Cruise Preparation and NCL Website
It has been a few years since we have sailed with NCL and I was disappointed to learn that they had no record of my Latitudes account. Even though I had an account with NCL, it was very difficult to log into my account using my email address. I could not remember the password and whenever I chose the “I forgot my password” option it returned an error. I was finally able to get this to work, but only through the app on my iPhone, not through the NCL website.
Once logged in, I was able to see our upcoming sailing and check out the many options to spend more money before we sail. The first was the Priority Access (below)
We did not feel like these benefits were worth the $199 for the following reasons:
We already have an assigned boarding time of 11am and our experience with priority boarding on large ships in the past has been disappointing to say the least.
Tender priority is not a big deal to us as we are in no rush to get off the ship at the private island.
Priority debarkation is no value since we are spending an extra hotel night at the end of the cruise. The later we can get off the ship, the better!
We almost never have breakfast room service, so that is no value.
The $50 spa credit is just a lure to get us to spend hundreds in the spa for overpriced spa services. $120 for a manicure/pedicure…seriously?
I have no idea what the delightful in-stateroom treat is, but I doubt it is worth $199.
The next “opportunity” is for a WiFi upgrade. Our “More at Sea” package that came with this cruise already includes a basic WiFi, which apparently is not very robust. I may be forced to upgrade my package to the Streaming WiFi just so I can post to my blog from the ship and make Instagram and YouTube posts. But, $179 for only one person and only one device is an outrageous amount in my opinion.
I will be anxious to see how the streaming WiFi performs.
The Essentials Travel Protection plan (insurance) may actually be a good value for most guests. We always recommend trip insurance when cruising. However, we have an annual insurance plan through Allianz that provides everything the NCL plan offers. However, if you are not covered under any trip insurance plan, this might be well worth it.
The Unlimited Open Bar package for $210 per person ($30 per day/per person) may also be a reasonable value for us. We would typically have a glass of wine with lunch and/or dinner and maybe one or two cocktails each per day.
The Unlimited Open Bar does not appear to include bottled water or specialty coffee drinks, which limits is value for me personally. Apparently, NCL no longer offers plastic bottles of water as part of the Open Bar package. Instead, you have to purchase a separate “water package” and even that gives you refillable metal bottles or cans. From what I can find on Cruise Critic, you can just take your own refillable bottle with you and save the money.
We did purchase the Specialty Dining for $60pp, which is a decent value. Well…maybe. It all depends on whether or not we can get good reservations at the specialty restaurants. We are 18 days out and the only restaurant that is allowing online reservations is the Thai restaurant, and then, only at 9:30pm and only a table for 4 (see below).
NCL also offers the opportunity to prepay “Service Charges” which are set at $20 per person/per day. At least NCL accurately refers to these charges as “Service Charges” and not “gratuities”. It would seem that there is no discount for pre-paying these charges.
I should also mention that there was no opportunity for us to pre-reserve space for any of the shows on board.
We were offered the opportunity to upgrade our stateroom through an auction system. We looked at upgrading to the Haven, but it just did not seem like a good value. For the cost of a suite in the Haven, you can purchase a suite on a luxury cruise line like Explora Journeys or Silversea and have all of your beverages included. If The Haven included gratuities and the beverage package, it might have been more appealing.
We will most likely purchase the Unlimited Beverage Package and upgrade the WiFi for one of us.
