cruiser2015

See what can happen when you doze off. If your deck lounge starts to slide around and your feet are getting wet, watch out! 😨

We sailed on the Anthem a few years ago. Fabulous ship!

Hope you like chilly breezes. And I truly hope you're not sailing during the shoulder periods.

I find most of the above comments to be totally - INCONCLUSIVE. Counter claims about most browsers. Maybe so older software versions are to blame. Maybe overstuffed cookies or histories. Maybe NCL programming shortfalls. 😵

If I understand your comment, then I must disagree. It is perfectly logical (note I am an accountant) to add the charge onto the statement for a purchased extra item and show the payment for it separately. Sure, they could combine them Then it would show no money amounts at all. This would obscure what the item cost you and might cause confusion by listing an item - and then showing no "activity" - which could make someone wonder whether they truly have that amenity or not.

The casino will be closed before you hit the port. But the assigned flights are a total crap shoot. 🤯

I don't believe that a box of crackers is considered contraband. 😏

Glacier Bay - absolutely!

Sell the house and go ALL IN!! 😲

Yes. One small pit.

I think you're on point. They have advertised this offer for a long time - like years. I don't recall if it's continuous or on and off. But the fee part was not prominently displayed - just the "we cover your deposit". At first glance, it actually looks like they are gifting it to you. Not. I just opened their website - I do not see the deposit deal mentioned.

Sounds like they said they could not give you the OBC because they were not making enough commission. Okay. Nasty of them to cut the TA's commission due to the FCC as that is a deal between you and NCL. Seems to me more like a reduced payment than a cut off the fare.

Sorry about the story - yes, it was, all together, a bit complicated. That wasn't even all of MY story - posted elsewhere on these boards - about getting a veterans discount after final payment, which also involved my TA. Complexities there, as well as fixes, courtesy of NCL. Bottom line, this TA, an online cruise specialist, certainly one of the largest around, does not really charge fees and has generous perks (OBC, gift cards, paid DSC). The fee in question was for their offer to cover (temporarily) your deposit. If NCL was not running their half off deposit offer, it would have been $500. The offer could have been for as much as a couple of years. This may appeal to some to not go out of pocket for that time. For me, it was not needed and if I realized the fee was involved, I would have simply given another payment, which was 4-5 weeks before final.

Your account statement should have a notation that your gratuities (meaning the DSC) has been paid. The grats on your FAS bar option are listed separately and are part of what you need to pay at final due date.

That's a good thing. And mine was a total waste of money. Here's the dumb tale: Not too long after I booked last July, there was a price drop on my CBS of $600. I called the TA to rebook. Extra perks were the same, except for an NCL OBC of $200 that was dropped, so net savings were $400. Because it takes a bit of time for the amount I paid previously to come up for air, they required another $250 deposit to do the new booking immediately. Now the problem - the agency was running, as they often do, a promotion to put up your deposit money for you They collect it at final payment. This could be for a day, a year, or more. I was anxious during the process for it all to get done quickly and retain my original cabin selection. So, although the TA explained the process, that explanation did not sink in. Meaning, they charge a flat fee of $24.95 for this privilege. So I said to myself, oh, I'll just use the "we'll cover your deposit" option and not have to pay the extra deposit today. I thought that the fee was for something else that I needed to pay because of the change. Wrong. Bottom line - it cost 25 bucks to defer that $250 for about a month. Total waste. PS: I did not use this feature on my original booking because I purchased a Cruise First certificate for $250 (worth $500) when booking. The $250 I paid covered the required deposit because NCL was running the 1/2 off deposit at the time. Within a couple of days my account had $500 paid in. But that certificate does not rollover instantly, which triggered a request for a new $250 to rebook. Furthermore, for the original booking, if there wasn't a CF involved AND new they wanted $24.95 to cover my deposit for 2 whole months (booking was 6 months out), I would have declined. The CPA in me says that a 10% fee to cover $250 for 2 months still is a crappy deal (assuming you have the cash on hand, of course). Slightly sad, but all true story.

I wonder if those darned "taggers" are getting a piece of the DSC. 😏

Never give up...never surrender!

Aha!

Re your day's activities: Sounds like a rough start for a nice tour. How did they handle passenger pickups for the NCL tours? Also, if they don't tag socks and underwear, how can they prevent those getting lost?

Ditto. Except for a small fee paid to the TA for the TA's benefit (not going to NCL at all).

Good point. I didn't think of that one. Seems odd that they would have it scheduled to end like that and not have the usual performances throughout the cruise. Is it even possible for them to switch to a new "major" show mid-cruise?

Why would you really care? You'll be back home.

You've got some highly speculative numbers there. The gross take (there are also some who will reduce/cancel) but, ballpark, okay. I wouldn't assume that the direct distribution portion is that high (just saying). The DSC is going to others besides wait staff & stewards (no clue here as to how many). The more that NCL has added to this category, the less they have to pay them directly out of their corporate pockets. Crew generally work their butts off, with long hours and little time off for months at a time. Yours is the first comment I've ever heard that staffers are well compensated. Notoriously, the opposite has always been the norm. As for that increase to the ante, at least in part, remember that inflation has been a killer. lastly, the hike in the DSC may be an offset for NCL to hold back on salary increases, further impacting the grand total that the employees end up receiving. Bottom line, I suspect you overstate what the troops are getting. As to tipping additional - yes, optional; not required; don't feel guilty if you don't give extra (my opinion). However, when my next cruise ends in 7 weeks, if I think that my steward has done well, I will give him/her some additional cash.

Beware! Someone just might call the pin police. Shame on you. 😟

However, do not forget that the DSC is distributed only in part as a "tip" would be expected to be done. The rest is used for various programs benefiting crew - but not money in their pockets.