Sue Do-Over

Unfortunately, NCL could say you 'chose' to cancel the flight and make your own way home. Whether you drove home or booked with another airline won't make much difference to them if they didn't have the chance to find you another option. (You didn't say whether you'd managed to get in touch with an NCL Air rep before agreeing to cancel the flight.) From Spirit's point of view, NCL is your travel agent, and would be responsible for working out any refund with you. Spirit doesn't know what deal you have with NCL, and it doesn't matter to them in how they price fares in bulk. NCL sees you as only in the $199, and has refunded that. I'm not sure what Spirit or NCL's obligation for 2 hotel nights and meals would have been if you opted to wait in Miami for the Wednesday flight. Seems like it should be something, but nobody wants to put it in writing lest we all demand the maximum compensation. Yeah, it stinks. If NCL won't offer you a share of the refund in cash, perhaps you could negotiate a discount/free cabin on a future cruise? OBC?

In Rome/Civit in June, we showed the barcode/QR code in the eMed app as the first step in the boarding process. She glanced at boarding document, passport and app and waved us through to security, which is before the check-in desk where they actually look at passport and did a temperature check. We were surprised that the temp check was at the final desk, and not at that first COVID check station.

We were on a Princess cruise the last week before dry dock. At the beginning of the cruise everything looked pretty normal, everything open, although the inventory and selection in the shops was a little skimpy. After the last sea day, the shops were emptied. We saw cardboard boxes of merchandise and display cases shoved against the walls, and carpeting pulled up. As the week went on, different areas were stripped down. Artwork, fake plants, and other decor was removed, and they removed/replaced some carpeting in public areas over night. Chairs and tables in the public areas were separated into dirty/damaged and to-warehouse groups. Selections in the buffet were reduced over the week, too. We laughed that all the kids cereals were gone, leaving only Raisin Bran and Corn Flakes, and they ran out of bananas completely. In our staterooms, the dust ruffle/bed skirts disappeared mid-week, along with extra linens and the printed books and room service menus. The last full day they also emptied the mini-bar. Our room steward said that empty cabins were getting a head start on removing curtains, linens, drapes, shower curtains, etc. At the casino the last night, as the crowd dwindled, they started unplugging and tagging machines. Dealers un-bolted the chip trays and took them to be sorted/sanitized, and bar staff from all over came down to cash in their tip-chips for cash. Most shocking was seeing them empty the stack-of-cash claw game. Hearing, actually... as they peeled apart almost the whole stack of bundles. Only a few are actually loose in the machine! All in all, we noticed some of the prep getting started, but it wasn't chaotic or intrusive for us. But, if you are particularly sensitive to the smell of paint or adhesive, or have mobility challenges that would make it hard for you to detour around work areas, it might be a different experience for you.

Regular Casino guests with 'Stinky Drinky' cards. Includes well drinks (not top-shelf liquors) in single strength. Vodka cranberry, Diet coke w Wildfire, Bacardi & Coke, mojito, etc. Draft beer, several whiskeys - Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, etc. Some wine by the glass. Frozen drinks are limited to strawberry daquiri and pina colada. We *wish* Mudslides were included, but they aren't. Regular fountain soda is included. If you want Diet Sierra Mist, which is only in cans, they can get it - but may grumble. Bottled (boxed) water. Get them here the night before an excursion, rather than get charged for the ones stocked in your stateroom. We also take the bottle of sparkling wine from our room down on a sea-day, and they brought orange juice for mimosas and an ice bucket. Dropping a $1 chip on their tray every round or two definitely makes my service experience better! Finally, the casino package USED to include Gatorade, but that seems to have been dropped from the selection. Not available on either of our cruises already in 2022.

Our experience in June 2022: Requested deviation to arrive in Rome for our Greek Isles cruise. At 40 days out, we got our air reservations for a decent schedule / flight choice. We were booked in United economy for short leg from home airport to east coast (Newark for us) and then the long leg to Italy. Although I've got decent mileage/status on United, was told that I could not buy an upgrade from economy to premium econ (purple seats) at any price. Not for cash, mileage, or my left kidney. The NCL Air team voicemail greeting basically says 'you get what you get and you don't get upset.' Two days before departure, United alerted us that the short leg had been cancelled, so we would not make our connection, and invited us to rebook. Got on chat with United (way faster than waiting on hold!) to get moved to a different pair of flights that got us to Rome at about the same time, but through a different connection (IAD). And (hahaha!) we were assigned the only available seats on the long leg... bulkhead premium economy. I sprained my ankle in Naples before we even got to the ship. Our return flight was booked nearly to the rafters. We were booked in the middle section (4 seats across) almost in the back, with one empty seat in the row. I think it was the only empty on the whole flight, but I was super glad to be able to get my swollen ankle up for at least part of the flight.

Neither of us plays the Hop bets, or Fire bets, etc. We like a $5 or $10 table... and we like to play alone so it's a fast game. When the casino is quiet, supervisors are more likely to reduce the minimum... they've got 2 dealers standing there alone otherwise. We both play $2 C&E on the come out roll, usually with a field bet. Love a Yo-Baby-Yo! He tends to play the field bet pretty regularly, and plays the inside (5,6,8,9), bumping up to 2x on the place bets, and then holds them steady. I play the come bet more, and I like the outside (4,5,9,10). I also like the 10 hard-way, two ways. (one for me, one for crew). "Big and hard, baby, big and hard!" With the come bets, I end up with more on the table by the time I add odds. It's amazing how fast the chips stack up and then evaporate!

The casino algorithm factors the time you spend playing and your average bet - easy on slot machines, but is a little trickier at the tables. Sensors under the felt register whether you play every hand, and which bets were placed (i.e. did you play the bonus?). The pit supervisors routinely make notes of average bets. We are not high rollers - in fact, we play minimum bets - but we play Ultimate poker and craps for many, many, hours on each cruise. In the long run, we are certainly down at least a few hundred bucks a cruise (sometimes a few thousand), so we figure we 'paid' for our free cabin at the casino. What is entirely interesting is that my husband and I play basically the same strategy at cards, and have roughly the same $ on the table at craps (we play different numbers), but he is consistently in a higher casino tier than me. So, when the offers come in, he gets a balcony and I get an interior.

I've asked every time to replace the 'free' drink package with more dining credits, but always got told no, there are no substitutions. Wonder what magic words you used? Assumed the no-subs rule was to keep people from claiming some other discount if they didn't take the airfare deal, for example.

This is fresh marketing for the ''highlights of (town)' tours. It's still a bus or van trip to the top scenic views, monuments, etc. with no admission to venues and limited tour-guide narration. If you're looking for a casual tour with fairly limited walking that ensures you get to take photos with identifiable backgrounds, this is the tour for you. Set your expectations low, however... in St. Martin a year after a hurricane, we were trundled into a van with a grumpy driver who drove us PAST monuments. Seriously, driving around a traffic circle with a statue in the middle counted as 'visiting', same for a shabby platform with 3 flag poles that represented the French and Belgian sides of the island. Of course, experiences may vary in different cities, with different drivers. Smile!

We always decline the unlimited/premium drinks package. Even if it was 'free', the auto-grats are killer. Casino guests like us and light drinkers are much better off to decline the package, and simply pay as you go. NCL won't activate the premium drink package for children; you need to buy them the soda package instead. Bartenders/servers see your picture when they scan your card, and are supposed to only serve the card holder alcohol (to reduce sharing/let them monitor consumption), but we rarely/never get even get a second glance when ordering 'extra' soda on a single card. Hubby simply offers his card with the soda-code first, and they don't bother to ask to see my no-code card for an occasional diet Pepsi.

My sister always gets the upgraded WiFi, and shares her password with our whole family, across a couple of cabins. The app lets you kick off other devices, and we all accept that we'll get kicked off at some point. She wins any 'ties', and that's FINE with use freeloaders!

They first clear all the upgrade bids, which open shortly after final payment is due. After everyone who was willing to pay more for an upgrade is shifted up, then the 'not-paying-extra' guarantees get placed. Takes them a week or so to work their way down through the tiers, accepting the highest $$ bids at each tier first. If you're in Club Balcony, your assignment will be after they've moved upgrade-bidders up OUT out of the category, but during the time they are processing the lower-category bidders up INTO Club, to make sure you get a spot. IMHO, the bidding process has reduced the odds of being upgraded for free with your guarantee... to many others willing to pay even a small $$ will be promoted before you.

eMed, the proxied at-home test recommended, posts results in their app. The app shows the number of hours since the test was completed. Pay attention to time zones... if you're crossing the country or the ocean, calculate that time difference.

Decorations go up the day after Thanksgiving, and come down New Years Day. We've seen both ends of the season. There were LOTS of families in matching PJs on either Christmas Eve or morning gathered in public spaces to open gifts. (Epic 2019) We found the decorations to be tasteful and not overwhelming. No religious iconography, but plenty of holly, garlands, red bows and ornaments. The gingerbread house display is cute, but gets a little droopy toward the end.

If you booked flights with NCL Premium Air without extra days at either end, your package includes transfers from the airport to pier and back, on big coach busses. We just came back from Rome in June 2022, and just got our flights for Amsterdam/London in September 2022, so this is current. Expect your flights to be a shorter leg from your home airport to an international airport -- we've gone thru LGA, IAD, ORD and next DTW - followed by an overnight 7-9 hour flight. NCL has partnerships with the major airlines, and gets the low-low-lowest rates for economy seats. The fare class does NOT permit upgrades... we've tried to buy better seats with money, miles and flight-credits, to no avail. NCL will not even discuss changes to flights, airports or schedules. The Air team tries to get you on the ground between 9am and 2pm, which is when their busses are running loops to the pier. NCL partners with international chains (Hyatt, Hilton, Sheraton) with 'American' amenities and reliable availability. The NCL arrangement delivers you to the hotel, and from hotel to pier by coach or shared van, depending on the number of guests. They don't, in my experience, consider your preferences for quaint, convenient or boutique. Smile! Finally, *if* the airline changes or cancels your flight, you can then negotiate directly with the airline for a different flight or seats. We've had two last-minute changes to NCL-booked flights, and the airline would work with us then. But not until there had been a disruption to the original booking. Hope you find this helpful.

Money! Second is good-quality candy. No t-shirts, knick-knacks, keyrings or other items that they don't have room for in their cabins. Salty or savory snacks might not fit their cultural or religious guidelines. Sure, they will smile and thank you, but that's so they don't hurt your feelings. On the money topic... some people want to be memorable by giving $2 bills or dollar coins, but these are a burden. Stores and foreign banks won't accept them. Stick to regular bills that are easy for crew to spend, and write a Cruise Hero note.

We also struck out when our deviation generated a lousy schedule, and removed the airport to pier transfers. Airline wouldn't even talk to us about flight change or upgrades -- we couldn't buy better seats with cash, miles or airline credits (from taking a bump previously). NCL shut us down fast, too, citing the terms of the contract which are "you get what you get." However, when the original flight was cancelled, we were quickly re-booked - by United - onto the flight we actually preferred, and put in available seats... which happened to be the purple Premium Economy. Crazy how fast that frown turned upside down! With all the cancellations and delays, you might get screwed, or get lucky. Good luck!

We bought a 6-pack of Abbot tests through eMed for $150 ($25 each). Each box has a QR code, that matches the test card packed inside. I submitted the invoice to my insurance as was reimbursed in full. (Aetna/CVS commercial plan) If travelling in Europe, download the eurofins app ~ that's where test results are posted. When you're ready to test, visit the eMed website to connect to a proctor. We tested in our AirBnB in Naples, Italy - anyplace with a stable connection is fine. The proctor will ask to see/scan your ID, and the QR codes on the box and kit. Set your phone where you can be in full view while you count the drops of test solution and swab your nose. Then the proctor starts a timer and goes off-screen/stops the camera. When the 15 minute timer goes off, a proctor will come back (not the same person), who will ask you to scan the QR code on the test again, so they know you didn't swap them out. They ask you to point the camera at the test, but YOU actually read the test... they asked 3 times if there was any indication of a line. Results were posted pretty fast, and were accepted with no issue at the Rome embarkation desk.

Usually the bidding opens once final payments are due. At that point, anyone with a booking has committed, so they have a pretty good idea of availability. I personally love being able to bid, rather than wait for the 'upgrade fairy' to call and offer something. No matter when they call, you still have to check with your travel companions and it might be gone by the time you call back to accept. And, people who are particular about their cabin locations or travelling in a group won't upgrade anyhow.

In November, we played Ultimate Hold'em and 3-Card. I think Let it Ride was available. The cruise was booked well below capacity, so there were LOTS of available seats at all tables. Table minimums were $10. The craps tables stood empty at $15 minimum... we groused a little until they agreed to lower to $5. "Oh, we want to stay at $15 until the show is over and the 'real players' come. If it's still empty later, we'll bring it down." It was empty later. At $5, the table attracted lots of players, had lots of fun, and made lots of noise... attracting even more. The way I figure it... the dealer is already there. The casino makes NO money from an empty table, so they might as well lower the minimum. We can always bid up!

We got the run-around, too. Booked on United in economy. I have points status and a flight voucher (from taking a bump)... but United would not allow me to upgrade our seats with any form of payment. The NCL greeting says basically don't-even-ask. I tried a couple of times with different United reps. However, I sprained my ankle early in the trip, and wanted to go directly home rather than spend a couple of days in Rome, as we'd booked. Guest services made a call on our behalf, and after 48 hours got a response that we could be re-booked, but we had to pay the airfare difference ($250 pp). We never spoke to anyone in Premium Air department, and Guest Services made us come down right then to pay the fee with a credit card. We don't know whether they would have made the change, except for the injury.

T1D since age 5. I travel extensively, and time-zones are often a challenge. In my experience, it's super easy to over-correct a low as you learn how her body responds, and then you're fighting a roller coaster. Instead of milk, could I suggest some quick-sugar snacks -- fruit snacks, jelly beans - that you can give her a couple at a time. Like total of 6-10, tops. Follow up with a protein snack to stabilize, like peanut butter crackers. The protein will take the 'top' off the sugar rush, and smooth out the tail.

We have found and relocated ducks. Not hidden, but left in unexpected places, like on a bookshelf or in the rocks around the fake plants in the atrium. Crew left them alone, or moved them a few inches to more visible spots. The crane-game in the arcade had ducks, so we imagine some came from there. There were maybe 6 or 8 on the ship, not hundreds.

Sister paid like $35 for abut $5 in dollar tree quality decorations in the celebration package. It was a bland greeting card, and a couple of hanging spiral things and two balloons. Buy your own (no glitter or confetti, please) and leave it with a tip for the room steward. Like $1-2 for each item you want them to hang up. Provide painters tape or scotch tape.

Escape in June 2022 (Greek Isles) - out of Fireball by day 4. It was a port-intensive trip with the only sea day at the end. Cinnamon Fireball is NOT an expensive liquor, so we were quite surprised. I now have a t-shirt (Amazon) "we ran the bar out of Fireball". Smile!