Middleager

I wouldn't chance not getting back on ship by the all aboard time.

37 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

They don’t show the fee as a separate item on a bill. It is built into the exchange rate they give you. If you have ever had to correct a charge immediately, you can tell. If there is no fee, there is almost no difference between the charges. If there is a fee of 2.5% say, the reversal will be about 5% less than the original charge. 
 

I can’t believe that AMEX goes through a conversion to US$ and then to CAD$. I have never had that with Visa ans Mastercard. 

That's why I suggester water_baby to check again, because s/he apparently didn't know of the charge.

And yes Amex is awful, to charge more if it's different foreign currency than USD.  And again that's hidden into the rate they use.

5 minutes ago, Water_Baby_ said:

I have a Cobalt card. Haven't been charged FX fees - ever. 

You better check again.  Every other Cobalt cards, including my wife's and my supplementary card, got charged the extra 2.5% if spending in USD, or if in other currencies it'll be 2.5% extra to USD then another 2.5% to Cad.
Check the rates you got charged, vs the mid market rate.

On 4/19/2024 at 10:26 AM, buddy1755 said:

I got flights thru NCL for my upcoming transatlantic,  on the return leg of the trip we were booked out of Gatwick with Air Transat.  I went on to their site and booked our seat selection and paid for our luggage.  WELL NCL just changed everything,  I now fly out of Heathrow with Brittish Airway.  I was told by NCL AND Airtransat that that monies are not refundable.  So in the future I quess I would wait till last minute to choose seats I I will never pay for luggage until I get on the aircraft. 

This is really rough.

Just curious how many days till the flight were the changes made?  We don't know the reasons and which airlines.

We've bought air through NCL in the past when the savings were substantial. 

We are commoners, so we fly economy, and sometimes we'd pay for seat selections, and sometimes take a chance especially for short flight segments.  For luggages, if we need to pay, we'd try to wait till just before getting on to buy ahead if there's discount, or wait till airport check-in.

There's pros and cons for buying air through NCL, but this is a bad negative to consider for the future.

--

For changing from Canadian dollars, there are lots of money exchange places that give better rates than the banks, even bank's Private Banking rates.  There was a time I went across the street to buy US$ from a money exchange place, then back to a bank to buy money order (about $1800), saving about $45.  Some people wouldn't bother and just buy from bank.  For me, that extra half hour, saved me $45.

On 4/17/2024 at 12:16 PM, Nikita4 said:

The ship really needs some maitenance.

 

This will be our first and last NCL cruise, also the pax are special, many drunken elderly people on the ship. We never see things like this on a cruise.

Our  teen son was shoked after the first night after a old lady invited him to come with her in her cabin….

Do you know of any cruise ship that doesn't need maintenance?

You've never seen many drunken elderly people on a cruise, where have you sailed?

Maybe your son will be hooked on cruising.

We've been on several cruises.  Ship happens, with all ships.  Cancelled or changed itineraries.  Shortened port of calls.  Services/shows cancelled.  We may or may not like the compensations, sometimes zero compensation.  But we always get pampered on cruises, I get to be on vacation with my wife.  Life is short, we make the best of it and enjoy it.

1 minute ago, Fouremco said:

The Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card charges no foreign exchange fees.

Ok, that's a special one, of Scotiabank/Amex partnership.  You apply for that card through Scotiabank, not Amex.  Amex doesn't list that as a card you can apply through them, or show that card in Amex websites.

I don't know of Amex Amex card with no FX fee.

For the immigration/border agents, those IDs may suffice.

But the cruiseline may still require you to show passport. 

22 hours ago, Water_Baby_ said:

I use an American Express when we're outside of Canada and pay no foreign exchange fees. 

Which Amex card?  Most of the Amex cards we know of, charge foreign exchange fees.  If paying USD, it's 2.5%.  If other countries, they charge 2.5% to convert to USD, then another 2.5% converting to Cad.

It had happened to us before.  After booking, NCL came up with an offer of double points, but went up in price a bit.

For you, if the price went up, you'd have to evaluate whether the double points is important to you that you'd like to rebook at the slightly higher price. 

If the price is the same or lower, then it's a no brainer to rebook.

44 minutes ago, ciabelle said:

Ok, I've heard enough answers like yours saying it'll be the absolute most no frills fare possible, and others saying that the fare included a checked bag. So I'm honestly no closer to a definitive answer than before I asked. 

I do think it makes sense for NCL to book a regular coach ticket over the barebones flight. Flight delays happen often enough that people report missing the ship completely or having to catch up with it in another port of call. It would be salt in the wound if one not only didn't get to the ship on time, but then lost the entire value of the ticket NCL purchased for them, and had to pay the full fare to get to the next port or fly home early. 

So, no, they're not going to put you in any premium cabin, let alone first or business class without possible prior arrangements and a much heftier fee, but I will trust the others who've said a checked bag was included. 

We had bought NCL fare.  For long haul (transatlantic, transpacific, or transcontinental) flights, they often do include a checked bag. 

For short haul or US/Canadian domestic flights, no there is no free checked bags.  You can believe as much as you wish that you'll get free checked bag, but there is reality especially proven experience.

3 hours ago, ciabelle said:

Does NCL book the absolute cheapest fare AKA basic economy, or do they book regular coach/main cabin? 

We're sailing out of Barcelona in November, so it's long before NCL will book our flights, but checking with Delta, the one-way fare difference between basic economy and main cabin is $100, while a checked bag is free in main cabin, but $150 in basic. Plus you can make changes or cancel without penalty with main, and choose your own seats to boot..  So going with basic economy seems penny wise and pound foolish. I'd rather pay NCL a couple hundred dollars up front than have to pay even more on the back-end. 

If you were NCL, will you book the lowest cost airfare, or will you try to pay higher fare out of the goodness of their heart so passengers will get more benefits?

In the last two cruises we were on, they both offered double up, if you book on cruise.  They also both offered to upgrade you to the highest cabin, in the same category.

35 minutes ago, stinkyharriet said:

My sister called NCL (or maybe it was Casinos At Sea) and added me to the call.  I was able to use my Cruise First certificate even though my sister was the main person on the booking.  Much easier than trying to transfer it!

It's likely the transfer was made by the NCL rep, then the booking.  That's because when doing bookings, the CF or CN certs or discounts, to be applied, they need to show up for the person applying.

My BIL and my wife were just involved in doing a transfer and booking.  The NCL rep was able to do the transfer (no forms or signatures needed, just transferred), then can do the booking.

1 hour ago, FLAHAM said:

I have always gotten on first tender just by showing my card.  No myth.

That's right.  No myth.

Lattitude members who get priority tender, don't need to get tender tickets.

I usually ask the Cruise Next desk.  On different ship, sailing, things can be done differently.  Sometimes they tell you just to show up (probably because they know from experience there is not line up, especially if tender starts really early), and sometimes they tell you to go to a certain room and wait there.  NCL staff will then escort those, to the front of the line.

If you have a small group going on a non-NCL excursion, as long as one of them has lattitude for priority tendering, NCL had allowed all to go together.

Didn't many people say NCL was going bankrupt, no way to climb out of the huge debt.

There is a lot to see in Oahu.  Driving is easy, other than the traffic jams around Waikiki.

Robert's Tours are good, but they start and end in Waikiki.

If you like to see Pearl Harbor, it's best to book your time for Arizona Memorial.

https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/233338/ticket/16

Other places to see, not too far from airport or Aloha Tower (for ship), include Punchbowl Cemetery, Pali Lookout, Ionali Palace.  Even Aloha Stadium Swap meet.  No time to go to Polynesia Cultural Center to enjoy it fully.  But you can stop at Waikiki for a bit of time.

If you still don't want to drive, it can be expensive to hire a private driver, but that gives you flexibility.

We have bought NCL air from Toronto to Rome,  then Miami to Toronto, for a Transatlantic cruise before.

We did 2day deviation before, and after, and did our own hotel booking, and transfer arrangements.  At that time, 2d is the maximum deviation.  Interesting to hear they offer 3day deviation now.

There are lots of pros and cons to buy air from NCL and there are lots of threads and posts.  For us, the money saved was good.  We knew were were taking a chance and can get bad flight/connection times.  You have to decide if that's for you.

Hmm.  So for 17d cruise, 2 weeks plus 3 days, do we (Saphires) get 2 bags or 3 bags each of laundry?

1 hour ago, BubbaBoat said:

We will arrive in Civitavecchia at 6am. We've never been early risers on our cruises. How early can we hop off the ship? We were in the port 18 months ago and took our time heading to Rome. This time, we're heading to the Vatican. It's been 20 years since our last visit, and we want to get there as quickly as possible.  Thanks for the help.

Very soon after 6am when you hear the announcements, you can carry your own luggages to get off.

If you have your own transportation lined up, you can be on the way to the Vatican.

Do you mean to visit St. Peter's Sq, go into the Basilica, or visit the Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel (need to buy tickets)?  Last time we bought the small tour, before opening to the public, and had a fabulous guided tour inside.  We were in the Sistine Chapel for 25minutes.  We had breakfast in the courtyard.  When we were coming out, there were lots and lots of people, and outside there were lots of people lining up (some to buy tickets, some to get in..)

On 3/31/2024 at 1:17 AM, gizfish said:

The cabin isn't under the fitness center, so you won't have noise from that.  Generally the area in the spa towards the back of the ship is where the heated stone lounges are.  It looks to be the case in pics of the Bliss spa.  So unless someone is snoring exceptionally loudly, lol, it seems you should be fine.

If it was my wife snoring, the entire ship would hear.  So your stateroom (and any other statement) would still be affected.

Ok I better be careful, don't let my wife see this.

1 minute ago, jimsig said:

I'd say if you are at 19, 44, 74, 149, 349, and 699 points after finishing a cruise it's the most painful as you are only one point away from the next status.  A so close yet so far away type of thing. It's got nothing to do with being thankful you have cruised that may nights.  You can love the fact that you have cruised that many nights and also be bummed that you are missing the next level by only one point.  

I wouldn't feel painful or bummed at all. 

I'd feel glad, and blessed that I have been able to be on cruises, and got those points.  So what if I'm 1 point away from the next level.  There are other things that are painful, certainly not this.

3 hours ago, Exuberant said:

Not everyone is trying to scheme in life. But some people sure choose to be as rialed up as possible. 

 

Anywho, yeah I was transparent, I'd appreciate if they honored the platinum on this trip but if that's not a thing they do then whatever I should have booked my last cruise sooner when it was double points. 

But why should NCL "honor" you with Platinum, when you haven't earned it? 

We had been on cruises where we would've advanced to the next status level at the end of that cruise.  The rule has always been you earned the night points, and if that gets to the next status, AFTER you completed the cruise, not before, not during.

Your initial question (including "probably the most painful number of points") and your repeated comment, all show that even though you did know the rule, you still want to find or hear of some way to bypass the rules.

Please don't use the word "honor" to mean how you like to find ways to bypass the rules (heard that some people have been lucky in having a higher status).  Your understanding of "honor" is not the same as most people.

We never take the NCL transfer.  It's almost always cheaper to arrange our own private or small-group shared transfer.  With NCL transfer you have to wait till the big bus fill up, and if the airport has multiple terminals, it can be going around to drop off in all those terminals.

But I know, some people feel safer to go with NCL transfers.

8 hours ago, Keata said:

We have the RBC Avion Visa Infinite and they charge 2.5%  The RBC Visa Signature Black Plus from their US Bank arm does not charge the additional fee.

You're talking about the existing RBC Avion visa, not the ones issued from the RBC takeover of HSBC, different RBC Avion visa.

7 hours ago, Exuberant said:

I'm at 74 latitudes points aka probably the most painful number of points. I've got a 14 day cruise coming up and have heard that some people have been lucky in having a higher status honored when they are super close. I'm curious if anyone here has experience with this and can provide a data point or best way to go about trying to get them to honor platinum this time...

Why is 74 the most painful number of points?  Many people would've loved to have cruised that many nights.

No NCL won't give you special treatment for being close.  But you'll get Plat after the next cruise.  Plat is a good status to be in, free laundry, free specialty dining, priority tendering, etc.