PATRLR

Yes, if the local municipality (state, county, city, etc) charges taxes on those drinks. You pay tax on the cruise lines retail value of the drink. If you have a piña colada that has a $12 price on the price list, and the local municipality has a 5% drink tax, you will have to pay $0.60 tax

Did I say anything about "do the same thing"? I did not. My point was simply about gathering facts. I'm happy for you. Personally, for me, if I make an uninformed decision I think there is a reasonable chance that I made the wrong the decision for me. But maybe that's just me. I agree with much of the other things you say about this thread, but, those are all things outside of my very specific comments.

I don't know how many 100s of thousands of square feet of public space exist on these ships, but it's a big number. Yet still people seem to feel a need to be able to bring their kids into the one relatively miniscule place NCL has identified as no kids. The word "entitled" comes to mind at this time.

Not new. Bliss 2018 I saw those signs.

Actually, after reading the fine print and fully understanding the T&Cs I feel even stronger that NCL is the king of N&D.

If you can't stick to what I quoted, what I was specifically commenting on, then I am done. I stand by my statement, there is nothing wrong with gaining knowledge. If you disagree, then hopefully we can respectfully agree to disagree.

I never said anything that would imply I was talking about opinions. See my response to Two Wheels Only above. Really? Did you really feel a need to go the condescension route? I usually make sure I comprehend the conversation without adding my own unsupported inferences before I turn on condescension mode. But hey, we're all different as you said.

SMH. I was not talking or responding to comments about opinions. Your quote that I was responding to was not discussing opinions, it was discussing facts. Let me refresh your memory with where my comments started: Cruiseny4life wrote this, expressing an interest in what people tip. A reasonable inference here is that he wants to know facts, not opinions. He wants to know what other people do. Notice he didn't say he wanted to know what other people think he should tip, or what other people think is a good range to tip, he wanted to know "what other cruisers are tipping". Those would be facts. To which you, Two Wheels Only, responded: See - even you apparently inferred he was talking about facts - what people tip, as evidence in your response "What others tip" - again, facts. So no, I am not confusing facts with opinions. I never wrote nor implied anything about what others think, I was only responding to your statements implying that people shouldn't even want to know the facts of what others tip.

Cabins above and below you, I wouldn't expect the medical center itself to be noisy, I'd be surprised if it was noisy in that area.

Before the season, looking at the schedule, I certainly would have circled this game as one to watch. But with the way each of those teams is playing, I suspect the game will be a yawn. Unless Rodgers has a meltdown which I can't help but think is coming...

I would call NCL customer support directly. It sounds like there is a notation in your record and I think you're going to want to get it removed.

I didn't say there was. But now that you've said it to me, I will say there most certainly could be a wrong decision. Again, I didn't say or imply anything about someone else's decision except to point out that others' decisions can contribute to your knowledge. I believe that knowledge contributes to making informed decisions and I believe that most people like to make informed decisions (I know I do). If my decision is based on my ignorance, it most definitely might be the wrong decision for me. Just because I made the decision, doesn't make it right. Are you really trying to tell us that it's wrong to gather knowledge before making a decision? Are you really going to insist that making an uninformed decision is the right thing to do?

You write this as if there is something wrong with gathering information to help you make the right decision. There is nothing wrong with gaining knowledge.

THIS!!! Especially the part about not good parenting.

Every wedding I can remember, the DJ (or the band/orchestra) did the MC-ing. I'm sure there were instances where someone else may have done it, but, generally speaking all that I can remember the DJ did it. I can't imagine any DJ who does weddings saying they would NOT do the MCing also. But I assume in your situation, NCL is providing the DJ and hence why you can't get an answer? If it turns out they won't do it, I really don't think it would be a big deal for one of your guests. I know if I was one of your guests and learned you needed someone to MC, I wouldn't hesitate to volunteer. It's not like they'd be tied up "working" the whole time. They grab the nic for introductions and a few other points along the way and they're done. Not a big deal.

Bummer, I thought I'd missed something about Dawn's return to Boston. Agree with others, Dawn is a favorite of ours. @mackfamI suspect your "adult children" and their SOs will make their own fun (assuming they get along) and won't need the tracks and lasers etc on the bigger ships. I wouldn't hesitate to book whatever ship it is that is leaving from Boston.

What your travel site likely included was pre-paying your Daily Service Charge (DSC). They may market it as "pre-paid gratuities". My experience when the DSC has been pre-paid is that it does not even appear on your onboard account/bill. Be sure to check your bill to be sure it isn't there. I did once have a problem with the pre-paid DSC. Despite supposedly being pre-paid, it was being added to my account each day. Fortunately, I had all my paperwork from both my TA and NCL and was able to show it to Customer Service onboard and the problem was immediately resolved.

@NCteacherlovescruising I've spent a lot of time on these boards (and others) prepping for my return to cruising after a couple years away. The only cancellations I've read about are Pride of America in Hawaii where they are having staff issues because that ship being American flagged uses American staff. NCL also cancelled one cruise due to the hurricane but that's understandable. You can always find people who complain about customer service. I don't think I've noticed any more recently than before the pandemic. Search these boards, read some trip reports, I don't think you'll find much of what your TA is telling you.

I hadn't heard that they stopped printing the port maps. Is this still the case? I liked to have them if only to get that initial "lay of the land". Does that mean they also got rid of the "port talks", aka the hour long advertisement for Diamonds International, Cariloha, and Del-Sol? Won't miss those if they are gone 😉

Agreed. But, NCL dining rooms with just a couple exceptions are far from "formal dining rooms". If you decide in your mind that you are experiencing a formal dining room, then that's on you. I'll wear my shorts if I feel like it. Not just dinner, take the damn hats off indoors. But agree especially at dinner. Why do I have this sinking feeling that we're all going to regret this if you do it. 😉

But kids are allowed around the Haven Pool on deck 17, right? It's just the upper deck where kids aren't allowed, right? @July1963 You understand it's just that upper deck where they aren't allowed?

@dchusker Welcome to Cruise Critic. The old days of handing out envelopes at the end of the cruise is long gone. Your onboard account will be charged a "Daily Service Charge" which covers what used to be put in the envelopes. Your bartenders will be tipped either via the 20% gratuity you paid when you booked the cruise for your "Free At Sea" drinks or, if you didn't get the Free At Sea then 20% will be added to every drink order. Specialty Dining restaurants will have 20% added when you booked the cruise if you got Free At Sea or 20% will be added to any meals you purchase beyond that. If you are in Haven, let us know, others can fill you in on those special needs (they don't let me out of Steerage, so don't know about Haven). Lastly, if you want you can give anyone onboard something extra for extra service. But it's not required and certainly isn't expected like the old days.

I'm another one that, when choosing a room, look for rooms above and below. That being said, I'd guess that on more than 1/2 our cruises I went with a guarantee (or Sail-Away) rate, left my cabin choice to chance, and ended up in some rooms that on paper one might think is a problem (e.g. public space above). But never really had a problem so I try not to over think the room choice.

I don't understand this statement, which you've made a couple of times. The T&Cs are very public and easy to find, you seem to claim that you read them. NCL then follows their T&Cs but they are "hiding" behind them? As best I can determine, you don't like the result of the T&Cs, which you claim you read and you definitely agreed to, and now you claim NCL is hiding something. Makes no sense. Seems if anyone is hiding something, it is you hiding from the reality that itineraries can and do change.

If it was teams people actually cared about, they might 😉 (I'm kidding. It's a joke. A joke sort of like my Yankees efforts against the Astros is a joke)