Rob_H

On most NCL ships when you book a shorex onboard using the app the full price is charged. To get the latitudes discount you have to visit/call the shorex desk and they'll reprice, they're used to applying the discount later As yours are prepaid you'll likely get the difference back as OBC. But will there be a saving? You're booking st child rates (lower than adult) then asking for it to be treated as an adult rate with discount So, just book now. The amounts involved are small.

Keep track of the emails you sent, and the case numbers you get on the auto-responder. Sometimes they will respond to say they've added the credit. Sometimes you'll actually see the credit on your booking. Sometimes neither happens. Whether or not you get a response, and even if it shows on your booking, you'll likely have to chase it up again once onboard the ship. Wait a day or two from the cruise start. if it's not showing up in your onboard account on the app after that time, got to Guest Services and they'll ask you email them what you sent to Shareholder, and/or the case number, so they can check with Miami, it'll then get sorted in a day or two. We've had to do this onboard for six out of eight cruises this year, part of the early cruise ritual now.

It's harder to disembark after a series of cruises on the same ship - it's home! But we had to leave today. Walked off at 8am with no queuing, bags were in the terminal ok, Lyft to the airport under $20. At airport by 8.25. Honolulu cruise port is good, very clear signs to a dedicated Uber/Lyft waiting area.

Today we have a day essentially at sea, currently cruising slowly off Oahu. We can't dock at Kauai as the only dock is taken by the Pride of America. So our arrival will be (as scheduled) at 4pm. That was quite poor planning for this cruise, glad we had a day and a half in Kauai on the previous cruise.

In inside and balcony rooms (the only rooms we've been in), there are some outlets at the desk/mirror, only. The outlets are two Euro and one undersized US outlet. The coffee maker and hairdryer use Euro plugs, when they are both in use the US outlet is a tight squeeze. So bring an extension or two and multi adaptor (without surge protector). For anybody from the US a Euro adapter would also be a good idea, since there is only one US socket. There are also a couple of USB there. Each side of the bed has a fold out reading light, and another USB. Both sides of the bed have two switches for room lights.

On longer cruises, it's one bag per week per member (not per room). So we've got in the habit of sending a bag every 4-5 days, even if not full (we're both diamond), alternating the name. We've never used the coupon, just write your latitudes status boldly and clearly by your name and by your signature on the slip.

The Spirit in Hilo.

Today we're in Hilo on the Big Island, Hawaii. US immigration was done onboard. Quick and efficient as over 90% of passengers were from the USA and Canada.

We've been through the canal three times this year. Bliss in January and February, Encore in April. No onboard tests were required on any of them.

Photos of Silk, the complementary Asian restaurant. Basically same menu as the places like Jasmine Garden on the Jade, see attached pdf. Sushi is an additional charge. Silk.pdf

Windows MDR at lunchtime, this time showing the actual windows.... It's on deck 6 all the way aft.

Yes, it looks the same as the Bliss and Encore. Not super exciting, we haven't had a reason to eat there yet. All day menu attached, food starts page 6. Local.pdf

The Local, the 24 hour bar and snack place. It's on the corridor between the Atrium and the forward stairs.

Henry's Pub. This is during the morning, it does have customers later when it opens! Each evening there is a pub trivia in Henry's Pub at 7.15.

As i mentioned after Papetee, many people from the previous cruise tested positive for Covid on May 29 or 30, so couldn't leave the cruise and fly home. A large number of rooms on decks 4 and 5 were used to quarantine them. The number of people affected hasn't been revealed by Norwegian. Those people are now recovering (if they even had any symptoms), testing negative, and being allowed out of their rooms. I talked to a couple we know from the first cruise. They were given the option to leave the ship, but would then be on their own to find somewhere to stay and find a way home (they live outside the US). They were very happy to accept Norwegian's generous offer to allow them to say on board, all the way back to Honolulu. Even though it means delaying their return to work. It's unclear so far exactly what they'll need to pay for but it's essentially a free cruise. The couple we know are very happy with the way Norwegian handled it at such short notice. Even though it was a shock for us at the time to have many quarantine rooms around us, it's clear that Norwegian has gone to considerable effort and expense to help those affected. We are happy to know that we'll be looked after well if this ever happens to us!

We went to Le Bistro last night (Latitudes voucher). Third time we've been on these two cruises, excellent food and service again. Photos are Duck a la Orange, and Lamb Chops and Shank. (Lamb isn't really stuck to the ceiling, photo ended up wrong way up when i posted it!)

The April 2024 Jewel transpacific is very likely to be cancelled or have major changes when the 2023/4 Asia season is released. We've been discussing it over at the roll call:

Yesterday we (Rob and Yanet) boarded the Norwegian Spirit in Honolulu, for a 24 day back-to-back voyage to French Polynesia (Tahiti) and back. This is only the second cruise of the Spirit since her restart on May 7th (the last Norwegian ship back in service). I'm happy to (try to) answer any questions about the ship and the destinations, as we travel. We've been on the Spirit before, in October 2019, before the refurbishment. We arrived in Honolulu four days before embarkation, directly off a 35 day b2b2b on the Encore. It's going to be tempting to compare with that ship (and the Bliss, which we spent 37 days on in January and February) but I'll try to resist as they are a very different size and experience. We got to the port around 10.30. Boarding was the usual current process of waiting to have vaccine cards and test results checked, with no separate queue or priority for any level of latitudes membership. Once past that and security, there was a priority lane for latitudes which saved a little time. We were given boarding group A so after a short wait, with entertainment provided by some Hawaiian musicians and dancers, we got on board by 11.30. Lunch was in the Windows main dining room, service was excellent, providing a good first impression. The decor in Windows, and really most of the ship, is however quite bland. The elegant decor and beautiful Asian art of the pre-refurbishment Spirit has been replaced with an inoffensive and boring look similar to a modern budget hotel - lots of mid brown laminates and cream. Our inside cabin was ready by the time we finished, with luggage already delivered. The amount of space to store things in the room seems less than we remember before, it's now as bad as the modern big ships. No elegance or wow factor in the cabins for sure, bland again. There are 1100 passengers on this first leg. Surprising, as there are very few people on the roll call or on another social media group. There wasn't enough interest for a meet and greet, which would be awkward anyway as this cruise has day five as the first sea day. There are four port days in Hawaii, then four sea days, then four port days in French Polynesia. That's enough for an intro! I'll keep the next updates short, as things happen. Questions welcome!