Motegi

So MSC is apparently making changes to try to address the concerns that have been raised over the past couple months.

Yet there are already numerous complaints by those who haven’t even seen the changes nor been able to get a detailed review.

So for those who might know better than MSC what would be the ideal solution?

Put the ship in dry dock and build another MDR? Make those who book Bella cabins buffet only?

Plus LOL our outlet that is meant to be for USB has no, well, USB. Just two empty USB shapes. Somebody forgot to put the actual input in.

 

 

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Did you let Guest Services know? I’m sure the electrical department has extra outlet plugs.

Its been said many times..... The first few cruises are always a work in progress....You were on one of the first couple Caribbean sailings...kinks being worked out. Everyone is entititled to their opinion...However I must say the positive feedback from recent cruises indicates there has been improvement and many of the problems earlier reported have been addressed...

Agree 100%.

One thing that I’ve taken away from this controversy is that despite the allure of being on a “maiden voyage” perhaps it is best to avoid sailing on any new ship for 6-12 months while they address any of the initial problems. Who wants to pay to be a beta tester?

I look forward to my cruise on the Seaside in September as they see to be making big improvements already.

Like the others have said, the POA has a very port intensive itinerary. It’s basically in port every day. You will probably be spending most of your daytime hours on land where you can drink all of the soda (Coke!) that you want.

How many sodas do you drink at night between dinner and bedtime?

Are there any self-serve soda locations like on other cruise lines or do you have to go to a bar every time you want a soda?

You have to go to a bar. Or you can order from your waiter in the MDR during meals.

NCL i seem to remember many posts about the star ? Years ago ! Felt sorry for all involved with that ! Felt really lucky when why didnt experince the star stay at dock voyages

 

 

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I was a passenger on one of the Star sailings that encountered a technical issue. The captain announced during the cruise that we would have to return to Tampa early because it required an unexpected mechanical repair.

The cruise was cut short by one day but we still had a great time and have many fond memories of it.

To The Admiral:

You mentioned that 8 years ago after your first cruise with MSC you had a problem getting a Voyager Club number and decided to never cruise with them again. How was the cruise itself? It must not have been to your liking because I don’t see the club number issue being enough to swear off of a cruise line entirely.

Some people are much more selective eaters than others. I see this every time I go out to eat with friends. Usually many things on the menu will look appetizing to me but for some of my friends they will have a hard time finding anything and even when they select something they will ask the waiter to make multiple changes when ordering (different sauce, different sides, etc). It literally is a matter of taste.

As for the sewer smell I think I’ve noticed sewer smell at one point or another on all of the ships I’ve sailed on. Usually confined to certain small sections. I thought it was just the way things were. I work in a hospital where we encounter similar smells on a daily basis so I’m used to it!

We put our soda and wine bottles in an airline carry on sized roll aboard suitcase along with our two Yeti mugs. Worked perfect and super easy to roll through security and onto the ship.

From the performances that I’ve seen not all of them dance. Only a handful. I’m sure that those who dance choose to do so. Most of the others stand in place and sing along with the group. The ones who are dancing all appear to be very happy and enthusiastic. In fact I’ve found the dancing wait staff to be more enthusiastic than some of the Carnival professional dancers in the theatre on my last two sailings. And it appears that I’m not alone in my assessment as the turnout for the theatre performances has been dismal (30-40/night) whereas the MDRs have been very full.

For those who feel sorry for the wait staff I’m sure that they are aware of their job requirements when they sign on. If they didn’t want to sing or dance they could’ve applied for a different cruise line or a different position on board.

When the wait staff at a local restaurant gathers around a table rhythmically clapping and singing happy birthday to a patron should we feel sorry for them for being forced to “perform” for the crowd instead of waiting tables?

Anyone know if this is offered with other cruise line ending in Honolulu?

 

 

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Thus company is a third party service so it is not specific to NCL. I would call them to find out if they offer services on the day that you are in port.

http://www.alohaairportdeliveryandstorage.com

First have your luggage sent to the Airport when you disembark. Here's the service we used when we sailed on the PoA last year.:

http://www.alohaairportdeliveryandstorage.com/Home_Page.php

You just call them when you disembark and they pick up your bags at the port. Then when you get to the airport you call them again and they deliver your bags to your terminal. Very inexpensive and worked like a charm!

If you've never been to the Polynesian Cultural Center it's quite nice (think of it like a polynesian educational theme park) but its a bit of a drive from Honolulu.

Pearl Harbor is also a very good option and much closer to Honolulu and close to the airport.

Since we'd already been to Oahu many times and seen the sites we took an Uber from the port and spent the day around Waikiki.

http://www.alohaairportdeliveryandstorage.com/Home_Page.php

We used them a couple of weeks ago and it was great. Just call when you get off the ship and they pick it up. Call later when you get to the airport and they bring your luggage to the terminal.

We used this service as well after our PoA cruise last April. Worked like a charm!

Once our luggage was picked up at the port we just called for an Uber and went to Waikiki and AlaMoana Shopping Center.

Royal is building a pier at their island next door. It's slow going though because when I was at GSC last month it didn't look much farther along then when I was at coco cay for labor day. Considering coco cay is smaller (it was originally called little stirrup cay) and they anchor/tendor on the same side as NCL I think their assumptions about whether they could stick a pier on that side are false.

Here's a satellite image of NCL's Great Stirrup Cay along with RCI's Coco Cay. You can even see the cruise ships anchored off the north side of each island.

RCI is building out their pier and dredging on the north side of their island:

Here's a link to a company that NCL is working with to design a pier for GSC:

https://www.appliedtm.com/portfolio/cruise-ship-pier-siting-engineering-design-great-stirrup-cay/

If the ship goes to Nassau instead of GSC is there a chance to do something fun there?

Yes there is plenty to do in Nassau.

Especially if you’ve never been there before and even if you’ve been there many times (like me!).

There is of course the famous resort/theme park that is Atlantis. You can take a tour of the resort and visit the aquarium and marine habitat or you can opt for a day at their Aquaventure Water Park with their famous water slides. And there is a large casino on the property too. You can get a taxi there from the port.

Under 5 minutes walk from the port is the main shopping district along Bay Street with all of the jewelry and Swiss watch boutiques. Also along that street is the Bahamas Parliament Square and behind it the Supreme Court and Nassau Library. There are lots of small restaurants and bars there where you can try some cheap Bahamian cuisine.

On our most recent two overnight stops there two weeks ago we really enjoyed taking the tour at the Pirate Republic Brewery on Woodes Rodgers Walk just a 5 minute walk from the port. It’s the only microbrewery in the Bahamas and they have daily guided tours twice a day for $13 which includes a flight of beer and a pretzel. The tour guide is dressed as a pirate and gives not only a tour of the brewery but an in depth history of the many pirates that occupied the region in years past.

Just 5 minutes walk past there is Senor Frogs bar. For inexpensive souvenirs be sure to check out the Straw Market along the way.

Another 5 minutes beyond that is Junkanoo beach. We recommend walking a little further down the beach to the seafood shack called Crab and Tings. They are 5 star rated on Trip Advisor and the beach is much less crowded there. They have beach chairs for their customers and the food is fresh and inexpensive.

Just 5 minutes inland from there is the John Watling Rum Distillery where you can get a free tour and do a rum tasting.

Heading back to the ship you can stop at the Graycliff Chocolate Factory for a tour.

You can visit the Nassau Pirate Museum for more of the Pirate history and see a full sized replica of a pirate ship.

Some other sites accessible by taxi include Fort Fincastle and the Queens Staircase.

So as you can see there is plenty to do.

For future reference there are resources out there that list all of the spring break dates for colleges and universities each year.

For example:

https://www.studentcity.com/when-is-my-spring-break

Remains to be seen but I don’t think Cuba is a hotspot for spring break partiers or bar hoppers.

While I’m sure there will be some college kids on board i believe that all of major universities in Florida (UF, USF, U Miami, FSU, UCF) will be back in session at that time.

So are we assuming that this sudden decision to perform a short dry dock repair has to do with the recent water system issues that have occurred?

How do you find out in advance if there are theme nights on your sailing?

Cruise critic is a great resource for that and being able to review copies of the daily schedule from recent cruises that other members post to the forum.

You can also sometimes find out on the cruise lines website as well. Most cruise lines have similar theme nights across their fleet. But the theme nights do vary somewhat from cruise line to cruise line.

On our last cruise we sailed with 14 friends and family and all had matching costumes for the “yellow party”.

It's almost as if they just got tired of building the ship and said "that'll do".

You're probably right about that. There was a dispute between the ship builder, STX Europe, and NCL during the construction process of the Epic and eventually resulted in the cancellation of the Epic's planned sister ship and a third ship.

I'm sure that both STX and NCL just wanted to finish the Epic and be done with each other.

Would a first time cruiser or infrequent cruise know that spring break affects cruises? Perhaps, especially if they are members of CC. During March there are always news reports of beaches being taken over by college students but I’ve never seen news reports of ships being taken over. I would hope that anyone booking a cruise in March with a travel agent would get a heads up from the TA. I really think the cruise line should at least give a heads up about cruises that might be impacted by spring breakers. Had I been on this cruise I probably wouldn’t be cruising with NCL again.

We were on the Sky last month and it was taken over by a large group (hundreds) of 15 year old girls celebrating a group Quincenera through a charter company from south america. We thought it was a bit strange that they would choose the "open bar" NCL Sky for this but it was probably because of its shorter itinerary. Some of the staff said that this is an annual charter every year on this ship. Of course none of them were drinking alcohol but there were frequently large groups of giggling girls congregating in the cabin hallways and gathering by the elevators. Interestingly I never saw them at the shows in the theater or in the main dining rooms. I assume that their charter company arranged their own separate entertainment and meals. Some other passengers were complaining aloud about how "rude" these teens were and how they were annoyed that they were on board but Pam and I had no issues at all.

Cruising is an economical and low stress way to travel because of its all-inclusive nature. For budget constrained college students, the shorter cruises are likely much cheaper than booking a beachside resort during spring break. Unless the cruise lines limit certain age groups I don't see how they can keep spring breakers from their ships.

From NCL.com pertaining to their alcohol policy:

What is the minimum age for purchase and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages?

Passengers must be 21 years of age or older to purchase or consume alcohol. With the exception of Alaska and Hawaii itineraries, Norwegian permits young adults to purchase and personally consume wine and beer only while onboard and with the consent of an accompanying parent. Authorization will be given only when the accompanying parent completes the Young Adult Alcoholic Beverage Waiver form. This form can be obtained and completed at the Guest Services Desk upon embarkation of the vessel. However, passengers 18 years of age or older are permitted to consume beer and wine when sailing on round-trip European and Australian voyages without having to complete the Young Adult Alcoholic Beverage Waiver form.

If there were teenagers on board who were consuming alcohol then according to NCL's rules they were accompanied aboard by one of their parents and the responsibility lies with that parent to ensure that they are behaving properly. Not NCL.

Here is an excerpt from NCL's Guest Conduct Policy pertaining to alcohol and those under the age of 21:

"The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on Norwegian Cruise Line ships is 21. Guests who are 18 - 20 years of age can purchase and consume beer or wine when the ship is in international waters (3 miles out of US territorial waters). The age modification does not apply for Alaska and Hawaii sailings. The parent or legal guardian must be onboard the sailing with the young adult and present themselves at the Front Desk so they can sign the form allowing the consumption of beer and wine only. A notarized Parent Consent Form or any other document allowing for temporary guardianship for the purposes of the sailing only will not be accepted.

For purposes of complying with the minimum drinking age requirements, a guest’s age is established upon embarkation (beginning of the cruise). If a guest celebrates their birthday during the cruise, and thereby becomes of age to consume alcohol, the guest may thereafter ask the Guest Services Manager to modify ship’s records to permit their consumption of alcohol during the remainder of the cruise. The guest will be required to appear at Guest Services to present a government issued form of identification to permit verification of their age.

On cruises embarking in a country where the legal drinking age is lower than 21 and where a young adult (age 18, 19 or 20) is not traveling with a parent or legal guardian, they will generally not be permitted to consume alcohol. There may be exceptions made to this restriction in areas of the world where local laws require and Norwegian Cruise Line concurs. Details on such exceptions can be obtained from the Guest Services Desk. No guest under age 18 may possess or consume alcohol at any time, while onboard or at our private destinations. No guest under age 21 may possess or consume alcohol at our private destinations. Any guest who goes ashore and consumes alcohol (whether under the supervision of a parent/guardian or not, is responsible for ensuring they consume responsibly and retain their ability to recognize and avoid potentially dangerous situations when they return to the ship. Parents/guardians are reminded they are responsible for the actions of their child/young adult at all times while on a Norwegian Cruise Line cruise.

Guests who violate any alcohol policy, including but not limited to underage drinking; providing alcohol to minors or young adults; possessing, concealing or attempting to conceal alcoholic items in their luggage, when boarding, or while on board; engaging in alcohol drinking games; or failing to consume alcohol responsibly, will be considered for discipline under the provisions of this policy."

If you felt that these policies were not being followed during your sailing then I think you should reach out to NCL's customer care department at 1.866.234.7350

Hopefully the architects and engineers have designed it to withstand Cat 5 winds!

motegi,

calm down....you'll give yourself a heart attack. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

lol

Actually MC I passed math with flying colors. .... you missed the whole point. What I don't like is all the ad on costs over and above the enticing advertised prices, fares should just include the daily service charge. Makes it easier when planning a trip and looking at costs

 

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As you have said I’m sure that part of this IS for marketing purposes. They can lure more people in and beat their competitors by advertising the lowest possible fares. A good comparison would be most of the airline industry. In order to reduce ticket prices most airlines have become much more restrictive as far as free baggage, in flight meals, etc. Now some even charge extra for overhead carry on bags and aisle/exit row seating in the economy section. Likewise, cruises have added on specialty dining and upcharge onboard activities to generate more profits.

Not true in many parts of the world. In some countries service is part of the work ethic. ...

 

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But in these countries the base wage is correspondongly higher to compensate for the lack of gratuities. More importantly, the price of the goods are increased to incorporate this added cost.

I’m not saying that I’m a staunch advocate of the tipping culture of the American service industry but this is the reality and the structure by which the cruise lines have chosen to operate.

Those cruisers that intentionally have their service charges refunded for no other reason than their personal cost savings are despicable and their actions should not be promoted.