Unlimited Open Bar question re: specialty coffees

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, dmwnc1959 said:

It’s not so much as me being pre-dispositioned against NCL, I would not have already booked the Norwegian Jade and sat here for countless hours checking out NCL shore excursions and putting online goodies into my shipboard basket otherwise. That’s being very open-minded.
 

It’s an attempt by me to place those who love NCL on offensive to defend the product and tell me what’s good (or great) about it. The best defense is a good offense. Nothing wrong with that.

 

😁

 

19 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Yet I’m still here asking questions, digging for answers on what’s good, applied for and been approved for the NCL BofA Mastercard, still trying to decide if I want to buy the 🍪 cookies 🍪 from the online store 😉, poring over restaurant menus and picking out my meals, and studying the Norwegian Jade on MarineTraffic and checking out the bridge cam.

 

Yes. At this point, you have already booked one of the smallest and oldest NCL ships with the fewest contemporary features in the NCL Fleet. You are  constantly complaining about how, what you have already booked, does not meet your high standards.

 

You even picked one of the few ships in the NCL fleet that doesn't have a Starbucks on it. There is a generic coffee bar that "Proudly Serves Starbucks Coffee". The Shell gas station down the street from my house "Proudly Services Starbucks Coffee". It is not a Starbucks.... it serves coffee brewed by the mechanic between oil changes.  Won't be earning any stars this voyage. 

 

We have cruised for decades.  We are Diamond+ members on Royal Caribbean, Diamond members on NCL, Diamond members on MSC, Platinum members on Cunard, and have sailed on Princess and other lines. They are all the same. We were in a Haven room on NCL in December, an inside room RCCL last month, a Jr Suite Aurea on MSC this month, and a Club Balcony Suite on NCL next month. We're in a RCCL Grand Suite and NCL Club Balcony later in the year,,, need to fill out the summer still. 

 

If I want an ice coffee, I put ice in my non-branded thermal cup, pour in a good helping of milk, and top it off with hot coffee. I don't need to pay someone to do that for me. 

Edited March 1 by BirdTravels

[dmwnc1959]

18 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

 

 

Yes. At this point, you have already booked one of the smallest and oldest NCL ships with the fewest contemporary features in the NCL Fleet. You are  constantly complaining about how, what you have already booked, does not meet your high standards.

 

You even picked one of the few ships in the NCL fleet that doesn't have a Starbucks on it. There is a generic coffee bar that "Proudly Serves Starbucks Coffee". The Shell gas station down the street from my house "Proudly Services Starbucks Coffee". It is not a Starbucks.... it serves coffee brewed by the mechanic between oil changes.  Won't be earning any stars this voyage. 

 

We have cruised for decades.  We are Diamond+ members on Royal Caribbean, Diamond members on NCL, Diamond members on MSC, Platinum members on Cunard, and have sailed on Princess and other lines. They are all the same. We were in a Haven room on NCL in December, an inside room RCCL last month, a Jr Suite Aurea on MSC this month, and a Club Balcony Suite on NCL next month. We're in a RCCL Grand Suite and NCL Club Balcony later in the year,,, need to fill out the summer still. 

 

If I want an ice coffee, I put ice in my non-branded thermal cup, pour in a good helping of milk, and top it off with hot coffee. I don't need to pay someone to do that for me. 

And that is my absolute right. Don’t like it, don’t read the threads. Period. It is just that simple.
 

I picked Norwegian Jade - I don’t care that it’s the smallest and the oldest, just like I didn’t care that Coral Princess is the smaller and oldest - because she can transit the old locks of the Panama Canal. I didn’t want to cruise on HAL or Carnival again to accomplish the same thing, other cruise lines didn’t fit my desired time-slot, and I’m really not into the upscale niche premium lines, although I did look at Ponant. And if my standards were that high I’d be booking Silversea, Viking, or Oceania and not even bothering with NCL. But NCL has my money. 
 

Norwegian Jade also has a lot of dining options. Which I really like. It doesn’t matter if it has a Starbucks or not. Plenty of cruise lines don’t have Starbucks but still offer specialty coffees which can be obtained at multiple venues. I don’t drink ice coffee (to me they are an abomination lol) but being able to grab a specialty coffee in the buffet at breakfast would be nice. I don’t want to have to eat breakfast in the MDR just to make sure I can have a specialty coffee with my eggs and bacon.
 

And I too have cruised for decades on a bunch of cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland-America, Celebrity, Cunard, and Princess) so humble-bragging your elevated loyalty status, or The Haven and suites, or butlers don’t impress or me. 

[zqvol]

2 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

 

Yet I’m still here asking questions, digging for answers on what’s good, applied for and been approved for the NCL BofA Mastercard, still trying to decide if I want to buy the 🍪 cookies 🍪 from the online store 😉, poring over restaurant menus and picking out my meals, and studying the Norwegian Jade on MarineTraffic and checking out the bridge cam. Me, being all sorts of open-minded with an actual positive outlook. Wow. 

 

Have you seen this thread… 🤣

 

 

 

You are so over thinking this cruise that there is no way that you will be either happy or satisfied with NCL. 

[dmwnc1959]

1 minute ago, zqvol said:

You are so over thinking this cruise that there is no way that you will be either happy or satisfied with NCL. 

I’m glad you know me that well. 🤣 

 

There’s something to be said about detailed research, investigating all the options, making comparisons, and ensuring there’s no stone left unturned. Especially when I’m looking at a 25-night repositioning cruise, my longest cruise to date. I do things with enthusiasm and gusto, and planning everything out is half the fun to me…I totally ENJOY this immensely.
 

And just for your information, I have been very satisfied with what I’m seeing on Norwegian Jade with the help of a lot of really great, insightful, and wonderful input from members of this forum. I’ve also come to adjust some expectations i.e. the drink package 😉 and the lack of chairs on the Promenade Deck.
 

When embarkation day arrives, when that day happens, all I will have to do it sit back and savor every moment of the cruise, relish in every moment of my very first Panama Canal transit, take great pleasure in revisiting Los Angeles and San Francisco, and for a sixth time delight in the wonders and awe that is Alaska. I don’t want to get to the very end of a 25-night cruise and go ‘Oh, crap! I forgot to’ do this or do that, or forget to enjoy this beverage, or that beverage, or not remember to try this menu item that I’ve never had before.

 

I only get to do this once. Once. There’s no going back, no do-overs, and there’s no second chance. For me at least. 😎

 

[9tee2Sea]

2 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

 

Yet I’m still here asking questions, digging for answers on what’s good, applied for and been approved for the NCL BofA Mastercard, still trying to decide if I want to buy the 🍪 cookies 🍪 from the online store 😉, poring over restaurant menus and picking out my meals, and studying the Norwegian Jade on MarineTraffic and checking out the bridge cam. Me, being all sorts of open-minded with an actual positive outlook. Wow. 

 

Have you seen this thread… 🤣

 

 

 

If I am reading all these posts correctly, you are doing a very long B2B.  Have you looked into being an NCLH Shareholder?  You get a very generous OBC ( $250.00 for long cruises).  That credit can be used to purchase specialty coffees and much more.  Just a suggestion

[dmwnc1959]

20 minutes ago, 9tee2Sea said:

If I am reading all these posts correctly, you are doing a very long B2B.  Have you looked into being an NCLH Shareholder?  You get a very generous OBC ( $250.00 for long cruises).  That credit can be used to purchase specialty coffees and much more.  Just a suggestion

Thank you for the tip. This cruise is just a single repositioning cruise that’s 25-nights. I’ve done B2B on other cruise lines, primarily Princess Cruises and Celebrity cruises. But this is the longest single non-stop cruise I’ve booked. I’ll check out the NCLH Shareholder benefits option on the NCL website to see how much I have purchase for the OBC. This may definitely be an option. 👍