fshagan

I assure you, the chlorine is there. It's required to be at 2 to 2.5 PPM at all times. You may be used to chlorine in water. My municipality doesn't use chlorine so when it's in water I notice!

Just a "well, actually" point: It's my understanding that bar tenders are not part of the DSC. Tips to bartenders are paid through the gratuities on the drink package or the mandatory 20% service charge if you are buying drinks a la carte on the ship. As long as you know the mandatory service charge is already on the bill, and you feel like tipping more, go for it. You won't be able to get out of tips to the bartenders. No one can stiff them. The room stewards, wait staff and others are not so lucky, and you can avoid paying tips to them.

Most people drink bottled or filtered water to avoid the "pool chlorine" taste. The water in the toilet is not filtered to remove the chlorine, so it tastes like pool water to many people like me. The water in the buffet, restaurants and at the bars is carbon filtered and tastes OK to me. I have no problem drinking it. Those of us with some health issues keep water at the bedside for dry mouth, choking, etc. It's far easier to keep a bottle of water there than a glass that can be knocked over and spill.

BirdTravels is right, as usual. Water filling stations are like these, most often combined with drinking fountains, and I have never seen one on a NCL ship: NCL does have water dispensers in the buffet, designed for glasses of water. You cannot put your water bottle under them directly. You have to use a glass, fill it, then empty the glass into your water bottle. Because the glasses are small you have to do this two or three times to fill up most water bottles. You can also ask a bartender to fill up your water bottle at a bar, but I have never done this. It seems an imposition to take his time doing that when people are waiting for drinks. You can also use the tap water in the cabin bathroom, but the water is chlorinated and, to me, tastes like pool water.

One of our all time favorite cruises was the second one we did on NCL, on the Jade for a Med cruise. Really loved the ship.

In addition to the exclusions people have noted below, you can't use the share holder OBC for some other gratuities. My extra tip in Cagneys was billed to my room and the OBC could not be used for it.

Yes! The buffet has self serve drink stations that include carbon filtered water (it tastes pretty good!) You use one of their provided glasses at the dispenser and pour from that glass into your water bottle. Last time I cruised they had signs saying to do it this way, as they don't want people putting their water bottles directly under the dispenser. The water in your stateroom is safe to drink. It is the same water you find elsewhere. However, it is chlorinated so I don't drink it. Tastes like swimming pool water to me, but others are used to drinking chlorinated water and don't mind it. They use regular sodium hypochlorite (same chemical as in liquid bleach or liquid chlorine for swimming pools). The chlorine will dissipate if left open to air overnight. In a pinch, I can fill a bottle and leave the top off for a few hours to let it dissipate a bit. Enjoy your cruise! Alaska is very special. We leave tomorrow!

Most insurance will require you to have a doctor certify that you were advised not to travel due to medical issues. Make sure you are in contact with your doctor and they know you have tested positive. When I cancelled my cruise last September because of Covid I canceled with NCL. Then I contacted the insurance company. They sent me a form for my doctor to complete. My doctor completed it, and then I submitted that form along with other documentation the insurance company required (original invoice from NCL, amount of refund from NCL, and a letter from NCL verifying that I had canceled and that $XXX was non-refundable). It took about two months to get my money back.

We're paying $321 for one night at the Fairfield Inn in Anchorage this coming Tuesday. If the hotel NCL offers is less than that, go for it.

The main complaint is the translucent doors on the toilet and shower that are in the room and not in a separate little bathroom. NCL did add a curtain you can draw between the toilet and shower enclosures (which are next to the door) and the rest of the cabin.There are a ton of photos of it; the one below shows how much you can see when someone is showering. It wasn't a big deal for my wife and me, but for friends traveling together, families with shy teens, etc. it can be an issue. I had a different negative reaction to the Epic, which was the way it is inward focused. It would be easy to sail for days without seeing the ocean if you didn't have a balcony cabin. Even the promenade deck has obstructed views due to the lifeboats. But we really enjoyed the ship itself, with the Broadway style shows and clubs. I would take the Epic again if price / itinerary are right.

Like others, I'm surprised that NCL offered you anything. But, that may be due to rights you have as a UK citizen that we don't have as Americans; the consumer protections in the UK are considered stronger than in the US. So to really answer your question I would contact a lawyer (barrister?) and find out if NCL has a greater responsibility to you than they would have to Americans.

I think you have a really valid complaint about the air conditioning and the handling of it, and it's one that would give me pause about cruising again with them. It doesn't sound like a pre- or post-pandemic thing to me; you can always be responsive to the guest, and offer to move them if you can't resolve the issue. That should have been offered. We are trying Celebrity again after having a less-than-stellar cruise with them a few years back. We're trying one of their newer ships, the Apex. I hope we don't run into the same issues we did back on the Infinity. If we do, I suspect we won't try them again. If you do find an itinerary that appeals to you ask here about the ship and recent experiences on it. Usually the on-board experience with NCL is really good.

We are weeks away from our first post-pandemic NCL cruise, so I hope this isn't out of date. I think the main difference you'll see is centered around dining. NCL has a main dining room open for lunch on embarkation day if you want to avoid the buffet. There is no formal night. There is no "dress up" dress code. They usually designate one or two nights as an optional dress up night if you want pictures from the photographers. But otherwise you can leave the suits and evening dresses at home. The Jewel has 2 main dining rooms that are included in the fare. You can eat at either one. The menu is the same in both each night. There is no assigned dinner time for the main dining rooms. You show up when you want to eat during the dinner hours (typically 5:30 to 9). You are not forced to share a table with others. You can be seated as a couple.

NCL kind of hides it in their FAQ. You can't see it in the section that talks about the service charge. The information about butlers, concierge and youth counselors not being part of the "onboard service charge" is in the section "What about gratuities?" Makes sense, I guess, but I was looking for it the other day and couldn't find it at first. This photo is edited to show both sections open. I have highlighted the information about butlers and the concierge. Here's the URL where I captured the image: https://www.ncl.com/faq#!#what-is-onboard-service-charge

The one advantage of gratuities, fees and the like not being a part of the cruise fare is that all of those things are refundable if you cancel after final payment, with or without insurance. The refund is automatic. If you are buying travel insurance, then the amount you have to declare that is non-refundable is lower also. On many of my cruises that's half or more of the total cost. Having to only insure half the total cost makes that insurance less expensive. That's not any consolation to people who feel like they have been cheated, or that the marketing is sleezy, etc. But it is one thing that would "bite" the rest of us who are used to the way things are now.

Yes, the cancel date is 120 days before, so you should be good. However, keep an eye on NCL as you get closer to the six month mark. Probably the best way is to check in on this forum every day or so. NCL has changed it's policies in the past, going from 90 days to 120 days. They could switch that to 180 days but would probably have a grace period. You just never know.

On the NCL site, you can uncheck the extra cost "Free at Sea" items while booking and avoid having them added. A sidebar on the right shows you all the costs and updates in real time as you check off the items. On many cruises, I've found the cheapest balcony that is not the "sail away" rate is also a guarantee cabin, so you have to go up one more step to be able to choose your cabin. The pricing when you do a booking is pretty transparent on NCL, X and RCL. I do like how X puts the DSC / tips / gratuities on the booking so you can prepay it while finishing the booking.

I have quoted the pertinent statements. Please let me know where you see that I said anything other than what the NHS says. The passenger is FROM the UK where the NHS guidance is pertinent. I specifically stated that the NHS supports vaping over cigarette smoking. They actively encourage nicotine vaping over smoking because they believe it is much less dangerous. I understand you two are on a crusade about vaping, but I was just stating facts and did not include my opinion. I am not attempting to argue with advocates for either side. The reason there is a difference between the NHS and America is that the NHS is taking a harm reduction position. The US takes a precautionary principle position. I have not indicated which one I support. This will be my last off-topic post on this subject. I just wanted to clear up that I did not say anything pro or con vaping, but simply reported the facts.

The only concern I would have is if you are using a refillable "vape mod" (that's what we call them here in the US; not sure of where you are). They are usually provided by independent, non-big-tobacco companies that make them for vapers. Because they are not pre-packaged e-cigarettes, I would be careful in with it ashore. If it looks different to the local authorities you could get hassled. I don't think you'll have a problem on board, as Americans (who fill most of these cruises) are familiar with them.

The NHS, the health agency of the country the OP comes from, does recommend vaping nicotine for smokers over smoking cigarettes. "Nicotine vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking. It's also one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking." https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/vaping-to-quit-smoking/

The NHS supports vaping over cigarette smoking, so this doesn't surprise me. The ship does allow vaping of non-cannabis products in the designated smoking sections. I don't think you will be questioned if you are in a smoking area, but if the vape is CBD, it could be problematic in some countries while ashore. Check the laws of the countries you are going to. When in port or on shore you are subject to their laws. Some countries have full bans, some have bans strictly on nicotine products, and some countries have other restrictions like the legal age to vape, etc. You can see a map at https://www.statista.com/chart/19475/global-electronic-cigarette-laws/ I would take a copy of the prescription or the original packaging of the vape product so you can prove it's not a nicotine vape if you are going to Turkey, Australia, most of South America, etc. where the laws prohibit it. Or just limit your vaping to on board.

I always make sure my trip insurance includes "repatriation of remains" coverage, as it can be expensive. Just transporting a body from city to city can cost from $1000 to $3000. International flights for the dead can rack up costs of $15000 according to an internet search I just did. I always get at least $25000 coverage for repatriation of remains. Those are just airfare costs, and don't include the mortuary that takes the body off the ship, etc. Dying on a cruise can be expensive.

While the Epic is my least favorite ship, mainly because you are so isolated from the water, it is still a good cruise ship. I find everything is inward facing; even the promenade deck has obstructed views because of the lifeboats. The criticism I see most often is that families with teens and non-related adults traveling together are sometimes upset by the bathroom and shower in the room itself, but as a couple we didn't mind that as much. You can search for images of the bathroom setup to see if it would bother you. So price and itinerary would be the differentiator for my wife and I.

No. There's a list of which unpaid charges in your cart will cancel the entire reservation at this post

Sheehan also bought a stake in Bahamas Paradise cruise lines, now Margarita at Sea. His son, Jr., is CEO of that line now - https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Margaritaville-at-Sea-working-attract-travel-advisors