OT-Miami

I don't use a TA but have a dedicated Celebrity vacation planner who we've used for years and has always been very helpful.  We recently inquired about changing our onboard booking to the same itinerary on a different date.  My CVP confirmed that any change would be considered a cancelation and re-booking, and we would loose the OBC.  I believe that it has to do with the fact that we are dealing with non-refundable booking vs refundable...

Hello CC!  We are considering our first ever NCL cruise for a 2024 Alaska sailing.  The itinerary is similar enough to our currently booked Celebrity sailing, the pricing is better, and the Free At Sea promo is sounds interesting.  We are considering a regular balcony cabin.  My questions are about NCL itself and not the Alaska sailing:

Gratuities: FAS includes grats. for the bev pkg and specialty dining, but how about the daily grats. for crew, etc?

Beverage Package: We enjoy the specialty coffees (2-3 per day for each of us) included Celebrity’s beverage package, as well the convenience of the included bottled water.  Is there any coffee included?  Is bottled water available for purchase onboard (it’s not available at all on Virgin – BYO refillable bottle)?

Extras:  I’ve read comments on other boards about the frequent nickel-and-diming on NCL, is this an exaggeration or what should I expect to pay extra for?

Airfare: The pricing looks great, but flights are confirmed 30-days prior to sailing? Any flexibility? We prefer to fly a couple of day early, is that possible?

We’ve sailed Carnival in the past, and our most recent sailings have been on RCL and Celebrity, so any comparisons are greatly appreciated.  TIA 😊

Wonderful review - thanks for sharing!  We are planing our first Alaska cruise beginning of May 2024, so I've really enjoyed following along.  Safe travels!

On 4/24/2023 at 2:21 PM, katisdale said:

We took the bus to Seattle and spent one night at an airport hotel before flying out the next morning. We saved so much on airfare that the bus and hotel were basically free.

On 4/24/2023 at 2:39 PM, sirclean said:

This was going to be my recommendation:

"We took the bus to Seattle and spent one night at an airport hotel before flying out the next morning. We saved so much on airfare that the bus and hotel were basically free."

On 4/24/2023 at 2:55 PM, Italy52 said:

We took the bus transfer from Vancouver to Seattle during the COVID testing times.  Our bus was not "locked" and we had to get off the bus to go through processing.  

Can you please elaborate on the bus to Seattle? We are flying round-trip to Seattle but sailing out of Vancouver, so we are looking for options.  Thanks 🙂 

We will be sailing Alaska out of Vancouver, but flights from MIA / FLL are insanely expensive.  While we can fly to Seattle for about half the price, changing our departure port is not an option.  We plan to fly 2 days before sailing, so we have some time to make our way to Vancouver from Seattle, just trying to decide if it would be best to rent a car and drive, take the train, limo/car service, or other...

15 hours ago, fdpevey said:

Is there a convenience fee added to charge casino spending money to your room account? As in, if I want to gamble $20 one night, can I just add that amount and charge my room account, or would it be $20 + $x fee? I’m not one involved in the OBC discussion, but it would be nice to think I don’t have to bring cash to enjoy a little time at the slot machines.

There is no fee. Simply select the amount you want to play - it will download to the machine immediately and appear as a casino charge on your onboard account.  If you don’t play all of the funds you simply cash out for a voucher for future play, or cash at cashier.  On Equinox there is a sign at cashier with detailed instructions for downloading funds.  Losing money in the casino has never been easier 🙃 Good luck!

34 minutes ago, HBDave said:

By chance would you be willing to share with me what the upgrade cost was per day? Thanks!

I paid $89.91 for a 9-night sailing,  so approximately $10/day with my 25% captains club discount. 

I called this morning and was able to apply the CC discount to the already discounted upgrade cost.  Try 800-722-5941

I upgraded my wi-fi this morning for our upcoming sailing.  CC Select members get 25% off any wi-fi package, and the discount also applies to upgrades.  DH & I have the AI basic wi-fi, so I only needed the upgrade for one of us.  I called X and was able to upgrade 1 device to Xcelerate Stream for $89.91 for our 9-night sailing, so about $10/day, using OBC.

12 hours ago, Floridastorm said:

We need to drop off our luggage and then go and park the car in the terminal parking garage close to terminal 25. Can you just drive up and the porters will take your bags at the street area or is there an area inside the terminal where you have to go to affect that?

 

Thanks in advance......................Dave  👜

 

 

We have always dropped off bags with porters curbside before parking at Port Everglades.  Our last post-pandemic cruise out of PE was on Edge, but same experience on Equinox pre-pandemic.

7 minutes ago, sunsetme said:

as an aside, the day we were in Curacao there was a tropical depression that just passed (IAN pre hurricane), the seas were rough so both the ferry and the bridge were inoperable, in order to get to the bus you had to take a cab across the bridge. We walked back to the ship and got into a cab. Took a shared cab back. Mambo was great that day as it was protected from the waves.

@sunsetme That's good to know, especially since we're travelling during hurricane season and storms are likely to pop up at any time (like the one currently brewing in the Southern Caribbean).  By any chance do you recall the cost for the cab each way?

We sailed once on Edge and twice on Equinox (pre and post partial revolution). We did not try the Infinite Veranda, opting for the Sunset Veranda on Edge, so our experiences on both ships have been with traditional balcony cabins.  The Edge bathroom was very spacious for a non-suite veranda cabin.

Obviously, Edge is a newer ship with a very modern décor.  Equinox received a partial revolution in 2019, which updated many of the common areas and upper-class cabins, but most of the cabins only received a basic refresh. Our Equinox cabin had new bedding but the same tired carpet and worn couch.

We found Edge to have fewer bars for just enjoying after dinner, basically Martini Bar (which is great by the way), Eden (also very enjoyable) and of course Sunset Bar.  Our only experience with the Magic Carpet was as a bar during the day, and it was really nice to sit out and watch the sea go by.  On Equinox we really enjoy live music at Ensemble Lounge, World Class Bar, and Craft Social, in addition to Martini Bar, Passport Bar and Sunset Bar, plus Sky Observation Lounge. 

There is no public space at the front of Edge – all of the forward areas are reserved for the exclusive use of Retreat guests or Aqua class guests. Deck 12 forward on Equinox has the Spa Veranda, which is a great place at the front of the ship for sail-away that is open to everyone. 

The four MDR’s on Edge are all different and beautiful, we enjoyed them all, but they might not be as enjoyable for those who prefer to have the same wait staff each night. The food was very good on both ships and we received excellent service all around.

I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with either ship, but if I had to choose a favorite it would be Equinox. HTH 😊

Wondering if anyone has seen any resolution to this issue, as our order histories are still showing the beverage packages cancelled...

I will add my vote for Ensemble Lounge.  A very relaxing place to enjoy great live music with well-made cocktails to finish off the night.

Does Equinox sail to Alaska?

I see Chops Grille is open for lunch on embarkation day on Freedom OTS.  I’m wondering if it would be included in the Unlimited Dining Package.  Has anyone done this?

We've never sailed in an IV, but like you I prefer a traditional balcony, so we went with a SV on Edge. We chose cabin 10278 on deck 10, not too close to Eden but also not too close to the Sunset Bar.  The traditional balcony was deep enough for 2 loungers, 2 chairs and small table.  Located all the way aft, it's a long walk to the elevator but very quiet.  We will definitely chose a SV next time we sail on an E-class ship.

3 hours ago, cw2go said:

Thanks for the heads up. I've always been able to just show up and get a table for 2, after reading the latest experiences from those currently sailing, I opted to book our dinners to avoid waiting. At this point I think I'll go straight to dining room on day of embarkation to ensure we are seated together, if we end up at a table of 6 or 8 that will be fine also, just as long as we sit with our friends. 

 

Patty

We have been pre-booking our select dining online for the past 5 cruises.  When it's just DH & I, we always get a table for 2 without asking.  When we travel with friends I always link our reservations and pre-reserve a table for 4 online at our preferred time, and we are always seated at a table for 4 without asking.  We have never been asked if we want or prefer a sharing table, but I have no doubt it can be accomodated if requested upon arrival at the MDR.

9 minutes ago, Karen450 said:

These are great suggestions.  Thank you.  My next cruise is on the Edge, with multiple dining rooms.  Have fellow cruisers had similar success with table requests? 

We had the same experience on Edge is September 2021, very accomodating staff in all four MDR.

With anytine dining we have always been able request a window table or a specific area.  Sometimes there is a bit of a wait but it is never too long.  We are usually a party of two or four, which I think is easier to accomodate than larger parties.  I think it also helps to avoid the busiest dining times and either go early or late.

We always choose Select Dining and pre-book our prefered dining time in a coordination with our plans for the day.  When checking in with the host/ess we request a window table if available.  If we didn't enjoy the previous night's location we ask for a different one.  Sometimes there is a bit of a wait time for a specific table or area and you may get a pager to notify you when your table is ready, but it's never too long to wait.  The staff is alway very accomodating and once we find a table we like we usually end up sitting in the same area each night for the benefit of the same wait staff. 

On 8/22/2022 at 10:39 AM, AbbyCruiser45 said:

I was on Equinox in July with a pretty full ship. I only had the Surf WiFi and I thought it worked just fine. I was able to send and receive emails, text (iPhone iMessage), surf the internet, check Google Maps, read cruise critic, and even post videos and pictures to social media. It was not as fast as my home WiFi or a public coffee shop, but it did just fine. It was the slowest in my room, but I had an inside cabin. 

We will be on the Equinox to the ABC's in October.  I wonder if wi-fi quality fluctuates with the itinerary - Eastern vs Western vs Southern Caribbean.  Where as your sailing?

You can link your parents reservation to your reservation in your cruise planner.  Once linked, you can book the whole group at once.  

18 hours ago, Hatteras51 said:

Taxis are so much easier and quicker. The bus makes a lot of stops along the way. The taxi will take about 15 minutes to get back to the port from Palm Beach. 

Would you happen to know the cost of a taxi from Palm Beach to the cruise port?  We are planning to take the bus to Palm Beach, but our ship is in port until 11:00PM so we'll be heading back after dark.

1 minute ago, kearney said:

Do you recall if those same games were available in you room or just in the bar?

The games were not available on the stateroom TV.