Tomct

No worries...Klaus is still with NCL, right where he belongs. :D

I heard about some of the changes, but glad to hear Klaus and Denis are still there. I haven't been on the board since shortly after our last cruise in months, but are in Tampa and people in our hotel are getting ready to shuttle to the port to cruise on the Sun. I thought I'd take a peak at what's going on with the Sun and with NCL in general, incl. the whereabouts of Klaus and others like Sean.

Received my pre-cruise concierge letter for June cruise on Gem and it list Carlos as the concierge

Don't know what to tell ya, but here's a quote from last week; "sad I will not have the chance to see (.......) because I am leaving this coming New York. Perla is here, she is wonderful."

I never heard anyone mention how long he would gone, or where he would be next, so maybe he will be back by the time you depart!

Do you happen to know who will be replacing Jenny? Also, is it safe to presume that Carlos will still be onboard on 1/29?

 

Any info would be greatly appreciated. :)

 

Meanwhile, enjoy your time onboard!

If you haven't heard, I did confirm Carlos will not be onboard with us.

The Concierge will be Pearl, the hotel director Orazio Caci.

Oops; After posting, I did see this info posted below. See you soon.

Matt Sole will be CD

Carlos is Concierge

 

They are both very nice.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Any idea how long Carlos will remain on the Gem. He was our Concierge on the Majesty in 2005, he was terrific!

He could be. There are a lot of changes occurring right now getting ready for The Getaway. One of my favorite entertainers is on The Gem. His name in Michael Blackwell. He plays piano without adding anything to it. Sometimes he is in the atrium and other times in Star Bar on Deck 13 across from Cagney's. Have a great cruise.

Our favorite entertainers recently joined the Gem, the Ironics Band from the Philippines. We enjoyed their shows on four cruises beginning in 2002, when the were typically assigned to the new ships being rolled out. We chose to sail on the Gem over the Getaway, mainly to reunite with them again. They are great at the "oldies", and popular with the dancing crowd.

Matt Baker was the best!

He went back to the UK to run his own entertainment business.....

Do you know how long Carlos will be there?

After many phone conversations and a considerable amount of difficulty trying to find the right person to redeem some WorldPoints on a cruise. I was previously not aware of the Concierge Desk, available for Booked Platinum Latitude Members or guests booked in Suites. The number is 1-855-625-4283, and unless NCL changes things, they should answer the phone as Concierge Desk. The two individuals I spoke to the past two days were very knowledgeable, courteous, and friendly.

Though I did not need to call WorldPoints, the direct number the concierge gave me is 1-866-954-4077. Hopefully these numbers help avoid those annoying menu options, especially the ones where none of them match up with what you want, and you have to press 0 to get an operator.

Good Luck!

Jose still there. CD is Dan Olsson

Thanks; Jose is a great guy, always busy running around, and sincerely interested in making sure you are having a great time on the ship, no matter if it's beverage related.

Any updates on the Breakaway? I know Sean is the HD, but I am wondering what may have changed since the initial Bermuda sailings, like Asst. HD, CD, and if Jose is still on board as the Bar Manager. I am driving a neighbor to the ship on Sunday. Thanks

I may be able to offer some insight on the movement of personnel. It is not only the Star. Most of the senior officers are being moved from ship to ship in three years or less. Maybe the timing makes it seem that the Star is being targeted, but that is not the case.

I have absolutely no insight on what might be happening with Star movements, but as for Sean, having watched him and sailed with him as he moved from Food & Beverage Director to Asst. HD to HD, he was assigned to many new ships as they came out, as Klaus certainly knew it was a safe assignment to have Sean at his side. This move to have him onboard along with Denis seems like a "no brainer", between the two of them the Breakaway should be in great shape until Denis leaves for vacation. Sean also was one of the two HD's that brought out the Epic.

http://www.ncllatitudesmagazine.com/tabid/115/default.aspx

 

Looks like the Breakaway will have many Crusie directors!!??

I met Julie on our first cruise in 2002, when she worked on the CD's staff on the Star. I had several conversations with her, one atop the water slide where she was stationed to control when you could go down. Not many kids that day, and I recalled her thinking she might return to Canada after her contract was up.

I've followed her career on this message board as best as I could, hoping to cross paths with her again. In 2005 we were in Bermuda on the Majesty out of Boston, and she was an Assistant CD on the Crown out of NYC. Our ships were in St. Georges together for one day, but that was as close as I got.

I finally met up with her in 2010 on the Epic, where she was one of the CD's. She pretty much kept a low profile working with the Entertainment side, but it was great to see her, now a beautiful young woman, and of course with a personality to match. I'm looking forward to seeing her again.

Sean Wurmhoeringer joining Breakaway on May 19 until end September. He will share HD duties with Denis Prguda until July when Denis goes on vacation the assume all hotel director duties July 21.

 

Suzanne

That is awesome news! Outside of the man himself, Klaus, no one we've had would be more preferred.

As for Klaus, I trust with Sean on board, there's little chance he would still be there on the 19th.

Perhaps so, but personally I hated it...more tomato bisque with a bit of lobster.

On the other hand, I don't read any Upcharge Items here...so the Lobster Tail is the same...wonder if this is for the usual unlimited aps, soups, salads and desserts but just the one entree? :D

I love lobster bisque, and was very disappointed the first time I ordered it, then mad at myself the next time I ordered it a few years later, having forgotten what it was like. In general that does happen to me on occasion, as I tend to forget that recipes used on the ship come from all over the world, so those unwilling to take a gamble must remember to ask appropriate questions when ordering. That doesn't necessarily solve the problem, as the language differences with your server can be a problem as well. Though I don't often return food once it is ordered and served, at least that is more common on a cruise ship than at your local restaurant, especially a local mom and pop where the wasted food could be more of a problem than on a large ship.

In any event, thanks for the reminder! We are sailing in May.

I never have a clue as to why anyone cares who the cruise director is. Generally, they are at worst overweening and obnoxious and at best, insignificant to my daily enjoyment of the cruise.

I'm with SeaShark! It's fun to see familiar faces when you see them on another cruise, and often fun for them, too! They almost always remember you, sometimes before you recognize them. One time when that happened to me, I wondered what the heck I did that they recognized me, and knew where and when it was.

CD's in particular are nice to know who they are, as they can play an important role on your cruise. If you are and about and attend the theater, visit the lounge shows, attend the game shows, etc., you see them quite often. If they are the annoying kind, you might want to make plans to alter you attendance at those events.

We like to follow the whereabouts of some favorite staffers, and their anticipated presence on board has swayed our bookings on a couple of occasions. As SeaShark mentions, getting to know them can lead to a favor or two, as on one cruise my wife had a bout with seasickness, and a Maitre' D we had befriended could not have been nicer in taking care of her at our last night dinner at Cagney's. While I ate off the menu, she had a customized meal she prescribed which included a variety of "sea sickness friendly" food items that was much appreciated, and successfully digested. We will forever appreciate what she did, but for her it was in the line of duty, and one of the reasons we keep going back to Norwegian.

For everyone looking for a "Julie fix"...

Here's Julie on the Epic in October, 2010

I just got back from my first cruise on the NCL Sky ship. Everyone on the crew was so nice, I met a lot of good people. But there is one guy whos last name I cannot remember. He is one of the crew mates I believe they called themselves and his first name is Gio. If anyone happens to know his last name, that would be great.

First off, welcome to Cruise Critic, a great place for information, ideas, and opinions, in many cases from some very experienced cruisers anxious to help fellow cruisers.

We've been on 10 cruises, and are considering an upcoming cruise on the Sky. Though I haven't spent too much time searching for information, what little I have did not result in finding the information I was hoping to find.

You certainly have a challenge on your hands, but here are some ideas:

1. Check out this discussion thread, though it is mainly for searching for information on Hotel Directors, Cruise Directors, Concierge staff, Captains, etc.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=386866&highlight=sky

At last check, over 90,000 reads have been recorded for this thread, and over 1,100 replies have been posted.

2. There is a search function for these boards, to the upper right on the bar above. For the heck of it, I searched the above thread with "Gio" and no one other than you has mentioned that name. I also searched the main NCL baord with the same results. Just keep it in mind and you can search for things like "Sky", or a person's position, or any other criteria which you may be looking for a discussion on. Sometimes people post their reviews on the board, and often mention crew members they met.

3. Roll Calls - If you haven't done so already, take a look at the Roll Call board for the NCL Sky. It's meant for anyone interested in discussing their cruise with fellow cruisers traveling on the same date. You should be able to locate your date and see if anyone else recalls meeting that individual.

Norwegian Roll Call Message Board:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=110

Look for the Sky, and then your date, then ask your question.

4. Cruise Reviews - At CruiseCritic.com you can find and even post yourself, reviews done for CC.com and those submitted by Members. The Member reviews often mention crew members, and are also filed by date so you can check to see if anyone has done a review for your particular cruise date.

5. Facebook - Try going to NCL's Facebook wall, and read through the posts. I did a Google search for "Gio NCL" and one of the links was Facebook and it mentioned an Assistant Cruise Director named Gio. I did not have time to go through all the posts on the wall, but did see a bunch referencing the Sky. If this sounds like him, you might be able to track him down through Facebook, or at least a crewmember on the Sky. I'm hoping to be on the 10/17/2011 cruise, so stay in touch and maybe I can help you.

Have fun with this site, there's so much info to find on ships, ports, activities, etc., you can wind up spending hours upon hours looking around, often at the expense of valuable sleep time.

If you have further questions, just ask. Hope to see your post count growing!!

Hi All,

 

Just a little tip those pool towels that people leave make a great souvenir at the end of the day...Not saying I do it and never will but I have seen it done....on some one else's dime....That's why we need towel police....

 

Pete

Maybe they do? They certainly have the video cameras around to view if they wanted to, but unless you heard someone mention they got snagged, or someone reported theirs being stolen while they were in the pool and they found the culprit on camera, you'd never know.

Actually it would be a good idea for them to confiscate the towels from the "chair hogs"!! I'd surely be ticked off if I was in the pool and someone took mine. Maybe they need "Towel Stealer" police, too!

Thanks Julie! It sounds like you're looking at this the same way I am. Maybe we should book a cruise together to discuss ;)

I just received a new card in the mail, informing me " ... we have closed your previous account number to protect the security of the account ... ". Unfortunately the flyer that came with it gives no information on the interest rate, if the switch is transparent, or other such background information. It does describe fraud protection and other benefits. The brochure looks like a sales pitch, but it appears I have no choice in the matter. The absence of an interest rate makes me suspicious.

Today I just received an automated telephone message informing me I must call today, accounting for my trip here to see what I can learn. My old card has remained active, but it sounds like it may not remain that way for long. Looks like I will give them a call.

Wow...Tom...have a WONDERFUL cruise.

 

How EXCITED you must be....glad the storm headed our way tomorrow night will be long gone before your cruise;)

 

How LUCKY are you to sail with Snorklin'barb and Dolphins...I AM jealous!!...really! And..they are lucky to sail with you.

 

After reading about Klaus many times before we sailed the Jewel (he was never on the Dawn with us)... when we finally met him...he was MORE than we ever expected. He really had lived up to every expectation we had from SG's stories and adventures! What a wonderful, sincere person.

 

Have a great cruise...I know you will.

 

Can't wait for your review:)

Looks like we lucked out on the weather! We had three winter trips planned, that's 6 days of concern considering leaving and returning. So far, counting Wed., that would be three to zero in our favor.

I'll certainly post a review, and considering the the company I will be keeping, you're in for some good info. One CC'er I was looking forward to cruising with is no longer on the board, but yes, Snorklin'barb and Dolphins are legends in their own time. Speaking of Klaus, he's another legend!! Another in the same thread was James Deeriing, who was the HD on our first ever cruise, the Star in 2002. It's guys like him that have kept us coming back to NCL, giving us no reason to look elsewhere.

Talk to you later, off to dreamland!!

The last time we had the pleasure of spending time with Gede was Sept., 2004 on the Dawn.

Cosmo: You're everywhere!!

We're headed out on the Gem on Wed., but recall exchanging info and reading many of your posts prior to our last cruise which was over two years ago on the Jewel. I've been mostly involved with our Roll Call, but whenever I do have time for the general board, you're always there with helpful advice - a credit to the CC board.

I'll be cruising with Snorklin'barb and Dolphins, not to mention some guy named Klaus (LOL), so I'm looking forward to a great 10 days. We've got a great RC group, so it looks like a great time!!

Give me your favorite NCL Bartender!

Give the bartender's name, ship, bar most likely to be seen in and what makes him/her special.

CHEERS!

Dawn, Star, Dawn, 2002 - 2003 Frankie

Dawn, Dawn, 2004, two cruises, Gede

Both of them were great, especially at the Martini Clinics. Very knowledgeable and very personable. As a former scotch drinker, first J & B, then Dewars, Frankie introduced me to Johnny Walker Blue. It's a special occasion brand, but the Green is more affordable. Though my brother is a diehard JW Black fan, I never tried JW at all, let alone the Blue, until Frankie mentioned it a one of clinics. He apologized for the $8 snifter charge on the ship, but have since seen it priced at $49/snifter, and heard it priced at $69 from a reliable family source at a local upscale bar in CT.

Has anyone had any contact with these gentlemen of late??

I use the email(USPS) confirmation but I didn't think it was available for certified mail....

Just returned today; it took two weeks.

They really are just like cash. I always use a TA to make the reservation but I mail the certs directly to NCL...as I don't want to to trouble the TA to handle them and send them in. They don't effect the commission the TA gets they are just like cash. Four months is plenty of time for the certs. You pay in full and send them in. Normally from the time you ask for them its less than 2 weeks and 2 weeks to get them to NCL and credited back to you. Hasn't been too much of a hassle yet and 500 dollars is 500 dollars!

I just completed the cycle for my first use of the Compass Rewards, and your time frames were pretty much on the money.

To start it off, I called the Bank of America number as mentioned on the first post in this thread, and as cautioned, the person who answered was somewhat clueless. So a waited a bit, and called back and got someone who very familiar with the program. In a few minutes, the transaction was completed, and I was pretty confident there would be no problem. The three $500 certificates arrived in about 10 days. Upon receipt, I emailed my TA to let him know I had my certificates, and asked him if he preferred that I send them to NCL or to him. Since the certificates say the rewards must be sent in with your final payment, I confirmed with the TA that it was OK to send just the certificates to NCL, and the actual final payment to him. He told me to let him know when I mailed them, and he would let me know when NCL posted the credit to my account.

I followed the guidelines from this thread, making copies, sending USPS Certified Mail with receipt. It took about 10 days before it was posted, and the only problem I had was I have still not received my confirmation from USPS. I noted in the Post Office that you could get your confirmation via email, so I think I will try that next time. I haven't read recent posts here, but do not recall seeing anyone posting the use of an email confirmation.

The bottom line is that I have made my final payment for our 1/16/2008 cruise on the Gem, and I am very pleased with the whole process. I certainly appreciated all the information I received and used from this board, and hope everyone's transaction is as smooth as mine.

We called 1-800-900-6651 on July 25th. Our certificate was issued on July 27th and we received it on Wednesday, Aug 1st.

Where did this number come from, and who did you reach when you called? I have read about so many folks having trouble getting someone familiar with the Compass Reward Program, I might just try this number.