debenson0723

Lots of information here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/

I like to get there that early, drop off my luggage, check in and relax. Enjoy people watching and always seem to run into someone I know from past cruises. Boarding will usually start sometime after 11 and if you have Boarding group 1 or 2, you should be onboard enjoying your first cocktail and lunch before noon. Enjoy your cruise.

Not a big deal. You can check in at the port together. In 6 cruises since the restart I have never had anyone look at my check in time.

Just the standard person info as before...name,address,passport info (no driver's license). As someone mentioned, don't use the auto fill options but type and verify email address and cell phone number. Make sure all boxes are checked and you have the green check mark in every section (I think there are 8 but it's been a few months since I did this). Photo is just a standard head shot, taken with your laptop or cellphone camera. I have mine downloaded to my desktop and just upload it every time. Edocs should be available anywhere from 2 to 24 hours afterwards.

This. No need for NCL to know what you are doing if you are not taking their flights.

Or you can use your credit card to pay for purchases on the ship and earn points on the card, then come home and pay off the card with your cash (or bank account). I only take cash on a ship for the casino and additional tips.

Not really. My son works graveyard and also remote from his home (someone has to keep those streaming services working on the other side of the world). It's not unusual for him to order his 'lunch' delivered in the middle of the night. It's a 24 hour society now. And as @mking8288mentioned, home security cameras are invaluable for other things, not just for crime prevention.

Not necessarily. I recently had someone knock on my door at 4am and my app woke me up. There was a guy standing there and it scared the crap out of me. After watching him a few minutes, he got to an angle where I could see a bag of food in his hand. I realized he was a Grub Hub driver at the wrong house.

I have Ring and had no issues with it while on the Encore in Alaska, Jade in Greece nor the Prima TA. Could see my front porch and neighborhood every time I tried.

Don't know exactly but would guess 10 or 10:30. I have had that issue a few times at various ports and have just rented a car (pick up at the port), did some sight seeing, had a nice lunch and returned it at the airport. Option 2 is to get a day room near the airport, get an early shuttle from port, check into the hotel and use their facilities then have them drop you off at the airport.

If you were Disco then you have to see it. But there were so many songs that I forgot/never knew she sang, that it was good hearing them again. One of the people in my group had never heard of her and he was pleasantly surprised. All 3 leads are very good (one from American Idol). Was it my favorite NCL show ever? No but it was defiantly a very enjoyable show.

I always have the unlimited internet package (no streaming) and I check my cameras all the time. No issues.

These are my favorite rooms on the ship, even more than a balcony. They are larger than a normal ocean view room with a lot of storage. You can sit and look out where you are going and not have to worry about the wind or the sun beating down on you, which can happen on a balcony if you are on the 'wrong' side. I have never had an issue with motion but on the Encore, in the Caribbean, I did have the waves hitting the bow until we got to our first port (so basically one night). I didn't believe that was really what that noise was but asked the Captain and told me it was true and it would subside the next day. He was correct and I never heard it again. I have put in a bid on my next cruise from an inside to an ocean view and the forward facing ones are all that are left so fingers crossed I get an upgrade!

Lots of information on the Hawaii Ports of Call forum https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/37-hawaii/

The only time I have seen anyone with a higher number boarding card get on board early (including myself) is if they had that high number and were Platinum or higher ie, I had card number 16, which I handed over when boarding with the Platinum group. Last time I boarded in Miami they actually looked at each person's room card to see if they were Platinum or higher before they would let them pass. But each boarding is different. PS - someone on one of my cruises kept their Group 1 card and later gave it to me. I keep it for 'emergencies' LOL.

Wasn't my experience on my last RCL cruise in May. Have never encountered such a miserable crew ever, from Officers to bartenders to room stewards. No smiles, no response to a Good Morning. But every time I was served a meal, I was asked to give them a 10 on the survey. I know some people are put off by the friendliness of NCL crew but they sure do make my day much more pleasant, especially as a solo traveler.

You can usually see the specials regarding CruiseNext certs when you log into your Latitudes account. Sometimes it is 6 months in advance and balcony or higher and other times it may be any size cabin and any booking date. It really does vary. They had a 2 certificate promo for any size cabin for months after the restart. I also sometimes do a mock booking, add one certificate and then see if it will let me add another. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't (I usually book studios or insides since I am a solo cruiser). If you have a PCC, they can help you also.

No college football on the Prima during the September/October TA. But we did have NFL football on Sunday, Monday and Thursday on channel 18 all the way across the Atlantic. Some of the games didn't start until 2am but they were on in the Local and on the stateroom TV.

IF you don't check any bags and IF your flight lands on time and IF the traffic isn't too bad, you might get there by 2pm. I have flown into MSY multiple times and it has taken me anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes minimum to get close to the port (I usually stay near by). By any chance do you have NCL transfers? That might help a little bit. I have seen them hold the ship for almost an hour in NOLA due to delayed flights but that doesn't mean they always do. Its too close to comfort for me but then if the flight is over an hour long, I always fly in the day before. Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

You're lucky the RCL drink package was only $59 pp/pd. On the RCL cruise I took, the drink package was $89 pp/pd + 18% gratuity. It was a holiday cruise and I knew it would be more but that's crazy. I don't need a cup to carry around, fancy coffee (I use my Starbucks app on NCL), fresh squeezed juices with the empty calories (I'll take my empty calories as tequila) or water. I kept looking for the sales I keep hearing about on RCL but one ever materialized for my cruise.

You can delete the drink package from your cruise up to 3 days in advance.

It is in the Indulge Food Hall. It is in the beverage station, sort of hidden behind a wall, so no surprise you did not see it. On the TA, there was no card swipe and the soda was free. Not sure if that has changed recently. There is a 2nd one in the Studio Lounge.

Thanks @cruiseny4life.Glad to see if hasn't changed.

I have done a morning excursion and afternoon excursion in the same port and gotten the $50 off both. Haven't read the T&Cs in awhile so don't know if that changed.

I have not been on the Epic but have been on the Getaway multiple times as a solo traveler. As far as the lounge atmosphere, it is always going to depend on the solo cruisers that are on the ship. I have seen it vary from lots of people showing up daily to the lounge being a ghost town after the first day. On a port intensive cruise with long days in port, my guess is that it will not be very active. Only you know if it would be worth it to pay extra for an Oceanview room. In the US, the Studio cabin can be more than an Inside Sailaway rate so I will book an inside. I will also bid the minimum for a higher cabin category and have been successful more than half the time. But I am happy with whatever cabin I am in. I am also a shade person and live on the Waterfront area on the Getaway. Might have to switch sides depending on the sun, but always find a space. Any cabin less than a balcony only get 1 Specialty Dining on NCL. They do have an option to purchase additional meals but again, whether it is worth it is up to you. I sometimes will pay out of pocket for a few items in a Specialty restaurant (usually just apps and dessert) but there are no restaurants on the Getaway where I would do that. i was on a Baltic cruise a few years ago and with being in port all day and tasting the local cuisine, I barely had interest in an MDR. It was a small meal in the buffet and bed on that trip. I am also looking at an August (or May) Med cruise so pondering the same issues. Maybe our paths will cross. Enjoy your cruise!