CruisingUS

I've not had the opportunity to bid but have seen multiple posts from people that were unhappy. There seem to be two issue, one already brought up.

1. The 'upgrade' wasn't an upgrade to them - i.e., inside cabin deck 9 bidding on an ocean view and balcony - and receiving an obstructed view oceanview on deck 4.

2. Realizing after the bid was won that the price they initially paid + bid amount was more than what that room was currently selling for

 

 

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lol.

I have gotten offers to bid, but declined to.

I doubt it....they still digging up the dead...it's going to be a while for them to recover.

I don't think that people realize how badly these islands were damaged. They are not likely to be able to accommodate visitors for at least 8 or 9 months and that is probably a generous guess. The BVI dealt with the eye of a strong CAT 5 storm, Tortola and Virgin Gorda are destroyed. St. Thomas suffered severe damage. Its not like there are raw materials on the islands to rebuild. Everything has to be brought in by ship. Hosting cruise visitors is a very low priority right now.

Agreed. I don't think they have even dug up all of the corpses yet.

It's going to be a while

MDR and buffet are the only places we have ever eaten..... just amazing to see those first days like people have never seen food before - piles of it like you wont get to eat for 7 more days.

It might be a midwest thing. I've lived there before and have seen how people eat.

The MDR is mass catering, no different to going to a large scale wedding reception or similar. When the kitchen is catering to those numbers the result will always be variable, and if not up to acceptable standard then the diner should, politely, ask for it to be changed. However, the standard should not be confused with what is expected in an onshore restaurant kitchen catering to smaller numbers with food cooked and plated to order - the onboard equivalent would be the speciality dinig venue. However, I've also had a few disappointing meals in onshore upscale restaurants as well as some great ones, that's life.

 

I'm usually concerned by overlong menus, better to have fewer choices but done well. I've not cruised yet with NCL (my first one is upcoming next August) but on the ones I have done it's actually quite amazinghow the galleys and wait staff do cope with the numbers and the length of the MDR menu.

 

Like most things in life you generally get what you pay for. My cruise is all inclusive but embarking from my home port, and breaks down to approx. £250 per night for an aft facing balcony. Taking into account the overheads of running the ship, fuel, staff costs and included gratuities, port taxes, entertainment, mantenance, capital expenditure, transportation, in port shuttles, UBP, etc. it doesn't leave too much to provide three or more meals per day, and no doubt without all the upsells and additional profit centres plus presumably the top end cabins subsidising the lower end (like the business class passengers on a plane who keeop down fares for economy tickets) the cruise price would need to be higher.

...

MDR not what it used to be. For NCL the quality changed about 2013/2014. I think it got better late 2016. Likely too many complaints. If I did not usually have special dining package. Some of those trips would have been miserable food wise. Lobster now hard to find at any venue.

2012 even on Carnival I had lobster twice in MDR. By 2013 that was gone.

 

Oddly usually the appetizers, and desserts are good.

imo the food took a nose dive around 2009-10. That was the nadir for sure. Since then it has improved a lil and they have taken minor steps backward.

I just cruised with them in 2016. The food was just ok. 3/5. Mind you I was barely paying $50-60/pp. So I am ok with the quality given the dirt cheap prices.

1. Yes

2. No

me too

Most people on a cruise think that gambling ends when the cruise ship enters U.S. waters.

 

But some people like to continue to gamble, making a high stakes bet on whether or not they can catch an early flight after disembarkation.

Well, you just a hater cuz you not a high roller :D

For the life of me I can't figure out why people post these. Do you hit up your facebook feed everytime an ambulance goes by?

 

For what it's worth, today I saw two. Code 3 both times, and yesterday I saw the medievac 'copter going over the city. He was flying fast and low, friends tell me that means a kid with serious injuries otherwise they don't do that.

 

And one time at band camp.........

 

Code Alpha! Over & Out!

What's a code 3?

and children in critical care is :(

Thank you both. 10:00 a.m. flight it will be.

Can be done easily with a lot of planning and assuming people can walk w/o assistance.

but as someone said....murphy's law...

We love private tours and rarely book anything through the ship. I was looking at ships excursions on Maui and laughed when I saw they wanted $170 pp for a hike.. you want me to do all the work and pay you $170? :cool:

:'):'):'):')

Thanks for your input, but I must ask, why bother replying to a post if your reply is a critique on the poster? We are all here to talk about vacations! Why not keep it light and positive? If you feel my post is redundant and answering would be a waste of your time, don't answer it!

 

However, thank you for the information you did provide. I'm sure it will be helpful to me as I plan out my cruise.

 

 

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b/c it's CC...

On most of our cruises in the past 3 years or so there has been at least one late night event in the Solarium. Most have had music as well as dancing. I hope for your sake this is the only event in the Solarium on your sailing.

 

We avoid cabins under public areas but even that is no guarantee. On a cruise 2 years ago the people above us seemed to do jumping jacks every morning at 6:30am and again at night.

those newly weds aren't jumping jacks ;)

My 15 night transatlantic on Reflection for $449pp, and my 23 night transpacific on Century for $799pp were GREAT! :D :cool:

 

 

 

 

In two words...

 

...flexibility... if you can go WHEN others can't, OR, if you will go WHERE others won't, you can get good deals. There is an incredible economic incentive and advantage to booking cruises that are less popular/in demand.

 

...discipline... Do NOT... EVER... buy into the inane marketing schlock/deals that everybody else drools over.

 

1...2...3...GO! ...or Go BIG... Go BETTER...Go BEST, quite often has you paying MORE than the perk is worth.

 

Waiting to book until after final payment MAY get you a higher price... but it MAY get you $30pp per night on X!

 

If you want a balcony, concierge or aqua class cabin, know that you're going to pay 3-5 times the cost of an inside...

 

If you want a suite you're going to pay 5-10 times the cost of an inside. Same ship, same shows, same ports...

 

I don't spend money on cruises to EVER be in my cabin for ANYTHING other than sleeping and showering.

 

Because I am already booked for this fall, I haven't really done much " cruise shopping," and I don't see ANY "outrageous deals" from Celebrity right now... but these aren't too shabby...

 

Celebrity Silhouette, 15 night transatlantic on 4 Nov for $924pp...B2B with the 7 night Caribbean in 19 Nov for $724pp. Choice Air flights to Rome are $400-$450 from most airports in the US. Not bad for 3 weeks on X.

 

Celebrity Reflection, 15 night transatlantic on 20 Oct for $1045pp...B2B with the 14 night Caribbean on 3 Nov for $1045pp. Choice Air flights to Rome are $350-$400 from most airports in the US. Not bad for 4 weeks on X.

 

NCL Epic, 13 night transatlantic on 5 Nov for $495pp...

 

NCL Getaway, 14 night transatlantic on 15 Oct for $533pp...

 

RCCL Rhapsody OTS, 14 transatlantic on 5 Nov for 685pp... Choice Air to Barcelona $450pp-$550pp

 

RCCL Freedom OTS, 14 night transatlantic on 22 Oct for $832...Choice Air to Barcelona $450pp-$550pp

 

(B2B with 7 night med cruise on 15 Oct for $694pp) total $200 OBC from agency, and possible $350 OBC from shareholder's

i've NEVER seen such amazing prices....ever...i am copying your words of wisdom onto a word document to immortalize it forever.

And by "inane marketing schlock/deals that everybody else drools over." you mean those free deals right? Where you pay a little and get some perk?

this is cheaper than my rent. I am not worthy. I am not worthy.

The cut of the 14 day cruise itineraries is purely profit driven - the shorter the average cruise length, the lower the average passenger age, which means the higher the average spend per day on ancillary items - shore excursions, spa treatments, specialty dining, photos, shop purchases, drink packages, etc, etc, etc ..... The longer cruises attract more experienced passengers who simply do no "splurge" as much (in general) on these extras. Most cruise lines would rather sell at a slightly lower per day rate on the cruise fare to have higher per passenger spends (on average) on all the extras ..... Passenger itinerary preference is not a consideration in this equation sadly.

 

The cruise lines are chasing the Gen-X and Millennial market now in many cases more so than the Baby Boomers primarily for the above reasons. They tend to take shorter vacations, but spend more per day total on average. Yes I know boomers may theoretically have more financial resources and more free time, but on the whole they tend to spend less freely than the younger age demographics do.

 

In short it's all about the $$$$$ and the cruise lines are chasing it!

:') Millennials with money? :')

idk who spends more. it'd be interesting to see a graph. my gut would lead me to believe it would be gen x, but you never know

But how often do your 3 disaster scenarios occur. I almost always take private tours and none of them have happened to me. Maybe I have been just lucky or maybe the disasters are just propaganda put forth by the cruise lines.

 

DON

I've seen people get left behind before. it's not uncommon.

But this is coming from someone who will fly there the day of for the cruise. I like to live dangerously in someways :cool:

This isn't the age group they are targeting anymore. Maybe these people voted with their wallet and moved on.

How do you know that? What makes you say that?

I am not in that group. just curious

You are so right. No need to sweat it. Chill out.

 

Until that day there is some weather problems and a few flights are cancelled or delayed for a day. And of course, no matter how much insurance you buy, it will still not get you that first day or two of the cruise back. Gone. Goodbye.

exactly. chill out

That is one of the most petty things NCL does.

 

When we stayed in a 2 BR family suite on the GA last year, they included drinks for two members of my party; the other 2 had to pay full price; I gave my wife and father the "package"; when I would go to the bar to pick up drinks FOR my wife (and gave them her card), they would still end up charging me full price for the drink until I complained a few days later (likely hoping I missed it!)

They also charged us for the magic show dinner we went to, even though they gave us a "dining package".

 

The ridiculous level of nickel and diming they reached last year (even for the ultra-expensive suites) was what pushed us over the edge to MSC Yacht Club- did that this May and it was wonderful.

Joking. These little things don't bother me, esp since I am usually getting insides or OV rooms. Not paying a premium like you are.

We always fly in the day before and after our most recent experience of cancelled flights we're thinking of flying in two days ahead on future cruises.

what was the reasoning for why the flight was cancelled?

i've flown in on the morning of. it's not a big deal. but very lil gets me to panic as i am very chill

After over 20 cruises aboard NCL ships the nickle and dime chipping away at the value of their product has ended for me. After a week in the owner suite aboard the Dawn in April, I came back home and said to myself, its not worth the money NCL is charging. I sold my stock, and booked 15 days aboard the Star Princess. It felt good to get a decent price with no smoke and mirrors on what the actual cost was. Frank Del Rio is clearly driving NCL believing his product is a luxury line. NCL is mass market at luxury costs. I'm done!!!:(

i mean....that's now how i determine how to buy and sell stock....but to ea his own i guess.

Huh?

 

Once I use up my ncl cruise next certs I'm planning on going back to princess

 

Princess isn't cheap but now neither is ncl

 

Princess however offers better service and port times

 

 

 

 

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sorry. I thought certs meant certification, as in like for a profession. My mistake

Once I use up my cruise next certs I've decided to use princess for my 2019 Med cruise

 

Yes they are not cheap but we did princess in the Med previously and they have great itins and good long port times

 

Ncl has too short port times for my liking

 

It's a no brainer for us since ncl will be costly and not deliver what we want why should I book them?

 

We like princess...and the cost is non issue compared to ncl

 

Now...had ncl kept their prices lower I would consider them again

 

But why should I if they are costly?

 

I might as well get more if I have to pay more. Lol

 

 

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what certification are you trying to maintain?

My guess is there aren't enough people with the flexibility and money to book a 14 day cruise, especially when it's not standard summer vacation times.

 

It's easier to fill 2 7-day cruises than 1 14-day one.

 

As has been suggested, book a b2b for the 2 weeks you want. Or do 2 different ships, or a week on land and a week cruise, or even 2 different cruise lines.

 

If you're lucky enough to be able to take 2 wks off and have the money for a nice vacation, you have a lot of options.

flexibility i agree. money i don't. If you can shell out thousands for a vacation, then money isn't an issue. I literally only know of one person in my profession who could get more than 1 week off in a row. literally one out of thousands that I have spoken to.