WYB!

I was on the Gem last week (Feb 2020) and the casino managers said I could withdraw up to $3k per day + 3%.

I used this option to calculate how much I need to get to 30k in points which I'll use for a meta upgrade on a future cruise on my NCL BOA card.

https://www.ncl.com/world-points

Yep, your voyage does have a lot of people and people under the age of 21 onboard.

And they even added 100 more passengers after I came across the preliminary guest count

2,394 is the listed guest capacity of the Gem, 2,873 is the published # of current passengers.

Room upgrade is the way to go.

Yes it is possible, but no, the internet doesn't work that well to support VPN. Remember it's internet via satellite communications.

You best best is to use VPN while ashore and not via the ship's internet.

If you really need to check the internet and use VPN while on the ship, do it at a time of low internet use like between 3AM to 7AM.

No, you can only use the points upgrade one time on a single voyage.

On a side note, Yeah Math!

I believe I figured out my best way to get to 30k in world points (single meta upgrade) from NCL.

World Points
https://www.ncl.com/world-points

- WYB

I myself am not a professional gambler. The most I've gotten on land for my play is $9 cash back (and that was actually in CAD not USD). But when it comes to gamblers or Casino at Sea (CaS), I believe that CaS members have slightly higher expectations for service in general.

For them to be comped a cruise I think the cruise line as well as the casino host on land have certain expectations too.

On my last few voyages, I've talked to CaS people that have been comped a cruise.

While with NCL, CaS people pay the administrative fee and substantially less then what a normal booking person would pay, CaS people are also required to: play a certain amount, for a certain period of time and at a certain $$ level, (all depending on their comp level).

It's the difference between a recreational and professional player. On land, comping a player a room based on their play is not uncommon.

The levels that CaS bet would have paid the cruise 2 or 3 times over so I can understand the OPs expectations.

I'd say, get one (oceanview or balcony) and one inside cabin.

Try to get at least the same cabin attendant for both cabins.

Give the 7 year old the choice of where to sleep and let the 15 & 11 year olds do a thunderdome.

I keep my bicycle and luggage under the bed.

Thank you for taking the time to post and for bringing us along on your adventure.

Safe travels & Happy Holidays!

- WhosYourBuddy

I've brought my 20" Citizen Miami on several NCL cruises. When not in use I put it under the bed in my cabin. I usually take it out and ride in what ever port we are in (Central America & Europe). So far it's always been sunny when I ride. I do also ride with a GoPro on my helmet and now carry an extra spare tire and change kit. Although when I did pop a tire in Colombia it was 15,000 Columbian Pesos to have the tube, tire and labor ($5.16 USD) plus the shop had free PW protected WiFi available.

I've purchased 4 folding bikes for around $110 each off of Craigslist. I left a bike at my relatives home in Europe as it would be more expensive to ship it back to the US then to leave it for when I return to Europe.

The only line that has a complete ban on bicycles is Holland America (go figure)...

Thank you for the updates.

Can you inquire on the Gem when the new MDR and specialty Restaurants menus will go in to effect or if they have any idea which voyage?

Safe travels,

- WhosYourBuddy

I use the app to: see what's going on, using the online daily program and to  keep track of my onboard spending account.

It's how I discovered that I was getting double shore excursion credit back when booking excursions.

If you really miss snacks you can buy them at what ever port you visit in a place called walmart or a supermarket or even a regular market.

Just a tip, remember when doing things onboard using the internet, like checking email;

If you plan on writing or replying back, I suggest that after you have read the email, disconnect from the ship's WifFi and write your response in your phone or computer's notes field. After you have completed your response, reconnect to the ships wifi and copy and paste the response from your notes field in to the body of the email.

Otherwise, if you try to draft your response while connected you'll just burn through your minutes.

Ya know, you can just buy and enjoy drinks off the ship at what ever port you visit.

Yeah, I'm pretty positive my B2B is under 1 reservation. I wrote about my booking process here:

I'm tying to calculate the percentage for those that have booked a B2B under 1 reservation, how many have received an upgrade offer?

I've also booked a few other B2B voyages as well as single voyages in the past but in all my voyages with NCL I have only received a "random" upgrade offer once and it was not on a B2B voyage.

So I'm wondering if anyone doing a B2B voyage under 1 reservation has ever received an upgrade offer?

Safe travels,

- WhosYourBuddy

Hello,
just wondering how often (if at all) do people doing a B2B cruise get the random upgrade offer?

I'm taking about 2 cruises (one after another) under 1 reservation, receiving an offer to bid for an upgrade.

I Imagine it's pretty low occurrence.

Safe travels.

- WhosYourBuddy

With the BoA NCL Card (with no annual fee) you also get free access to several museums around the US on the first weekend of every month.

Additional information is available here:
https://about.bankofamerica.com/en-us/what-guides-us/arts-and-culture/partners.html

Hello,

I suggest if you are going to try to use points for a cabin meta upgrade you'll want to book at least 4 months ahead of the cruise date:

to get a BA Mid-Ship Balcony, using 60,000 points (double meta upgrade), you'll need to book a I1 Family Inside

to get a BA Mid-Ship Balcony, using 30,000 points (single meta upgrade), you'll need to book a O1 Family Oceanview Picture Window

When redeeming points with NCL for a meta upgrade you'll get 1 cabin category down from what you book.

(ie booking in a category: 1 can get you an A, A can get you a B, B can get you a C, etc.)

The further out you book the greater the chance of you getting it.

Use a Cruise Next Certificate to create a reservation number.

You should then contact the world points people (1-866- 954-4077) the day you get a NCL confirmation number. They will tell you if you can redeem the points or not. If they are unable to accept the points to upgrade you can still cancel your cruise booking.

You can't do a meta upgrade if you book in a Sail Away "X" category.

Things you can also redeem points for:

https://www.ncl.com/world-points

Safe travels,

- WhosYourBuddy!

Just file a claim with your travel insurance company.

The Math:

On September 26th, 2019 using TA booked as 1 B2B reservation in an Interior I1 Inside Family Cabin NCL Gem NY-SF-NY 01/04 -01/24/2020 & 01/24/-02/14/2020

Cruise Fare - Passenger 1, 2:  Rate: $2,928.00  Total: $5,856.00
Government Fees, Taxes, and Port Expenses - Passenger 1, 2: Rate $1,114.78  Total: $2,229.56
Specality Dining Package Fees - Passenger 1, 2: Rate: $51.60 , Total: $103.20
Travel Insurance (from TA @ Member Travel Privileges) Rate: $889.00, Total: $889.00
Sub-Total (1): $9,077.76
Using 4 ($250.00) NCL Cruise Next Certificates: $8,077.76

Used 60,000 World Points to upgrade from a I1 Family Inside Cabin to a BA Mid-Ship Balcony Cabin (Double Meta Upgrade)
Submitted and received $500.00 OBC for NCL Share Holder Benefit ($250.00 X 2)

Current NCL Website pricing (Oct 30th, 2019) in a BA Mid-Ship Balcony Cabin (with the speciality dining and shore excursion packages (but not including travel insurance)):
Jan 04th - 24th, 2020 : $7,195.06
Jan 24th - Feb 14th, 2020: $7,653.70
Sub-Total (2): $14,848.76

Total savings is $6,771.00 ($14,848.76 - $8,077.76) + OBC of $500.00 which I’ll use to purchase 4 NCL CNC

On the other side of the coin, I'm on a B2B cruise (20 & 21 days) and I get the shareholder benefit of $250 for each voyage ($500 OBC total but split between my cabin mate and myself ($125 each per voyage) although I'm the only shareholder in NCL but that's fine as everything gets put to my CC and I'm just going to use the $500 OBC to purchase 4 CNC).

The benefit appeared in my account about a week after I submitted the documentation.

However on my 13 & 14 day B2B NCL Pearl voyage I only got $100 OBC for each voyage ($200 total) as opposed to $250 for 27 days.

Safe Travels,

- WhosYourBuddy

I calculated that I save a little over $7,000 on this 41 day voyage by using the 60,000 points and CNCs.

Unfortunately this voyage NY-CA-NY no longer exist in 2021.

Booked 1 NCL reservation (B2B voyage NY-SF-NY 20 & 21 days) 41 days for 2 voyages in an inside cabin and used 60,000 world points (to upgrade from an I1 Family Inside to BA Balcony) along with 4 CNs used.

Just received (Oct 02nd, 2019) my Amenity Confirmation from NCL of $250 per voyage, for the shareholder benefit (which means $500 on board credit is now appearing in my acount) which I'll use to purchase 4 Cruise Next certificates (CNs) on this next trip. May also be getting 1 EXTRA LATITUDES POINT PER NIGHT night for this voyage.

https://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards-program/insider-offer/terms?hide_hf=true

Now just need that "random" Upgrade offer to hit me (yes unlikely).

Safe travels,

Who benefits most or least?

- The passengers in cabin 01 & cabin 02
- NCL for booking an excursion
- The local tour operator for operating an excursion

- something I'm overlooking

Who doesn't benefit?

- something I'm overlooking