OceansMotion

Thank you for the detailed reply! I will save this information for our cruise! I am also preparing for the dirty looks we will get on our way past the crowds.

 

 

 

Since you have done this so often, can you confirm whether or not there is a special security line for Haven guests for embarkation?

Yes, there is. Just stay to the right and you will see it. Just got off Escape Sunday.

Hey Babs...have a great trip this week! Wish I did not have to have back surgery and could have sailed with you! Can't wait to see the pics. I love the Canada and New England sailing! :D:*

Thanks Mary, and for replying about the spa. You know better than I do. This cruise will not be the same without you and Randy. Feel better.

Yes, thank you. I was looking to book a cruise in summer of 2020 so I went for the Encore. We were on our 1st NCL cruise in Nov 2017 on Escape and won bid for Aft Haven. We had access to the SPA area. The Haven and the SPA were so nice. So we booked a 2 bedroom Haven on Encore but the prices in 2020 seem very high. So a little disappointed if the SPA area is not as nice as the escape. But 2020 is a long way off and we'll get trip reports before my final payment.

She said it was much smaller and not as nice as the Escape which is her favorite ship. The Encore is the sister ship of the Bliss so I doubt there will be that much of a change as we were just both on the Bliss 9/8-9/15. She only books Spa access rooms which we do not. We are on Escape this Sunday and won a bid upgrade from H5 to H4, 2 bedroom but I don’t do spas especially if booked in the Haven. Good luck with your choice. I have been booking Haven since 2014 and haven’t gone back yet[emoji6]

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Aren't there more SPA suites on the Escape? Is the Bliss Thermal Suite area as nice as the Escape?

We were just off Bliss 9/15 and my friend who was also on Escape said Bliss spa was smaller and not as nice as on the Escape. Hope this helps.

We couldnt tell from where it was coming from exactly, so it was hard to report them. I would have probably gone to them first if i knew their location and asked to share, i mean, tell them not to do it in their balcony when the ship was stationary.

 

 

 

The only other time that the smell popped up a bit was when we were at the glacier, slow moving boat made for lost of smoke smell. But, i could have also reported the captain for turning us the way of the chimney smoke. Took a while to get that diesel smell off our room.

LOL, thanks for replying so courteously and with a hint of humor! I only ask because they can put others in a possibly dangerous situation especially with the variety of substances they were using.

I guess it’s hard to really tell unless you are right next door and hear them partaking.

I get the funnel smoke how it smells and would have reported the captain too.;). We did the race track and when it was over we were covered head to foot in a whiteish ash from the funnel spewing out water and soot. Boy was it ugly.

On this topic, we were on the Bliss on 9/8 and the only thing that bothered us was the smoke smell on our balcony that the wind would push to our cabin. It was multiple times. Cig, weed, cigar and pipe smoke, you could smell them all. Wife talked loudly about the weed smell and if they didnt know that edibles existed. Got a chuckle from our neighbor.

I really don’t want to start a barrage of negative or nasty posts, but I just would like to ask you if you reported them? I was on that same cruise and saw someone smoking an e-cigarette in the non smoking casino. I quietly went over to a casino staff member and reported it. If he wanted to smoke that, he should have gone where it was allowed. He knew it wasn’t allowed because he was trying to sneak a puff and thought no one would see him. If it was multiple times or only once I would have definitely reported them. I’m sure with all the posts on CC that smoking on the balcony is not allowed, you would or should have known that. You only condoned their obnoxious behavior by not reporting it and allowing it to continue. JMO

Do you have a list of the officers?

 

 

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We will be on her Sunday and I will try to post officers.

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I guess I should have asked if the butler would arrange for pressing to be done. It has been suggested on these boards that one tips the butler $10/pp per day. If that is the case, then what do they do for that money?

 

 

 

Some on these boards have indicated that I should not dare to ask the butler to do anything because they are too busy. How silly is that?

 

 

 

Yes, I am in a Penthouse Suite or I would not be asking about the butler's duties.

We just got off H5 on Bliss and I was allowed to keep iron and iron board as long as I wanted. Ironed everything that needed to be so we were done for the rest of the week. Also brought a small portable clothes steamer, and yes it passed through security with no issue.

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Mandy Jones was the cruise director on the Escape from Sept. 9 to Sept. 16.

 

Bermuda was cancelled due to Florence. We stopped at Port Canaveral and Great Stirrup Cay. Nassau was cancelled so we could go around Florence in the Atlantic coming back to NYC.

Saw Dan Dan on the Bliss last week and said she was his assistant and was very good. Your opinion if you don’t mind.

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Anyone know how long David Contrerras will be the Haven concierge?

Just got off Bliss today and he was there.

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Sorry for starting another argument.

 

Was first time I got/saw the email so was mainly asking if this was new, or a known thing.

I had taken in on my Getaway cruise last November but don’t remember it before then.

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It appears I'm going to be adding to my ignore list soon. We seem to have a new poster who has joined to be obstinate & difficult...

Thank You!

Well if we all ignore IT then he/she will be talking to him or her/self! I too have been a little disheartened by the tone CC has been taking. I too have met some great people thru CC and hope things get better.

 

I see you are cruising in a couple days! Have a great cruise!!

Thank you so much. Yes I will be flying tomorrow to join the great friends I have met on Cruise Critic especially CUontheC. We actually went to meet them (Mary & Randy) in Cleveland (we live in New York) this past July. It turned out to be the best time of our lives. We felt like we knew them forever and so looking forward to seeing them again. I am also in touch with our new friends from Bermuda (Sandra & Leroy) who we will meet in Seattle tomorrow for a get together. I love the fact that we can meet people we have never met before but feel so close to them by the time of the cruise. I really hope that people on Cruise Critic really become a family instead of all this bickering and condescending attitudes that some have adopted.

3rd party 'basic/medical evac only' insurance is better and cheaper:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=56916731&postcount=44

 

$21 total for my 20day cruise. :o :)

$500k medical evac, $25k PRIMARY medical, $750 trip interruption (airfare only)

 

for $15, i could have gotten $300k medical evac, $10k secondary medical, $500 trip interruption (airfare only).

for $6 more, saving the hassle of dealing with both my medical insurance and then submitting what they rejected to the travel insurance policy is worth it!

I apologize but I don’t understand what you are trying to say. I bought an annual policy which will cover us for all the trips I take for the whole year. I have 4 cruises booked and a few local trips so I feel confident that I have covered all the bases. I put the NCL $25.00 pp post departure insurance on before I decided to go for the annual policy. It doesn’t hurt to have more than anyone needs. Please explain what you were trying to get across in your response so I can understand. Thanks

Which pronoun would you prefer someone use in that situation? I often use "s/he". Would you comment to me that you aren't a "s/he"?

I don’t ever post unpleasant comments about anyone but I would now like to say please let’s ignore ‘IT’! Whatever gender ‘IT’ is (which really doesn’t matter to me). IT’ has been nothing but unpleasant since ‘IT’ joined Cruise Critic. I’m sure I am not the only one that dislikes that CC has become so nasty and rude at times that I want to delete my account. I only choose not to because of the great people I have met thru CC and the help and information I have gained from it. What a pity!

I look at it this way, for $50 it’s a no brainer for extra medical insurance even though I purchased an annual travel insurance policy after this. JMO

La Masseria, 235 W 48th Street. Just off 8th Avenue.

Thanks.

 

 

 

We are starting to explore whether there are other/better policies for our purposes.

 

Now that DH hit another birthday, the costs are really increasing, plus we are taking more trips, *plus* we are taking more expensive trips... so the insurance costs are really getting high.

 

OTOH, we've had several claims, including two large ones, so until recently, we were actually "ahead" (but we'd rather *not* be "ahead" at any time, when insurance is involved!).

 

 

 

Perhaps you are thinking of the restriction against naming travel agents here?

 

That's an unfortunate restriction, but from before my time here. (We are just a few months ahead of you ;))

 

As I understand it, there was too much soliciting business from travel agents posting here.

 

 

 

Also, there is not supposed to be any "advertising" here (particularly mentioned about the "signature" area of each post).

 

 

 

[And I hope that *I* got the above correct!]

 

 

 

GC

If you go with Allianz I used my age for main policy holder as I am younger than DH and it’s a family policy. I called Allianz and the agent was very helpful in explaining policy coverage to me.

This covers all trips for a full year so I figured it’ll be a better choice for us especially that I don’t plan on using it.

I joined in 2013 but didn’t post until late last year for Getaway. That was our first roll call and we enjoyed meeting everyone so now I am more involved.

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Why the coyness?

 

There is no prohibition about posting the name of the insurer... or type of luggage recommended, or a restaurant in some location, or an airline recommendation.

 

 

 

But thanks for the info.

 

 

 

GC

Ok, I’m fairly new to CC and read no recommendations. Sorry, I must have misunderstood. Allianz insurance annual premier plan which is the family plan that covers all family members traveling with you as long as they live in same house as insured.

Could you share just which policy/insurance company this is?

 

 

 

GC

I forgot to mention I have the middle column since the policy name didn’t show up.

Really? I'm a USAA member will have to check them/pricing

I tried calling my insurance company but they didn’t offer travel insurance. I am in New York and there was only one that I could find that would cover my state.

Could you share just which policy/insurance company this is?

 

 

 

GC

Allian? Not sure if I can say on here. Last letter of the alphabet[emoji6].

I increased the trip cancellation and trip interruption to $10,000 for the year. My cost is $950.00. This is what is covered with the Premier plan’s (family plan) $2000 coverage but I think it can increase up to $25,000.

I have two Havens and one YC booked. I’m not sure how they figure out the rate but I see on NCL it’s 8.6% of the cost of the fare that the insurance is based on. So at this percentage my Bliss Haven cruise would be around 1100.00 for me and that’s just one. We are both relatively healthy and don’t foresee any issues. We will be covered medically since we’re going to Alaska and New England/Canada. This is just peace of mind for me.

We have 4 cruises booked in a years time so decided to get an annual travel insurance policy which covers any trip at least 100 miles away from home. Much cheaper than 4 individual policies for each cruise. Included trip cancellation and trip interruption along with the medical coverage.

Thanks for the responses. Greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

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You’re welcome. That’s why we’re all here, to help each other.