Karaboudjan

1 hour ago, SAmome said:

I know I'll be fine at GSC and Nassau but while floating around in the Bahamas, if I'm able to get signal and text etc, can I be pretty sure I won't be charged big fees b/c connects to the ships cellular?  Anyone try? 

 

Is there a way to tell the phone to ignore the ships "cellular" and only use cellular if you can pick up a tower from land in the Bahamas?

 

Thanks.

I'm not sure if this answers your question, but I used a similar plan (not AT&T) in New Zealand and when I had to make some calls from the ship while in port the only network that I was prompted to connect to was the NZ service.  If there was some NCL "cellular" service I don't know how I would have even connected to it...

42 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

And it reverses what they did when they built the Prima class ships making them smaller than the Epic and Breakaway class ships.

I don't know if it a reverse or just a next step.  NCL has stated interest in longer, more exotic cruises and you probably need smaller ships for that.  On the other hand, there are clearly cruises where 5000+ passenger ships make sense, so why not have some for that as well?

8 hours ago, Slyfox16 said:

What is the difference between the club balcony and a regular balcony cabin on the Prima?

In general both the interior and balconies are a bit larger, but because of the curvature of the tower each cabin is a bit different.  As far as I know the bathrooms are the same as in the regular balconies. This goes for the side-facing cabins at the stern of the ship; I don't know if there are other club balconies in other locations.

I don't understand why this is selfish, especially since you are taking the chance of ending up separated by a stranger.  Most people assume that they can get that person to swap for either the aisle or window, so you end up no worse off than if you had just selected the seats together, and the third person gets a better seat than they expected.

I'm also not sure why the airline would care.  Do they think someone would actually choose not to fly if only middle seats are available?  This does not seem to be the case with US domestic flights, and as far as I know all airlines allow you to choose whatever seats you want, although the aisle and window may be priced a bit higher if there is a fee for selecting them.

Thanks all for the responses.

19 hours ago, birdofsong said:

We're arriving in Sydney on March 10th.  We have applied for and been approved for our Visa for Australia, but it lives on the app, and I'm concerned when we get to the airport in Sydney that I won't be able to access it without internet access.  Can someone clue me in on how this is supposed to work?  New Zealand was easier because we got an e-mail confirmation we can print.  

 

I'm sure I'm overthinking this, but those of you who have done this before, please put my mind at ease....Thanks!

You should have received an email from eta.contact@ivisa.com.au with an attachment showing that your application was granted.  I printed that to have just in case.

55 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

I only had it once before it was removed from the menu.  It was delicious.

It's gone? 😬 I have not been there for a couple of years, but I saw it was still on the sample menu.

2 hours ago, possum52 said:

Usually you will ask for the bill, as the wait staff don't want to push you out the door. If you are looking as if you are finished by perhaps starting to put coats on or similar, the wait staff will often ask if you would like your bill. 

Good to know.  Figured it was not inattentiveness.  Thanks.

Is it customary in Australia (and maybe New Zealand also) for a server in a restaurant to wait for you to request the check and not initiate that in any way?  Based on our somewhat limited experience this was our impression.  Coming from the US where you almost always get asked or simply brought the check this surprised us a bit.

2 hours ago, davencl said:

The best steak I've ever had was in Ocean Blue.  Go figure...  🙂 

I think the best steak my wife has had was at La Cucina.

The osso buco at La Cucina was one of my favorite meals.

On 1/15/2024 at 2:07 AM, MicCanberra said:

https://www.boatingworld.com/question-answer/why-do-new-cruise-ships-have-straight-bows/

 

But do they still have the bulbous knob at the bottom of it?

You can find photos of the Norwegian Prima in the dry dock.  There is still a 'knob' but it is only bulbous to the sides, not forward.

Just a clarification - I think that the OP means May, not March.  As far as I can tell that itinerary does not run in March.  

12 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

Trying to wrap that one around my head. Social Media.... FB, Instagram all use the internet to access, so I'm a little confused about you can use social media yet not use email or the "internet"

They probably mean 'whatever internet site you want'...

4 hours ago, luv2kroooz said:

Norwegian leads the industry in non emergency and non weather itinerary changes.

 

Reasons given for NCL are operational considerations, fleet redeployment, green/sustainable initiatives, none of which are emergency or weather related. 

Do you have a source for that?  I would be interested in seeing the numbers.

I think you should ask for your deposit back ASAP!  😉

8 hours ago, unclegrandpa said:

I booked a cruise to Australia/New Zealand with NCL. I chose them because they have fewer days at sea than other cruise lines. I noticed today that some ports offer no shore excursions. I also learned that the December 23 cruise had several ports removed. I started worrying that they offer no excursions because they will be removing some ports. I have never been on a cruise where no excursions were being offered weeks before the cruise.

 

My question is have they ever stopped in as many ports as they showed when you were buying a cruise to Australia/New Zealand or do they always do it to make people think they have fewer days at sea than other cruise lines?

 

I talked to their customer service, and they told me they could remove ports without providing any reason and do not have to reimburse anyone.

I am on an Australia-New Zealand cruise in February.  All of the ports had excursions at one time, but over time the number available has gradually dropped and some ports no longer have any.  I think that selling out is the simple explanation for what you are seeing.

I have been following all Aus-NZ threads closely for over a year and I have not seen anything about systematic dropping of ports.  The only thing I have read about recently is some swapping of Lyttleton for Timaru.  I see that the changes for the Dec 23 cruise were made back in May so that seems like a one-off and of course was done well before the final payment date.

2 hours ago, 9tee2Sea said:

yes. contact NCL and tell them you want a deviation on beginning and end.  I think the most they will give you is a 2 day deviation on both ends. You will lose your transportation from airport to cruise ship, but they will credit you back $25.00.  Must be done BEFORE final payment is made. try to do it via phone call, and not just emails.    I think you can find the phone numbers on the NCL website under "contact us" tab. 

I don't think you have to lose your transfer as long as you are able to get back to the airport at the appropriate time on the day of the cruise.  Of course, that may or may not work depending on the locations and where you plan to spend the extra time.

53 minutes ago, coldweather said:

Hello.

I am an American looking to understand the cruise/weather season in the Australia/NZ/South Pacific area.  

 

Google has informed me that cyclone season runs from November - April.  In 2014 we were indeed impacted by a cyclone for an April cruise from Brisbane to Papua New Guinea.  We missed a few ports.  We are trying to avoid that.  

 

As I look at the cruise schedules, it seems that most of the south pacific cruises have sailings concentrated from November - April. 

 

We are looking for a once in a lifetime cruise to visit South Pacific islands.  Fiji and Tahiti and sound fantastic!  We are also interested in cruises with World War 2 history. 

 

I am seeking information why there are so few South Pacific cruises from May - August.  I do understand that is the winter season. In the USA, winter is a popular cruising time for people who live in the cold (me) to get to warmer weather and to avoid any storms (USA Hurricane season is June - October). 

 

Thanks in advance for your information and coaching me on selecting my Australia/New Zealand holiday choices. 

 

Take a look at how many cruise ships are in Alaska from May-August and I think you will have your answer.  It's probably a lot easier to sell those than South Pacific cruises.

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

NO worries.  They won't.

 

So, you haven't booked a cruise yet?  Book it and THEN see what NCL's flights are.  The good news is, it can't be any worse of an airline than the one you're stressing about.

 

 

They won't what?  I think I have seen people report before that they got two different airlines for BOGO air with an open-jaw itinerary like the OP has.

29 minutes ago, Bridgetocaptain said:

Have never experienced vibe before. Curious if those who have bought passes previously thought it was worth it?

It would probably depend on where you are going and when.  Prima + holiday sailing + Caribbean = Well worth it IMO.

32 minutes ago, CruiserFTL said:

I have a question, we are on the Edge April 14th sailing and my wife really wants to go to Hobbiton. We are in port from 6am to 4pm. Is this to risky to do and if not can you suggest a tour operator. looking to go with 1 or 2 other couples. Keeping it super small so we can get in and get out. Thanks in advance for your help

My understanding is that the Hobbiton tour itself sends people through in groups of a particular size, so your ability to 'go small' might be limited.  However, all of the excursion operators that I have looked at cater to cruise passengers and are well informed on the ships' schedules so I doubt that they would offer a tour if they think it is risky.

I have found that flights from anywhere in North America to Sydney are expensive, especially if you want a more or less direct routing.  Hawaiian does have better prices than some, but as I recall from my research into a similar trip the timings are a bit weird.  If you can get to LAX Fiji has some of the lower business fares with the arguable benefit of a stopover.

I decided to go BTV-LAX-SYD with an overnight break/buffer in LAX.  LAX-SYD is PE, though, not business.

56 minutes ago, ready2cruzagain said:

I would absolutely get the Osso Bucco if it was lamb but now the menu says it is a veal shank and that is not a very tasty piece of meat to me.

 

That's interesting.  When I had the lamb was during COVID, so maybe there were sourcing issues with veal and they had to substitute.  I found the braise and sauce to be so flavorful that I'm not sure you could really recognize what the meat was.  I would love to try it again with veal.

5 minutes ago, Daruma said:

I can't speak to that specifically, but take this as you will...

 

Onda is no longer on the Escape, the Italian restaurant on the Escape is now La Cucina... so my guess, operative word being, "guess," is that it's all the same. 

Onda has never been on Escape.  It was introduced on Encore, added to Spirit during her major refurbishment and is on both of the Prima class ships, so it is clearly the Italian restaurant of choice at the moment for NCL.

I would say that in theory Onda is a bit more 'special.'  It seems to have a somewhat larger and more adventurous menu than La Cucina.  However, the food at La Cucina can be excellent.  The last time I ate there the lamb Osso Bucco was one of the highlights of the cruise.  If I recall correctly the beef filet that my wife had was also excellent.