Newbcruiser1

Has anyone discovered any sweet and fruity drinks that can be made with the free diamond drinks? I typically only go for frozen drinks, and I can settle for Baileys or white zinfandel or champagne, but curious if there are any other cocktails that I could get that are sweet.

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Thanks everyone!

Looks like the only added perks for diamond (other than the lounge/drinks) versus platinum and emerald is the free photo and the 24 hours of internet. I usually buy an internet package but since this is a short cruise, 24 hours will be sufficient since I can stretch it over 2 days (an afternoon/evening and the following morning).

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Thanks all! Great info!

Funny with the check-in lines - I have often noticed that the C&A lines are longer than the regular ones! Will scope it out before getting in line!

Question - if my parents aren't diamond but our reservations are linked, can the concierge help them as well with boarding passes and such?

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Thanks for the replies!

I have a cruise booked next fall (which is sold out of balconies). Does anyone know how much the OBC offer for onboard bookings is? Would it be worth cancelling my existing reservation and booking it onboard this cruise? Admittedly I've cruised many times with RCI (and other cruise lines) and have NEVER done an onboard booking! Lol!

I read something about a concierge - is that only for diamond plus, or do I get access as well? If so, I assume they can help with difficult to get dining reservations and such?

And on the diamond breakfast area in the MDR topic - if I am traveling with family members who are not yet diamond, can we eat together there?

Thanks again for the help! If anyone has recent Navigator experience that would be great!

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Sailing on my first cruise as a diamond C&A member in a few weeks! Will be on the Navigator.

Can someone please let me know exactly how the diamond lounge works? (There is still one on the Navigator right?). Perks of using it? I've read that there are free specialty coffees in the morning - can I get those anywhere or do they have to come from the lounge? And re: drinks in the evenings - are there still 3 drinks loaded to my seapass per day even if there is a lounge? I assume once in the lounge there's no limit?

Any other perks I can look forward to that are new from the other levels?

Thanks in advance!

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FYI Holds are gone from the website but you can still place them on most sailings over the phone! I did it last night for a cruise departing in 5 weeks (so well within final payment time). And because it was after midnight, it actually gives me 2 days to decide! :)

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I was on the same disaster cruise back in February! I used my credit for a Transatlantic on the Independence in May instead of a re-do on the Anthem. You're brave! Lol!

I hope you have a wonderful cruise with calm seas and sunny skies! And no 150kt winds! Lol!

Oh and sidebar - the escape room sign up (at least in February...) was at the desk in the seaplex - they had sign up sheets behind the desk. Not sure if that changed since February. Unfortunately I had signed up but it was cancelled due to the damage from the storm! :( You may still be able to get in on a cancellation, or more likely - a no show! But you'd have to be standing at the Escape room entrance at the time that it starts to try to make that happen.

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Following along! Looking forward to your thoughts (and hopefully pictures!)

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The screening process coming back on board from a port visit is on the actual ship, so any attempt will be stopped and soda/water etc would be confiscated. In Miami, they sell Coke products after security and before you go up the gangway onto the ship. The ban went into effect on 7/15 and I cruised two weeks later and could have gotten all the Coke products I could fit in my carry on if I decided to purchase them @ 2.00 each. In Miami, there is no second x ray machine to have the NCL liquid gestapo confiscate the contraband. So at least for the time being, Coke lovers can get their fix by paying 2.00 a bottle in Miami post security and before getting on board or by getting their fix while ashore during port stops.

SNJ - the Epic is based out of Port Canaveral now! :)

As I said though, the process at embarkation leaving Barcelona on embarkation day involved re-screening onboard the ship, so anything purchased after security, whether from duty free or the vending machines was confiscated (non-alcohol) or held by the ship (alcohol).

Unsure if they've continued that process in Port Canaveral - if there are vending machines in the terminal, they should probably continue with it at all embarkation ports though! Although for everyone here's sake, hopefully they don't! ;)

As an aside - there are vending machines onboard the Epic in both the arcade on deck 15 and in the Studio lounge - the bottles of soda there were cheaper than buying fountain soda or cans at the bars considering their larger size. They were $3.25 (and no 18% gratuity). Unsure if they have them on the other ships, but it was at least a slightly better deal.

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Just to add, they did indeed re-screen everyone at embarkation and at all ports on the Epic's Oct 31st transatlantic cruise after boarding the ship!

So all of that duty free and vending machine stuff would have been tossed! Just when you got through the port security in the terminal and thought you were off the hook, there was another X-ray machine ON the actual ship (along with the table/bins full of people's confiscated beverages).

I purchased a bottle of nail polish remover in San Juan. I fully expected them to remove the bottle from the plastic bag after it went through the ship's X-ray machine to ensure it wasn't an alcoholic beverage and surprisingly, they didn't check it! Perhaps they could tell the difference on their machine?

Regardless, I wouldn't chance even trying to bring on water/soda, whether purchased before or after port security since they will find it afterwards once onboard the ship!

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Following along! I was on the TA cruise right before yours so it's like I'm reliving it! :)

What a disastrous embarkation day you had! If it makes you feel aaaaannnny better, I got stuck in line outside the terminal in Barcelona for over an hour and the ship left late from there too (although apparently that was due to a sick crew member who had to leave the ship, as well as some late deliveries).

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Definitely the balcony!!! Just off the Epic and sailed in a Balcony solo. Was able to get my key card coded for the Studio Lounge so I could go in any time. Regardless though, as others have said, you can go to the nightly solo get togethers regardless of the type of room you have!

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I was on this cruise as well. I am Canadian and have to agree - the non-US line was completely insane. My deck had a scheduled time of 10:45am, and I didn't get through until nearly 1pm after having joined the line at 11:30am. By that time, I just got off the ship for half an hour to go to the pharmacy and returned. Thankfully, I had been to San Juan many times before and didn't have anything planned anyway.

I could not figure out why they didn't group the Canadians (and perhaps other visa waiver countries) with the Americans. It likely would have sped up the process for everyone!

I was on a TA in the spring from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton and they had a few immigration officials join the ship in St Maarten, the last port, for the 8 sea days en route to Southampton. There were scheduled hours each morning where passengers could go through the immigration process, and it was extremely quick and easy. Having said that, I understand it's likely not cost effective to pay 2 immigration agents to sit on a ship for 9 days.

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Just off the Epic... There seems to be a misconception that standard seating is the balcony seating and it's not.

Standard seating is on the ground floor in booths around the perimeter of the room. The views forward are semi-obstructed by the tables in front of you, and upwards (much of the show takes place in the air) is obstructed partially by the ceiling.

Premium seating includes all other tables on the floor, as well as the entire balcony.

I opted for premium and sat upstairs - I felt the view was great from there and I didn't have to worry about getting pulled in to participate! :)

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For me, I don't believe it's the water! I think it's a combination of the heat, the high level of salt in the food (I don't add salt to anything at home), and the increase in walking around on the large ships.

I try to avoid too much of things I know are salty like bacon, smoked salmon, etc, and wing the rest! :)

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I haven't but I definitely have considered it as I too swell up horribly on cruises!

My plan is to ask the waiters for a low salt option on an as-needed basis! Based on what I have read, I believe if you put in a request pre-cruise, they limit your diet to that menu. I know I don't want to miss out on the occasional bacon or smoked salmon! ;)

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Great thank you!!! And who knows - I might just have enough OBC left to cash out at the cage! ;)

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Thanks for all of the advice! I shuffled my plans around and will visit Sagrada Familia on Sunday morning with an audio tour at 9:45 prior to heading over to the ship! Just purchased my ticket! [emoji846]

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Just wanted to post a quick update - I shuffled my schedule around so that I will visit Sagrada Familia on a different day than the day I do the HoHo tour!

So I'm doing Sagrada Familia via metro from Universitat (L2 to Sagrada Familia from my research?) on Sunday morning, then will return to hotel to pick up luggage and taxi to the ship!

That will free up my whole day on Friday for doing the HoHo bus and I'll have maximal flexibility! :)

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Got it! So if over $100, get it at the cage! If under, get it from a slot machine and cash out (going on Epic so I'm sure their machines are compatible with room key!).

Thanks all! [emoji106]🏻

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I had about $45 in unspent OBC provided directly from NCL on my last evening of the cruise. It was non-refundable so I would lose it if not spent. I didn't want to buy anything. The casino provided me with instructions how to load $40 to my key card so I could gamble with it. I did the actual process myself using the touch screen on one of the slot machines. The process did cost me 3%, which was charged to my on board account as a separate transaction. Once the $40 was on my key card, I loaded it to the slot machine. Then I never pulled a slot. I just cashed out of the slot machine. I took the cash out receipt to the automated machine in the casino and it gave me $40 in cash.

Wonderful! Thanks for the info! I'm not a gambler so not so in-tune with slots, but was it pretty intuitive to do? If not, I'll seek some help! :) I'm heading to Disney post-cruise so if I don't use the entire OBC on the ship, I plan to spend it at Disney on food and maybe a souvenir or 2! :)

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Thanks for the clarification! I usually cruise with RCI and if you have a cash account with them, there is no fee to withdraw the OBC.

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Thank you! :) Yes I know it's Catalan there. Interestingly, the address on the NCL documents is in Spanish, not Catalan! :)

Thanks once again for your help!

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Great! So just to verify, even if it's non-refundable OBC, I can cash out more than $100 in the casino with the 3% charge? Does the 3% charge apply if I have a cash account versus a credit card account?

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Thanks so much EnricM for your help! Much appreciated! If you have any other tips, please share! :)

Just a side question about taxis to the ship. I heard that if I ask my hotel to call a taxi, the meter will run from that point, so it's best to find one outside on my own. I am staying at Hotel Jazz which looks (from google street view) to be on a busy street (Pelai). Should it be relatively easy to find one on my own? If so, since I don't speak Spanish, would it help to have a photo of the ship and the name of the terminal printed out on a small piece of paper to show the driver? I've heard stories of people ending up halfway to the airport instead of the cruise port! :)

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