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Booked a balcony on NCL Joy today and used 2 Cruise Next. And with Crucon I was able to snag $225 in OBC to buy more Cruise Next. They were also offering pre-paid grats as well so I am very happy with this deal.

3 hours ago, lexxfield said:

Thank you for starting this topic.  Yesterday, I successfully applied a second certificate for an inside cabin on a March sailing.  I have several certificates due to expire in 2025, and I was beginning to worry whether I would be able to use them all before the expiration date.  

That's great! Enjoy. That's what this group should be about, more cruising for less money!

4 minutes ago, odie1024 said:

I am considering an October 2023 cruise in an outside cabin and if I book by end of day on 8/31, I should be able to use 2 CND?

Yes, I think so. Try booking it and see if they will validate the 2 x cruise next on your balance. What's the worst that can happen? Crucon in New Hampshire is having a pretty good NCL promo right now too with extra OBC to buy more Cruise Next!

33 minutes ago, ready2cruzagain said:

Right now it is book any cruise, any category, no exceptions

 

Here is the link:  https://www.ncl.com/cruisenext

 

I found that but when you look at the terms and conditions it says any 2023 cruises must be booked 4 months in advance so it really isn't any stateroom on any sailing. 

When I was on Jewel earlier in August I am pretty sure the Cruise Next staff where taking bookings on any sailing, any cabin with up to 2 Cruise Next certificates but I can't find any trace of this online anywhere. Anyone have any up to date info?

7 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Yes, they do. I have all the Jewel Freestyle Dailies posted in my Live From the Jewel thread and the special themes tend to stay consistent if you want to see them.  You can see the themes for both lunch and dinner in the Garden Cafe posted on page 4 of the Freestyle Daily. Below is a screenshot @Seas2mountains shared and I have circled the food themes for this day so you know where to look.

Thank you. Can you post a link. I tried searching the boards but can't find this thread.

Quick question. I am on Jewel sailing north on Aug 7 from Vancouver. Is NCL still doing a prime rib night? Grand buffet? Or any other special night where I shouldn't book a specialty dinner?

Karen wants to speak with the manager.

Depends on the cruise line. Some will keep filling cabins up to 24 hours before departure.

58 minutes ago, disneylover89 said:

Right now I have the 20% off Latitudes plus extra point and the 30% off, I am going to assume the prepaid gratuities will replace the 20% off Latitudes which may come out to be about the same but I will definitely be checking the price on Monday to see.  Thank you!

The free grats promo is a TA booking perk. Nothing to do with NCL if I am understanding what your are referring to.

1 hour ago, Greek Boss said:

Yeah, but the "take all 5" isn't anything new. The Free at Sea promotion for the majority of this year has been take all offer for Balcony and above. We got all 5 when we stayed in a Mini-Suite earlier this month. As for prepaid gratuities in addition to the 30% off, if it is true that is a great offer and not one that is often promoted by NCL. I have to assume it is probably for select sailings and not every advertised cruise.

Free grats is a travel agent booking perk. Not a corporate thing from NCL.

Received an email from a cruise specialist TA today. This is their NCL Thanksgiving Promo:

Take some time to relax when you book Norwegian’s Free At Sea promotion. Inside cabins choose 1, Oceanviews choose 2, and Balconies or higher receive up to all 5 offers. Choose from Drinks (incl. Alcohol), Specialty Dining, Internet, $50 Per Port Shore Excursion Credits, and on select sailings 3rd & 4th Guests sail free. Plus, when you book an Inside or Oceanview, receive up to $500 Shipboard Credit or book a Balcony or Higher and receive Pre-Paid Gratuities for Two & $100 Spa Credit. To sweeten the deal even more, starting Monday, you save 30% off your cruise! Only $50 per person is required at the time of booking.

It looks like there is some sort of promo starting Monday. Plus they are offering $100 OBC as a booking perk this week. And $50 loyalty if you are part of the program. I am not affiliated with them in any way. In fact I don't like that they charge cancellation fees but a good TA overall.

Just booked Bliss out of Miami for a quick dose of vitamin D in December and was given the excursion promo as part of the booking. I would like to reserve some excursions in advance and have the platinum discount from Latitudes. Anyone have any experience with this? I would prefer not to have OBC unless it can be used against my DSC.

Picked the right week for a Mexican Riviera given the events of this week. 

Embark/Disembark - Arrived into LAX and used a shuttle to the pier. Walked off the flight at 12:45 pm and was onboard and into my cabin by 2 pm. Embarkation seemed a little disorganized and there was no real welcome aboard festivities going on when we walked on to the ship which was a little strange. Disembark was quick and was through customs quickly and shuttled back to LAX.

Dining - First night prime rib in the Local Pub was good. Service there was disorganized and slow. Events in the Atrium can make it quite loud there. Feels like beer selection was less than last cruise. Garden Café was fine. Very busy at times. Went to Margaritaville sometimes to avoid the crowds. And also went to the new Observation Lounge a few times for a quick snack before the gym. Good alternative to the packed buffet. Food quality was good. Selection seems to be reduced. They didn't do the variety of panini that I enjoyed on the Escape.

I didn't dine in any of the regular dining rooms on the cruise so I can't comment on food or service. Cagney's was a bit of a disappointment on this cruise both times I ate there. They seem to be cutting back on the menu. The sides were quite small. The 7 layer cake for dessert looked like something from a grocery store. The $20 limit for the platinum dinner didn't leave a whole lot of choice for steak. Los Lobos, Q and La Cucina were quite good. Especially La Cucina as it has been an under appreciated venue on most ships. The décor is very nice and both the food and service were excellent. The osso bucco and tiramisu were delicious. They were also very accommodating to allow me to have mushroom risotto with my main.

Entertainment - This is where this ship shines. The theatre shows were very good. Both Havana and Jersey Boys are top notch. All the live music on board was also very, very good. The Beatles show was amazing. Another band onboard, 4 Blue was also a lot of fun. The guy in the craft beer pub was also very good. Didn't like the disco and found it odd there was no white party. They also did away with the dueling pianos on this ship which is a strange decision.

Bliss is a beautiful ship and it seems like Norwegian have added more public spaces to the decks to ease congestion. The Observation Lounge is a stunning space. It never seemed to difficult to get some space on sea days. Deck 8 never seemed too crowded. 

One thing that was an irritant to me as a cigar smoker was that the tiny cigar room was always packed with cigarette smokers. And many of these people were obnoxiously drunk most of the time. Norwegian have really cut back on the areas where people could smoke cigarettes.  

On ‎10‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 8:56 AM, Cardex said:

This is my first cruise with the platinum dining perk. I am doing a back to back on the Dawn. I will be solo on the first cruise and my husband is joining me for the second cruise. Is it possible to save the 2 dinner coupons from the first cruise and use them on the second cruise? It would be so much nicer to be able to share the dinners with my husband than dining solo.

Just off Bliss and they had written the cabin number on each voucher in marker. 

On ‎10‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 12:32 PM, klarson1027 said:

We are going on the Bliss early February and wondering if anyone has a menu on what they offer each night? Will we be disappointed if we don't do any of the special dining? This is our first NCL cruise. We have been on 4 cruises all with Carnival. We are excited to try this cruise line. TIA

Yes, I would say you will be disappointed if you don't try one of the specialty restaurants. The food and service are much better. I had great meals at La Cucina, Los Lobos, Q barbecue and Cagneys. Food Republic is great too. It depends on what you like on vacation. Do you live to eat? Or eat to live? The buffet isn't bad and the main dining is meh but ok. Do you prefer to spend a few bucks and have a great meal or spend nothing and get blah.

On ‎10‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 4:00 PM, madre2 said:

So we have 6 in our family.     Please tell me about how to make reservations. We have never sailed NCL before.  Ugh.  What else should I be doing?  We sail next September 

Go on the NCL website and log into your cruise. There is a place to make reservations for dining and shows.

Don't miss the The Beatles cover band. And 4 Blue. Both lots of fun.

I am booked solo in a balcony where I paid a 50% single supplement. I received the upgrade offer. The offer is worded that upgrades start at $X per person. Will I be charged double if they accept my bid?

They have been running this promo a lot over the summer. It's how we were able to book two balconies on the Escape for October using four certificates in July. I'd really love to see this become a "perpetual promo" like the Free At Sea promo.

I think you can use 2 on balcony and above booked a minimum of 6 months before sail date.

I remember our first NCL cruise and felt they tried to nickel and dime you every chance they could... I hated that, but have been back a few times since and have learned to accept it. So my advice is this; go in knowing they are going to try to nickel and dime you and ignore it and have a good time. It really is a lovely way to travel. Bermuda is my girlfriend and I's favorite vacation destination. Enjoy!

I was on Celebrity recently and they were constantly trying to upsell everything too. The cruise lines work on yield per passenger, it is what it is.

Bring something white to wear for the deck party. Check out the live music in the craft beer pub. Eat at Food Republic. If you want to book any specialty dining do it from the TV in your room immediately after boarding instead of waiting in line. Or use one of the touchscreens in the common areas. Don't wait or everything will get booked up. Tip the bartenders a buck here and there and you will never wait for drinks.

mine was do not book sail away rate.

 

I partake of adult beverages on cruise ships and over the 7 nights I paid significantly more by not getting UBP with a higher room rate.

 

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Didn't your TA tell you this?

In case you didn't see the email NCL is allowing the use of two Cruise Next certificates on any cruise 6 days or longer until Sept 30. I snagged a balcony on Bliss for a great price on a Mexican Riviera cruise in October. TA even managed to get me 3 Free at Sea perks.

On a recent NCL cruise I did the behind the scenes tour that is a latitudes benefit. As we were touring through the galley I saw posted on a bulletin board a photo of two guests and essentially what was a warning that these people were notorious for complaining etc. So for those that like to get their DSC refunded or are a general pain in the butt, know that NCL is watching and the crew is aware of you. And also know that you may be getting some 'special' treatment from the crew if they know you are going to dispute the DSC.