Most controversial cruise opinion??

[DrSea]

15 hours ago, graphicguy said:

This is getting absolutely silly.  

 

Cruise ship.  2,000-3,000-4,000 people or more that are complete strangers for the most part meeting each other for the very first time.  You’re going to meet all kinds.  I don’t care if you’re in an inside cabin or the largest Haven Suite.  You’re going to run into someone, somewhere you don’t care for, and more likely, those that don’t care for you.  Call them snooty, overbearing, narcissistic, inconsiderate, pretentious, obnoxious…..every behavior imaginable.  You’ll find all on a cruise ship.

 

You dine with them.  You drink with them.  You watch shows together.  You swim with them.  You work out with them.  You gamble with them.  You see them just about every day.  You either befriend them, or you ignore them.

 

I like staying in the Haven.  Has nothing to do with my alleged “status” or my financial means.  I can afford to do it and don’t consider it a frivolity.  I like having everything taken care of for me….reservations, laundry, scheduling, billing issues, serving me my food and drinks whenever I want and wherever I am, reserving the best seat at the shows, stand at the front of the line to get on and off the ship, etc.  If I were married, I’d book the cheapest cabin and have my wife do all of that for me (that’s a joke, people…don’t get up in arms).

 

Truth of the matter is, I’ve met “jerks” everywhere on ships.  But, I’ve met many, many, many more great people who I’ve become cruising friends with.

 

BTW….I don’t gamble for free cruises. I gamble to win.  Plain and simple.

 

Trying to pull this back on topic, “controversial cruising”, this happened over a year ago when cruising first started up back up.  I hadn’t sailed Celebrity in over a decade.  But they, along with NCL, had found protocols for safe sailing that they use for the most part, today.  As such, I felt safe sailing with them (and NCL).  Found a crazy good deal in the Retreat’s Sky Suites on the Edge, at the time, one of Celebrity’s newest ships.  Moreover, they were only sailing at about 40% capacity.  What’s not to like?

 

Upon getting to my cabin, the first thing I did was grab lunch at their Retreat restaurant, Luminae.  The 2nd thing most of us do is to head to the bar.  In this case, the shows on board weren’t scheduled for later.  But, found one at the bar for SAILAWAY.  Two alleged porn stars were putting on quite the tequila fueled show.  Would run into them throughout the cruise doing the same thing.   They were Retreat guests.  Classy!

 

On my last Royal Cruise on Ovation early this year, I was sailing in a regular balcony cabin,  but for the first time, had access to the “Diamond Lounge”.  I like doing live cruise reports.  So, I’d spend mornings getting coffee there and posting to CC while having a bagel in the lounge.

 

I met some nice people in the Diamond Lounge, but one person, who saw me there every a.m., sat near my seat.  He was wearing a “Dogs Love Trucks” t-shirt.  Those of you old enough to remember, that was a marketing slogan NIssan used to sell their trucks (which are now extinct).  Casual conversation led us to talk about our mutual interest in vintage vehicles.  I have a vintage Mustang Cobra Convertible which I’ve totally refurbished.  Shared pics with him of that.

 

He had just finished refurbishing a Ford F-100 Pickup, which he wanted to show me pictures of from his iPhone. After about the 4th picture he showed me, the next one was a nude picture of a lady.  In fact, it was a nude picture of his wife, who was chatting with someone else two chairs over.  He apologized and said he should delete it.  I was a little embarrassed.  But, I’m not a prude, and dismissed it…told him not to worry about it.  Until, 4-5 truck pics later, another nude of his wife was on his phone.  OK, coincidence, but no harm, no foul.   Happened again and again and again.  Clearly, it wasn’t a mistake or a coincidence.  It was purposeful.

 

Needless to say, what started out as a mutual interest in vintage vehicles was meant to be something else.  Not sure if his wife knew of this, but given she was posing in all the pictures, she had to know he took them.  

 

Red faced, I made up an excuse to leave and avoided them at all costs the rest of the cruise.  I’d see them and would turn and go the other way.  If I spied them in the Diamond Lounge from the glass, I would not enter.

 

Again, point being, you meet all kinds, staying in all sorts of areas on ships.  Snooty?  Kinky?  Drunks?  Porn Stars?  Yep…..all kinds!  And, it’s not confined to the Haven.

Bravo!

[NauticalOtter]

17 hours ago, The Shrike said:

I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but the very few times I've encountered any snootiness from Haven guests they had one thing in common:  they were from NYC.

Ive never had issues with the adults staying in haven, but good god it seems that every time I cruise peak season there is ALWAYS a group of “haven teens” who I will come across every night roaming the top decks like a pack of hunting dogs (I like to have a smoke out on the top deck then do a couple laps around the ship by myself while my partner sleeps).  They say and do the most stupid/ignorant/entitled things I’ve ever witnessed in person. 
 

My last cruise on the breakaway in July, said group would spend every night sitting/laying/sprawling across the forward stairs outside of the haven and when another passenger (a man much older than myself) asked them if they could, you know, not block the stairs.  One of the little brats told him no, that he can walk around, then overheard them as I was walking away saying something about “the nerve of these people”

 

the rage, the rage…I had to go up for another smoke after that 😂

Edited August 8, 2022 by NauticalOtter

[cruiseny4life]

4 hours ago, NauticalOtter said:

Ive never had issues with the adults staying in haven, but good god it seems that every time I cruise peak season there is ALWAYS a group of “haven teens” who I will come across every night roaming the top decks like a pack of hunting dogs (I like to have a smoke out on the top deck then do a couple laps around the ship by myself while my partner sleeps).  They say and do the most stupid/ignorant/entitled things I’ve ever witnessed in person. 
 

My last cruise on the breakaway in July, said group would spend every night sitting/laying/sprawling across the forward stairs outside of the haven and when another passenger (a man much older than myself) asked them if they could, you know, not block the stairs.  One of the little brats told him no, that he can walk around, then overheard them as I was walking away saying something about “the nerve of these people”

 

the rage, the rage…I had to go up for another smoke after that 😂

 

During our Easter break cruise we had a gaggle of children, being children. They enjoyed camping out on the stairs - if I weren't in the pool, I'm pretty sure that's where I would have been if I had cruised as a kid. I have no clue if these were little Haven monsters or just your normal, run of the mill monsters (jokes folks, jokes - no child could possibly be a monster). 🙂

 

The kids blocked the stairs (as you describe above). Since I'm not of an older generation, I didn't chastise them for being on the stairs. They were enjoying themselves, not hurting anyone. I just made sure they knew I was coming through. I went to step right over their shoulders and voila! the teens made room. Not very hard. 

 

No harsh comments from the stair community either. 

[LGW59]

Just now, cruiseny4life said:

 

During our Easter break cruise we had a gaggle of children, being children. They enjoyed camping out on the stairs - if I weren't in the pool, I'm pretty sure that's where I would have been if I had cruised as a kid. I have no clue if these were little Haven monsters or just your normal, run of the mill monsters (jokes folks, jokes - no child could possibly be a monster). 🙂

 

The kids blocked the stairs (as you describe above). Since I'm not of an older generation, I didn't chastise them for being on the stairs. They were enjoying themselves, not hurting anyone. I just made sure they knew I was coming through. I went to step right over their shoulders and voila! the teens made room. Not very hard. 

 

No harsh comments from the stair community either. 

(jokes folks, jokes - no child could possibly be a monster). 🙂  Well good thing you didn't know my mons...er I mean kid when he was 7 yo!  JK!  I had a well behaved kid but if I had taken him on a cruise, he'd probably of been with those well behaved teens too.

[Sail Girl]

On 7/27/2022 at 8:33 PM, CaptainBazz said:

If you don't sleep why do you need to set an alarm? So you stay awake for 7 days and nights? 😜

He sleeps, just doesn’t SLEEP IN!!!!!!

[CaptainBazz]

47 minutes ago, Sail Girl said:

He sleeps, just doesn’t SLEEP IN!!!!!!

Yes...you are right...I guess I missed that word 🤭

[mearsfansinboise]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

 

During our Easter break cruise we had a gaggle of children, being children. They enjoyed camping out on the stairs - if I weren't in the pool, I'm pretty sure that's where I would have been if I had cruised as a kid. I have no clue if these were little Haven monsters or just your normal, run of the mill monsters (jokes folks, jokes - no child could possibly be a monster). 🙂

 

The kids blocked the stairs (as you describe above). Since I'm not of an older generation, I didn't chastise them for being on the stairs. They were enjoying themselves, not hurting anyone. I just made sure they knew I was coming through. I went to step right over their shoulders and voila! the teens made room. Not very hard. 

 

No harsh comments from the stair community either. 

 

I sailed with my daughter at spring break.  She was 17 at the time and spent evenings in Entourage.  It closed at ... midnight? - not sure, can't remember now, but it closed at the same time that curfew started.  (Just walking from Entourage to their cabins had them all violating curfew.)  However, teens being teens, they were all hungry when they left, so they would hit up the Local for some food and then were told they couldn't eat it there because it was past curfew.  So, they would take their food and go find some stairs to sit and eat on.  My apologies on behalf of all monsters (Haven and non-Haven) and their parents.  😆

(Sidenote: they were followed by security nearly the entire time, so, I'm hopeful that hogging the stairs was their only offense and given the time of night hope it didn't inconvenience too many.)

She's 18 now, and my son is 20, so we won't have to worry about curfew rules anymore, but I'm sure there are other things to worry about when cruising with youngbloods ... 🤔

[tetleytea]

1 minute ago, mearsfansinboise said:

 

I sailed with my daughter at spring break.  She was 17 at the time and spent evenings in Entourage.  It closed at ... midnight? - not sure, can't remember now, but it closed at the same time that curfew started.  (Just walking from Entourage to their cabins had them all violating curfew.)  However, teens being teens, they were all hungry when they left, so they would hit up the Local for some food and then were told they couldn't eat it there because it was past curfew.  So, they would take their food and go find some stairs to sit and eat on.  My apologies on behalf of all monsters (Haven and non-Haven) and their parents.  😆

(Sidenote: they were followed by security nearly the entire time, so, I'm hopeful that hogging the stairs was their only offense and given the time of night hope it didn't inconvenience too many.)

She's 18 now, and my son is 20, so we won't have to worry about curfew rules anymore, but I'm sure there are other things to worry about when cruising with youngbloods ... 🤔

 

We had kids on our cruise who liked to press all the buttons on all the elevators, and thought that was funny.   They would stop at every floor.

 

Security following your kids around is not necessarily a bad thing.  Personally, I think I would like it.

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by tetleytea

[cruiseny4life]

 

 

5 minutes ago, tetleytea said:

 

We had kids on our cruise who liked to press all the buttons on all the elevators, and thought that was funny.   They would stop at every floor.

 

Security following your kids around is not necessarily a bad thing.  Personally, I think I would like it.

 

Are you sure that wasn't me pushing all the buttons? It's fun! 

 

9 minutes ago, mearsfansinboise said:

However, teens being teens, they were all hungry when they left, so they would hit up the Local for some food and then were told they couldn't eat it there because it was past curfew. 

Maybe it was YOUR monster that was sitting on the stairs. Were you on the Getaway to Bermuda? Haha, I hope you know I was speaking in jest regarding "monsters." I truly didn't mind. I was a teen once and did much worse things than sitting on stairs at midnight on a cruise ship. Also, it couldn't possibly have been your daughter as I was snuggled in my bed by 10 PM every night - I still cry about not being able to stay up late anymore!

 

3 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Well good thing you didn't know my mons...er I mean kid when he was 7 yo!  JK!  I had a well behaved kid but if I had taken him on a cruise, he'd probably of been with those well behaved teens too.

And, quite frankly, I hope he would have been! They deserve time away from their parents doing naughty things...and if sitting on the stairs is the worst a kid can do...well you did a good parenting job!

[mearsfansinboise]

5 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

 

Maybe it was YOUR monster that was sitting on the stairs. Were you on the Getaway to Bermuda? Haha, I hope you know I was speaking in jest regarding "monsters." I truly didn't mind. I was a teen once and did much worse things than sitting on stairs at midnight on a cruise ship. Also, it couldn't possibly have been your daughter as I was snuggled in my bed by 10 PM every night - I still cry about not being able to stay up late anymore!

 

And, quite frankly, I hope he would have been! They deserve time away from their parents doing naughty things...and if sitting on the stairs is the worst a kid can do...well you did a good parenting job!

 

We were on the Bliss, so, those were not my monsters - lol

Not offended at all!  I know how kids can be - and I know mine are far from perfect (despite my perfect parenting - haaaaaaaaaaaa!). 🙃

[ChiefMateJRK]

14 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

I don't think free cruises are in your future anyway, so believe what you want. I just responded to clarify your misinformation for others.

Well now.  I guess you drove a nail into this one.  🤣

 

Is a "free" cruise really free if a person has blown $10000 in the casino to obtain it?   I think NOT!!

[tetleytea]

If any gamblers truly have any experience in consistently beating the house, I am certainly willing to defer and am all ears.

 

"Ignore the math" is a piece of advice I'm having a hard time with, since that would include subtracting your previous balance from your current balance in order to calculate your winnings.  That's math.  

[UKstages]

On 8/6/2022 at 6:39 PM, midgetcoach said:

I agree with UK. Your decisions determine your out come of the game your playing. There is no way to predict a up coming streak or trend but realizing it when it is happening makes all the difference. 

 

no, if you think you can recognize a streak as it is happening, you don't agree with me at all.

 

one can only make a determination of a "streak" or a "hot machine" after one has played. human beings make those qualitative judgments; the games behave exactly the same way every time. there is no such thing as a hot machine or a hot table until after you've left that machine or that table.

 

On 8/6/2022 at 9:04 PM, tetleytea said:

But also, I need to see a means by which you will lose less than the comps are worth.  Also I need to pay myself for my vacation time I spent playing  Clearly, the house thinks they will make money by offering these comps in the first place.  How can I make the house wrong?  You can turn a blind eye to that if you want, but I will not.

 

 

in most cases, the house doesn't know you exist (except for player tracking systems for rewarding players and for the issuance of comps and offers). the house is not concerned with you. the house is concerned with all players over time. that's where the house has the edge. over time, they will take in more than they pay out. that's just math. whether you win 10K or lose 3K in the short term makes no difference, as  the house considers all play in aggregate. and they always win, over time. but players also will win... sometimes. nobody would play in the casino if they always lost.

 

the awarding of comps is based on your play and not your loss. there is no mathematical equation that says the value of the comps has to be justified by your wins or neutralized by your loss. (well, there is, but like everything else, it's a percentage of your play that they're willing to return to you over time and doesn't take into account incidental wins and losses.)

 

no smart gambler plays for comps. and if you want "a means by which you will lose less than the comps are worth," then  you aren't gambling. but, again, that's why people play video poker. with video poker, it's skill and mathematical probabilities working alongside luck that determines your results and your payback.

 

On 8/7/2022 at 10:47 AM, The Shrike said:

I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but the very few times I've encountered any snootiness from Haven guests they had one thing in common:  they were from NYC.

 

well, as a new yorker, i take great exception to that statement, as you might expect.

 

my question to you is... was it, by any chance,  a cruise that departed from new york? on cruises that depart from new york, there are - not surprisingly - a lot more, well, new yorkers... more so than on a cruise that departs from san diego or seattle. therefore, anyone you encounter on the ship - whether they be a sinner or a saint - is far more likely to come from new york. if you were traveling from san diego and you encountered snooty people on that cruise, you'd be more likely to walk away saying that those people from san diego have an attitude.

 

here again, like with gambling, it's just math.

 

16 minutes ago, tetleytea said:

If any gamblers truly have any experience in consistently beating the house, I am certainly willing to defer and am all ears.

 

"Ignore the math" is a piece of advice I'm having a hard time with, since that would include subtracting your previous balance from your current balance in order to calculate your winnings.  That's math.  

 

many "advantage players" consistently beat the house. these would typically be video poker and black jack players. in both games, there are elements of skill and luck. you won't find an advantage black jack player on a cruise ship, as the rules are generally not favorable.

 

if you're unfamiliar with the term "advantage player," look it up. (but ignore references to advantage slot players, as this is largely a fantasy, in my opinion. slot players might think they have an advantage on certain machines at certain times, but there is still no skill involved and the results are entirely random.)

 

"ignore the math?"

 

casinos are all about math. as i said before, casinos are built by those who understand math, for those who don't... or for those who choose to ignore the math for entertainment purposes. that's the part you seem unwilling to accept. there are people who enjoy risking their money on games of chance as entertainment... the same way others get a thrill from jumping into a canyon tethered by a bungee cord or by riding a roller coaster.

 

the difference here is that you are unlikely to get free bungee jumps and roller coaster rides, but many here get free and discounted cruises, OBC and comped emails in specialty restaurants,  just by doing what they were going to do anyway. 

Edited August 8, 2022 by UKstages

[midgetcoach]

7 minutes ago, UKstages said:

no, if you think you can recognize a streak as it is happening, you don't agree with me at all.

I think I miss understood.  I was thinking "trend"

I use trends as part of my game to help determine my play. 

[tetleytea]

12 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

no, if you think you can recognize a streak as it is happening, you don't agree with me at all.

 

one can only make a determination of a "streak" or a "hot machine" after one has played. human beings make those qualitative judgments; the games behave exactly the same way every time. there is no such thing as a hot machine or a hot table until after you've left that machine or that table.

 

 

in most cases, the house doesn't know you exist (except for player tracking systems for rewarding players and for the issuance of comps and offers). the house is not concerned with you. the house is concerned with all players over time. that's where the house has the edge. over time, they will take in more than they pay out. that's just math. whether you win 10K or lose 3K in the short term makes no difference, as  the house considers all play in aggregate. and they always win, over time. but players also will win... sometimes. nobody would play in the casino if they always lost.

 

the awarding of comps is based on your play and not your loss. there is no mathematical equation that says the value of the comps has to be justified by your wins or neutralized by your loss. (well, there is, but like everything else, it's a percentage of your play that they're willing to return to you over time and doesn't take into account incidental wins and losses.)

 

no smart gambler plays for comps. and if you want "a means by which you will lose less than the comps are worth," then  you aren't gambling. but, again, that's why people play video poker. with video poker, it's skill and mathematical probabilities working alongside luck that determines your results and your payback.

 

 

well, as a new yorker, i take great exception to that statement, as you might expect.

 

my question to you is... was it, by any chance,  a cruise that departed from new york? on cruises that depart from new york, there are - not surprisingly - a lot more, well, new yorkers... more so than on a cruise that departs from san diego or seattle. therefore, anyone you encounter on the ship - whether they be a sinner or a saint - is far more likely to come from new york. if you were traveling from san diego and you encountered snooty people on that cruise, you'd be more likely to walk away saying that those people from san diego have an attitude.

 

here again, like with gambling, it's just math.

 

 

many "advantage players" consistently beat the house. these would typically be video poker and black jack players. in both games, there are elements of skill and luck. you won't find an advantage black jack player on a cruise ship, as the rules are generally not favorable.

 

if you're unfamiliar with the term "advantage player," look it up. (but ignore references to advantage slot players, as this is largely a fantasy, in my opinion. slot players might think they have an advantage on certain machines at certain times, but there is still no skill involved and the results are entirely random.)

 

"ignore the math?"

 

casinos are all about math. as i said before, casinos are built by those who understand math, for those who don't... or for those who choose to ignore the math for entertainment purposes. that's the part you seem unwilling to accept. there are people who enjoy risking their money on games of chance as entertainment... the same way others get a thrill from jumping into a canyon tethered by a bungee cord or by riding a roller coaster.

 

the difference here is that you are unlikely to get free bungee jumps and roller coaster rides, but many here get free and discounted cruises, OBC and comped emails in specialty restaurants,  just by doing what they were going to do anyway. 

 

First off, you're contradicting what other gamblers here are saying. so it sounds like you guys need to all align with each other first.

 

But second, the problem with comparing this "entertainment" with bungee cording is, I know exactly how much riding a ride costs.   Because guess why:  they TELL me.   It's not that difficult.  I don't care about the "randomness" aspect of it--there is still the law of averages.   I know that, you know that, everybody knows that.   What % of what you put in does the casino pay back out?   What are the tier levels for comps?   How much "entertainment" time am I going to get for $300, on average?  Because if I blow all $300 on one blackjack hand--ooh, that was fun while it lasted.  I could have ridden 15 rides on the top-deck speedway for that.  

 

There's the problem:   the casino holds that information close to their chest.  You know that, you know they're out to make money, you don't know how much--and yet you sink your money into it.   You're on a freakin' cruise--it's not like there is a shortage of entertainment.

[pcakes122]

6 minutes ago, tetleytea said:

 

First off, you're contradicting what other gamblers here are saying. so it sounds like you guys need to all align with each other first.

 

But second, the problem with comparing this "entertainment" with bungee cording is, I know exactly how much riding a ride costs.   Because guess why:  they TELL me.   It's not that difficult.  I don't care about the "randomness" aspect of it--there is still the law of averages.   I know that, you know that, everybody knows that.   What % of what you put in does the casino pay back out?   What are the tier levels for comps?   How much "entertainment" time am I going to get for $300, on average?  Because if I blow all $300 on one blackjack hand--ooh, that was fun while it lasted.  I could have ridden 15 rides on the top-deck speedway for that.  

 

There's the problem:   the casino holds that information close to their chest.  You know that, you know they're out to make money, you don't know how much--and yet you sink your money into it.   You're on a freakin' cruise--it's not like there is a shortage of entertainment.

It all depends on what type of entertainment is exciting for you.  Lots of people love to drink a lot on a cruise. Drinking does nothing for me and doesn't appeal to me IN THE LEAST.  A day of bar-hopping on a cruise would be a torturous bore for me, but I could spend that time in the casino and have a blast.

 

I plan/budget (within my means) for gambling in the casino as part of the cost of my vacation. Win or lose, it's all a part of the experience. (If you have to think twice about what you lost in the casino, you are betting above your head.) 

 

Everybody has a different hobby and many hobbies are very expensive. I have a friend who pays $47K a year for a membership to play GOLF! I think he's crazy and he probably thinks I'm crazy for what I spend gambling. 😂 But, all kidding aside, as long as you have the money, do what makes you happy.

 

Our point (the gambling crew) is that there seems to be a prevailing opinion that all gambling is a losing proposition and there's no way to stay ahead because of "the math."  And we're telling you that between 1) the entertainment factor and 2) the comps and perks, we are doing OK 👍🏻😁 If we weren't, we'd find another hobby (not golf lol)

[wil e coyote]

This is very interesting. There have now been two topics on this thread (Haven and gambling) where there are people who like X, and others who don't like X, and several pages have been spent of people trying to convince each other why their opinion of X is correct. (I know, this is a controversy thread, so maybe I should expect that...)

But in both cases, whether you partake in X or not is an individual choice. That is one of the things I like best about cruising - there are many different ways to enjoy it. Gamble, or don't. Drink, or don't. Go on shore excursions, or don't. Stay in the Haven, or don't. Eat, or don't (well, OK, that might be tough.)

My ideal cruise would be incredibly uninteresting for others, and vice versa. And that's OK. It's my cruise. You enjoy yours (whatever that look like.) I'll enjoy mine.

Cruise well.

[tetleytea]

If people insist on gambling, as long as they do it with their eyes wide open (and I don't see how that is possible when the casino doesn't tell you the comp tier thresholds or the payouts), then I say thank you, gamblers, for helping make my own cruise fare cheaper and underwriting the cost of the cruise.   And helping my 100 shares of Norwegian stock.

Edited August 8, 2022 by tetleytea

[pcakes122]

24 minutes ago, tetleytea said:

If people insist on gambling, as long as they do it with their eyes wide open (and I don't see how that is possible when the casino doesn't tell you the comp tier thresholds or the payouts), then I say thank you, gamblers, for helping make my own cruise fare cheaper and underwriting the cost of the cruise.   And helping my 100 shares of Norwegian stock.

Same to the drinkers! 🥂🍻👏  Keep that NCL revenue tap flowing! 

 

PS Comps are 30-40% of theo (industry standard - no big secret!)  In fact, here's an online calculator to help you figure it out https://urcomped.com/vip/calculator.

 

Just another example of non-players not really knowing how it works.  It's not all a big, mysterious secret conspiracy. 😂

[tetleytea]

Non-players not knowing how it works is like non-crack users not knowing how crack works.   The drug pushers give out comps, too, and as a matter of fact it IS a big conspiracy.

[Rock N Roll Star]

To me the biggest hoax is the advertising of free wi fi -- yes you do get free wi fi - a whole 150 minutes? LOL i mean seriously -- all the Millennials were all lined up to spend their money on an internet upgrade. It was funny.... NCL makes big bucks on the internet upgrade after advertising free wi fi - I personally didn't upgrade and I'm thankful I didn't because the WiFi was so so so slow. Bring your laptop if you need to check your email, otherwise kick back, have a drink and enjoy your vacation and fight off your internet addiction. Have fun on your cruise - we loved it.. 

[midgetcoach]

I personally try not to use any electronics while on a cruise. The phone is off and  in the safe. 

[wil e coyote]

1 minute ago, midgetcoach said:

I personally try not to use any electronics while on a cruise. The phone is off and  in the safe. 

This. All day long!

[tetleytea]

15 minutes ago, Rock N Roll Star said:

To me the biggest hoax is the advertising of free wi fi -- yes you do get free wi fi - a whole 150 minutes? LOL i mean seriously -- all the Millennials were all lined up to spend their money on an internet upgrade. It was funny.... NCL makes big bucks on the internet upgrade after advertising free wi fi - I personally didn't upgrade and I'm thankful I didn't because the WiFi was so so so slow. Bring your laptop if you need to check your email, otherwise kick back, have a drink and enjoy your vacation and fight off your internet addiction. Have fun on your cruise - we loved it.. 

Actually, I conserved my minutes so much that I didn't even burn all 150.  But the 139 minutes I did use, I needed it.  I used that to check emails, check in with independent shore excursions.   Google maps of the ports, make disembarkation plans.

 

I think the biggest hoax is the art auction.   Or no...the "every person who attends the auction gets a free work of art".   How much you bet I could produce better, more suitable art for me by downloading some Google clip art and sending it to my local pharmacy to print on some fancy photo paper?

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by tetleytea

[midgetcoach]

15 minutes ago, tetleytea said:

Non-players not knowing how it works is like non-crack users not knowing how crack works.   The drug pushers give out comps, too, and as a matter of fact it IS a big conspiracy.

drug pushers........      a big conspiracy........        This was a constructive rational post, its now become just plain stupid.