graphicguy

Probably should have heeded the old adage “just one more” before the show. Ooops….you’re “ratted” out!

As do I!!!! 😉

That’s what I usually do. Get to the port around noonish, check in and board. I hate getting to the check in area early and wait around to have my group called for boarding. By noon, all those people have pretty much cleared out!

As others have said, arrival times spread out the bottleneck at the port. Check in id the same. If you’re new to NCL, unfortunately you will be one the latest allowed to board. Those who have mobility issues will board first. Then Haven Guests Then Latitudes members, beginning with Ambassadors and working down to Bronze Then they call by group numbers, which you’ll be assigned at check in.

Regretting selling my shares. Bought at $11. I promised to sell when/if it hit $16. It bounced around and while it did, I ended up with $500 OBC. Nice ROI. Sold my shares and have cr;used 2X since I sold. I could have had another $200 OBC. It’s the stock market. C’est la vie!

Really good points!

r You know, that’s an excellent point. My military brothers have a goodly amount of spouses from the Middle East. But, we served in the Gulf War! If we served in Europe, there would be more European military spouses!

Personally, was not a fan of SIX. On a couple behind the scenes tours conducted by the stage director, both mentioned that there were shows in rehearsal in their FL HQ that were original. That told me two things. First, NCL won't have to pay for the big production shows via hefty licensing fees. 2nd, they can craft the shows to their ships, vs crafting the ship's theaters to the shows. The question is, will those internally developed shows be as good as the ones that have a contract expiring? I think there's no doubt they'll. be cheaper to produce.

I think the guidance was more a reflection of removing Middle East itineraries from NCL’s revenue plans! That’s a temporary situation!

Yeah....but then we go back to the days where I was tipping everyone I interface with, even peripherally. I don't want to go back to that. I used to keep a wad of singles in my pocket every day for such occurrences. Don't want to do that, again.

Therein lies the balancing act. Drive shareholder value while increasing customer satisfaction and in turn, increasing revenue as a result. There's way too much choice available in the market for any of the cruise lines to concede customers. They've all carved out their niche and tweak it. But overall, they don't want to lose what they already have. Royal and NCL are battling it out for the same customer. MSC and Carnival are battling it out for their similar focus. HAL, Celebrity and Princess are going after the same customer base a ½ step above NCL and Royal. Then, there are the "high buck" cruise lines like Oceania, Viking and Seaborne. Cunard slices the pie even thinner for those who want to cruise more formal. That brings me to Virgin. Not quite sure what to make of them. When they rolled out, they were one thing (young, hip). Now, I think they're something else to appeal to a wider audience. I just don't know what that is. Again, this is just an opinion but I've sailed, HAL, Carnival, Celebrity, Royal, and NCL. So, it's my exalted view from my well worn Barco-Lounger.

Agree....WOF would be a let down if that's the only entertainment in the main theater.

I know they’re getting ready to launch the Aqua, and have already launched the Prima and Viva since the restart. From what I can tell, they’re moving away from the typical Buffet and MDR types of offerings on their new ships and working towards having smaller, more focused food offerings in a cafe type of environment. I don’t know if that costs more or less, though. Not sure, but I think I’ll like those changes. They’re letting entertainment contracts expire on their big shows and getting ready to roll out more internally developed shows…..some smaller (e.g. Rumours in Syd Norman’s), some bigger (rumblings about Cirque “type” shows in the main theaters). Will that cost more or less? I would have to think not paying the royalty fees for broadway and east end type productions would be less expensive. Remains to be seen if their internally developed shows are as good. To me, service has always been really good. So, haven’t seen a drop off there. I know some got their panties in a bunch over not having 2X/day cabin service. But to me, that’s a nothing burger. I feel the food is still quite good at ALL venues, too. So, good to see them in the black. But, they’re still spending tons on new ships and reworking itineraries (for the better).

I used the current promo already. I have one more CN and CF cert in my account. Got a couple of years to pounce on another promo somewhere down the line. But, as you say, we see the promos and know the good ones from the “same old-same old”. I look at fares at least every week, many times every day. I need to get a life!

NCL seems to be focusing and targeting promos to select groups. Who those groups are and how they target them seems to be something of a mystery. But, this past year, NCL targeted many of us with 20%-50% off coupons for Alaska and European itineraries. Seems not everyone got the offers, and I have no idea why. But, it wasn’t widely advertised. I took advantage of both and got great fares. Truth told, I got a great fare on my upcoming Prima sailing next year. You just have to be ready to book when you find those. My fare category sold out quickly. I have no basis in fact on any of this, but my hypothesis is NCL is trying to retain their upper tier Latitudes guests with the coupons, while luring in new customers with the typical cruise hype that all the cruise lines use….(% off fares, BOGO, flights, etc). All the cruise lines have been doing this for years, maybe decades. As soon as you realize that, you’re able to separate to wheat from the chaffe.

Yeah.....I often wonder what my fellow cruisers experienced that was so different than what I experienced on the same exact cruise? Go figure.

Just did a quick cursory look at fares through Q1 2024. Some went up, some went down, depending on the category and ship. Viva, is high, which is to be expected. But, I'd say their sales are generally the same as they always are. You just have to shop to get a good fare. Prima had a really good deal on a Haven cabin for end of January, but I think there was only one left. With my Former Military discount, I booked the Prima in the Haven for about the same fare as a 7-day Royal Caribbean Balcony Cabin similar itinerary on one of their newer ships with no perks on the and I still got the FAS perks from NCL. Like anything else, and certainly with cruise lines, you just have to shop to find the best sale deals. Not sure I understand what NCL is "getting away with"?

For some reason, NCL’s web site jumps to cabin choice. You want to go to the top and choose the “number of passengers”. (1. I believe). Chose one passenger. Studio cabin fares should show up!

The thread freezes and locks up on iOS!

@JamieLogical...what a great live review. Thank you! Please send my well wishes to Ted. Glad to hear he's "OK"!

LOVE the Bliss for Alaska. The Observation Lounge is perfect for an Alaskan Cruise. I had a Balcony Cabin, but have been in the Haven on other NCL ships. It's a whole other level of service, drinks and food. That said, I never had any problems getting drinks on the Bliss. If one bar was busy, there was another one 50 feet away that wasn't. Don't recall waiting for dining, either. Yes, it's a BIG ship for NCL, but never felt crowded to me. Haven? On any NCL ship? Concierges will get you into any restaurant, any entertainment venue, usually when you want. It is rare (very rare) that they can't accommodate. Personally, I give them my list of what I want to do (excursions, dining, entertainment) at embarkation, and they take care of the rest. Changes? They take care of that. Billing snafu? They take care of that, too. Butler? All snacks, and coffee deliveries. Dining en suite? Butler will take care of that, too. Bar in the Haven has a traditional area "at the bar" and has roaming waitstaff to serve you if you are seated on the chairs and couches. Service is exemplary. And, the Haven bar serves as a hub to get to know your fellow guests. I've become good cruise friends with many of them. Same goes for the Haven Restaurant. Food is excellent, although the menu is static. They will go out of their way to provide you with alternatives and special dishes for those with dietary restrictions. The Haven Pool area is served by wait staff and is normally not crowded as is the lounger area. Haven is just a whole other type of cruise experience.

Yeah.....the Galaxy Pavilion, Go-Carts, VIBE, etc aren't even available on other cruise lines. I know the charge for bowling on the MSC Meriviglia was pretty hefty too. It's not apples to apples. If you don't want to do VR (Galaxy) or the Go Carts or the VIBE (Spic H20 is a good free alternative for adults), you won't incur charges for them. So, kind of a fallacy about extra charges. Yeah, there are some. But mostly it's for activities that you can't even get on other cruise lines. New ships (Prima and Viva) are smaller and probably the most different from all the NCL ships. Getaway/Breakaway have most of the goodies (like Ocean al fresco areas for dining and dining, which is great for a Caribbean itinerary). Breakaway Plus ships are largest and good for Alaska cruises. They also have all the "bells and whistles" (racetracks, VR, Waterfront, etc). The Jewel class are smaller and usually less expensive as are the Dawn, Sky, Spirit, Sun are the most intimate and oldest in the fleet. POA does only Hawaiian cruises. Differences? NCL does "Freestyle" better than any of the other cruise lines. One of the main reasons (in addition to their service and ships) I like sailing them. I literally have never made a reservation in advance. And, I dress how the weather and itinerary dictate. Free at Sea is a good deal for drinks and specialty dining compared to the drink and dining packages on other cruise lines.

I asked that same question on a BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR during a Christmas Holiday sailing a few years back. The galley went "all out" for their presentations. The Chef who conducted the tour said they loved it, as it breaks up the monotony of preparing and presenting the same dishes all the time.

Hear-Tell “Limoncello” does make you smarter!!!! 😉