graphicguy

That's what I'm thinking. Probably won't know until you board. But, it did seem to be more of a Spain issue than anywhere else we docked.

There was a dust up a few months ago (October) about the VAT while in European ports. They charged in while in Barcelona, but not in France or Italy. Then, the refunded the VAT from Barcelona. Not sure hw they worked it out with Spain, but they did. What they're doing now? I don't know!

I have done the free one they offer to Sapphire Latitudes. I love the behind the scenes tours. Ours was the kitchen, the theater costuming and scene areas, the food/beverage receiving and storage areas. and the "I95" area where crew only traverses. The pay tour is more comprehensive from my understanding. I guess it depends how much the tour costs.

Should be the same letter with the luggage tags.

Just got off the phone with the NCL pre-cruise concierge. Nice lady. Very cordial and helpful. -No gummies, but "yes" to peanut M&Ms (she even asked me if I wanted plain or peanut). -Cream in the fridge for my coffee (Nespresso Machine) -Lemonade in the fridge -6 pillows She asked if I needed help with dining reservations. I told her I don't plan that far ahead (LOL!)...and would let the onboard Concierge take care of that. I did ask her if I booked a Balcony Cabin as a Sapphire Latitudes if I could call their line. She said "no". I would be directed to the onboard concierge (Cruise Next desk).

Thanks. Yeah...they got a new HR Director. She's a real PITA according to the GF. Her employer (large ophthalmology group) was taken over by an even larger company. As these things go, whenever there is a changing of the guard, the new people always think they can do things better and run a "tighter ship". GF and I have been dating on and off for a dozen years. As mentioned, she lives two states away. That compounds our issues of me being retired and her still working, in addition to her company's changes. She's 10 years younger than me, so the prospect of this changing soon isn't in the cards. I know what most of you are thinking.....but, we both went through "wooly" marriages and would rather not go down that road, again. She knows my door is always open for her, though. Anyway, that's TMI. If she can go, GREAT! If not, I'll be sorry but will enjoy myself nonetheless.

Tags and letter showed up yesterday.... THE HAVEN BY NORWEGIAN USPS Letter# 01-01102-122203 000539498401 Ship Name: NORWEGIAN PRIMA Sailing Date: 02/02/2024 Reservation No.: Stateroom No: December 22, 2023 Dear Valued Guest, We missed you! And, we are beyond excited to welcome you into The Haven by Norwegian, our exclusive ship-within-a-ship concept featuring personal concierge and 24-hour butler service among other luxurious amenities. On behalf of Norwegian Cruise Line, we want to express our sincerest appreciation to you for spending your well-deserved vacation time alongside us. As you begin to prepare for your upcoming sailing aboard NORWEGIAN PRIMA, we want to provide you with a few tips that wil assist ni making your check-in process as smooth as possible. • • • Please complete your Online Check-In which wil become available to you at 21 days prior to sailing. Providing us al information ni advance wil expedite the check-in process at the pier. It is important to complete your Online Check-In and download and print your eDocs ahead of time. Please note, Online Check-In will no longer be available at three days prior to sailing. Arrive at the pier at the time you selected during Online Check-In to avoid congestion. Enclosed you wil find luggage tags -ensure that they are attached to your suitcase before you arrive at the pier. Please make sure you do not put your passport or other identification documents inside your checked luggage as you will need these for check-in at the pier. As a Suite or Haven guest, you can make special requests and arrange a variety of services and amenities prior to your sailing through our pre-cruise Concierge Desk. Please contact us at 1.855.625.4283, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM EST, or email NorwegianConciergeDesk@ncl.com. We invite you to visit www.ncl.com/myNCL with any questions you may have or fi you require further assistance with your pre-cruise preparation and planning.

Good question. She's on the reservation. But, as she and I were chatting last night, if her work were planning on letting her take the time off, it would have been a quick approval. At least, that's my thought process. I made this reservation months ago. She thought given enough notice it should be easy. We've been through this before when booking cruises. COVID hit and that caused them to tighten the regulations where vacation time can only be taken once it's earned. To me, that makes no sense. That would mean everyone is taking vacation time the latter ½ of the year. But, I'm retired. She's not. I can do this whenever I want. She can not. She likes her job (except for the tightening of some of the stupid rules). She's at their mercy, though.

Thank you. That's kind to say. Her vacation is accrued and the clock starts over on Jan 1. She's trying to pull the vacation time forward. She works for a real stickler. So, they're keeping her hanging. The good news, we have plans for either eventuality.

The one we’re discussing is the pre-cruise concierge for the Haven. But, Latitudes Platinum and above is supposed to have a concierge, too. I know on board, the concierges are actually the Cruise Next reps. I need to talk to them tomorrow. I’ll ask about concierges for Platinum and up!

Agree. They handle everything from room focused requests (pillows, snacks, etc) to dinner and/or entertainment reservations (that may be available). They’ll confirm things like OBC. In all frankness, they have taken care of things that most rely on the on-board Concierges and Butlers to do! And, they do it efficiently and in a friendly manner.

Good looking menu....looks like good "diner" food!

I have talked to them a couple of times. Setting up bedding, snacks, etc. Friendly. Easy to reach, too. I'll probably talk to them a couple more times before I embark, at least.

Flights....this one is tricky. GF may (may or may not make it) will be coming from another state. She can get a direct flight from her city to Galveston. I, on the other hand, can not. We CAN go together, but she has to take more time off (which is already an iffy proposition) to travel to me, and both of us travel together to Galveston. A big part of the issue is the fact that the ship sails on a Friday, instead of a Saturday or Sunday. That means a week day is needed to get to the port. As it stands, I'm flying in Feb 1. Spending the day in Galveston before I (we) embark on Feb 2.

INSURANCE...... I've gone back and forth about the type and amount of insurance I should buy. I've spent a small fortune over the years for travel insurance. My sister had comprehensive cruise insurance for a Caribbean we took together about 6-7 years ago. It was from a widely recognized company, too. She had a weather related flight cancellation. Missed a connection. Missed the ship. In brief, she couldn't make it to the first port, nor the 2nd port. Her reimbursement was limited. And, there were exclusions that negated much of her expected refund. Not going to get into the weeds on who the company was or the particulars except to say she's never bought cruise insurance of any kind, again. I won't go that far. I will buy medical only, though. If something catastrophic happens while I'm in a foreign country, I do want a safety net. Moreover, the insurance my AMEX card (which I charge my cruises to) has decent medical coverage, too. So, I don't spend hundreds of dollars per cruise for comprehensive coverage. I spend well under a $100 for medical insurance, though.

I do hope they keep their shakes, as they are/were quite good!

I keep telling my friends and family the same thing. "Don't you want me to be happy?". They just laugh and walk away from me!

Only reason I can think of (outside of the so called environmental impact excuse) is that they buy port times in blocks and some blocks at a given time of day are cheaper than others. I have no basis in fact stating that. Just my opinion. And, we all know what that's worth. 😉

Good points. Personally, on this itinerary, I really don't care about docking an hour later, or staying an hour longer in a port. Even 3rd party excursions will adjust their itinerary to the ship's comings and goings.

HI.....that Epic Med Cruise was fun. Weather was generally good, ports were great, staff was wonderful. Funny you mentioned the cabin. GF asked me the same question, albeit from a superstition perspective. I'm not superstitious so deck 13 doesn't bother me. There's nothing above except cabins on deck 14. Same goes for Deck 12 below me. I always like being close to the stairs, which I am. I NEVER expect anything tragic to happen, but if it does, I'm close to the stairs for a "getaway". No drop slides near my balcony, either. Hope to post plenty of pics and thoughts! Let us know what you decide. Not a great thought process, but that's what I was thinking.

I think the general rule of thumb is expect boarding to start at whatever time is stated on your boarding pass. Might be earlier, as has happened, but I wouldn't plan on it. If you don't want to wait around in the terminal, I think it's safe to say to get there around 12:30-ish. The mad rush to get on board will be over and you'll likely board quickly. If you want to wait with the mass of humanity, get there at 9:30 a.m. get pushed, shoved, wait for your number to be called, and then board. Boarding happens in this order.... -Mobility impaired guests (wheelchair and walkers) -Haven Guests -Ambassador and Diamond Latitudes -Sapphire and Platinum Latitudes -Bronze and up Latitudes -General boarding by assigned group number None of the checkin time assignments matter when boarding.

The ports are ones I've visited several times. I've seen the sloths, the dolphins, traversed in an ATV, seen a bunch of ruins, etc. Not that it's not exciting and beautiful. It is. But, I think I'm relaxing this go round and doing what I want, when I want with no schedules or plans. As such, looks like my no pre-planing vacation was a sign of things to come.... Minor changes, and none of it affects me, but noted. "Dear Valued Guests, We are delighted you have chosen to sail with us on board Norwegian Prima and thank you for your loyalty. On behalf of our crew, we look forward to welcoming you aboard soon. We have important information regarding Norwegian Prima's sailings from January 12, 2024 through and including February 9, 2024. We are committed to providing the best vacations at sea and have been working tirelessly to continue to elevate the quality of our offerings and overall guest experience while driving a positive impact on society and the environment. As we optimize itineraries for fuel efficiencies, we have modified Norwegian Prima's itinerary as shown below. Original Day Destination Arrive Depart Fri GALVESTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 4:00 pm Sat AT SEA Sun COSTA MAYA, MEXICO 12:00 pm 8:00 pm Mon HARVEST CAYE, BELIZE 8:00 am 5:00 pm Tue ROATAN, BAY ISLANDS, HONDURAS 7:00 am 4:00 pm Wed COZUMEL, MEXICO 8:00 am 5:00 pm Thu AT SEA Fri GALVESTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 8:00 am Revised Day Destination Arrive Depart Fri GALVESTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 4:00 pm Sat AT SEA Sun COSTA MAYA, MEXICO 1:00 pm 8:00 pm Mon HARVEST CAYE, BELIZE 9:00 am 5:00 pm Tue ROATAN, BAY ISLANDS, HONDURAS 7:00 am 4:00 pm Wed COZUMEL, MEXICO 9:00 am 6:00 pm Thu AT SEA Fri GALVESTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 8:00 am SHORE EXCURSIONS Shore excursions booked through NCL for Costa Maya, Mexico, Harvest Caye, Belize, and Cozumel, Mexico will be automatically adjusted to coincide with the new times in port; no further action is required. If you are interested in booking new excursions for your upcoming vacation, please contact your travel advisor. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS Depending on nationality, guests may require a passport and/or a visa to visit certain ports of call. All necessary documentation should be printed and available to present at check-in on embarkation day. Guests who fail to obtain these documents will be denied boarding. For more information on the necessary documentation to sail and for all ports of call, please visit www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/cruise-travel-documents. Requirements and policies are subject to change. YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY While we welcome all guests to sail with us, regardless of vaccination status, and with no testing or masking requirements, it is the responsibility of the guest to be aware of, and to satisfy, any local protocols and/or travel restrictions in place at the visiting destinations at the time of sailing to avoid denial of boarding. For additional information on our health and safety protocols, please visit www.ncl.com/sail-safe. Please note that destination specific travel requirements supersede any NCL embarkation protocols. As such, we strongly encourage you to visit www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country to ensure you are in compliance and avoid any chance of being denied boarding. We encourage you to check these sites often, as regulations change frequently and with very short notice. As always, we are at your service and look forward to providing you with a truly memorable onboard experience! Sincerely, Norwegian Cruise Line" If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us! Kind Regards, The Support Department American Discount Cruises & Travel Your Destination for Savings & Service www.AmericanDiscountCruises.com Toll Free: 1-866-214-7447 (US & Canada) | 0800 098 8041 (UK) International: +001-732-970-9142

Got this today...reminded me of the "start up" cruises a few years ago..... Sail Safe Travel Requirements.pdf

Yeah....I think you're probably right. We'll see. The sign up started very slow, and then took off like gang busters. Not sure if that has any correlation, though.

I bought mine when NCL first announced them. I had heard they changed the Ts and Cs, but mine were combinable.