littlelulu01

Most times cabins are held by large travel agency's. So they are being "Held" just in case.

 

They have to return them to the line at a certain time such as 90 days before sailing, some larger companies can hold for less such as at the 60 day mark and for sure at the 30 day mark.

 

From 90 days forward, whoever you're working with or the line itself, keep checking every day or be put on a list for first call.

 

We once had a great cabin and 2 days before sailing had a death in the family. Someone got that terrific cabin at the port the day of sailing because they ASKED.

We did have insurance.

How does one go about finding these large blocks of suites held out of inventory? I've looked previously at the big online cruise agencies and they don't show as available. You would think if they are holding them they would want to sell them- advertise them. Just wondering if there's some secret to finding them?

I know that on my sailing all but one GV sold. I also thought it quite odd and had my pcc check the inventory. It really is all gone for Haven. I'm sure some will cancel here and there and a few will pop up. I saw an owners suite pop up for about 3 days a few weeks ago on the 9/11/17 sailing. Then a 2 bedroom Haven came up and I grabbed it. I think a big incentive is the ncl Asia site selling Europe staterooms at 50% off second passenger. That sale started in September and ends December 17. If you search recent posts for 50% off Europe 2017 you'll find the thread with link to book

I was able to book our next cruise with 50% off second passenger on the ncl Asia site. Saved 4K on a Haven suite over booking with free at sea on USA site. That promo runs through the 17th. Same cancellation deadlines and policies as the us site. No free at sea perks included but 50% off for 2nd passenger is a very good deal if you don't want any perks included. It's only for Europe 2017 sailings but do check other markets because they all get different promo offers. Just be careful because some markets have non refundable deposits. See link for booking from previous poster above.

I doubt anything will be done at this point. Did you check back with shore excursions desk to find out what they determined and what they could do for you?

I've had one negative experience with a shore excursion and the excursions desk corrected it to my satisfaction. It was a similar situation. Booked an excursion to Oia that advertised one hour in oia. We had about 20 minutes. I told the shore excursions desk and they asked me what group number I was. I gave them the bus number and they verified that we only got 20 minutes in Oia and refunded 1/2 the excursion cost, which I felt fair because we still got some benefit from the excursion.

HI all!

 

littlelulu01 ~ thanks, but when I tried to find a cruise in Oct 2018 using that link all that came up was Pride of America so I guess the European ones are still to come. I'm interested in the cruise Spirit did this year going to Kotor & Mykonos, 2 places I've yet to see.

 

Squish ~ hello!:D

 

Hope they post fall of 2018 soon.

 

~ Jo ~:)

I assume they will post winter and fall 2018 when they post Baltic. I didn't look too closely at the itineraries - the only reason I even knew they were bookable is because of the 50% off 2nd passenger for 2017 Europe sale NCL is running on that site which btw saved me about 4k on a Haven suite.

I know the 2018 prices are a little higher than this year but the 50% off second passenger deal they've been running since September, 2016 for Europe 2017 makes the 2017 prices much less for 2017. Too bad that wasn't advertised in the US. I couldn't figure out why so many of the suites were getting booked up but at 50% off it makes total sense. I'm just glad someone finally found and posted it. I'm still paying a couple thousand more than lowest prices but still a huge bargain over full price advertised in the US market.

They are already available on NCL Asia website. It looks like pretty much the same as 2017 with the Jade, Star, Epic and Spirit. Missing is the Getaway and Baltic cruises. I assume that will be added when the figure out which ship is doing that route. I've read rumors it's the Breakaway. https://www.ncl.com/in/en/cruise-deal/bogoho

@ Dubbs: Don't get me wrong. We loved our cruise and have another booked. I don't see how saying I was disappointed in the lack of lobster and the replacement of the mediocre shrimp dish is so, "weird" to you. We sailed in the one of Garden Villas on the Jade med for two weeks September/October and it was the best vacation I've ever had. The food in specialty dining was ok. It was not great and not worth the prices charged. We noted a definite decline in food quality. Service was excellent and we said we'd take bad food and good service any day over the reverse. That being said, food was certainly a downgrade compared to previous sailings and yes it was a little disappointing. We made up for it with some great food in Italy and it was nice to go on a cruise and lose weight. Most people expect a REALLY good meal in an up charge venue on a ship and a good meal in the main dining room. When they eat something like a 50 count shrimp pasta dish that costs an additional $24.95 upcharge - well I can certainly see how they'd be thinking, what a waste of my money. Who would want to go back and try other dishes and pay even more? Your suggestion to go back and order chicken and then vegetarian ? It's not worth it to me to keep throwing extra $ to see which specialty entrée is worth the charge. The MDR atmosphere is just fine for ok food included in cruise fare.

When you replace lobster with shrimp in a signature, extra fee, specialty fine dining venue, it's not about offering a better food choice.

I don't understand why there are so many posts about lobster. Is this really a make or break for someone's enjoyment of a cruise? If so, why? Why does having lobster as a menu choice seem to be such a cause for concern? I am literally baffled by this. I just don't understand.

Baffled? Lobster is widely considered something you eat typically on a special occasion. It's advertised as a special occasion at the grocery stores and land based restaurants for special occasions such as new years, Valentines day... Costco even has their seafood extravaganzas and it's all the buzz when they get the lobsters in. Not sure how you could be baffled that one might gripe when an item typically well known as a treat and served in specialty venues on ships is replaced with shrimp yet the shrimp still costs the same as the lobster was.

I was really taken aback with the recent replacements. I thought it plain absurd to charge, I think $24.95, for the replacement shrimp dish. The only taste comparison I could come up with was a $2.95 lean cuisine. Don't get me wrong it's not terrible but imo not even worth the extra service fee charge. Same with the scallops. I can honestly say ive never been served scallops that size before. Didn't even know they existed. I like shrimp, it's fast easy and cheap. But at a specialty venue, id take lobster, cold or warm water, any day over the replacement shrimp dishes. On my last cruise the specialty dining choices and quality in no way remotely warranted the prices they were charging. I cant think of any land based restaurant that would stay in business with their replacement shrimp dishes as their signature items. Certainly nothing to cancel a cruise over but no need to get too excited about specialty dinners any longer.

We did a cruise on the NCL Star that stopped in Bergen and was supposed to stop in Alesund in 2014. NCL wanted $299 pp for that Norway in a nutshell tour. I really wanted to do the tour, but the cost was outrageous.

 

I tried to find a private tour, but was not successful.

 

We missed Alesund due to a Hurricane and I had booked a Path of the Trolls tour that NCL wanted $199 pp for. I had 40 people on the tour and the cost was $60 pp. Unfortunately, I missed it because the port call was cancelled.

 

I did find an excellent walking tour of Bergen that was quite good.

Yes the cost is on the high side. $155 usd for the Norway in a nutshell with the boat tour (not NCL). Problem being that that tour is 9.5 hours and we only have 10 hours total in port so not possible unless you take NCL abbreviated tour which is still 9 hours. I think they know they're the only option and so if we want it we will pay $349 pp. sounds like the price is $50 more than last year - doesn't look like the currency exchange has seen much change so it must be popular enough even at $349. It's hard to pass up such a wonderful opportunity given the rave reviews of this tour but we may just end up spending the day in Bergen. If our ship had a stop in Flåm we could at least have done the Flåm railway. Thanks. I think I read your reviews and appreciated them. -Kim

Ok, good to know...when is your trip? The spa and excursions take priority over specialty dining for me....I'll probably just try the sushi restaurant. My DD is a picky eater so it doesn't pay for me to splurge for specialty dining.

 

We are also not big drinkers and this will be the 3rd cruise for 2017, second to Europe, so I need to watch my spending.

We're on the Jade. I chickened out on booking a mega ship and went with the Jade two week in September. In pricing out the lower rooms - it's not much of a savings if someone had previously paid much less for their room. Prices on our sailing have gone up so many are probably better off with their old booking and perks. But for those booking now or for someone wanting a suite it's a darn good deal if you don't care about the perks. if that cruise price tracking site is accurate, I still ended up paying a little more for a Haven suite than lowest it was ever priced and we don't have any perks but for someone like me who isn't going to get much value in the ubp it was a great deal. Enjoy the getaway!

Another update....I got my confirmation email early this morning...since this may be from an overseas office, it must just take longer.

I also can't make payments online, I would have to mail it in to Miami office or I suppose I can make an over the phone payment.

 

This offer seemed too good to be true, so I was concerned but now that I have a conf. email I'm good to go.

 

The price is outstanding, I've been pricing Baltic sea cruises for a while now and I don't think I can get this fare on any other line.

 

The only negative is that it will be an October cruise...so we may not be able to take advantage of the waterpark but this cruise is about the ports anyway.

 

When can I buy spa passes? It's not open for booking yet.

The spa passes will be available closer to sail date. I think it's 90 days prior. It will show up in your my NCL as available to book today right around the same time as speciality dining.

I'm pretty sure the office booked through is NCL Miami- just a different offer that was given to Asia market and not USA market. When I look at cc charge details it shows NCL Miami with NCL Miami address. Only the cc charge header says NCL Asia USD Miami. My confirmation email and amenities invoice emails came through at time of booking but I did the actual booking over the phone with my NCL pcc after I made the booking hold online with link above.

My NCL payments tab is also now missing on my account.

Wow so it does seem to work in the USA...I am wondering though about how you said that you can't make any online payments for your cruise? So will you have to make all of your payments by phone only? And also, since your deposit was processed by NCL Asia, was there a foreign transaction fee on the charge? (unless you used a cc that doesn't have that)

My credit card shows charge as "Norwegian Asia USD Miami". It was charged in usd.

Anyone knows the cancellation policy on these bookings? The price is really good, but we're not sure we can go due to our kids' summer schedule. Wonder if I can book now and cancel before 90 days if schedule doesn't work out.

If you click the link and do a dummy booking, when you reach the point where it shows the fare, you can click on pricing details. At the bottom of pricing details it has a link for cancellation fees. It looks to me exactly the same as USA booking cancellation fee schedule.

FYI, was able to book online with that link successfully.:D

Congrats. If you try and transfer to your TA please report back the outcome.

Glad to hear it worked for you! I have an email to my TA to check into this too. You are my "living proof" that it CAN be booked in the USA! :D

I think the key is to book with the link above and just put the hold on the room. The hold I put on last night said I had till Monday at midnight to put deposit down. There's no cost in putting a hold on the room you want. They system allows two bookings, same name and date. This way I had a chance to talk to my PCC today and make sure I wasn't messing up anything. I also wanted him to complete the booking so that I could ensure he'd still be the guy I call with any questions or booking changes in the future. I didn't ask Pcc but I assume he probably wouldn't have been able to straight up book the room via the promo in Asia. He was able to book it because I had a confirmation hold reservation in my ncl. He was able to change rooms though and told me if I decided prior to the 17th-when promo ends, that the haven suite I booked was too expensive that he could move down to a lower suite within that promo as long as prices didn't change. My first reservation also had a cruise next cert. Pcc said it'll take a few days for it to show back up in my ncl and as soon as it did he'd apply it to my new booking. Good luck.

Edit: I see you are using. TA. Please report back outcome. I'd love to know if this can be done with a TA. I think same premise would work. Book a hold with link above and then call TA with booking number. I'd love to find out if TA can take over a reservation like this- offer up some extra obc or something to offset no perks even more.

I think that other markets being offered no perks but drastically reduced prices has increased suite bookings. My Europe cruise September, 2016 had lots of open suites. In fact they were given as bingo prizes each week we were onboard. My European September, 2017 sailing and most of the suites are sold out. Just one GV left for Haven. Granted suite prices are less for 2017 Europe but out of curiosity I asked my pcc. He said he can only see what's been booked in the us but he said he saw that two of the Haven suites were booked in the us. Since he can't see how the others were booked yet they're all sold, he said it's probably because they're booked with NCL eu or Asia and they get different promos and prices .. he did pull up my hold reservation and said how on earth did you find this deal? Again, an excellent deal if the perks don't have much value to you.

Looks like this sale has been going since September. I know that the suite I booked has increased in price considerably according to the fish site but with the 50%off it's still a bargain for me. Was a much better bargain for those who booked this a couple mos ago when prices were lower.

Wow, that's an intriguing promo, especially for Haven suites. I still don't see how you were able to get this deal since you are in the USA and it says it is for the international markets only (?). I pulled up the OP's link and it is an international NCL website (can tell by the phone number and how it says "holiday" instead of vacation). Of course it says that the Baltic cruise I have already booked (July 18-27) doesn't apply anyway, or I would be tempted to pursue this. But did you really have a USA NCL rep tell you today that you could book with this promo even though you live in the USA? Wondering how they would be able to book that for you.

Actually- I just checked using the link above and your sailing is included. You go through the booking process and when it gets to the point in the reservation where you pick perks you just pick the 50% off 2nd guest as your perk. For example your sailing two people in a haven spa suite is $6374 all in with taxes and port fees. First person is $3999, second person is $1999. The higher priced suites savings are more.

You can get to the point of payment and put a courtesy hold on the room and then call your pcc.

Yes, my NCL pcc told me i could do the change and it took him all of a couple minutes to cancel the my old reservation and book the new one for me. Because it's a Haven suite I had to put a $1500 deposit down. the deposit on the previous cruise will go back to my cc in a few days. My pcc was happy to make the switch. I think it was easier for him in that I had a hold confirmation number to give him and he just took the payment on the hold reservation. I asked him if he was still the pcc for my cruise and he said yes and the I would not notice any difference in any manner with regards to booking, making changes etc.

It's now in my NCL just like the previous one was. I think the charge on my cc said NCL India vs NCL Miami

Not The Jewel, but we recently sailed the Jade out of Venice in the GV. The, "limo ride" was a Mercedes S class but we were just two and only had hand luggage. As far as the process went; we let our concerige know what time we wanted off the ship and took us off, put us in the car and off we went. We were allowed to stay in the Villa till the time we agreed to meet the concerige in the Star bar- I think it was around 9:30. Had the butler deliver one last breakfast. They do empty the hot tub on turnaround day so you won't be able to use it. We were on a two week and both weeks the hot tub emptied itself around 4:30 am. It takes the better part of the day to heat back up.

As far as embarkation time. NCL sends an email and asks what time you'll arrive at the port. I think we arrived at around 1 -1:30. Concerige was waiting for us and took us right up to room. I think the whole check in process took about 5 minutes or less from time of arrival at the ship to entering the room. The email also asks what type of liquor you want, any special requests...

Well it's legit. Just got off phone with pcc. The booking I had couldn't be transferred to new booking. Something about NCL Asia vs Miami. PCC canceled original booking and took new deposit.

It's a heck of a deal- saved us about 4K. No perks except the $100 lattitudes obc and extra lattitudes point for Europe booking. For us, the perks were not that valuable. We don't drink alcohol, are planning on unlimited internet pkg- (perk Internet pkg isn't transferable to unlimited pkg.) Lose the DSC perk And dining perk. I wasn't all that impressed with the speciality dining on recent cruise anyways. Venue atmosphere a nice change but I felt they really cut back on food quality and offerings compared to last time we had speciality dinners.

I wonder if this type of booking can transfer to a US ta for some extra goodies.

Where did you put the booking code? I'm on the payment page and other don't see it

You don't need to enter a code. Click on the link from op. Then go through booking process. When you get to option of picking perks one of the options is 50% off 2nd guest.

I was able to put a hold on a Haven stateroom using this promo. I will contact my Pcc tomorrow to verify but it sure looks like its available to book for suites and Haven. When I login to my ncl the only extras showing is $100 latitude obc so I think it's a no perks deal but with that kind of savings I could care less about the perks. Ncl sent me a confirmation. Cancelation terms are same as in the US. The only difference I noticed when shopping the deal was that final pmt on non haven suites were 2 mos later than normally due. Same final pmt for haven. Fingers crossed its legit. I'm hoping it can be transferred to a TA for extra obc or some other goodies. Thanks so much for the heads up and the link! FYI: the confirmation email lists booking source as NCLWEBC

You can walk from your ship to the Bergen train station (probably about a mile), then take the train from Bergen to Myrdal, change to the Flamsbana for the 1 hour ride to Flam, grab some lunch and take the scenic ferry ride to Gudvagen. There is a bus that meets the ferry and takes you on the scenic drive described in your ships tour and leaves you at the Voss train station for the return to Bergen. It would be a full day but it would include the very scenic ferry ride thru the fjord and be about 1/2 of what the ship is charging.

 

Alternatively you could take a boat from Bergen to Flam then ride the Flamsbana back to Myrdal and change to the train back to Bergen. Not sure about times that boat would run in September, but you're could check.

Thank you. I will check timetables for train/ferry. I think adding the ferry cut the times a little too close for comfort DIY in case something goes awry. Wonder if it would be less time, and still enjoyable, to just take train from Bergen to Myrdal, Flåm line, lunch in Flåm and then return the same way and still have some time to see Bergen? I signed up for the NCL Norway in a nutshell but have plenty of time to cancel for a refund if I can figure an alternative.

I didn't do the exact excursion you ask about. In my case, I took an excursion from Flam where we first used a motor coach to climb up thru the mountains until we eventually reached Voss. We then got on the train and took it to Myrdal, where we transferred to the Flam railway and rode it one-direction (downhill) back into Flam. It was a great day, even though it rained almost all day and our visibility was sometimes limited. Even rainy, it was clearly a beautiful and enjoyable excursion.

 

The one you describe sounds very nice. It will be a long day. You'll be in a bus for quite a while. But you'll also be on Norwegian trains, which probably doesn't happen all that often and is therefore a new, fun experience. And, yes, the Flam train is pretty cool. I actually couldn't see all that much because I was stuck in an inner seat and with the rainy weather it wasn't as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be. The train was VERY crowded. None-the-less, I enjoyed it.

 

Now, having said all these wonderful things, I will also say that my cruise also included a full day in Bergen and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring that city. The Funicular ride you can take to a lookout above the city is great. And the historic waterfront and city parks and just the streets themselves make for an enjoyable day.

 

I'm afraid your choice will ultimately come down to picking one of them and then never looking back on your decision. Both are going to be memorable days. One is a lot more expensive than the other and that may or may not influence you decision.

 

If it were me, I'd probably pick the Voss/Flam excursion simply because I love to do a variety of things and to get out away from the ship. Maybe if you're lucky, it will return you to Bergen with enough time to explore the city for an hour before having to get back to the ship. It's a tough choice. Both are good options.

 

I couldn't find your cruise on NCL's website to see what other ports you visit. If you're visiting another long fjord port, then I wouldn't worry about missing the boat portion of that excursion. While they are all beautiful, they are also all very similar. Hopefully your ship is venturing down a fjord at one of the other ports.

Thank you so much. The cruise leaves September 11, 2017. 14 night. The itinerary looked good so I placed a deposit prior to doing much research. Then a couple weeks ago Delta had airfare that was just too good to pass up, non refundable of course so I went ahead and purchased- am now locked in for the cruise. Now I'm doing a little research on ports and realizing I'm actually a little too late on booking private excursions in some ports.

Ports of Call:Southampton, Cruising, Bergen, Alesund, Lerwick, Cruising, Reykjavik, Reykjavik, Akureyri, Cruising, Kirkwall, Invergordon, Edinburgh/Newhaven, Cruising and Southampton.

My husband is starting to like cruises a little more. Booking a couple private excursions or just renting a car and getting away a couple port days are very rewarding to him. He's always fantasized about going on a train trip vacation- a little too much PBS travel watching. The NCL Norway in a nutshell will probably be one of the vacation highlights.

Any suggestions on the other ports for this cruise are greatly appreciated.

I have done Norway in a Nutshell twice, as an excursion from Ulvik, not off a cruise, the problem being for cruise passengers is that it is essentially public transport and subject to problems. This is how I ended up doing it twice, there was a failure on the Flam railway and so they booked it for me again. For cruise passengers I think you should only do it as an official excursion or do it as a post cruise excursion if you have a couple of days in Bergen after.

 

 

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Would you recommend if the tour skipped the Ferry portion like the one offered by NCL above? Was the Norway in a Nutshell a tour you loved? I am torn because Bergen itself looks to be a wonderful port day however my husband has always wanted to go on the Flam railway and it looks like this would be our only opportunity. Thank you

We are visiting Bergen in September, 2017 on the NCL Jade with port times from 10 am to 8 pm. NCL offers a version of Norway in a Nutshell but it omits the fjord boat portion from Gudvangen to Flam. Flam railway is also just one way. Viator had a private tour for up to 6 persons that included the boat portion with a choice of RIB or ferry from Gudvangen to Flam but they are discontinuing this for 2017. I have contacted Fjord Safari who advertises private tours to see if they will offer something similar. I think the trouble with a large group is that Norway in a nutshell with boat and train is simply not possible in one day. The private tours omit certain parts of the tour allowing for one day accomplishment. I really want to do the Flam railway and am wondering if there are any other options for cruise ship passengers.

The NCL tour is $349 pp and this is the description of the day: On this exclusive tour, you’ll see some of the most beautiful sights of Norway. Drive past Bryggen and the Hanseatic quarters before heading to the village of Voss. Here, you’ll board a train that will take you through picturesque agricultural areas and an upward journey towards the mountains. At Myrdal station, you’ll change trains and board the Flam Line that takes you down the mountain to the tiny village of Flam.

After a short break, you’ll board your coach and drive to the little village of Gudvangen From here, the road takes you up the Naeroydalen (Narrow Valley). After maneuvering the many hairpin bends of Stalheim Canyon, you’ll reach the Stalheim Hotel where a fantastic view of the valley and a delicious lunch await. After lunch, the tour continues along Opheim Lake and further on to Tvinde Waterfalls, where a stop will be made. The drive is through Voss village and via Dale back to Bergen.

Anyone done this tour in the past? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. There are a few on our roll call interested in private excursion to help defray the cost but we just can't find something that fits other than the one with NCL. Would hate to spend this amount of $ and end up with hoards of others in a rushed experience. Thanks in advance.