PATRLR

@Fischmom My suggestion is you spend some time over in the "Northern Europe & Baltic Sea" ports of call forum. Much of the information you are seeking is there. For Norway, this thread in particular has great information (there are 20 pages of replies, but, I'm telling you there is some excellent, excellent information if Norway is of interest). Unfortunately, NCL doesn't have good Norway itineraries. We're doing it this summer and likely going to end up on Princess or RCCL.

I already said you won, was the victory lecture really necessary?

Really? Are you sure about that. Let's see... You seem to be saying right there you were making a serious point about the inane phrase. But lets' go back to the original text I was commenting on: Hmmm... Most definitely talking abou tthe inane phrase there. So, why is it that you can make a pithy comment but when I express my opinion about that comment, you feel the need to lecture me and insist I am not able to comprehend what you were saying? Is it possible that you simply don't like someone offering an opinion on something you wrote? I'll assume that is the case. Don't worry, it won't happen again. You were right, I was wrong, you win.

I'm not sure why it's OK for you to make pithy comments, but not me. Whatever. You win.

Yes, thanks for the reminder, I too have some catching up to do. Now, who was that poster that is obsessed with hash browns... 😉 🙂

I get all that and I agree 100% Exactly. And that's what I was commenting on. Trying to make a serious point about an otherwise inane phrase gives that phrase too much credence.

I think you are giving the "contemporary cruiser" term way too much credit, as if it was actually intended to represent something real. It's a marketing term intended to deflect from the real issue of cost cutting. Just like "for your convenience" was meaningless (no one at NCL was doing anything for our convenience), so is "contemporary cruiser" meaningless.

Viva in December, we ate dinner at Indulge once and walked right in. Walked through there another time at dinner and not that crowded. Lunch however was a different story - always crowded but not as crowded as the buffet. Breakfast one time we went we found a table easily, but it was kinda busy.

I'm sure there is a cost, but I would think the production shows with all of their cast members are way, way more expensive to put on than a game show that uses cruise staff. I agree. What I object to is NCL and their representatives on this board portraying it as anything other than cost cutting.

Bull! Our Encore cruise in November 22 we couldn't get into 1 of the showings. We ended up at the later showing on the second night in seats way at the back. And if Kinky Boots really wasn't drawing crowds, why not replace it with a full production show that does? I'll answer it for you: cost. It's way cheaper to put a game show in their than a full production show.

Nonsense. It's just another cost cutting move. But, I get it, you need to promote that company line. Well said. I find the "contemporary cruiser" line to be not much different than the "for your convenience" line.

That was an Excursion so yes you could use it. Your excursion happed to end at the airport. What you did was much different than the "airport transfers" that take you direct from the ship to the airport.

Yeah, I accept that. I thought, but definitively wasn't sure, they might have been one of those house bands whose members rotated thorough, similar to the Beatles bands. That would have also explained why the band I saw perform a few songs were not very good musicians and sang most of the songs I heard in the wrong key. Oh well, to each his own, I know I am in the minority of people who really didn't care for them.

We did the Viva Southern Caribbean in December. Port every day. We booked Vibe and it was worth every penny. We were in it every day, it was the place to go when coming back from the port or an excursion. Look at your schedule, you might find some ports you leave early and have a good chunk of the afternoon at sea. We are the types that like to just chill out in a quiet relaxing space. We like the sense of community that develops in the Vibe and in particular around the bar. We're at the point where if Vibe isn't available, we probably won't book.

Agree on that one. Very disappointed in Palomar.

And they'd probably be more hygenic than some humans I've seen at the buffet. Pretty sure a dog isn't going to put something back that it handled 🙂 (this is a joke for those that might not recognize it)

I couldn't use the credit when I purchased the transfers in San Juan.

What is "NCLs recommended amount" for MDR servers? If you are referring to the DSC, the DSC is different from the tips being discussed here. I for one consider the DSC to be the "something" the server deserves. Should that server or service be exceptional I give something more in cash. I can't remember the last time I had exceptional service in an NCL MDR. Rather than attacking the poster, why don't you answer his questions? Disagree. Just this past December in SJ, I tipped them and walked away with the bags still on the curb and a second porter loading them onto his hand cart. The larger carts that are eventually loaded on the ship were no where to be seen. I'm pretty sure it was a similar situation at Port Liberty this past summer. Even if I saw them being loaded onto the larger carts, those larger carts still need to get from the curb to the staging area so they can be loaded on the ship. There is a lot that the porters do to get your bag delivered that you don't see or doesn't happen "within seconds of your proffering said tip". Tipping the porters is most definitely a bribe per the party planner's definition.

Really @Smitheroo? You screw up by posting something totally off topic, @complawyer asks you to explain and you attack him? My Dad used to say "when you are in the wrong, you apologize and then shut your mouth". Seems to apply here.

There are other cruise lines? Really? Some might argue, why create a new thread when one exists already. Some forums (the UA forum on FlyerTalk comes to mind) have active mods that will combine a new thread into an existing thread. @Sherilly No need to apologize, there is no rule against using an existing thread.

My comment on Q is that anyone that knows and enjoys good BBQ is going to be disappointed.

I'd say "ouch" for the audience. 😉 (I know I am in the minority but I thought the version of Siglo on my cruise was awful)

Yes, it's an NCL thing. In my experience and observations, NCL really doesn't care how it's actions may impact the guests. Some things they recognize won't be well received - those things they will almost always wait as long as they can, long after final payment, to notify you about. If you are happy on Royal, I suspect this will indeed be your last cruise on NCL.

I wonder if this would be a question/discussion with the Access Desk? Looking at this page, it does appear they get into much more than just accessability: https://www.ncl.com/about/accessible-cruising

No, if that was all you said. This quote for example, "We are truly fortunate that CC has so many amateur nautical engineers who can immediately see the solutions overlooked by professional engineers." isn't just insisting there are trade-offs.