zimmerjulie

I hope your hubby has a happy birthday dinner and you have a great cruise!

Just watching to see if any other restaurant recommendations come in. We are sailing in Feb and I thought instead of starting a new thread, I would bump this one.

Thanks!

Hi There,

I am wondering what the rules are for the waterslides on Navigator OTS, "The Blaster" and "Riptide".

Examples from our last cruise on a different ship are: no glasses, no metal buckles or rivets on your swimsuit (no metal at all).

I want to try the slides, but I don't want to buy a new swimsuit due to the adjustable straps (with metal adjuster) on my current one. I would also prefer to wear my glasses vs contacts. I can't see without correction, so it will have to be one or the other if I want to enjoy the clear panel over the water.

Thank you,

Julie

Farmersfight, I hope you got a picture of your friends impromptu performance in the spotlight 😁 and I hope he can remember the fun he had with you!

Oceansaway17, what is this magic you speak of... Iceland on the Star!!?? Sign me up for THAT! Iceland is one of my favorite places in the world! I got an 18 hour layover taste and I want more.

ckmedsec, I have that incredulous feeling when I hear that song on a ship like...wait, can they play that here? That and the formal photo backdrop of the stairway of Titanic have me scratching my head in puzzlement.

So fun!

Hallux, your solo cruise story brings back so many memories of cruising solo and meeting wonderful people to share great times with. Farmersfight, I think you are in for a treat when your opportunity opens up again!

I have found a kinship with the late night crowds on the ships. I love being on the sea at night, looking out to try to find where the sea meets the sky. On one such trip our group of about 5 new friends who all met in the "disco" decided to explore the ship stem to stern at about midnight. We were walking on an upper outside deck and I was ahead of the group and ducked into a doorway to the interior. There were four crew members in that entry area talking hurriedly and holding a pieces of paper. One approached me and handed me the paper, asking, "have you seen this woman? She is reported missing from her cabin by her father who is looking for her". 

I looked at the picture, looked up at them, and said," She's right behind me". Right on cue, she opened the door and walked through. The crew members were elated to have found her. They called to report her "found" in excited voices and then spent about 15 minutes taking pictures with all of us.

The woman, who was 30 years old, was quite embarrassed, but if the worst thing about your night was your Dad loving you and worrying a bit too much, that's a good night.

Hello, it has been some time since I have been on cruise critic and was waxing nostalgic about all my old friends on the boards and wondering how you are all doing. 

Like most of you, I miss cruising and hope for the best for crew members, ships, the industry, and all my fellow passengers.

I'll share a humorous memory:

Checking in for a January cruise and notice something strange...I am looking around for the hidden cameras, as there must be some kind of gag... There are Santas everywhere in the embarkation line in full dress. Turns out we were sailing with the Fraternal Order of Real bearded Santas.

You should have seen the look on the comedian's face when the curtain opened and the first three rows of the show lounge were occupied by Santas. There was some serious improv and audience participation in that show!

Anyway, thinking of you, the cruising community and wanted to chat.

Happy sails,

Julie

Hi,

I am wondering if someone can tell me how long it will take to get from Long Beach, say the Westin Hotel, to the cruise terminal in San Pedro by cab? This is on a Saturday morning.

I saw the 10-12 minute estimate by the taxi company, but that seems a bit optimistic. It took us that long to get from the San Pedro Crown Plaza to curbside at the pier last year.

Hi I'm reading your messages, and think you know alot about price line. I know nothing. when i went on priceline to look at San pedro for April 9th, I put 3.5 stars, but became afraid to go further with my credit card ect, as i was afraid to get another 3.5 star hotel further away. Is there any way to garantee which hotel you may get, as I'm really looking for the crown or the double tree like you. can you fill me in on how all this works once you give them your credit card. What do you start to bid at and how often. thanks

Hi couvie,

The San Pedro area is quite small. You can see it on the "name your own price" map when you put in San pedro, ca. The other areas will show, also: Long Beach, Long Beach airport, and Torrence (I think it is). If you put your check mark in the san pedro box and only the san pedro box, and check 3 1/2 stars and only 3 1/2 stars, you will be guaranteed a 3.5 star hotel in the San Pedro area. The only 2 I have seen come up in the past 3 years are the Doubletree San Pedro and the Crown Plaza san pedro. I would start at $65. You can start lower, but you will likely lengthen out the process that way and it doesn't sound like you are comfortable messing with it that much.

You have to put in your credit card number and initial that you have read their cancellation policy. No refunds for cancellations, etc. Once you post your bid, they will see if they can get you a room for that price. If they can, they will book it and charge your credit card right away. It is a great way to get a hotel in San pedro. This year, I am not seeing the savings for this area and category that I have in the past. I guess they are asking more this year. Anyway, if htey reject the $65 bid, you can try again in 24 hours with a higher price.

A technique that many use is the "FREE RE-BID". It works like this: if your initial $65 bid is rejected, they give you an offer to "try again right now" by adding other star levels, other areas, etc. and raising your price. You can put check marks in both the "san pedro" and "long beach airport" areas, then make sure you have only your 3 1/2 star category box checked, then you can bid $70. There are no 3 1/2 star hotels in the Long beach airport area, so you effectively get another shot at the 3.5 star hotels in San Pedro without waiting the 24 hours.

I occasionally check to make sure they haven't added a 3.5 star in the long beach airport area before I do this.

Good luck. It can seem a bit risky at first, but I really love the savings of Priceline. The bidding for travel and other websites mentioned in this thread can also help break the ice.

i know this has been discussed here before and people gave different replies.

 

what is the consensus, does the old cruise reward from the old credit card apply to the entire fare or the fare less the taxes/fees.

 

i need to cash in my $500 cert before the end of the month, i booked the EPIC and the total fare was $464 ( on a crazy weekend deal).

i don't mind losing the $36 dollars but if they apply it to an amount less than the total , i will be disappointed.

 

i plan to use it for that or wait a couple weeks and see if i can get a deal on another cruise for end of April.

For me, the old cruise reward from the old credit card applied to the entire fare INCLUDING taxes/fees. I had a $470 total cabin cost including everything, cruise fare was only $320 or so. After the credit was applied, I had a zero balance due.

Also, for my upcoming cruise, the credit covered the whole amount, including $171.18 worth of taxes/fees.

What did you request for the Doubletree on Priceline? Do u request so many stars and location?

Yep, what nanatravel said. I will add that another hotel that you can get when bidding 3.5* in the San Pedro Priceline area is the Crown Plaza San Pedro. I have gotten this hotel the last 2 times I have bid for pre-cruise out of LA(ish). It is a gret location for the port, too. Very easy, 10 minute shuttle ride.

wg, I would appreciate any updates you get on why they thought that your credit should not be honored. Thanks for sharing your info. I am considering using credit card points to add an on board credit to my reservation for my upcoming cruise. The cruise was booked with credit card rewards points, so I am wondering if this would turn out like your experience, or like others who have had credits added to reservations paid by another credit deal.

Thanks,

Julie

No way to be sure. No way to request.

With Priceline you enter price, star level, and specify an area. You commit to the purchase based on those things.

If you bid and they accept your price, they assign the hotel and it is charged to the credit card that you entered with your bid. Done deal. No chance to refuse and get a refund, no option to change the hotel.

For those who are flexible, it is a great way to save $$. If you want a certain hotel, you probably want to use another booking method where you have more control.

Yep, I think that will be the best way to figure all of this out. Definitely going to need some cruise inspiration and collaboration to find the way.

I did a bit of research and came up with the following website to start looking at the rewards under the regular, unupgraded World Points accounts:

https://wwwa.managerewardsonline.bankofamerica.com/RMSapp/Ctl/link?eid=F61D305B

Looks like they have rewards starting at 1,000 points, so I'm still looking for that great feature that makes it worth losing my memorized card number for the new account:D

I received this offer as well. No details on the enhanced features (roadside assistance, travel insurance, etc., warranty) or side by side comparison of why this card is better than our old card. But there is a number to switch it over asap.

I admit to being out of it as far as the "new" terms that replaced compass rewards, but don't we already get 1 point per retail dollar spent, plus double for NCL purchases?

If the new offer includes "• Earn one point per retail dollar spent- rewards start at just 2,500 points1" - what is the enhancement there? Do the rewards start at some higher number for the standard NCL WorldPoints account?

breezer,

It is possible that you could book a short cruise with the certificate, in both your and your cousins names and then you check in and just have her no show. There wouldn't be any refund of her cruise fare, but if it were something like a 3 night Sky cruise, you might still get some value out of it that way. Her name would be on the reservation with her points. I don't know if this is an option, but I thought it might be one way to use part of it.

Hi sabena,

We have stayed at the Crown Plaza San Pedro 2x pre-cruise and really liked it. The restaurant is very good. You can also walk to a waterside area (about 3 blocks away). There is also a Mexican restaurant close by, although we have used the hotel restaurant both times.

Car rental place is also very close by the pier and the hotel.

Have fun!

Have you tried calling NCL directly? I haven't booked with a travel agent but if it's less hassle to book with NCL you may want to consider skipping the travel agent this time. JMO

In my experience, it isn't less hassle to book with NCL. You get problems like this that crop up whether you book direct or with a travel agent. The difference is that when something goes wrong, a good travel agent (with 20 years experience!) will have a lot more clout in getting a satisfactory resolution. Cruise lines have a lot more to lose in alienating an agent or an agency or even a consortium of agencies (if applicable) as opposed to an individual client, plus agents have direct business development managers that they see face to face that can intervene if necessary. Sounds like Warm-Water Diver is in the best hands possible and, besides, they don't have to do the work themselves to straighten it out. I know it is still a stressful situation.

Best of luck Warm-Water Diver and I hope this is resolved soon!

Hi Rich,

I didn't see the following group on your list:

Twilight Cruise

There is a group of approximately 1000 fans being booked on the Oosterdam Aug 8, 2010 for a "Twilight" cruise.

If you are wondering what Twilight is, it is the first in a series of novels (and movies) with a vampire love story theme. Some of the supporting actors will be aboard and they will have autograph sessions, movie viewings, a charity auction and a costume dance, among other events.

I predict a lot of teenagers and teenagers-at-heart will be on this sailing.

Whether you'd like to join or like to avoid, I hope this info is helpful.

Hi,

Just wanted to post on this thread that I received my corrected Compass Rewards certificates today. (Received only a one hundred point upgrade certificate for 1166 or so points on Feb. 5). Waited to see if they would correct on their own, and they did. Received two $500 certificates today, Feb 17.

Where have people who have recently redeemed certificates mailed them to? I see the address on the first page of this thread, and I have a completely different address on the back of my certificates. My travel agent also gave me a third, completely different address. I want to make sure these get processed as quickly as possible as my final payment is due next week!

 

Thanks!

I was wondering the same thing, rccoble.

I just called NCL and they gave me the PO box on the back of the Compass rewards certificate. He said that this would work for certified or regular mail.

When I asked about a physical address where I could FedEx the certificates (as a TA in the past, I learned my lesson about the necessity of being able to track important travel-related correspondence) the rep gave me the following address:

Norwegian Cruise Line

ATTN: Payment Application Department

7665 Corporate Center Drive

Miami FL 33126.

This is the same address I used when successfully submitting certificates on 1/18/2008, except that then I put it ATTN: Accounting.

I would send them express if you haven't sent them already. It may take a day or two for them to be applied after receiving them, so you don't want your final payment date to pass. : )

The Muster Drill!!! I have a picture of me on deck in a life vest from every cruise I've been on.

Hey, I have those pictures, too! (of me in a life vest, that is ;) )I was just about to post, "Take my picture with the life ring that has the ship name on it", but you reminded me of my other ritual, too.

Hi All,

Just checking back in for that recipe.

Hope everyone enjoyed what turned out to be a beautiful holiday weekend, at least here in SW Washington.:D (62 degrees. I think I got a sunburn!)

chrisv,

did your friend get those pics developed yet? I'm already ready for the weekend and thought I'd plan ahead to make that sangria.;) If not, I guess I'll have to be patient until scubagirl gets back! Only 4 days till you sail, sg!

The recipe that we were served was the same as the one that was decorating the board at the inside entrance to Las Ramblas. It would be nice to know what kind of brandy, but it sounds like you have the rest of the recipe! Great!

I agree about the NCL sangria on the Sun being excellent!

I remember seeing the recipe posted on the wall at the entrance to East Meets West and the Tapas bar, but forgot to copy it down after the meal (too many sangrias, I guess;) )

I'd love to get it, too.