herbanrenewal

We just had our meet and greet. Almost entire exec team was here. Unfortunately only less than 1/2 of us showed up. Please dont sign up for m&g if you don’t intend to come. The staff went to a lot of effort for us. If we expect cc to continue to be respected by NCL we should respect their time and efforts in our behalf.

Review thus far Room- I love mine. It’s been too cold for sitting in the balcony And compared to other ships seems roomier. Great showers. I think my only criticism is the tv location across from the bed- great if your lounging about in bed, but you can’t watch tv from the couch. Food I have special dietary needs so can’t really review for general menu offerings. For one with very strict and specific needs I can say the fixed menus make it MUCH easier to plan and preorder what I need. Both in Hudsons(which I LOVE) and the specialty restaurants I’ve been to. Staff has been super easy to communicate needs, and totally responsive. Everything I’ve eaten has been well prepared. Kudos to all the chefs, matre de, wait staff- literally every staff member makes me feel honored and valued. Internet access Internet has been very spotty. Best reception is near The Whiskey Bar. Yesterday and today. In the Norwegian Fjords not only inconsistent internet but no tv signals either. Overall impression I’ve seen/heard others comment on what they dislike but I love the decor, the artworks, restaurants, the activities. Just about everything on this ship. I love the fixed menus. I probably have a more limited diet than anyone else, but I find plenty I can enjoy. Everything seems roomier. Love the Observation Lounge . I thoroughly am enjoying the Prima!

I ask my pharmacist for an extra label on a plastic bag. Sometimes they just give me the label and I use a ziplock bag. If your meds are mail ordered you can carefully lift a label from the bottle.

I agree with you that they each have different specific levels of info. I do find the US site has specific info on some places, like Mexico has warnings that are very specific by state and province, like the info on Acapulco warnings about specific crimes; whereas some are generalized by country.

I don't see any contradiction between that post and mine. As I said - There are so many facts and falsehoods impacting everyone's reactions to this topic

There are so many fact and falsehoods impacting everyone's reactions to this topic. We do know that you can protect yourself by vaccinations, wearing a n95 medical grade mask, hand hygiene, and surface disinfecting. You can protect others the same way.

A very good friend was on a private excursion in Acalpulco last year when their minivan was run off the road and robbed at gunpoint. I now look up all places I am visiting (both land and cruise trips) using US state dept travel advisories. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/ This doesn't stop me from traveling but may alter my plans if there is a red level alert.

I usually decline the drink package since all i drink is wine at dinner - the free package costs a couple hundred in taxes and service charges, and i usually pay 30-45 for corkage fees.

Consider bringing your favorite Cava onboard. For the $15 "corkage" fee you can have the wine of your choice. Decent wine still costs less than the ridiculous prices for mediocure wines NCL serves, and significantly less than their premium wines. I usually look up wineries and retailers in embarkation ports and buy a few bottles to bring aboard.

The Prima transatlantic thread evolved into 10 pages of discussion/argument/opinions regarding just what is required if cruising to Canada as of August 2022. For those with lingering questions or in search of facts for other cruises: ArriveCan.org is required documentation 72 hours prior to embarking a cruise for all entering Canada, including those with port of call negative test or accepted alternatives are required From the arriveCAN site:

You can buy straps that let you put your name or other info on the strap. My straps say NOT YOUR BAG. As it goes around the baggage carousel people point and laugh but no one takes it.

I'm just approaching Sapphire so not even close, but I'm curious about this - my first guess was left over pastries as palette cleansers between drinks, but listed as ingredients suggests something else. Is it fruits/olives/onions that were cut up the day before?

if the cruise line is the booking agent would they bear no responsibility to get you there on time? Thats what I want to know - What do they do to "handle it" when the airlines causes you to miss a cruise?

Same day flights could have a delay or cancellation by the airline. I had a Florida trip and the return flight was delayed then cancelled. We were stuck at the airport for 36 hours. I'm 73. Sleeping on the floor at a crowded airport is NOT easy. But with no hotels within 40 miles having rooms available it was a nightmare. But it was the end of the vacation and i don't work so timing wasn't critical. I can only imagine how much worse if at the start of a planned wonderful cruise. Even planning to arrive 1 day in advance I could have missed embarking. If anyone knows what the cruise line does to compensate when cruiseline travel arrangements cause missing boarding I'd like to know.

I've read so many horror stories of crazy air itineraries that I'm hesitant to take advantage of included airfare. My main concern isn't the inconveniences of some flights - but what happens if the scheduled airfare does not get you to port in time for your cruise? If you miss your cruise do they reimburse you for cruise and pre-paid extras? Im not referring to insurance that I would purchase, but what does the cruise line do with your money if the flights they arrange make you miss the cruise?

I find sound volume in cruise theaters to be painful. I am sure the decibel level is killing auditory nerves. I wear earplugs if its a show I want to see.

I use coins that are worth 1 to 3 USD if that's what I have after visiting a port. Since cruise staff revisit. ports its easier for them to use than USD where they have to pay exchange fees. That's what I was told by staff member when I asked him if he would be back in that country again during his current contract. I do check to be sure they will be returning to that port and able to use the coins. The last time I was in Denmark I had about $6 left in DKR and didn't anticipate returning so I gave to my room attendant. I do not give it as a tip unless I've checked to see if the recipient will be back in that country. Of course Euros are much easier for them to deal with if their contract is for a season in Europe.

I've had checkers in US stores refuse two dollar bills - they are not that common here, and some fear they are fake/counterfeit. On European trips I use Euro coins or local currency change that I have left over after ports that use non-Euro currencies.

is there a difference in price if you purchase wifi upgrade before the cruise versus while onboard? TIA

I just print up an 8x11 of a recent cruise photo, insert it in a sheet protector, glue a magnet on the back. I like something so i can identify my room without looking for the door numbers.

If you are boarding in Copenhagen thi may be useful info http://www.latecruisenews.com/2022/04/27/free-electric-shuttle-buses-between-ocean-quay-and-the-metro-for-cruise-guests-in-copenhagen/ "In 2022, Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) will offer free electric cruise shuttles in Copenhagen. The shuttle will run between the three terminals at Ocean Quay and the metro station Orientkaj on all turnaround days. This year, it will be even easier for cruise guests to choose a more sustainable way of exploring the city of Copenhagen. In 2022, CMP will offer free shuttle buses on all turnaround days. The shuttle bus will be powered by electricity and will run between the three cruise terminals at Ocean Quay and the metro station Orientkaj. From Orientkaj, cruise guests can take the Copenhagen Metro to the city centre or connect to buses, trains or other metro lines going to Copenhagen Airport or the various neighbourhoods of Copenhagen. The initiative aims to encourage cruise guests to choose public transport while visiting Copenhagen."

In 30+ years travel I've been the late person on a tour bus but never missed the boat. We were the late people on a Tuscany excursion. We were in a hilltown (I forget which one) and asked directions to the tour bus parking lot and a joker directed us to opposite end of town. The only good thing was that from that point we could see the Duomo and knew where to go from there. We ran the whole way back, but were about 20 minutes late. Which made the bus just late enough that our last stop in Pisa was too late to climb the tower. People were extremely angry at us - one couple tried to get us to reimburse them the cost of the day because the only thing they wanted to see was the leaning tower and we ruined it for them. We did make it back to the ship on time, but I still feel guilty for being late on the bus. During an Amalfi coast private tour we were left off at a parking lot. Returning we missed a turn and were lost. Finally we ran into another guy from our group who remembered seeing us "take a detour" on the way back - he went out and found us. We were 30 minutes later than planned returning to the ship, but since we planned for returning an hour early no problem with the ship. GPS on cell phones now prevent my chronic poor sense of directions cause problems.

This is a great thread - lots of people have spoken about some of my favorites - loved Holy land cruise, also New Zealand and Australia, Baltic when it still went to St Petersburg - Many great Med cruise experiences, but i got to admit. usually my favorite cruise is the next one coming up

if your antigen test is positive you could still be shedding - and spreading virus. Antigen tests show presence of spreadable virus. PCR tests for a part of the virus that may not indicate spreadable virus but present viral particles. PCR is the one that may be present for 30 days or more, but the patient is not transmitting virus. Antigen, since it indicates spreadable virus is the most important while travelling - or even going about your business at home. The one you want for travel is the antigen test, and if you are post-infectious it will be negative. If its positive you can still be spreading virus even if you are no longer symptomatic.