MrsTocko

I like both sharing tables (DH prefers not to share unless we know the other people), and am ok eating alone. DH likes the buffet, I do not. So one day for lunch we compromised. We had buffet for lunch, and he went for ice cream. I told him enjoy, I’m going to get the peanut butter cheesecake in MDR. Got the saddest look from host when I said just 1 for lunch, and that I really only wanted dessert…sat at a small table, the waiter was shocked I was eating alone. I felt compelled to explain again, that I was only there for dessert…I didn’t really care, and it was amazing.

Thank you all for the insight. Sounds like I mght be trying an aft-facing balcony. at least once. I think a pool towel between the lounger and me may protect my clothing for any possible soot or ash. Easy fix. I am more and more intriged by the idea, and the view it will provide. the additional cost is nominal at this point. I too book as far out as possible, Not retired, just a planner, and would rather budget my cruises, as its the favorite way to travel. DH doesnt plan past initial discussions regarding destination and timing. So I may not tell him that we will be in that aft facing balcony until we board. He LOVES the Glacier day cruising so this will be especially nice for him. If we can get the kids to go with us, then we can invite them to enjoy it as well. Again, Thank you for the help.

Which is the main reason i dont usually bid for an upgrade, as I pick and pay for the room i WANT at the beginning. Previously we did an angled balcony on the Bliss, and loved it - midship. We like the sound of the water, so that wont bother us. On the bliss we would CHOOSE decks 10-14. We are fairly easy going, would take a HUGE HUGE issue for a cruise to be ruined (ruined i say), or even be bummed out on a cruise. we have had missed ports, cancelled excursions, unfulfilled expectations (unknowingly unrealistic) nothing been ruined yet, including my very first cruise where I missed the last 2 days because of being seasick. (bottom passenger deck, far forward, ocean view room)

DH and I have always gone with mid ship Balcony and we love it. Thinking of trying an Aft Balcony. Pros and cons? Thinking of trying it on the Bliss for our 5th cruise to Alaska. The last time we did the Alaska/Bliss cruise we were midship. I have heard ash/soot from the stacks are an issue. We spend alot of time on our balcony when cruising alaska (leaving public viewing areas for others). DH poted this elsewhere, and the 2 main cons were the ash/soot and it is a long walk to the elevator. We really dont mind the walk, as we routinely walk the length of the ship multiple times a day to compensate for elevator traffic. I HAVE in the past gotten seasick, but I bering the sea bands and motion sickness pills with me (I can get nauseous in the back seat of a car), this is a bigger concern than the long walk to an elevator. We also will book so we keep a passenger deck between us and public areas (both above and below). The cost difference at the moment is $600, so not too bad. Would we be better off booking our normal cabin and then bidding for an uprade? Thank you for your kind thoughts and responses.

We loved it. It is big enough to put a lounge chair. Ask you steward if it’s not there. We would definitely book again (actually looking at booking the same cabin in a couple of years)

The individual US ports are the ones charging the tax. NOT the cruiselines. Where the cruiselines come into it is how/where/if it is passed on to the customer. NCL just passes it through. You will be charged a percentage on the cost of the drink while you are in port. The % number differs by port. but if you figure 20% on a $10 drink. That is .20. It is nominal. I have read that some cruiselines will tally the drinks sold in port and then ring them up once in international waters, thereby the "sale" of the beverage is clear of those fees. I have also read that some cruiselines will just pay it themsleves, and not pass it on to the passenger. (I do not know which ones, as I cruise almost exclusively NCL, and do not have direct, first hand knowledge - so this is hearsay). ALL cruise lines that stop/port in the US are subject to these additional taxes. NCL would have to do a major overhaul of their entire system - fleetwide - to both add to the software that would allow them to "run" a european specific set of prices, or to update all the prices to include those taxes. I love NCL, but I dont see them spending that kind of money. because they will also have to do the training on how to switch it over based on where they are. while they are at sea, this could be problematic, with internet connectivity to switch ALL the registers over (during a transatlantic/pacific for example). Another option would be to raise the cost of the package or the gratuities on the package to be inclusive of the fees in everyport they will visit on the crusie, or do a flat fee that would cover for all ports that NCL (as a whole vs the individual ship/cruise) visits. Imaging the flack they would get from that. I fully admit I am part of the problem. Living in the US, and in CA specifically, we are used to the price, not be the final price, because...sales tax, so we are used to paying a bit more on everything (except perishables found in a grocery store).and we are fine with it. It is usally about $2-$5 MAX for my DH and I combined, in these additional drink charges. We are also okay with paying the gratuities on the FAS packages. When I average it out over the length of the cruise, it is typically 2 drinks per person per day for my DH and I and the package is paid for. Or about $20 pp/pd. That is also reasonable. $20 a day for all the alcohol I want to drink? Yes please and thank you. Yes, I know it is for the gratuties and not the alcohol, technically, but if I choose to think of it that way, that is my choice. It is the perception. I also find my bar, and bartender, and give them an additinal tip in cash, after i have found my place. I will tip them personally, generously. during and at the end of the cruise. As long as there are people like us that are happy to pay what they charge us, things won't change. As far as the issues that passengers are currently facing in the UK ports, I would rather pay the small fee per drink, and have a drink than not. I also understand the feeling of not being upfront about it to begin with. As stated I am used to that extra little bit. I am sure that I would feel differently if I was being charged the FULL cost of the drink, rather than a few cents on the VALUE of that drink. Happy Sails and Cheers to you

There are 3 that we encountered on our first NCL cruise on the Sun in Sept 2016. I have often wondered where they are now. CD - Philly Joel - fantastic and havent heard anything about him since Concierge - Carlos Z. Again fantastic. We sailed with him again on the Jade in March 2018 Food and Beverage - Vesna - Fantastc - she was also on the Jade in March 2018. 1 of the reasons that I follow this thread is to see where they have moved on to, as well as to see if one day I might sail with them again. They made that first NCL cruise so special and memorable. I hope all are healthy, and to one day sail the seas with them again.

I need to implement this for our cruising. I do an excel sheet that has all of our travel details (confirmation numbers, flight and seats...) for family members that are not traveling (also a pared down version for work). But I like this version too, this version would be good for hanging up in the room...I dont know HOW many times a day that DH asks, when are we doing....

We are looking at a June 2025 Alaskan...Maybe July...We love Cruising Alaska. DH wants at least one new port and a return to Icy Strait. Those are my requirements when I pick our destinations/ports. We have done both the Jade and Jewel, and also love the Jewel Class ships

@Northern Aurora I will definately be looking at all of it. The ONLY issue I have with renting a car, is that we want to do the train. So I need to ensure I can do a one way rental. I did look up the taxi link, and I like that idea. (Pjstaxi I think it was), less of a taxi (in the traditional sense) and more of a private transport. as we are still over 2 years away, I will have some time to figure it out. I will also be keeping on eye on the progression of the new construction at the Whittier port. I am fully mentally prepared that if the new NCL facilities are not complete, then we may dock in Seward, making this whole question unnecessary... We will be limited on time (to an extent), so if we dont get to Homer in 2025, we will the next for sure. I dont see this as the last time we will go. I feel the need to visit Alaska as often as I need to cruise.

@GTJ Thank you for such thorough answers. We try to support local econpmies when we can, where we can. DH is usually very adament about only book the cruise excursions, for the benefit of if it is late getting back, we arent going to run the risk of being stranded. When we travel (especially internationally) we dont drive. We dont want to be the Clark Griswald of whatever country we are in (and we would be). Im more of a logistics thinker, and so when planning vacations (to anywhere), I figure in HOW we are getting from point a to point b, for everywhere that we KNOW we want to go. from the airport to the hotel to the ship and back, in this scanario, from the airport to whittier or seward (or the reverse). What is around the hotel that we can do, or where we can go to eat. (yes we are food motivated). What is it going to cost, best case scenario of time table. all of it. We ALWAYS go at least 1 day early before a cruise. He is early everywhere. if for example our check in time is 9am (which that is typically the first one available and the one we choose), then we are there at the port waiting no later than 8:15. If my research of the terminals and how they flow suggests we be there earlier..fine with us. We are up anyway twiddling out thumbs watching and waiting for the hands on the clock to move. At least at the terminal we have people watching. We like watching the mechanics and the "dance" so to speak of everything that is going on. It is all a giant puzzle that I like trying to figure out. So that by the time it is actually happening, I have my plan, (and a back up plan or 2), but I otherwise dont have to figure anything out except what I am going to eat and wear. I even look at is there someplace near by that I can get my coffee in the morning (DH prefers I dont go without it). I will be sure to keep an eye on the NCL in Whittier dock/terminal schedule, and that public facilities link that was posted. I just really need to figure out how to get us on that train...

sounds amazing...all of it. I may talk him into the rental car...and we were on foot in London and the hotel "is right there".....so we were really just wandering for 2 hours, the one time I got him to stop so i could try and figure out where we were before the cell phone died, he was too impatient..and instisted that we "go this way..." well 45 minutes after that, we arrived. Had he given me 2 minutes, we would have gone the other way, and been at the hotel in 5...yes, he freely admits he got us lost...in london...at night... But we make an adventure of it no matter what. I will have to chack on the one way rental car options. I know that we really want to do that train.

This sounds utterly fascinating to potentially witness. The only thing that I can think of with regard to the docking situation, is that there will be staggered arrivals. so not all 3 ships on the same day. maybe 1 or 2..that would certainly cut down on the total passengers at one time, but still alot of extra people in port at any one time.

Let me start off with we LOVE cruising Alaska. Having done it 4 times already, we are looking at the 5th, and trying to make sure we get some new ports. We are looking in 2025 (NCL), and we found one we like in April 2025, ends in Seward. Fantastic! we will stay an extra day or 2 make our way to Anchorage and fly home. We planned the hotel, figured out Seard adventure. Excited about the train to Anchorage with the glass dome and all. Called my PCC that we want to change our planned and booked 2025 cruise to go back to Alaska. Further research shows that the train may not be running those routes in April (2023 schedule is end of May through Sept - Assuming that is a standard shedule) They have to have the same cruise in June, when we would rather go, right? Nope. The ones in June end in Whittier. So now we need to get to Seward first. Or stay in Whittier. If we are getting off the ship in Whittier, what is the best way to get to Seward, and how long is it going to take? We would rather not rent a car, while it may certainly be more cost effective, we would rather enjoy the scenary than argue about directions (we are both always right, and DH is impatient - whch led to our getting lost in London...but that is a different story). I was thinking the train to Girdwood, then transfer to Seward. Or train to Girdwood and then tranfer to train to Anchorage. Or is it smarter to take the ship transfer to Anchorage, do our thing there, and the next day do a Long Seward Day excursion roundtrip on the train? Yes, the glass dome/covered train is extra, but we are willing to indulge ourselves for the experience. Yes it is only offered for the Seward/Girdwood/Anchorage Route. Im not even sure where to start to figure it out. I know that Whittier isnt very populated, so wondering about available private transfer/transportation options. TIA,

While this is true, it is also false. We just disembarked from the Jewel. We were on Hera year ago, and one of the restaurant hostesses, called us out be name, from a distance, before we ever saw her. That was amazing.

My experience has been that when it hits 21 days until cruise (go by the number on your ncl account for your cruise) is when you can check in. The number changes at midnight in Florida. So for our upcoming cruise, we leave on Sunday, April 2. We could begin check in on Sunday, March 12. I am on the west coast, and I was able to check in beginning at 9pm on Saturday, March 11. You won’t be able to complete checkin for everyone without the photos and passport info (# and expiration date), but you can start it (if you are looking to get that early pier arrival time). I started check in for my daughter and SIL for them. All I did was login to their cruise and select the time while they were at dinner. They then finished it up later. For the photos, no hats or glasses. And headshot about selfie range, straight on. Think DMV/passport photo. I used a plain background. I took mine as a selfie, the took DH as a regular photo. I check us both in, so I wanted the photos on my device. Used the same photo for 3 cruises so far.

9:01pm this San Diegan is checking in as well. I too like that early arrival time.

I used to start check in as soon as the reservation showed on our account. Would get all the info filled out except payment and arrival time. Would be 84% complete until I could select arrival time. I don’t like this waiting until 21 days to even start check.

DH just sends me a text with numbers. Todays text: 13 375 614 819 good thing I knew what he meant

I personally like seeing if any of the crew that I have interacted with before, or even sailed with before, are going to be on my upcoming cruise. I will know if they run a "tight ship" so to speak.

I wish I had words of wisdom on this. The Jewel is a lovely ship and crew. and is the first ship that I am repeating with NCL. We love the smaller ships. I am always "am I getting the most value out of my $$" So if you can get the room you want at less $$ by going a week earlier & you dont have other issues to consider (school or work), I say do it, that makes sense to me. Taking into consideration that there may be what are considered to be "cancellation" fees which may make the savings non existant. Definately call and ask. With it after final payment, who knows. We are actually on the cruise you are considering switching to. We do have a roll call, so come join us if you do switch.

YES that is it. I was thinking Stephen Jacobs, but knew that wasnt right... And the Cruise Next Manager was Terry

Thank you! A couple names I recognize, and I heard that the General manager we had last year was just going on vacation from the Jewel - Stephen Jacob (i think that was it), He and the Cruise Next manager left very lasting impressions on us.

I have tried this multiple times...never gotten an answer. so I start to troll recent reviews and this thread

We are going on the Jewel in early April (2-9). Hoping to get a preview of senior officers and staff, including concierge. We loved the Jewel and her crew last April so much that we are repeating a ship for the first time. TIA