Tinyturtle22

As of this week, for new bookings it will apply the shore excursion credit automatically online when you add it to your cart. Your latitudes discount will show up when you check out.  So now when you book online you only pay the final price after all discounts. This is for NEW bookings only. It’s not available for the cruises I booked prior to this week.

 If you call to book you will have to pay but it should be the discounted price. But that also may depend on when you booked.

Luggage drop off is the same as always out front. It’s the same terminal but they have set up a HUGE check in area  for Epic. After security You pass by the old check in room and go to the right into a new room I haven’t seen before. When you are done checking in you literally walk outside and onto the ship directly from the pier onto deck 4.  Super easy but a lot of walking and the gangways are pretty steep. 

There is a “guided ship tour” at 3pm.  
 

Lifeboat drill is rumored to be at 5pm but have not confirmed that.

Also the Disney Wonder is at Pan Am but they have a separate drive so no problem there.

I was just told that cabins should be ready at 2pm. And they found my card in the Haven box. I’m not in the Haven...

Just boarded. Left my hotel in Condado at about 11:30. Took about a 5 minute Uber ride ( I have a discount code for $2off your next 3 rides, not sure if I’m allowed to post that here). 
 

Arrived at the port to find it already boarding. There was a scavenger hunt trying to find my sail card and they ultimately printed me another one. I’m sitting in Taste now waiting for my lunch.

Be advised that if you have any kind of mobility issues check in at the special assistance desk. The ship is boarding from the pier.

59 minutes ago, rosieast said:

Update ! We receive confirmation that we will NOT be upgraded ! oh well next cruise maybe !

Sorry. Maybe you can still get spa passes.

I hope you have a great trip! 
 

48 minutes ago, rosieast said:

We bid 500 $ each for a spa balcony x 2 = 1000.  Maybe it will happen. If not, well, we are still going away from the winter and that's definitely a plus.

The spa cabins on Epic are very desirable and sell out quickly. Maybe consider bidding $300 ish on a regular balcony and purchase a spa pass. It think it would greatly increase your chances. Good luck!

37 minutes ago, rosieast said:

Well it is 2 days before sailing, I guess we won't be upgraded. very disappointed.

I’m on this sailing also. I’m actually enroute to San Juan right now.

I received my upgrade yesterday around noon. I went from an IB inside on 11 to a family balcony on 14. My original cabin was a full comp from Casino at Sea so I bid quite high $300 x 2=$600 total.  I was hoping for one of the family balconies on 14 and was super happy to get it. Under the Garden Cafe so pretty quiet and right down the hall from the gym.

There is still a change for you to get upgraded today. Hopefully you will. I’m solo on this cruise so I’m assuming that the lifeboats are at capacity since they put me in a family cabin. Upgrades are tricky when you have a lot of families maxing out cabins. 

The studio complex is for adults only. You will not be allowed to book anyone under 21 in a studio cabin.

11 minutes ago, drumming cruisers said:

 

If it cant  be used why did it show up as a payment option for the CAS reservation ? There were no restrictions noted on the payment page that I saw, if that's correct why did it accept the payment? Is CAS open on weekends?

Because it’s a new program and they haven’t worked out all the website issues.  

You can’t use the Casino Reward on a CAS booking.  
 

You will probably need to call CAS and have it fixed. It might fall off on its own but I wouldn’t risk losing the credit.

18 minutes ago, Plut0 said:

Do you know what dates will the Freedom of the Seas be in dry dock?

Freedom has no sailings scheduled between January 19 and March 1. I think the first official sailing is now scheduled for March 8. 

Just got my letter and tags today as well. I’m staying the previous night in a hotel by the beach so I’ll probably leave there around 12-12:30. I’m platinum so I should not have any problem getting on the ship at 1pm.

2 minutes ago, mimmy52 said:

What is your embarkation date?

1/26

It’s a terrible pier for a ship that size but I think the RCL ship will be gone before our sailing. I think it’s going into dry dock or something.

I didn’t get a letter. But I live in the middle of nowhere so it will probably show up sometime after we come back.

9 minutes ago, Tricialy said:

 

I can see the credit under my husbands account, but how do you apply it?  Did you have to call?  Our next cruise (June, 2020) is booked through a TA so there is no area to make a payment.  Thanks!!

 

I applied it online but my cruise is directly through NCL. It’s in the regular payment section just like a cruise next certificate would be. You will probably have to call your TA.

8 minutes ago, callmebetty said:

I just got off the phone. The way the rep explained it...We could either take the balcony comp or the $450 discount, not both. And she said the discount had to be booked and sailed between 12/10 and 3/1. She said they are trying to fill up ships. Not sure why ncl would think I would choose the discount over the comp. I am going to try again tomorrow morning because I am mind boggled!

I just had another thought. Perhaps this is intended for those that were comped something less than a suite that want to book a suite. Since there are set category upgrade prices (we were told 1250pp on top of current casino category fare which we upgraded from balcony to aft) it would have cost us 1500 over the regular rate to book a suite outright without CAS designation.. By using the discount, you would get the perks of the actual category you book, not the comped category. That's the only logical reason I can think of. I could be completely wrong.

It’s for new bookings or bookings not before final payment just like cruise next. I applied it to a December 2020 Epic cruise in a studio with no problem. 
 

They aren’t going to give you a comp and a discount on the same cruise. 

2 minutes ago, dbrown84 said:

Are you going on the Breakaway, Jan 11th?  I'm on that sailing full comp.  No reward in my account though 😞

No I’m on Epic January 26 out of San Juan. 

They just started the reward program on December 10th so I’m sure more will be coming.   
 

My last comp cruise was supposed to be Breakaway September 1st which obviously never happened so maybe that’s why I got one of the $325 certificates in the first batch. The CAS rep I talked to said they didn’t really get much info about it just that it’s a new thing they are trying.
 

I have a feeling CAS is going to have a lot of changes over the next year. Not sure if that’s good or bad. 

28 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

 

it's for light gamblers who dont gamble enough to get a free cruise offer but do gamble enough to qualify for something towards their next cruise.

a 'free' cruise has a trade in value of $550 incase you dont want that itinerary.

 

No it isn’t. I get full comps all the time. I’m going on a full comp 11 day leaving in January. It’s a new program that just launched last week. Testing different incentives. And I’m sure moving some CAS Bookings to online in order to reduce actual human agents and reduce overhead costs.

So I just talked to CAS and it’s not actually an OBC it’s basically a cruise next certificate for a credit towards a cruise booked between the dates on the “certificate”. For the dates on mine I have to book between those dates for any sailing before Jan 31 2021. It’s is also combinable with cruise next. Just add them one at a time like for the double up offers.

I have one too. No idea even how to use it.

5

1 hour ago, SouthLyonCruiser said:

The only problem I find with that is that the $50 in in non refundable credits which we have no use for.

If you prepay it is refundable. I have done it dozens of times. If you don’t want to do it that way then don’t.

4 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

The Terms and Conditions specifically state that the credit is non-refundable. It’s helpful to read them. 

If you prepay your excursions it’s is refundable. That part of the T&C applies to just reserving them. They are then charged to your account on the first night of the cruise and you are given the $50 after the excursion is completed. 

There is nothing wrong with the reef systems at Bonaire.
 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/18/travel/coral
I just personally think the “best snorkeling in the world “ they claim is overstatement and wouldn’t want anyone who has snorkeled elsewhere in the Caribbean to go with overly high expectations. Beautiful yes, best in the world, no way.