Travelling2Some

I'm unsure if you are able to answer this. Is this a permanent change for all the Greek Island cruises? This itinerary has been on my bucket list for quite some time and we were looking to do this same cruise next July 2016. However I am one of those cruisers who loves their time in port and does see a cruise as getting to see lots of different places, then returning each night to enjoy the meals and entertainment on board. I have a FCC to use and am doing the logistics on whether to cruise or just do a Greek Island land tour. I'm finding it hard to find out whether Mykonos is permanently shortened as this would probably sway us to do the land option. It is still saying on the NCL website that the departure time for Mykonos is 6pm, not 4pm. I rang the NCL booking number and the person I spoke to still seems to think it still leaves at 6pm or she was unsure, so I'm finding it hard to find out the correct information. if you know the answer to this please let me know or if anyone else out there knows please reply. I just wish NCL would make the changes on the website or inform their sales staff so we know the actual port times before we book! :confused:

Sorry I can't answer your question. We are the same types of cruisers as you are. We cruise for the ports and the ease of getting from place to place while we sleep with dinner and entertainment thrown in every evening. I compare before I book and if we can't get enough port time we don't cruise. Like you, we do a land vacation instead. Two extra hours on the ship vs. two extra hours in port??? No contest there for folks like us (even with the UBP, lol).

Thank you so much for all the details. We're on the Jade in October. Which itinerary did you do?

We haven't been to Corfu yet but I'll mention what I've heard since you have not gotten any answers from people who have personal experience. I have read that there is excellent snorkeling at Paleokastritsa (sp???) but it is 30 minutes by car/taxi from the port. If you go to tripadvisor.com and look up Corfu, "things to do" you will see several private (not the cruise ship's tours) boat operators that get raves from families and small groups. From everything I've read doing research for my own trip, those would be your two choices for good snorkeling unless someone knows of something closer to the port and posts an answer. Maybe ask your question on the Corfu Trip Advisor forum and get advice from local people.

Jellyfish are episodic/seasonal so the answer to "were there jellyfish there" will always depend on when the other person happened to visit. Same goes for sand flies and mosquitoes.

Talk to each other.

The cabin phones have voice mail.

The ship isn't all that big. Figuring out a likely place to find someone is pretty easy.

Yes, it's easier than you might anticipate. Even though the ship is huge, much of it is cabins and when it comes to public areas it is pretty easy to predict where they might be based on the time of day and their likes (mid-day at the pool or buffet, evening in one of the lounges, etc.) Also there are (internal use) phones all over the ship so you can call your friends' cabins and leave a voice mail without even returning to your cabin to make the call. In the "olden days" we used to rely on post-it notes and that worked fine too. We'd leave one stuck on their door noting the time and where we went or planned to be later. When we cruised with family I used to bring a magnetic pad and pen for each door so notes could be left.

Seems like it depends on the individual employee. I'd guess that crew members that are parents understand that little ones like to sit on their parents' laps and pick at whatever the parent is eating/drinking. Those who don't have families may look at things from an "each person is an individual" mentality. Then again you've always got those who are sticklers for rules vs. those who are more easygoing by nature. Just do what works for you. I doubt very many people will be concerned over what a 3 year old is eating or drinking.

Thanks very much Rachelfran and Got2Cruise. That website says it all. Also agree with Borasue's recommendation. If we were looking for a group tour in Katakolo we would book with Niki Vlachou.

We're in Corfu for a rather short day (8 AM to 3:30 PM) and I think we would prefer to stick close to Corfu Town. Several local people on Trip Advisor recommend spending part of our day on Vidos Island (a small island just across from the Old Town and reachable by frequent ferries). There is a taverna, nature trails, Serbian war memorial and a nice beach or two on the island. I realize there is no spectacular scenery like Paleo as it is basically flat. Has anyone ventured over there and can give an opinion on how worth our time it might be? I feel we have too much time in Corfu Town because it will be a Monday with all the museums and churches closed. Vidos seems like something interesting that is not out of the way so I'm intrigued. On the other hand I'm thinking that if Rick Steves and Tom's Port Guides don't mention it then how worthwhile can it be? Anyone been there?

I was thinking the same thing as SwissLe. Hawaii is so port intensive that we'd barely look at the suite. Also I think people who frequent Cruise Critic are very likely to be "planners" who don't need much hand holding and tend to eschew ship sponsored shore excursions. (Especially true if you are an American in Hawaii where you speak the local language and are familiar with the currency.) For the HUGE price difference I can get my own coffee and eat breakfast in the buffet. As for snacks, I'd rather take a pass through the buffet and pick out what I actually like to eat. (Does anybody really want or need MORE food on a cruise ship???) I can definitely see the advantages of a suite on a transatlantic and/or if you are with a group and like to host parties though.

We rented a car there and the agent said that the winery would probably not be willing to give us a tour since they would be busy with tours from ships so if that's a priority consider that...

 

We went to Olympia and then a gorgeous beach and were delighted with the freedom and ability to escape the ship crowds.

Can you please tell me which beach you went to and how far from the port it was? We're planning to go to Olympia but it does not sound like we'd spend more than 2 or 3 hours there so a beach stop might be lovely. I'm told there are many buses (several different private companies) that meet the ships in port and charge 10 euros per person (round trip) for Olympia. I had just thought we'd do that but if there is a nice beach in the area that would be worth the car rental to us.

I've done the "cancel and rebook" thing twice on our upcoming cruise. The PCC warned that there is always a tiny chance you will loose the exact cabin(s) you booked. We had no problem both times and I'm sure there is usually no issue but I can understand your concern if you need connecting cabins.

(1) IF there are children begging in the streets of Santorini shouldn't that be of more concern than MULES that have to work for a living? (Hey, don't we all?) (2) Nobody's economy was ever helped by putting people out of work. (3) "Snarky" is a mode of expression. It's perfectly legal and sometimes quite called for. (4) You can't open a discussion and then tell everyone they have to shut up now.

As you can see from most of the responses, NCL is filling niche that apparently you do not belong to. Many people, including myself, would prefer choices on how we spend our money with a lower base price. Since this is not what you want in your cruises then I suggest finding a cruise line that will fill your needs...NCL may not work for you but it does for many others.

This is very well said. We cruise for the ports and enjoy coming back to the ship at night for dinner and some entertainment. That's all we want and that's all we want to pay for. Nothing is stopping us from buying something extra if we get in the mood but we rarely do. As you can see by the responses, we have plenty of company.

I can't see why the ship being docked would necessitate warmer clothes. Just the opposite I would think since you are not at sea then. I always bring a very light windbreaker on any cruise because we like the stroll the deck at night and, when the ship is underway (not docked!) there can be quite a breeze. Beyond that you might only need a light sweater in case the dining rooms or theater are a bit too air conditioned for your taste.

Ain't that the truth, Harriet. :)

 

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Early on the roll call I mentioned I wasn't getting off the ship at GSC, and won't be going into Nassau this day either. Will spend the day exploring the ship more, and doing some of those items you mentioned as well . . . all while taking full advantage of the UBP experience. :)

 

Someone on this thread mentioned making lemonade out of the situation.

I prefer to take those sour grapes . . . and make WINE!! :D

 

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There ya go. Stay on board and drink everything in sight with the UBP to get even with them for substituting Nassau. Given the unpopularity of Nassau I could see that idea turning into a movement, lol.

Achilleion is only 6 miles South of Corfu town (near the village of Gastouri). According the the Rick Steves guide the cab fare is usually 25 Euros each way. (He says the fair, metered price would be more like 15 to 20 but they all overcharge. According to the same guide there is a pay phone in the cafe across the road from the Achilleion's ticket office and you can just call 26610-33811 for a cab back to town or the ship. Have not been there yet myself but I see the information in the Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports guidebook.

I agree with all of the above posts. (Wow, how often can you say THAT around here???) If you were happy with the other mass market lines then you'll be happy with NCL too. I think the food is just a bit more interesting on NCL. We especially appreciate the Indian offerings. We also like the truly freestyle dining and the casual dress code. I like to dress up when sailing from my home port but otherwise don't want to drag extra luggage around Europe. We also think NCL has a slight edge on entertainment.

I have felt for years that the DSC should be mandatory.

I've always felt it should be mandatory too. One of our adult kids recently sailed with a young friend who habitually behaves in a foolish, irresponsible way. The ditzy friend spent freely and did plenty of gambling in the casino). At the end of the cruise she announced that she couldn't afford to pay her bill. Her "solution" was to remove the DSC and stiff the crew. So unfair. Made me wonder how often people get away with this.

This post is the perfect example of the exact demo that NCL no longer wants on there fleet. They want DINKS and millennials.

 

They want those who SPEND. And there campaigning for it aggressively.

Not sure if it's true or not but our family would fit this description. DH and I have a bill at or close to $0 most of the time (not counting the DSC). Some of our adult kids are big spenders though, especially those that especially enjoy spa treatments and the casino.

I pretty much agree with Charlie4. I prefer they keep the fare low and I'll just pay for anything extra I want (which works out to pretty much nothing). I tend to view the ship as a really nice ferry that gets me from port to port. BUT I can understand that some are more focused on the shipboard experience. There is something special about cruising. I did always wonder who was buying those overpriced Disney dining packages, lol.

I have NOT read all 13 pages of this thread so . . . taking my life in my hands . . . I'll just respond to the OP's question. No, I would never take out my frustrations with management on the hard working crew. If they would pay the crew better (and if we could really be sure that's where the money went, ha ha) I'd actually be all for a fare hike. I'm pretty low maintenance (not a big spender on board and don't imagine I'm the Queen of Sheba who needs to be waited on hand and foot) but higher wages is one of the few things I'd be willing to pay a higher base fare for. I realize that in this world the advertised price is all that will ever matter though.

Okay, so he abuses people and uses foul language in public for money? That's not a glowing endorsement of his character. I'll pass.

Greatest thing about Travel Insurance is that, if you've done your due diligence while shopping, you can ALWAYS opt out...even after final payment.

 

 

The alternative is to take whatever comes and either accept it or whine about it.

I don't see anyone whining, although if you bring the bottle I'll have a glass, lol . I am keeping my fellow passengers informed since NCL doesn't seem to make it a priority to do so. The shortened port time is annoying but I would not opt out of a 3 week vacation over it. I've invested too much time planning and have a complex (many other tickets and reservations) land trip wrapped around both ends of this cruise. I always buy good travel insurance.

Just happened to check my itinerary for the Jade out of Venice on October 3rd only to find that our time in Mykonos has been shortened again! Can't help but notice that they waited until the day after final payment to do it. When I first booked this cruise we were to leave Mykonos at 6 PM. Then just recently it was cut to 5 PM. Now it's down to 4 PM. Not cool, NCL.

I recall that the port area in Kona was attractive and the others were not terrible (using Nassau as a benchmark, lol) but they were also nothing to write home about. They were industrial or urban (in the case of Honolulu). We have friends who were VERY disappointed in Hawaii and it puzzled me until I learned that they never ventured beyond the port area because they didn't want to spend the money to rent cars or do any research on what was where. Waste of money to travel like that I'm sure you agree!!!