Sand and Seas

Two questions if anyone can answer one or both- 1-For the PortValet service, how do you pay your luggage fee to your airline (Delta in our case)? 2-Can you purchase your NCL transfer to airport using your OBC? (We will have non-refundable)

Hmmm.....I can book 'Noise Boys' for $719 (US).....guess I'll wait for that price to go down!

Has anybody heard about the 'Sail & Sustain Mixology Experience' for Diamond and Ambassador tiers? Sounds fun to us!

If HHS will not be covering tests anymore, I wonder if CDC will be easing back on their recommendations about travel🤔 I know that personally, I will continue (for the foreseeable future) to home-test before flying anywhere just for my own peace of mind.

We are definitely saving a SDP for Food Republic. Split over the two days sounds perfect!

Thanks for responding- We love the Food Republic. Just wish they would have it open more often!

We love lunch at Food Republic and usually plan for 'at sea' days when we know it will be open. On our upcoming Alaska Bliss cruise, there is only one day listed as 'at sea'. Is it possible FR will be open for lunch during some of the other days? Some days, we have early morning calls at Juneau and Ward Cove. Would they open FR at 1pm or so?

By looking at the deck plans, there is a good possibility. Although the numbering of cabins on the Joy differs, she is a sister ship to Bliss, Encore and Escape. On the deck plans for the Bliss, the balcony cabins in those same positions are 8138/8738. There is a good youtube video for Bliss 8138 that shows an angled balcony large enough for loungers. Looks like a great deal for a BF cabin😎

I'm starting this thread to list current CAS Hosts on each ship. Over the last many years we have enjoyed getting to know many hosts and then seeing them again on another cruise. Please add for any NCL ships Casinos that you have current information for. To start, I've recently read reports here on CC or social media for these ships: Breakaway- June 2022 Exec Host is Florina Avram, Senior Host Leilani Ferrer (Reported that Florina is moving to Prima soon!) Joy- June 2022 Executive Host is Ralph Galarrita, Senior Host Rodrigo Gem- April 2022 Carey (Lewis?)

Our best have been 'hosted' cruises through Caesars. Everything paid except airfare. Includes drink package, specialty dining and all gratuities paid. On two of our hosted cruises it also included hotel night before in New York (Gansevoort and New Orleans (Harrah's for two days before & after). Cruises have been in Balcony (very happy with) and Haven(woo-hoo!).

I thought in reading about ArriveCan that one person can fill it out for everyone in their cabin. In our case, it would just be for the two of us. Is this correct? Or do each of us need to download the app and complete the application?

I've never seen anything as detailed as the Breakaway/Getaway spread sheet for other ships. If you click on the visual aids on that spreadsheet it does show the cabin numbers on the outside picture of the ship for a couple of different cabin classes.

There is a great picture of Breakaway/Getaway B6 and M6 cabins on the visual aids tab of the link I copied below. I bookmarked this years ago. I don't know who was the fantastic CruiseCritic member who created this, but I wish we had one for every ship! Was this what you were looking for? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10YW7fMQarer30UCHKqKJ_zLDmbyMTczCTtYf2XRflh8/pub?single=true&gid=0&output=html

I wouldn't want to be the one stuck in that shower either! Just instructed my DH to have the Haven robe ready to throw over the top to me😉 (He said he could just bring his tool-belt and take care of it..., but I still want that robe!) Curious, as we will be in one of these Bliss PH cabins in a few weeks. How high is the step into the tub/shower? (I'm not very tall)

Thanks for posting! Very interesting to read. The article did note that a possible option would be for cruise lines to transition to requiring pre-cruise testing only for those who are not fully vaccinated or boosted. Those who are fully vaccinated but still test positive are usually asymptomatic or have milder symptoms. It seems like a sensible option for a gradual return to 'normal'. As my son pointed out to me, we will soon be in flu season again, yet we are not required to show proof of a negative flu test prior to travel.

It is useful information for many. Also, I have to wonder a little if it's a small step towards getting cruisers ready for an eventual return to 'normal' cruising without pre-cruise test requirements. My son was saying flu season is coming up, yet we never have to have a pre-travel flu test.

Still, it's a great itinerary. It's getting harder to find a NCL Miami RT that visits the Southern Carib. You should be able to find some interesting shore excursions. We loved Cartagena years ago and are looking forward to visiting again. Have a great cruise😎

Not sure why I got this letter today? Did anyone else receive? It is for a December 2022 cruise that originates in US and ends in US. (Plus I live in US). I have two other cruises that depart before that date but didn't receive for those. For just a moment I thought they were cancelling pre-cruise Covid testing requirement🤔 June 16, 2022 Dear Valued Guests and Travel Partners: On behalf of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), we thank you for your loyalty and for making us your vacation of choice. We have important information regarding updated U.S. travel requirements for guests entering the country. Travel partners should share the below information with guests who may be affected. Beginning June 12, 2022, travelers entering the U.S. will no longer be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test. This latest update demonstrates a positive direction in the evolution of the public health environment, and the opportunity for more of our guests to start exploring and connecting with the people and places they’ve missed most over the last couple of years. For additional information on local travel requirements by country, please visit www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country. To learn more about our health and safety protocols and to prepare for your upcoming voyage, please visit www.ncl.com/sail-safe and www.ncl.com/prepare-for-your-cruise. Thank you for your attention, and we look forward to welcoming you aboard! Sincerely, Katty Byrd Senior Vice President, Guest Services

I would love to know this too. All I've found is a rough estimate of $40 to $70 from SeaTac to Pier 66,

Does anybody have any other drink recommendations for Alaska cruises? (Great list above! Found the SnowPlow for Alaska cruise😋)

After some research we booked Marriott Waterfront for our upcoming cruise. Walking across the street with our rolling luggage sounds like the best option on a busy disembark/embark day.

Not in our experience. I would have loved a Spa Balcony! Here is a link to a thread that shows what several of us experienced with our Diamond upgrades: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2824651-diamond-upgrade-successor-not/

Did you get a discounted cruise? Or was it a 'comped' cruise with a $20 per person/per day listed for guests 1 & 2? (This is the admin fee for a comped cruise)

We will be staying here before our cruise from Pier 66. Can you tell us where you ate while staying at this hotel? Any info would be appreciated!

@NoName, can you tell us about how long the trip from IAH to Galveston was? Also, about how long return trip to IAH was? I'm hearing it can depend on traffic. Thanks for sharing your experience. Very helpful😊