TexasCigarGuy

I heard that they are required to toss any cash gratuity into a "pot" shared by other staff. Is this true?

I'm claustrophobic and did 21 days straight in a Studio, and loved it. I'm a neat freak though and store everything after use. I think that helps over a messy cabin. The lighting is great too, and I think that helps a lot. Never felt claustrophobic at all.

Was doing the Behind The Scenes tour once, and when we hit the laundry room there on display were my shirts bagged on hangers and ready to go. I asked the laundry room manager if I could just take 'em now. He laughed and nicely said no. 🙂

In all my sailings shorts have been officially allowed in Manhattan on your first night (Sail Away). This because many pax are still awaiting luggage delivery by dinner time. Can't recall how I found out about this. May have been mentioned in the docs presented at check-in? But I've seen them enforce long pants on every night after.

My TA credits usually don't show up on my onboard account until 2 or 3 days into the sail. Made me nervous the first time I didn't see it anywhere online or when I boarded the ship. Now I don't sweat it as it always eventually posts. I suspect different agencies do it different ways.

Many Verizon phones have "Advanced Calling" which allows you to make calls over internet (WiFi). Go to your phone's Settings and look for it and turn it on. Just make sure Roaming is turned off in Settings. Worked great for me on last year's transatlantic and other cruises. You just make your calls as you normally would, no country code required. Of course you have to have a ship WiFi Internet plan activated and logged on at the time. And if you have a measured by minute shipboard plan...don't forget to log out when you're done!

I pre-booked it on the Star this past December. I visited it the first day and was not impressed. Rather small and I felt it was somewhat run down. I asked the spa desk if they could cancel it. No problem and they credited my onboard account. Guess I was spoiled by the Epic's.

Since most of this revived old thread is from 2011, I thought I'd just mention that with the 2017 refurbishment, they added USB charger ports, including in the bed reading lamps.

Here's a shot of the new outlets on the little table by the balcony door. There are others in the room too.

First two things I tell my stateroom steward is "No need for ice or towel animals." Ice I never use and the animals just get in the way and clutter the room.

NCL changed the entire industry, before it was all the same. Eat with strangers at a specific time, hungry or not.

Yes. NCL often touts itself as the innovative cruise line that goes against the grain.

That's what the one little fish swimming in the opposite direction of all the others in the carpet on many NCL ships represents: independent, not going with the herd.

In case anyone doesn't know, that little fish has a name. He's called the "Rebellious Fish." From which the popular onboard drink was named.

I'm on the NCL Jade transatlantic to Southampton. We're in port at this moment in Brest, France...and the Breakaway is just across the way in drydock.

I know that most Platinum benefits are on 5 day or longer cruises, but I was wondering if anyone that has been on the 4 day Sky to Cuba would mind telling we just which Platinum benefits they did actually receive. Pre-boarding/debark? The 2 specialty meals? Etc. Is there the meet the staff cocktail party or behind the scenes tour on this short cruise?

Thanks.

Once the press is involved, don't let a " didn't respond to our requests" be what's printed. That's what guilty people do. Respond and explain

Right. Or at least say, "We're aware and are currently investigating the circumstances around what happened."

Therefore are people who missed their cruise because they didn't have the required documents and they received nothing. I wonder how they feel about this...:confused:

There's an obvious difference in this case vs just leaving your docs at home or in your luggage. And that's that NCL and/or their assigned agents communicated something that that fell through and also perhaps poor follow up and an on-the-scene customer service failure with the guests. After all, NCL did issue an apology, which is an admission of some responsibility. One can only assume NCL looked into this case and determined that they were at least partly responsible for the unfortunate outcome that day.

In this particular case, I think NCL did the right thing and I don't think it sets any sort of precedence that NCL should be worried about. Or any sort of expectation for past or future customers who simply screw up.

Companies often and wisely consider complaints on a case-by-case basis, taking extenuating circumstances into account. With the result often being a goodwill offering above and beyond what's written into their normal policy.

VERY old news and long since known. Nothing to get a "heads up" about here... What part of NONREFUNDABLE did you not understand?

Disagree. I for one am thankful for the head's up, because I (and perhaps others) didn't know about it. And the OP did begin their post with, "I just wanted to give the heads up to anyone who doesn't frequently sail on Norwegian..." so it was pretty clear who they were addressing.

Also, I don't think the OP was looking for a cash refund. They were hoping the non-refundable OBC could be used towards their DSC, just as refundable OBC can. That's not something that's common knowledge to all readers (especially newbies), and being informed of this quirk is and should be appreciated, IMHO.

On a recent EPIC cruise, it was being offered for $79.

Thanks, but Feb 2017 is a year ago already. Why is there such a fuss about it now? I thought folks were talking about a change on Feb. 2018.

Take care, happytotravel

You might not have noticed but this thread was started back in February 2017. It just got bumped up the other day.

That said some folks don't follow Cruise Critic religiously and might only be noticing the changes now, as they book new cruises and revisit Latitudes benefits.

"Enticement"?? "Interesting" . I book based on itinerary and price, so you're saying, you'd get influenced by what you get for free, and stack that up into your decision???

Who wouldn't?

Good to hear. Y'all deserved it.

I don't look at these things as a gift. I look at them very much as an earned benefit of a typical loyalty program. Because that's the way NCL has set it up. So I think everyone has the right to gripe when a benefit is reduced. Heck...it's almost an obligation on the part of any consumer!

To me a "gift" would be more like if they tossed you something unexpected with no quid pro quo attached.

However in this particular case, it's pretty much a push and the difference in benefit "value" is negligible, IMHO.

Edited to add: Swedish, it looks like we were both writing some of the same at the same time.

Interesting, I don't see a return ( from West coast to East coast) Panama Canal cruise in late 2019.

 

I'm sure it has to be there for when it reposition to New York.

Check again. I just now booked Bliss's Nov 3rd 2019 21 day Panama Canal reposition cruise.

Question about the cabins........what do they supply as far as toiletries??

Bar of soap and tube of body lotion on the sink, along with a liquid hand soap dispenser. Shampoo and Body Wash dispensers in the shower.

The bottled soda vending machine sat completely empty the entire transatlantic cruise this past November. A crew member said he thought they gave up on it as nobody was buying any.

The coffee machine in the lounge must be exceptional as it seemed all the ship's officers were coming in to use it!

Just off the Pearl . Your Platinum key card is your tender ticket. You can go to the tender line at any time you like .

No cuts. ;)

This. Just get in line with whatever group is currently boarding and if anyone asks for your ticket just show them your Platinum key card.

You're not cutting the line. It's more like your card is a "Any Group" ticket.

It was so cold after the 3rd drink that we left— and we’re from Michigan. It’s not really a bar, just a big cooler. Still a fun experience for the 15 minutes we could bear it, we had a good group.

You lasted 5 minutes longer than I did, on the Epic last month. And I had a coat on under the parka. It was bitterly freezing cold. I chugged down my second drink and got the hell out of there.

Found myself sneezing for about 30 minutes afterwards.

Epic was charging $25 and no discount for beverage package holders. At certain times (probably when they weren't busy) they offered 2 for the price of 1. But they wouldn't cut a deal for a solo.

The port fees and taxes are separate from the cruise fare. I believe they are the same for everyone, regardless of cabin category. They are quite hefty for a Panama Canal Cruise and add about $750-800 for a PC cruise, depending on what ports you stop at.

Just finished this same Star Dec 1st 14 day PC cruise with 6 port stops (well, 8 if you count Miami and Los Angeles), and this was my fee breakdown as a solo passenger: