Kierste

12 hours ago, Cruiseandgamble said:

I'm on the July 11th Dawn cruise out of Stockholm.  Received the updated itinerary and the 20% discount shows up in my account - apparently I only paid $5 for the cruise (it was is a CAS comped cruise but still paid out over $660 for the cruise).

hi! Can you post what they sent you for an updated itinerary?  TIA!

9 hours ago, ggTexasGal said:

Directly contact that Big Box TA with your concerns!

I did today… 1.5 hours on hold, got a very nice gentleman, he hadn’t heard a thing… other than NCL said they would be providing more information by the end of (last) week.

He called NCL, the rep there had no idea what he was talking about. So her put her on hold and talked to his manager, and she also had no clue. Came back to me, and I told him people on cruise critic were saying they got emails on Friday the 4th. Back to NCL he went, she had found the info and said, yep! Cruise critic peeps are right, and the discount will be applied (I have already paid in full) and I will get a refund in the amount of 20% of the cruise fare to my card in 30 days (automatically.) Now NCL guy and I figure it’s on the base fare only, not any of the taxes and fees, and amounts to just over $700 for us. So yay us!

As far as ports go, I have seen on other roll calls their ports have been substituted, but no one on my roll call has gotten an official email (they have shared) yet, and my big box TA has no additional info.

Anyone know if you booked with a big box TA if you are still getting the 20% back? Already paid in full, we leave in July, and have seen zero communication… 

I have no email from NCL yet, but my cruise summary (for July ) now has SP removed and two new sea days… which I wouldn’t mind… hoping they toss one more port in though.

What is everyone thinking about the rooms around the hips of the aft that look like they have slightly larger patios? Right now I have 9350 booked on the Prima, but we have been spoiled by the large balcony on the escape… I understand we are right above deck 8 and it may be noisier, but we would also be closer to a bar this way, and can easily bring drinks back to the room I hope… and maybe there is space for 1 lounger?

8 hours ago, SpainAlien said:

Wow, I'll have to try again when our December cruise gets cancelled. 10% off would make a difference in our haven booking. Did she have to effectively rebook so it was like a new booking?

 

When I called she was told she did not need to rebook.  But we discussed what I was seeing on the website she did a reprice because the perks were better, and I saved more $$... ended up saving ~$500 with the 10% and another $500 with the rebook... was just over $1k off my previously booked trip.

Our November cruise was cancelled too, called my big box TA today, she was able to apply the 10% for me and hubby to our existing booking, saving dd’s because her fare is only $99 and that is silly to use the 10% on.

The email I got from NCL just a few minutes ago (my trip is paid in full) sounded as if I was getting a refund period... no idea if I can apply the 10% to a cruise I have already booked... guess I will find out... 

It’s a good deal for us... we had the all the things promo before and I could care less about the excursion credit or the wifi... this promo saved us $1.5k, but I have to pay my gratuities now and for specialty dining... we took the bev package and the 3rd sails for cheaper...

Crazy, we sail a week before you. I was able to make our ressies... something must have changed....

I booked all my dinners for my November cruise (that may or may not be cancelled), so advanced reservations are still taking place. They may be limiting how many are available in advance however.

I’ve used the chat a couple times lately, and they have been great. Fixed my hubby’s and kiddo’s latitude numbers (Costco auto generated new ones), and answered a promo question for me. All good.

I am waiting on them to cancel November... get to make my dinner ressies next week. Looking forward to the FCC at this point for Alaska next August...

Thanks Black tink! So teen club is up to 17 and then there is post teen 1820 Society.

Thanks!   Very helpful answers!  I have flipped back and forth about wanting to go out of California or Florida.  Leaning toward Florida, we have done two spring break trips out of Florida and they were NBD, but the California ones are short, 3 and 4 days... I feel like those may have a different atmosphere, maybe not because it is still Disney?

Hi all!  Just got home from a multi-island Hawaii trip, that included a few nights at Aulani.  We have been cruising NCL every other year or so, and like their casual vibe, plus free drinks always being thrown in is a bonus.  Teen dd says before college she wants to do a DCL cruise.  We live on the west coast, have never done this side of Mexico, so that is a possibility, or we can head over to Florida and do a cruise out of there.  

Teen club is up to 17 I see, and looks super cool.  So if we wait till her senior year she will be aged out of teen club (thinking spring break or early summer.)  So now I am thinking junior year, maybe spring break because that would be easiest if she gets a summer job, 2021.  DCL doesn’t seem to release calendars very far out?  I like to book as early as possible and take advantage of paying over time.

No drink packages? But soda is free? What about things like virgin piña coladas and such?  Lattes or mochas?  I saw an ice cream shop on one of the ships, is that an upcharge?

Dinner... is the early seating solid kids? So if we wanted a “quieter” dinner we should choose the later and hope we stay awake thru it?  I read somewhere they rotate you and you sit with the same people every night. Is that mandatory? Can you skip a restaurant or repeat one, or eat with just your family?

Castaway cay, it sounds like this port gets skipped a lot.  When they skip it what happens? They float around or do they add a different stop?

I am sure I will have other questions... but for now the big differences between NCL and DCL are what I am thinking of.  We are big DL geeks... we just never did a DCL cruise before.

We were on the Spirit in July and I saw two choices... one was a direct ship to airport, and one had a bus tour of Rome first for late departures. We ended up choosing to stay an extra night in Rome and just took the train back, easy peasy.

Thank you so much, we sail in a couple of weeks, so it was great to read your review.

Enjoy your cruise!

When our Dd was younger, we would schedule dinner at 6, tell the waiter that she wasn’t having an appetizer and what she wanted for dessert and they would bring her dinner with our apps and her dessert as soon as she was ready. Then one of us would drop her at kids club at 7 when they opened and come back to dinner if we weren’t finished yet. After a certain age they can check themselves in and out (I think dolphins group which is 10-12.) Now that she has aged up to entourage (teens) there is one night they have a dinner out together, you sign up a couple of days in advance.

We just got off the Spirit a couple weeks ago. Have sailed on the Pearl and the Escape in mini-suites. Our balcony room on the Spirit was noticeably smaller. But we expected as much. Otherwise everything about the cabin, the ship, the crew, was pretty wonderful. I wish the curtains in the cabin were better at blocking out light. It gets light out really early on the Adriatic! But if that is my biggest complaint, it must have been a pretty good cruise! (And it was!) Spent 11 days on the Spirit and could have stayed for more. Enjoy!

Just off the Spirit, our alarm clock was not unplugged one time. But maybe it was just our steward saving me from repeatedly having to reset the time!

I just did the M&G on the Spirit on 7/9, we had about 45 sign up and about 25 attend. Maria, the event coordinator for the Spirit provided name tags for us (and coffee, juice and pastries.) I brought wrapped paper straws to give out, blue lanyards, little highlighters, and some nautical themed pencils, erasers and stickers for the kiddos (thanks Amazon!) I got cabin numbers from the RSVPs and made my own reminder cards and delivered them the night before. I think it was worth the work on my end. We didn’t do any games or anything. The crew talked and I reminded everyone to have fun and if they have any concerns to address them with the crew before the end of the cruise. Then we just chatted. It was a small, but nice M&G.

We just flew out of Rome. We stayed an extra night after the cruise. The airport was absolute chaos on a Friday morning. If we didn’t have sky priority with Delta I am pretty sure we would have been running to make our plane (we arrived 2.5 hours before the flight.). Disembarking was super easy from the ship, and then we actually walked to the train. If you paid for private transport directly from the ship remember it is still over an hour drive. I wouldn’t risk a flight before noon.

Thanks... I know I can book DH with one kiddo and me with the other, and flip around... have seen and heard this done. So unless I decide to get a larger suite, that is what we will likely do. The suite may make more sense with the perks, but not the price! :eek:

Okay but what some people think will happen and what will happen is often very different. When you board that minor’s card have a clipped corner. They show this card when they enter entourage to register and for the first day or so... after that, if they are regulars, the staff knows them and the minor is not asked for their card again. I know this from very recent experience a week ago on the Spirit. We registered my teen into entourage, and did the paperwork, chatted with the teen counselor (there were 2 on the Spirit for the 11 days) and the main one remembered my DD from the Escape! After day 2 they were only checking cards for clipped corners for the kids they did not recognize. Entourage is different from Splash Academy... the teens come and go constantly, they do not check them in and out, as the lounge is mostly a meeting place. If the almost 18 year old in question does not go down and get an unclipped card on their birthday, and/or is a regular and never asked to show their card, they will continue to use entourage for the duration of their cruise with no issues. I would be willing to bet on it.