New Latitude Changes

[jimp1266]

I'm sorry if this has already been reported. We completed our Getaway cruise this morning and the new latitude changes are fully implemented. New levels, new perks, everything.

[js]

Thanks. How was your cruise. Any hints. Sailing in two weeks! Cannot wait!!

 

 

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[tlreze]

Did you book any NCL excursions? Wondering if they are giving credit at the shore excursion desk for those booked online based on the percent off you get for lattitude level?

[funredhead]

Are you plantinum? How many bags of laundry?

[jimp1266]

Did you book any NCL excursions? Wondering if they are giving credit at the shore excursion desk for those booked online based on the percent off you get for lattitude level?

 

To be honest I was caught off guard by the change and I wasn't even aware that this was a new benefit (platinum). I booked two excursions online and no refund was offered. If I don't get double points for booking many months before this cruise I'll be sure to raise this issue while fighting for the points.

[jimp1266]

Are you plantinum? How many bags of laundry?

 

 

I'm platinum, wife is gold (long story). I received one free bag and she was offered 50% off one (we only used the free bag). The bag was cloth and very large, I'm sure we could have stuffed in twice the amount of clothing compared to the old paper bags.

[Aturnee]

Were you and your wife allowed priority embarkation under your platinum status?

 

 

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[jimp1266]

Thanks. How was your cruise. Any hints. Sailing in two weeks! Cannot wait!!

 

 

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Hello fellow DVC member!! (BLT, BCV & Poly). Like all 'away ships, too much to do, too little time (trying to do it all will lead to frustration). Use the iConcierge app to book comedy / show reservations while waiting to board in the terminal. The system will allow you to book as many as you like. If in the haven, use the priority disembarkation to avoid frustration in all ports of call (up to the lounge, down a service elevator, off the ship!). Most of all, don't blink...the week flies by.

[spanishguy1970]

I find the dinner for 2 per stateroom annoying. Here is a scenario, I am traveling with a friend who happens to also be Platinum and he or she want to go to dinner by him or herself and that cannot be done because we must use that voucher together, just because we are traveling together does not mean we want to spend every single moment together. :cool:...

[jimp1266]

Were you and your wife allowed priority embarkation under your platinum status?

 

 

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We were lucky to have a Haven room so, yes. I can report that a Platinum priority embarkation was present in the boarding area and I'd be shocked if a cabin mate was not allowed to board with a platinum member.

[Aturnee]

Thanks!

[funredhead]

I'm platinum, wife is gold (long story). I received one free bag and she was offered 50% off one (we only used the free bag). The bag was cloth and very large, I'm sure we could have stuffed in twice the amount of clothing compared to the old paper bags.

 

 

Very interesting. Thank you. One more question, what type of cabin did you stay in, if you don't mind me asking.

Oops. Never I d. I see that you were in the haven. I had heard that they use the cloth bags in the haven. And the paper in the balconies. We are traveling in a balcony next week and just wondering.

I appreciate your insight.

Edited February 13, 2017 by funredhead
I realized he was in the haven.

[vince_g]

I'm platinum, wife is gold (long story). I received one free bag and she was offered 50% off one (we only used the free bag). The bag was cloth and very large, I'm sure we could have stuffed in twice the amount of clothing compared to the old paper bags.

 

It was a cloth bag because you were in a suite. You can really stuff those bags.

[jimp1266]

I find the dinner for 2 per stateroom annoying. Here is a scenario, I am traveling with a friend who happens to also be Platinum and he or she want to go to dinner by him or herself and that cannot be done because we must use that voucher together, just because we are traveling together does not mean we want to spend every single moment together. :cool:...

 

I can totally see how that scenario would be a problem. We are contractually obligated ;) to spend every moment together so the new system worked well for us. Having a second dinner in Moderno was nice (wife isn't a Platinum yet, just a lowly Gold). We have the same number of NCL cruises so this is said to tease her. Again, long story.

[casofilia]

I find the dinner for 2 per stateroom annoying. Here is a scenario, I am traveling with a friend who happens to also be Platinum and he or she want to go to dinner by him or herself and that cannot be done because we must use that voucher together, just because we are traveling together does not mean we want to spend every single moment together. :cool:...

 

Could you not have gone to "book in" at the restaurant together and then sat at different tables? Did you ask the maitre d' if you could do that or something similar; one eat now, one go back later? Or ask the F&B manager if you could eat in one restaurant and the other in another? Think outside the square; I have found that most senior staff on board are only to pleased to be able to help make the cruise as enjoyable as possible, they go so far as to bend the rules.

[js]

Hello fellow DVC member!! (BLT, BCV & Poly). Like all 'away ships, too much to do, too little time (trying to do it all will lead to frustration). Use the iConcierge app to book comedy / show reservations while waiting to board in the terminal. The system will allow you to book as many as you like. If in the haven, use the priority disembarkation to avoid frustration in all ports of call (up to the lounge, down a service elevator, off the ship!). Most of all, don't blink...the week flies by.

 

 

Hi DVC'er. We own at SSR. Just came back from THVs between Christmas and New Years Day. Fantastic trip! Just booked Poly Villas for September 9-16. Yey.

 

Anyway. I see you stayed in the Haven. Who was the concierge? We plan on spending our mornings in the spa and then linch in Haven and rest of afternoon there until getting ready for dinner. Love having drinks at Haven bar before dinner. How were the Haven bartenders.

 

We made all our dining but need to to the comedy and shows when we board or as you suggested while waiting to board. I may do that or just give to the concierge and let them know what day/time. I have it written down. Dont think it should be a problem having them take care of it.

 

What did you do at night. What were your high and low lights of the trip.

 

Glad you had a great time!

 

 

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[jimp1266]

Hi DVC'er. We own at SSR. Just came back from THVs between Christmas and New Years Day. Fantastic trip! Just booked Poly Villas for September 9-16. Yey.

 

Anyway. I see you stayed in the Haven. Who was the concierge? We plan on spending our mornings in the spa and then linch in Haven and rest of afternoon there until getting ready for dinner. Love having drinks at Haven bar before dinner. How were the Haven bartenders.

 

We made all our dining but need to to the comedy and shows when we board or as you suggested while waiting to board. I may do that or just give to the concierge and let them know what day/time. I have it written down. Dont think it should be a problem having them take care of it.

 

What did you do at night. What were your high and low lights of the trip.

 

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The Concierge was John Dsouza. The Haven bartenders were very nice and very personable (Pia and... nope, can't remember the guy's name, Pia served me most of my drinks).

 

I'm sure the concierge can take care of the entertainment reservations. I like doing it in the boarding lounge to pass the time.

 

At night we did a lot of the comedy shows, they were the best comics I have seen on a ship in a very long time. Even the MC (Keith) is great, be sure to ask him if he is Kenian. We normally love Howl at the Moon and spend as much time there as possible however, the guys onboard seemed like the requests annoyed them they wanted to be somewhere else. Don't get me wrong, we love dueling piano bars and the banter between the performers and the crowd. These guys just seemed like they stayed on a few cruises too long (particularly the Simon Cowel want to be). We didn't even go to their performance on the last night which was a first for us.

 

So I guess the lowlight was Howl at the Moon because we usually love it so much.

The highlights are a ship staffed with a friendly crew eager to help, having spa and Haven access (just can't say enough about how great these areas are). We loved the dolphin encounter / snorkel in Roatan and the cooking class in Cozumel (which exceeded my expectations, everyone seemed to genuinely have a good time).

[shedew]

Just returned from Norwegian Dawn and experienced the new tier changes to the Latitudes program as a Platinum Plus. Overall I thought the change was a plus.

Check-in was a disaster at the Port of New Orleans - But from past experience I was able to by-pass bad direction by the NCL port employees, and found the priority check-in line without anyone in line.

I was not able to get great dinner reservation times on line before we left, but was able to put the Platinum Plus "preferred dinner reservation" angle on the dining host at the port, changing all our dinner reservations to the coveted 7pm +/- 1/2 hour, without much difficulty.

On arrival at our cabin, a preprinted 3 fold card stock was waiting for us that explained the new platinum plus benefits and discounts, as well as three tear off coupons attached. One for dinner at Cagney's or Bistro (with wine), the next for Moderno or La Cucina. The last coupon for one complementary bag of laundry. 4 medium size bottles of spring water as well as a bottle of sparkling wine were also found. A plate of chocolate covered strawberry's found there way to us later in the day.

We made our way to the CruiseNext office and signed up for the "dinner with officers" and "behind the scene tour." ( NOTE: You need to sign up for these the first day before 9PM or they are lost.) Also found were old style coupons for each of us for free 60 minutes of internet each. I needed to stop in the next day to the internet tech to activate even though the coupon said you could do it yourself. He placed both hours on one account for us.

The behind the scene tour hasn't changed - Theater, Laundry, Kitchen. Although I will continue to go as sometimes we get lucky

and taken to....other locations, such as the crew bar, butcher shop, and the chicken room where two guys cut chicken in a walk-in cooler all day dressed in winter coats, 7 days a week...I had requested to see the bakery this trip, but despite a positive before the trip started was ignored in the end....next time.

The dinner with officers was a little different than expected. We received a letter on day 3 that said it was on day 5, meet in the atrium, and to confirm by noon the next day. I was slightly annoyed that we had to re-confirm, but it was not really any trouble. Anyhow dinner was in Aqua at a special marble table that sat maybe 10 to 12. The officers were two junior officers, the Guest Services Manager, and the Group Services Manager. Not the staff captain, chief engineer, or hotel manager we all had imagined. Although the officers were pleasant, it was nice to converse "old dinning style" with other guest.

We didn't bother with the shows, so can't comment on the priority seating and when I asked the CruiseNext staff about it, they were confused. Never hear from a concierge, but not really surprised.

Priority Disembarkation, I went to get the "Yellow" luggage tags from guest services and was redirected to the CruiseNext team. So I got to wait in line twice. As a further note on disembarking, we were in the main dining room when "Yellow" was called in the Port of Boston. We did the NCL fish thing of going against the current of bodies looping through the Bliss lounge to disembark on the stern starboard side. While trying to find the "end of the line" somewhere around Bamboo and the gift shop, a very short line was exiting starboard forward, making for a very quick exit.

As another comment, I usually ignore the sparkling wine, figuring it was junk and tasted bad. This time I did the same and left it in the cabin but made note of the label. "Duc De Valmer." I was surprised that the on-line wine reviews give it a very respectable 4 out of 5. With a value of between $11 and $19....next trip I will drink it.

[FLSteve11]

We sailed in late February through early March and had excursions that we had booked on line pre-cruise. We simply went to the desk and asked if we were eligible for a price adjustment. In a matter of minutes all of our excursions were repriced to the lower rate giving us a credit balance on our on board accounts!

 

Just realize in either case the discount for on-board shore excursions is only for adults. Even if your child has been on a bunch of cruises, they'll pay the full rate for excursions. This includes teenagers, who are charged the adult rate for the excursions.