CazualCruzer

On 11/13/2022 at 10:53 AM, JAGR said:

Not AA or DL.

I’ve been Executive Platinum or ConciergeKey with AA for almost 20 years, and have never, ever had an issue with my family boarding or pre-boarding with me even if one or more of us is in Coach.

On 1/19/2023 at 1:02 PM, Birdnutty said:

Forgot to ask-what was your stateroom number?

We had 5534 and 5536 - both had the demon bugs.

4 hours ago, tweetylori said:

Hopefully you checked you checked your luggage to make sure you didn't bring them home with you?

The luggage has remained in the garage, where it'll stay for quite some time! TMI, but we also stripped in the garage and later bagged up all the clothing. Hopefully the little buggers didn't sneak in through other means!

1 hour ago, shof515 said:

did you win an upgrade bid 48-72 hours prior to sail date?

 

the same thing happen to me on the Joy back in October and when i talked to the cruise next staff about not getting the platinum things in the room they told that if my cabin was changed very recently they do not have the updated information. they prepare the platinum stuff a few days prior to sail date so they will often times have your old cabin information

Nope - the cabins were assigned from the time of booking, some weeks ago.

6 minutes ago, JGmf said:

 

Whaaat?  Whoa.  That's horrible.  We always check bedding before we unpack anywhere go, but never ever would expect to find anything on a cruise ship.  Yikes.  I bet that cabin took a lot longer to turn over for the next guests.  Sorry you had to endure that.

Honestly, it is the last place I'd except to find them, too. I've traveled over 5 million miles and hit 120 countries, and never encountered a bed bug. This was a first - and I hope last - for me!

Just got off this cruise, too.  Attached is a video of the waves, taken from our room yesterday morning. Myself, better half and two kids had two Oceanview rooms on deck 5. This is the first time we've cruised in anything other than The Haven or a Suite, so that was an interesting contrast. (There were no higher categories of room available when we made our last minute booking.)

Overall, the cruise was okay. With one, big, gross exception - my wife and I got eaten alive by the dreaded bed bugs. It took us until last night to realize what was causing the red marks on our bodies (faces, necks, arms, legs, even my fingers!) We told our cabin attendant this morning, and she was going to have pest control deal with it before the ship set sail again.

Overall, I think NCL did a good job making lemonade out of lemons. Can't fault them for their response to the weather. It was a bummer to miss the overnight in BDA, especially as we'd prepaid for a night at a local resort in St. George, to the tune of several hundred dollars. Won't be seeing that money again.

I was a bit annoyed at the dreadful internet service, but was somewhat prepared for it, having read about it on here prior to departure. As another poster noted, they did give $50 non-refundable OBC to everyone to compensate for the BDA overnight being cancelled. We also received $102 and change, each, in refundable credit, posted to our account on Sunday. There was no notification of any sort about this - I just spotted it in my account on the NCL app. Had I not being using the app, I would have been none the wise. As I've never had refundable OBC before, I didn't know you had to visit Guest Services to get paid out before disembarkation but, thankfully, a casual mention of the credit to some fellow cruisers quickly educated us to that quirk. Can't complain about walking off the ship several hundred dollars richer than when I walked on! (Plus, the "Luck of the Irish" was with this Dubliner at the Casino on this voyage, so I was up about $2k when all is said and done!)

Strangely, there was no recognition of our Platinum status. No vouchers, extra water, welcome letter - nada. I did visit the Cruise Next desk, and they eventually issued new certificates, which we used at Cagney's and LeBistro.

Anyway, I am posting this mainly to share the video. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go slather cortisone on my bed bug bites!

We got off the Dawn on Monday and there were no temperature checks other than at check-in.

My sincere apologies if this has been answered elsewhere - I can’t find a concise answer using the search function.

My better half and I are departing on the Dawn a week from Monday (i.e. 10 days from now). Does Silversea send any physical documents or such in advance of the cruise?  This is our first time of SS, but not our first cruise.  We are accustomed to receiving letters, bag tags, etc., in advance, from other lines.  It’s been crickets from SS thus far.

Thanks in advance!

I lived in Southampton for several years, involving a lot of back and forth to both London and Heathrow airport.  Strongly recommend National Express.  It’s never late, and comfortable for the price.  Someone above suggested booking in advance - I highly recommend that, too, as the coaches - as frequent as they are - do fill up.  Don’t take the chance of there being availability if you just show up on the day.

The invoice doesn’t note anything about the business class upgrade.  However, when my TA inquired about flights, the SS agent showed us booked in business class on both the outbound and return.  When I first booked the cruise, it was outside the 330 day window where schedules become available for booking the air component.

Hi All.- booked our first SS cruise for October on the Dawn, out of Venice.  Very excited to spend our 20th anniversary on such a beautiful ship.

When I booked (via a travel agent), I opted for the upgraded airfare, from coach to business.  At this point, the cruise is booked and paid for, with the exception of the charge for the air upgrade. Wondering when SS typically comes looking for their $$$ for these upgrades?  I’m somewhat surprised they haven’t done so already, but being a newbie, perhaps it’s just me!

Incidentally, the routing they gave me on the return was horrible. Three legs from Venice to Pittsburgh, when there are plenty of one-stop itineraries available.  Not the ideal way to end the trip, but it is what it is!

Does anyone know if it’s possible to pay separately, using a credit card, for CruiseNext deposits whilst on board?  I’d like to buy a few as a surprise for the better half, and I don’t want her seeing them on the bill! TIA. 

Final payment on my April ‘22 cruise (booked some time ago) was due and made in December.  Yesterday, I noticed that the price had dropped by over $4k (we are a party of 4, in a Haven Two Bed Family Suite).  Emailed my travel agent and, within hours, had FCC in my account for a little more than I anticipated.

For me, at least, this is a reason I will never book directly.  The services of a Travel Agent have been invaluable, especially over the past two years or so.  YMMV.

3 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Hmm, I just did it and it didn't give me the option... I already have my SO in there as a "past guest" so i had added him that way and it picked up his FCC. You may have to call in if it's not giving you the option online.

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Thank you!  My SO and kids are in my profile as past guests, too, but their credit just isn’t picking up. I will call in.  Thanks again. 

2 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

It will apply to the other guests if those guests also have FCC on their accounts. I got to the point where I added my SO's latitude's info and after that screen, it showed the 20% off for him as well.

Forgive my ignorance, but where during the booking flow do you actually enter the Latitudes numbers for other guests?  

Received two emails detailing FCC for our departure 3/14, which we cancelled under their Peace of Mind Guarantee.  There were four of us due to sail, and so far I have only received emails for my two kids, and each of those emails reflects a FCC amount that is nowhere near what we paid for their fares.  The amounts are actually overstated by about 20%.  I can’t make the math work, despite going back through my booking details several times.  I guess I will have to wait and see what numbers are in the emails for my wife and I.

I would not be surprised to see a pre-packaged bankruptcy for NCL, followed by one of their competitors snapping them up.  Think TWA and American (granted the timing was dreadful for that one), or Delta and Northwest.  All of the lines are heavily leveraged, but there could be an opportunity for some consolidation, which would lead to greater pricing power/discipline in the months ahead.

Complete speculation on my part.