xitappers2bx

Yes they will take it off you when you board if its in your hand luggage, or if in your checked luggage they will take your case to the "naughty room", and you can have the booze back on the last night.

 

Remember, it MUST be in your checked luggage on the plane, so will need to be packed really well.

THANK YOU! I was planning on sticking it in our carry on when we board (and checking it for our flight from Rome to Paris, we're taking the train from Paris to Rome), I've managed to avoid the naughty room thus far :').

This is our first cruise on NCL, we leave for Rome from Paris tomorrow AM and embark on Wednesday leaving me little time to fix this mess I made. I don't drink, but purchased a bottle of whiskey for a friend back home and tried to ship it to the US this morning--which is not allowed. For whatever reason you can ship wine to the US but no other alcohol, and there was no way I was comfortable with lying (I also did not know until after I had filled out the form, and crossing it out was not an option).

So now I have this fairly expensive bottle of whiskey, and I know you are not allowed to bring alcohol like this on board. I know on the other lines we've cruised if you were to purchase alcohol in port they will put it in a box, put your name on it, and then you pick it up the night before you disembark. If I bring this bottle of whiskey to the ship is it crazy of me to ask the ship to store it? From what i have read Barcelona is the big disembark/embark port for the Epic, and with people spending the day in Rome I want to assume that they would have the alcohol storing facility available?

Has anyone else had experience with this? And please don't tell me to drink the whiskey, I don't drink very much or very often.

I've cruised a few times with my family... granted there aren't 30 of us, but our parents, my two sisters, their spouses and kids, and myself and my daughter. We've never had a problem ever... it's always worked out rather well.

Looks like I'm having a similar problem, my daughter and I came to Paris for the summer (also to give it a test run, see how we like 'living' here, and if this is something we would want to do in the next 6-12 months... the answer is a resounding yes) and I had a final week to "kill"before our flight returns us back stateside. The only itinerary that worked for us, and didn't have us leaving Paris too early (just 36 hours early) was the NCL Epic. My daughter and I were actually on the CCL ship next door when the Epic was christened in the US, which was pretty cool to witness from the next pier, but we've been fairly loyal to CCL/HAL/Princ and there has been a lot of guilty. To be honest though, I feel like my experience so far (we booked only 60ish days out) has been really positive. Today I had to call from Europe and fix something, and as soon as I told the woman on the phone that the call was expensive, I have to talk fast, need to fix the issue, and do it quickly she could not have been more amazing and fast. I was really surprised (CCL does not have the best customer service in the world). We'll see in a few days if I am turned into an NCL loyalist, I was always put off by the idea of freestyle dining, being a single parent eating alone with my daughter and no adult conversation was a turnoff. Now she's a bit older, so fingers crossed.

I have always laughed to myself (while reaching for the popcorn:rolleyes:) when someone negatively refers to a poster as a Norwegian Loyalist. Why is that a bad thing? We find something we like and stick with it....but now I guess I am having loyalist guilt. DH and I just booked a Viking Ocean as our first TA.

 

We have been planning this trip for a few years as our big retirement celebration and get us to Europe for six months so we can check out where we want to live (since unless those folks in DC get their act together we don't think know what health insurance is going to cost) and the budget and planning has always been based on taking a Norwegian ship and using points from our Norwegian credit card to upgrade to a balcony from a more affordable stateroom. However, with the exception of Epic where we don't have that option, the pricing on the other TAs meant we weren't getting good value for our points. So since we were going to be paying a higher dollar for the balconies we started to consider a suite - some of which were relatively reasonably priced.....but then we happened to discover that for less money we could sail on Viking Ocean and be in a balcony on a smaller ship with perhaps better food and better service. We love the aesthetics of Viking and not having a casino isn't an issue for us and it means we get to start our trip a month earlier...so off we go!

 

I won't be entirely MIA from Norwegian since it appears we will be on Norwegian for our return in Fall of 2018. We figure by then we will be over celebrating and an inside cabin will be just fine! LOL

 

anyway....anyone else had this feeling of guilt and did you miss that, "I'm home" feeling when you boarded a non-Norwegian ship?

I will be sailing alone on the Epic but want a balcony. I really enjoy the Thermal suite on the Epic and so I was considering an Aft Balcony on the Epic as opposed to a regular balcony. Are the Aft balconies larger or smaller than the port side balconies. Any suggestions?

I prefer the bed by the balcony so if anyone knows which rooms have this it would be very helpful! Thank you.

I'm new to NCL (but not cruising) but it looks like if you just pull up the deck plans, the rooms with the arc jutting out towards the next room (creating a bigger space) is where the bed is. I do like being closer to the balcony too, so it was a pleasant surprise to realize this after I booked.

Hi,

 

I've taken 3 cruise so far and each time I book a cruise I get excited for that cruise to come.

 

How many people do cruises only versus cruises and land vacations?

 

What drives your decision?

 

Thanks so much for the feedback.

We do both. We (daughter and myself) spent many years just cruising, but last summer spend time in Europe, and have done that again this summer, but ending it with a cruise before flying home. So the best of both worlds. I think it's just you have to decide what you want to do and how you want to spend your time. We're three weeks into a month in Paris, and we have been very busy, but also very lazy, just like you can do on a cruise ship. Except we have a full kitchen here, and there you have to walk to eat ;p

I have booked multiple Viator tours in multiple countries, and none have been anything other than excellent. Check the reviews, but I have never seen poor reviews "hidden" away or anything. Viator is part of a major company, so if something were to go wrong, you have someone who can fix it, not that anything would.

where to get the best rates when getting Euros? In the States and Europe Thanks to all in advance

At your bank, or one of your local banks. I'm at the tail end of a month spent in Paris, before boarding a ship in Rome, and the exchange rate has not yet beaten the exchange rate of my bank. At the airport a few weeks ago it was $1.29 per euro, I've had to use the Mac machines and the exchange rate seems to be about $1.20ish and at home, I was able to exchange for $1.12.

Thank you, and everyone else, for the helpful feedback. Yeah, the reviews for Consorzio are not impressive, to say the least.

 

We plan to go with Bob's, as we've had no luck drumming up interest in sharing a transfer on our roll call.

 

Cheers.

When is your cruise? I am finally just getting on the booking of transport for the August 2 and also looking for book a car service. If same cruise I'd be happy to split, and was considering doing the shared thing someone else mentioned through the Port website. It looks reasonable (110 euros if you don't get anyone else to sign up, which is 15 euros less than their private car service price).

I'm new to NCL, but not cruising. My daughter turns 13 next week but has always been pretty good about wanting to hang out in the middle teens (on CCL it's like 12-15) area and do their activities. I'm assuming this is the same on NCL? Does anyone have any info on the kinds of activities? We jumped on this ship somewhat last minute, and will be spending a month just the two of us in Paris, so I'm sure by August she will be totally bored of me and my antics.

I personally can't stand the app but of course my teens love it. Does anyone know which (if any) of the 3 wifi plans support SnapChat? Carnivals site does not list it as supported under the Social, Value, or Premium plans. Would hate to pay for one if my kids won't get any use out of it. (there will be serious limits on cell phone usage in general but chilling in the room in the morning or before bed I may let them get a little social time in with their friends back home)

just got off the Magic. Snapchat was NOT supported by the social plan... my daughter couldn't even access Instagram which was supposed to be supported. She just took photos on SC and then when we were in port she was able to share them.

We will be sailing on the Magic in March. Would anyone know if sushi is being served at any time during the week?

We just got off the Magic today, and we did not see any sushi being served... and the few times we wandered by the Taste Bar we did not see sushi either.

If you walked off of the Magic for disembark what time were you able to clear customs?

We just got off the Magic today... they called deck 8 around 7:45ish I think, and we were through customs quickly... the only line was getting down the elevator to get to deck 3. by far the quickest we have EVER gotten off a ship and through customs. We had a 12:45pm flight, and were at the airport around 9:30ish I believe.

So we currently have a cove balcony booked on the Dream. I've never had a cove before, so I want to try it. I love the idea of being that close to the water, but I don't love the idea of being on deck 2 (soooo far from everything, except getting off in ports). I also made sure we booked a cove that's not under the galley.

 

I believe with ES, you can make a one-time change to a guarantee rate. Is this correct? Obviously you would then be giving up the chance at any future price drops. Right now, we can save a small amount ($50) and keep our OBC if we switch to a balcony guarantee. Wondering if I should take the gamble. It's not about saving the money; I've only done a guarantee once and it's more about taking the gamble and seeing what you end up with!

If you are happy where you are, stay there. It's not worth the gamble.

Is it common for a TA to charge significantly higher taxes/fees than the cruise line? I'm a relatively new cruiser (booking my second cruise) and got a quote from a TA that was recommended to me by friends. The quote (base rate + port charges, taxes and fees) was really the same as Carnival would charge, but the TA offered a nice OBC. The TA got to his number by quoting a very low base rate and a much higher charge for "taxes/fees". Example: For a balcony cabin on this sailing Carnival charges $2452 with taxes and fees of $298.50 per cabin. The TA says his rate is $2134 with taxes and fees of $616.50. So both end up at $2750.50 per cabin. The OBC offered by the TA is good, so I plan on going with him. My only (small) concern is that if I see Carnival dropping fares for this sailing, there's not much I can do about it. The TA's quoted "fare" will probably never be higher than Carnival's, even if the overall cost (fare + fees) drops. Sorry, this is a very longwinded way of asking if it is common for a TA to lowball fares and highball taxes/fees?

I only book with a TA... whenever the price on the cruise goes down on Carnival's site, I just send her an e-mail with the new price, and she gets it adjusted. An TA would do that.

The problem with that often is that when there is a price decrease, it has to be for your actual category and the website is not always clear on that. But it doesn't matter who you book through you'll run into that same problem.

The concern with the TA you have selected is the taxes and fees should be exactly the same. Just like there are a few great PVPs there are a few horrible TAs.

Oasis-no comparison. Aqua Theater is amazing-Ice skating and ice show awesome.

 

xitappers2bx-you feel more nickel and dimed on Royal-Realy?

I tryed to take a picture of my grandaughter with a dR sUESS chaRACTOR ON THE mAGIC AND i WAS STERNLY TOLD IT WAS NOT ALLOWED-i HAD TO BUY THIER PHOTOS. Oops cap lock was on. Not the case on Royal -Pics of the kids with Shrek and Alex from Madagascar are encouraged.

that being said-we had a wonderful cruise on the Magic!

I have never felt as nickel and dimed on any line that I have been on as I did on royal. It was truly awful, I don't mind paying for stuff, but if I'm paying so much more to be ON the ship, I do want something for being ON the actual ship. But thanks for your fake indignation, we did the Dr. Suess thing and took our own photos no problem.

I'm guessing you have to do it at check in then? Was going to call Carnival. Want to change from "cash" to a "credit card". I don't see an option to do so.

You can do it all online before you go, just log back into your account, go to your reservation, and look under your "To Do List" and click "edit" and you should be good to go!

I usually just pay for a cruise when I book it. But, I am in the process of booking one that is over a year out. I know I have to make the deposit now and pay the rest by the date shown. My question is do you just pay it all then at that time or can you log into CCL website and make monthly payments toward the balance. Thanks in advance.

Pay whenever you want! I like to book far in advance, and then I just make small payments towards it with my travel agent, and then going on vacation never really seems like a burden or big financial hit.

Is there a place online to check if bathroom is by bed or balcony?

It's bathroom, sofa, bed, balcony.

We had a balcony on our first cruise, the Carnival Victory 2011, and our bed was wonderful. On the Elation 2015, not so much. My wife's side was ok, but mine felt totally shot. My steward put a duvet under the sheets, which helped. There were constantly mattresses being moved in and out of cabins, and I wasn't sure if new ones were coming in, or if they were playing mattress roulette.

 

For those who've sailed recently, how are the Pride's beds? We're in a balcony again, not sure if that makes any difference. Our sailing is a 14 day Journey Cruise, so I'm wondering if I should order an inexpensive egg crate. I'm not trying to be negative here, just want decent sleep. We got a great deal and a wonderful itinerary, $40 is a small price to pay if there's mixed experiences.

As someone who had a terrible bed experience in a suite on HAL, I would say spend the extra bit of money just in case. A terrible sleep on vacation is an awful way to go, and the stress of worrying about it would make me crazy. I was on the Pride a handful of years ago, and it was the best sleep I've ever had (we were aft, and it was great. Like being rocked to sleep).

You can always leave it in it's packaging, and then return it if you don't end up needing it. I probably would travel with an egg crate if it didn't take up so much room in my luggage, but found usually just adding duvet's if necessary is enough for me anyway.

They said they only do it for kids under 2. Is there any way to get around this?

You can bring a pack and play on board. That's basically the same thing.

Loved the old days before cell phones, where we took cruises to truly getaway for family vacations.

 

In the early years of cell phones, we brought onboard One family cell phone on our cruise. Daughter made phone calls from a foreign port, & we came back with a $800 cell phone bill.

 

Did that once too about a decade ago. Never again

 

Since then, within the first 5 mins onboard, we all take out the phone batteries & all goes into the room safe for the next 7 days. Off the grid all week. Life is good.

 

Today, our kids (actually college grad adults now) insists on keeping the phone on & on airplane mode to use them as cameras. They make fun of us for still using our $100 pocket camera, until one dropped their smartphone in the water on the beach. Still laughing at their $650 experiment that salt water is bad for phones.

 

Well that sucks, but so does gloating. I surely didn't gloat when my kid accidentally dropped her phone in a pool.

 

We now have T-Mobile international plan, free/included with our basic plan, & so far all the foreign ports we've visited on cruises are included with free unlimited data (at 3G speed instead of 4G or LTE), free unlimited texts, voice calls at 20 cents/minutes (but we use free VOIP programs for voice calls). So we can at least check our emails & internet at each port, & safely inside the safe while at sea.

 

Best thing I ever did was move to t-mobile, we were able to use our phones in Europe and found the data to always be quite high. You can't connect to the wifi on the ship though (the ship2sea or whatever it's called). when you connect to their satellite, charges skyrocket, because you pay that charge, something stupid per MB.

 

Our parents still cruise with old fashioned walkie-talkies to communicate while onboard.

 

hate walkie talkies, so annoying, that cackle makes my head spin

 

So what's this new HUB app avail now?

 

just a way to stay connected on board and it offers info about the ship if you want it

 

Why would we need that while onboard now?

 

its $5 for the entire cruise, so why not? that way you'll be able to communicate when not in port without access to data

 

What's the advantages vs risks involved?

 

i'm not sure what risks you imagine, but i guess maybe walking into a glass door? seriously though, it's just a phone app. not the biggest deal in the world.

 

So are we going to see lots of people walking around glued to their cell phones while onboard now?

i've seen people glued to their phones on every cruise and land vacation i've been on in the last five years. it is what it is. if them being on their phones bothers you, maybe a private island for just your family is a better idea. or just ignore them.

If price is almost the same which would you prefer for young adults!

I was booked on Harmony of the Seas for this month, but cancelled to jump on the Magic with my family. I wanted to cruise the Harmony because that's my name, but the thought of having 6000 people on board with me left me feeling a little overwhelmed. I think if you're into the many things offered on Oasis then go for it, but I feel more nickeled and dimed on RCI than I do on CCL.

I booked on a special military rate for a March 4, 2107 sailing on the Magic. I've booked GTY cabins in the past on RCI and have always been assigned a room number shortly after final payment. How long does it take Carnival to assign a room?

 

And, if you do not like the room they assign, can you switch to something else in that category, or are you stuck? I am beginning to regret booking the GTY and not paying the extra to pick our cabin.

You can get assigned anytime up until you arrive at the ship. I've done GTY once on another line, and we found out when we got there where we were on the actual ship, but we got upgraded so I was happy albeit a little stressed. When I book I like to pick my room so that I know I will be happy with where we are instead of getting put somewhere else that I may not like as much for whatever reason.

If you don't like the room, you're out of luck... that's the trouble with GTY, you get what you get, and you have to accept whatever you get. I've heard of people getting great upgrades, and I've heard of people getting cabins they hated.

I booked a balcony and am curious if you can get stuck with a cove balcony on a GTY rate? As long as it's a regular balcony, I think we will be fine.

Any balcony, including a cove balcony, is a possibility when you book a GTY rate. Thats why it's a crapshoot.