MrsKC08

As mentioned above. Not everyone gets the upgrade email...it's completely random.

2 hours ago, fshagan said:

 

The TA is the one that should have advised the OP.

 

Another case where booking yourself is definitely better than using a TA, because you see all the warnings about travel documents. Many TAs today are just "booking agents" that know less about travel than they did fixing appliances on their last call center job.

I disagree with this statement. The fact of the matter is, the cruise line website notates your responsibility to check travel requirements, as does your cruise contract. However, I do know that many don't read this...it is still their responsibility.

As the person above mentioned, you could possibly get an upgrade (if available) or a 25% OBC.

Never hurts to call and ask. If you have booked with a TA, you need to contact them...otherwise, call NCL!

Oh, I'm so excited about this! I always LOVE your reviews. And, the occasional appearance of sweet Bella makes it even better.

On 1/9/2020 at 7:31 AM, BNBR said:

The only negative for us is that we do drink packages and the NCL one just isn't that good.  More limits on liquor and they don't include bottled water.

Also doesn't include specialty coffee either. 😞 

Remember that food tastes are completely subjective. I don't think anyone is going to have a hard time finding food they like while on a cruise.

On 1/6/2020 at 11:25 AM, April42749 said:

I don't want to go off on a tangent...but how do people even know about the observation lounge?  I only know because of CC.

Might be time for me to bid on the spa cabin.

 

Thanks for this review....I'll be following it diligently.

Anyone who checks out the ships on the Norwegian website can know about the observation lounge. It isn't a secret or anything.

You can also pre-reserve parking at www.neworleansparking.com 

This is what we are doing for our March cruise.

On 1/7/2020 at 8:25 AM, L1211 said:

We thought Sorrentos was just terrible in 2018!  Here’s hoping they upped their pizza game. 

Definitely better than it was in 2018!

On 1/7/2020 at 8:27 AM, esm54687 said:

The drink package price is all marketing to make you feel like you're getting a great deal if you take it as a free promo - almost no one pays the full price for it.

 

You also shouldn't fall into the trap and focus on "add on" discounts or PBP prices unless you do a complete comparison of cruise line items because there are items from NCL that are included in the fare price or cheaper than RCCL (and maybe Princess has cheaper things than NCL / RCCL)...... you are happy with the price you paid for this NCL cruise so don't compare apples to oranges and risk not enjoying yourself because it's not RCCL or WDW. 

Yes, we could have chosen the drink package perk, however we chose the specialty dining because we wanted to experience their options of specialty dining on the ship. I certainly didn't expect a $99/day/person charge for the basic drink package. Which I'll add, doesn't include bottled water or specialty coffee (RCCL does)! And even at their highest price (paid on the ship and not pre cruise, Royal's deluxe drink package is not as high as that! I've also noticed that excursion prices for RCCL are less than that offered by NCL. Thankfully, the ports we are sailing to we have independent excursions/plans made so that isn't an issue for us, but it definitely is something to take note. I'll be curious to see what the per drink prices are on NCL vs RCCL and other cruise lines we have sailed as well.

You can bet  that I have been doing a full comparison and once I do my full review after the cruise, I'll be adding these points in there as well. So far, RCCL is still a better cruise bargain, but there is a full picture to be had...like activities, shows, food, and the complete ship/cruise experience.

Used to be Princess who had the best Pizza at sea. Then, we sailed the Regal in November 2018 and they had definitely changed their recipe and it was sub-par. Royal's used to not be so good, but we sailed Harmony November 2019 and it was very good. Better than it had ever been in the past. I don't cruise for pizza, but it is interesting to see what people's thoughts are on it.

OP, we are frequent RCCL cruisers and preparing to go on our first ever NCL cruise in March on the Getaway. We are actually pretty surprised that they don't discount any of the "add ons" because we are used to getting deals and discounts for things on Royal. I'm absolutely shocked at the drink package prices on NCL. But.....we shall see how the two compare come March.

I would definitely reach out to NCL directly with their special needs department.

On 12/23/2019 at 5:55 PM, Sean_B said:

The first 8 sailings on the Mardi Gras have been cancelled.

Yeah, I read that as I mentioned in my post. Thankfully that does not effect our cruise. I will be keeping an eye on it for sure though.

On 12/24/2019 at 5:27 AM, grandmarnnurse said:

In my personal opinion, it is definitely worth it! I get it whenever it is available for a cruise of mine. Just having a priority check in, boarding, and cabin ready makes it a no brainer for me. My hubby and I are not big drinkers, maybe 3 each in a whole day, so we never buy the Cheers package, so I’m not factoring that in. I know many people disagree with me, but this is my personal opinion. We hate waiting in any long check in lines, and dragging our carry ones around ship, so definitely worth it for that alone. 

I agree that it is worth it. I have only sailed Carnival ONCE since they started offering this (we normally sail other lines), but having the priority embarkation, cabin ready so we can drop off carry on items really are key for us too. We are also going to be driving back home after the cruise, so having the early debarkation without having to lug all our luggage off is a plus too.

On 12/20/2019 at 12:28 PM, Sean_B said:

With Mardi Gras being significantly delayed for their first sail, this may push the FTTF opening date for your cruise, but I would starting looking in Feb 2020 and keep checking every few days. If there is a FB roll-call group for your cruise, you could consider joining it as members usually post when FTTF goes live and then the mad rush is on. There's also the roll-call group on CC

I was wondering where you got this information, but see that it was just announce two days ago. This is one reason why I never book early sailings. Our's is the end of February. Of course, we all know how things can change. 

Thanks everyone!

54 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

Generally, for new ships FTTF won't be available for the first couple of months.

I checked the website and it states it will be open for Mardi Gras 2021 which is when I'm sailing.

SO, I'll admit it has been a while since I have sailed on a Carnival cruise, and I apologize if this question has been asked and answered. My search didn't really warrant any clear answer. The last Carnival cruise I booked closer to sailing and FTTF was already available. However, I am booked on the new Mardi Gras and my sailing is not until 2021. BUT, what has been your experience as to how far in advance does FTTF and other excursions open up?

Thanks in advance for those who have some insight on this and care to share their experience.

Since we are those who pay by the drink, I assure you that if mine comes back seeming "weak", I will definitely bring it to my bartenders attention! :)

This is so extremely helpful to a gal who's never been to NOLA! Thank you @Saint Greg

16 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

 

Nice! One of my favorite hotels. Make sure you try the charbroiled oysters from Drago's Restaurant. If you can't make it to the original cafe du monde, it's nice having one in the mall there. If you are a smoker and would like quick access to a courtyard or if you want quick access to a pool, I'd recommend trying to get a room in building 3. They have a bunch of courtyards in that building and one has a pool. Building 2 is going to have the best river views. Depending on the room in building 1 you could have a view. I shot this of the Getaway leaving from my room in building 1.

Thanks again Greg. You are a very valuable asset to these boards! :) We are not smokers and don't like oysters (I know, crazy), but I am definitely planning a trip to Cafe du Monde. I only recently started being a coffee drinker, but I take my coffee seriously and have become a little bit of a snob about it...but I can't wait to try them! Since we booked on Hotwire (another tip I got from you on these boards), not sure if we will be given a choice of where our room is. 

I would like to get your opinion though on parking. I've read all of your posts on these boards regarding parking in NOLA, and I had reserved with Machu Picchu for our cruise parking. I then found out that the hotel charges about $45/night to park there. I inquired with them about adding the additional night at the beginning of our reservation, and they offer it along with shuttle from there to the hotel, and hotel pick up to the terminal...BUT, it was an additional $40 for that. So, I thought just parking at the hotel would be better and we wouldn't have to rely on the shuttle to the hotel and hotel to the terminal. Then, I priced the Fulton Garage at $84 for the week as opposed to the $120 (7 day cruise parking only) with MP. I'm thinking it best to just park at the hotel then Fulton. Thoughts?

12 minutes ago, wallaceralphl said:

Just wanted to ensure clarity - we had already paid for our regular priced mini-suite; the $2000 was the difference in what we had paid and the final price.... Regardless, a very good deal.

Oh, I had figured that. But I still think it was a great deal.

16 hours ago, wallaceralphl said:

On Encore, we bid in the low "Excellent" range for three separate Haven suites, with each one totaling roughly between $3400 to $3800 if won. Based on the original booking price of each suite, we would have saved about $300-$500, We asked our NCL point of contact if there were any suites available for the Jan 19th sailing, and he gave us the availability and total prices if we were to upgrade today (actually, two weeks ago). Instead of winning a bid, we chose to purchase the upgrade because the straight purchase was for $2000. Yes, $2000 total. In other words, if we had just settled and hoped to win, if chosen we would have paid close to $1500 more than what we have gotten. So, we got the last Haven Courtyard Suite on the port side, deck 18 (a short walk to the Haven bar and restaurant). I strongly advise everyone to keep all of your options open and contact your reps about a month before the cruise to see about last minute specials that don't get announced on the NCL website.

WOW! What a great price for a Haven suite. I cannot imagine getting it for that price. I just might have to check in on that for our March cruise!

13 hours ago, 3kidsncats said:

You should check your MyNCL account periodically, as often times it is there, not your personal email.  Good luck!

Thanks. I do check my messages daily in there...but nothing yet. Just the standard stuff.

3 hours ago, 3kidsncats said:

Our bid for the Jan 5th sailing on the Joy was accepted yesterday!  So 19 days out, went from an inside to a forward  balcony $175pp bid.  

That's awesome! We are sailing March 1st on Getaway and have not received any email for an upgrade bid offer. Kind of wish I would so I can understand and see how that process goes, but I know those emails are so random. I thought maybe we would get one since we have not sailed NCL prior.

3 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

 

The Riverwalk mall that's attached to Hilton Riverside. The upstairs ones are from outside the food court area...down by Nordstrom Rack. The one downstairs is just outside the doors of the riverwalk mall version of Cafe Du Monde.

 

 

Awesome. We are staying at the Hilton Riverside in March!