graphicguy

No…I haven’t. But, I have the ones picked out I want. They’re all still available. Will work with the on board concierge. If things don’t worth with her/him, I have 3rd party back ups!

Well…that makes total sense. Thanks!

Maybe a general question, but I just found it on my LOG IN for this cruise. At the top, there's a line that says "WP20000". It's not a link. And, as many times as I've sailed, I've never seen it before. Anyone know what it means?

yeah....in actuality, the NCL excursions aren't a bad deal if you use Latitudes discounts and subtract the $50/excursion credit. That brings them down to the price of 3rd party excursions, but you get the NCL umbrella in case something goes amiss.

I know weather is hard to predict. But, I think this cruise is sailing at just about the perfect time.... MARSEILLE-https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/france/marseille-weather-october BARCELONA-https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/spain/barcelona-weather-october?f,in,in,mi PALMA-https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/spain/palma-weather-october FLORENCE-https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/italy/florence-weather-october ROME-https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/italy/rome-weather-october NAPLES-https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/italy/naples-weather-october

I got the NCL credit card. Bought some much needed appliances. Paid it off. Got the OBC as a promo. Matter of fact, I canceled the card after getting the OBC. You can try doing that if you’re focused on getting a cruise credit card deal.

Amy…thank you so very much for the first hand experience. COVID was scary times for us all….even moreso when you don’t know what will happen if you contracted it, with the possibility of no medical safety net, given the death rates at the time. Can see the “have vs have nots” atmosphere. Talking to locals, I heard that story over and over. Incredible pics….and lovely memories. You can carry those with you for a lifetime. I’ve been back 3 other times. Would go back tomorrow given the opportunity. Seems the place carries a lot of life lessons hidden all over the place. Assuming you are asking if I have ever sailed in the GEM? I have. It’s my favorite Jewel Class ship. It’s not a “mega-ship”, but it’s also not small and boring. Now, it’s been a while (maybe @mking8288 can comment how long ago, as we were on the same cruise). I think it’s probably been refurbished since. But, I loved the ship. Again, thank you for sharing. PS…I dig the tat!

True. The credit card company is hoping most will not take advantage of the 0% interest and end up paying the BIG interest charge over a long period of time. This has been going on forever. This isn’t anything new. NCL isn’t the only company partnering with a bank/credit card company to do this. Lowes is constantly sending me 0% offers on their big ticket items like appliances and tractors. Best I can tell, NCL cruises are sailing at capacity.

I think NCL seems to be doing targeted discount pricing to a certain demographic. Like their bidding process, no one is able to make heads or tails out of it. But, with the recent (last 6 months or so) 20%-50% off promos for Alaska, the cheaper fares for Europe, it seems they’re trying to capture market share from certain passgenger groups (I believe “frequent cruisers” who sail multiple cruise lines are the targets). NCL has made a significant investment in Alaska. And now, want a bigger chunk of Europe’s cruise business. One thing’s for certain, they’re being aggressive in those markets.

Could be that, too! LOL!

I have a theory….no proof of this being true…just my hypothesis. I think NCL is aggressively going after the MSC YC business on their home turf in Europe. NCL’s Haven prices in Europe have been outstanding the last few months.

Just curious…what’s the MDR up charge? Wondering if it makes more sense just to buy another SDR package and eat in Cagney’s to get their steak.

That’s excellent…particularly for a new ship.

Was on the Bliss this past Spring. Bar service was very good. Nothing missing that I can tell. That said, I'm not a wine drinker. But, they had Buffalo Trace, so I was happy. They had Blue Moon Beer. Double happy. Oh, and the bartenders in the Observation Lounge kept me well hydrated.

Never could understand the "duck" thing, or in this case, "babydoll" thing. But, hey...if it gives you a little chuckle, have at it. I've seen those little "baby dolls"..but I think it was in Hong Kong!

Doesn't quite work that way. Having spent my career in the tech sector, with multi-billion conglomerates and start ups, each division is "sink or swim" operationally. You can lose money for a quarter, maybe 2, rarely 3. If the division can't make it on its own, 99% of the time it's either sold off or liquidated. MSC's bread and butter is shipping. They have a nice little (relatively speaking) cruise business, mainly in Europe. It's unfortunate that the pandemic hit when it did. But, if they're good corporate managers, they will not let the much smaller cruise business drag on their main shipping business. Just looked again at a couple of MSC fares into early next year. I'm not seeing anything that would make me want to book them. And, while I didn't shop the fares a lot, none if them popped out at me as being less than NCL. I want to book them. Their "status match" has me at their highest level "Diamond". Not sure all that nets me, but that match expires this year. So, wouldn't mind keeping it. But, not at the cost of doing a cruise that doesn't compare favorably with what I'm used to. I want them to succeed. I think competition is good in any industry. But, at first they were "buying" the passengers. That's not sustainable. Now, they're just another cruise option.

Bermuda has a warm place in my heart. Went there for the first time about a dozen years ago on the Breakaway…first time in the Haven. The bad news was it was a last ditch effort to work out deep troubles between me and my (then) wife. The good news….it was the last trip I had to take with my (then) wife. 😉 As such, I spent a lot of time exploring by myself and cherished Bermuda not only for its beauty, but how it replenished my soul when I needed it the most. Just rode around on the busses with the school kids and the locals jumping on and off wherever looked interesting. Plus, I loved using the local “water taxi” (which has since been supplemented by NCL’s own water taxi). Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, was kind and welcoming. It ranks as the most stunningly beautiful places I’ve ever visited. As you say, going and staying there on anything other than a cruise would be way more expensive. Got an overview from the locals about property rights and how difficult it is to move there from the “outside world”. How long ago did you live there?

Depends if they’re tying the shipping P&L to the cruising P&L. My guess is they’re separate. And, they launched into North America a year or so before COVID! And, with new ships, no less! I don’t think they’re operationally profitable, but that’s just a guess!

MSC….Have sailed them a couple of times. A few I know here at CC have “jumped ship” to them because of price. Beautiful ships. But in reality, they have a ways to go service wise compared to NCL, Royal, Carnival, etc! Personally, they’ve tried to screw me over. Had to sic American Express on them for reneging on an MSC quoted fare and then trying to charge additional $$$ to my AMEX secretly. AMEX contacted me to ask about it. At least they had my back! Service in the Yacht Club is good, but not Haven or Retreat levels. Entertainment? Food? Hit and miss. Pricing? Good at first. But now, like all the rest….sometimes good…sometimes not. North America itineraries, Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada, Alaska….they just can’t compete, either!

I’ve used their laundry service several times. I think they do a good job. But, I’ve toured their laundry facilities. It’s all very heavy duty! They don’t wash anything on the “gentle” cycle! LOL!

I had this discussion with a friend last nite. She knows I like to cruise but doesn't understand the comparisons to land based vacations. Comparing it to my upcoming Epic Haven cruise. Same dates. We took Vegas as a starting point. Staying on the strip as starting downtown (Fremont) and get a little sleazy. Using Paris, as it's not the most expensive, nor the least expensive. Right in the middle. Not luxurious like the Wynn, but certainly better than Circus-Circus. Total for 11 nites in a King room is $6,119. But, that does not include any food, any drink, any entertainment. That's just for the room. Or, about $1,500 more than the Haven 2 BR suite that includes Concierge, Butler, food, drink and entertainment. Plus, for the cruise I'll be in France, Italy and Spain. For Vegas? I guess you can get an extra cost tour of the Hoover Dam (which is actually pretty cool). I've looked at "all inclusive" over the years. Picking a typical spot in Jamaica. Again, nice hotel...not the best, not the worst....RIU.....$6,011. Again, about $1,500 more than the Epic cruise, but includes drinks and food. But, you're stuck and discouraged from traveling outside the resort. Cruise in a "non-Haven" cabin, and the price delta grows. In short, that's one of the reasons I keep coming back to cruising.

Welcome Home. Thanks for the great review. This is one of my favorite North American itineraries.

Royal slipped into getting smaller after the ships in the Oasis class were sailing. They had other bigger ships on the books and built them. Not sure how they are being received. Last Royal cruise I took was Ovation a year and a half ago. But, I’m Diamond with them, so have sailed with them more than a little. Celebrity Ships were always a bit smaller than the rest. I love their EDGE class. But, they hold 3,000 passengers, not the 4,000 + of Royal’s, NCL’s and Carnival’s biggest ships. Even there, the Celebrity traditionalists hated the EDGE class. I’m the opposite. I like new and different. Others? Not so much. Carnival I haven’t followed too much. Nothing wrong with them. They just aren’t my “thing”. I think the Viva and Prima are the sweet spot in the market. Whenever there’s a change in any cruise line’s ships, the traditionalists get all up in arms. Then, passengers and crew get used to what they’re doing and things smooth out. You aren’t going to grow if you keep doing the same thing over and over. New and different is a good thing. Just have to be open minded. I’m waiting for prices to drop on both Prima and Viva before booking. Both are new and demand exceeds their capacity. Eventually that will all settle.

The mega ships, which were the ships du jour 5 years ago from all the mainstream cruiselines are losing favor to smaller ships that are easier to manage. I’m looking forward to sailing the Prima/Viva when prices begins to drop. I think the experiences they offer are exciting.