Alaska on the Wind

[ck1234]

Hello All!

 

Been reading these message boards for a whole 3 days now, round the clock, and gotta say, message boards are the best! I always refer to them for all my vacations. 1/2 the fun of vacation is participating in message boards for me, and what a WEALTH of info and laughs people provide on them!

 

I almost think I should have posted in the "First Timer" forum, but since it is my 2nd time (This will be my 20th anniversary since first cruise til now!) and... I am going on NCL, I hoped you wouldn't mind me posting here! A little background info...I absolutely "hated" my first cruise. I was 21. My best friend and I went on a "singles" Carnival cruise....that ended up being 12 women and 1 guy who always came to dinner wearing a "Captain's hat". We also had to share a cabin with two other ladies who were in their late 30's - but SINGLE...and my friend & myself, both 21 found age difficulties.... Our cabin had 4-pull out of the wall bunk beds and it was truly a nightmare. I ended up staying with a honeymoon couple (same age as me) I met on the cruise, who were in the Army in Louisianna, for the last 1/2 of the cruise because I couldn't bear staying in my own cabin! 20 years later, her & I are still best of friends (she's divorced now) and she is finally coming to visit me this June. I have been to visit them/her in a few States they lived in over the years.... That first, though dismal, Carnival cruise affords me of something good to remember - that life-long friends can be met!

 

Onto today, my son (will be16 when we sail) and I are going on the Wind to Alaska in late August this year. The discounted price turned out to be right for me when looking...I just booked it today in finality. My son no longer wants to go to Disneyland or Disneyworld (The shame! :-) I took him every year from 6 yrs. old til 12) and so, 2 years ago, we went to Mexico on a AI, which I/he hated in the summer - HOT & HUMID & felt tied to the resort as I had paid for it, but I like to be free! I grew tired of the restaurants, entertainment, etc...( I only had limited spending money, so we were basically STUCK there!). Last year we did 2 weeks in Hawaii, which he & I both loved, however, this year I cannot afford it (I spent a fortune last year!).....so Alaska, here we come!

 

I'm not expecting anything from Alaska....we live in Vancouver, so I know our scenery is beautiful, and I'm not expecting to be blown away by this cruise - but if I am - BONUS! I don't really care about the weather either, as like I said, being from the Pacific NorthWet, I'm also used to rain, rain, and more rain. As, it's the end of the summer, I expect this weather. The nice thing of this cruise was to be able to leave from Vancouver and to get home in Vancouver....I liked not having to fly for a change!

 

So....now, that I've blabbed on and on this much, I'll give my questions to all you fine, seasoned, cruisers on NCL!

 

1. The Formal Dinners - Am I correct in understanding that you can still attend the formal dinner if you're not dressed formal, but will just be placed off to the side of the dining rooms? I plan to attend the dinners dressed nice, but not "formally"...

 

2. I would like to book "Le Bistro" twice as we like to gourmet dine. As this is the only "pay" restaurant on the Wind, should you book ressies the first day on the cruise to get in? As I read there are only 78 seats, I am worried that if I ponder over shows and stuff we want to do, without booking, I won't be able to book reservations for when we want.

 

3. Do any parents have experiences with the "Teen Club"? i.e....did your teens like it, meet friends, want to return to the club, etc?

 

4. Can you request an iron to your cabin if you need one? Is there a charge if so?

 

5. Does Ice Tea come in sweetened and unsweetened? I can tell you in Vancouver, it's only sweetened, usually Nestea. I am an anomoly here in Canada, I only drink unsweetened, but I only find that when making it at home! Everywhere else in the U.S. we've been, there's been a choice a both, I think in Canada it's only "sweetened".

 

6. Duty Free - I know alcohol is kept til you depart, what about cigarettes? Do they sell Canadian cigs? Can you bring cigs from duty free?

 

7. If I wanted to play in the Casino (probably a stupid question as with my budget, I'll be done in 5 minutes each night, but....), how would I keep in touch with my son to know where he was, if he wasn't in the cabin? Do I need to bring walkie/talkie's?

 

8. Alas, I'm still worried about feeling "tied down, STUCK on the ship...", but I think being old now, it might not be as bad! :-)

 

Finally, I thank you all in advance to whomever may reply and sorry for this being so long!

[calmac]

Hi Christine and welcome to the boards.

 

Hopefully your second cruise will give you much happier memories than your first. There was no comparison at all between my first and second cruises. My first was a "school educational" cruise so all the passengers were school children :eek: and their teachers. We slept in dormitories and the food was canteen style. My second was last summer on the Dream (sister ship of the Wind) to Alaska. I loved it and have booked two cruises since - the Dawn in April and the Dream again in the summer.

 

The reason we chose NCL was the fact that resort casual is acceptable at all times. On the OPTIONAL formal nights you will see people dressed in resort casual and in more formal attire and everyone just mixes. Don't worry about being pushed to the side if you're not formally dressed. As long as you're not wearing jeans or shorts you will be dressed appropriately.

 

Last summer you could only book a day ahead for Le Bistro on the Dream (similar or same size as the one on the Wind) unless you were in a high category cabin. We booked two days in advance (we had a balcony cabin) and had no problems at all. In fact Le Bistro never seemed too busy and any time we walked past several of the ship's officers were dining there. As you appear to be sailing towards the end of the season you will be able to find out from these boards what the situation is with booking Le Bistro when the Wind moves to Alaska.

 

You won't be able to obtain an iron on board but you can have your clothes pressed for you. I'm not sure what the charges for that are. Living in Vancouver your clothes won't be in a suitcase for long so they shouldn't be too wrinkled/creased when you arrive on board and can hang them up.

 

I'm sorry but I'm not able to answer any of your other questions.

 

We're from Scotland so have wonderful scenery and rain, same as in Vancouver and Alaska :D We loved our trip, both the cruising and the ports. Make a point of visiting the Alaska Ports of Call board here on Cruise Critic as it is full of lots of useful information on what to do at each of the ports. One word of warning - a lot (but not all) of the shore excursions are expensive.

[Don Haynes]

The ice tea on NCL ships is definitely UNsweetened, please use the sugar or sugar substitutes packages readily available.

 

You can bring as many cigarettes as you want onboard. I don't know Canadian customs, but American customs allows the entrance of only one carton duty free. The brands are limited on NCL ships, I don't recall NCL selling Canadian brands, but then again I have never sailed from Vancouver.

 

Irons are considered fire hazards, you can have anything pressed by the ships laundry or bring some wrinkle release spray product or a travel steamer.

 

Most kids seems to enjoy the Kids crew programs. But there are those who don't. Yes, you can bring walkie talkies on board to keep in contact.

[ck1234]

Thanks to you both for your responses....and you Calmac, you have 2 upcoming cruises you are going on!!! There must be something to this! (I have alway wanted to visit Scotland...)My question about cigarettes, should have read, "Can you buy Cigs in the duty free shop on the ship and bring them to your cabin?" I have no opportunity to visit duty free before I board. Oh, and about excursions....I would like to take my son on a "float", any advice? We visit Ketchikan, Juneau & Skagway....Skagway is the longest day in port we have.

[JuneauMe]

Thanks to you both for your responses....and you Calmac, you have 2 upcoming cruises you are going on!!! There must be something to this! (I have alway wanted to visit Scotland...)My question about cigarettes, should have read, "Can you buy Cigs in the duty free shop on the ship and bring them to your cabin?" I have no opportunity to visit duty free before I board. Oh, and about excursions....I would like to take my son on a "float", any advice? We visit Ketchikan, Juneau & Skagway....Skagway is the longest day in port we have.

 

Yes you can buy cigs and bring them back to your cabin to smoke on your trip. As for excursions, I did a whale watching/ Mendenhal glacier combo excursion in Juneau and I loved it. In Skagway I did the eagle preserve float, but I only got to see one eagle. The sceenery was nice, but I was hopint that I would have the same luck as my friend who had gone on that excursion the year befor. She said they saw soooo many eagles it was breath taking. That's nature for you though. Have fun.

Donna

[Hikini]

Others have answered most of your questions, so I'll just give you my "opinion" about being stuck on the ship. I don't think you will find that at all. You'll have some nice ports of call with plenty to do and see, along with lots of activities on the ship to keep you busy and happy. Our problem, usually, is just the opposite - there are too many things to do, and we can't fit them all in, along with trying to just relax and wind down.

 

On at least 2 cruises we skipped some of the ports and enjoyed the peace and quiet aboard the ship while most everyone was gone.

 

I learned very early on, during our first cruise, that for me, cruising wasn't all about where we were going - it was all about the ship. But everyone has their own ideas and lists of likes and dislikes. Isn't it great that we're not all exactly alike?!

 

You will have fun, and I'm sure your son will really enjoy himself too.

 

Hikini:D