travelady65

I have a question....if i were to book a Beach Day Pass...and pay deposit up front, and use my credit card that does not accur international fees, will i still be charged the 15% Hondurian Tax? I want to go to Bannarama for the day...is there a package that you can purchase, that includes lunch, and also if not, is the food and drink on the expensive side...or pretty reasonable....:)

NCL doesn't provide OBC for price drops after final payment, all they will do is move you, and if they move you, they do not give you the perks that go with the new cabin, all you get is a different cabin.

I orginally was in a studio cabin...I had seen the significant price drop, and called NCL and told them i wanted to change to the BX Guarantee Balcony Cabin...I was aware of the loss of my UBP and UDP, plus AARP $50 OBC...I lost everything...at that time the BX's were going $899 and single discount... Meanwhile i am sailing Saturday, September 10th and i was getting real frustrated, as i was not given a cabin assignment, but friends that are on the cruise also, had received theirs...So I called up NCL again, the other day, just told them that i wanted to upgrade to a B2 Category.... they did upgrade me complimentary, but being as i was upgraded from a BX...i was not entitled to any of the promos.... but you live and learn.... next time, i will just book a category balcony room that i want...pay the deposit..get my promos....and stay with the category cabin that i have booked.... no more upgrading to different categories for me... But i have to say, that my upgrade to the B2 category, i do have a very nice cabin, in a great location...near to the stairs and elevators...and one deck down is the speciality restaurants, shopping, and waterfront....

I am hoping that i get a good guarantee balcony upgrade...even though if i get one of the BX Category upgrade balcony, that would be fine with me...i had looked the category up on you tube...and the room looks real nice, with a nice deep balcony that holds two louge chairs...a table..and two regualar chairs... As far as the UBP...i really am only a social drinker, so i know for a fact i wouldn't be drinking 5 to 6 drinks per day...had this last year on the Gem cruise and sometimes i would have two drinks...other days...maybe just soda..other days nothing...so we will see how this works out for me....but what i am going to do is i am bringing two bottles of wine onboard with me, as i do like to have a glass or two of wine before and after dinner...and when i get onboard...i am going to buy a bucket of beer....as i like to have a beer in the afternoons...as far as frozen cocktails go....i just have one day..if i feel like it...

Just hopefully i get my cabin assignment soon, as i would like to have everything printed out before i fly down to fort lauderdale with my luggage tags....

Hi i wish i found this room sooner...but anyway i booked a gty. balcony from a studio cabin.... had to give up my perks which were UBP and UDP...as it was a guarantee upgrade... I rebooked a 3 night dining plan....this was rebooked last thursday.... i will be going on the Escape September 10th...my question is...when they send the cabin assignment, does it come to your email address, or is it just on the EDOCS? Also do you receive the cabin assignment before the day of the cruise, as i am leaving on September 8th to stay in Fort Lauderdale for 2 nights before the cruise...

Also the guarantee balcony...can it be anywere on the ship, or just in the BX category...

Hi,

 

I just want to get feedback from anyone who has had a guarantee cabin in the past. I have only done this once (on Carnival) and been assigned a cabin about 6 weeks prior. As of now, I'm 26 days out, edocs are ready, and STILL no assigned room. I've been in contact with my PCC several times, who tried to stall me by saying that they may be doing upsell calls(I'm in an oceanview OC category). However, now the ship is completely sold out, so the likelihood of an upsell is gone, but still no room.

 

I called again tonight, and even spoke to a supervisor(politely) and verbalized my concerns of the ship being overbooked and either not getting a room or getting downgraded. I know, it seems unlikely, but call me paranoid-I read the horror story of someone on an Alaskan cruise whom they had no record of, and everything was screwed up.

 

The supervisor did reassure me that I would get a cabin, and would be an unobstructed oceanview. I asked about how luggage would get to the right cabin if the cabin was to be "assigned at the pier", and she danced around it for a minute but finally said that we would have to cart the bags INSIDE the terminal with us to check in, then BACK outside once we got the assignment.

 

Has anyone ever done this?? At Seattle?? I'm traveling with my elderly mother, who isn't frail, but still don't want her to have to haul her bag all around the terminal b/c they are taking their time assigning cabins!!! Any suggestions on how to make this process easier? Is she able to wait outside with luggage while I check us in to get the cabin?(still a pain, but at least we avoid hauling the bags around).

 

Thanks for any feedback. Believe me, I will never go guarantee again-too much stress, but this cruise was already a hefty ticket price, and I figured booking it 5 mos in advance that I would certainly get a cabin assigned well before the cruise!

 

Stacey

Stacey if ncl has not given to you a room assignment as yet, when you get to the pier, you go over to a porter to check in your lugguage...he will have a manifest sheet of everyone name and cabin number...your name and your mom's name and cabin number will be on that sheet...what the porter does..is tag your luggage with your cabin number, tip him, and you are all set to go...no problems..you will see your luggage at your cabin door, sometime in the afternoon before sailing.... no big deal.

I was reading in one of the groups of NCL that Oh What a Night is still on, only instead of Frankie Valli, it is going to be the Jersey Boys.. Has anyone else read this on NCL group on Facebook? I myself are going on the Escape September 10th and was looking forward to seeing this show also...There are not alot of entertainment onboard this ship...sometimes i think i should have stayed with the Breakaway Bermuda Cruise instead...at least they have good entertainment onboard that is not cancelled out..

I had purchased two Cruise Next Deposits when i was on the Gem last November... that evening in my room i had an envelope with a letter and confirmation code to use on future cruises... I did not have to wait for an email to come through about the Deposits.

I am going on the Escape in September, and the Getaway in December...I think when i go on the Getaway, i will purchase one more Cruise Next Deposit...but no more than one...I have to agree with all of you, that the cruise consulant onboard the ships are very pushy...I had only purchased two deposits, as i had alot of OBC and i knew i wasn't going to be spending all of it...and instead of buying a lot of soveniors, i wanted to put the money into something that i could use again... When i was in the cruise consulant's office, i felt that i was being pushed into buying a timeshare...that is how pushy they were... but this time, i will buy one, if they keep on pushing, then its their loss, as i will walk right out of the office....These people have to be working on a commission, to be so pushy

I was just reading the updated wine list on the ncl breakaway....so then that means if there is a wine that doesn't show wine by the glass and price... that you cannot order a glass of wine from that particular wine.... but you have to purchase the entire bottle? that really sucks....that is the purpose the UBP...or order anything that is up to the $15 limit..... I particularly like white wine....guess i am going to have to go with Beringer white zinfedel for a glass of wine... but i usually like charrodnay wine....but i like the mondavi also, and if i want that my persumption would be that i would have to purchase an entire bottle of it.... am i correct?

Hi, i am going on the Seranade of the Seas March 27, 2017 going on the 11 southern caribbean sailing.... I will be sailing solo, and i am staying in one of the studio cabins on deck 4..

Has anyone ever stayed in a studio cabin on deck 4 on the Seranade of the Seas... If anyone of you have, or if you have seen one of these cabins or maybe have pictures, would appreciate it posting, or have any suggestions, or reviews of this type of cabin, would appreciate any type of information on this...

Thanks,

Cathy

That happened to me last November when i sailed the Gem...But i had gotten no notice..... I stayed in a mini suite on deck 11.... was in my room....and this paint/varnish smell enpowered my entire room.... I called up the guest services....they looked into the matter...got back to me and said for the next two days that they were going to be painting...and what was happening was the smell of paint and varnish was coming through the air conditioning ducts in my cabin..... I went higher to the hotel director....and he got back to me and told me that the paintting will start at 10am....and stop at 2pm... which was much better, as i was out and about...by the time i got back, there was no smell in my cabin....

For the inconvenience, they had sent to me a nice bottle of Charonnay Wine, and a plate full of chocolate covered strawberries and different kinds of chocolates.... I thought that was a very nice gesture on their part... But next time, make sure that when you pick a cabin, that you are below and above other cabins.

Hi Everyone....

I am going to be on the Breakaway Thanksgiving Sailing on November 20, 2016... I will be sailing solo in a studio cabin 11519....My question is has anyone sailed in studion cabin 11519....would like to know if it is in a good section.... also can you tell me your experience sailing in a solo cabin..... how was the priviate lounge that they do have..... and would you sail in a studio cabin in the future..... this is my first time ever sailing in a studio cabin, that should explain why all the questions....also it is the first time i am sailing the Breakaway.....

Yes the two pools on the Escape is divided...one being an adult pool...and the other being a family pool....it is divided with a partition....It is just like all the other "Away" pools....nothing different....

All the "Away" pools use to be one pool at one time.... unfortunately there have been serious accidents at the pools as children getting hurt in the pools, and parents not supervising their children....there were two drowings of children one on the Breakaway and one on the Gem....that is one of the reasons why they put the partiton separating the pool...making one an adult pool...and the other a family pool.... All pools on all cruise lines are deep.... that is why they also enforce that no children are permitted in the adult pool ..... but i believe after 5pm they are permitted in only supervised by parents....

I believe that they should have lifeguards at the pools as they do get so congested and crowded.... the kids just do their own thing....jumping and diving in the pool when the sign simply says "NO JUMPING OR DIVING...but no one there to enforce the rules.... the pools are so much crowded and you really dont see who is under the water when you jump or dive in the pool.... It is so important that parents should be with their children at all times....it may no be your children but the other children that act wild and dont watch out for other people in the water....

Hi i am looking for a hotel to stay in 2 nights before my cruise on the Escape out of POM. I will be flying into FLL airport so i figured i might as well get a hotel in FLL for the two nights. I am looking at Sleep Inn and Suites, and the Red Carpet Inn... Has anyone stayed at the Red Carpet Inn in Fort Lauderdale before? If so, i would like some reviews....as the Red Carpet Inn is alot lower in price than the Sleep Inn and Suites....but again, i would like something that is walking distance to some restaurants...and close to a CVS or Walgreens... and also i want to make sure that the hotel is in a safe area.... so any suggestions would be very helpful..

Yes i am going to be travelling on the NCL Escape on September 10, 2016...and i am going to be staying in Studio Cabin 11503... I was wondering if any body has stayed in the solo cabins, could give me some input on them...

I would like to know is there a salon type hairdryer in the room or will i have to bring my own?

I will be bringing a 28" piece of luggage with me....will my luggage fit underneath the bed?

Does the room have drawer space for clothing or just cubby space?

I know that the room is only 100 square feet, but was it comforable to be in...I normally only use my room to shower, dress, and sleep...

I have the prom UBP/UDP..... can i buy drinks in the Studio lounge....like wine, or a cocktail?

Any input about these studio cabins would be greatly appreciated...

I have sailed on the studio's on Epic, Getaway and Breakaway two time for each ship and in different locations. There is no difference in size they are all 100 sq ft. I always wondered why they say the difference in size. Unless there is an accessible studio that I am unaware of that might be larger to accommodate a wheelchair, which is pure speculation on my part.

Hi i am sailing on the Escape in September in a studio cabin #11503....Is this in a good location? and in October i am sailing on the Breakaway studion cabin #11519...and in November i am sailing on the Epic in stuido cabin #11521...Are all these cabins that i have picked in in good locations? This is my first time experiencing sailing in a solo cabin.... another question is there enough room to store all your clothing and is there draw space....as far as toiletries go...is there enough storge room to put them....also does the studio come equipt with a salon style hair dryer or should i bring my own...and as far as my luggage a 28" piece of luggage will this fit underneath the bed, or i would have to have the cabin steward store it away for me... sorry for all the questions....

One more questions...i am booked on the Getaway for the Transatlantic Sailing ...it is doing a 16 night sailing...and i am booked in solo cabin 11501...do you think i will do fine in a solo cabin for that length of time?

Is Alfredo's Restaurant on the Regal an upcharge restaurant?

Does anyone have a copy of a menu from Alfredo's....Also if it is an upcharge for this restaurant how much is the upcharge.

I cruised on the Gem this past November...and had the most wonderful and relaxing cruise.....Never once, did i see an adult of child out of line.....

Read all the reviews on the 1/22/16 cruise....and thank you for all the information....I will certainly avoid sailing the last two weeks in January.... I am apauled to think that nothing was said to them...and how their unruly children were acting....I also was reading that this group use to sail Carnival Splendor when the ship use to sail out of NYC....Since then, this group has been banned to sail on Carnival Cruise Lines.... this should be done...on all cruise lines....it some group comes onboard and acts like this....also was reading that this group also sailed NCL Dawn when Dawn use to sail of of NYC....the kids blocking stairways...pushing elderly people....many injuries....one broken ankle, and one broken leg....due to thes unruly children purposely tripping people....there is no excuse for parents and children acting this way....these people should have been put of the ship PERIOD!!!!! and what is wrong with NCL? But it did say Captain on the Dawn...sent a letter out to every person in their stateroom....saying if there were any more outbursts that the people and their children that they will be taken off the ship in the next port of call....and they can find their own transporation home.....Hope that there was enough complaints and letters sent to NCL so maybe they will look into this matter more in depth....

Something has to be done...as this group arent the only people sailing this ship...they think that they can do and say whatever they want...and noone else can tell them otherwise....Well what about all the other paying passengers, they vacation on the Gem....Arent they taken into consideration....and how much they spent to sail this 10 day caribbean sailing.... Just because they are a big group does not entitle them to think that the entire ship is their's for the 10 nights.... Believe i know about these people and they are the most rudest people that i know...and their children are no better.....and what about the school? Doesn't the school teach them how to respect others when out in public.....I dont have any mercy on them...

But again thank you for this information...and i will definitely make sure i do not sail in January...

Hi Everyone

I am sailing on the NCL Sky in December of this year, and i am booked in a mid ship interior stateroom, cabin #9137.....Has any one ever stayed in this cabin, or in any of the mid ship interior cabins? If so, can you tell me about the cabin....

Also about the Inclusive Drink Package....is everything included....like in the regular UBP on the other ships? or is it limited? Do they limit you to the brands of Beers, and liquior used to make either mixed drinks or frozen drinks?

I was reading, and alot of people have been disappointed in this....Would like your views on the Drink Package....and how is entertainment...and activities...

I am sailing the NCL Escape this coming September, and i am in a solo cabin...Are there professional hair dryers to use in the room...or are the hairdyrers attached to the wall.... have sailed ncl plenty of times, but not in a solo cabin...all the other cabins had a professional hair dryer to use...

I was just announced that the Norwegian epic is moving to Port Canaveral in November 2016. Maybe I'll get my chance to try a solo room. since I live in central Florida that would be very convenient for me.

Hi i am sailing the NCL Epic in February 11, 2017 in a solo cabin..... I am always looking to find solo travelers sailing the same cruise line..... Just got off the NCL Gem out of NYC....it was an absolute fabulous cruise....There were over 365 single people sailing this sailing on November 23, 2015....Met some wonderful people..... Have never sailed on the NCL Epic, but heard wonderful things about this ship....so i am giving it a try.....

Has anyone posted pictures since the gem has been refurbished.....I am going on the November 23, 2015 sailing, and was wondering what the new gem looks like now....

Five of us traveled together to celebrate 70th Birthdays for 3 of us (plus 2 spouses). This was our 2nd Norwegian cruise (the Pearl 2/1/2 years ago) and the first for the rest. We are not your typical cruisers since we are not there to drink, gamble, shop, or hang out at beaches during port stops. We are on limited incomes so this was a big splurge for most of us and we chose to avoid extra costs wherever possible. So, I expect we are not NCL’s target customers

While we had a nice time (the Pros come later), I became weary of EVERY activity prefaced with "are you having a good time/fun?”, the constant "sell, sell, sell" of everything from shopping to art auctions and bingo cards /lottery tix, and constantly being asked to "put your hands together" (maybe they can on occasionally come up with less hackneyed expressions).

 

Other things that got old fast: having to exit the theater through the smoke-choked casino, jokes about stateroom toilet flushing, and the VERY cheesy production numbers with the Gem singers and dancers. Unimaginative choreography. I was especially disappointed in the “World Beat” production which I understood would be a review of different kinds of percussion. That would have been interesting. Instead, we saw the most stereotypical costumes and dance numbers.

The MDR meals were so so – with some exceptions such as the crème brulees, the sacher torte, watermelon salad but really not much that was memorable. I like my meat cooked medium-rare, but learned I had to order it rare and then it still emerged barely pink. Really had problems with the chicken, which was invariably dry. The “chicken kiev” was actually inedible and had to be returned. It had zero moisture inside (not a hint of butter as it should have). I did complain and got a nice assortment of chocolate-covered fruits and a visit from the chef at a subsequent dining experience, which was nice but the chicken served afterwards was still dry.

We actually preferred the buffet since we could try various items and find what we liked. The roast meats could be good although the roast pig (which we expected more of since it came was presented with the head) lacked taste. The Indian food was good as were the crepes served at night. My friend liked the burgers cooked to her taste (not mine). My friends especially liked the quality of the lighter fare available at the Great Outdoors –served during the in-between hours (approx. 3 to 5 pm) and (9:30 to 11pm) and yes, they often had cookies then.

One other poor experience was our only meal at Sheehan’s. Four of us were seated at a small table. One person received his appetizer 15-20 minutes before the rest of us. Then they brought out the rest of the apps along with ALL the entrees at the same time. There was barely room for the apps on the table much less the entrees. When we complained, the head waiter (we think who that was) chided us for expecting the food to be served in courses and explained that everything at Sheehan’s was a la carte. But, even he had to admit there was no room so they put our entrees aside and they got cold (especially the pot pie) when there was finally room to serve them.

We had gotten a dining promo and expected it would offer us 5 specialty meals, but once the 18% gratuities were charged, we only had 4 specialty meals. La Cucina was our least favorite: gummy pasta with overcooked lobster, salty soup, etc. – although people did like the Caesar salad there and the bread was the best on the cruise.

We were also kind of miffed because we got nothing from our PCC – not even a bottle of wine (which we received on our first cruise) even though we were responsible for 2 additional staterooms booked. He did make a big deal about providing a Birthday cake for one of our friends who was celebrating her actual Birthday during the cruise. But as it turned out the so-called “Cake” (served at La Cucina) was actually only a larg–ish piece of cake –not a whole Cake at all.

One other frustration was the Birthday package I bought as a surprise for my friend:

1. I expected that her stateroom would be decorated on her actual Birthday but only after I purchased it, was I told that it would be decorated at the start of the trip which was a full week before her Birthday. Not so much of a surprise.

2. When I asked for confirmation of purchase of the Birthday package, I was shocked to learn that I could get no confirmation because the order was added to her account – even though I wanted it to be a surprise. I was told that this was the policy. So, -- no confirmation for the purchase on my amenities invoice and no surprise if she chose to view her invoice before the trip. Weird!

3. My friend is a chocoholic so I expected to be able to choose a chocolate cake but apparently that is no longer available as an option though it was at one time.

So, those were the negatives, but there was a lot of good stuff, too. The staff was mostly excellent. Loved our steward, Ryan – a real sweetheart. There was one darling young waiter who was working the buffet and Great Outdoors during breakfast who was extraordinary – falling all over himself to serve us.

The stateroom (we had a balcony) was small, but very efficiently laid out. We over packed (as usual for us) but had plenty of storage space and all the suitcases fit underneath the bed. We slept wonderfully (my husband has a bad back and usually complains) and the linens were excellent as well. The shower and temperature is beautifully regulated.

We enjoyed 3 of the 4 specialty restaurants we tried. The Brazilian was the biggest hit. Terrific and unusual salad bar items and the meat kept coming. Could have been a bit more rare for me, but everyone else enjoyed the meat – except the chicken which we didn’t care for. We liked Le Bistro. Favs were the mushroom soup, the scallop app, but the real star was the Chocolate Napoleon dessert. Outstanding! And Cagney’s was terrific. Favs there were the short rib confit, the baked potato soup (lovely – not as heavy as it sounds), the steaks and lamb chops, the gratin potatoes, the crème brulee.

Two of my friends had the spa package and loved it though they didn’t find the staff there particularly helpful. The constant upselling of products and services was tiresome.

As for entertainment… We were disappointed in the 3 evening entertainment productions by the ship’s singer and dancers – uninspired and kind of garish (we thought they had been much better on the Pearl). One of the male singers was quite good and the others were just OK, but the sound system was blaring. My husband is an audiophile and he could hardly bear it, it sounded so distorted. I agreed that the sound could have been much better calibrated.

The comedian (Jeff Harms) wasn’t bad though his wasn’t our favorite brand of humor. The juggler-comedian was entertaining. We enjoyed Second City quite a bit, but wanted more of them. The only other option was a lunch performance for a fee, which was sold out before we even knew about it and a late night adults only improv which conflicted with other entertainment options. On the Pearl, 2nd City had daytime performances which were great. The magician had 2-3 terrific tricks, but in between his patter went on and on and on -- very boring. As others have noted, the acrobat team (Rebecca and Phillipe) was phenomenal – by far, the best of all the main stage performances.

But, my favorite entertainer of all was Leo. Too bad that we only discovered him toward the end of the cruise. He is really very talented. He is one of those performers that you appreciate more and more, the more you hear him. One of my friends and I became belated Leo groupies. He was really the stand-out of the cruise for us.

We enjoyed all the ports. There was a $10 one-hour tour of Old San Juan, which was offered as we exited the ship and it was a terrific value. We spent the rest of our time exploring OSJ on foot and it was charming. And it was so convenient to walk downhill directly back to the ship.

In St. Thomas, we had planned a personal tour for 4 of us with Dean’s Taxi and Tour Service. Dean was great – customized a 2-hour informative tour of the island for 4 of us and was very accommodating. He dropped us off in Charlotte Amalie for lunch and picked us up later for a stop to buy liquor at Kmart (considered one of the cheapest sources) and then directly back to the ship.

In St. Maarten, we grabbed a cab to Marigot on the French side of the island. Unfortunately, Seraphina’s bakery was closed for repairs but there were a few other French bakeries open. Really felt like a foreign country: French spoken, Euros, other cultural differences. We took local transportation (very cheap to Grand Case) and had a wonderful grilled lunch at a lolo.

We negotiated a special deal with a taxi driver in Tortola and had a wonderful 3-hour tour of the most scenic of the islands we visited.

Hi i am going on the Gem this month November 23, 2015 sailing...my question is when you docked in St. Thomas, at what pier did the Gem dock at? Reason is i want to do a Day Beach Pass to a Hotel....but i dont want to spend alot in taxi fare geting there and back to the port....I have been to St. Thomas numerous amounts of times and we always docked at Havensight Pier.... would apreciate hearing back from you....

The $450 is a suggested amount. When we cruised on the Gem our friend put down a $152 deposit. If everything is prepaid there isn't a need for a large deposit unless you intend to spend it.

okay i have a question also about the cash deposit...I am sailing the Gem on November 23, 2015...at first i was going to give a cash deposit...it does say on NCL Site that for a 10 night cruise is a $450 deposit....my question is if i deceided to use my credit card as a deposit, instead of doing a cash deposit, will ncl automically take out a $450 depoist hold on my credit card? I was figuring in using my credit card, and paying the amount at the end of the cruise... this way i will have a little more cash on me...for spending on the islands... I, also, have my gratitities paid for, my ubp (as the promo all paid for) and the udp all paid for...plus i have $200 OBC to spend...and i dont foresee myself going above and beyond.... would like your opinion on this...as my main concern is that if i use the credit card...and i settle my bill at guest services the night before the cruise ends....and i dont use the entire $450.....the balance of the unused portion...will that still be on a hold with my credit card...until ncl releases the hold...or when i pay my bill last night of cruise....will the rest of the hold just die off... and if i deceided to do a cash deposit, and being everything else is paid for.... do you think then a sufficent amount of a cash deposit of $300 would be a sufficent amount... also i did take the gem on a 2 night sailing and i did a cash deposit with them...and i do remember them asking me...how much of a deposit did i want to open the account up with....there was no set amount.... please would appreciate if someone can get back to me on this, as i am stilll kind of confused wehter to open up the account with a credit card of do cash..

"Still, it's not just Norwegian's new ships that are getting Del Rio's attention. He says he's pouring money into the line's 10 oldest vessels over the next two years to upgrade them to a level he says will be even better than when they debuted. Already, the line's five-year-old Norwegian Epic has emerged from a massive makeover as has the eight-year-old Norwegian Gem. "

The NCL Gem had a makeover last november....but work was down on the ship while passengers were cruising....The major makeover with be the end of October for two weeks....work being done in Freeport bahamas...and resumes service on November 13, 2015....from what i heard a big makeover is being made to the Gem....