hallux

No, but consider that bookings prior to the removal of the BOGO airfare for your sailing have some accounting to cover the BOGO airfare built in, which could account for some of the price drop. If you take advantage of the BOGO airfare and think of it that way should you REALLY be eligible for the price drop.

If they don't have the issue fixed before then they have some BIG problems. That the ship seems to be sailing at typical speed seems to indicate they have the issue resolved.

At the very least I consider Celebrity, HAL and Princess to be the more up-market lines within their respective umbrella ownership groups (Royal and Carnival), NCL is the mainstream line in NCLH and in some aspects bests the mainstream lines in the other groups.

Your first sentence that I quoted made it seem like you were unhappy with the amount of notice given.

Would you like for them to plan future mechanical failures better? So they're giving you 20% off the fare of a future cruise, around 20% back on your current cruise (maybe 15%?) and $100 to spend on board? Seems generous. When was the last time you accurately anticipated the breakdown of a 20 year-old vehicle that had otherwise been meticulously maintained? These things are machines built and maintained by humans, they could do everything right and yet things can still fail. I watched a CruiseTuber's video earlier - this actually couldn't have happened at a WORSE time. With the Crowdsrike failure Friday that cause all those cancelled flights, some of the people on board apparently may not get flights home until Wed because of all the re-booked airline passengers cascading.

Boarding begins some amount of time (10-60 minutes?) after the last passenger of the previous cruise has scanned their card to walk off the ship. Because of many factors there is no hard-defined time for it but it's probably generally around 11 or shortly after if all goes smoothly.

I believe that is the policy. There are any number of threads discussing this, there haven't been any specific ones recently. Different cruise lines, different ways of handling things. I also believe that NCL's FCC doesn't appear until AFTER the cruise.

Yup, I was referring to the beverage service charge most people pay. Later in the thread I looked up an MSC cruise to compare the price with drinks and WiFi included and that added around $30 pp/pd on a 4 day cruise but apparently the value on-board is lower due to the lower limit on drink cost and the restricted places you can use it.

I really liked the Escape, I would say the Escape and Bliss are a tie for favorite, depends on the itinerary. The Joy is right there as well, all 3 are the same class (Breakaway+) so they're mostly similar but I really think NCL knocked it out of the park with that class of ship. But, as you can see in my signature, those are the only 3 I've been on!

2, in fact. If only NCL had a website where things like this were described so people didn't need to say 'I believe'... https://www.ncl.com/cruise-deals/free-at-sea

NCL makes this information available on their website - https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/cruise-faq/when-can-i-pre-book-dining https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/cruise-faq/when-can-i-pre-book-entertainment

@julie3fan I said it earlier in the thread - I fit 6 men's xxl t-shirts (including a long-sleeve), 4 xxl polo shirts, 9 xl boxers, a pair of khakis, a pair of cargo shorts and socks for 9 days into one of those bags with no heroic reinforcement efforts. Take that for what it's worth...

I just picked a random MSC cruise - their drinks & WiFi included fare was $150 pp more (on a 4 night cruise) than the base fare, and that only gets you drinks up to $10 menu price vs. the $15 drinks on NCL.

and how much out of pocket does one of those drink packages cost? Remember that NCL is effectively charging $21.80 pp/pd for the drink package.

I drink all the water I can and don't pay a dime! I do what @PartyPlannerLady suggests. I bring several containers I can fill either from the tap in my cabin or at the buffet (using provided glasses, of course)

If there is a Studio lounge and you're in any of the Solo category cabins - go to the lounge just after cabins open. I did on my cruise last year and met up with some people I hung around with the rest of the cruise.

and yet, if I decide I want to go in the pool for more than 15 minutes at a clip this is exactly where some want me to put my stuff myself so I'm not 'hogging' a chair!

NCL has this info in their FAQ - https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/cruise-faq/when-can-i-pre-book-dining

and the high bidders won't be able to use non-refundable OBC to pay!! lol

I don't want to say never, but. Unlike Royal - the prices for the packages are the same for every cruise (AND are listed on the site in easy-to-find places) and NCL VERY RARELY (like, I've been watching NCL pricing for 5 years now and haven't seen it) puts them on sale.

Maybe Leo #4 needs its own thread as construction progresses?

tote bag, sandals, towel.. quickly becoming a pile. No, I'm not putting my towel IN the bag, I'm not getting the stuff in the bag wet when I go to take the towel out! I wander around to see if I can find another solo that I can leave my stuff with, or an empty chair, whichever I find first. We're obviously not going to change each other's minds, I feel like this thread has run its course...

Every night will be a Solo traveler's Social, usually around 5 or 5:30. Dinner is usually organized there, you can also meet others there and just do your own thing for dinner. There is a dedicated solo host that comes to that social and will sometimes work to get those from the group that want them reservations in the theater. I've done several solo cruises, ask me all you want!!

A random pile of stuff on the deck is MORE likely to be absconded with than stuff placed on a chair! A small beach bag is actually what I carry my stuff to the pool in. "other experiences"? I'm enjoying all that the POOL DECK has to offer! Consider this - you go to a water park, get a chair in a spot you like. Do you leave your stuff there while you go use the water slides or do you pack up and stow your stuff someplace while you're off to do a couple slides (which is going to take 30 minutes or so)? Similar situation, but I bet you leave your stuff on a chair, don't you?

Just as there's no talking sense into people that are the worst offenders as chair hogs (talking those that place towels at 7 AM only to return after 10 AM, NOT someone that spends an hour in the pool while they have their stuff on a chair), there's simply no talking sense into some people in this thread. I've asked SEVERAL TIMES and never gotten an answer - as a SOLO CRUISER where am I supposed to place my stuff when I go for a dip in the pool if I'm not supposed to leave it on a chair? It's not like there are lockers or cubbies on the pool deck where I can put my stuff if I want to spend more than 15 minutes in the water. THIS IS WHAT THE CHAIRS ARE FOR!!!!