swmichigan cruiser

18 hours ago, jazzydiver said:

I just looked, and cruisedeckplans dot com has it correct.

Seeing as how we have three cruises scheduled on the Joy in an angled balcony I did check the cruisedeck site and we are good but thanks for the posting about it.

I will apologize upfront. I try not to post very much as I finally figured out I learn more from what other people post than when I am posting. I have no trouble with what the OP originally posted. I would never try to find the cruise he mentioned but doesn't hurt to know some companies are doing those type things. I frankly wouldn't be surprised if others cruise lines offer something similar eventually. I have three cruises booked on the Joy in April and I thought I might look at changing those up and drop two 7 night cruise keep the 12 night and add the three night cruise end of April and add another 12 night right after. Not sure what is going on but the 3 night at least for now has disappeared from the NCL and my TA's websites. I haven't cruised as much as many here. Only 23 on NCL and the other 47 I am sure don't count here  By the way I am 75 and a veteran and I don't run away and pout. So say what you want to me I can handle it.

1 hour ago, JT1962 said:

Whale watching with Glacier Winds is excellent. If they are booked, try Hoonah Travel Adventures. 
 

Icy Strait Point is out favorite port since it relatively undeveloped and does not have any shopping other than some local vendors in the restored cannery. The scenery is beautiful, the hiking trails are nice, the mini donuts at the stand near the end of the zip line are excellent.

Totally agree with you about Glacier Winds. Funny thing we were supposed to be at Icy Straits Point yesterday on the Quantum of the Seas but they cancelled their stop there a few months ago because of continuing engine problems so we cancelled that cruise. But we are getting on the Encore in about 6 weeks to do the Panama Canal cruise.

6 minutes ago, weltek said:

@YVRteacher Can you get a shot of the list of current officers? Either if you get a card listing them, or if you take a picture of the display board? Thanks! Glad to see Deepak is on board. He's one of my favorites. Hope he's still around there for my December cruise.

Deepak might not be onboard in December. He sent me an email that he will be on vacation when we do the October 23 Panama Canal cruise. So not really sure when his vacation starts and ends. I was hoping to meet him on our cruise.

10 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

i saw a print out near guest services but did not take a copy so I am not sure who the hotel director is for this cruise.  His name was mention at the top tier event but I seldom pay attention as i can never recall interacting with senior officers on Royal Caribbean.

 

If you really need to know I will get his name for you.

 

Same for us about senior officers. We have done about 30 cruises with Royal. One of the hotel directors has turned out to be a good friend but I couldn't tell you the name of any of the other hotel directors or senior officers on Royal.

Sorry to hear about Tom getting hurt and no Choir of Man on this cruise. I really liked Choir of Man when I saw it 6 times on the first two Encore cruises out of Miami in late 2019. We get on in late October for the 21 night Panama Canal cruise so hopefully they will be able to do the show. I think Guns & Rojas was also on those cruises. I have heard great things about Deepak and have traded a few emails with him and was looking forward to meeting him but the last email I got from him he says when we get on the Encore he will be on vacation. We will reach Diamond after this cruise. 

I'm glad the pre-test is gone. We have had the original vaccines and also the two booster shots. What bothered me was the fact is the possibility of getting a false positive on the pre-test. I had a false positive on a colon cancer test two years ago and had to have a colonoscopy which came back negative as I thought it would. 

I will also be following your report on the Quantum. We were also supposed to be on with you for the two cruises but decided against going this year. Maybe next year but more than likely 2024. Enjoy your cruises.

9 hours ago, Zippeedee said:

I’m booked on the last Prima cruise in September 2023. I booked day one and m still waiting to see what the next cruise will be. Hoping for a transatlantic, much more fun than just flying home. Chances are not looking good though.

We also booked on that cruise but we wanted to do a TA back home and NCL wasn't showing cruises on the Prima after that so we booked two cruises on Royal that included a TA for after the Prima.. Plus the Prima pricing was getting so high even if they did finally show might be .to expensive for us. Ended up canceling all three and found a TA on Royal for 14 nights at a great price . Of course Royal canceled that one so we were able to shift to another ship for same price but now for 17 nights TA that does Iceland and Greenland. We probably wouldn't have looked if NCL had posted there TA cruises sooner. 

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

We are this year’s Voyager cruise , it a L&S from 2 years , so we are getting for a steal 

We had the Serenade TA booked that got canceled for 14 nights and we had the chance to do the 17 night  Jewel. We had a balcony guarantee So the Jewel will cost us about $75 per night for each of us. Have to really like that price.

1 minute ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Really crappy port times in Iceland ! 

I agree about that but price makes it worthwhile cruise for us. 

We  booked an XB Balcony Guarantee on the Serenade 14 night TA for  next fall at a very good price as no balconies were available. Royal canceled that cruise and we choose the option to take the  17 night Jewel TA in late August next year at the same price so I figure our really good price got even better. So whatever we get I am sure we will be fine with.

2 hours ago, bridedoll1026 said:

Similar situation happened to us on Allure & Jewel. I requested & was granted a table for 2 & had an email confirmation. All checked out upon arrival & used a BOGO Chops offer the first night. When we showed up on the second night our assigned table had other guests seated there! It was particularly annoying on Jewel because we informed the Head Waiter that we were going to Chops the first night & he assured us that the table would still be our assigned table for the week.

I never told the hotel director what happened but he found out anyway. I had told the concierge and she contacted the Restaurant Manager and the Head Matre d and they found us and took care of the problem but we didn't go back to the dining room on that cruise. Bob

28 minutes ago, Ashland said:

We had the table numbers switched on us before (a 4top window). We were on a B2B and mid-cruise 2nd leg a solo cruiser tried the switcheroo ...it didn't work out so well for him 

My wife and me and two grandkids were on the Radiance so I checked where our assigned table was in the dining room and it was a good table but for 6 and I knew we weren't going to eat in the dining room every night so I picked out a table for 4. 1st night didn't eat in dining room used BOGO in Italian restaurant 2nd night we were getting ready to go but got a phone call from a staff member/friend on board and we did dinner with him in Chops. 3rd night didn't like menu so didn't go. 4th night got there got seated and then staff member maybe asst head waiter said we were at wrong table and table number changes from 1st to 2nd seating. So he moved us to another table in a bad location so 

he not only lied to us he embarrassed my family. We have been Diamond Plus for a long time so I knew he was lying. Anyhow it didn't work out well for him as I was told he got a written reprimand in his file. The friend we had dinner with the second night was the hotel director. And we also had dinner with him last night of the cruise.

I just got  a Royal Up email offer for a cruise we canceled about two weeks ago. 

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

The 8/29 was originally scheduled for Sitka.  The Quantum sailings alternated with Sitka one week and Skagway *the next when we book the 8/29 and 9/5 sailing over a year ago.  

 

That is why we booked the same two cruises but when they dropped Icy Strait Point on the Sept 5 cruise we canceled both cruises, Will try again next year or year after. Enjoy your cruises,

40 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Prima….NCL’s newest ship….sailing during the Holiday Season?  Yeah, it’s going to be expensive.  Find a different ship, or shift your sail dates a little.  There are bargains out there.

I think we got a pretty good bargain so that is one of the reasons we canceled the Prima out of England October 2023  because we wanted also do a TA back to the states so we found a 14 night cruise on the Serenade that did Iceland and Norway  for $2566.00 total not per person for a balcony guarantee.  Royal canceled that one and allowed us to move to the Jewel  TA for 17 nights for the same price end of August next year.. Will do Iceland and Greenland but not Norway.  Seems like a deal to me and eventually we will do the Prima.

56 minutes ago, Zippeedee said:

I booked a 14 day Prima cruise on the fist day they were announced. My “one person in a balcony” has increased from around $9000 (before my credits from cancelled cruises) to about $15,000 now. Glad I booked early!

We had a 14 night cruise booked on the Prima for next October out of England. Price was around  $8,000 last time I checked it was about $16,000. We decided to cancel and do something else. I am sure we will try the Prima eventually.

1 hour ago, Tooncamp said:

Just received the email from NCL that Skagway stop has changed to Icy Straight Point instead. Hours are 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. We are not wanting to hike or zip line so not much else to do from what I have been reading. So bummed about this change. Sail date is September 4th

 

We just cancelled two Royal cruises for late August and one of the main reasons was they dropped Icy Strait Point as we had  whale watching scheduled there with a company we had used before and they did a great job. We will try again next year or the following year.

38 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 We are on the same B2B on Quantum that you are currently booked on and have decided we are going to continue to sail.  While we will miss the glaciers, we've been to Alaska twice before and the glaciers are just one part of the beautiful scenery.  

 

We also had been there twice before and really liked Icy Strait Point and when Royal canceled that it made the decision easier and because we booked under the Cruise with Confidence Program we get everything back in FCC so we can try again another time. Enjoy the Quantum I was looking forward to trying it.

We have the Quantum booked for August 29 and Sept 5. Probably will cancel both but add a 7 night Alaskan cruise on the NCL Encore for October 16 that is just before our 21night Panama Canal cruise on the Encore. So instead of two flights to Seattle will make it only one. Still deciding.

1 hour ago, Tlbecker1 said:

We just received this:

 

Dear Guest,

Due to speed limitations caused by a technical issue with one of the ship’s engines, we’ve replaced our visit to Icy Strait Point, Alaska with Ketchikan, Alaska. Additionally, instead of visiting Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier on Friday, we’ll have a full day in Juneau, Alaska……

Just got this also. More than likely we will cancel out B2B cruises on the Quantum that would have started August 29.

We have two 7 night B2B Alaskan cruises booked on the Quantum of the Seas starting August 29 I might just cancel both of them under the Cruise with Confidence program. I have a 21 night Panama Canal already booked with NCL from Seattle I might just add a 7 night Alaskan cruise on the same ship just before the Panama Canal cruise and not worry about testing and flying to Seattle twice.. I do realize NCL does still require testing at this point  but that way only have to do it once compared to doing it for Royal and later for NCL. Not sure what I am going to do but still good to have options to consider.

On 7/22/2022 at 10:01 PM, CruisingHogFan said:

I would be fine (and done them) on any ships but Oasis class. Just have to go into it knowing you could get a great location or  a bad one… I personally won’t book one unless I can save more than a couple hundred per person.

We have balcony guarantee for the first time on a Artic Circle TA 17 night cruise on the Jewel of the Seas August 2023 because it was a replacement offered by RCCL for a cancelled cruise on the Serenade our really low price moved to the Jewel. Our price is about $2500 compared to if we tried to book it now  with a guarantee balcony at about $5500.  Pretty sure we can be happy no matter what.

No matter what it is always great to have options and then you try to make the best decision for what is best for you. In our case probably would not do it but for others it might be a good thing to do. We probably wouldn't do it on the next few cruises. Next cruise is 21 nights on the Encore and we already have 7 free specialty dinners for each of us, have 620 internet minutes and we will do only a few NCL excursions plus already spent enough with NCL so not willing to spend almost $2100 more. But each case is different and somethings are more important to others than to us.