trivimp

I also have both, for similar reasons that others have reported. I keep the book in the safe & carry the card on excursions. I also use the card to fly domestically, since I haven't gotten around to getting the Kansas Real ID driver's license yet.

You can call NCL & get a notation removed. I have traveled with someone who used a wheelchair for a while due to an injury, and then no longer needed it after recovery. We had the "wheelchair assistance at check-in" notation first placed, then removed, from his file.

We had the same experience on our Alaska cruise this spring. A distant whiff from a balcony three or four cabins upwind, a distinctive trace in a crowd that says someone toked up recently. All The Time! I may have also pulled a Griner on a different cruise (packed some edibles without thinking it through) & neither the airport nor the cruise security noticed or cared. They're clearly not searching at the level to find something like that.

Another KCBS judge here; I don't have super-high expectations for the 'cue here (since they obviously don't have a traditional pit on board the ship) but I have found Q to be a bit uneven. Sometimes it's decent, sometimes it's lackluster. The main reason I like to go there is for the peach margaritas & the band.

I'm a lanyard person. I realize this is controversial for some reason, but women's clothing rarely has adequate pockets. I bring a pretty jewelry-style lanyard so I don't feel so workplace-chic. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VW235P9/

It is. When you present your card at the restaurant, they will ask you if you want to use your dining credit for the meal. At the end, they will give you a bill with the amount zeroed out (assuming you didn't purchase an upcharge) and all will be settled.

Roaming gets very expensive, very fast!! We always have our phones in airplane mode at sailaway. Turn it back on once you're in port (but don't make calls or do anything data-intensive unless you have a good international plan... just check your notifications or whatever you need to do.) Then, back in airplane mode before you sail from that port. If you leave the phone in normal mode, it will rack up roaming charges very quickly once you get out of range of any cell towers on land & it tries over & over again to acquire some kind of signal. I'm sure you're aware of this, but just throwing the explanation out there in case a cruising neophyte happens to read this & wonders why everyone is talking about airplane mode.

Yikes, that's a lot of magnets... but here's how we do something similar for a charm exchange at our Red Hatter luncheons or whatever: 1. Bring one charm per person signed up. (we tell people the number about a week before) 2. Everyone brings a bag labelled with their name. (Have a few pretty gift bags on hand for those who forget.) 3. Place the bags in a circle on a table. 4. Everyone walks around the table & drops one charm in each bag. If you want to limit the number of items that someone has to bring, you can cap each exchange group at some preset number -- we sometimes cap our charm exchange at ten. If we have thirty people sign up, it get broken up into three tables of ten bags. That way, no one has to bring more than ten charms.

Once on board, you can use the NCL app while your phone is in airplane mode by connecting to the ship's WiFi network. You don't have to use your wifi minutes at all. We use it that way frequently, to check our onboard accounts, look at or book excursions, look at the dailies, and so forth.

We've cruised 4 times since the restart, and had M&Gs on all of them.

Ah, well, it's not going to break the bank if I end up paying for an extra bag of laundry. I just need to be able to tell the Guy what to pack, which he will ignore anyway. @spanishguy1970 : pull a pillowcase off the pillow, stuff the laundry in there, then leave it on the bed with the laundry bag & slip. (Don't overstuff it, you want it to look like it might plausibly fit into the sack but you were leery of tearing it.)

The Guy & I are platinum/sapphire, which means one bag of laundry each on a seven-day. We did four bags total on our last B2B, it was nice to be able to pack so light! Does anyone know for sure how many bags of laundry will we be able to get on our fifteen-day Panama transit next spring? I'm getting conflicting info when I use the search function.

We just got off the Gem's sister ship Pearl, which has Summer Palace & Indigo (in place of Grand Pacific & Magenta, respectively.) Dress code was the same for both. The only venue that was called out for "no shorts" in the dailies was Le Bistro. As others have pointed out, that can vary by itinerary. You won't be turned away if you show up in a clean shirt & non-ripped long pants.

It works pretty much like any land restaurant. You show up and request a table for two, or however many in your party. If it's very busy, you may have to wait a bit, but it's usually not a long wait even at the busiest times. Grand Pacific is a little more formal, decor-wise, but the two MDRs will have the same menu every night. Go to whichever one you like. Dress code is the same for both.

Good idea, but no microwave will be available. Mine are grown now, I don't miss the days when they would eat, say, only instant mac-n-cheese for every meal for six months straight, or something. They do get in a funny rut sometimes

Dear Valued Guest, On behalf of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), we thank you for your loyalty and for making us your vacation of choice. We have important information regarding cruises visiting Canada. Travel partners should share the below information with guests who may be affected. As you prepare for your upcoming sailing, we want to ensure that your embarkation process runs smoothly. As such, we want to make you aware of our latest health and safety protocols, as well as the travel requirements for the destinations you will visit. REQUIREMENTS FOR CRUISES THAT VISIT CANADA Effective for sailings September 30, 2022 forward, all COVID-19 travel requirements, including vaccination, mandatory use of ArriveCAN, and any testing and quarantine/isolation protocols will no longer be required for travelers entering Canada by land, air or sea. Although Canada has lifted its COVID-19 travel requirements, including those specific to cruise passengers, all guests must still meet the following NCL embarkation requirements to board their upcoming cruise. NCL EMBARKATION REQUIREMENTS Given the relaxation of global protocols and travel requirements, we have updated our health protocols to welcome all guests to sail with us, regardless of vaccination status. As such, all guests ages 12 years and older, must provide proof of one of the following: 1. Proof of completed series of one-dose or two-dose vaccination regimen. Please visit www.ncl.com/sail-safe for a full list of accepted vaccines and additional information.' OR 2. Proof of a negative COVID-19 antigen or NAAT test (i.e., PCR) taken within three days of the embarkation date. Guests 6 months to 11 years are welcome aboard with no restrictions. While we welcome unvaccinated guests, it is the responsibility of the guest to be aware of any local protocols and/or travel restrictions in place at the visiting destinations at the time of sailing. We cannot wait to welcome you onboard. Regards, Norwegian Cruise Line

I'm on the 9/30 sailing of the Pearl, which is a New England/Canada route from Boston. We were notified yesterday via email of the changed requirements.

Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown (those are probably the most affected) Also Saguenay & QC

I was on a singles cruise once that coincided with a partial-ship charter of an Irish music festival thing. The Studio Lounge hosted a jam session more than once. I loved it, but some folks less so... Irish music isn't everyone's cup of tea. Which proves the overall point of this thread, I guess.

How many cruise ships stop in Friuli?

I did it pre-pandemic, it may have changed somewhat since then, but the excursion description will tell you "no flights after x:xx time" which tells you what time they drop you off + a little leeway for airline check-in. It was a pretty standard bus tour, I enjoyed it. We saw the fort, a pretty beach, and a plaza in Viejo San Juan with some food & shopping possibilities. Everything is subject to change due to recent storm damage, though.

I jumped into this thread with the intent of saying something about dredged channels & turning basins, but now realize I am just here for chengkp's commentary 🙂

They had Kraken Black on the Encore last May, but not at the pool bar. Found it at the casino bar & the Local, though.

They did have some lectures on my Panama transit; a little history, a little oceanography & marine life. That's the only NCL cruise I've been on that had enrichment stuff (other than the Glacier Bay rangers, which is cool, but more NPS than NCL.) As others have said, it's not a big focus for NCL.

True. The complete FAQ page: https://www.ncl.com/faq#can-i-bring-water-or-soda-board ugh, this board is breaking the link, but you can search for it on the NCL faqs under "can I bring water"