Return to cruising: a (hopefully) drama-free zone

[AstoriaPreppy]

On 5/23/2021 at 6:49 PM, AdoraBelle said:

And another: anyone know if the Bliss (or any NCL ships?) still have the Peloton bikes in the gym? I see them on a gym walkthrough of the inaugural sailing, but of course that was a while back now. (Actually, based on my experience with NCL's internet connectivity, not totally sure how a Peloton bike would work onboard ...)

As far as I know, Peloton bikes are only on Celebrity Edge class ships, and I'd be surprised if there were ever actual Peloton bikes on any NCL ship. I don't think NCL's notoriously wonky internet would be able to support multiple bikes streaming high-res classes simultaneously. I believe the brand has a partnership with Celebrity... in certain suites on the Edge you can have a bike delivered directly to your stateroom for use during the voyage. 

 

What you will find on NCL (and most lines) are generic spin bikes, for instructor-led classes. Some ships have clip-in shoes, other use toe cages. On Oasis of the Seas, for a while this was Flywheel-branded, but most are more generic. If you're interested, buy a class pass. For around $80, you can usually get unlimited classes, compared to spending $30 per class. Instructor quality varies... even the worst Peloton instructor is exponentially better than most fitness instructors, so set your expectations accordingly 😜

 

Re: Alaska... it's one of my favorite places in the world. I'd highly recommend packing layers, as the weather can vary a lot. For cold days on deck (Glacier Bay) I usually will layer a base, a fleece and a packable down parka. For trips on shore I'll layer a base, fleece, and a Columbia raincoat. My best suggestion is make sure you buy things that can compress or pack into themselves... you'll save space in your suitcase AND when on excursions and you need to pull something off. Also, NCL is already super casual but there's really no expectation of dressing up for dinner on any Alaskan cruise.

 

Also, save a LOT of money for excursions. Alaska is amazing, but much of the cruise experience is based around excursions. NCL also has a policy of jacking excursion prices up (because so many people get discounts and Shore Ex credits), so be prepared for some eye-popping pricing on some of the better experiences.  

[Honolulu Blue]

On 5/23/2021 at 6:17 PM, AdoraBelle said:

Would anyone like to discuss their return to cruising, specifically on NCL (since this is the NCL board), but without actually arguing about politics, masks, or the pandemic? I would personally enjoy such a discussion. I miss the days of merely making fun of NCL's minor policy decisions, but I can even exercise self-restraint in that regard if it will help keep things chill here. 

 

Sure, I'll bite.  I scheduled myself on one of NCL Gem's sailings in September a few weeks ago.  I'm expecting a wild and wacky adventure from first flight to last.  Part of the adventure is that this will be my first time sailing with NCL, so there's a new ship and a new culture to deal with.  Another part is that it's the middle of hurricane season, which may stir things up (literally and figuratively).  Yet another part is exploring the ports to the extent that they'll allow us to.

[AdoraBelle]

3 hours ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

As far as I know, Peloton bikes are only on Celebrity Edge class ships, and I'd be surprised if there were ever actual Peloton bikes on any NCL ship. I don't think NCL's notoriously wonky internet would be able to support multiple bikes streaming high-res classes simultaneously.

 

It looks like they briefly existed on NCL Bliss:

 

 

Timestamp about 1:14 if the link doesn't pick it up right.

According to PeloBuddy site, they were removed within a year for ... internet connection issues. 🙂

 

3 hours ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

Re: Alaska... it's one of my favorite places in the world. I'd highly recommend packing layers, as the weather can vary a lot. For cold days on deck (Glacier Bay) I usually will layer a base, a fleece and a packable down parka. For trips on shore I'll layer a base, fleece, and a Columbia raincoat. My best suggestion is make sure you buy things that can compress or pack into themselves... you'll save space in your suitcase AND when on excursions and you need to pull something off. Also, NCL is already super casual but there's really no expectation of dressing up for dinner on any Alaskan cruise.

 

Thanks, really appreciate the info.

[AstoriaPreppy]

1 hour ago, AdoraBelle said:

According to PeloBuddy site, they were removed within a year for ... internet connection issues. 🙂

This is... <chef's kiss>

[Cruise Gopher]

On 5/23/2021 at 4:45 PM, AdoraBelle said:

It just seemed to be attached to my account, under my “coupons and credits”.

 

No idea why, I never had a cruise booked or canceled during the entire pandemic. I just have some cruise next certificates from 2019. 

Where is the coupons and credits section? I looked all over my online NCL account and don’t see that section. 

[AdoraBelle]

29 minutes ago, SkierRobUMN said:

Where is the coupons and credits section? I looked all over my online NCL account and don’t see that section. 

 

Mine are gone now, but it should just be under the "My Account" page, or will show up in the payment section when you get to the end of a mock booking. 

[AdoraBelle]

Lots of drama has happened since I made this post, of the re-arranged and canceled cruises variety. It's made me wonder if I picked the wrong moment to get back into the game, but so far my cruise still seems to exist.

 

I do think it's underbooked (so far), based on booking sites that let you see a wider range of available rooms. I have a hunch that it will start to book up if cruises out of Florida start happening and people become more confident. (I'm not mentioning Florida beyond that, because that's obviously a conversational landmine.) In the meantime, I feel bad for the people who have gotten screwed over by NCL. Hopefully I won't become one of them. 

 

Because of the drama this past week, I haven't really done any more research or planning--when I come to the boards, I get sucked into the Joy/Gem threads instead. I'm still mostly thinking about clothing. I have such a hard time packing light, even for hot climates, and at the same time I hate having more stuff than I can move around by myself (solo). I'm not a fashionista by any stretch, I just hate re-wearing clothes, especially once they have absorbed restaurant odors. I'm hoping I can pick up some super lightweight travel/rain jackets from some place like North Face.

 

I haven't done much port research yet either, other than a few videos. I'm pretty sure I've seen three distinct itineraries so far for my sailing:

 

1) The one at the time of booking, which included Victoria, which we knew wasn't going to happen
2 )The one I received in email which includes the line "HOLKHAM BAY GLACIER FJORD"

3) The one that appears on NCL's site now, which does not include the Holkam Bay line OR Victoria, but does include the line: "Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier"

 

So I don't even know for sure where we're going or when. Which is basically fine with me for the moment.

 

[Daytonasailor]

On 5/23/2021 at 6:17 PM, AdoraBelle said:

I know this never works, but I'm going to try it anyway. 

 

Would anyone like to discuss their return to cruising, specifically on NCL (since this is the NCL board), but without actually arguing about politics, masks, or the pandemic? I would personally enjoy such a discussion. I miss the days of merely making fun of NCL's minor policy decisions, but I can even exercise self-restraint in that regard if it will help keep things chill here. 

 

I will probably pull the trigger on an Alaska cruise tomorrow, for August. I've looked at NCL's return to service policies, and I'm pleased with them. (I'd link, but I'm trying to avoid another thread about masks and vaccinations. It's easy to find on their site, though.) 

I've never been to Alaska, and have never sailed out of Seattle. I have been on the Bliss when she was doing a winter run out of Miami, and I do remember the fantastic Obs lounge, although I'm sure it will be PACKED to the gills in Alaska. I won't have a balcony (solo studio for me, unless a deal pops up), and I'm considering a spa pass as a backup viewing location just in case the obs lounge is really impenetrable. 

 

I've never even really considered Alaska because it will be such a long flight for me, and the thought of my first post-pandemic flight being so long makes me a little antsy. But something about it is very appealing right now, after not having traveled for so long. (My last cruise was a cruise to Bermuda out of NYC in July 2019.)

 

Would take any advice about, for example, hotels near the port (it's Pier 66, I gather?), and/or some other area I should stay in. With the flights I'm looking at, I will get into Seattle too early to check into a hotel, with my baggage in tow, and most likely desperate for a shower, so I'm also trying to figure out how to kill a few hours. Or find a hotel that will let me pay a little for early checkin. (I think I would land a little after 10am. For Florida I never thought twice about flying day-of, obviously not doing that this time.)

 

Yeah, my Alaska ignorance is pretty breathtaking. I have a hard time packing light for the Caribbean, so this should be interesting. 

 

I know a title like this is basically throwing out chum for trolls and the irrationally hostile, so I wanted to include this useful link: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/ignore/

 

We flew from Florida a few years ago. Long flight, but we considered it part of the vacation. We traveled in May and had a balcony cabin. For me it was to cold to sit outside, even in May. Probably one of the best trips we have been on. Alaska is like nothing else you have seen. A trip well worth it. If you get to Juneau, go to the Red Dog Saloon. Lots of fun. Guy on the guitar and sings popular songs. He asked us the most requested song and of course it was the old "North to Alaska" song. He then asked what was the second most requested song. No one seemed to know. It was "Cheeseburger in Paradise" Go figure, Ha, tourists.

Edited May 29, 2021 by Daytonasailor
spelling error

[vswan]

Been to Alaska on three cruises. Loved them all - May, July and late August. We are not heavy packers but did take more luggage on these cruises than any others. Each took a smaller bag with our regular clothes and shared what I call my toy bag - a duffle type. That bag held mostly the heavier outer wear - hiking boots, coats, gloves, hats, etc. All the bulky things. The May cruise probably had the most similar weather to what you will experience. There was lingering snow on the ground in some areas and it was cold if the sun wasn't out or the wind picked up. Even on the ship during the day, most wore some type of fleece or lightweight jacket.

 

One thing I did notice was the daily wear was very casual for most. Not sweat pant casual, but jeans and sport/yoga type pants were common. One woman had on the same purple velour pants and hoodie every day and she looked perfectly acceptable and comfortable.

 

One thing to consider if you are worried about too much luggage is using the laundry service.

 

 

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, AdoraBelle said:

Lots of drama has happened since I made this post, of the re-arranged and canceled cruises variety. It's made me wonder if I picked the wrong moment to get back into the game, but so far my cruise still seems to exist.

 

I do think it's underbooked (so far), based on booking sites that let you see a wider range of available rooms. I have a hunch that it will start to book up if cruises out of Florida start happening and people become more confident. (I'm not mentioning Florida beyond that, because that's obviously a conversational landmine.) In the meantime, I feel bad for the people who have gotten screwed over by NCL. Hopefully I won't become one of them. 

 

Because of the drama this past week, I haven't really done any more research or planning--when I come to the boards, I get sucked into the Joy/Gem threads instead. I'm still mostly thinking about clothing. I have such a hard time packing light, even for hot climates, and at the same time I hate having more stuff than I can move around by myself (solo). I'm not a fashionista by any stretch, I just hate re-wearing clothes, especially once they have absorbed restaurant odors. I'm hoping I can pick up some super lightweight travel/rain jackets from some place like North Face.

 

I haven't done much port research yet either, other than a few videos. I'm pretty sure I've seen three distinct itineraries so far for my sailing:

 

1) The one at the time of booking, which included Victoria, which we knew wasn't going to happen
2 )The one I received in email which includes the line "HOLKHAM BAY GLACIER FJORD"

3) The one that appears on NCL's site now, which does not include the Holkam Bay line OR Victoria, but does include the line: "Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier"

 

So I don't even know for sure where we're going or when. Which is basically fine with me for the moment.

 

There is no drama free return to sailing. There are a lot of angry, loyal guests who invested a lot of time and planning to help NCL get restarted. And while I understand that business is business, the return of a 10% off coupon is not how NCL should treat and compensate the people on the Joy and Gem that they screwed last week. 

[coastcat]

1 hour ago, AdoraBelle said:

Lots of drama has happened since I made this post, of the re-arranged and canceled cruises variety. It's made me wonder if I picked the wrong moment to get back into the game, but so far my cruise still seems to exist.

 

I do think it's underbooked (so far), based on booking sites that let you see a wider range of available rooms. I have a hunch that it will start to book up if cruises out of Florida start happening and people become more confident. (I'm not mentioning Florida beyond that, because that's obviously a conversational landmine.) In the meantime, I feel bad for the people who have gotten screwed over by NCL. Hopefully I won't become one of them. 

 

Because of the drama this past week, I haven't really done any more research or planning--when I come to the boards, I get sucked into the Joy/Gem threads instead. I'm still mostly thinking about clothing. I have such a hard time packing light, even for hot climates, and at the same time I hate having more stuff than I can move around by myself (solo). I'm not a fashionista by any stretch, I just hate re-wearing clothes, especially once they have absorbed restaurant odors. I'm hoping I can pick up some super lightweight travel/rain jackets from some place like North Face.

 

I haven't done much port research yet either, other than a few videos. I'm pretty sure I've seen three distinct itineraries so far for my sailing:

 

1) The one at the time of booking, which included Victoria, which we knew wasn't going to happen
2 )The one I received in email which includes the line "HOLKHAM BAY GLACIER FJORD"

3) The one that appears on NCL's site now, which does not include the Holkam Bay line OR Victoria, but does include the line: "Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier"

 

So I don't even know for sure where we're going or when. Which is basically fine with me for the moment.

 

Febreze is your friend. Pack a little spray bottle of it so you can refreshen up your clothes if needed. It’s NCL and it’s Alaska, so clean jeans & nice t-shirts are fine.
 

I’m booked the week before you, right? My tentative wear/pack list is three pairs of chinos, two lightweight long-sleeve tees, two short-sleeve polo shirts, a knit dress + cardigan, two pairs of shoes (flats and lace-up), swimsuit & flip flops for the Thermal Suite, lightweight hoodie, and a ball cap. I’ll almost certainly pick up a t-shirt or two along the way. You might need additional gear depending on excursions but I’m skipping those on this trip in favor of just visiting the ports. 
 

A cruise ship enters Holkham Bay to access Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm in search of glaciers. Dawes Glacier is a prominent feature of Endicott Arm. It’s all pretty. 

Edited May 29, 2021 by coastcat

[SSFun]

1 hour ago, coastcat said:

Febreze is your friend. Pack a little spray bottle of it so you can refreshen up your clothes if needed. It’s NCL and it’s Alaska, so clean jeans & nice t-shirts are fine.
 

I’m booked the week before you, right? My tentative wear/pack list is three pairs of chinos, two lightweight long-sleeve tees, two short-sleeve polo shirts, a knit dress + cardigan, two pairs of shoes (flats and lace-up), swimsuit & flip flops for the Thermal Suite, lightweight hoodie, and a ball cap. I’ll almost certainly pick up a t-shirt or two along the way. You might need additional gear depending on excursions but I’m skipping those on this trip in favor of just visiting the ports. 
 

A cruise ship enters Holkham Bay to access Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm in search of glaciers. Dawes Glacier is a prominent feature of Endicott Arm. It’s all pretty. 

On the website, it looks like we (the August cruises) cruise Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier overnight. I wonder if we stay up late if there will be anything that we can see by moonlight. Could be a really unique experience. Of course, they may change the itinerary again once all of their port agreements have been put in place. Either way, I will be good. I will just be happy to be cruising again! Last time we went to  Alaska we were with extended family and I was the one in charge of all dining and excursion plans. This time around it is just the two of us and we plan to take it easy. Can't wait!

[SSFun]

5 hours ago, SSFun said:

On the website, it looks like we (the August cruises) cruise Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier overnight. I wonder if we stay up late if there will be anything that we can see by moonlight. Could be a really unique experience. Of course, they may change the itinerary again once all of their port agreements have been put in place. Either way, I will be good. I will just be happy to be cruising again! Last time we went to  Alaska we were with extended family and I was the one in charge of all dining and excursion plans. This time around it is just the two of us and we plan to take it easy. Can't wait!

OK. I've done a bit more research and it looks like we will be there in late afternoon to do viewing. 😀

[coastcat]

5 hours ago, SSFun said:

On the website, it looks like we (the August cruises) cruise Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier overnight. I wonder if we stay up late if there will be anything that we can see by moonlight. Could be a really unique experience. Of course, they may change the itinerary again once all of their port agreements have been put in place. Either way, I will be good. I will just be happy to be cruising again! Last time we went to  Alaska we were with extended family and I was the one in charge of all dining and excursion plans. This time around it is just the two of us and we plan to take it easy. Can't wait!

 

Per the NCL website, the itinerary for the August cruises is 6am-1:30pm in Juneau, then heading to Endicott, and arriving in Ketchikan the next morning at 10am. At that time of the year it'll be light outside until 9:30 pm or so. Should be plenty of light for scenery consumption!

 

 

[SSFun]

I am not sure if this is the right thread to ask this question on (and it may have been addressed on a different thread that I didn't read), but here it goes. I noticed that the itinerary for my Alaska cruise in August has 4am as the disembark time. Will they really be kicking us off of the ship at 4 in the morning? I am hoping that this is the time the ship arrives in port and that we will not be asked to get off until (real) morning-time hours...

[SSFun]

5 minutes ago, coastcat said:

 

Per the NCL website, the itinerary for the August cruises is 6am-1:30pm in Juneau, then heading to Endicott, and arriving in Ketchikan the next morning at 10am. At that time of the year it'll be light outside until 9:30 pm or so. Should be plenty of light for scenery consumption!

 

 

Awesome! Thank you so much for your reply! Light until 9:30 pm will make viewing all of this beautiful scenery such an amazing experience! I am so excited for this cruise!

[coastcat]

5 minutes ago, SSFun said:

I am not sure if this is the right thread to ask this question on (and it may have been addressed on a different thread that I didn't read), but here it goes. I noticed that the itinerary for my Alaska cruise in August has 4am as the disembark time. Will they really be kicking us off of the ship at 4 in the morning? I am hoping that this is the time the ship arrives in port and that we will not be asked to get off until (real) morning-time hours...

Yes. They'll blare a loud ship-wide alarm at 3am to make sure everyone's awake and ready to depart.

 

😇

 

(no, 4am is just the time the ship will arrive in port, disembarkation will be during sane morning hours)

[CptBoatface]

We are near locals (western Washington) and we always get a balcony.  However, from our Alaska cruise in an early July sailing, We found the balcony was not really sufficient value and would be more interested in an oceanview for future sailings. Just didn't  use it

[SSFun]

22 minutes ago, coastcat said:

Yes. They'll blare a loud ship-wide alarm at 3am to make sure everyone's awake and ready to depart.

 

😇

 

(no, 4am is just the time the ship will arrive in port, disembarkation will be during sane morning hours)

OK, this is the first post in a while that actually had me laughing out loud! Thank you for the witty reply! I truly enjoyed it! I figured we'd be able to get off the ship later but with Covid craziness these insane questions must be asked. 🤪

[AdoraBelle]

1 hour ago, coastcat said:

Yes. They'll blare a loud ship-wide alarm at 3am to make sure everyone's awake and ready to depart.

After the alarm, don’t forget to line up outside your cabin door for the mandatory deep nasal swab!

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, SSFun said:

Awesome! Thank you so much for your reply! Light until 9:30 pm will make viewing all of this beautiful scenery such an amazing experience! I am so excited for this cruise!

We spend most evenings out on the balcony watching the sea. Usually lots of whales (whale spouts,,, more than big breaching whales), dolphin and other sea life. One of the best dinners we ever had was outside sailing between Alaskan ports. The scenery was breath taking and watching the sunset. 
 

[SSFun]

14 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

We spend most evenings out on the balcony watching the sea. Usually lots of whales (whale spouts,,, more than big breaching whales), dolphin and other sea life. One of the best dinners we ever had was outside sailing between Alaskan ports. The scenery was breath taking and watching the sunset. 
 

Just breathtaking! I can’t wait!

[BirdTravels]

 

12 hours ago, SSFun said:

On the website, it looks like we (the August cruises) cruise Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier overnight. I wonder if we stay up late if there will be anything that we can see by moonlight. Could be a really unique experience. Of course, they may change the itinerary again once all of their port agreements have been put in place. Either way, I will be good. I will just be happy to be cruising again! Last time we went to  Alaska we were with extended family and I was the one in charge of all dining and excursion plans. This time around it is just the two of us and we plan to take it easy. Can't wait!

So, I didn’t answer your comment…

The ship leaves Juneau at 1:30 and travels through the fjords to the glacier. You get to the glacier around 5:00 pm. At the glacier, the captain will spin the ship 360 degrees so everyone gets a good view. We are outside from the time we leave Juneau to the end of the glacier encounter. The bow will be open, but the view is not the best. The experience will be different every day based on the amount of ice in the water. Sometimes the ship gets up close. Sometimes the ship can be up to 5 miles away if the ice is heavy (reference a movie called Titanic to see what happens when a cruise ship and ice disagree). The glacier encounter ends by 7:00 pm and everyone is at dinner as you retrace you journey up the arm. 
 

One of our favorite Shore Excursions is the Glacier Explorer. You Leave Juneau on a small tour boat that holds a couple of hundred people and travel the same route up to the glacier. In a small boat, they can take you up a few side inlets and stop for whale and bears (if any) where the ship will keep moving along. The small boat will navigate the ice and get you up close and personal with the glacier. The goal is to be there during some large calving (parts of the glacier breaking off and hitting the water). 
 

The following link is from the Bliss in 2018. Post #243 starts photos from the Glacier Explorer.  (Click on the top title next to the bird to go directly to #243)  

 

The following link is from the Joy in 2019. Post #188 is from the Glacier Explorer 

 

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by BirdTravels

[SSFun]

9 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

 

So, I didn’t answer your comment…

The ship leaves Juneau at 1:30 and travels through the fjords to the glacier. You get to the glacier around 5:00 pm. At the glacier, the captain will spin the ship 360 degrees so everyone gets a good view. We are outside from the time we leave Juneau to the end of the glacier encounter. The bow will be open, but the view is not the best. The experience will be different every day based on the amount of ice in the water. Sometimes the ship gets up close. Sometimes the ship can be up to 5 miles away if the ice is heavy (reference a movie called Titanic to see what happens when a cruise ship and ice disagree). The glacier encounter ends by 7:00 pm and everyone is at dinner as you retrace you journey up the arm. 
 

One of our favorite Shore Excursions is the Glacier Explorer. You Leave Juneau on a small tour boat that holds a couple of hundred people and travel the same route up to the glacier. In a small boat, they can take you up a few side inlets and stop for whale and bears (if any) where the ship will keep moving along. The small boat will navigate the ice and get you up close and personal with the glacier. The goal is to be there during some large calving (parts of the glacier breaking off and hitting the water). 
 

The following link is from the Bliss in 2018. Post #243 starts photos from the Glacier Explorer.  (Click on the top title next to the bird to go directly to #243)  

 

The following link is from the Joy in 2019. Post #188 is from the Glacier Explorer 

 

 

Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for the links! I just spent the last hour scrolling through your reviews. I am so excited for this cruise! Everyone on this board has been so wonderful in answering my questions and making me feel welcome! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[lfplenore]

Has anyone mentioned bringing great binoculars? They truly are a must-have for an Alaska cruise.