4 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

No way am I excusing the guy who was clearly a jerk (in O'Shehans) but I wonder if he was a first time cruiser.  One of the things many of us love about cruising is that the small portion sizes allow you to sample multiple things.  The jerk probably was going by "land standards" and did not stop to think that (A) he could just order another Cobb salad (or two, lol) and  (B) there would be no extra charge.  Some people on their first trip to Europe complain about slow service because you never get the check unless you ASK for it.  Cruising has it's customs too.  When in any unfamiliar environment it is always best to watch and learn if you don't want to be a jerk!

Yes, that could be it. He did seem to expect it to be an entree size salad. I guess the waiter could have offered another one. I just wish the man had not been so loud. We were seated so close that I was a little stressed by it. 

I should say that I have never been in the Haven, but do like to do a few extras each cruise. Depending on the itinerary, I love to get the thermal suite passes. Sometimes a few pricey ship excursions.

I do have a story of bad behavior in O'Sheehan's and not from a Haven guest.  A man at the table next to us was giving the waiter a hard time about the Cobb salad his wife had ordered. He was ranting that it was small, and that it barely had any turkey and ham in it. He was also upset that it came out before his food. He was being loud and it really put a damper on my husband and I enjoying our meal. I also had a Cobb salad that day, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I order it often and love that it is not too big and everything on it seems fresh. I also like that it is light and leaves me room for a couple of wings or some spinach artichoke dip and chips. The waiter was so calm. He apparently had learned to deal with this kind of person. I never could have been so calm. I felt bad because even though he seemed unfazed, I am sure it was not a pleasant experience. The whole thing blew my mind and prompted my husband to give our waiter a nice tip.

On 6/5/2023 at 3:29 PM, graphicguy said:

@LrgPizza...thanks so much for the review.  Kind of surprised about the Butler and Haven Restaurant experiences.  Usually, they bend over backwards to accomodate.

 

I had noticed a lack of Butler engagement the last Haven experience I had last year.  Concierges have always been on top of anything I asked of them...from changing dinner reservations (including finding "space" for me at sold out times for Specialty Dining Restaurants), booking my excursions and entertainment (including getting me front row seats at extremely popular shows at Sid's and Cavern Club).  Taking care of billing snafus and WiFi issues....all done without me waiting around at their desk.  I tip them well.

 

Haven Restaurant not listening to what you wanted or denying reasonable requests?  Yeah, that's a "conversation" I would probably have with the Haven Restaurant Manager.

 

But, good to hear you enjoyed it.

 

Gary.....I think it depends on the ship regarding the quality of the Haven Staff.  Just a guess from me.  I've had great experiences on the "-Away" ships in the Haven.  On the Jewel class ships?  Not so much!  Obviously personnel is different, but policies seem to be in a state of flux (no apple juice except for breakfast?).  Communications seem to have breakdowns, too.  What's normal for one Haven is not for the Haven on a different ship.  That's a communications issue from management.  At least, that's my take.

 

 

I agree with you about the Haven restaurant not accommodating reasonable requests. Not being able to substitute a veggie for one that is on the menu is ridiculous. No bagel to the put the lox on is pretty lousy too. If they had them on board in other places, this should have been provided. Especially when the OP  wanted one the second day, they should have had them available.

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Seems like very very very very very minor issues. But it is your right to make it a big deal.. Better taken up with your room steward. 

If my room had a dirty sink and shower was not properly cleaned on turn over day, I would think that was not good! I would contact the steward and let them know they needed to come to my room and clean the sink. I would not be mad, but would calmly explain that it had been overlooked. As far as the OP stating that the room still had not been cleaned at 1:30, that is not a big deal. With the new system, some rooms will not be done until later in the afternoon. Minor issues that can be easily resolved by speaking tp your steward. 

2 hours ago, RD64 said:

How about nothing?

You can do that if you want to. Whatever you are comfortable with.

12 hours ago, luv2kroooz said:

We are debating semantics at this point. Thank you for your contributions.

 

The industry currently assesses a daily fee. Some call it crew appreciation (Princess). Carnival/Royal calls it service gratuity(tips). Call it what you want. The intent of these charges is and has always been to compensate the crew for the service they provide. 

 

If you don't think these charges are effectively intended to be or replace required tipping, then please continue to tip the crew over and above the daily charge. I couldn't care less what you do. But please don't come on here and expect me or others to do as you do.

 

We gladly pay $16.50 per person per day which is in line with industry standards and more fairly represents the value of the service we receive. We do not and will not pay $20 per person per day on NCL. Their service is good and on par with other cruise lines, but nothing we have seen would warrant $20.

 

Lastly, rest assured we certainly will not allow other members on here to shame us for not tipping the laundry guy, the head chef, the restaurant hostess, the plumber, the dishwasher, the general Manager's secretary etc. 

 

For the benefit of the community, here are snapshots of the current industry standards for the daily charges. Some call them gratuities some call them charges. The intent of these fees is the same.

 

 

Carnival...

SERVICE GRATUITIES (TIPS)

It is customary for our guests to extend gratuities to the shipboard staff in appreciation for their hard work and exceptional service. 100% of your gratuities are distributed to the crew who you interact with, such as your stateroom attendants, dining and culinary services staff, as well as others who work behind the scenes to enhance your overall cruise experience. Applying this charge automatically streamlines the recognition process and ensures our crew will share in your generosity. 

 

Princess....

The “Crew Appreciation” is a daily amount for each guest that will be automatically added to your onboard account for your convenience, to recognize the efforts of a wide variety of crewmembers who contribute to the experiences of all our guests.  The crewmembers eligible to receive these funds work in various departments, many of whom rotate among different ships, throughout our fleet of ships. 

 

Royal...

 

As of September 7^th, 2022, the automatic service gratuity of $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in non-suites staterooms, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Suites, will be applied to each guest’s SeaPass account on a daily basis. The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories. As a way to reward our crew members for their outstanding service, gratuities are shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes to enhance the cruise experience.

 

Thank you for this. I feel that MoCruiseFan insisting the DSC has nothing to do with tips is misleading to new cruisers. Of course it does. The DSC was invented to make it easier for the cruisers, so they do not have to run around the last night with tip envelopes. That said, I do tip drink servers and my room steward extra, and wait staff when I do my free Sapphire specialty dining. It is true that, technically speaking, NCL does not call the DSC tips. 

I also like to hear what others tip. It gives me a general idea of where to start when I do choose to tip extra. It would never occur to me to tip for laundry, but I kind of like the idea of leaving five dollars in the basket when my laundry is returned promptly and in good condition. 

I try not to get involved in tipping threads, but sometimes just feel the need to state my opinion.

Does anyone know if NCL has arranged a pre-cruise hotel and transfer package for Dominican Republic? I know it can be expensive, but the convenience sure is nice. I am thinking about booking Gem for August, but have never been to D.R. and would like the option to book a hotel with NCL.

I am thinking about booking Gem for August. Dominican Republic is the only place on the itinerary we have never been. Does anyone know if NCL has a hotel arranged? I know it is usually expensive, but usually includes transportation to ship. It makes things less stressful in an unfamiliar place.

4 hours ago, blcruising said:

Sorry, the government and CDC and WHO are the ones looking out for passengers. Most cruise lines, including NCL, continued welcoming guests onboard even though the government was advising against unnecessary travel. The government finally had to ask them to cease operations and then they did.

 

They've closed up for 30 days and offered a FCC, not a refund. I mean, they had to do something....they were cancelling the cruises.

 

If their goal was to do right by clients, do you think that has materialized? I don't. Oh, they are still marketing cruises in April to Spain, Rome, and France. Those countries are currently closed.

The people with cruises scheduled within the 30 days were offered a choice of refund or 125% FCC.

7 hours ago, PennStateMom said:

I know NCL is struggling, but surely they could have just put a "be patient" message on their website, at least to those of us who've been cancelled.  When I log in to NCL, my reservation is showing "payment due" - and it was totally prepaid.  Is anyone else  in the same situation showing "payment due"?  Of course when I click on that link, it takes me to a an error page saying their site needed to take  a "short vacation".  I don't believe anyone in their IT department or working the phones is on vacation right now, more like mandatory overtime.  I'm one of the lucky ones who waited to cancel until closer to departure to  see if they would be offering full refunds.  The cruise was to depart 3/27/20, but my email says the form to request refund will not be available on their site until 3/24/20.  Praying that they have the financial resources to cover all these cancellations as well as the future cruise credits.  Their website does not give me confidence.  

The same thing is happening when I log in to check my cancelled cruise. We we're supposed to sail 3/29. I am trying not to stress until after the 23rd, and will try to get my refund processed then.

3 hours ago, kaybeebee said:

The number I have for is CAS is 888-785-8259. Is that what you used? I also have a new certificate for pick up on March 20 from a local casino,and the rep I spoke to said to contact my host, there was nothing she could do🤔

I called 888-445-5231 press 2 for help with existing cruise, then press 4 for CAS. You may have to wait until the 20th for them to see your choices. The woman I spoke to was very helpful. She priced out a cruise that was not on my voucher, and said I could get a discount instead of using one of the voucher choices. I ended up using one of the voucher choices.

2 hours ago, esm54687 said:

CAS is closed on the weekends so you spoke to the main reservation people......  I would call CAS back today and confirm they are actually CAS. Sometimes they're so busy that the lines are forwarded to the main reservation people and you get Non-CAS info 

I am pretty sure I booked a new cruise through CAS yesterday, so I don't think they are closed weekends.

I originally called NCL to ask if part of a future cruise credit could be used to pay for excursions on the future cruise. I talked to an excursion person, but the woman couldn't answer that question. She said this was all new. I pointed out that people had received FCCs in the past and asked how it worked. She had no clue.

After that, I called and got connected to CAS. I wanted to ask about booking a replacement cruise for my cancelled March 29th Caribbean cruise that I had booked through CAS. While we were talking, I mentioned to her that besides having had that cruise cancelled, I was also disappointed that due to the Twin River, RI casino having been closed Friday, I had not been able to pick up the free cruise voucher they were giving out on Saturday. She said she could see my voucher and read off all the choices I had. I booked a cruise to Bermuda, that may or may not happen, using the voucher.

March 23rd I will call to get a refund of my money from my cancelled cruise, and keep an out eye for possible trips to replace my cancelled Caribbean cruise. I had received only a discount through CAS on that one, so I had ended up spending a lot of money on it including balcony upgrade, four excursions and two thermal suite passes.

I was just on the roll call for the 3/14 Star cruise. It was cancelled. Does anyone know what the ship will be doing in the meantime? Will it return to Port Canaveral for the cruise due to start on 3/29? If it undergoes deep cleaning before coming to Port Canaveral, it could be the safest ship to get on. I am hoping that they are able to inform people quickly about any decision being made for the cruise due to leave on 3/29. I also realize it may be out of Norwegians hands and decided by a government 

decision that may restrict travel to and from the port.

I certainly would like the deaths caused by this virus to be prevented. I hope the precautions that are already in place help.

For now, we are leaning towards cancelling because my very healthy husband is considered elderly (65).

If we go on the cruise, we plan on being very vigilant about washing our hands, sanitizing the room, and keeping our distance from people. We also discussed not eating any meals in the buffet. At this point the cruise vacation, for me, may be safer than going to work. I do not have the option to work from home. 

1 minute ago, Montanagirlalways said:

ok TYPHOID creature

I have been wanting to change my user name for a long time. All the cute names I wanted were already taken. I didn't think I would ever want to comment when I made the name, so it didn't seem to matter, but sometimes I like to give my opinion.

5 minutes ago, KateQ22003 said:

It is not "basically a bad cold". Have you not been listening to the CDC? 

I have been listening and the symptoms are the same as a cold or flu. If it wasn't over hyped, no one would even be getting tested specifically for the COVID-19 virus.

I want the decision to cruise to be mine, and hope I still get to decide.

I sure hope NCL does not shut down. I have been looking forward to the cruise I am going on in 2 1/2 weeks for a whole year. I feel like this whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. It is basically a bad cold. Not worth shutting down the globe. I do agree with people who are older and immunocompromised being informed about the virus, so that they can make smart decisions about their own health, but sending everyone into a panic is ridiculous.

7 hours ago, Kilroyshere said:

USPS is losing $ because:

 

1. The lucrative component of USPS is 1st Class mail and package delivery business. And that has been eroding due to internet, fax and competition (UPS, FedEx & now Amazon building their own delivery service).

 

2. Unlike any for profit business, USPS 'borrows' billions every year at the lowest rate possible from the US Treasury. The debt can never be repaid and is just tax payers subsidizing this dinosaur. For profit businesses go under run like the USPS has been.

 

3. Legacy costs: USPS has health insurance and Defined Benefit benefits that are solid gold. And the USPS has underfunded them...something no private corporation can get away with.

 

USPS largely has 'junk mail' as their last piece of business and it's not enough to sustain their business model. As such, tax payers will pick up the burden so NCLH can send unwanted, multiple catalogues every week.

 

Don't blame Congress. Either USPS is on their own as a for profit company and they sink or swim like UPS, FedEx etc. or, we admit they are like most Government agencies; bloated, out of touch, poorly run and a burden on taxpayers.

 

 

The USPS is NOT funded by tax payers. It receives no tax dollars for operating expenses.

LOL "guerilla" mass marketing. I work for the post office so I get double the pleasure of seeing them all night at work.

I enjoy getting the small catalogs. I like flipping through and getting ideas of where I may want to go next. We are platinum also, so I don't think that has any bearing on whether or not you receive them. 

If you don't want them, just toss them in the recycling bin. Why take business away from the post office or printers?

2 minutes ago, ray98 said:

Boy.....this is a the super bowl for drama queens.

LOL 🤣 Best line I have seen on here all week.

2 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

We did two gty’s for the savings, not for the living room.  With no single supplement (or a very low single supplement), it was cheaper to book a solo balcony plus a solo inside than toe book a double balcony, especially since we used CruiseNext certificates for both cabins.  Also gained more Platinum benefits by booking separate cabins.  The assigned cabins were not particularly close together, so the inside saw minimal use.  Closer would have been nicer, but no chance of connecting cabins the way we booked.  Had one of us developed a minor illness, such as cold, perhaps one of us would have retreated to the extra cabin more often; fortunately that did not happen.

I do like the idea of the extra savings with one cabin being an inside. It would be great if you could find rooms across the hall from each other. Extra Platinum benefits would be nice too 😃🍷🍾🍓

I would only do this if they were adjoining cabins. Then you can use one as a living room, and one to sleep in. I would like having my own closet, and two bathrooms would be a really nice benefit. 

25 minutes ago, eroller said:

Probably a very smart move by NCL all things considered, although I can understand anyone's disappointment that was booked on her.  I hope those that were booked can find a suitable replacement.  

 

From a purely selfish standpoint I'm very anxious to hear what her redeployment might be.  It's very unlikely she will be laid up (almost unheard of in the cruise industry) especially after this major refurbishment.  Perhaps European cruises or even sent to North America.  Rates would likely be very attractive due to the very short lead-in time.  I've been turned off to NCL lately, but the SPIRIT is the one ship that could get me back.  Her refurbishment looks amazing and she is a grown-up ship.  Perfect for adults with no kids.  Just the right size too.  I can do without all the rides and attractions on the other NCL ships.  

I agree that this looks like a great ship for adults, and am glad to hear they won't be sending this newly refurbished ship to Asia. We cruised on Spirit back in 2010 Boston to Bermuda, and would love to see it come back to Boston. Would be fun for Bermuda or Bahamas and Florida or longer trips to the Caribbean.

I have been thinking for quite a while that it is ridiculous how long it takes NCL to make updates to their website about any changes to their cruise itineraries. They have no problem making changes in pricing to reflect the latest "sale", or rise in any fees or service charges.

Never mind the talk of who should take the hit if someone wants to cancel an upcoming cruise to China or nearby areas affected by the virus. It wouldn't be that bad of a hit for NCL to at least offer 90% credit for a future cruise. This would probably be better than filling a ship with people who have flown into the area of embarkation and may have come in contact with an infected person. I think it would be very costly if the whole ship is quarantined like Diamond Princess. Not only did they have to cancel future cruises, they now have to feed and take care of nonpaying passengers for at least 14 days. I would think that would be a bigger monetary disaster for NCL.

So far I am planning to go on my upcoming NCL cruise and am sure I will have a good time, but I always adjust my expectations when cruising with NCL. I also take their insurance and don't book the most expensive cabins so that if I have to cancel I won't be out too much money.

Good luck to all affected cruisers. I hope you can work out a plan to still have enjoyable future cruises.