Encore-Alaska-Oct 2nd to Oct 9th, 2021

[All-ready2cruise]

17 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Well…..this is a first.  Was just informed we did not win an upgrade bid via email.  Usually, they don’t let you know unless you win the upgrade.  Not surprising, given we bid the minimum.

 

Unfortunately, we were not able to accept your offer to upgrade to Haven Courtyard Penthouse with Large Balcony (HE) for your cruise below.

Sail Date	Ship	Offer per guest
Oct 02, 2021	Norwegian Encore	$650 USD per person (only the first and second guest will be charged)

 

Yea, in the past, I've offered more than that (as a solo) and not been successful for a simple Haven PH or HI upgrade, I really think the dynamics are different right now.  Hope you enjoy your cruise regardless of your cabin level. All the best. 

Cheers 🥂

Edited October 2, 2021 by All-ready2cruise

[graphicguy]

9 hours ago, All-ready2cruise said:

Yea, in the past, I've offered more than that (as a solo) and not been successful for a simple Haven PH or HI upgrade, I really think the dynamics are different right now.  Hope you enjoy your cruise regardless of your cabin level. All the best. 

Cheers 🥂

We booked the cabin we wanted.  If we were upgraded on the cheap?  All the better.  We’re happy either way!  😁

[graphicguy]

Everything is going to plan…..

 

 

[dobiemom]

Bon Voyage! 🙂

[graphicguy]

2 hours ago, dobiemom said:

Bon Voyage! 🙂

Thanks!

[NikiPinkston]

Thank you so much for doing this!  We were on the 8/14 Encore sailing & don't sail again until December (the Bliss-Mexican Riviera), so it's wonderful to follow along with you.  Have a fabulous

voyage!🙂

[graphicguy]

Well… we made it to Seattle.  Delta Airlines strikes again!

 

I mentioned in other threads, the vast majority of my cruises I do carry one only!  But, Fall cruise, to Alaska, made that nearly impossible with sweatshirts, tips, jeans, long pants, coats, etc being required….bulkier packing and larger luggage is the result.

 

It was a direct flight.  Somehow, ours got lost in the 100 yards from the gate to the plane. Seriously?  How inept do you have to be to lose luggage in that scenario?  That’s a rhetorical question, BTW.

 

The luggage somehow got to Salt Lake City, though.  HUH????!!!!!🙃☹️😖🤯

 

Delta says maybe they can get the luggage to SEA by 1:30-2:00.  But, even if they do get the luggage to SEA by then, they won’t transfer it to the pier/ship….double huh????

 

We have to wait for it to get it ourselves!  We still have to get to the pier AMD get the antigen test, too.

 

I suppose we could go to the pier, get the antigen test, and hoof it back to SEA to get our

luggage.  Again, Delta won’t cover that cost, either.

 

If not, the only other way to get them to us would be in Juno, on 10/06…when we’re docked there, maybe.

 

Delta is maddeningly inept!!!!!

 

Thanks for letting me vent!  All the airlines need to have more and more oversight!  Somehow, they want to punish their customers for their idiocy!

[NikiPinkston]

So sorry that happened to you.  What a way to start your trip!  I'm so paranoid about losing my luggage that we bought GEGO's so we can track our luggage on our phones.  They do work like a charm.  Coming back from Seattle to San Diego after our cruise, we saw that one of our bags was in Boise, Idaho.  Luckily(?), our flight was delayed for 2.5 hours so it made it back to Seattle in time to get on our flight.  Best of luck with all of the logistics involved in getting your bag.

[graphicguy]

Most boring TV show I’ve ever watched….

[debenson0723]

20 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Most boring TV show I’ve ever watched….

But do you have your luggage???

[graphicguy]

9 minutes ago, debenson0723 said:

But do you have your luggage???

We do….5 hours late.  Tracking it, it looks like they put the luggage on the correct flight (to SEA).  Removed it, and then put it on the wrong flight (SLC).
 

No one could explain why to me, either!

 

[graphicguy]

Neg COVID.  On board and cabin is ready!

 

 

[graphicguy]

WOW….live this space for sail away…..

[graphicguy]

This is included in the drink package.  I can’t even find this, and I live near KY…..

 

[graphicguy]

Great place for sail away.  
 

 

[mking8288]

8 hours ago, graphicguy said:

We do….5 hours late.  Tracking it, it looks like they put the luggage on the correct flight (to SEA).  Removed it, and then put it on the wrong flight (SLC).
No one could explain why to me, either!

 

All abroad & hello from NY ... following along.  Our gang has been dreaming about cruising ... sometime in early 2022, hopefully as we don't plan to fly to a distant port for embarkation, etc. etc. BTW, welcome to the VHR Club (that stands for: Very Happily Retired) ... we planned our early retirement and smack right into this whole pandemic ... 

 

It isn't just a thing unique to Delta - happen to our infrequently checked bag a few years ago on United: LGA-ORD-YVR, first inline at the First Class check-in counter at 4:30 am for 6 am departure.  Somehow they routed 1 of 2 bags south to IAD (Dulles) instead while the other one made it as tagged - stood at the luggage office & they traced, tracked it down and kept the promise to courier delivered - at their expense - to our hotel that evening ... we're out to dinner & front desk accepted it/signed for & held it until we got back.  It was tagged correctly and it didn't even made the 1st flight segment ... "things" happened, one of the nephews that works ground ops said then.  

 

Have a great one & glad to know that you got re-united with the missing luggage ! 

[www3traveler]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

 

All abroad & hello from NY ... following along.  Our gang has been dreaming about cruising ... sometime in early 2022, hopefully as we don't plan to fly to a distant port for embarkation, etc. etc. BTW, welcome to the VHR Club (that stands for: Very Happily Retired) ... we planned our early retirement and smack right into this whole pandemic ... 

 

It isn't just a thing unique to Delta - happen to our infrequently checked bag a few years ago on United: LGA-ORD-YVR, first inline at the First Class check-in counter at 4:30 am for 6 am departure.  Somehow they routed 1 of 2 bags south to IAD (Dulles) instead while the other one made it as tagged - stood at the luggage office & they traced, tracked it down and kept the promise to courier delivered - at their expense - to our hotel that evening ... we're out to dinner & front desk accepted it/signed for & held it until we got back.  It was tagged correctly and it didn't even made the 1st flight segment ... "things" happened, one of the nephews that works ground ops said then.  

 

Have a great one & glad to know that you got re-united with the missing luggage ! 

I read earlier in this thread that someone had driven from Florida to Seattle to go on this cruise.  That would be one option--luggage should not get lost then.  Another option would be to take Amtrak from NYC to Seattle.

[ProblemCruiser]

On 10/2/2021 at 5:52 AM, graphicguy said:

Everything is going to plan…..

 

 

When you said this and I saw "Delta" in the background, I knew you were going to get screwed but wasn't sure how.

Edited October 3, 2021 by ProblemCruiser

[bkrickles1]

14 hours ago, graphicguy said:

WOW….live this space for sail away…..

Our go to meeting place when first boarding. One of the best cruise venues ever. Bar, views and snacks. Who could ask for more. Lmao 

[mking8288]

1 hour ago, ProblemCruiser said:

When you said this and I saw "Delta" in the background, I knew you were going to get screwed but wasn't sure how.

 

GG's missing bag was possibly tagged ... 😁  (for a good laugh only, now that it's been found ... not lost in transit between the pier terminal and the ship, floating on the waterfront) 

 

Shared by another former Delta ground station supervisor among their circles, she left JFK passenger ops earlier this year ... spouse of another nephew of ours.  Another reason that we seldom check any bags, not even long haul oversea flights: unless it is a non-stop, gate checked & they walk it down the jet bridge ramp at the boarding area on a full flight and with overhead bins full.  

Edited October 3, 2021 by mking8288

[graphicguy]

@mking8288…..good to see?  Hear?  Read?…..you’re back in here.  Also glad to hear you’re jumping back in teh cruise saddle again.  Hopefully, we’ll sail again together in the near future.

 

GF brought it to my attention that in our household of her, me and 2 dogs, she’s the only one that’s gainfully employed (for probably another 9 years).  Speaking of the GF, I was getting ready to post a pic of us last night at Cagney’s.  She politely?  Firmly?  Emphatically, made me promise not to post any more pics of her on CC, given she didn’t get a chance to color her hair and get it styled before we left.  As I told her, “you’re blonde…no one can tell where you’re grey hairs are unless I tell them.”  Blackmail is a good tool.

 

Anyway, I will abide by her wishes given her employment status.

 

[graphicguy]

Observations so far….The Encore is a beautiful ship.  It still smells new.  

 

About 50% capacity.  Generally, no waiting for elevators.  We walked right up to Cagney’s last night and they seated us immediately, no waiting.  Even upon embarkation, when it’s usually a mad house, no waiting.  Observation lounge is a game changer.  It’s such a nice space, and given the reduced capacity, is never crowded.

 

Makes me wonder if it wasn’t a blessing in disguise that I lost the Haven bid.  I really don’t need anyone to plan anything for us.  We just show up and get what we want….restaurants, shows, activities, etc.  The Observation Bar feels a lot like the Haven Bar, too.

 

Crew LOVES to be back.  And, given NCL’s usual great service, is even better than I remember.

 

Testing for COVID added into the mix was a minor inconvenience, but am totally on board with them doing it.  I’m sure NCL is testing at no small expense.  But, it is another blanket of safety for all of us.

 

Once testing was done, embarkation was quick, painless, easy.

 

Words of caution…..DO NOT try to get an UBER, Taxi, etc from the airport to PIer 66.  Book NCL’s transport.  It’s easy.  It’s also cost effective. Plus, given the construction going on near the pier, you really don’t want to be messing around with an UBER who may/may not know how to negotiate around it.  Nor, do you want to add 30-45 minutes to your trip you are paying on the taxi meter.

Edited October 3, 2021 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

Cagney’s…best Cagney’s dinner I’ve ever had.  And, I’ve had quite a few.  Already great service?  Even better now.  Filet was cooked perfectly.  Waitstaff was very attentive.  Chef and Manager came over to thank us for cruising NCL and choosing Cagney’s for dinner.  

 

WE showed up at about 7:00 p.m. and were seated immediately.  We were stuffed, some they gave us a “doggie dish” of 7 layer cake to take back to the cabin with us.  Nice touch.

 

 

[graphicguy]

Rough seas last night (and today). Been in a lot worse, so no big deal.

 

 

[FlGoodShips]

Could you post the picture board of officers.

Thank you. 

Have a great time 🛳