cpj

I hope you understand that this is being done on purpose. There hoping somewhere down the line you give up. I know it sounds silly but it does go on and I know companies that hold refund checks as long as they can. Some people give up trying or forget about it.

To start out, if this is your first Norwegian sailing, you can use your room key card. However, upon first arriving in the Casino, you could also register with the Casino Host and Casino Services so your points can be tracked for comps and they will issue you a special CAS Card. As you play, CAS (Casinos at Sea) has a wonderful incentive program, and in my opinion, the best of all the Cruise lines.

 

It's easy to become a rated player. Just insert the Casinos At Sea membership card into the machine, or if you are a table player, swipe the card at the table you are playing, to be tracked. Once you join, you may be invited to enjoy a future cruise as a Casinos At Sea Invited Comp Guest, specifically booked on a future sailing by the Casino and/or also enjoy perks such as specialty dining, complimentary cocktails while gaming and other items while on your vacation. CAS has certain "continuous" play minimums to be considered a member. Anyone can join the club, but based upon play (Slot machine points are 1 point equals $5 play) combined with "Sit" time, usually 3-4 hours per day average, the complimentary cruise comps could be offered after your first cruise. The Casino Host on board will let you know on the last night of the cruise what your eligibility may be and who to contact.

 

As for myself, I am rated with many different Cruise Lines, as well as land based venues, and as such, I have an Independent Specialized Gaming Host that works directly with all Cruise lines and Casino Hotels world wide and books my arrangements, be it sea based or land based casino.

 

As for the Tier Levels at CAS, the program is quite simple. The first introductory level is known as "LUCKY" (Green Card). That is from point 1-4999. The next level is "HOT" (Red Card). Once you reach 5,000 points to 15,000 points. After that is "GOLDEN" (Yellow Card) which runs from 15,000 points to 30,000 points at which the Max is "PLATINUM DIAMOND" (Black Card). The card operates just like your room key card by inserting into the slot machine.

 

These tiers have nothing to do with the NCL Latitudes Tier Program and are just for internal CAS promotional programs and complimentary cruise levels, again, based upon play. A player is only as good as their last cruise until an average of 5 sailing "Theoretical Averages" can be assumed, then CAS determines the comp level per 18 month intervals. The current 18 month play interval is set to end and begin shortly.

 

The Casino play levels will stop and begin again on April 1st, 2017. So whatever level a player is on April 1st, they remain so for 18 months and will have to re-qualify during this new 18 month period to remain or increase their level for the next level period ending/beginning in October 1, 2018. So we have another 18 months of cruising to keep our status, start over if we don't make the status level, or increase the level for the following 18 months of recognition. Perhaps we also will see some modifications and changes to the program on April 1st, 2017 as well.

 

Once you become a rated player and an invited CAS Comp Guest, on your future sailings, your CAS Card will be waiting in your stateroom as well as other pertinent information.

 

If there are any other questions, please ask and I'm sure all of us CAS players will be happy to try to answer them for you. I have been a CAS member since the beginning of this new program, when it was first coordinated and in my opinion, NCL operates the best Casino system on the High Seas. Any Casino Host (especially the best host, Christina Bica) can also answer everything one needs to know once the ship is sailing and the casino is open.

Agree they have the best casino program at sea.

You can have a good time on either line. My opinion is one is not better then the other.

Been on about 30 cruises over the last 25 years. This was my fifth on NCL. This is the second time we stayed in the Haven cabin 14012. The Haven is a nice experence but it's not cheap. No complaints we got our money worth. We usually stay in a balcony cabin but since there were three of us we decided to spend the money since we had 2 bathrooms and a separate bedroom. I do wish they would not bring so much candy. I eat it all.

I only got off the ship at Key West since I've never been there my wife and her sister got off at all the ports. Key West was very crowded and too conjested for me. I've seen all the islands many times.

We all had the drink pkg.but it was one of the perks. We had four meals in the specialty res. Went to MDR and buffet for dinner a few of the nights. MDR was tasteless. And buffet was like serving slop. NCL Needs to improve the food in these areas. In the buffet the one night we went they were carving ham which is something they should not call ham, it's ham and water product.and it's has 40 percent added ingredients. You need to have better quality or just have all pay places. I'm willing to pay more but but don't serve slop. No complaints at Specialty restaurents food was decent. Also in Buffet nothing was hot. There really going to get someone sick one day.

The entertainment was very good and I enjoyed all of the shows. This is one area where NCL is way ahead of the other cruise lines. If you gamble they have the best casino program at sea. They also let you smoke in the casino and it did not bother me at all. It seem like they had good ventilation in there.

The service and friendliness was outstanding threw out the ship, but I've experence that on all the ships I have been on

Another guestion I have is how many cabins does the butler handle

These are terribly low tips. The butler couldn't do enough, but he was tipped $160 for 7 days? For the Escape, if the butler was MIA, $20 was ok. But, the butler that worked hard was tipped about $20 per day, regardless

of how much he worked and for how many passengers in the suite.

Thank you for your input.

The reason I asked this question is I just wanted to be fair. The butler did serve us breakfast for nine out of ten mornings, and I just did not want to cheat her knowing she doesn't share in any of the prepaid tips of 30 dollars a day for the two of us. Anyway it seems I was fair.

Just got off a 10 day cruise on the Jade. I tipped the butler one hundred dollars. Was it enough or should I have tipped more.

It seems to me your going to see both sides. I would stay where your at.

I know it won't have a lawn. One of the worst corporate decisions ever. In a industry that is a copycat not one new ship had copied Celebrity lawn.

We mostly cruise with Celebrity....every once in awhile Royal C but do not like their big ships.

 

We used to cruise 3 or 4 times a yr before we retired, but now just 2 cruises a year are enough for us...We enjoy our snow bird season in Fla. Have also tried an All inclusive and plan on a land based trip to Aruba.

 

We have lowered expectations since Celebrity has abandoned "Modern Luxury" & become "Royalized" but still enjoy ourselves.

I'm still trying to figure out what was Modern Luxury was. I thing it was a good marketing program that a lot of people fell for.

I've seen some posts by people who say they are done with Celebrity and moving on. I don't know if they actually jumped ship or it was an idle threat. If they left for real, I'm going to even the score.:)

 

Our first cruise was on Celebrity and we went on to do five in a row. We spread our wings, for reasons I won't go into, but have always wanted to go back. Never had a bad cruise on any of the other lines but always felt Celebrity food was the best and there was just "something" overall that we never felt on other lines. I guess one could say that X has that X factor.:D

 

Come Jan. I will finally see if Celebrity is still my favorite compared to three other lines. Since we will be in Aqua Class, I've looked for threads to see what people are saying. One thread on Blu was probably 95% positive and a recent one is rather negative. I know I must take reviews with a grain salt so I will not let the negatives affect me.:)

 

It seems to me that it's those who have been in Aqua Class any number of times who see Blu as being repetitive and also see the changes/cutbacks. It's going to be all new to me so I probably won't notices the negatives.

 

Celebrity, here I come!

After about 26 cruise on all the mass market lines, I really do not see that much difference. They all have good and bad points. I use to complain about food but I no longer cruise for the food. It is what it Is. Lately I've really become spoiled by NCL Haven experence. It's expensive so I won't do it all the time. And I'm sure I will be back on Celebrity one day. Never had a bad cruise on them. ALso the only place I see a big difference on the mass market lines is NCL entertainment is way ahead of the rest.

We did once on the Escape and it was well worth the money. Dont know if I would do it again cause I can be just as happy in a balcony cabin. But they do make you feel important and the service was top notch.

What is the big deal about having breakfast in Sabatines". It's breakfast. Or maybe it makes you feel important.

I don't think princess cares which way you book your cruise direct or with a travel agent as long as they get the booking. Either way they win. Most of the time you can do better with a travel agent. They have tremendous turnover in there sales dept and it reflects in how they handle problems. It's a minumin wage job and mostly part time. I've talked with some of there supervisors who now see there jobs as babysitting and puting out fires all days to to the inexperience of there sales force.

People make choices as to where they live. One of the things that the choices affect are the costs of housing. If you decide to live in an area where the housing costs are high, you have to live with the decision. Then again, there may not be jobs for longshoremen in areas where the living costs are lower.

 

Regardless, earning $100,000 for a job that requires zero intellectual skills is absurd. Do you know that a pilot who flies one of your regional jets makes $35,000 to start and he has to pay for his own flying training.

 

DON

And who fault is that.

NCL has come a long way up especially on there new ships.

I don't understand why Celebrity won't let you gamble your onboard credits. The odds are in there favor, plus you might even gamble more. Does not make sense to me. What am I missing.

In my opinion it's not worth the money spent to get the 14 points.

NCL, Princess. Are both decent cruise lines. I like either one. The crowd is a little younger on NCL. I'm 70 and I enjoy being around younger people. Kids don't bother us. You can really run into some grumpy people on Princess. I like the specialty restaurents on NCL on there newer ships but Princess MDR is better then the non pay on NCL. Also the shows are way above anything that Princess offers. Princess is also a well run cruise line we never had any problems with them. NCL We had a few problems that were resolved in a timely matter. Either line is ok and I think you will have a good time.

I've sometimes wonder about the intelligence of some of the posters.

I've got loads of European cruises booked, as well as European land trips. Not sure why you would feel unsafe. Bad things are happening everywhere. Nothing can keep me home while I'm young, healthy and able to travel.

 

 

Michael

Go for it.

You need to post this message on your ship roll call page. Also checkout Ann tours, they did a nice job.

I've got 4 European cruises booked, and hope they don't cancel any of them. ;)

I also hope they don't cancel any of them either. I just would not feel safe but everyone is different. Enjoy your cruises.

It's a smart business move. Who wants to sail to Europe now. Don't think Celebrity had much of a choise. I know I would not go over there now.