CCJack

thank you all... these are all great inputs..   A couple questions...

itsnotjustme... how was the volcano hike?  We are not on B2B so if we do the volcano we will not go to Fira.   Do you think Fira is a "don't miss" place?   We are on a 9 day cruise with 8 ports so we will be busy and I am fine skipping some towns if necessary.   

Another option is the Oia excursion (without winery) and take our chances on the cable car down.   It is listed as a 3 hour excursion that starts at 9 am, so I would assume we would be in Fira at noon with cable car tickets, then we could may be be in line for cable car by 1 pm or so.    There are 3 ships in port that day but one of them does not arrive until 2 pm, so basically a 2 ship day for the morning / early afternoon.  All ships stay until 9 pm.   I am hoping a 1 pm line for cable car down would not be too bad. 

Our NCL cruise lists about 5 different excursions for Santorini.  The descriptions are very poor in terms of telling you the logistics, and in Santorini the logistics are important.  My understanding is all cruiselines tender their "non excursion" passengers to the old port and then you are on your own to get up the cliff to Fira via cable car,  donkey, or walking the 600 steps.   The "excursion" people are tendered to Anthinios so that they can board buses for their excursion.  My question is, do the NCL excursions all end up at Fira, where you can spend some time on your own and then cable car down or walk down to the old port and tender to the ship, or do some of the excursions return you to Anthinios?    I am considering booking an excursion just to avoid the possible 2 hour wait for the cable car but would still like to see Fira and walk down ourselves after the excursion.   My guess is they all end up at Fira.   Thanks for any insight here.  

I would just make sure you understand the credit card's travel insurance coverage very well.   I have had good luck cancelling 2 cruises when I had 3rd party travel insurance, I got everything back I was owed.   However, with a "free" benefit on a credit card I would be suspicious.  Travel insurance can get very complicated in terms of what is covered and what is not.

You could get a lot of differing opinions on this topic.   My 2 cents.......... (our last cruise was NCL Joy, but previously on RCCL, Celebrity, Cunard, Viking, others) 

Food: I thought the food on Joy was outstanding, MDR, SD and even the buffet. Better than the other lines. 

Value:  NCL seems to me to be the best value.  For us, we lately have been more interested in spending our money on the destination / itinerary even if if means going with a lesser cost cruise line.

Entertainment:  On the Joy, we had one production show which was very good, but everything else seemed so-so..... a victim of budget cutting I suspect.   A Beatles tribute band was good, but they had them play 3 nights with different song list and re-titled the "name" of the show to get 3 nights main entertainment from one band.  

Ship:  Joy was fine.  Very clean and no complaints.  Not as beautiful and unique as Celebrity, Cunard, or RCCL.  Cabin was great,  they all seem to be the same across cruise lines now.

Free-Style cruising:  I like the tradition of more formal dress, but have grown to hate packing a lot of clothes, so informal is fine with us now.   However, free-style isn't really free style in terms of schedules.  On the Joy, it becomes a challenge to get the reservation times before anyone else, otherwise you end up going to entertainment / dinners at whatever times they have left (if they have any at all) which isn't really Free Style.  

We really enjoyed Glacier Wilderness Safari out of Skagway.   It includes about a mile hike through woods, canoeing (large 6 person canoe with a motor!), all to get to the Davison Glacier....I think it would be perfect for active teens.

Also, I think whale watching would appeal to all ages..   We got extremely lucky on our whale watching out of ISP and saw fantastic views of whales.

the Pan Pacific would be great location,,, however, note that there are a couple of other hotels such as the Pinnacle and the  Marriott Pinnacle (2 different places) which are an easy walk to the ship, even with luggage.   We stayed at the Pinnacle hotel and it was very nice and convenient. 

Cannot answer your question about the tea, but we were just on a similar cruise last month and I think Quebec City is the prefect port to skip the ship's excursions.   The ships dock right near the old town and there is lots to do there in the city.   We booked an independent city walking tour that started near the visitor center right across from the Frontenac and it was a great tour.   I believe the hotel is open to walk into on your own and go to the restaurants,  etc.

On 10/23/2023 at 5:15 PM, PurpleTraveller said:

 

Yes that is correct. The ship excursions tender to Athinios port where there is road access for the buses. Everyone else gets tendered to the old port where there is no road access.

 

thank you...

Our itinerary shows 8 am arrival, but ship's excursions list 9 am departure, but that might not be too reliable.  I am thinking maybe the excursion bus leaves at 9, tender for cruise excursions may be before that (8?) , then other (non-excursions) tender to old port even later.     

22 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Santorini is always a challenge, but there are a few ways that can work  Some cruise ships now have excursions (and I dislike excursions) that include round trip tendering from Athinios.  These excursions take you to the ferry port, put you on a bus, and later bring you back to a tender.  This is one way to avoid the cable car hassles.  

 

The other option (which we have done a few times) is to shorten our port day.  We go ashore in the earliest tender (which generally involves going to a lounge to get a tender ticket).  Once ashore, we look for the water taxi to Oia (it is along the same pier).  If it seems like that water taxi (which are privately operated) is going to leave within a reasonable time) we buy their package which includes the water taxi to the small port below Oia, and a return bus to Fira.  Once at Oia, you get a shuttle up the hill to the town which you can explore on foot.  When you are finished, you take their bus back to Fira.  Once at Fira you can explore at your leisure, but consider leaving quite early so you do not have to deal with the long cable car queues that can happen by mid-afternoon.  Alternatively, you can walk down (instead of the cable car) but there are a lot of steps and you do need to use lots of care to avoid donkey poo.  Once down at the tender pier (below Fira) it is not normally a problem getting a tender back to your ship.

 

Lets be clear that Santorini is a charming island (even if overrun with tourists).  There are plenty of other options such as exploring more of the island with a rental car, using public buses, going to a beach, etc.  But most first time visitors are content to enjoy both Oia and Fira (despite the crowds).

 

Hank

thanks, this is helpful.  Considering both of these options (ferry/taxi to Oia, or a cruise excursion bus from Athinios.)

I have read that the only way they tender you to Athinios is via a ship's excursions, all others tender to old port / Fira.  Is this true?

Leaning towards the water taxi to Oia.  We are early risers, and tend to head out early.   Maybe back at Fira to head down to tenders by 2 or 3 pm.    We have 3 ships in port (9/9/24) but one doesn't arrive until 2 pm, we arrive 8 am, all 3 stay late until 9 pm or so.   Maybe cable cars down would be doable at 2 pm.  Walking down would be an option for us too- we are walkers...

I was told on the Joy to come to GS the evening before the last full day, so if Sunday disembarking then come Friday eve.  I did and they gave me my cash.  I suspect this is ship specific or maybe even employee specific.  They have some wiggle room I would think.   Avoid the night before embarkation if possible.

On 10/18/2023 at 6:58 PM, Hlitner said:

I am going to add a somewhat negative comment (sorry in advance).  We are not big fans of going to Santorini on a mega ship with nearly 4000 souls.  Just consider that the cable car (that takes folks up and down from Fira to the tender pier) can only move about 600 souls per hour (in each direction).  That means it would take about 6 hours to get all the ship's folks down (via the cable car) and that assumes there are no other ships (which is rare).

 

Just keep this in mind when planning.  There are ways to deal with the problem (one can walk down...but be careful of the donkey poo).  But Santorini has become a victim of its own popularity, and the government has yet to do enough to deal with the over tourism.

 

Hank

Thank you Hank,,, somewhat related question...... with 9 days in ports we likely are going to be looking for one or two days to take it "easy" and not have a full day excursion but just an easy walk in port near ship or something similar.   Not sure how Santorini with its crowds fits into this planning....

On 10/11/2023 at 3:45 PM, dragonflywoods said:

Thank you for your input. The cruise has already been booked and we are sticking with it. While I understand that not all parts of Denali are open, this just happens to be a anniversary trip and not sure we would be able to go another year. This is our first time going to Alaska and for me the West coast, so we are just excited to be able to see something new and much different than where we currently live. (Key West). Hopefully one day we will be able to return and have a better idea of what we want to see and it won't be so overwhelming.

We took a cruiseline cruisetour a couple years ago and loved it.  I hope you have a good time.

Although you can customize a driving trip yourself and see more in less time, driving on vacation is not for me.  I do plenty of driving in my normal life !  We really enjoyed the scenery from the bus, commentary from the tour guide and driver, and also meeting other folks in the group..

One downside is we were told very little from the cruiseline about our tour before we left  (excursions, etc.), but once we boarded the bus it was very well organized.

We took only a couple excursions, we spent a lot of time day hiking around the lodges, etc.  Not necessarily in the park on on an excursion.  

I can recommend gogenova  tours.    It was a walking and public transportation (with ferry) - but outstanding day.

We were just on the joy.   There were 4 BJ tables and two of those were $10 min for the duration of the cruise.     However they paid 6:5 for blackjack.

5 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

No mention of the fee? If I recall correctly, others mentioned a ($50??) fee.

 

In any case, thanks for digging into this and explaining the process. It seems that this has been a mystery around here for a while.

They said there is not a fee, instead they give you a brand new quote (as opposed to the 2 for 1 price you are presented at booking + fee).   Especially if you want to upgrade cabin class for an international flight that quote will be a lot more than what you are presented during cruise booking for the 2 for 1 air price.

I know on Viking we paid $75 on top of their "special" air fare, and it actually worked out well for us..... they worked with us on flights and the $75 was well worth it.   If NCL did that at one time, it looks like maybe the process has changed somewhat.

1 hour ago, schmoopie17 said:

Never done it, but I seem to recall others saying there is a fee involved and it isn't worth it and you're better off booking your own flights.

Thanks, I decided to book directly with the airline.   I did call NCL and the agent was very friendly and explained the process but I decided against it.   For reference here is what I was told:

(note this is entirely different than the 2 for 1 special, where your tix are assigned by a computer 30 days out, etc.) 

• between 200 and 100 days pre cruise you fill out a form and submit to NCL.
• the form allows you to indicate preferences such as cabin class, approximate preferred departure time, etc.
• they come back with a quote and suggested flights.
• you don't get to specify exact flights.
• Quotes will be more than the 2 for 1, 30 day out thing....

 I wanted to be in control even if it costs  more.   Biz Class is out of our budget but I am not sitting in Economy for 10 hours, so premium economy is what we want.  For some of these big transatlantic planes they only show 10 or 12 PE seats and in some cases some seats are already booked 11 months out.   So waiting until 200 days out makes me nervous.   It looks like post-pandemic there is a lot of  people traveling so we all can expect to pay a premium for cruises and flights and need to book early !

I would like to choose my own flights, I see there is a number you can call NCL and they will provide you a quote for air.  I think this is different than the 2 for 1 specials and the deep discounts where they chose your flights 30 days prior....

My question is....are there any advantages to calling NCL to get a quote vs. booking on your own with the airline.   Do they offer a discount, or is there any other advantages to involving NCL? 

This is for Detroit to Athens.

thanks.

20 minutes ago, VickyVoo said:

Please can you tell me which cruise line offers these itineraries-I am interested in both of the cruises you mention.  Thank you

NCL getaway. Sept. 2024.    NCL not my first choice but i really like 0 sea days and overnight in Istanbul. 

We were just in the Joy, also on NE/ Canada cruise in a club balcony suite on deck 8 with large balcony.   The balcony is large but skinny.   Same width as cabin but probably 4x the depth as regular cabin.   However, i wouldn't book it again.   In the cabin looking out the glass door the big balcony really restricts your view because of the tunnel vision of the balcony dividers.   Plus these balconies are completely uncovered and thus very windy and cold.    I think we would have preferred a regular balcony which is covered by the balcony above and has better viewing from inside the cabin.    You won't be on the balcony much when you are at sea in October/ canada.  We could hear the theater below but not enough to keep us from sleeping... 

On the plus side the bathroom was very nice and with the CBS you get a 5 day head start on dining reservations.  

I have always wanted to try an aft balcony but never have so i can't comment on that. 

3 minutes ago, elliotlake12 said:

We booked Club Balcony suite, when checking dinning reservation times, (says too early to book,check back on Nov.3 (the 120 day option )

if i sign into account at 125 days, will it open that 125 day option?

Yes. I got that message too ( to try at 120 days).    It should let you in at 125 despite what it says now. 

3 hours ago, UKstages said:

I’m in a similar situation as the OP. I drink alcohol, but I don’t drink a lot. and I get free “ultra” drinks from the casino, including bottled water. Onboard, I drink mostly sprite zero, sometimes with a dash of cranberry. I drink a few mock tails. and maybe six or seven cocktails on a week’s voyage. maybe a few glasses of wine during the entire week. and yet, every time, I consider whether to purchase the drinks package. and every time, I do. i’ve done the math. it makes sense. 

Agree... we are in a similar situation and when i do the math I say keep it.  Keep in mind if you cancel both drink packages you don't get all the gratuities back because some are for the SD.

At least they are providing the kids a snack at that price.   Goldfish crackers maybe?

If you are off the ship by 8, you likely would make 8:25.   Thing do happen however.   On our last cruise to Flam, our ship docked, they let only cruiseline excursion people off, then they pulled back to tender everyone else, while another ship docked.   So we tendered and we tendered off well after our posted docking time.    I still don't know what the rational was with that arrangment. 

All that said, the train is not a very expensive ticket, I would book the 8:25 and likely you will make it.  Just my opinion.  

On 9/16/2023 at 10:39 AM, cruisemom42 said:

 

  It helps if you know about how much the ride should be and I would add that often it is best to negotiate a fixed fare in advance. If they try to charge you extra once you arrive, be firm and hand them only the agreed-upon amount. 

 

 

How does the Uber app fit into this discussion?  I have read that Athens does not allow Uber in the typical fashion (privately owned cars being used as Uber) but some taxis now use the app and you can call a taxi using the app.   If so then wouldn't the app calculate the fare and charge your credit card accordingly?    Or is the app being used just to hail the taxi, then you are on your own to negotiate?

2 hours ago, UKstages said:

one thing to consider is the ship's arrival time.

Yes, this is a good suggestion, to check that.

We have been on 2 cruises where departure was delayed from 4-ish to 8-ish pm but ship was in dock early in the am. 

The Quebec City departure was delayed (announced a few days prior) because they were having a hard time getting the NCL Air people on flights that arrived in time for 4 pm departure.  ( I guess that computer algorithm that waits until the very last moment to find cheapest flights for NCL waited a bit too long and they couldn't get flights for everyone that arrived in time !)

We also had a delay out of Amsterdam, announced about 3 pm we would leave 5 hours late.   The local authorities there can arrange ship and boat traffic through the lock (the lock is an hour or so away from Amsterdam) but they sometimes make the big ships wait and let more smaller vessels go first.  At least that is what they announced on our ship.