First time Platinum on NCL Viva

[LUTim]

Hi All,

Been on the Viva before, but this time we (Me and the Mrs) will be Platinum, and not sure how it works.

1) How do we book our complimentary meal?

2) Where is the Concierge, how does it work, and where do we find them?

3) How does priority tendering work

4) how do we pre book entertainment

5) What is the wines around the world tasting work and what exactly is it

6) Anything else we should know

 

TIA

 

[ggTexasGal]

1 minute ago, LUTim said:

Hi All,

Been on the Viva before, but this time we (Me and the Mrs) will be Platinum, and not sure how it works.

1) How do we book our complimentary meal?

2) Where is the Concierge, how does it work, and where do we find them?

3) How does priority tendering work

4) how do we pre book entertainment

5) What is the wines around the world tasting work and what exactly is it

6) Anything else we should know

 

TIA

Read the T&Cs here: https://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards-program#tier_benefits

 

Log into your account to book your meal(s) and entertainment online at 120 days prior to cruise (sometimes not available to book until on the ship).

Entertainment "might" be available to book online at 21 days prior to cruise.

Everything else should be available to you at the Cruise Next desk once you board the ship, if they have availability.  Higher status get higher priority.

Wines Around the World is a tasting opportunity to sample about six different wines. Check with Cruise Next for time and place to participate.

Anything else that you should know, is either in the link provided or ask the Cruise Next team member!

[complawyer]

dont mean to burst your balloon, but concierge benefits dont follow latitude status. concierge benefits go with the suite/haven cabins, regardless of your latitude points. ie. if your very 1st cruise is in a suite or a haven, you will get the butler and concierge perks. if youre diamond and have always booked club balcony cabins, you wont.

 

by the way, the fact that youre booked on the viva, is irrelevant.. latitude points (and the perks attached thereto) are the same regardless of the ship.

[Shellbelle28]

19 minutes ago, complawyer said:

dont mean to burst your balloon, but concierge benefits dont follow latitude status. concierge benefits go with the suite/haven cabins, regardless of your latitude points. ie. if your very 1st cruise is in a suite or a haven, you will get the butler and concierge perks. if youre diamond and have always booked club balcony cabins, you wont.

 

by the way, the fact that youre booked on the viva, is irrelevant.. latitude points (and the perks attached thereto) are the same regardless of the ship.

 

[The Traveling Man]

38 minutes ago, Shellbelle28 said:

 

Yes, the T&C lists concierge service as a benefit of Latitudes membership at the Platinum level and above.  Unfortunately, on each ship which has a dedicated Haven area, the station of the Concierge is behind the locked doors of the Haven.  As @complawyer indicated, the net result is that non-Haven passengers usually are unable to contact the Concierge for assistance.  Also, apparently the training for the Concierge staff does not include mention that the Latitude T&C specify that upper tier Latitudes members are entitled to Concierge service.  On several cruises, I have had the Concierge literally turn his back on me and walk away when I showed him my key card indicating my Diamond Latitudes status and asked for assistance.  YMMV.

[LUTim]

47 minutes ago, Shellbelle28 said:

 

 

47 minutes ago, Shellbelle28 said:

 

 

1 hour ago, complawyer said:

dont mean to burst your balloon, but concierge benefits dont follow latitude status. concierge benefits go with the suite/haven cabins, regardless of your latitude points. ie. if your very 1st cruise is in a suite or a haven, you will get the butler and concierge perks. if youre diamond and have always booked club balcony cabins, you wont.

 

by the way, the fact that youre booked on the viva, is irrelevant.. latitude points (and the perks attached thereto) are the same regardless of the ship.

 

Thanks I understand that the benefits are the same, I was unsure where  the concierge desk is on Viva,

 

NCL web site says the following for Platinum

 

Concierge Service to assist you with speciality restaurant, entertainment, and shore excursion reservations

[KeithJenner]

1 hour ago, LUTim said:

 

 

 

Thanks I understand that the benefits are the same, I was unsure where  the concierge desk is on Viva,

 

NCL web site says the following for Platinum

 

Concierge Service to assist you with speciality restaurant, entertainment, and shore excursion reservations

The web site says that, but unfortunately (for those that care) it is not a benefit that seems to exist in the real world.

[KeithJenner]

You book your meals (there are two per cabin) the same way that you would any other meals. You make reservations regardless of how they are eventually paid for. Payment (or choice of what offer covers it) is decided at the restaurant.

 

The only thing to remember is that you should make your reservations for fixed price places (just the Teppanyaki place on the Viva) first, to avoid being charged when booking.

[dhanakorn]

1) How do we book our complimentary meal?

-- Book the same way as other restaurant reservation. Then just let the restaurant host knows that you'll pay with Platinum voucher -- the voucher will be delivered to your room on first day.

 

2) Where is the Concierge, how does it work, and where do we find them?

-- I'm Sapphire now. Never heard or use Concierge service for non-haven.

 

3) How does priority tendering work

-- Don't need to get tender ticket. Just line up to the tender line at your convenient. If the crew asks for tender ticket, just show your keycard to let the crew know that you're Platinum. 

 

4) how do we pre book entertainment

-- Online, the same way. I'm not sure if NCL IT has implement this to allow you to book entertainment a few days ahead.

 

5) What is the wines around the world tasting work and what exactly is it

-- This is a marketing event, hosting by CruiseNext crew. When you embark the ship, go to CruiseNext table to sign up. During the event, you'll get to sample the wines from various regions (US, France, Italy, S.America) -- one white and one red from each area. They will explain the price and the upcharge (if you have beverage package) for each wine. I feel like it's a marketing event to sell the wine. Although they give you just a little to taste, after 12 samples you'll get a little drunk. They usually host this event on a sea day. 

 

6) Anything else we should know

-- Congratulation for reaching Platinum level. But Platinum isn't as special as it's used to. Since you get to keep the status for life (airline/hotel status get downgraded if you don't meet yearly requirement) -- there're so many of us now. I've been to Princess cruise, where half the cruise were Elite (their highest tier). 

[complawyer]

traveling man. might have been just that 1 concierge, ive never had one that wasnt eager to help out. if youre booked in a "suite" you get breakfast in modernos, and lunch in cagneys ( at least  on most ncl ships) usually  in the mornings, you can find the concierge's desk at the front of moderno's. oftentimes he comes around to check on his clients.

 

on our last cruise ( ncl star) on the very 1st day, he came to our cabin, with a list of the specialty dining restaurants, and all we needed to do was fill in what time's and dates we wanted to eat there.

not once (17 day cruise, we had 10 specialty dinners) were we turned down.

 

finally, (even if you are not  in a suite or a haven, the concierge has a designated, reserved area inthe theater for his people. hopefully, he will answer whatever questions you may have and not turn his back on you. that is inexcusable.

in a post to mocruise fan, who accuses them of being "useless" we have never had one that wasnt top-notch

[schmoopie17]

8 minutes ago, dhanakorn said:

But Platinum isn't as special as it's used to. 

Ain't that the truth. We'll be taking our first cruise as Platinum in a couple weeks. But because it's a continuous loop between Barcelona and Rome with zero sea days, we don't anticipate having Wines Around the World or the Behind the Scenes tour. At least we can look forward to our halves of chocolate-covered strawberries and free laundry. I'm all a-flutter.

 

When NCL started throwing around extra miles for cruises a while back, it seems everyone and his brother/sister became Platinum. 

[KeithJenner]

22 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Ain't that the truth. We'll be taking our first cruise as Platinum in a couple weeks. But because it's a continuous loop between Barcelona and Rome with zero sea days, we don't anticipate having Wines Around the World or the Behind the Scenes tour. At least we can look forward to our halves of chocolate-covered strawberries and free laundry. I'm all a-flutter.

 

When NCL started throwing around extra miles for cruises a while back, it seems everyone and his brother/sister became Platinum. 

You should still get the tour and wine tasting.

 

The behind the scenes tour is always early in the morning anyway, and will likely be on a day that the ship doesn’t dock early. They also try to fit in the wine tasting before docking as well, in my experience, which is not ideal if you are planning on going ashore.

 

Sea days have been very rare on our last few cruises (not sure I’ve had one since the restart), but I don’t recall them

ever missing these things.

[tamasdanku]

3 hours ago, LUTim said:

 

 

 

Thanks I understand that the benefits are the same, I was unsure where  the concierge desk is on Viva,

 

NCL web site says the following for Platinum

 

Concierge Service to assist you with speciality restaurant, entertainment, and shore excursion reservations

 

Concierge for platinum and above is simply the cruise next staff. Don't expect much. (Sapphire here)

[9tee2Sea]

5 hours ago, LUTim said:

Hi All,

Been on the Viva before, but this time we (Me and the Mrs) will be Platinum, and not sure how it works.

1) How do we book our complimentary meal?

2) Where is the Concierge, how does it work, and where do we find them?

3) How does priority tendering work

4) how do we pre book entertainment

5) What is the wines around the world tasting work and what exactly is it

6) Anything else we should know

 

TIA

 

Best part of Platinum is the free bag of laundry perk.  Maybe special embarkation/debarkation, but that docent happen all the time

[zqvol]

Platinum and above can make reservations at 125 days, not 120 as mentioned above. 

[BirdTravels]

12 hours ago, LUTim said:

Hi All,

Been on the Viva before, but this time we (Me and the Mrs) will be Platinum, and not sure how it works.

TIA

 

1) How do we book our complimentary meal?

Assuming that you also have Free at Sea dinners, you log on to your NCL.COM account 125 days prior to departure and make your reservations. The reservation system does not care how you will pay for the dinners, but book fixed priced restaurants (e.g., Hasuki) first. 

 

For being a Platinum member, you get a dinner for two with wine and a dinner for two without wine. At one point in time, you could not get the freebie Platinum wine at Palomar. An example of a Platinum wine list is shown below. 

 

2) Where is the Concierge, how does it work, and where do we find them?

Unfortunately, this benefit does not exist. You can get CruiseNext to help you, but they have long lines with little power. Best to do things yourself. 

 

3) How does priority tendering work

Check with CruiseNext. At some ports, CruiseNext will escort you around the general boarding lines to a tender. This is normally the first tender of the day. 

 

4) how do we pre book entertainment

25 days prior to departure, you can log on to your NCL.COM account and book Bettlejuice and Icons. It may say "too soon", but click on the link any ways and you likely will be able to book the shows. 

 

5) What is the wines around the world tasting work and what exactly is it

Sign up on embarkation day for wine tasting (it may sell out). The Cellar Master on the ship will host a wine tasting experience featuring a red and white wine from dinner places around the world. The wine stewards will give you a description of the wine and how to pair it with your meal. And, of course, the price of each of the wines onboard. 

 

6) Anything else we should know

On embarkation day, go to CruiseNext to schedule your complimentary behind the scenes tour. This will sell out. Normally includes galley, theater, laundry, and some crew areas. 

 

On embarkation day, go to CruiseNext to get the date/time of the Latitudes party. 

 

On embarkation day, go to CruiseNext to get your Platinum pins.

 

One time during the cruise, you can get a free bag of laundry. Fill a bag, fill out the receipt, and for price write "Platinum Free"

 

 

[david_sobe]

You would think NCL would clarify the concierge part on the latitudes part of their website. I am sure there are so many people that tried to reach the concierge based on what the website says. Not a huge deal but it sets people up thinking they will get those services. 

[graphicguy]

18 hours ago, LUTim said:

 

 

 

Thanks I understand that the benefits are the same, I was unsure where  the concierge desk is on Viva,

 

NCL web site says the following for Platinum

 

Concierge Service to assist you with speciality restaurant, entertainment, and shore excursion reservations

Every time I've inquired about the concierge services since I first had Platinum Benefits and NOT sailing in the Haven, they pointed me to the "Cruise Next Desk".  That in turn was usually right next to the Excursion Desk, to where I was pointed to go. Or, to the Specialty Restaurant Desk, which was usually near by.

 

I guess that's the "service" they speak about regarding "access to concierge".

 

Haven is a different story.  There's at least a couple, most times 3 or 4 concierges dedicated to helping with reservations, billing issues, escorts to/from the ship, etc.  

[schmoopie17]

15 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

You should still get the tour and wine tasting.

 

Not sure about that. Because this cruise is a "loop" between Barcelona and Rome, with overlap between three cruises, people boarding ahead of us in Barcelona would get first crack at signing up. We board four days later from Rome...then new people get on again when we stop in Barcelona...so unless they're going to run more than one of each of these events, I think we'll miss out. 

 

We still plan on hitting the CruiseNext desk right after boarding, but not holding my breath...

[complawyer]

graphicguy, if  you book either a suite or the haven, you get an actual living,breathing concierge.

 

they have a desk in the haven area, and if not in the haven complex, you can usually find him at a desk in moderno when having breakfast. any lesser cabin category, is not the "true" concierge, that's why i posted my response.

other than that, i hope you fully enjoy any other ncl cruises you may take

[KeithJenner]

3 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

Not sure about that. Because this cruise is a "loop" between Barcelona and Rome, with overlap between three cruises, people boarding ahead of us in Barcelona would get first crack at signing up. We board four days later from Rome...then new people get on again when we stop in Barcelona...so unless they're going to run more than one of each of these events, I think we'll miss out. 

 

We still plan on hitting the CruiseNext desk right after boarding, but not holding my breath...

I’d say its likely that the behind the scenes tour will be during the Barcelona to Rome leg, as they usually do it fairly early in the cruise and Barcelona is the primary embarkation port (or it used to be, although I think things have evened out a bit now).

 

If it is then you actually get first go at booking it.

 

They have been doing these loops for well over a decade now and, whilst at first there were quite a few complaints about Rome boarders missing out on things, I think they have sorted things a lot better these days.

 

I don’t think the wine tasting always sells out anyway. There are often not a huge number of platinums on Med cruises, especially this itinerary, which is quite popular with first timers.

 

We have had the cruisenext staff trying to talk us into the wine tasting a few days into the cruise on Med cruises.

 

I still think you have a very good chance of getting on these if you want to.

[graphicguy]

4 hours ago, complawyer said:

graphicguy, if  you book either a suite or the haven, you get an actual living,breathing concierge.

 

they have a desk in the haven area, and if not in the haven complex, you can usually find him at a desk in moderno when having breakfast. any lesser cabin category, is not the "true" concierge, that's why i posted my response.

other than that, i hope you fully enjoy any other ncl cruises you may take

Yeah....I've been on the Jewel Class ships, that offer true Concierge Service with an actual Concierge who sets up outside the Moderno restaurant in the a.m. and afternoons.  These are the same converges who serve the small Haven area/cabins, also.  I have heard they have a similar arrangement on the Prima and Viva suites.  Although I have only interfaced with the Concierges in the Haven on my Prima sailing.  I don't know if they actually had another location for the Suite guests, as they presumably also have true Concierge service.  

 

On the Epic,  Breakaway and Breakaway Plus ships, they were only available to me IF I was sailing in the Haven.  When I sailed as a Platinum and Sapphire Latitudes guest, but in a Balcony cabin, I was directed towards the Cruise First desk for my "concierge" benefit.  That was little more than the Cruise Next Personnel directing me to the Specialty Restaurant scheduler or the Excursion Desk Personnel to schedule excursions. That was the extent of it.

 

As mentioned earlier, the Cruise Next personnel did hand out "pins" for my "status" and scheduled behind the scenes tours (when available).

 

 

[MSUjohn]

On 8/27/2024 at 1:25 PM, LUTim said:

Hi All,

Been on the Viva before, but this time we (Me and the Mrs) will be Platinum, and not sure how it works.

1) How do we book our complimentary meal?

2) Where is the Concierge, how does it work, and where do we find them?

3) How does priority tendering work

4) how do we pre book entertainment

5) What is the wines around the world tasting work and what exactly is it

6) Anything else we should know

 

TIA

 

platinum is the BIG latitudes step: the complimentary meal and the bag of laundry. 
my last cruise i sail sapphire for the first time and that is basically the same as platinum.   

[complawyer]

whenever we booked a suite category cabin, even if a haven suite was also available, we had access to the "true" conceirge services

[The Traveling Man]

21 hours ago, complawyer said:

traveling man. might have been just that 1 concierge, ive never had one that wasnt eager to help out. if youre booked in a "suite" you get breakfast in modernos, and lunch in cagneys ( at least  on most ncl ships) usually  in the mornings, you can find the concierge's desk at the front of moderno's. oftentimes he comes around to check on his clients.

Yes, on the older and smaller ships the concierge desk is at Moderno.  On those ships which have a separate Haven area, though, the concierge usually is located in the Haven area, behind a locked door which can be opened by passengers only if they have a Haven key card.  We have had several concierges on several different ships either simply ignore us or outright refuse to assist when we showed them the Latitudes status on our card.  OTOH, we also have encountered a few who were quite helpful.  YMMV.