tulch

Thank you for your responses to my question  They are appreciated!

Just a repeat question since I didn't see a response to my earlier post.  Are bathrobes still available for balcony staterooms?  Thank you!

Hi!  I read on a different thread that bathrobes on the Breakaway are no longer available in balcony staterooms.  Is this the same for the Encore now as well!  TIA!

Anything that would work for android phones?  I'm specifically interested in Signal.  Thank you!

Hi!  I'm just wondering what is considered an initial deposit date in the following scenario.  If I use a CruiseNext certificate or some other voucher when I make my reservation, is that the initial deposit date?  Or the final payment date, when I have to pay $$ for that particular cruise?  

My husband and I cruising in January.  We both were vaccinated last February which will be almost a full year.  We have no idea what our resistance to now-current or future variants might be.

If one of us tests positive and the other does not and is denied boarding, what happens?  Neither of us wants to sail without the other.

Could we get a test a couple of days prior at home?  Would NCL accept those tests in lieu at the port?

This is an interesting thread to read.  Could you cruise? Possibly.  Would you want to?  It seems like a lot of work and stress to arrange and not much of a vacation.

General question:  We used to book BC staterooms on the older ships.  When I look online, the only choices I see are BA or BF.  What happened to the other "standard" balcony classifications? 

Does anyone else remember the difficulty in getting shot #2 of the shingles vaccine, just a couple of years ago?  You were supposed to get the second injection three months after the first.  But the vaccine was so "popular" the waitlist became 8 months long in many areas. 

Everyone worries about those not wanting to receive the Covid-19 vaccination.  But for those who do, what if the supply for the second vaccine is not available in the recommended timeframe? 

The Pfizer and Moderna trials are at about the same point in their clinical trials.  Both use a similar mRNA approach.  Yet, it is not clear whether you could have shot #1 from Moderna, and #2 from Pfizer (or vice-versa) if there is a shortage of one brand.  Other vaccines use a different approach and may not be interchangeable at all (if Pfizer and Moderna vaccines indeed could be mixed).  Hence, even when a vaccine is "widely" available, it may be a long time before those who want a Covid-19 vaccination can receive the full course.

I hope someone reading this has better -- and more positive -- information that proves my concerns wrong.

I hope this is not too off-topic, but I was wondering:  If you book a cruise using CruiseNext certificates,  and the cruise is cancelled by NCL before the new 60-day date, would you still get FCC for that cancelled cruise?  You presumably would lose no money and the CruiseNext certificates would go back to your account.  Would you still get FCC for the cancelled cruise?

We also are holding spots on both ships for a partial transit of the canal.  We have been to most of the Western Caribbean ports; and have never been to any of the "ABC" islands.

Right now, we are inclined to go with the Joy.  First, it is $2K less than the Encore (at least it was when we booked both). It's possible the Encore would go down in price, but we will have to see. 

Second, there would be new ports for us on both ship itineraries.  We are not sure whether mostly new ports would be "too much of a good thing." We often stay on the ship during port days (love the sea days on trans-Atlantic cruises).  On the Joy, we will have port-intensive days intermingled with "whatever" days.  We have not been on either ship, but typically find enough to do on the Getaway class of ships -- another reason we may skip the "ABC" islands on this trip.

We booked a cruise to Europe with air more than a year in advance.  When the price dropped, I wanted to take advantage of the lower cruise price.  However, free air was no longer a perk.  To get the lower price would have been considered a rebooking and I would receive the then-current perks.  Since air as no longer a perk, I would pay the price of air booked through NCL at "regular" price - about $1000 more.

I obviously can get low airfares to Europe if I book now.  However, with a cruise so far out, it is not worth it to us to lose the option of full refund at cancellation.  When final payment time comes, I will look at the fares then.  (Incidentally, as of today, the cruise fare is up approx $200 per person!)

RE:  Swimming Pool at Maya Chan

I asked the owners  (who are currently cruising) and they asked me to convey the following information:  The pool at Maya Chan is not always open and is meant for private use by employees.  (They try to take care of both guests and the people who work there.)

Hope this clears that up!

I think the answer to your question is to understand that this is a "get what you pay for" type of policy.  Our health insurance covers us outside of the US (important if you rely on Medicare, which does not offer any coverage if you are traveling abroad).  Our policy also counts any medical expenses outside the US as "in network" since one doesn't have the option of choosing.  However, we purchased NCL bare bones insurance for our upcoming trans-Atlantic as a matter of convenience.  If we need to see the ship's doctor (and there are NO other options out in the middle of the Atlantic), it's worth $50 for the two of us from the standpoint of "no hassle." 

We normally don't get any insurance when traveling in the Caribbean.  (We, too, are from Florida.  We might lose the cost of the cruise if we cancelled, but no hotels or airfares or lost luggage or trip delays to worry about.  Again, our health insurance pretty much covers everything else.)

If you have non-Medicare coverage, call your health provider and see what they will cover. You may have a clearer idea of what coverage you need before you buy any insurance.

We currently have parking booked for two weeks at the MIA Crowne Plaza (which has good reviews).  Does anyone have experience with this lot?  Thanks!

23 hours ago, CruisingNole said:

 

I'll definitely check that out. I live in Orlando though, so I'd be willing to pay a little extra for the convenience. What city/date are you flying? 

 TAP flies to US cities via Lisbon and they allow a free stopover in Lisbon.  We will stay in Barcelona May 12 through the morning of May 15.  In the afternoon, we fly to Lisbon for two days and fly out on Friday, May 17 for arrival in  MIA on Saturday,  May 18.  We then will rent a car for the three hour drive back to Cape Coral where we live (with less traffic on Saturday through Alligator Alley!).  I am guessing that TAP also flies to MCO, but cannot say for certain.

Our airfare includes one free checked bag per person and, I believe, a meal & snacks were included as well.  We thought it was a pretty good deal.

We are flying TAP to Miami which, when we booked it, beat Norwegian's fare.  You may want to check it out.

Thank you for your input, James. It's nice to have reassurance from someone who did this tour!

Sandy

Hi! I also am looking at Spain Day tours for a trip to the Alhambra. We currently are scheduled to be in port at 7 am, with the tour leaving at 7:30. The ship is scheduled to depart at 8 pm.

Spain Day Tours "guarantees" an on-time return to the ship. I am just wondering whether the slightly longer time in port would change one's opinion about a private tour company versus taking the ship's tour. (The latter does not allow much time for actually touring the Alhambra). Thanks for your input!

Met Mandy on the EPIC when she was Pedro's Assistant. She's fantastic and will oneday be counted among NCL's best CD's!

We stayed in 11027. One-cabin aft of ours on deck 11 was the first where you could look straight down.

Also, a big fan of Pedro Serra. I've also been the most impressed with CD staff whom he trains.

I guess I am missing something here. We booked a cruise; then at a later date when it was offered, added the distinctive voyages option. We booked at a very good rate because we booked early -- and added the additional perks/options at NO ADDITIONAL COST.

If we choose to use all or none of the distinctive voyage perks, the cost is exactly the same. It's nice to have additional options, should we choose to use them.

I don't get why anyone would be upset about getting something for nothing, even if that something holds no value for them personally.

Thank you for details about when the time changes occur on the TA. That is exactly the type of info I seek!

I would like to find out on which days the move to a new time zone occurs. Hence, my interest in east-bound TA dailies, if anyone has some to post. Thanks!