PATRLR

It certainly isn't expected as you imply some other resorts it is. Generally speaking, we only regularly provide an additional tip to bar servers. It is our attempt to buy better service at high volume bars (e.g. pool, atrium). Beyond that, we'll tip extra if someone does what we consider to be extra services for us. Generally we are NOT giving extra tips to dining room servers or cabin stewards. On our last cruise on Bliss, I have no recollection of our cabin steward, I think we may have seen him but never asked anything of him (and that is typical for us).

Actually, those were statements. They may or may not be true. They were not opinions. If your are trying to tell us those were false statements, then cite a source. Otherwise your words are no different than those that you quoted.

From this page: https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/bliss/deck-plans

I didn't say anything to imply that. We're discussing the MDR menus in this thread. YOU are the one who implied those other options to the fine dining in the MDR. They are options for obtaining sustenance, they are not options for fine dining. I never said they did and I am aware that they don't. Guess what, there are plenty of places that can and do cook 1500 fine dining meals for one sitting. There was a time when cruise ships did it (not 1500, but there is no difference in preparing 100 or 1500 meals, you just have scale your kitchen up accordingly). You betcha I do expect fine dining and I am NOT mistaken. NCL tells me that is what they serve. From https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/cruise-dining: Enjoy fine dining in up to three Main Dining Rooms, serving fresh and delicious cuisine. With a variety of choices and a daily rotating menu, there is something for everyone here. (Hope they remember to update that paragraph if they roll this out fleetwide)

I suppose that's one way to look at it. I was hoping to learn the injuries were all minor and maybe even all were able to rejoin their cruise.

Yes, that is exactly the problem. Very poor design - don't blame me for those phantom stops, I want to get the first available elevator so I'm pushing the button for both options.

Interesting. I'm right around that weight and I don't recall being weighed in 2018. Maybe people like me were breaking the cars so they decided weigh-in was necessary? 😉

Makes sense, I'll add that to the V2 list.

As I recall in 2018 on the Bliss (note, the Bliss and the track were brand new), there was a place where people could literally "stand by" for a chance to ride, intermixed with those who had reservations. I don't recall much more than that because we had reservations. That was 2018. A lot could have changed since then.

This post is an attempt to identify what can and can't be purchased with refundable vs non-refundable On-Board Credit (OBC). I am sure I got some of this wrong, please let me know. Maybe I can make the last post an updated more accurate list. (this is where the wiki feature that other forums like FlyerTalk have would work well) Non-Refundable OBC can be used for: Dining (ala carte meals, dining up charges) Beverages (beverages not included in a package and beverage up charges) Other food - Starbucks, Cocos, etc Attractions - GoKarts, Galaxy Pavilion, Arcades Internet, Internet upgrades Ship's Stores Excursions bought on board Spa services Refundable OBC can be used for: Everything in the Non-Refundable OBC list Daily service Charge (DSC) Bingo and other paid for games of chance Casino Cruise Next (CN) Certificates Additional gratuities for staff What did I miss or get wrong?

Even if you can't get reservations early in the cruise, I recommend trying to go stand by early so you can be sure you get a ride. It doesn't seem to take much negativity in the weather to shut down the track.

Interesting. Carnival, HAL, RCCL, Dolphin, in the 70s and early 80s didn't have any specialty dining options that I was aware of. What line are you referring to? (you frequently refer to wooden deck chairs, so, I assume you are speaking of that same time frame or earlier)

So you are equating the MDR, which is supposed to be high quality sit down fine dining, with the buffet and Local? Really? I agree, one can find variety in their sustenance on board without spending extra money. But I don't go on a cruise just to survive. I suspect I am not alone in that thinking.

Your original statement was "NCL was claiming to share something with their employees that they actually weren't". I don't think anyone doubts NCL is sharing some amount of the DSC with the crew. What I doubt (and I suspect I am not alone) is whether all of the collected DSC truly goes to the crew as part of a variable compensation component tied to the amount of collected DSC. But, let's assume for a minute that the cabin steward does have access to all the information and calculations needed to determine what his/her cut of the collected DSC should be each week. Do you think s/he also has access to what all the other staff are supposed to be getting too? If so, then they would need not only the calculations for those other staff but also headcount of that staff each week. An individual staffer might be able to determine that they are getting their specific agreed to share but do you really think they know if 100% of the DSC is going to the staff, in the form of variable compensation, as NCL would have the guests believe?

Post number 205 in that thread shows one room's obstructed view.

Please provide a source for these statements. Otherwise, they are just more unfounded claims. NCL claims to give a percentage of the DSC to the crew and I believe that they do. I suspect the crew has both fixed and variable components to their salary with the calculus for the variable portion being unverifiable. So, the crew may very well know exactly what's going on but they have no way to prove it.

Read the base note again - this is about snail-mail, not e-mail.

To the best of my knowledge, that information has not been published. I'm in the camp that there is no direct link between amount of DSC collected and what gets to the employees. In other words, I believe it's just another revenue source to NCL.

Was she really a kajillionaire? She owned some jewelry stores that carried the Tiffany name. In Turkey. I'm sure she was wealthy but I doubt she was buy a mega yacht wealthy and definitely not private island wealthy. I tried to find her net wealth and couldn't find any mention of it. My guess is she was just your run of the mill millionaire.

I didn't use the term "all junk mail". My point was regardless if its NCL or anyone else, it is unregulated and therefore no certain way to stop it. You may get someone to flag your account as don't end, you may change your address, but, neither is a certain way to stop the junk mail from coming.

What you are asking for is a way to stop junk mail. In this case the junk mail is from NCL but I don't think it matters. I don't think stopping junk mail is possible. Seriously. It's not like e-mail where there are regulations that companies are supposed to follow - I don't think there are such regulations with regular mail.

I've got the two OBCs on my account as shown. Top one is from the shareholder perk, bottom one is from my TA. Notice the top one says "non-refundable" as I expect the shareholder OBC to be. Notice the bottom one does not say refundable or non-refundable, nor does it say it when I click through the link. Anyone know if that is going to be refundable or not?

That what we did, morning with Alaska Humpback Adventures small boat whale watch (highly recommend) and afternoon on the Tracy Arms excursion. Made for a busy day, but it was probably one of the best days on a cruise we ever had.

"Daily Service Charge". More commonly thought of as the gratuities paid to the cabin steward and dining room servers. Instead of the old days of handing your stewards and servers an envelope with cash at the end of your cruise, NCL now charges your on board account a "Daily Service Charge" which they claim is then split with all the people on board that contribute to your experience on board.

What is the advantage of buying OBC to then pay the DSC vs just prepyaing the DSC using your charge card or letting the DSC accrue against your on board account and paying that with your charge card? For Casino funding, I understand there is a 3% charge somewhere in the process that buying OBC ahead of time avoids. I don't see what the advantage is for DSC.