jcallcut

For me it was already on my keycard when I checked in.

DO NOT MISS HOWL AT THE MOON!! Yes, I was shouting. You will have the time of your life. That one is just show up and enjoy. No advance reservations needed. Also, they have screens posted around the ship that show for each half hour how busy each of the restaurants are. You will be able to get into the specialty restaurants. Unless you are determined to eat at a specific time you will find availability. Again, my apologies. I think I reached the limits of my medication!!

I wasn't trying to be negative and if that is the way it came across I apologize. It was just a bit weird for me is all. There were shows that were sold out before I boarded and I was trying to change a tour in naples but I couldn't get the shore excursion ticket until we docked in Barcelona. I still had a blast but it still felt weird that I had to keep remembering that day 1 of my cruise was, to the ship staff, day 3 of the cruise. I had never experienced that before so I had trouble wrapping my head around it. I just wanted to make sure you realized that things may be a bit different than other cruises you have had. Did I feel like I was on someone else's cruise? Yes I did but I tried to make the best of it. Rather than going to the shows that were sold out I went to Howl at the Moon several times and had a blast. My apologies if I came across badly. Really just wanted to inform, not worry.

Disney Fantasy has lifeguards (I think all DCL does now). We were on the Fantasy a few weeks back and it made a HUGE difference. Not just watching kids but that they weren't allowing kids to jump into the pools. I still sat on the 'baja shelf' in the pool watching my 9 year old but it was nice knowing someone wasn't about to cannonball onto his head. No replacement for 1:1 supervision but better than nothing.

The disney lifeguards came about because of a child drowning a few years ago. They didn't have them before that happened. Sometimes it takes a tragedy for change to happen.

I got off the Epic on May 13 in civi. Using NCL transfers I was at the airport more than 4 hours in advance of my 12:50 flight. The disembark was a breeze since most got on in Barcelona. One thing I will warn you about is that you may feel like you are on someone else's cruise. Since the cruise officially begins and ends in Barcelona, the people who board in Barcelona get a 2 day jump on you for booking shows that have to be booked on board. Also you are not able to book or change anything for the sea day and naples since those days are technically on the next cruise. You can do all of that the afternoon the ship docks in Barcelona. Maybe just me but it didn't feel like I was on my cruise but rather tagging along on someone else's.

As others mentioned, Ned cruises are very port intensive so you will not usually have a lot of sea days. Also time in port is usually pretty long. Probably the biggest difference is the distance from the port to the major cities. Many times it may take an hour or more going to the city such as Rome or Florence. That is why the excursions are so long. You will likely also do a lot more walking on Med excursions. I have learned to cherish the downtime on med cruises. You will have a blast. Just remember to pace yourself.

Agreed. I find is sad that the couple of posters here think it's ok to be charged for something when clearly it states you shouldn't be. To each their own I guess :rolleyes: I know I won't pay it if the wording does not change. You don't need a law degree to comprehend what is written!

I prefer to look at it as I don't want to spend vacation time in lawyer mode fighting a charge that was, for me, less than 0.5% of what I paid for the cruise for all of the room service charges I incurred on the trip combined. It is even less when I consider the $3 or so I would have tipped anyway. This is especially true since I had the option of not using the room service option.

Exactly LMaxwell. I did ask about the fine print and was told by at least three guest services employees that ordering a Pepsi through room service did not negate the convenience fee. I then had the choice to order and pay the fee or make other food arrangements. For me, it was worth the fee to not have to leave the room for food. For others that may not be the case. If you do now want to pay the fee then don't order from room service. I did not try just ordering pepsis to see if I would get charged the convenience fee. All of my orders included food. If, as another poster stated, I got overcharged, then so be it. I am just relating my experience. One other thing, there was not a time that I ordered that I was not informed about the fee so there should be no surprises when the bill comes.

Just off of the epic and was charged the $7.95 plus gratuity and VAT for any room service order. It was also charged if I ordered soda. For just food the bill came to approximately $10.50 and if the meal included soda it came to about $15.50. For me, ordering something that had a cost associated with it did not remove the room service charge.

You cannot make changes to dining or shore excursions but you can change dining reservations very easily by phone. The shore excursions are a bit more difficult since you have to go to the excursion desk. I found the app to be very useful. The one thing it is missing, in my opinion, is a listing of what you have booked that is available through the television in your cabin but not on the app. It is easy to forget what you booked and for what day and time.

Found out the answer when I arrived in Rome. My bus leaves at 12:15 for the pier. I would have hoped earlier but oh well. At least by the time I get there I should be able to get on board pretty quick and my cabin should be ready so I can drop my carry on and change clothes.

If you booked through a travel agent, the notification would have gone to the agent. I am in Arizona and I received the notification just before 6pm my time. I leave from Rome next Wednesday, May 6.

I booked the Hilton hotel pre cruise so the transfer was already included and paid for. That said if the transfer will not get me to the ship until 11 or 12 I may opt for the train anyway to get me there earlier.

First shuttle...not free shuttle. I Probably should have used better words. I am referring to the transfer vehicle NCL uses to shuttle people who have purchased transfers from Rome to the port.

Just bumping the question to see if anyone had information.

Hello All, I am on the Epic sailing from Rome next Wednesdayand I have a transfer from the Hilton Rome Airport to the port. Does anyone know about the time the first shuttle leaves for the port. Realize that my cruise will be the first one of the season (I think) so even information from last year will help.

Thanks,

Jim

You will never have a better tasting cup of hot cocoa than you have sitting outside on the deck wrapped in a blanket watching some of the most beautiful scenery you can ever imagine going by in front of you. Don't move away from the cold and drizzle...embrace it...it will make for the adventure of a lifetime and will be something you will talk about for years.

I just booked 2 cabins for an Alaska cruise with 4 in one cabin and 3 in the other. The promo was 3rd and 4th passenger free. Indeed, all that was charged for the 3rd and 4th passengers were port fees and the first 2 were charged the advertised rate. As the port charges must be paid regardless of the what the cruise line charges for passage, this is exactly what I expected would be charged based on the promotion offered.

I would love to see a 50s diner themed restaurant with vinyl covered seats and lots of chrome. Serving good honest food one would normally have found in a diner of that era. Hand made shakes and flavored sodas. Open faced turkey sandwiches, pot roast, and creamy mashed potatoes.

I love Celebrity Cruise Line and seriously consider them for any cruise I plan. That said, I have never found a better price on Celebrity than I find on NCL. Typically I can get an ocean view or balcony cabin for what an inside would cost me on Celebrity. Yeah, some of the changes on NCL could have been handled better, and Yeah, I would rather Room Service be free because I do tend to use it quite a bit for late night snacks, but when I compare total cost of cruise, even with all the new changes, NCL wins by a hefty amount. I stay with NCL because the cruise value is higher than Celebrity. If it gets to a point when it doesn't, I will switch but I am not willing to move on until the other options provide better value.

Thank you for the thoughts everyone...

Jim

I will be traveling on the Epic in May in Europe. I usually leave an extra dollar or two when I buy drinks or other places on the ship when a human staff member is involved. For the Europe cruise is it going to be more helpful to tip in euros or would they be better served giving them USD?

Thanks,

Jim

I think for me it was 90 days out that I could start booking go my May cruise. Shore excursions may have been a bit sooner but not a lot.

For Number 2, Carnival already does that, though they limit the number they sell. All I have seen have sold out quickly. Honestly, if offered, I would certainly purchase. The cost is worth it to me to be able to get on the ship a bit early. With Carnival, your room is also ready when you board if you paid the early board fee so that was great too.

Everyone has their own sense of value. For example, the room service fee...To me, it is worth the money to be able to get a late night snack delivered to the room and not have to hassel with going out to get it myself. Others obviously feel differently. I look at value of money spent different than someone else. Doesn't make either of us wrong...just different.

Jim

I am eating dinner most nights in the specialty restaurants not I LOVE bread pudding. Does NCL frown on going to the MDR and just having dessert? I really don't want to miss it.

Thanks

Jim