littlelulu01

Booked a room inclusive of taxes and fees for 41 gbp. They are advertising rooms for even less but not on our September cruise date. My cc was charged $51 usd. Non refundable rate. There's a 1 pound fee for credit card payment. No fee for debit card but it would not take my debit card.

It looks as though there are many dining choices nearby so I opted out of the meal packages.

Any suggestions for some relatively healthy restaurants in the area?

I'm pretty sure if you miss the ship the contents of safe are left with port authority. Im planning a pretty long day in Bergen diy and if we missed the train will need to catch up to the ship the following day. I plan on taking necessary travel documents with us just in case and not leaving anything in the safe because that may be a hassle getting back from port authority prior to travel to catch up with the ship.

One of the things I love best about cruises in foreign lands is no language barrier once I walk back onboard, welcoming staff, my nice clean bed and a sense of comfort knowing for the remainder of the day I don't have to think much about what I'm doing. Almost feels like geez I was in Venice or wherever all day but jumped back on the ship and felt like I was back in America for the night. Have a great vacation.

Sorry. I was also shocked when my cruise sold out almost a year in advance. Popular sailings sell out sometimes that far ahead of time. When I had my PCC look into the fact the cruise went from tons available to sold out overnight he got back to me and said the cruise was actually oversold by six cabins. So even though people will be canceling their cruises prior to final payment, there's a list of GT cabins that take the cancellations. I know airlines do the same thing and sometimes the airlines and cruise companies have to offer incentives for people to cancel if their predictions on cancellations are off. The airlines do it at the gate and the cruise lines do it by contacting customers prior to sailing. One never knows which sailings are going to be popular so the last few cruises we've taken we booked as far out as possible and then watch for price drops. I was also wondering if my ship had a partial charter and can't find anything. All the similar sailings for 2017 Jade sold really well. I was very thankful I decided to bite the bullet and book the Haven suite I wanted this time instead of gambling for a last minute upsell.

It probably sold out. My 14 night cruise to Norway, Iceland and British isles went from what seemed to be tons of cabins available to sold out status in December, 2016 for a September, 2017 cruise. A few suites here and there pop back into the system as cancellations occur and then disappear /are booked within a day. I was worried that it was chartered but it just sold out. I've since learned that just because many cabins are showing available doesn't mean there's that many actually empty cabins because of GT cabins that may not be assigned yet. Seems NCL is doing a fantastic job selling out on popular sailings. My PCC said to watch for additional cabins to pop back in the system around final payment if we want to add an extra cabin.

Thank you NCL. The new prices look quite reasonable to me.

I've done it before. Started NCL with Haven and next cruise was inside. I didn't mind at all. The Haven is great but with an inside you have the satisfaction of paying so little and still being provided with a great cruise. You still get excellent service, a very comfortable bed and pillows, a nice shower and the whole ship to explore and take part in. Have fun. We have also done an obstructed ocean view. I could have upgraded to a balcony for the second week for $20. My daughters wouldn't upgrade because they liked the location of the room and the room steward so we stayed put no regrets.

I understand your frustration but have you seen the port schedule for Santorini? In this case the port changes NCL has made appear to be an extreme improvement. The new itinerary will most likely sell out quite easily. Those port days they replaced have 4-5 other big ships in port at the same time so a minimum of 10-12k cruise passengers all trying to use the one cable car, tender processing and donkey trail. Santorini has said for several years now they are going to limit cruise ships to avoid these situations. We don't really know if it was Santorini finally putting a limit on passengers or if NCL decided to pull out because Santorini is once again allowing mass overcrowding despite their promise not to. NCL has received preferred port time in years past for Santorini with the Jade arriving after the other ships left port. Last year they replaced the canceled Turkey port with an extra Santorini day and the extra day was a mess. You can go back and read some reviews to get an idea. Our add on Santorini day I witnessed people just about to collapse. The lines for cable car snaked through Fira to the end of town. People who were in no condition to walk down the Donkey path did so because they had no other choice. If I was booked on this itinerary I would think I'd won the lottery with the changes.

Jade September/October 2016 canned soda was the new kind without aspartame. It was the taller skinny cans but that could be due to Europe sailing. I'm a Diet Pepsi in a can fanatic. I wasn't crazy about the fountain soda they included in the UBP so drank the cans from the mini bar in the room replaced upon consumption by room steward. They are not included in the UBP.

What I find most interesting about this is the flights being booked. For the most part, I have always found the best time to book a flight (based on cost) is 45-90 days out from flying. Do a lot of people book flights so far out (over a year)? I did not even realize that airlines let you book that far out.

do you typically book transatlantic flights 45-60 days out? I agree with this practice for domestic us flights except for major holidays which we usually book right when schedules open. I never wait that long for transatlantic flight purchase. People on my roll call for September, 2017 cruise out of Southampton picked up rt flights west coast to Europe for $430 pp rt w taxes back in November and December. That's on non budget airlines delta and virgin. British airways also had some great deals. A good deal nonstop Seattle or PDX to LHR typically runs around $1200 so the $430 pp nonstop was definitely worth it.

The other problem is that first class mileage flights on British Airways for transatlantic flights have to be nabbed the min they go on offer so planning ahead for the mileage fares are done about a year in advance.

That said I agree with Keith. Of the last four cruises I've booked for Europe sailings, one went as planned, one completely canceled, one port change but same embarkation/debarkation, one complete different itinerary and embarkation/debarkation ports (Jade this summer)

my upcoming September Jade two week sailing being sold out 9 months in advance makes me nervous but I'm going to trust that it's just a popular sailing and not think the worst about a charter or major switch of embarkation ports.

OhMyGoodness ... walking down that hill would be awful ... no matter what shape you are in. We talked to a very fit group who opted to walk it in 2015 and they told us horror stories of walking down steep narrow tracks that were slick and covered in donkey poo. What a way to end a day on the island :(

 

... that's a great big glass of "nope"

 

And I would assume the Croatia port is Spilt. but don't quote me on that

I think NCL does a good job of getting some great itineraries. Their original Santorini day was much better than other lines when the Jade did the sailing. The Jade was in port for the afternoon and the other ships were there in the morning so had to fight much bigger crowds and the waits to get back down. My 2017 sailing on the Jade Norway, Iceland.. is far superior than anything I could find on any other lines, including luxury lines. Perhaps I'm biased but it has sold out. I wouldn't be surprised if NCL made a decision to change itinerary for your sailing due to additional ships being added to the Santorini and Ravenna days. I've read that Santorini ships would be limited in 2014,2105 and 2016 but that didn't materialize. Who knows perhaps the port of Santorini decided that money wasn't everything and finally put a limit for 2017.

Lulu - We did that cruise in 2015 (while Kusadasi ws still a stop) and loved Santorini so much .. it was a big reason we booked this cruise. But I would not enjoy a crowded Santorini. I was sad at first when I saw the new itinerary, but after doing a little digging into the new ports, I'm kind of stoked to see this part of the world. We've never been there and it looks beautiful

Yes. We also did the b2b in 2015 and 2016. When I found out that our extra Santorini day was along with 10k other passengers I ended up booking Alex private boat tours. They picked us up at tender drop off so no need to go up to Fira. We had an incredible day and I felt terrible for those who really were at their wits end by the time they came back down to get on tender. Was a terrible day to be confiscating water bottles. People had waited hours in line for cable car and many who should not have been walking down that hill were in no shape to do so but didn't really have a choice. Panos from Alex boat tours said he felt really bad too because not only does this mess ruin the day for cruise passengers but also for everyone who is on a land vacation.

Not sure what the extra Croatia port is but the new itinerary looks really nice. I would have been tempted to book had this been the original itinerary.

Wonder if it has to do with The fact that Santorini is often overrun with way too many ships in port. I keep reading that the numbers will be limited. last year when the NCL replaced Kusadasi with an extra day in Santorini on the Jade it was not a fun day for those who went up.

The Jade med was sold as either a two week or one week with alternate ports each week until Santorini replacement. The extra Santorini day was a relatively late addition due to the situation in Turkey and I assumed the only viable port replacement at the time. The original Santorini day was great with the Jade often the only ship in port. The additional Santorini day was a mess. cruise lines that cancelled Turkish ports later than NCL often had zero replacement and ended up with extra sea days so crowded Santorini was better than nothing but many opted not to even get off the ship due to crowds.

Perhaps they are trying to mix up the schedule to get alternating itineraries so they can sell as a b2b on the star like they did in previous years when the Jade did this itinerary. I'd take the new schedule any day over the mess that Santorini is when too many ships in port.

Our September cruise is currently oversold and has been for over a month now. I was told that as cancellations occur they will open back up for sailing-most likely around final payment. I thought it quite odd for a cruise to sell out so far in advance but it's evidently becoming more common on popular cruises.

I have only stayed in the Haven on NCL, to me it is well worth the extra. I prefer the Jewel class Havens, the Epic Haven is way too big, although the restaurant is very nice and personal but with a very limited menu, the Breakaway Haven is smaller but very very nice, and the restaurant is better than the Epic's, we had such an amazing time. Looking forward to sailing on the Gem in March.

 

We have also sailed in the Yacht Club on MSC. Loved it, the restaurant on Divina was the best of any of our cruises.

 

We thought why not try a 6 star ship where the whole ship is a Haven or YC, so last year we tried Crystal Cruises. We could not fault them, it was a wonderful experience, the service was better than any other ship or cruise line we have been on, but............., the entertainment I wanted was not there. I love a casino but on Crystal it was smaller than the one at home. I gave up when someone was Whooping and Hollering over a 2 dollar win, I went to bed early for the 10 nights, the red wine service at dinner may have had something to do with it. The shows were OK ish, I just prefer a bigger ship. Would sail with Crystal again at the drop of a hat when I get a little older.

 

Littlelulu I thought the Haven on the Jewel class ships was perfect for little ones. They had the pool, and a big private area to crawl around in. I took 2x6 month old grandkiddies and the Haven was wonderful for them. I also liked the way we could eat at the pool deck with the older grandkiddies without their noise affecting other guests.

 

Just booked another YC trip on Preziosa going to Svalbard and the North Cape in July. Cannot wait.:)

Haven definitely has draws for some families, thus the family suites. Our kids are older. If I travel with my girls and no husband, we are not in the room much to justify the cost. My older girls would have no use for the Haven Jewel class. They want to be where the action is, don't mind waiting in lines, wouldn't take advantage of the suite breakfast or lunch and would much rather be sitting by a pool with a band, music. I can certainly see how it works for some families though - especially those with little ones. My Haven cruises have been solely with husband, just on jewel class and we have really appreciated the quiet courtyard/ship within a ship concept. My kids would think it was a waste of a vacation not to be doing all the ship has to offer/would find the Haven pointless.

I would love to pay less but when I looked at the itineraries for MSC they did not compare to NCL's. NCL has some very good itineraries out of Southampton for 2017. For the Europe sailings in general NCL has better port times too. Yes the price is much higher than the competition but they know they have a better itinerary and so charged and got more $ than the competitors.

I love the Haven on the Jewel class ships when sailing without kids. If with the kids I think it's a waste of money because we are doing a bunch of ship activities and wouldn't use the haven or really even the suite perks.

The hardest part of spending that kind of $ on a cruise is knowing there's a good chance I could get the same cabin if I chanced it and waited for an upsell. To combat this I really think that NCL should offer the suite passengers a discount on any available higher suites and then offer their suite to those in a balcony or MS. Instead they offer the available suites, often only the top ones are left for upsell, to anyone balcony or better. So the guy in the 10k H4 has to pay the same upsell fee as the guy in the 1k balcony.

You don't get cans of soda or bottles of water included in most of the Haven suites. At those prices water bottles and canned soda from the minibar should really be included. To pay 10k for an H4 and still need to pay for each water bottle or Pepsi taken from the room is pretty lame, especially for someone who doesn't drink and has been given a useless UBP. Have all the $15 alcoholic beverages you want but you have to pay $6 for the .25 water ?

I was looking at the June 6 2018 Med itinerary and liked it. I was wondering if prices now are cheaper than sometime this year or early next. Sorry never been on a European cruise before...Though I posted this on NCL, my question remains the same for any other cruises.

 

The $50 per person downpayment is very tempting now :-)

I would go ahead and put the $50 deposit down on the room you want now and keep checking for price reductions. The last three years the lowest prices have been around October so keep a keen eye around then. This year they had some serious price reductions on my 2017 sailing in October 2016 but only like a day or two and have crept up since then with many sailings selling out. You can always reprice if price reduction, until final payment as long as you booked on USA site or site that allows rebooking without a fee.

They had a lot more NCL cruises than me, I think they said over 25 with many in the GV. Asking price for the GV was $30K on this cruise. H3's sold out at $11K, H4's sold out at $10K and I estimate an upsell would have probably been at least $4k to $6K over anyone's current cabin cost. So I'm sure they paid no less than $16K for NCL to make the deal as NCL was aware there was interest from several of us. In hindsight I should have got the actual amount, they were saying it was a great deal and I was a bit shocked and just said "Don't tell me". Maybe it wasn't that good of a deal as I met another family who were in an undesirable SC under the fitness center that was still unsold at day 25. They guy was telling me he upgraded last minute through his PCC at a great price which was actually the current asking price. He was unaware of some price drops since he first inquired months earlier. NCL was surely doing a happy dance with that one as I'm sure it was being offered for upsell by then. The GV couple seemed a lot more NCL savvy though.

 

Perhaps there was complication because of NCL's unwillingness to upsell one GV if the other was booked at full price, I was told it was common for one GV to sail empty if this happens. I don't know if this blind call offering is a more recent tactic for last minute suite clearance or a one-off due to our particular circumstances. This is the first I've seen this happen. Unfortunately the couple claimed they didn't know which section or who it was from NCL that called them, I guess that does rule out a PCC. I might call upsell next week just for fun and ask about it. I have no idea who decided or why this couple was selected to be called.

Well even if they sold it to them for 10k it's more then they would have received from a 4K upsell and them taking care of a customer who's paid full price in the past seems fair. Since the DOS doesn't cost as much they may be on offer more often in an upsell situation. They may be more discerning with the GV offers but you would think since you were already in an H4 full price you would definitely be in the running. I wonder if Ships with GV's will actually be moving to the bidding system. For the best suite at sea to go on the auction block would be interesting. I don't think they want to devalue such a commodity. I have seen them given as bingo prizes but more often it's a lower suite.

Sorry about your itinerary change. I've experienced them as well and yes they happen more than you'd think on all lines. In your case I'm not sure there's anything you can do. Certainly doesn't hurt to ask if you can change but since they are still embarking and disembarking same port and they have not cut the days they very well may tell you to either rebook a sailing you want on another date or keep the one you have at your cost.

Since the prices have gone up so much switching may end up giving you a bad taste and you are spending a lot of money & want to have a great vacation. You may want to look into the new ports. We were not crazy about going to Athens but had an excellent day this past season. Hired a guy we clicked with upon walking out of port who spoke excellent English who was a retired professor. He gave us a grand tour VIP all day and for $100 total we had one of the best days of the two week cruise. Athens looks to have really cleaned up and economic situation seemed much improved over previous year. Reading up on Greek mythology, birth of democracy... prior helped us appreciate it even more.

I'm not sure I'd ever try and fit Florence in on a port visit. We spent a few days post cruise there and in Lucca and even then it was way too little time. Good luck with your decision and hope it works out. Florence is a short high speed train ride from Rome and Barcelona is an inexpensive flight away if you want to extend your trip. If not, the new itinerary looks fun, not much hassle and less expensive ports so worth considering if you have a good price locked in on your cruise.

However you dont pay in full for the cruise until about 3 months out and the deposits are fully refundable

 

You pay in full for airfare at booking

 

 

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For suites it's 120 days. Delta and Virgin had some incredible sales in November and December with many able to pick up $430 round trip from West Coast to Europe direct flights. It's completely understandable one would wish to save thousands on airfare and purchase at those prices. At 90 days out I can say with almost certainty the airfares from the US to Europe will be higher. West Coast to Europe typically runs around $1600-$1800 at 90 days out, sometimes much higher, occasionally a little less but never $430.

If a person uses the NCL $300 change fee it's the change fee plus pay for the new ticket price. It would be nice to talk with someone at NCL with a little decision ability who could just pay for an additional ticket from Barcelona to Rome.

I totally feel the upsell process is only oriented towards moving people from lower cabins to the suites. If you are already in a suite there is little chance of getting a good deal to a higher suite. This seems true with the bidding process also, only there you have to start from a balcony to get a suite. This only further encourages people to wait and never book a suite more than a month out. I've experienced suite price drops where movement to a higher cabin was not possible, I was lucky to get 25% of the difference in OBC. My alternative has been to book a lower room and watch to either try to upsell around day 30 or uprgade when there is a drop to a reasonable suite price. Personally it's too much of a game for my taste, I'd gladly pay the equivalent of what suites cost several years ago.

I have a 2 bedroom Haven suite booked on a two week sailing. The guy who booked the balcony for a fraction is the one who will get the garden villa. If NCL offers it for 4k to anyone who will pay (new system sounds like its balcony or better). If his balcony originally cost 1k, he's in total for 5k in the garden villa. If my 2 bedroom is 10k the garden villa costs me 14k vs his 5k. He wins and ends up in the GV for 9k less than it would cost me. That's exactly how the system is set up. Sure would be nice if they instead offered me the GV for say 1.5 k and gave him my room for 2.5 k. They would get the same amount of money. As is it's risky business. Especially when top suites are priced so high they don't typically sell until upsell. Not so bad when suites are priced a little better and most sell out but that happens less and less frequently.

In op's situation there was a drastic price reduction and they got lucky. Most of the time upsells are done to fill rooms where the price has not gone down that much and the top rooms on the ship are still avail. but only at an extreme price so the suite passenger who has already paid a fortune for their room is not willing to pay double whereas the balcony stateroom is likely to pay the 4k upgrade fee - they get the top rooms in an upsell. The GV gets the limo ride, free bar set up, sky is the limit - one of the top suites at sea. That offer should be reserved for someone already paying for a suite and the other Havens given to top bidders in balcony rooms.

I don't think any of the times are right. Look at the arrival times for the other ports. I'm actually surprised they are going out of Vancouver. We did a PC on Royal's Explorer of the Seas a couple of months ago and it was out of Seattle supposedly because it was too tall to fit under the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver. The Bliss looks even taller.

The Lions Gate Bridge has a ship clearance of 200 feet. I think the Breakaway class ships at 179 feet. Celebrity Reflection got a chop in order to fit under the bridge. I can't find what her height is above the waterline but it was a mast chop to fit. Explorer of the seas at 237 feet was not able to port in Vancouver so Victoria made some port enhancements to accommodate. FYI the Golden Gate Bridge has a clearance of 220 feet. Curious about the height of the Bliss above the water line.

when ncl escape came out they had incredible deals! This ship same room/same timeframe is $14,000 for the room vs $6200 what I paid on the escape!

 

Craziness! Good for them that they can sell those cabins at those prices!

I think a key difference is the Escape was not sailing to Alaska and Panama Canal new locks. If you are talking Caribbean pricing there's no way I would pay those prices with the glut of mega ships but for Alaska it's a different ball game price wise.

I don't think any of the times are right. Look at the arrival times for the other ports. I'm actually surprised they are going out of Vancouver. We did a PC on Royal's Explorer of the Seas a couple of months ago and it was out of Seattle supposedly because it was too tall to fit under the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver. The Bliss looks even taller.

I wonder about this as well. I guess they have a couple years to figure it out. Will be interesting to see what they come up with.

In looking at the prices for the Alaska and Panama Canal sailings I thought the prices very reasonable. The two categories I think they overpriced were the ocean views and the spa balconies/spa minisuites. The aft balconies seem very fair priced and think they will be the first to sell out or see a price increase. Would also expect the Haven for Panama Canal sailings to sell out but not so sure about Alaska.

There must be a New York to Miami in there somewhere. Any word on that?

I was told this is not for public - for TA's and such.