pcakes122

I'm sure and sorry for the crazy, rude or unhelpful responses you've had to deal with here. 😳 You didn't come to CC so that posters could solve your problem, to start drama and chaos or to lie about charges for things you knew you ordered but wanted to complain about paying for. You clearly asked an honest question because you'd never been in the Haven and wasn't sure these charges were normal (or new.) Keep us posted on your response from NCL! (and I hope you try the Haven again!)

Seriously! 😊 Yes, they deliver to your suite so it's there when you get there and you just leave it when you leave. I rent from Scootaround and they offer 2 types of recliners. One is a regular manual recliner and the other is a motorized lift chair (that's the kind I rent because I am disabled.) I'm on a cruise right now (sitting in my recliner as I'm typing this lol) and the rental fee was $305 for a 10-day cruise. (I add other insurance and protection fees so my total was $394.) I'm sure the manual recliner is cheaper, but I don't know the cost. Here's a photo of the types they rent.

I cruise out of New York all the time and I am one of those people who doesn't arrive until noon or later. I can't stand crowds, and even though I cruise Haven I just can't deal with the throngs of people in the terminal and the chaotic energy. Today I am very happy I am one of those people because at 9:35 a.m. I received a text from NCL saying that the Getaway is delayed and check-in won't be until 2 to 6 PM. I changed my car service pick up from 11:30 to 4:30 and I'm about to enjoy a relaxing day at home. I feel sorry for the early birdies at the pier who are going to have a looooonnng wait. 😲

CAS rules have changed and they are issuing their own "certificates." I never step foot in a land casino and I was told by my CAS rep that I have two certificates awarded that are pending booking. They no longer comp based on the theo from your last cruise. (They have a new calculation that averages play from your last 3 cruises.) That said, my rep advised that they CAN still book on "play", but ONLY when you no longer have any certificates to use. The management at CAS has completely changed and they are trying a new marketing strategy (per my rep.)

I don't think so! I rent one on every cruise I take. 😁👍🏻

It was the non-smoking casino and my fave place and if it's gone I'm going to cry 😭.

Didn't NCL stop that a couple of years ago? I thought to "remove" gratuities you have to apply to be refunded after the cruise? ( I really have no clue because this is not something I would ever think about doing.)

@New2cruise2022 Let me translate since it's clear you are new to cruising and that response was somewhat misleading (it's nowhere near as dramatic as that lol.) Yes, you do have to "cycle" $25K over a YEAR to earn a drink card, but you don't have to SPEND anywhere near that much of your own money. Slot machines generally are programmed to give you about 95% of your money back so, based on that, you could earn a drink card (and free cruises and other benefits) by outlaying maybe $1,200 IN A YEAR. It's gambling, so you could lose more or you could win big, but to earn the lowest level free drink card you don't have to spend a lot of money gambling. Just remember when you are gambling to always use your room card or get a casino card from the casino manager so that your play is tracked! Good luck! 😊

Room service will deliver (for free in the am) a nice large thermal carafe of hot water that you can use to make your French press coffee.

This is not really how that works but I had to jump in and say that I can't imagine an email attachment taking more bandwidth than live streaming video? Also there are multiple "links" (as you call them 😉.) The entire ship is not sharing one big home Wi-Fi connection. And the bytes don't have to travel 23K miles back-and-forth like they're in a Honda on a highway. BTW, the bridge also utilizes satellite connectivity and I can guarantee you they are not on the phone with Miami saying "Sorry, boss. Still downloading." The military relies on satellite connectivity, too - but sometimes people talk about it here as if it's comparable to 1980s dial-up. Internet at sea is not going to be what some people are used to on land but it can actually be better than some rural parts of the US. There are multiple servers and connection points but what can really affect it is your location on the ship and WEATHER (including fog and humidity - both common at sea.) I rarely have problems with internet on cruises but I am always on a very high deck (usually 17 or 18) in the very front of the ship (and I always upgrade to streaming!) If you need good internet on a cruise, those are my recommendations!

The big issue here is that I truly believe that the OP doesn't believe that this is a big issue (and wanted support on that front.) But it is. Several people have mentioned that this is reason that NCL won't let just one person in the cabin purchase a drink package. They know people are dishonest so they need to mitigate their losses. It's the reason why prices in general are what they are because not only do people shoplift or steal but they also do things like pretend they didn't receive a package so that the merchant sends a "replacement", etc. It's not always clearly evident how one small "cheat" impacts the greater good, but it does. It's not that the one Margarita you give to your friend does all the damage, but it's the hundreds or thousands of other people who do the exact same thing that drives the policy changes that negatively impact everyone. It works the same way in reverse. People may think that one single act of kindness can't make a big difference, but it does when we're all doing it. Yes, you can cheat the system and give your friend free drinks and you probably will not get caught. Or you could buy them a drink if they really can't afford it. It all depends upon whether or not you want to be part of the problem, or part of the solution.

I have with no issues (from Decks 17 & 18 Haven - front of ship.) Not sure Wi-Fi signal is the same strength everywhere on the ship, though.

Slot machines and table games take cash.

Reminds me of people who don't need insurance. Until they do. 😉

I have Ring and I have never had an issue viewing my cameras or answering my doorbell from any NCL ships (I always upgrade to streaming internet.) Not sure if it matters, but I always cruise from New York - usually to Bermuda, Bahamas or New England and I'm always in the Haven (front of ship.) Now that I think about it, I've never had an issue from the Gem either and in that case I'm always in an aft-facing cabin. I actually had a friend with me on the Escape who live-streamed her (now ex lol) boyfriend talk to other women for HOURS from her apartment (via her Canary cameras) while he was supposedly feeding her cats. (She had just gotten the cameras -- not to catch the boyfriend who she foolishly trusted -- but so that she could watch her kittens during the day 😳 lol.) I've never had any issues with NCL streaming internet and have always had great connectivity to live stream TV and other apps.

I can't remember the last time I got off the ship lol. And I cruise a lot.

They probably need to rename it since several cruise lines allow you to use it before actually boarding.

Princess and Carnival allow it, too. It's becoming more widespread and I'm sure NCL will catch up soon.

LOL! It honestly amazes me that people do not recognize their unconscious bias when they post about the "poor crew." Just because someone has an accent doesn't mean that they're stupid or ignorant or need protection. In many cases, it just means that they know at least one additional language then most people. Crew members are intelligent people who have made a deliberate, thoughtful decision to accept a job that benefits them and/or their families. They get cruise ship jobs through an agency and are fully informed and understand the conditions of employment before they accept the job. Perhaps the average American would not accept a job for cruise ship pay, but that is because they compare it to American salaries (and they also forget that room & board and food is included, and there is no need for a car, car insurance, etc.) The best is people who bring "gifts" to the crew like deodorant, toiletries and candy as if they are visiting someone who is incarcerated LOL. I honestly just can't. 🤦‍♀️

Ahhh! I see now we're talking about 2 different types of inhalers/medications. The ones you linked have "preventative" medication in them - they are not "rescue" inhalers. ( If you scroll down further on the link you shared it explains the different types.) What I have and what I needed when I had Covid was a basic rescue inhaler (Albuterol.) Here's average Albuterol prices https://www.drugs.com/price-guide/albuterol. The point of my post wasn't the price of an inhaler, it was a reminder that unless you want to wind up with an overinflated bill and take unnecessary tests, make sure you know what you are paying for in advance when getting medical treatment on a cruise.

I think the $900 total bill including medication (e.g. Z-pack was just $121) AND nebulizer treatments was a fair price as well. I DON'T think that the suggested $3,000 worth of tests (no meds or treatments included) was warranted. I'm super happy I looked at it closely before signing the consent. I think everyone should do the same! PS Since I only pay $10 for my Albuterol inhalers with insurance you had me curious about the actual retail price without insurance. A quick web search shows it's about $30-$50 in NJ. Not sure where you are located but $300 is actually excessive for that med.

Not sure yet. I submitted it to my primary health insurance and whatever they don't cover I'll submit on my Nationwide travel policy.

As I mentioned, I had 2 at home so it wasn't worth it to me.

I just want to add a note about medical treatment onboard NCL. Of course, when we are sick we absolutely want whatever treatment or tests necessary to diagnose and address our conditions. That said, PLEASE be careful and review your treatment plan carefully with the NCL doctor. I was just on the Joy in October and had a terrible cough (btw, double-vaxxed and double-boosted here and this sailing required everyone to test for Covid before boarding.) I really thought I just had bronchitis (tested negative in my cabin on a self-test) but I had neglected to bring an inhaler so I headed to medical. The symptoms I reported to the doctor were coughing (very evident lol), sore throat, runny nose, headache and fatigue. I had no fever. The doctor listened to my lungs and told me she wanted to run some tests. I let her know that I wanted to review any plan before consenting. She came back with a $3K estimate! I started to go through each line with her to have her explain the plan. Included were cardiac enzyme blood work (to determine if I'd had a heart attack??), EKG (same reason??), kidney and liver function tests (why??) and more things that made no sense. At first it made me very nervous that she was checking me for a heart attack, so I asked her what it was that she heard in my lungs that made her suspect I might have had a heart attack. She said she heard congestion consistent with a lower respiratory infection. So I further questioned her about the heart tests and she said that I had told her I had chest pain (I NEVER ONCE mentioned anything about chest pain.) She said the kidney and liver panel tests were to rule out kidney failure in case she had to prescribe antibiotics. I shared with her my CBC blood test results from 10 days prior that I had on my Labcorp app (results normal) and she said well there's always a chance it could have changed in the past week. Needless to say the only thing I authorized was regular blood work (to check for signs infection) and a Covid PCR test. The Covid test was negative and she prescribed a nebulizer treatment and a Z-pack. My total bill was $900 including the meds. I never wound up getting the inhaler because she wanted $300 for it. I asked her why it was so expensive and she said because they had a limited supply. I knew I would be home in 2 days and that I had prescription inhalers at my house so I skipped it. So, I survived without the recommended $3K of tests. (However, I did test positive for Covid two days later when I got home.) Bottom line, make sure you know what you are going to pay for before you sign anything. And don't be afraid to question or refuse any tests or procedures that seem excessive!

Here's a direct link to download the form. Instructions and email address is on the form. (You need a separate form for every booking if you have more than one cruise.) NCL Shareholder Benefit Request Form