littlelulu01

12 hours ago, FreestyleNovice said:

Spoiler alert: Spa pricing on Prima will be the highest of the entire fleet. Start saving.. 

I have a feeling it’s going to be a fantastic spa and will attract customers just for the spa.  The space on deck 16 that I think is spa area is a good chunk of real estate. I can’t wait for details.  

I have done this.  Not always allowed but when they offer double up it’s usually on 6+ Months in advance.  Haven cruise next cost $750 for (2) $500 certificates. 

On 1/14/2022 at 5:59 AM, scubareview said:

Here is the image of the Deck 11 aft penthouse 

The written description of these aft ph’s has been amended to now include the hot tub.  I was booked on a deck 10 aft os and by the time I found out the room didn’t have the hot tub on balcony deck 12 was sold out.  Knowing I could have booked one of these ph’s for thousands less is a little salt in the wound.  I ended up giving up the OS  on deck 10.  I do have a deck 12 OS for the TA but had I known about deck 11 ph I’d have been all over that room! Those who were lucky enough to book one when prima sales started won the lottery.  Price of those aft ph’s now reflects the fact you get the hot tub. 

From what my pcc is reporting, pricing about the same for most of the 9 night sailings. The TA isn’t till November 16 out of Rome.  
 

The Rome to Venice August 26-September 4 looks appealing as does the subsequent Venice to Athens sailing. Aug 26 ports are: Rome, Naples, Palermo, Valletta, Siracusa, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Split, Koper, Venice. 
 

The September 4th is Venice, Ravenna, Split, Dubrovnik, Corfu, santorini, kusadasi, Istanbul, Mykonos, Athens. 

We were in the Haven 8/28 sailing.  Haven food was good.  The American diner free lunch on embarkation day- we were not impressed.  I tried whole main lobster in ocean blue and it was mushy.  The appetizers and service there were good so we didn’t complain about the meal.  Q and food republic were really good.  In all honesty- the service was outstanding every venue we tried.  The food was good enough and sometimes it was really good. When you can’t even rely on restaurants having staff to even open let alone serve a decent meal on land anymore, we felt it was a privilege to experience excellent service and pretty good food on the ship. 
 

I thought the concierge Adrian was fantastic and loved the Starbucks machine and the Observation lounge.
 

After sailing the Haven on the Encore, I think I prefer Haven on Jewel class.  Excited to try the Prima to see if it’s a happy medium between the two. 

On 9/9/2021 at 12:43 PM, Jenjohncourt said:

Wow. Thanks for posting the officers. Guess Deepak & Silas have Covid since they have a replacement this week. Hope everyone recovers quickly. Thanks for the updates & enjoy the rest of the trip. Can you please post some of the Freestyle Dailies? 

I was on the 28th sailing. Silas stopped the announcements about 3/4 through the sailing.  
 

Deepak came by our dinner table on the last night of the sailing to ask how our meal and sailing was.  I remember everyone working in the venue pretty much stood at attention when he entered the room and I could instantly tell he was pretty important so I asked my server who he was after he left the table. Prior to him stopping by our table I overheard crew telling him they were going to miss him so from that overheard conversation I assumed it was a planned departure.  I kind of thought he was someone high ranking who got crew up and running and was off to another ship restart but it was just my impression. He most definitely had high respect from the crew. 

1 hour ago, yankprintster said:

I noticed the "ship is now operating in condition red ... Don't call bridge unless its an emergency" pop up messages during some of the trivia games and other events in the atrium during our sailing because the PowerPoint slides were projected from the crewmembers laptop, but the two times I saw the popup we were about an hour from docking at a ports, so I figured it meant the bridge crew was busy with navigating the channel prepping for docking and just didn't want to be disturbed.  Never imagined it would be anything more than that.

You are onboard and have been to more than one port?  You’re watching PowerPoint presentations from crew laptops before 6am?  Yesterday was our first port day, today we’re just now docked and it’s only 7am. I saw the captain mingling with guests on Sunday night.  I personally wouldn’t mingle with guests if I was the captain but that’s just my opinion.  Ncl seems to know what they’re doing.  Crew is in great spirits, fun atmosphere, I’ve seen nothing out of ordinary. Food isn’t as good as I had hoped for but excellent service and relaxing vacation more than making up for it. 

I wonder if this applies to this week’s sailings. We depart on Saturday Alaska sailing and I did not get a notification from ncl on the change.  I see it has changed when I login and review safe sail. We tested, for our own peace of mind,  but husbands was just outside the 72 hour window. There’s no test times left so even if we wanted to, we don’t have that option to re test tomorrow. We have 3rd party insurance so pretty sure we’re covered. 

3 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Certainly there were some relaxed protocols because it was a Charter, but I think the "issue" is that even though NCL is 100% vaccinated there are 11 cases onboard and the crew has lost some privileges in trying to keep them virus free.

 

Yes, we know breakthrough cases do happen, but based on the number of people stating they would only cruise on ships that are 100% vaccinated, I suspect some people held high hope that NCL would be successful keeping covid at bay. 

 

The data on the Jade  shows great promise and progress for the industry.  Consider the Diamond Princess sailing that kicked off the cruise hiatus produced 145 crew plus 567 Covid positive passengers, the Jade sailing along with fully vaccinated and tested ships shows extreme progress.  Not sure I see this as an issue.  Then again you have regularly cited various data points to support your assertion of the industry’s imminent demise.  I don’t share your enthusiastic view for shorting NCLH or the cruise industry.  Seems they’re well run and are making a good comeback. 

Have a wonderful stress free vacation!  Excited to read about your adventures. 

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

If I'm reading it right, US & Canadian citizens don't have to quarantine, as of last week anyway.  But of course that could change tomorrow.  I'm thinking of getting tested just before I leave, just for peace of mind.

Using NCL air so don't have my flight info yet but they originally listed flying out of Newark from Oregon.

You are correct on the quarantine but there’s definitely a few unless and if’s. the devil in the details. You have ncl air so ncl should book you qualifying air.  If booking the sailing today I don’t think the airfare can be added because we’re less than 60 days so I mentioned just because it’s a potential road block for someone planning a trip today.  According to Italy’s current rules, anyone from any country (including USA and Canada) will need to quarantine for 5 days upon arriving to Italy and test negative regardless of vaccination status if they have stayed or transited through the uk in the 14 days prior to arriving to Italy.  Lots of rules and rules changing all the time.  
 

the ship will sail with 100% vaccinated passengers so it shouldn’t be too difficult for us, but as of August 6th Italy is also requiring a green pass to enter indoor restaurants, public buildings, museums… I don’t know if our cdc cards will be valid in lieu of a green pass or what the procedure will be. Something to definitely keep apprised of though. 

I’d recommend keeping a close eye on any travel restrictions for countries you plan of visiting or transiting through.  I opted not to make my final payment on this sailing.  My flights transited through the UK for which  Italy required a 5 day quarantine.  I looked into changing my flights but Im booked on miles (had a sweet deal on first class British Airways) We live in the Pacific Northwest & really don’t want to fly across country in order to get on a direct flight into Rome. I kept my flights for now and might still hop back on the sailing if Italian restrictions lighten up for UK arrivals.   It will be a last minute decision if available. The itinerary looks great and I was pretty torn up in deciding to cancel.  It’s not so much Covid or fear of Covid for me anymore- it’s more about trying to predict related restrictions and plan as hassle free vacation as possible.  We switched our credits towards August Alaska - went from  11 to 7 nights and Haven to spa balcony. 🙄

10 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

If you are pre-final payment, it is a cancel and rebook. No such thing as "switching". 

I just switched from the Getaway Mediterranean  (prior to final payment) to Alaska.  I kept my original booking date and booking number.  They also moved my shareholder credit over.  I had additional unused fcc leftover and they let me use it for excursions and to pay my dsc. My fcc and cruise next was due to expire in October, 2021.  My pcc and the shore excursions staff were very flexible and extremely helpful. 

My pcc told me I had up till 60 days prior to add on air for my September, 2021 getaway sailing.  

On 6/21/2021 at 7:14 PM, bluesea777 said:

Bringing this back to first page from page 6 😲 with the following titbits:

• Encore is anchored off Busan South Korea, departing soon for the transpacific crossing to Seattle, ETA July 4 at 16:00.
• Jade went from Sicily to Piraeus Greece last week and she departed there earlier today and is heading to Brindisi Italy.
• Getaway finally left Marseilles last Friday, popped into Naples & Augusta Sicily, and is now heading to Bar Montenegro.
• Spirit left Bar Montenegro earlier today and is heading to Civitavecchia Italy.

 

When we stopped in Montenegro on the Jade in 2019 we picked up a large number of crew. It was something about their passports.  They had to board in Montenegro vs elsewhere. 

My September Getaway sailing is still bookable.  I received an email and a phone call from the pre concierge today.  First time I’ve ever had them reach out to me before a sailing. They asked about dinner reservations… so it seems as though some sailings are still a go for September. Fingers crossed!  
 

Seems like the economy got turned back on full throttle and it’s  difficult for companies to ramp back up to meet demand.  I read American Airlines is having difficulty meeting demand.  Friends just returned from Hawaii today and said it’s a zoo - jam packed. 

4 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I know this isn't NCL, but I think NCL guests will be interested to note that 8 fully vaccinated crew members have tested positive on RCL Odyssey of the seas that was scheduled to run a test cruise from Fort Lauderdale in a few week.  Vaccinate crew would have been considered fully vaccinated in 2 days. I can't find any information whether an antigen or PCR test (or both) was administered. All of July sailings have been cancelled. The hits just keep coming :(.

 

It was supposed to set sail from Fort Lauderdale on July 3 on six and eight-night voyages in the Caribbean. Now, that’s been postponed until July 31, which amounts to four canceled trips. The new departure date will be the first sailing with paying passengers since cruises were on hold during the pandemic.

Royal Caribbean cruise inaugural sailing from Florida postponed after crew members test positive for COVID-19 (fox13news.com)

 

 

The information I read from NPR  was that the crew only received vaccine on June 4th.  They were NOT considered fully vaccinated.  6 asymptotic and two mild symptoms.  

As someone else who’s booked in a deck 10 H4, I feel your pain but I don’t think this was anything malicious or bait and switchy on Ncl’s part. Although pretty consequential,  I think it was an honest mistake.  I was pretty bummed to see they amended the room description for deck 10.  I’ve found ncl to be pretty reasonable.   They want to make $ but they also want to provide an excellent vacation and have satisfied return customers.  They can’t magically make a hot tub fit on deck 10 balconies  but I would not be surprised if they try  to make some amends for the error. 

I do think they just made a big mistake and didn’t have the correct information when they sold the rooms. See the first description on the H4. The deck 10 h4 was definitely marketed and sold with a hot tub on balcony.  I had an H3 with hot tub and only switched to H4 on deck 10 after verifying directly with NCL the existence of the hot tub on the deck 10 H4 balcony.  The H3 at the time was only like a couple grand extra. I’m very thankful I have a deck 12 H4 on a different sailing.  Hopefully ncl will make it right somehow.  Obviously the deck 10 isn’t getting a hot tub but they could at least give a big discount on the room. It was a mess up. Other category Prices have increased dramatically or sold out at this point so switching is not a solution. 
 

23 minutes ago, Seany527 said:

They need to recategorize the room to an HA. NCL didn’t realize the rooms couldn’t have a hot tub 3 weeks ago?

 

I do admit it’s not very aesthetically pleasing seeing the alternating decks with the hot tubs. Deck 10 looked out of place with decks 9 and 11 not having them. 

11 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

 

Well that sucks! We have one booked on deck 10.  May change it for a 2bd. 

Except the 2 bedroom is probably now more $ than what you originally paid for the H4.  Prices have really shot up.  At the time I gave up the H3 for the H4 it was only like 1k savings.  Now it’s crazy priced to switch back. They should have had accurate room information available. That’s a pretty big mistake to advertise deck 10 H4 with a hot tub and then omit them later on. 

On 5/15/2021 at 7:27 AM, littlelulu01 said:

I’m booked in both of these for different sailings.  My pcc gave me the information. Was originally booked in the h3 on deck 15.  he suggested 15 and said it was much larger than the one on 13 but I don’t have the ratio. I switched to the H4 after finding out it still has the hot tub on the deck.  

They have added a notation on the H4.  H4’s on deck 10 no longer have a hot tub.  H4’s on deck 12 do have the hot tub.  I switched from the H3 to the H4 thinking the only difference was one less bedroom.  I have a deck 10 H4 on my fjords sailing and not very happy unknowingly giving up the hot tub when I switched. The H3 has since increased by thousands and the H4’s available on deck 12 sold out. 

Thanks for sharing.  They made me whole and then some too. I took credits instead of cash refunds for my sailings. It was pretty fun booking the Prima at great rates with my credits. I got lucky (or at least I think) with my 2021 September getaway rebooked sailing.  It looks to be a go and was a fantastic deal with all the discounts from the March 2020 canceled  sailing. It took a while to get sorted out but my pcc stepped up and was able to help me after the travel agent disappeared. If I’ve learned anything from all this it’s that patience pays off. Ncl has done right by me and I have faith in them as a company. Kinda nice now reaping the benefits from taking the credits vs the cash back.  Did the same with canceled airfares and came out ahead. 

3 minutes ago, Wendy&Grumpy said:

 

Ok, what am I missing? Where are you seeing specific balcony & cabin sizes?

All I'm seeing is a range? 

• Total Approx. Size974 - 994 sq. ft.
• Balcony Size527 - 535 sq. ft.

I’m booked in both of these for different sailings.  My pcc gave me the information. Was originally booked in the h3 on deck 15.  he suggested 15 and said it was much larger than the one on 13 but I don’t have the ratio. I switched to the H4 after finding out it still has the hot tub on the deck.  

8 hours ago, Steff79 said:

Can other rooms buying a Spa pass or did you read something other?

Didn’t read anything else.  Ncl ships with spa access staterooms typically have quite a few more stateroom categories with spa inclusion. The Prima only has the few spa balconies.  No Haven... spa suites. I’m sure they’ll sell additional spa passes and access for whatever the market will bear. How many in a post pandemic world and at what cost is the unknown. 

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I just priced Iceland. It’s high. If cruising remains 💯 vaccinated as a requirement, and the predictions that 35% of Americans won’t vaccinate, then prices are bound to drop. I suspect there will be some amazing deals for those willing to wAit until after final payment. 

I sailed a similar Iceland 2 week on the Jade a couple years ago and booked pretty far in advance. Prices were almost identical.  Even the Haven was similarly priced. A few on the roll call won upgrade bids from ocean view or inside to balconies or mini suites but the Haven and suites were booked solid with only a room here and there opening up at much higher $. And that was for a September sailing. These sailings just don’t have fire sales.
 

Lots of folks who are happy to get their vaccines prior to traveling abroad.  I don’t think ncl is saying 100% forever.  They’re saying for restart we need full vaccine rates.  I’m booked for September on the Getaway and am grateful they will have fully vaccinated ships to restart.