tel2

Never mind - must have been a glitch.  Logged out for the 3rd time, and back in, and they all re-appeared.   

I have seen all the posts re no more liquor bottle purchases for the room.  But I haven’t see any about other beverages, I.e., water, soda, wine etc?  Or about food treats.  I already got soda and water, but just went back into my reservation to order more, and  it looks like everything is gone unless you wish to buy a room decoration package.  Glitch or no longer able to purchase? 

14 minutes ago, splintz said:

my Kids love hot wings. I was wondering if my 13yr old son and 10yr old daughter can go to the local restaurant by themselves and order hot wings and soda since it is a complimentary restaurant. Or does an adult have to be with them to order. 

Unless you are buying them the soda card, soda isn't complementary.  But if they have charging privileges on their card, still not a problem. 

I hope it ends too!   I have looked at about 12 different cruises, different weeks, different ports, and I did not find one single cruise that actually gave me Free Airfare  from Philadelphia to anywhere -- for every single one there was a "supplement" which in every single case amounted to more than it would cost me to pay in full for airfare booking it through the airline.  Not exactly a useful perk for me. 

Also, I should have mentioned that occasionally my husband has asked for the room service (free) cheese plate every day instead of the savory snacks, and our success level with that has depended entirely on how good the butler is.....

We have ordered it, and we have been charged, but we knew we would be so it wasnt a problem.  We have also ordered the regular cheese plate/crackers off the regular room service menu, and while the cheese selection is not as good, that is free. 

I agree that butlers are not exclusive to one cabin.  And I have been on cruises where a butler is run ragged by one suite, most usually one involving multiple children.  But as so many people here have pointed out, some people do not use them at all, and some people only get snacks, and some people use them more heavily.  We generally fall into the we don't use them that much category, and when we planned the party, we inquired at the beginning of the cruise whether it was an issue, and we were told it was not a problem - it was a 3, maybe 3 1/2 hour event including set-up and clean up, so we certainly didn't view that as impinging on other guests.   On the husband sick issue, we obviously didn't plan that and we hope it didn't impact others, but cannot imagine how it would, as he wasn't sitting them babysitting him, just going by the room a couple of times a day to check on him and bring food/juice.  Isnt that what they are there for?

I think it is impossible to assess the appropriate amount of a tip in advance.  We - husband and I, so usually 2 of us, but occasionally his sister has also joined us in a 2 bedroom suite  -- have been in NCL suite/haven probably about 10 times so far, and our tips to the butler have varied widely, not only based on the level of service provided, but also on the degree to which we used them and our assessment of the effort which they expended.  AT the base level, we have a standard list of requests we always make - by leaving a pre-prepared note -- at the beginning of the cruise, which include, ice every day by 3pm, a full pitcher of iced tea and cranberry juice in fridge, along with a plate of lemon wedges, a pitcher of half & half for coffee, all to be refilled as necessary, and mini BLT and turkey sandwiches on pretzel bread bought right around "back on board" time on shore days.  We generally also get room service for breakfast on shore days, but generally no other room service.  Yes, that is all food service,  but if executed well we tip fairly well for it, but not extravagantly - usually somewhere between 140-200 total.  On one occasion when our butler did none of the things we asked for, and multiple calls to concierge and then hotel director prompted an improvement for one day and then the guy disappeared again but showed up as we were leaving, and also told us when we ordered breakfast the one and only time we ordered it that he was "very busy" and did we know the Haven had a great breakfast... we tipped nothing.   

On 1 cruise we had a large surprise party in our suite -- 20 plus people.  We ordered shrimp trays and cheese trays and bottle service and mixers (for which we paid)  for my brother-in-law's 50th wedding anniversary, but our butler set it all up, brought a blender and huge tub of ice for making frozen drinks, brought an array of extra free snacks, dips etc, brought a free anniversary cake, decorated the cabin and deck, none of which we asked for and none of which we were charged for, and cruised in and out throughout the 2 plus hour party to get rid of dirty dishes, make sure we had enough utensils and plates/napkins, refill ice, make sure we weren't running out of food or booze (and then would ask us if we wished to order more), and took a gazillion photos for us.  We all left for dinner, and when we came back, the room suite spotless, the cake boxed and left, the remaining snacks wrapped and refrigerated, the open wines corked etc.  We tipped 500. for that week.   

On our last cruise, my husband had a tooth abscess which resulted in a raging infection and landed him in the hospital getting IV antibiotics on board overnight, and left him pretty ill, in pain and miserable for the remainder of the week.  Our family was also on board, and I wanted to go do things with them, but felt bad leaving him alone.  I also was afraid he would become dehydrated etc.  Our butler told me to go have fun, said he would bring him soup, crackers and juices every couple of hours and check on him and call me if there was a problem, and he did exactly that for 3 days, plus run down to the infirmary to get prescription refills a couple of times.  We tipped 500 for that week too. 

Again, I think it depends on both the circumstances, and the execution.

So, last October, we were on a cruise from New York with 10 other family members.  A few days before we left, my husband had a toothache.  I called and made a dentist appointment.  The toothache went away and he "didnt feel like" driving into the city, so he cancelled the appointment.  I yelled at him and he blew me off.  Fast forward to second day on ship.  He is in massive pain, one whole side of his face is swollen, and his cheek looks like a chipmunk.  He takes aspirin and ignores it.  24 hrs later, he has a fever, the pain is intolerable, and off to the ship doc. we go.  Massive infection requiring overnight stay in ship hospital, IV for antibiotics and steroids,  painkillers and more than $3400 total out of pocket for treatment.  Thank god I had travel insurance that covered every nickel.  It sure ruined his cruise.  If I hadnt been so angry with him for cancelling the appt before we left,  I probably would have stayed in room and hung out with him, but we were in a Haven suite, and I had family to hang out with,  so I just made sure the butler brought him soup and soft foods to eat and plenty of fluids, and left him to wallow in misery.  I know I sound like a horrible wife, but once I knew he was out of danger, I figured he brought it on himself.....

I have stayed in the 2 bedroom suite in both the master bedroom and in the small inside 2nd bedroom. The small bedroom was fine for one person. Ask for an egg-crate topper on the bed.

You didnt ask this, but I will throw in my 2 cents anyway -- I would not be willing to pay 1/3 of the total price for the small bedroom. In my view, that is not equitable. The master bedroom is huge with an incredible bathroom. Plus, the first two people on the reservation get the promos, and the third person does not. When I had my sister in law join us, and I was in the master w/ my husband, we had the 3rd person free promo, and so we only asked her to pay her port taxes and fees, her gratuities, her beverage package and dinner package costs (since she didnt get the promos) and we asked her to kick in a portion of the concierge and butler tips. It was much less by more than half of what it would have cost her to get her own room. When I was asked by friends to join them and I was in the small bedroom, they did not have the 3rd person free, and they asked me to pay the difference between what it cost for the two of them alone in the suite, and what it cost to add me (which was much less than full fare for a balcony). I also paid my dsc and dining package. (I dont really drink much and even the 100. in service charges would be higher than the cost of just buying drinks as I go...). I thought it would have been more fair if I paid the difference between their cost for a penthouse for 2 people, and their cost for the 3 of us in the 2 bedroom, which would have had me paying about 700. more, because, lets face it, they wouldnt have gotten a two bedroom but for me going, but they insisted on doing it their way and I was very appreciative....

Thanks.

Hi! I apologize if there are already threads on this, but I cannot find them. I just tried to book a 10 day on Gem from New York next March (2019), selected a forward Penthouse, and much to my surprise, site told me my TWO included free perks were wi-fi and excursion credit, and gave me the option to purchase the dining and alcohol package. I've always gotten all perks in a suite, even when not a haven suite (although I know Id have to pay gratuities. Is this a recent change? or a glitch? I tried different dates and it gave me the option to select all 4 perks, so I am thinking it is a glitch. Anyone know? I emailed them because I dont have time to call right now, but I thought I'd ask here.

Terry

tel2- Thanks for that info. Even though you hadn't cruised for awhile I find it encouraging they still treated you like the 'VIP' status you had been and that solid play you were showing on that cruise. A good host should be able to do that for a good player. Can you tell us what ship you were on?

 

 

 

I have had a host on the Escape tell me to 'go shopping' the last day of a cruise. I am currently Sapphire and close to Ruby now. I don't usually have a lot of charges on board so I appreciated that he gave me that heads up. With the current program you know when you board the ship that you will have $200 OBC at Sapphire status. Not sure if they figure that amount into their computations of how much more they can comp you. I should reach Ruby with my cruise later this month so with that I have heard I will start each cruise with $400 OBC.

 

 

 

You should definitely call CAS and ask what kind of cabin they can comp you for a future cruise. It sounds like you aren't cruising frequently but it wouldn't hurt to book something for a year or so in advance. CAS has allowed us to change dates/ship as long as we weren't past the final payment date.

Sorry, I didn’t see this post until now. We cruise about once a year but sometimes, due to the timing, the cruises might be 18 months apart one year, then six months apart. We always cruise through CAS, and usually are comped a penthouse suite, although on a couple of more expensive itineraries, we have gotten mini suites, which we generally upgrade. I know people have complained about the reduced benefits, but I have no complaints.

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Not trying to hi-jack this post but on this topic is pompeii worth it? Doing same cruise in October.

 

 

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We did this cruise twice. Went to Pompeii both tines. I thought it was amazing. The one place I thought was not worth the time was Pisa.

Hi -

Looking forward to our first experience in a Haven Suite - TA has booked us on the Breakaway - Cabin 14872 -

 

One deck above the Garden Café - I think they booked us in this one, because the configuration includes the bedroom window overlooking the balcony (as opposed to on some of the other decks the window that overlooks the balcony is in the bathroom)

 

Does anyone have experience staying in an Aft Suite on Deck 14 of the Breakaway ?

 

Do you hear noise from scrapping chairs, etc. from Deck 15

 

Should we ask our TA to change us to another deck ?

I would try to change it. First, yes, I think there is a noise factor. But second, the deck 14 balconies are much smaller that those that are lower. The largest are on deck 9. The difference is amazing. Largest to smallest on breakaway is 9, 12, 11, 10, 14, 13.

Hi! I have been a CAS player for about 6 or 7 years - about 10 or so cruises at this point. My play doesnt vary much -- about 15,000 points per 7 day cruise. Not a HUGE player, but consistently play at an acceptable level for them to comp the next cruise. My own personal experience is that I get much better comps on the large Away ships basic Europe cruises, Caribbean and Bahamas cruises and Bermuda cruises than I do on the more expensive or unique itineraries on smaller ships. By way of example, I got only a balcony on a longer unique Spirit itinerary in Europe, but got a penthouse non-haven suite on Jade in Europe, Pearl to Alaska, and Pearl to Western Carib. But I got a 2 bedroom suite on Epic Europe itinerary, a haven aft suite on Breakaway to Bermuda, and same on Breakaway to Bahamas. My completely unscientific gut instinct is the larger the ship, the more higher end rooms CAS can comp...

Terry

Actually, there is a 3rd inconvenience, but if you have the iconcierge app and your phone or tablet, it will not apply to you. And that is, since the room charges for two people are being posted to a room that they arent actually staying in, they will not be able to access their charges on the TV in their own actual room. But if you have the app, you will be able to see your room charges on your iphone or other device.

This is not hard, although a bit inconvenient to set up. We have done it a bunch of times with family/friends. First, switch the rooms so that the person who drinks is the 2nd person in the room with that perk. Second, when the husband and wife check in - now in separate rooms --they should each use a different credit card - that is, so there are two separate accounts, not a joint one. Third, as soon as you board, go to guest services and ask for extra keys for the rooms that have people switching. They can give you keys that have NO CHARGE PRIViLEGES. The two inconveniences: 1) on a couple of different ships, Guest Services has declined to give me extra keys unless ALL adults registered in the room were present and agreed. That meant that 3 of us had to waste time in line; 2) the parties who are the switchees have to carry two key cards. The card originally assigned to them that allows them to charge; and the duplicate non-charge keycard that will allow them to get into the room they actually want to sleep in.

I know I am answering a question you didn't ask, but we have stayed in an H3, H7, and an H6. Of the 3, if it is just us and we have no friends on board that arent in the Haven, I would hands-down choose the H3. If we have friends that also will be on the ship, and want to be able to hang out with them more easily, we choose an H6. We love the ginormous H6 balcony, on which we have had breakfasts and dinners served, had cocktail parties, and just had friends over to play cards etc. Of course, it is much further away from the Haven proper, but we do not find that to be an issue. We personally will never stay in an H7 again. Having a nice balcony is an important part of the cruising experience for us, and it is where we spend a fair amount of time, and the balconies on the H7s on the away class ships are just ridiculously small.... The price point for the H6 is between the H3 and the H7

We usually have a lot of OBC because of being stock holders. And we were going to buy some NCL stock for the same reason, but if we are not able to use it for gratuities or excursions, why bother? We never really use it for anything else.

 

I am glad I saw this thread, thanks.

Just a clarification. It absolutely can be used for excursions. We do it all the time. Also, if you are in a suite, you can use it to tip the butler or concierge, which we also have frequently done with no problem.

Thanks for the input. Head is still swimming. Shocked at the cost for a hotel in Rome and for transfer from airport to ship or Rome and from Rome to ship. Our dollar isn't faring too well to the euro I see.

Not sure what your needs and preferences are, but we have done this cruise or a similar one a few times, and we long ago decided the price of hotels in Rome was not worth it for the tiny rooms. We now always rent an apartment via Air BnB or VRBO. Last time we had a one bedroom with full kitchen and large balcony on campo d'fiori, with air conditioning, WiFi and an elevator, for 120E a night, and it was lovely. It also allowed us to stay 4 nights in Rome, instead of 2. If you go that route, make sure you identify clearly your needs, i.e., air conditioning (many are not air-conditioned), elevator (if you are unable or willing to walk up a couple of floors - many bldgs (and many hotels) do not have elevators) wi-fi. etc. And look carefully at the reviews posted. We never select a place that has less than 10 or so reviews, and we check the location very carefully to make sure we are where we want to be, i.e, in the Pantheon, navona or campo dfiori area, which we think are the most central locations. Although many hotels include breakfast, we still find it much more cost effective to stay in an apartment, and pick up local stuff for breakfast and snacks. Especially when we stay on a square and I can get my husband to run downstairs in the morning for fresh baked pastries and expresso....

We go to Bermuda usually once or twice a year because my work has conferences there in off season. Have been there often in April. I find the water way too cold to enjoy. But the ambient air temperature in usually in the mid-60's so it is pleasant, and usually sunny.

One thing I never realized but that I recently learned from a manager on Breakaway re level of comped cabins -- our friends were with us, and we usually cruise only once or twice a year, and they cruise 4 or so times a year. We are both Jade. But we are almost always comped suites and they are never offered suites. In fact, they are only occasionally offered balconies - usually insides which they upgrade. And they couldnt figure out why our comps were so much better at the same "level" In any event, manager told them that in addition to itinerary and ship, they also look at loss and theo loss by number of cruise days. So that someone who has a 15k theo loss on a 7 day cruise and gets to Jade level on that one cruise will be offered much better comps that someone who cruises 4 times a year and has a theo loss of 4k on each cruise. I guess that makes sense especially if they are getting comped - even insides -- 4x a year. I just never heard it before.

With regard to changes coming, I get the sense that the hosts/manager now have more discretion that they previously had. We cruised in October and had not previously cruised in more than 18 months on NCL, so although I previously had been VIP under the old system, based on the timing, I started back at lowest level on this cruise. I lost big time and I had taken mucho advances on my room card. Clarissa in the middle of week offered a spa treatment and a dinner without my asking, and when I cashed out, she offered to comp off all of the 3% fees on my advances and also suggested I go "buy something" before I checked out. Ive never had anyone offer that before, especially when I wasnt at the ruby or equivalent level where the convenience fees were automatically comped. If they now have more discretion, I think that is a good thing because it allows them to reward infrequent but heavy gamblers and makes them feel rewarded and appreciated.

Although you have the UBP, the CAS drink card is also good for bottled water in the Casino. The UBP doesn't cover bottled water, but we like to have one to carry off the ship in ports or use in our cabin. I think it's also good to get Energy drinks the UBP doesn't cover like RockStar, but I haven't tried that.

You usually can also cajole the casino servers to give you an unopened can of soda, rather than a glass. We would get pepsi and water for our room fridge... Yes, call me cheap, but it drove me crazy that I could only get watered down pepsi with a ton of ice, so I wanted cans....