Asawi

I will be doing several land based trips in 2025. Trips where the destination is important to me and that are reachable by budget airlines and/or train (I'm in EU already). Cruising is very nice and very convenient but some 2025 prices are almost double to 2023 ones even with the new solo room pricings. I will do at least one cruise as well, but the bulk of my travelling 2025 will be air/land

It seems to me that most/all of the problems here were airline-related and not really NCL-related. HAving said that, maybe they could have been more supportive, but it seems like United/Lufthansa are the ones that messed up really bad. Fortunately when I buy air through NCL (I'm in EU) I can see what flights they plan to put me on and can say yes or no. It's not as much discount as US BOGO, but still can be worth it on long/expensive routes. Either way, once approaching flight date the airline is who I need to deal with, not NCL. (Like when Lufthansa had a strike cancelling my flight to South Africa earlier this year (day before flight departure or something like that). A stressful couple of hours before Lufthansa could put me on new flights with other airlines.)

But that's not what this thread is about is it? I thought it was about Latitude dinners

Not really! Unless it's fixed priced restaurants, since they may charge you when you book. I suppose the money then gets refunded, but still... I usually have more bookings than I intend to use and cancel them when I decide which ones I'll actually use. No problem at all! As for showing up early, I have had good successes with that, but not at Teppanyaki. My expersience is that there really isn't much point in showing up early. They run by their schedule anyway since it's a shared table. Of course, if you are solo there might be room for you at the 5.30 table so it could work out well.

That's interesting! Just US embassies or different nationalities'?

I disembarked there October 2023, Star. I only had a carryon size bag so I took it off the ship myself and was off the ship around 7. Docking according to itinerary was 5, so the 2 hours they usually quote seems pretty accurate although I can't say I kept track of when they actually allowed people to disembark. There were no lines at all at the time I went and all very easy.

I'm not into Starbucks so I have no personal experience but as I understand it gift cards and app only works on "full" Starbucks. So it should not work on Dawn.

Good decision!

As I wrote in the other topic, I boarded an NCL cruise with a passport exiring less than 6 months away. I was new to cruising and didn't know about NCL 's 6 month rule. The cruise nearest to passport exiration was Iceland/Norway, july 2023. Both of them countries where I can travel without passport. Of course I did bring my soon-to-expire passport anyway. No issues at all. I will not do it again though now that I'm aware of NCl's requirements.

I admit to being careless and having been unaware of the "NCL 6 months rule" until last summer and was actually on two cruises in 2023 with a passport expiring less than 6 months later. No issues at all. But do not take that as a sign there won't be for someone else! Possibly a YMMV situation. And I will not take that chance again myself either! (I always check entry requirements for any countries I am visiting though so I'm not totally clueless even though it may seem so. I was well within any of those requirements on both occasions)

While both balconies I have had (Gem and Dawn) had chairs, none of them had deckchairs.

No. They are tied to the person.

I'm Swedish so I'm not used to tipping either. I do however tip for example porters and shuttle drivers USA. (And I do of course add tip to for restaurant bills wherever I am in the world) But I honestly haven't seen anyone tipping the buffet crepe or omelette chefs. I'm not saying no one does it, but if I've never seen it it can't be that widespread.

Consider yourself lucky that you got the $100! Unfotunately, as nice as cruising is, it's not the way to travel to any "bucket list" locations. Always expect itinerary changes. Having said that, it does seem like there's a lot of them on NCL.

This was my thoughts as well!

That's ineresting!

Just so you know: The 10% is on the price AFTER the $50 discount. Not that it makes a huge difference ($5) but still...

I'm sure you enjoyed it because it's a very nice botanical garden! Very well set up and a little bit of you more in many of the information signs.

YES!!!! And however much NCL is "nickle and diming" (according to posters here), when hunting for a good cruise with an attractive itinerary I simply can't find better value than NCL for ME, a solo traveller. All I care about is the final amount, and the distribution between different parts. So if line x has a lower daily service fee or line y has free soda without a package but still come out more expensive than NCL well they won't get my money! This is the situation for me. For someone else, maybe a couple, looking for a 7-day Carribean cruise out of Miami it may turn out differently. But either way, it's the total cost that should matter!

Those that fly across the world for Med don't have to buy FAS. It's included in their cruise price. 😁 (They do pay gratuity for the drink package and meals though so it usually comes to about the same as a full price EU/UK FAS) But I wish the cruises I plan for 2025 were included in the sale. But no. My PCC has told me that the next fleetwide half price promo will be in November and if that's correct I'll book then.

I doubt that but it doesn't hurt to ask. I once tried to add a half price FAS to an already booked cruise and that was a no-go And are you sure your cruise is included in the sale? It says Select Exotic Cruises on the website

It does make sense! Even if it wouldn't add up completely (maybe it does maybe it doesn't) it will make things easier, worry free. And that has a value as well! It wouldn't make sense for me but it sounds like it might make sense for you! (And just a comment on soda: soda in a glass is included in regular package. Bottled water is not though.)

Nope! Haven't sailed Pearl yet (planning to do 2025 though) but I don't think any NCL uses the app for tender tickets. I kind of like the early morning distribution though. That way only those that REALLY want/need tender tickets bother and you don't have lots of people booking them just because it's easy. But I wouldn't be upset if it moved to the app instead. I like convenience too. 😁

And how much to pay for the hotel when arriving the day before embarking? 😄 (Me? I fly coach and try not to pay more than $100 for a room. Try...)

Absolutely! I was on Star last summer and we did indeed tender there. It was an easy tender so no big deal. But docking is nicer! And I felt bad for all the Prima passengers that missed the stop completely. So this really is great news!