tel2
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Posts posted by tel2
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I haven't seen this posted before -- on my end of April Epic cruise, I can now book spa treatments online -- not just the spa pass, but actual treatments.....
Terry
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No, you will not be charged DSC for your newborn. Daily service charges apply to all guests 3 years or older.
terry
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Hi!
Because the mini and balcony are the same square footage EXCEPT for the size of the bathroom, if it were me, with two young kids, I'd opt for a large balcony if the price is comparable to a mini guarantee, which it sometimes is (but not always - sometimes the mini guarantee is still materially lower depending on the sail date). The large balconys have very very large balconys. The extra space is great to spread out, or have a quiet drink after the kids are asleep.
Terry
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Thanks again.
Napels... We will probably take the ( very expensive) ncl excursion to Pompelli ( wife is nervous about doing it on our own or using a non ncl company for fear of missing the sailing ).
In my opinion, the Pompeii excursion is extremely overpriced at over 100 E pp for a 4 hour tour. Some of the others are even more overpriced. It is very very easy to do on your own for just a few Euros, and not a big risk. One train. No changes, confusion. Cab to train, take train a few stops (about 30 minutes); Train is a short walk from entrance to Pompeii. Might take a bit to get a cab to take you to train because they are looking for long hauls, but not that hard.
Even if something bad happened, i.e., you got there and trains went on strike in middle of the day, it would still be materially cheaper to take a cab back to port than the price of the NCL excursion. And since it is only about 30 minutes by train, and the Epic gets into Naples at 7AM and doesn't leave port until 7PM, it is in my opinion one of the easiest least risky ports to do on your own because the ship leaves port so late. Just go early in the morning. You will be more than ready to come back mid-afternoon. We have done the train twice I think, once going to Sorrento also and training back.
Last time we took a Cant be Missed Tours tour to Pompeii and Sorrento, and are doing it again in April this year. It was 70 E per person. Took ship shuttle to town square, and then tour bus right from there. The entire bus was filed with folks from the Epic, and we got back in plenty of time.
Terry
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Does anyone have photos of the tiny second bedroom on the Epic? Does the couch become a king bed when folded out? Trying to figure out if this will be comfortable for myself and my husband.
No. It isn't anything close to a king. I do not believe it would be comfortable for two adults. Certainly not for my husband and I. I think it is barely a full. Go to YouTube and search Epic Haven suite. A good video comes up for 16001, which is a 2 bedroom.
Terry
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You can carry a smallish purse and if your camera and/or phone fits in that purse, you will not have any problems.
The quarters in the excavated area are very tight, which is a major reason why large bags are not allowed (they could cause damage brushing up against walls, etc.) Photography is only permitted in a few sections: at the very beginning (before entering the excavations) and at the end, in the area where the popes are buried.
My regular travel "purse" is a very small, flat dressy leather daypack sort of thing. Think that would be allowed? When I say small, it barely fits my wallet, phone, keys and a pocket camera. it doesnt even fit a tablet....
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Hi
I have the scavi tour booked, but am having difficulty parsing the seemingly conflicting directions regarding what must be checked and what may be carried.
In one place it says "The visitors are reminded that they are not allowed bring bulky objects into the excavations (suitcases, backpacks, photography equipment)" and that seems perfectly clear, but in another set of instructions it says "During the visit it is forbidden to carry bulky items (suitcases, bulky envelopes, bags of any size, etc ...), or photographic equipment."
So, are small purses allowed? Are cameras/iphones allowed if not "bulty" and are contained in purse or does one's handbag and phone need to be checked? I am doing the vatican museum tour that morning, so I will certainly have a small (not bulky) camera with me.
Can someone who has recently done the tour tell me what they were permitted to carry?
If you had to check items, how far away from the entrance for the scavi tour was the location where items had to be checked?
Thanks
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Thanks for the correction. I misspoke. So if you cancel before final payment and re-book 31-90 days out, you still get promos; 30 or less you do not, is that correct?
Terry
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ALso, I do not know whether you booked with any promos, but NCL has NOT been giving any promos to cruises booked after final payment date.
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I believe you only have to pay the extra for the first two people booked in the room, not on the third and fourth person in the room.
I also think that is correct. For me, the butler, the private pool, the private restaurant, the private hot tubs, steam room, sauna, small gym, daily snacks from the butler, free movies, free room service, and special treatment make it worth it to me if I can justify the price they quote. Ive sailed in everything from an inside to a 2 bedroom suite, and have a 2 bedroom suite coming up on the Epic in April. There is a world of difference (and there should be for the price differential) especially on a big crowded ship -- it is a private Haven that isn't overcrowded and to which you can escape for peace and quiet.
Terry
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My cruise is in mid-April, and although all entertaining, dining and spa are available to book, internet is still blocked out. I called, and they said it wasn't presently available to book. Ugh
Terry
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Hi!
Just to make sure you are aware, the SDP typically has not included Cirque. There was a PP surcharge for Cirque even with the package. I believe it was 10.00 pp for regular seats; 15. pp for premium seats, and 35. pp for VIP seating.
And in answer to your question, my choice would depend on what I was looking for, i.e., a quiet romantic dinner for 2, Le Bistro hands down; in the mood for a steakhouse type dinner, Cagneys. Moderno would probably always be my last choice. It isn't done as well as it is done on land, and I get annoyed that they bring all the cheaper cuts first, i.e., chicken and sausage and ribs. My own view is that they hope you will fill up on the salad bar and not have room for much filet etc when it is finally served. But having said that, we have often said - don't bring us any chicken or pork, we only want the beef cuts, and they have usually paid attention and accommodated....
Terry
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I have been reading many negative threads regarding NCL and all the extra fees. I have already paid for everything upfront.....including gratuities, UBP, SDP, gratuities, excursions etc.
Unless I were to use the spa facilities, go into the casino or purchase something in the gift shop, is it not possible to incur zero additional charges?
After prepaying everything, I am assuming that we will have a very minimal bill at the end of our cruise. I guess I just don't understand why other people complain so much when everything is explained at the time of booking, and most things can be purchased ahead of time. Am I missing something?
This will be our first ever cruise and we plan on having a great time, meeting new friends, and at the end of it all, we will have many memories with little or no additional fees incurred.
If you order room service (except limited continental breakfast), go to add'l pay restaurants, go to pay restaurants that aren't included in your package, order upcharge items that aren't included in your package, order double entrees at pay restaurants (only one entre per person), play bingo, order bottles of wine, order premium liquors not included on your package, use things in the mini-bar, go to spa, bowl, play video games, go to ice bar, you will incur additional expenses. if you don't, you will not.
I have had bills that exceeded a thousand dollars, and I have also had bills that were under 100. dollars. It is all about choices, and I like deciding what I want to pay for.
Terry
Terry
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Hello,
Love your live review. Just wondering if you made it home safely? Your last post was a few days before cruise ended, and I am dying to hear about the last few days....
terry
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But children may order off the kids menu for free.
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Hi!
I can tell you that this happened to us last summer. Same airline; different city. United changed our flight from Seattle from 11:45 to 10:30. We were very nervous about making it on time. We also were in a suite, and the traffic in Seattle isn't nearly as bad as in LA, but we also knew there was some big parade the day we were getting back and various street closings. Anyway, it took several calls to United, but they eventually agreed to move all of us (6 of us) to another flight that afternoon, no charge. Keep calling.
Terry
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But if you booked thru CAS, wont you have the free drink card to be used whenever the casino is open?
Terry
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Thanks! Very helpful
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Hi
I am sure this is already answered somewhere, but I've done a gazillion searches, and while finding some information, haven't found the answers in the context of my situation. I will try to provide enough info to get a meaningful response. I am just trying to get the lay of the land before I call CAS especially since I tend to get multiple different answers on each call. So I'd like to know how it has worked for others.
We booked an Epic Med cruise through CAS nearly a year ago. The CAS players are my husband and me only. We are in a Haven 2 bedroom suite. At the time, we invited my sister-in-law to join us during a 3rd/4th persons sail free promotion. We also got UBP for first 2 and soda for 3rd, UDP for all three of us; DSC for first two; and OBC. We are paid in full, although our final payment date isn't until the end of December.
My sister-in-law now cannot go. Another sister-in-law wishes to take her place. Does anyone know from prior experience whether 1) I can just substitute 3rd person one for the other, or whether, since 3rd/4th are not now free, I will have to pay the full 3rd person fare if I make a substitution; 2) whether the third person, if substituted, will still get the original perks or whether she will lose them; and 3) whether there is any possibility this will be considered a cancellation/rebooking such that we will lose our original perks for the first two passengers if we do this.
Thanks
Terry
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Maybe your children are all way better behaved and less accident prone than mine ever were, but I always thought I should tip extra for the youngest ones, not less, and we usually did. I felt like I was forever asking for things that required extra work, i.e., kid threw up or had an accident, need sheets changed; kid spilled soda, dropped food on the floor, or knocked over something on table, all requiring clean-up; kid's aim is bad and he missed toilet and hit wall and floor, or towels, need extra bathroom clean-up (and more towels); kid didn't want anything on dinner menu and I had to ask for something special; kid lost pool towel and we need another (now they charge you for them -- before you could just get another one), and on and on. Plus, when our kids were young the cabin was always a pigsty, with their toys and other stuff strewn all around, making it more difficult for the stewards to clean. I hate to think it was just our kids, but maybe it was....
Terry
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I actually started to post to answer your question, but then I diverted into a long story that didn't answer the question at all. Let me try again.
When we paid for our young adult child and friend to come on our Breakaway cruise with us last year, and also had pre-paid for the DSC for both of them, but absolutely did not want them tied to our credit card -- not the most responsible child -- we asked what the absolute minimum was we had to put down in cash, and they allowed us to give them 100. per person, so we put down 200. total. They told us they would have required more if the DSC had not been pre-paid. (And of course, on about Day 3, our kid with a good job and money of his own said "Dad, we got a note that we needed to deposit more money or we couldn't charge anything else at the bar..." We told him to pony up his own money. LOL
Terry
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We were on the Pearl last year and a woman about 3 people in front of us was trying to disembark, and at first, the agent at the gate quietly told her she needed to go to the cashier as there was an outstanding balance on her bill. She refused, and when he became quietly insistent, she became loud and rather obnoxious. All of a sudden, security showed up and blocked the exit, and told her she was not disembarking and that they would escort her to the cashier. She then actually started to pummel her fists on the security guys chest, and surprise surprise, they actually restrained her and called the police. Security asked a few of us if we would be willing to provide a statement of what we had witnessed. We did....
With regard to what happens if you aren't violent, about 7 years ago, when we used to only bring one credit card with us when we traveled, we were getting ready to disembark and heard our names being called over the audio system, asking us to go to guest services. When we got there, we learned our credit card had been declined. We couldn't figure out why, since we knew we had credit available and the card had no balance. After sitting on hold w/ credit card company for a very long time, NCL folks got impatient and next thing I knew, they were printing out a "Promissory Note" all filled in, requiring us to pay the outstanding balance w/I 14 days, with a confession of judgment clause and imposing a heft service fee. We both had to sign it, which we did because we were mortified. Turned out that because NCL had put so many holds on the card, and because we had used it in multiple foreign locations, the bank had flagged it for fraud and shut it down. But we were soooo embarrassed. When we called NCL and explained what happened, with our CC company on the line, they very graciously removed the service fee. But now we always carry multiple credit cards....
Terry
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I would suggest you bring an american power strip. There is only one outlet in the room. If you need to charge multiple items, i.e., cameras, ipads, phones etc, it is annoying. If everything you need to charge can be charged thru a USB port, we found this one helpful:
We usually bring a power strip as well
Terry
Has Anyone used Shore Excursions Group
in Italy Ports
Posted
Hi!
Share a shore excursion Italy and shore excursion group are not the same company. Ive used both, and had good results, and am using both again in April. Share a shore for both Florence and a shuttle transport from Rome to port; and shore excursion group for a tour to Monte Carlo and Eze from Cannes.
Terry