AndyCapn

2 hours ago, hcat said:

My prior post fell on deaf ears!  Topic was Pay ahead or add daily...Not another debate on grats or remove grats.. So hope all have fun venting once again!

 

Some people just cannot resist the siren song of a troll. 🙄

Yes, while in port the casino will be open between 9 pm and 5 am.  https://thepointsguy.com/guide/cruise-ship-casinos/?fbclid=IwAR1Il9dtcbVbi3BBuoKi-lO0dm-EIpUwnWDWZjesDgV3CznXcS37Fi0mSQo

On 3/6/2024 at 2:51 PM, chisoxfan said:

That said the OP asked if they would feel out of place wearing a tux and I would say unequivocally  'yes' with so few others doing this. Heck, I usually wear a sport coat on boarding (saving wrinkles in not packing and like the numerous pockets) and I feel out of sorts in the  real world of tee shirts and shorts which is universal boarding garb in warm weather ports. Even wearing a sport coat on normal dining nights with open dress shirt and dress loafers (oxymoron) seems unusually dressy. So you will be out of place with a tux..... it is certainly your call whether you and your partner are comfortable or not.

 

I don't disagree, but I would add the OP will feel *less* out of place wearing a tux on chic night than on another night.

In other words, if you want to wear a tux, chic night is definitely the night to do it!

On 2/24/2024 at 8:41 PM, OlyWACruiser98501 said:

1) Are the specialty dining packages a good value. Honestly, we prefer to just eat at a buffet each day, and avoid a full service meal. Is there an option to dine buffet style each evening? What is the main dining room assignment we got (late) involve? Is this a fine dining restaurant.

 

2) How is breakfast and lunch done on these cruises now? For a considerable stretch or two, we are at sea for 5 days or so. Are lunch options different on in port days?

1) If you prefer buffet to the MDR, a specialty restaurant probably isn't going to be a good value. Realizing, of course, that this is subjective. You can always look at the menus for the specialty restaurants and judge for yourself.

But if you want to have a fancier dinner one or two nights, the MDR would be a free option for you. Just don't go on formal nights.

2) Yes, on port days the MDR will not be open for lunch. Just the buffet and the Mast Grill (the Spa Café may be as well, but may have different hours than on sea days.)

On 2/21/2024 at 6:53 PM, poona1 said:

Hey cruisers..I'll be sailing on the Getaway to Bermuda soon. To those who have eaten at the Specialty restaurants, what particular food item was really appetizing given how much ncl has cut back...

I was on the Getaway earlier this month and really enjoyed my meal at Ocean Blue: Tuna/Avocado tower for the appetizer, clam chowder for the soup, cod for the entree and chocolate mousse cake for dessert. All of it was delicious (well honestly, I don't remember the chowder. Everything else was sensational.)

I had the lamb at Le Bistro, which was good, but the lamb shank in the MDR on night 6 was better (one of the best lamb dinners I've ever had.) Also had beef tartare (good) and the mushroom soup. (always good!). Had to look up what I ordered for dessert, which was the Marquis au Chocolat, and obviously wasn't very memorable either way.

I am just disembarking from the Getaway. I made reservations in advance at Taste every night at 7:30 (except my specialty dining nights). Every night, people ahead of me in line were told there was a wait (ranging from 10 minutes to 30) whereas I got immediate seating. So it does make a difference.

Side note: Couldn't reserve for breakfast or lunch. Last sea day it was a 45 minute wait for a table!

12 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Well, be interested to hear from currently active CAS players from the Northeast as to whether they are still getting those Comp'd certificates on NCL. 

Not sure if you consider up up upstate New York to be the Northeast, but the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino partnered with NCL as recently as September.

23 hours ago, vacation44 said:

You are correct, your opinion is as valid as is everyone else's opinion.  However, your original comment came off more as a fact than an opinion which is why I commented. 

As someone who routinely ignores users with the inability to distinguish between what is a fact and what is their opinion, I've missed about 40% of the posts in this thread.

(Well, I wouldn't say I've missed them....)

20 minutes ago, Luvcrusn said:

The social media Roll Calls require users to post under their name. That gives information about when they'll be away from home as opposed to CC, where you post under your CC screen name. I'm surprised that the social media site Roll Calls keep gaining in popularity.

I assure you there are many accounts on that Social Media site that are not using their real name.

One of the best uses for a roll call is to find other people interested in doing the same stuff you want to do, especially for third-party shore excursions. But without being able to directly message another member, you have two choices to communicate:

1) Post your personal information in the thread in the hopes that the one person you want to contact you actually does, or

2) Exchange back-and-forth information in the roll call thread, annoying everyone else who isn't interested.

Also I imagine X's decision to stop helping organize an on-board meet & mingle has dampened people's enthusiasm to join a roll call.

7 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

But, you can have the breakfast a nd tea for $4.95 each (room service fee).

It is not just a pot of tea delivered to your room, it's an afternoon tea service (well, without the service) that includes sandwiches, desserts, scones, jam and clotted cream. To my knowledge it is only available through one of the romance packages.

We've done the Bermuda by Mini Bus tour on our first day in Bermuda and found it worthwhile. Pretty much drove around the whole island with a small stop in Hamilton and a longer stop (60-90 minutes) in St. George's at lunch. Brief off-and-on stops at the tiny drawbridge, a beach overlook and a lighthouse.

A little taste of everything on the island so you can decide what to do on the other days. 

I mean, if we're going to go fully pedantic, it's Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Millennium....

There is no US non-resident withholding tax applied, and Canadian residents are (generally) not subject to income tax in Canada on gambling wins.

If you have more than $10,000 in cash, cheque or other monetary instruments, you will have to declare that to US Customs both when you arrive and when you leave (and again at the Canadian border when you arrive.) However that is just a declaration and not a tax obligation.

11 hours ago, CruisematicVA said:

We are two days into a 7 day cruise on the Ascent and we're at 1,100 points so we'll hit 1,500 tomorrow which will get us an offer for a free interior cabin on select sailings.

 

However, does anybody know what the next comp levels are?

 

This is our first Celebrity cruise (love it so far) and based on their 1 point per $5/played scoring, that means we're putting around $2,500 through the machines a night.

 

On other cruise lines, this level of play would get us some pretty nice offers after 7 consistent days. However, I have no idea what the comps are like on Celebrity.

 

Will getting us around 3,500 points on a 7 day cruise get us more than just an interior cabin? Or will it get us the same as what we'd already get with 1,500 points?

 

Just wondering if there's something unlocked at 4-5k that I should make sure we hit if we're that close.

 

Thank you in advance for any clarity you can offer!

There's a chart about halfway down this blog post that I believe has the information you're looking for. (There's also a helpful entry in the comments to explain the different amounts.)

https://urcomped.com/blog/details/3452347/celebritys-blue-chip-club-announces-onboard-certificate-program

There really isn't an equivalent class to Concierge or AquaClass on NCL. Club Balcony Suites get canapes delivered a couple of days and get to book restaurants 5 days earlier than other classes, otherwise it's just a cabin with a slightly larger bathroom.

Now if you're talking Haven, that may meet your expectations, although you certainly pay for the privilege. It's also the only section of the ship with a covered pool... no Solariums (Solaria?) on NCL.

Booking wise, NCL never has sales for on-board activities like X. For example, you never have to worry waiting for a Flash Sale on specialty restaurants and shore excursions, because there won't be one.

And when you see the Free At Sea offers, make sure you understand the details. "Free Shore Excursions" means $50 off each shore excursion , but only for person one (not one person!) on the reservation.

2 hours ago, CCJack said:

Just received a similar offer in the mail.    Is there a catch or is this really a free cruise....?     Thanks

Mostly. You will have to pay port fees and taxes up front (no payment plan), and will pay the daily gratuity like any other cabin. It also will not include a drink package or wifi. But no "administrative fee," no minimum spend in the casino, no hidden cost.

Worth remembering that what they do charge is per person. So if you're travelling solo, it's basically half the cost as going as a couple instead of the usual paying double for a solo supplement.

Also, if you do have to cancel your cruise, port fees and taxes are always refundable, meaning you will get 100% of your money back.

Received this email earlier this afternoon:

EXTENSION ANNOUNCEMENT

The earning period that began on January 1, 2020 has been extended to July 31, 2024. That means you can continue to enjoy your current tier benefits and have more time to level up in the Blue Chip Club rewards program.

YOU HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 7 MONTHS TO PLAY AND EARN UP TO THE NEXT TIER

I also noticed a change in the benefits for Amethyst. That tier  (25K points) no longer receives an annual cruise benefit. It now starts at Sapphire (100K).

It'll be interesting to see if the spa use goes up or down now that they have discontinued the Spa Balcony / Club Balcony / Haven rooms that included spa pass access. Presumably they will be selling more spa passes?

On 12/18/2023 at 1:00 PM, billc23 said:

I looking for places to post to increase my numbers. ver 17 years on CC and not even 200 posts!

Personally, I trust people here with 200 posts over the people with over 30,000.

I'm going solo for the first time so doing it (mostly) cheap: inside cabin, no to the drink package, most expensive shore excursion is $29 and I'm still wavering on that one. And the biggest cut of all: no wife.

I am splurging for the thermal spa pass and two extra specialty dinners. 

Does NCL still offer a discount on spa treatments while in port?

If so, what is the typical discount?

Is it combinable with other discounts? (Latitude Rewards, Priority Access, etc.)

8 hours ago, tjunmin said:

The Celebrity app for my sailing indicates that Sushi on Five has an abbreviated menu for lunch and a full menu for dinner. Is the app correct? If so, I'll be disappointed, as I'm planning on having lunch there, but I'm interested in items that apparently are only available in their full dinner menu.

When are you sailing, @tjunmin? Mine shows the same for my June 9 cruise, but apparently those new menus we're seeing haven't been rolled out to current cruises.

It only feels like 45,500 cruisers on bad weather sea days. 😋

NYE falls on a Sunday, so the only games you'll be missing are NFL. And since you'll be in Costa Maya until 8 pm that day, you can probably get your football fix at a bar on land.