Uniall

Give it a rest. As it is said sarcasm is the lowest form wit.

Give what a rest? I thought we were engaging in friendly dialogue and good natured banter.

I can't believe your posts were serious. Am I mistaken? :*

Some of us have had the pleasure of sailing with him and chatting with him a few times, but not to the extent that we're Facebook friends - but we do appreciate seeing the good news.

 

 

Thanks UNIALL,

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

You are most welcome. I'm delighted you enjoyed it.

Its not a problem just rather strange to post a photo from an e mail. Never mind each to their own.

 

I suppose Mikael would be flattered.

If I'd known you were the Captain's public relations chief, I'd have cleared the posting of the photo with you first.:rolleyes:

Whilst I confess to not understanding perhaps you can explain why you posted a picture from Facebook on this site.

 

I am sure those of us who are friends with this truly amazing Captain will have seen FB.

 

Anyway its not a grumble just a question.

While (what is whilst?) you deny it's a grumble (what's a grumble?) why do you seem to have a problem with my posting photographic info of the Captain's good fortune?. :o

As for FB I do not post, read or use that medium EVER. I received the photo by email.:halo:

Mikael Hilden, Captain Viking Star July 27, 2017

Mikael Hilden, Captain NCL Breakaway, June 23, 2017

When I was in the Dawn in April, Roel was the Concierge.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

That makes sense. Leah was going on vacation when we disembarked in mid January. That would allow for Roel on duty in April and Leah being back on board now. This is supported by the fact that most of the other crew confirmed on board now we're there in January.:rolleyes:

NCL Dawn 6-9-17 to 6-16-17

 

J.C Sanchez - Cruise Director :D

Teo Grabic - Captian

Andreas Sommerfeld - F&B

Osley Ollivierre - Exc. housekeeper

Ana-Maria Haza -GSM

Paulo Vaz -Exc. Chief

Alain magnier - H.D.

Ionela Oprisan - Restaurant Manager

Raj Rodrigues - Beverage Manager

And THE Anne Barbaza - Group Service Coordinator

 

.

Would you happen to know who the Concierge is?

Originally posted by biker@sea

Sorry, I did speak with her for a moment but did not catch her name.

That would be so great if Arnie were on the Breakaway, he was great! I wonder if they let you request butlers?

No, but it would be nice.

Yes, it can be done in unusual circumstances. We have a special relationship with a particular butler. We were among his first 10 cabins' guests during his weeklong tryout period. We all signed a petition recommending him for the permanent position. Six months later he was assigned to our cabin at our request, since his regular cabins were nearby.

When the new management plan is completely implemented and all the beloved on board officers and crew have been replaced, perhaps we'll see New NCL. :o

If today's crew thinks things are tough, wait till they see tomorrow's plans.

On the Plus side, the officers will shed the old dowdy blue or plain white uniforms for rich red uniforms with silver breast plates and red plumed helmets. ;)

Here's a peek at the future. I really like the cut of the new style Captain and H.D. :D

Enjoy,

John :evilsmile: or :halo:

No smarm and I apologise if it read that way. As this is a public forum not much one can say but you are on the money with his guests and friends. Indeed we count ourselves in that legion.

 

I think its fair to say when he was on the ship the feel was just amazing.

 

Again my apologies for the tone it was jest but English Jest :)

You were "jest" being English and I was "jest" being Irish. LOL

sorry matey - dechipher? dechipher what. He has put his family first. Oh and yes he did mean career. Do you join me in wishing them both all the best?

 

Oh and BTW since you like to let everybody in on peoples personal life why not publish the Captains farewell or are you not privy to that?

 

Bad day for NCL and I believe they know it.

 

They will survive but we will not make (albeit get close) to Ambassador level

 

We are off to .............. Lets keep that bit private for now

On first reading, I thought I detected a touch of smarm in your post. On second reading, I wrote it off to good natured jest and humor. Musti's farewell was emailed to a great many of his fans and friends. I believe, its warmth and fondness for others is, and will continue to be, a fitting memorial to him and why he was beloved by so many of his guests.

As for Capt. Mikael Hilden, I don't have any written material with which to memorialize him but perhaps this photo will suffice.

Too bad you didn't put your comment in one of the threads discussing the water taxi to Placencia instead of livening an old Harvest Caye thread.

I'm delighted the poster used this "old" Harvest Cate thread since I would not have seen it otherwise. I'm subscribed to this thread but unfamiliar with the other ones you mention.

Sean was doing a full contract there ending in August he wasn't supposed to leave earlier

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I think I'd bail out after a month of rice dishes for every meal ... Lol

Breakfast rice gruel with soy milk.

Lunch fried rice with pork belly.

Dinner chicken with soy sauce over rice and rice pudding for dessert.

Lol

Not only is way too early but crew moves are now becoming standard and last minute changes quite common. As I have said before on this board other than certain people never try and rely on staffing. For instance the opening team on the Joy are supposed to be back on the Escape - but I understand this is delayed.

 

Do not misunderstand me - I too like to know who is where but sadly it is getting more and more difficult with the number of ships, staff shortages etc. We were recently on two ships and all the crew we spoke were telling us that it is becoming very common for ship changes mid contract.

You are right on target. NCL's business model has changed. for better or worse, with the new administration. Kevin Sheehan was a "People Person" with a business model based upon happy and satisfied customers and staff. Frank Del Rio is a "Marketing Person" who accentuates improved product and pricing. That's why there has been a dramatic increase in constant personnel movement around the fleet. Only time will tell which was the better long term model for NCL.

Thanks for the comments- This lady seems to take a lot of "bashing". Stop comparing her to others. She is much newer than the those quoted and so much depends on the assistants.

 

Our experience with her excellent so there you go cannot please all the people all the time.

I do not disagree with your concluding Rashida is the target of undeserved bashing. But, I don't believe lack of experience is a big factor in judging the worth of a concierge, at sea or on land.

I think the overriding factor of a great concierge is whether or not they're a "People Person". In my opinion, love of personal interaction with others is 60% of the job, with organization skills 20% and resource contact list 20%.

"Natural" concierges may fail from time to time because they're in temporary crisis mode or they're resource contacts refuse to cooperate. But, the "naturals' still come off with personal and professional warmth and charm.

Even in dire moments of great stress, the "Naturals" have the gift of being able to tell someone to "go to hell" and have them look forward to the trip. In the real world, I've witnessed Carlos Zarate, Senior Concierge, and David Contraras, Young Turk Concierge, do exactly that. They are both consummate People Persons.

That is not entirely correct - each ship has a standard generic e mail for each senior position.

 

Elucidate in that case please. Say, how would be get in touch with the Food & Beverage Manager on the Star; etc.

Mike

The information you request is a closely guarded secret known by the members of the secret society who are keepers of the knowledge. ;)

My Dad used to say the only reason we weren't Aussies or Kiwis was because his father's boat sailed from Ireland to America ten minutes before the British police came to arrest him. :')

In that spirit of comradeship, send me and email and I will answer your question. :halo:

john e mc neal at m s n dot com (no spaces)

The sinking of the Costa Concordia resulted in several highly active threads on the matter. They were closed by the administrator for want of activity as time went on.

I previously posted on those threads, the legal process would grind slowly but would inexorably result in a long prison term for Concordia's Captain Schettino.

Many posters doubted my professional legal opinion and challenged my predictions.

The Final Verdict is in.

Former Captain Schettino's conviction for manslaughter and his 16 year prison sentence has been upheld by Italy's highest court.

Here's the AP news report

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/...L&ocid=UE03DHP

By the By, the AP photo shows the Captain has not aged well during the prosecution. It will be in even worse while incarcerated.

Does the 16 years start from now or will he get a few off rhe total when he was tagged or under house arrest

 

Sent from my E5823 using Forums mobile app

He should receive credit for his in jail and at hone incarceration time. That should result in 13 plus years without great pasta and good wine

The sinking of the Costa Concordia resulted in several highly active threads on the matter. They were closed by the administrator for want of activity as time went on.

I previously posted on those threads, the legal process would grind slowly but would inexorably result in a long prison term for Concordia's Captain Schettino.

Many posters doubted my professional legal opinion and challenged my predictions.

The Final Verdict is in.

Former Captain Schettino's conviction for manslaughter and his 16 year prison sentence has been upheld by Italy's highest court.

Here's the AP news report

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/captain-of-shipwrecked-costa-cruise-liner-heads-to-jail/ar-BBB4czm?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=UE03DHP

Thanks to everyone for all the great responses. I have a few questions...

 

Do the ships dock or are there tenders? I'll be on one of the big ones, the getaway, if that makes a difference.

 

My folks are at the age where they are starting to have some mobility issues.

 

Are there any options to get to the cabana/villa check in? Like in some ports they have the 2 person bicycle rickshaw thingys. It sounds like they have a golf cart shuttle that takes you from check in to the villa but I'm not clear on how much walking is involved before you get to the check in.

 

I have heard rumors that you can take a shuttle from the villa to other parts of the island. Like if my folks wanted to do some shopping or go to the nature preserve. If that is true, do they pick you up and take you back too?

 

How does one get to the top of the zip line light house tower? Stairs?

 

Can you preorder food? Like have some beers and snacks in the villa before you arrive?

 

Can you book more than one villa per stateroom? Looks like I may need to book 3 villas. Yikes.

 

I assume one can go freely from villa to villa if you have a wrist band.

 

Is there cell signal on the island? Don't get me wrong, disconnecting is my favorite part of cruising but I have my folks on my plan with international roaming and we use it to keep in touch in ports of call. We used to use walkie-talkies in port which 3/4 of this message board hated...so its an improvement. :-)

 

Villas aside, did the pool and other non-villa areas seem crowded? It doesn't seem like it from what I've seen. I was recently in Amber Cove in the DR and the pool and area around it was packed to the gills, worse than on ship.

 

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

 

EDIT: Damn, I just noticed all our signatures got nuked when they changed to the new forum software. Mildly annoying.

Mobility issues are not a problem with Villa. The crew will push wheel chairs the length of the pier to the Villa check in. Then you get on a 8 passenger golf cart and/or pushed "dune buggy" wheel chair with over sized wheels to take the gravel/sand path to the Villa. Or, you can be pushed on black top paths all the way.

The pool and "tent" cabanas area was NOT crowded.

No need to pre order food & drinks. Upon arrival your butler will meet you and go over the villa menu with you. He will fill and deliver your order from an adjacent "Villa Only" restaurant/bar.

Maybe we in Europe are not as fussy - We sailed with Yahira in her early days and she was excellent. You know sometimes you forget these are REAL people and we have no idea what is going on behind the scenes in their lives and you may get an off week. When you are working for an entire 6 months straight even in the hospitality industry it is unacceptable to expect them to top every single day of the contract - They are human beings.

 

So if it was the person mentioned, do not mention her name in public - This is not a site for name and shame... I can assure you that a long gone European HD we found dreadful (maybe the worst in the industry) but others found him excellent. Personal opinions

I respect your right to curtail posting any negative opinions you may have regarding crew members.

But, I respectfully disagree with your opinion that such negative opinions are off limits or topic by other posters on this thread.

In addition to listing the names and positions of the officers and crew, comments both positive and negative have been an integral part of this thread in its various annual formats for many years.

In fact, some folks have disagreed and debated conflicting opinions of individual crew members which has provided valuable information and insight for all the thread followers.

You mention you are European. That may be a factor in our differing opinion.

In the USA, we have a tradition predating the founding of our nation and engraved into our constitution and laws protecting free speech and prior restraint of it.

So, how did you answer? Should they beheld to the January rules or the February rules?

LOL .....

It's whatever date and time NCL says it is.

NCL uses the specific language for most everything with a date and time deadline or kick off:

"On XX - Month - 20XX 11:59 pm (or 12:01 am) Eastern Time"

I don't cruise for the perks, they are privilege not a right however i do have this to say, I don't get the whole dinner voucher for 2 per stateroom, it just does not make any sense. What if there are 3 people in a stateroom they all are Platinum or platinum plus does that mean one of the person's is left out of the dinner?

 

If each person cruised to earn those perks shouldn't it be per person not per stateroom? and why take away a bottle of wine, I feel some of these perks have been watered down, no chocolates, no godiva chocolates, one less bottle of wine and once you get to the Ambassador tier is not a big deal because you get the free cruise but once you do that you get the same benefits as the other Platinum cruisers :D:cool:

I'm hoping NCL expands the Ambassador perk on a par with RCCL which gives a Free Cruise to Pinnacle members and then another free cruise for every 250 additional points thereafter.

What if you booked while on a cruise on January 31, 2017, but just as you hit enter the ship crossed the International Date Line and suddenly it was February 1, 2017. Then what happens?

That sounds like a question I had on the Bar Examination 45 years ago. :p

Well..... disappointed. Great cruise on Epic disembarking on 2/4. ( one day into new tier system). Was expecting to become Platinum with 21 points by booking 9 months in advance and a Latitude offer and should have had 77 points under old tier. Now only received 14 points and at 70 and still Gold under new tier. Fail NCL on the customer appreciation front. We are loyal customers and have 2 future cruise rewards. 7 cruises in 4 years....changing rules when we are embarking. Really NCL. What are you thinking????

Have you actually received the latitudes points in your account, and only got 14? If so then get on to them as that is incorrect.

 

The new rules only applied to cruises that started after 3rd Feb, so the points you earn would be based on the old rules. Even if it was the new rules then you should till have got all 21 anyway.

 

Of course, that doesn't help you with regard to being platinum as the number of points required has gone up to 80.

If this is true, it runs counter to what many posters on this and other threads have been told by many NCL sources.

Once the initial lack of info by NCL staff had been passed, they have consistently said that any bookings made prior to February 3, 2017 that were 9 months before sailing would receive he bonus points even if the sail date was on or after Feb 19, 2017.

If this is not happening it is imperative that this be fought tooth and nail based on the legal argument that NCL's early bookng promotion was a causitive factor that induced people to make the booking.

Please don't leave us hanging. Run this to ground ASAP.