TonyB17

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Yes, Cabo is always a tender port. PV is occasionally if they have too many ships in ( true of any port if you have more ships in than you have dock space), never heard of Ensenada or Mazatlan being tender ports.

Thank you!

Not exactly.  We tend to get back early, not wanting to miss the ship.  If you've never done it, I highly recommend it.  Much less crowded than some places.  At least early in the day.  

Please forgive a newbie question.  Is Cabo always a tendering port?  I know PV, Mazatlán and Ensenada weren't the last time I was in Mexico, but that was a few years ago.  

Thank you!

19 hours ago, Sand and Seas said:

How many points did you make on that cruise?  If you earn over 5000 points between April 1st and March 31st you can achieve Tier status that will give you some guaranteed comps on your next cruises.   

Here is a link to more info on Tier status:   https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/casino-cruise/players-club

I didn't check my points before leaving.  We weren't planning on going on another cruise for at least a year, so points and offers weren't really on my radar.  The email was a big surprise almost six months after the cruise.

It was an email.  The fine print said it could be used for Mexico, New England, Bermuda, Bahamas and the Caribbean.  I thought it was possible that it was sent because they could be having trouble filling ships because of the current health scare.  The email also said book by April 3, sail by October 30.  Any experience on passing on the offer and how long it might be before seeing another one?  8-10 years ago I was getting more offers from Las Vegas than I could possibly use and ignoring offers didn't seem to slow them down.  We don't consider ourselves prone to panic, but free or not, I don't think we'll be booking a cruise until the current situation seems more under control.

I cycled a fair amount of money through the tables on our last cruise, first with NCL.  Overall, I was down for the trip, but nothing extreme.  I just received an offer today for a free 7 night cruise.  I haven't contacted NCL yet, but it looks legitimate.  A couple of questions:

1)  Is this typical?

2)  What should I expect, aside from a "typical" cruise?  I understand that we'll be responsible for taxes and port fees, etc.

TIA

Our experience on the Bliss:

The Local:  just fine, nothing special

Ocean Blue:  excellent service, good food not great

Teppanyaki:  very good, better than I was expecting

Cagneys:   good food, good service, the atmosphere could have been better, it felt like there were too many tables too close together.  The steak was good, the lobster not so much.

Q:             some of the best BBQ we've ever had

MDR:  good service, good food

Buffet:  mediocre, and that's judging it by buffet standards.  Breakfast was standard buffet, lunch was hit and miss at best, had one disappointing dinner and didn't return.

On balance, I don't think that's negative.  We're looking forward to eating in any of the restaurants again.

In general, the dining package should be cheaper than a la carte.  Especially in Cagney's. 

I was on the Bliss two weeks ago and was told Prohibition was no longer being shown.  I don't know if this is permanent or temporary.  On our cruise there wasn't anything replacing it.

"Better" is debatable, but booking excursions with the cruise line will be more expensive. 

I'd call NCL.  You should have been able to book at 120 days.

I know people don't like to hear this, but sometimes the smartest thing a business can do is to "fire" a customer.  Some customers are far more trouble than their business is worth.  It's a two way street.  She didn't like the way that NCL runs their business and NCL decided they didn't want to do business with her.  Isn't that what's best for everyone involved? 

1 hour ago, GA Dave said:

McDonald's offers a free toy in their Happy Meals.  Think you are not actually paying for that toy??

The movie studio probably paid for the toy as part of their marketing.  Not really a great comparison.

Table for two please.

2 hours ago, adam_s_allen said:

I’d say there’s probably no more than 200 bartenders on the ship. If only half the people on a sailing have the drink package that’s $40,000 per day in gratuities going to 200 people.

 

I’m not saying not to tip additional, I’m just saying it’s not a small amount.

Or less than $30 a day on a 7 day sailing. . .  

This isn't a flame thing, it's genuine curiosity.  It's clear that you have multiple issues with NCL, but you're still choosing to sail with them.  I'm just wondering why?

It sounds like the OP would be happier on another cruise line.

I made our reservations right at 120 days for Sept 1 and I can confirm it was there but it's gone now.  Even with all the research there are still surprises.  Looking forward to whatever it winds up being.  People seem to love Choir of Men and I've heard good things about Burn the Floor.   

4 hours ago, Noworkforme23 said:

Not sure about the rub, but the food was amazing. My son had the 3 meat platter and I had the salmon and both were awesome. The desserts were YUMMY!!!

 

 

I can't wait! 

I remember reading on this forum a few months back about a search tool for unsold cabins on your sailing.  I'm not finding it using the CC search.  Anyone smarter than me have this bookmarked? 

For people who have stayed/been in an inside cabin and a balcony cabin, do you think it's worth it to upgrade for the extra room?  Is it even noticeable?  I've read from several reviews that being able to watch Glacier Bay and other sights from the balcony can be preferable to watching from the Observation Lounge.  I found the balcony to be more than worth it for Southern sailings, but I haven't had one in Alaska.  FWIW, I expect that we won't be spending a great deal of time in the cabin between the ports and shipboard activities.

Thank you.

The last cruise to Alaska, I had an ocean view, not a balcony.  I'm wondering what people have experienced with balcony cabins on the Bliss as far as outside light bleeding in.  I know you can clothes pin the curtains, but I'm just wondering how dark it will be in the early morning.

Thanks!

About 10 months in advance.  Started booking excursions a couple months later.

Thanks everyone!  I paid the upcharge for Ocean Blue when I made our reservations.  Just after the 120 day mark.  Less than 50 now and we're so ready to go.

If you purchased a dining package before the recent price increases at some of the specialty restaurants, is the package still valid?  No price increase?  We were actually lucky to have locked in our meals at a lower cost?

TIA