graphicguy

Never had an issue dining at Ocean Blu while wearing shorts. LeBistro is the only restaurant where I got pushback. I had to remind their hostess that I was dining outside, and long pants were not required. Silly rule. I can dine outside (which I prefer) in shorts. And, 12" away, at a window I'm sitting next to, they require long pants. I say, quit the facade. There is no difference between LeBistro or Cagney's. They're both specially restaurants with different cuisines. Actually, the atmosphere at Cagney's is probably a little more upscale than LeBistro. Yet, one requires long pants and the other doesn't. NCL, who began to bury all the "formal" stuff to begin with, should just be done with it, once and for all. (stepping off soapbox)

LeBistro-yes Ocean Blu- no Manhattan-not sure…been a while since I dined there BUT- if you dine al fresco at any of them, no dress code at all (my personal choice)!

You're kind. Thank you. Nothing really happened, yet. Surgery had to be pushed out because of insurance snafus. So, I'm still hopping around. That said, I just booked a "short flight", 7-nite cruise in December. Bought some CFAR insurance in case things go sideways between now and then. The deals were too good to pass up for "end of year" cruises with the coupons NCL kept depositing in my account. Figured a 7-niter was doable. Plus, it's on the Getaway, that I know like the back of my hand, so I won't be wandering around lost, aimlessly. 😉

Will get back to y’all. Thanks for asking!

Things went sideways…not the surgery, but the plans. It’s boring, but if you care, I can elaborate!

And your point?

Yvonne....I am so sorry to hear of your issues on this leg of your trip. This is a top down management problem. It's never good when crew is lying about issues. That means either no one is giving them the truth and/or they have the truth but don't want to suffer the ire when they provide it to the guests. Fix it and there will be no ire. I hope it gets better. But, I would certainly make some noise about it with someone in management on board. Do they still have the GM's phone number posted somewhere in your cabin?

OP, My interpretation of your original post.... Your user name states you're in Maryland. You stated you were sailing from Miami. In reality, you can drive or fly there. You stated your Daughter is going with you, does not have a Passport and does not want to bear the cost of one. You went on to say that you (and her) weren't sure if you needed a Passport. There is indeed conflicting information about the requirement....some links tied to Barbados say you do, some links tied to the U.S. say you don't. You asked us to chime in. We did. Paraphrasing here, but that's the essence of it. Now, that you didn't like some of the answers is a different matter. Overwhelmingly, we stated we would make sure a Passport should accompany your party on the trip. Given you said your Daughter didn't want to bear the cost of a Passport (or are they expecting you to bear the cost of the Passport, which is a whole other conversation?) made me wonder why, given the relatively small cost associated with getting one. And, it's cost relative to the rest of the trip....(gas to drive 1,000 miles there and 1,000 miles back will cost somewhere around $300. If you don't drive straight through, another hotel night is at least $150. IF you fly, it's at minimum $150/seat. Cruise fare, being generous, is $1,000/person. So, your Daughter and her Husband will cost around $2,500 to sail with you. Probably more, but let's go with that. $150/Passport doesn't seem to be such a large expense to be assured of meeting whatever requirements Barbados requires. Plus, for the next decade, they can use those Passports wherever they may go. Hey, if I'm wrong, I'll admit it. But, based on what you posted, this is the answer I offered since you asked.

Forget for a moment on how the requirements can be interpreted, if you're sailing, flying, driving, walking, crawling, skipping, to any foreign country, have a Passport. It costs somewhere around $150. If you can't afford that, then you might want to re-think taking a cruise. People will prepare for every sort of swimwear need on board, but are worried about having proper ID available. The OP is traveling from Maryland to Miami. Their driving/flying costs alone to get to the port will cost way more than a Passport. Even the pre-cruise hotel will cost more than a Passport. But, the Passport will be the one essential item that, when needed/required, is invaluable.

I'm not a germaphobe by any stretch. But, I would certainly be giving a tour of that cabin to the GM or at least the Head of Housekeeping to have them immediately address it. That's truly unacceptable.

That's what the U.S. says. Not what Barbados says. And even accepting what the U.S. states (again, not what Barbados has published), it's STRONGLY suggested to have a Passport for all the obvious reasons they state. But, OP...go with the answer you want. It really doesn't matter to any of us here.

Again, doesn't matter to me. But, the web site I linked made no mention of traveling by sea, air, or any other means. Only that a Passport is required to enter Barbados. Not sure what would make any person comfortable with the requirements, but here's another link to them.... https://barbados.org/docs_requirements.htm https://immigration.gov.bb/pages/visitor.aspx

OP...so our answers were "not helpful". You asked. We answered. You didn't ask for only answers you would like. Barbados requires the passport. They are definitive about it. https://www.visitbarbados.org/plan-your-trip/visa-and-entry-requirements Even if you believe the answers aren't clear, do you really want to take the chance of being left at the pier (and forfeiting your cruise fare) because you didn't have a Passport? But, do what you want. You asked if anyone has sailed to Barbados with just a Birth Certificate and a Driver's License. I never have. I sail a lot, and have sailed to Barbados more than a few times. I know of no one who has had any other ID but a Passport. Again, you have plenty of time to get one.

Posted this elsewhere, but here's currently what's in my account. I have already used a 15% off coupon that's not shown here for a cruise I've booked in December...in addition, if you're active or former Military, you get an additional 10% off. Then there are the "Cruise First" and "Cruise Next" coupons you can purchase that will affect fares. In short, you can save yourself hundreds of dollars off your cruise fare with the discounts. That's why it's important that your PCC or TA check your Latitudes account. These coupons should show up when booking. A word of caution, NCL doesn't send out coupons to everyone. They seem to be targeting specific groups. None of us have been able to find out why, who or how they do it, though. Coupon Your Exclusive 10% Off Coupon – Latitudes Cruise, Norwegian Bliss, September 28th, 2024 xxxxxxxxx 10% Off Expires On9/25/2024 Sail by10/5/2024 10% Off Discount Future Cruise Credit xxxxxxxxxx 10% Off Expires On8/31/2024 Sail by12/31/2025

If Barbados says you need a Passport, then I wouldn't question them. They have enough time. Get the passport. There is no way, no how I would risk the cruise because of no passport. Even any advice here (including mine) would make me go against what the official Barbados requirements that are published. I can't even find the Barbados.gov WEB site you referenced to find any info. It's just part of the cost of traveling internationally. Plus, having a Passport will open a whole new avenue to travel a lot of different places they would not have been able to previously. Personally, given the way things can change, I would always have a Passport with me regardless of the foreign country I'm visiting. It's a small price to pay to provide iron clad proof of U.S. Citizenship in case something goes sideways in a foreign land.

Two things… -Always check your Latitudes account before cruise shopping. NCL has a habit of dropping discount coupons into your account randomly without telling us. -Your TA should be diligent enough to see those coupons when booking via your Latitudes #. Those coupons are right there in your Latitudes account…pretty obvious! Your TA should be able to fix this, if they’re any good at their job!

Yeah....I've been on the Jewel Class ships, that offer true Concierge Service with an actual Concierge who sets up outside the Moderno restaurant in the a.m. and afternoons. These are the same converges who serve the small Haven area/cabins, also. I have heard they have a similar arrangement on the Prima and Viva suites. Although I have only interfaced with the Concierges in the Haven on my Prima sailing. I don't know if they actually had another location for the Suite guests, as they presumably also have true Concierge service. On the Epic, Breakaway and Breakaway Plus ships, they were only available to me IF I was sailing in the Haven. When I sailed as a Platinum and Sapphire Latitudes guest, but in a Balcony cabin, I was directed towards the Cruise First desk for my "concierge" benefit. That was little more than the Cruise Next Personnel directing me to the Specialty Restaurant scheduler or the Excursion Desk Personnel to schedule excursions. That was the extent of it. As mentioned earlier, the Cruise Next personnel did hand out "pins" for my "status" and scheduled behind the scenes tours (when available).

Only had that one bad experience with a Butler. He even went so far to tell me how busy he had been. First thing I thought was "were you that busy with other guests and I came in at the bottom of the list?". I can appreciate the job they do, but no guest wants to hear how they didn't rank high enough to get good service. Was never anything I experienced consistently. Mostly, they are personable, friendly, and always willing to help. And, that was the only one who ever complained about how they were too busy to offer to do their jobs. I think in @Distinctive-Destinations and my personal experience. that one time was with a Butler who was more focused on getting the tip than he was to actually work for it. Mine didn't even do the minimum, which was at least to introduce himself at the outset of the cruise. He just showed up at the end of the cruise to collect a tip. My concierges, on the other hand, have ALL been wonderful. They are always willing to help. And more than a few will track me down when eating dinner or breakfast to check up on me during the cruise. Even when I need to make a change to a reservation, or have a billing issue, and they are busy with other guests, I can drop off a note at their desk and "voila", the reservation or issue is taken care of. Granted, I don't ask much from my Butlers....maybe request a different "snack" (M&Ms vs Gummy Bears). or nothing with "pate" associated with it be delivered. Not a wine drinker, so request they remove the sparkling wine that shows up (or not deliver it at all). But really, that's about it for the special requests.

Every time I've inquired about the concierge services since I first had Platinum Benefits and NOT sailing in the Haven, they pointed me to the "Cruise Next Desk". That in turn was usually right next to the Excursion Desk, to where I was pointed to go. Or, to the Specialty Restaurant Desk, which was usually near by. I guess that's the "service" they speak about regarding "access to concierge". Haven is a different story. There's at least a couple, most times 3 or 4 concierges dedicated to helping with reservations, billing issues, escorts to/from the ship, etc.

Only happened once in all my Haven cruises, but on one cruise I never saw my Butler...not even the first day. I knew he had been there as little canapés would show up in the room and the coffee had been refilled when needed. Aside from that, I could have tripped over him and not known who he was. It would be generous to say he spen less than a total of 5 minutes in my cabin the entire week. Until.......the last day of the cruise, where he milled around my cabin, making sure he approached me when I went in and out of the cabin asking if I needed anything. Don't know why that irked me, but it did. If you're going to only "hit me up" for a tip on the last day, tell me you're going to attend other cabins more than me. I would respect that more. At least I would know what to expect.

Toni Basil-Ricki! Piano player made fun of it, played it anyway. and the whole bar ended up sining it with her....along with claps and dancing.

I do no pre-planning. I tell the Concierge and s/he takes care of it. Changes in dining plans, getting me a reservation at a sold out venue, billing issue? All done by the Concierge. My whims/plans change daily, sometimes hourly! LOL!

In all frankness, the thermostat is simple to operate. It’s up or down. Up for warm, down for cool. Too late now, but just info you might find useful. You really don’t need a service tech to operate it. I don’t know what more a cruise tech could do that would make it any easier to operate!

Agree. Plus, NCL keeps sending discount coupons to Latitudes members. They aren't frivolous ones, either. Just got these sent to me a little while ago. They make for some mighty good looking fares. Coupon ID Amount Dates Credit Sailings ms Your Exclusive 10% Off Coupon – Latitudes Cruise, Norwegian Bliss, September 28th, 2024 xxxxxxx 10% Off Expires On9/25/2024 Sail by10/5/2024 Not Applicable 10% Off Discount Future Cruise Credit xxxxxxxx 10% Off Expires On8/31/2024 Sail by12/31/2025 Not Applicable VIEW CRUISESView Terms Your Exclusive Limited-Time Offer – Get An Extra 15% Off! xxxxxxxx 15% Off Expires On9/30/2024 Sail by12/31/2024 Not Applicable VIEW CRUISESView Terms

Been on both. Both very different in lay out. Either too big? I guess that's a personal thing. I like big ships....NCL Breakaway and Breakaway Plus, Epic, Celebrity Edge and Apex, Royal Allure of the Seas. I never think about the size of the ships, but the layout. All have pluses and minuses. I found the Epic easy to Navigate, but liked the layout of the Prima more to my liking.