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This is great to know! Thank you for taking the time to reply and post the photos.

The description of this excursion does not say BYO mask and snorkel. Assuming then that they are provided. Has anyone done this excursion? I have gone on 2 snorkeling excursions from a Regent ship in the Caribbean and I have been disappointed with the experience. Too many people crowded and mucking up the visibility. I want to give it another try, but I'm looking to hear from anyone who has done this in Coron. Will be on the Explorer next month. Thank you

Thanks to you both!

Great! Thank you.

I'm guessing a new ship will have sufficient number of outlets that are for plug types A and B, and some USB. But, I wonder if I should bring adapters. Thanks

3 hours ago, saminina said:

Yes.

 

Steiner BluHorizons 10 x 26   Do your own research.  My suggestion is if you have a decent pair, bring your own.  Other than the Steiner name, these have nothing in common with mine.

Thank you. I guess I will bring my Minolta Activa that are 8 x 40.

I will be boarding the Explora 1 in Quebec City on Friday and would like to know if there are binoculars in the suites or I should bring my own. Thank you.

7 hours ago, florisdekort said:

 
Last year on Seabourn, Montreal to Miami, all passengers cleared US Immigration (passports required) and Customs upon arrival in Miami, despite 4 US ports incl. an overnight in New York before that. 
 

 

That's good to know and helpful. Thank you!

We are excited about trying the new ship. We will also overnight in New York. It's been very interesting reading the comments from those who have been on board.

1 minute ago, Stickman1990 said:

No idea as we’re not US citizens - but either way NYC was our first and only US port on our cruise 

Oh, I see. Thanks anyway.

22 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

We disembarked around 9.30am (our designated disembarkation time) on the 25th and it couldn’t have been easier - walked off without any delay, found our bags, had a very short chat to the border official, called an Uber and met them across the road from the pier 

 

Contrast that with entering any US airport as a foreigner, waiting for luggage to be off loaded and the long lines to be processed at immigration - no comparison

 

It was raining - but I don’t hold Explora responsible for that 😉

Did US citizens need to have their passports for immigration? Or was it just Customs for US citizens? Wondering if on our Quebec City to Miami we embark on next week, will we need passports after Portland, ME? Thank you.

3 minutes ago, Stickman1990 said:

 

That is not correct based on my experience over a couple of weeks onboard - I had a carafe of the sparkling water in the fridge in our suite each day and it had enough bubbles for me. Our room attendant replenished both the sparkling and the still for my wife each day without prompting

 

If sparkling water is your thing you should try it

OK! Great! This would be just fine. Thank you for confirming this can happen. 🙂

Thanks for the replies. My DW only drinks sparking water. She has a soda stream at home. The ship-made CO2 water would be fine at dining venues. I'm just curious as to how we can have it available for her in the suite. Should we bring some on board? She prefers Perrier so maybe we can pick up some liters of it in Quebec City and bring them onboard.

Can we expect a carafe of sparkling water in our suite fridge like on Silversea? That would work just fine for us. Thank you!

Regarding the lack of San Pellegrino... Are cans or bottles of any brand of soda water such as Schwepps or Canada Dry available for in-suite fridge? Thank you.

Thank you! Kim and Alice are looking forward to it!

When and where is the meet and greet? I lost track of the sign up.

Heading to Seattle tomorrow. Can't wait to board the Bliss on Saturday!

Thanks for the beautiful photo. I will be on the Bliss for the second sailing from Seattle next week. Yahoo!

Thanks for the helpful reply! 🙂

I have booked shore excursions for which we got the $50 credit for passenger #1. If we upgrade to Free At Sea Plus, will NCL refund us $50 for passenger #2 for the excursions we had booked, or do we need to cancel them and rebook in order to get the $50 credit applied to passenger #2? We've been on hold with NCL excursion desk for about 30 minutes. So thought I'd ask here.

Thanks

2 minutes ago, stefmaia said:

You have it correct. If you choose to tip more for a service above and beyond, then of course that is always welcomed, but you have covered all the requirements if you have prepaid your service charges.

Ohhhh, Thank you so much for confirming my analysis.  🙂  I gave it my best effort before posting this. I just wanted to be sure. Thanks!

I'm trying to figure out what NCL means by Service Charges vs Tips/Gratuities. I am happy to abide by what is customary. I'd just like to have a handle on it before stepping onboard. I'm a Silversea and Regent cruiser looking forward to a fun week on NCL with a group of friends who also are new to NCL.

The section on "service charge" on the NCL website says

"Staff members including complimentary restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and behind-the-scenes support staff are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that your service charge supports." So unless there is above and beyond service, I should feel comfortable knowing that my pre-paid service charges covers them.

The section on "gratuities" on the NCL website says

"certain staff positions (e.g., concierge, butler, youth program staff and beverage service) provide service on an individual basis to only some guests and do not benefit from the overall service charge. We encourage those Guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities."

So if I use the services of a concierge, I  should tip. I won't have a butler or utilize youth program staff. What about beverage service then? The website says there is a "20% gratuity and beverage service charge added for all beverage purchases" I think the "Premium Beverage Package" I have covers the gratuity and beverage service charge unless I purchase a drink that costs more than $15. Then the charge has the 20% added on (e.g. if the drink costs $18, I will be charged $3.60)

I have also read on this forum that if I get room service, I should tip the person who delivers it. I'm good with that.

Am I missing anything or got something wrong? Thank you for your help.

My last cruise on the PG was in 2008. We did a lot of scuba diving, as we had done on the previous 2 cruises. The reefs were beginning to show damage from the invasion of Crown of Thorns. I'm asking for input from any divers who have been on the PG in the past couple of years. What condition the reefs are in? Have they deteriorated even more or recovered? I'm thinking of booking a cruise in the Fall if the diving is worth it.

It's so close now! MsUnderstood is picking us up at LGB on Wednesday.  She will deliver us to LAX on Thursday for our flight to Santiago.  See you all soon at the bottom of the Earth!

Kim

I'll be on the Jan 4 Antarctica cruise. Looking forward to meeting jpalbny and Stumblefoot. I know RachelG from several previous trips together. We will be boarding before we know it after over 2 years of waiting!

Hi Rachel - I don't read Cruise Critic very often, but I came here today to see if there are posts about car rentals in Reykjavík.

I didn't know you did this trip report while we were in the Galapagos. I just read through it all and it brought back great memories of the trip! See you soon for another awesome adventure!

Kim