GORDONCHICK

Just now, laudergayle said:

Early September…pricing is similar.  May be something we should consider.  But, being from the south…seeing snow is always a treat. Thanks for your insight.

You'd still see snow in many places - depending on the weather that year.  To me, Hubbard is jaw-dropping - when you can get in to see it.  Glacier Bay is cool, lots of wildlife.  But that early, there will likely be a lot of ice in the water so the ships won't get as close.

In Skagway, I would recommend Chilkoot Tours for the Yukon rail & bus tour.  It's pretty cool!

Ketchikan is a great place to buy inexpensive rain jackets - and you may need them.  There are several places by the pier.  We usually ended up at the Tongass Trading Company.  It's especially great if it's your first stop

It's too early to get in to see Hubbard.  Between ice and fog, the chances of seeing it are incredibly small.  Though we heard it (and that was the last week in May).  For off-season AK cruising, try the beginning of September.  You will get in to see Hubbard.  And there are lots of sales on stuff if you are into the shopping part.

We always do whale watching in Juneau with Harv & Marv's.  Smaller boats than the cruise line sponsored excursions for sure.  We are partial to the 6 passenger ones but they also had 12 and 20.  Depends on how many from your ship books with them as to how big of a boat you'd be on.

As far as getting close to Hubbard, that late in the season the ships can get in pretty close.  Exactly how close will be up to the captain.

20 minutes ago, jemz1949 said:

If dining at Teppanaki with children, be sure to clarify when seated if you want your children to eat off of the child's menu.  Otherwise, they will likely assume that the child will be eating off of the regular menu and will charge accordingly.  

 

This is true with any specialty restaurant.

4 minutes ago, LoungerOnBalcony55 said:

Glad NCL is keeping this as is. Royal has an obnoxious new "clean your plate" policy that you can only order a second entre after finishing your first.

Yikes!  What if you don't like it?

1 hour ago, MacGuffin3 said:

Does anybody have a recent typical schedule for the Encore buffet?

I don't think "typical" exists.  I think it depends more on the itinerary and the homeport than the ship specifically.

I've also been known to order a plate of steamed veggies in the MDR to go with my entree.  I try to do a big salad at lunch but know I need more veggies with dinner and this has never been a problem.

42 minutes ago, Koali said:

I will keep this in mind, but we’ll probably have to break out the tablets and screentime. Do you know if we could take any food “Togo” like the dessert if things take too long. I mean I guess I could wait until the server brings to our table and then we take the whole dish. 

I've taken dessert to go from both specialty and MDR - though never ice cream.  Sometimes I'm just too full at that time and will eat it later in the evening.  I will warn - creme brulee isn't even close to as good later so by gosh, I will force most of that puppy down!

Just now, MacGuffin3 said:

Bummer, can kids order off the "proper" menu in the regular dining room?

Absolutely.  They can also do it in a specialty but you will be charged for it.  Or at least be prepared to be charged for it.

1 minute ago, MacGuffin3 said:

Do the kid's menu have anything to do with the restaurant in question? Perhaps a small portion of bbq for example, Or just chicken strips everywhere?

It's the same kid's menu for the entire ship.  That's why I suggest giving the kids some off your (the parents' plates) along with a kids' meal.

When my son was little, he ate off my plate plus a kid's meal.  That kid loves steak and seafood.  He's 22 now and has loved trying all kinds of food - and a lot of that was on cruises.  He found he loved crab legs, escargot and mussels on cruises.  Sadly, you won't see crab legs anymore unless you're on a top tier line.  I can't remember if he first had lobster on a cruise or not.

35 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

Why don't you and your wife get 100 shares so both can get $100obc?

 

Or is it like the cruisenext certificate and$50 shore ex credit in that 1 per cabin?

(I travel solo and almost always get $100)

If you each had your own cabin, sure.  We have 300 shares (don't know why hubby bought that amount but he did).  Still only get a total of $100 OBC total.

51 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

To add another person would add another fare. They would become the 4th but, I assume one of the minors already paid the big fare so a 4th might be cheap.

The scenario you quoted wasn't adding another person.  It was changing out one person for another one, and it used to be a $50 fee to do that.  But I think we may have passed the window to be able to do that and it probably isn't only $50 anymore

12 minutes ago, SeekingKillerWhales! said:

This is day one in Seattle. Wouldn't that be the schedule for the people getting off the boat, not those getting on, which is after breakfast anyway? 

That makes much more sense!

2 minutes ago, Cruising Lynne said:

Seems to vary a lot by ship.

 

Yikes!  I'd never make it to breakfast!

6 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

Quick question for those more experienced with the shareholder obc.

They split the $100 between my wife and I so it shows $50pp.

If I go over my $50, will the balance of whatever I'm doing/purchasing then come out of my wife's $50?

Is it treated as one $100 obc or is it separate?

I would imagine it's one lump sum, but I thought I'd check since it's my first experience with shareholder obc.

TIA

If both accounts are secured with the same credit card, they should be merged with a single total due, then charged to the credit card.  That means that the credit would crossover from one to the other.  Basically, it's really just one big account with some separations within it.  If both are not secured with the same card, then no.

I submitted ours on 6/30/23 and got the amenity email on 7/4/23.  This was our first time cruising since buying the stock.  Hubby bought stock in the 3 main cruise lines during the pandemic.

34 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

I'm a little confused with the thread.

My daughter just sailed Escape at the end of May and she said the buffet, for breakfast, never closed before 10:30am and was open until 11am on a couple of days.

I already posted here that there are Joy dailies posted somewhere on another site from a couple of weeks ago that shows those same hours.

My guess is that this isn't a fleet or ship thing - more of an itinerary thing.  I'll be on the Joy in September for 9 nights.  There is only one "sea" day (we'll be on a river) but the port times all vary at lot.  My guess is that the buffet hours may as well.

13 minutes ago, Z'Loth said:

 

Ideally, your friend should have your airline and flight number. There are a number of online services that will let them know which gate you are arriving at through a mobile browser... especially if they are picking you up at the mega-airport such as DFW International. However, I also tell my ride to not leave for the airport until I call/text them that we have landed and are docked at the gate. In my experience, it takes a minimum of 30 minutes to deplane, find the luggage pickup area, and pick up my luggage, so ideally, they should be waiting at the cellular lot until I have my luggage. 

We will be picking up a rental car and driving to Acadia Natonal Park.  Only our hotel will be waiting on us.

1 hour ago, insidecabin said:

At least NCL has the limited breakfast options at the Local/O'Sheehans(we do use that space when they have what we want)

 

Try a big MSC ship holding 6000 even with the massive buffet and dining rooms open for breakfast the place gets mobbed on port days with the early&shorex timings, no other included options.

They do have extended b'fast hours merged to lunch.

 

Tomorrow on the Dawn will be interesting tender and 1/2 day wonder how many will use the opportunity to rest a bit and find O'Sheehans is full and nothing on the buffet.

 

 

We sailed MSC Seaside.  It was okay but we found the buffet severely lacking in food options.

16 minutes ago, Chesneygirl said:

Can the vouchers be used at the Japanese restaurant?

yes

5 minutes ago, Andoria said:

Will the vouchers be in my cabin on embarkation day?  I turned Platinum at the end of my last cruise.

Yes.  That much I know!

3 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Yes, I agree, but what I'm saying is that 9:30 IS the later opening time. I would have thought 7-9 am would be reasonable, so to have it open from 5:30-9:30 AM is generous, in my opinion. 

So you think feeding a couple thousand people in a 2 hour time span in an area that only holds a few hundred is reasonable?  Your idea of reasonable and mine are very different!

10 hours ago, Z'Loth said:

Per https://www.cbp.gov/travel/preclearance, the following Canadian airports have United States Preclearance:

 

• Calgary International Airport
• Edmonton International Airport
• Robert L. Stanfield International (Halifax Preclearance)
• Montreal Trudeau International Airport
• Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport
• Lester B. Pearson International Airport (Toronto Preclearance)
• Vancouver International Airport
• Winnipeg International Airport

 

In effect, once you pass through PreClearance, you are in the "United States", and your flight is a domestic flight. 

Good to know!  Thanks.

What kind of engineer are you?  My son will be finishing 2 engineering degrees this coming school year.

Thanks everyone!

52 minutes ago, SpainAlien said:

On Dawn in June as we sat down the waiter told us only 1 appetizer, 1 entree and 1 dessert so maybe they are tightening up on that 

Bummer.