DwayneG

How do you know where you're embarking from?  Do you get instructions in e-mail or your boarding docs?  Never cruised from LA Cruiseport before.

The only downside is you have to watch the safety video once for each of yoiu (if they haven't stopped this yet due to returning to in-person drills).

It seems a little insensitive that NCL doesn't offer a non-alcoholic Latitudes perk option, such as sparkling grape juice, for those who just don't drink alcohol.  It's always disappointing to find the standard bottle of bubbly in my room.  Same thing if you have a problem of some sort on board, they send you a bottle to make up for it.  I see notes in the schedule every day for "Friends of Bill W" meetings, which are for Alcoholics Anonymous members.  I know some don't drink for religious reasons.  And I just make the choice not to drink, never tried something I liked.  I know you can make all sorts of menu requests for allergies and such and it would really be nice if your account could be marked as alcohol free.  I know I can send it back, but I would guess some guests would appreciate not being presented with the temptation.

Last cruise I was in The Haven and asked the pre-cruise concerge about this and, sure enough, did find alcohol-free wine in my room.  But for my next cruise I made the same request of the concierge and was told I'd need to wait and make my request to the butler when I see him.

Never parked, we always fly in and get a van to hotel.

We always stay at the Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West on 48th...easy 3 block walk to the pier, even with luggage.  Hotel is typical NYC, rooms small but free breakfast is a plus.  Times Square within walking district in the other direction.

Officially you can't bring ANY drinks back aboard, not even water or soda.  Though I've seen folks on here say they've successfully done it at some ports.

My wife and I are both Platinum.  I know we get two vouchers.  We have a third person in our cabin who is a new cruiser.  Could my wife use one voucher and take our friend while i use the other voucher for just myself and all eat together for that meal?   Or would they count that as using two vouchers at the same restaurant?  I'm wondering if that might be allowed since neither of us individually are eating two meals in same restaurant.  I checked NCLs Latitudes FAQ, didn't see this addressed.  

I guess this will cause a reduction in the Discretion Service Charge, since my steward doesn't have to work as many hours for me.  But his income should stay the same since each steward can now do more cabins and thus get their share of DSC from more guests.  Maybe cruise fares will go down too since they need less staff.

But we all know it hasn't worked out that way in hotels since they reduced housekeeping, so it won't happen on cruises either

Gem out of NYC 1/11/2023.  E-Docs says it leaves from 711 12th Ave, which looks to be pier 92=94.  In the past we've always left from pier 88.  Has the pier changed from years past or is this bvecause we're sailing on Gem this time, past cruises have been on Getaway class.?

We were on Breakaway last June, no feminine hygeine products! How wierd.  Female concierge saved us from her supply.

My friend is cruising on the Bliss in April 2023.  Can anyone who's been on Bliss tell me if they've see Line Dancing (Country and Western stuff)?  Thanks.

Though I've never done it personally I know I've read on these boards that you can get "vouchers" for tips in the amount you want from guest services and then give tose to the staff as you wish.  These would then be billed to your shipboard account.  I do suspect, though, that your credit card fee would be deducted from what the  employee actually collects (Google says merchant fee is 1.3-3.5%). Still might be less than hotel ATM, certainly less than ship ATM.

Don't need the app, you do it from your web page on the SUMMARY tab, START CHECKIN at top grayed out until 21 days.  For each guest you'll need a picture to upload  about like a passport photo, birth dates, credit card numbers and expiration, passport numbers and expiration, contact person not on trip.  As you progress through the form you may find some fields such as e-mail and phone are auto-filled from info NCL already has...DON'T BE FOOLED.  Retype that info and be sure to click VERIFY if that button appears.  Many on the board have written to say the auto-fill didn't work right and they had to re-enter the info to make it work (a glitch).

Once you've done all guests you should get green check marks by them.

Come back in a day or two and you'll be able to click DOWNLOAD E-DOCS at the bottom. Also there'a a button somewhere (I think it's on E-DOCS page) to print luggage tags if you didn't get yours in the mail.

At 21 days before your cruise you'll be given the chance to check in on line.  Lots of questions and info to fill out, and upload pictures too. Within that process you'll be able to choose a time to show up at the port (not to be confused with actual boarding time).  Part of the port checkin will be a boarding number, assigned when your paperwork is done at the desk.  Then you sit down and wait for your number.

Be sure to ask the steward to do towel animals for her each day (and tip up front accordingly) since it's her first cruise.  They used to always do them but now often don't unless you ask.

I'm going to do checkin for our whole computer-illiterate group.  Does anyone remember what specific questions I'll need answers for (in addition to pix)?  I know I need passport number, passport expiration, passport country, citizenship, credit card number, expiration and magic numberbirth date, e-mail, phone, contact name and phone,   Am I missing anything?  I don't want to have to wake any of them up in the middle of the night to fill in the blanks.

And yes, I know I'll have to watch the video as each guest...they'll watch later on themselves.

I did my veteran's paperwork and asked my PCC if he could re-price my April 23 cruise.  He ran the numbers and the cost for our cabin had gone UP, so using the military discount would have cost $1000 more than the original booking!  Seems the discount applies to the CURRENT pricing.  This happened to be a 2 bedroom Haven cabin (which I see is now sold out), so YMMV.

Theoretically you each have to watch seperately.  In practice, I checked everyone in from my account and watched it after each checkin.  then we all watched together (for safety's sake) after we got an e-mailed reminder.

Looking at an Aft Penthouse on Gem to Bermuda.  We have stayed in Haven before but it looks like Gem doesn't have special restaurant or pool area for Haven.  So what would miss in an Aft Penthouse?  Butler?  Concierge?  Priority boarding in NYC?  Prive for true Have is LOTS more, so what's the difference?  Web site is not very clear.

I'm helping my sister plan a honeymoon cruise on the Gem.  She's never cruised before, so I'm writing a detailed "how to" for her. All my cruises lately have been on newer ships, so I don't know if Gem has changed since I last sailed that class.

1. Does it have a card slot you must put a card in to turn on lights?

2. Does it have the old wheel at the door for DND, Service and available?  Or the newer light switches?

3. Do they still use the old key cards you can punch or do they use the new RFD kind?

Yes, the safety video is a real annoyance since we can't all watch together...you must watch it once in its entireity for each guest  Photo size is also tricky, but I find if I take pictures like my passport (same ratio of background to face) it usually works.  Last time I took everyone's pictures the day before and when I checked us all in at 12:01 Eastern time and re-watched the video for each of us my picture didn't work, so I re-did a quick selfie.  So my pfficial cruise photo os me with no shave and uncombed hair in my pajamas. One more tip: it auto-fills info about contact, e-mail and phone, but don't believe it!  Type each in again manually because it often doesn't like what it auto-fills.

I'm on T-Mobile and when I boarded I put phone in AIRPLANE mode to be sure it didn't make a cell connection.  Then I switched on the phone feature WI-FI CALLING, thinking it would just enable getting my text messages.  And text did work, but much to my surprise I got several voice calls during the cruise and they worked fine, good quality.  I had the regular Internet service but did upgrade to unlimited minutes.  Was on the Breakaway in the Caribbean during April

I print mine on a full page, then fold each side over and cut off the excess so that I wind up with three thicknesses of paper on the tag.  Then I put clear packing tape on each side.  I take the tags with me in my luggage, then at the pre-cruise hotel I remove all the airline tags and use the desk clerk's stapler to put several staples in the tag.  If I'm not staying in a hotel I put a stapler in my luggage so I can attach tags before leaving the airport.  Plus, since it only costs me a few minutes I put one tag on the top handle and one on the side handle...odds against losing BOTH are pretty high.

My bad...you're already within the cancellation penalty period.  I was thinking of the 90 day or even 60 day cancellations during Covid recovery but looks like they're at 120 days out now.

Maybe book the rooms you want now and IMMEDIATELY surprise them, while you're still able to cancel for free and get your money back just in case.  You never know, maybe someone is deathly afraid of seasickness or can't possibly get off work.