sanger727

This is the problem. Especially since people with ESA's often label their dogs as "service dogs"; either because they don't understand the difference or know that ESA's are not often welcomed in public places.

No, I understood. You originally wanted to arrive around 5:30 and be one of the first to be seated so you could request a window seat. Many of the other diners on your cruise were willing to queue up well ahead of 5:30 and celebrity opened the venue early - which pushed you to be ready earlier than preferred. You are also operating with an assumption that if celebrity didn't open the venue early, people wouldn't continue to queue early. I don't think that's a valid assumption. We also like to eat early, right around when the dining room opens and get our preferred seats/dining team. We would usually go down a half hour before to get a cocktail, but somewhere within view of the dining room. If a queue started, we would jump in. If they didn't, we would wait in the lounge until it opened. It stikes me as entitled to assume that you can show up to a venue at the opening time and also get to be one of the first ones seated. that may be true most of the time, but this is really up to your fellow cruisers - not celebrity.

Really?? Is NCL duty bound to provide "authentic" food types for all of the nations that passengers are from? I've found across both cruises and all inclusives that they attempt to serve a variety of food of a variety of ethnicities, but it is so hit or miss based on what the chefs are trained in. The worst one we saw was at an all inclusive in Mexico. It had and "American" restaurant that was BBQ. And it was very clear that no one who cooked there had ever tasted American BBQ. The sauce looked and tasted like molasses; and when I ordered pork ribs I received a bone in pork chop. If you can laugh off the fact that they aren't experts in your home cuisine; there's really no point in traveling outside of your home country.

I guess I was operating under the assumption that people asked for window seats. I see absolutely no reason for why those should be held so that someone who wishes to eat later can sit at them over people who showed up early for dinner. Also, most likely all the window seats are not in one section. I just can't see any reasonable expectation of showing up for dinner at 5:30, when it just so happens that many people on your sailing want to eat at 5 and arrive early - and then expect to get a prime seat or prime wait team. It was bad luck to be on that sailing, but those things can happen.

"Please visit www.celebritycruises.com/things-to-do-onboard/onboard-packages/beverage-packages for further information on available beverages and full restrictions. Please drink responsibly. The minimum drinking age for purchasing or consuming alcoholic beverages on Celebrity Cruises ships sailing from North America and Canada is 21 years at the time of sailing, and elsewhere is 18 years to comply with applicable laws. Where the eligible guest in a stateroom is less than the applicable minimum age on the initial sailing date, a Zero Proof Drinks Package will be provided to this guest instead." Drinks, Wi-Fi & Tips- All Included | Celebrity Cruises

How are they supposed to seat the windows other than first come first serve? It wouldn't be right to have 10 couples ahead of you and let 2 have window seats and then hold back for the next 8 so you could have a window seat. I don't think the letting people in at 4:45 is necessarily a problem - if they didn't, the same line would still form and the OP would show up at 5:30 and not get sat until 6 while they seated everyone in front of them. It sounds to me like the complaint was that they arrived at 5:30 to find that they weren't first in line. That is outside of the cruise's control. It appears that there just happened to be many early eaters on this particular cruise. Had Blu not opened early, the complaint would have been that when they arrived at 5:30 there was a very long line and it took forever to get a seat and service while the servers tried to take care of a full dining room all sat at the same time.

It's clear to me why this comparison is being made. Not sure how everyone else is missing it. There is a certain poster on here that chimes up on every cruising board about how great Oceania is and really doesn't cost that much more when you look at inclusions. The OP is simply comparing a verandah state room to a verandah stateroom for a similiar itinerary with similiar inclusions. Yes, it's a very apt comparison. if you believe Oceania is a better line and worth a much higher price, that's you choice. But the insistence on some of these boards that when comparing apples to apples on inclusions make the price reasonable is flat out incorrect.

Many cruise lines do offer electric kettles upon request. It appears carnival doesn't; but that's why I suggested it could be a possibility.

Completely agree. If you didn't make a claim then of course your experience is wonderful. They took your money, no questions asked.

JMHO, if your luggage is too large to drag around with you for a few days; you are packing too much. I've done a month each traveling around South America and Asia with a bag that wasn't too much to handle easily myself.

NCL is be careful to tap dance around the issue on their website. They don't offer a guarantee just tell you secure you should feel booking through them. Several people on this forum have discovered that air by NCL does not offer any protections in the event of a flight/transportation issue.

The penalty for being found in possession of cocaine in the US would be jail. She got off very easy with a $2,500 fine.

I'll switch out 3 accessories for 2 swim suits everytime. Nothing is more unpleasant than putting on a swim suit that is still wet from the day before.

I agree that this is different strokes for different folks. I personally have alot of energy and like to schedule a full day. At home I have time in a day to - pack lunch and make breakfast, workout, work 8 hours, commute 35 minutes each way, do chores, have dinner, and still have some time left over to watch tv or read. Typically a day on vacation is alot less busy than that. Unless we have a shore excursion that takes you far from the ship, we usually don't spend the "full day" in port- and if we do its only 1-2 ports. In the caribbean, most the excursions end up being similiar after awhile. May go to a beach or a snorkeling excursion but usually back by mid-afternoon. Gives us plenty of time to relax for a bit before dinner and a show. Any vacation that we choose, whether cruise or land based - we really enjoy going to live entertainment. Rarely get to enjoy that at home.

I hope you are joking. You have to be incredibly sheltered to consider a rock on a beach as a hazard. Someone like this should just take the bus tour around town - but not get out because there may tripping hazards like cracked asphalt or slippery leaves on the ground.

2015 was the year I really realized that. In the space of 1 year; one of my bosses died from a late cancer diagnosis, a friend's husband died from a late cancer diagnosis, and a co-worker was murdered. In 2016 I took my first buck list trip to Africa and have been taking more large trips since.

I think this is the section that turned people off. Saying that rocks on a beach are a hazard that needs to be addressed.

I don't think the OP was downgraded. They and the airlines all agreed that the premium economy seat was guaranteed. They were just upset that they booked a 2 seater near a window and instead got moved to the center section of the plan. I've flown Delta One first class and still had my seat moved - just as long as you stay within your class they don't owe you a thing.

I'm really not sure why there's an entitlement to get an upgrade at a bargain due to loyalty. If you called them to book a cruise that was $2,000 pp would you ask to pay $1,500 because of your loyalty?

Agree with looking at the special needs cruising board. The biggest issue is whether or not she needs the dogs in port and whether or not that will be allowed. Alot of countries have pretty strict rules about live animals being brought in an quarantine requirements. The ADA doesn't apply outside the US, so no one has to allow a service dog off the ship.

I don't know for sure what this is - but if the need is to heat up water; you would be much better off contacting special needs. They could almost certainly provide you with an electric kettle. They aren't going to give you permission to bring on an item that is forbidden for safety reasons.

I know that when Carnival sails out of Texas, where they can't use the liquor package, the first day is not charged when purchasing the cheers package. It would only be right for NCL to prorate any days where you can't use the beverage package. Even if they do it after the fact because they didn't know ahead. Otherwise there is certainly a contract violation here; to charge for something that you aren't able to use. Charging you and then not letting you use it would be akin to you booking and paying for a shore excursion - then its cancelled and they don't refund it because "we didn't know it was going to be cancelled".

what they do allow you to do, apparently - is book refundable and then switch to non-refundable right before final payment. However, the overall cruise price would have to stay the same or go down for that to be worthwhile. If the non-refundable rate went up by $900 it would be a wash.

Your TA is correct. A refundable deposit fare is significantly more expensive than a non-refundable deposit fare.

Seat assignments aren't guaranteed when booking through the carrier. Often seat assignments get changed because they change the size/style of aircraft. Every time we have booked flights months in advance we have had some amount of flight changes whether it be time changes or aircraft changes. And either of those can sometimes include seat changes.