pcakes122

My response is that we should all take a moment to ensure that we don't have an unconscious bias that is influencing our perspective. Respecting the decisions that others make for their lives should be paramount. Just because someone's first language isn't English doesn't mean they aren't very capable of making informed decisions about where and how to work. We should tip in appreciation for outstanding service no matter who is doing the work. We don't need to tip, however, because we have determined (through our own bias) that people are poor and easily duped and accepted jobs in servitude because they were desperate or didn't know any better. Those are my final comments on this delete. 😊

First, I don't think there's anyone not tipping their butler. Second, when it comes to global economics, you need to check out more real life examples than relying on stereotypes. Check out some channels on YouTube of people that travel full-time or retired early overseas. The low cost and high quality of medical care in some countries is amazing. You assume that people outside of the US have a lower standard of living. That is absolutely NOT the case everywhere.

I don't think you understand how exchange rates work. Let's pretend you could go to XYZ country and make 10 times your yearly salary in 9 months. You don't live in the other country and you don't spend ANY money there at their inflation rate. When you spend the money that you make (or send it home to your family) you're going to be spending it in the US at our prices, so you are actually considered RICH in the US and can comfortably buy anything you want, own multiple houses, support extended family, etc. On the other hand, in XYZ country the cost of living is exorbitant and even though you are getting paid 10 times your US salary, it's a very low for XYZ and if you had to live there, you would be seriously poor. The people of XYZ country then look at you like you are a poor indentured servant who is stupid and sad for taking such a low paying, hard-working job far away from home. They feel sorry for you and pity you, even though your children are getting the best education, you own a beautiful home, you can easily support your elderly parents and you travel with your family to exotic places on your time off. THIS is why there are crew members on cruise ships who are actually highly-educated professional engineers, nurses, chiropractors and more (performing jobs such as cabin stewards.) They know their cruise salary is NOT "peanuts" - at least not where they are going to spend the money. Everyone deserves to be tipped for hard work and to show appreciation for great service, so that's not my argument. However, I actually find it offensive when people talk about crew members as if they worthy of pity. Nobody tricked them into working on the ships. They each saw an opportunity and made a conscious decision that obviously works for them (or they wouldn't do it.)

Some context would help you understand why people (from the Philippines, for example) make the decision to work for the cruise lines. Basically an NCL butler is making in a single MONTH on the ship more than the average YEARLY salary at home. And that is BEFORE tips. Cruise crew members are not stupid or indentured servants. They are smart people making excellent financial decisions for their families (albeit by sacrificing family time, but the significant earning opportunity makes it worth it for many.)

Definitely the Tranquility model 👍🏻 and the company provided the greatest service in terms of delivery, etc.!

@cruiseat50 PS here's a screenshot from the manual regarding splitting the chair in two just in case the delivery people are clueless (lol)

I am so so happy you were able to get this resolved! Have a wonderful cruise on the Jade! 🛳️ I will be relaxing in that exact chair next week on the Oceania Vista and will think of you! 😀

I see folks are trying to help here, but I don't think people understand the issue. The company that rents the chair has advised that the chair is 34 inches wide. NCL has ALREADY indicated that the door is not 34 inches wide. I'm not saying not to call the Access Department, but they aren't really the ones that can solve the problem. The poster should work with Scootaround to resolve. I have a lot of experience with them and the general agents will just say, "No, the chair is 34 inches wide and if the door is not 34 inches we cannot rent you the chair." That's the reason I posted the link to the chair specs and mentioned that the chair comes apart in two pieces. Since the chair comes apart, the door doesn't need to be 34 inches wide. Someone needs to just get a supervisor at Scootaround to authorize the rental. The most that the NCL Access Department can do here is to confirm what NCL reps already said (that the door is not 34 inches wide.) The NCL Access Department doesn't have any authority over whether or not Scootaround will approve the rental.

Okay, first I wanted to give you the link to the exact chair that Scootaround rents: Pride Lift Chair. The chair is 34"wide, however it comes apart in two pieces (without tools.) The back of the chair lifts straight up and off, so even if the door is narrower, they can bring the base and back in sideways (separately.) Then the back just snaps back in. Unfortunately, I don't have experience in a regular cabin, even the suites that I've sailed in have always been accessible. Good luck and keep pushing! It is worth it to have a chair that you can be safe and comfortable in during your cruise. 😊

Unfortunately, it does not.

Yes, but the actual suites (not mini suites) on the Jewel-class ships are a great value. You get butler service and all of the amenities of the Haven guests (with the exception of access to the Haven Courtyard and sundeck which are tiny and not even worth it) for a significantly reduced price.

Breakfast in Moderno and lunch in Cagney's. 👍🏻

There is no Haven restaurant on the Gem (or any Jewel class ship for that matter.)

Yes, and this is a tremendous negative and disadvantage in most ports when renting a mobility scooter ☹️ which is why I exclusively use Special Needs at Sea in ports like New York City. Most people with mobility issues will need to utilize the scooter through the large cruise terminals - so if the scooter is left in your cabin by Scootaround you will need to find a way to get yourself through the terminal (same coming off because you will need to leave the scooter in the cabin.) Wheelchair service on and off the ship takes forever because there are a lot of folks needing wheelchairs and not a lot of workers available to take folks on and off. In New York City, Scootaround does not offer the option to pick up the scooter in the terminal, but they do in Miami (one of the only ports where they offer this option.) That said, the one benefit of Scootaround is that they are the only provider for onboard medical equipment (hospital beds, etc.) that NCL will allow on the ships. I rent a recliner/lift chair for every cruise I take from Scootaround. In New York, I have to rent the chair from Scootaround and the scooter from Special Needs at Sea. It's crazy but it's the only thing that works for me 🤷🏻‍♀️ lol.

I've never sent in a 90-day-old statement, I've always sent the current month statement and never had an issue either with NCL or Oceania. I also am shocked that people are still scanning and printing documents in 2023. 🤦🏻‍♀️ The form is absolutely 100% able to be electronically filled out and emailed (as others have pointed out!)

I think it may depend upon your location. I cruised the Prima in April and had Premium Unlimited Wi-Fi. I had absolutely no trouble streaming live TV from the US every night and making video calls via WhatsApp, however my cruise was from New York to Bermuda.

Yes - I get an annual plan from Nationwide. It not only covers cruising - it covers all travel. I paid $229 this year. Below is the coverage (note that I only take $2,500 trip cancellation because all of my cruises are casino comps and even if I upgrade I have never paid more than $2,500.) On top of this, for some reason I always take the NCL Essentials (runs from $25 to $49 pp.) I don't think I need it but it's so cheap I just say "why not."

I also wait until Day 2 - why pay more? 🤷🏻‍♀️ A reminder for the night owls... you only have to wait until midnight on embarkation day to save! 😊😉

For me, not really my style, but they sell great on eBay (especially brand new with all packaging, "authenticity" certificate, etc.) I've been able to get generally $875 to $1,250 per ring for pieces with diamonds, and then I use that money to buy things I actually want. 😊 For anyone wanting to use this idea, new digital cameras sell well on eBay, too! Sometimes I buy those as well with the casino credit. 😉

Agree! That's why I never would NEVER spend my own money on Effy - on a ship or otherwise. Probably shouldn't say this here, but I buy the pieces with the OBC that the casino gives me on the last night and then I put them on eBay when I get home & I make a few bucks! 😉

Buying jewelry or anything of significant value online is another reason to invest in getting Wi-Fi. Even in their duty-free perfume shops, what they say is a deal may not even be a deal. Just a few months ago I was on the Getaway and was actually surprised to see that their onboard store was selling Tom Ford perfume (and if you know Tom Ford perfume, it would be awesome to find it at a discount.) The same bottle they were selling for $325 was $295 on Sephora! So even with the tax savings, I would still have paid more. Another woman saw me on my phone looking up prices in the store and said "you know, that's very smart I never thought of that!" So I looked up her items as well and four out of five of them were more expensive on the ship! As far as jewelry, I have purchased some pieces on the ships BUT - and this is a big but - ONLY with OBC that the casino has given me. I've purchased a few Effy diamond and gold pieces with OBC and ALL of them were more expensive than on the Effy website - and twice as expensive as comparable pieces at other stores! But thanks to Wi-Fi I knew all of this at the time of purchase. This is not the 1970s and '80s when shopping was a big focus of cruising because you really could get awesome diamond and gold bargains in the islands. It's all a scam and a gimmick now. But definitely - before you drop any real money on jewelry or anything on any ship - invest a few bucks in Wi-Fi to ensure you can do adequate comparison shopping before handing over your card.

Mine is posted to my online account. It showed up about a week after I sent in the form.

Mine never showed up on Ncl.com and frankly that was a good thing for me. Because I had to have CAS apply the CASNext certificate for me on the phone, I guess the online system didn't realize I already had a certificate on my booking and it allowed me to apply two CruiseNext certificates on the same booking (this was not during the three certificate special.) 😊👍🏻

The end of night OBC is not based on your points earned, it is based on your actual loss. Several years ago one of the lovely casino hosts I'd grown close with over the years shared the formula with me. AT THE DISCRETION OF THE HOST (meaning this is the maximum they can offer you, however they do not have to offer you anything at all) you can receive up to 6% of your total actual $$$$ loss. The spending categories this can be applied to is the same as the CAS tier $$ (so can't be used for gratuities or DSC, etc.) The OBC amount has absolutely nothing to do with the points you earned. One thing that has changed with CAS Next is that she had also shared that you should always, always, always, play your earned points, otherwise NCL will add them into the OBC mentioned above. For example, say you earned 7,000 points (which is worth $70) and you lost $4,000 (which earns you $240 OBC) and you did NOT play the points back into the machine and "saved" them, on the final night you would get $240 (because they would first use your $70 and then add $170 for a total of $240.) On the other hand, if you played your points back into the machines, you would still get $240 on the final night based on your $$ loss (and you would have already gotten the benefit of spending the $70 in the machines) so your total perk would be $310. She told me they were instructed to use the points first because that results in less of an outlay for NCL. But if you use your points they can't do that 😉. ALL THAT SAID, if you are planning to get a CAS Next certificate, DO NOT SPEND YOUR POINTS because you need to have them to trade for the certificate.

This made me laugh! 😊 It also made me think about my old debate partner @seaman11 who used to call me pancakes lol (it's not an abbreviation for pancakes by the way 🙃)