Paulras

In light of this and other posts discussing theft from cabins I thought I would share this story. Last year we sailed the Equinox in AQ. From the start we had a problem with my room key not working & had to get it replaced. About five days in I went to Aqua cafe to get some lunch and hubby went to get a burger. We like to bring stuff back and eat on our balcony. I got back and after 45 minutes he still wasn't back so was wondering why. Eventually I found him in the corridor looking very embarrassed. Turns out he put his key in the cabin door and it wouldn't work so thinking he had the same problem I had was about to go to guest relations when a room steward ( not ours ) appeared. He saw he was struggling with his key in one hand and burger in the other and opened the door for him. He then sat on the balcony for a while, ate the burger, had a glass of iced tea and wondered why I was taking so long.

Deciding to lie on the bed and read his book he opened the top drawer and then realised the clothes in there looked nothing like his !

Yes you probably already guessed, he was two cabins down from ours and couldn't get out of there fast enough!

Everyone we've told thinks its hilarious but I thought I would share as it could have been much more serious.

I love this story!!

As for the safes. I always use the safe with no problem except a couple times like a previous poster said where the battery was dying. Simple enough fix.

One issue that I have though is forgetting if I locked the safe. I've actually run back on the ship from port to make sure I locked it. So now I leave a note for myself hanging on the door as I leave.

For me, I've always felt better about myself if I was dressed a little bit nicer than others around me.

Maybe those who feel their vacation is ruined by people around them who are dressed less than them should feel the complete opposite!

This is a new rule. I can remember my DH winning $7500 at the Let It Ride table and they just handed him the cash with an envelope- no forms or taxes to worry about.

Won a $1300 jackpot on Infinity the beginning of this Oct. and had to get the W-G form. It was posted at the cage for any jackpot/hand pay over $1200. My main problem is you have to itemize your deductions before you can balance your winnings out against your losses. Since we don't, I have to claim the jackpot as winnings without using my win/loss statement.

Not a new rule, but has been slightly changed over the years. Note that Let It Ride is a table game. The rule (which is pretty old) is a win on one individual spin/pull on a slot that's $1200 or higher. Even if you win a huge bet on a table game that's tens of thousands of dollars, it still doesn't trigger the reporting process. And if you accumulate more than $1200 from several slot pulls, that also doesn't count - it must be ONE bet on the slot that wins at least $1200.

One thing that might be an exception is the bonus on a table game like Caribbean stud where you bet $1 and could win a huge jackpot (thousands). If I'm not mistaken, that is also considered to be like a slot win of more than $1200 and you'd get a form.

Kitty9 - when you say your friend and mom won in the past, was that a win of more than $1200 on just one slot/video poker bet? Or was it just an accumulation of wins that totaled more than $1200. Again, the tax reporting is only triggered on one bet winning that much. And it's been the rule for many years now.

Walker - agree on seeking tax advice. The IRS says win/loss statements aren't proof of a loss to offset your wins. But they do say you should create a journal; which is silly in my opinion since a handwritten journal isn't really verifiable. In actuality, the IRS isn't going to question or audit you because you're writing off gambling losses of only $1800. They know gambling is a net losing game. Now if you have tens of thousands of wins and you write off losses of that amount, you better have some reasonable proof.

I have a question for anybody who used this plan with Verizon Iphone.

Long time ago we need to eneter special code while leaving States or Verizon phone would not work abroad.

1. Do we need to do anything with Verizon iphone now?

2. I assume data toggle for all applications should switched off and data roaming is off

 

Anything else should be done on iphone settings before leaving???

 

Thanks in advance

 

Mike

You mean *228 to "update your roaming capabilities". No, smartphones today with SIM cards don't need to do that anymore.

Also, saw the following (see screen shot) under Special Info This makes it sound like although your plan will work on the ship, you still have to have a celluar service through the ship. if you cannot read, is says "Cruise Ship rates apply in International waters............"

That only means that if you're docked in a country that doesn't allow the plan and you're sitting on the ship, it'll follows the country's rules. Once you get out to international waters, the plan covers you because you're now considered to be on the ship through the ship's service. So all you need is the plan and you'll be good to go. If every country you visit and the ship is on the plan, you shouldn't need to worry about anything.

Someone else asked about the website talking about an "International Plan" but also listed the Global Plan. I'm pretty sure the International Plan has to do with calling other countries while you're in the US, not using your phone in other countries. I almost never call other countries so I only add the Global Plan when I'm cruising.

Good point and it's only another $15, thank you!

 

 

 

Another good point. ;)

 

 

 

For those that used this plan last month, have you received your Verizon bills that include this time period you were overseas?

 

And do you receive alerts if you go over the limits?

Yes, i received my bill and only thing additional was the data overage. But we were getting text alerts each time another 100mb was being charged. So i knew what i was ringing up

I thought the same about the new $40 plan on Verizon - sounds too good to be true. But used it a month ago on an NCL ship for 2 weeks plus a week in Europe and it worked great for both of our phones. 100 outgoing texts and unlimited incoming, plus the 100mb data and 100 minutes. And we were able to send picture messages as part of that 100 texts. Of course, the signal was spotty at times, especially on the ship.

I would definitely recommend that new plan. But I'd suggest just getting it for the whole month. Data and texts add up quick so why limit yourself to 1/4 of the allotment. We went over the 100mb data block many times over 3 weeks. $25 each additional 100mb. But keep in mind we didn't need to buy data on the ship since it worked through the Verizon coverage so we probably saved money.

If you want to confirm on your own about the $40 plan working for your phone on your ship as well as other countries use their trip planner:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/tripplanner/tripplannercontroller

I just checked my upcoming Eclipse cruise and my phone will work on it with the $40 plan. So I'm assuming it would work on all Celebrity ships.

One other thing to do is to turn off your automatic app updates on Google Play Store (or apple equivalent). That'll eat your data as soon as you turn on the phone. Just remember to flip it back on when you get back.

What is the rebate ?

When I have a new reservation, i contact BlueChip and they tell me how much of an incentive rebate will be waiting for me when i get on the ship based on my play from the last cruise. I usually get about $400-500. I play table games for at least a couple hours a night, usually $50+ average bet.

FYI - I'm a member of both Blue Chip and MLife Gold. I just called to add my MLife account to my upcoming cruises. But they told me that I will earn MLife points on the cruise and would not be eligible for Blue Chip benefits or their incentive rebates. You either get Blue Chip or MLife benefits, but not both. I'd love a free specialty dinner and welcome amenity from MLife but I'd rather have the Blue Chip benefits like spa discounts and the rebate. I told MLife to cancel adding my Gold account to the upcoming cruises.

MLife sounds like a great benefit if you're not already in Blue Chip. But it doesn't help me.

Interesting - I submitted my request for extension cord and water via email and followed up last week and they said they'd be waiting for me in our cabin. Also, last time on Breakaway they provided an extension cord. I remember it was huge, like 12 feet long and always in the way

Funny story on Breakaway last year. I also informed them I had a cpap and needed distilled water and extension cord. Right when the muster drill was starting, 2 crew members knocked on the door to carry me to the drill. Apparently they mistook my cpap request to mean I was disabled. I danced around to show them I was fine on my own!

This is something I can not fathom. Since the prices keep rising, the dollar amount of percentage based auto-gratuity raises with them automatically. There is no need to raise both drink prices and the gratuity percentage in order for the workers to get their raises.

Thank you - that's exactly what I was thinking. If drink prices go up by say 10%, the gratuity would go up by 10% too. NCL covers their additional cost/profit and the staff gets an automatic raise.

Plus NCL makes you sign each and every slip even if you have the beverage package (unlike Celebrity). Not only a waste of paper and time but they include that little line that asks for an additional tip. I'll write in an extra buck or two for exceptional service or if a bartender is good to me but it's rare. On Breakaway, ever bar was understaffed so waiting 10-15 minutes for service was not going to get an extra tip.

The guy on the radio keeps saying buy gold.

I'm pretty sure most merchants would not be set up to accept gold bullion!

Any issues with using credit cards for purchases?

I have the same question as above, do you have to use the package on consecutive days? This really only makes sense if you plan on going to 3 or more specialty restaurants. Am I correct in that the 18% gratuity is also billed separately?

 

Thanks!

When I looked online for the price of 8 days, it was $152.20 and said it included the gratuity. So the pre-gratuity price must be $129. $129+18%=$152.20.

This is definitely more attractive for our upcoming cruise. But is it a certain number of days consecutively or throughout the cruise? So if I buy a 5 day package for a 14 day cruise, can I use it any 5 days throughout the 2 weeks or only 5 days in a row? Probably a dumb question but it's not addressed anywhere.

I thought I read this on another thread last year but couldn't find it again. I'll be on a 14 day back-to-back Greece cruise this August. After the first week's cruise, we would hit the Silver level. Not a big deal but I thought I read that you can talk to someone about getting recognized for the new level on the second leg of the back-to-back.

Any info on this or who to talk to?

They had it for Breakaway last June in NYC. Was amazing to not have to wait in the crazy long line and to be the first group onboard.

Just checked on the 6 ships in port that day. 3 are very small (few hundred passengers), 1 large MS ship arrives at 10am and Splendour of the Sea arrives at 7:30 which is a little smaller than Jade. So I don't think it'll be too hectic getting off.

I like the idea of getting the train at Mestre. I've read a few things now that says taking a taxi there is quicker and eaier than S Lucia. It also gives us an extra 12 minutes.

Thanks for the replies. I just booked the flights! Hopefully the airline won't do something crazy like change the time to earlier as we get closer.

Thanks for the quick replies. We'll definitely reserve the train ahead of time and be up bright and early. I found some posts that make it sound like you can't carry your own luggage off in Venice. Probably not a big delay to pick up luggage if there's no customs line to stand in.

I booked through the Casino so I wonder if I can get them to give me some priority to be in the first group to get off the sthip.

Will be returning from a 14 day on Jade on September 5th. Itinerary shows we arrive back in Venice at 8am. But flying out of Milan at 4:00pm. Sounds like alot of time but there's about 3+ hours of trains between Venice and Milan airport.

I'd like to catch the 9:50am train from San Lucia train station. The next one isn't until 10:50am which would still work but gives us no room for delays to check-in at the Milan airport.

Once we get off the ship, we'll take a taxi or the peoplemover to the train station. It looks like this shouldn't take more than 20 minutes or so. Anyone have experience?

Does a 9:50am train sound reasonable? Assuming we walk off with our own luggage as early as possible. Does there tend to be a long wait to get through customs when you get off the ship?

You're correct W2-G. Sad that I'm a CPA and said the wrong form (not a tax accountant)

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Forums mobile app

http://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Win_Loss_Request_03192012.pdf

Requires you to get the form notarized which is extreme for them to require.

Your question almost sounds like you want the statement to declare your winnings. I'm hoping you only want it to substantiate losses to offset already reported winnings for taxes. Should only need to declare winnings if you received a 1099 form on the ship.

I won two $3500 jackpots on board in June (same machine two days apart). Unfortunately, I lost some of it back over the rest of the cruise (at least it was their money). I have to declare the $7000 because I got the tax forms onboard but I'm getting the win/loss statement to prove that my net win was a lot less.

On Breakaway in June, we monitored a set of chairs near the pool for about an hour that only had used towels on them. No one returned and we asked the people sitting next to them if they saw anyone there recently; they said no. We removed the towels and set up shop. 15 minutes later, a family came over and started to argue with us that we were in their chairs. We nicely said that the pool attendant said no one was there for over an hour so he removed the towels (a lie about the attendant but whatever). They continued to argue with us and then stole 2 of our towels right from our chairs since they take your cabin numbers down when you get towels and you're supposed to return them or be charged (I don't think they ever really charge). I wasn't planning on getting into a fist fight so just declared them slobs and grabbed new towels. Pathetic!