cruiser6467

@Buford T Justiice - from a quick Google search, "Does Norwegian Gem have Starlink", below is what Google says, and the post says it's from NCL.

"We have partnered with Starlink — the fastest Internet at sea — to help you stay connected through your entire voyage. For cellular plan options, simply contact your provider to choose the plan that's right for you before you embark on your vacation."

If you have recently cruised on the NCL Gem, I would like to get people's opinion on this. My last cruise on the Gem was 10 years ago, so I know technology may have changed. I will be sailing next month (August 2024) on the Gem and I am debating on whether to "upgrade to the unlimited Wi-Fi package".

Question: Do you think upgrading to the unlimited Wi-Fi package is worth it?

I know that the NCL Gem now has "Starlink Internet", but I don't know if the signal/connection even with Starlink is still extremely slow. I would only be using the internet onboard the ship to check my email and for basic Internet searches. With my booked cruise, I currently only have 150 minutes.

I'm booked on the NCL Gem next month (August 2024) leaving out of Boston, and because of a some recommendations I saw online, today I booked the "Priority Access" package for my wife and I.

Question: Has anyone recently (within the last year) sailed on NCL, booked the Priority Access package, and had any success in using the package to actually boarding early or getting off the ship early, since that's what the purpose of this package is for?  I have been reading mixed reviews on this package. 

For all NCL cruise ships that have a Starbucks, does anyone know if they have the same drink menu onboard as they do in the regular Starbucks stores?  Basically, can you order any coffee drink that Starbucks normally sells, or do they have a reduced or limited menu because they are on a cruise ship?

I'm considering getting the Unlimited Starbucks Package for my NCL cruise next month, but if the drink menu onboard is limited, then it will not be worth it. 

Thanks

Hi Sona2013,

My wife and I are booked on a cruise next year and recently I've been doing some research on trip insurance for cruises. Some of the suggestions/comments I was going to make have already been posted by others...however here are possibly new ones.

1.) When buying trip insurance for a cruise, you may want to think about purchasing it from a 3rd party (not affiliated with the cruise line). The reason being...if the cruise line goes out of business or suffers financial difficulty in the months leading up to your cruise date, there may be a hidden clause or some fine print that states they will not honor their own trip insurance under certain situations.

2) When considering trip cancellation insurance, many 3rd party companies offer a "Cancel for Any Reason" feature which can also include canceling for work/employment reasons or basically ANY reason. However, most 3rd party companies that offer this feature require you to purchase the insurance "no later than 21 days after the initial deposit". Purchasing after that date, you may lose certain benefits.

3) I recently booked my cruise through Costco Travel and found out they offer discounted trip insurance through a 3rd party called Travel Guard. You may not need to actually book your cruise through Costco Travel, but if you have a regular Costco membership, you can call either Costco Travel or Travel Guard and ask for the Costco discounted price. I can tell you that for our cruise (7-day), the Costco trip insurance was almost 1/2 the price of any 3rd party company. Although, we decided not to get it because it did not have the Cancel for Any Reason feature.

Hope you have fun on your cruise...

Thanks,