Rare FamilyAtSea.travel Posted July 17 #1 Share Posted July 17 (edited) This post was recognized by LauraS! "And another from FamilyAtSea.travel! Thank you for generously sharing your time at sea with everyone at Cruise Critic! See your post featured on our: Click: Cruise Reports page. When you return, please consider submitting it to the site for publication as well: Click: Write a Review" FamilyAtSea.travel was awarded the badge '"Live from...."' and 5 points. Good morning y'all! We leave Friday to head to Seattle for our first Alaskan cruise (and first Norwegian cruise!) so I'm just getting the thread started as it's easier on my laptop to start things than from my phone while we're traveling. Live threads seem less popular on the NCL board for whatever reason but hopefully I can share some things you guys will get value from as I share our experience on the Encore. The itinerary is as follows: Sunday, July 21 - Embarkation Monday, July 22 - At Sea Tuesday, July 23 - Juneau, Alaska (weather permitting, we will be taking a helicopter ride to a glacier and then dogsledding) Wednesday, July 24 - Skagway, Alaska (we've rented a car and will be driving up the Klondike Hwy with a lot of stops along the way) Thursday, July 25 - Sailing through Glacier Bay Friday, July 26 - Ketchikan, Alaska (this is a super short port call but we'll be doing a flightseeing tour on a seaplane to a fjord) Saturday, July 27 - Victoria, Canada (again, super short port call...may or may not get off the ship here) Sunday, July 28 - Debarkation If there's anything you guys would like to ensure I cover or questions I ask while onboard, let me know! Edited July 17 by FamilyAtSea.travel 10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruiseny4life Posted July 17 #2 Share Posted July 17 1 hour ago, FamilyAtSea.travel said: Live threads seem less popular on the NCL board for whatever reason but hopefully I can share some things you guys will get value from as I share our experience on the Encore. There are too many cranky whiners on the NCL board that only carry about semantics and arguing. Trust me, there are a few of us that absolutely thrive off live reviews. I, for one, am most appreciate that you'll be live'ing the place up for a week! Can't wait to hear all about your experiences - wishing you fair seas and gorgeous mountain views. 11 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FamilyAtSea.travel Posted July 17 Author #3 Share Posted July 17 4 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said: There are too many cranky whiners on the NCL board that only carry about semantics and arguing. Trust me, there are a few of us that absolutely thrive off live reviews. I, for one, am most appreciate that you'll be live'ing the place up for a week! Can't wait to hear all about your experiences - wishing you fair seas and gorgeous mountain views. I wasn't sure whether I should like, thank, or laugh at this reply! At least I know I'll be writing for an audience of one at a minimum 🤪 We're looking forward to the cruise and hopefully many great experiences that I can share with you guys on here! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brookie848 Posted July 17 #4 Share Posted July 17 We're on the Encore later this year so I'm really looking forward to this report! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azappraiser Posted July 17 #5 Share Posted July 17 On the Encore next May... looking forward to your "Live" review plus Dailies! Based on your plan, it looks like you'll have a great time... enjoy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seemoreroyals Posted July 17 #6 Share Posted July 17 We will be on the Encore for the first time in December and are also looking forward to your review of the ship. Hope you have great time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FamilyAtSea.travel Posted July 17 Author #7 Share Posted July 17 1 minute ago, seemoreroyals said: We will be on the Encore for the first time in December and are also looking forward to your review of the ship. Hope you have great time. Thank you, that's truly appreciated! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kona_wahine Posted July 17 #8 Share Posted July 17 We are on this sailing! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FamilyAtSea.travel Posted July 18 Author #9 Share Posted July 18 42 minutes ago, kona_wahine said: We are on this sailing! Awesome, we'll see you onboard! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Monica887 Posted July 18 #10 Share Posted July 18 Following carefully! I'm going the following week! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kp125 Posted July 18 #11 Share Posted July 18 Dog sledding is a blast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted July 18 #12 Share Posted July 18 17 hours ago, FamilyAtSea.travel said: Live threads seem less popular on the NCL board for whatever reason but hopefully I can share some things you guys will get value from as I share our experience on the Encore. As a frequent live poster, I appreciate the effort you are going through to do this post. Thank you very much. We will be reading along since we’ll be on the Encore in a few weeks. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrightkj Posted July 18 #13 Share Posted July 18 I'm starting to explore which cruise line I want to book for an Alaskan cruise in 2026 - I look forward to your review! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis1138 Posted July 18 #14 Share Posted July 18 Thank you for this. It's getting close to your sailing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seemoreroyals Posted July 18 #15 Share Posted July 18 (edited) 20 hours ago, seemoreroyals said: We will be on the Encore for the first time in December and are also looking forward to your review of the ship. Hope you have great time. Sorry had a senior moment. Actually going on Escape in December. Waiting patiently for a good live trip report to come along featuring the Escape. Still cheers to you to having a great trip. Edited July 18 by seemoreroyals 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FamilyAtSea.travel Posted July 18 Author #16 Share Posted July 18 3 minutes ago, seemoreroyals said: Sorry had a senior moment. Actually going on Escape in December. Waiting patiently for a good live trip report to come along featuring the Escape. Still cheers to you to having a great trip. I've had more of those than I care to admit and I'm barely 40! Enjoy the Escape! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacation44 Posted July 18 #17 Share Posted July 18 On 7/17/2024 at 10:00 AM, FamilyAtSea.travel said: Good morning y'all! We leave Friday to head to Seattle for our first Alaskan cruise (and first Norwegian cruise!) so I'm just getting the thread started as it's easier on my laptop to start things than from my phone while we're traveling. Live threads seem less popular on the NCL board for whatever reason but hopefully I can share some things you guys will get value from as I share our experience on the Encore. The itinerary is as follows: Sunday, July 21 - Embarkation Monday, July 22 - At Sea Tuesday, July 23 - Juneau, Alaska (weather permitting, we will be taking a helicopter ride to a glacier and then dogsledding) Wednesday, July 24 - Skagway, Alaska (we've rented a car and will be driving up the Klondike Hwy with a lot of stops along the way) Thursday, July 25 - Sailing through Glacier Bay Friday, July 26 - Ketchikan, Alaska (this is a super short port call but we'll be doing a flightseeing tour on a seaplane to a fjord) Saturday, July 27 - Victoria, Canada (again, super short port call...may or may not get off the ship here) Sunday, July 28 - Debarkation If there's anything you guys would like to ensure I cover or questions I ask while onboard, let me know! I will also be happily following along as we are on the Encore next June. Question already: Did you book a private excursion in Juneau or take the NCL excursion for the helicopter/dog sledding adventure? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittyCruz Posted July 18 #18 Share Posted July 18 On 7/17/2024 at 9:00 AM, FamilyAtSea.travel said: If there's anything you guys would like to ensure I cover or questions I ask while onboard, let me know! Thanks for this and looking forward to reading your review; we'll be sailing at the end of September/October and I'm in info gathering mode/ Since you asked.... Can you find out where the cruise docks in Ketchikan and what the options are for public transit? (I've read a lot and some conflicting information, but we are hoping to get off, grab a bus see the totems, hit the creek street historic district in lieu of an excursion) Can you find out if the bars have Chai Tea Latte? What night is formal night? Does on require reservations in advance to do the go cart/race track (same with the laser tag) Have a wonderful trip and bon voyage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FamilyAtSea.travel Posted July 18 Author #19 Share Posted July 18 1 hour ago, vacation44 said: I will also be happily following along as we are on the Encore next June. Question already: Did you book a private excursion in Juneau or take the NCL excursion for the helicopter/dog sledding adventure? We pretty much always do 3rd party excursions. Less about the price ($3k for a family of 4 isn't cheap, whether through NCL or direct), but because you generally have a much better experience. In this case - we booked directly through Coastal Helicopters as I did extensive research and they seemed to be the consensus best option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FamilyAtSea.travel Posted July 18 Author #20 Share Posted July 18 (edited) 46 minutes ago, KittyCruz said: Thanks for this and looking forward to reading your review; we'll be sailing at the end of September/October and I'm in info gathering mode/ Since you asked.... Can you find out where the cruise docks in Ketchikan and what the options are for public transit? (I've read a lot and some conflicting information, but we are hoping to get off, grab a bus see the totems, hit the creek street historic district in lieu of an excursion) Can you find out if the bars have Chai Tea Latte? What night is formal night? Does on require reservations in advance to do the go cart/race track (same with the laser tag) Have a wonderful trip and bon voyage! Got it - I'll see what I can do to get you some answers! I can answer a couple of these for you on already based on my research: Ketchikan: The Encore docks at Ward Cove which is roughly 7 miles from the town. The last shuttle back leaves at 11am but All Aboard isn't until 12:45pm (so we'll likely grab an Uber vs. waiting in long lines for the shuttle...taxis are also an option). Formal Night: Surprisingly, there doesn't appear to be a formal night on the Encore. The theme nights are Glow, 80s, and Latin Night. Their branding is "Free at Sea" so I guess having a formal night doesn't fit into their vibe. I'll get you answers about Chai Tea Latte + Cart/Laser Tag reservations! Edited July 18 by FamilyAtSea.travel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zqvol Posted July 18 #21 Share Posted July 18 (edited) 2 hours ago, KittyCruz said: Thanks for this and looking forward to reading your review; we'll be sailing at the end of September/October and I'm in info gathering mode/ Since you asked.... Can you find out where the cruise docks in Ketchikan and what the options are for public transit? (I've read a lot and some conflicting information, but we are hoping to get off, grab a bus see the totems, hit the creek street historic district in lieu of an excursion) Can you find out if the bars have Chai Tea Latte? What night is formal night? Does on require reservations in advance to do the go cart/race track (same with the laser tag) Have a wonderful trip and bon voyage! NCL docks at Ward Cove in Ketchikan, which is about 7 miles from town where the other cruise lines dock. They run a shuttle to town. Public transportation there is minimal. The local bus is the Silver Line and runs once an hour. Kgbak.us is the link. Bottom line is that Ward Cove is relatively isolated, and is a place where you want to leave plenty of time to get back to the ship..(find the thread about the 9 stranded passengers for a point of reference). Edited July 18 by zqvol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis1138 Posted July 18 #22 Share Posted July 18 2 hours ago, KittyCruz said: What night is formal night? This is easy. No night is formal night on any NCL ship. You are, however, free to dress up how you want, when you want. Some people do it for photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacation44 Posted July 19 #23 Share Posted July 19 16 hours ago, FamilyAtSea.travel said: We pretty much always do 3rd party excursions. Less about the price ($3k for a family of 4 isn't cheap, whether through NCL or direct), but because you generally have a much better experience. In this case - we booked directly through Coastal Helicopters as I did extensive research and they seemed to be the consensus best option. Thank you. I have looked at Coastal Helicopters too as an option and will most likely book through them if we decide on this type of excursion as my family is going back and forth on doing it. Wishing you a safe travel today. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacation44 Posted July 19 #24 Share Posted July 19 17 hours ago, KittyCruz said: Does on require reservations in advance to do the go cart/race track (same with the laser tag) On the Encore this past February and recently on the Joy, they did not take reservations beforehand. My family just showed up when they wanted to do the speedway. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mthayer295 Posted July 19 #25 Share Posted July 19 We are going in September and I had originally looked to book a private seaplane in Ketchikan but changed my mind when I realized the meeting spot was in town an hour after docking. I didn’t think I could guarantee that we would make it. Interesting to hear that your plan is an Uber. Do you have any reliable information that there are sufficient Ubers available at that port? I didn’t want to count on that either. However, I do realize the recent stranded passengers were on an NCL excursion so that wasn’t foolproof either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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