karatemom2

Thank you! I’d be interested in hearing Ken’s opinion of the hypnotist as well. On our recent Sky cruise he was really struggling to get people under and released quite a few. And of those remaining it was clear at least a couple were faking it. I felt bad for him - it was kind of painful.

Thanks for sharing this information! I noted the passport notification - are they actively checking that people are carrying their passports on them as they get on and off the ship?

We started cruising when our kids were young too, and being from the West Coast, we did a lot of Alaska cruises - it was pretty easily accessible, especially on our San Francisco departures, and we just love Alaska and would happily go again and again and again. My son loved it so much, that when he graduated from law school last year in Virginia, he chose to take the bar in Alaska and pursue a legal career there. He is now a prosecutor in Anchorage. Amazing how much cruising to Alaska so often helped inform his choice to ultimately move there.

It is super weird wording and to my PR trained ears, very carefully chosen to defer responsibility for the issue back to the vendor. Might be some legal considerations in the wording as well.

Love all your photos and content! Thank you for sharing!

Looking forward to hearing how you spent your day in Skagen and any recommendations you have to share.

While we personally have little interest in the Sun now after following the reviews and realizing we just prefer sailing on cruises without so many people, we do sympathize with families who are going to be disappointed by this turn of events. It did sound like a fun space for kids of all ages. That being said, I am going to sound like an old curmudgeon here - and I’m really not that old. But I have come to feel that we are doing a disservice to our kids these days by catering to every expectation for constant stimulation or entertainment as catering to their whims. I mean, regardless of the bells and whistles, how lucky are any of these young people to be going on cruises to wonderful places on beautiful ships even if they don’t have slides, parks, gliders, or rope courses. When we first started cruising Princess with our kiddos, they had the kids clubs, small arcades, putting greens and sports court, pools, and games in the library. And guess what? They had wonderful, memorable, and amazing experiences even without wave riders, slides, go karts, and laser tag. We played games as a family, they joined us at trivia and karaoke, they did the kids talent shows, they made friends and went to parties in the clubs, enjoyed family friendly entertainment, great food, and best of all, they traveled to wonderful destinations. They were LUCKY kids to have wonderful family vacations - spoiled for sure. So, I get that it is disappointing and it would have been a cool add on, but ultimately how blessed are these children to be traveling like this. I can’t imagine any young person feeling bored or disappointed to be treated to such an experience - with or without Park 19. Maybe it will open up opportunity for families to find other options for fun onboard which are still ample.

Thank you for sharing your journey! We just got back a couple of weeks ago from the Land of Midnight Sun cruise on Sky and it was amazing. We are very close to booking a Baltic cruise with your same itinerary for next summer so are very excited to follow your adventures and get your perspective. Enjoy this next leg of your trip!!

Agreed! Norway, like Alaska, is a place where I would very much choose based on the best itinerary, especially the fjords included. We almost chose the wrong cruise when deciding on our Norway cruise for this year and I'm so glad I did my research and got great advice here and ended up on a cruise with three of the high priority fjords. It made a huge difference. I love the Sky and it was a great setting for our cruise this year, but what really mattered was the itinerary, and I would have gladly have chosen another ship to get the right one.

Those are good points, but it is important for people going to Ketchikan to know that grabbing a taxi there is not easy or readily available. It is a tiny town, very few cabs, most of which book out on port days for extended private tours. And the few that might be available are going to be in high demand for the Ward Cove run as the ship departure time approaches. You may find yourself out of luck if you think you are going to be able to just get a cab back to the ship at a moment's notice. Given this situation happened with an NCL shore excursion where one could reasonably assume you would be guaranteed to be back on the ship on time - I think I would avoid booking any excursion, even an NCL excursion, that ended too close to the last shuttle bus time. We found the Ward Cove situation pretty poor the two times we were there with NCL. The second time we booked a private tour to make sure we had a guaranteed ride back in plenty of time for all aboard without having to worry about the ridiculously long shuttle lines and potential to miss the ship.

Agreed and we are very happy - my point was specifically in relation to having Elite benefits, since that was what this thread was about, or at least that is how the discussion was framed. And in my mind, I have always assumed the definition of teetotaler is someone who abstains from alcohol completely, which definitely does not define my husband or I. We are simply very light drinkers at best. But I can't help but feel like somehow your reference to people being teetotalers is equated with being no fun - and I can assure you I'm very fun even stone cold sober! ☺️

Oh, and I want to add one more good option that has been my husband’s go to for breakfast. In the International Cafe each morning they have Egg Bites - basically like crustless mini quiches with broccoli, cheese, mushrooms, etc. Totally Keto friendly, low to no carbs, and high protein. He ate them for breakfast everyday on our recent cruise - they are really tasty and satisfying!

Glad this helped. I hope you find the perfect itinerary. Here is the review I did of our recent cruise if it helps provide some inspiration or ideas on ports and tours.

We are not “teetotalers” nor do we drink very much. I enjoy an occasional glass of wine with dinner some nights, not all. And we enjoy a few cocktails over the course of the cruise, generally in the Elite Lounge. We have no use for the Plus/Premier package with our 1/2 price WiFi benefit, no interest in juice/coffee or “desserts” and minimal alcohol consumption, especially when we can relax before dinner in the nice Elite lounge, with our $8 cocktail, nice hors d oeuvres and live music. It’s lovely. We generally get at least two complimentary meals in the specialty restaurants, chocolates and chocolate covered strawberries, and bottle of champagne from our Casino host, plus our Elite mini bar which we switch out for soda and water. So with all that we are well set without a package. So you see, the Elite benefits do sometimes have a bearing on the decision not to buy into the packages, as well as Casino perks. And it isn’t just for “teetotalers” as you seem to presume.

The Shorex team still could have connected the dots when a group of passengers was missing - they would have all been on the manifest for that tour. Seems like common sense they would then be reaching out to the tour operator to ask about the NINE missing people. But that requires a level of attention and service that apparently some here thinks is not at all the responsibility of NCL who is pocketing money for a shore excursion that supposed to include return transport to the ship. How terribly naive of these people to think they would get what they paid for.

Wandered where? There is basically no place to wander at the Ward Cove port - it is fully self contained and just has some shops and amenities at the port entrance where no one is getting lost from the ship. The tour operator appeared to know full well that they had a group of people they were leaving behind in Ketchikan. That should have been shared with the Shorex team who has a roster with a list of passengers on each tour. It wouldn’t have been hard to figure out all these missing passengers were on the same tour and for the Shorex team to connect with the operator to ask where they were. Clearly no one really gave a damn about these people except the port authority who apparently tried to rescue them and get them back to the ship as it was sailing away. Not a great look for NCL or a way to create confidence in their shore excursions. I think private vendors with their reputation at stake would try harder to get people back on time.

Wow. Maybe I will remain primarily a Princess loyalist. We have enjoyed several NCL cruises and had thought we might plan more, but if what is being shared here is the NCL Shorex approach to customer service or general attitude - I think I’ll pass. I definitely wouldn’t pay the extra dollars expecting any support or consideration now based on these comments. By contrast, we have been on a few Princess shore excursions that ran over for one reason or another. In fact, we just got back from a Norway cruise where our tour group ended up sharing a last tender with the wrap up crew because it had been slightly delayed. There was never a question or concern. We were assured the entire time the Shorex team was aware and on top of it and we would be fine with the late return. In other instances when tours didn’t deliver as promised, the Princess Shorex team has investigated, apologized, and issued partial refunds. They are very service oriented and regularly have members of their team do secret guest tours with passengers to make sure operators are meeting expectations. This is what I expect if I’m paying top dollar to book through the ship and they are pocketing a profit from these tours. From what is being shared here, sounds like the NCL Shore Excursion team couldn’t care less and service is severely lacking. Good to know.

We were so glad we did our research and went this year before things started changing. We just got back from our Princess cruise that included Geiranger, Flåm, and Olden. I feel so fortunate we made all three. As I look at next year’s options those places look very hard to find. I’m assuming it’s due to the new requirements going into place on emissions and sizes of ships in the fjords. If you can find a cruise that includes at least two, especially Geiranger, I would jump on it.

My husband has worked very hard to get his A1C under 7 - last test was 6.3 so he is doing well. He has done it through diet and is on the very lowest dose of Metformin. We love to cruise, so he has really changed his pattern of eating on our trips. Thankfully Princess offers plenty of good options. Some things he does - avoid breads completely. He loves the pizza, so he will get a slice and just eat the cheese and toppings - no crust. At the grill he will enjoy a hot dog or burger bun free, or with lettuce wrap. If getting food in the buffet he loads up on salads, veggies, and meats from the carving station. He will also make a meat and cheese platter - like a charcuterie. In the MDR, they are very accommodating about substituting a double order of vegetables when the meal has rice or potatoes. For entrees he sticks to things like shrimp cocktail, veggie and antipasto entrees, soups, salads. He fully avoids pasta, potatoes, rice, and most fruits. And, he doesn’t completely deny himself desserts. He does generally stick to sugar free options with little or no flour component - things like ice creams, custards, puddings, mousse etc. if there is a crust like with a tart or pie, he simply does not eat that part of the dessert. Given how active we are and how careful he is for the most part, he also allows an occasional fully loaded treat. We aren’t drinkers, so alcohol really isn’t an issue for him. He will usually allow a couple of cocktails during our trip, but other than that he drinks water or Diet Coke. He manages to enjoy and eats a lot of meats and seafood too. He keeps it real and doesn’t go off the rails, but also lets himself have a little bit of the “good” stuff within strict moderation. it is totally doable and you can still have wonderful meals.

As a matter of fact, if you read my earlier post you would note I have in fact been to Ward Cove twice. It’s a full nightmare. I have also been on many ship excursions, including to the lumberjack show. So I am speaking from experience and the shuttle situation for Ward Cove is ridiculous and chaotic - no question about it. However, when you are on a ship sponsored excursion you should expect dedicated transport for your group. Generally you have a number and color with corresponding bus - for example on one of our recent Princess tours we were group Blue 7 - our bus had a sign in the front window - Blue 7. Only people with the corresponding ticket or sticker were on this bus. This is where, somehow, the system failed here. And it is very likely because of the chaotic mess created by the whole Ward Cove transit issue. But that does not alleviate the responsibility of the tour operators to monitor who is getting on the bus and it doesn’t alleviate the responsibility of NCL to live up to their promises to people who book ship excursions and do their part to attempt to return on their designated transportation that they are guaranteed return to the ship. I'm glad for the family that NCL seems to be really doing their best to make it right and hopefully they can enjoy a future cruise with the compensation being offered.

But you could! It’s ok. As a frequent Princess cruiser I can assure you that people complain there all the time. We love Princess, but many of your points about the Discovery are absolutely valid and I agree. It is definitely not our favorite Princess ship - in general we prefer the older Grand Class ships. But the right cabin on the Royal Class ships helps, and we love the forward facing balconies for scenic cruises. We also really like NCL - we have had great cruises. We enjoy the food and particularly the entertainment. However, for Alaska, itinerary is 100 percent our priority and NCL itineraries and port times are just not up to par. We are looking at other options with NCL and look forward to cruising with them again - maybe in Europe or East Coast. We would even do Mexican Riviera with NCL again. Just not Alaska.

These are the facts reported; Family booked an NCL ship excursion to lumberjack show. Tour operator had dedicated transport for this group of NCL passengers ON THIS TOUR. Passengers who were not a part of this paid NCL excursion made their way onto the return tour bus dedicated to the lumberjack tour group. Family with paid NCL shore excursion was prohibited from getting on their reserved tour bus because people who were not part of the tour were mistakenly allowed to board, taking their seats. Tour operator indicated another bus would be taking them back to the ship which did not materialize in timely fashion and they missed boarding time, even though they were on a ship sponsored tour. NCL has acknowledged responsibility and is covering all costs and offering future cruise compensation as well because they are attempting as best as possible to make things right for this family that had a pretty big ordeal because mistakes were made. Your comments about Regent being in port have literally zero to do any of this and it doesn’t take any detective work to figure it out because NCL has basically acknowledged exactly what happened!

We just returned from a wonderful cruise to Norway and the fjords there. It was spectacular - just beautiful. We loved it. We have cruised in Alaska numerous times. I will say without hesitation it is equally as beautiful. The glaciers are much larger and more impressive, the wildlife is abundant, the towns are charming and full of history. It is a destination not to be missed which is why we keep returning and my son actually just moved there to work as an attorney in Anchorage. Out kids grew up cruising Princess. They have a good program for youth and wonderful Alaska itineraries. You and your daughter will love it. Just a few of the thousands of photos from our many trips.

I am not arguing NCL’s reasons for establishing Ward Cove. Clearly they had challenges that made it a preferred option for the cruise line. My observation is that for passengers, especially those who may be unfamiliar or inexperienced, it is very limiting and challenging, and NCL has not figured out how to run it well or efficiently - especially with the limited port hours they offer. This was a situation just waiting to happen and it was due in large part to the confusing and inadequate setup they have established for transporting people. It is an aspect of choosing a cruise line and itinerary for an Alaska cruise that people need to understand and consider. NCL is not the best option and Ward Cove is less than optimal for anyone who truly wants to have any meaningful time or experience in Ketchikan. I would imagine after this NCL Shore Excursions department will implement some improvements in the shuttle situation and with their partner tour companies in monitoring who is getting on their buses to hopefully avoid a repeat of leaving customers on an NCL excursion behind.

How many of you commenting here have actually been to the absolute joke that is the NCL Ward Cove port? I have - twice. And let me tell you I would NEVER cruise with NCL in Alaska again. The Ketchikan port stop is a complete cluster with the short port times and crazy shuttle bus situation. By the time people are trying to return via these shuttles from town, it is literally every man for themself. We had the good sense the second time we were there to arrange private transportation because we knew what a complete mess it is based on actual experience. I feel for those who venture into this uninformed thinking that they will have a fun port day in Ketchikan. it’s pretty clear what happened here. This family booked an NCL excursion which should have been reliable and provided them peace of mind and protection. But in the mob scene of people pushing and shoving their way on any bus they can plant themselves on as the day gets short, the tour operator made the error of allowing non tour passengers on a bus dedicated to the lumberjack tour excursion participants, thus leaving this family out in the cold with the promise another bus would be coming for them. This is completely on NCL and the tour operator - they know it which is why they are being so upfront about reimbursement and trying to make things right. But the even bigger issue is the whole Ward Cove failure and how dismal it is to navigate as opposed to being on a ship that actually docks in Ketchikan.