complawyer

fyi, i was looking for special treatment of any type, i didnt offer my usual vegas handshake, all i wanted to do was treat the other couple to dinner. it didnt seem to be a problem, and it wasnt difficult to accomplish. maybe you are all correct, and i just got lucky

hey chief, the invite is always open. we're in the haven on the prima sept 26. i bought the premium drink package (for the 1st time) so we can drink all the single malt scotch or guiness they have available

they didnt lose anything, the meals were already paid for so why would they even care if we ate or didnt eat, and the other couple didnt have anymore freebies, and would have probably eaten in either of the 2 mdr's or the buffet, it was just like treating y our friends for dinner, same same

we booked a privatesea previously, and NEVER AGAIN. i didnt fully understand what it actually  was and when we got into the cabin, it was a major disappointment. i felt boxed in.

i believe if you log into your reservation, photo packages and photo options are listed among the choices for food, beverage packages etc. and everything else available 

it's my impression  (and only my impression ) that as long as the dinners are paid for, why would ncl care who is using them. we got 3 because it was a 17 day cruise, 2 because we're diamond, and the other 5 we paid for. ncl lost nothing by letting us use the last free dinner for the other couple.

on our last cruise, it was 17 days rio to lisbon. we bought the 5 extra dinner package giving us 10 for the cruise. we met a nice couple in rio who was sailing onthe same cruise. on the next to last day we still had 2 free dinners, we asked the maitre'd and the concierge, if we could use the other 2 dinners for this couple. there was no problem, so the 4 of us went to cagneys with no charge

the meat comes on a long skewer to be carved at your table and if youve never dined at a brazilian steak house, be aware that in moderno, they slice it right off the skewer. sometimes if you advise the server how you prefer the meat, he might be able to slice a few pieces according to your request. sometimes he/she can go back to the kitchen and ask for the meat be cooked as per your request. regardless, you only get a few thin slices of each. if you were expecting a regular sized steak, go to cagney's . 

i will add however, that i agree with some posters, that the quality of the meats has  gone done considerably, so unless youre going for the experience, moderno (imho) aint worth writing home about!

i just give them a dollar or 2

if you're willing to pay for it, expedited service will get you your passport within 2 weeks or less

chiefmate. i always tip the chef making my crepe, as well as the one making my omelet, and the one making my pasta

cruiseagona

without beating this question into the ground, had you just asked "can you get freshly made crepes on board the ship. im sure anyone who has sailed before would know exactly what you meant. there are many types of crepes, the ones being made are dessert crepes with assorted fruit fillings at a station at the dinner buffet. 

i see that cruisen4 life also understood the question. 

we've cruised to all the countries mentioned and NEVER had a problem with mosquitoes.

we were on the star last month beginning in RIO, and were warned about mosquitoes so we bought repellant prior to leaving the states. No mosquitoes whatsoever

how can the crepes be "homemade" if you're on a cruise ship? isnt homemade usually made at "home" LOL. we were on the star last month, and crepes were available ( and being made right in front of you) at the dinner buffet

that is incorrect, buffet has a variety of choices, none of which coincide with either MDR

hey chief, ive always admired your posts, and point of view, and as longtime posters probably already know, my wife and i usually book a suite, and that you usually (if not always) book an indoor cabin.

consequently, your post that you "NEVER' tip a butler or concierge imho came across as just a bit snippy. for any other posters on whatever topic they choose on which to comment, if they're not booked into  a suite or higher, they dont get the services of either a butler or the concierge, so the tipping issue becomes irrelevant.

i guess you must have gotten up on the wrong side of steerage this morning (LOL)

usually we give the cabin steward between 100-150

100-200 to the butler depending on the degree of service and the amount we utilized his services

100 to the concierge

also about $50 total to the haven restaurant maitre'd, or if youre in a suite with no designated haven area, $20-30 to the maitre'd in both cagney's and moderno.

when are you going on the iceland cruise? we're on the prima on the sept 26th sailing from reykjavik to southampton

if its just after you go through security, and waiting for your key card, there is usually a designated area with coffee, tea and snacks for people in suites or the haven, while waiting for the concierge to take you onto the ship. while i cant confirm this to be the case in iceland, it's been consistent for the last 6 cruises we've taken in suite cabins.

how far are you from anywhere in quebec? wouldnt  somewhere in that provence carry french butter?

also, remember that you may not wish to use the same credit card each time. i have no problem doing the check in process and i jump on it as soon as the 21 day comes up. i do agree however that the picture download process is a major pain. i readily admit  being 76 years old, i am truly technologically challenged, and if it wasn't for my 25 year old grandson, i would "NEVER" be able to accomplish  that.

what i do object to is having to watch the safety drill and then having ncl sending continuous e-mail reminding you to watch the safety video, AND the worst cut of all, is after watching the video, and getting the constant reminders, they force you to go down to the assigned muster station . UHG

daniela. depending  on the occasion and number of people in our party, in a land based restaurant,  with  at least 10 of us,  i will give a $20 to the server upfront to try and insure appropriate service. when we get  onboard when we 1st meet the cabin steward, i always give them a $20 and advise them that the  same or more will be coming throughout the voyage 

we also start off with $20 to the butler, $20 to the concierge, and an additional $20 to the maitre d .

they all remember you, and it works every time. if its lunchtime, $5.00 to the waiter after the meal

ive commented on this issue many times before, i affectionately call this my "vegas handshake"

keith, congratulations on realizing that ncl's method of doing math is completely different than the rest  of the world. this has been going on for a few years, they change the offer, but the prices remain more or less the same

graphic guy, imo. your  analysis is spot on. forget about chicago, try and price out a week at disney world.  my sister lives in orlando, and we've discussed this before. a week in the "value" category hotel, park tickets, food, beverages, etc can run over $7000 and i think that's a conservative estimate. i think a cruise in the long is a much better deal. as far as the balcony cabin, booking one for my wife and i is a no-brainer. nothing beats sitting out on the balcony with an ice cold heineken and my kindle, and yes, i go out whenever we have docked in a port to check out the view.

while we've cruise with ncl 28 x"s. and i agree the check in process is a pain in the tushie, but come on, realistically, is it that much trouble, maybe 15 minutes at most. if  youre gonna gripe, try and make it a major gripe, check in process (imho) is a minor inconvenience