moosecrouse

4 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

Have you run across Clarense the Chocolate Coyboy at any of the bars yet?... I wonder if Rommel and Michael are bartending in Vibe Beach Club?

Rommel & Michael are both working in Vibe. I follow them in FB and they were posting plenty of pics before the passengers arrived for the first cruise. 

5 hours ago, vinotinto said:

I should add that with all the cancellations and everything happening, I have been dragging my feet on upgrading the drink package, adding a shore excursion in Belize, adding arcade package, and pre-paying gratuities because if something is cancelled, I don't want an extra $1500 in FCC. I realize that's less than optimistic! But, if they get cancelled, could I remove these items before sailing and leave only the cruise as FCC, right?

The upgrades would be refunded to your credit card they wouldn't be given back as FCC. Had a January Escape cruise canceled last minute in January and my Ugraded WIFI and additional Specialty dinners went back to my card 

My guess is NCL promised to make Norfolk a stop on the East coast runs as a payback for hosting the Encore, Bliss and Spirit during the cruise shutdown. Otherwise no real need for NCL to add the cost and inconvenience of onboard testing. 

Read an article that said the MDR will offer a "special" every night from one of the Speciality restraunts menus. 

No real dress code in either of those restaurants. Only Le Bistro and Ocean Blue have any kinda of requirements 

They still need to sail with 95% vaccination rate for all passengers so it will be interesting to see how that works. Even at full capacity you'd only be talking about 200 total unvaccinated and they aren't close to full.

Bermuda is set to make an announcement on their updated requirements on March 7th. Hopefully this will clear up testing & vaccination requirements for the country. There has been reports that they will require a booster if your 2nd shot was taken more than 6 months ago. 

1 hour ago, aubreyc1988 said:

wow, weird. Was if always this price for your booking? Wonder if the price fluctuates...might wait until I board to see if they are better...or just make due to with the free minutes...

The increase in prices is due to the fact on new bookings and modifications made to existing reservations we only get 150 free minutes as opposed to the old 250 minute perk. 

On 10/10/2020 at 1:31 PM, MsTabbyKats said:

As to pricing.....I don't know if they'll ever return to "the way things were".  There is too much "lost revenue" to make up.  Or, maybe the base price could come back down, but with more add-ons.  This is especially true if you factor in "limited capacity".

 

 

I agree. With the limited capacity of the foreseeable future I think the days of last minute cruise discounts to fill a ship are over. I think companies will price at level they think will get them to their capacity cap and not deviate as much as we've seen in the past. 

5 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

I'm truly glad the math has worked out for some but do consider that you are essentially lending thousands of dollars to NCL at zero interest from the time you paid for the original cruise until the time you actually sail on the new one, assuming all goes well and you actually do sail on the replacement cruise.  Also, by accepting FCC instead of cash you limit yourself to NCL and give up your choice to plan a different vacation next year should you see something you'd rather do.  I also just have a strong preference for keeping my options open and my money in my own pocket.

I would have to disagree with the idea that you aren't getting a return on the FCC. You are actually earning 25% by taking the FCC. There are very limited options that will get you that type of return in a short period of time. 

Your only eligible to possibly receive a free upgrade or OBC if a cabin class above what you booked is cheaper and there class you are booked in isn't sold out. 

14 hours ago, slickpat said:

hmm, I kept looking but didn't see anything. They had a roped off area near boarding but that seemed to be for the folks that needed assistance. I'll check it out in April. Thanks!

The roped off areas by the bathrooms are for priority boarding. Accessible is usually on the other side of the boarding entrance. 

New York has a special waiting area for priority boarding. Its right by where they board and usually clearly marked. PC I'm not familiar with. 

Adding a second person after final payment maybe considered a cancelation and a new booking and would also be subject to lifeboat capacity for you muster station meaning if the boat ud full for your muster group you wouldn't be able to add a person. 

53 minutes ago, prbffd28 said:

Good to know that there might be a chance for us to get passes on our Feb 9 sailing. We are trying out the Priority Access program basically for this reason, hope it's worth all the extra $$$, not cheap when you add it all up! 

Also, could anyone tell me the hours that Vibe is accessible? Just wondering if the whole area closes down at night or if we can still access it to enjoy the sights after dinner even if the bar was closed. Thanks in advance!

Bar usually closes by 8. Although some bartenders have been known to hang around if it's busy enough. The area is always accessible on the older ships. 

3 minutes ago, LovesPurple said:

Once at Terminal C, you enter the building and go through security - no separate lines at this point. After security, there is a dedicated priority line. With Priority Access, we seemed to board ahead of the Platinum status cruisers, unless they were taken to a different embarkation point. 

My understanding is its suppose to be Haven, Handicapped traveller's, Platinum/PP & CAS then Priority Pass than general boarding. But it's a new program with the kinks still being worked out. And I'm sure as someone previously posted each port is still figuring out how to implement the new program because most ports don't have dedicated NCL employees 

49 minutes ago, prbffd28 said:

Good to hear, I appreciate the response. So I assume there is a specific line with signs that I should be looking for once we enter the terminal, it says "Terminal C" in my edocs? We are also part of the Casinos at Sea program on this cruise, not sure if that makes any difference though. It's only our 2nd NCL cruise so we have limited experience with this whole process. Thanks again!

Casinos at sea should get you priority boarding. At least it does at the Port in NYC. My friend cruises through them all the time and he get placed with me in the Platinum/Platinum plus waiting area which is suppose to board before the priority pass people

On Breakaway and Getaway the Margaritaville/American Diner area was originally the Uptown grill. It was a free stand serving burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries etc. It was very popular because of the proximity to Spice. However someone decided to monetize the space and now it's pretty much an empty space underutilized space

1 hour ago, Putter23 said:

Does the Vibe & bar stay open on port days, if we want to stay on ship?

Yes

On the Epic they'll usually show NFL playoff games on the big screen in Spice H20. With the little buffet there it's been my favorite ship for NFL playoffs so far

8 minutes ago, drvmywifecrzy said:

Once you hit 60 days and with the new Jan promos getting rid of the higher prices that went in place pre black friday you will see drop in Haven prices

 

Can't wait til the get rid of these ridiculous "sales" 4 current bookings outside PIF and not 1 was cheaper with the "sales" 

1 hour ago, TonyFred said:

Thanks to all. I am traveling with friends. They have the specialty pkg. So I am not really dining alone. Just trying to get the biggest bang out of the perk.

I always dine solo and they usually allow me to order an extra app or dessert if I ask. Have never asked about 2 entrees. 

Really enjoyed your review @sid_9169 Hopefully we'll cross paths for Shot O'clock sometime. Was very skeptical of the changes to the Encore but your review has me excited now. Thanks again for a fun and informative review

2 hours ago, wallaceralphl said:

You with us on the 19th?

On that sailing. Was a really skeptical until this great review. I'm really excited about the ship now. 

1 hour ago, sid_9169 said:

There's a $19 upcharge over and above the dining package for the surf and turf... $5 upcharge for the crab cake or the tiger shrimp cocktail...

That sucks was just on Escape in January and a purchased the dining package and there was no upcharge for the surf & turf with lobster tail. If I used my platinum freebie I would've had to pay