TrumpyNor

Well, in my experience they (NCL) are charging rather high hotel prices per person when compared to booking directly with the hotel, and the only difference is that in the price you pay when booking through NCL there is a shuttle to the port on embarkation day included. So that shuttle doesn't come "cheap"....

And if you for any reason just want to get yourself to the port EARLIER than the shuttle, then a regular taxi is an option at a reasonable price - fixed price of 25,00 euros from Athens to Piraeus cruise port (or vice-versa) with all regular taxi companies. Note that most taxis in Athens only takes cash payments.

I just did a 10 days cruise on the Escape earlier this month, and it is indeed a beautiful ship - had a great time! Also impressed with the management on board, especially the general manager and assistant manager, as they were "mingling" and talking with passengers "everywhere" on the ship, and making certain everyone was "happy with their cruise".

I totally understand the dissappointment as this is a totally different cruise (if it is not just a website glitch). But as the cruise according to OP is in April 2023, why would there be any problem cancelling with a full refund at this time (August 2022)? Even if NCL doesn't offer any Western Caribbean cruises in April out of Miami, there will be plenty of other cruise lines who do. IF OP already have booked flights, etc.

Yes, it all beers on NCLs regular bar menu are $7,00 plus gratuity (20%), including Heineken 0.0 (the only non-alcohol beer they offer).

Can't you just remove the beverage package perk entirely, and then "pay as you go" instead? If I try to do a "mock" booking, I can choose myself which (if any) Free-at-Sea-products I want or not. Don't you get that option as well?

Just a sidenote: I organized a CruiseCritic M&G on the Escape earlier this month - the CC roll call had been unusually quiet before the cruise started, and only around 25 persons had signed up on my spreadsheet for the meet & greet participation (total passenger number on that cruise was 4300...!). The M&G was supposed to take place at 12.00 noon on day 2 of the cruise, and early afternoon on day 1 of the cruise (embarkation day), I received a phone call from the group coordinator onboard, letting me know that they unfortunately had to move the time for the M&G forward to 11.00 AM instead of noon. Well, to make a long story short: To keep the roll call and my spreadsheet without too much personal information (as both are there for "the whole world to see"), I only had first names of those who signed up to the M&G plus their nationality. The group coordinator got the list from me, and then did some fantastic detective work and found out the cabin numbers for everyone and left a personal voicemail for each and every one of them, informing about the new meeting time the following day. And the turn-up was actually close to 20 persons. From NCL all senior officers participated (except the captain himself9, and because the group was so small, they decided to mingle and talk to everyone in person instead of the regular "5-minutes presentation". They stayed for at least 30-40 minutes, gave everyone their business cards in addition to the usual "card with all senior officers listed", and made everyone there feel "special and appreciated". Everyone from that CruiseCritic M&G were invited to be on the "priority tender" in to Santorini the next day, and everyone received some snacks/chocolates from the general manager on more than one occasion. How much effort that is put in to the Meet & Greet from NCL's side, is entirely up to the general manager and his staff - and therefore it may vary a bit from ship to ship. On the Escape this month I found it to be very good, they showed appreciation both for CruiseCritic members and for Latitude members, and made some effort to make people feel "appreciated". It was simply a great experience that stands out to me among many great Meet & Greet events in the past.

We have had that same experience in the past when doing the "Rome on your own"-excursion, drop-off/pick-up-point within short walking distance to the Collosseum.

Senior officers on the Norwegian Escape in August 2022: * General Manager - Kivanc Ucaar * Ass. General Manager - Duncan Fouche * F&B Director - Yossef Saber * Cruise Director - Alvin Oliva

This sign could be seen at all dining venues on the Gem last month (July 2022), no mention about "no sneakers":

Breakfast with a view this morning. 😊

As I understand it, the arrival times at the pier is just to make certain that peoples arrivals are spread out over a few hours instead of everyone coming to check in at the pier at the same time. So if you arrive a few hours later, then that is not causing any problems for anyone.

There is at least 3-4 people on the cruise we have booked for August 2022 that has posted that they will be placing out/hide cute ducks around the ship. It is just for fun.....

I scored a similar deal for our upcoming 10 days cruise on the Escape - purchased a "regular" upgrade from an inside cabin to club balcony cabin and paid only $150 per person (total $300) in difference. If I wanted to purchase an upgrade to a regular balcony cabin at the same time for the same cruise, then the difference I would have to pay was a total of $3000 (yes, 3 thousand!). Not logic but the "living proof" of the prices truely being a product of offers and demands - and many club balcony cabins on that particular cruise available, and not many regular balcony cabins available.

I believe that NCL website regarding the internet access has just not been updated for a long time, as much of the information on that website is obviously not "up-to-date"...

Maybe they will not even notice that there is a cruise booked...... Just say nothing unless THEY mention anything...

I know this from past experience myself as I have been to Croatia on many different occasions (also land vacations) to both Dubrovnik and Split, but unfortunately when I try to tell people that they may need some local money when in Croatia (or pay by card) they for some reason have a problem believing me and are 100% convinced that I am wrong and that Euros can be used all over Europe, inlcuding Croatia. It is like insisting on paying with US dollars in Canada (a few places may accept it, majority of places don't).

Could it be a "welcome back" reward for those who have already cruised "post-covid"? I see in your signature that you have done a Jade cruise this year (2022), we don't have our "post-covid" cruises until end of this month and beginning of next month. Maybe we will receive the $100 coupon each after that? Would be nice to deduct $200 (2x100) from our already booked 2023 cruise.....

But if they will be using the NCL app on board on your cruise next week, it will be automatically connected to their Latitude number and will show "future bookings"......

And of course that is something totally different - just wanted to mention it as that is the only place in my NCL account where $100 is listed as some kind of "reward"...

I just checked and I have no such $100 coupon on my NCL account, I have however this option when checking my "payment options" for a future cruise....

Just a guess on my part, but if you have not registered them with their "individual" Latitude/NCL numbers or other "identifying features" for NCL, then it will not show when they log on the app. (Latitude number can be added at a later time).

Great photo! I didn't realize that your cruise was only 5 days/nights and that the next one will be 9 days/nights and then finally "my cruise" that will be 7 days/nights. Until today I somehow thought all the Gem cruises this summer were 7 days cruises.... Anyway - thank you for posting photos/info during your cruise!

Both Euros and USD is highly appreciated.

The reply to my question a few years ago was probably the same as you got in April, so opposite of my original reply - sorry for causing any confusion!