hallux

They are? Ooops. I've had a couple places tell me in the past that I didn't need to stop by the desk on checkout day and I could just walk out so I just do that and take the card (if I get one anymore since I signed up for Hilton Honors and just use the app to check in/out and open my door).

I actually ended up with 3x more than I needed on my last trip - I brought one and planned to use the app for the hotel to unlock the door but they didn't have my room ready in time so the desk assigned a different room and gave me 2x cards to get in!

There are a couple reasons - the Note 7 was so long ago and they were blocked so hard that they're certainly not being used, plus it's part of the cruise contract that the Note 7 is not allowed on the ship. @stellarose33 I usually bring an old hotel keycard to use in that slot, but I usually pull it out enough to turn off the power when I leave the room. I just do that so I don't leave my keycard in there by accident.

Most people don't, but the possibility that it could happen is enough as fire at sea is a problem...

I've been on the Escape in a Studio. There is no bar in the lounge, just the wine dispenser as explained by @debenson0723 She is 100% correct in that the solo/Studio experience and lounge is what you make of it. On my Escape cruise I went to the lounge as soon as I could get into cabins, met some people and hung around with them for much of the trip. I want to say my solo coordinators have been good, but the one on my last cruise had a hard time controlling the large group (over 100!) and I kind of gave up on it after the first two nights. There's the opposite, my first solo cruise (where I actually met Deb!) I had an amazing solo coordinator but I think I saw that he's now moved up to Cruise Director

I would expect this, they don't want people charging devices when they're not in the cabin. Cabin stewards are even asked to unplug devices they find plugged in when they visit a cabin.

After a 15-night Panama Canal cruise in an inside cabin on the Bliss I actually think I would have preferred a Studio. That closet in the inside was HORRIBLY designed and I have no idea how FOUR people (it had two Pullman beds in it) could go a week in such a cabin! In the future - it's balcony or Studio. I took the inside because it was a little cheaper than the Studio.

That's my go-to meal there!!

I find this hard to believe. The Studio cabins (the only ones on the ship ACTUALLY originally designed for one passenger) have no room to stick an extra bed in. I believe that was removed and never replaced when they installed the exhaust scrubbers during the pandemic.

Is it an assumption? Yes. But as noted by someone else, NCL is historically bad at updating all information when changes happen. I would be pleasantly surprised if they did not make the change I suggested was happening. What you did in the past is not an indicator of future NCL. However, this: is encouraging. BUT, we need to remember that these menus have JUST released. It's possible they're still filtering things down. You can't turn an aircraft carrier like you turn your Honda...

and that's what has me wondering why all the teeth-gnashing over the menu cuts. Sure it's a drop in options, but how often did any of the people complaining about fewer choices actually order the items removed? Of more interest to me, based on the wording of what you were previously allowed on an SDP credit - were the apps, salads and soups previously combined like this? Looking at a menu posted to another website - NO. This may signal a change in THAT offering - one item from appetizers, one entree, one dessert rather than getting one soup/salad, one app, one entree, one dessert.

@julig22 I think I see a LITTLE of @RocketMan275's logic. Some of it really depends on the cruise and what the fares are. In my case - I'd book an OV and upgrade to a BA. That upgrade is 30,000 points. 30,000 points redeemed in another way such as a statement credit is worth $300, but on some cruises the difference in cost from OV to BA is not even $300 (speaking strictly of guarantee cabins, lowest price for the category), extrapolated because there is no 30,000 point redemption except for the stateroom upgrade unless you do the statement credit. There are other things to consider in that example though, I think...

Available Ubers are roaming near the port. I ordered one at 11 AM on a Bliss disembarkation day and got a driver within minutes and if it wasn't for a traffic snarl because of a family trying to fit 10lbs of stuff in a 5lb bag (the guy had to call in a buddy to get the overflow, security/traffic control were NOT happy) I would have been in the car within 10 minutes or so. Getting off the ship was a whole other story, but I was also on a bigger ship.

In fact - some say it's detrimental to you to close or cancel the account rather than leave it dormant and let the issuer close it after a period of inactivity.

Quite valid considerations. I'm not sure but I may find out soon enough as I found a trip quite interesting to me and I can book an OV cabin to then upgrade to a balcony. I spend no more than I would normally, I just put as much of what I do spend on THAT card. It's my default for tap-to-pay on my phone.

Unless you plan on sailing NCL again, that would be fine. If you ever plan to sail NCL again, you're leaving points on the table by redeeming the bonus strictly for OBC. Plus - the OBC is in, I think, $50 increments, you won't redeem the full 21,000 points for OBC, you'd need 25,000 for $250 of OBC. Before you ask - that OBC can NOT be used for CruiseNext purchase.

Looking at the deck plans, the Illusionarium is in the same location Q is on the ships that have Q. On the bright side, for those that liked the Broadway event in that venue, I've seen similar in Q on another ship so it may come there as well. Q on the ships that have had it as a full specialty restaurant also have a stage in there.

You're right, there is no incentive to use it as OBC. Actually, there is if your sole purpose is to get the credit for a single cruise. The sign up bonus is your incentive - get the card, spend the required amount to get the bonus, request that your points be applied to OBC for your cruise. Your $1,000 spend to get the bonus gets you points worth $20,000 of spending on non-NCL purchases.

If they told you something that counters this section of the guest conduct policy they may want to review it - The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on Norwegian Cruise Line ships is 21. Guests who are 18 - 20 years of age can purchase and consume beer or wine when the ship is in international waters (3 miles out of US territorial waters). The age modification does not apply for Alaska and Hawaii sailings. The parent or legal guardian must be onboard the sailing with the young adult and present themselves at the Front Desk so they can sign the form allowing the consumption of beer and wine only. A notarized Parent Consent Form or any other document allowing for temporary guardianship for the purposes of the sailing only will not be accepted. It even says how to go about getting it set up (I bolded that). Best suggestion - give that a try on board, the worst they can say is no... https://www.ncl.com/faq/guest-conduct-policy

I don't cruise enough in expensive enough cabins to benefit from this use case. I charge almost everything to the card and have amassed almost 20k points in a year in addition to the sign up bonus.

I'm so glad someone is cataloging what cruises other CC members are on... 🤪

iMessage is independent of the carrier, it runs strictly over the data network as long as both parties have iPhones have their devices defaulting to the Messages protocol for messaging other iPhone users.

What things, exactly? A tip - at the top of the thread list in the NCL forum is a drop-down, that is a list of ships in the NCL fleet, you can select the ship name and it's a pre-filled search for threads about that ship. Start there... Free At Sea questions? Browse the thread list - several questions about it have been asked in the last week or two and it's THOROUGHLY explained in those threads and the many others that came before them.

Yes, Teppanyaki and Moderno are included as well. If you get any extra meals beyond your included Free At Sea meals, be sure to book Teppanyaki or Moderno FIRST.

Both times I sailed from LA I flew in the day before and used the NCL transfer. Both times I used the hotel shuttle and returned to one of the baggage claim areas as directed by the TA I used for each trip. I believe there's an NCL rep at each baggage claim to meet arriving airline passengers.