19 minutes ago, JezzaC said:

 

There aren't any common rules related to masks in European Union. Each country has their own rules. NCL website states following:

 

"On Europe sailings only, local government regulations requires all guests to wear masks onboard whilst indoors except for when actively eating or drinking or when in their stateroom. Guests will be required to wear masks outdoors when social distancing is not possible." 

Based on that masks aren't needed outdoors with social distancing.

And in the EPIC specific letter emailed to me a few days ago, which quotes Europe specifically as well, it says "Guests will be required to wear masks outdoors when social distancing is not possible."

Having said that, the original poster on this thread seemed to suggest it was mandated outdoors.  That would seem absolutely crazy.

Strongly suggest people print this off (dated 9th September) and have to hand if any enthusiastic NCL personnel tell you to wear a mask while in a corner enjoying the breeze!

Norwegian Epic Embarkation Information.pdf

36 minutes ago, washcruise13 said:

In EU.  Masks are mandatory at all times (except when eating or drinking) inside or out.  This includes the spa and thermal suite as well.

 

 

Where are you getting this rule from?  Not where I'm from either. 

If you mean that NCL is applying this rule, rather than it being "an EU rule", it seems to contradict their own documentation on this.

QUOTE: "Mask is mandatory when you go around the ship also outside."

I thought that you didn't have to wear a mask outside once you could maintain social distancing?

17 hours ago, Trimone said:

On the tour to Serento I was in group bubble 23.

When arriving at the cafe in the square we were allowed 90 minutes free to wonder! This is totally against the rules that NCL have to abide by, furthermore the guide was advertising his family’s pizza shop outside the port gates, it was asking for trouble how can you isolate an issue, I mentioned this on return to the ship and was greeted with so I understand!! 

I don't get the logic of these Italian rules.  There is an EU covid passport, so you can fly in and wander around freely, so what is the issue with letting fully vaccinated passengers wander around freely.  What is the difference?

I seem to recall when another poster posted the Italian rule, it was vaguely worded about having proceses in place to ensure they knew where people were (could be wrong, have to look at it again), but maybe the cruiselines are taking this to too much limit - perhaps mobile numbers would have been sufficient.  Again, it doesn't make sense to worry about 100% vaccinated people off a ship and not anyone else.  

2 hours ago, Beamafar said:

The test onboard was certainly less “intrusive” than the one done prior to embarkation. 

Antigen or PCR?

12 hours ago, emerald6273 said:

We're getting Antigen Tests at Dublin Airport with Randox on same date of flight. Results in 1 hour. €35.

You're doing this just to know before you fly that you are clear, rather than because you have to get an antigen test done in advance, correct?

I am Platinum with a single occupancy booking coming up.  I have a friend coming with their own separate cabin, who is not Plat.  

Am I right in saying I can bring them to the 2 Plat. meals with me?

Don't know about this sailing, but I can tell you that 19th Sept. EPIC disappeared for all of yesterday and returned today.

4 hours ago, eileeshb said:

 There should be a link to add an additional form of payment, I know I saw it on the cruise booking I was looking at. I was looking applying a cruise next, a 10% discount voucher and credit card, so I’d have 3 forms of payment to apply. Once I’d selected the cruise next voucher, a link appeared to add another payment method, then I’d select the discount credit, link appears again and I’d pick credit card from the drop down. 

Thanks Eileeshb.  The problem was that, as in final payment, it required the full amount in one form, and wouldn't allow me do what you said.  Even when I rang, NCL couldn't do it.  

Good news though, after talking to a second agent, they made a call to another dept. and it was agreed to apply the part cruise cert towards the balance, which then reduced and I was able to pay the balance by card.

Thanks for all your opinions and assistance.

Thanks guys.  This cruise is in 12 days, so the system requires full final payment at this point, and their website does not appear to allow part cert/part card to pay for it.  So I was trying to get NCL assistants to apply the cert, then make the final payment afterwards on the website...

(@trivimp, yes, it does appear on dropdown but as said, can't be used as it is looking for 100% final payment).

I have a cruisenext voucher that wasn't available to me when I had made a booking.  I tried to apply it with an NCL agent today and they said it can only be applied as a deposit, not as a part payment of final payment.

Just wondering did anyone ever manage to do this?  Or are they always strictly for deposit only?

Thanks.

Are there any live bands in the Cavern?

Thanks all.  Will cancel and rebook, the FCC will always get used sometime in the future (they said it would take weeks, no way around it).

I currently have a booking for 26th Sept. on EPIC and due to external circumstances, want to change to 19th Sept. (and pay whatever fees/price changes would apply).  A call to an NCL agent suggested that I would have to cancel the 26th Sept. under Peace of Mind (and wait a couple of months for an FCC) and independently do a new booking and pay for 19th Sept.  

I thought I recalled seeing others being able to change bookings (even maintaining booking reference) before.  I could ring again just in case, but wondering if anyone has knowledge of this.

Thanks.

1 hour ago, ColeThornton said:

 

I'd choose the Epic just for the reasons you outlined.    Try something new.

+1

48 minutes ago, SpainAlien said:

Strangely his Twitter feed says

 

"Ho firmato un’ordinanza di proroga delle misure restrittive per arrivi da altri Paesi. Si dispone il superamento della mini quarantena di 5 giorni per chi viene dal Regno Unito nel caso in cui sia stato completato il ciclo vaccinale e contemporaneamente si abbia un test negativo."

 

Which Google translate reads as

"I signed an order extending the restrictive measures for arrivals from other countries.  The 5-day mini-quarantine is required for those coming from the United Kingdom in the event that the vaccination cycle has been completed and at the same time there is a negative test."

Here's a better translation from a translation site:

I signed an order extending restrictive measures for arrivals from other countries. It provides for the overcoming of the mini-quarantine of 5 days for those coming from the United Kingdom in the case in which the vaccination cycle has been completed and at the same time you have a negative test

It's beginning to feel like too much hassle to me at the moment, if I hadn't already booked I think I would be reconsidering.

Apologies if already posted.  Norwegian Epic’s 7-day Western Mediterranean sailings from Barcelona and Rome (Civitavecchia) from September 5, 2021 to October 24, 2021 - Spain requiring antigen test prior to returning to Barcelona, so itinerary changes...All these changes are beginning to make we wish I hadn't bothered booking 😞

Dear Valued Guests and Travel Partners:
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has important information regarding Norwegian Epic’s 7-day Western Mediterranean sailings from
Barcelona and Rome (Civitavecchia) with sail dates from September 5, 2021 through and including October 24, 2021. Travel
partners should share the below information with guests who may be affected .
In order to comply with requirements of the Spanish government which state that all guests must receive a disembarkation
COVID-19 antigen test prior to arriving back in Barcelona, the abovementioned itinerary has been changed. Please note, guests
who are embarking and disembarking in Rome (Civitavecchia) will not be required to take a disembarkation test, however, due to
this requirement for guests embarking and disembarking in Barcelona, all itineraries have been impacted. We are confident that we
will be able to administer disembarkation tests for all guests in an efficient and timely manner. The revised itineraries are as
follows
N. Epic 7-day Western Mediterranean round-trip from Barcelona:

Barcelona Spain Palma de Mallorca Spain Cagliari, Sardinia Italy Civitavecchia (Rome) Italy Naples Italy Livorno Italy At Sea
Barcelona Spain

N. Epic 7-day Western Mediterranean round-trip from Rome (Civitavecchia):

Naples Italy Cagliari, Sardinia Italy Palma de Mallorca Spain Barcelona Spain At Sea
Livorno Italy

Naples Italy Livorno Italy At Sea
Barcelona Spain Palma de Mallorca Spain Cagliari, Sardinia Italy Civitavecchia Italy

13 minutes ago, hank_moody_pl said:

You can find this regulation in italian DPCM from March 2, 2021. Point 53, paragraph 5: "Stopovers are permitted only in the states and territories listed in lists A, B and C of Annex 20 and free excursions are prohibited, for which the cruise services cannot adopt specific measures to prevent contagion. "

 

I don't know why, NCL, knowing this rule, was still advertising the cruise with the slogan: "No Restrictions on Shore Excursions, Feel Free to take the shore excursion you've been dreaming of or explore on your own!"

 

We can say that they cheated on us by selling West Mediterranean cruises without telling us what the truth is.

Thanks for this.  Ok, so "free excursions are prohibited, for which the cruise services cannot take specific measures to prevent contagion."

What measures are the Italians referring to here?  Perhaps NCL (and other operators) are being too careful - perhaps a specific measure such as ensuring all parties disembarking are noted so that they can be herded up later if necessary?  For the rule to be implemented, we need to know what the "specific measures" actually are.  Perhaps they are elsewhere in that long document!

5 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

I can answer the question as to why cruise lines are required to have a safe bubble whereas land-based operators do not: the media. 
(Fairly or unfairly, the media judged the cruise industry to be especially at risk of virus contagion, but the same charge was never leveled at land-based operators, hence the illogical discrepancy.) 

 

 

 

Wouldn't disagree with you in relation to the judgement by the media.  But not sure that this bias would lead to the Italian Govt. making separate rules for it.  Someone will find the official rule somewhere hopefully that explains it!

On 8/18/2021 at 11:55 PM, JennJ99738 said:

.......I am not upset with the Italian Government's mandate.  I understand that they have to do what they have to do to keep their citizens safe, if this is what it takes.  ..........

But they are stopping people independently going ashore from a ship, when those same people could travel to Italy by plane, show their vaccine pass, and head on their travels without restrictions.  So what is the difference between arriving by plane and arriving by ship?

On 8/19/2021 at 2:13 AM, debenson0723 said:

..........My issue is that NCL is saying this is an Italian government mandate but have failed to provide proof of that ............

It does not seem unreasonable to see exactly what rule this is.  Perhaps some on here understand the logic of not allowing fully vaccinated people off a ship unless in an "excursion bubble", but freely allowing people from the same countries free reign if arriving into Rome airport.

On 5/12/2021 at 5:43 PM, MarkieMarkNYC said:

I was excited about this until I saw the photos. I don't like having a balcony over a busy deck area and that is the case for all of the balconies. I'd rather look down at the sea and not have constant noise directly under me.

I just watched a video about the ship and this was my question.  Are NO balconies looking down to sea?  That would rule it out for me, and I love trying new ships.  I guess this will be a love it or hate it ship in that regard.

54 minutes ago, JoLoca2208 said:

Hi there! Yeah, we've only booked a couple of weeks ago, so possibly they will wait now till all the bids are done. I actually posted this question on the roll call 🙂

My friend got his cabin asignment yesterday, way after upgrade process started.  I don't think there is any relation to it (and it's an external company that manages the upgrades).

some seem to get assigned within a couple of days, and others just prior to sailing.

I am going on a cruise with a friend on Epic in Sept, and while I picked a cabin, he picked a guarantee, and his cabin was assigned about 7 days after booking.

I don't think it's anything to do with NCL needing potential cancellations, they already know they have sufficient capacity to fulfil all the guarantees.

You'll see when it's assigned under the "summary" page, where it goes from GTY to an actual cabin.  You might not get informed, so keep checking it.

For me, nobody will ever beat Tino Melendez, the original "one man party" of NCL that individually rocked the ships he got on.  What a charasmatic guy.   

Tino Melendez One Man Party Washy Washy Music Video