Bonnie1222

I get NCL emails to 2 different email addresses.  One is linked to my latitudes and log in; the other was one I used when CC used to do the daily entries to win a free cruise. I received an email today in my non-NCL account address offering me 25,000 point AND a free upgrade in status to Silver.  Has anyone seen this or done this?

I sent it to my TA who said that her contacts at NCL wouldn't be able to verify it and that I would need to call the CC company.  Maybe I am just paranoid but it sounds too good to be true.  And no, I did not click on any links within the email.

I don't see that anyone posted this yet - NCL has the 25000 points for applying back on the website today.

On 7/18/2023 at 5:05 PM, Até said:

The new sailing needs to be equal to or more than the old sailing,  if it's less you will lose the difference.  Also, if you book Bella experience there's a $50 per person fee.

Thank you for this - I have been looking for that information.  I was wondering what the cost would be if they charg $40 PP to get a free change and breakfast.  The breakfast in the room is not of interest to us so basically it would be a $20 gamble - I can pay the $80, not change the cruise and basically waste the money, or take the gamble, and if I need to change, spend $100.  

Well, I signed DH up for the MSC loyalty so we could quote a cruise,  We matched Diamond and it took 30 minutes!

Has anyone that is Disney Platinum done a status match recently, after Pearl started?   We are looking at trying MSC next year and I am just curious if they are still matching to Diamond or if it has been downgraded to Gold? 

Also two additional questions...  Do DH and I both need to do the match or can just one of us?  And do I do the match before I book or after?

Thanks

Has anyone sailed on these 2 ships since the refurbs?  The Epic is coming to Port Canaveral now (canceled Europe sailings) and I could do the exact cruise I am doing on the Escape for $500 less.  I am trying to decide if the savings is worth moving ships.  I have only been on the Breakaway and we really liked it.

Thanks

1 hour ago, blue_water said:

The clothes are expensive but they have some nice stuff. You can buy the Pusser’s rum (and the Soggy $$ rum) online too if you want more at home…

We can buy the rum locally here in FL. But the gunpowder is much less expensive in port. The regular Pussers if about $5 more here plus tax.  

On 12/1/2022 at 9:54 AM, blue_water said:

Yes. And check out the shop at Pusser’s Road Town Pub!

But DO NOT buy the Pusser's Rum at the pub.  It is more than 2xs the price it is in the port.  When we were there in December it was 45 a bottle for the base at the pub and 21 in the port.  The gun powder was even a bigger savings buying it in port.

I was just going to ask this for the Escape.  My guess is they will be pretty similar except for some of the venues that are different on the 2 ships.  Hopefully somebody chimes in with some pictures.

@MagnoliaBlossom  Good morning!  You seem to be extremely versed on the NCL card.  Thanks for all the info you share.  

I am considering applying - ever though I don't really want or need another credit card but the OBC/upgrade seems too good to pass up.  I keep getting offers for 20K points to sign up.  Am I correct in reading I should wait for a higher offer?  I believe you mentions 25K...  Is there better than that or is that usually the best offer?  

Also, how soon after you reach that threshold can you redeem for the OBC or Upgrade?  Do they make you wait a minimum time before using them?

Thank you for you help. 

5 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Magnets and door decorations are fine. 

Good to know - I have plenty although they may not like all the Mickey Mouse stuff LOL.

I thought they were taboo for NCL

4 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Ok, I found my photos of last year’s birthday on board NCL.

Here are the cabin decorations, put up by the deck supervisor and the housekeeping supervisor (NOT the cabin attendant.)

Here is the free cake

Here is the special cake from our amazing butler (Naveen) and beloved concierge (Armando)

Our butler asked what he could do to make the day special.  I asked for one white cupcake with white icing

 

The room attendant made a towel cake!

Thanks for the pictures!  Looks like they spoiled you.  But with a fabulous name like your I don't blame them.  I don't see my name very often!  😉

1 hour ago, ziggyuk said:

If you don't do the package, let NCL, your PCC or your TA know it's your birthday while onboard and they will note it on your reservation, you will get a cake voucher to take to the restaurant at no cost.
 

Our TA already noted it on the reservation so that is taken care of, maybe I will just leeave it at that.  Plus I liek @BirdTravels idea of packing my own.  I am platinum with Disney and I have a big folder full of magnets but I know NCL doesn't like that - but I can pick up a birthday banner and some magnetic hooks and rock and roll 😉  

Curios, can the coupon be used at ay restaurant?  We actually loved the buffet and O'Sheehans on our first NCL cruise (this is #2) and plan on eating there most nights.  We do  have 1 Specialty dining.

We have an upcoming trip on the Escape and it will be DH's birthday.  The Birthday package description is very basic and has not photos.  Has anyone purchased the package?  What did you think?  If you have pictures that would be fabulous.

Thanks for the help.

4 hours ago, MrsTocko said:

My experience has been that when it hits 21 days until cruise (go by the number on your ncl account for your cruise) is when you can check in.  The number changes at midnight in Florida.  So for our upcoming cruise, we leave on Sunday, April 2.  We could begin check in on Sunday, March 12.  I am on the west coast, and I was able to check in beginning at 9pm on Saturday, March 11.

 

You won’t be able to complete checkin for everyone without the photos and passport info (# and expiration date), but you can start it (if you are looking to get that early pier arrival time). I started check in for my daughter and SIL for them. All I did was login to their cruise and select the time while they were at dinner.  They then finished it up later.

 

For the photos, no hats or glasses.  And headshot about selfie range, straight on.  Think DMV/passport photo.  I used a plain background. I took mine as a selfie, the took DH as a regular photo.  I check us both in, so I wanted the photos on my device.  Used the same photo for 3 cruises so far.

Thanks for all the info.  Very similar to how Disney did it for our cruise last year.  Only difference is Disney required a photo of your passport detail page, and then it actually autofilled in for you.  So I have everything I need for me and hubby when the time comes, just need new selfies.  

This is a great thread.  I have 2 questions.

Is it 21 day until or 21 including?  DCL said 30 but never clarified and I stayed up until midnight to check in and had to wait an other 24 hours.  

Also, can anyone explain what else has changed post Covid?  My 1st and last NCL cruise was a week before shut down.  Passport etc were handled at the port.

• Do I need to have photos of everyone in my sailing party for online check in?
• What about photos of our passports?
• Do you have to wait for them to "approve" your check in or do you just check in and you are done?  

These are things we ran into with Disney.  I like to be prepared ahead of time.

Thank you for your help. 

On 3/28/2023 at 1:10 PM, WillCruiseForMoney said:

Since several new codes have appeared, including some on my own bookings, here is an update: 

Codes	Definition
LATDBLX	2 extra Latitude points per night

We just recently booked and had this code on my confirmation.  I thought the LATDBLX was for using 2 cruise next certificates, which I did.   Was I incorrect?  Am I getting extra points? That would be cool.

On 3/11/2023 at 10:15 AM, tsjt said:

We applied and received the NCL CC. They gave us a whopping $1000 limit. This will not even cover a months worth of normal expenses. Tried several times to get them to increase the limit but they refused. Now, mind you, we also have a RCCl CC with a very large limit also from Bank of America. Ended up cancelling the card.

I have had multiple cards with BOA etc and if I needed a limit increased I called and had them reduce the limit on 1 card and transfer it to the other.  

22 hours ago, Beer Belly said:

Now if they covered Gratuities on the packages, that is a savings. 

PCL is doing this.  Not my 1st choice for a cruise line but when room and drink package gratuities were included I jumped on the offer.  I couldn't beat the price anywhere. 

I think NCL is just trying to get cruisers to book the higher cost rooms to show  higher value to future cruises booked to gain a better monetary future outlook for them and investors.   Just like the balcony for the price of an oceanview  and the oceanview prices were just raised to the balcony price (or so it seemed on the cruises I looked at)

1 hour ago, ziggyuk said:

Have a look at the deck plans on the Sun, there are limited sideways rooms that are very roomy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgpQpZokX7I&feature=youtu.be

 

Thanks.  I will have my friend double check with out TA, but I think they were sold out already.  

1 hour ago, teach/2/cruise said:

Good Morning Bonnie1222,  there is a "backdoor" way to see the pictures without being a member.  Hope this helps.

* Click on Cruise Lines

* in the drop down menu click on Norwegian

* Click on the ship you want (Norwegian Sun)

*Click on the deck you want to explore (Example: deck 4 Biscayne)

* Scroll down and you will see a tab "Cabin Pictures"

* Click on Cabin Pictures and that will bring up all the pictures for that deck and it's sister ship

 

Also if you want to see what is above and below your cabin before you choose it.

Scroll down to the bottom and you will see on the right hand side you will see "Cabin Check Tool"

click on it - it will bring up a new page with all the decks.  Click on the deck of the cabin you want to search for - once you are there click on the cabin number and it will show you a view of above and below the cabin

Hope this helps.

YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!  Thank you.  

1 hour ago, Laszlo said:

Not that you asked.....but the Mini's on the Sun are Huge!

That would be a dream!!!!  We are so used to Disney and the prices they charge we could probably do a mini and still save money.  But to be honest - we are fine with the smaller rooms and to me that just means I can cruise more each year (2-3 times) for the same amount I would have spent on 1 Disney.  So while a mini would be tempting...  more days at sea is more tempting to me.  We booked this cruise really early so are hopeful there will price drops like on our first one.  And who knows... if it goes down enough maybe we'll bump or bid.

12 hours ago, teach/2/cruise said:

Good Morning.  Hopefully this will help you.  There is a website that has many pictures and videos of different ship cabins.  These pictures and/or videos are posted by all of us that have sailed.

The website is https://www.shipcabins.com/   at the top of the page you can choose the cruise line and then ship. 

Hopefully this will help your friends make their decision.

I had tried to see some pictures on this site, but you can't view the pictures unless you are a member and pay a fee.  I did find one video that wasn't blocked though so thank you for pointing it out.  

We recently sailed on the Breakaway and stayed in an inside cabin.  DH and I had been worried by how small the room was going to be because we are long time Disney cruisers and their inside rooms are pretty large (185 SF).  We watched videos and looked at pictures on the internet so we were prepared for minimal storage and I packed accordingly (packing cubes, extra bags to hold things since there were no drawers).  When we got to the room, yes it was small but were pleasantly surprised how there was plenty of storage and we found we spent much less time in our room than we did on our Disney cruises because there was so much to do.

Our next cruise will be on the Sun (God willing) and this time we chose an ocean view.  We are trying to convince friends to come with us (also long time Disney cruisers), but money is tight for them and an ocean view is outside of their comfort zone.  I am trying to convince them to try an inside room, but they saw how small our room was on the Breakaway when we showed them our pictures.  By the pictures I have seen the inside rooms on the Sun, her rooms appear to be larger with better storage.  While my GF is convinced, her DH is not and keeps saying they are too small, there is no room and he doesn't want to go because of it.  

Has anyone stayed in an inside on both the Breakaway and the Sun (or their sister ships)?  Can you help me with your opinions on how they compare?  Any pictures of the rooms on the Sun would be helpful.  The ones here on CC ship information show a family or accessible - not a standard inside.  

Thank you in advance for your help.  

My husband got Blanton's a couple times in Grand Cayman including Single Barrel, Straight from the Barrel and Gold.  We just got back from a western on the Breakaway and the store in Grand Cayman has been out for months.

Last December when we were in St Thomas (Disney cruise) we found a store that had all three types, but his prices were stupid... he wanted $75 for the single barrel and the others were at least $50 a bottle more than we paid in Grand Cayman so we passed.

We did find that the ship had good prices on the Johnnie walker line (we did several tastings in the duty free shop on the Breakaway cruise) especially the Johnnie Walker Blue compared to Cozumel and they were well below the duty free prices on the islands.  They were a little high on the Don Julio 1942 I wanted, but they price matched the island prices.