PaperSniper4

Can we make a dinner reservation with our "anytime dining"? We have already made our two specialty dining reservations at Cagney's and Le Bistro, but I wonder about the rest of the nights. We usually dine at home around 6-630pm. I know we can just show up, but I wonder if we'd be smart to make reservations.....if that's possible. And if it is possible, when and how can we make those MDR reservations?

We're on the Breakaway from NOLA March 2024.

 Thanks

 Doug

I haven't sailed from NOLA in a while. Seems like the past time I did we were charged a little additional for our "free beverage package" on departure day. I don't recall what it was, but it might have been LA sales tax? I know something similar is charged departing from Galveston.

Can anyone please refresh my memory?

 Doug

On 11/6/2023 at 2:07 PM, DawnontheRiviera said:

I would like to ask if it is only cans? I saw one travel site that says cans or "cartons" of soda, juice, or water no larger than standard 17 oz. What is a carton, is it like juice boxes? Are plastic bottles OK?

I'd like to know also. It's much more convenient to have a screw on a plastic soft drink bottle. Once a can if open, it will go quickly.

3 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

I use it every time it's offered on board and have never set it up in advance. Strange, though, you get an error; seems you should be able to do it in advance if the port and airline participates.

Is your airline one that participates? Not all airlines do.

Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

Must be a glitch somewhere. I'll just do it when they offer in on board. We're flying DL.

1 hour ago, DaveOKC said:

Thanks for all the information - one more thing, what is the earliest airline departure time?  We have a 11:45 am flight out of FLL.

It's about a 10 minute cab ride from the ship to FLL airport.

On 10/13/2023 at 10:08 AM, cruiser2015 said:

My apologies - there is an error on my part. 

The 4 months only applies from date of purchase.

So, you are open to book anything anytime within the original 3 year window.

No problem, thank you!

 Doug

16 minutes ago, regnig said:

Be aware that this service does not require that you set it up prior to your cruise. Once on board and a few days prior to disembarkation HAL will send paperwork to your stateroom for you to use to sign up for the service. I've done it both ways without problems. 

Wishing you a wonderful cruise. 

Roger that, I just figured I'd set it up early if possible. I'll keep an eye out for the Luggage Direct advertisement when on board.

 Doug

We're ending a HAL cruise at Port Everglades on 28 October 2023. We've used Luggage Direct, or whatever other cruise lines call it, to have our luggage picked up outside our cabin the last night and we don't touch it again until our final flights destination. It's very handy and not expensive.

I've been trying in vain the last few days to sign up. Here's the error I get below. I've got the correct ship name and disembarkation date...I've double checked both! <g>

https://maketraveleasier.com/holland/Order

58 minutes ago, dbrown84 said:

You are understanding it correctly.  I'll just point out one thing.... you don't have to wait 120 days to book your cruise.  The cruise must be 120 out from the purchase date of the certificate.  So you could buy one today and use it today to book a cruise as long as the cruise doesn't leave before February 13th

Roger that, you said it better than I did.

 Doug

12 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

Nope.

It needs to be applied to a cruise 120 days or more out when you apply it to a reservation.

So, you can use it for a sailing any time from 4 months after purchase up until 2 years and 8 months from date of purchase (you must sail within the 3 years from date of purchase window).

This seems at odds to what others have said above since we're talking about a FC certificate I'm considering purchasing for March 2025, more than 4 months after I purchase the CF. I believe if I were to cancel that potential cruise, the CF amount would revert back to my NCL account, and I could book a cruise anytime; as long as the certificate were still active of course. IOW, I'd not have to wait to book a cruise 4 months after I canceled that potential cruise. Did I say that correctly?

You are correct about someone considering purchasing a CF certificate today.....they need to know they must wait to book a cruise 120 or more days in the future to use that certificate. Am I correct? I will probably get another CF certificate the next time NCL has that "$500 for $250 sale"; that's a darned good deal.....especially combined with their military appreciation program.😎

Doug

7 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

The CF can only be applied to cruises 4 months or more in the future.

The certificate expires 3 years from date of issue.

4+ months after initial purchase, right? So if one had to cancel a cruise where a CF had been used, it could still be used, say, in two months after canceling....assuming the 4 months from initial purchase.

 Doug

5 minutes ago, dbrown84 said:

Yes, they will just put the certificate back into your account.  If course, it has to not be past the expiration date of the cert 

Very good, thank you.

 Doug

2 hours ago, sailingships said:

I didnt need to use my DD214 Just had to supply any day I was actually in the military. Was accepted right away. The 10% discount just started as of Jan 1st this year. It was announced online the week before Veterans Day last year. We booked for Jan 3rd right away and got it then.  It shows up in the NCL pages if you are signed up.

I can echo everything you said. I don't have a DD214 that I can read....mine is  a copy of a copy of a copy of a ..... you get the idea. I have no idea where the original one is located. When I did the "ID.me" form, which I did for other purchases, like my last car, I input the dates of my USN service. I think with some other cruise lines like HAL I used "SheerID"; which is probably the same thing with a different name? And yes, the military appreciation program at NCL is new, and I really hope it continues. Let's face us, we former and present military people are just so darned nice.😎

 Doug

2 hours ago, dbrown84 said:

all payments, including CF, are refundable up until 120 days out.  So, yes you can use the CF on another booking (since it's refundable), but you don't have to do it at the same time as you're cancelling the current booking (if that it was you were saying).

"..you don't have to do it at the same time as you're cancelling the current booking.." - Oh, that does sound better.I could probably live with that.

 Doug

4 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

As I recall, Cruise First payments are non-refundable.

As to the OP's question on the CF, yes, any amount above the required deposit is considered an early payment of the balance due (unless, of course you are booking less than 120 days out).

Also, the value of the CF, while non-refundable may be used on a different booking - meaning, you may cancel the original booking to which you applied the certificate and reapply to another reservation, as long as its within the rules as to dates. 

Yes, whether or not the Cruise First certificate is "refundable" is a big deal for us, especially booking something nearly a year and a half from now. I suppose being able to have it available to be book another cruise is okay, but having to select an alternate cruise when canceling the first would sometimes be difficult. I wonder how much time we'd have to do that; anyone know?

It would be more convenient to just have the certificate's value returned, with the original expiration date remaining in effect of course. I do not like booking at the last minutes because the best cabins and itineraries are gone, but it's tough to book so early also.

 Doug

9 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

No, you do not need to reapply.  

Verifing your discount is a two step process. 

- First, log onto NCL and do a mock booking for the cruise you want to determine the fare with your discount.

- Second, log out of NCL and do not log back in.  repeat the first process without  the discount.

compare the two.

You heard wrong.  Not all NCL deposits are non-refundable.  You can get  a refund on any payments up till final payment which occurs 120 days prior to cruising.  After the 120 day mark, there is a sliding scale of refunds.

Thanks for your information. I didn't think I had to reapply for a military discount with NCL every year, but my TA (incorrectly) thought we did. However, in his defense, one of the cruise lines requires passengers to re-new their eligibility for certain OBC or discount each year. I can't remember what it was.....if not military, maybe AARP, stockholder? No matter; I'll figure it out before I book another cruise!😎

I retired from the USN in 1994. Applied for NCL's Military Appreciation discount April 2023. Used "ID.me" to do that. I can confirm that Military Appreciation status when I look at my account at NCL.com.

Several months ago I booked an NCL cruise for March 2024. Received the 10% military appreciation discount.

Around June 2023 I purchased a $500 Cruise First certificate that expires in June 2026. (Off topic question below.....)

In a few days I am planning to book another NCL cruise for March 2025, about 17 months from now. I will likely book with the non-NCL TA we usually use. Probably cabin category MA if that matters.

Question 1: I assume I do not need to re-apply for the Military Appreciation discount every year; correct?

Question 2: How can I verify the 10% discount before making my deposit?

Question3: How is the Cruise First certificate used for booking? Does the certificate amount ($500) go toward the deposit and as an additional payment for the cruise if the deposit is less than the certificate amount? I have heard that all NCL deposits are non-refundable....I don't want to lose my Cruise First money if we have to cancel.....we are old folks.....gotta be realistic.🙄

 Doug

We tried hot water bottles and chemical heating pads. They don't work with our particular afflictions. Instead we bring small auto-shut off electric heating pads in our HAND CARRIED luggage. If they are confiscated I'd rather it be then than having to go to the naughty room. I would not argue with the cruise lines if they were confiscated; we'd just be semi-miserable for the cruise. 😪

We have not had them confiscated...yet. We don't leave them plugged in unless we are using them.

 Doug

On 10/6/2023 at 2:41 PM, MaiTaiMary said:

It's been a while since I've cruised. I'm going to be assigned a time to arrive at the pier to board, correct? Any idea approximately when I will receive that? And how do they notify me? Thank you. 

We sail on 21 October, and I just received our boarding pass notification this morning, 8 October, via an email. Once you get that email, log onto your HAL account and click on Check In, then print it or send the boarding pass to email (or however you like to get it).

Doug

On 10/6/2023 at 7:48 PM, ldlewis45 said:

I'd love to get a decent bottle of bourbon to have in my stateroom for when I'm chilling on the balcony (it's an AMAZING balcony, lol).  Problem is, the only bourbon that they offer on the website to buy in advance is Jim Beam, which isn't gonna cut it, lol.  Can you purchase a full bottle at one of the bars and just keep it in your stateroom?  I really don't feel like having to run out to one of the bars when I'm enjoying the balcony.  I know they won't have my preferred brands on board (they're from small-batch distilleries), but I'd be satisfied with Maker's Mark or Woodford Reserve.

 

Here's what I do: I take an empty Rum Runner when I board the ship. Then during the day I'll drop by one of the bars and have the bar tender pour a scotch (or whatever) straight, no ice no mixer. I take that back to the cabin and pour into the Rum Runner. I might do that several times the first day to limit the hassle, or I might do that every day. Then in the evening or whenever I pour myself a decent liquor from the Rum Runner. I've been doing this for years. I started because we sometimes did not particularly want to sit in the bar for our drinks, but preferred our cocktail hour on our balcony.

 Doug

Thanks all. I don't know where I got the idea our ship was docking at Crown Bay. I am glad it will be near Havensight Mall instead.

All I have been able to find today is it is scheduled to dock at "WICO"? I thought I'd read somewhere the ship would dock at Crown Bay, but searching for WICO, sounds like it might be Havensight?

If my failing memory serves, Havensight is usually preferred by most cruisers due to it's better location for shopping, etc. Crown Bay seems favored by those who like to watch iguanas near the ship.........😉

Thanks!😎

On 9/8/2023 at 9:22 PM, Esmerelda said:

Does Celebrity offer luggage valet after the cruise ends?  We will be flying back on Delta. My husband has some physical disabilities and this would make disembarking so much easier.  
 

thanks everyone..

It has been on our HAL, Princess and Celebrity cruises from Port Everglades. Our most recent was on the Celebrity Infinity October 2022. However, I'd call Celebrity to ask to confirm. Most airlines are included, and absolutely DL. I think Jet Blue wasn't the last time we used that airline.

I cannot imagine why some ships would offer it and some would not, even among the same cruise line. BTW, cost for us on a HAL cruise October 2023 will be $25 pp. We use it every opportunity we can.....FLL is one of the few ports/airports where this service is offered. I think the other is Seattle.

After you contact Celebrity, please post your finding here.

 Doug

11 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

You get an e-mail that your boarding pass is ready on the Website. The time will be on it. HOWEVER, the time will likely change a couple times before actual embarkation with an e-mail each time. It's not "official" until the barcode appears on it a few days before sailing. So no need to print until then. If using the Navigator app, it will be on there as well.

Okay, thank you for that tip.

  Doug

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

You don't get to pick your check in time, it is assigned. The "TBA" will be populated a week before your sailing.

Okay thanks. Seems like they'd have had they by now. But our last HAL cruise was a while ago. How do they notify me? Email I'm guessing?

 Doug