SolidGoldCruiser

I called yesterday and was told to bypass the credit card info, and the tickets and luggage tags would be available within 20 days out. Upon boarding the ship, we are to go to one of the kiosks and enter our CC info. 
All the confusion and inaccuracies are being blamed on Covid. Hmmmm……………

Hi Elf. We are on this cruise too. I love your writing style and your reference to the crew still using their “training wheels”. They are trying so hard but there is definitely a “lost in translation” aspect to this cruise. 
There is a lot of confusion about Select Dining. To Rez or Not to Rez - that is the question. Ask 5 people and you will get 5 different answers.  One night we gave up and ate in the buffet.  Also - forget ordering room service for breakfast unless you want deletions, additions, or just plain no service. 
Ok - those are our main issues. Enough of that. 
We are grateful and happy to be cruising again. This ship is lovely and we ACTUALLY LIKE the infinite veranda!  Lunch in the Eden Cafe is peaceful and enjoyable. We are in the Solarium right now and loving it. Silent disco was a blast and a new show “Undercover at the Club” was high energy and well done. Someone asked about trivia - yes, lots of opportunities. 
We were not given an explanation for the blue wrist bands so after boarding we removed them only to learn they should be worn. I picked up the remnants from mine and tied them onto to my Fitbit. 
Regarding docking at Crown Bay, we were happy because the water taxi to Water Island is a 10 minute walk. RT is $15. Once there, one can rent a golf cart or catch the free jitney to Honeymoon Beach. 
We are meeting loads of happy and interesting people. The crew, as always, are sweet and eager to please. The martini bar is fabulous. 
People boarding in the weeks to come have a lot to look forward to. It is only going to get better. Cheers

I just received a “corrected” email from NCL , and the amounts specified in there are incorrect also. I am receiving a  $100 FCC for the total fare paid plus a 25% bonus of $108!!

kmc86 - you wished us all good luck. Thank you. I think we are going to need it. 

I am really glad I read this thread. My cancel/FCC email read “$1302.55” too. I have spent quite some time this morning trying to figure out this amount. 

Also I am supposedly receiving a 25% bonus of $100????  Where they got that amount is beyond me.  Does not match up to anything. 

Thank goodness for Cruise Critic. Now I realize a mistake has been made and I can quit trying to figure this mess out. Just a matter of time I guess. Feel so badly for the agents answering the phones today. 

Anyone have a recent list for the Pearl?

I am also interested in getting this information. 

Another question. Were you able to dock in Roatan?  Tender?

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds. 

Thank you Sid_9169. Your information is very helpful and has me laughing too. I was thinking "Mad Mad World"; now I'm imagining Running with the Bulls.

Could someone tell me the difference between terminals B and C? Is there an advantage to one over the other? My boarding pass reads “C”. We are interested in the VIBE passes but I do not like the idea of being part of a stampede. Reminds me of that old movie “It’s a Mad Mad World”!

:DI appreciate the tip and your taking the time to post it.

Still wondering about the Getaway

Does anyone have recent information on the Getaway? We are cruising the end of February.

Hello. Does anyone know what ship Concierge John D'Souza will be on in February?

Your review is so informative with many helpful hints. Wish I had read it before we boarded the ship. It took me 3 days before I figured out the color code system for the elevators and carpeting.

I wanted to share with you (and others) the experience we had in Ocho Rios. We, too, were on a mission to go to Turtle River Falls and planned to walk there. After wandering up and down Main Street for a while, we realized our Google map was of no help. We began asking police officers who were quite visible and plentiful. After the 4th person was unable to help, we began approaching cab drivers.

The first driver had no idea, the 2nd told us it was a 20 minute drive (we knew better!) and quoted us $40, and the 3rd knew exactly where we wanted to go and took us there for $5/each. He drove us in past the guard gate and located an employee who collected $20/each and gave us wrist bands.

The admission fee included a tour (about 90 minutes) which was quite informative. After that, we relaxed by the pool and then walked back to the ship which took about 15 minutes - a straight shot down the hill.

We have been to Ocho Rios several times before and have seen all the touristy stuff; therefore, we were very happy with our day. We were there in the afternoon. Did you go in the morning? I wonder if we were there together...............

I am not sure why there is so much confusion and misinformation about directions and transportation. TRF used to be called The Enchanted Gardens, but no one seemed to know about that either.

I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise. We did, too. We boarded with so much apprehension (due to negative reviews), but it was a wonderful week with a dear crew.

I am enjoying your review, and your writing style is refreshing. You tell it like it is ("phone booth toilet" - hilarious).

In January, we sail on the Epic for the first time, and any helpful hints are appreciated. Re: coffee pot - I was planning on bringing my own favorite coffee and the 4" filters. Would that work?

The constant complaining from other passengers really irritates me too. I love your solution. I plan fully utilize the drink package!

We are booked on the Epic in January, and I just went into our account to happily book our cabana for GSC. $549!!! What a shock. I am so disappointed. There is no way we would pay this amount.

This is insane.

(Is there still the one lonely hammock in the shade over in the old/original part of the beach? I will be headed for that.)

Thank you for the reply

I appreciate the positivity of this thread! We have sailed on NCL numerous times, but have not yet been on the Epic.

Could someone please tell me if there are coffeemakers in the cabins?

We will be sailing on January 14 in an aft balcony. After reading the comments in this thread, I am very much looking forward to this upcoming cruise.

We much prefer the aft-facing balconies for these reasons:

Larger balcony

Loungers

No wind

Beautiful view of the multi-colored wake

Less traffic/noise in hallway

Your choice will depend on what is important to YOU. Enjoy your cruise whatever you decide.

Could someone tell me which dining room is used for YTD?

Thank you in advance.

I am so sorry. I meant to write "you will NOT have to do this on the Gem"

Carnival -

Still has lobster night and the best lobster I have had on any of the lines that we have sailed

1 bottle (pp) of wine allowed with no corkage fee if consumed in the room

Excellent customer service (before the cruise and at Shore EX and Guest Relations on the ship - I bring this up because we have NOT found this to be the case lately with NCL)

Early Saver Bookings allow one to take advantage of fare decreases (with OBC) even after final payment

Outdoor movies (with popcorn)

Norwegian -

More dining venues

Higher quality entertainment for the headliner shows

More of an officer presence (you will see them everywhere and they attend the CC meetings)

We have found the crew service on both lines to be equivalent; also the quality of food and lounge entertainers.

Just trying to focus on the positives here................

It is only on the new NCL ships that one has to make reservations for the shows. We did not care for this at all!

tbtma - you will have to do this on the Gem

spring41 - Sorry. I do not know if the menus were old or new; however, we were pleasantly surprised (based on prior reviews) with the choices and quality. No complaints at all.

Florings - we were in cabin 7440. We did not go to the steakhouse, but we did order from them (for a surcharge) in the main dining room and were very happy with our dinner.

The casino was smoky and confined. If you do not want to dodge slot machines and smoke, I would not recommend using Deck 5 to traverse the ship.

The live music performers were: Greg (acoustic), Music Boardwalk (party), Impromptwo (variety), Latin Fever (Latin), and Christine (Piano). All were very good. Personally, we did not care for Christine, but she did have a following. Karaoke was a hoot, and we loved the venue (El Morocco) and the DJ.

You are correct about the location of Serenity. It was OK, but did not have a hot tub which is a minus for me. The aft pool was "adults only" and peaceful.

Let me know if you have any more questions. Glad to oblige..........

Negatives:

- this ship bounced around more than any other (25) we have sailed, including 2 transatlantic

- deck layouts (very chopped up); using decks 2, 7, and 9 (Lido) to traverse from one end to the other worked well

- coffee (horrible); we resorted to the Coffee Bar

- headliner production shows (dancers were not together, seemed amateur)

Positives:

- we enjoyed the food! I do not know what everyone is complaining about. Highlights were the lobster, surf & turf, chateaubriand, salmon, Tandoor, Wok, and sea day brunches

- popcorn at the "Dive-In" movies (bring your spray butter)

- crew (gracious, friendly, and most helpful)

- aft pool (close to Tandoor & Deli)

- performers (all good with the exception of Christine; we are broad-minded, but she was a little too raunchy for us)

- hot tubs on the deck above the Lido pool (secluded, quiet, and not crowded)

I do not have the menus, and we did not use the spa. Sorry

The positives far outweighed the negatives. Any questions?

Pearl, Dec. 10, 2015, Panama Canal

Butlers and Concierge?

It's been years since we sailed on the Spirit. It was our first cruise on NCL. In addition to the nostalgia factor, here are what makes the ship special to me:

The design, furnishings and art are unlike any other NCL ship.

The suites are unbelievable, especially those that are aft-facing.

The ladies dressing room for the gym was a step above, and one did not need a spa pass to use it.

The children's pool area on the stern was the best I have seen on any NCL ship with two tiers of seating that made it comfortable for adults to relax, get refreshments and be able to keep an eye on the kids all at the same time.

The theater for the headliner shows was very comfortable.

Enjoy! She is a beautiful and special part of the NCL fleet.

(Our last sailing on her was 2008; if any of the above has changed, I apologize for the misinformation)