renji
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Posts posted by renji
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1 hour ago, AtlantaAlly said:
They have just released a new document of the inclusions of premium plus. They have really devalued it in my opinion.
removed: (to name just a few)patron reposado
johnny Walker blue
bulleit
buffalo trace
mccallans terra
Gentleman jack
crown royal
chandon brut
moet and Chandon imperial
simi cabernet
kendall Jackson zinfandel
ferrari merlot
resonance Pinot noir
there are a couple of additions- but it’s not an equal trade with the wine list basically cut in half.
I just did a google search and couldn’t find it—would you be able to copy it? I basically drink Moet and occasional wine with dinner. Feeling like I could save a lot just skipping it…
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4 hours ago, hallux said:
You'll find discussion of such in this thread from a few months ago (found by entering 'airwrap' in the search box)..
Thank you!
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Hi, has anyone successfully used theirs on the Bliss or similar class? We’ll be in the Haven 2 Bedroom and would love to use mine. I’ve got both the EU/UK 220V and the US 110V so can bring either. The US version worked in the owner’s suite on the Prima, I just had to plug in where the phone was at the coffee table and use the mirror by the front door. Would appreciate any advice about which to take!
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On 12/15/2022 at 11:16 PM, behtyas said:
Bit of a late reply, but maybe that was due to Move Up?
Was jsut on Dec 4-11 Beyond sailing booked directly in EV and Ley Voyage (à la carte) was included, however the wine pairing/tasting menus were not.
Another anecdotal bit from both Edge PH and Beyond EV is the additional entree charge mentioned in the menu for Fine Cut is also covered which is great if you want a bit of surf & turf.
yes it was included, they gave us the wrong info before we boarded!
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On 12/22/2022 at 4:13 PM, DCGuy64 said:
I honestly found myself not wanting to drink as much this cruise, that's all. I drank almost no wine and stuck to cocktails, water, and soft drinks. I've written about this before, but paying for an upgraded beverage package was just an enticement to overdo it and I was sick of being sick. I got everything I wanted without paying anything extra (except for a couple of things), and I'm fine with that.
this makes a lot of sense...I also don't drink much, but that is exactly why I loved the package, I had tons of water and sparkling water, a daily Starbucks and a bottle of Moet or a bottle of nice wine with dinner (I actually prefer Moet to Veuve). I liked not thinking about it and not feeling compelled to finish my drink! And I needed the unlimited internet so that was nearly half the cost, and once I took dining into account it was really not bad at all to have the plus drinks upgrade. It really comes down to our own psychology!
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On 12/22/2022 at 10:13 AM, JandC_Cruising said:
I can tell you from personal experience we have always been able to share the bottles of wine with anyone at the table. Most recently, we sailed with 3 adult children. We had the P+ and they only had the standard package. We ordered two bottles of P+ wine with every dinner (typically one red and one white) and all enjoyed the wine of their choice.
On another cruise, we even once shared our bottle of Veuve at Le Bistro with a single mom who was with her young son sitting next to us. We just asked the waiter if we could pour her the rest of the bottle and he happily ran to get a third glass.
That is good to know....traveling in the Haven with a 24 year old daughter who is not a heavy drinker, but would like to share our bottles of wine and water at dinner...I would have done the free at sea plus but it is not available for the third in the room and I think she would choose streaming internet (itself $180 for the 3rd in the room) over the plus upgrade. I don't see her spending $174 on the occasional Starbucks (and we have two plus packages and one Starbucks drinker...)
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On 11/16/2022 at 5:49 PM, Sthrngary said:
Hello Everyone, I would like to ask for some help! If you have followed this Streams on the Haven. The original stream on the Haven or the stream focused on the Premium Plus Beverage Package; you know me and my writing style.
I just got an email from someone that conveniently left their name off. It came to my personal email account which is very rare because I don't give that email out often. However I am very easy to find. It seems they followed my instructions for a butler letter on a recent NCL Epic cruise in October and got very good results. They thanked me.
The last paragraph is as follows:
"I sent you a pre-cruise email asking about my (draft) butler doc but you never responded... which is consistent with your "focus" the past 6 months on improving your status as a cruise critic "influencer" rather than seeking to "help" people asking questions/advice. Not to worry... i have already blocked your email as spam so no response is necessary/invited... //"
To everyone on CruiseCritic.com. I might be well known on CruiseCritic.com but I am NO influencer. I have never gotten one single dollar from a social media company, a person I have helped, a person I have answer their questions or a cruise company. I do this as a hobby and for my personal enjoyment. On the occasional times I have gotten a personal email, I have answered it quickly and to my best ability. I do the same here on CruiseCritic.com when someone put @sthrngary in the context of your response.
This last paragraph upset me. It came across that I am some how obligated to respond to every inquiry. What is funny is I do respond to every inquiry unless I don't receive one or accidentally delete it. Could happen.
What is your thoughts on this subject? I would really like to know.
Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
I don't think you need to think twice about it. You are always unequivocally gracious and generous. You actually don't owe anything to a stranger just because they decide they're entitled to demand something of you. Sometimes people bring their own interpersonal issues and even mental imbalance to these interactions. Just double down on your kindness and enjoy your positive interactions here!
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On 11/14/2022 at 1:59 PM, buchman67 said:
@renjiI am on Prima Dec 3rd too. H6 The two bedroom. Would love to meet and show rooms. Getting super excited.
It is getting close! Let's keep in touch-- You'll recognize us by my guy's beard 😂
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On 10/30/2022 at 6:07 PM, Sthrngary said:
I thought it was there. Sorry, I will attempt to do so in the future and thank you for the complement.
A little history. When I first attached the letter and how I used it, I got so much push back. People hated it and especially objected to my upfront gratuities. Fast forward to today. I get at least two requests a week for the letter. No more push back and everyone uses it differently.
It makes me feel good that something I do, gives others benefit. It keeps me motivated so thank you.
Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
Yet another question about that—we’ve historically started with a half to a third of the total tip and then given another $100 to $200 at the end depending on service. I would worry if I tipped it all upfront that might confuse the butler/attendant/waiter’s expectations. Or am I overthinking?
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Hi, next month I will be on the Prima and it's my first time on NCL since a short cruise to Cuba on the Sky years ago. I'm used to Cunard (beautiful ballroom and t least on QM2 a good late night disco next door) and RCCL (Boleros for Latin dancing, 2 clubs on Oasis and one on Adventure with a silent disco a few times). Even Celebrity Beyond had 3 nights with a silent disco (including a red channel with Latin music) and several nights at the Martini Bar with Latin or Motown dancing (the nightclub was a dud though). what is on offer with NCL and especially the Prima? any partner dancing, silent disco? or just EDM and kids?
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On 10/5/2022 at 2:43 PM, Sthrngary said:
@grobma Now that is an interesting question. As you know, my answers are never short. The short answer is most bartenders have no clue. The ones that do know most of the time, KEY WORDS most of the time is if your ship has a Wine Specific Bar or a Whiskey Specific Bar.
On my last cruise on the Joy as I said, I was not in the Haven. Yet, on day one, I walked in and said hello to the Haven Concierge. He welcomed me back. I told him point blank, I was not in the Haven but I would love to have one drink with a friend who was in the Haven at the Haven Bar. He said, "Mr. Gary, you can come in anytime you want." My response was, "I did not pay for it and therefore I do not deserve it. Just this one drink if it is ok."
While at the bar, the bartenders also said hello. They asked me if I wanted 1942 tequila. I said yes. Then I asked them if there was any other bottles and which bars they were at. He said, "None that he knew of however, there was on bottle in storage." He offered to have that bottle delivered to the the "A" List Bar that evening. Sure enough, that night at 5, I went to the bar and said, "Hello, my name is Gary." Before I could finish, the bartender smiled and pulled out an unopened bottle of my favorite tequila. The next morning I went to the Observation deck for a Starbucks coffee and at the bar was yet another bottle of my tequila which looked lonely. That was by accident finding it.
The bottle line is rare things are indeed a scavenger hunt. Remember, many of the things I drink are not even on the approved list for the Premium Plus Package. Some were a surcharge but that was only once for Louis. I had to try that. That was a long way to say, it is an inexact science. Sorry.
Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
What strikes me most about the story is how well you were treated. When staff are good to you, it changes the whole dynamic of the experience. I’ve not done NCL but the Celebrity staff could not do enough for us and it elevated the experience. I was worried that NCL would not provide the same warm and generous vibe so it’s nice to hear this story.
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On 10/3/2022 at 11:42 AM, Sthrngary said:
This comment might seem funny coming from me. For those of you that don't know, I am the author of this topic. We all my topics, my goal is always to allow all of us to have "Realistic Expectations". This goal was set because on a past cruise, my expectations were, lets say kindly, not realistic. It was completely my fault because I created a vision in my head that was more of a day dream then reality. Lesson learned.
On to my main point. If you are choosing the Premium Plus Beverage Package for a specific brand or type of wine or spirits, be careful. The ship might run out, it might have a supply chain issue. Then you get onboard, ask for it and it is not on your cruise. Happens all the time.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, look at the offerings and if you see something you want, ask? I know this because a couple of years ago, I was at a bar, had the Premium Plus Program and asked for a great tequila. The Bartender asked to see my card and then brought out a tall bottle I had never seen before. It was, Don Julio 1942. It was not on the list but was no charge with this program. If I never would have asked the question, I would have never had the opportunity.
Four cruises later, I asked a bar tender for the Don Julio 1942 and he told me he did not have any and did not think it was on the ship. Some would have been disappointed. I used this as a game. Fine a bar that had that tequila. I was on the Joy at the time. With no luck, I went to Starbucks for a coffee at the observation deck. Next to Starbucks is a full bar. In the back row of all the bottles was the distinctive bottle of 1942. Of all places to find this. The bartender there said, another full bottle was in the "A" list bar between Cagney's and the French Restaurant.
I would have been fine not having this drink. But making it a quest for the Grail was fun also. Cruise are what we make of them. They never go completely to plan. We get disappointments and surprises. Most of this is out of our control. Go with the flow or in my case shot of Tequila.
Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
So fun—although I like a sweeter extra anejo rather than 1942 (like Dos Artes or Cuervo Reserva de la Familia ), it might be fun to see what else there is. And I can stick with champagne if nothing strikes me. I’m actually getting the package to not have to pay individually for bottled water and sparkling water, and to have a bottle at dinner and not wait for glasses, so if I find a premium tequila or bourbon, that’s just gravy…
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On 10/26/2022 at 5:56 PM, RocketMan275 said:
Today is 130 days out on my Breakaway Cruise from NOLA next march.Today I received an email from the pre-cruise concierge desk explaining what they can do. The email provided a phone number and an email.
I called and was able to make my dining reservations plus some specific requests such as unsweetened ice tea in the fridge and only sugar free drinks. Also was able to request some peanut m&ms. (Yes, I know, sugar free and M&Ms. It's a cruise.) Forgot to ask about potato chips. I'll talk to the butler about that.
One other thing. There have been a few questions here about the pillow menu which no one could address so I asked about that. The menu is four choices. They are:
Hypoallergenic
Memory foam
Overfilled foam
Featherdown
I requested the hypoallergenic for the wife.
I'm bringing my own pillow. It's a travel pillow from My Pillow.
Also had a nice conversation about a future cruise we're planning to Alaska.
sugar free + M&Ms makes sense to me!
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On 10/24/2022 at 10:23 AM, Sthrngary said:
The NCL Haven Challenge: I want to challenge everyone who is in the Haven regardless of ship, itinerary or date. Make new friends with someone on CruiseCritic.com and if they would like one, give them a tour of the Haven.
Sometimes we are fortunate in life and business to budget the Haven. Other times we got a bit lucky and won an upgrade bid to the Haven. The whole purpose of this thread was to give a guest perspective of the Haven so others have better more accurate information to consider it in the future.
Pay your Haven Experience forward with a new friend with a tour. Make sure you get them an Almond Croissant because they are the very best part of the Haven Experience, LOL. But seriously, These little treats will change your life.
This topic and stream has gone on for years. That is good because lots of folks have been educated so their experience was improved. The challenge is this stream is HUGE and lots of little nuggets are within the comments. Nothing is better then seeing it for yourself. Just my two cents.
Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
We'll be on the Prima in an H4 this Dec 3, and I'd be happy to give a tour. We met two lovely British couples in the elevator on Celebrity Beyond who saw what floor we pushed and asked if our cabin was very posh, so we invited them to see (it was an Edge Villa and "indeed" was very posh!).
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On 10/24/2022 at 6:56 PM, Sthrngary said:
To clarify so folks will not be confused. Starbucks at the official Starbuck Counter is complementary with the premium plus beverage package. Starbucks in the Haven Restaurant is complementary even if you don't have the Premium Plus Beverage Package. On the larger ships, in the Haven Observation Lounge, the machine that does specialty coffee uses Starbucks brand and is wonderful.
As it relates to Butlers. Starbucks from the Starbucks Counter, falls under the same rules as alcoholic beverages. The Policy is to charge. That is why, I always suggest that if you are in the Haven, you insist that all of your Room Service comes from the Haven Restaurant which uses Starbucks beans.
The reason I am clarifying this is to avoid the expectation that the butler bring Starbucks from the Starbucks counter. That said, it is possible a Butler might do something nice like this yet it is not NCL Policy. Establishing realistic expectations is one of the key reason for this and other topics. I in no way want to establish myself as some sort of expert or "Know it All". This is simply something I experienced.
Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
there woul be a charge if the Butler brought Starbucks from the counter or drinks even if you have premium plus? just want to clairify!
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anyone have experience with the Queen Victoria premium internet plan? I am considering the transatlantic or another cruise but would need to be able to make calls and occasional Zoom meetings. I haven't done the QM2 transatlantic because I know the wifi doesn't work well.
I wonder if Queen Anne will be better?
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I can understand why Eden is more beautiful looking out at the aft sea view, but we loved Le Voyage. Just had an amazing experience, unbelievable food and service. We will go back to both for sure.
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On 5/29/2022 at 8:55 PM, CrownCruise11 said:
I asked our shoreside concierge:
1) Is Le Voyage included in the upper suite specialty restaurant dining?
Answer: Yes
2) Can a specialty dining package be used for Le Voyage?
Answer: Yes
3) Can I get reservations at Le Voyage for a large party?
Answer: NO
He said the dining department told him the tables cannot be moved. They can only accommodate parties up to 4.
4) Can I make reservations for 3 tables of 4 at a specific time?
Answer: NO
He said they only seat 1 table at a time in 15-minute intervals so I can make reservations for my whole party but not at the same time.
It sounds odd to me but I will find out in 2 weeks when I am on board.
I was able to get reservations at Prime Cut steak for my large group. I'm not sure what the table configuration will be.
we are in an Edge Villa and our shoreside concierge said it is not included
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3 minutes ago, calicakes said:
We have a 10:30am flight on September 16th from Rome to NYC. We're in a Suite so I hope we can walk off early. We have a cab waiting for us and another couple at 6:30am.
our car is at 7, I didn't realize we could get off so early. also in a suite. actually thinking of booking a VIP escort at FCO.
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Just to clarify and we received a move up to an Edge Villa on Beyond, that Le Voyage is not included in the dining package
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On 8/22/2022 at 5:04 PM, karmamule said:
We were in the Yacht Club on the Seaside and Meraviglia and both experiences were very good. Yacht Club restaurant food was good, though the menus felt quite limited. We then went on the Seashore this last January and it was our favorite YC experience yet. We thought the YC restaurant food was a notch better on the Seashore. Similarly, the YC staff has always been very good and professional, but we found the Seashore's YC staff even better, a little warmer and more friendly while still providing wonderful service.
We'll be on our first Celebrity cruise this January in the Retreat and look forward to seeing how it compares. We will have an Edge Villa (just upgraded from our original Celebrity Suite after seeing one available) and will be sampling all the specialty restaurants since they're now included in our suite's cost. (In our opinion the specialty restaurants on MSC are 'ok' for being specialty restaurants, but generally not as good as other lines.)
I was just informed that Le Voyage is not included in the dining
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On 8/21/2022 at 10:00 AM, ev8876 said:
We just disembarked last week. Walk off started at 6:30am. We had Rome Cabs pick us up at 6:45am and were at FCO at 7:30am. We had a 10:50am flight. Checked in and through passport control and security by 8:30am.
that's what we are hoping for...wondering if we need to do VIP check in to be safe. the 9:55 is direct, and home 7 hrs earlier...also $312 cheaper so almost covers the VIP check in......
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On 8/13/2022 at 11:36 PM, Nado44 said:
I'm risk tolerant and would not hesitate to book the 1000 flight from FCO.
I was one of the first to disembark my ship at Citivecchia (0630-0700 ish) this past June. I prearranged a driver and was at FCO by 0740 and at my gate by 0800. My FCO-VIE flight was at 9 am.
wonder if flying to Chicago would be as easy...
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2 hours ago, cruisestitch said:
Have a look at the discussion here
thank you!
Why NCL Premium PLUS Adult Drink Package?
in Norwegian Cruise Line
Posted
Also who knows if Moet will be available by the glass even if it’s specifically been taken off the list. The whites are otherwise uninspiring. I know Veuve costs more, buy I prefer Moet, kind of a bummer….