jvalentine

I think we're going with NCL on this one. I'll definitely want to try out the Konigsdam though, but the price savings/perks seem a little better this go around on NCL. We really enjoy both lines...and there really wasn't a bad choice in the bunch.

Now I'm going to go shed some tears at how much airfare is going to cost. :eek:

Thank you for the replies. I think I might scrap the idea...I did find an Air Canada flight from Nashville-Toronto-Copenhagen. It would be economy, but that's not terrible. It would save the LHR debacle of checking in again with bags and doubling back on security and customs...and it's fewer connections. SAS does have cheaper flights, but I'd probably go Air Canada because it has a better safety rating.

I was really wanting to try out Virgin's prem economy if I could, but it might just be too much of a hassle since they don't have a connecting flight within their group.

I'm researching flights to Copenhagen from Nashville, TN. One idea I had was to fly Virgin Atlantic to LHR and then get on a connecting flight to Copenhagen. It would mean a change of airlines...not anything I'm super excited about. However, the premium economy seats on Virgin Atlantic are a bit wider and at a good price. For the connecting flight to Copenhagen I could book a business class seat.

So...how much time should I allow to get off the Virgin flight, go through security, recheck bags/check in and get on the other flight to Copenhagen at LHR? I know it will be a lot of time standing in line...but I've not flown there before so wanted to ask.

Thanks in advance!

Thanks you all so much! Here's a couple more! Another shot of the male orca and one from the sunrise going into Glacier Bay(amazing!).

Thank you for the comments! TrumpyNor...any hotel recommendations in Copenhagen? Any must do items I can't miss while I'm there?

I have to admit the photos of the NCL Owner's Suite with double balconies do look super nice...and the added benefits would be a plus.

So I'm researching Norway itineraries for next year and I've narrowed them down to 2 possibilities. I almost went with Celebrity/Eclipse..but wow, that was really more than I wanted to spend...plus it doesn't include airfare and I know that will be a chunk of change. It's a 10 yr anniversary cruise for us and I'd like to splurge a bit, but still keep things within our budget.

Option 1: NCL Star in a Owner's Suite with two balconies

Copenhagen, Denmark (EMBARK)

At Sea

Alesund, Norway

Geiranger, Norway

Flam, Norway

Bergen, Norway

At Sea

Copenhagen, Denmark (DISEMBARK)

(I think this is the one I'm leaning towards. It includes specialty dining, drink package, shore ex credit (although that's minimal), and an internet package. Which the internet, as slow as it may be, would be nice to check in on clients while I'm away for a few minutes each day...actually makes the trip a little less stressful for me. Copenhagen also seems like a cool place to spend a day or two before the cruise. Also with NCL I get a friends/family discount...so it's much less expensive and leaves room for upgrades on flights/excursions.)

Option 2: HAL Konigsdam in a Signature Suite

Amsterdam, Holland

At Sea

Eidfjord, Norway

Alesund, Norway

Geiranger, Norway

Bergen, Norway

At Sea

Amsterdam, Holland

(This one is definitely a contender...it's a new ship and the itinerary is nice...plus the Sig suites are a great size. Wouldn't get the suite perks we'd really want like Neptune Lounge, laundry or breakfast in the Pinnacle...though breakfast in the Lido isn't bad and we could pay extra for dinners in the Pinnacle or a couple of their other specialty places. We've never been on a new ship and that might be a great experience.)

What do you folks think?

Lukydog - We always enjoy Holland. The Noordam was nice..we had a great stateroom and the service was good. Would totally book another on the ship down the road. Alaska is really the star of the show up there though. We did the inside passage trip out of Vancouver..probably my favorite of the two we've done. Much calmer seas than out of Seattle. :)

Food wise I thought it was okay...if I didn't like something...there were never a shortage of things to try until I found something I liked.

June is a great time to go up there too!

Thank you for all the compliments! I'll be sure to forward those on to the husband/photographer. :)

Yes! It was one through Holland in Juneau. Amazing day..the one with flippers in the air was a mom humpback and her calf..got to see them play together on the surface a bit. (So cool) There were 3 orcas (mom, dad and a baby orca)...dad orca was the most social. He did a belly flop right next to the boat...crazy!! :)

BSR...totally jealous! Wish I was still on the boat!

Wow, what a beautiful cruise on the Noordam..perfect except for a little rain in Juneau. Wanted to share a few of the photos from the trip. :)

Thank you!! We dig the cameras out whenever we travel..it's a ton of fun!! Matthew, my husband, took these so he gets the credit...my shots are a little more random. ;)

Thought I would share some photos from last week's trip on the Noordam! Beautiful cruise!

Thank you for all the responses!

I'm brand new to Celebrity and just starting to research the cabins. We've done a few Holland America cruises and most recently with them had a Neptune Suite so we do enjoy the space...and the extra perks were really nice. The coffee in the Neptune lounge is crazy good. As far as rooms go, I think X's rooms are going to be smaller, but more modern and I'm okay with that. (With a lot of scenic cruising the extra space is nice so I definitely lean more towards the Sky Suite.) I'll have to check into the Aqua class staterooms too! (Thanks for the tip!)

When I started to think about our next cruise I wanted to check out other companies and Celebrity's Norway Fjord itinerary caught my eye. Also eyeballing the Koningsdam's Viking Legend one as well, but we're relatively younger folks and Celebrity's ships seem more our speed..ie, craft beer selection, art classes, glass blowing seems cool, and entertainment options seemed a little more modern. Just more things on X's ships that peaked my interest. We're in our late 30's and by no means party animals...just give me a good book and a balcony and I'm set...especially with scenery like the Fjords. Also, the suite only restaurant on X really sounds intriguing too!

Thanks for the feedback. The biggest perk to me would likely be the priority embarkation/disembark. Space is also a great thing too. It's our 10 yr anniversary trip so we might splurge for the suite. Love that it leaves out of London though...less connecting flights!

Hi everyone!

I'm considering doing the 7 day Norwegian Fjords cruise on the Eclipse next year and wanted to get your thoughts on staterooms. Is there a big difference between Concierge class and a Sky Suite? There is a pretty big price difference so wanted to get some feedback from folks who have experienced it.

This will be our first time on Celebrity too...so any tips or pointers would be great!

I've been in a Holland aft verandah and the NCL mini suite...out of Seattle the seas can be a bit rocky...I'd probably go with the mid ship location. (I do love the wake view...but it gets fairly rough out of that port)

**We chose to do a Vancouver sailing with Holland later this month just for that reason..smoother sailing and we love the size of Holland's aft balconies. You can also fly into Seattle and take the Amtrak train up to Vancouver to help keep airfare down...plus it's supposed to be a pretty scenic train ride. Food wise..they're fairly similar. I think service is a little bit better on HAL though.

Thanks Shootr!

Sorry for the technical difficulties earlier! Finally..here are a few of our shots from our last Alaska cruise!

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Please delete my post.

Tante Amalie...I'd like to sign up on the "cruising for free" list! ;) (Who am I kidding...my heart skips a beat whenever I get the paid upgrade call)

I agree with you whole heartedly...it is a different product.

Big disclaimer..I'm not the photographer..it's my husband that has kept it up as a pretty serious hobby for years. For our 10th wedding anniversary I recently upgraded him up to a Nikon D750 and Nikon 24-70/2.8 lens. I did a ton of "covert" research on the camera and lens...he had been mentioning going full frame for awhile and if we were going to make a system switch now would have been the time...but the D750 was/is a great camera for him. I also wanted to get him a good all around full frame lens...we've had issues with zooms in the past because he ended up going with much cheaper alternatives and in the long run ended up not being happy with them. I wanted something that he would be happy with for awhile and that would last. So..I shed a few tears, got the checkbook and got the 24-70. He was completely floored and in total shock when I gave him his gift!! Score one for the wife! :)

The images so far have been incredibly sharp...which makes him happy. (Huge upgrade over our older D5100..although..now I get to tag along with the 5100 and take completely random shots...which should make for some good comic relief.)

The Canon vs Nikon debate...they both make great cameras..but for the price/features/quality..the Nikon D750 was a great choice for us.