the stress off. Cheers

 

 

We usually stay in a Balcony cabin. One time we decided to stay in a Grand Suite on the RCCL Independence of the Seas, and must say that we had a great time with all the perks such as Concierge service and Lounge. I guess I was trying to say that no matter where a person stays, most likely they will have a wonderful time, and was looking for agreement from a seasoned cruiser like you. :-)

4 hours ago, AF-1 said:

I have sailed in owners suite on Freedom of the Seas, Penthouse Suite on Norwegian Jade, Penthouse Suite on Caribbean Princess, Family Suite on Emerald Princess, Junior Suite on Adventure, Splendor of the Seas, and Grand Suite on Explorer of the Seas. All these cabin had unique features and we enjoyed them all.  Next up will be window suite on the new Sky Princess.

Lol, why don't you, just for the experience try a short inside cabin cruise.

Ranking of "Cool Cruiser" is shown under my name. Will someone explain the Rankings? What is the highest, and how do you get it?

SRF, what cabin on the Grandeur?

29 minutes ago, SRF said:

Every cruise I have taken has been in a suite.

 

Works for me.

 

No need to try an inside. 😄

 

You are a very fortunate person. How many cruises have you taken, and what lines have you sailed? Best line for a Suite?

We have taken around 15 cruises before. We have stayed in everything from an inside cabin to a Grand Suite.

On our first cruise we were not sure if cruising was for us, so we took a 5 night cruise to Cozumel staying in an inside cabin. Wow, we actually enjoyed it even though we were in the inside cabin. We were so busy that we were in our cabin only to sleep and shower.

After that we took to experiencing even the better cruise experience by staying in ocean views cabins, balconies, and even a RCCL Grand Suite once.

My advice is that you should perhaps experience an inside cabin as your first cruise. Some say that once you have stayed in a ocean view or above that you will never, ever go back to an inside cabin.

Not so with us though, we did stay in an inside cabin two more times, once to experience a very realistic Inside Virtual Balcony Cabin, and our last one to Cuba this February which included alcoholic drinks.

I can almost guarantee you will have fun wherever you sleep.

On 3/21/2019 at 10:12 AM, Gardyloo said:

The Crowne Plaza is closer to more restaurants and other activities.  

 

Have you looked at other hotels?  Have a look at the Mayflower Park and the Warwick, just for comparison.

ty

Any opinions on crowne plaza vs springhill suites in Seattle based on neighborhood? They are about the same distance from the pier and attractions.

On 3/15/2019 at 3:16 AM, pbenjamin said:

It is NOT the case. The 10% occurs only when exchanging USD for CUCs. 

 Here is a receipt for exchanging USD to Cuban Currency.

Here is a receipt for changing Cuban Currency back to USD.

I am sorry, but for some reason I just can't help chuckling at the idea of leaving someone tissue paper as a tip.

LOL,  may I assume you meant leaving a tip of tissue paper for the attendant to sell to the next customer?  Or, did you mean leaving paper for the next tourist who did not purchase any from the attendant on their way to the stall?

We were in Havana in February. My wife brought tissue paper with her that I bought after reading about it not being available in public toilets. My wife had to use the bathrooms while in an indoor market. There were ladies at a table outside of them selling paper. Much similar to some restrooms in Europe where bathroom attendants keet the paper stocked in the stalls and cleaned them. Usually the is a charge, otherwise a tip is expected.  

On 3/11/2019 at 9:26 AM, cpayne said:

 

Bring toilet paper or wipes wherever you go.  TP is very expensive for them and not readily available at each location. At the end of each day of touring I left behind in a restroom whatever was left in my bag as a “tip”.  

 

Sorry, but I am a little confused. What did you leave? Toilet paper? And who got that tip? The next person to use the stall? 

9 hours ago, misslucy01 said:

AND there is an added Medical fee in the port fees.  And must spend 6 hrs in a cultural setting....People to People.  Carnival has several excursions that satisfy that requirement or one must document their time spent.  $75 day Visa per passenger and yes, Passport is mandatory.  Take your own toilet paper and sanitizer.....decided we had no business in a communist country anyway 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

MYTHS about Cuba!

I don't recall any additional Medical Fee. Perhaps it was included in our Port Fee.  As far as having to document how I spent my in Havana, we went to lunch at a restaurant and a souvenir market. We marked off "Support for the Cuban People". Who would believe that someone would in the future ask me for documentation? Not very likely. As far as taking toilet paper with us, we brought tissue, but the restaurant had paper.  The market had someone outside the  bathrooms selling tissue.

3 minutes ago, dcherry said:

I don't even see how this is avoidable in some cases. The overnight cruise stops in Havana leave at something like 6:00 a.m. so how would you even change your Cuban bills back to US dollars if there is no exchange open?

Our February NCL Sky overnight in Havana cruise did not depart Havana until 12 noon. All the other cruises seem to leave port as you menton.

On 3/3/2019 at 10:50 AM, swtmelz said:

I am going to Cuba in May and NCL suggested i get it on my own as an option-i ordered through https://airlinebrokers.net/

received it in 5 days

I just went to that Website. They state that the Visa is $50, and there is $25 Service Charge. Total $75, same as we paid NCL to get it for me.

I don't really understand what the fuss about currency exchange is because we are not big spenders, and usually just get very little amounts exchanged. I am not sure if going to the bank to get Canadian or Euros would be worth the trip for us because of this.

But FYI we were there in February, and...

USD converted to Cuban Currency

$150 got us $135 Cuban

Cuban Currency converted back to USD

$80 Cuban got us $77 USD

We brought back a few Cuban coins as souvenirs. Also being older now, and having tooooo many souvenirs from our travels, we only bought a few trinkets therefore not spending much money. We spent $5.00 on a bicycle taxi going from the Old Town Square to the San Jose Market.

The bicycle taxi told us $10.00 from the Old Town Square to the San Jose Market, but I had asked a local how much and they said $5.00. I simply told the driver that $10.00 was to much, and he said Ok how about $5.00. I gave him six and he seemed happy.

Leaving the San Jose Market I walked up to a Coco Cab and said I would give him $5.00 for a ride back and he said OK. I also gave him $6.00.

Lunch at the Don Eduardo Alegre Restaurant was VERY inexpensive. We sat on a balcony overlooking the Old Town Square

Currency

We exchanged $150 USD and got $130 Cuban dollars.

Then we exchanged $80 Cuban back and got $77 USD.

We were on a NCL Cruise to Cuba last month. The Cruise Director at the Evening Show did not actually come right out and say that you needed to book a tour with them, but he made it sound like it was the best thing to do. After my wife heard him, she was frantic that we would not be allowed off the ship. He even started to cause me to doubt my understanding that we could simply walk off the ship independently.

The Cuban Authorities were a heck of a lot friendlier than our own Custom and Immigration Authorities.  

We took neither an NCL or Private tour.  We simply produced our Passport (which they stamped), and handed our Visa to the Cuban Authorities as we walked into Havana.

The US Affidavit mentioned was filed electronically for us by NCL, and we never heard anything about after that. You fill out the Affidavit on line and sign it electronically online. As a precaution I did bring a copy of our affidavits with us.

We simply walked through the Cuban Custom and Immigrations, and then strolled to the nearest square for lunch on a balcony overlooking it.

There is a Currency Exchange in the same building as you leave, and a separate one when returning.