morrisretired

The NCL Epic Roll call for April 27, 2019 Transatlantic from Orlando, arriving in Barcelona May 12, 2019 has disappeared. It was started on Dec. 21, 2017. I have been keeping up with all the posts concerning this cruise. I went to the roll calls like it used to be (BEFORE THE RECENT UPDATING OF THE CRUISE CRITIC SITE), but no sailing is listed on the roll calls for April 27. It has the dates of sailings the weeks before and the weeks after, but on April 27 sailing on the roll call. I would like to keep up with it, since we will be on that 15 night cruise. I won't bother about trying to search other topics on Cruise Critic. Just need access to this 4/27/19 to 5/12/19 NCL Epic Roll Call.  It seems like I am not the only person having trouble. A lot of things have changed with the Cruise Critic recent updating. In my humble opinion, it seems like the old site that was just replaced was so much better! I have been a member of Cruise Critic since July 2009.

We are Platinum Members and just back from a 11- Day Mediterranean and Adriatic cruise from Rome. Invited by the Hotel Director (Armando), along with another couple from Florida, to dine with him one night in Le Bistro. Our Concierge Karin brought the invitation and asked if we would be interested in going. We thought about it a while, and finally decided to say yes. Hadn't ever dined with a ship officer. (Didn't have to dress up - just wear long pants.) We really enjoyed the experience. Great food, drinks, and conversation. Armando was great host! Drinks to get started, bottles of wine with a full course meal of your choice, along with deserts and after dinner drinks. it seemed that the time went by so quickly, but it probably lasted about 2 1/2 hours. Armando said he gets to do this 5-6 nights a cruise. Missed the show in the theatre that night, but this was so much better.

It took us 5 cruises in 12 years to get to platinum level with NCL. There were also 6 cruises with other cruise lines, during those 12 years. We have a 11 day sailing out of Rome in 32 days and a 15 day Transatlantic coming up in April of next year. Then we will only need a 7 day NCL Cruise to move into Platinum Plus. Still a long way from Ambassador!

Yes, if you book a cruise with NCL, you have a maximum of 30 days to transfer it to another TA. NCL has a form you need to fill out, informing them of the new TA with your information, and it has to be signed by you. The new TA can't do it for you, but will be glad to help. It is easy to do! The cruise can't be paid in full to transfer it, though. We have done this on the last 3 cruises. If you find a good cruise sale on NCL price book it, and then shop around to see who has the better deal to transfer to. You may be surprised in the offers. A TA is usually much easier to deal with.

Latitude Members get the same perks whether booking directly with NCL, or your Travel Agent. Booking through NCL you have 30 days to transfer your booking to another TA. If you see a good deal on NCL book it, then check with several other sites to see what else they can offer you. NCL will not match their offer. And it can only be transferred 1 time, though.

You might try contacting Roberts Hawaii Tours. They have tours that pick up at the pier when ship docks for Oahu, and also have shuttles to the airport from the pier. They may be able to accommodate you and your luggage on a tour, and drop you off afterwards at the airport. Just a suggestion. Roberts does tours at all the ports. The more tours you book with Roberts - the cheaper the prices.

You might want to check with Southwest Airlines on prices. They fly from 3 area New York Air Ports to Orlando. One of them, LGA, EWR, or ISP to MCO might work out for you.

Thank you for posting the pictures, you took while onboard the NCL Spirit. Sailing out of Civitavecchia in151 days. Looking forward to it.

NCL Gem had shuttle buses going to La Guardia, JFK, and Newark the morning we disembarked in New York, back in November last year.

What about the 10% discount for Silver / Platinum Latitude Members on shore excursions? Is the 10% discounted before the $50 per room promotion is used for booking the excursion, or discounted after the $50 is used booking for the excursion. Or, is the 10% Silver /Platinum Latitude Member discount not eligible at all, on the $50 per room shore excursion.

We went out of NOLA last year on the Dawn, the Sunday before Fat Tuesday. The hotels in NO fill up months in advance of Mardi Gras, and they get expensive. We drove over from Texas early that Friday morning, and the traffic was bad. We went past NO and stayed in Biloxi, Ms. Left there Sunday morning around 8 am, drove the 90 miles back to cruise terminal. Arriving around 9:30 am, a lot of the freeways and streets needed to get to the cruise terminal were already blocked off. There was only one route in to get there, and the area was very crowded. We would never book another cruise during Mardi Gras! There were quite a few cruisers that didn't make it, and ended up boarding at our first port. Some complained that the taxis from the NO Airport, did not know how to get to the cruise terminal, with all of the streets blocked off. I would be sure and buy a trip insurance policy, to be on the safe side.

First went to see a Second City show on the Dawn out of New Orleans, back in February. It was ok, but once was enough for us. Skipped the Second City shows on the Gem out of New York in October. Glad they are being replaced. Prefer a Comedian over them.

We were on the NCL Gem 10/21/17 to 10/31/17 r/t out of NY. Had a BA Balcony and won a late bid to a 2 Bedroom Suite. I called our TA to check about prepaying gratuities before leaving home. She called NCL and they told her the price of gratuities of the original BA Balcony. I reminded her we had moved to a suite, and it should have been more. She checked again the next day, and NCL said it had stayed the same. That's what we paid.

We recently (10/21) had the Prime Rib in O'Sheehans the first night of our r/t cruise, to Quebec City on the Gem out of NY. There were long lines at the 2 main restaurants. No waiting here, walked right in. The Prime Rib was very good!

For everyone on the canceled 11/11/2017 NCL Gem Cruise out of Manhattan, save all your receipts for any and ever thing you pay for out of your pocket. Meals, lodging, transportation, air fare, parking fees, etc. With out the receipts to copy and turn in, there is no hope for any kind of a refund. We were on the NCL Pride of America delayed from dry dock out of San Francisco, back to Hawaii in March 2016. NCL told us up front they were only going to pay for certain things. But things changed. Write them a personal letter explaining the reason for all your receipts. That is what we did. Everything was handled on an individual cabin by cabin basis, though. No receipts - no refunds. It took NCL months to settle up, but they came through. NCL doesn't want a "ship load" of unhappy cruisers. I hate to say this, but this would have been a good cruise to have invested in a travel insurance policy.

I have cruises booked with V2G and the Big Box Store. I also had some booked direct and received Upgrade offers on those, but nothing on the other 2. Anyone received offers on V2G and the Big Box Store reservations?

 

 

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VTG does not participate in the NCL Upgrade Program! You might want to ask your TA before booking your next cruise with them. If you are lucky enough to win a bid and move up, ask your TA if they can add some OBC to your cruise. Our TA did! Their commission increases with you are paying extra, for the original cruise booked through them.

Which ship are you cruising on ?

NCL Gem Oct. 21-31 out of NY round trip to Quebec City.

We had our upgraded bid accepted from a balcony to a suite just 2 days ago, and today I paid the gratuities for the 2 of us. The original amount was $270 for a balcony, instead of the regular $310 for a suite. I asked NCL about the amount (didn't believe TA), and they said that was the correct amount, but it had to be paid through our TA, and before we boarded. Cruise was booked in March, before the April 1st increase.

Are you 100% sure on restriction of taking beverages off ship? Maybe this is a change...

We docked at Harvest Caye the last part of February on the NCL Dawn. Both of us walked off with our drinks in Yetis, and no one said anything. Just walk off the pier and can catch a ride on one of the trolleys. You can go back and forth from ship onto the island. It might have changed since then, though.

Just got notice from NCL that our upgrade bid from a BA Balcony to the SC Suite was accepted. Sailing 10/21/17 on the Gem, for a 10 day from NY to Quebec City round trip. Been watching our cruise for several months now. On 9/19 there were 9 Regular Suites and 12 Haven Suites were still on their website. Then on 9/20 there were only 4 Regular Suites and1 Haven Suite left. I looked yesterday and the 5 Suites were still available. Tried looking at NCL website early this morning, but I couldn't get in to do a mock booking. My wife got a card from NCL in today's afternoon mail, welcome to the suite. It was post marked 9/21, which she thought was for our next cruise. I went to the bid page and it said we could no longer bid. Then she looked at her email and saw the notice from NCL. Checked credit card and the NCL charge was on there. The minimum bid was $750 per person, and we bid $800 per person for a total of $1600. We are satisfied with the upgrade!

You have 60 days after booking a cruise with NCL, to transfer it to another cruise agency. Contact several cruise agencies, tell them what you have booked with NCL, and ask if they can add any extras on to your NCL Deal. You may be surprised what some will offer you to transfer it to them. They will also help you with the transfer request. It has to be done within 60 days of the original booking with NCL, and you can only transfer your booking 1 time. NCL will not bother to match any of their offers. We transferred our last 3 cruises originally booked with NCL, and got a much better deal each time.

I went just went to the site for the NCL Upgrade Advantage Program, to place 2 bids on our upcoming 10/21/17 cruise out of New York. Put all the information in, and can't get past the save and enter place. I assume that they are shutting down, and evacuating because of Hurricane Irma is headed their way. Don't blame them, because it was bad along the Texas Coast.

On the NCL Jewel last year (2016) out of Bayport (Houston), a couple in an inside organized our Meet & Greet. We were in a suite and kept running into them at breakfast and lunch in Moderno, and at the special events for suite guests. They said they got invited because they were Platinum Members. NCL doesn't do that for Platinum Members, which we found out later. It was the same for the M&G Organizers on the Jewel from San Pedro through the Panama Canal to Houston, the year before (2015) that. Same thing on the Dawn this past February (2017) out on New Orleans. A single lady cruiser organized this M&G, and just couldn't figure why she was getting such special treatment. Didn't believe her for a moment! So, I know the Jewel and the Dawn reward the ones who sets up the M&G.

We stayed at Crowne Plaza in downtown Seattle. It is a short walk (down hill) to the Pike Market Place. We got up the next morning and you could see the NCL Jewel from our hotel room. Breakfast was included with the room. The hotel had a free shuttle to the ship. Really enjoyed our short stay there.

It may be worth waiting until closer to your cruise for the NCL Upgrade Advantage Bid Email. Check what is left open and place a bid if interested. You only have to pay extra for the first 2 guests in the cabin.