Thanks to you both!

Thanks! I assume since they have the basic Wifi they will see something similar with the All Included or Always Included reference as you have above to know which option to select?

Morning - does anyone by chance have a step-by-step guide or even better, screenshots of how to connect to the Wifi when you have the basic internet package as part of the All Included? We have a large group travelling and trying to put something together to show them how to do it and what the app screens will say.

Also, when connecting to the Wifi will the All Included option, is there something they will need in order to activate it?

Thanks

I am part of a large group that is doing a 4-night cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette going to Key West and Nassau next month. I am trying to see if anyone from a similar itinerary has a copy of the camp at sea hours/schedule. I know I can see some of the activities on the app but they do not show duration or the overall hours the camp is open.

Also, since everyone hast the All Included package with free wifi and some are technologically challenged, does anyone by chance have any screen shots of what the app process is to log into wifi and what it will show for the All Included wifi? Trying to put together a cheat sheet for them.

Thanks!

I'm wondering the same. I have a group excursion to Blue Lagoon for Feb 11th on Celebrity and was told there was a very high chance that it would be cancelled and to look for alternate options, however no one is confirming any dates and haven't see anything confirmed past Jan 15th which is strange since that's today. I would think if they already knew Feb was going to be cancelled, they would have already cancelled the rest of Jan. Not sure what's going on.

1 hour ago, Rothko1 said:

If it were me, I'd look for a local company that might be able to take you out to what is sometimes called "Jaws Beach" out at Clifton Bay.  Very much off the beaten path, but it is a spectacular beach right by Lyford Cay.  

 

I agree with you that an 8:00 a.m. excursion the morning after the wedding is a NO GO.  Everyone is going to be very tired.  People are going to want to sleep in, and then get breakfast.

 

What if you hired a couple of buses to take you over to Arawak Cay for a Bahamian lunch, and then head out west to Clifton Bay after lunch for the afternoon, and then bring you back to the ship?

That sounds like it might be a good idea. Have you by chance had any experience with any local companies or bus companies there that you would recommend?

Thanks!

Hi, I will be getting married in Feb on a Celebrity cruise which stops in Nassau. We have about 70-80 people attending and since so many have already been to Nassau a bunch of times on other cruises, we were trying to coordinate and pay for a group shore excursion for anyone who wanted to attend. We had a few ideas but am having a hard time coming up with options based on budget ($80-$100 pp) and the fact that there will be some children as well (about 5 ages 7-11).

We have been looking at a group excursion through the cruise line to Blue Lagoon which fits our budget. The only concern is that Nassau is the day after the wedding and the excursion start time is 8a. We're not sure how many people will be up to an excursion that early in the morning after having some fun the night before. We are still trying to see if they have any later start times since the ship is there until 6p.

We looked at Margaritaville which is a little over our budget and they do not offer group rates. We also looked at Pearl Island especially since were there back in March, however, their people barely responded to any emails which didn't give us high hopes that they would come though.

There are also many all-inclusive options, however, most are either adults only or have an age limit for children that wouldn't work for us.

Has anyone done or know of something that can accommodate a group of this size, possibly beach related that would also accommodate kids and the budget?

We looked through the other Celebrity excursion options and didn't really find anything else. We also don't want to do something like a city tour.

Thanks!

Traveling for the first time on MSC and the Meraviglia this Thu and put in a bid for one of the Yacht Club cabin categories. The bid still shows Pending. Has anyone experienced getting an upgrade the day before the cruise or even the day of the cruise since we only have a few days left?

Also since this is a 3 night cruise drink packages are not able to be purchased in advance. Does anyone have any experience with the cost of the drink packages to purchase onboard and which one in your opinion is the better option to take? Would prefer not to do the most expensive one if I don't need to. Thanks!

2 hours ago, broadwaybaby123 said:

The answer to all of your questions is yes, however, the letter does state that the test needs to be from a doctor's office, and not an at home test.  The letter is very specific, so please read it carefully.

Yup, have the positive PCR test already so they will be getting a doctor's note once he has recovered from symptoms. Thanks

2 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

If I’ve recently recovered from COVID-19, will I still need to be vaccinated to sail? Will I still have to take a COVID-19 test before or during my cruise?

A

 

 

For Cruises Departing the U.S. ports, Puerto Rico and Canada

A Certificate of Recovery will not be accepted in lieu of a vaccination record card for guests of vaccine eligible age. All Royal Caribbean guests age 12 and older must present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination with the final dose of their vaccine administered at least 14 days before sailing. 

For all sailings departing on or after March 11, 2022, a Certificate of Recovery, for a positive COVID-19 case at least 11 days before boarding but no more than 90 days ago, may be provided in lieu of a pre-cruise COVID-19 test result to board the ship if it meets certain requirements. However, certain ports (listed below) will not permit guests to go ashore using a Certificate of Recovery. The following two documents must be presented:

1. A certified medical health certificate from a doctor stating that you have fully recovered from COVID-19. It must meet the following requirements:
   • Official letterhead from a healthcare provider, public health official or telehealth provider showing:
     • Their name
     • Their address
     • Their phone number
     • Confirmation of your recovery and completion of isolation 
   • Must be typed (not handwritten) and signed by the provider
   • Must confirm the sample collection date of the positive PCR test, which must be a minimum of 11 days and a maximum of 90 days before the departure date of your cruise
2. A positive result document for a COVID-19 PCR test taken a minimum of 11 days and a maximum of 90 days before the departure date of your cruise. An antigen test result will not be accepted with a Certificate of Recovery. The test results document from your test provider must include the name of the lab that processed the test, the lab’s CLIA Lab Number or Certification Number, the address of the lab, your name, the date the test was taken, type of test, and your positive result. This can be a printed document, email, or telehealth app notification. Fully handwritten doctor’s notes (such as those written on a prescription pad) will not be accepted. Minimal handwritten components (such as a check mark on a “positive” box) are acceptable as long as the other required information is printed on the document.

Thanks. That's the part I saw online too, however, the CoR in lieu of testing doesn't say anything about age limits or vaccinations status so wanting to make sure before everyone flies to Seattle to then have an issue.

3 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

If you have a certificate of recovery, you don't need any pre-boarding test or the disembarkation test for the unvaccinated.

 

Thanks - was that by chance from a Royal website? If not, do you have the source?

Thanks

If you wouldn't mind, can you post a copy of the dreaded bag tag departure form with the options to select? I have a group going soon and trying to give them a heads up on what to select in order to meet for the ground transportation option scheduled when we get back to Seattle. Thanks!

Have a great cruise! I'll be on this same sailing in Aug with a large group with some questions if you have time!

1. Is Starwater the only show that needs to be booked when you board?

2. Can the free Northstar and iFly options be booked when you board on the app or can you only book those day of? I was recently on the Odyssey and you could book the free options on the first day of the cruise but i've seen conflicting info here for Quantum.

3. The Noodle place on the pool deck. I know it's not actually a noodle place for the Alaska sailings, however, is the food they serve included?

4. For dinner in the Solarium, is that an additional charge and do you have to make reservations?

5. I see on the deck plans in the esplanade area (Deck 5) that there is a Japanese Pharmacy. No idea what that even is. Do you know what's there for these cruises?

6. How crowded do the indoor and Solarium pools get, especially on sea days?

Thanks!!

Travelling with some friends to Alaska from Seattle in August and was looking at the latest protocols since a few are unvaccinated children. I know this does not yet include Aug sailings but just checking things out.

So we go to Victoria on the last full day of the cruise (Sunday). Am I reading this right that the kids will have to be tested on Saturday while onboard prior to arriving in Canada and then again the next day on Sunday onboard prior to arriving back to Seattle?

Mid-Cruise Testing
For sailings departing from Seattle, Washington, unvaccinated kids age 5 – 11 will take a complimentary test onboard no more than 1 day before arrival to Canada. Guests will be notified onboard about how to register for this test.

Prior to Disembarking

For sailings debarking in Seattle, Washington, unvaccinated guests age 2 – 11 will take a complimentary antigen test onboard no more than 1 day before arrival to the U.S. Guests will be notified onboard how to register for this test.

On 3/22/2022 at 10:06 PM, luckyinpa said:

i believe this is an old price but it was recently 1100 on my trip. not over the water but look what you get for 1100 bucks on NCLs island. royal wants 1000 for a tiny cabana on my next trip and it's pathetic the size and perks of it. 

 

https://www.ncl.com/shore-excursions/NPI_48/Lagoon-2-Bedroom-Family-Suite-at-Silver-Cove ?destination=Bahamas+Cruises%2CBermuda+Cruises%2CCaribbean+Cruises%2CEurope+Cruises%2CPanama+Canal+Cruises%2CRepositioning+Cruises%2CSouth+America+Cruises%2CTransatlantic+Cruises%2CWeekend+Cruises&port=NPI&sort=searchWeight&sortOrder=asc&perPage=12&startingRecord=12

I was just on NCL for the first time in Feb and we went to their island and did a Studio Villa. I could not believe how much we got and how nice these units were for the price when compared to the cabanas at CocoCay. Makes RCCL seem even more like a rip-off to me in comparison!

4 hours ago, TwinMamainMN said:

We are currently on Odyssey. (Disembark tomorrow 😭.)  Tap Factory,

 and The Effectors are being shown in the Royal Theater. There was no Showgirls production. In 270, we saw The Book. No other production shows there.

 

I knew after reading the Odyssey review by @twangster that we needed to see these 3 big shows and they did not disappoint. Really fun, very well done, and in the case of The Book and The Effectors - very unique.

Do you recall when The Book showed up in the App initially? That's one I really wanted to see and all other shows are showing in the compass except that one. Makes me wonder if they're not having it since I see so many dance parties in there at night.

16 minutes ago, mikegrip said:

I've been on Odyssey twice (8 night in November, 6 night in Feb).  As of then the production shows were:

Royal Theater:

 

Showgirl:Past, Present, Future-standard song and dance revue with showgirl costumes (if you have ever seen Jubilee back in the day at Bally's or the revue at the Tropicana very that).  Very well done IMO, show is apparently a copy from another Quantum Class ship.  Seemed to be a large cast in comparison to other ships

 

Effectors: Another song and dance revue themed to superheroes-felt like someone went to EDM in Vegas and bought every laser and video screen they could.  Certainly something to see at least once.  Same cast as Showgirl

 

Tap Factory: An all male cast that is different and is very STOMP! Playing Trash cans and tap dancing also good IMO

 

270:

The Book: Very Cirque du Soleil though Cirque probably has more a plot.  Still good though and visually appealing if you only get one chance to see this I would go upstairs to front row balcony center while everyone else scrambles for floor seats.  

 

Virtual Symphony-uses screens and sound system for a recorded concert-no cast

 

270 experience: Showoff of tech in 270 hosted by the cruise director and a roboscreen show

 

Also you mentioned you are not seeing everything-for our recent 6 night none of the shows showed up on the daily compass in the App until we boarded

Thanks for the info!!! Hope the cruise compass info is the same for.us!

8 hours ago, la_croisiere_s'amuse said:

Here is what I posted last night in my Odyssey review. Showgirls is no more but I don't recall if Tap Factory is still being shown or not.

**************************

 

Entertainment

We saw The Book, The Effectors, the Two70 Experience, the virtual symphony concert, and two headliners who probably aren’t onboard anymore so I won’t waste your time reviewing them. 😉

 

Now … as we all know, if there’s anything more subjective than good food, it’s good entertainment! 😁 So I’ll try to focus on information that might be helpful as you decide whether or not a given show would be a good fit for you.

 

The Book

This is probably the most polarizing of the Odyssey entertainment lineup. If you go in expecting to find a plot or a cohesive thread, you’re sure to be disappointed. Fortunately I already knew that, so I quite enjoyed what it was: a series of distinct vignettes with a wide variety of musical styles, impressive technology and a good dose of surreal whimsy. But it did get off to a rather slow start, so if you decide to try it, just don’t leave in the first few minutes thinking that’s all there is!

 

The Effectors

Also not much of a plot—basically a series of dance numbers set to pop songs, loosely constructed around comic book-style heroes defeating a villain and his minions—and once again, very impressive technology.  BUT … oh my goodness it was L O U D. 😳 Fortunately I had been warned and came equipped with ear plugs, because I wouldn’t have made it through two minutes otherwise. Granted, I have noise sensitivity issues, but DH does not and it was borderline uncomfortable for him.

 

Two70 Experience

I hesitated over grouping this with the entertainment, because a lot of it was a demonstration of the technology. But it also had some entertainment aspects, and I quite enjoyed them. So if you’re a techie person you would probably love it.

 

Virtual symphony

I was actually surprised at how much I liked this! With the size of the screen and the quality of the audio, it really did feel like a live performance. There was definitely a pop culture emphasis—a medley of John Williams movie themes, West Side Story, Rhapsody in Blue, a couple of Aaron Copeland pieces—so if you’re expecting a classical repertoire you might be disappointed, but we both enjoyed it a lot.

 

In the next installment: ports.

 

 

Thanks. The Book was in Two270 correct? Was that listed in the Cruise Compass? I don't see it listed under shows or on the daily compasses so wonder if they're not having it 

Thanks

Can anyone who has been on the Odyssey recently tell me what production shows and Two270 shows were onboard?

I leave tomorrow and on the App I see Tap Factory and The Effectors in the theater but I thought I read there was one called Showgirls that I don't see. Any thoughts on these 2 shows if they are the only production ones?

And for Two270, I had read that there was one called The Book, however, when I look at the Cruise Planner, at night all I see are things like dance parties in there. This is my first Quantum Class ship and I was excited to see what this venue can do but I don't see any shows listed in there.

Thanks

So can someone confirm that there still is a service fee if you use your room card in the machine to get cash to play which adds to your onboard account? Someone mentioned above that Royal does the same, however, I have always done it this way on Royal and never been charged a fee and don't have any casino status with them. Does NCL the actually charge a fee? If so, i'd rather just bring cash!

Thanks

Thanks everyone!

OK - new to NCL and actually going on my first NCL cruise next year since someone else is making me go!!! As a result, i've been looking at all of the pricing over the last few months. That being said, someone please help be understand the pricing and advertising NCL does (i'm sure this is already a controversial topic and not trying to insult anyone who loves NCL!).

- To start, in order to get the "free" perks you can't book the base Sail Away Rate which is cheaper. For my cruise, it's $130 pp cheaper to book the Sail Away Rate with basically no free perks, but at the same time, $130 more to get the free perks. Sooooo, how are they free? And this has nothing to do with gratuities being added.

- I usually frequent RCCL the most so my comparison is more towards them but have also been on Disney, Princess, and Carnival. For just about every NCL cruise we priced out, the cabin cost was a decent amount more than RCCL. For basically the same itinerary/week next year for a sailing I was looking at it's $3,000 more for a balcony cabin than RCCL. For the cruise I am already booked on, I am paying more than the cost of 2 RCCL cruises combined that I already took this year for to 1 NCL cruise. 

- Shore Excursions - how are they "fee" or "Included" when you only get a $50 credit per cabin? I don't see any scenarios where that would ever cover the cost of an excursion for 2 people in a cabin, especially since it only covers towards the first person. Also, one of our stops is St Thomas and i've been there twice already this year on other cruises. When looking at the excursions, many of them sounded familiar so I started comparing the cost to the same RCCL ones and surprise surprise, the NCL ones were higher than the exact same RCCL ones in almost every case. So part of that $50 is also going towards the higher NCL cost for the same excursion someone else offers for less.

- Drink Package - NCL says the retail value of this free package is $99 per person per day but it basically just includes the alcohol. But, for another $30 per person per day you can get soda, water, etc. Where on RCCL you basically pay $50-$60 per person per day for the package that includes everything. Yes I know you pay for that but if you want the equivalent on NCL you have to pay for it anyway.

It seems like the draw to this advertising is for the people who see the word "free" and don't read any further and just think free is really free. Again, not trying to bash NCL at all and I know I don't have to go on one (except that I really am being dragged) but wanted to see if anyone could help with my though process or tell me how NCL is that much better to support the higher pricing and pretend "free's".

Thanks

Hello! New to NCL, usually sail RCCL and have a question about booking the free specialty restaurants. We are sailing with another cabin and if they book a restaurant online and say it's for 4 people (which includes my cabin) will that allow us to use the free dining option or do we need to book it separately? I had read someplace that the "free" perks needed to be booked in advance and could not be redeemed onboard. Thanks

Not sure what determines whether you get the new or old version of the Cruise Planner site based on your sailing, but I now have 2 sailings coming up using the new system. When you look at your order history and the breakdown, it doesn't include much detail. For example, if there are gratuities, taxes, or even onboard credit used, you can't see that at all. Often when this is the case, the total for the order is higher than if you add everything on the screen up together and it's usually because there are things like taxes or gratuities added that you don't see. It's also hard now to tell what OBC you used for what. Is there another way to see this that I'm missing? The other version of the site shows this with no problem so not sure why they would have removed that. Thanks!