BayGirl22

Exactly what I needed! Someone else is thinking the same thing, can we enjoy sail away while eating dinner, and it doesn't sound like it will work well.

 

Thanks for your help.

Nope.

But on other cruises I've been on there's often some kind of grilledfood at the buffet on the pool deck during sail away. The POA daily shows a bunch of entertainment going on but doesn't specify if food will be served. I think its a safe bet there will be something to eat in that area if you are ok with more casual.

Do Moderno's, Cagney's, and Teppanyaki have ocean view window seating?

Just saw this thread

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2251919&highlight=east+meets+west

Up until a few years ago, kids 12 and under were half price, but, they received adult sized portions. At our local hibachi, kids are half price, adult sized portions. It would be nice to be able to get smaller portions for kids, not sure how it would work in moderno.

Yeah, I don't care as much about portion size, just half price seems reasonable. I was surprised this wasn't an option on our first NCL cruise. Our local Brazilian place has half price for kids just like you described.

Consider getting a 3SDP for each of them. It works out to about $23 per meal which is less than full Teppanyaki price ($35.34).

That's not a bad idea. Me and my husband have the SDP included, but I hadn't considered paying for a package for the kids, again at the same price as adults. We'll for sure be taking them to Teppanyaki and Le Bistro (for my husband's birthday). $81 is *almost* worth it IF they actually eat, and we fit in one more specialty meal.

In general I just don't like the dumbing down of kids food. I'm curious if other cruise lines have the same kids menu in every venue too. Not enough for me to not sail an itinerary I like, but I did give feedback on this on our last cruise.

No, same price for everyone.

 

 

There is so much that many adults share with the child. It isn't really a problem.

 

 

Letting a 4 year-old sample off of your plate isn't a problem. It's the "feed 2 adults for the price of 1..." that they don't want.

It was at least an inconvenience at Modeno. The kids couldn't go to the salad bar or pick out their own meats from the servers. They needed more than sampling, they wanted a small portion.

My kids are 6 and 8 for the next trip and eat a full teppanyaki kids portion when we go out, and they don't always order the same as we do. I'm hoping this isn't going to be an issue and I'm not going to have to pay adult prices for them.

Frankly I think its silly NCL doesn't offer any variety to kids. It would take zero extra effort and make a little more $$. Bringing chicken nuggets over from another restaurant is much more effort for them.

On NCL ships is there a kid's price for the fixed price meals like Teppanyaki? What I recall from the Jewel is at Moderno the kids would have to play the full adult price if they wanted any food from the actual restaurant, otherwise they were limited to the generic (unhealthy and boring) kids menu posted above. We didn't do Teppanyaki on that ship, but I can't imagine the kids don't get fed what they watch prepared at the table. But is it at the full ~$25 adult price?

Not having any variety in kid options was disappointing to us last time. We didn't mind paying for them at the specialities, but $25+ for a 4 year old is ridiculous. Our kids like variety in food and would easily have eaten a small portion of Brazilian food.

KatieMcG - my kids mainly drink milk too and I don't recall ever paying for it at meals.

Cruising for the first time and I picked the ships excursions because I was worried about being late back to ship. Is that really something I need to worry about? Alaskan cruise if that makes any difference.

This was not a big consideration for us, even in Alaska. Whether you book through the cruise line or on your own is a personal choice, but I always do some comparison shopping and check reviews here to decide.

There are very few excursions that you can't find separately Alaska. One is the small boat trip that gets you close up to the glaciers, it leaves and returns on the water from Jewel. Otherwise in Alaska we were able to walk off the ship and find a lot to do right in the ports. For big tours like a seaplane ride for bear watching there were a lot of different options with NCL and elsewhere, and I looked around until I found the features we wanted.

For us the $50 excursion credit is the least valuable. We have a family of 4 and the credit is $50/day total (not per person). We're doing a port-intensive cruise (Hawaii) and I've compared doing an NCL excursion with the discount vs. doing a very similar excursion at each port and in every single case its still more expensive. We're not going to end up using the credit at all.

The drink package is always worth it for us, but not available on this particular cruise unfortunately. In my opinion the specialty dining is the best value because I likely wouldn't pay for the specialty restaurants but with the package we like the variety. (We're in a suite so we got all the Free at Sea options.)

Has anyone done POA the week of Thanksgiving? I'm wondering what special events there might be and which restaurants (if any) had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday night in Kauai.

Given the ships theming I suspect they do something. We're considering having dinner on the ship that night and thinking the Liberty dining room might have the most traditional menu?

Its also the night of the NCL luau excursion so I've heard thousands of people stay off the ship that night.

Thats our plan too. We bought the "passport to Pearl Harbor" which includes all the memorials and museums. So we will just see those other places and then go to the Arizona when our time comes. I think it will work out ok.

 

Teanne

Someone on another board mentioned there's a standby line, so if a tour isn't full and you have a later ticket they'll let you on that boat. If anyone can confirm the accuracy of that (it was from 2014) or you see a standby line, that may help you.

With the kids I don't see us spending that much time going through all the exhibits on this trip. If it were DH and I it may be different. I really want my kids to see PH and talk about it, but I'm not going to push it with 5+ hours of museum stuff on our first day.

I don't see the Mai'tai catamaran moonlight cruise mentioned above and that's the cheapest/most casual I've seen. It does have complimentary drinks but is only 1.5 hours so still time for dinner elsewhere. This one is only on Fridays and different from the Sunset cruise other nights.

http://www.maitaicatamaran.com/mahina-moonlight-sail.htm#tour

If you search for Mary Lou's tours in this forum there are many recommendations from people who have done them in Hilo. That seems to be a popular one, and they take only 6 people at a time.

$39 is quoted from one of the articles posted, "tours startIng at $39", or something to that effect. I don't recall what we paid for our tour, just remember that it did not seem a lot, and was well worth it to get an early tour. We had no car, so a 1 day rental cost, or a taxi, would have been needed if not for the tour. It was just the 2 of us, and not a family of 4, another factor to consider when booking a tour.

 

If you have a car, the free tickets are probably your best bet, if you can get them. But I dont know how quick the early tours sell out, so I wouldn't wait last minute to try to book one.

OK thanks, I don't know what he's referencing but it was a few years ago. I've checked all those companies and they start more like $50/kid and $70/adult, and have options we don't really want. I think realistically if we can only get tickets in the afternoon we'll end up doing other things first and may miss PH if we feel rushed. I really want to take the kids there, but its not a full day thing for us. The "leisure" things like Dole, North Shore, Snorkeling fit better in the afternoon and I like to get less "fun" scheduled things done early morning. Also don't want to show up at 7am then get 11am tickets.

I'll try at 60 days then again the day before and see how it goes.

The $39 quoted is not much more than a one way taxi to PH and is on the very low end of the scale as far as tour prices in general. ( and yes, I know the Bus is free, but we are not going to waste time on that ). So it's not like they are charging an exhorbitant price. It was well worth it to me to eliminate the uncertainty, will we or won't we get lucky, and the need to jump through hoops, by instead booking with Roberts Hawaii. We had a 1 day window of opportunity, and were boarding a cruise ship in the afternoon. If we had gone the PH direct route, likely we would not have seen PH.

 

Booking a tour seems a reasonable alternative if free tickets do not work out. Was it 4,000+ daily according to the article? And is it any surprise that a big percentage of those people want 9:00 or 10:00 ish? I'm sure demand far exceeds capacity quite frequently.

Which tour did you book for $39, was that Roberts? If we can't get a morning tour in advance I'm going to have to look for other options too. We are in a similar situation where we have one day and I want to get PH done early so we can do other things in the afternoon. We'll have a car that day though, and 4 of us (2 kids) so a tour doesn't really seem worth it.

That might explain why I haven't seen it (although I did once I think - and have been on the Jewel exactly once.) I'm sure it won't available for my trip on the Jewel this year (too late in the year.) Sounds awesome though - maybe another time! Thanks much for the info though!

Sure. Sorry to recommend something not available to the other Alaska ships! Enjoy your trip!

I might have seen one of these small boat excursions but never heard of them promoted. I've only been on six or so cruises though. How did you find out about the one on your cruise? Maybe they are only offered to frequent cruises or higher-level cabins?

It was an NCL excursion, and only could have been through NCL because we boarded the small boat through a crew passageway on a lower deck (which was also kind of cool) Open to everyone, but I would not have noticed it if I didn't read about it here.

This is the one on the Jewel, there may be a different name if they do it on other ships.

Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer

See the very best of the Tracy Arm wilderness area and an exciting close-up view of the majestic twin Sawyer Glaciers. Relax in the warm, spacious cabin, surrounded by large windows on a luxurious, high-speed catamaran as you depart Juneau harbor. Enjoy a variety of complimentary snacks and beverages while watching for gleaming, blue icebergs, which often mark the shallow water entrance to Tracy Arm. Explore this ice-carved fjord, tracing the bases of cliffs that rise 4,000 feet above the jade-colored sea, as the onboard naturalist provides information about the area. There will be frequent stops to view wildlife. Feel the mist on your face as your Captain skillfully guides the vessel almost directly under a plunging waterfall.

The catamaran’s maneuverability will allow you to get close to North Sawyer Glacier, which cannot be approached by larger ships. You’ll then cruise slowly past seals resting atop recently carved icebergs en route to a viewing stop near the face of spectacular South Sawyer Glacier. From the topside observation deck, you’ll be able to fully experience 'white thunder,' as immense spires of ice break from the glacier and crash into the sea. Following an extended drift near the glacier’s face, the catamaran will maneuver back into open water to pull alongside your awaiting cruise ship.

Note: We recommend participants bring a warm jacket, hat and gloves to wear on the observation deck. In the event that unpredictable and ever-changing ice conditions preclude the vessel from entering the upper reaches of Tracy Arm fjord, the tour will be modified to explore Endicott Arm, an adjacent fjord and tidewater glacier of equal beauty. Due to diminishing daylight and ice condition this tour is not available in early May or mid to late September. This tour is offered on Norwegian Jewel only.

Where did you learn that "most" cruises skipped Sawyer? All year long, not just earlier in the year? These cruises skipped both Tracy and the usual alternative, Endicott Arm?

We traveled on the Jewel exactly a year ago (last week of July) and went to Endicott Arm instead of Tracy Arm. At the time that was the alternative other cruises were taking too. For sure the Pearl, because the Jewel and Pearl pass each other on that day, not sure about the Sun because its a different route. The reason was too much ice in Tracy. By this point in the year most other cruises had taken that route so it was not a surprise to those of us on CC. It didn't affect our port stops or timing at all.

I will add, at the last minute I decided to do the small boat trip to the glacier. It leaves ahead of the ship then spends more time at the glacier and waits for the ship to arrive then we reboarded. It was amazing, we were really close on an open deck watching the glacier calf. Great photo opps including on the ride out there. Not sure if the Sun has a similar excursion but I recommend it if you can swing it.

We did the Jewel this time last year, the sister ship to the Pearl. They are similar so I'll answer where I think my experience is relevant.

Is the pool on the Pearl heated? Worth taking a swimsuit on an August cruise to Alaska?

The pools were heated and the kids spent time in them, I spent time in the hot tubs and it was plenty warm enough some days to be on the deck in a swimsuit. I see the Pearl has a thermal spa and I would suggest that if its in your budget. On the colder days its cozy, and its also a very quiet place to escape and relax. The thermal spa is on the front of the ship just like the Spinnaker lounge so an amazing view on sea days.

 

Do magnets work on the walls (I've seen different answers) and did you use them? I've seen some comments that after the last dry dock there have been USB outlets added by beds but what about electrical, do we still need a 12 ft extension cord for CPAP? (Will be in an inside cabin unless I get lucky and my offer is accepted for Oceanview or Balcony which isn't looking too good)

Magnets worked on the Jewel to hold up papers. We didn't have outlets or USBs by the beds but maybe the Pearl has been updated?

 

 

If you wanted to sit and just have, or be, quiet, and watch ocean where on the ship would you go? Obviously cabin won't work to watch ocean since it's an inside.

For sure Spinnaker Lounge when there's not an activity going on. There are some loungers all around the front and side windows that are away from the activities so its usually quiet. See above about that thermal spa. Lounging in a hot tub or lounger and watching the sea was so nice! The library has windows as well and is quiet.

 

I've seen in various posts that food is not allowed to be taken off ship, does that include something like individually wrapped granola bars (from home?) Sometimes suffer from low blood sugar and really need to eat something.

We brought wrapped kid snacks in Alaska and I've heard others do the same. No fruit or vegetables or anything that could carry something invasive. A single granola bar would not be stopped.

 

Sorry if these are silly questions but never cruised before.

Different shows on the Jewel, and I assume it depends on how busy the week is, but for us if we arrived 15-20 mins early we got a decent seat, arrive earlier if you want a great seat, people arrived late and still got a bad seat.

The PCC I booked with a year ago is now gone from NCL. It was a guy, so probably not the same person, but there is turnover. Sounds like yours won't be there for long!

I called the number too. I didn't ask for a new PCC because I don't really need one at this point (I don't think!) but that did seem like the fastest path.

Yes, according to the NCL site the aft facing balcony cabins (B1) are larger than the regular balcony cabins. There are also some "Large Balcony" cabins (B6, B7) that have similar large balconies. You could figure out exact location by going to a future cruise and trying to select a cabin in that class or looking at the detailed deck plans.

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/pride-of-america/staterooms/balcony

Aft-Facing Large Balcony

The aft-facing balcony offers truly incredible views and a great way to feel the ocean breeze. They include two lower beds that convert into a queen-size bed, a sitting area with a single sofa and floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to a large private balcony.

• Accommodates: 3
  
• Total Approx. Size: 227-233 sq. ft.
  
• Balcony Size: 89-95 sq. ft.
  

Balcony

These balcony staterooms are located either forward or aft. They include two lower beds that convert into a queen-size bed, a sitting area and floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to a private balcony with amazing views.

• Accommodates: 2-3
  
• Total Approx. Size: 178 sq. ft.
  
• Balcony Size: 40 sq. ft.
  

The POA recently redid all the suites on deck 13 and those have varying sizes of large balconies. Here's a thread with pictures. Note that the aft facing balconies on 13 overlook the pool, which may be fun for some but not for others.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1910987

Yes. We're in a family suite on the POA and those are corner wrap arounds that are significantly larger. Not sure of the other aft cabins, but I believe they are.

There are a lot of POA posts on the Hawaii board too, and somewhere there's a thread here about the newer suites.

Was worth it for us on the Jewel. It was a place for us to escape to and not all that crowded, always quiet. I think one time on a sea day I waited a few minutes for a lounger (no biggie, I waited in the hot tub), but often if I went at night I'd be the only one in there. Especially since it was not a hot weather cruise, it was nice to have a cozy indoor place to sit and read.

The only downside for us was working around the Splash Academy hours because in practice they are only open in 3 hour increments during the day. So just as we'd complete an activity or settle in to a hot tub we'd need to get ready to leave. But that was more of a planning thing I didn't anticipate, and may not be an issue for most people.

Just boarded POA today. We had the 1 night precruise Waikiki hotel promo. Included bus to port.

Bus was 10:30. No line we got zone B. On board having lunch by 11:45.

We were at Aulani for 5 nights and did some sightseeing so this was our relaxing ship pool day. Busy touring everyday.

Embarkation was very quick with Hawaiian dancers and music to keep us occupied for the 15 min wait.

Enjoying some live music at the pool with a cocktail .... oh yea this cruise has officially started:-)

Kerri

This is almost exactly what we have. We have the NCL precruise hotel which includes the transfer, so I can't really justify paying to go later. We'll have 2.5 days in Waikiki before and 5 nights at Aulani after. We also have a suite so I expect the wait won't be painful.

The thing with POA is there are no sea days, and I know my kids are going to want to spend time at the pool, need to register at the Splash Academy, etc. so I'm kind of viewing Sat afternoon as our "sea day" to get that stuff out of the way.

If we didn't have other time in Oahu and a free transfer I might go later. But in this case sitting by the pool while others board seems like a good deal.

Thought of another one:

On Port Days can you do dropoffs during meal times or do the usual meal time closures apply? For instance on they day in Hilo we depart at 6pm. Do we still need to wait until 7pm to drop off the kids (Sea Day times) like the usual schedule or could we drop off earlier?

Technically its a port day, but at that point we're at sea, and even if we were in port I suspect the counselors are all with kids at a meal.

If its like most NCL cruises the "Late Night Fun Zone" care starts at 10:30 and you pay $12 for it.

Honestly we did find it logistically burdensome to be working around meal times when the Splash Academy was closed. It *seems* like its open all day, but on sea days its really ~3 hours windows you need to work within. I wish I had understood that better before I planned out meals and shows and got excited about alone time in the thermal suite. That said, its doable you'll just need to plan on shows after 7 if you want to see them with your partner and without your child.

Here are the hours on the NCL site:

Norwegian Fleet Embarkation Day

8:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Port Days

Port Arrival Time - 10:30 p.m.

Sea Days

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m./2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m./7:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Late Night Fun Zone

10:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m. nightly

The center closes at 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Children must be picked up at these times. Pick-up late fees may apply.