janice2348

We booked a forward suite on deck 12 (on NCL Jade)  in 2018 as an upgrade. Not only was the pitching motion more pronounced, we could hardly use the forward deck because it was so windy. I think the OP made the right call to decline. 

6 hours ago, Ladyshopper23 said:

We were so disappointed. I'd been raving to everyone about how good our experience had been in November with the special diets coordinator, and everything I've read suggests that every ship has one.

Definitely not on Dawn though. I even wrote a letter to the food and beverage director to ask the question, and to provide some constructive feedback about other GF issues we were experiencing onboard. She very kindly came and found us, and had a long chat. She totally understood, as she is gluten intolerant herself. However, she's fairly new to NCL, and had never heard of a special diets coordinator. She brought the restaurant manager to the chat, and he said that prior to covid they'd had them, but since then not so much.

To be honest, it didn't sound he really knew much, but I found it very odd that the sister ship of the one we were on had one, but not this one. 

Our eating experience on Dawn was not great, in fact it was quite hard work. We found one maitre d who was very good with special diets and pre-orders, so we stuck to the one restaurant he was in. Our best meal of the cruise was in Los Lobos, the speciality mexican restaurant. The maitre d in there really knew his stuff including about cross contamination, and pretty much everything on the menu was either already GF, or could be adapted quite easily. The food in there was gorgeous.

If I'd been a first time cruiser, especially on NCL, I would have found the whole eating experience really hard work, as no-one was particularly forthcoming about things. It's only through our own knowledge of cruising NCL before that we knew you could ask for GF pizza and pasta in the buffet for example, and GF bagels, toast, cookies and muffins at breakfast. 

They must have had supply issues, as there was no individual wrapped portions of butter in the buffet until day 8 of the cruise. Before that it was in a big bowl right next to the bread, a huge no no. When we finally got a member of staff to understand why we needed fresh butter, it took 15 minutes, and the poor guy had to go all the way down to deck 3 to get it. We remedied this by buying our own butter and jam at a port stop, which definitely made life easier!

We've gone from really looking forward to our Getaway cruise in October to be wary of it, and this is all down to the lack of special diets coordinator and poor gluten free dining experience on Dawn as a result. Having the special diets coordinator is something that really sets NCL apart from other cruise lines (something I put in my blog write up and also in my letter to the food and beverage director).

I'm really hoping that our experience on Dawn was unusual, and it will be back to having fab dining on the Getaway. Fingers crossed!

Im really sorry to hear this.  I sailed on Jade and POA and they were both awesome. I’m guessing they are understaffed since the pandemic.  I hope NCL remedies this.  In a situation like this, it pays to do your research on what foods you can and can’t eat. When I first became gluten intolerant, I googled everything ( is it gluten free?). Some if the answers surprised me- like soy sauce has gluten, but buckwheat doesn’t??  I used to write a blog on being gluten intolerant.  I did an extensive write up on my experience with NCL.  I’ve since found a way to be able to eat gluten ( I am not celiac) but I still try to help others whenever I can who are going through the same struggles.  Ask questions about everything. Mistakes in communication or lack of staff knowledge in can result in unpleasant digestive symptoms.  Mistakes happen. 
Don’t be afraid to speak up.  If something feels or looks wrong, don’t eat it.  Most things can be made gluten free. You just have to ask.  I’m hoping your cruise on the Getaway goes much better for you!

Contact special needs department before sailing to let them know.  You will be assigned a dietary coordinator once onboard who will help you to choose your meals in advance.  Just ask to see them. I was able to eat at almost every restaurant with advance planning.  They are really good at making just about everything gluten free.They will work with you and give you suggestions.  I avoided the buffet due to cross-contamination but if you choose to go there let the chef know and they can prepare fresh food for you or can walk you through the buffet and tell you what is safe. I wouldn’t trust just winging it.  Be careful of untrained staff. Always tell the server that your pre-prepared meal is waiting for you once seated.  If there is an issue, ask to speak to your coordinator. I had Jocelyn on my last cruise in 2018. She was awesome!

On 8/31/2023 at 6:27 PM, mjkacmom said:

We’ve never alerted anyone when we went to lunch the first day, they just showed up at our table. 4 different NCL ships and never had a bad experience. Omg the platter of food they brought to my daughter for breakfast (in the buffet) was incredible. I don’t think she ever ate better.

I’m glad it worked out for you 

Contacting guest services in advance ensures that there will be enough gluten free items onboard for all that need it.  It also alerts the person in charge of special dietary issues that they need to meet with at your first meal after you board.  You just need to alert your server to go and get them.  
The staff is wonderful when it comes to celiac disease but you have to give them a heads up.  I was able to eat in almost every restaurant onboard with a little advanced planning.  I was told to avoid the buffet due to cross contamination. If you do go to the buffet, talk to the chef in charge; they will make you fresh food.  Al’s, be aware that not all staff is properly trained. Always double check that your food is gluten free before eating it.  

9 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Does your insurance have a $2500 deductible?

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Big band, or Rat Pack would be great. I guess they’re trying to appeal to a wider audience but there’s a time and place for other music.  JMHO. 

We wrote our butler a letter in advance with a list of afternoon snacks that we wanted. We also ordered off of several specialty dining menus. I’m sure with advance notice you could be accommodated. It depends on the butler. Some are more willing to do what you ask than others.  It’s certainly worth a try.  

Someone said take a picture of your passport photo ( if you have one). 

On 8/8/2023 at 8:14 AM, cruiseny4life said:

Huh? I've always pre-booked Teppanyaki. We've gone there on all four of our cruises and always pre-booked. Cruising Pr1ma in November and pre-booked Hasuki just the other day. 

 

Is not pre-booking Teppanyaki a Pride of America thing? Or (and I think more likely) Teppanyaki's pre-booked reservations are full. Of course, in this case, it's best to talk with the concierge as soon as you board so you can get one of the remaining spots. 

I was able to book Teppanyaki before I boarded the POA in 2016. Maybe that’s changed?

3 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Just a slight variance to Gary’s post, generally speaking concierges make reservations and escort you on/off the ship in my experiences.  Butlers serve meals and takes care of your needs IN your suite (refresh coffee maker items, bring meals ordered in advance, etc).

Yes that’s my experience also. But Gary really has it down to a science. Great advice!

3 hours ago, omahabob said:

I wonder if things have changed. We got no treats and no bottle of wine.

I would have asked for them, but that’s just me 😁

In this case I would speak to a manager. Go up the chain. If they can’t fix it I would definitely push for compensation.  

On 5/23/2023 at 9:52 AM, Homosassa said:

The OP wanted Paxlovid.

 

Paxlovid has a long list of contraindications in patients with certain conditions such as heart,  kidney and liver problems.  There is a long list of interactions with commonly prescribed prescription drugs.

 

To safely prescribe  Paxlovid to an unknown patient walking into the medical center for the first time, there would be a battery for tests to screen for  all  known contraindicated medical conditions'

 

They would be costly to the patient and then there is the actual cost of Paxlovid itself.

 

Keep in mind that for any expenses in the medical center on board, it is an out of pocket expense that must be paid by the passenger before disembarking the ship.

 

Any recovery of costs through available insurance is on the passenger to file for and receive after the cruise.

 

It is  entirely understandable that the medical center warned someone who wanted Paxlovid of the costs of the required testing and the cost of the drug.

 

Six thousand dollars to cover all testing (ECG, kidney and liver function, etc) and the cost of the drug itself is reasonable and to be expected.

Neither my husband or I can take Paxlovid due to medication interactions.  We are both vaxxed and boosted. I’ve had it twice, but my husband has never had it. We recognize that cruising poses a risk. Personally I would just self-quarantine in my cabin and not notify medical unless one of us got seriously ill.  But it’s a personal decision whether or not to report it.  Covid is no longer a pandemic.  But it’s still out there. I’m more worried about catching  nonovirus than Covid on our next cruise. 

The butler can do a lot for you. When we sailed in a suite we wrote a note for our butler outlining snacks we wanted delivered. They can bring pretty much anything you ask for.  Our butler arranged a lovely dinner on our balcony, complete with white tablecloth.  
 

This article might help:

https://frequentfloaters.com/what-are-the-things-you-can-request-from-your-norwegian-cruise-lines-butler-service/

Lots of great info on the Alaska board

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/

On 7/21/2023 at 4:20 PM, BirdTravels said:

First and foremost, don’t believe everything you read on the internet. It is a lot of complaining,,, by people who have never sailed on the POA. 

 

The POA is the absolute best way to see Hawaii. And you save the time and expense of having to sail from the west coast on other lines. 
 

You are in port every day. You have two overnight port calls that enable you to maximize the Hawaii experience, if you choose. A luau at night, sunrise from the top of a volcano and a bike ride down, if you choose. 

 

Have they changed the itinerary,,, sure have. And a lot of people who have never been on the POA and never will be on the POA slam NCL for something irrelevant to them. Whatever. Just Fake News. 
 

Have they had a hard time getting US crew members after the pandemic. Sure have,,, to the point of having to reduce passenger load and reduce service for a while. But the goal was to provide a service, even if slightly diminished. But if you look at the US travel industry in general, that is true. We stay at upper-middle class hotels 3-4 times a month… and there is insufficient staff to clean the rooms and serve the food. 
 

Things are getting better. POA is your floating hotel. Use her. Enjoy her. It is the only way the cruise Hawaii!  

 

Attached is a post from last week asking a question a couple of weeks ago. 

 

I totally agree. We sailed POA in 2016. Truly an amazing experience.  Food and crew great; scenery spectacular.  I’d do it again in a heartbeat. 
 

Take Bonine with you. Yes you can get it at the desk but if you have your own you can take one before you board the ship. It works great for me but YMMV. 

On 7/22/2023 at 3:40 PM, Saint Greg said:

As someone who doesn’t like long meals…I say it’s worth doing once. I did it in Feb and would do it again.

 

https://www.saintgregtravel.com/chefs-table-on-carnival-magic/

 

 

Loved your video. Thank you for posting it. 

NCL was amazing with my gluten intolerance on two sailings. I have booked the Bliss for Alaska in 2025

whatever line you choose, be sure to contact their special needs department in advance so they are aware of your sisters celiac. This is really important.  She should be assigned a dietary coordinator ( this varies by ship). Advance planning is key here.  Also, be vigilant. There are a lot of untrained staff who are unaware of food allergies as @dd57 stated.  Your dietary coordinator will work with her to make sure that she can eat safely.  I had some amazing meals on NCL. The only thing I found lacking was desserts. I only had fruit as a choice.  I’m hoping they have gotten better with that.  

I took bonine before a helicopter ride in Hawaii. I had no issues with motion sickness. 

I had an acrylic nail repaired in the Jade back in 2016. She didn’t do so great a job but she did match my polish. I wouldn’t recommend it. Get your nails filled before you go. 

Our Bliss cruise in May of 2025 is going to glacier bay. 

22 hours ago, chillyw said:

 

It was definitely crowded, but it was also July 4th week.  Prime weather, prime holiday, prime crowds.  I did the Bliss when it was brand new in Alaska in October, and way less crowded, but the weather was awful and you couldn't see anything.

Thank you.  She’s in the running for sure.