CruiseBunny425

On 3/19/2023 at 12:53 PM, YVRteacher said:

Advice for staying in a studio

-use the public bathroom for any and all bodily emissions

 

I am staying in a studio April 22nd. I will make sure to pack a bottle of Poo-Pourri now. 🤣

On 12/25/2022 at 8:28 AM, ggTexasGal said:

I honestly don't know if they still do this, but, you could call NCL and ask for an "Amenities Invoice" showing the assorted OBC amounts.

This worked. Thank you. I ended up seeing it on there. 🙂 

On 12/26/2022 at 10:23 PM, greatestvalue said:

Do you know if there pre-purchased On-Board Gift Certificates are Refundable or Non-Refundable OBC?

 

 

Not sure, but I am going on this cruise come hell or high water, so it will be used. Thankfully, I live less than 30 minutes from the terminal so no flight to worry about.

18 hours ago, ggTexasGal said:

I honestly don't know if they still do this, but, you could call NCL and ask for an "Amenities Invoice" showing the assorted OBC amounts.

Thank you! Will ask for that later today!

Happy holidays, all! Some family/friends have sent me onboard credit as gifts for Christmas. Some are showing in the app, but others ordered earlier than the ones showing are not. Is this normal?

Greetings!

I’ll be sailing on the NCL Bliss in April. I’m so excited for the Observation Lounge, but also wanted to enjoy the Waterfront as we sail through Glacier Bay. I have sherpa lined sweatpants that I was planning on relaxing in that day. Does NCL provide blankets at all or is bringing a blanket recommended? Or stick to layers? 

I’m going solo on the Bliss in April. Should I book my show reservations when I book my specialty dining reservations or wait till I am onboard and go with the solo group? The whole Haven class is chartered on my cruise, so I am worried they’re going to take up a lot of show space.

As mentioned above, there are ships scrap-bound like the Ecstasy that are way better suited for this than upsetting their customers. If they feel the need to help, donate money to get an unused ship ready or refurb unused hotel or office space. Leave our cruises alone. I’m glad it’s looking like the Bliss is safe and hope everyone’s booked trip is. The solution is out there - a bandaid on a hemorrhage of leasing out a ship isn’t it. 

I am gonna preface this with this is NOT a place to air your feelings on migrants and/or politics. That said, anyone else worried about their Bliss cruises getting cancelled if NYC gets to lease out the ship for at least 6 months for migrants? I was really looking forward to my birthday cruise in April and crossing Alaska off the bucket list. Now I am worried I will get a cancellation letter. Will I get it now? Closer to sailing? Will they offer me credit for inconveniencing me to pay the difference to go in May? Wish they would donate money instead of a ship!!  

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Midnight NCL time (Miami - Eastern Time). 
 

Haven gets a 10 day head start. 
 

Club Balcony get a 5 day head start.

 

Platinum, Sapphire, Ambassador get. 5 day head start. 
 

Set your slam to book at midnight 

Thank you! I’m a west coaster, so I’ve updated my calendar to 9pm December 22. 😀

Hello!

The app says I can start making reservations on December 23. Does anyone know if that is the minute the clock strikes midnight on the 23rd? 9am pacific? Haven gets a 10 day head start and I want to make sure to get into either Cagney’s or Teppanyaki for my birthday dinner. 🙂

I called up my PCC and asked about the soda package since I turned down the free one with alcohol. I wouldn’t drink enough soda to justify the gratuities the alcohol package wanted. I wasn’t able to get it for free on my 7 day, but did get it for $66.78 including gratuities, so I saved something at least. Nice peace of mind that I can enjoy as much Coca Cola as I want now. 🙂

5 hours ago, julig22 said:

If by non-BOA account you mean another credit card - that's probably not going to happen.  It has to be a bank account.  As to getting OBC, you have to meet the spending requirements, then you can redeem them for OBC  Terms & Conditions | WorldPoints Rewards (ncl.com)

or redeem them for statement credit on the BofA website.

I ended up clicking the redeem as statement credit out of curiosity. It showed I can put $250 credit on my NCL card with 25,000 points so I did that versus OBC.

Just now, CruiseBunny425 said:

like

Just now, CruiseBunny425 said:

Since statement credit was the same amount as OBC, 25,000 points equaled OBC or statement credit I opted for statement credit, so I could book my last excursion. It seems like you have to call to redeem it as OBC…or their website on mobile web browsers is terrible. 

Ooops, meant 25,000 points equals $250 OBC or statement credit.

6 hours ago, fun_one said:

I don't know about you but I got the NCL MasterCard for that offer and have had nothing but problems with it.  Couldn't figure out how to set it up for payment with another non-BOA account so I plan to cancel it after our cruise.  How do you get the OBC?

Since statement credit was the same amount as OBC, 25,000 points equaled OBC or statement credit I opted for statement credit, so I could book my last excursion. It seems like you have to call to redeem it as OBC…or their website on mobile web browsers is terrible. 

8 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Yes so statement credit is your best option.

Awesome! I put in the redemption. Now I don’t have to worry about the tour selling out. Soon as the credit hits my card I’m booking the seaplane tour. I wish they offered the helicopter/sled dog one, but something for next time. Riding in a seaplane is still a bucket list item getting crossed off the list! 

5 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

I highly suggest you don't get Obc or statement credit if you stay on a balcony cabin.

30,000 points to go from ocean view to a balcony is worth much more than $300.

 

I’m in a studio on my cruise. Are OBC and statement credit worth the same amount? 

Finally got my first statement and my 20,000 bonus point reward. Woohoo! I also accrued an additional 5,000 thanks to the triple points thing. I’m having trouble seeing all the ways I can redeem it on the app or mobile browser. Do you get the same as either a statement credit or onboard credit? Reason I ask is because if it’s $250 regardless between statement credit or OBC, I’d rather free up $250 on my card and book my Alaska seaplane excursion in Juneau versus wait till onboard and OBC to book. Thanks for any advice! 🙂 

On 8/14/2022 at 12:12 PM, tetleytea said:

Free at Sea totally works to your advantage, being solo.  $50 off your first shore excursion ticket...oh wait, you're only a party of 1 anyway.

Yeah I was confused about that. So in regular rooms is it more like $25 off per person? 

On 7/24/2022 at 4:33 AM, don't-use-real-name said:

Don't be discouraged by being a solo single - often tours excursions wind up needing

a party of ONE to fill the docket. While cabin occupancy is based on double - tours and

excursions are not - sometimes working to your advantage to riding the shot gun seat on a

small van for the best seat in the house folks/couples sitting together.

Hoping that works to my advantage on the seaplane tour since I plan on using OBC to pay for it, so can’t book till on the ship. 

On 7/23/2022 at 6:01 PM, BirdTravels said:

Welcome to Cruise Critic posting!

 

For the past 2 seasons (2021 and 2022), tour operators have had problems getting seasonal workers to come and run the tours. Some tours cancelled before the season started. And many tours this year are sold out before embarkation day. 

 

2021 and 2022 also have the challenge that Canada has not really opened their boarders for tours, so ship's tours (in general) are abbreviated and not crossing the border. 

 

I don't know what will happen in 2023. But if there is an absolute must tour, then book it before you go. 

 

BTW: April is a bit early for bears. 

 

If I see even one bear it will have been worth it. If not, at least I got to walk around something pretty? 🙂 

On 7/23/2022 at 10:18 AM, mapleleaves said:

you might want to check with White Pass RR to see when they open in 2023.  I thought it was the beginning of May.

I was able to book the Railway / Klondike Highway tour, so I hope that means it’s running. If not, I hope I get a refund. 🙂 

Hello! First time poster. I’m doing my first solo in studio Alaska trip on the Bliss in April for my birthday. I already booked the bear one I want to do in Ketchikan (and hope the bears wake up early lol), but I’m also very interested in the White Pass train/bus tour where you go one way by train and back by bus and the Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest. I wanted to wait to use my NCL MC OBC to book those, but worry about them selling out since I’m going so early in the season. Is that common for excursions to sell out before day 1 even starts?