phillygwm

The thing I most dislike about the Joy's OL is the lack of a sit down bar. I understand the need for additional revenue and if they have to cannibalize part of OL to do it, it's going to happen. But I'll be disappointed if they change the bar area.

I usually book my excursions via NCL because, as Sapphire, I get a decent discount so it isn't much more than an independent company tour. On my upcoming Alaska cruise, I've booked both but the independent provider guarantees transport to the next port were you to miss the ship. Plus, the same provider contracts for that NCL tour. When I don't have a tour booked, I tend not to stray too far afield and, even then, only if I have contingency plans on getting back to the ship if something goes wrong. I'd be too panicked if I were travelling that distance on my own but that's just my personality: I stress when I'm merely "on time" for something 🤣.

The longer the ride to the destination, the more the excursion will generally cost. You can perhaps mitigate that a bit by taking a non-NCL tour but being on a bus/train for 6 hours, it's still going to be pricey. While I've been to Berlin on a land-based trip, I'd never do it on a cruise. Not just Berlin, but on several of those ports you're going to spend many hours travelling between the port and the site. If you're stopping at Le Havre, for instance, that's a similar ride to Paris, as is Zeebrugge to Brussels. Maybe there are other, closer stops that would make those ports worthwhile but if you have your heart set on the capital cities, you're going to spend a lot of your holiday on a bus.

I understand if I were doubling up 2 CNs that I shouldn't be able to add CASNext to that. But it would be really nice if I could double up between the two (i.e. using one of each) 😞

Usually, they're bringing out a large slab of meat and there are parts that are rarer/more well done than others. As for fattiness, that's largely dependent on cut. It's been a long time since I've been in Moderno because my recent cruises have been on Breakaway Plus ships. I must say, it's the one thing I most miss. I will advise you to try the grilled pineapple. I'm a big time carnivore but it was my favorite part of the meal. They don't seem to offer it in most land-based Brazilian restaurants I've been to.

I've sailed out of MCT 4-5 times but we've always docked early in the morning. I'm usually off no later than 8:00. In my experience, the posted disembark time has been a bit conservative so you MAY be off sooner than 10. I'd try to find others who did the itinerary recently and ask them. While I do generally walk off with my luggage, when I've needed to tag it (also priority) it's always been there by the time I get off the ship, regardless of port. Sometimes it's been easier to locate my bag than others but the priority pile tends to be smaller so it shouldn't be quite as challenging. Obviously, YMMV.

On the Joy, I had Starbucks relatively early on embarkation day. I couldn't access the ship's wifi and the Internet cafe was next door (and had a loooong line.) Turns out, the problem resolved itself; I guess they just hadn't activated the new packages yet. The Starbucks in the Observation Lounge had shorter hours but I don't recall those specifics.

Ahhh, that explains it! Thank you!

I was just reviewing the rules pertaining to CN. Specifically, I was wondering whether you could redeem more than 1 (or 2) if you were sailing on a longer cruise. It doesn't appear that you can, so that answered the question, however, I saw reference to CruiseNext Haven credits. I've ordered many CN certs over the years but don't recall seeing the option for CN Haven (maybe I just overlooked it because I thought it was for Haven only.) Looks like these are sold in $500, rather than $250, increments. The way I read it, it was not limited to Haven cabins. So a few questions: Was I reading it correctly that I could use two of these toward a cruise? That is, would I be able to spend $500 for 2 CNH certs and use the $1000 toward a single (say balcony) cabin? Is there a limit as to the number I can purchase? I know it's 4 for the traditional certs. Any other catches/limitations aside from those on the "regular" CN program?

There's a place for both. Obviously, RCCL has found the large ships to be popular. I enjoy the Breakaway Plus ships myself (I've not been on Prima class yet.) But they do preclude you from certain destinations, so I'd opt for a smaller ship if I wanted to hit more obscure ports.

I haven't gotten tags in the mail in many years. I'm Sapphire and NOT Haven. I do benefit from priority boarding but my bags show up in due course. There are tags for priority DISembarkation. I just bring a small carry-on with my meds, change of clothes, and anything else I might need until my checked bag shows up.

I agree. I've never stayed in Haven, because I'm a solo traveler. You think the differential is bad per person, try it with a single supplement! Plus, I've always travelled with friends who wouldn't spring for Haven, so there was no point. I've stayed in Studio, Inside, Balcony, and Club Balcony. Club is worth a small premium over the cost of a balcony...maybe $100-200. I do like the bathroom, and the goodies/laundry are nice as well. If the premium between the cabins is large, I'll go with a balcony and try to bid on an upgrade.

Every server I've known expects a tip. If they didn't, there's no way they could survive in a job that pays a couple bucks/hour. Now, to your point, are they shocked when they don't get one or when it's less than expected? No, most are too jaded at that point.

So when you dine out, your waiter isn't expecting something along the lines of a 20% tip?

Yes and no. Every year, around the holidays, there are articles around how much to tip your whoever because people don't know what is expected. NCL states (paraphrasing because I'm lazy) that anything tipped above DSC is appreciated but not expected. So there's the short answer. For me, that means if service is above expectations, I'll tip...but since it isn't expected, anything >=$0 is fine. Just don't ask me how much to tip the housecleaner. I'm still trying to figure that out. 🙂

Look, I'm all for NCL making a profit. They built up a LOT of debt over the course of the pandemic. I also agree with others: This is why we can't have nice things 🙂 When I've eaten in OL before, if a crew member didn't come offer to take my plate, I dropped it in an appropriate area but when people leave crap all around, it gets disgusting. OL is not really designed as a dining area to be bussed. That's what the Garden Cafe is for.

Sure. Good analogy. When I was in my early 20's looking for my first new car, I naively went into the dealer thinking I could lease a car for $299/month (or whatever it was back then.) When I learned the other fees, I felt duped but the information was all there, in fine print, or when I replayed the commercial in slow motion. Now I know better. Similarly, most first timers learn about DSC, gratuities, etc. when they're well into the booking process. Not false advertising -- the information is all there -- just in a smaller type than FREE AT SEA!! All of this is not to say that it isn't a good deal, but it could be more transparent if they baked everything into the base fare (and perhaps "discounted" if people wanted to remove some of the FAS components.)

This was out of Miami in November, Western Caribbean. It struck me as odd. It didn't have an incorrect status, it had none at all. My niece and her bf, who were first timers, even had the Welcome to Norwegian cards. But I was never questioned by crew. They knew who I was and I was tipping them well 🙂

Of all the NCL offerings, the FAS drink package is one of the better values especially if, like me, you tend to indulge more onboard than you might on land. As others have noted, $21/day beats most other lines. It doesn't include bottled water or Starbucks but if that's important to you, you can upgrade and it's still much cheaper than RCCL. I'll concede that "Free At Sea" isn't literally free and I've always thought NCL should advertise the "all in" cost, maybe marketing it as a discount if someone chooses to decline the booze. But I can understand their position: They want to lead with a low number and hope you're hooked by the time you realize there's DSC, gratuities, etc.

I switched to T-Mobile last year but had AT&T before that. Before I started upgrading to FAS+ I considered it. I don't recall the 1 GB package at the time but the 100 MB didn't seem as good a deal as what NCL offered.

It's funny, on my last cruise my status wasn't listed on my keycard. I'm Sapphire and it WAS listed on my boarding docs. I lined up for priority boarding and promptly got called out by someone (not port staff or crew, just Karen) who noticed my card and assumed I was a newbie 🤣

This brings me to a broader point, and I say this NOT to slam NCL. I'm Sapphire Latitudes and have exclusively sailed NCL for the last 15 years or so. I enjoy the NCL onboard experience, especially as a solo traveler; it's a good experience and value. I've done multiple Caribbean, Canada, Mexican Riviera, Mediterranean, Greek Isles, etc. But I've always felt as though I could get back to, say, Barcelona, someday if I really wanted to see more of a city. However, if I were doing a once in a lifetime trip, like Antarctica, I probably wouldn't choose NCL, even before knowing this thread or the recent media stories. I can say with reasonable certainty that I won't get there more than once, so I'd choose a provider which specializes in Antarctica/more personal experiences. Yep, it's a lot more money but sometimes, you get what you pay for.

A friend just returned from an Antarctic cruise on a much smaller ship. She raved about it, but between the length and the cost, it would be well out of the reach of most people (it's first on my retirement list!) If the issue is the speed restrictions, NCL should have known previously but definitely knows now and should reflect that on future sailings. As goodwill, they should allow pax to cancel without penalty given that the most important stop of the cruise is cancelled. If people still choose to sail -- there are sunk costs for travelers anyway -- a some amount of FCC should be given. I'm sure the other ports were worthwhile but I can certainly understand the disappointment when the centerpiece port is cancelled. And if it was foreseen in advance by NCL and they didn't disclose, I'd be enraged.

No idea what NCL will do but I'd be setting up an appointment with a medical practice that does travel immunizations, just in case.