ChiefMateJRK

We did Tappanyaki on the Bliss the week before last. It was really fun and we didn't endure any photos or delays for anything. We even did facetime with DD back home so she could enjoy it. She put our cat in her camera instead of her own face and the chef got a kick out of performing for a cat. 🐱

I believe it would be more accurate to say that what is "unacceptable" to some is just fine for others. I can't think of anything that I've experienced on an NCL cruise that I would consider unacceptable. Sure, "stuff" 💩 will happen anywhere, but I'm not about to let it interfere with one minute of my vacation. One of the values of Cruise Critic is that reading the current experiences of others allows us to calibrate our expectations. My biggest complaint from my last several cruises was that stupid return to in-person muster (on the Sky, outside, under the lifeboat, packed in like 🐀s), which has (thankfully) been blown to oblivion. Was it "acceptable?" Sure. Was is "enjoyable?" NO. Did I share this with NCL rather than just posting it on the internet? Of course. The other way just wouldn't be very smart.

Yikes!! Some people really need a good talking to (by which I mean slapping....let's say "verbal" slapping).

The emails and/or splash screens are somewhat random. Just enter your information on this webpage: Marketing Page Title (plusgrade.com)

If you paid $1000, then you got the same deal you could have gotten on day one. They just switched their marketing strategy because it was at the end of the cruise.

Sometimes the DoubleUp applies to all cabin classes. I bought my first two CNs on a cruise in January and immediately applied two of them to an inside cabin booking this summer. I bought four more two weeks ago, but was only able to apply one to an inside cabin this fall. I always try, regardless of what the NCL terms say, as we all know that NCL sometimes has some inconsistencies.

I fully understand and am glad to hear that your cat is better. I've had cats all my life and our current one is just a great friend and entertainer. The worst part of cruising is that we miss our cat.

Fantastic report! Thanks. I had a very similar experience with a Shorex on our last cruise. It was cancelled but I received no notification. The tickets were in my room. I presented them at the Shorex desk and they claimed that I wouldn't get a refund because I never paid for them. After wasting an hour they finally decided to apply a refund to my account. Something in that process is messed up. Lesson learned. Regardless of having tickets in hand, check the app to make sure the excursion still shows up in your activities list.

Yep. Caught cold because you're out in the world. Do it more often, and your immune system will stop being such a wimp (unless you have a medical condition, which would be unfortunate).

Thanks. Please let me know what else you experience. 70's hits (non-pop) are my favorites and good Motown is great.😎

Yep. Except, I don't recall any reports of even that being "enforced." It's NCL. We just do what works and share it with our friends here. 😎

Yep. Same here. I've even shared/admitted/acknowledged/confessed my CC username to folks. Most/all have been very nice! 😎🐀

Do you people really NOT pack your own high quality, correct fitting, slippers? What do you wear all day on the ship? Shoes?? Aren't you on "vacation?" Yikes!! Y'all need to take lessons from this guy!😎 I honestly don't understand why this didn't conclusively end the discussion, but that's the internet for ya'.

Thanks. I've read that (several times) but understood it to mean something totally different (I really don't know what it means). I thought that meant that I simply could not use a CruiseFirst on an existing reservation, even if I tried to "cheat" by cancelling it and rebooking it. Who knows? 🤣 You may be right. It may be saying that if I spend $150 on a $300 CF, and try to use it on a cheater-rebook, that the NCL cheater police will swoop through and reduce my credit from $300 to $150, which is silly because my deposit is required to be $250 and that would require NCL to just call the whole thing off. Do they really want to do that? We need a Guinee Pig!! (it won't be me)

Yeah, but if you had taken longer cruises I'm sure the weaknesses would have become apparent. 🤣🤣

I don't doubt that, but NCL obviously knows that all of their competitors are needing to make similar cutbacks. Trash cans and towel racks they can fix, but it may take a couple months. In-person musters were easily fixed. Billions of debt? That will take a lot longer to dig out of, and it's not the cruise lines' fault that they were shut down for a year and a half. I try to keep my survey feedback to more actionable items. Not because I'm "smarter" than anybody else, just because I try to keep it to things that NCL can control. I've also complained that there was a palpable concentration on PC music selections on my earliest Post-Covid cruises. Thankfully, that too seems to have changed.😎

That's interesting. I looked at the terms on NCL website and I can't find anything about what happens if you cancel the cruise that you applied a CF towards.

I think they do. NCL is in a hypercompetitive business, and feedback from people who actually just got off a ship is likely as good as they'll get. This is not like the satisfaction survey from my state's revenue website, although my state does a great job and I wouldn't be surprised if those are looked at as well. Case in point. How long did it take them to dump the return to in-person Musters? I think it was about two weeks' worth of surveys.😀 I complained about them in February and they were gone by my April cruises.

Yep. The CruiseNext also indicate "new reservation," but we've never had a report of them not being applicable to existing reservations. "All CNDs (including Haven option) are valid for new reservations that book and sail within 4 years from purchase date. CNDs become null and void after expiration. Failure to redeem and sail within 4 years will result in forfeiture of your CND(s). Not applicable towards existing reservations." I just applied one to an existing reservation earlier in the week.

They sometimes have a DoubleUp! promo that allows you to apply two CNs to a single cruise. Also, the CruiseFirst terms have more restrictive language regarding applying them to an existing reservation. I believe that most/all of us would prefer to use CNs, but they can only be purchased while on board the ship. Actually, a rep told me recently that I could still buy more within 30 days after disembarkation, but I have never heard of that before and haven't tried it. Anybody?

Thanks. Actually, contrary to typical NCL practice, the Terms and Conditions of the basic CruiseNext are pretty clear. Norwegian Cruise Line - Promotions Terms and Conditions (ncl.com) I think somebody at NCL is confusing the normal, consistent CruiseNext terms with the occasional DoubleUP! promos, that do vary from time to time. That is where deadlines, cabin types and offer expirations tend to fluctuate. Nowhere does it say I can't apply my CN at any time up until its expiration date (4 yrs) and that I can't apply it at any time up until final payment. I have no clue where that six months came from, although that has been a criteria at times for the DoubleUp! promo. That's why I asked if I was missing something. I don't believe I am.

I believe that this is true. But, be aware, they have a (very reasonable) policy that only one non-impaired person can join the impaired person in that special line. At least that's how I've seen it in the past.

Perhaps the instructions on the top are too confusing? 🤣 That was obvious to 98% of the audience. The other 2% will likely conclude that you are just trying to cover your butt at this point. Good thing you're a lawyer! 😎

Okay, but on my last cruise my Pepper wasn't working so I "borrowed" one from the next table. I guess those previous diners are in for a rude awakening.🤣