Markanddonna

I think the issue is budget and your dining "lifestyle". We don't eat out often at home because of our preference for "good home cooking" and our budget. We cruise maybe once or twice a year for an extended trip (usually 14 nights) and have to keep our budget in line in order to do so.

 

So, budget factors into our dining when cruising. If we had the excess funds to travel in suites, we would likewise eat most of our dinners in specialty restaurants. I'm just grateful to NOT be cooking and also to experience different types of foods that I normally don't eat.

 

We have noticed a decline in quality in the MDR experience but have resolved to be happy with eating there. My biggest disappointment has been the same menu at lunch time. I'm not overly thrilled with the majority of the choices to begin with at lunch and the same menu for 14-19 lunches in a row is tiresome. We like to dine in the MDR for both lunch and dinner, but have now moved to the more crowded buffet at lunch. Oh, well.

We used choiceair only once because it was a one way flight for a TA. Problems occurred when a major hurricane (Sandy) was brewing and choiceair was only concerned about getting us to Europe for our cruise and were not concerned that we would miss THREE days in Rome that were scheduled. All it would have taken was for them to agree to let us on a connecting flight early, but they wouldn't. Finally, they allowed us to take the booking into our own hands and deal directly with the airline. After 3 1/2 of waiting, they agreed to do exactly what we had originally asked for.

 

This taught me to book DIRECTLY with an airline or cruiseline if at all possible, otherwise you have to wait for an overwhelmed or indifferent travel agent to help if there are problems.

We used choiceair only once because it was a one way flight for a TA. Problems occurred when a major hurricane (Sandy) was brewing and choiceair was only concerned about getting us to Europe for our cruise and were not concerned that we would miss THREE days in Rome that were scheduled. All it would have taken was for them to agree to let us on a connecting flight early, but they wouldn't. Finally, they allowed us to take the booking into our own hands and deal directly with the airline. After 3 1/2 of waiting, they agreed to do exactly what we had originally asked for.

 

This taught me to book DIRECTLY with an airline or cruiseline if at all possible, otherwise you have to wait for an overwhelmed or indifferent travel agent to help if there are problems.

I want to agree with this thought about the Star. I suppose if you have a balcony/suite, this may not be a huge issue but if you like to get out of your cabin, there are few places to sit that aren't rather dark and inside. Not having a nice, high up observation lounge was a huge mistake and that comment came from one of the officers. I have to say that the staff was very good and tried to make up for this short coming.

 

"one drawback for some folks with the Star (and the Dawn) is that in order to make those fantastic suites on deck 12, they took away the Spinnaker Lounge, game room, etc. The Spinnaker (where lots of night time entertainment happens) is now at the back of the ship and is a dark space, unlike the old Spinnaker that was at the front of the ship in deck 12 and had those great floor to ceiling windows. We are fine with that since we only went to the Spinnaker for the night time shows anyway, but for folks who are in inside cabins, the Spinnaker was a great place to view the scenery during the day.

 

The Star doesn't have my favorite buffet as far as layout, but the food is good"

If I am traveling in Europe, my excursions- almost all independent- will add more costs. If I'm in the Caribbean or somewhere where I've been a number of time (Alaska), I have few expenses since I'm over "seeing everything there is to see". I think the islands in Caribbean, while wonderful, all sort of look the same and I'm not into any of the shopping or souvenirs from that region.

 

I'm also quite certain that cruiselines shiver when they see that we have booked. We get maybe one bottle of wine, a few necessaries from their gift shops, eat only at the MDR and buffet and don't get involved in bingo, art, etc. We went on a 14 day trip this year and struggled to spend our $100 OBC. I have become quite practical about extra expenses and their relative value and my appreciation of them. Photos onboard are out. I do make a photo book of each trip when I return and those are my treasures.

My perspective is that "loyalists" opinions may be valid but perhaps only for them because a few are so high up in the loyalty program and ARE treated differently, making their cruise a different experience than the average or new cruiser on that line. I think all cruiselines do make an effort to provide extras and upgraded privileges for their loyalty folks and those people's opinions become skewed as a result.

 

So, my concerns are their reviews and comments made to others. Since it isn't possible to know each reviewer's background, we need to become savvy at reading between the lines.

All good words of advice. I've already explained to them "how we roll". My DH and I don't do much together during the day but we usually eat our meals together and usually do the evenings together, so I want and am used to freedom and flexibility.

 

I don't mind guiding them the first full day at sea but after that, they are on their own and I imagine we will try to eat most dinners with them. I also tend to come onboard with "new friends" from Cruise Critic roll calls, so I will have other social commitments.

 

I think my activity level is vastly higher than the other wife and I have an eye light sensitivity so don't like laying in the sun while she does. I walk the decks and use the gym religiously. I think we have good reasons to not hang with each other during the day and we know each other very well, so this won't be a shock.

 

I like the five minute rule but may make that a ten minute rule...

 

I'm going into this cruise as a realist but will try very hard to stay positive and kind with setting some reasonable boundaries.

 

Good advice! Thanks to all. Any more good words?

I would appreciate advice on how to travel as harmoniously as possible with another couple who are good friends. We are quite experienced cruisers while this will be their first and it is a LONG cruise (almost 3 weeks). I have been suggesting they try out a shorter cruise, but that isn't happening...

 

We like sharing tables with others for dinner (not set times) and meeting new people and are usually on a roll call for long trips. We are seasoned cruise critics.

 

Thanks!

I've been on the Sun, Pearl, and Star. I think the Pearl would be a great ship to go on although the Sun was also very nice and is the least expensive right now. The other guests on any PC cruise will tend to be an older crowd. We were on a 16 night TA cruise and there were less than 10 children on a ship of over 3,000 people. I believe the children's programs were minimal or maybe even non-existent. There are likely staffing minimums for children's programming.

I was on the TA Star this year, so I can speak to a couple of your questions:

-Embarkation and Debarkation were both smooth and on-time. No problems or issues- well done.

 

The Star will resemble the Jewel in many respects, but the big thing missing is the wonderful Spinnaker lounge on one of the top decks. NCL made a huge mistake and put suites up there and the end result is that a few who pay $$$ get the great views and the rest of the folks are scrambling for a decent area to relax/read/view the ocean.

No viewing area to see the navigation area either. Also, I'm hoping the seats in the theatre are fixed by now. There were so many broken seats last spring.

 

The Star is about the same size as those other ships.

 

You do lose an hour- six in all but it is no big deal. Some people think that is a huge issue but the trade off is that you have MANY more "light hours" as you will be traveling north and you have more daylight in the spring versus fall.

 

The staff and crew were excellent. No complaints at all.

 

There are so many things to do during sea days- check with your roll call or look back on any other cruise that has a sea day. You won't be bored.

 

The weather was sensational and the sailing was very smooth. I recall just one or two times thinking "whoa", but for 14 nights, that is amazing. Very little rain and calm seas.

We are looking at a cabin above the Fyzz lounge and have read that there is quite a bit of noise, but it doesn't overly bother people if a sound machine is used. Does anyone have experience with the cabins above the Fyzz and karoke rooms?

 

Thanks

I am a retired teacher and can now enjoy cruising a bit more because now I can schedule cruises outside of the busiest and usually most expensive times of the year (Christmas and Spring break). There are just a few cruiselines that offer teacher discounts and the only ones that we would use are Holland and NCL but the discount is $30-40 so it isn't huge.

 

Teachers could (and should) be fired if they abuse the personal/sick leave time they get by taking a cruise during those times. Some take off time without pay- maybe a day or so but some districts don't allow that. I guess you may be fortunate a few times a year if you live in Miami and can get out for a 3-4 day cruise but for most teachers, it just isn't practical or possible.

 

Let's face it: some people have more enchanted lives than others. We could ask the same questions about who can afford expensive cars or houses...

I had researched this before and wanted to be certain I was correct. HAL and Princess have historical (seniority) rights to the Glacier Bay passes which allows only two ships per day. I think all the ships would want the Glacier Bay passes if it was truly competitive. I think this policy is unfair and continues for a ten year agreement. Sounds like politics to me..

 

I cut and pasted this from the NPS website:

 

Cruise Ship Concession Authorizations

Cruise ship services are authorized under concession contracts. A specific number of entries/use days are allocated to specific Cruise ship concessioners to operate in Glacier Bay during the prime season, June - August. These concessioners then coordinate their scheduling to insure compliance with the daily and seasonal limits. Two Concessioners (Holland/America and Princess Cruises) are currently historical operators, as defined by ANILCA section 1307, which entitles them to non-competitively continue their historic use (seventy-one entries), 36CFR, Sec. 13.305. The remaining entries have been competitively allocated. If you are interested in providing cruiseship services in Glacier Bay during the shoulder season, please contact the concession staff below for information on submitting a proposal.

 

There are currently five companies listed below are authorizationed to provide cruise ship services in Glacier Bay (click on the link to view their concession contracts):

Princess Cruiselines

Holland America, Inc.

Norwegian Cruiselines

Carnival Cruise Lines

Crystal Cruises

One thing to consider is the amount of time you are given in the ports. In Sitka, which is a tender port, you have between 7-3:30. We did the town and the Raptor center which is lovely with the walk. In Skagway, you have between 7 Am to 8 or 8:30. We took the train and the van shuttle the first trip and then the rented car the second. The railroad is amazing if you have never been on one of the old tressel bridges before. Either experience was grand with lots of outdoor adventures. So, Skagway: more options for outdoors people and you are docked right there. I agree that the town isn't the feature but OUTSIDE of the town in the Yukon is fantastic!

 

The Westerdam seemed to have a hard time getting into the port of Victoria and we were delayed, as were the previous sailing in the 2013 season. The captain announced at dinner that we would be arriving 90 minutes late. We had decided that Butchart Gardens wasn't practical based on lots of advice because by the time you get there, it starts getting dark. The folks who went were really disappointed. It is not a short distance from the port. The city itself is lovely.

 

You are very wise to be checking out all aspects of your trip. Comparing times in ports and docking versus tendering (which takes more time) are something new cruisers don't consider.

 

I would like to know the specifics of what advantages Princess and HAL have in Alaska and how that translates into a better experience. I know they have a lock on permits to Glacier Bay and maybe their ships get a slightly better placement on the docks, but that is all I can see from the passengers' point of view. "Knowing more" is relative and varies from person to person.

Most of our cruises are longer ones 14-16 nights so using the laundry is a necessity. Most are transatlantics and we do some touring for about a week before or after we get off the ship. We have decided that while the laundry is somewhat expensive, it is foolhardy to not use it at least once. You need to keep your luggage manageable and we have learned to pack less each trip.

 

We do underwear and delicates ourselves and use the laundry service specials when they come up. You need to be alert to the offer which comes at night with your daily. They rotate the special around the ship so that they don't overload the laundry staff.

 

The clothes that need pressing, even jeans, come back pressed and on hangers. We have never had a problem with bleeding or staining or even shrinkage. Overall, it is a good value for those whose cruise is 7 days or more.

I agree with some others to get foreign currency from the ATM and then to only use the credit cards at larger, well established hotels, the airlines and the cruise company. I had my card compromised only once and the info was likely stolen from a purchase I made in the states. I don't give my cards to ANY restaurant server. If I can't pay at the register, I don't go to that restaurant.

I was wondering if anyone knew of the specifics of the May, 2014 drydock. We were on the Star and were really disappointed that they took the wonderful spinnaker lounge and turned them into penthouses. The public areas were a downside on the Star. Can anyone tell us if the dry-dock touched any of the public areas (read: took them away to make $cabins or private restaurants).

 

What are the best public areas for viewing?

I've been to these countries in the last 3-18 months and found ATMs to be all around and easy to use:

England

Spain

Portugal

Italy

Sweden

Poland

Denmark

France

Germany

 

The only issue I had was the day before a legal holiday in Italy and one ATM in the city was not functioning. We just walked to another one that was. I always bought a few Euros with me but will not do that anymore because of my personal good experiences with ATMs.

We found the Pearl to be a pretty active ship and the entertainment was very good. HAL's nightlife ended a bit early and didn't have the same vitality. I remember feeling sorry for some of the bands because just one couple might be dancing.

 

We stayed downtown Seattle the first two times and the best deal was a great catch on Priceline- the Red Lion on 5th and went to the but we stayed closer to the airport last time at the Sleep Inn SeaTac. Their shuttle service was great and the hotel is highly recommended on another major site.

 

Of the major cruiselines, HAL is probably near the bottom for us. We would go on another if the itinerary and price was right, but it usually isn't.

We sailed the Pearl about four years ago and the Westerdam in 2013. The Pearl was by far our better experience. While Sitka is a cute little town, I believe that Skagway is a sensational stop with lots of history and the opportunity to get into the Yukon for you outdoorsy types. We took the train and then a shuttle van on our first trip to Skagway on the Sun and then rented a car and made the easy drive for the day when we were on the Pearl. Skagway is the highlight of Alaska for us with the gold rush history.

 

We were excited to try the Westerdam as we thought it might be a tad more of an upscale experience. HAL has some real fans who perhaps overstate their experience maybe because they are treated a bit differently as loyalty members. We enjoyed our balcony but black soot kept coming out of our ceiling heating/AC over our bed and fell on our white covers each day and that wasn't pleasant. Our dining service staff were perhaps some of the worst we ever experienced. The food choices were very good, but overall HAL and the Westerdam seemed very typical of mainstream cruises. I didn't find the passengers to be the stereotypical oldsters.

 

The Pearl was a very nice ship and I would not hesitate to book that sailing. When you read reviews, keep in mind that some people are very loyal fans. Some people say that Princess and HAL do Alaska better than the others because they have been there longer. The big difference is that these two lines DO get most of the limited access to Glacier Bay because of the seniority based system Alaska uses which I think is antiquated. The Pearl DOES go to Glacier Bay and the experience is identical except that HAL offers hot pea soup on deck as a tradition. So, that is the tipping point... pea soup. They both have the ranger program which was the same. Only two ships are allowed in Glacier Bay each day.

 

So, that is my take on it.

We haven't booked a cruise yet but are interested in our very first "last minute cruise" ever. I'm the ultimate planner, usually planning a cruise when it first opens up. This is outside my comfort zone. I'm looking at anything between Labor Day and mid- October.

 

I'm starting to think that booking something close to Ipswich is the best best and then just driving to the port and parking there. I agree that their rates are pretty reasonable considering we usually have a flight and shuttle to deal with on every other cruise.

 

Thanks for any advice on a rental. Is there a company you could recommend?

Hi,

 

I'm planning on doing some research in the Boston area (mostly Ipswich) this fall and it just occurred to me that a New England cruise out of Boston, last minute might just work. We were going to drive from Ohio and leave our car in the cruise lot which seems the best idea at this point.

 

Are there any hotels close to Ipswich/Salem that might shuttle us out to the port? Do you have any recommendations for an inexpensive hotel/motel if we just decide to park at the port?

 

Are there any days to avoid in the Boston area these two months?

Thanks!

Go to the ports section and find Northern European ports. There is lots of discussion about this and "The Danish Viking" a local in CPH can answer any question. I was in CPH at the new pier and I consider all the ports in CPH "unwalkable" to the main center of town. Lots depends on if this is your final destination and you are taking lots of luggage or if this is just a stop and what kind of shape you are in.

 

CPH is a very walkable city and the Nyhavn Canal area is wonderful. The new port area Oceankaj is the farthest and that is where we docked. It was just opened in early May and I hope they have the kinks worked out by now. Because of this, it is important for you to get current and accurate info. Anyone telling you months old or years old info is likely to be wrong.

My grandparents married in Sweden (I found their marriage bans and records) and finally immigrated in 1892 but separately. I do genealogy and then write stories after I collect enough info from the records and read and study ethnology of the region. We went to an ethnographic museum in Helsingborg and I highly recommend you find one around your grandparents' region. It will give you a sense of life in Sweden in the 1800's.

Our trips are a bit more complex because we consider our European destinations more important than the TA, but flights within Europe are relatively inexpensive so going from port to a city isn't a problem.

We are still looking at which TA to do and haven't decided between cheap with few interesting ports or a bit more expensive with some ports of interest. Ultimately, we will likely do Poland first and then venture to Sweden only to give the northern area a bit more time to warm up. We were there in mid- May this year and the weather was quite warm and very nice with little rain.

Send me a private message with your email if you want to know anymore about the genealogy aspect. Sweden's records are very accessible and readable even if you don't know Swedish, which I don't. I went back to the early 1700's and will continue to do more work on this but I have other more pressing genealogy and writing pursuits right now.

NCL seems to be going to a reserved seating option in their MDRs. That, in theory, makes freestyle dining not as efficient as their old freestyle dining. If a certain percentage of tables are reserved, that means that true freestylers will have a longer line at the doors. There is a pretty long line because each group has to provide their cards or cabin info to the hostess. On a larger ship, only having one person controlling the guests' seating is not efficient. We were given pagers at times and instructed to wait in the lounge. I had read (but not used or observed) that tables could be reserved in the MDR on my sailing this past May.

 

Freestyle seemed to work more efficiently in the past. I'm not sure what the problem is now. One thing that I do like is that there were signs to encourage guests to share tables with other passengers. We always asked for this option and enjoyed it. You would think this would make the experience more efficient, but it obviously didn't. I think there is a cutback on staff and that is what affected the efficiency.