complawyer

we're on the april sailing from rio to lisbon, with 3 other ports in brazil, cape verde (the azores) tenerife (canary islands) funchal, and onto lisbon. 17 day cruise.

we're also looking for the star 14 day cruise early sept from reykjavic to greenland, but there is a later sept cruise on the prima that we'll probably take instead. The star has always gotten a great deal of bad press, but we were on her dec 16th 2016 to dec 2017, on her 1st southeast Asian cruise, and recently a couple of years ago thru europe. Other than some missed ports, (deeply disappointed

but got over this)  i have nothing to complain about on the star, and we are looking forward to this 17 day adventure

we have the regular free at sea drink package. every time we've ever sat down in  a restaurant, cagney's, moderno, le bistro, o'sheehans's and even the MDR's ,1st thing we are asked is would we like a drink. simple as that. if we're in the buffet, just call over one of the helpers and let him know you would like a drink (jncludes soft drinks, wine or hard liquor) never a problem either, and when he/she brings it, a buck or 2 wouldnt/couldnt hurt.

at any of the outside bars, never more than a few minutes to get bartenders attention. a couple of bucks to him doesnt hurt either. Please dont bother to respond "well we're paying the dsc, or i've already been billed for the gratuities under the drink package) you are seeing these people face to face, and they are performing a personal service, especially the guys at the sugarcane.

so a few extra bucks cant possible hurt you.  if you're adamant about tipping extra to these people, i feel sorry for you

traveling 2some. in over  25 ncl cruises, i have never been denied onion soup and a lettuce wedge. either im just really lucky, or the maitre'd, and the wait staff for breakfast and lunch all recognize that i tip ,always.  it also doesnt hurt to book a suite, where you eat breakfast in moderno, and lunch at cagneys. the wait staff doesnt change dramatically, and the people you have previously tipped may be serving you dinner.

 also forgot to mention, even if there is a shortage of beef, i would imagine moderno (since a brazillian steak house) would have to have the beef, or cease to function. Im sure ncl would never, ever let that happen, and lose the money from the dinners. that being said, however, if you never get to the meats, the salad bar and its many choices can fill you up for days

as an aside, i would have no problems and shed no tears if there was no entertainment in the atrium.

probably make it 100% easier to navigate thru it, and easier to get a starbucks

bkrickles1  . terribly sorry old chap, the picture you post looks like a woman.

i concede and confess i am getting OLD!

bkrickels1 you go girl, you RULE!

traveling 2some. try the french onion soup or the lettuce wedge if you dont like the sea food appetizers, 

or, go tole bistro, you can get steak tartare, filet, cordon bleu, but unless you truly hate sea food, the lobster thermidor is amazing, and worth the $25 upcharge

by the way, i am a did in the wool carnivore, but although i would be upset there are no beef dishes for a few days, with such a wide variety of choices on a cruise ship i guess i could suffer through 5 days, as long  as they dont run out of chivas and heineken

by the way, bird travels, to quote barry manilow "this one's for you"

ellieinnj.. sorry dear, if youre getting pissed because they removed a show about a disco queen who has  been dear for years, and a music genre that hit its prime over 40 years ago, maybe  you should try and sell your cn, and cancel the dec cruise (that has truly disappointed you with a failure to show donna) and since you claim this will probably be your last ncl cruise, why not check into another cruise at another date. i have posted before, the show(s) offered on board is so low on my criteria list for booking, as to be almost non-existent

and bkrickles1, you are 100% correct, beatles music is timeless, but having watched them on the ed  sullivan show in 1964, you can only hear yeah!yeah!yeah! so many betimes before enough is enough.

remember, i consider music by frank sinatra, tony bennet, dion and the belmonts, also timeless.

if you're of a certain age, songs by the penquins, 5 satins, the flamingoes will also be timeless.

last thought " it's got  a good beat, easy to dance too, i'll give it a 75!"

if you have no idea about any of these songs or vocal groups, you rightfully deserve Donna (lol)

ok thank you

when is your new york to reykjavic cruise and onwhat ship

while i think it's an ok promotion, if you have diamond latitude status, the best you can do is upgrade from a balcony to a club (and there isnt much difference), if you want a suite its a no, so for those of you who want to book a suite, diamond latitude, is of no value and it's a 1 time deal

sorry guys. 

if you're anything like me and my wife, i prefer to look at ncl cabin offerings, and then book  whatever cabin i want, on the deck i prefer, and at the price i wish to pay.

when it comes to ncl cabins, and flight offers,( and i'm sure  you have read the horror stories from people who let ncl choose and book their flight) i believe the old adage "if you want something done right, DO IT YOURSELF! caps for emphasis, not yelling

to put it bluntly, someone at ncl is either clueless, or is handing you a crock of bs. as long as you cancel prior to 120 days before sailing, you should get  your money back, regardless of how much you've paid for the cruise upfront. sometimes ncl even publishes their cancelation policy.

i have done it often enough thru the past 15 years with no problems

unless, as others have posted, you booked thru a european site.

hey k_s. thanks for your vote of confidence.  my post is nothing  I  haven't posted many times in  the past. I may tip a little more as necessary, but never less that the stated amount. I might also add, to those that are interested, if I'm having breakfast in the buffet, and the cook is making me an omelet, he/she gets an additional $1.00 same as the evening if someone is making me a crepe. If I'm eating in Teppenyaki, after the meal, I always give the cook $10.00 regardless of how 

many other people were at my table.

Again, as I've also stated many times before, on this issue, there is no right or wrong answer

who, when and why someone will tip or not, is purely discretionary. no one else will know, and certainly, no one else will care. if someone notices I'm leaving a tip, and they ask me, I

will more than gladly explain my reasoning

Obviously, if you're not  in the cabin category that gives you a butler and/or a concierge, there's no one to tip. For me, it's an absolute MUST to tip the cabin steward, more than a few $$$ and also depending  on how long your cruise happens to be.

So k_s if we find we're ever on the same cruise, let's get together, go to the nearest bar, and tip the bartender outrageously (LOL)

ok,here's my breakdown

butler$100-150

concierge $50-100

room steward $20 first day, $20 2-3 days later, $20-50 on last  day of cruise

bartender $1-2 per drink

maitre' d $20 on 1st day, additional 10-20 throughout the cruise ,depending on what i want done

yes you can call it a bribe, but if i want dinner at a specialty restaurant at a certain time and it's  

not available, i have 0 qualms about giving  him an additinal $10 to get us in. Called Vega Handshake,

servers, $5-10 daily depending on the meal and time of day Usually $5 if im having breakfast in moderno and lunch in cagney's, $10  if dinner anywhere (to include mdr)

finally, $1 per drink to any server that brings me a drink any where on board, by the pool, in the buffet, etc.

my theory ( and strictly my theory) is if you tip the appropriate people on 1st day of cruise, they remember you, and take care of you accordingly.

On the bliss we were in the MDR for breakfast on morning gave him a $5.00 tip and after that he couldnt do enough for us. whenever he saw us on the ship, he insisted we come to his table.

on another cruise, when we were taken to cagney's for lunch, i gave the maitre'd a $20, and for the duration, he also couldnt do enough for us. of course during the rest of the cruise, i would give him another $10-20 as needed.

before posters start yelling at me that there is no need to tip as it's included in the DSC,

as the saying goes, "you get what  you pay for" i personally am more than willing to spend some extra $$$ to up my degree of service.

my wife and I even prior to sailing, work out how much money we anticipate we will need for the additional tips, and to who. if your're flying, dont  you tip the  skycap when he takes your

dont you tip the porter on the pier when he takes your luggage, 

ellieinnj. groan, horrible pun. I want my MTV cant always get what you want !..some things are just relegated to the past and meant to stay there

trust me, they'd rather have more cash than a thumb drive, any day!

what ever you have loaded on the drive, is probably a reflection of your tastes and may not be of any interest to your cabin steward

it's not a matter of capability, or maturity. the policy is ncl will not book a cabin for a minor, unless someone 21 or older is booked into that same cabin. it's just a matter of booking (as i understand it) ncl does not follow up on who's in a cabin. just book an adult into the cabin with your child. neither your husband nor you need to actually sleep there,

if there are only the 3 of you, watch out, you may get dinged for 1 1/2 x's the cabin cost as it will show you are the only one sailing  in the other cabin. i also believe that it  is the ncl policy not to allow 2 cabins to be booked under the same name. so either way, they have  you coming or going.

forget about good, it was amazing, you have to give the girls extra kudo"s non-stop singing/dancing throughout the show with nary a breather. we saw  it again locally, (los angeles pantages theater), i got 2 tickets for my grandson and his girlfriend. he's 24 but we have taken him to the theater since he was little, and his girlfriend apparently was not a theater  person. upon return the next day, she loved it.  there is hope for her still.

BTW, i would gladly see it again

again yes, in 2021 we took a b2b 1t part from venice to athens. since cruise ships areno longer allowed to dock in venice, we flew in 3 days early, on the 3rd day, we had previously hired a shuttle service to drive us to trieste. we spent the night in a beautiful hotel (hilton double tree) and the next morning we had a bus takes us to the port (short ride away) by about 11 or so we were on board and having lunch at cagney's. i chilled in our cabin, and my wife and our traveling companion, got back off and walked to the city, short walk from ship to the beach and shopping area. so yes it can be done (at least a few years ago)

ok, im sure i'll get d**ned and blasted for this post, but here goes (1) donna summer has been dead for years (2) disco has been dead for years (3) unlike some other major artists that have come before, and whose music is timeless, dont you think she' slightly passe?  can  you name 5 of her songs (did she even have that many) 

believe me, i do not mourn the cancellation of her show.

the show was part of a season ticket package we always buy in los angeles, and we didnt even bother to try and give away the tickets. 3rd row left center

a few years ago on the bliss the shows were jersey boys and six. having seen jersey boys a few times in the past, we walked out (frankie valli he ain't) while we loved six.

prior posts have d**ned 6 and praised jersey boys to the heavens. even if donna wasnt cancelled, i'd probably not bother to see it.

cant speak about the encore, but we were on the bliss to alaska july 2022.  since 2010 we have sailed most of the ncl fleet. bliss was awesome , especially the observation lounge.

we have never bothered to use the spa. 

the only real difference is the haven pool area, and sun deck. we've been in both category's. the rooms are essentially the same. save your self the extra few $1,000 and book the suite. you can still have breakfast in modernos, lunch in cagney's and still get the 24 hr on call butler and concierge.

someone no less than a casino's at sea rep asked me would you spend the extra money, just for the separate pool/jacuzzi? unless the particular ship has a designated haven complex (their own restaurant, bar, lounge area etc)  which i believe or as i remember the jade does not, youre miles and miles ahead just booking the suite(not club balcony suites)

it is my understanding, and it has nothing to so with the maturity (or lack thereof) of the minor. NCL will not  let you book a room, inside up to garden suite for one person if they

are under 21. i also believe that you cannot have 2 bookings under the same name. so if you book the cabin under you and your daughters name, that will work, however, since you now must book the other cabin with just your husband's name, there is a good likelihood that you will need to pay the1 person supplement or 1 1/2 x's the cabin cost. why not check the cost of the 2 bedroom suite? 

yes