hallux

There are statutory checks/inspections that sometimes just can't be done while "wet". Especially on a ship that age, they probably still need to get her out of the water sometime this year.

Can non-refundable OBC now be used to cover the DSC? I thought the rebate for the CND purchase was non-refundable OBC (and this is even indicated in the CruiseNext T&C's linked on the page in my first reply in this thread), which that category (previously) could not be used to pay for the DSC.

Right. Your problem was booking Cagney's before Moderna...

@MoCruiseFan you're right, it's not hard. The 'confusion' some people see is that they're forgetting (or maybe not realizing?) that the CND purchase is being billed to your on-board account, resulting in the $250 OBC offsetting half of the purchase price once it's been credited. As a result, they think that OBC then has to be "used" to pay for something and try to figure out what, exactly, it can be used for.

There are two schools of thought here. 1 - what you're thinking. Just in case I don't make it back I want to be sure I have it on me. 2 - leave it in the safe in your room. If you don't make it back this is the ONE place security will look for these documents to leave with the port agent for when you finally return. On my first cruise that was more than one port (my first cruise was a milk-run Bermuda cruise that overnighted at the port) I did take my passport off the ship in the single foreign port. Since then, I leave it in the safe and bring my driver license on shore. You definitely need to be sure to bring photo ID on shore, some ports will check that before allowing you through to the ship (Nassau did when I was there in 2018). The SAFEST option is #2. You don't want something happening where you lose it - either the bag it's in being stolen or mistakenly left someplace or your pocket being picked and your passport being lifted. A third option, if you're getting your first passport or renewing - get the passport card as well and bring THAT on shore...

I seem to recall there being a Wifi network available in the NCL Miami terminal when I was there last year. My data plan is metered so I seek out WiFi everywhere I go.

I've gotten some pretty stunning pictures with my phone while on the ship. But an actual camera still gets a better picture (well, that didn't go as planned, seems this re-sampled and isn't as crisp after posting) -

It's also right on the CruiseNext page, below the matrix of how you can purchase them - https://www.ncl.com/cruisenext

Yes, if you only have one FAS meal and then the two Latitudes dinners you're going to have problem if you want to book more than one venue that has a flat-fee (cover charge).

I'm a VERY amateur photographer, but I like taking pictures to remember my vacations by. I have a Canon Eos M (mirrorless with swappable lenses). I wouldn't consider bringing it on the beach, but for tender ports or excursions in smaller boats I do bring it. For city excursions, my pack is a SwissGear pack, in which I also carry (AT THE BOTTOM) one or two quart-size water bottles, plus an aluminum one on the outside. I emptied all three while in Mazatlan! This pack is also one of my carry-ons for the plane to the port as my tablet fits nicely inside AND it fits well under the seat in front on the plane (aisle seats have a narrower space for this, my daily-carry bag for work doesn't fit as I discovered this month). This pack fits the camera and second lens while in transit, it has easy access for the main compartment and it's small so it can't be THAT heavy so it's easy to carry all day. I have a dedicated camera bag (to stow the camera, spare batteries and SD cards) that slips right in the bottom of that bag. I haven't done a 'beach day' as a solo traveler, but I wouldn't bring my camera, just my phone (now a Pixel 7). Last time I did a 'beach day' on a cruise was on Royal, at Coco Cay before the pier was complete, and I spent much of my time in the water.

Red robin is one thing, I'm talking the locally-owned pubs at home, which have some excellent burgers (better than RR). The ones from The Local rival even THOSE Which you PAY FOR, and The Local is FREE. BEST. KEPT. SECRET!

There are numerous threads on this exact topic recently. First I've heard of the edict to contact 'shore services' though. Some have gotten OBC as a result of a missed port, so it sounds like maybe the folks on the ship just don't want to deal with explaining things 2500 times...

There's nothing that says you MUST get off the ship at the port. I'm on the Escape in March with a scheduled stop at GSC, if that gets replaced with Nassau I fully intend to stay on board unless I feel like stretching my legs and going to walk the Queen's Staircase (maybe an hour-long adventure to walk there, up the stairs and back). Of course, I've actually been to Nassau on a cruise before...

That's the one! I'll be on the Escape in 46 days, I'll probably do lunch at O'Sheehan's (same venue) a couple times.

Getting better is in the crosshairs - NCL has signed an agreement for Starlink. No details on when each ship will get the new service though.

I had an EXCELLENT burger at The Local when I was on the Joy last year, one that I'd be paying $20 or so for at local restaurants at home.

Do they still offer that? I thought some airlines discontinued those last year. If you can get one, it might not be a bad idea, but you're still going to be there for 8+ hours. Oh, something else - the latest you can be on the ship is 10 or 10:30 AM (they might start making final calls around 9:30 if people were quick getting off), though the cruise line would prefer you to be off as early as possible so they can clear the ship for boarding the next cruise. Yes, your disembarkation time will be based on your flight time if you're using NCL-booked flights and shuttles. If you do a post-cruise excursion you will meet for that much earlier, around 7:30 or so.

There will be a representative at baggage claim, they will have a clipboard with a list of names of those that paid for transfers, your name should be there. They will put people in groups to board the buses. My experience at LAX was that the bus was not filled at any one terminal, there were some loaded at each terminal so there was no one place emptied first. You might consider booking a post-cruise excursion that ends at the airport. It won't fill the time completely but it will reduce the time you're waiting at the airport. When I flew out of that airport on Southwest last year they wouldn't let me through security until 2 hours before the flight, and there aren't a lot of places to sit or eat while outside security (at least near the Southwest security checkpoint). You might also consider getting a room at a hotel for the day, as a place to stash your luggage, maybe find one with a shuttle to the airport so you can save that money. For the hotel option you will want to cancel the post-cruise shuttle, I think if you book a post-cruise excursion they will do that for you.

I was through O'Hare in 2019, in to international from Vancouver (I left Vancouver after the cut-off for pre-clearing customs and immigration in Vancouver) then out of domestic. The flights were booked 1:13 apart and the trains running between the terminals were not running (meaning I had to take a bus outside of security and re-clear). United actually re-booked me on a later-departing flight than I was originally booked (while I was on my cruise they did this!) BECAUSE of the trains being down and the 1:13 was not enough time to meet the MCT for the airport as a result. The end result? My flight arrived a little early, I claimed my bag for customs, went through immigration and at the bag re-check station they were able to book me back on my original flight. Took the shuttle bus to the domestic terminal, went through security (at O'Hare, at 6 AM, but on a Sunday) and made it to the gate in time for my flight. My bag also made it for pick up at my home airport.

Dinner reservations open for the masses 120 days before sailing.

which doesn't really make a whole lot of difference. As noted by @CaptainBazz in the post before yours - the OBC received for buying the CND's effectively offsets half of the purchase price of the CND's. That OBC is non-refundable (which, by the way, CAN'T be used for DSC) and is the only non-refundable OBC that CAN be used for CND purchase. It's confusing for people that haven't made the purchase before, especially when it's advertised as 'OBC'...

For the future - when booking for an odd number of people just pick the next highest number for the table size. You're getting that size table anyway, it really doesn't matter. Too many people with an odd number in their party stress over booking a table for the exact size party they have, it's stress that just isn't needed. You're not trying to book times for the MDR, are you? There isn't really a need for that, that's the whole point of the 'freestyle' cruising concept. As for check-in times - word is that generally they aren't checking these recently.

There are a couple threads on recent experiences with this situation. If you use the search box and enter 'berth 50', 'berth 46', 'b50', 'b46' you should find them and be able to read about those experiences. You could also use the drop-down at the top of the thread list and select to look at threads mentioning the Joy or Bliss and you should find them that way as well..

No, it was not added during the conversion to the US market from the Asia-inspired build.

As long as final payment remains at 120 days. If they drop it back to 60 days again (for some reason) you are then past the deadline for that request.