Rare BirdTravels Posted August 11, 2019 Author #251 Share Posted August 11, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, Msmojo66 said: Where was this excursion??? See post #238 There were a lot of whales and dolphin around the ship (especially easy to see on the cruise from Icy Strait to Victoria). Edited August 11, 2019 by BirdTravels 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted August 11, 2019 Author #252 Share Posted August 11, 2019 9 hours ago, tokidoki said: 😍😍😍😍 thanks BIRD!!! where 2 next???? Still planning..... Maybe another super megaship follow-on to our May cruise below Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokidoki Posted August 11, 2019 #253 Share Posted August 11, 2019 5 hours ago, BirdTravels said: Still planning..... Maybe another super megaship follow-on to our May cruise 😃😃will be following! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawrat1982 Posted August 11, 2019 #254 Share Posted August 11, 2019 Is it me or are these menus in the main dining room the practically the same and on the same day as on your escape cruise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAV Posted August 11, 2019 #255 Share Posted August 11, 2019 (edited) We were aboard for this sailing as well. We sailed Bliss in July and enJOYed it so much we came back 4 weeks later to “comparison shop” on Joy. I’m afraid we’re a house divided in that my better half is sold on Bliss while I give a slight edge to Joy! The one feature we both agreed on was the lack of the circular bar on deck 15 on Joy. We spent a lot of time here on Bliss and missed it on Joy. On Bliss this was what we considered as the social gathering place. Sure, there’s a bar here on Joy, but it’s not the same from a socialibility perspective. On the other hand, I loved the Starbucks up here on Joy and spent early mornings enjoying coffee and the quiet, peaceful atmosphere. The light breakfast and lunch offerings in the Observation lounge were a huge hit with us. We are not buffet people and between deck 15 and The Local we were quite satisfied for breakfast and lunch. As Bird mentioned, we found the lighter colors of The Local pleasing over the darker on Bliss. We had the 3-night dining package, 2 Platinum dinners, paid a la carte 1 night in Le Bistro and dined 1 night in Manhattan. On the night we paid a la carte in Le Bistro we each chose 2 starters and split the Filet between us. When they brought out the filet, they had divided them on 2 plates complete with the side accompaniments on each plate. They could have brought the single entree, an extra plate, and then left it up to us to clumsily divide. But they went the extra mile and beautifully prepared 2 plates, including the potatoes, mushrooms and asparagus. A little thoughtfulness goes a long way. That may be their standard operating procedure for split entrees, and if it is, thank you Norwegian. Overall we enjoyed bar service in the various lounges we visited. Never a wait for a bar server. As I mentioned on another thread, we never saw any flyers or advertisements to upgrade to the Premium Plus package. We didn’t even know it existed until we saw the thread here on the board 2 days before we disembarked. Having said that, I often tossed most any flyers in the trash! Bird, did you notice any flyers to upgrade to the Plus package? As Bird mentioned, the Port Valet service offered in coordination with Norwegian and the Port of Seattle is a terrific program. We would most certainly have utilized this service if we were flying out of SEATAC. In our case, as a bit of an airline buff, we chose to fly home from Everett (airport code PAE for Paine Field). This airport opened in March of this year to commercial traffic. United and Alaska (partner with American) fly out of Everett using 70-seat 2-2 seating configuration jets. If you fly into/out of this airport you’re guaranteed not to be stuck in a middle seat! United flies to its hubs of SFO & DEN and Alaska to its hubs of LAX and PHX where you can connect to anywhere in the U.S. The airport has just 3 gates and going through TSA security is a BREEZE! It’s a 30-40 minute Uber/Lyft ride from the Port of Seattle. Lyft for us was $44 before gratuity. Speaking of Uber/Lyft, instead of joining the mass of humanity at the Port all clamoring to locate your driver, go next door to the Edgewater Hotel and order your ride there. Our Lyft driver thanked us profusely for doing just that and avoiding the masses next door at the Port. Norwegian is obviously proud of their decision to relocate Joy to North America by this article our TA sent us. https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/21358-norwegian-joy-s-onboard-revenue-more-than-doubles-in-alaska.html Edited August 11, 2019 by BEAV 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted August 12, 2019 Author #256 Share Posted August 12, 2019 Airline tickets out of Everett are [a lot] cheaper than SEATAC for the markets it serves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted August 12, 2019 Author #257 Share Posted August 12, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, BEAV said: As I mentioned on another thread, we never saw any flyers or advertisements to upgrade to the Premium Plus package. We didn’t even know it existed until we saw the thread here on the board 2 days before we disembarked. Having said that, I often tossed most any flyers in the trash! Bird, did you notice any flyers to upgrade to the Plus package? This was the flyer on the ship. I guess I never posted it (I took the photo on Day 1) Edited August 12, 2019 by BirdTravels 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfbbarry Posted August 12, 2019 #258 Share Posted August 12, 2019 Can you please tell me if there was any available internet while cruising close to shore? Or did you have to connect via the ship? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted August 12, 2019 Author #259 Share Posted August 12, 2019 3 hours ago, jfbbarry said: Can you please tell me if there was any available internet while cruising close to shore? Or did you have to connect via the ship? For the most of the time you are too far from are too far from a cell tower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmy104 Posted August 16, 2019 #260 Share Posted August 16, 2019 On the Joy can you check out blankets or just towels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted August 16, 2019 Author #261 Share Posted August 16, 2019 1 hour ago, Grimmy104 said: On the Joy can you check out blankets or just towels. Well,,,,, they have deck blankets at the towel station on the pool deck. Check them out early in the cruise because they run out. The are the thick, plush blankets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmy104 Posted August 16, 2019 #262 Share Posted August 16, 2019 (edited) 14 hours ago, BirdTravels said: Well,,,,, they have deck blankets at the towel station on the pool deck. Check them out early in the cruise because they run out. The are the thick, plush blankets. Thanks for the excellent posts Departing tomorrow 8/17 more prepared because of your informative posts!!! Edited August 16, 2019 by Grimmy104 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted August 16, 2019 Author #263 Share Posted August 16, 2019 2 hours ago, Grimmy104 said: Thanks for the excellent posts Departing tomorrow 8/17 more prepared because of your informative posts!!! Have a wonderful cruise! Alaska is magnificent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted August 19, 2019 Author #264 Share Posted August 19, 2019 The Concierge Suites get a purple key card, similar to the non-Haven suites on the small ships. The key can be used as a proximity/RFID card to open your stateroom door, bar code scan at the security checks, and a magnetic swipe card at the points of sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanyaewa Posted August 19, 2019 #265 Share Posted August 19, 2019 Thanks for all this information. I found it using the search feature AFTER I posted a query regarding Bliss Vs Joy. Ooops! I’m sure someone will redirect me here again - most likely you! Lot to think about thanks again for your comprehensive report Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted August 20, 2019 Author #266 Share Posted August 20, 2019 15 hours ago, tanyaewa said: Thanks for all this information. I found it using the search feature AFTER I posted a query regarding Bliss Vs Joy. Ooops! I’m sure someone will redirect me here again - most likely you! Lot to think about thanks again for your comprehensive report Now that you have found the Live Post from the Joy, here's our live post from the Bliss https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2548993-the-first-voyage-of-the-norwegian-bliss-to-alaska/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted August 23, 2019 Author #267 Share Posted August 23, 2019 Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show Ketchikan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted August 23, 2019 Author #268 Share Posted August 23, 2019 Rain Forest Sanctuary Ketchikan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted August 23, 2019 Author #269 Share Posted August 23, 2019 Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer Juneau \ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted August 24, 2019 Author #270 Share Posted August 24, 2019 (edited) Whales and Wildlife Icy Strait This was a mother and calf Edited August 24, 2019 by BirdTravels 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneylover89 Posted September 9, 2019 #271 Share Posted September 9, 2019 (edited) Silly question, what did each symbol mean on the main restaurant menus. They only one I can figure out is the pepper meaning the food it spicy Edited September 9, 2019 by disneylover89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneylover89 Posted September 9, 2019 #272 Share Posted September 9, 2019 Also, were all your excursions through NCL or on your own? I saved your review so I can reference everything a few months before we sail! Thank You!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted September 10, 2019 Author #273 Share Posted September 10, 2019 1 hour ago, disneylover89 said: Also, were all your excursions through NCL or on your own? I saved your review so I can reference everything a few months before we sail! Thank You!! All were NCL Shore Excursions 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted September 10, 2019 Author #274 Share Posted September 10, 2019 3 hours ago, disneylover89 said: Silly question, what did each symbol mean on the main restaurant menus. They only one I can figure out is the pepper meaning the food it spicy Vegetarian, spicy, gluten free 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneylover89 Posted September 10, 2019 #275 Share Posted September 10, 2019 On 8/23/2019 at 7:33 PM, BirdTravels said: Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer Juneau \ Was this tour added on later just for your cruise? I do not see it in the general Juneau shore excursions section Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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