New to NCL and have some Questions.

[SpanishForker]

Fairly new to cruising (DCL in 2010 and 11) and definitely new to NCL and had plenty of questions. I am booking a surprise cruise for my wife and I for our 25^th anniversary. I have booked the Encore for an Alaskan Cruise in July 2024 (long way off I know) in a Spa Balcony cabin. Here are some of my questions:

1.       Our cabin # is 15850. It looks to me like this cabin is one of the bigger balconies due to the angle shown on the deck plan. Can anyone confirm this for me?

 

2.       Has anyone done the NCL air from SLC to Seattle and could they tell me of their experience? I have asked for a 1-day early deviation so as not to have any issues. Can’t book the hotel through NCL just yet, but wasn’t sure if that was the best bet or just do it myself. It is my assumption that I can cancel the free air up until final payment…is that correct? If so I can look for better flights until then. Can you book the NCL transfer to the airport if you aren’t using their air?

 

3.       We currently have the FAS package with the drink package. My wife does not drink alcohol at all, and I don’t drink much so I was trying to figure out if it is worth it. What drinks are complimentary without the package? In the MDR’s? Buffet? Etc. What non-alcoholic drinks come with the package?

 

4.       I am sure this gets asked a bunch…but what’s up with only a few hour stop in Victoria? Do people take excursions during this short stop? Can you? What do people normally do? I know they have to hit a foreign port…but that seems crazy.

 

I am sure I will have more questions as things progress. Thank you for all responses.

[MyTMo777]

I don't have answers to all of your questions, but I can answer a few things.

 

1. Without looking up that specific room on a deck plan, I don't know for sure, but if it does show or say it's an angled balcony, it does have more room on the balcony than a standard one. You can fit a lounge chair on the balcony (just ask for one from your room steward on your first day).

 

2. I haven't done that specific air route with NCL, but check their air promo terms and conditions to see what the cancelation policy is. Norwegian's Flight Booking Service | Norwegian Cruise Line (ncl.com)

 

3. If you don't drink alcohol, the package generally isn't worth it. Although it may be "free" with the Free at Sea program, you still have to pay the gratuities on the package, which is 20% of the actual value if you purchased it. It can be several hundred dollars depending how long your cruise is. Free beverages are available at the buffet throughout the day - juice (not "real" fruit juice, and beware that all of their juices are sweetened with sorbitol or something like it), milk, water, coffee, tea, unsweetened iced tea. Our first cruise we did without the drink package, and I got bored with my options very quickly - plus I could only get the drinks in the buffet. If you're walking by a bar, you're limited to water. I just paid for a few drinks as I went along. My DH always gets the soda package - much cheaper, and you can get soda at any bar. Virgin drinks are hit and miss - they are supposed to charge for them without the drink package, but some people have reported getting them for free. Don't count on it though.

 

4. Ah, Victoria...the US government requires that all passenger ships that sail from a US port and return to a US port must make a stop in a foreign country, so Victoria becomes a quick stopover so the cruise lines can technically obey the law. It's unfortunate that they keep making those stops shorter, as Victoria is lovely. I don't know how long your stop is or what time of the day it is, but you can walk to the inner harbour or take a cab or a pedi-cab and wander near the water front. During the summer they have entertainers along the harbour. Some nights there is a night market. If you're there during the day, you can walk to Fisherman's Wharf to view the floating houses, feed a seal, and pick up a snack. You can take a water taxi from there to many different places along the harbour (you can buy a single ride or a day pass). Those are some things you can do not too far from the port in a short period of time. 

[2inTul]

Ah....Victoria;  the Ensenada of Canada!  🙂

[billslowsky]

1 hour ago, SpanishForker said:

4.       I am sure this gets asked a bunch…but what’s up with only a few hour stop in Victoria? Do people take excursions during this short stop? Can you? What do people normally do? I know they have to hit a foreign port…but that seems crazy.

Ensenada is about right though considerably cleaner.

 

A lot of people go to Buchart Garden, plenty of taxis/vans right off the ship.  Downtown is dead.

[hallux]

1 hour ago, MyTMo777 said:

Ah, Victoria...the US government requires that all passenger ships that sail from a US port and return to a US port must make a stop in a foreign country,

actually, it's only foreign-flagged passenger vessels that need to make the stop.

[Treasure Hunter]

Do not do NCL air. My kids were sucked into the two for one. If something happens ( weather delay or cancels) you are a volleyball between NCL and the airline. No one takes responsibility. The flight was canceled and every other flight that they were offered was the next day, arriving after the cruise left. They were able to drive all night from Atlanta to Miami. Six months later they got half their money back through the insurance. 

[SpanishForker]

Thank you for the answers so far. I understand the legalities of the Victoria stop it just seems like they would at least try and make it a little more "useful" for the passengers as well.

 

The soda package sounds interesting. How much does that normally cost for a 7nt cruise? What all does it include?

 

I will definitely take heed and look more into the NCL air.

 

[hallux]

3 minutes ago, SpanishForker said:

The soda package sounds interesting. How much does that normally cost for a 7nt cruise? What all does it include?

https://www.ncl.com/onboard-packages/beverage-packages

[PATRLR]

Cabin 15850 I don't know specifically.  But 15266 is on the oppsite end of the bump out and it has a bigger balcony.  See 

 

[cruiseny4life]

8 minutes ago, SpanishForker said:

The soda package sounds interesting. How much does that normally cost for a 7nt cruise? What all does it include?

On our most recent cruise I did not get any package. My husband got the soda package. Depending on the server and bar, you will be able to club soda from the spigot too. I ran into two servers who refused to give me a free club soda. Otherwise, there were no questions asked. They just gave it to me. I was unable to get any virgin drinks without paying. 

 

As for my husband, of course he had all the soda he wanted. In general, he was unable to get free virgin drinks, however in the Haven, virgin drinks came at no charge. I'm not sure where you're staying and I wouldn't expect the Haven to give free virgin drinks. They did actually charge him (we're still not sure what for), but the charge amount didn't make sense so he asked the concierge. The concierge just wiped the charge from our account which is not what we asked him to do before all you Haven haters jump on me. We just wanted to know what the charges were for. 

 

Again, don't expect our reality to be your reality as it seems many employees have a different sense of what to do, depending on the situation. I do know many servers were very confused that I did not have a beverage package of any type. I spent about $100'ish on alcoholic drinks throughout the cruise, so it was definitely better to go with no package, than pay the Free at Sea gratuities, but I'm not a hard drinker.

[cruiserbear55]

1 hour ago, SpanishForker said:

Thank you for the answers so far. I understand the legalities of the Victoria stop it just seems like they would at least try and make it a little more "useful" for the passengers as well.

 

The soda package sounds interesting. How much does that normally cost for a 7nt cruise? What all does it include?

 

I will definitely take heed and look more into the NCL air.

   Soda package is $9.95 pp/pd. Plus 20%gratuity. So $83.58 for a 7 day cruise.

 

 

[SpanishForker]

Thank you guys for the information on the drink packages and that video is perfect I think to give me an idea of what the room will look like (wedge balcony).

 

How much do sodas etc cost if just purchasing al a carte?

[Lineaway]

The video does a good job of showing you what the balcony will be like.  I used to look for the angled ones but you get a slightly larger / longer side on one end which when sitting out there, it kinda becomes a wall that blocks your view to the side.  We were on the Bliss (sister ship) a month ago to Alaska and had great weather so sat out there a lot.  I wanted a more 180 degree view as you will be looking for whales and the scenery is amazing vs in the Caribbean I didn't care and just wanted a larger balcony.  BTW what you may not have noticed which to me is a plus was the overhang of the 16th floor.  It does drizzle in Alaska and that overhang protects you from the rain and keeps the balcony dry.  We saw more whales on the last day towards the south end of Vancouver Island that the entire trip.  We also spent a lot of time in the Observations lounge in the front of the ship on your deck.  It does get crowded so then we ended up on our balcony.

 

As for the NCL Air.  Don't do it.  Not worth the risk you could get a bad flight time.  Its nice your planning this surprise.  Imagine your surprise if your flight is a redeye connecting thru DFW, LAX and Jersey. 😞 I always want control over my flights and which airline.  The less you have to deal with NCL and their customer service reps the better.  Less for them to mess up.  I don't think air out of SLC is that much anyway.  Alaska and Southwest are my go to airlines out of Seattle.  

 

Not a fan of Victoria.  Been there several times.  The late arrival of the cruise ships limits what to see and do.  This last time we just stayed on the ship as the time before , we found a lot of the shops had closed around 6.  Just leaves the restaurants and bars open.  Buchart Gardens is nice but not my thing.   

[MrsTocko]

ok - Here is my take:

1.  I stayed in an angled balcony on the Bliss (14152).  Would do an angled balcony again.  Little windier because you are the "stop" that then forces it around the corner...but still worth it. 

 

2. I did the NCL air from Southern California to London and the return from Reykjavik.  I have NO complaints.  These were perfect options for us.  Red Eye direct to london, and 1 layover halfway through on the way back.  We will always fly at least the day before, so there is room to have issues.  The length of the deviation depends on the route.  SLC to SEA you SHOULD be fine going the day before.  Here is the bonus...you are 1000% correct that you can shop around and book your own, if you are more comfortable.  You can ALWAYS cancel that perk up to final payment.  We did this for our return from Alaska cruise that ended in Vancouver.  Yes, our airfare was 225 each (wasnt a perk), but I booked first class for roughly 275 each.  One way (all we needed because cruise started in our home port).  I was able to get great seats and time for our return.  Yes, we still booked our transfer from the pier to the airport through NCL.

 

3. FAS beverage package. if you remove the package for you both - your free options are coffee (in the restaurants/buffet), tea (hot and cold), juice, and water (NOT bottled/carton).  Sodas are around $3-4 each.  Yes, taking the package you pay the gratuity oin the VALUE of the package (if you were to buy it), but it averages out to approx $20 per person per day.  Average alcoholic beverage cost is $9.95-14.95, so 2 drinks per person per day would cover the cost.  It DOES include soda, so you both are covered.  I always figure I can drink my 2 and DH 2, in a day (and neither of us really drink - maybe 1 or 2 a month).  Drink with lunch, dinner, after dinner...easy to do.  Not have to think about the bar tab at the end, is worth it to us.

 

4. its the passenger act, that requires us to stop at a foriegn port.  We have never done Victoria in 4 alaska cruises.  We stay on the ship, not alot of time there, and we would rather not feel rushed (OUR feeling) to get back to the ship.  Not a lot at the port (is my understanding), average time there is 4-5 hours. We will be back on board at least an hour before all aboard time (OUR preference), so down to 3-4 hours in port. if we arrive late (we have), cuts our time down even more.  for US, we would rather have a stress free evening, dinner, pack (usually the last night of cruise), and get ready for departure the next morning.

 

Hope it helps.  We love Alaska - and are trying to figure out our next one. Your wife is lucky, and that will be a lovely gift.  DH has told me he will never surprise me with a trip, because I plan it all so well, he is afraid that he will not get a good deal. He DOES surpise me with day trips, so it works out.  I DO get to plan every little thing about our vacations, with no argument (or input) from him, he decide destination together, and means of travel (cruise, road trip....) and I take it from there.
 

[KmomChicago]

On 10/17/2022 at 6:22 PM, hallux said:

actually, it's only foreign-flagged passenger vessels that need to make the stop.

 

Which is extremely convenient for all of us on the mass market megaships that are domestic-flagged!

[SpanishForker]

3 hours ago, MrsTocko said:

Hope it helps.  We love Alaska - and are trying to figure out our next one. Your wife is lucky, and that will be a lovely gift.  DH has told me he will never surprise me with a trip, because I plan it all so well, he is afraid that he will not get a good deal. He DOES surpise me with day trips, so it works out.  I DO get to plan every little thing about our vacations, with no argument (or input) from him, he decide destination together, and means of travel (cruise, road trip....) and I take it from there.

 

 

MrsTocko...I am the YOU of our relationship so it should work out. I do all the planning and such and my wife is along for the ride. I will "give" her the gift before the 120 day mark so that we can book the excursions and dining together.

 

Thank you all for the helpful advice.

[cruiseny4life]

12 hours ago, MrsTocko said:

ok - Here is my take:

1.  I stayed in an angled balcony on the Bliss (14152).  Would do an angled balcony again.  Little windier because you are the "stop" that then forces it around the corner...but still worth it. 

 

2. I did the NCL air from Southern California to London and the return from Reykjavik.  I have NO complaints.  These were perfect options for us.  Red Eye direct to london, and 1 layover halfway through on the way back.  We will always fly at least the day before, so there is room to have issues.  The length of the deviation depends on the route.  SLC to SEA you SHOULD be fine going the day before.  Here is the bonus...you are 1000% correct that you can shop around and book your own, if you are more comfortable.  You can ALWAYS cancel that perk up to final payment.  We did this for our return from Alaska cruise that ended in Vancouver.  Yes, our airfare was 225 each (wasnt a perk), but I booked first class for roughly 275 each.  One way (all we needed because cruise started in our home port).  I was able to get great seats and time for our return.  Yes, we still booked our transfer from the pier to the airport through NCL.

 

3. FAS beverage package. if you remove the package for you both - your free options are coffee (in the restaurants/buffet), tea (hot and cold), juice, and water (NOT bottled/carton).  Sodas are around $3-4 each.  Yes, taking the package you pay the gratuity oin the VALUE of the package (if you were to buy it), but it averages out to approx $20 per person per day.  Average alcoholic beverage cost is $9.95-14.95, so 2 drinks per person per day would cover the cost.  It DOES include soda, so you both are covered.  I always figure I can drink my 2 and DH 2, in a day (and neither of us really drink - maybe 1 or 2 a month).  Drink with lunch, dinner, after dinner...easy to do.  Not have to think about the bar tab at the end, is worth it to us.

 

4. its the passenger act, that requires us to stop at a foriegn port.  We have never done Victoria in 4 alaska cruises.  We stay on the ship, not alot of time there, and we would rather not feel rushed (OUR feeling) to get back to the ship.  Not a lot at the port (is my understanding), average time there is 4-5 hours. We will be back on board at least an hour before all aboard time (OUR preference), so down to 3-4 hours in port. if we arrive late (we have), cuts our time down even more.  for US, we would rather have a stress free evening, dinner, pack (usually the last night of cruise), and get ready for departure the next morning.

 

Hope it helps.  We love Alaska - and are trying to figure out our next one. Your wife is lucky, and that will be a lovely gift.  DH has told me he will never surprise me with a trip, because I plan it all so well, he is afraid that he will not get a good deal. He DOES surpise me with day trips, so it works out.  I DO get to plan every little thing about our vacations, with no argument (or input) from him, he decide destination together, and means of travel (cruise, road trip....) and I take it from there.
 

What a phenomenal response. Well done!