justhappy

You are right! I said Escape in a previous comment and meant the Getaway. 😞

On the Escape when it first launched it was a free venue that offered Cuban food in keeping with the ships Miami theming. It was so good! And it also offered a morning buffet of hot and cold items that was a nice place to eat a quiet Al fresco breakfast.

Last August I signed up for Port Valet service on the website in advance, and once on the ship inquired at guest services if I was indeed on their list. I was told they don’t get the information on the ship till a day or two before debarkation and if I didn’t receive any information in our stateroom the last day to check back in at guest services. Luckily the luggge tags and boarding passes showed up!

We had to divert to Icy Strait due to the rockslide in Skagway last year. We walked the road into Hoonah Alaska and glad we did. The walk along the water is so beautiful and whales are often seen here. It is a town of mostly native Tlingit people and a rich history of its own if you strike up a conversation with a local. Dont rule it out even if you don’t book an excursion for us it was still worth it. Added some photos of the walk to Hoonah.

I second Ivars! https://www.ivars.com/acres

Last August my husband and I sailed the Encore to Alaska, we missed Skagway due to the rockslide. So my only visit to Skagway was in 2015 with my Dad and sisters on the Pearl. We are going back on the Encore next month and hopefully my husband will finally get to visit Skagway too. it reminds me so much of a mining town in Colorado we love that also has a well known train ride, Silverton Colorado. I promised you a trip report and I still plan on delivering!

Port- Skagway Ship - Encore Stateroom - aft Haven suite preferably deck 9

Love me some Trash Pandas ❤️ I saw them play the Shuckers in Biloxi a month or so ago.

Beautiful review, beautiful photos and amazing adventures with your dad. I’m loving it ❤️

I’m with you on wishing I’d had more, I’d order 3 servings next time and have that for my entree. That beef was perfectly seasoned.

I can’t answer for cruiseny4life, but I had this appetizer on the Breakaway in 2020 in the Manhattan restaurant, and it was excellent. It is listed as Ranchero Beef mini tostadas on the night 5 main dining room 2023 menus

My favorites from the last year and last 4 cruises, Blazing Shrimp, clam chowder, and Cheesecake in a jar at Ocean Blue Osso Bucco at La Cucina Mushroom soup, escargot and Dover sole at Le Bistro. Reuben sandwich and wings at the Local Banana Banoffee cream, seafood fritto misto, lump crab cakes and shrimp scampi at the Haven restaurant. Ribeye steak with maitre d butter and crème brûlée at Cagneys Poblano relleno and bunuelos at Los Lobos Loaded fries with pulled pork, brisket and fried okra at Q Thai chicken lettuce wraps and Volcano roll at Food Republic Nutella crepes, palak chicken with naan, and lemon sorbet at the Garden grill.

This is how I feel about cheesecake too, but I do have to give two thumbs up for the cheesecake in a jar at Ocean Blue, I think of it as a cheesecake pudding instead of cheesecake. It’s delicious.

Yes! And this is why my favorite cut of steak is a ribeye, the fat helps make it tasty.

I’ve had the pleasure to see Lucas Bone on a cruise 4 years ago, he was excellent. I keep hoping he’ll be on another of my cruises one day. I love your review, thank you!

I don’t recall seeing anything that said no admittance, if I had I wouldn’t have gone in. You are correct that lots of people probably do go right on in to stay in their rooms. And now that rooms aren’t available till 3pm or later I can imagine it will occur more often.

This is true, on my last cruise in April on the Getaway the hallway doors were shut but not locked and we opened them and carried our carryon bags to our aft Haven stateroom and dropped them off. We didn’t see anyone on the way there and back but if we had would have said we were dropping off then leaving.

Thank you both for your help. I’m not going to stress too much over the stores, we have much longer in Skagway to shop-assuming no more rock slides- and as we are going on a rv road trip to Colorado next month and I can get huckleberry products there. Now we just have to plan to squeeze in the Mt Robert’s tram then meet up for the Whale watching excursion.

On the Getaway we had the same issue. No matter how many times you ask for half and half they bring you the coffee mate crap. We were in the Haven and even there they will only supply that. When our friend who will only use real half and half in his coffee would explain what he wanted it was not supplied. He ended up going to the buffet and getting a glass of it from the dispenser and keeping it in his room fridge, then bringing it with him to breakfast. No one could be bothered to keep a supply in the Haven restaurant for him .

As someone who lost sleep most nights of a 7 day cruise due to what sounded like a ball bearing constantly rolling back and forth across the ceiling in our interior stateroom 9 years ago I honestly understand your frustration and what a lack of sleep can do to you. I was told after engineering came by my room that there was nothing they could do and no other room to put us in. No compensation and no one said so much as we are sorry. This was on Disney Cruise Line which touts themselves as a premium line with excellent customer service. I sincerely hope the rest of your cruise goes well.

Do the NCL Alaska excursions always meet onboard and then led off the ship in groups? We plan to do an excursion that starts at 4 pm, ship arrives at 2:30. We want to get off and hit up the big Alaska TShirt store across the street from the Mt Robert’s tram. Hubby likes to stock up on huckleberry products there. While on the Escape in January we had to meet in the theater and be sitting there waiting for our group to be called. If that’s the case then shopping is a no go. As it’s a bus trip to Mendenhall glacier then a whale watching boat I’d hope we could just meet up outside the ship. Anybody have current experience?

Mr Melroy is awesome, I’m guessing Kivanc Ucar must be on vacation. I don’t know if she’s on vacation or not, if you happen to talk to Mr Melroy please ask him if Lilibeth Espinosa is still on the Escape. The Snows miss her!

Years ago my husband and I took a 9 day driving trip around Alaska and spent two days in Seward, and between the Sealife Center and the day cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park it was the highlight of the trip, even beating out 3 days at Denali National Park and all the wildlife we saw there. Hoping the seas aren’t too rough for you guys.

I’ve been binge reading your review today and love your attitude towards cruising with your Dad.❤️ So happy to hear you both loved this excursion as we have it booked for August. My husband is a big fan of Deadliest Catch, watching it from season 1 and is so looking forward to it.

I’ll have to say I find Skagway very charming and mostly because it reminds me of Silverton, without the water of course! We purchased the train excursion last year but due to the rock slide the ship visited a different port. With my dad in 2015 we did a bus tour up to the Canadian border and it was beautiful but a train ride just hits different! I’ve ridden the D&SNG 4 times over the last 35 years. The San Juan mountains are my favorite area of Colorado. We’ll be back in June camping at Vallecito Lake!