Reese15233

If price adjustment isn't a good option, perhaps an upgrade would be? We have done this in the past obviously depends on original booking, availability, location....

Unfortunately, there are people who would be up in arms for not getting what they paid for and would say they weren't informed of the change because they missed a regular email. Customer service these days has to account for a certain level of ridiculous.

Thank you, op for this post. We are relatively new to cruising with our first 2 in 2019 and to date all have been on NCL. We hate the breakaway class ships, the older jewel class are nice, smaller so fewer activities and dining options but sufficient for the right itineraries. We also really enjoyed the Viva on a transatlantic last year in Haven. That said we are ready to try other lines, not because of cuts or changes, that seems to be universal in cruising right now but to have other experiences/options. We are excited for our first HAL experience in June for Alaska. We started with this because a shorter cruise for a new to us line seemed prudent, but also the enrichment options are more present for Alaskan cruises. We are also looking at Oceania next year and maybe Cunard although my significant other is not loving the idea of jackets or ties on vacation. Viking is also a possibility for Northern Europe. This thread has offered and interesting mix of comparisons and opinion and will help in future planning.

The answer to your question in FAQ on NCL states the following: Our partners include Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Swiss International Air Lines, United Airlines, Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Norwegian Air International Ltd., Icelandair, Condor, Alitalia, Vueling, Iberia, British Airways, LATAM Airlines, Sky Airline Chile, Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Virgin Australia, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Air New Zealand. The cruise line is going to make the choice that makes the most sense financially for the cruise and all the people they need to get to/from. They have agreements with their partner airlines which clearly impact that decision. We have used the NCL air deals including BOGO several times now and the airlines used most often have been Delta and Air Canada. We have also been booked on United and American. I am almost always flying from Pittsburgh.(NYC and Columbus Ohio also) We've done numerous domestic flights , RT in multiple European cities and once a return from Dubai. Usually I just do a google air search knowing I will end up on one of the "best" flights (top 5 usually top 3). I also do this to compare prices in deciding to use the air offer. If I don't like the options or the savings aren't significant, I won't use the deal but given their partnerships and buying in bulk it's hard to beat the offer rates or justify spending so much more. Many many cruisers disagree and selecting their own flights is of the utmost importance. Where you are seems to be a significant factor on what flights/connections you will get, so do try searching to determine what options are available. NCL has to choose from these as well.

We got our flights to Lisbon with the 2 day deviation and our total flight time will be 8-9 hours with a almost 3 hour layover in Toronto, arriving in Lisbon about 9:30 am. They also sent what the flights would have been arriving on the day of the cruise and the deviation is much better. The non-deviation flights would have had 2 stops first in Chicago then Toronto; which with the added time it takes to go in the opposite direction of our final destination would have been nerve racking to say the least. Coming home we leave Miami later than I would like (no deviation) but we may do a day pass at one of the resorts to bide our time.

Think again or at least re-evaluate you own motives. I was not attacking your friend. I did question the relevence of his one statement (not every post he made on the thread). You do seem to need to accuse and attack. Unless you truely question my ability to read, my understanding of international and Hawaii's status as a State. Your intent as well as your hypocrisy, is clear. Also, apologies dont include the word if. That's ok, ones not needed any more than your permission or invitation to contiuned participation on cc.

So am I not entilted to state an opinion? Did I violate the guidelines?Also, did I say anything about anyone else's right to opinions or expression of them? Did I merely respond with my own? Even when way off topic, is that not the point of discussion boards? Cheerleading?? As for appropriateness, the topic is Ncl air not flights to Hawaii or any of this nonsense. Perhaps I am not the only one with questionable reading comprehension skills?

...but still felt the need to chime in on a topic from someone who clearly made an informed decision to use NCL air and asked about the experiences of others who made the same choice. I too booked a 2 day deviation for international cruise recently and would actually like to hear from those who have done it. I already know why I made the decision I made and thanks to so many topics/posts on CC why so many of you do not to use the BOGO. It would be nice if those who do could discuss specifics without the naysayers.

I think that's where boards like this come in handy. I know I have learned a lot here. That said, I'm a researcher and look for information before making decisions particularly ones involving money and how I might spend it. It would be nice if we could rely on corporate accountability and customer service unfortunately that kind of reliability seems rare and we have to be more diligent in ensuring we get what we request. I was surprised to find this kind of board still exists when I was brand new to cruising not so long ago but I was pleased to find such a resource allowing me to benefit from the experience of others. Perhaps if OP had found cruise critics sooner. In any case hopefully NCL will make it right now that they have identified the op's problem is a result of their agent's error and the client's only misstep was not discovering it promptly. They have an opportunity to salvage someone's vacation and their own reputation at a small cost to themselves.

There aren't any real solutions any one can offer here but I will adding my opinion and hindsight based on my experiences. I have used the air promotion multiple times and had no problems. I have learned to check my confirmations after any changes - deviations, upgrades whatever. I have had things unrelated to the change altered or just disappear, including transfers, air for additional passengers, little details not related to the change made. The biggest thing was flights not being adjusted after the first leg of a back to back was cancelled. So now I do a line by line check for everything- charges, payments, itinerary, literally everything in the confirmation document. Even offer codes and port times. The NCL system does some things automatically and what seems like small changes are sometimes done without notice. I've just learned to check everything.

In general this has never been a problem for us with Norwegian but we were on Getaway in January and it was a really bad. They had us lined up across two decks to disembark at multiple ports and it took 30-40 minutes on good days, over an hour at the first port. The line did start forming before we were given clearance to disembark but not much before the scheduled time. In Puerto Rico we were late getting off and our twilight zipline excursion started after sunset. As a result most of the excursion took place after dark. It was still fun but not the same experience. I had to adjust my thinking after the first two stops because my frustration was interfering with the overall experience and the decompression needed after a long miserable 2022. There were also uncharacteristic service issues in the main dining rooms. Hopefully whatever the problems were, they have been resolved but I won't book Getaway again soon without checking recent reviews.

I am so not a social person but I am way more open to friendly interactions on cruise ships. You are, even with so many different people from different places, with different views and opinions, having a positive shared experience and that just seems to create good vibes. Unfortunately this seems harder to do elsewhere in the world today. I have even met people at the airport (some on same cruise some on another) and the anticipation and excitement of or from a cruise vacation is common ground enough to start delightful conversations. You can almost tell who the cruise travelers are because of this. I also think it's why negative people are often chastised here on CC. Most cruisers embrace the joy of it even when some aspect of the experience isn't perfect.

I would check the confirmations. I recently upgraded and had a transfer disappear once before return air somehow went missing so now I check everything when a change is made.

I think the point is you are on an NCL board complaining about a product you don't use?? No one is taking money out of anyone's pocket they are choosing to give it to them. If you choose not to so be it. I personally don't see the difference if I am charged piece meal for an overall experience or in a lump sum. If anything, nickel and diming as you call it, gives me more choice, I can say yes or no to each part of the experience. Either way I can get a pretty good idea about what the total cost of my trip will be and decide if it is it worth it to me or not. While many have decided other lines are a better option, some people have decided what and how Norwegian charges is worth what they provide . This clearly perplexes you. I'm just not sure why you care enough to chastise them for making a choice you don't agree with on a message board designed for people who have made that very choice.

I'm trying to remember if it was even an option when I upgraded and maybe before covid but I'm generally not looking to spend first class money to upgrade so I really don't recall. I'll assume your right, which is useful information for those who would be looking to significantly improve their seats. Personally if I were going to spend that kind of money I probably wouldn't be using the air deal anyway. We were booked for premium economy on Air Canada and our group was able to reserve half of that small section returning from Dubai last year, which was great on a long overnight flight. I won't expect it again but it was nice given several other Norwegian passengers from our cruise were way in the back.

I have upgrade seats on Delta, United and Air Canada. I added the reservation to my account with the airlines and was able to upgrade seats on the flights no problem. They will not let you change the flights but seat selection and upgrades were no different than any other booking.

No moving. You get what they give you in the category you "win".

I don't think this was aimed at you. I think you have been very clear about your feelings and frustrations and you have never bashed NCL, merely expressed frustrations and shared you reasons for trying something else. I appreciate your honest and balanced expressions based on your experiences. The comparisons are also appreciated. I am relatively new to cruising and my 3 cruises so far ( I have 2 more scheduled for 2023) have all been NCL because my initial research showed they had a fairly good safety and satisfaction rate. Also, when I price similar itineraries on different lines NCL has been the best option given my preferences and budget. That said I have have loved my experiences cruising and will try other lines. The opinions of cruise critic board participants, such as yourself, who can offer informed opinions have been and will continue to be extremely useful in helping me to decide which lines to try when and where based on what I am looking for in a particular experience/trip. Those who just complain without constructive criticism are not helpful. It just makes me wonder why they chose to invest the time and effort in "discussing" their dissatisfaction. Different people will weigh factors differently, so finding like minded individuals is key. Generally, I have found your preferences similar enough to benefit from your experiences and opinions. I for instance don't care for Bailey's but I do enjoy other cream liqueurs and I was pleasantly surprised to see Amarula is on either beverage list for NCL. Keep sharing!

Canadian government site says nothing required as of October 1st. Norwegian hasn't updated because it just became official and that takes some time but they are only passing on the information from those countries and specifically say traveler is responsible to know requirements for destinations. My mother is on cruise ending in Canada later in October and I have been following since her internet skill set involves watching sports and playing candy crush. Saw the "leak" stories couple weeks back and the "official" announcements two days ago so I went to government site to confirm. https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/exemptions

I looked on a third party site and they are still booking with tons of availability so either NCL knows something they don't or it's just another bug with the website. Either is a possibility but the issues with the ship this week haven't led to cancellations between now and then so it's likely just the website.

We did a sky trip labor day weekend in 2019 and it was a very full ship with NCL selling cabins for $50 a night last minute. There were some small children and teenagers but I wasn't bothered by them. Only one screaming incident that I recall and the mom handled it well. They did have the children's programs in full swing (pre-pandemic), I remember a group of small ones being led through the 2nd level of the atrium once singing it was brief and cute not disruptive. The Spinnaker is the observation lounge and it was always peaceful there during the day. Spinnaker and our balcony were our escape when the ship felt crowded.

I just searched and the cruise is there.

I have seen this problem when booking online. I would try calling and see what price a cruise consultant comes up with and what explanation they offer if the extra guests aren't free or at least free less taxes and fees.

We won upgrades for 2 club balconies last November on Jade ended up with 11076 and 11068 one somewhere under buffet seating and the other under the bathrooms by the pool. There were no noise issues and I loved being able to take quick trip up the stairs to the pool and buffet because even on very low occupancy ship the elevators were packed at certain times despite the elevators being posted for 3 max due to the covid restrictions at the time.

It seems as if Norwegian is making some effort to address the issue of obstructed balconies on the prima class ships going forward. My mother was booked in 14792 on Viva next November (I am in 11942 a balcony on the beginning of the curve in rounded aft section) When we booked last year, I went to the deck plans to see where she was and was concerned about the triangular, limited view corner balcony. It really seems awful limited even without the slides and I would not book it. She however was not overly concerned and expressed that she would only need to be able to sit and enjoy the air etc. but wasn’t worried about the angle or obstructions. After Prima’s initial sailing she did receive a message that her stateroom needed to be changed. When she spoke to an agent, she was told that 14792 was now an ocean view and she was moved across the hall to 14192. This cabin is still on the corner but according to the deck plan has a larger balcony with a less obstructive slide. I don't know if either was identified as obstructed view (my mother is not one for remembering details) The current deck plans do not show 14792 as an ocean view but it also doesn’t seem to be available to book as an accessible balcony, at least on Viva. I understand the OP’s frustration, but the vehemence is a lot. I don’t think there was any intentional misleading or deception. Booking agents and cruise consultants were also limited by the deck plans provided and given the popularity of the new ships from the beginning there has to be limitations in their ability to relocate someone, more so in already limited categories. I also don’t spend Haven money for staterooms so perhaps that makes some intensity more understandable. Some of the pictures posted make it seem the balcony would be up to 50% blocked but the picture posted by BirdTravel’s on the OP’s other post seems to indicate the obstruction would be minimal. It is difficult to tell without actual photos from the balcony or even one nearby. Hopefully if the OP does sail in the cabin, they or someone who has firsthand experience will post pictures. The follow up would be nice after so much impassioned discussion.