alohayall

2 hours ago, Wink87 said:

Looks like NCL docks a bit out of downtown. Is there a shuttle into downtown? TIA

You’ve been missing the reports of the “Ward Cove Disaster?” (my name for the new pier, based on passenger reports).

Yes, docking at Ward Cove, about 7 miles north of town.  It’s also the place where several shore excursions start, if you read the excursion descriptions (that aren’t updated to reflect this change of docking).

So no ability to walk off the boat and be right in town.

The last report I read is that the shuttle buses for our ship do not have a $ charge (it was $8 the Aug 7 sailing).

It’s like it never happened, now.  Back to showing check-in 100% complete, e-docs are printable again - and boarding time is what I originally picked.

Phew!  And 10 days to go.  Now, just need to find a location for a PCR test before leaving home or the Tampa airport (those are 12 hours apart).  I didn’t see that need coming,  but I will take that step in the off-chance I get COVID before I get to boarding.  Walgreens or CVS is doing drive-through PCR tests near me.

Mine has done the same thing.  I’m wondering if it is my photo.  There is stuff in the background; I may need to submit one where that is completely blank.

And, yes, they can move our arrival times.  It would have been nice to have been notified, though.  I would rather they didn’t.  It’s possible that our arrival times have not been changed at all.  
 

At least we have time before we get to port.  
 

I also think there may have been a glitch.  I already have e-docs printed and wouldn’t have known about this.  We probably would have gotten there and they would have re-taken our pictures.  Not expecting it to be anything big.

Thank you.  I’m adding this to Bird’s review and getting an even clearer picture of my upcoming cruise.  
 

I appreciate your information on access - stairs, muddy trails. Now I will reconsider my shoe needs for the ZipRider.

Glad to hear you had a great time.  All reports so far are so positive (well, that’s my takeaway, except for the person who had to be medevac-ed).

Did you notice a Laundry Bag special?  Trying to finalize packing.

Testing /Luggage Dropoff

Would you say NCL’s intended flow is that you first drop off your luggage at the pier? 
 

And then there would be a sign or person directing you to the next step?

(for the rest of us not staying at the Marriott)

4 hours ago, disneylover89 said:

Is this an excursion exclusive to NCL?

I read your question two ways: one would get the previous response, in not offered by independent tour operators.

The other, is whether you can do this excursion when sailing other cruise lines, then yes, I believe I have seen posts from cruisers on Disney do this Port Adventure in the past.

Your screen name made my think both ways.

On 8/18/2021 at 3:15 PM, BirdTravels said:

Were you on the cruise?

Only vicariously, through your review.  Reality version begins Sep 4.  I had been curious about Ward Cove and the new Wilderness Landing at ISP since booking my cruise in July.  It took a lot of digging to find any info before your photos filled in a lot of gaps.

13 hours ago, SwimmingDragon said:

 

So this is pretty correct. I just did some investigating and found it’s normally 13.7% tax for bar drinks and 20% if you buy from a liquor store in Washington State. So from the looks of it I’m guessing NCL was charging the 20% for state tax and the 20% gratuity bringing the total to a whopping $33.60 for 2 drinks at port. 

 

Heads up to everyone, when you do buy any drinks at port and there is an alcohol tax, it will be added to your bill. Speaking of which, I had better find out what NYC and Bermuda’s taxes are for booze. 🤔

 

Nice investigative work 🙂

12 hours ago, farodeluzgirl said:

Let me clarify: the price of 1 margarita and 1 Long Island ice tea with gratuity was $34 on the first day.

They use one exit and they did not separate those going on a tour from those who did not on disembarkation. It was a real mess!

Did you upgrade / modify the alcohol in your drinks?  Almost all cocktails lusted are about $11.  (Trying to figure out pricing here,  it questioning your report)

If those drinks were purchased while still in WA, they also have to collect the 10% tax on alcohol. And the obligatory 20% gratuity.

Bottom line, at first opportunity, book your birthday dinner.  Followed by any restaurant you would like to try for another night.  Better to have a reservation than get on board and find none of your top choices & times unavailable.  And make your second reservation for early in the cruise - so if you truly want to eat in the MDR, you have more opportunity to look for an opening.  (You can cancel dining reservations onboard).  Boarding day had more times available when I was making my reservations.  (And I don’t think they do headliner shows in the theater the first night, so no conflict with dining / entertainment times).

I have been reading menus since I decided 5 weeks ago to sail NCL.  I am more excited about having a buffet for dinner than the MDR menus. (I have appreciated ships with dinner buffets; it is more relaxing for me than a 2-hour meal in a dining room, with overly attentive waiters.) There is very little on cruise menus that make me excited. Not that it is bad. I actually loved the soups on Carnival. What a weird thing.  It was the highlight of their food.

5 minutes ago, Luvsparties said:

Is there a way to tell if an excursion is filling up?

I have never found that information in 14 years / 25 cruises.

If there ever is, do tell.

The Alaska season was essentially scrubbed for 2021, so it seemed.  Then, hey! They modified the Jones Act to allow for no stop in Canada.  Let’s go.

Now, we haven’t finished the Ward Cove project.  But the pier is open and can handle our mega ship.  NCLH has sunk millions into this project.

But with short notice, did they get in the shuttles they needed to handle the job?

I am guessing no.  I am hoping they have something planned for the future.

You can’t just make something happen in SE Alaska.  You need transportation?  More than what’s here already?  Put it on a boat and bring it in.

They need shuttles for the future - electric, not solar (in the rainiest place).  Or a rail line.  But we’ll still be getting some fuel burning vehicle, I imagine.  Hopefully, not the monster buses shown in recent photos.  
 

It’s like Disneyworld rides - slow loaders make for longer rides. 
 

I’d like to believe that they will have a better system when AK Cruise Season 2022 opens.  
 

Then I would decide if the “disaster of Ward Cove” is enough to keep me from NCL AK in the future.

…. or if it just gets me to buy their port excursions in this town.

Did you notice someone on a non-NCL shore excursion got picked up at the port?

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PS, on a 60% capacity sailing, I was able to book all the excursions I wanted.  Now just waiting to see if the weather cooperates.

Hope it’s a good cruise for you.  It’s my first one on NCL.

I booked /PIF Alaska on July 4 for a Sep 4 sailing. 
 

The same day, I booked dining and a shore excursion for each port.

On July 5, called NCL and booked Thermal Spa.

Just like you, at the 2-month mark.

When I Cruise Disney, my loyalty level books at 120 days pre-Cruise, so that’s what I am comfortable with doing to get excursions I want.  (That was sailing full ships and possibly more excursion vendors?). And we didn’t pre-pay for excursions.

I have modified excursions since booking; that required a phone call (on hold no more than a few minutes, if at all) and was refunded money immediately.  It’s not the horror of waiting for cruise fares to be returned on cancelled sailings.

The excursions are more important to me than food or shows when I cruise.  I would not want to miss an activity because I waited too long.

I found some via internet search.  Found this Cruise Critic for thread. 

Epic Freestyle Dailies - July 14-20, 2019

Now, that is the most straight-forward usable information I’ve seen about the gondola. I hope you had as much fun providing us with great photos and details as we have had seeing it through our eyes before we get on in person (for those of us so lucky).

Did you meet your goal of 3 hours per day in the gym?  
 

Thank you.

Score!  

Looks like yes and no. 
 

We got the report of the section to Adventure Landing as being open.

I haven’t seen it mentioned that the section up the mountain is completed and operational.  

16 minutes ago, Karaboudjan said:

Are these new docks giving NCL guaranteed access instead of having to vie with any other cruise line that wants to visit the port on a given day?

In a word, yes.

NCL has a 30-year preferential berthing contract at Ward Cove.  And it can handle two Breakaway Plus ships at the same time.

EPA Superfund money was utilized for clean up of this Pulp Mill site which closed in 1997.  
 

The Wilderness Landing site development gives a berth for docking (v tender port)  in ISP.  The gondola system project by Huna Totem Corp will eliminate the use of 72 buses to get us over to Adventure Landing , through Hoonah and up the mountain.  NCLH’s lines have preferential berthing rights here, also.
 

- source: NCL Press Release 11/2019 and Seatrade Cruise News 04/2021

I read a financial report that showed the loss of income to the City of Ketchikan and businesses there with the development of Ward Cove.  Part of that appeared to be from a per-head tax collected from ships docked at the Piers in downtown Ketchikan.  (as read by a financial layman).

Best bet is to call and ask.  COVID rules can be different.  

We’re you trying to use information you copied from someone else’s post? Or was it straight from the email sent you from NCL?

On 8/3/2021 at 1:49 PM, Magnetchief said:

Our first time with NCL, typically Cunard or RCI.

 

Suffering from sticker shock after booking a cruise and island stay for Hawaii next May. 

A lot, lot more than I would typically pay for a cruise.

It is a great place for a land-based vacation 🙂. No cruise ship needed.