IAcruising

Well, you specifically called out erisajd, chengkp75, and our beloved Bird as ignorant. I would definitely have received a suspension for that. 🐀

Yes.

Sad. Good luck to Penn Warehousing getting $3M from the Conservancy. Not gonna happen.

Always a tough call. You'll make it if all goes well. And if not, is 4:20 a deal breaker? It's what, and hour and a half flight from SAN to SFO?

Thanks! We're taking 2025 off from cruising, so a daily overload of cruise info is no longer necessary. But I'll pop in once in a while. As I said earlier, the value of credit card points is relative. It depends on your goals. I'm a Marriott loyalist working towards Lifetime Gold Elite status. So, a free night per year and 15 stay credits is important to me. I use Chase Sapphire because their travel insurance is top notch, and I can transfer points 1:1 to Marriott. I'm looking at the Delta card, because they have great connections to almost anywhere from the Midwest. NCL is a very small portion of our travels, so I find other cards that better help me achieve my goals. I have to evaluate whether the dollars I would have to spend on the NCL card outweigh the benefits of those same dollars on other cards.

"one of the only lines". Really? I've yet to cruise when smoking wasn't allowed (somewhere) in the casino or designated smoking room (cigars, pipes, cigarettes, vape). Granted, I've never sailed a small-ship luxury cruise, but every mass-market, big ship line I've been on allows it.

That is great to know. Every airport has its tips and tricks.

Now you're just asking for a spanking. Get out while you're ahead.

Your problem will be at Schiphol. We got through customs easily, but our bags took forever. It's unlikely you will make a 11:15 flight.

If you choose a cruise line that departs from The Netherlands, and has a 50% European guest manifest, you are going to have smoking. Deal with it, or choose another line. In my experience, HAL is little different that most other cruise lines. Smoking is legal, and common. It is what it is.

Late to this party, but c'mon @schmoopie17, you well know what the ship's currency is. Hint: it's not Euros.

Don't take it for granted. 😂

This topic is fascinating. There will be a time when Mrs. IA doesn't want to cruise, and I do. I can't fathom attending a solo "meet up". Yikes.

No.

All good. If it works, it works.

I apologize. Value is relative. I received 3-nights at the Marriot Amsterdam Town Centre and 2-nights at the Courtyard Marriot in Seattle with points to spare. I'll take that over a category upgrade. To each their own.

We turned Platinum in April, and love NCL. But after cruising HAL in August, I'm going to wait a year or two for NCL to figure out what they're doing wrong.

I only fly Delta. But I pay for the privilege. Any economy seat is a no-go.

C'mon man. "Useful and accurate"? Nobody got time for that...

Not an expert, but any other travel credit card will give you far more bonus value than a simple cabin upgrade. But hey, points are points.

That is the traveler's nightmare. I'm sorry for your situation. I think it's probably too late to get travel insurance. So, I would say ask your doctor for the best pain meds you can get and enjoy your cruise.

I will continue to cruise NCL based on status. When that fails, then I'll select another line. It's not a difficult equation.

I don't know. I've never been on Celebrity or Princess. I'm currently on on Holland America and it's definitely premium. You get twice a day room cleaning, beef on the MDR menu every night, and real cloth towels in all the public bathrooms. I don't know, you just notice the difference.

It's once a day, but a $20 bill might get you what you want. Bring on the "bribe" gang. 🙃

I just get on the ship and order a double Crown. Wait, what are we talking about?