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Everything posted by BirdTravels
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Success!! Booked Railway Experience on Utopia
BirdTravels replied to mandyleighflies's topic in Royal Caribbean International
Ours has been open a couple of weeks. Still not sold out. Seems like low interest. -
For us, the lounge has little to no value. Crammed in a small space. We are not going to eat a bunch of junkie appetizers if we’re headed to the dining room (morning or night). So, we’ll pass through to say “we were there” and move on.
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Alaska - Front Facing or Rear Facing balcony on the Sun
BirdTravels replied to wilmingtech's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
We would spend hours every day watching the sea and the sea life. We sailed Alaska a couple of weeks ago and there was an abundance of whales, otters and other critters. -
Buyer Beware - Awful Customer Care Post Cruise on NCL
BirdTravels replied to raschwinger's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
Nope We always book the forward facing penthouse suite (because they are cheaper and offer more space than more expensive rooms in the Haven proper). And they are all slightly different if you look closely. We have been assigned ADA rooms in the Haven proper and, other than the automatic doors, we love the rooms with super space. The ship is not a rectangular block. It tapers as it goes up. So the rooms are different on every deck. Some just shape. Some have an extra structural element (room around a post/beam - gotta support the cantilever bridge). -
Buyer Beware - Awful Customer Care Post Cruise on NCL
BirdTravels replied to raschwinger's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
The OP got a room in the cabin class they booked. So did you. Specifically for forward facing and aft facing rooms, the configurations will be slightly different deck by deck because of the shape of the ship. You see a new question here on CC every week asking which room is better. The answer “You booked a H7 last time and have booked a H7 on your next cruise is 100% accurate”. Rooms will never be exactly the same unless you book the same room on the same ship. And no, no one wants disclaimers on every photo on the web site saying “pictures are national and your actual room may be different”. -
Technically, it is Le Bistro (who will call to remind you to show up with long pants). On ships with an Ocean Blue/ Bayamo/ Palomar, they are supposed to enforce a long pants policy. On ships without an Ocean Blue/ Bayamo/ Palomar, long pants are required in the aft main dining room (small ships and the Epic).
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The promotions have been the same for years. The discounts per person vary which mostly impact solo and 3rd/4th passengers as the base cruise fares change. On rare occasions you see an additional promo like free pot taxes, free daily service charge, extra points. Pro Tip: if you want to book a cruise, book it. Don’t wait around for the next good thing. Being from TX, you can cancel any time through final payment.
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The Sun is underway doing 18 knts to Juneau. Seems fine.
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Your kids will be fine. They can use the Haven pool deck and pool on Deck 16. The pool usually has lots of kids. Enjoy!
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The Supper Club usually has guest performers who sign contracts from 1 week to a month+. Performances will vary cruise to cruise around the availability of performers (who may fly in, preform, and get off a port or two later).
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NCL Breakaway - Not showing any Jan 2025 cruises
BirdTravels replied to joeyjeremiah's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
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Pride of America - Latest disembarkation time
BirdTravels replied to cruisegal2012Caribbean's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
Thank you for your first Cruise Critic post. Please do not bump 7 year old, dead threads. If you have a question, just start a new post with your question. The problem with bumping a 7-year-old thread is that the information in the thread is out of date and inaccurate and causes confusion by anyone reading it. -
Required entry documents for Barbados
BirdTravels replied to razor7_us's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
But isn't that true of most/all countries? If you are crossing their borders (other than a close loop cruise), you need a passport to go through an airport point of entry (POE), sea (private yacht landing) or land POE. The snip below shows the entry requirements for the Bahamas. But, you can get on a closed loop cruise and land in Nassau or GSC without whipping out a passport. PASSPORTS Passports are required by all persons entering The Bahamas. There are exceptions for certain types of entry. Folks need to follow the exact requirements of their carrier (in this case NCL) which may (are) different that something you find surfing the internet. -
They could have meals prepared per dietary restrictions at specialty Restaurants (we certainly have had vegan diners with us at Teppanyaki). Or they can just cancel the package and get a refund for what they paid.
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I tried chat on NCL.com and it said to call or e-mail
BirdTravels replied to ontheweb's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
Usually only happens after hours when no chat agents are online. -
Buyer Beware - Awful Customer Care Post Cruise on NCL
BirdTravels replied to raschwinger's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
As a direct manager then senior leader in a customer service organization, my guidance to my team was to placate the customer, but take no action that would result in loss of revenue. My teams are the front line to protect the company. My direction to my team has always been "Say whatever you have to say to make the customer feel good about themselves. You are not authorized to commit the company to compensate customer". That's how business works. Yes, there are senior managers who have the authority to authorize compensation, but that is last resort. NCL and every cruise line gets hundreds and hundreds of "sad stories" every single week. A lot of people in that Guest Services line on a ship has a "sad story". A cruise line would go out of business if every sad story resulted in compensation of a customer who was "sad". That's how business works. -
Required entry documents for Barbados
BirdTravels replied to razor7_us's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/cruise-travel-documents For Cruises Leaving From a U.S. Port to the Caribbean, Bahamas & Florida, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Canada & New England, Pacific Coastal. On cruises that begin and end in the same US port and do not sail through the Panama Canal or to any South American ports, you are required to carry one of the below documents: A Valid Passport OR Proof of Citizenship (see below) AND Government-issued photo ID (Baptismal paper, hospital certificates of birth, and Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to 7/1/10 are not acceptable.) State certified U.S. birth certificate Original certificate of U.S. naturalization Original certificate of U.S. citizenship U.S. Consular report of your birth abroad Enhanced Driver’s License (enhanced driver’s licenses are only issued in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington) A valid passport card Photocopies or pictures of documents will not be accepted. *A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 does not require a government-issued photo ID. A valid passport is required on all sailings that begin in one US port and end in another US port. -
Not available on cruises of less than 4 nights: Welcome Back Cocktail Party Complimentary Dance Class MSC Voyagers Club Diamond Party MSC Voyager Club Chocolate Ship
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On current itinerary Day 1 (Seattle): 11:30 am - Close Day 2 (At Sea): 3:00 pm - midnight Day 3 (Juneau): 3:00 pm - midnight Day 4 (Skagway): 4:00 pm - midnight Day 5 (Glacier Bay): Noon - midnight Day 6 (Ketchikan): Noon - midnight Day 7 (At Sea/Victoria): 3:00 pm - ~8:00 pm (Canada requires that bar is closed while in port)
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Buyer Beware - Awful Customer Care Post Cruise on NCL
BirdTravels replied to raschwinger's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
While I understand your confusion and disappointment, as a platinum member with many cruises under your belt, maybe you could have looked at a deck plan once in the 13 months leading up to your cruise. I booked a new cruise an hour ago. The very first thing I did was to check a deck plan to see where the room was (top deck, under an unused public space, over a room, next two two rooms, normal room configuration, normal balcony configuration). Once and only once I was satisfied with the room location and configuration did I move forward with paying my deposit. Once you were booked and onboard, there are no "extra Haven rooms laying around". And there should be no expectation that you would receive anything, alternate room, compensation, or even a ear to complain to. You got the room you paid for. You got the room you booked 13 months ago. There should be no expectation of any compensation. There should be no expectation that Guest Services should do anything for you. Phone agents are call center personnel. Many have never been on a ship before and can only read to you what is on their call center system screen,,, which would be a generic description of the room. FWIW, personally, we like ADA rooms when we get assigned to them because there is so much extra space. -
Barcelona Post-Cruise Tour Help - October 2024
BirdTravels replied to TJF1 's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
Run, don't walk, off the ship and catch a taxi to your hotel. Check your bags with the bell desk. Book a full day tour with pick-up at your hotel (e.g., Viator Barcelona in 1 Day: Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Old Town & Pickup) -
It is much greater than 30%. And more importantly, it is what reservations are sold pre-cruise. And what is left over for onboard booking. I am a Diamond member and are usually one of the first to board a ship on embarkation day. If I have a change I need made, I (ignoring the direction to go to muster), go straight to restaurant reservations to fix or deconflict. I have been the 2nd person in line at Restaurant Reservations and not been able to change/book the exact dates and times I wanted in popular restaurants. Sometimes not even a reasonable time on my preferred date. (Haven guests normally hand in their restaurant requests while waiting in the terminal and those will be entered later in the morning of embarkation day,,, so I am not competing against them.) So, yes, there are reservations left for onboard booking and some of them are not always desirable. Left overs. I have been on cruises where Cagney's is totally sold out (all days, all times) by 1 pm on embarkation day (90 minutes after boarding starts). NCL can save some reservations for onboard bookings, but they don't have to be the best dates or times. Let the people who take the time to book in advance have the best dates and time. PROTIP: Make all of your dining reservations as soon as you are allowed pre-cruise to get the dates and times you want. 130 days for Haven and Suites guests, 125 days for Club Balcony and Top Tier Latitudes members. 120 for general guests. 12 midnight eastern time.