A few questions I didn't see answers to.

[Traumajunky]

I will be sailing for the first time in November with my 9yo daughter. The questions I have:

 

1) Drink cards - are you charged the gratuity only when you initial purchase that option or every time you order pop?

 

2) Tender ticket - what is this exactly? Where do I get it? Is it only for GSC? I get that the tender is a transfer from the ship to land without docking but how exactly does that occur?

 

3) MDR & buffet - someone mentioned the MDR closes around 2 and the buffet before muster. What time do they open?

 

TIA, I really appreciate it!!

[GSLMOM]

I will be sailing for the first time in November with my 9yo daughter. The questions I have:

 

1) Drink cards - are you charged the gratuity only when you initial purchase that option or every time you order pop?

 

2) Tender ticket - what is this exactly? Where do I get it? Is it only for GSC? I get that the tender is a transfer from the ship to land without docking but how exactly does that occur?

 

3) MDR & buffet - someone mentioned the MDR closes around 2 and the buffet before muster. What time do they open?

 

TIA, I really appreciate it!!

 

1. You only pay gratuity for the soda card -- not everytime you get soda.

 

2. You get a tender ticket the morning you head out to GSC. You will be informed as to when they will become available. Whatever time this is, get there a half an hour before that as people start lining up really early. The tickets have numbers on them. Ticket #1 leaves first, etc... so if you end up with tender #12, you will get to GSC later...

 

3. I can't answer that -- I've never had to go to the buffet or MDR that late on embarkation day.

 

Enjoy!!!

[LizG12]

3) MDR & buffet - someone mentioned the MDR closes around 2 and the buffet before muster. What time do they open?

 

TIA, I really appreciate it!!

 

Do you mean what do they open before muster? When you get on the ship :) I've been on nearly a dozen cruises, different lines, and they ALWAYS have lunch ready & waiting someplace when you get on. Where specifically depends on the ship.

 

Re-opening after muster depends on the ship, but I think it's usually within 30minutes or so - whenever the crew finishes their muster duties and get back to their normal duties. And of course, it depends what time it us, the buffet might close anyway for 30 minutes or so to switch over from lunch to dinner

[che5904]

Soda cards are I think $6.25 or $6.75 per day + 15% gratuity. So on a 7 day cruise for example it would be $43.68 + 6.55 = $50.23. I believe you have to buy it for the duration of the cruise.

 

Tender ticket information will be in your freestyle daily the night before your tender port. For example from my daily: "One person in your group can pick up tender tickets for the entire group. Tickets will be available at ie. 7am in the (whatever) restaurant or area, until "open tender" service is announced. Please wait in public areas until your tender ticket number is called or listen to channel 2 on your TV. Please do not wait in the stairwells or at the gangway. Last tender from shore to the ship is at ie. 4pm. If your are booked on a NCL shore excursion that meets onboard, you do not need tender ticket. If your tour meets on the pier, then you will need to get a tender ticket if you wish to go ashore earlier on your own."

 

You don't need a tender ticket to go back to the ship.

 

MDR & Buffet: I'm assuming since you mentioned muster drill you are speaking about embarkation day. MDR will probably open noon - 2pm and the buffet from 11:30 - 3pm for a 4pm sailaway. Not sure what ship you are on but we also had the pool deck grill open from 11:30 - 2:30.

 

All the times will be listed in the freestyle daily you will receive at check-in before you board the ship.