Travelling2Some

In our experience one of the MDRs has always been open for lunch at embarkation.  If you are automatically directed towards the buffet just smile, say you are exploring the ship and proceed to the MDR area.  It is always uncrowded since few seem to know about it.  Very nice start to the cruise.

15 hours ago, roddy good boy said:

I need to consider this for our Mediterranean cruise. My kids gifted me an Apple Watch this last Christmas. Not only am I still trying to figure the thing out, the notion of trying to insure it synch’s with the ship’s and local times is daunting! 

My loved ones keep "threatening" to get me a new phone.  I still haven't figured out the old one!  I remember buying my parents a microwave, which they used only as a fancy breadbox.  Now I'm that age and I can relate!

11 hours ago, Levanah said:

And from yet another senior couple, we are watching these port cancellations carefully.  We have cruised with NCL exclusively, but there are still destinations/ports we want to see.  We are still healthy, but as seniors, our cruising window is closing.  If we have to move to another line to see the places we want to experience, we will do so.  Even as we have made it to Sapphire.  

 

I do hope NCL is listening.

Yes, we also hope they are listening and will re-think what has obviously become a deliberate corporate policy.  Many of us could loose our ability to travel overnight with one bad diagnosis which, unfortunately, will turn up sooner or later.  Delivering bucket list destinations is important in this context.  We prefer cruising and enjoy our perks but now consider land options more often because the itineraries have become so unreliable and the destinations are the most important thing to us.

7 minutes ago, Alatraveler1 said:

Heard May 29 sailing EPIC now has Corfu replaced with Katakolon.  Same multi-reason verbage in email as is standard.  Shore Excursions are not yet available to book for the new port.

 

We can recommend Niki at Olympic Tours for Katakolon  http://www.olympictours.gr/  Olympia is very close to the port of Katakolon and she does a great job. 

Also, thinking back on it, this little town (Hamina, Finland) must have had several day's prior notice that we would dock there.  They put on as entertaining a display as any small town could, complete with house tours and costumed characters, banners, an impromptu market, etc.  But why could NCL have not given their own customers the same few day's notice so people wouldn't loose their money on private excursions they had booked?  As others have said, a little honesty and respect for our intelligence would be much better received. 

9 hours ago, craig01020 said:

I agree. I had a 9-day Baltic cruise booked with NCL for next May, but I have rebooked with a 12-day on Carnival just for the reasons you stated.

We had a really odd thing happen on our Baltic cruise on the Dawn last year.  One morning we wake up and the ship is in the wrong port.  No warning, no explanation.  Then it got even odder when they announced that all excursions were cancelled and said that the local tour providers were at fault.  REALLY??? Did they expect us not to notice that we were not at the right port?  It's just downright weird how they take barefaced lying to absurd levels.  The real reason had to be more understandable unless the captain got lost?

8 hours ago, QuestionEverything said:

Oceania, part of the NCL company, is well known for removing ports.

In 2024, the corporate messaging was that all port times would be reduced by 1 hr minimum for the same BS environmental..

I travel only for the ports.

I am done with Oceania because every voyage has a minimum of 1 or 2 ports that are cancelled early or during the voyage for "weather".

News flash NCL, Oceania - with the AIS ship and port app, any guest can see what the weather is going forward, what ships have just arrived or are at pier.

I know what ships are supposed to be at each of my ports, so I know who got there and whom did not, Oceania.

Oceania cancelled Nuuk on Greenland on my last August trip. So we spent 2 days going back and forth in the ocean. Humm.

The AIS showed the approach to Nuuk had good waves but there was no messaging that a ship could not anchor in the bay.    

We showed many guests the AIS app and it became well appreciated by guests.

Yes there are circumstances where a ship can not approach, anchor or dock.

I spent many years on many Great Lake ships as a guest of the line, so I am well aware of wind sheer, currents etc. 

But all this NCL and Oceania PC messaging is garbage.

 

Great post.  They get away with their nonsense because the vast majority of passengers take their excuses at face value and have no idea how to fact check them.  It all comes from above and is deliberately planned to save money at our expense.  You will only get blank looks from Guest Services.  I doubt they know much of anything.

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

Not silly to mention - I always use a simple non-connected watch and clock, keep them set to ship time.

Me too.  I have a simple inexpensive Timex that I wear only on cruises.  I believe it might also discourage pickpockets to look impoverished, lol.

57 minutes ago, surfnsun said:

Here is a photo of the laundry bag.  It's small. Just forget about laundry.  Lol. Sorta, seriously.   You have to send it out or get creative. Although it's a secret so don't share we are like the Clampets.  Only our room steward knows.  We wash items in the sink and literally hang them up to dry, anywhere we can find.  Not even the balcony is safe from our most sacred items from flapping in the sea breeze.  😆

Hmm, "as long as the bag closes?"  On NCL we stuff it tight and then put duct tape across the top to "close" it.  Is this not acceptable?

1 hour ago, surfnsun said:

You might consider these too, if only for being a passenger in a vehicle in Italy!

Oh my goodness, YES.  My husband and I both got terrible motion sickness with all the switchbacks going up to Mount Etna.  Ever since that experience I have been careful to ask what the drive is like.  The Amalfi Coast is notorious too.

2 hours ago, surfnsun said:

Aw geesh...see, I still can't get it right 🤣.  Thank you!  I learn so much by doing reviews!🤣

But you are getting closer and that is such a good reason to keep practicing;)

30 minutes ago, IAcruising said:

You prefer what you know.

 

That is a very interesting statement.  I am pondering it and finding it very circumstantial.  Personal conclusion: If sick or injured I would prefer the comfort of what I know.  But I travel to deliberately explore what I do not know.  I find the novelty alone entertaining and it has a ton of educational value.  I'm sure this is a point of VERY wide variation between people though. Many people really dislike foreign travel for exactly this reason and that is legitimate personal preference.  It never makes any sense to spend good money doing something you dislike.

To address the question, we have found NCL to be a good fit for us in general but we also like Royal very much.  Loved the Oasis class but we found our last cruise on Allure very loud.  They had moved the pool band to a location where the noise (and it was NOISE!) was blaring over the Central Park balconies, which they should know people book for the serene atmosphere.  I particularly enjoy the artwork on Royal ships. It even extends to the stairwells and is of a much better standard than other lines. 

What we like about NCL is of a more practical nature:  FAS is a very good deal, fully refundable deposits are important depending on how unpredictable your life is. There is zero pressure to ever get dressed up, which we enjoy since we like to travel carry-on only.  No complaints about their ships or staff but they have become very flaky with itineraries.  Lots of complaints about missed ports announced right after final payment for spurious reasons.  So be cautious if you are planning a "bucket list" trip. 

6 minutes ago, roddy good boy said:

I’m a loyalist…sometimes to the point of the absurd! I also really, really hate change. However, you have given me a lot to consider. Most of my bucket list places are to far flung, exotic locations. Based on my own experiences with NCL and what I’ve read in these boards, I should look at other lines.

I know. It is sad 😞  We have waited all our lives to retire and see the world.  Got waylay-ed by Covid and failing health will likely rear it's ugly head soon. We always preferred NCL but since they are playing games we have to book with more reliable lines.

5 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

So,,, if they drop a port the day before final payment, would there be any difference???? Even one cancellation??? Probably not. So the distinction is totally irrelevant. Just a lot of hype. 

We cancelled our booking (actually two bookings as it was part of a B2B) the same day they admitted (finally) that they were cancelling Bar Harbor.  So there is your "even one cancellation".  Before final payment is absolutely key.  Why?  Because there are plenty of places to go and plenty of other ways to get there.

4 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Golly, all they need to get in that reason is "port congestion" and they'll have the big lies all named! 

 

- Fuel optimization

- Guest feedback that they want to skip the port originally booked

- Maritime regulations

- Port congestion (unnamed this time)

 

I just keep saying it...what a trash company. But, a trash company I'm sure I'll book on again. @Travelling2Some I think the customers (including myself) are the idiots as we continue to book NCL, despite their pathetic insistence that itineraries are changed for the above reasons (typically after final payment). 

Totally agree.  And, yes, how could we forget the old "port congestion" excuse.  Especially lame when it is caused by scheduling several of their their own ships on the same day.  On our transatlantic last year they cancelled Madeira claiming port congestion.  We were to be the only ship in port that day according to the harbor authority?  But how many of their unsuspecting passengers would have known that?  

As for continuing to book NCL (and being idiots, lol):  For many years we booked NCL almost exclusively.  FAS is a good deal, their deposits are refundable (we have a big family so life is sometimes out of our control) we like to pack light and not dress up and they sail out of Manhattan even in the winter.  So the NCL product fits us very well.  But our last couple of cruises have been on other lines because the itineraries (Europe) were very important to us. 

Our last 3 cruises with NCL all had serious itinerary disruptions, mostly for nonsensical or downright deceptive reasons.  (A few were for legit reasons, which is fine.)  So we no longer trust NCL with our more expensive trips where the itinerary is primary.  We are doing the Viva in June (Rome to Lisbon) but have booked with Celebrity for the other half of that trip because the ports on that leg are more important to us.  The Viva is sailing from Rome the day after we arrive on another ship and we have FCC to use up before it expires so we went with it.

Going forward I will only book NCL at the last minute out of Manhattan in the dead of winter. Cruises that are about getting out of the cold and relaxation where the ports don''t matter. I think folks who have a more relaxed attitude towards itineraries are either (1) Caribbean cruisers, (2) people who go to the same destinations over and over or (3) people with deep pockets who don't mind if a trip turns into a waste of money. 

There's nothing wrong with any of that and I do understand the "who cares" approach, because I feel that way about our cruises that are just a mid-winter break.  Personally, I don't care if I never see another Caribbean island again but I'm happy to go along because the family enjoys it and I enjoy the family.  But far-flung journeys are very expensive and have lots of "moving parts" so itinerary is key.  Major trips involve eye-watering airfare, months of detailed planning and dogged persistence to procure tickets for major league sights. So yes, I would be an idiot to keep trusting NCL with those kinds of "serious" itineraries and I no longer do.

Apologies for the very long post!

8 minutes ago, Jordan61 said:

 

What reason was given?

Uhhh . . .saving the environment thru cruising (total joke) . . . for your safety and or convenience (which the evidence usually suggests that they could actually care less about) . . . fuel conservation - (which translates into NCL is saving money by deliberately not delivering what they advertised and you paid for).  I'm sure I've forgotten a few good ones but the bottom line is they are saving money and think their customers are idiots.

7 hours ago, hcat said:

Etna and Taormina photos were excellent! the one of the man holding a baby goat..and basket really caught my attention.

 

Looking forward to more!

He reminds me of a funny incident we had on Mykonos.  My husband is of Greek descent and really looks it.  To top it off he was wearing one of the iconic fisherman's hats.  (He wears that hat at home too.)  He sat down to rest in front of one of the famous windmills.  People started photographing him, no doubt thinking he was a local character!

I'm surprised you got the $100 too.  Our last 3 cruises on NCL have all had significant itinerary disruptions and we got zero!  Most notably, we were supposed to have a full day an a half in Panama City and were never even able to dock.  This was due to months long ongoing construction which they knew about well in advance but continued to advertise the overnight in port anyway.  We have been booking other lines when the itinerary is important to us and will only go with NCL now when it's just a "fun in the sun" Caribbean cruise.

1 hour ago, www3traveler said:

If NCL has reason to believe that a port of call is unsafe for passengers, YES they will cancel it.  They have canceled calls to Acapulco on a number of occasions.  I have been on Panama Canal cruises where Acapulco was canceled.

Want a good laugh?  On our Panama Canal cruise they canceled the perfectly safe port in Costa Rica and substituted Acapulco (Level 4 Do Not Travel per the US and Canadian State Departments).  They had the gall to tell us that the switch was made out of concern for our safety!

8 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Um.  Plenty of Americans know the multiple meanings of the word “smart”.

And plenty don't. 

9 hours ago, surfnsun said:

 Just more fascinating, useful information from a traveler who missed a tour in Rome because she got the meeting point wrong.  😆

 

Hey, that could happen to anyone, especially after a couple of Old Fashions (even without the correct cherries).

14 hours ago, StopTheWorld said:

Really??

Not sure if this is the way you meant the question but the word "smart" means different things depending on if you are using British English or American English.  The word smart equals intelligent to Americans but smart means stylish in "British".  You know the saying, "Two peoples separated by a common language", lol.  Our son texted me several times when he was in the UK requesting a "translation".

I like to hide them at the eye level of small kids.  Such a small thing gives a little kid a big thrill.  It is so sweet when you see a child find one and get so excited.

2 hours ago, hallux said:

While the above answers are correct, that you can send out laundry any day, you'll pay the per-item price (though I guess for a Platinum level cruiser it would still be free, huh?).  I think the OP was specifically asking about the 'fill-the-bag' special for a set price to get the entire load done since they're Gold still.

Good point.  We are Platinum so was not considering that the OP might have to pay the "per item" price.  They could still send some things out, of course, and then wait for the Fill the Bag special later in the week.  They could also rinse out a few things in the sink (just use the shampoo) to get by.

54 minutes ago, COcruise said:

You are right. We stumbled upon this…

Very refreshing to be given a clear, non-bogus reason for a port change.  But you have to "stumble upon it" and it comes from the Port Authority rather than NCL.  Now if only NCL would be this transparent instead of babbling about the environment and treating their passengers like idiots.