On board ATM - Norwegian Epic

[tomdocherty72]

I have just returned from a week long cruise in the Western Mediterranean on the Norwegian Epic. I have two issues with an otherwise excellent cruise. Firstly, on trying to book for shows we were constantly informed that they were fully booked. Mid-way through the cruise we discovered that for most shows if you just turned up sometimes up to half the theatre was empty.

 

The second gripe is that the ship is cruising in European waters with stops at ports where Euros are the required currency. Very many of the passengers were from the EU but the two ATM machines on the casino deck only provide US Dollars, which you would then have to convert elsewhere. It would seem NCL are only interested in providing a cash service to US customers and not to EU customers - poor effort for a European cruise line. They also advertise a further ATM on deck 5 which does not exist.

[wdsted]

And you had such an excellent cruise that you decided to mention only what you disliked?

 

 

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[KeithJenner]

NCL isn’t a European cruise line. It is based in the US.

 

I think the location of the ATMs indicates what the main reason for its use is, to supply funds for the Casino. The currency used there is dollars.

 

The ATM isn’t there to give currency in the guests home currency, or to supply money for use onshore (although perhaps it should be for that). Anyway, you can almost always get currency cheaper from land based ATMs, so they probably did you a favour.

 

As for the shows, yes I think that the use of the standby queue could probably be better advertised (I can’t remember if it does say anywhere in the dailies). Next time I’d suggest doing some more research on this board, as it probably wouldn’t have been a surprise to you in that case.

 

 

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[tomdocherty72]

wdsted,

 

This was my first ever cruise. I was not aware of this forum until I completed a much more comprehensive feedback review for NCL and they directed me to this forum. I thought I was making valid comment on those two issues and I am somewhat disappointed to be 'jumped on' as a first time poster on the forum because I did not comment on the good things about the cruise. I am sure there are plenty of other good comments about the cruise line on this forum. My point was that perhaps the cruise entertainment team might have made it clearer when trying to book for shows that it would be highly likely that seats would be available at each show if you did turn up and ask just prior to the show. Not all of the shows had 'standby queues'.

 

I appreciate that the ATM's by the casino are focused toward the Dollar paying casino users however I still feel an onboard ATM paying out Euros for those going ahsore would have been useful (especially considering the difficulty in getting an ATM to pay out during our shore excursions - I had to try around 4-5 machines on shore at two of the stops before they would pay out to my Mastercard.

[adjensen]

I appreciate that the ATM's by the casino are focused toward the Dollar paying casino users however I still feel an onboard ATM paying out Euros for those going ahsore would have been useful (especially considering the difficulty in getting an ATM to pay out during our shore excursions - I had to try around 4-5 machines on shore at two of the stops before they would pay out to my Mastercard.

I don't think that it's a simple matter of taking US dollars out of the ATM and putting in Euros, you would likely have to either physically switch out the machines or radically change the internal works, and that just doesn't make any sense. The maintenance of the ATM is probably left to the casino, who can restock it with cash taken in by the slot machines and tables. Having a machine that dispenses Euros would probably have to be maintained by an in-port service, and if you had a hard time finding at ATM ashore, there probably is no such service.

 

We plan on converting the money we'll expect to use ashore on our upcoming TransAtlantic before we leave the US.

[KeithJenner]

My point was that perhaps the cruise entertainment team might have made it clearer when trying to book for shows that it would be highly likely that seats would be available at each show if you did turn up and ask just prior to the show.

 

Which is a valid point, as acknowledged earlier.

 

By the way, when I stated about doing research on here in future, it wasn't a criticism as my assumption was that you didn't know about this forum before now. However, now you do know about it then it's worth making use of the knowledge of people on here if you do cruise again.

 

I appreciate that the ATM's by the casino are focused toward the Dollar paying casino users however I still feel an onboard ATM paying out Euros for those going ahsore would have been useful (especially considering the difficulty in getting an ATM to pay out during our shore excursions - I had to try around 4-5 machines on shore at two of the stops before they would pay out to my Mastercard.

 

My guess is that any ATM onboard ship would have presented the same difficulties. Did you inform your bank that you would be travelling beforehand? I have never had any difficulty in drawing cash from ATMs when abroad, and it isn't something that I regularly hear others complain of. I'm tempted to think that it was a problem with your card issuer that with the ATM's themselves.

[All-ready2cruise]

I was on the Jade TA from Miami to Southampton this April. I ended up running out of Euros and Pounds with only 2 days left. I went to Guest Services and was able to replenish both, but yes, the exchange was higher than it would have been on land. Fortunately, I didn't need much so it wasn't a big deal. I noticed some pax were getting quite large sums of money, not something I'd like to have to do (CCs work in most places).

[kochleffel]

I was on the Epic last month. I was able to find ATMs easily enough during shore excursions.

 

 

Yes, if you go directly from the ship to an excursion you won't be able to stop at an ATM before it -- but you don't need cash at the beginning of the excursion, and it's not at all hard to find an ATM when there is a break for lunch, shopping, or sightseeing on your own. (Ask me how I broke my glasses in Valdemossa, Mallorca.)

[KeithJenner]

I was on the Epic last month. I was able to find ATMs easily enough during shore excursions.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, if you go directly from the ship to an excursion you won't be able to stop at an ATM before it -- but you don't need cash at the beginning of the excursion, and it's not at all hard to find an ATM when there is a break for lunch, shopping, or sightseeing on your own. (Ask me how I broke my glasses in Valdemossa, Mallorca.)

 

 

The issue that the OP had, as far as I can tell, isn’t that they couldn’t find ATMs, but that those they found didn’t work with their card.

[Maniacal Cruiser]

I have just returned from a week long cruise in the Western Mediterranean on the Norwegian Epic. I have two issues with an otherwise excellent cruise. Firstly, on trying to book for shows we were constantly informed that they were fully booked. Mid-way through the cruise we discovered that for most shows if you just turned up sometimes up to half the theatre was empty.

 

The second gripe is that the ship is cruising in European waters with stops at ports where Euros are the required currency. Very many of the passengers were from the EU but the two ATM machines on the casino deck only provide US Dollars, which you would then have to convert elsewhere. It would seem NCL are only interested in providing a cash service to US customers and not to EU customers - poor effort for a European cruise line. They also advertise a further ATM on deck 5 which does not exist.

 

So it is a BAD thing that you can get into the shows even without reservations?

[tomdocherty72]

My comment about being jumped on was not directed at you Keith Jenner but at another. Though it does seem from some of the other posts that followed mine that you are not allowed to make a point - good or bad- without someone taking umbrage at it. I thought the idea of the forum was to make comment and provide information to others on both the good and bad things about cruising? As far as ATM's and cards go I have used the same card for several years all over Europe without any difficulty. The card I use does not require notification to the provider of you intention to travel as it is intended for that purpose and I still had a problem with it using Italian ATMs. I have since discovered through the UK media that a number of European banks have been affected by a problem with the IT system of a UK based bank they are linked with which would not allow many people to make withdrawals in the continent. Perhaps that was the issue with my card?

[Sauer-kraut]

I'm surprised that it wasn't mentioned in the Daily that there was a "stand by queue" for shows and seating would begin 10 minutes prior to showtime.

[KeithJenner]

I'm surprised that it wasn't mentioned in the Daily that there was a "stand by queue" for shows and seating would begin 10 minutes prior to showtime.

 

 

Yes, I’m surprised by that too. However, I’ve looked at a couple of old Epic dailies and I can’t see any mention of it.

 

If you don’t know about the stand by queue and the reservation staff just say that the shows are full, without mentioning stand by then a lot of people could miss out. I can see why that is annoying.

 

 

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[KeithJenner]

So it is a BAD thing that you can get into the shows even without reservations?

 

 

That’s not what they are saying.

 

However, if you can get in without a reservation then why not let people know that fact?

 

 

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[BirdTravels]

I have just returned from a week long cruise in the Western Mediterranean on the Norwegian Epic. I have two issues with an otherwise excellent cruise. Firstly, on trying to book for shows we were constantly informed that they were fully booked. Mid-way through the cruise we discovered that for most shows if you just turned up sometimes up to half the theatre was empty.

 

The second gripe is that the ship is cruising in European waters with stops at ports where Euros are the required currency. Very many of the passengers were from the EU but the two ATM machines on the casino deck only provide US Dollars, which you would then have to convert elsewhere. It would seem NCL are only interested in providing a cash service to US customers and not to EU customers - poor effort for a European cruise line. They also advertise a further ATM on deck 5 which does not exist.

Shows could be pre-booked 90/120 days before your cruise online. Additional seats were made available on embarkation day. Booking is easy, you can use the Norwegian App, you can use the touch screen kiosks in all public areas, you can use your stateroom TV, or you can go to the box office. If you wait until they are sold out, so sorry. As you noted, you can go standby to any show or activity.

 

The ship is more than happy to exchange your dollars for Euros. All you needed to do is ask. Waiting until you are off the ship and complaining on CC does not get you cash when you needed it. Again, so sorry.

[DMH15]

Bring the cash you need and it is not a problem.

 

The fact NCL, or any cruise line, provides an ATM is a nice gesture to be appreciated. They certainly do not owe us this.

 

 

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[tomdocherty72]

Yes, I’m surprised by that too. However, I’ve looked at a couple of old Epic dailies and I can’t see any mention of it.

 

If you don’t know about the stand by queue and the reservation staff just say that the shows are full, without mentioning stand by then a lot of people could miss out. I can see why that is annoying.

 

 

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That is what happened to us. No mention of standby queue from staff. Half way through the week we tried our luck just walking up to the door and asking and they could not have been more helpful. We got in and following this we turned up to two shows a night for the rest of the cruise in various venues with no difficulty. Again the check in staff at the door could not have been more helpful. I do not recall seeing anything on the Dailies about standby queues, but to be honest other than checking last return times for shore trips and what shows were on that evening I did not pay too much attention to it!

[zqvol]

The currency on board NCL is $USD. It is always that way. The best place to get local currency is an ATM at a bank ashore. Most passengers do that, because the fees are substantially less than the ATM on board.

 

 

 

As far as the shows, I agree with you. NCL should do away with the reservation system for the free shows.

[Robinola]

be kind to one another

[Goldconnection]

be kind to one another

 

Wouldn't that be nice ;)