gknep

I’m on the Encore now. The captain made an announcement this morning about the incident. I had seen the news report online, but I’m not sure how many people knew about it until the announcement. We were in Juneau yesterday and Skagway today without further drama. 

I'm going to guess that it was used for people to pose for the ship photographers.

My experience on multiple Alaska cruises on both NCL and Holland America is that Holland America has better docking positions and no shuttles needed. This is especially good for Ketchikan where NCL now docks at Ward Cove and the provided shuttle drops you off at a place that still requires a bit of a walk to the main part of town. This season there are more ships than ever so even Holland America is having to anchor in Ketchikan and use tenders for some of their stops there. I had to tender once in Ketchikan back in 2004 and it wasn't too bad, but I was a lot younger then. 

13 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

I don't ever tip per drink and I have never had a problem getting a drink over someone who tips extra.  I have even had bartenders that know what I drink and already have one being poured as I walk up.  At the end of the cruise, I give $20-$50 to the bartenders that made the trip better without me having to bribe them.  

So much this. I have gotten to know one or two bartenders on a number of different cruises and been treated very well by them absent any tipping. I have tipped them in cash at the end of the cruise. I have found the bartenders in the whiskey bar on the Encore on multiple sailings to be excellent. 

37 minutes ago, hallux said:

 

Sure, some variety from ship to ship is appreciated, and there's still some, but was LT really THAT popular?

I can tell you from experience that on Glacier Bay day during multiple Alaskan Cruises the Laser Tag area was nearly empty and I got some great views and pictures from it. 

I was kind of up set by this, but then I thought about it and I'll take the smaller Observation Lounge if it gets rid of the laser tag and adds a spice H20. 

I've come to the conclusion that I love meeting other people and talking to them at the bar. For some reason that does not translate at meals where I don't really want to make small talk with people I don't know. 

14 hours ago, tokidoki said:

May when?

May 5-12

I got priority tags in the mail a few days ago for an Encore sailing in May. Regular Club Balcony and platinum. My parents on the same cruise and in a Haven Aft Facing Suite got nothing. 

I still enjoy actually reading books. I cannot get the hang of listening to them on a regular basis. 

14 minutes ago, Texter2 said:

Good question! I believe two from FAS and two from FAS+. 

If you have Platinum of above status on NCL you also get 2 free specialty dining meals. One with a bottle of wine. 

Jan 4 2025

Konigsdam 

7 Day Baja Peninsula 

I've been on the Encore a few times. Had great meals at Ocean Blue, Onda, and Le Bistro. I was less impressed by Los Lobos just because I get great Mexican food where I live. Cagney's has been fine but not outstanding. Aside from the specialty dining the Indian food at the buffet is not to be missed. 

This has been a really interesting thread for me to read. I've been on HAL and NCL multiple times.   We leave on Tuesday for our first Princess cruise. From what I'm reading it sounds like Princess sits in a nice middle ground between HAL and NCL in terms of activity level, entertainment, and service. 

That was not my experience of the chocolate surprise on a September cruise on the Zaandam. 

On my September cruise from Montreal to Boston you could sign for dinks in the Neptune lounge and they were included in your HIA package. 

I've done both in the past and prefer Glacier Bay by far. 

Slainte Margarita: Irish Whiskey, Cointreau, Lemon juice, Agave Syrup. 

There used to be a martini variant on the menu that they will still make on request. It has gin, vodka, and Grand Mariner in place of vermouth. 

We were on the Zaandam Sep 3-13 and the cards were not prepunched. They did punch the cards on disembarkation day to show that we had cleared immigration and customs. 

52 minutes ago, FlorenceItaly said:

Wonderful.  We will be on the Zaandam next year for 28 days.  We will not have the drink package.  Are there any happy hours with reduced pricing for the martinis?  While on our TA in May on the Zuiderdam the Pinnacle Bar offered martinis at reduced pricing for about an hour each evening.  Thank you!

Yes there are daily happy hours. There should also be organized tastings (beer, and wine) and a mixology class. All for an extra fee of course. 

1 hour ago, FlorenceItaly said:

Any martini specials?  Other ships have been known to have an hour each evening with martinis on special.  Thank you.

The Martini Bar is next to Mix on Deck 5. They don't print up any special menu, but they can make all kinds of variations of the martini. A couple of my favorites from past HAL cruises are the 0010 Martini which is Tanqueray 10, vodka, and Grand Mariner. It is served up with an orange twist. Another one is the Slainte Margarita which is made with Irish Whiskey, orange liquor, lemon juice, and agave syrup. They also do a chocolate martini that was well received by those who ordered it. 

4 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

 

We were on the Zaandam until Aug. 23 and near the end of that cruise was when work started on the stern thruster(s).  Today while going through photos for my photo book, which is under construction this week, I saw photos of objects that appeared on the bow decking when we were in St. John's NF.  If they were there before I wasn't aware of it because I looked at the bow camera on my TV every day.  Here is what they look like.

 

 

Looks like rusty metal covers they removed from the stern thrusters because no doubt they want to put new covers on the thrusters after replacement.  If @chengkp75 took a look he could probably give us an accurate assessment of what they are instead of my speculation.

 

BTW, you didn't miss much in St. Anthony.  Literally zilch.

Just checked my pictures. Those were still on the bow during our cruise. 

3 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

 

 

For those seeking negatives.  OK, the signing receipts issue...its inconsistent,  for sure. It seems if the bar staff knows you, you might not be told to sign a receipt. I would say we are signing 60% of the time right now.

Marlon in the Martini bar is the best. I got to know him a little and was not signing receipts. It was a little funny. If I was there with other people and we all ordered drinks. Everyone else got receipts to sign but me. 

4 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Did you ever hear a cause for the repairs? I heard divers and rear thrusters. We made a 15 hour, 19 knot run to be here today, on time. 

Divers and thrusters in Halifax. They kept running into setback which postponed our departure until 2AM. The repairs have been reportedly been ongoing in different ports for a while now. Cruise was still great. 

Got off the Zaandam yesterday. We missed two ports (St. Anthony due to rough seas and Bar Harbor due to repairs running long in Halifax) and still had a great time. The fog horn ran almost constantly during our cruise as well. Every two minutes or so by our timing. Great ship and wonderful crew.