LIVE-Prima Feb 2-9, 2024 from Galveston-Western Caribbean with PICs, Haven (HE)

[graphicguy]

Flights....this one is tricky.

 

GF may (may or may not make it) will be coming from another state.  She can get a direct flight from her city to Galveston.  I, on the other hand, can not.  We CAN go together, but she has to take more time off (which is already an iffy proposition) to travel to me, and both of us travel together to Galveston.  A big part of the issue is the fact that the ship sails on a Friday, instead of a Saturday or Sunday.  That means a week day is needed to get to the port.

 

As it stands, I'm flying in Feb 1.  Spending the day in Galveston before I (we) embark on Feb 2.

 

 

[RocketMan275]

46 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Flights....this one is tricky.

 

GF may (may or may not make it) will be coming from another state.  She can get a direct flight from her city to Galveston.  I, on the other hand, can not.  We CAN go together, but she has to take more time off (which is already an iffy proposition) to travel to me, and both of us travel together to Galveston.  A big part of the issue is the fact that the ship sails on a Friday, instead of a Saturday or Sunday.  That means a week day is needed to get to the port.

 

As it stands, I'm flying in Feb 1.  Spending the day in Galveston before I (we) embark on Feb 2.

 

 

Have you contacted the on shore concierge desk?

Just finished talking with them.  Great people.

[graphicguy]

23 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Have you contacted the on shore concierge desk?

Just finished talking with them.  Great people.

 

I have talked to them a couple of times.  Setting up bedding, snacks, etc. Friendly.  Easy to reach, too.  

 

I'll probably talk to them a couple more times before I embark, at least.

[RocketMan275]

1 minute ago, graphicguy said:

 

I have talked to them a couple of times.  Setting up bedding, snacks, etc. Friendly.  Easy to reach, too.  

 

I'll probably talk to them a couple more times before I embark, at least.

They made it clear that I could contact them any time I thought of other needs.  They were very apologetic that I had to spend three minutes on hold.

[RocketMan275]

3 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

They made it clear that I could contact them any time I thought of other needs.  They were very apologetic that I had to spend three minutes on hold.

I wanted to mention the on shore concierge desk because I don't think everyone knows about the great service they provide.

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

I wanted to mention the on shore concierge desk because I don't think everyone knows about the great service they provide.

Agree.  They handle everything from room focused requests (pillows, snacks, etc) to dinner and/or entertainment reservations (that may be available).  They’ll confirm things like OBC.

 

In all frankness, they have taken care of things that most rely on the on-board Concierges and Butlers to do!

 

And, they do it efficiently and in a friendly manner.

[RocketMan275]

28 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Agree.  They handle everything from room focused requests (pillows, snacks, etc) to dinner and/or entertainment reservations (that may be available).  They’ll confirm things like OBC.

 

In all frankness, they have taken care of things that most rely on the on-board Concierges and Butlers to do!

 

And, they do it efficiently and in a friendly manner.

What I like, they can take care of those things before you even board.  All in place when you open the door to you cabin.

[laudergayle]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

Agree.  They handle everything from room focused requests (pillows, snacks, etc) to dinner and/or entertainment reservations (that may be available).  They’ll confirm things like OBC.

 

In all frankness, they have taken care of things that most rely on the on-board Concierges and Butlers to do!

 

And, they do it efficiently and in a friendly manner.

Is this just for Haven, or also for Platinum and above?

[graphicguy]

48 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

Is this just for Haven, or also for Platinum and above?

The one we’re discussing is the pre-cruise concierge for the Haven.

 

But, Latitudes Platinum and above is supposed to have a concierge, too.  I know on board, the concierges are actually the Cruise Next reps.

 

I need to talk to them tomorrow.  I’ll ask about concierges for Platinum and up!

[laudergayle]

Yay..thanks.  BTW, has your GF been able to secure time off yet? We’re keeping our fingers-crossed.  You two are a cute couple 😊

[graphicguy]

2 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Yay..thanks.  BTW, has your GF been able to secure time off yet? We’re keeping our fingers-crossed.  You two are a cute couple 😊

Thank you.  That's kind to say.  

 

Her vacation is accrued and the clock starts over on Jan 1.  She's trying to pull the vacation time forward.  She works for a real stickler.  So, they're keeping her hanging.  

 

The good news, we have plans for either eventuality.

[RocketMan275]

12 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Is this just for Haven, or also for Platinum and above?

Their first two questions are  your name and your booking number.

[brookie848]

8 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Thank you.  That's kind to say.  

 

Her vacation is accrued and the clock starts over on Jan 1.  She's trying to pull the vacation time forward.  She works for a real stickler.  So, they're keeping her hanging.  

 

The good news, we have plans for either eventuality.

I hope she can make it! Just a question, though. Is she already on your reservation? We always make sure a potential extra person is on our initial reservation just to ensure them a life boat spot.

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, brookie848 said:

I hope she can make it! Just a question, though. Is she already on your reservation? We always make sure a potential extra person is on our initial reservation just to ensure them a life boat spot.

Good question.

 

She's on the reservation.  But, as she and I were chatting last night, if her work were planning on letting her take the time off, it would have been a quick approval.  At least, that's my thought process.

 

I made this reservation months ago.  She thought given enough notice  it should be easy.  We've been through this before when booking cruises.  COVID hit and that caused them to tighten the regulations where vacation time can only be taken once it's earned.  To me, that makes no sense.  That would mean everyone is taking vacation time the latter ½ of the year.

 

But, I'm retired.  She's not. I can do this whenever I want.  She can not. She likes her job (except for the tightening of some of the stupid rules).  She's at their mercy, though.

 

[cruiseny4life]

6 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Good question.

 

She's on the reservation.  But, as she and I were chatting last night, if her work were planning on letting her take the time off, it would have been a quick approval.  At least, that's my thought process.

 

I made this reservation months ago.  She thought given enough notice  it should be easy.  We've been through this before when booking cruises.  COVID hit and that caused them to tighten the regulations where vacation time can only be taken once it's earned.  To me, that makes no sense.  That would mean everyone is taking vacation time the latter ½ of the year.

 

But, I'm retired.  She's not. I can do this whenever I want.  She can not. She likes her job (except for the tightening of some of the stupid rules).  She's at their mercy, though.

 

I'm an HR Drone and this sounds like a miserable company to work for. I'm sure the job brings her plenty of joy or she'd be looking elsewhere....but certainly not the place I'd want to work. Granted I had to take two weeks of unpaid leave for vacation in November since I didn't have the time accrued, but that's because I had already used my whopping three weeks of vaca. 

 

I'm wishing her the best at her company as that culture is just....well it's definitely not for me. Sorry she's going through the added stress of possibly missing out on the luxurious Haven life. 

[graphicguy]

Tags and letter showed up yesterday....

 

 

 

THE
HAVEN BY NORWEGIAN
USPS Letter# 01-01102-122203 000539498401
Ship Name:
NORWEGIAN PRIMA Sailing Date:
02/02/2024 Reservation No.:
Stateroom No:
December 22, 2023
Dear Valued Guest,
We missed you! And, we are beyond excited to welcome you into The Haven by Norwegian, our exclusive ship-within-a-ship concept featuring personal concierge and 24-hour butler service among other luxurious amenities. On behalf of Norwegian Cruise Line, we want to express our sincerest appreciation to you for spending your well-deserved vacation time alongside us.
As you begin to prepare for your upcoming sailing aboard NORWEGIAN PRIMA, we want to provide you with a few tips that wil assist ni making your check-in process as smooth as possible. •
• •
Please complete your Online Check-In which wil become available to you at 21 days prior to sailing. Providing us al information ni advance wil expedite the check-in process at the pier. It is important to
complete your Online Check-In and download and print your eDocs ahead of time. Please note, Online Check-In will no longer be available at three days prior to sailing.
Arrive at the pier at the time you selected during Online Check-In to avoid congestion.
Enclosed you wil find luggage tags -ensure that they are attached to your suitcase before you arrive at
the pier. Please make sure you do not put your passport or other identification documents inside your checked luggage as you will need these for check-in at the pier.
As a Suite or Haven guest, you can make special requests and arrange a variety of services and amenities prior to your sailing through our pre-cruise Concierge Desk. Please contact us at 1.855.625.4283, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM EST, or email NorwegianConciergeDesk@ncl.com. We invite you to visit www.ncl.com/myNCL with any questions you may have or fi you require further assistance with your pre-cruise preparation and planning.

Edited January 4 by graphicguy

[Travelicious]

On 1/2/2024 at 7:55 AM, graphicguy said:

We're on, again.  

Yay!

[graphicguy]

31 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

I'm an HR Drone and this sounds like a miserable company to work for. I'm sure the job brings her plenty of joy or she'd be looking elsewhere....but certainly not the place I'd want to work. Granted I had to take two weeks of unpaid leave for vacation in November since I didn't have the time accrued, but that's because I had already used my whopping three weeks of vaca. 

 

I'm wishing her the best at her company as that culture is just....well it's definitely not for me. Sorry she's going through the added stress of possibly missing out on the luxurious Haven life. 

Thanks.  Yeah...they got a new HR Director.  She's a real PITA according to the GF.  Her employer (large ophthalmology group) was taken over by an even larger company.  As these things go, whenever there is a changing of the guard, the new people always think they can do things better and run a "tighter ship".  

 

GF and I have been dating on and off for a dozen years.  As mentioned, she lives two states away.  That compounds our issues of me being retired and her still working, in addition to her company's changes.

 

She's 10 years younger than me, so the prospect of this changing soon isn't in the cards.

 

I know what most of you are thinking.....but, we both went through "wooly" marriages and would rather not go down that road, again.

 

She knows my door is always open for her, though.

 

Anyway, that's TMI.  If she can go, GREAT!  If not, I'll be sorry but will enjoy myself nonetheless. 

[graphicguy]

Just got off the phone with the NCL pre-cruise concierge.  Nice lady.  Very cordial and helpful.

 

-No gummies, but "yes" to peanut M&Ms (she even asked me if I wanted plain or peanut).

-Cream in the fridge for my coffee (Nespresso Machine)

-Lemonade in the fridge

-6 pillows

 

She asked if I needed help with dining reservations.  I told her I don't plan that far ahead (LOL!)...and would let the onboard Concierge take care of that.

 

I did ask her if I booked a Balcony Cabin as a Sapphire Latitudes if I could call their line.  She said "no".  I would be directed to the onboard concierge (Cruise Next desk).

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

Tags and letter showed up yesterday....

I've signed up for that USPS informed delivery where they notify you of the mail you'll be receiving that day.  
I noticed that I will be receiging a letter from NCL tonight.  One can only hope.

[graphicguy]

17 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I've signed up for that USPS informed delivery where they notify you of the mail you'll be receiving that day.  
I noticed that I will be receiging a letter from NCL tonight.  One can only hope.

Should be the same letter with the luggage tags.

[RocketMan275]

6 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Should be the same letter with the luggage tags.

That's right.  

A letter and six luggage tags.

 Looks like they must mail them 30 days prior to cruise (more or less).

[graphicguy]

GF just called me on her break.  Her work is holding hard and fast to not pulling ahead vacation  time.  I agree when she said she would have rathered they told her that up front than stringing her along.  She was pretty upset and said she's beginning a search for a new job.  She was only in this job for a couple of years, and came from her previous position in an ER.  She thought the new job would be less stressful.  It is, but it's also much more rigid.

 

She said she's driving back to my house after work.  She just left her Monday.  But, I'll take her out to a nice dinner and we'll plot a way forward.

 

 

[Travelicious]

Employers can be a real pain!   

[graphicguy]

4 minutes ago, Travelicious said:

Employers can be a real pain!   

GF is as sweet as the day is long.  She's good at her job.   But, it seems there's a new reality in the healthcare field.  Instead of hospitals, surgery centers, etc doing everything they can to retain good employees, they're becoming more and more "corporate led" where you're just an employee number that has to fall in line with corporate policy.  

 

I don't think medical and insurance markets like the fact that they can't charge willy-nilly whatever they want anymore.  Their awakening is just beginning as health care becomes more and more negotiated by the Fed.  I know that's rarely a good thing.  But, in this case I believe it is.  Insurance, Pharma, etc have had their way with us for far too long.

 

My GP decided to retire than to work under the new financial group that just took over the practice he was with.  

 

The GF's opthamology group now just focuses on volume rather than actual patient care.

 

It's a new dawn, I suppose. But, at minimum they should at least take care of those who make the gears of these medical places operate.

 

I'm now on Medicare.  I was deluged with "offers" during the open enrollment period that just passed.  I am with a group of physicians who I like and doesn't mind spending time on my care.  I've had all sorts of "incentives" to switch.  But, I'm not.  I like what I've got.  My health and well being are worth more than a company sending me swag or a few bucks to change.

 

How'd I get here?  Oh, I've been listening to the GF's diatribe.

 

Off the soap box.