Monica887

15 hours ago, ontheweb said:

We were on the Prima this past summer, and as I posted on an earlier reply in this thread, the waitstaff had no idea of what I was talking about when I asked for those menus for the next day.

When they introduce themselves and ask the table if there are allergies or restrictions, as soon as someone says vegetarian, it seems to me they should know about and hand over a special menu, if it's that readily available. Or it should say on the main menu "please ask about our vegetarian menu".

8 hours ago, SeaShark said:

 

Actually, NCL has done this. There is a vegan menu in the MDR, however most know nothing about it as they fail to contact the access desk prior to their cruise to discuss their dining accommodation(s).

 

Thanks. I didn't know this. Since it's a food preference and not an actual allergy, I never want to take away attention from people who actually NEED accommodations.

I'll try it for my upcoming trip! I know Haven is pretty flexible with the menu, but hopefully they can incorporate some of these for me too. 

2 hours ago, Coastalbreezes said:

Aqua will be the first ship to have this restaurant.

https://www.nclhltd.com/news-media/press-releases/detail/592/norwegian-cruise-line-unveils-all-new-culinary-experiences

Interesting. I'd rather NCL work on incorporating a good variety of *interesting and flavorful* plant based dishes in the main dining venues rather than having to go to one specific spot. I can always find something or piece together sides, but they tend to be bland and boring.

6 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

They do but you need to pre-arrange it.

Ooh, you can do that in the MDR? I thought that was only a Haven thing. 

What else can you prearrange for, if you know enough to ask? I do know about pre arranging for vegetarian mushroom soup in Le Bistro. 

2 hours ago, goldmom said:

Just booked a cruise through CAS today.  My agent said that if you book through CAS you still get the free drinks in the Casino.  We'll see if she's right.

We booked months ago through CAS, trip is in July. Heard today from the CAS person that we will NOT be getting drink cards. I don't drink much alcohol or soda, so I don't get the free at sea...it's always nice though in the evening to have the option of a casino drink! (Yes, I still have the option to purchase, but I probably won't...)

The only time I did a live was the one time I paid for "unlimited" internet. Internet worked well and wasn't glitchy, so it was easy to update and add pictures every day. 

I'd like to do another live this summer but it's Alaska so I don't know if I can justify paying for Internet when I should be able to easily have Internet in port. 

I haven't been on the joy but the only room I've been in on any ship that my magnets wouldn't work was a Haven room (Escape). 

They will open and close it by request, but we just leave it open. My tween needs space sometimes so she can go up there with headphones during the day to escape us if needed. 

21 minutes ago, SoloAlaska said:

Ok I’ll just suggest a few things that only take 30 minutes to an hour to complement your excursions. If you have a little more time in Skagway I’ve heard good things about Yakutania point hike which starts by one of the docks and only takes 30 minutes and is quite easy. If salmon are running when you’re in Ketchikan I recommend you take the time to go see Creek Street. The salmon and seals alone are worth the visit but there’s also some cute shops and historic buildings there.

Thanks! I'll only have about an hour left after the Ketchikan excursion, but will see how the day goes - that's the perfect option if we have time. 

And I'm not sure we can convince my travel companions to do a second hike in Skagway - is it safe for a single to do alone? Looks like something I would enjoy!

This is my second Alaska cruise and looking for feedback on my current excursion choices. 

Juneau - Whales and Rainforest trails (last time did helicopter to Mendenhall)

Skagway - Chilkoot trail hike and River float (last time rented a car and drove to Emerald lake)

Ketchikan - Black Bear and Wildlife Exploration (haven't been there before)

Anything else I should consider? We like nature and outdoor. Skipping the railway since we already drove that route. 

Thanks for the responses! Yes, my question was specifically about the multi generation trip I'm considering now, but I don't mind the input overall, in case DH and I can ever ditch the kids for a solo trip! (I WOULD like to try Virgin...) 

We have done the major lines and I wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking something. We haven't loved the last couple of Carnival. I generally like Royal but our last one was on an older ship to Alaska - so there wasn't much, and the rock wall kept closing due to weather. I'd be happy to try them again, and the NCL ships are usually a good in between for the big family trips. 

3 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

Look closer - the Dawn doesn't have a Haven. So if that is a true priority for you guys, you need to learn the ships first and see which ones even have a Haven area on them to begin with.

 

https://cruisedeckplans.com/ships/cruiseline.php?line=Norwegian

 

Look at the Jewel class, Breakaway, Breakaway Plus, Prima, and Prima Plus categories.

 

Not for nothing, but if the single wants a private space and is tagging along with the couple at a steep discount (vs paying solo rates in a Haven room alone) they really don't get to complain about the room when the options for a 2br are slim. Prima & Prima Plus categories have 'true' 2br cabins where they're equal in size (vs the "kid" room you referred to), but the tradeoff is a miniscule living room. If you can afford a 3br villa, those are where it's at - but then your single person isn't getting a discount.

 

We'll be on Epic in a week with 4 adults in the 2br Haven room, with 2 of those adults in the "kid" room. They know it's on the small side, but they get to join us on a trip in the Haven (was sold out when they were able to book on their own) and plan on using the room for S/S/S mainly. We also didn't split the cost 50/50 as to us that wasn't fair since the bedrooms weren't even. So it all depends on what is important to you guys, what your expectations are, how fair everyone is willing to be.

The single is not "tagging along." It an unmarried senior citizen and a senior couple. They travel together, and it's expensive for a single to travel. It's disproportional, even if you can technically afford it. 

1 minute ago, FLAHAM said:

Why in one (very expensive) cabin?   Two balcony cabins will nicely fill the bill.

Because they now prefer Haven for all the other amenities. 

2 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Ship?

All of them 😂

The current one we're looking at is Dawn, but this is an ongoing question. They were previously just getting 2 regular balcony rooms, but now prefer Haven and trying to figure out the best way to make it work without paying 15k for one person. 

3 adults - 1 couple, and one single. Single wants private sleeping space, but not the teeny tiny kids size space. Haven preferred. Does this exist? Haven prices are silly for a single to have their own room. 

2 hours ago, detroitlions said:

I don’t understand how folks do not have potato chips in there house. Seems un American. My in-laws never have cookies or chips. When they come to my house they devour all the chips and cookies. I don’t get it.

Because I have no self control and would never fit into my cruise clothes. But once I'm on the ship, give me cookies and chips!! And hash browns. And mozzarella sticks.

4 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Making a list for my next NCL cruise

 

Bring maple syrup  ✔️

Bring  lobster ✔️

Bring mattress ✔️

Bring hashbrowns ✔️

Bring  cookies ✔️

Bring Lipton tea bags ✔️

Bring American Diner mozzarella sticks

3 minutes ago, Seas2mountains said:

We’ve received the plain yellow tortilla chips and the ones you are describing and I think those were a white corn or flour? 

I just looked back at my pics but like I said it was at the end of the trip, so I guess I stopped taking pictures of snacks by then! Whatever they were, hopefully they have them again this summer.

11 hours ago, Seas2mountains said:

We let the butler know what we like - usually tortilla chips and salsa for me and cheese and  cheese and cheese for DH. 

We will embark on NCL cruise # 26 in less than a week. We have not ever in the first 25 cruises gone to the buffet for a cookie.  
 

Cab NCL bring back the breakfast hasbrowns? 

 

 

Very important question about the tortilla chips - on our last cruise on the last day we requested some and the ones were got were seasoned like a BBQ type flavor and we loved them. Is this the type they usually are? We are putting together our request list for the next cruise now! 

What cruise line would you go? Which is your favorite of the mainstream commercial cruise lines, and why? And how do YOU think they compare to NCL when it comes to food and service etc? 

The more recent Carnival ones I did I didn't care for at all. Newer ships but I hated the layout. Didn't care for the service or food. Didn't like how over the top the cruise directors are. 

Only one recent one on Royal and it was an older ship. I would like to try one of their newer ships again but the service was excellent. The food was comparable to NCL (which I think is mediocre to good). 

Planning an extended family trip and trying to decide or see if there's anything I'm missing before I go back to NCL as my default. Youngest kid is 11 up to grandparents. Warm weather, easy to get to from the east coast. Christmas week. (We're stuck with school schedules...)

I have the Encore booked. I wanted Glacier Bay, and to fly in and out of Seattle. But yeah, some of the port times are very short. Places we would normally think to find ouu own excursions seems risky with the short time. Or in Victoria when you don't dock until 8pm on the last night. Seems like a waste.

Editing to add - I did Alaska once before. So I'm ok with a lot of ship time for the views, and seeing whales from the ship. 

Update us, OP!

55 minutes ago, daisydawg said:

Thanks! It looks like a good experience. My husband and father-in-law aren’t really interested in the sled dogs, but my mother-in-law and my teens are. So it seems like a good compromise to self-drive and stop at the sled dogs.

Yup. You don't have to do the sled ride, and (when I went) it was only $7 each to just hang out with the puppies. We mostly went for my animal loving 8 year old but all had fun. 

Just now, ngrund said:

In these parts, to qualify as a diner the menu has to be at least 8 pages, not including the daily specials

EXACTLY. And where's the club? The grilled cheese? 

4 hours ago, L1211 said:

I’m no expert - don’t frequent a lot of diners, but this menu seems odd to me… at least it’s free! 

Yeah, I'm a NY native. This isn't a diner menu.