CruiseGal999

1 minute ago, LHT28 said:

Do not go to Europe  where they want your passport  at the hotels 😉

 

 

2 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Do not go to Europe  where they want your passport  at the hotels 😉

 

 

Too late ... have been many many times.  Hotel has NEVER taken my passport when there.  But thank you for all of your input. 

55 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

LOL  did you think they were going to sell them  ??

Maybe some Canadians would want then  NOT!!

No ... It was always my understanding that you are NEVER to be separated from your passport.  It was the first time it ever happened on a cruise. 

32 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

What?  You seem to hate NCL, yet you keep booking with them?

 

As for ship-sponsored shorex, the cruise lines often use the same private tour suppliers in the same ports; if an NCL excursion is bad, probably the similar/same XYZ cruise line excursion in the same port is also bad.

 

You've been a CC member for ten years and haven't been able to find recommendations for private shorex, especially in the Med??   The Ports of Call forums, particularly those covering Europe, are full of them.   Also, Roll Calls are often a good source of that info; in fact, putting together a small group from a Roll Call to do a private shorex with is, imho, a big advantage of Roll Calls.

Wow ... VERY judgy.  My 1 & only Med cruise was 2013 ... so NOT on CC for 10 years at that time.  There are more to cruiselines than excursions .... but the food ... very disappointing.  I do have to say that our Med cruise had the BEST NCL food ever.  ALL 19 cruises haven't been NCL ... I've sailed RC, Carnival, Princess, and NCL.  

22 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Why would you flip out? Common practice for many itineraries.

That was  a first time for me and it was ALWAYS my understanding that you are NEVER to be separated from your passport.  

On 12/20/2022 at 2:05 PM, thereal_kman said:

Hi all:

 

First time NCL cruiser after having good experiences on HAL and Carnival (and mixed on RC). I am sailing on the Norwegian Gem on Jan 16-25 and one of the excursions I planned to do with my family was the Atlantis Waterpark.

 

We have a $50 discount towards one person based on a promotion. We were going to book the excursion but about 10 days after our booking, worked with a cruise consultant (after an NCL agent was super unhelpful on the phone) to help get my mother in law booked into her own room to join us on the trip. It was essentially stated by the unhelpful NCL customer service rep to wait to book our excursions, food etc until we got my mother in law all set up since she was a separate purchase and we could coordinate with NCL to get it all booked at once despite it being my wife, kids and myself and then my MIL as a separate customer.

 

So we booked her last night. We went to go check on booking the excursions before we called to firm it up and.........find the excursion cost went up by almost $60 for adults per person. That's a BIG increase. (It's also a dumb one considering the ship according to our cruise consultant is only about half full)

 

So by doing what NCL advised us, we're now on the hook for paying almost $200 more for the 3 adults. 

 

My questions are two fold.

 

1) Is there any person to talk to about this? Their chat agent was beyond unhelpful. Is this something I could try to go to a manager about on the phone? Can the cruise consultant do something on their end? Even if it was just $100 excursion credit or SOMETHING, it  would seem fair.

 

Or are we just up a creek?  It seems frankly offensive that we're paying a financial penalty because we followed their advice to wait, just referred a customer (MIL) who just gave NCL another $1500 and now are going to risk losing making another $500 off us because now, we may not even book it. But I guess companies can be stupid.

 

2) Has anyone done the Atlantis water park by taking a taxi and just paying the regular ticket price. Is that cheaper than the posted rate by NCL which is now up to $219 for an adult (it was $169 yesterday).  

 

Thanks all

Most of my cruises - only 19 so far - have been NCL.  1)  Their food is the WORST - I know - you didn't ask, I'm just saying.  2)  Their excursions ARE AWFUL ... from EXTREMELY overpriced and horrible in content, I have been disappointed on every single excursion I have purchased through NCL.  WHY did I?  Because my Med. cruise ... I had NO idea who to go to/through for excursions  -  so I was at NCL's mercy.  Alaska - same - NO idea who to use/go to - at NCL's mercy.  

My cruise to Alaska .... 

On 12/24/2022 at 11:52 AM, wcook said:

when you have a drink package. Always a fun time, but mostly for the free champagne I think. Just a big goof - a only on a cruise ship activity. But somehow I feel like I’m being cheated since I’m not “scamming” free alcohol. Maybe I could actually buy some art. Bwahahahaha. Kidding. 
 

 Anyway, auction starts in 10 minutes. Hope everyone is having a great day. 

That's a stretch calling the hooch 'champagne'.  But it was always fun to swill and chuckle at the stuff they sell.  

Almost 3 years to the day!  So sad .... 

3 hours ago, notalandlover said:

In August my wife and I did the British Isles cruise. We loved it. During the cruise our room stewards collected the passports for all passengers. They were returned a few days later. Has anyone ever had this happen and why would a cuiseline do this? I asked room steward who colaims he didn’t know.

 

Thank you

2012 I cruised to Alaska out of Seattle, WA.  NCL took our passports on land ... before we even got into line to start the check in / boarding process.  I was FLIPPING OUT!  But we had to do it. 

On 10/24/2022 at 12:44 PM, disneynan said:

Has anyone had good luck with last minute bookings? I’m looking at NCL Boston - Canada for August 2023 and the prices are high! Thinking about waiting until the last month to book as I can’t imagine this is a popular cruise and schools will be in session during my travel dates. Has anyone had luck - good or bad - doing this?

I did a similar cruise  NY - Quebec and Quebec to NY.  I did the b2b = 2 cruises, same ship, but I  did have to change cabins.  I booked 7 days prior to sailing.  NCL chose my cabin.  NCL waived the solo supplement fee.  It cost me B4 taxes, gratuities, and port fees = $399 EA CRUISE!!!!  I was on the ship for 20 days on 2 cruises for $800!!! 

3 hours ago, gnome12 said:

Click on your user name on the white bar at the top of the page. Click on account settings. It will take you to a page where you can change your password.

Thank you.  It isn't working.  I have done all of that.  

2 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

If you are seeing the following pop up, click on continue.

 

 

If not, consider sending an email to help@cruisecritic.com. Include username and use registered email address.

 

Ok. Thanks.  Yes that is the pop up that doesn't work, go anywhere.  

On 10/20/2022 at 7:51 AM, momofmeg said:

We had a very bad experience with anytime dining seated with a group of one person eating very slowly which made us have to wat a long time for each course of food. Our diner took over 3 hours. His wife apologized and said he had new dentures. I would not have minded so much but we missed the show when we should have had ample time to get there.  ever since, we always request to be seated with our family or traveling companions only. Even when we have assigned dinner times, we request a small table for only us. 

 

Anyway, I think I could have dealt with your son fine. I have Aspergers myself, so I have empathy. I am guessing his seizures is another medical condition as that is not necessary someone with autism to have. I get why your tablemates though may have been afraid. We have a fiend with epilepsy, and it is very scary to witness a seizure. So anyway, I would have been okay with your son.

When you are seated with people who are NOT your family or in your group ... it is perfectly acceptable to tell your waiter to please bring your food as quickly as possible as you have reservations OR you just want to get on with your evening and have fun!  

How do I change my password?

I have gone into Settings.  I have clicked Change password. 

The popup says "Go to Cruise Critic" ... I am IN/Logged IN to Cruise Critic.  

The screen doesn't change or take me anywhere that I can change my password. 

On 4/30/2022 at 7:58 PM, dickinson said:

Click on your user name near the upper right of the screen.  In the drop down click on account settings.  You will see where it says password and a link if you want to change it.

I have done this and it doesn't take me anywhere or change the screen to allow me to actually change my password.  It says "Go to cruise critic"   But I am IN/Logged IN to cruise critic.  

16 hours ago, clo said:

Did you have a lot of ports there? And what did you love about it please? Just in case we can go back there...next year?

No, not a lot of difference ports .... The NCL cruise I took had 1 1/2 days in Havana ... and I loved it.  I cruised by myself, got off the ship and walked to meet the driver for my PRIVATE car tour .... there were supposed to be 2 men in the car and there were 3 men in the car.  They were FANTASTIC, polite, nice, generous, funny, entertaining, SO knowledgeable.  Just the best time.  I took another private car tour to Ernest Hemingway's house the next day and I still to this day communicate with the tour guide by email.  Just the best experience. I highly recommend to NOT purchase cruise line tours for most places ... but especially Cuba.  I wanted ALL of my $$$ to go into their hands directly. 

Hands down .... Cuba

On 10/31/2019 at 12:10 AM, clo said:

I see people asking regularly for this.  Is it because the port city isn't interesting?  If we continue to cruise some of the reason will be because the beginning and ending ports are going to be places that we want to explore.  Or continue to explore.

For me ... it's to make schlepping my luggage to the cruise ship much easier and stress free on boarding day. 

I did this once ... didn't go over too well ... the tip was generous though.  That was well received.  Hahaha 

3 hours ago, ducklite said:

 

Were they all in the Caribbean?  I adored my B2B in Europe a few years back.  But I have zero desire to do so in the Caribbean.  Ugh.

No, the B2B was from NY to Quebec & Quebec to NY.  It was fantastic.  Great time of year.  Only had bad weather in Maine ... 

I had a crazy, incredible year from Sept. 2018 - Sept. 2019 ... I sailed on 6 cruises.  2 of them were B2B .... it was fantastic. 

3 hours ago, sirenitas said:

They always have to throw in the "an excursion organised independently".

Why not? Its true & stops the haters in their tracks.

7 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Which ship was that?

The Gem in Sept. 2018 and The Pearl in 2019 ... 

On 8/25/2019 at 6:59 AM, mjkacmom said:

You do realize by now that you are mistaken, NCL’s wine policy has remained unchanged, they just let you go to shut you up. It has clearly stated that the corkage fee of $15 per bottle will be charged for every bottle brought onboard. You are the only person who has ever claimed anything different on this board. NCL doesn’t care where you drink your wine, it’s $15 regardless, always has been.

This isn't true ... I have been through ... as a solo cruiser ...with 2 bottles of wine and have NEVER paid a corkage fee.  I even carried it by hand in the plastic bag the liquor store gave me and put it through the scanner and at check in counter ... was told no fee needed.  this was last sept. 2018 ... so not that long ago. 

This past April ... me & my friend/cabinmate went through each with 2 bottles and never paid corkage fee.  We did only drink it in the cabin ..but if we had poured it into glasses and walked around with them ... that would have been fine also. 

On 8/25/2019 at 3:39 AM, NYrunner said:

 

That wasn't my experience when our wine (2 bottles) was taken from our luggage this past April. The process was quite simple...walk down to the mid-ship dining room, pay the corkage fee, and they returned our wine for us to enjoy in our cabin.

Why was your wine considered contraband?  2 adults in 1 cabin are allowed 2 bottles free of corkage fees.