Ward Cove Ketchikan

[aubreyc1988]

1 hour ago, wacruiselover said:

My thoughts exactly! We're excited about our September 4 sailing and if it costs us the price of a drink to go to the older part of town to see some of Creek Street, I think we can afford it. As a side note, we have a very good friend who used to work at the old pulp mill.

see you on board for a drink? 😄 

[wacruiselover]

59 minutes ago, aubreyc1988 said:

see you on board for a drink? 😄 

Looking forward to it!

[roger001]

Ketchikan has always been about parking downtown.   You then get to watch the activities of the downtown in motion from the ships decks.  That was half the fun and beauty of that port stop. Now it sounds like if you don’t stand line for the 7 mile each way shuttle, you will never ever see Ketchikan.  Pretty damn worthless. I’ll consider Ketchikan a no port stop.   My opinion. 

View from the ship, as it should be.  

Edited August 16, 2021 by roger001

[scooter6139]

We were not happy when they announced the shuttle, the cost and the time.  I decided to stay on the ship while my wife valiantly went ashore.  Waited 1.5 hours for the shuttle, but at least she didn't have to pay the $4.

NCL plans on bringing stuff like shops and such out to the terminal, but it is in no way ready for cruise passengers at this time.  

[AtlantaCruiser72]

I'm sure they are also facing staffing issues, like every other part of the hospitality industry.  Getting excursion operators,  drivers, busses, etc sorted for a short 2 month AK season that may or may not have ultimately happened must have been a logistical nightmare.  Layer that on top of opening a new facility, with the teething issues that happen in normal times, during very NON normal times and it was/is a recipe for short term disaster.  While not great for those cruise in 2021, I'm certain that by 2022 and beyond NCL will get the new facility running along like a well oiled machine and there may be more transport options, ability for private tours/transport to pick up/drop off, etc

 

I still think the shuttle to town should be free as NCL have chosen to operate from a exclusive docking facility, under their control, that is out of town - but that's a separate issue/discussion from the logistics/teeth pains

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, robcolem said:

Do the NCL booked excursions in Ketchikan include transportation to/from Ward Cove?

Yes. All NCL Shore Excursions leave from Ward Cove. There were dozens of buses taking happy passengers on shore excursions. 

 

People here act like Ketchikan is PortMaimi. It is not. There are four large cruise ship berths in Ketchikan. By NCL having docks where they have priority docking means that their ships won't be the ones tendering your passengers to port,,, which is by far worse than a short shuttle ride to town.

Edited August 17, 2021 by BirdTravels

[SomewhereGirl]

People here act like NCL is perfect.  If there were long lines at 60% capacity how is it going to get any better at full capacity?  

[AtlantaCruiser72]

2 hours ago, SomewhereGirl said:

People here act like NCL is perfect.  If there were long lines at 60% capacity how is it going to get any better at full capacity?  

 

They are not perfect, but they are starting operations at a new facility, that is not anywhere near what the final product is intended to be (due to Covid related construction shutdowns and material shortages), potentially dealing with a lack of busses, drivers, support staff, etc (again due to Covid related uncertainty and a shortened season of imported workforce) .... Bear in mind this is only 1 sailings worth of experiences.  Things WILL get better.  Maybe not significantly for 2021, but definitely by the time the full 2022 season takes place Ward Cove should be running much more closely to what NCL are hoping to be a "normal" experience for passengers.  I feel for those going on these early cruises, but they do need to expect hiccups and snags along the way, as does anyone travelling anywhere right now.  

 

At least NCL are not rationing bacon like Carnival are having to due to supplier issues!  Now that would be a REAL conundrum to contend with!!!!!!!

Edited August 17, 2021 by AtlantaCruiser72

[KruzPrincess]

10 hours ago, aubreyc1988 said:

Have you ever taken a western med cruise? The ship normally docks SO far away from the towns.  7 miles is nothing.  

Nope. I’ve read others comparing these new changes to Europe. Alaska is not Europe. There’s a reason many people do this cruise every year. It’s an easy little cruise. The reason some people cruise to Alaska is for the convenience. Ketchikan is small and doable. 

Personally I’m not going to wait in line for an hour and a half to take a bus into town. Ketchikan is my favorite port in Alaska. I will think about what cruise line to choose when I‘m booking my next cruise. 

Granted, this was the first port call and, hopefully, NCL will figure this mess out. 

[Old & Retired]

11 hours ago, aubreyc1988 said:

 And 8.00 pp in the grand scheme of vacation cost isn't the end of the world. 

The 8 bucks is insignificant.  Just twisting the knife.  The major issue is 4000-5000 people stranded 7 miles from town and having to stand around and wait, possibly hours, for a 20 minute bus ride into town.  Then wait and take a 20 minute bus ride back from town.  This will cut down on the actual port time by hours.  If you don't think that is a big deal then so be it.  Lots of us do.

[Old & Retired]

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Yes. All NCL Shore Excursions leave from Ward Cove. There were dozens of buses taking happy passengers on shore excursions. 

 

People here act like Ketchikan is PortMaimi. It is not. There are four large cruise ship berths in Ketchikan. By NCL having docks where they have priority docking means that their ships won't be the ones tendering your passengers to port,,, which is by far worse than a short shuttle ride to town.

I have cruised to Ketchikan dozens of times on NCL for 25+ years.  Never have we tendered in Ketchikan.  Your argument is nonsensical.

[aubreyc1988]

1 minute ago, Old & Retired said:

The 8 bucks is insignificant.  Just twisting the knife.  The major issue is 4000-5000 people stranded 7 miles from town and having to stand around and wait, possibly hours, for a 20 minute bus ride into town.  Then wait and take a 20 minute bus ride back from town.  This will cut down on the actual port time by hours.  If you don't think that is a big deal then so be it.  Lots of us do.

You can have optimal time in port if you book a cruiseline excursion (this is an assumption I am making, I have not yet cruised out of Ward Cove). I can't blame NCL for wanting to push their own cruiseline excursions. Not only are they going to make money on the excursions, but it also is going to make it more likely people won't miss the ship and they can control lots of factors with the excursions  Like I said before, I think it's smart and it is what I would have done if I was in charge. 

[aubreyc1988]

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Yes. All NCL Shore Excursions leave from Ward Cove. There were dozens of buses taking happy passengers on shore excursions. 

 

People here act like Ketchikan is PortMaimi. It is not. There are four large cruise ship berths in Ketchikan. By NCL having docks where they have priority docking means that their ships won't be the ones tendering your passengers to port,,, which is by far worse than a short shuttle ride to town.

not to mention now they can have more NCLH ships docked in Ketchikan than ever before. 

[smplybcause]

The only thing that would worry me is the short port time there if it stays that way. (Maybe with their own pier it won't be 7am-1230pm stops?) With only 5 hours in port and 7 miles away from town it's either an excursion or seeing the town. When I went I didn't get to do anything but look at the town, but that was due to road construction making traffic slow. Without that I would have had a bit of time. I definitely wish I had time to walk around the cute downtown area. 

[gknep]

4 hours ago, Old & Retired said:

I have cruised to Ketchikan dozens of times on NCL for 25+ years.  Never have we tendered in Ketchikan.  Your argument is nonsensical.

I have tendered in Ketchikan with NCL. Granted the last time I had to was 2004 on the Star. When I was there in 2002 it was a Princess boat that had to tender. 2014, 2016, and 2019 were all docked. I’ll get my first look at Ward Cove and the shuttle busses next month. 
 

[jingle5616]

Typical customer centered decision making by NCL!  Some will see this as more innovation.......  Me, another reason to look at other lines first.

[trivimp]

I don't think it's ideal now, but I'm pretty sure the idea is to develop Ward Cove as a nice secondary cruise center, sort of like Amber Cove is to Puerto Plata.  It will probably be pretty pleasant with a little more growth & shaking out of bugs.  I'm sure the local economy appreciates the influx of capital (both development & tourism...) it's been a hard year & a half for everyone, but southeast Alaska has been particularly hard-hit.  

[deliver42]

Ward Cove, when it's finished, will be nothing but a money grab by NCL. While Ketchikan isn't my favorite stop, the downtown area is the reason to stop there. So much to see and do. To pay $8.00 RT PP for a very limited stay there is crazy. I've been there twice, once with NCL, and always docked.

[The Traveling Man]

23 hours ago, aubreyc1988 said:

Have you ever taken a western med cruise? The ship normally docks SO far away from the towns.  7 miles is nothing.  

Yes, I have.  In Europe, however, after waiting in line to board a shuttle and taking the bus ride into town, I have never stepped off the bus to find a Holland America ship parked right next to the center of town.  Sorry, but comparing the situation in Alaska to ports in Europe is a false equivalency.

[aubreyc1988]

8 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

Yes, I have.  In Europe, however, after waiting in line to board a shuttle and taking the bus ride into town, I have never stepped off the bus to find a Holland America ship parked right next to the center of town.  Sorry, but comparing the situation in Alaska to ports in Europe is a false equivalency.

 

I'm not saying the situation is exactly the same, but 7 miles isn't the end of the world. Also, can you blame NCL for wanting to make money and try to drive people to use their shore excursions?  Yes it's a money grab, but news flash: that is what companies do, try to make money, increase revenue where they can, etc. Like when you go to a baseball game, you can't bring your own food/drinks in, it sucks but it makes good business sense that they want you to buy overpriced popcorn and drinks. Same with cruiselines. Yes, it's inconvenient and a time suck for those who do not take the cruiseline excursion, but whenever I was looking at excursions at Ketchikan, the independent tours and prices were exactly the same as the prices on NCL.  And as for long wait times for the bus, it's a new port, there are going to be some hiccups, and it's still being built up. I was on one of the few sailings that stopped in Trujillo Honduras, and believe me, there was LOADS of hiccups with that and talk about a port that was not ready! I just choose to look at this as such a minor inconvenience and more of a glass half full.  Having multiple docking points at Ketchikan will also bring more ships and more money to the port town. 

Edited August 17, 2021 by aubreyc1988

[Topdog52]

17 hours ago, roger001 said:

Ketchikan has always been about parking downtown.   You then get to watch the activities of the downtown in motion from the ships decks.  That was half the fun and beauty of that port stop. Now it sounds like if you don’t stand line for the 7 mile each way shuttle, you will never ever see Ketchikan.  Pretty damn worthless. I’ll consider Ketchikan a no port stop.   My opinion. 

View from the ship, as it should be.  

I agree 100%. I loved just watching the people on the streets.

[wacruiselover]

4 minutes ago, aubreyc1988 said:

I just choose to look at this as such a minor inconvenience and more of a glass half full.

From years of observation I would put people into four categories. When they see a partially full glass, some will say:

·        - "The glass is half full" – others will say,

·         - "The glass is half empty" – still others,

·        -   "I ordered a cheeseburger!" And I like to be the one who says,

·         -  "There are refreshments? Cool!"

Looking forward to that drink onboard! 😀

[aubreyc1988]

1 minute ago, wacruiselover said:

From years of observation I would put people into four categories. When they see a partially full glass, some will say:

 

·        - "The glass is half full" – others will say,

 

·         - "The glass is half empty" – still others,

 

·        -   "I ordered a cheeseburger!" And I like to be the one who says,

 

·         -  "There are refreshments? Cool!"

 

Looking forward to that drink onboard! 😀

 

 

Yep, I'm thinking Raspberry Mojitos as we pull into Ward Cove LOL 😅

[hwatsonnia]

On 8/15/2021 at 10:02 AM, deliver42 said:

There was a video somewhere in this forum, and i believe there is a shuttle to town for $8.00.

Yes but the line to this bus is hours long. 

[aubreyc1988]

Just now, hwatsonnia said:

Yes but the line to this bus is hours long. 

I mean, this was the first sailing, I think things can only improve.