CatsinShow

I just called NCL to see if the agent I called could tell me something that the other agent couldn't. Didn't work lol. They said that they cannot tell me how many rooms are left.

I would be at the terminal no later than 11 A.M. just in case embarkation takes for ever. You have to drop your luggage, go through Canadian Customs and the embarkation process. Then you will lead to a holding area and boarded by Group Numbers.

 

I would not count on being able to upgrade at this point and certainly not on board ship. You might be able to upgrade depending on how you booked this cruise- directly from Norwegian, a travel agent or a third party. I would call as soon as possible. These cruises are usually completely sold long before now.

 

I hope you have a wonderful time.

 

I love The Sun

Okay thank you! I was actually hoping to be one of the last ones on so I could get a little more time in Vancouver (I really just wanted to do Stanley Park anyway and I'm coming in the day before at 1:00 so I will try to get it in then!). I'll do what you suggested.

With the upgrade, I called Expedia (where I booked) they said that the only upgrade that they had were the penthouses (out of my price range lol). She put me on hold and called NCL to find out if I could get one when I called.She said that NCL said to keep checking my emails to see if I get room offers and to ask guest services when I'm on the ship. I checked around online just now and all that's left are the penthouse suites that are almost $7,000. I guess everything did get sold out.

I'm sailing out Monday June 19 out of Vancouver. My mother has been on 2 or 3 Alaskan cruises (Celebrity and Princess). I chose this particular Northbound cruise because she told me the highlight of all her trips has been Glacier Bay which many cruises don't do (but mainly the price!). I don't know the next time I'll be in Alaska so because of this particular cruise and the price, I grabbed it.

My mom did tell me that the Vancouver port can be a nightmare. On NCL's website I had a choice of the following time slots:

1-1:30

1:30-2

2-2:30

2:30-3:00

I signed up for the 1:00-1:30 however is it faster to be super early and 1 of the first groups on (and better chance to get an upgrade) or to actually be in the last group?

Thanks Mama =) I did go for the Oceanview guarantee

Just booked my cruise an hour ago. :) I ended up booking an oceanview guaranteed room. I realize as a worst case scenario I will get a porthole with a lot of noise in the cabin. For the price I paid for being just 1 person going, I could live with it :) Got 7 nights for just under $88 a day.

I booked through Expedia and called them up about upgrades.They looked and said the only thing I could upgrade to is the Penthouse for a cheap few thousand dollars (lol). The girl called NCL for me to see if they expect upgrades. She told her (so she told me) that as of now I cannot upgrade and that my room will most likely not be assigned until 2 days before the sailing. She did say I should look out for emails from NCL emailing me offers to upgrade the room. Also was told I could just go to guest services after I am on the ship and see if I could just rooms like some of you mentioned.

Very excited =)

Just booked my cruise =)

we did the Sun last year from Vancouver to Seward. All three ports (Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway) were docked, no tenders.

 

once you pass thru security and customs in Vancouver, you are pretty much checked in and on the ship. To leave would be a pain. I highly recommend arriving a day or two early to see this beautiful city. then once you are ready to go to the ship, go, check in and stay put.

Thanks Boston. You don't by any chance have the dailies uploaded do you? What would you say was the overall age when you went?

Okay thanks again. I think I will just pay the extra $21 a night for an oceanview even if the means I end up with the little porthole. It seems like I have a better chance of a slightly better room paying for that versus saving a little money and doing the interior.

The cruise starts in Vancouver and gets off at Seward. I found pretty reasonable airfare at $338 roundtrip. I figure I will also get 1 night in a hotel before the cruise, and 1 night in Ancourage after the cruise. I use Priceline for nearly every hotel so each night at the hotel with tax won't be more than $120 each. I'm looking into excursions right now. Assuming I book this (I'm very close to doing it because I've never seen any Alaskan cruise for 1 person be this low for 1 person....again the single supplement fee as I typically travel alone anyway) I'm looking at $1281 + the gratuity you do for the workers on the ship + any wifi + excursions + transport to/from airports + food in Vancouver and Anchorage. Seems like a good deal for a 9 night trip. The hotel I will probably get in Vancouver is walking distance from the port which is nice.

What I meant about wifi was is it cheaper to buy a plan once you are on the ship versus before you start your cruise. I see here it is the opposite. What I meant about wifi off the ship was if there's wifi like from stores or restaurants off the ship that when I get off, I can send a few emails out before I get back on the ship.

Have any of you spent time in Vancouver? I went to Tripadvisor and Googled this but I figure it wouldn't hurt to ask here. My mother has been to Vancouver and just told me how clean and pretty it is. I've been trying to figure out if I should spend more than 1 night there to sight see but aside from maybe taking a bike ride in Stanley Park and going to an aquarium (which I could skip as I have 2 great ones near me that I've been to many times), it seems like it's just a city to bike ride in, eat, and go shopping. Are there any "musts"in Vancouver? I know this is subjective. I just feels like everyone loves Vancouver and I'm just not sure why aside from it being clean and pretty.

Ok I did a Google search and searched on here. I'm not really finding anything recent (by recent I mean within the last 2 summers). Does anyone have the dailies from taking this cruise? Also I spoke to someone on the Norwegian chat feature. She had told me that none of the ports are tendered however, I found something online that says Juneau is tendered as is Ketchikan. Is she right? I later called up Norwegian direct and spoke to someone about booking a guaranteed room. I asked about upgrading like I asked earlier. He flat out told me that with the interior guaranteed rooms that based on the inventory that the odds are I wouldn't get a surprise upgrade. I then asked him about the ocean view guarantee. He told me that I have a good chance of not getting the little porthole thing. He added that I should book today because the deals will probably be gone tomorrow.... I'm on here because I'm assuming the guy is just trying to get me to book right away.

So in short....

1. Does anyone have a link to recent dailies from this ship and route?

2. Are any of these ports tendered?

3. Have any of you booked a guaranteed oceanview room on this ship and route and did you get a better room?

4. The ship departs Vancouver at 4PM. If I were to get on the ship say at 11, am I allowed to leave the ship or is it once you are on, you are on?

5. I saw the wifi plans.Can you get cheaper rates if you book it in person or do the rates stay the same (or even go up in person?).

6. How is the wifi once you get off the boat?

Sorry to be annoying. I just found this trip last minute and it's actually at a rate I could afford as a party of 1. My grandfather died less than a week ago and we had his burial today. We weren't that close but from it I started to realize to just live life because you want to make a lot of great memories since you never know when you will go (I know this is probably the obvious). I got laid off too so something like this would be a positive in my life.

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the responses!

About the guaranteed cabins, what makes an interior cabin worse than the other? Is it largely noise or being really far from an elevator, or too close to an elevator?

I haven't been on a cruise in almost 12 years so I'm not sure if this is something that rarely happens anymore.I found a 7 night last minute Norwegian cruise to Alaska. I'm traveling solo and price is super important to me so I don't pay a single supplement. I found a cruise on the Sun that ends up costing $79 a night (including tax) in a guaranteed interior room. My mother has taken a couple different Alaskan cruises but never on Norwegian. She told me that paying for a balcony is a must when taking an Alaskan cruise.

When you go to "check in" at the departing port, are you able to usually get an upgrade from something like a guaranteed interior room to a balcony, or is this one of those things that typically doesn't happen? I could also pay $100 a night and do the guaranteed ocean view room if that makes it easier to upgrade.

Thank you :)