alwalaska

59 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Here's what I got back when I requested a date extension

We are unable to offer any extensions to these courtesy credits and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We trust you understand that in order to be fair and equitable to all our guests, we cannot make any exceptions to the policies in place.

My response was along the lines of how is an offer with a shorter timeline, on a different ship with a different itinerary fair and equitable. From past experience, they don't tend to reply to rebuttals so we'll see.

I'm so sorry.  Please keep us updated. 

5 hours ago, julig22 said:

I was booked on the Spirit for Australia in Dec 2024.  There were 2 "holdouts" that weren't cancelled until later. So only those 2 cancellations got offered the Jewel instead of the Spirit for a replacement.

But even Alaska on the Jewel wouldn't be very doable this late in the game - even if I wasn't already booked/fully paid for later in August anyway - and the coupon expires in February 2024, long before the 2024 Alaska season begins.

That is just wrong.  I would try to open up a customer service incident if you would like to go to Australia a year earlier than your original plan. There seems to be room on all of the itineraries. 

12 hours ago, julig22 said:

So the 20% discount I got for my cancelled Spirit cruise can only be applied to the Jewel - and the Jewel does not go to NZ/Australia. Not a happy camper, don't know what NCL was thinking.  I actually think they screwed up because I believe they cancelled a couple of Jewel cruises at the same time and nobody bothered to proofread...otherwise, makes no sense whatsoever. We'll see if corporate bothers to respond.  Even sadder is that I do have something booked on the Jewel but 2 months out of the timeframe for using the coupon, which is much shorter than everyone else got.

Were you previously on an Alaska itinerary or an Australia/New Zealand itinerary?  We were originally on Aus/NZ.  I think the 20% offers were specific to the itinerary, not just the ship.  Our 20% was only good on the Spirit and only from June 23, 2023 (which was impossible since we didn't get the cert until the 23rd)  and April 2024. 

The Jewel was doing similar itineraries to the Spirit in Alaska I believe.

But yes, NCL has definitely messed things up and did not do right by a lot of people in my opinion.  I'm so sorry that your situation has been so frustrating.  Can you at least make use of the 10% coupon on your Jewel cruise?

17 hours ago, omahabob said:

We didn't have a coupon for the FAS meals on the Getaway. We just used our keycards.

The coupons are for the Latitudes free meals.

11 hours ago, omahabob said:

It's from last year. About a third of the way down the page.

 

https://profcruise.com/norwegian-spirit-review-and-ship-tour-post-refurbishment/

Thank you!  I had been on the page with all of the menus, but didn't see this page.  I appreciate your help.

29 minutes ago, hrt4girls said:

I have seen lots of posts about Free at Sea Dinners and what they include or used to include.  I think I have that figured out.  What I am confused about is how  are the Free At Sea Dinner coupons different from the Platinum Latitudes dinners.  On our upcoming fall cruise we will have 2 Platinum dinners and 1 Free at Sea dinner.  We are sailing on Sky.  The specialty restaurants are limited to Cagney's, LeBistro and La Cucina.  Does it matter which coupon I use at which restaurant.  The other couple sailing with us does not have the Platinum dinners, but has purchased to extra specialty dining upgrades to be able to go to dinner with us.  I know this shouldn't be so confusing but it seems each time I try to figure it out different answers are posted.  Thanks

I only know about Cagney's with the current rules. I would use the Free at Sea Dinners at Cagney's if you have somewhere else to use the Latitude coupons.  Although not every server on every ship does it, the Latitude's coupon gives you Pick 1 from appetizers, salads, and soups, and 1 side.  The Free at Sea gives you 1 appetizer, 1 Soup or salad, and 2 sides. We used our Latitude ones on the Dawn for Teppanyaki and the Brazillian place because they were fixed prices and no different, but you don't have either of those choices. I hope someone can help you with Le Bistro and La Cucina.

I'll be on the Spirit in Feb and I found a couple of sites with menus, but I haven't seen any for Silk.

Thanks!

19 hours ago, boeckli said:

 

Take a look at Akaroa Dolphins (https://www.akaroadolphins.co.nz/)

Their website states "Full refunds will be given in the event of your cruise ship not making it into Akaroa Harbour due to unforeseen circumstances. Please contact us if this is the case."

I took one of their cruises in Dec 2019 and enjoyed it very much. Perfect weather also helped 😉

 

Thank you very much!  I thought I posted previously to thank you, but it poofed.  I had read their standard and COVID cancelation policies but somehow missed the cruise one farther down. Their cruises sound fantastic and the area sound beautiful.

11 hours ago, vacation44 said:

I hope they will put back seeing the whole price before registration. 

It was an interesting move when many sites (sometimes due to law suits, but still) seem to be going more transparent with pricing.

At least for now, I go to 3rd party sites to do price checking since most don't require you to fill out all of the info before getting the grand total and breakdowns.  Eventually, I'm sure NCL will close that loop-hole.

I'm actually glad they were doing maintenance.  Earlier today my cruise said "Default Voyage Name" instead of the cruise name and when I went to click into it, it said "Page not found".  Since my cruise has already been canceled once, the heart skipped a couple of beats until I realized the whole site was having problems.

2 hours ago, LloydJr said:

They are on the deck plans at NCL.com.  When you create an on-line booking, they don't show graphically when you select a cabin but they are in the listing of cabins on the left side of the screen.  I've booked them this way, without having to call anybody.

Interesting, yes, I did see them on the non-booking deck plans, that was how I learned about them.  I haven't seen them when I tried doing fake bookings and the lady from World Points didn't have any of them on her list, but they were available.   Good to know that they at least show up in the available cabins list typically.  Not sure why I wasn't seeing them.

21 hours ago, Mistizoom said:

That is what the website says, but the website is wrong/outdated. The words, "Morning coffee, continental breakfast and" need to be deleted.

Yeah - I told the person I talked to about that, but... they don't care if they have incorrect info.  There are still FAQ entries about 2016 and 2017 out there. It is really frustrating for people like me who like to research and know what is going to happen in different situations.

Although, one website glitch just helped me get the cabin that I really wanted.  There is a whole section of cabins on Deck 10 of the Spirit that don't show up on any booking site I have found, including NCLs.  I had originally booked the port side cabin at the back of deck 10 before NCL canceled my cruise, but it was already gone on the 2024 cruise. I asked the World Points person when I was getting my points back from the canceled cruise if the other cabin was still available for the cruise I was looking at.  She typed it in and said yet. Then, when my FCC came in and I tried to upgrade to that cabin via the World Points phone line, I was told it wasn't available.  I asked them to type in the number and they said they only had a list, they could not type anything in, so I gave up and was sad.  I decided to call my amazing TA and ask if she could see if the cabin was available and then I figured I would call back until I got someone at WP who knew how their software worked. She not only found that it was still available, she moved me to it.  I was a happy camper and glad NCL hadn't fixed the problem yet.

The point of this story is that about 3 weeks ago I was talking to tech support at NCL and I mentioned the missing cabins on Deck 10.  He said he would report it to that group, but the cabins are still not available to be booked unless you know they are there and have access to one of the travel agent portals where you can type in actual cabin numbers rather than scrolling through lists.

@possum52 Thank you so much.  That was exactly the info I was looking for.  The NSW port website has us docking in Eden, but thank you for the warning that it might change.  It is always better to be forewarned since I typically do my own thing or private tours vs ship tours.  We are on the NCL Spirit and she is pretty small, but if they are working on the port, I don't know if that matters.

I am so excited for this trip.  I appreciate all of the time you spend out on these forums helping people like me.

11 hours ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

Well, y’all,it’s a sad day in Magnoliaville.  I spent the last two days in the hospital with my first ever (and impressive as hell) episide of a fib.   All is well now and I’m home, but sadly our Viking river cruise in two weeks is off.  Zip,zero, nada, no way Jose, just ain’t gonna happen.  But I can’t still look at my WP account and say, “wow, look at all those points that cruise got me”.  Insurance will reimburse us, and there will be another opportunity for that trip.  Life is good.  Trying to find a positive spin from the cancellation.

So sorry to hear this.  Great attitude. I hope that you are able to stay healthy well into the future and start cruising again when you feel safe doing so.

Sydney

I like to watch all of the sites as the ship starts its journey.  We are leaving Sydney from White Bay.  How long should we plan on staying outside before heading inside for dinner and show and all? We don't leave until 6pm in Feb if that matters. We'll have taken the ferry one or more times during our pre-cruise stay, but I love going under bridges when on a big ship, plus things look different from a cruise ship.

Eden

Where does the ship dock in Eden?  Is it by the information center off Weecoon St?

Also, if we are headed to Tasmania after Eden, should we be able to see Boyd's Tower on the way?  I like trying to find interesting things as we sail by. If yes, any idea how long after sail away it will take to get that far?

My 2025 trip just became a Feb 2024 trip and I'm an obsessive planner, so I thank everyone ahead of time for their help (in case I forget later) and also for your patience through my many questions.

Thank you so much for putting this together.  I was to Melbourne on my own, but didn't have any great options picked out yet. 

I appreciate the hard work.

On 6/21/2023 at 1:59 PM, sleepingcat said:

You dont say what you are planning for Akaroa, but honestly the wildlife cruise out to see the tiny dolphins (and lots of other wild stuff) was one of the high points of our entire NZ trip - recommended!

Thank you.  I am definitely looking at the different options for doing just that.  What I have found though is that everyone is non-refundable, even if the ship does not make it into town.  My travel insurance doesn't cover missed activities unless the trip is "interrupted" where we have to go home or be hospitalized, etc.   

Do you know if everything is usually sold out, or if we can book when we get there?  NCL doesn't have any excursions out yet, but I find they are usually almost twice the cost of the local tours, which doesn't make financial sense either.

Someone said that there were usually people on the pier selling tours, so unless I can find someone who will offer a refund if the ship doesn't make it, that is what we will likely be doing.

1 minute ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Or go into BOA and have them do the charge .

Thanks, I didn't realize they could/would do that. Good to know.  I know AmEx will give you a temporary number to start charging right away, but every bank and program is different.

10 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

UKStages posted: "the coffee and croissants are free.

there is a $4.95 service fee. there didn’t use to be (for breakfast), but now there is.""

MitchTech posted: "So as I read it, morning coffee and continental  breakfast even if you're  not in haven are free. If you order hot foods then it's a charge. Am I reading this wrong. Has anyone ordered just coffee and gotten a 4.95 charge? "

 

And you said that "$4.95 plus tip applies to everything". At least that's how I interpreted it. I am not trying to be testy, just trying to understand how things may have changed. The last time we sailed on NCL (March 2022) in a Club Balcony cabin we had coffee and croissants gratis, but I recall there was some sort of a charge for what most would consider a breakfast.

 

So bottom line is nobody knows yet?

 

This would be so much less confusing if someone with a logical mind wrote what's at the link. Or, did NCL do that on purpose? That would seem odd but not unknown in the cruise line....or any other industry.....😜

 

 Doug

I decided to chat with NCL, but we know that isn't necessarily any different from asking someone on here.  They said the $4.95 does apply to the continental breakfast like BirdTravels posted the picture on the tag. When I mentioned the FAQ and provided the link, they said they would turn that into the correct department.

I also noticed on that same FAQ page information about booking a trip in 2016 and taking it in 2017, so it doesn't look like anyone is in charge of maintaining that page.

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

They can't read either.... I've sent in a number of post-cruise comments, some good, some not so good.  And the responses are nearly always totally off subject.  For example if you suggest they offer non-alcoholic latitudes benefits - or something other than strawberries for people who are allergic - the response will be something along the lines of how to put in a special needs request.

A good sign that a bot or AI is answering your comments. 

3 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Thanks…we have final payment due July 13 so I’m holding off as long as I can to apply hoping for a good bonus.  I assume with excellent credit they provide same day card number?  Has that worked that way for you?

New comment

Sorry, I think I misinterpreted that you were hoping to use the bonus points (see below at original comment), but I bet you just want to pay with it.   I'd give yourself 5-7 business days unless you already have a bank account with BofA according to the article.

Original Comment

Remember too, even though you may be able to use it immediately (I really can't remember what happened when we got ours last year), but it takes at least until the end of the billing cycle or maybe even longer for the points to post to your account. You are probably already too late for July 13 this year. American Express gave me a temporary number and code immediately, but their agent said their points lag 2 billing cycles.  So, I spent the last of my required 3k today, my first billing cycle ends July 17, but I likely won't see my bonus points until at least August 17. 😞

41 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

The weird thing is that there is no room service charge for anything in the Haven. Yes, if you order a specialty dining a la carte item, you need to pay the price of that item. But you can order your steak and eggs with fresh squeezed OJ and Starbucks cappuccino for free if you are in a suite. 

That is part of the reason why I read that the continental breakfast didn't have a service fee for anyone, but I did decide to check with the people on the Chat at NCL and they confirm what you said and what I believed before I read the FAQ.  My husband laughs because when I'm talking to hotel employees I frequently know more about the rewards program than the employees do.

Thanks for sharing your breakfast paper. 

28 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

I am not sure what you are reading. Room service food has always been complimentary. BUT there is a service charge of UP TO $9.95 (smaller $4.95 charge for breakfast). There was a charge for all deliveries on our May cruise. 
 

Here is the link of the FAQ page that I copied that from: Frequently Asked Questions (ncl.com).   

I had to read it 3 times because we had to pay in Feb as well.  Now, this is me being a computer person reading the AND between continental breakfast and the info about suites as making it both things do not have a service charge. 

It really doesn't surprise me though that NCL has something that is either unclear or out and out wrong on its website.

2 minutes ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

A woman after my own heart ! 🤣

I feel the same way about first-class or premium seats on airplanes.  Trying to work some magic since I no longer have 18 months to plan and get ready to buy the plane tickets.

I was on another forum today and people were asking about free dining locations and continental breakfast from room service was included.  On our Dawn cruise in Feb I could have sworn there was a charge for it.

Today, after someone posted a click from NCL, I went and looked it up in the FAQ and I copied the info below. I'm guessing they walked it back.  Does anyone have recent experience with this?