littlelulu01

I contacted my PCC to ask about potentially adding our kids to reservation or booking them a separate room and my PCC said my sailing (9/11/17) is no longer in the system. Seems like it may be something more than a website glitch. I know the 14 and 15 night sailings on the Jade were popular but for all of them for 2017 to sell out at the same exact time seems a bit suspicious. PCC said he'd try and find out what's up.

I am booked on the 14 night September 11, 2017 and mine also went missing today from the booking site. I noticed yesterday that it was available but if I tried to do a dummy booking it showed sold out all categories. Today it's not even an option-doesn't show as an available sailing. I then noticed that all 14 night Jade sailings went missing for 2017 Europe so it's not just your sailing. Fingers crossed it's just a computer glitch.

I know they did some reshuffle of the cruises early on but I would hope that charters for all 14 night sailings wouldn't be happening at this point with so many who already paid for airfare. I was so excited to get such a deal on airfare.

I noticed the 14 night cruise I have booked on the Jade September 11, 2017 went from plenty of cabins available yesterday to sold out and now today isn't listed as available for booking. See some other big gaps for Jade 2017 Europe dates as well. Hopefully it's just a website glitch.

I booked a 50% off special for 2nd person. I booked an SJ category on the Star which is a family suite. The description of the stateroom says it includes specialty dining free open bar shore excursion credits and free WiFi package. There are 3 of us in the room, me and 2 DD. I booked it on the last day of the promo on Dec 17. It was not a perk that you pick such as 50 off and sdp or udp. I got half off 2ND person and 3rd person was substantially less, so doing a mock booking now I'm paying about $1300 less than current price.

I tried calling to get clarification of everything brought up cuz you guys are making me nervous, lol. The international dept is closed today and reopens Monday. I think I got a great deal but I will keep watching prices for any price drops or specials offers for this 6 day Adriatic cruise next July and there is nothing under vacation summary about any perks. Hope I booked what I thought I booked!

My vacation summary for original suite booking had listed UBP, SDP... For first two in stateroom. When I switched to the 50% off sale all of those perks for suite booking went away and I received 50% off second passenger instead of the UBP, SDP... If the UBP is something you want for passengers 1& 2 it may be a better deal for you to rebook on the us site with the perks. The UBP value is $100 pp pd for passengers 1 & 2. If passengers 1 & 2 aren't big drinkers then the value of perks don't outweigh value of 50% off second passenger. For your sailing you should check to see if 3rd passenger is KSF because that may also affect bottom line pricing. The terms and conditions for 50% off 2nd passenger are very clearly noted as not eligible for any free at sea perks so 50% off even for full suites didn't get any free at sea perks. The us number is all you need to call to have amenities invoice sent to you for verification. No need to call the Asia number.

Thanks. Happy you had a great time. Sailed Haven a number of times, never GV. Always had best service :). Wondered if GV guests service is different/better (not sure how it could be)? :cool: I know about the extra space, the 6 bottles, the car service (although that gets mixed reviews on these boards). What no one in many years has shared is a comparison of the little unseen things the staff does between GV and regular Haven suites. I have come close to getting a GV many times, but don't need car service, UBP makes the bottles not additional $10K special, and I like to see other people (people watching is part of my cruise experience). So that only leaves the space. So, I guess my question is . . . was there additional special treatment or is 7 days of extra space worth the extra $? I get the Haven extras (especially on the smaller ships), but can't see how it would be that different GV or not.

 

Could you also share the name of your Butler & Concierge and let us know how they impressed you?

Not OP but we recently sailed the Jade 2 week med in a garden villa. Have also sailed Pearl 2 bedroom haven so thought I'd offer comparison from my perspective. Both sailings for us were just husband and I. Space wise the garden villa was way too much space but we did love it. The biggest difference I noticed was with the GV it's kind of like there's public and private spaces within the villa. The bedrooms seemed to be treated as private space and had the dial for privacy, make up room... But living room, decks... You are likely to run into staff entering and caring for those areas. There's no privacy dial on the main door to the villa and if you are outside you wouldn't hear the doorbell. There was an inside and deck steward plus various maint workers in and out. The walled windows are also not private at night with anyone able to look up into the villa when lights on. Once we got that figured out things went more smoothly.

I guess attentiveness factor depends on what you want and also who your villa staff are. We noticed a big difference in attentiveness with our butler and concierge. We aren't high maint and so didn't really have many requests. Our butler would deliver platters of snacks, like really good stuff that I didn't see anywhere else on the ship. Brought us a blender and fresh fruit and juices so we could make fruit smoothies. Once we figured each other out it all went really smoothly, he'd come and go and often we'd not even know he had been there was it not for some setup he left for us. As for the concierge he to was spot on. Husband mentioned lack of a comfortable chair and one was delivered for him.

The biggest difference I noticed was that we never used the haven courtyard area. Our villa was pretty much a separate ship within the haven area and it had everything we could want. It was really nice after long hot days in port and also on sea days to have a villa that after a couple days of getting used to, felt like a private oasis.

With the two bedroom haven on the Pearl it was Alaska and only one week. I preferred the covered haven hot tub for cold weather sailing and the immense deck space of the GV wouldn't probably have been used by us for cold weather. I'm not even sure if I'd take the GV vs 2 bedroom jewel class haven for cold weather even as a low cost upgrade but for warm weather and 2 weeks it was a once in a lifetime experience.

Have they actually said that they booked that deal? I don't see any confirmation either way.

Very true. May not have booked 50% off second passenger sale. I was just assuming because of post last week. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2432680

If OP "just booked" (directly with NCL or with travel agency ??) now to sail on the Star in 2017, in the "SJ" category or similar - "current" promotions automatically get all 4 deals plus 3rd. guest sailing (free) with discount.

 

Create/log into your MyNCL dot com account and you should see all the offers listed - the confirmation email from NCL also list them under amenities, call & request one (or via your TA) and keep it for your record & reference (bring it along to cruise) as the offers do change over time ... as others above noted. ** Under Vacation Summary - your Stateroom Category is listed. Further down, look at your Itinerary, Onboard Packages, Gifts & More Items: any and all eligible and included "Free At Sea" promotions, including dining, beverages, WiFi and shorex are shown, as well as # of guests it covered (last 2 items are per stateroom with specific terms, etc.)

 

The dining package is no longer unLIMITED for all 7 days in your case, it is only for 3 out of 7 days; see these links below - LeBistro is a la carte pricing otherwise whereas Moderno is based on a flat rate for paying guests ... Some of the menu choices & options are not included and/or surcharged (generally speaking ... all in the fine prints.)

 

As for being "comparable" to Haven, true - depending on your definitions for comparable, on the Star/Dawn/Jewel class of ships - what's available and the options & level are valued and perceived by some as a little different than those on the *Away class mega-ships, while others feel almost the same ... sometimes, down to your room steward, concierge and butler assigned.

 

Not everyone booked at the same time/month & took advantages of promotions - it's fine to generalize but not going to help if yours are different than theirs and ours, those sailing on the same ship as you on the same set of dates don't necessary get the same perks, i.e. gratitudes and/or prepaid service charges. Perhaps, "one" should but one "might not." Unless you already paid 100% in full, keep your eyes out for newer promotions that you "should" qualify for and can switch at no charge, before final payment/cancellation deadline - and, not lose your specific "suite" assigned or selected ... it's not uncommon to see end of the month/financial quarter promotion that last only a day, or two or three - switch & "profit" without a penalty (those using a TA ... sometimes/most of the times.)

 

When in doubt, best to call NCL's customer service # or via TA, and ask for clarification or an emailed printout - it can help resolve any discrepanies onboard on embarkation day, as online access to your Vacation Summary is locked & not viewable at 24 hours prior to the scheduled sailing.

https://www.ncl.com/specialty-dining-package/faq

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/star/whats-on-board/Specialty-Dining

Suites usually do get all perks but... op booked a special that was 50% off second passenger which specifically excluded free at sea perks-even for full suites. See this post last week.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2432680

I booked the family suite and it should come with all 5 perks

Suites usually do come with all the free at sea perks but the 50% off 2nd passenger sale that ended on 12/17/16 came with none of the usual perks. I also booked a Haven suite with this sale and received no additional perks except an extra $100 obc for lattitudes bonus. If you booked a suite with the 50% off perk sale and they also gave you the additional perks I'd love to know because my confirmation and amenities invoice for a suite booking doesn't include any extra perks and the terms and conditions of 50% off second passenger sale also specifically excluded the extra perks such as UBP, SDP.. it was still a great deal for us because the 2nd passenger at 50% off was a much better value because we wouldn't benefit from the UBP.

Just booked July 2017 Star in a family suite. I think it's comparable to Haven, I have 3 people, me and 2 DD, age 14&22. Do we all get UDP for all days? Has anyone done the Star? Any suggestions?

Didn't you book the same deal I did - 50% off second passenger? That deal had no additional perks. So no UDP for anyone in the stateroom. NCL doesn't offer the UDP (ultimate dining package) any longer so unless booked over a year ago it's not a perk offer. They now offer SDP (specialty dining package) perk which is a fixed number of specialty venues depending upon length of cruise for the first two in the stateroom. If you booked a really long time ago, the UDP was offered to all occupants in the stateroom at one time but I think that was discontinued in early 2015.

The 50% off second passenger deal I booked, and thought you had too, was without any UBP, SDP, or any of the other perks. Was a great deal for suites if you were not going to benefit much from the UBP (ultimate beverage package).

I would call your travel agent or NCL and have them email you an amenities invoice so that you know exactly what perks if any you have.

The Jade is doing a variety of the Fjords cruises for 2017 and 2018. There's some really good itineraries with two 14 nt and one 15 nt that include Norway, Iceland and UK but they are May, August and Sept. Some really good 9 plus night sailings as well for the Fjords during the summer months.

I was just talking to a guy I work with who was on the same sailing. They were a family of 7 and were in the Haven. He said unbeknownst it was a sold out cruise for a poker tournament and said it was not much fun for his family. It was his first and last NCL cruise. Said they loved GSC and the cabana they had but other than that couldn't wait to get off the ship. I do think a mega ship is a big gamble. His opinion; Smoking areas they couldn't avoid with their kids, low ceilings, mass crowds, no promenade deck and said had they not booked the Haven he'd probably have refused to get back on the ship in one of the ports.

I keep wanting to try one but it's a lot of $ to shell out just to find out you aren't that type of cruiser. Since I know I love the Jewel class I think that's what I'm sticking with. Mega ships aren't for everyone.

Thinking of booking the Adriatic, Greece, turkey cruise and was wondering if anyone heard of NCL canceling the turkey stops like holland and princess has. One cruise has a stop in kusadasi and the other has a stop in santorini. Trying to decide which cruise I should take. Which is stop is better?

In the past, NCL has been much more cautious than HAL when it comes to Turkey. Last year they replaced Kusadasi with an extra stop in Santorini pretty early on. I think it was in January for the 2016 med sailings. I would be very surprised if they keep Turkey but who knows. It takes them a while to find a replacement port and I would guess they are currently working on that before they notify passengers.

Last year the Jade sailed this itinerary and it could be booked as a b2b or as a 14 nt. For the 14 nt, the Jade ended up with two days in Santorini. The problem with squeezing an extra Santorini date in was the extreme overcrowding. Santorini keeps saying they are going to limit the cruise passengers but I think this is the 3 year in a row they've said that and still allowed an insane amount of overcrowding on the days the Jade and some others squeezed in an extra day due to Turkey replacement. You never know if the Jade will replace Turkey with Santorini this year again or be able to get a better port with less crowding.

It's probably a toss up. NCL has some of the best itineraries and port times but when it comes to replacement ports it's anyone's guess what you'll get for a Turkey replacement. You could get a sea day, a Santorini day or a great new replacement. There's even a slight chance you may end up with Kusadasi which in my opinion is the best of any options but the least likely to come through. Having been to Santorini a few times now I think on an overcrowded day it's got to be the worst case scenario.

I found something a little strange. I recently booked the last available Haven stateroom and looked into having the booking transferred to a TA for some extra OBC. I have read and also experienced TA's in the past giving 10% in obc. I contacted all of the online companies I could find. Ones that advertise on cc as well as some others. Every company I contacted would only give me $200-$250 to transfer the booking. Giving up my booking to a TA for a measly $250 on a 10k cruise? No thanks. Big box C...warehouse did offer more in a cash card after cruise, so like a rebate of sorts but their offer is still well under the 10%. I think it's around $750 cash card. That's probably what I'll end up doing but it does surprise me the unwillingness for Ta's to offer up a little something more than 2% incentive for my business.

I hate to sound stupid but what site are you on to find the great deals? I check Expedia, Travelocity and some other sites. All I know is the price seems to go higher for the non-stop fares. Thank you for your replies.

I use google to find the flights I'd be willing to take and then have them alert me when price drops. I agree with the Tuesday theory. 11am seems to be a good time to check. Be prepared to grab them when they're offered because first time around they disappeared during my booking process. I think I stared at the screen in disbelief a minute too long. When the fares go out, travel sites like Condé Nast send out blasts too so they get snapped up pretty quick. Didn't read it but delta just sent me an email about a sale. The airlines you have sending emails also send notifications when they offer the sales.

I also booked my air independently. The sale I got was on 11/20/16 and it lasted about 2-3 days. A couple weeks prior they had the same fares. I did see last week they had some low fares from east coast for a few hours. West coast rarely sees low fares. They may pop back up again but I've never seen under $500 RT from Pacific Northwest non budget carrier. I think the airlines know that most people will pay extra not to have to fly across the us first. SEA to LHR nonstop at 9.5 hours is worth considerable $. The further down the west coast, the longer the flights take and so those people may be more willing to fly across country to pick up a transatlantic flight.

One more thing. I made sure to purchase trip insurance. I think for inclusion of pre-existing conditions you need to purchase within 10 days of deposit on any non refundable portion of the trip. You never know if the cruise line will make changes, missed plane... the last two trips I actually needed to make a claim. One for checked bags that didn't show up and a stolen iPhone in Venice. Last cruise for medical - had to see ship doctor and it was around $250 for a visit and a zpack. Of course the $92 zpack I purchased on the ship was only 4 euro in Venice when I picked some up for husband just in case at the pharmacy. In croatia the pharmacies make you have a dr prescription but Italian pharmacies will give without.

I just assumed that it would be in the same terminal otherwise they wouldn't even allow you to book that type of flight, sort of like running from gate to gate, but yes I will double check.

Now for another question, what does a butler and concierge do for you?? Hehe

Depends on the butler and concierge you get but we've always had great luck. Check in at Venice cruise port you'll get separate check in and taken right through security and onto ship. That's a very nice perk especially in Venice. This year set up was just after entering the port building to the left. You can do a forum search but it is really nice to have their services. They aren't in the tip pool so you tip them separately depending on how much you use them.

I have to agree on that 45-minute layover! I'd definitely be calling the airline--that would completely stress me out for an international flight.

 

I'm on a western Med cruise next Sept and I'm used to paying at least $800 to $1,000 for my airfare to Europe--not often we see it under that (anyway not to the airports I need) from the West Coast. Snagged my RT to Rome from PDX for $422 a couple weeks ago. I've never seen it that low from here! YAY!

Congrats on the airfare. I've never seen that low of price either. I saw them about a month ago but as I was looking at the fare in disbelief like op, the fare went away. I was pretty bummed but put it on a google fare watch and it popped back up a couple weeks later. 2nd time around I grabbed it. I assume you are on Delta. I paid an extra $109 to upgrade to comfort plus on delta. It's really just a little extra legroom and incline with seat but Delta is coming out with a new premium comfort class next fall which is supposed to be a much better product. If they upgrade the seats by fly time supposedly we will get for no extra cost. I think PDX comfort plus was a little more $119? If you want to add it you can by going into manage my booking.

That seems like an awfully short layover for customs. If the airline booked you through on one ticket you may want to call them and question the layover. They should be able to switch you to the direct flight no extra cost if you can't make connection. If not, keep an eye on the flights because if the first flight gets bumped out much the connection won't work. Should they tweak flight much in any direction causing connection problems, they'll switch you to direct no charge, even if they have to put you on another airline. Have a great trip.

Yes I see it. Upgrading to the suite gives you all the perks also. A little more than I wanted to spend but still a great deal. Will wrap up my booking today. Thank you so much! I got such a great price on airfares last week that now I don't mind

Those airfare sales must be good for the cruise industry. I was on the fence with the cruise but then saw non budget airfare that I couldn't pass up. West coast to LHR on delta and Virgin all in with taxes $470 round trip. I paid more than that this year for, "free" british airways Avios tickets just in their taxes and fees. I also justified Haven suite with this 50% sale and with all the $ saved in airfare. We are now committed two weeks on the Jade so will probably need to let husband know pretty soon.

Yes I see it. Upgrading to the suite gives you all the perks also. A little more than I wanted to spend but still a great deal. Will wrap up my booking today. Thank you so much! I got such a great price on airfares last week that now I don't mind

With the 50% off you don't get any of the free at sea perks like UBP, Internet, SDP, shore ex but you do get the suite perks like breakfast and lunch in cagneys... Great deal if you don't want the UBP and can live without the other perks. I think you have 60 days to transfer to a travel agent so they may be able to give you some extra obc to make up for lost perks. Btw the only difference I notice is that I need to call in further payments. Can't make extra payments on my ncl. Ncl said it has something to do with it being an Asia site booking but all payments are in usd and cc showed ncl Asia Miami making the charge with a Miami address. Re the additional $100 obc; it shows up in my ncl so check to make sure you get that added too.

Yes I see it! But did you say you can get additional perks with the 50 off?

The only extra perk is the $100/50 obc and extra lattitude point special they are running and that's not one of the free at sea perk choices. It shows up on the payment page if you have entered your lattitudes number. You can always call ncl after and ask about it and if its on your booking have them email you an amenities invoice.

It does take me to the site but when you go through the booking the pricing is not 50 off. You were able to call with a confirmation number and they deducted the amount then??

No. it allowed me to book 50% off online. I put a hold and then called pcc and he did the actual booking. I just did a dummy booking on your sailing and it gave me 50% off all categories except GT rates. Perhaps you are trying to book a GT rate? Try for lowest non GT rate. Then you will be offered perks and you can pick the 50% perk.

I'm also in the US. When I click the link it takes me directly to that site. Perhaps clear your cookies or open a private bowser? Idk if ncl usa can look up the deal and book for you as well but worth a try to call them. My NCL PCC was able to book for me but I did start with giving him a confirmation hold number.

As far as the deal; it's 50% off second passenger perk that you choose when you go though the web booking process. Just like the us site where you get to the perks choice page. For suites the only two choices will be 50% or NCL rate. Anything below suite will give you the combo choices and you click 50% as your perk choice. if you are lattitudes there's a $100 obc and extra lattitudes point for balcony and above. $50 for inside and ov.

If you aren't going to benefit much from any of the perks the NCL Asia site is offering 50% off second passenger but I think today is the last day. I saved about 4K on my suite booking this way. If unsure you can always put a hold on the room, get your PCC on the phone and complete booking with him/her. Same cancellation deadlines. https://www.ncl.com/in/en/cruise-deal/bogoho