Giving Norwegian a try just booked Alaska, so need all your hints, tips

[marcyjane]

Well after a couple of months of reading and searching, a friend and myself have booked a cruise to Alaska for May 2006. Were going out of Seattle, due to cost of airline fare.

 

First time on Norwegian Cruise Line (Star) have cruised RCI & CCI so will see how Norwegian is before long.

 

Now we need some help on pre cruise hotel stay in Seattle that offers free shuttle to the cruise terminal and a pre cruise tour company for a tour of Seattle.

We are both single baby boomers so need to find some good deals to make our money go as far as we can.

 

Also need suggestion for Alaska tours as well, (I posted as well on the Alaska board too) , but thought I might get different post here as well.

 

Also one more question, can you book your Alaska shore tours on line with Norwegian? I went to the web site, but didn't see a login prompt like on CCI & RCI where you login etc. I did see a (if your booked guest prompt).

 

Hope I have made some sense of all this I think my brain going faster than my fingers.

Thanks in advance for your time & trouble in helping us make the best of the cruise;)

Thank you,

Marcy:)

[KeystoneCruiser]

marcyjane: We did Alaska last summer on the Star. The Star is my favorite ship in the fleet, you will love her. Since we were part of a tour group who handled our hotels and transportation, I can't help you there.

 

Be warned of SeaTac airport, especially on departure. It is very busy, especially on Sunday mornings after your tour and it takes longer to get through the ticket counters and security check-point. Leave plenty of time!

 

As far as tours, I suggest a wildlife quest in one of the stops. I didn't think I would enjoy it (my family signed us up for it), but I loved it. Saw lots of whales!! There are so many great choices for tours! Yes, you can sign up on line for the tours, let me go back in and walk through it again and I will post again. I will warn you that many times the online registration does not go through correctly. (you get wrong tours and times). Get a confirmation of your tours and check it carefully. If it is wrong, give their shore excursion desk a call and they will correct it. Even though NCL customer service is horrible, I have never had problems with their shore excursion phone people, always polite and helpful!

 

Finally, do you understand the Freestyle concept? The dress code, the open dinning and reservation procedures, the disembarkation procedures? If not, let us know and we on this board will give you the info! Welcome aboard!

[cod]

You may like to hear this. On our Sun cruise, at the Latitudes gathering, the person who had been on the most cruises got a bottle of champagne. Now I may not have heard right but it seems he said something like 40 NCL cruises (he has more money and time than most of us) and when asked what his favorite ship was, he said, without hesitation, "The Star!!"

[marcyjane]

Keystonecruiser,

Thanks for all the helpful info :)

You ask the following:

 

Finally, do you understand the Freestyle concept? The dress code, the open dinning and reservation procedures, the disembarkation procedures? If not, let us know and we on this board will give you the info! Welcome aboard!

 

I have read about the Freestyle dinning concept, as I understand you just go at your own pleasure to all the dinning area that are including in your cruise fare, but as far as disembarkation unless Norwegian does it different from RCI & CCI then no I don't know the procedures.

 

I'll we waiting for you post on stepping me around the NCI web site.

Thanks so much;)

Marcy

[Cuizer2]

Keystonecruiser,

Thanks for all the helpful info :)

You ask the following:

 

Finally, do you understand the Freestyle concept? The dress code, the open dinning and reservation procedures, the disembarkation procedures? If not, let us know and we on this board will give you the info! Welcome aboard!

 

I have read about the Freestyle dinning concept, as I understand you just go at your own pleasure to all the dinning area that are including in your cruise fare, but as far as disembarkation unless Norwegian does it different from RCI & CCI then no I don't know the procedures.

 

I'll we waiting for you post on stepping me around the NCI web site.

Thanks so much;)

Marcy

I was on the Star in October. You can read my review by clicking on the link at the end. You will be most interested in the Freestyle dining (which I discuss at length). As to disembarkation, first off are the people who can carry their own bags off. Next the colored tags are called (highest decks first). The main deal with NCL is you can stay in your cabin until you color is called.

 

As to booking tours, NCL will not allow you to book tours online until about 60 days prior to your cruise.

 

And here is the link for my review if you want more details ...

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=13327

[seattleadjuster]

Best affordable Alaska tour in is Juneau, take the bus to Mendenhall Glacier, think its $5. We stopped by the Alaskan Brewery (near Juneau Costco) for free samples. Met many others from our cruise, packed 5 of us into a pickup for the trip back to the ship, and became fast friends for the rest of the cruise (back to back week cruises).

 

Best hidden experience that I've never seen mentioned anywhere (we have a friend from Juneau) was a Catholic retreat north of town, on the water.

 

Best tour in Ketchikan (if you stop there) was from another friend who lives there. We went to the park with the longhouse and totem poles. The locals tour explained how the entrance at the front (the entrance that is always open and is a small tunnel to protect from the cold and wind getting in) is just wide enough for a keg of beer to get through when the park closes. We followed the ranger tour, but our local guide was also informative.

[marcyjane]

Cuizer2 enjoyed your review, Thanks and everyone else thanks for all the good info.

Marcy:)

 

PS also trying to get my countdown clock working, but as of now a no go. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

[KeystoneCruiser]

Freestyle Disembarkation is different than on other ships. You do not have to leave your cabin and be herded like cattle into public rooms. The day before disembarkation you will be given colored luggage tags. These colors determine the order in which you get off the ship. Colors are allocated based on your post cruise schedule. If you have an NCL post cruise shore excursion, it is one color, if you have an NCL post cruise stay, it is another. The other colors are based on the time of your flight or the deck you are located on. You put the tags on your luggage and put it out the night before like on other cruises.

 

On disembarkation day, you can enjoy breakfast in the buffet or Versailles restaurant and then return to your cabin. They begin calling colors about 2 hours after docking and the colors come about 20 minutes apart. When your color is called, you leave your cabin and head for the gangway. You then disembark and go to the luggage area to claim your luggage. Luggage is sorted by tag color. Much easier and simplier than waiting in public areas.

 

You can also go for express disembarkation. With express, you do not put out any luggage but instead keep it all with you. When they call the first color, you may head to the gangway carrying all of your luggage. (no crew member can help you.) You then disembark and are on your way. The catch of course is that you have to carry all of your own luggage.

 

On the dining info: On the Star for example, there are six restaurants which are free. The Aqua and Versailles dining rooms are traditional cruise line fare and dining. The Blue Lagoon is like a quick service snack bar and don't forget the buffet. None of those venues accept reservations. You just show up and ask for a table like at any shore side restaurant. LaTrattatoria (Italian) and Endless Summer (mexican) are free specialty restaurants. They don't have a surcharge, but you must have reservations. (not walk up places).

 

There are also specialty restaurants like La Bistro, Ginza, Soho, Cagney's Steak, etc. which have a surcharge of $15-25 per person. THese also require reservations. Personally I have never dinned in the charge restaurants so I can't speak to them. You can make reservations at the information desk in the Grand Atrium begining when you board. It is best to make them early in the week because they do fill up.

 

Freestyle also means to dress as you want. Resort casual is acceptable at all times in all restaurants, even on optional formal night. You will find that it runs about 50-50 between those dressed up and those in resort casual on formal night. Resort casual means no jeans, t-shirts or shorts. (basically polo shirts, kahikis and sundresses.)

 

My computer is acting up so I couldn't get into the NCL Shore site, I will try again on Monday.

[marcyjane]

Thanks keystonecruiser,

I finally figured out how to login on NCL, if not from the home page, but after you click another link.

Thanks for all you help and I'll look forward to being able to stay in our cabins until time to get off the ship.

Thanks so much.

Marcy

[katybird]

I didn't notice that anyone has answered your hotel question.

We stayed at the Comfort Suites Downtown on Roy Street 2 nights pre-cruise and 1 night post cruise.It is about 3 blocks from the Space Needle.

Rates were very reasonable and they have a free shuttle to downtown attractions. They took us to Pike Market Place and came back to pick us up when we were ready.

They also arranged a shuttle to pier for us [$6.00 pp] and a Towncar to the airport for our flight home.

There are several restaurants within walking distance. We loved the Thai restaurant.

Enjoy your cruise.

[marcyjane]

Thanks katybird,

I just today booked our hotel and we decided on

Spring Hill Suites Marriott downtown.

Thanks,

Marcy:)

[Zeno]

The best advice I was given before my first NCL cruise was:

Read the Freestyle Daily - lots of useful info - like opening times of the various dining rooms and restaurants, any theme nights, any specials (like half-price) in the "pay extra' restaurants, also entertainment times and locations and any special events like the Chocoholic buffet. Some people like to bring along a "hi-liter" to highlight anything they are interested in for that day.

[SailAways]

Don't miss Prince Rupert's beauty, if that is one of your ports.

Our family rented scooters through Pegasus Scooters while there, and did a tour of the town. They went to the beach, the sunken gardens, around through residential areas, and were able to see the true nature of the town. Many people state that this is a boring port, but we found it to be anything but. I walked the town, went as far as I could. I visited with locals who were more than happy to share their lore.

In Ketchikan, our DS and DIL rented kayaks through Southeast Kayaks and had a grand time paddling across the ocean to Pennock Cove with a very knowledgeable guide.

Neither of these adventures were very expensive compared to other excursions .

We walked as much as we could in each port. We rode the city bus to Mendenhall in Juneau. It was so much fun, as the driver knew each and every spot where he could point out eagle, and other wild life along the route. Very affordable.

We rented a car in Skagway, and did the South Klondike Highway, using Murray's guide, which is available on the Alaska thread. This was truly a delightful day - so many places to see. Being on our own this day was very special. The photo ops along this Highway are spectacular. We saw a lot of wildlife along this route.

You surely will not run out of things to do. We loved this entire cruise, and are looking forward to returning soon.

[marcyjane]

Thanks SailAlways for the good info

Marcy;)