Smitheroo

Only because in this case (or so I thought) that it was a change to put the $1000 back on the certiicate purchase. In fact the rep who sold me the certs said that in the past you lost the "free money" if you didnt use it on board on that cruise so now they were redirecting it back to the certificates. He gave the example of NCLs most frequent cruisers coming on board with everything pre-paid so needed some enticement to buy the CruiseNEXT certiicates. $1000 of free money was going to do much for them if they had very little in their shipboard account. Its very confusing and I doubt very much I will ever buy 8 again when I could get as good a deal as buying 2.

I dont understand this because on a previous cruise I sat and listened to the presentation with interest. And it was very clear to me that if you did not use this obc on that particular cruise it was gone. That it was ideal for paying off a large shipboard account. Exactly what is "nonrefundable obc"

Since I love cruising I'm not very upset. As far as spending some of the OBC on services I would never have bought otherwise, oh well, it was an experience. No wondering now, I know I would never spend anything in the spa again. My hair cut was nice and the process seemed luxurious but honestly, it feels just as nice at my local beauty school for $9. Whatever floats your boat I guess

#13651 on the Encore a guarantee inside cabin, very quiet. My only complaint is that it always seemed like a long hike to where ever I was headed. I would not hesitate to have this cabin again

Okay that could be the reason.

It was my understanding that the obc was what was considered "nonrefundable" OBC and was lost if not used. That it was good to pay off ship board expenses incurred on the cruise. I guess another thing i was clueless about

Doesnt it occur to them that people dont like to discover they've been tricked? So over time it will come back to bite them. I guess by that time they will have thought of a new one. It will entice me to cruise more so I guess all is not lost but it sure doesnt make me feel good. They have a double up promo going on until tomorrow. Im wondering if they have a triple promo for Black Friday? And they can also be transferred so its not the end of the world but you can be sure I wont do that again. Not because I lost a lot of money but because I dont like realizing I am a sucker. btw, I did explain the 70% off 2nd person- 35% off cruise confusion to someone waiting behind me on line and told her I came to the conclusion that all I need to be concerned about is the bottom line and if I am willing to pay it or not. That it is just a marketing strategy

The 8 CruiseNEXT Certificates ($2,000) I purchased onboard my recent cruise came with $1000 OBC. (they advertised it as Free Money) In the past I understood this was OBC you lost if you didnt use it on the cruise you bought the certificates on. This was not the case on this particular cruise. I dont know if its a permanent change or not but as it was explained to me by the CruiseNEXT rep was "Many of our most frequent NCL cruisers come on board with their expenses all prepaid so this offer didnt benefit them much" It seems that now if you dont use the Free Money it comes off the price of the CruiseNEXT certificates. I had to crunch the numbers for a long time in my account for it all to make sense but it finally did. I did have some shipboard expenses but if I hadnt, the $1,000 would have come off the total cost of the 8 CruiseNEXT certiicates making them $125 each. My travel partner bought 2 CruiseNext certificates at $500 (2 x 250) and got $250 back, making them $125 each. Was this just another marketing game? I think I may have actually lost money because the $1,000 Free Money enticed me to try some spa options that I would never have done otherwise. Thinking about it, I probably would have been better off doing as my partner did (buying two CruiseNEXT certicates and applying the $250 rebate to my $140 service charges Maybe in that case the remainder would have been lost if not used. Please tell me I am wrong.

my travel partner did get off the ship in Juneau and had a beer at the Red Dog Saloon

I would like to add that disembarkation (?) was equally seamless. We used the Port Valet service but didnt get off the ship while it was being called. Instead had a nice breakfast and then got off. So easy.

I could have asked what the problem could be but since i had no problem using the ship computers in the internet cafe I didnt bother

we are so jealous lol! Would have loved to continue on. We met a couple who had already been on the ship for weeks and was continuing on the 21 day cruise

the weather was perfect. You did need warm clothes for the deck and gloves and hat definitely made shore excursions more comfortable. No rain. Extremely smooth seas.

I hope they dont have Starlink yet because if they do, it is horrible. I was not happy with the wifi situation (the only thing I wasnt happy with) I had the free minutes from Free at Sea. I was never able to use it. Nothing would open for me. If I went to the Internet Cafe and used one of the ship computer's I was able to use the wifi. So dont know what was up with that. My travel partner works remotely from the ship with no problems. He got the most expensive upgrade.

I did read most of the thread and I was still confused. If its referring to a past schedule it must have been awhile ago so why is it an issue now? The Epic TA on 4/7 has been on the website for awhile. I guess I didnt read the date of the first page.

I'm booked on the 4/7/24 Epic TA. I havent heard a thing. Could it be because my final payment isnt due to 12/9? And why is this TA still on the website?

Please tell me your favorite smaller ship and why you enjoyed it? I'd like to try other ships but not sure which one to try next

I think a Black Russian will always be my favorite cocktail. White Russian is good too.

I'm sitting in SeaTac Airport waiting for my red eye flight home. So sorry the cruise is over. It was great. The only thing I would criticize is the wifi system. I was supposed to have 150 minutes, or thereabouts, and I was never able to log on with my computer. I did get on the computers in the internet cafe. The other thing that was a nuisance is the way the lights operate in the cabin. You need to keep your key card in the slot or the lights (and outlets) go out after an interval. I could have asked about both problems so they werent major. No complaints about anything else. Both embarkation and disembarkation were seamless. Port Valet is a great program. I wouldnt bother with specialty dining but I know others feel differently. We did get to see Choir of Man. Lots of energy on stage. Some people saw the northern lights towards the end. I could never stay up late enough. And the shower with piping hot water was delightful. The Encore is a really lovely ship

I wouldnt mind doing this one again. I didnt get off the ship in Juneau but really liked Skagway. Plenty of shops still open and most have end of season discounts.

Embarkation in Seattle was seamless. My only other experience with NCL has been the Port of Los Angeles.

the weather has been great. Just a bit chilly although the decks at night are blustery. No rain at all so far. Very smooth seas.

This isnt exactly "live from the Encore" but just to report I am now currently on the 10/22 cruise on the Encore to Alaska. Both my travel partner and I agree that we are enjoying this cruise more than the one on the Joy to Mexico last February (which we loved) Everything seems to be running smoother. Not sure how many pax on board, that could be the reason. Definitely less children and all that are here seem to be very well behaved. Embarkation was seamless. The Beatles show was a much bigger production. Only the 3rd day but having a great time. Could easily become addicted to this lifestyle. One thing that impresses me is how there is a "style" of cruising for everyone, even on the same ship. There's the noisy, cafeteria style Garden Cafe, the elegant main dining rooms without having to go to specialty restaurants. Room service if you want it. (I dont think a service charge of $4.95 is a deal breaker) Or maybe you are a "grazer", grabbing bites to eat as you go throughout the day. Food served just about everywhere. We are now pulling into Juneau.

Because when everyone dresses up it adds to the total atmosphere. If if really bothers you adding to the atmosphere, then dont sail Cunard. You have plenty of choices.

Since Covid first appeared there have been people who have only showed gi symptoms.