Cruise4Twos
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Posts posted by Cruise4Twos
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32 minutes ago, seizetheseas said:
Fake news.
It's worth a try. The reality is that it all depends on who you talk to.
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8 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:
In a word...yes! Though I would not turn over control of my travel arrangements to a third party, in the case of NCL making the arrangements, there should be some sort of reasonable departure grace period for delays. I can’t quantify “reasonable” but I’ve certainly been delayed far longer than 55 minutes for other situations brought on by NCL themselves. If they are unwilling to accommodate requests to arrive a day ahead then they should wait for the passenger who followed the plan made for them.
If im one of those fellow passengers doing the waiting and I’m already aboard with a drink in hand, then my vacation isn’t delayed. Just my opinion.
They build in some time for incidentals which is why the original post person was able to make the ship b4 embarkation. They will not delay past the point that they can't make it to the next port on time.
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12 hours ago, Lara1008 said:
We are doing the Mexican Riviera cruise out of Los Angeles in April and chose the "Free Air", yet it's anything but "Free Air." We also paid the air deviation fee ($50 more per person) and opted to arrive for some local sightseeing 2 days before our cruise departs.... I emailed their Air Dept.,per recommendation of the NCL agent who booked our arrangements, gave them the non stop (both ways)flights I had researched a few days later when my E Docs were ready, to which they had used the itinerary I had requested. We are flying cross country.....from NC to CA....and the "Free Airfare" was far from being free. Passengers 1 and 2 were supposedly discounted tickets around $250 a piece and passengers 3 and 4 were like $575. Opting for the air deviation was another $50 per person. Next time we book I believe we will opt to book airfare on our own and then choose either the free wi-fi or one of the other "freebies" instead.
When I booked on 3/4/19 I was not allowed to substitute a so-called freebie in place of the air. In my room category it was 2 options plus air or 2 options with no air. When I looked at other NCL cruises, it was the same. You may be able to strike a deal with NCL if call them. Someone mentioned getting $100 off if you didn't use the air.
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12 hours ago, brookie848 said:
I always bring some snacks from home (pre-packaged) with me since I'm a Type I diabetic.
I know it's not allowed, but on our last cruise, we brought leftover La Cucina pizza with us to Jost Van Dyke. We had the early excursion and it was good for a mid-morning snack to go with the Pain Killers. Another couple had sandwiches from the buffet that they brought with them. Later, we all ate at one of the local restaurants, but we had things from the ship just in case.
It can be done, even though it's not allowed. As others have mentioned, some ports are more strict than others. You may want to check on the ports boards to see if others have had issues.
AGREED just never produce as the initial post stated. Produce can carry organisms that are not good for certain areas and they can be sniffed out if the port is being patrolled with dogs. ..and never feed the animals.
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3 minutes ago, Abm234b said:
I would definitely bring protein bars from home but I would also grab some little boxes of cereal at breakfast and bring those along.
Many of the cruise lines eliminated the cereal boxes years ago hence the need for Ziploc bags.
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26 minutes ago, erdoran said:
I know it’s not OK to bring produce ashore - but if I want to bring along snacks from the ship for an excursion, especially one which isn’t going to have time for lunch, what are some thoughts about what to bring? My specific setup is for an 8 am excursion in the Azores which won’t have time for lunch - if I made sandwiches I think they might spoil. I’m going to bring along ziplocks, but about all I can think of to bring is plain pretzel rolls & bar mix. Who has other ideas? Please share! Thanks
Lunchmeat spoils b4 lunch??? It was created at a time when fridges weren't provided for workers. There's typically dried fruits, nuts, granola at breakfast. Didn't think of the bar mix which is typically tasty - Thanks.
If there's a unique local cuisine that interests me, I'll try it. I'll pass on the universal overpriced items.
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14 minutes ago, thetaro said:
no, but I compare most of the price they offer and I don't find much savings.
You are more likely to take the cheapest route with a stop-over and a terrible timing (6 am first flight out)
You also risk missing the cruise by flying in on the same day which I will never do. It's simply too much hassle for very little benefit.
For the savings, it depends on the cruise. Some are (some examples are listed on this discussion), some aren't with the air. Without the air, they're too high. I'll use other cruise lines.
You can fly out the day b4 w/out their hotels on some flights for $50/pp extra.
I typically fly in the day b4.
I've already experienced a miss so when I do decide to fly in the that day, I have a backup plan ready and use insurance.
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24 minutes ago, thetaro said:
The free airline offer is not even Free and is nothing but hassles.
Would you mind speaking on the hassle that you had?
I do agree that not only is their free airline offer not free, the whole "free at sea" program is not free.
The problem is that without the air program, they're overpriced in comparison to their competition.
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On 3/26/2019 at 5:42 AM, wilsonhold@gmail.com said:
We are booked on a 15 day cruise next year on the Star from Santiago, Chile to Port Canaveral that included air with Ncl. US air carriers charge a lot of money for one way air flights. Ncl flights costs of 499 from our city is over 1/2 off any available fares advertised.
But the extra money to book a night would cost us including deviation/hotel fees close to 500 dollars.. and with our first port we visit is under 100 miles from our embarkment point, we may be willing to risk the scenario of missing our first day on the cruise.
So does anyone know if it worst case happenned and we arrive in South America late,what would be NCL's responsibilities to get us onto the ship.. we decided to use ncl insurance for added protection.. so we believe we should be covered.. and assume hotel, meals and ground transportation would be provided.. any experiences?
If the flight is a little late and your air/transfer is booked thru Ncl, they'll hold the boat for you as they did with the situation above similar to what they do for their tours. Their tours guarantee that the boat won't leave if it arrives late, the air/transfer to the boat is NOT guaranteed. The boats build in time for incidentals so you're not impacting other passengers. In that sense, they're working with you. If the flight arrives several hours late, they won't wait. They can't penalize the others passengers. If you don't have a backup plan, it will be dependent on the quality of the Ncl rep. Hopefully you'll get an Ncl rep that is sympathetic. The Ncl rep should have recommendations. Most everything else is up to you (don't forget to call the insurance company ASAP or else they won't pay). I had a similar situation happen to me. We missed the 1st night/morning of our trip in a non-English speaking country and had to pay for our transfer which was reimbursed by insurance. It was STRESSFUL but a few hours after we got there, the stress was gone and we enjoyed the rest of our vacation. It sounds like you've weighed the flight options. Research what it would take to get to your 2nd port then make your decision. Most of the time I fly in a day in advance but I have an upcoming cruise with Ncl where I'll be flying in that day using their air/transfer.
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Popular reputable American online travel websites have an Australian site. Do a google search or "website name.com.au". This is what I used to book a Solomon Islands Cruise online only available on other cruise premium lines (out of my price range). I used this vs. the direct site because the direct site would not let me pick an exact room. I will agree that P&O email is worthless. I did have trouble with trying to fill out the P&O registration online. I used 3 different browsers with no luck. I had to call them in order to complete the registration (which I was not happy about but was not the fault of the online travel agency).
My call to Australia cost me $0.90.
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Popular reputable American online travel websites have an Australian site. Do a google search or "website name.com.au". This is what I used to book a Solomon Islands Cruise online only available on other cruise premium lines (out of my price range). I used this vs. the direct site because the direct site would not let me pick an exact room. I will agree that P&O email is worthless. I did have trouble with trying to fill out the P&O registration online. I used 3 different browsers with no luck. I had to call them in order to complete the registration (which I was not happy about but was not the fault of the online travel agency).
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Excellent Review. A picture says 1000 words. It explained things that official websites did not or was confusing when written on official reviews. It's good to know that the Kettle & Bun will be open 11:30-21:30 on port days. This helps as we have a trip scheduled later this year. The Pantry will be interesting as many reviews varied.
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The price "looks" the same when choosing but if you pick a promo such as SDP or UBP, the service charge is added later.
The price is the same since some promos do not have service charges such as excursions and the internet. I wouldn't pick the SDP or UDP. The MDR/Asian Restaurant are better than what I normally get when I eat out at home. I do respect that others have the right to choose.
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After you select your stateroom type, select "Norwegian Rate" then "choose your own" stateroom. There will be no charge for any of the promos since you won't be getting any of the promos.
I've tried this but the price stays the same so you end up paying for the promos whether use them or not.
Sad because I like Norwegian but it looks like I'll be traveling RCL more in the future.
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Not true, when I made my recent reservation the first option was the room without any extras, although it was the same price for the cabin as if you took advantage of the Free at Sea offers.
True in most but obviously not all.
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Do you want "guarantee" prices for "choose your own" staterooms? Good luck.
I have no problem with paying more for "choose your own" staterooms but without the "free at sea" upcharge. It doesn't have to be one or the other, not with today's technology.
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What's worse is the Free at Sea program being forced upon people who want to choose their own cabin. It's not Free if they're charging more.
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NCL is not fooling anyone with their so called "Free at Sea" which increased their prices and mandatory if you want to choose your own room.
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They moved the fruit soups to lunch. Not into gazpacho or cold potatoes but I sure do love those fruit soups. Thanks for the info.
To me they taste more like fruit purees.
Milkshakes
That gives me an idea. I can use the soup as a topping on ice cream.
I still would like to see them at dinner. They're refreshing after a hot day in port.
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I second Dr D's advice. The cabs at the cruise terminal are notorious "mafia" cheats. Be wise - don't patronize them.
Thanks as I am looking to cruise there in the future.
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I go with who has the best deal which is typically online. This site opened my eyes to benefits of TAs that I didn't think of. Unfortunately my preferred TA just retired. The other TA in that office is too impatient. Now that I've learned a lot from doing it myself, I'm not sure that anyone will want to deal with my demands.
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I forgot about the fruit which is typically not allowed into any country. So it sounds like it's the same as it was before.
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"cutbacks and reductions"
cut - Midnight buffet - I always thought it was a waste - I also like some ships compensated with 24 hr spots for the night owls
reduced - cleaning the room from twice to once a day - That's the 1st thing I noticed. I didn't need the room cleaned per say but it's nice to get the towels replaced twice a day. I try to ask for extra washcloths.
reduced - dinner courses - soup and salad are combined instead of separate courses - You can still order both
cut - free toiletries - travel size - shampoo, conditioner, lotion each day like the hotels - I can deal with this as well
Some ships used to have a captain's night for all passengers with appetizers and free alcoholic drinks (not that more food is needed). Now this is only for club members.
There may be others
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One flaw in your plan, you won't be allowed take food off the ship in Sydney, strict quarantine laws here
Stricter than the airport? At the airport, they only cared about meat which included beef jerky.
Free Air Offer NOT WORTH THE HEADACHE
in Norwegian Cruise Line
Posted
I agree. I like that $75 option as well. But if they're profiting, they're not going to stop. We used to purchase CruiseNext coupons ($500 for $250) on board without researching. Now if there's not an NCL cruise of interest that's at a reasonable price, we won't be purchasing any future use coupons. Although adding the airfare has helped make the price reasonable without it, I won't be cruising NCL.