shealea

I'm not sure that is correct information. Someone has posted a picture here on cc, and it states in, I think it was, The Freestyle Daily, that there is a $7.95 charge for room fee. Not for certain items like you are describing.

Mitsuygirl - Honestly, if I had listened to everyone that told me how disappointed I would be with Carnival, I would have never got to have the experience we did. It was one of the best.

That is how I'm feeling. We have spoken with several people on our NCL cruises that have also cruised with Carnival. They enjoyed their Carnival cruises. They all said the food was better on Carnival.

So, we are going to give them a try on our next cruise. I used to be a big NCL cheerleader, but I'm really "over them" now! I'm not happy with their fees, and especially with the way they were introduced (actually NOT introduced)!!! ha!

I know you write extensive reviews, so I will watch for your review after your upcoming Carnival Cruise Line review. And have an awesome trip!!! Sure wish I was going with you! ha! Oh ....... where are you cruising to?

It's even more shocking when you put it all in one post!!!

We are looking at a different cruise line to try this Fall. We've been loyal to NCL, but I think it's time to try a different line and see how it goes.

I never noticed any ice cream offerings while on the Jewel last summer. I'm sure dh and I would have ordered a banana split!!!! ha!

Is the ice cream only offered on certain ships?

I think NCL could have done a much better job of rolling out all of their new "fees" and perhaps there wouldn't be such an uproar of complaints!!!

For one, I think the new fees should have been rolled out slowly, one at a time. It's really startling to read here on cc the constant "announcement" from posters on the new fees. Much too much to take in all at once for me!!!!

For me, and my way that I think (ha!), I would feel better if I could have settled in with one new fee, and then down the way some, learned of another new fee. NCL customers are just getting slammed and slammed over and over.

I have sailed with CCL and found it to be an excellent choice when we did it. Wasn't disappointed in all and out of all the cruises I have done, it ranked as my second favorite cruise! I am cruising with them again in a week, then back to a booked NCL cruise in June. I'm looking to book for November...I may just switch to CCL if this upcoming cruise is as good as the last one.

We have also been looking at CCL for cruising. I've been reading their boards here. Please post how you liked or didn't like (ha!) your cruise. We are looking to book a Fall cruise with CCL to Mexican Riviera. If we like it, we will make a switch from NCL.

I've been getting disappointed with all of the new charges with NCL. So, we've been looking at other options.

NCL does not have formal nights. They have dress up or not nights.:)

You are so right!! lol!

I can't believe what they are charging! That is crazy!

We order room service late evening for snacks. It was one of the things my grandkids loved and still talk about from their cruise. Room Service.

I've been a big fan of NCL. I'm really disgusted with them with the new fees and gratuities. I have had it with them and will be looking at other lines to cruise.

Our fridge in our inside room on the Jewel kept our things really nice and cold.

We ate at O'Sheehans quite a bit on our last Alaska cruise on the Jewel. We really enjoyed the food, but I wouldn't really consider it Great or Outstanding. But, then I didn't eat at the dinner meals that they had as specials ..... Prime Rib, Barbecued Ribs, etc. Folks here seem to report that the dinner specials are very good.

I enjoyed the Chicken Pot Pie, the cabbage soup and the Brownie Cheesecake the most. Dh really liked the chicken burger. I ate breakfast once and I remember it being good. I think I ordered french toast, and don't remember what all I ordered besides that. I did love the orange juice at my morning breakfast there. So cold and tasty! And complimentary!

We really like going to O'Sheehans at times when the main dining rooms were closed, or when we wanted to sit down and eat, but didn't want the longer wait in the main dining rooms. We think O'Sheehans is great for that!

I have bought wind chimes from many places we have visited while on vacation. Not just on a cruise. I have them hanging on my back porch.

I can see them easily since there is a large sliding glass door. Makes me smile when I look at them!!!!

We also collect an ornament from each island we visit and put the year on the bottom of it. Each Christmas when we decorate the tree, they bring back such great memories.

That sounds wonderful. That is what I've decided I want to do. Start collecting ornaments from each port.

On NCL your dh would be just fine on formal night. What I noticed most were men wearing nice tops, such as a nice polo shirt. With slacks.

Wow, $50 per bag, and $100 per cabin is not much at all!!! It sure is best to keep your bags with you as much as you can!!

Very nice pictures!!!

I agree with the one poster ...... I was hoping some of the updates would have added some dining options.

I haven't sailed Carnival yet, but we are about settled on the idea of doing the Miracle to Mexican Riviera this fall. I've been reading lots and lots on the boards here. So excited to try Carnival. We've been cruising NCL.

It's so hard when our kids move from one stage of life to another!! I had a bit of a hard time when my son turned 18.

Does Carnival have any sort of get-together for that age group? I thought I remember seeing on our NCL cruises that they do have a get-together for 18-20 year olds (can't remember the ages exactly) at the start of the cruise. Maybe those of that age group can meet and then hang out together.

I know ..... my thoughts are that they should have more planned activities for that age group. I know my son would have participated. But, maybe he's in the minority??!! Not sure.

I think if I had an 18 yo cruising with us, I would have them bring a friend. I think they would have a lot more fun. When my son was 17 1/2, he brought along a friend. They really had a great time! They went to a lot of the ship activities, dined together without us, went into the ports on their own, went to the big evening shows together. They did dine and do some activities with us, at their request. It was a bit worried how it would work out cruising with them, but it worked out really well. Actually better than I was even hoping!

But, it still did make me sad that my son was not with us the entire time, like when he was young.

And, boy, don't ask me about how I felt when he moved out of the house. Last child leaving was hard on me!!! ha!

We always go to the main dining room as soon as we board. And it's always been pretty quiet there. It's pretty easy to get a nice window seat. Very nice and relaxing!

And there's always been a barbecue out on the Pool Deck. Yummy food!

Gosh, I think we eat there too!!!!! ha!

Cruzlover80 - Oh my gosh, you will love Alaska! So beautiful!

I really loved the Sawyer Glacier. Make sure you view the entire trip in to the glacier. Dh and I were on deck, oh..... I would say about an hour before we turned off to head into the glacier. I told dh we should get a spot for viewing now before everyone starts to get in place. And I think we got the best spot!!! We have an inside cabin so we couldn't view from a cabin balcony.

We were up, I think, one deck from the pool deck. At the very front of the ship. We pulled up chairs to sit right in front, up against the plexi-glass. So, we were right up front, in the middle of the ship. And what a great view!!!

If you are not going to be on your cabin balcony, get your place on deck pretty early. As the crowds will fill in.

They do open the very far forward deck. I think it's the crew deck. Or the Haven pool. Not sure. But, although it's a spot that is way, way up front on the ship, you do have to stand the entire time. The crowds fill in, so unless you are right up front, you will have a lot of people to look around for viewing.

That is why I liked our spot so much!! We were right up front, but we could sit in our chairs. I would have had a hard time standing for so long, as it is a long trip.

Also, they served salmon chowder in the buffet on Glacier Day. So dh went and got us some. It was really good and warmed us up!! It is cold on glacier day. So dress warm.

And you will love The Jewel. I love the size, as it's not so huge as some of the ships coming out!!!!

Tomorrow I will be posting my thoughts on our visits to Skagway. What an amazing Port, filled with so much history!!! See you tomorrow .......

KETCHIKAN - On our first cruise to Alaska, we did not do a planned shore excursion. My husband and I left the ship, and right after you disembark, there are private tour operators offering you tours. We decided to go on a tour of Ketchikan. It was in a large tour van. A woman that was local to the area. Her and her son ran the family business. There was just another couple and us, if I remember right. I think the cost was $20.

It was a really an interesting tour, with the tour operator narrating what we were seeing along the way. We drove around through town, to some areas just outside of town, along the waterfront. She gave us some interesting details of the way folks here live year round, interesting facts about the town and its history. She brought us to a place on the water’s edge where a lot of bald eagles like to hang out. The tour was probably 45 minutes to an hour? We thought it was worth it!

After our tour, we walked around town, exploring in some of the shops. We walked up along Creek Street. At the start of Creek Street, there were many spawning salmon, with a few sea otter. Walking along Creek Street is a real treat. It’s a wooden boardwalk. There is a lot of history behind this Street, so learn what you can. Dolly’s House is there, which is an old brothel! You can pay for a tour. We didn’t do this, but I would like to another time. You can follow the side streets along the Creek up quite aways. It’s such a pretty area. Stop and take a rest and enjoy!!!!

On our visit to this town with our grandchildren, we mainly walked around exploring, mostly hitting the shops so that they could spend their $$$’s on treasures. We did take a ride up the hill on the venicular/ tram thing. There is a trail you can take up to the top! Very nice view, and we enjoyed it. It used to be free, but now there is a smallish charge. Our two grandchildren loved going off the ship in each Port, and it was a treat for them and not to be missed, that is for sure!! But they really were always anxious to get back onboard. They thoroughly loved the dining, the shows, the activities, just hanging out!!!!

I had read about Totem Bight Park here on Cruise Critic, and it sounded like a wonderful place for dh and I to visit. So we did just that on our third Alaska cruise. We made the visit with dh’s cousin and his wife. After leaving the ship, we proceeded to the Visitor/Information Center right in town. If you are on the Jewel, it was right off the ship, to the left. They told us where to catch the bus to the Park. It was just up about a block and a half. Gosh, I think it was only $1??? Maybe $2? Each way. It’s the city bus, and makes a few stops along the way. One stop is WalMart, so if you need to purchase anything, you could get off, make your purchase, and then get back on when another bus goes through. We enjoyed meeting and visiting with the locals. Very nice folks!! At many times, the bus travels along the water.

We sure enjoyed Totem Bight State Park. After we got off of the bus, we got a guide to the Park. You can follow along in the guide and read the history behind each of the totem poles you walk by. It’s a very beautiful walk through the trees. There is a Long House you can enter. There is the beach. Looking out over the water at the scenery is wonderful.

My cousin and I walked along with a large group. We thought the group was being led by a Park employee, narrating along the way. Gosh, was it ever interesting! Towards the end, we realized we had joined up with PAID EXCURSION!!! Oh, My! We were embarrassed and quickly walked away. But we did learn a lot of fascinating facts! We told our husbands that they should have stuck with us! He,he!

On our bus ride back to town, the cousins and us enjoyed visiting with a local boy. Such a nice kid! Probably about 14 or so. He was taking the bus into town to meet up with his friends. A lot of kids this age probably wouldn’t want to talk so much to us “old folks”, but he was so nice to us and friendly. He told us so much about living in the area, and about everything we were passing. He told us a lot about how folks up there take the ferries around to visit other places in Alaska. It’s really common. He told us about the big buildings and factories we passed.

We got off the bus and walked around town. We ran into this kid again. He was on the pier in town. Him and 3 friends. They were jumping over and over from the pier into the water. It was a pretty nice day, but …….. Brrrr…………….. They were having a blast!!!!! Like I said, this kid was just so nice and so friendly to us on the bus! We stopped and say, Hi to him. He hardly acknowledged us now that he was with his guy friends. We thought that was cute and we chuckled and moved on!! I think he didn’t want us to embarrass him in front of his buddies!

On our cruise last summer, dh and I decided to take the bus again to Totem Bight Park, since we enjoyed it so much the year prior. We decided to do a bit more exploring this time around. If you go up past the parking lot, there is another Totem Pole Park, Potlatch Park. Walk up past the parking lot, and you will see a Totem Trading Store on the right. Check it out! What a neat place! It’s a souvenir store that has so many, many interesting and unique things! Your kids will love it! There are some artifact items. Also some stuffed Creatures! It’s a neat place to visit!!

Then right near the Trading Post is the other Potlatch Park. There’s a totem pole carver, and you can watch him work. We didn’t visit that Park, as dh wanted to catch the next bus back to town, that was soon to be there. We had a nice day and got back on the ship to eat and enjoy the rest of the day!

You can visit this Port and not spend a lot of $$$’s, and have a nice time. We took the bus to the Totem Pole parks. No cost involved besides the bus fare. Walking up and around Creek Street is free. It’s a nice walk along the waterfront, exploring and looking at the boats in the marina. At the Visitor/Information Center, you can pick up a Walking Tour Map. Walk around and learn about the history of the buildings and city. The venicular/tram is very inexpensive. There is a museum and also another Center (can’t think of the name). Prices are not a whole lot. There are a lot of shops with offerings from local artists. We enjoyed seeing all of the art from locals! Such a treat!

Sorry I haven't finished my Alaska cruises review yet. I got sidetracked with doing my Taxes. And also doing some home projects.

But, I will be continuing on with my review later today.

LOL! I'm lovin' this thread!!!

I'm NOT going to post here, because there's already another big thread going on this subject .....

Whoops, I just did ...... UT, OH!!!!!

Also, I've never been on the Sun, but both the Jewel and Pearl have a wide range of ages onboard. At least when we cruised.

I think both you and your parents will be pleased with the choice of activities and entertainment.

The Pearl and Jewel are both round trip from Seattle. The Pearl does Glacier Bay. The Jewel goes to Sawyer Glacier. Most folks say that if you need to choose, choose the Pearl since it does Glacier Bay. Most people think that you do not want to miss seeing Glacier Bay if you think you will only be doing an Alaska cruise once.

I've done both. I loved both, so you will not go wrong with either. With Glacier Bay, you are cruising through a wider, more open area. You pass a couple of other glaciers along the way, if I remember right. I remember seeing outstanding calving of a glacier along the way to the end of Glacier Bay.

With Glacier Bay, naturalist/rangers come aboard for the Glacier Bay day. They do a presentation in the main theater. They speak over the intercom, dictating and explaining what you are seeing along the way. There is a naturalist on deck to answer any questions along the way. It's wonderful.

The trip through Glacier Bay starts very early in the morning. You have to get up pretty early. Gosh, I think I'm remembering you start heading in at 6 am. You want to view the entire trip through. The trip in to Sawyer Glacier starts in early afternoon.

Sawyer Glacier is awesome, also. The trip through is narrow. You wind back and forth through the fjords. It was amazing to me that we would turn left around a corner, then turn right. Steep walls heading up high on each side. Beautiful. I actually think I liked Sawyer Glacier a bit more. But most folks would say Glacier Bay is better.

With Sawyer Glacier you have a bigger risk of the cruise ship not being able to go in due to too much ice. On our two Sawyer Glacier cruises, one time we could not go in and we went to Endicot Glacier route. Or if the ice is bad, the cruise ships try to get in, but may not be able to get very far in.

I've done each Glacier trip twice. The Jewel and the Pearl ships are pretty much the same, with just a few differences.

I've been working on a review of my 4 cruises to Alaska. Includes tips and do not miss ideas for the ships. Also, a bit about what we did in each port. I'm not done yet, as I've gotten side-tracked doing my income taxes. Yuk!!!!! So, you can search for it if you want.

Oh, also, I'm from Seattle area. It's a great city to visit. There really is so much to do here, so it's a good city to explore pre or post cruise.