riddle

I am staying at the Intercontinental, just under $95 plus taxes, etc. for my June cruise. It was a hotel I did a blind bid on.

I often travel solo through CAS (comped, usually inside or oceanview). I have received different answers from NCL and through here as to if I must pay (2) times the amount I bid if I wish to upgrade. I have as yet not won an upgrade. CAS told me they never charge for the second person at all in a comped cabin if it is a solo. Folks on here say that with the bidding process (since it is X2) that you pay double what you bid if you are solo in a comped cabin. Has anyone done this and know for sure?

I am married but DH does not like to cruise more than about once a year. I have some family I cruise with or a friend but recently I have cruised solo. I do attend the solo groups and find the ones with studio cabins much more active.

I sometimes eat with others but sometimes just my kindle and I.

I have met couples and singles I have dined with. I do not care for the buffet either but sometimes grab a light meal in O'Sheehans if I am alone.

I don't really care for the Specialties alone as the meals can be long.

I do enjoy a single cabin though with no one else's needs but my own. I have some chronic health issues where my own cabin is preferable.

You can make it work. It will take some getting used to but there are also a lot of pros to going solo. Transatlantics seem to be great for solos.

About 5:00

Yes

You have to call CAS to get your point total. It resets April 1 each year.

I will be on the Dawn 4/9 as well and am wondering the same thing. I called CAS Friday and asked and was told they did not know yet??? Anyway, they were able to tell me what my level will be. I had been on the Epic in February and the casino manager told me I would definitely stay golden. I am being told I will be sapphire in the new program which is the same number of points.

I always had trouble using the food/bev credit as I had the Dining Package and the Latitudes meals and free drinks in the casino. As for the spa credit, I generally book the spa in advance to be sure I get in. I don't much care for the spa massages, etc. because of the pressure to buy. I always put on my form that I am not buying any products but they still bring it up. It just takes away from the relaxation of the massage. I am hopeful this credit will be more diverse.

Changes now posted on NCL's website. There will be more categories. Some are up to speculation what they really include so I will let you read and determine for yourselves. They are effective April 1 so we may hear next week from some people sailing out this weekend. You can now combine points with Oceania and Regent.

I spoke to NCL. I was upgraded from an inside to an oceanview for some reason without my knowledge nor was there an additional charge. That prompted the offer to bid on a balcony or minisuite. I was assured I would only be charged for one person If my bid was accepted. We will see.

To begin with I am booked through CAS a comped inside stateroom for April 9 (Dawn). I was told that only a guarantee was available. A few weeks ago I got the upgrade email and bid on a balcony. I have not heard regarding that. I logged on tonight and got the "lets get you upgraded" and checked and they have me listed in an oceanview (no stateroom #) with the option to bid on an upgrade to a balcony or minisuite. I then check my trip features and I am still booked in the lowest category of an inside room on deck 4 (I have cabin #).

I will call NCL tomorrow or Monday but I am really confused by this. Am I currently in an oceanview at no additional cost and if so, what cabin ? If so, I think I would probably lower my bid for a balcony as it is only one class higher.

Also, for those of you who cruise through CAS as a solo and as such get comped an inside room with no single supplement, how does this work on the bidding? It only shows the option to pay for 2 people

I don't know if this is feasible but for a feel good departure, get envelopes with your best six ship personnel names and tell NCL to tip each of them $100 from your account.

You cannot use it for things from the mini frig. You cannot use it to buy snacks in the shop. I would definitely check with casino to be sure of uses it is very restrictive.

We usually drive down but next month I am flying into NOLA. Since I won't arrive till late on Saturday berfore the cruise I decided to stay at the airport. I found a new Best Western with a shuttle to the port ($15 I think) so that is what I booked. If I had more time in NOLA I would have preferred to be nearer the port but as it is I will just head out shortly after breakfast (which is also included at the hotel). Price was about $100 I think.

I actually went to elem school with kids from a very large family. The older kids had to get the younger kids dressed. They always wore their play clothes under their school clothes and pjs under the play clothes. Only one dressing per day regardless

As with any new program, watch your charges carefully. I had a massage on a port day and they did not deduct the Platinum Plus percentage until I brought it to their attention.

If your kids are young and have the type of magnetic toys that you can build with they work wonderful on the ship walls. Kept my grandkids busy for hours when I took them. Then when you are ready to clean up they can just put them on the walls and they are out of the way.

I have heard rumors that NCL is changing their CAS program effective April 1. Does anyone have any advance details. I am sailing April 9.

As with all changes life throws our way, some will benefit and some will not. For example, I am platinum plus and my DH is platinum. Before we would have had 2 dinners at LeBistro. Now we still only get 2 dinners (even though I am platinum plus) but we have more choices (minus 1 bottle of wine). It does not feel like an upgrade, more like a downgrade. Such is life.

On week 2 my DH had to return home and as Platinum Plus I got the same 2 dinners that we had gotten the week before. Go figure but that is the way it is.

As for some of the other options, we did get the water, several bottles left in our room but I don't really know if we got 2 or 3. We were never charged for any. I would have preferred smaller water bottles to take ashore but so be it.

Some of the other discounts are good, such as 25% off spa on port days. I did take advantage of that one.

I still miss my box of Godiva chocolates even though it got smaller and smaller each year. I never got any chocolate covered strawberries as I was in the shower when they tried to deliver them (per room steward). Never eat them anyway. The strawberries always look anemic - think SB if you have ever had them, they are wonderful.

Anyway, I am such a cheapie that a freebie is a freebie. I will take all I can get and not lose sleep over the changes.

I hear CAS is planning changes for 4/1 so who knows what that will do to me. Better I hope, but who knows. I won't quit sailing with NCL.

I often book solo through CAS and therefore am given an inside cabin at without a single supplement. I just received a request to upgrade through email and it is doubling the amount I would bid. Has anyone else had this happen? If I am solo and am comped I never have to pay for a second person in the cabin (taxes and port fees, etc.)

I just spent two back to back weeks on the Epic. I never encountered anyone who wasn't pleasant and friendly. However, service in the restaurants was generally slower than it used to be. I do not blame this on the staff, I just feel that there are far fewer people staffing the restaurants. O'Sheehans especially was hit hard by this very full cruise and I know people were pulled from other areas to help.

Our room steward the first week was very good. Not the best I have had but way above average. The second week, not so much. However, nothing she did was anything to complain about. She just seemed to take a lot longer to get the room done and there were little things.

However, once you get home and go to your first restaurant you will realize that seldom does anyone pull out your chair, put your napkin on your lap and proceed to attend to your every wish.

It may be a sign of the times, or just changes in NCL but there never seems to be as much staff as there used to be. We just accept it as a fact of life. I still love cruising and still think I get the best customer service anywhere, far better than anyplace at home.

I had a friend back out on me about a week before the cruise. She said she figured she could not afford it. I had booked our air and she had paid me for that. The cruise was comped but I was able to get most of the fees back. I was out a little bit but I let it go. I was more upset that she waited so long and it was too late to find someone to go in her place. Lesson learned.

Yes, re the ATM, sometimes I guess I am just too lazy or too attached to my machine to get up. Pathetic isn't it?

I do hate that they do not remove my fees (using card in machine) and I am golden so no fees. There is never enough time on the morning of departure to get this resolved and that is the only time they will do it. Should be a better way.

I am a self-proclaimed cruise addict with over 25+ NCL cruises and a few others. While I have a few friends and relatives who really enjoy cruising most have never even tried it.

So I got to thinking - why do I choose cruising over other vacation alternatives?

I would say that to me a cruise is awesome (any cruise, anywhere) because it is a vacation where we can get away from it all, not have to worry about the cost of every meal, etc., see lots of different places and only have to unpack once).

What are your reasons?

What is the OBC for CAS guests. I was not aware.