SimplyCool

28 minutes ago, zerooveride said:

So we just stayed in a Club Balcony Suite on Encore last week (Cabin 8136). We received 2 snakes during the week and the cheap sparkling wine. The only other perk really available to us was the laundry. We always tip our Steward at the beginning of the cruise so we actually got 2 bags of laundry free. He had use mark CB on each form. So we got two free loads of laundry.

 

The one advantage for us was the larger bathroom. I'm fat and the shower was plenty big for me. It was a really nice addition. I didn't feel like I was in a coffin. 

 

As for room service, same menu and same fee. Also to note the continental breakfast listed in the book appears to be incorrect as items (toast for example) in the book were not on the hanging tag and room service told us if it isn't on the hanging tag, it would be subject to the room service fee.

 

As entertainment was not an option to prebook for anyone on my cruise, we couldn't take advantage of this.

 

We have a December cruise "scheduled" and we were not able to book anything until 120 days out and still no entertainment reservations as of now.

 

I think the biggest advantage of the CBS is the bathroom. Other than that it really isn't all that great. 

I agree with the club balcony suite isn't worth it.  We were on the 9th floor ( 9790) and  I would've been just as happy with our regular balcony.  We are active and the CBS  tub was a bit difficult to get in and out. I wish they had a separate shower. The double sink was beautiful. 

2 hours ago, *Luv2Cruz* said:

Can those who the state department and CDC recommend not to cruise get their money back, or is the only option the FCC? TIA

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
 

I am wondering the same but the cruise industry doesn’t want to issue refund, their profit margin would suffer.

We have a cruise in 4 weeks and is very confused what to do, I’m not sure how long this Covid 19 is going to last and getting a FCC, you still would have to use it within the next two years and it’s a good chance that the  cruise price would skyrocket  once things get better. Maybe it will get better maybe not, no one is sure right now how long this virus will last.

21 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Ships dock right in town in Akureyri (or tender right there).  You can just walk around if you aren't going on an excursion.  No need for taxis.  BUT you don't visit Iceland for the towns.  In Akureyri, which is surrounded by natural beauty, I strongly recommending taking the "classic" Myvatn day tour out of town that gets you to the sites that are listed in the OP above.   We had a wonderful day seeing them, and a fabulous hour in the Myvatn Nature Baths.  (Thanks to weather, we had an unscheduled, additional day in Akureyri.  No offense to anyone, but it's just not that interesting.)

Thanks for the tips. Yes, we are looking to get a tour to see Myvatn lake and Godafoss falls.

10 hours ago, Nitemare said:

Iceland has many ports.  Some have taxis.  Some don't.  Taxi is a very expensive way to get around in Iceland, which is a very expensive country.

Thank you !!

In Iceland, our ship will moor in Reykjavik from 12:00 pm to  12:00 pm ( overnight)

Also in Akureyri from 8 am to 4 pm.

23 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Just so you know, there are other tour operators in Iceland who are discussed in this forum and who get raves as well, so you do have other options. We did the South Coast tour this summer out of Reykjavik with GeoIceland, and it was a fabulous day with one of the best guides we've ever had.   Some others on our Roll Call did the Golden Circle tour with them and also had a good time.

 

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks but  Geolceland /saga travel is sold out for the dates that we will be in Iceland and Norway, so trying to find alternatives.

Is there taxi at the port of Iceland and Norway?

Thanks  for any suggestions!!

Amy:)

Thank you for posting this information. We are traveling in 3 weeks from Southampton with NCL. Will check the tour companies to see if they are still available.

Thanks again😍

Several months ago there were press articles about NCL prohibiting passengers bringing water and soda on board. Is that the rule now?

Yes, Yes! very much enforced.

This week, I booked next November. My daughter has asthma and nut allergies so I definitely need to have pre-existing conditions covered.

 

On our last cruise, we had the NCL insurance. My husband never wants to have trip insurance because he says we're going no mater what! lol he's not thinking about the unthinkable events that could occur!!! And of course I understand that's why we buy any form of insurance.

 

So we're going with third party but I am having trouble deciding what we need. I'd hate to over pay because we'd never need everything that's covered, and I'd also hate to take coverage that doesn't cover something we could need. We live an hour and a half from the port so we don't need flights or hotel stays covered. (unless of course the trip is interruped and we need to wait over night before a flight home. I was just saying we don't need flights/hotels before after the planned cruise) we'll be paying for port parking and about $20 in tolls. We are on the Breakaway 11/5/17 from NYC to FL, Nassau, and GSC. It's me, my husband, and daughters 37, 43, 10 & 12 at the time of sailing.

 

I appreciate any advice!! Thanks in advance!

You can try allianz travel insurance, they don't charge for kids under 17 and very reasonable. I have used them before and was able to transfer the insurance to another cruise that I have cancelled before final payment. It took a few phone calls and persistence to transfer, and for peace of mind I had insurance.

Good luck.

I bought a $500 gift card and is getting nervous reading this. I will have to check if it has money on it. I bought it some time back and never check to see the balance.

Thanks OP for sharing and I hope you resolve your problem. I think Carnival can check to see exactly when this was applied and by whom.

Good luck.

My family of 4 (Husband, 7 year old son, 3 year old daughter) are currently booked on Allure for April. We have 2 large interior connecting rooms, but I've been eyeing prices on balcony rooms for a while to see if prices would come down enough to entice us to cram into one balcony room rather than having the extra space the adjoining interiors would give us. Well darn you Royal, now I have to make the choice I've been dreading. This current sale with the kids sail free promotion as well as the additional $100 off per stateroom makes moving to a balcony room about $700 less than our 2 interior rooms. My question is what would you do? Keep the 2 interiors to have the extra bathroom and more room or cram into a balcony room since it's cheaper and we'd have a balcony to relax on? Also, if anybody has any input on whether or not a 7 and 3 year old could comfortably sleep together on the pull-out couch that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I would definitely take the balcony vs the two interior. Your kids are young enough to fit in with the space. I bet they would love looking out onto their own balcony. It is still your choice to do what you think is best for your family.

I asked room steward, service desk and even the CD and all said no more ship pins for Pearl (at least). I was bummed.

On our trip two weeks ago on the Gem, the cruise next rep said, you have to ask for them and he had plenty. Two days later which was the last night of the cruise my DH asked guest service and they said they don't have any more left. My guess is they still have them but might have been packed away for the next cruise.

Is this perk going to go the way of the others like UDP and UBP where NCL will charge an 18% gratuity charge on the free gratuities?

No charges, the offer is for the first 2 in the cabin for the numbers of days (13.50* ?) which is why most people like it.

Welcome to CC. You need to find your roll call as suggested above and your fellow cruisers will have some ideas. Also look at the ports you are visiting on this site and you will find great tips.

Wow! strong work!

Thanks!!

Also downgraded from an oc to an ic - saving another $2,110.24, hoping to upgrade back in the future before sail date which is almost a year.

The worst case scenario is getting stuck with an inside but would be consoled with the savings. I am happy either way, not so sure with my DH and DS.

Is it really much of a saving?

 

Service charges are $13.50 pp pd = $13.50 x 2 persons x 7 days = $189 for two people (the promotion is limited to the first two).

 

Meals for two at a specialty restaurant cost $25 pp = $25 x 2 persons x 3 meals (the promotion is limited to three meals) = $150.

 

$39 is nothing to sneeze at but is it worth the time to fret about and make all these changes?

My cruise is 14 days so it was a total of $378. :):)

I just called and change my promos for the daily service charge - what a saving!!

Thanks again for the heads up. This promo can change anytime so if anyone is thinking to do later, they should rethink it. If the promos remain the same, prices can go up- something to think about.

Good luck!!

I'm in the same boat. Even if the DSC for all 4 guests in the stateroom is waived, there's no real savings for me since the price has jumped from booking to now.

Some people are influenced with "free and sale" that is why NCL is always playing around with it.

Nothing is really "free" it is somehow /somewhere built into the fare.

Thanks for posting - will check to see what tomorrow brings!!

It would be a deal if the cruise price is the same.

Bit late to the party here, but I wanted to mention 2 things:

 

Luvs2beachit: Disney does sail from Galveston some months of the year.

 

Esilef: There is an organization called Autism on the Seas here in the US that organizes cruises for families with autism, check out their website for more info http://www.autismontheseas.com/.

Thanks for posting - this is the first time I heard about Autism on the seas. My last cruise with NCL, I saw a few special needs kids, and it is good to know that the cruise lines are responsive to the special needs population.:)

You get a lot less nowadays, tho...I don't think the over-all experience is as "special" as it used to be....

You are absolutely right.

I did not find it entertaining and the food was so salty I literally gained 5lbs from retaining water. Our fellow diners were not friendly at all and it was not the easiest thing to get drinks served during dinner. However my least favorite part was the non-stop, super loud clanging of the spatulas. There are numerous tables all in one room and all the chefs clang and bang their spatulas endlessly to the point where it is not only not relaxing, but downright deafening. I would not do it again, even if it was free.

I wanted to try that restaurant but DH was not too keen. I think most of the food on the cruise ship is salty. We hardly use salt so the first day cruising is a shock to our taste buds, and we do gain some pounds even thought we exercise and try to eat healthy (lol).

However, looking at the video, is it possible to ask not to add the soy sauce or the other sauces to your portion? If this is possible, then the food might be less salty.

Thanks for posting all your comments.

Carnival does give you all the benefits of platinum while on the cruise so unlike NCL. We experienced this in 2013, so don't know if the rules are still the same. You can call to find out, or if your boarding pass are available it will say priority as stated by coevan.

We were short 1 day for Gold with NCL and didn't get any benefit for that category on our trip last week.

Enjoy - it will be great!!

Best,

We took an upsell on our cruise to Mexico from a inside to a balcony for $200 FLAT! Best $200 we EVER spent!

That looks like an excellent deal.

How many days? I paid $300 from an ocean view to an aft balcony -7 days Bahamas.

I got my first upsell from NCL for $750 pp or $1000 pp for the first 2 occupants for a penthouse or the Haven with no additional amenities. This was from a guarantee ov.( 7days to the Bahamas). I called and said if I get something more reasonable, I will consider. A week later, I got an email for $150 pp for the first 2 for an aft balcony (a few days ago). How can I refuse! Will be sailing soon.:):)

Keep the stories coming - love to hear from others.

FYI - this is the first cruise that I booked directly with NCL - did that play a factor? - just wondering;)

http://www.aarp.org/Rewards-For-Good

 

 

Royal Caribbean International Gift Certificate $100

Retail Price:$100.00 Points: – 1,000 You Pay: $90.00

(10% Savings)

.

 

Hope those other 40+ viewers, hope some were lucky to buy.

Sorry - sold out.