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I realize this is an NCL board, but routers are prohibited on Carnival... surprising that NCL does not currently prohibit, but maybe because FAS is restricted to 150 minutes per person. I've heard warnings about being sure to log off your device so I'm not sure how you do that on a router 🤔.

As a Canadian citizen with a Canadian passport, it doesn't need to be valid for six months to return home. I assume the same thing applies to U.S. citizens with a U.S. passport.

I drink what I want... one (or two) spiked coffees at breakfast, cocktail when boarding after port day, one or two glasses of wine at dinner and 2-3 drinks during evening entertainment, plus bottled water (2 or 3 minimum). That's on a port day. While max is 15 drinks per day, breakeven is average 5-6 per day, excluding water, coffees, etc. For me, Cheers is worth it.

We're sailing on Panorama in Feb... there are cooking classes on our sailing. Carnivals website is down this weekend but I think they are in with other Specialty Dining options. We did the pasta making and cupcake decorating classes on Mardi Gras last January... we found the pasta class worth it, but not so much on the cupcake class.

We used a friend of ours who is a TA, and she did the same thing with the invoice. I was FLOORED by the amount of commission she is getting, especially since we're traveling as a group of 6 couples and one solo. We got $100 OBC, which I think we may have gotten booking on our own. 🤦‍♀️

I can understand the concern if that is where you put value in your vacation dollars. We were told at one time that any entrée can be made into an appetizer (I wasn't hungry one night so only ordered an appy, no entrée and no dessert). I understand that there is no limit on appetizers, so wonder if you are looking only to try a variety, could you order "unlimited" appy-sized entrées? I don't know if they permit that under the new rules.

We did the same thing shortly after the pandemic was declared and the markets bottomed out. Hubby bought shares in CCL for around $9 and I bought shares in RCL for just under $29. Sold half less than 5 months later for $61, then started buying back a few shares (@$65 and $75/share) thinking I wanted to get back to 100 shares for shareholder benefit. Decided I wasn't going to get back to 100 shares, and the profit was better than a SH benefit I might not use... sold 30 in Oct of last year for the almost rock bottom price of $45, to free up cash to buy something else. Sold the last of my RCL shares last month for $105... all in all, almost 137% profit. Hubby actually now has 200 shares in CCL, just so he can sell down to cash in profit (if and when CCL ever returns to $50-60/share) but still keep SH benefit. BUT that only worked because neither of us lost our jobs during the pandemic and subsequent lockdown. If that had happened, I would have been paying my mortgage and putting food on the table with that money, not investing in the stock market.

I recently booked a casino discounted offer (not "free"). I'm 90% certain it said DOU for me and companion, but now I can't find anything that says that on my booking. Can someone point me to where I would find this? I've never booked a casino rate before.

Did you get any noise from backing onto the elevators? I'm contemplating this cabin for a cruise in 2024. Only other option is 5230, which seems to be closer to the bar/pool area via the back door, but I can sometimes be an early bird, so not sure I'd be happy with the music from the bar.

That's good to know... we're just outside Edmonton. I just hate the cold, especially humid cold. Might have to consider it.

Thanks for the etiquette tip... I believe the question had originally been posted and responded to politely, but without actually answering the question. I was trying to be more clear about what I wanted to know, not what the options were. A lot can be misconstrued when written... I meant no offense to anyone.

I can definitely appreciate nature's beauty... I live in Alberta, about 4 hours from Jasper and Banff. If I want ice and glaciers, I can take a day trip. Maybe that's why Alaska isn't on my bucket list.

And that's why so many retired Canadians are "snowbirds"... I'd prefer 75'F year round too... unfortunately, our historical average daytime temp in Dec and Jan is high teens to low 20's, with average overnight lows around 0'F. We routinely get 2 or 3 "cold snaps" lasting from a couple of days to a week (usually in Jan or Feb) where daytime highs can top out around -5 to -15'F (with or without the windchill). I think because of all those cold winter days, I actually don't mind if our temps get up into the high 80's or low 90's, occasionally.

I think I prefer your weather to mine... this upcoming for the rest of my week... I hate that it's almost fall, and potentially 4-8 weeks from the first snow (which may or may not stick around until spring), which is why I prefer to cruise and vacation somewhere warm! 😁

All of these responses are well intentioned, however it doesn't answer the original question (I've also been searching for the answer so thought this post would be where I could find it). What is the cost of a bottle of water? Not a carton, not the option of using a refillable container from the dispenser... if I want to buy a bottle of water, how much will it cost me if I do not have FAS+? This factors into a decision of whether or not to upgrade from FAS to FAS+ (among other things, but I'm trying to understand all of the value that I might get from upgrading... I don't drink Starbucks, and while I can, I don't need to drink top shelf so I'm factoring in costs of things I will actually use, like unlimited wifi, shore excursion credits, specialty dining, and, yes, bottled water). Please, does anyone know the answer? I appreciate that there are other options, but this is my burning question (yes, it actually is a burning question).

@Saint Greg I too appreciate your photos... not a popular opinion I realize, but just reaffirms my assertion that I will NEVER go on an Alaskan cruise. Maybe it's because I live in Canada, and am around snow and ice 5-6 months of the year... unless I'm skiing (which I haven't done in probably 10 years), I have no desire to vacation where I have to wear a toque and mittens. I know there's the chance to see wild sea life but I can see whales and sea lions in Cabo just as easily 🙂

Actions have consequences 🤣

Is it half the work? I always thought the second "clean" was more of a touch up and turn down, not a full clean.

An update on case anyone is interested. Just finalizing things but it looks like we're taking NCL Getaway from Athens to Tel-Aviv in Sept-Oct 2024. Port stops include Istanbul, Kudadasi, Alexandria, Port Said and Jerusalem. The plan is to stay an extra day or two in Tel-Aviv and will take a day trip to Petra. Missing out on Rhodes, but hopefully there will be an opportunity for that another time. Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

Thank you all for your suggestions. Everything you've said about needing to go through Suez Canal makes sense. Given my husband's lack of vacation days, it sounds like we'll need to cover Jordan in a different trip. There's no way he is able to take a 20+ day cruise. I'd say we'll save it for retirement, but I worry about missing the opportunity to at least get to some of the ports. If COVID taught me anything, it's that things can change so quickly. Thanks again!

We are hoping to book an eastern Mediterranean cruise (or two if needed), ideally for the fall of 2024. Because of the travel involved, and the likelihood that this may be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, we would like to see the bucket list places. Istanbul, Israel, Egypt and Jordan. Ideally, if we can make a stop at Rhodes as well, that would be great. For all my searching, I've only found cruises that include 3 of the 4, with very few going to Jordan. I'm hoping someone on this board has knowledge or experience with trying to plan something like this. TIA

On Mardi Gras in Jan, we showed up to our muster station, got our S&S card scanned and left.

Different ship maybe? I hope they're pooled... we left cash for drinks at the casino bar in the folder with the signed receipts and a different bartender came and grabbed the folder. 😲🤔

We asked about that on MG last week. We were told by the bartender that extra gratuities in cash or adding to the signed receipt makes no difference, they are all pooled, not specifically kept by the bartender/server.

Oh and what does the drink package cover? Is there more than just the Free at Sea package?