rtkenmore

18 hours ago, DaCruiseBug said:

 

Perhaps you should read the wording on the NCL website where it says verbatim "20% gratuity and service charge". They say this because as I said...a majority goes into the NCL coffers and a small portion gets put into the pool for "incentive" rewards to employees. So you see...the bigger the cost of the beverage package the bigger that 20% is.

 

As far as the fare, yes! You're paying a higher fare to get that so called "perk". Compared to most other cruise lines the cheapest balcony with a perk is several hundred dollar more then their is. So both compared to the sailaway rate (usually $200-400 less per person) and other cruise lines you're paying for part of that beverage package in the actual fare and then paying for it some more with those service charges NCL pockets.

 

Once my Cruise Next certificates are used up i'll probably not even consider NCL to be honest. They have a good product but their gimmicks are just too much for me. Every month it seems like they either increase prices or add some other fee. Who knows, maybe i'll sell them on Ebay. We actually just came back from an MCS cruise on the Seaside and paid about the same for a Yacht Club suite as we would have for a Mini-Suite on NCL so...yeah...i'm at my tipping point with NCL.

 

Last but not least, I do expect them to make a profit they are a corporation after all. I just believe in some transparency and hate being nickel and dimed. 

Ok, bye.  

5 hours ago, ddlb said:

I'm booking a cruise out of Copenhagen and taking the NCL reduced roundtrip airfare rate out of Chicago or Boston of $499 as a perk - which of course involved me upgrading from inside guarantee ix.    I have never done this before and if you have I would very much appreciate your feedback.  This is all the info my TA gave:

 

Flight schedules for Norwegian will not be assigned until 60 days prior to your departure date.  Their air program is under Bulk Air where you choose your gateway but they select the air schedule based on their available contracted schedules with the airlines.

 

I really want to know before then the flight departures so I can book a flight to Chicago in time to get the best price and or best flight times available before they are sold out.  In addition I have no clue if there will be costly luggage charges - meals included or not - upgrades available etc.

 

If anyone could provide me with what they have experienced in doing this I would really appreciate it very much.  

 

 

 

I

 

 

So you're having to fly from your current location to the actual NCL departure location?  Your best thing if you don't want to wait till 60 days before is to just play on flying the day before and day after return.  Otherwise, your only option would be to wait until you have NCL's flight confirmation in hand first before booking your flights.

29 minutes ago, blcruising said:

You can collect your passport from the ship's port agent, as the crew will have likely left it ashore for you. The agent may allow you to call your travel insurance provider and/or help you secure lodging or a flight back home.

 

How exactly would the crew have known to check the safe and retrieve it before departing??  What if you don't leave the passport in the room safe but elsewhere in the room?  Or elsewhere packed away securely in a piece of luggage for instance.  😕

It's "free or reduced"...  Gotta read the fine print.

15 hours ago, DaCruiseBug said:

The NCL "free perks" are really nowhere near free. For example, that 10 day sailing on the Breakaway gets you an inside sail-away for $489 per person and the cheapest category with 1 free perk is $649 per person. So you're essentially paying $160 per person for your "Free" perk plus the service charges which on that sailing comes out to about $200 per person. So you're basically paying $360 per person for your free perk.

 

Btw: The service charges on the beverage package go for the most part directly to NCL, the workers only get a small portion of that thru their "incentive" programs.

And yet that is still cheaper than paying $1200/person out of pocket to buy the drinking package.

43 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

The NCL site has conflicting info. The most restrictive (minimum one 21 year-old per stateroom) is the policy.

If someone can get the right person to make it happen, it's possible to do it in another way but that is rare.  

Website is pretty clear is you ask me...

Traveling with Minors and Young Adults:
Norwegian Cruise Line's policy dictates that a minor or young adult under the age of 21 must be accompanied in the same stateroom (or a connecting/adjoining stateroom) by a guest 21 years of age or older at the time of boarding.

16 hours ago, esm54687 said:

My understanding is that you can not do this with adjoining but may be able to if the rooms are connecting.

I checked ncl.com directly. It uses both words. 

12 minutes ago, don't-use-real-name said:

Remember that one adult must be in each cabin.

That is unless NCL has had a rules change.

I thought that but checked real quick on the 20 year old..  If you have adjoining cabins, you can have under 21 in the same cabin which is why I suggested the adjoining ones.  But then, like I said, either someone steps down to an inside or someone steps up to a balcony.

Maybe compromise on Ocean View and then get three perks...  That might be something to consider.

On 9/6/2018 at 8:40 PM, jkneern said:

I was just looking at the reward tiers and am wondering?? I am gold and shows I get a bottle of wine. Is this new? I have cruised NCL x10 and have never gotten one before?

Don't worry, you didn't miss much.  If it's the same bottle we got last Thanksgiving, it's cheap and not that great.  😕 

2 hours ago, oracer said:

OK, we couldn't pass up the deal to get a cheap inside cabin for a 10 day cruise out of NO on the Breakaway next month.   I finished paying and went on the site.   We are going to get either the 3 or 4 day Specialty dinner deal, but was very amazed that the Beverage Package was $99 a day as the deal.   Yes, I know a lot get it free based on a 3 choice at the cabin you select, so with the inside, no deals.   Is the $99 the normal deal?  Will it get better as we get closer to the cruise or when we first get on board?  I understand that I have to pay the $20 gratuity but just not sure I want to pay $119 a day.  Thats a lot of drinks.  

The beverage package for your entire cruise would be $1188/person.  Both the primary guest would have to buy the package so figure on just under $2400 for the beverage package. If you booked a sail-away rate, you probably should have just gone ahead and booked the regular rate where you get to choose a perk because odds are it definitely wasn't another $2400 bucks.

24 minutes ago, cmrvancouver said:

NLC is  still advertising the inside cabin with a choice of 1 perk of which you could choose the Beverage Package - unless you chose the SailAway cabin which comes with no perks... If you get to choose a perk, I would choose the Bev Package as it's worth significantly more and you only pay the gratuity which seems to be the equivalent of 2-3 drinks per day in most cases.

 

https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/cruise-deals/choice?intcmp=pro_hpb_FREEATSEA6

Sounds like they likely chose a sail-away rate with no perks.

Another option would be to get adjoining statements...  Put the two adults in one and the 20yo in the other so the two adults can select drinks (possibly dining).  The caveat here though is you would likely have to either both get balconies or both get insides in order to get the adjoining state rooms.

If your girlfriends wants drinks, she should select the drink package as her perk.  Her son will get the soda package since he's under 21.  Your daughter as well will get the soda package if you select the UBP.

Unfortunately, you can't pass along your daughters dining package if you select that either.  Your daughter will have to be the one that uses the meals.

Depending on what you're "comfortable" with, what about just booking a second inside cabin?  Put one adult in one each cabin with one kid in each...  Both adults will get the UBP and both kids will get the soda package.  That'll save a little bit of money if you were considering getting the kids a soda package anyway.

When you check in, just inform them that the two adults will be in one room and the two kids in the other as far as the actual sleeping arrangements.  You could book two insides side by side.  That may not be an option price wise but it's something to consider and it would give you twice the space you have now with two bathrooms for getting ready, etc.

My favs are always the Howl at the Moon guys to be honest.  That is my favorite show to go to for late nights by far.

As far as theatre entertainment, I would my favorites have been For The Record: The Brat Pack and Legends in Concert (the Adele was so spot on for Adele).

1 hour ago, cruisencrazy said:

Drank too much on our last cruise, so not doing beverage package on this upcoming Epic cruise.  My question is, it's all Pepsi, which I don't like...which diet flavors do they have Mt Dew?.....  Also do they have a freestyle machine where you can mix flavors like Coke?

Unless something has changed, no freestyle machines or self serve machines for that matter.  Diet anything besides Pepsi is a hit or miss thing.  Some bars have Diet Mt. Dew, some didn't.  Restaurants are usually a sure bet on diet products.

I've found the sure bets to be Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew (most of the time) and Sierra Mist.  Even Mt. Dew can be a hit or miss sometimes depending on the bar/venue in my experience.

You also never know when a cruise may sell out or a group may take a large chunk of available space.  A TA may come along and reserve a group of 40 balconies all at once and all the sudden a large chunk of the inventory you were tracking is gone and puts a lot less pressure on NCL to lower prices at the same time.

2 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

I think that you were happy with what you booked and were willing to pay that price. Make your payment and enjoy your cruise. 

 

Don't waste the time/energy on trying to squeeze a few dollars here or there to get the absolute best deal possible between final payment date and sail date. 

 

 

Agreed 110% with this statement.  If you were happy with the price when you booked.  Pay it and move on.

You never know what may happen as prices could spike for all you know.  Prices on my January cruise are now over $300 more than we paid on our category and some other categories are $500 to $600 more still with a decent number of rooms available as well.

2 hours ago, Alegeeter said:

I do wonder what upgrades Sky will be getting in its 2019 dry dock. Sun got Los Lobos, maybe Sky will too?

So Los Lobos is now on Dawn, Sun, Bliss (and hopefully Encore).  Has it been added to any other ships yet?

Only heated pools I know of on Escape are in the Thermal Suite and that isn't really a "pool" for just going swimming in.  The pools on the top deck are not heated.

11 hours ago, Chicago Voyager said:

Marktwothousand, thank you for your perspective.  I would encourage fellow cruisers to study the fine print governing liability claims and get sound legal guidance.

 

Following this incident, crew members wearing protective garments performed a cleaning of the tube.  The ride was then closed for the remainder of the cruise.  I wonder what changes will occur before it reopens.

 

As a first-time NCL passenger, I was quite happy with other aspects of my vacation.  The only reason I share this story is as a point of caution to passengers of any cruise line.  Weigh the risks.

 

 

Which tube was this exactly?

1 hour ago, disneysnob said:

We are a family of 5, so booking 2 cabins...This is the first cruise that all 3 kids are over 21.   Does NCL offer any discount with the beverage package for the 3rd person in the room, since the free beverage package only applies to guest 1 & 2?  Thanks.

No discounts and be careful if you think you're going to share...  If they catch you sharing, they will cancel your UBP for the person caught.

31 minutes ago, Cruiser Bruiser said:

That is kind of you to say. Never say never, right? But Encore has no appeal (does it even have a thermal suite?) Maybe Leonardo-class will lure me back. I'll still be lurking on the boards.

They better have a thermal suite considering we're booked in a Spa Balcony room. 

Another aspect of the Day Pass that works well to me at least...  If you have multiple port days in a row, plan your 24 Hour Day Pass so that it will fall over two days (like Noon to Noon) and that way you can use fewer day passes to save some money if you want.  You get an afternoon of service in Port 1 and then a morning of service in Port 2 with only using one Day Pass.

1 hour ago, Cruise Master 55 said:

What happens if you have more than two platinums in a single cabin?  We will have three.

It's PER cabin, not per person.