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complawyer

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Everything posted by complawyer

  1. niffernay, contrary to what others may think, i always tip the concierge at least $50. the ability to get off the ship within 15-20 minutes, as well as knowing a cab will be waiting at or shortly after disembarkation, is, at least for me, worth the tip, as we usually stay over in a foreign city for a few days after the cruise. if the cabbie is friendly, affable i usually ask him if he's available to drive us to the airport when we're ready to leave
  2. hey pirate, i'm absolutely shocked and over whelmed at the lack of assistance you indicated on your cruise. on the + side (which is really not a +) in 25 ncl cruises, in various cabins, i have never been able to adjust the air conditioning to work properly. it's either arctic, or dense tropical. the others you mentioned are imo, inexcusable. i have never had a butler that didnt appear at least twice a day and always showed up if i called with a problem. while it may be inappropriate to chastise the butler, i would have called him out, albeit in a nice way, and advised his services are part of the haven experience, and i didnt want to hear i wouldnt see him all week. I would have immediately contacted the concierge and asked for a different butler. the shore excursion issue, appears to me to be just incompetence on the part of the the manager. hopefully, it didnt appear on your final bill, or if it did, i hope you fully intend to dispute it with either ncl or your credit card company. no company should be able to get away with charging someone for something they didnt use/get. as for the orange juice issue, although in the general scheme of things, being in a haven, while i dont expect the staff to perform miracles (although for some issues i do) i do expect a certain level of service. i would have taken the maitre'd aside and explained that while i may be late to be served breakfast, im sure someone in the haven staff could scrounge up a glass or 2 of fresh squeezed juice from somewhere. that would be the least of my expectations if i had booked a haven suite . on the 1st day out, when meeting my butler, i explain exactly what i want. usually, i let him know that 1st thing in the morning, bring a carafe of coffee, hot water for tea, croissants, muffins and sweet rolls (as well as some orange juice. for the afternoon snacks, i ask for assorted cheeses, crackers and meats. i would say at least 98% of the time (if not 100%) what i have asked for is usually there. i have also discovered that if the butler is inattentive, or just plain lazy, i talk to the concierge to take care of the problem. i can certainly sympathize with your dissatisfaction, also, i can assure you that (maybe i've just been really lucky) we've never experienced those type of problems on any previous ncl cruise. i hope the epic experience hasnt left a bad taste in your mouth against ncl. although, i concede, i would have been massively p***ed. yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!!!!
  3. bkrickles get your vibe tickets and enjoy, but why are you now responding to a post i wrote over 3 years ag?o it was never my intent to knock the vibe (although personally, i would never use it) if youre on an ncl ship with the haven complex, i dont think the extra expense is either necessary, or worth it. and i stand by my original post
  4. ncl latitudes programs, share with no one else, even the regent or oceania. it's strictly an ncl program
  5. we're booked on the apr 10th TA on the star. rio to lisbon. booked early, got a great price on the 2bedroom (but then again, its the star) lol
  6. nwpacific, i have posted this many times over, a vegs hand shake does the trick every time. whenever we are a cabin that offers the concierge service, they have always walked me off the ship in 15-20 minutes, which i have also always said, to me, if nothing else being, able to get off the ship before 3-4000 of my closest friend is worth the price of admission, even if i dont use the concierge for anything else on our cruise. also, if i ask him/her a few days in advance, he will arrange a cab to be waiting for us to take us to our hotel, as we usually spend a few days in both embarkation and disembarkation cities
  7. certainly, not one one my first concerts, but in the mid 70's i took my wife to a dylan concert. shortly after the show began, i tuned around and she was sound asleep. a few years later when the Mac album Tusk was on top of the charts, she insisted we go to the Fleetwood Mac concert. I couldnt imagine why, as she was certainly not a fan (neither was i for that matter) any way, they start to play Tusk, the entire USC marching band comes down the aisle in full regalia, people are screaming, yelling, the USC band an Fleetwood Mac are playing at major decibels, and i look over, and there she is, once again, sound asleep.. go figure. and cruisey, thank you i would have never remembered the song title, and to show the age difference, my grandson and his girlfriend (24 and 22 respectively) saw the taylor swift concert year in Los Angeles they loved it. My wife and I last july saw the yearly "happy together tour" if i need to explain what or who performed, you probably wouldnt understand (lol) the youngest act's last hit was about 50 years ago. Oh! for the days of Dion and the Belmonts or Neil Sedaka, who just turned 85 yesterday. God am I getting old. DOO WOOP still rules!!!! (LOL)
  8. ok, thanks uk, but i think george was always the better known of the 2 and laudergayle. you'd have to be living under a rock, a deep cave, another planet, or be a complete (or incomplete) hermit to not know about ms swift. the one and only song i know from her enormous volume of music, is when she is sitting in the bleachers pining for he boy who is hot for the cheerleader, but she feels she's a much matter match
  9. ellieinnj. small world, so did we until 1957 when we moved from the bronx to detroit. it's been a long, long time, but i believe we stayed in a place called webbers. i recall it was down the road from a chicken/egg factory. i think across the street was another place called kolimers korner kolony. maybe we knew each other in a former universe. wouldnt that be something, that a deceased donna summer show, and your disappointment in its cancellation brought us here?
  10. havent you ever heard of "poetic license, or suspension of disbelief" ? if you've never been on a cruise before, any ship might be categorized as "luxury" im very content with a haven complex cabin. do you need to spend 30-50000 on a cruise before you can call it a luxury ship? you get a 24 hr on call butler, a concierge to address any ship board problems that might arise/occur, private bar, restaurant, lounge, pool, jacuzzi and sun deck! what more will you require before you can call it a luxury? an again to quote george gershwin, "who could ask for anything more"
  11. on the web, all are welcome to join, except those who have no idea that cleve duncan was the lead singer for the penquins, and pookie wilson for the spaniels. for those who have no idea what i'm talking about, better stay home and listen to your taylor swift c/d's. by the way, ellie, i wouldnt have even responded the way i did, if you would have said "disappointed " over the cancelation of donna, rather than "pissed" no one should spend that kind of money on a cruise, if they are already pissed about something before they even get on board. if youve ever read any of my prior posts, and i have almost 4,000, you'll find i cruise just for the sake of being on a luxury cruise ship, going to exotic (or less than exotic) ports. ncl has taken me to places i had only dreamed of when i was younger, and has filled a great number of things on my bucket list. we're planning on iceland/norway in sept as a priority on my wife's bucket list is the northern lights. if we dont get to see them, my life is forfeit. i dont worry about any of the previous (imho) annoyances people have mentioned. give me a balcony, my kindle, a cold heineken or glass of champagne, and i'm good to go. once again, i bid you a safe, enjoyable and relaxing cruise, and i'm glad and relieved you decided to be my friend again. a wise old man once said to me "son, dont sweat the small stuff, by the way, it's all small stuff" lol! bon voyage1
  12. hey cruisey,oddly enough, when you say youre in a haven suite (whenever we book one) the luggage is placed in a specially designated area just for haven/suite guests, and our concierge makes us wait no more than 15-20 minutes, before he walks us personally off the ship to the baggage area. if ive talked to him a day or 2 before, he has arranged a taxi for us as we usually stay after cruise for a few days. the cab takes us straight to our hotel. i guess everyone's cruise experiences are different, as the only thing (i think) ive ever complained about are the hamburger buns lol
  13. sthrngary, the writing comes from a few years of having to write, clear, concise, legible and well thought out (or sometimes not so well thought out) answers to the law school exams. you'd be surprised what type of answers will fit under those criteria lol
  14. i think that's what the original poste wanted to know (and hear) we usually try and book a suite or the haven, but if the ship has both i'll save the money and book the suite. if not, the club balcony is the go to cabin. but any other class of cabin, suite or have, is not consistent with the question. none of the suites or haven suites can (imho) be categorized as cheapest. but then again, a my wise old granny always said "you get what you pay for"
  15. i dont think there is any where to safely drop off your luggage until just before the ship is ready for boarding, and the porters are at the pier, usually about 11 am but dont hold me to it. there are outlets by the bed in some cabins, but a few years ago we were on the bliss in the club balcony, and i needed and extension cord as the ports were by the tv. also to be safe, bring an adapter from 220 to 110 every cabin has a hair dryer, and you are not allowed to bring your own on board. sorry, i dont really know what stevia is (unless its a sweetener) in that case ive never noticed one way or the other. here's an idea for you. we did the same thing a few years ago. stayed in venice for a few days prior. ( you must get on a gondola if youve never been) and have a cappuccino at st marks square) there is also a very nice ferry ride you can take from the train that will take you to moreno glass factory, boreno where there are hand made linen shops ,and a very nice little town, and one more stop at a little town whose name is tortello. the tour was abut 25 euros. my friend who agreed to join us kicking and screaming, had the best time of the of us.we had previously arranged a shuttle to take us to trieste the day before sailing, we stayed at the double tree hilton, in a very nice location to walk around. next morning we had an ncl bus pick everyone sailing and took us to the pier.,I think it was about 11. we checked in, had lunch, and then my wife and our frequent traveling companion got back off the ship, and went on a small sightseeing, walking tour. our bags were delivered to our cabin a few hrs later. regardless of how you do it, we loved venice , and treiste was beautiful. bon voyage
  16. with all due respects to your question, if you're looking for the nicest and cheapest cabin, i would try a club balcony. while sthrngary (whose opinions and posts i have always admired) discusses the owner's suite, while beautiful, spacious and luxurious) is one of the most expensive cabins on board the ship. if you are looking at an ncl ship that has both a haven and suite category, the cabins themselves are almost identical, the haven complex offers a few more perks, but the suites are abut $3,000 cheaper. you still get the butler/concierge, the steward cleans your cabin twice per day, and you still get breakfast in moderno and lunch in cagney's . in a haven complex, there is a private restaurant, pool area, and lounge. although those goodies are really nice, i can forgo them to save 3 k. what say you sthrngary? still, in answer to your question, i think a club balcony is the way to go
  17. i will certainly apologize. i was in new york when cousin brucie, murry the k ruled the airwaves, and the east coast was a hotbed of great vocal, doo wopp groups., to this day, it's my favorite type of music (im 76) and we live on he west coast the only reason i even brought up the thought of you canceling your cruise, is because you stated your post with this will probably be my last ncl cruise, and ended with im really pissed. i have posted many times before, that (although there are many reasons for booking)the specific show on board should not be one of them. in theory, if you were that angry, why shell out all that money when you can book something that wouldnt piss you off. the prima is not a cheap ship. if you live in the ny/nj area, did you get a chance to see "donna" on broadway, im sure if you did, that production would be 100x's better than you could get on any cruise ship. so, elliein nj, i do sincerely apologize, i hope you have an amazing cruise, a great time (despite the absence of Donna). ok, are we friends again? final thought..... bon voyage!
  18. hey, cruiseny4life while this has nothing to do with this post, it's the only way i seem t o be able to respond to your post, i dont know why or how, but for some reason when you respond to any of my posts (ie the most recent dealing with taylor swift) nothing ever comes on. this is for most of your responses to me. which i consider a massive problem, as i always enjoy reading your points of view
  19. both mykonos and Corfu are amazing. the only real excursion i found in the past was taking a ferry from mykonos to delos.this is totally an archeological site (assuming youre into that stuff) if not, just get of the ship, either walk around the port the port itself, or they offer a brief shuttle to the other side where you can also walk around , shop and/or take pictures. we did both, sat in a nice cafe on the ordered a greek salad and some drinks. just be careful, although i do not remember the name of the restaurant in mykonos, it is noted for ripping of tourist by not giving you the actual prices on their menu. corfu is very picturesque ,a nd i feel the best excursion is to the top of the mountain where there is a 12th century monastery. a must see . based on whatever is available , you should have enough time to see the highlights of both islands and be able to get back to the ship for a comfortable sailing from one to the other. dont waste the extra c-note. by the way, in corfu, we hired a cab to take us to the monastery and around the island itself. cheaper by far than the ncl shore excursion
  20. since the topic is "haven gratuities" tipping shouldnt be an issue. the butler does not get a share of the DSC, neither does the concierge, and the cabin steward cleans and sets up your cabin twice a day rather than just once. surely leaving tips for them (if for no one else) is a no-brainer
  21. hey keith, any upgrade is most certainly better than a stick in the eye, but what would have been the actual cost if you just had booked a balcony cabin initially. you could have had your choice of cabins (depending on availability). and we've stayed in a privasea cabin, it even was a have 2 bedroom suite on the epic. while i hope you enjoy your cruise to the fullest, i would not ever booked a privasea cabin again. it's a little to enclosed onthe balcony for me.
  22. no, ive gone through enough bs in my life (vietnam vet, infantry squad leader year in the jungles) to make any problems on board seem trivial. while i agree losing all propulsion and needing to be towed back to port, would make me take a 2nd look at booking the star once again. on the cruise to SE Asia, it was 14 days from hong kong to singapore. upon landing in hong kong my 1st thought was i cant believe im really in china the disappointment set in on the first day out. we were advised that due to mechanical problems, we could not dock in taipei, hanoi and cambodia. major disappointment was i really wanted (needed) to see hanoi. for obvious reasons. unlike what i have read previously about cancelled ports, ncl offered to make it good. a full refund of the cruise, which to my mind was a waste, since we were booked into a hotel in singapore for a few days post cruise. offer #2, 50% off this cruise, and 50% off on any next cruise we chose, and any cabin. so one the initial sailing, we had a forward facing penthouse suite, and for the next sailing we choose the epic, 2 bedroom haven round trip from hamburg, so we took our grandson and his buddy. option (imho) was a no brainer. we were also on the star last year, or 2022, im not sure which, but just before it was going into dry dock, and absolutely no problems. i am very much looking forward to my 17day trans-atlantic , unless we break down somewhere between brazil and cape verde. in that case, i'll be as,pissed as you were, or even more so. so, if you will, say a prayer, light a candle and keep your fingers crossed for us. by the way, i only booked this cruise since we got a 2bedroom suite 17 days for $6,000
  23. ukstages, im sorry to disagree with you, but anytime we're in the buffet, just call over one of the people and they will gladly bring you a drink, we do it all the time with no problem. have you ever tried it? they helped on at least the past 10 cruises
  24. cruisenyforlife.. taylor who? i wouldnt know a taylor swift song if she were sitting on my lap (sorry mr kelce) and personally serenading me .and elliennj, im not criticizing any ones taste in music, i was merely saying you were pissed that donna show has been taken off. regardless of which side of the bench i'm on, is that really a reason to get pissed, as she has been dead (as well as disco) for more than 40 years, and i dont think any station is still playing her music. sorry if i ruffled your feathers. that was certainly not my intention
  25. it probably all depends on your age. im way to old to consider even going into the arcade, to noisey, to busy, to many kids etc. definitely not for me at any price, and you probably cant even get a drink (although i dont know for sure about this)
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