Two Wheels Only

A pull man from the ceiling will look like this. When the bed is up, you probably wouldn't notice anything unusual on the ceiling other than the rectangular outline.

Yes. If it isn't transformed, it looks like a normal sofa. You might never know who/what is under there. 😁

There's also the "transformers" option. Between sofa bed (side by side), sofa bed (transformer), pull man bed from the wall, and pull man bed from the ceiling, MSC has a bunch of different options but it's difficult to know which option is where.

For me, it isn't really about boarding ahead of others who are waiting. I just want to board without having to wait. If handled correctly and with the staff to guest ratio that Explora is touting, the service should still be great for everyone. Exclusive seating, for me, just means that we'll always have a seat and not have to fight with a mass of people. I guess my point is that I prioritize comfort, service, and convenience of the ship within a ship more than the exclusivity. If I was on Harmony OTS with a full staff and only 800 guests, I'd be fine even without a suite neighborhood. I like the "stuff" of large ships but don't like the crowds. If I can avoid or skip the crowd with Haven or Yacht Club, I'm good. If Explora is fun, family friendly, and lives up to the claimed service, I'll book them. Time will tell...

I see no reason why he can't wear shorts. If there is no code and only a suggestion, he shouldn't have a problem. Again, we'll have to see what happens.

I still have an open mind with Explora Journeys and have been following along with them ever since they were first announced. Although they are marketing themselves as a luxury line, they are also marketing themselves as "child friendly" which is important in my case. I'm still waiting for them to begin sailing so that I can read some actual reviews from (hopefully) Yacht Club guests. This is from the Explora marketing dept./FAQ... What is the dress code onboard Explora Journeys? We don't have a dress code onboard but we suggest an Elegant Resort Casual style. How many formal nights are on my Journey, and what type of clothing is worn? There are no formal nights. Are children permitted aboard Explora Journey’s ships? If yes, is there a special rate? We happily welcome our younger guests onboard Explora Journeys. During the usual school and seasonal holidays, we offer a special children's programme for our Little Explorers. As regarding our fares: infants between 6 months and 2 years of age sail for free; children and young adults up to the age of 18 will be eligible for additional savings of up to 50%. Are there any restirctions for children or any areas where they are not allowed to enter? (their typo, not mine 😁) Our adults-only areas onboard are the Whiskey bar within the Observation Lounge (where smoking will be allowed), and the Forward Pool area on deck 12. ...so it is very much a possibility. I've seen and priced a few cruises that I would book but I won't until... 1. The bugs/wrinkles are worked out with a new ship AND a new line. 2. I see how things are onboard as far as the experience. 3. I see how receptive Explora Journeys is to customer feedback with those early sailings.

You have time to add. If you do add, the payment of the 20% service charge is due once it is added. A phone call should be all that is needed but make sure that a new set of documents reflecting the addition is sent to you. You don't want to leave the addition "in limbo" in a cart or anything like that.

Your email is well written and explains your complaints/concerns very clearly. Unfortunately, if you get a response, it will likely be a canned response that was written years before the Fan Ban went into effect.

If you're in the Yacht Club, you can hand the cash to the concierge and it will be applied to your account. There is a till at the concierge's desk. If you have extra left over, the concierge can refund the balance to you in cash on the last night of the cruise...and possibly some envelopes if you choose to tip any staff.

I though that you were thinking of USA and Mexico since....nobody thinks about Canada, eh? 😁 The one ingredient that is missing from this thread is the "MSC is inconsistent" factor. I have had a Yacht Club price adjusted when the port fees dropped. I kept my lower fare price and had the port fees lowered. I kept the same confirmation number, same stateroom, etc. The only thing different was the new total which was lower. If I didn't call, I would have paid the higher total. Is that normal? No. Should that be expected? No. Is that likely to happen for me again without anything getting messed up? No.....but it has happened. MSC is too inconsistent to state that anything (good or bad) will happen with 100% certainty. A good thing that happened for me might not happen for anyone else. A bad thing that happened for me....or for "mscdivina2016" might not happen for anyone else. 😉

Jeans can be worn in any restaurant on any NCL ship but the length (shorts) can be an issue in some restaurants.....just don't get into the whole "...worn below the hips*, overly faded, with holes..." debate. *Aren't all pants worn below the hips if they cover at least part of your thigh? 🤔

Thanks. I've been waiting for dates to open.

You have to call (if you booked directly with MSC) to make a partial payment.

Usually, NCL will be Cruise Casual (shorts allowed) on the first night for that exact reason.... "Embarkation day will be Cruise Casual in all restaurants."

^^ He would probably get into the Yacht Club for dinner. He might get turned away but I wouldn't be surprised if he was sitting at the table next to me. Shorts, hat, no socks......whatever. 😅

It would be great if a guest could alert a staff member and say "Hey, their clock is at zero. Could you move their items, please?..." and the impartial staff member would do his/her job and move the items. When the owner returns, the new guest can say "...the staff moved the stuff to Guest Services..." and since the clock was at zero and seen by the staff, there would be less of an issue. If the owner claims that something is missing, that is between the staff and the guest. The new guest in the chair is clear.

It depends. The dailies will have the time limit. Some NCL dailies will have 60 minutes. Some NCL dailies will have 30 minutes. Some NCL dailies will have 15 minutes. NCL should put a cooking timer on each chair. The maximum time on the timer is whatever the limit is. If the chair is occupied, there is no need to set the timer but if a person gets up for whatever reason, that person sets the timer. That person has that amount of time to be away from the chair. If an empty chair is at zero, the chair is available for anyone whether items are on it or not. If the person returns before the clock hits zero, the chair remains with the original guest. If a guest tries to take a chair that still has time on the clock and the original guest returns before the clock hits zero, the chair belongs to the original guest. If the original guest returns after the clock hits zero....too bad. The chair has a new guest. The timers would have to be unable to take time off manually but can have time added if the person returns then leaves again. The guests who currently remove items (something I strongly disagree with) would be allowed to move items IF the clock is at zero. If there is 1 minute left, guests aren't to touch anything that isn't theirs. I agree. It would be pretty easy for them. Clock at zero + items on chair = remove items and take them to Guest Services. Clock with time + items on chair = ignore. Just a random idea...

Without actual photos or video of a specific stateroom, the next best option is to look at the deck plan and look for the wider part of the stateroom. If you look at the curved walls between staterooms, the wider part of the room is where the bed will be. HOWEVER, there may be errors on the deck plan and the curved wall is drawn incorrectly.

For returned deposits, my best was 11 days and my worst was 31 days. Cancelled excursion refund?....5 months. 😩

Worse things have happened to people who added an airport transfer to their cruise..... ...just sayin' 🤗

It used to be even lower. I get that in the US, citizens can travel thousands of miles in multiple directions without ever needing a passport but I just don't understand the aversion to getting one. It's not difficult to get. It's not expensive to get. It lasts for years (longer for adults than for children). It takes away the worry of "Do I need a passport for....?". Is it just ".. don't need one cuz don't need ta visit some furrin' country cuz...'Merica!"? 🤔

On my first Yacht Club cruise, I added the 3 meal plan. When I booked, Teppanyaki was included but it was later removed from the plan. After speaking with the YC concierge, we had Teppanyaki included with the plan. I also went to the Ocean Cay restaurant (not the island) and wasn't impressed. The restaurant was beautiful and we had the entire place to ourselves but my appetizer was better than my main course. Since that first Yacht Club cruise, I no longer buy any specialty restaurant plan. If I do a specialty meal for lunch or dinner, I just pay a la carte...usually with OBC. 😉

31. All types of fans including handheld, battery operated, electric etc. 😨

Chair hogs will always have an (invalid) excuse for their behavior. The usual are... "...well, we can never find empty chairs together since everyone else hogs them before we do...." "... we need to be right next to the pool so that we can watch our children..." "...the chairs are first come, first serve so we get there first at 6am even though we won't return until after lunch..." "...it's not our fault, it's the cruise line's fault for not having enough chairs/deck space for so many people on the ship..." "...we like to people-watch so we have to be near the pool because that's where the people are..." ... but chair hogs will never see nor understand that they are wrong.

From NCL FAQ..... Why is there a service charge? The reason there's a fixed service charge is an important one: Our Crew (as are the crew from other lines) is encouraged to work together as a team. Staff members including complimentary restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and behind-the-scenes support staff are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that your service charge supports. How much is the charge? Onboard Service Charges are additional. How much are the service charges? For bookings made on or after January 1, 2023: $25.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites; $20.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite and below; For bookings made before January 1, 2023, that pre-pay their service charges before their sail date: $20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites; $18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite; $16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types For bookings made on or after April 1, 2022, that prepay their service charges before their sail date: $20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites; $18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite; $16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types For bookings made on or after April 1, 2020, that prepay their service charges before their sail date: $18.50 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites; $18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite; $15.50 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests. While you should not feel obligated to offer a gratuity, all of our staff are encouraged to “go the extra mile,” so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities for exceptional or outstanding service if you care to offer them. Also, certain staff positions (e.g., concierge, butler, youth program staff and beverage service) provide service on an individual basis to only some guests and do not benefit from the overall service charge. We encourage those Guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. Additionally, there is an 20% gratuity and spa service charge added for all spa and salon services, as well as an 20% gratuity and beverage service charge added for all beverage purchases and an 20% gratuity and specialty service charge added to all specialty restaurant dining and entertainment based dining.