The Traveling Man

A ship's officer, either the GM's Secretary or the Groups Coordinator, will bring them to the M&G.

Do you recall the GM's name?

Yes, you should be able to do this, but it would be advisable to contact NCL well in advance to get all your ducks in a row. We did something similar while sailing on the Getaway this past May. The cruise was scheduled for 10 days from Southampton to Copenhagen. We got off on day four in Amsterdam. We had to carry our own luggage, but otherwise things went smoothly. We had exchanged emails with NCL's Senior Vice President for Guest Services Katty Byrd (kbyrd@ncl.com). She made arrangements for us to receive a reduced rate since we would only be on board for four days of a ten day voyage. We also were only charged for four days of Daily Service Charge. Since Amsterdam is a major hub for cruise ships, there was no problem arranging for Customs officers to be available to check us through the terminal. Le Havre is a busy port, but it may not see very many cruises originating or terminating there, so be sure to verify with NCL that Customs officials will be on hand.

Also spelled quay, quai, kay, cay, and key. All of which are pronounced "key."

Completely understandable that it could be suspended temporarily. It seems that the point that @RonDuCanadawas trying to make, however, is that since the return to sailing after the COVID suspension, NCL has continued to list the BTS tour as a Latitudes benefit. It has been almost a year and a half since the return to sailing and NCL still has does not include a notice on their Latitudes Rewards Benefits chart indicating that this benefit as well as some others are currently suspended. It seems reasonable that if they do not intend to fulfill their promises that they at least could mention the suspension, if not completely remove mention of the benefits which they have no intention of providing at the present time. It very reasonably could be considered deceitful on NCL's part. I prefer to grant them the benefit of the doubt, however, and simply assume that the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing, indicative of a lack of competence on the part of NCL management, or at least a lack of attention to detail.

While we were on the Apex earlier this year we booked a cruise for February on the Beyond. In addition to the benefits that others have mentioned, we also received a bottle of wine and our name was placed in a drawing for a free upgrade to The Retreat for the last week of our Apex cruise. We didn't win the upgrade, but it was worth taking a shot at it.

I found it interesting that in the midst of all these layoffs, including many corporate VPs, Senior VPs, and even some Executive VPs, that NCLH promoted someone to CEO of their Oceana brand who is named Frank Del Rio, Jr.

It's a peculiarity of American English, but dinner courses which Europeans call "entrees" are known as "appetizers" in the US. What Americans call "entrees" are know as "main courses" or simply "mains" in the rest of the world. So, the dishes identified as "entrees" on the ship's menu actually are intended to be the main course for the meal. Light dishes that you may wish to sample prior to the main course would be listed as "appetizers." As I recall, however, the menus in La Cucina list the dishes in sections labeled "antipasta," "primi," "secondi," and "dolce."

As noted in Post #7, NCL clearly states that the Daily Service Charge is used to provide gratuities for crew members.

I agree !

I expect that @ChiefMateJRKmight actually prefer it if you were downwind.

Who was the Hotel Director? Alain Magnier?

It has been a while since we sailed on the Bliss, but I seem to recall that there is a power outlet in the bathroom above the mirror (part of the light fixture). It is limited to very low wattage, just enough for an electric razor, electric toothbrush, etc. I know they have the bathroom outlets on many NCL ships and I think they are on the Bliss, also.

I have. It was years ago, on our second NCL cruise. We had not built up enough Latitudes points to get something for nothing, yet we wanted to see what the big deal was with specialty dining. We went to Teppanyaki one night and Le Bistro another and paid full fare. Since we made the decisions on the spur of the moment, we had not purchased a dining package. We just went in, ate, and signed the bill. Since then we have had dinner in NCL specialty restaurants about a hundred times, each time "on the cuff."

Well, Chief, it's a good thing you don't live in North Texas, where roughly 80% of the flights in and out of DFW are on American Airlines. Southwest flies out of Dallas Love Field, not DFW, making connections with other airlines inconvenient. Also, direct flights from Love only go to a relatively few destinations, and most of those are within just a few hundred miles of Dallas. Traveling across the country on Southwest from Love usually requires one or more layovers. So, essentially speaking, those of us in North Texas are forced to take American, either love it or leave it. It may not be the best airline around, but you can get used to just about anything, even a sore tooth.

Sorry, I must have misread your earlier post. The only NCL tour we have taken in Honolulu was the post-cruise tour to Pearl with drop-off at the airport. I thought that was the one you were asking about. On that trip to Hawai'i, we also spent about three days in Honolulu prior to the cruise and booked a number of excursions on our own. That gave us the flexibility to pick the tours that really interested us, rather than rely on NCL to decide when and where to go.

Did you also arrange for NCL to provide shuttle service from the airport to the cruise port? If so, you should be OK so long as the flight arrives by 2:00 PM or so. As noted by others, the ship can be held for departure if an NCL bus is running late.

We took this tour several years ago. Things may have changed since then, but when we disembarked from the ship, they placed our luggage in the storage bin under the bus, we got onto the bus, and they first took us on a tour of Honolulu, with a brief photo stop at the Iolani Palace and a drive by the national cemetery. Then it was off to Pearl Harbor for several hours of touring the visitor's center, with time to take the harbor cruise to the Arizona memorial. Then it was back on the bus for our drop-off at the airport. Many of the flights to the mainland depart late in the afternoon, but you should verify the schedule before you sign up for the tour.

The last time we were on the Dawn was in September 2019 on a New England / Canada cruise from NYC. I was somewhat surprised to see several men in Le Bistro wearing shorts, T shirts, and sandals. The dress code requiring long trousers for men was on display at the hostess desk, but the restaurant staff did not seem to make any effort to enforce it.

A very interesting article. It did not mention Super Star Leo, however, which is still sailing as Norwegian Spirit.

OKAY, so did I. Whew, thanks for the heads up. I won't be making that mistake anytime soon !!!

They probably meant Vancouver Island, i.e. Victoria.

We frequently just get off the ship to walk around town a bit and look for a great place for lunch. My wife and I both really enjoy seafood and we have found some great seafood restaurants in many of the ports we have visited. Unlike some cruise lines, NCL does not locally source their food so they can provide unique menu offerings featuring local ingredients, so a special meal in port is always a treat.

Once again, The Bird hit the nail squarely on the head. Priscilla is a show about folks who live a unique lifestyle, i.e. drag queens. It is not a "drag show." I was among the many who went to the show assuming I wouldn't like it, only to discover that it was a wonderful presentation. I believe there is a name for such a mindset as I had, in which one judges something previous to actually experiencing it. Oh yeah, it's called prejudice, and I must reluctantly admit that sometimes I find myself bitten by that bug. I'll try to be more open to new experiences.

Agree. There are several areas of the ship which could be better utilized. The Atrium is overworked, especially the Penrose Bar, while the Belvedere is under utilized. There really isn't enough seating available in some of the venues used for entertainment, notably the atrium, Syd Norman's, and the comedy club. When you try to squeeze in more guests, the sight lines are awkward and many guests have to deal with obstructed views or poor acoustics. I likewise don't recall seeing a piano in any of the bars or lounges. They certainly did not feature a piano player among any of their entertainers.