CostaFortune

Just to clarify as OP, I made a boo-boo! When I checked my e-mails, and as there was discussion about NY to NY she has booked us on the Escape!! I’m ok with that but feel we will miss seeing the Bliss as a new ship. At least it’s Breakaway-Plus class, and still in a mini Spa suite to gain 14 days access. Prefer that to the price of Haven! The balcony is a larger one with loungers too, and although we will miss out sailing the Bliss just yet, for losing 1 day down to 14 days, at £400 less and 6 extra’s, we don’t think we did bad at all in changing.

Sorry for the confusion guys, we will get on the Bliss one day!

So is anyone on the Escape 20th Jan, 19?

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We are sailing on the Bliss 20/1/19 from NY. Is this a short one you’ve booked or is this December and not January 2019?

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Got me intrigued, do you book through the US,

 

I always thought we were punished heavily in the UK

 

for cancelling.

Firstly, we were not due to pay Final Payment until 11th March.

When I rung on Sat afternoon they said you need to pay £200 for cancelling. Knowing my rights, I said I don’t think you understand, we don’t need to cancel completely with NCL. Also, we have Cruise Next ££ On account. She checked and clarified! So warming to me slightly I said you cannot forfeit anything if you are 2 months prior to Final Payment. She needed to speak to a travel consultant within NCL UK, so today I got a call back from an independent NCL advisor (working from home) who was extremely helpful. We managed to move our small deposit from last March 17, and keep the $200 Cruise next money and place that on to this new cruise for Jan 19.

So yes, I’m in the UK and booked through NCL UK.

Why would you feel you’d be punished heavily for either changing your mind or through illness or, like me the ports/tours were inaccessible?

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The ship will go LA to Vancouver, Vancouver to Seattle, and Seattle round trip to Alaska. Each of these are individual cruises, including the one night Vancouver to Seattle.

 

 

 

LA to Vancouver: legal

 

Vancouver to Seattle: legal

 

Seattle RT to Alaska: legal

 

Vancouver to Seattle + Seattle RT to Alaska: legal

 

LA to Vancouver + Vancouver to Seattle: not legal

 

LA to Vancouver + Vancouver to Seattle + Seattle RT Alaska: not legal

 

 

 

Most cruise line CSR's on the phone really don't understand the PVSA (hence them calling it the Jones Act), and while they may let you book the LA to Seattle, within a couple of days, their compliance department will call to tell you that you can't book it.

She e-mailed her manager in Miami to clarify.

I wanted LA to Seattle late April (Mexican Riviera but not yet released) before our Seattle to Seattle (Alaska).

As I couldn’t do that, as not Caribbean, we opted for the 14 day NY to NY flying on 18th Jan cruising 20th Jan to 3rd Feb, back to LHR on 4th Feb. So not an issue anyway now.

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I’m only going by what she said today. She did say Vancouver at first then realised it was a one-Off Cruise 4-5 Days LA back to Seattle, ready for the May Alaska trips. It just can’t be added to another B2B.

 

 

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There’s no itinerary anyway yet for that one, it’ll be available to book by the end of January. Don’t shoot the messenger!

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There are no LA to Seattle cruises, as this violates the PVSA (Passenger Vessel Services Act)(not the Jones Act which deals with cargo). There may be a LA to Vancouver cruise, which is legal, and you would then need to get off the ship while it sails from Vancouver to Seattle, and then rejoin for a Seattle to Seattle Alaskan itinerary. Even if NCL has a Vancouver to Seattle Alaska cruise, you could not combine this with a LA to Vancouver B2B, as this would be considered to be LA to Seattle. Search CC for "PVSA" and you will find many posts and threads on the topic.

 

And the requirement for compliance with the PVSA is that to go from one US port and get off in a different US port, the foreign flag ship must call at a "distant" foreign port, meaning any port not in North or Central America, the Caribbean, Bahamas, or Bermuda.

I’m only going by what she said today. She did say Vancouver at first then realised it was a one-Off Cruise 4-5 Days LA back to Seattle, ready for the May Alaska trips. It just can’t be added to another B2B.

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Ok, so due to me not recovering from my total knee replacement and access in ports etc. plus lack of 1 salary out of 2 (!) we’ve cancelled our Bliss sailing on 10th May (Panama Canal etc) and moved to another Bliss sailing on 20th January, 2019 - NY to NY.

6 extra bonuses - $50 off any shore excursions taken, per person, internet 250 mins per person, UBP, phone call credit talktime 120 mins per cabin, no added gratuities and flights included for £500 less. Same cabin cat. M9 (spa mini suite) mid ship. Am over the moon as think I’d be bored on the Panama Canal crossing day. Have seen our friends video and it looked a waste of a day, all concrete. We have many locks in our rivers and so have done that!

It’s so worth waying up the pro’s and con’s. I will just have to wait a bit longer to see the Bliss. Can hear all the stories and get recommendations of which parts of the ship are good and where to avoid! So if anyone was waiting for a mini spa suite on 10th May, there’s one free. Cabin 15806!

By the way, we were considering a back to back next May to Alaska(7 Days) and await the release of LA to Seattle prior but it wouldn’t be allowed due to an old thing called the Jones Law (?) Has anyone heard of that? Apparently you cannot sail on 2 B2B cruises and not come out of American waters as such, ok if you go to Caribbean and then an Eastern US one. Interesting, food for thought. Will top up our Cruise Next kitty when we sail. Feeling accomplished.

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Doh! You’re right! [emoji3]

Always!

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We’ve always had them (in balcony rooms). I can’t say from experience about insides, but I think they have.

 

 

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We had one in 9906 in April/May, Balcony room. We really only used it to put our water in! I would’ve used it for my Aloe Vera aftersun but the weather wasn’t that hot even in the Med. Bit of a waste of worktop space. The TV was neck cricking too above the fridge.

Not a good room really, tiny toilet area, for a bigger lady too!

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We certainly can book ahead of time in the UK. I do it every cruise.

 

Except Teppenyaki on some ships (including the Spirit), which can’t be booked wherever you come from.

 

 

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Ah, that’s the one we were on, so I shouldn’t have generalised, apologies Keith. But I do know prior to sailing we couldn’t book our times in the Restaurants. We didn’t even allocate our 8 nights in the dining package, to specific restaurants. We were actually unaware until boarding exactly which restaurants were included in the UDP on the Spirit. Turns out it was a choice of 4 - Le Bistro, Cagney’s, La Trattoria & Teppanyaki.

La Trattoria was dire, both food and noise as it’s an extension of the buffet on the Spirit! With an obscure glass room divider with a 2 ft gap under it.

Although, we enjoyed the cruise and service was good 90% of the time, we wish we had done our research in how old the ship was. It was in dry dock for a week Feb 17? But have no idea what they actually did? Maybe a bit of painting?!

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Sorry, Japanese.

We can’t book time’s ahead of boarding in the UK. Le Bistro lists as the only formal dining room on the Spirit but we also felt people made an effort in Cagneys, which was nice for us.

It was our first NCL cruise and we found the waitresses and waiters very helpful in these restaurants. So we hope that the Bliss will be the same.

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It’s best to book them the minute you get on board with concierge if you have preferences for eating times. You can try one of 3 different restaurants but from both experience and what I’ve read, the best food is in Le Bistro, Cagneys Steakhouse, Moderno or Teppanyaki.

When you say plain eater, do you eat Chinese? (Teppanyaki) it’s for about 8 People and they gave a guy who cooks in front of you, a kind of show! It’s quite clever what they do, mixing and chopping etc. Then serving you from the hotplate. It’s not something you’d want to go twice, unless you love the food.

Le Bistro is listed as formal dress, and Cagneys too. We loved Cagneys and ate there 4 times (we had bought a dining package of 8, with just those choices as good ones).

Do t give them up, it’s worth a try and then you’ll know if you like them.

Hope it works out well. Which ship is this on? Although, apart from the service, they are much of a muchness.

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We always order flowers on every cruise we take. We have had particularly good luck with roses lasting for about a week but a lot depends on the degree of bud openess when they are delivered.

 

Care usually has consisted of one of those florist "food" packages if at all.

 

That "green stuff" which is water absorbent is called "Oasis" or some derivative of that trademark name; you cannot just "pour water" over it if it is already saturated or it will spill as you learned.

 

The whole "floral bouquet" thing is another revenue source for the cruise line. Celebrity used to deliver form their on-board "greenhouse" but not sure they do that any more.

I agree about boosting revenue but was intrigued to see if there is a reason you should not top up your dry “Oasis” (as you love an inverted coma or 10!) as why would you let your flowers dry out and die, when you’ve paid so much.

On reflection, I should have asked for a vase and chucked the “Oasis” right back at them.

Here’s a site from the USA so we are not blamed as being quirky in our reasoning for the need to mend and make do....

https://www.hunker.com/13411836/how-to-care-for-flowers-in-oasis

I won’t be ordering flowers from NCL in future, there just isn’t the table top surface for our own bits and bobs, let alone a flower arrangement (in answer to the OP).

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We ordered a Japanese type display of flowers that came with the green Block of foam (on NCL Spirit) and when you watered it went over everything on the desk. Nowhere to put it really. I asked the cabin steward if he could leave it in the shower once watered but by then it was already dropping and the flowers died after 3/4 days. I wouldn’t order again, waste of £45.

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https://www.apost.com/en/blog/8-things-youll-admit-to-as-a-diet-coke-addict/4961/?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=fb_1503815046562182_apost_en&utm_term=USA_en&utm_campaign=blog_4961&utm_content=71&un_id=1514218487532

 

Diet Coke addict traits, so true!

 

 

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Funny, but sad really. Don’t go for the unequal alternative - drink something different! Live and learn. It’s like growing out of using a dummy (or pacifier as I think the US say?).

Whether for health reasons or not. I’m sure there’s a healthier alternative after reading that link.

I wonder are there going to be many like this on board the Bliss?

Thank you for the link, it was very interesting.

PS. I drink Coke Zero out of choice but didn’t miss it, in fact my teeth were cleaner and my breath sweeter! [emoji51]

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Haha, there speaks a good old Lancashire lass! You tell ‘em girl!

Mind you, there’s tons of sugar in OJ and other juices too. I think you meant the fizz?!

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This is actually our second cruise. But the amount of excitement feels like the first all over again, LOL. We're heading to southern caribbean on Gem 1/23.

Out of interest, which ship was your first?

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No time too soon on your first. Trust me, you’ll be packing, repacking, adding stuff, I guess the more seasoned cruisers will have given you ideas of stuff to take? I only found out after 4th cruise that the doors and walls are made of metal so magnetic hooks are good to hang stuff, sunhats or your individual packing bags say, extra Medical stuff that’s too bulky to put in the bathrooms.

Enjoy, where are you going and which cruise ship?

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Oh goodness, what a yawn. Scroll back guys, it’s been said over and over.

Personally, it’s just “what you’re used to” same as preferences between King Crab and Lobster. Either is way too expensive in the UK to eat at home and be used to it, other than restaurants.

If you’re that stuck on it, it’s sad really as clearly over indulged. Variety is the spice of life?! Just sayin’

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We are booked on the Star from Venice in Sept 2018. Our itinerary says it leaves at 5p. Wonder why yours left at 11p ?

 

 

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Ours said 11pm from way back, probably booking time but hadn’t noticed it. Keith said it’s not that rare, so there must be a reason, maybe they have to clear stuff off, or change of staff, have no idea.

And yes, of course we get more than our fair share of rain in the UK but when it’s nighttime and you’re trying to take pics, everything seemed blurred and misty.

Apologies for duplicating 1 of the pics, I do wish we could edit or delete our entries!

Lots off our cruise were able to walk round Venice until as late as 8-9pm but walking with a stick takes its toll on me, so after the flight and travel, once I was on board it was too much to go wandering and worrying to get back in time. Plus Central Venice there’s no taxis as it’s pedestrianised due to tiny teeny walkways and side streets.

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Keith I think the problem was the time. 11pm? Was very disappointing. Pitch black. I’ve no idea why it was so late.

Hopefully the Star will leave in daylight or earlier.

Sorry if I was a Debbie Downer [emoji851]

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Some pics, still looking for the video! x

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I hope your embarkation day from Venice is better than ours in April 17 on the Spirit. It was raining and the sail away time was 11pm. No one on deck, couldn’t see Jack! Was very disappointed as we didn’t venture back out in the afternoon as too far to walk to the boat taxi stop into St Marks Square.

Will try and find the video I did from our balcony! x

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Isn’t it time posts over a year or more are either deleted off the App or at least blocked for typing more posts? [emoji848]

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In the dress code:

 

 

 

"Wear smart casual if you are eating dinner in the aft main dining room (our more formal dining room) and in Le Bistro on cruises longer than five days. For women, it includes slacks or jeans, dresses, skirts and tops. For men, it's jeans or slacks with a collared shirt and closed-toed shoes.

Yep, jeans “dressed up”, thanks Keith. No sloppy t-shirts! We found Le Bistro and obviously Cagney’s the best food (but not a huge choice), and its nice to sit with like-minded people. We also made friends with the sweetest waitress!

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