brandi0727

We booked an Excel Corner Suite on MG on February 5, 2020 for a cruise June, 2021. After discounts and the $500 cruise credit we had was applied,  we paid $7200 for 4 people. We were going to get the teens their own Excel cabin as well so we could all share the same perks, but we had the last one available so they wanted to be in our cabin to receive the perks that come with the Excel suites, rather than to have their own balcony room without the perks.  So it worked out and was a decent price I thought. It was the only available Excel suite at the time as everything else was already booked in that category.

We had two other cruises booked this year, one in June and one over Thanksgiving, but both were canceled. So we're hoping all will be good for next June. 

34 minutes ago, snoozecrooze said:

Paging @Biker19 for.....a possible 2022-2023 deployment thread?? (reference: here). Kidding, of course.

 

But the deployment for summer 2022 and onwards is sort of considered "2022-2023" and based on when 2021 came out, you will start seeing the press releases in November/December of this year and the bookings open shortly thereafter, but a lot of investigating, researching, etc. can lead you to your clues of what ships go where well beforehand. 

 

Bookmark this: https://loyaltoyoualways.com/deployment/ for your information.

Perfect! Thank you so much! I tried searching myself but did not think to use "deployment" in the search. 

Hello,

I'm wondering if anyone might have an idea of when the cruiselines will start opening bookings for summer of 2022? I've seen some itineraries date as far out as April, 2022 but wondered how far in advance do they usually roll out the summer itineraries? Around 24-26 months ahead? We are looking into European/Mediterranean, Polynesian/ Tahitian/South Pacific, or similar for June,  2022. Thank you for any feedback!

Maybe take a screenshot of the $20 off deal. When you get on the ship, all 3 of you go to the spa and expect to get in since all 3 of you are booked in one spa cabin. If they give you issues, ask them where it stipulates the 3rd person isn't entitled to the spa. If they show you,  then tell them you didn't know since you didn't see it stipulated on your paperwork,  and ask them if they'll honor the $20 discount due to that fact.  Worse case scenario you pay $20 more, but I think the 3rd person will be included. Just be prepared for the worst case scenario and plan for the best. Have a great time!

29 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

For all 6 of the BA/BA Plus ships, a standard balcony or mini-suite that sleeps 4 will be as shown in the picture above (mirrored image for port vs starboard). The bed can split (guests 1&2), the sofa converts into a bed (guest 3), and the pullman (guest 4) drops from above the sofa. This doesn't apply to suites, however.

Perfect! Thank you so much! 😊

1 hour ago, zqvol said:

Here is the description from the deck plans

 

Mini-Suite

- Queen-size bed (that can be separated)
- pillow top mattress
- chestnut leather headboard cushioned and tufted to make reading and sitting up in bed more comfortable
- Built in vanity area
- full closet with sliding doors
- recessed nook under 26-inch television
- sofa bed
- double sink with two faucets complete with mosaic glass tile backsplash and under sink storage
- waterfall shower with multiple body spray jets and handheld shower head
- safe, refrigerator, hairdryer.

Balcony sizes ranges from 42 to 63 square feet. Category M6 Mini-Suites is 227 to 299 square feet plus 102 to 140 square foot balcony.
*Cabin size and layout may differ from size, diagrams and pictures shown.

Note that I highlighted that it has a sofa bed. The fourth berth probably drops out of the ceiling, but until you are on board you won't know for sure.

That's what I found too and the picture, but I couldn't see what cabin determined receiving the 4th berth. I'm hoping for the best. The TA said it sleeps 4, but she couldn't see how the 4th would be set up.  Thank you for the help!🤞😊

1 hour ago, outtabux said:

Yes, this should be the floorplan and sleeping arrangement for 4 in a mini suite. 

Great. Thank you! 

We booked cabins on Encore for Mid-ship Mini-Suite with balcony, deck 15 for 4 people each cabin.  

I can't tell if the attached picture is the potential layout for this kind of cabin. Cabin code: MA +

We need the bed configuration shown as the queen bed will be for the adults, but need two other beds that are separated for age and sex differences. Don't want opposite sex friends sleeping in the same bed. Does the (+) indicate 4 beds? I can't tell if there's a pull down bed above the couch in the sister ship of the Encore.  One cabin we booked was MA-15168+ on the Encore.

If anyone knows please advise if this layout isn't the case for this specific cabin, then what cabins would have this set up? I'd appreciate the help as rebooking may be in order. 

6 minutes ago, All-ready2cruise said:

Oh my, LOL, you're so lucky to be a CC member b/c I can see it would be confusing. Can  I recommend that you look at the restaurants available.

 

https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/why-cruise-norwegian/cruise-dining

 

Not all restaurants posted here are available on all ships but certainly most will be.  While Cagney's is my most favourite specialty restaurant there are many other's, including Le Bistro, are available. 

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise. 

I'm thrilled to know those are included on that list.  We like Teppanyaki on land so that would be fun to experience on a cruise. Thank you!😊

39 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

No, the restriction is one entree, but other courses are included and not restricted.

 

The meals also aren't restricted to Cagneys or Le Bistro. It is just that those are the two restaurants where additional entrees are chargeable.

Interesting.  In our documents it is worded rather oddly. It states "one main course included per person." Does "main course" have a different interpretation than on land? We go to a restaurant and you can order appetizers,  main course options,  and desserts. But one can order just the "main course" if that's all they desired.  It would appear more as a 3 course meal if you have all 3 included. But if they are specifically only talking about those 2 restaurants then that makes sense what you said. Since they didn't mention any other options that is what is confusing. 

My documents also stated it "includes one main course at Cagney's and Le Bistro." Being new to NCL, I would not know other options are available because of the way they stipulated it.  If they stated something like " we have "this many" specialty dining options, but if you choose to eat at Cagney's or Le Bistro, only the main course is included and additional items will have an upcharge" then it would imply that one has options. But the way that it is stipulated appears as if it's only those 2 dining places with only the main course included.  

I'm happy to read that it is not that way, as I rather you be right and have more options.  Just confusing to a newcomer to NCL and not knowing how it all works. 

Thanks for the clarification!😊

Encore will be our first cruise with NCL. When I booked recently for the 7 night,  we received 3 specialty dining meals at either Cagney's or Le Bistro for two. When you read the fine print,  it's just for the main course.  Therefore,  if you order just that one item it's included. If you order an appetizer and dessert it's an upcharge, as it is a la carte dining.  Additionally, you will be charged the gratuities for those items. Not a big deal,  but others may have not noticed. 😊

Do you happen to know if I purchased the unlimited week pass for the Go-Karts, would that still require reservations each day for the week?

I just went through this myself.  We had booked a Journeys cruise on the Carnival Sunrise for June, 2020. We weren't thinking about the ship, but moreso what itinerary and departure port. After reading the horrible reviews and negative responses regarding the ship,  and how overcrowded it is now that they made venues smaller to accommodate more cabins(more passengers), it no longer was appealing.  I can filter out negative people,  but genuinely receptive passengers were not thrilled with the ship either. That is when I decided I would take the hit and cancel.  I had the Early Saver, therefore it was non-refundable. But I was given future cruise credit so I can still use most of the deposit toward another cruise on a bigger and newer Carnival ship next time.  By switching to NCL and booking on the ship, Encore, we still get to go to Bermuda,  but have a lot more activities and shows on board with a brand new clean ship. It has the same amount of passengers, but it has the capacity to hold these passengers unlike the smaller ship. I'm technically only out $200 for the admin fee for canceling,  and as long as I use the credit within 24 months, the rest will be applied to that cruise. You should definitely go with your gut when it comes to choosing what is best for you, because it's usually right. 😊

27 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Keep in mind that by accepting the beverage package that you have been or will be charged gratuity on them. If you’re only going to drink soda, you might be better off financially to buy that package with the money you save by not paying that alcohol gratuity. 

That was what my travel agent was informing me of too. She tried to get the cabin booked without all of that, but it actually came out cheaper with it even with including the gratuities for the beverage package. Additionally, the TA company that I used offered me a cash card for $400 to spend at their warehouse and it will be sent to me after the cruise. So we are ok with it. We will buy the soda package for the two teens so they can have drinks as well. But we did try the opt out option first. It just wasn't as favorable. Thank you for bringing that up though, it's always a good idea to try and figure out the best option. 😊

37 minutes ago, FLAHAM said:

At $4+ for a cupful, you definitely want to buy the soda package for your kids.  Pepsi products only on board.  "Juice" is free at the buffet, but it's just sugary artificial juice.

I think that would be a great idea.  They'd probably appreciate some variety with their beverages. Thank you!:)

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Watch for a BirdTravels live post from the Encore once the ship starts sailing from Miami later this year. 

 

The Encore, Bliss, Joy and Escape are sister ships. And the Encore is first cousin to the Breakaway and Getaway. The questions you asked are the same for all of these ships (if you are looking for reviews and comments). From a features perspective (go karts, laser tag, galaxy pavilion - another thing to book as soon as you board), it is closest to the Joy, then the Bliss. 

  I will certainly look for the live post! I will check out the ships you mentioned as well to get an idea about what to expect. Thank you!:)

Just now, bakersdozen12 said:

Your future cruise credit is tied to the booking number of the cruise that you cancelled. When you book another cruise, you will need to call Carnival and give them that booking number, and they will apply the FCC to your new booking. Also, be aware that your FCC cannot be used towards the deposit for a new cruise unless you book the new one at the same time you cancelled the old one. 

 We did not book another one with Carnival when we canceled. If they apply it to the price of the cruise that is ideal. If not, and they apply it as OBC we are going to have to up our purchases to ensure we spend all of the credit. EIther way its still better than forfeiting it. Thanks for the help!:)

I had a Journeys cruise booked on Carnival Sunrise for June, 2020.  We booked Early Saver which makes our deposit non-refundable, and we additionally booked a couple of shore excursions. We canceled the booking today along with the shore excursions. We instead opted for a new ship with NCL on the Encore for next year. I know that we pay a $50/pp admin fee, but I was informed that the remainder of the funds will be given as future cruise credit to be used witin 24 months. Do you get some sort of email as confirmation, or does it just appear when you go to book another cruise as I haven't received an email about it yet? We will book for another time on a newer ship with Carnival, but did not know how to apply the FCC to the reservation. Is it applied toward the deposit, final payment, or OBC? Anyone have experience with this? Thanks!

9 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Enjoy the Encore!!!!  More information will be available once the ship sets sail for the first time.

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! I'm looking forward to researching all the reviews once they get sailing. I usually do all the Google searches myself, but the fact that the ship is not complete or sailing yet makes it difficult to really know what to expect, especially never having sailed with NCL before and not knowing how they do things. Thanks again!:)

I just canceled a cruise with Carnival after realizing it wasn't what we thought it would be. So we started looking at NCL and found the Encore. We booked it for June, 2020, but could use some advice or tips. It appears that information is different for the various NCL ships. Being new to this line, I would like to have as much helpful info I could get to plan for a smooth sailing. If there is anything else that would be useful besides answers to the questions below please let me know. Thanks!:)

-Do we have to wait until we board to buy and reserve times for the Go-Kart weekly rate package and the Laser Tag or does it become available online closer to embarkation?

-Freestyle dining, is it just show up and wait for an available table or do we still have to book reservations when we know when we want to arrive? 

-When booking specialty dining is that available online closer to embarkation or do we have to do that on board and is dress code more elegant for these restaurants?

-We received the "Take All Offers" with the "Free at Sea" promotion booked for 7 nights. We received the "Unlimited Open Bar" for two adults, but we aren't big drinkers. Could we use that for soda and juices moreso than alcohol? Do we have to purchase our two teens a beverage package too or do they just purchase sodas as they go, since we are all in the cabin together?

-Do shows and comedy acts have to be booked ahead of time online or once on board, or is it first come-first serve in those venues?

Thanks for any info you can offer!:)

55 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

My scenario of the no smoking sign was merely an analogy that was much more in line with the wording of their T-shirt rule than the examples you used. The fact that you took it as a literal comparison between T-shirts and a dangerous scenario is a complete misrepresentation of my point. A straw-man, if you will.

 

What floats my boat is that saying "T-shirts not permitted" is the same as "Please no T-shirts." In this case (context), no does means no. You're arguing that the word "please" alters it into a guideline or merely a suggestion. Wrong. It's just a polite way of saying NO. You seem to be the one who's perceiving it differently. There's no spin here, it is what it is.

 

In the screen capture you posted, they even use the "Please" wording under the Cruise Elegant section. It says: "Please no shorts, t-shirts, flip-flop, bathing clothes, jeans, cut-off jeans, sportswear and baseball caps." Do you really think all of those are just guidelines or suggestions for elegant nights just because they say please at the beginning?

 

Carnival does have legitimate rules. But as many of us have seen on board their ships, some of those rules aren't always enforced, much to the disappointment of many of us. It might be a particular crew on a ship or individual crew members, but for whatever reason, the (legitimate) rules aren't always enforced. That doesn't make them non-rules. You said, "When rules are enforced, they don't have deviation." Well, here comes another one of my examples. 😉 Speed limits are rules, are they not? They're laws, but laws are basically just strict rules. And speed limits are enforced. Yet people still deviate from that rule by speeding. Cops deviate from the rule by occasionally choosing not to stop someone who's speeding. According to you, any deviation makes the rule not a rule anymore.

 

The T-shirts rule may not always be enforced. Heck, it may rarely be enforced. But it's still a rule until they say it isn't. I think HerbertandB brought up an excellent point. More than likely, the rule has to remain in place, even though they don't enforce it much, for the occasions that someone might (and probably has) worn a shirt with something very inappropriate or offensive on it. So in this case, they don't necessarily need to enforce the rule all the time, but it's still in place for when they need to enforce it some of the time. It may be casual night, but casual has its limits, too. I can't explain this any more clearly, so this back & forth is going nowhere. Follow the rules or don't follow the rules, that's your choice.

 

 

You may dissect everything I say all day long and place it in whatever context you need to try and validate your thoughts.  It won't change facts. 

You want to take bits and pieces of my posts to suit your agenda instead of understanding its use in the context we are are dealing with here.  The original post was about the MDR on cruise causal nights.  One Carnival website said, "yes",  another website said, "please no" and John Heald today on Facebook said, "it's fine" to wear a t-shirt.

It's about consistency and having at least the same guidelines on every Carnival website around the world and their promoters. THIS IS WHY THEIR DRESS CODE  "RULES"  ARE FLAWED, NOT FOLLOWED, AND FULL OF LOOPHOLES.

You do not reflect on, or digest what is actually being presented to you.  Your analogies don't have validity. You can repeat yourself over and over again, but it won't help you understand.  I will resort back to my previous comment to another poster that uses your same approach. 

I can't help you comprehend what a policy, a rule, and a law is and their differences. ( You can Google the differences.)

When a corporation, business, or private practice implement rules they come from written policies. Some of these policies are federally and state regulated to enforce legal business tactics and some are rules of the company to prevent lawsuits, discrimination, and non-conformity.

 

 Let me put it this way. I am a doctor in marriage and family counseling and medical therapy.  I employ several MFT's in my practice. I have policies in place that each client and therapist must adhere to. The policies implement rules to ensure all are treated fairly and respectfully. I am obligated to abide by all federal and state regulations to prevent any form of discrimination or unsafe practices. I have a multitude of people I'm responsible for.  If I allowed my therapists, my office manager, or the patients to deviate from my rules, the integrity of my policies, implementation of the rules, and my practice would be compromised, in addition to the lives of those involved.

The rules are clearly and formally stated. If anyone deviates from said rules,  there will be action taken and the consequences of those actions will be rendered by the person found at fault. Therefore,  there is no deviating from the rules, ever. They are strictly enforced. If I allow one therapist to do one thing, but not another,  am I truly implementing rules? At that point it could be considered discrimination, because I'm picking and choosing who I let get away with what. Do I allow one patient to yell, scream and become violent, and the others get reassigned to another facility if they do the same? Absolutely not.

It's a slippery slope when rules are not consistent,  clearly stipulated,  and fully enforced. 

1 hour ago, fyree39 said:

And this is one of the several reason why I'd just as soon not cruise Carnival anymore.  It's not the line,  it's *some* of the passengers with really bad manners and attitudes, yours included.

It's unfortunate you let what others do or say dictate what you do in your life. The diversity in this world will always involve people we don't agree with or get along with.  They are everywhere.  But if you focus on your own journey and the things that bring you happiness, and help you appreciate life,  you will no longer care what others do on their journeys. It's a win-win for all. 

50 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

So if someone says "please don't touch me" or even a more neutral "please stay off the grass" because it was a request and not a "rule" that we can all ignore requests if we feel like it?

Speed limits are rules.  Age limits for drinking are a rule.  Many drugs have rules associated with them.  They are even sometimes enforced.  There are also lots of deviation from the rules - does that mean laws don't mean anything since they are not 100% enforced?

I can't help you comprehend what a policy, a rule, and a law is and their differences. When a corporation, business, or  private practice implement rules they come from written policies. Some of these policies are federally and state regulated to enforce legal business tactics and some are rules of the company to prevent lawsuits, discrimination, and non-conformity.

 Let me put it this way. I am a doctor in marriage and family counseling and medical therapy.  I employ several MFT's in my practice. I have policies in place that each client and therapist must adhere to. The policies implement rules to ensure all are treated fairly and respectfully. I am obligated to abide by all federal and state regulations to prevent any form of discrimination or unsafe practices. I have a multitude of people I'm responsible for.  If I allowed my therapists, my office manager, or the patients to deviate from my rules, the integrity of my policies, implementation of the rules, and my practice would be compromised, in addition to the lives of those involved.

The rules are clearly and formally stated. If anyone deviates from said rules,  there will be action taken and the consequences of those actions will be rendered by the person found at fault. Therefore,  there is no deviating from the rules, ever. They are strictly enforced. If I allow one therapist to do one thing, but not another,  am I truly implementing rules? At that point it could be considered discrimination, because I'm picking and choosing who I let get away with what. Do I allow one patient to yell, scream and become violent, and the others get reassigned to another facility if they do the same? Absolutely not.

It's a slippery slope when rules are not consistent,  clearly stipulated,  and fully enforced. 

14 minutes ago, sanmarcosman said:

You just seconded my motion.

I've actually been stressing this through this entire post. I merely wrote your response in layman's terms so they aren't misconstrued. It's blatantly obvious to some, others not so much.

1 minute ago, sanmarcosman said:

So lame per usual. Asking " have you seen people wear t shirts " and him saying " many, many people wear T-shirts " is a non-poll poll. Ergo the discussion rolls on and on. The only rule on Carnival anymore is you must wear clothes in the MDR ( including a chartered clothing optional cruise apparently per the other hot topic thread.)

Consistency is key.  You want rules you enforce them.  Vagueness in his response only further proves the point that these aren't rules. If they were rules he would have certainly expressed the rule, but that didn't happen. He gave a guideline once again,  "provided they are not the Tony Soprano type sleeveless vests" further implying dress code rules don't exist and are merely suggestions.