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Thanks, Itried4498.  Operator wouldn't directly answer my questions pertaining to port schedules/ship times but did try to steer me to another option that was more flexible timewise. The operator did not offer a refund if we didn't arrive in time, unless the ship fails to port which would trigger a full refund.  Can't blame them for that late arrival policy since they would be reserving space for us on a tour that has a set schedule.

I have booked many non-cruiseline excursions, but they have typically been private and/or offered more schedule flexibility.  I will likely pursue other options (no sense in adding stress to vacation) but would still appreciate any feedback from recent Panorama cruisers as to what is the earliest time (local time) they were able to get off the boat in PV.  We cruise in late January.

OP - My son has taken a full-sized acoustic guitar on several NCL cruises as a teenager/young adult.  We always made sure he played quietly and in private areas.  Never had a problem.  He is also a singer and actually won the karaoke contest on one of our cruises.     

A few years back I bought him a travel guitar (also called backpackers  - much smaller and quieter than full sized) for Christmas.  This guitar satisfies his need to play but is much easier to travel with.  It is always with him when he travels.

Hope you have an enjoyable cruise!

I am considering booking a tour which has a set meeting time.  The Panorama Itinerary and cruise port schedules show us in port at 9:00 am.  Can any recent cruisers share their experience as to what time (local PV time) you were allowed to get off the boat in this port?  The tour meeting point is a very short walk within the Cruise port.   We would need to be off the boat by 9:20 or so.  Thanks!

(I do know that times are not guaranteed at any port, just curious as to what recent cruisers have experienced.)

We just cancelled our January 2021 sailing and rescheduled to a January of 2022.  Original booking (March 2020) and both rescheduled bookings were all Early Saver rates.  We were allowed to keep our deposit and OBC issued by Carnival due to cancellation of the original March of 2020 cruise.  Carnival was very accommodating about all of our requests including change from two rooms to three rooms for our family of six.  Hoping the third booking is the "charm" and we will be able to sail in 2022!

Friend of mine dropped two grand in the casino on the first night of a Carnival cruise a few years back.  On the last day he received a plate of chocolate chip cookies and note from the casino.  His wife wasn't amused.  Took one bite and told my buddy she always wondered what a $500 dollar cookie tasted like.

Had that situation come up during a conversation with Carnival this morning.  This is what I was told:

1) If you replaced the card and still have an account the credit card company will apply to new card.

2) If you no longer have an account, the CC company will notify Carnival and Carnival will issue a check

I cancelled and rebooked this morning through Carnival and was assured I could rebook anytime till March of 2021 and still use FCC. Cancellation needed to be done within 3 day window, however. Phone hold was about 30 minutes.  I went ahead and rebooked our party of 6 while on the phone with the rep.

I did not jot down the reps name, but she was very patient and professional in spite of my lack of preparation for the call.

My cruise was set to sail on Monday so I needed to get things cleaned up ASAP.

Very disappointed to postpone our family cruise but seemed prudent with my wife's compromised immune system (Sjogrens) and apprehension of one other family member.

We're in the same "boat", Soozles.  Last cruised Carnival back in 2014 and have since taken four trips with NCL.  Due to logistics, I have booked our family of 5 + 1 (four young adults with mom and dad) on the Carnival Fantasy out of Mobile over spring break in honor of our youngest daughter's graduation from high school.  I'm so glad this will likely be the last time I will have to pay the spring break premium for sailing during this time frame.  We sailed NCL last November so we will have a recent experience to compare the two lines.  Like you, I am anxious to see how Carnival has changed since we last cruised with them and how the two lines compare.  In my mind, they are very similar in quality on most things with a few minor negatives and positives on both sides.  I never had anything against Carnival, like you I just caught better deals elsewhere for the last few years.

Hope you enjoy your cruise!

We will be boarding the Jewell on Monday to sail from Vancouver to Hawaii.  I would be curious to hear some of your main complaints.

Carnival has special pizza stations where you can watch the dough being hand-tossed and pizza being assembled and cooked in special ovens as you watch and wait.  It is available 24/7 and always fresh and very good, in my opinion.  On NCL, find something else to eat.  Nothing more than filler, and who needs filler on a cruise with all the other food choices.  It is one of my biggest disappointments between the two lines, although we prefer NCL for other reasons (I can get good pizza at home).  Many people love their pizza.  Seems like a relatively simple "no brainer" for NCL to step up their game a bit in this department to increase the customer experience.

We just returned from the March 17th sailing. We enjoyed the Gem very much. Nothing was bad, but here are a few pros/cons from us:

Pros:

1) Food was very good in both specialty and MDR (buffets weren't bad either - especially the seafood medley on the huge grills poolside for lunch - be sure to stop by about 11:00 to watch them prepare this feast if you are a seafood lover.)

2) Singers in evening shows. Variety of shows was also very good.

Cons:

1) Lounge singers and games

2) General "bubbliness/enthusiasm" of the staff. They just didn't seem to have that "over the top" desire to serve and entertain like we have experienced on other sailings

Other than that, things seemed similar to other recent NCL sailings. As others have said - cruising is what you make of it. Go with the flow when things aren't quite up to expectations and don't let the little things bother you.

I'll also note that we had to tender in two ports (which I hate since I rarely book ship excursions). I thought they did a good job of getting people ashore quickly.

Enjoy your cruise!

BUMP on my question?

Have you got it figured out yet, Mitsugirly? If so, please post your findings.

Here is what I've been able to gather (inconclusively) from various posts as I am researching this port as well. You could take the ferry from FdF to A'L Ane. This ferry makes a second stop in Mitan, but I believe you could explore A'L Ane first, then catch a later ferry to Mitan. From Mitan it would be a 10-15 minute walk to Pointe du Bout. Then ferry back to FdF from there. Other posts indicate you do not have to return from the same route you started on.

Here is a link to ferry routes and times: http://www.vedettestropicales.com/horaires-dessertes-vedettes-tropicales/

I've enjoyed some of your past reviews. Hope you have another nice adventure.

You should be fine. We use AMEX offers a lot and the "Thank You" email is always worked like that. Give it a couple of days and you'll probably see the actual credit on your statement. We've done the OBC twice and it's worked both times - we got the credit long before the cruise.

Hope you're right, Jenf22. Appreciate the info. I have had this card for many years but never used any of the offers you need to sign up for. I could have used this on last year's cruise.

People often complain about NCL nickel and diming. Looks like many of us also play the game. Guess it's a two-way street.

Saw this post and since I am an AMEX cardholder decided to join the crowd. Loaded the offer and purchased $500 OBC since I am paid in full for our upcoming cruise. Received Thank You email from AMEX for using the offer immediately after the purchasing the OBC. My only concern is this language in the Thank You: Look out for a $100.00 statement credit, which will automatically be applied to your statement if your purchase meets the offer terms.

Do I need to make sure I use the OBC on at least $500 of non-excluded items? Guess I'll have to just wait and see if OBC really does qualify on this year's offer which clearly tries to exclude many non-essential cruise expenses.

Congrats! Hope you enjoy your new freedom from work and find many blessings ahead! :D

Thanks Go-Bucks - Happy sailing to you as well!

No need to purchase through NCL. We went through Expedia and got an offer.

My countdown started in August of 2016 when the company I had worked for over 30 years decided my position would be eliminated on 2-1-2018. A co-worker/friend who was also on "the list" and I decided to take a RIF cruise (Reduction In Force - that's what they called it) last February to celebrate the news. We are both now retired and enjoyed the RIF cruise so much we have a Retirement cruise scheduled for this March.

Haven't been at it long enough yet to know if retirement is for me, but early indications look promising.

I ride jet skis a lot and agree with previous post. Be advised, however, that the person on the back is at the mercy of the driver. Quick/aggressive maneuvers can easily throw the rear passenger because they cannot anticipate driver's moves. Best if they can just "hold on tight" at all times and hugging the driver is the best way. If the driver is not too aggressive it is less of an issue.

We are currently book in an Oceanview (OK category) which was the minimum cabin to get the pick all 5 perks when we booked. I assume when I consider upgrade vs. bid I need to look at the current minimum balcony or mini-suite prices which also include perks (not the "sail away" pricing). Is that correct?

In my case, the current minimum perk inclusive pricing for a balcony is over $400 more per person than my OK booking. BX category is about $150 cheaper per person. I assume NCL would require around $400 pp for me to do a direct upsell. Is that the correct thinking?

Thanks all. Seems the consensus is we will have plenty of time to get a feel of the St. Patty's day excitement before boarding the Gem. Another unplanned perk of our sailing date which we hadn't considered at booking time.

Still quite a ways off but I'm already getting caught up in the excitement of the cruise and my first introduction to NY city.

Don't know if you are the "sun-worshipper" types or not, but I have been on many cruises and the only consistent thing I am bothered by is the "chair hogs". Let your friends know that it may be difficult to get prime seating during sea days. I have seen fights erupt from people who think they can throw a towel over the back of a chair at 6 am, then return at 11 and expect the chairs to be empty. I wish the cruise lines could find a better way to monitor this practice. I know they post informal rules, but in my experience they are not enforced.

Thanks for the replies. To clarify, we will be staying here:

Comfort Inn Midtown West

548 West 48th Street,

We are sailing out of NY on March 17th aboard NCL Gem. We typically board the ship as early as possible, but with this being our first visit to NY (arriving 2 days prior) we would like to experience as much of the Big Apple as possible. Would we be able to get a "flavor" of the St. Paddy's party prior to boarding the Gem? We are staying in Comfort Inn West so have good proximity to the boat. I assume the hotel would hold our luggage while we joined in on some early Irish merriment.

Any thoughts or suggestions? (doable? recommended establishments?)

I was on the Dawn last month in an inside cabin. Can't remember the cabin wall material, but:

1) There is a built-in hair dryer on the vanity outside of the bathroom

2) Body gel and shampoo dispensers in the shower

Sailed on the Dawn the week of 2-5. I was served salmon on the breakfast buffet each morning, but had to ask for it at the end of the line. Waiter would reach under the counter and give me as many "rolls" (two or three slices rolled up) as I wanted. I usually took two or three. They tried to do it secretively, usually taking my plate under the counter. It was only available on one side and I was directed to the appropriate line by a waiter from the "wrong" side. I did see a few others getting it as well.

I only inquired because of a posting I had read on this board. Greatly appreciated the info as I always look forward to salmon for breakfast when cruising.