alanstarr

If you prepaid for excursions, re-book once onboard and you can use your OBC, and you'll get refundable credit (cash) back.

These were all direct on the NCL website. I'm guessing they're just doing some very dynamic pricing, tying to fill up a cruise that would traditionally be pretty empty (TA in January, right before dry dock). I was lucky to pull the trigger when I did; the only reason I did was that I wanted to take advantage of the expiring double-up offer for CruiseNext. I honestly didn't expect it to jump back up so high.

Yeah. Although in fairness, after posting this, I read over in the HAL forum that its likely because of the new CA pricing laws, and so it now includes port fees/taxes.

Looks like HAL doubled the prices for standby. Inside/Oceanview are now 99/day, Veranda is 129/day.

Totally! I booked this last month when it dropped to 899 for a solo balcony. Wasn't sure I wanted to pull the trigger, but the Double Cruise Next promotion was ending, so I had a deadline. Glad I did, because then it shot up to like 2500. Then down to about 1100. Now back up to 2500. Crazy! If you follow the bargains thread in the Solo Cruisers forum, you'll see several posts about this.

This had jumped way up in price, but now has come back down to almost the same amount. Balcony is currently $1029, OV $849 and Inside is $749.

Thank you!! I did exactly that, and worked like a charm! Just called in to add the 2nd CN, took less than 2 minutes.

Can you use two CN during DoubleUp and a FCC on a single reservation? Tried to book online, but the options grayed out once I chose two credits (either FCC or CNC). Could I book online using two credits, and then add the third afterward?

13 nights TA on the NCL Bliss on January. $899 for a solo balcony, $1445 all-in with drink package. Runs Miami to Southampton, with stops in Portugal, Spain and France. You can also choose the "free" airfare, which gives you 50% off. It was $519 from Boston.

And it says this specifically on my boarding pass: LATITUDES REWARDS. As a Latitudes Rewards member, you will receive special offers and promotions, onboard benefits and Norwegian Cruise Line news. No action is required on your part.

I don't believe its a charter anymore, its an interline cruise. And from the NCL website:

No longer available to book, expired earlier this week. If you search for NCL Breakaway and Perx, I'm sure you'll find the info.

Actually, on this particular cruise you DO automatically get the drink package with the Haven. Its one of the reasons why the Haven rooms were 2k while the balconies were 10% of that. And I think that specialty dining will be VERY empty. Combination of few passengers, and also fewer elites than usual.

As an aside, there's no FAS for this cruise. It's an oddity - a cancelled charter that was being resold through a single website. Super cheap deals ($129 + fees for a solo balcony), but no FAS offered. (You can buy the drink package, but it's like $85/day.)

As I mentioned above, it wasn't necessarily about budget. It was about food waste. (Although I guess you could argue they're related.)

"Free At Sea"

At the Viva officer's Q&A yesterday,we were told the lack of cookies was a corporate decision. Biggest reason is that, by far, cookies were the food most often found left uneaten on plates in dining rooms and cabins. Contributed greatly to food waste. They also mentioned that if you ask for them specifically, in any dining facility, they are happy to provide them.

Currently on the Viva, and haven't found cookies anywhere yet. Not in Observation Lounge in the afternoon, and no late evening snacks in the casino either.

Try app.ncl.com, I've used that trick in the past.

NCL just dropped the price on the Viva TA on April 7th, San Juan to Lisbon. Its 19 nights, and I just booked a balcony all-in (with drink package) for $4057. Not the cheapest, but $2k less than it was yesterday. I really want to check out NCL's newest ship, and its a great itinerary for me (only been to one of the 12 ports). Of course, Inside and OV are available for less as well.

In October (on NCL), I did a half-day tour with Vigne Authentique. Picked up and dropped off at the port, and visited a couple wineries. Would definitely recommend.

So what happens if you put down a second guest who then is a no-show. Do they try to charge you more once you board?

If you wear earplugs a lot, it's worth investing in a good pair. I recommend going to an audiologist and having molds taken. Many use Westone as a vendor, and they're great! They have removable filters, so you can choose 15db, 25db or solid blocking. They allow the highs through, so nothing is muffled, just lower in volume. Been using them for 20+ years now. Cost is around $225, but they last forever (or until you lose them 8^).

Just got off the Sapphire today, had a room directly across from the laundry (A612). Never heard a peep.

Cool! I travel mostly on NCL, and OBC can't be used for daily service charges or gratuities added on at a restaurant/bar. That's good news for my cruise next month on the Sapphire, thanks!