RocketMan275

2 minutes ago, Rib Jig said:

Barcelona > Venice > Barcelona B2B-rt Jun 23 > Jul 14 NCL Escape;

 

from reading posts, I gather any port can be changed for any reason

& passengers are NOT to receive compensation due to contract?

note: we are NOT using NCL excursions;

would veteran cruisers advise documenting changes (how?) & later,
or even immediately, "quietly" request some kind of compensation? 
Any advice appreciated.  Thanks in advance.  😇__  😇__  😇

hopefully this won't be issue, but...

I wouldn't spend one minute worrying about that.

Note:  OP is not booked in the US so most US factors don't apply.

17 hours ago, gizfish said:

Since no one said it, I will go ahead and do so.  There is absolutely no reason to bribe your butler the first day.  Handing them a bribe with a note listing requests seems as if you think the butler is not willing to do their job. While no one is ever going to say no to free money, the butler's are professionals and may be insulted by your bribe.  Just tip at the end of the cruise.  We have never bribed anyone and have always received stellar service.

We believe in tipping early, tipping often, and tipping well.  Not one member of the crew has objected in any manner.  We have received better service since we implemented this policy.  

2 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

This discussion puts me in mind of a scene from the movie City Slickers.  Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, and Bruno Kirby are on horses, driving a herd of cattle.  To pass the time, Billy's character is attempting to explain to Daniel's character how VCRs work.  For the younger members of this forum, please ask your parents what a VCR is.  So Billy keeps telling Daniel how to record one program while at the same time watching a different program live on the TV.  Stern just doesn't get it.  He keeps saying that it isn't possible, that you only can watch the same program that you are recording.  Finally Bruno Kirby's character interrupts, saying "Enough!  He doesn't get it!  He'll never get it!  By now even the cattle can program a VCR."  I feel like Bruno Kirby.

Yes, it does.  I'm surprised that you still don't get it.  If  you spend $300 for any reason,  you've spent $300.  Even if that saves  you $1200, you've still spent $300.

12 hours ago, CruisingNurse88 said:

So not really a large balcony then? I'm thinking a change in cabins may be in the cards for us down to the 17th floor. Any advice on which would be nice and quiet?

You're over thinking this.  None of the Haven rooms are noisy.  Pick a floor you prefer.

17 has  the Haven lounge.  18 has the Haven Restaurant.  17 is close to the Haven observation lounge which would be a plus and 17 has the larger balconies.  

While not Alaska, we've booked a room on 17 on Encore.

2 hours ago, herbanrenewal said:

Its not a problem until it IS a problem. When people stood outside the Manhattan Terminal for a couple hours it became a problem for everyone. Even if you had an 11am slot if you showed up around 11am the line was already long. You couldn't get into the terminal and you didn't get in until those who arrived earlier than you were processed. Most times this doesn't happen. But when it does don't complain about the lines and crowds and long wait with nowhere to sit.

 

It just makes sense - if 3000 or more people show up at the same time because everyone wants early check-in it can be a rough start. If you want the early slots complete online check-in at midnight Eastern time..

If you want a smooth embarkation, don't try to be the first on board.  Arrive about two or three hours after checkin begins.

12 hours ago, julig22 said:

Duh. And if I can spend $300 in "real money" to get a $1,500 credit, that's what I'm going to do. And if the difference in fare is not significantly more than $300, I don't use points, I pay the difference with the card (and get more points)

I guess you don't understand how spending $125 on a cruise next gets you $250 towards another cruise either. Sheesh.

There is NO extra spending involved anywhere, anyway, anyhow.

Except for the $300 in "real money".

1 hour ago, havoc315 said:

This. I recently had a phone call with the concierge to book dining. It ended up lasting 30 minutes as they kept suggesting things I might need.  Things I wasn’t even planning on asking. We are in a Garden Villa— the concierge went through what extra pillows for which bedroom. What mixers we need for our bar. Etc.  

Some seem to be afraid of calling but it produces so much better results.

5 hours ago, Jetswdo said:

  Hi all, upon a suggestion regarding contacting land concierge with a letter, from sthrngary and others--

I don't believe sthrngary suggested contacting the land concierge with a letter.  

Sthrngary clearly stated the letter was to be handed to the butler when you meet him for the first time.

It's been my experience that calling the shore based concierge is to be preferred since it's easier to discuss preferrences in a phone call than in an email since an email is one-sided, there is no give an take.  Besides the shore based concierge can make suggestions during the phone call and clarify what can and cannot be done.

15 minutes ago, julig22 said:

And if the difference between an OV and a balcony isn't significant, I pay the difference, save my points for the next cruise. Worst case scenario would be that I take a statement credit. Still NO extra money spent.

Points are real money.  Anything except redeemng for cash is spending real money.

10 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Why does NCL allow me to reprice my cruise if the price drops - isn't that costing them revenue? Other cruise lines charge re-booking/cancellation fees.

Your definition of getting something for nothing is just as fuzzy as thinking that getting a 5x return on my "investment" is somehow spending more. Yea, I took marketing.

Obviously it's not the card for you.

 

Does not that 'investment' require you to spend more?

I'm not saying that 'investment' is a bad 'investment'.  But it is additional spending.

It's one thing if  you intended to book a balcony. It's something else if you intended to book an ocean view but because of the 'return on investment', you choose to spend extra to book a balcony.

It's like my ex-wife saving all that money on sales.

4 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Same here. Too much fuzzy logic (or lack therof) to wrap my mind around how using points for an upgrade I'd be paying for anyway, at more than 5x the return I'd get if I just cashed in the points for a statement credit, is extra spending. They didn't address that in any of my math or accounting classes.

They did address that in the marketing classes where it is taught that the easiest sale is to convince the buyer they are getting something for nothing.  

Question:  if this feature is saving you so much money, why is the cruise line making this offere that costs them revenue?

7 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

Not at all.  We most likely would have ponied up the additional cash to travel in a Balcony stateroom, anyway.  We simply got a discount.  A huge discount.

 

I think I have done the best job I am capable of doing in laying out the plusses and minuses of using NCL BOA Master Card World Points for room upgrades.  Yes, there are certain limitations and yes, the upgrade option may not be right for some travelers, notably those who prefer Suites or the Haven, which are beyond the scope of this type of upgrade.  For the overwhelming majority of frequent NCL customers, however, a reasonable, rational, thoughtful analysis of the benefits of using World Points for upgrades ought to be compelling.  If I have somehow failed to make that clear, I apologize for my lack of perspicacity.  Otherwise, I think I have contributed everything I possibly can to this discussion, so I will now bow out.

I've not disputed that using points for an upgrade can be very cost effective.

I have disputed that using points for an upgrade isn't extra spending.

15 minutes ago, WhiteRockMike said:

I did on two 2023 rejections and they weren't at all helpful or able to give anything definitive.

One wonders if they have any non-discounted fares.  I would certainly ask for a listing.

28 minutes ago, WhiteRockMike said:

Well, we booked another Regent cruise, applied for the Shareholder benefit and it was again denied, reason again being it was a promotional discounted fare. You think I would have learned by now🙄.

Did you ask what the non-discounted fare might be?

17 minutes ago, julig22 said:

You must be using some sort of new math. When I opt to use points for an upgrade, I am using points instead of cash to book the same cabin I would have booked without points. So if a $1,500 upgrade is only equal to $300 when I use points, I'm spending $1,200 LESS.

But if you don't get it, that's fine.

Regardless, the points have a cash value.  The fact remains that you are spending more.  

9 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

Not really.  We would have taken the same cruises anyway, we just got to enjoy the benefits of nicer rooms.  We didn't spend any more than we otherwise would have, we just got more bang for our buck.

When  you opted for using the points for the upgrade,  you choose to spend more than you otherwise would have.  Points are cash.

44 minutes ago, Wayward Son said:

 

We seem to be the only ones that care that the NCL card is not the best option, but, that's fine.

 

I forgot about the travel insurance. It is incredibly generous compared to any of my other cards. And, if I recall correctly, you get the insurance if you pay any portion of the cruise with the card. The evacuation and medical needs to be supplemented with other insurance, but the cancellation and trip interruption is exceptional.

 

 

I believe you're referring to the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card and not the NCL master card.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card travel insurance alone pays for the high annual fee which at my age would be almost $1000 for a seven day cruise in the Haven.

The Geo Blue is an excellent travel health supplemental.

25 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Spending more to get points - not really, at least I don't. But there's a caveat to that. I do charge my casino play (which isn't excessive) - so I charge $100, I get 309 points, which covers the $3 service fee, plus some. So basically a wash if I took a statement credit. But I use my points for upgrades - my OV to balcony upgrade cost me $300 in points, current price difference is about $1,500.

No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees don't hurt the value to me either. But I'm leaving soon for NCL cruise #23, not too hard to build up points. And I pay my card off monthly, so no worries about interest rates.

Regardless of how it’s justified, the card encourages extra spending. Sure it is cost effective to use points to upgrade but that is extra spending. 
 

24 minutes ago, hallux said:

Quite valid considerations.  I'm not sure but I may find out soon enough as I found a trip quite interesting to me and I can book an OV cabin to then upgrade to a balcony.

 

I spend no more than I would normally, I just put as much of what I do spend on THAT card.  It's my default for tap-to-pay on my phone.

That's exactly the point.  That NCL card is enticing  you to spend more than what  you would normally.  Those points  you're spending to upgrade are not 'free'.  They could be converted to cash.  While the upgrade might seem to be cost effective, it is still additional spending.

24 minutes ago, hallux said:

Quite valid considerations.  I'm not sure but I may find out soon enough as I found a trip quite interesting to me and I can book an OV cabin to then upgrade to a balcony.

 

I spend no more than I would normally, I just put as much of what I do spend on THAT card.  It's my default for tap-to-pay on my phone.

The big danger of a branded credit card like the NCL card is the temptation to spend more to get more points.  You wind up justifying additional spending because of the points.

Probably not.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles/is-a-cruise-line-credit-card-for-you

10 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

I think they mean that although check in times are rarely enforced, every so often an employee will enforce them.  I wouldn't necessarily describe such an employee as a Boy Scout on a power trip - if lots of passengers all arrive at the same time, it would be reasonable for a cruise line to prioritize passengers who have shown up at their check in time and ask the others to wait.  The OP will probably be fine arriving early, but there's no guarantee since all cruise lines have the right to enforce check in times (but past experiences indicate they are highly unlikely to enforce check in times if there are no lines and are unlikely to do so even if there are lines).  The OP absolutely should try to get a later check out time at the hotel, or go for a late breakfast but if that isn't an option they can go early as long as they are prepared to politely accept being told to wait if check in times are enforced.

Minor point.  The terminal is staffed by the port, not the cruise line.  If the terminal decides there is too many people inside the terminal, the terminal/port can deny entry.  The cruise line has nothing to do with it.

17 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Yes, we are fortunate to live close to 3 airports. My comment was in response to an earlier one you made in which you stated that NCL only gives people the flights nobody else wanted. That isn't true for us. 

It's still true.  You're in a situation where even the flights 'no one wants' are still very good.