kismetique

Definitely will!

Yes, that's what we do as well for breakfast. I haven't sailed in lower than a suite in over 20 years, so I can't remember the cans and cannots! But saving over $25k by booking with points, I think I'm willing to give it a try!😉 Thanks for your response!

We're giving it a test run for about 5 months. It's just so hard to go backwards or start loyalty over! We just got off the Star in the Garden Villa to Iceland. If we shared our butler with anyone, I wasn't aware of it. I know the GV next to us had a different butler. Eating our meals in the room at a dining table for 12 was posh! Even suites have small dining tables which we love! We might hate being on a ship this long NOT in a suite....I guess we'll see! If we like it, we'll do a whole year in 2026. If not, we'll try something else! But I had the 300,000 points... why not use them!

I'm not even paying regular fair... I'm paying for an OV but getting a balcony! Oh, the horror of it all! 😉

It was/is a logistical nightmare. I've finally found a spreadsheet on Etsy that I bought and modified to help me keep up with it because we're not staying on NCL the whole time. We don't like flying 12 hours, so we're taking the Bliss from Miami to Southampton. From there we'll fly to New Dehli to see the Taj Mahal then down to Kurala to visit the interior in India. We might fly to Singapore for a couple of weeks, then to Sydney to start our cruises. Royal Princess x1 (testing that line) NCL Sun x2 NCL Sky X2 Dubai for a week NCL Sky x4 Carnival Valor from Barcelona back to New Orleans (not a fan of Carnival, but needed to get back home without flying). I used Plum Cruise to find cruises that started in certain ports. The logistical nightmare came from booking NCL OV rooms and using world points to upgrade to balconies (saving over $25k!!). None of the same rooms from cruise to cruise. And we're just fine with that. I think it will make us stay more organized to pack up every 12-14 days. The shortest cruise is 11 days and the longest is 21 I think. Our 50 day train trip last year forced us to pack in only a backpack and 1 carryon each. So we have that part conquered! I wished there was a section on this board to help ppl put these together or post their own stitched together B2B2B2.... to give others ininspiration I'm happy to answer any questions, and yes, I'm very nervous about pulling this off! I hate that Carnival does NOT refund deposits. Our itinerary has changed twice from canceled cruises due to the Israel war.

The thought is killing me, but we enjoy traveling so much. We did 3 months of train travel all over the EU and found that while we enjoyed it, we like cruising better. NCL beds are hard to beat!!🤣 I will tell you, I regret sticking to NCL. I've begged Princess to do a 1 time loyalty match just to see if it's worth it to start over. No! Is the answer. Also, the familiarity of how an NCL cruise is going to go is very comforting... which sounds crazy, but very real when pushing that button to book a different line. We've done Carnival, Celebrity and RCCL, but keep returning to NCL. The food has only recently become an issue. I hope they take note of the many complaints and remedy the issue. I'll be sure and post our experiences, likes and dislikes! We're not doing true B2B on all of them, as we're taking a week off in Dubai, as it's a favorite spot of ours. And a month in the interior of India. Most of the ports we're going to, we've never been to, so we're excited for 2025!

I think you're still misunderstanding my inquiry. I don't expect my room steward to do or be anything but a conduit to those that CAN provide the service. That way he shares the tip with that person... say 60/40 or whatever they work out. They are ALL looking for ways to make extra tips. I'm pretty sure I've cruised enough that I fully understand the different jobs around the ship and how room service works. I also know what extras you can get when you tip well. I had a room steward on our 19 day through the Suez that sailed half empty and he had loads of time to hang in our room and visit for a couple of hours each day (we had 9 sea days from canceled ports due to the Houthies). He explained in detail how to feed off your room steward because he knows who on the ship can do what for his guests, then the room steward negotiates a finder fee percentage of the tip. I wished I had asked him about this particular issue, but the lunch in Cagney's on the Jade was not good and the menu was different than on our last cruise on the Star where the lunch in Cagney's was the best on the ship!! So good we would pre-order lunch to our room and come back from Port early. He told us on day 1 of the cruise which day that a free bag of laundry would be offered, so we could get 3 bags free on that cruise. We ALWAYS make fast friends with the room steward, especially if they are seasoned and not new! They are usually the most helpful! I'm sure it can be accomplished... it's just food (not drugs or liquor!) and I do have brand loyalty. My main question was if someone had done it and been successful. Thanks for the tips.

That's the problem! We're spoiled! We just did the Garden Villa to Iceland. Talk about butler/concierge overkill! Here's a tip for others that feel like we did. Tell them you're going to O'Sheehan's for dinner each night and they will leave you alone. They wanted to know each morning our entire itinerary for the day!!! They would walk us off the ship and all the way to meet our private tours!!!! Crazy! If I were only concerned about quality, I'd be changing lines, but I need the free laundry and the 2 free meals is a very nice perk! I'd buy the Priority Access if it included lunch at Cagney's! I'm craving that French Dip, Brie Burger, and Shrimp Scampi!!!!! I don't care about the canapés, tendering, or getting on/off the ship. I'm happy to pay room service fees as well. We're thinking of retiring on ships, so we have 10 cruises planned for 2025 to dip our toes in the water so to speak and to use all the world points (300,000) on the NCL credit card. They are of no use to us if we're not upgrading.. but only to a balcony. I'll definitely look to bid for a suite if one is offered!! We're trying to change our expectations and see if we can "deal" without a butler and dining table! 🤣 I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble or get anything for free, I'm perfectly willing to TIP and tip well. Basically just wondering if anyone had done this and if so, how they went about it. We'll be on the Sky for almost 4 months. I'm pretty sure I'll get something figured out!!!

We buy specially dining for each evening we plan to be on the ship for dinner, plus we get the 2 free with our Sapphire Level, but I'm talking about lunch. Unfortunately 5 of our B2B are on the Sky with only 3 specialty restaurants. Our cruise across the pond is on the Bliss and that ship does have a Food Republic! Thanks for the info!!!

Oh my, I don't think my room steward has access to the kitchen!🤣🤣 But my room steward had access to other ship employees that do. I had a room steward that brought us a crew only meal. I cautioned if it were against the rules, and was assured many guests that know about it, ask for it. Their food is MUCH better than ours!!!😳 People!!!! It's food... not a free massage or drinks!

Hahaha.... no, I want to TIP my room steward to do whatever he CAN to make more tips and perhaps share tips with others on the ship to provide what is within acceptable perks. The room steward we got to be good friends with on one of our cruises, would tell me exactly what he could and couldn't do. They will usually NEVER break the rules. 3 demerits and they are shipped home, no questions asked. I'm just wanting to know if anyone has successfully done this. If NCLs food wasn't so dadgum awful it wouldn't even be an issue. It's just so hard to walk away from the perks and start over on loyalty with another line, but we will doing just that with a couple of Princess cruises this next year.

Thank you for posting that, but I really wished you hadn't. You almost have me talked out of these B2B's. The only thing on that whole menu that's even remotely good was the Cobb Salad. Surprisingly it was very good. On our last cruise, I heard they ran out of lettuce, yogurt and several other items. We were in the Garden Villa on the Star so we didn't notice anything being short, but even then, the food was mostly just bad. Even Cagney's evening meal was just not very appetizing. This will be our first 'going backwards' cruises. I think I can do without the Butler, I would even go fetch everything we wanted if they would just let me have it! 🤣

Very good suggestions! I wish they would add this one perk to Priority Access. We already get most of them, and I couldn't care less about the crappy canapes or even the tendering. I'm happy to pay for breakfast delivery and so forth, and if the food hadn't been so horrendous our last 3 NCL cruises, I wouldn't even give it a second thought. I'm actually looking at adding 4 more cruises so I might try the influential route! I LOVE NCL...but the food! I'm booked on one Princess cruise in the middle of these B2Bs, so I'm trying to branch out and dip my toe into other loyalties. I wish Princess would do some sort of loyalty match even if not level for level. It's so hard to start from the bottom when your used to all the perks! Thank you for such great suggestions. I was hoping others had success with buttering up their room steward like we did on our 19 day. He was fantastic. The ship was only half full because Israel had just been attacked and we were going through the Suez and Strait of Hormuz so he had loads of time to spend talking to us and telling us jokes and giving us the ship gossip.

Yeah, that's what I thought 🙂 But, it never hurts to ask if someone has figured out how to work the system!

We're Sapphire Level, and usually always cruise in a suite. However, we are planning on spending the first 7 months of 2025 on NCL basically doing B2B cruises with a few days in between here and there, changing ships several times. Since we're taking 8 cruises, we can't afford to book suites, and in fact, are using all our accumulated World Points and booking OV's and upgrading to balcony's. The points are basically worthless for those that cruise in suites. I'm so very used to eating lunch in Cagney's or Maderno - any tips or tricks on how to perhaps order room service from that menu from a Balcony Cabin? Or is it just NOT possible. I know on one cruise we were on, we made great friends with our room steward and he would help us navigate certain issues, like getting a meal prepared only for the crew, and things like that. Just took greasing palms. We were on that cruise for 19 days so we had plenty of time to form a bond with him. I'm also used to ordering anything I want for room service breakfast - will I have to strictly stick to the offerings on the little hangar card? Or can tipping help with this as well? If anyone has any experience with this, please fill me in! I know these questions sound trivial, but the last cruise we were on, on the Star, the food was horrendous. I'm having second thoughts of 7 months of bland and inedible food! The Shrimp Scampi, The French Dip and the Brie Burger from Cagney's lunch menu were to die for and we would come back to the ship early from port and have the butler on his way with lunch - they were that good! So - am I kidding myself thinking there is a way to buy special services from my room steward (I'm a big tipper! :)?

I'm not good with what's allowed room to room, but yes 60,000 will get your double meta upgrade, HOWEVER, I would look at the difference of going OV to balcony vs Inside to balcony. I usually book an OV then call and they will tell me what type of balcony I qualify for and if I can pay something like $60 to get the specific balcony I want. Sometimes it's more cost effective to book OV to balcony where you save as an example $1500, rather than inside to balcony and save only $1700... making the first 30,000 points only worth $200. Other more seasoned upgraders can correct me if I'm wrong!

Sorry, I hit send before I put the other poems in! Here's the Concierge thank you that went in Envelope 2 of 2: To our dear concierge, we have to say Your service and care made our trip, day by day From the warmest of greetings to the tiniest detail You made us feel special, and never once did you fail We've come to the end of our cruise, it's true And we wanted to say, we appreciate you For all the hard work, the effort, the time You put in, to make our trip, oh so fine So we're leaving an additional tip, you see To reflect the gratitude, we feel, so deeply As a family of eight, we understand the effort you make And we want to ensure, that your kindness, we don't mistake Your smile, your warmth, and your hospitality Will always have a place in our memory We hope that our gesture, brings a smile to your face And makes you feel appreciated, in every place So thank you, dear concierge, for all that you do We wish you all the best, in everything, that's true Your services exceeded our every expectation Making our cruise unforgettable, a true vacation! Here's the butler's poem and since he didn't speak very good English, our cabin was decorated to the hilt with birthday balloons, streamers, party favors and a cake on the table when we returned from dinner the first night. Which was not exactly what I had in mind as I wanted celebrate on our 1 sea day. But that's my fault for not making it clear. I just assumed he would ask before doing it. He kept saying, but Mrs...you said birthday! You said birthday! I kept telling him, it's fine, really it's not a problem. I think he could tell it wasn't what I wanted but we were perfectly fine to have cake and kept the room decorated the entire cruise so it worked out really well in the end. Envelope 1 of 2 poem: On embarkation day, as we board this grand ship, We come with excitement and our hearts-a-flip, And in this first envelope, we’ve left a tip for you, To express our gratitude, for all that you do. On this grand cruise, a special occasion we share, Three birthdays, three loved ones, a joyous affair, As we journey on, seeking adventure and fun, We turn to the butler, to help us get things done. We are celebrating three birthdays, all in one, A group of eight, filled with laughter and fun, There’s just one special request, we hope to make, A birthday bash, for the ages, a true give and take. Dear butler, we have a request to make, Please serve us a birthday meal in our stateroom suite, A meal so decadent to share and savor, what a treat! And for dessert, a group dessert we’ll all partake. We want to indulge in the delicious fare, That Cagney’s has to offer, with great flair! Start with a fresh salad, crisp and bright, Followed by a soup, creamy and light, Bring us the tenderest cuts of meat, That will melt in our mouths, oh so sweet. Accompanied by sides that are divine, The perfect compliment to this feast so fine. With your help, we'll make memories to last, Of laghter, love and good times that won't be surpassed, And when we look back on this grand adventure, We'll think of you, butler, with infinite pleasure! And the envelope 2 of 2 Thank you to butler: Dear butler, we want to take a moment to express Our heartfelt thanks, for you are the best! You served us with grace, with skill, with care And made our birthday celebration an occasion so rare You tended to our needs with a smile so bright And made our every wish come to light From morning coffee to evening desserts galore You served us with kindness, even when we asked for more For our birthday celebration, you brought us joy With cakes and decorations, fit for a royal envoy You made us feel special, cherished and loved And for that, dear butler, we thank you from above Your attention to detail was impeccable and fine And your service, dear butler, was nothing less than divine So let us raise a glass and give you a toast For making our cruise a dream we'll cherish the most So we'd like to thank you with a little gift Enclosed in this envelope, a tip for you to lift We know that your job is not an easy one But you did it with grace, and made it so much fun Oh dear, dear butler, we'll miss you so For you've become a friend, not just a service pro But in our hearts, you'll forever stay As the butler who made our cruise a special day.

I didn't write them, I had ChatGPT give me loads and loads of suggestions then I took what worked and pieced it together. I'll tell you the one to the Concierge worked like a charm! We got 8 tender tickets delivered to our suite the next day! It's a little corny, but hey - I got what I wanted with very little effort on my part. We were celebrating 3 birthdays, within days of each other. I put birthday banners on all the room doors. On this grand cruise, we're celebrating with cheer Three birthdays, a triple treat, oh so dear As we set sail, seeking adventure and more We turn to the concierge, to help us explore For a group of eight, celebrating three birthdays in style We have one big wish, that we hope will make them smile. Our wish is simple, but we need your helping hand To make our shore excursions go exactly as planned. Our big wish is for eight tender tickets ashore To explore in port and make memories galore With your magic touch, we know it's all possible To make this wish come true and make it remarkable. Brother, sister and wife, all in one Together we'll celebrate, under the sun With eight tender tickets, our hearts will sing, And we'll cherish these memories with everything. We understand that not all wishes can come true But we hold onto hope, and we turn to you To make this celebration, beyond compare And leave us feeling pampered, and full of care. So here's a little something, to start our journey off right And to let you know, that our appreciation is bright And there's more to come, from this family of eight As we set sail, we understand the efforts you make.

Our family of 6 just did this exact same set up. You could always pay for Priority Access for the 2 in the club balcony. BTW the set up is perfect! We as parents, left the door open between the rooms and our married child could close the door in the club balcony when they wanted privacy but always had access to the living area which was not used as a sleeping space. We had another friend and his child with us, so once we were up for the day, we left our cabin door open so they could also come and go as they pleased. It was a great way for the steward, butler and concierge to easily access us more often! More familiarity equals more service and perks. We always greeted them with a smile and were welcoming of any small talk. It was great! If I had thought of paying for Priority Access I would have. I don't particularly think of eating lunch in Carney's as a perk. The food is not that great and the menu NEVER changes. We never ate in there. We did have breakfast delivered each morning and whomever said they won't limit you... it's quite subjective. If I ordered too much more than what appeared appropriate for the 3 in our suite, it simply wasn't included in the delivery, twice it happened. My husband is a huge breakfast eater and I discussed this with our butler and the Order was never shorted again. The rest of the family and friend actually preferred the buffet, so that wasn't a big deal for us. Here's where I wanted the perks.... Tendering and snacks. I gave both the butler and concierge an envelope marked 1 of 2 with a tip inside and a poem written using AI about my specific requests. Both knew there would be more tip coming at the end and we got both Priority Tendering and extra treats and candy for the whole party. Money talks.

And from experience, don't take their first word for it, if they say there are no cabins available. If you can do a mock reservation for the cabin or cabin level you want and show availability, tell them you can see cabins available! They might want to charge you a little more for the correct upgrade levels. On one of mine, I paid $40 and on the second, I paid $60.

I also learned a lesson last night in redeeming points. I called and got ahold of someone that did not know what they were doing. I know, I know, I know...I should have just said nvm and hung up and called back. But she was so very nice and seemed to be trying so hard. This was my only second time to redeem points so I stuck it out with her. BIG MISTAKE. She took my points asked me which cabin I wanted and promptly rebooked me into an O4, as I was already in! No upgrade. When I pulled up the confirmation I realized that line in the invoice for the amount "saved" was missing. The confirmation showed 04 - BA, with the cabin we discussed, and I didn't realize until I called NCL, but the cabin number online was 10014, which is an Oceanview, not a balcony. In the meantime, I had decided I wanted to change the cabin we had discussed and so I called NCL and told them the price had dropped, and I wanted to change my cabin. We went round and round and she kept putting me on hold and coming back after 10 solid minutes and acting like she was a new CSR, only her accent gave her away. I let her get away with it the first time, then the second, third and fourth times, I laughed at her and said - how many times do you plan to pretend to be someone new? Dead silence. She ended up taking away all mentions of an upgrade and sticking me in a guarantee balcony, charging me full price! I called Points Rewards back this morning and they got it all straightened out with the price drop as well. But the invoice STILL doesn't show the "saved" line. Everything else is correct and the cabin is showing correct online, so I'm guessing it all worked out. Let this be a lesson to the first timers - don't be afraid to hang up and call back, just because they are being nice, it will likely get screwed up! 🙂

Thank you both for the information! Wow. My mom was a casino nut, I'm angry that she never shared this idea with me! 🙂

Gosh - I'm feel like a newbie. I had no idea this was even possible. So, does the ship then give you cash back at the end of the cruise after your folio is paid? For a non-gambler, can you explain the process? Sorry to be so dumb.

Oh - I see...my mistake. We don't gamble so I wasn't aware you could make a casino charge! Interesting.

Wouldn't taking cash on the NCL BoA card be considered a cash advance and begin incurring interest immediately? When I read this it sent red flags up immediately - only because I constantly have to stay on top of hubby when on vacation which card to use for what. He's so used to using our credit cards for taxi's, meals, etc. He tends to want to stick the same CC in the bank machine to get cash and I'm always like, NO NO NO NO! That will incur immediate AND a higher rate of interest than purchases. I much prefer to get cash on my debit card while on board the ship and pay the 3% because I trust it so much more than machines in any town. Here's what I found generically : Most cards do not offer a grace period for cash advances. You will begin paying interest from the first day the cash advance posts to your credit card. For most credit cards, the cash advance APR is significantly higher than the APR for purchases. Cash advance interest rates typically range from 17.99% to 29.99% APR. Norwegian Cruise Line Credit Card's Additional Info cash advance fee 5% cash advance APR 21.24% - 29.24% (V) I love the way you think and wished this were a workable way to get those points! But I'm thinking not. How about if you pre-paid charges on board, would they give you the cash back at the end of the cruise? We never spend anything other than our gratuities, so if we prepaid them before the cruise and then put money on account somehow? I'm not sure if it's possible as I've never thought to do it because we never spend a dime. Needless to say, we aren't the cruisers NCL likes to give bargains to! 🙂