TPgal

On 8/29/2023 at 3:51 PM, depplep said:

Some people have no shame. I gotta know, was she wearing shoes?

Nope.  No socks either.   

35 minutes ago, Twocoasts said:

You're right--There was some nice outside seating on 8 at the Waterfront. But it too was extremely crowded. It could have been the time of year (late August before school is back in session) and the destination. I know lots of people love the Bliss--it just doesn't fit us.

I think we might have been on the same sailing (8/12).  We had only sailed on smaller ships and liked many things about the Bliss (club balcony as well) but the lines...it took us 90 minutes to get to a bus in Sitka, because the port times were so short waiting until later wasn't an option.

I agree that the noise level in the atrium was bonkers.  How on earth can origami be so loud?  But, every butt attending the atrium events is a butt that is not in a lounge chair somewhere else. 

We liked the waterfront, and didn't find it extremely crowded, but it was a struggle to find a spot for our party of five.  Wait, maybe we were the problem, but we weren't this lady sleeping in the observation lounge... too bad her room didn't come with a bed.

On 4/11/2023 at 4:43 AM, ljrfrm said:

We just got off the Bliss. We got bottles with P+ every night at dinner, no problem in all dining rooms and specialty restaurants. However, we weren't able to take any bottle with us out of the dining room.  Even when we wanted a second bottle and I specifically asked if I could take any leftover back to the cabin, they offered for us to just fill up the glasses and take those.  Contrary to this, they had NO problem with us taking our brand new unopened free bottle from our dining voucher.

We just left the Bliss Saturday. We didn't try to buy a bottle of wine - as there were three of us with P+, we would order a glass and they would open it and we'd polish it off with the second pour.  However, there were wines that were on the menu that they wouldn't open at certain places - i.e. the Lafite Sauv. Blanc, and we couldn't get the Pomeroy Rose either.  The Kool wasn't terrible but it was frustrating.

We stopped by Guest Services and they called out the assistant beverage manager who explained that the Pomeroy wasn't on ship due to supply issues.   He asked us where we were dining for the remainder of the cruise and he visited us at each specialty dining location ("Hello Mr. Jason & family!") and all pours of Veuve at Le Bistro were not only offered multiple times during our dinner, but had no charge.   At La Cocina, they didn't balk at the fact that the three of us chose different ($25/glass) reds, but there was some hesitation when the server brought an open bottle of Barolo to our table and we said yes to a glass of that - the server had to go to the back and ask.   Maybe the other table had purchased the bottle, but in the end they poured it for us.   I saw them open another one for the other table, as our three pours finished that bottle handily.  Cagney's on Friday, the Barolo was on hand without issue, and they poured me a pre-dinner glass at the A-List. 

It was nice that our difficulty in getting the higher end wines went away, but we were left with the impression that it was due to the Beverage Manager's intervention.   It's unfortunate for the staff that the expectations set by the marketing doesn't match up with what they are able to pour or open. They work so hard and are so professional, that it must be awful to tell people no.  

In the end, I'm not quite sure the math worked for us on the P+ package on the wine, but we loved the daily Starbucks, grabbing a liter of water anywhere, and Mr. Jason liked being able to specify his favorite gin in the A-list gin & tonics.   We haven't pulled the trigger on the upgrade for the next cruise, but I also need to let the credit card cool down for a cycle. It's not good when it's steaming.

Also, I will always refer to my DH as "Mr. Jason" especially when asking for assistance.  He now calls me "Mrs. Mr Jason"

46 minutes ago, KXZ1498 said:

18% "Service Charge" that is added to the bill. I'm guessing one spa employee said this wasn't a tip and then the cruiser signed for more $$ on the tip line. 

I knowingly added extra tip to the tab, that wasn't my issue.  I was wondering about the Latitudes discount, but @OrcaGirl makes a great point about the use of the term "Spa Signature Treatments".  Based on that, I am gathering the discount wouldn't have come into play.

It is not about the money, I mean if the discount was the make or break point, maybe I shouldn't be cruising, it was about being dishonest, but as @hawkeyetlse pointed out - I was ok with shorting the state of Alaska their cut... so I shall shrink off back to my day job and question my own ethics.

Thank you all.  

1 hour ago, hawkeyetlse said:

I would go ahead and submit a case with post-cruise guest relations about the port day Latitudes discount. I would actually just say that you had the treatment in port (they can confirm with the ship what time you were there) and so there should be a 15% discount, period. In other words, don’t mention that the staff offered to help you evade taxes and that you agreed to this. Just say that you were overcharged (which is true). 

 

Because I’m pretty sure the spa staff were genuinely trying to save you the tax, and in general it’s a good thing (for passengers) when the staff on board suggests doing this. But it is also fraudulent (in a minor way) so it’s probably best not to draw too much attention to the practice in official communications with NCL. 

Yikes, "evade taxes".  I didn't think of it in that way.  I had no problem paying taxes on my beverages in Seattle or Victoria, B.C., so I'm not sure why I so readily agreed to do it in Alaska.  Now I'm questioning my own ethics.  

On 8/16/2023 at 6:43 PM, Russiamomm said:

I think that’s an anomaly.  The kids should not be there.  I’ve been on four trips in studios and never saw a child anywhere in the complex or the lounge. 

I'm guilty...I went with my 12 year old to "visit" grandma in her solo cabin.  We stopped by to check out the lounge and stole a cookie (ok maybe 3) before we zipped back out to our own cabin.  We didn't see any other humans and were quiet like thieving mice, but if you saw us, or if you needed more than the 3 dozen cookies we left behind - I'm sorry.  

The cabin was cute, and a great option for the lady who likes to take long long naps in the day time.  

12 minutes ago, libtrek said:

I too felt duped by my spa experience two cruises ago. I did bite on the product upsell, but to be fair I actually wanted the item. But when I was presented with the bill, she pointed at the tip line. I said something like, isn’t the tip included? She hurriedly said, oh no, that’s for the company, not me. I only get what you fill in. I was so relaxed by the massage I just filled in the tip. After thinking about it later, I realized what she’d done. I didn’t make a fuss but I avoided the spa on our June cruise. 

That would be an "irk" that would stick with me as well.   I knew I was tipping on top of the built in tip, but I'm not sure I'll use the spa in the future.  

We are just back from a mostly fantastic trip on the Bliss to Alaska.

I'm back at my desk avoiding work like normal and running through the receipts and whatnot and need your thoughts & expertise on two "issues".  Both might be lack of experience.  

Item 1: Latitudes Reward Discount Failure

In Juneau opted to stay on board because the lines for the busses in Sitka took 90 minutes, we've been there before, and what a great way to experience the ship with many people off doing something else.   After breakfast, the Spa ladies got me and I accepted the "port day spa special".  The service was great, and the push to buy the special bath tea wasn't too hard to avoid.  Then, she had me sign all the sheets and said, as if she was doing me a favor..."I'll run this after we leave so that you don't get charged taxes".   Sounds great right?  Well, imagine my frustration today when I was on my account searching for the cruise next certificate information (wait for item 2) to see that as a Latitudes Silver level, I was entitled to a 15% discount if she had ran the charge while we were in port (which we were for another 3 hours.)   Obviously, this is my fault for not knowing the insides and outs of the rewards program, but I'm left with a terrible taste in my mouth and feel like an idiot for tipping on top of the mandatory tip.  I feel like a mark.   There's nothing to do...but am I out of my mind for feeling like I was duped?

Item 2: CruiseNext Deposits

Actually, as I wrote this up, I think I figured it out, but the cruise next math is kind of nuts.  I bought one, they gave me one by issuing $250 onboard credit to the current cruise, then they applied two credits to the cruise we had booked.  For a first time purchaser of CNDs I think the information about how it works could be better.  I see that many of you are fans and repeat customers and the math works but it took me a moment to validate it.  So, in short - this wasn't a scam. 

With that said...what about the spa thing? 

You'll have to look, but for my upcoming Alaska cruise the vibe and private cabana in the vibe were available at the same time when booking my specialty dining.  

I'm not Haven, platinum or anything special.  We did book a club balcony suite, but nothing in the perks list mentioned early booking for Vibe.

Could be an Alaska thing, because who's itching to have a private place to lay in the 65 degree chill?

On 7/26/2023 at 11:50 AM, tokidoki said:

If I take the Encore, then does anyone get off the ship Sat nite for the 4 hour stop?

I'm in Seattle and we can "zip up to Victoria" for long weekends, the four hour stop is only worth it if you have a specific spot in town that you want to see.   Victoria is best explored (even in the rain) on long walks and making time to visit the museum & garden.   We chose not to bother on our first Alaska cruise, and on the one that leaves in eight days we booked a specialty restaurant to celebrate our last night, and won't leave the ship.

It's unfortunate because Victoria is so charming.

"The whole damn ship is creaking so you make a note to record the sound to post on Cruise Critic and you vow never to choose this cabin again."

OMG!  That poor experienced cruiser.  

30 minutes ago, FLAHAM said:

1.  Bring a Kindle loaded with books.

 

I was reading that really fast and thought you suggested a Kazoo.   Wouldn't that make the OP the most popular cruiser on the ship?

Take my advice with a grain of salt as I'm an NCL fan (mostly due to the lack of travel on other lines).  My family (DH& I in our 50's, kid is 12, and our parents 70's&80's) have enjoyed NCL as a nice option that pleases most in our party.   Together we did Alaska and Panama Canal.   It was dressy enough for the grands and casual enough for Hubs, kid & myself.   We've booked a second cruise to Alaska on the Bliss (leaving in mid-August.)

With that said, if this particular trip was my first to Alaska I'd be VERY irate about the port times.  
Juneau:  7am - 1:30p
Ketchikan 6:30 am - 1:15p

I'll excuse the silly 4 hour stop in Victoria off the list because this is not a stop for the pax, it's for the "international" stop requirement.  With that said, Butchart Gardens is pretty even at night, but don't go on your own - you must take a ship based excursion w/ transportation because of the abbreviated timeline.  

We booked NCL for this cruise because we wanted to play on a larger ship (the Bliss) but acknowledge that the port times are just not acceptable.   You might enjoy getting up at 6 am to walk thru town before it opens, but that's not my idea of a vacation day. You'll probably find us enjoying ship life in Ketchikan rather than re-exploring the cute town. 

Our Sitka stop is more reasonable 11am to 6pm, but that's only one out of four.
 

So, long story short:  if you want to get off the ship and see things in Alaska, make sure the stops are to your liking.  

Also, if your party isn't going to be hopping on and off, then I suggest a smaller ship.  Smaller vessels can get closer to the action in the money spots (glacier bay, icy straight).  

We booked an excursion in Juneau that will take us on a smaller catamaran which will meet the expectation of seeing stuff close up.  

Either way, have fun.  

On 6/15/2023 at 10:01 PM, complawyer said:

six was/is an amazing production. the girls are non-stop entertainment. we saw it n the bliss last july, and recently in our local theater. would definitely see it again in a heartbeat

I'm so sad...I've been talking about SIX non-stop since we booked our cruise.  We sail in August, so boo for us, and the performers.  😞 

2 hours ago, pete_coach said:

The "sale" NCL has ongoing has been going on for over a year now LOL

Fake News. I repriced my currently booked cruise with the "new" promotion.  The price dropped... by two whole cents per passenger.  Everyone, get out of my way while I run to make that change.  

Thanks for sharing!   

Also if you use the same ID/password on other sites it would be time to change those as well.   More often than not, the bad guys will try the name/password combinations on multiple sites.  

I know it's hard to remember all the different log ins but use a password manger like 1Password, or even the password saver on google/msft is better than using the same id/password combo on multiple sites.  

As noted above, this is very frustrating - we just finalized full payment for an August cruise and paid for the premium beverage package.   We have a deposit on another cruise and haven't pulled the trigger on the PBP but when I put it in my cart - check out the price point.   
 

It's clearly an error - but WOW!

On 4/25/2023 at 12:34 PM, dachengdao said:

We booked a Getaway cruise for 12/6 earlier this month.  Regular Vibe passes are not currently available, but we were able to snag a cabana....

Is it your understanding that the cabana is yours for the entire cruise?  If so, what a great snag!

Both the regular Vibe Pass and Cabanas are available for our August cruise, but I honestly don't see either being much of a draw as we zip up to Alaska.  

Hope you enjoy your legitimate reserved chair for the cruise.  Leave a towel and a book out there all day!  🙂 

4 minutes ago, depplep said:

Same reason we do the Caribbean, but we are so over the same islands I can't bear the thought of another Caribbean cruise. I know it's still flying but does Princess still do Hawaii out of San Francisco? I very excited to try NCL almost as much as seeing Alaska.

We simply fly to Hawaii and enjoy our 10 days on the islands.  If I was going to spend that many days at sea I would want guaranteed pool space and well, we know how people are.  

We had been booked on a 7 day cruise out of San Diego to Mexico that was supposed to leave in March of 2020 an well, we know that that turned out.   That reservation morphed into a few things which ultimately ended up being a Caribbean cruise which for this moldy Seattle crew was fun, but I'm not sure how many times I would want to do that. 

So, for Mexico...again we fly. 

If the ports are the destination, I think going directly and being there for days is best (for us) but to cruise is to enjoy the ship and have interesting mini-exposure to the ports.   The eight hours we spent in Cartagena qualifies us to say we've been TO Colombia, but we haven't really explored or experienced Colombia.   

1 minute ago, depplep said:

I've noticed a lot of you cruise Alaska frequently. What do you do in port after you've been there a couple of times? I feel like this is a once or twice in a lifetime destination for us. 

I will answer as a Seattle based person, unlike the FL ports the only place you can really go from Seattle is Alaska, so if we want an easy cruise that we don't have to fly to - Alaska it is.  

This is our second time to go and we're looking forward to the following things on this repeat cruise:
1) The ship - our first journey was on the Pearl, so the Bliss feels fancy and new.
2) The knowledge that the ports are nice, but the real beauty is the journey so don't look for us in the hot tub, we'll be on our balcony enjoying the views.
3) Knowledge is Power:  We don't have any need to 'see it all' so we aren't planning excursions at each stop, but instead booked one that gets us close to the glaciers and on the water.  It was more than we would spend normally but since we've already done the train over the pass (fun!) and panning for gold (silly) it's all about the nature for us.

Maybe someday we'll get a cruise destination from Seattle that is up the coast, over to Hawaii and back, or some other thing, but for now, if we don't want to fly... Alaska it is. 

Just now, fastpitchdad said:

 

Of just "The Market" 😉 

I almost added this, but didn't want to give away too much insider info.  🙂

On 4/16/2023 at 12:02 PM, depplep said:

I also noticed on your itinerary as well as mine for Encore it says Victoria is in port 8pm-11:59pm.  Surely this is a typo??

It's absolutely NOT a typo.  The ship has to stop at a non-US port and Victoria it is.   I wouldn't book any excursions or even really plan to do anything, the port is close to town but it will still be a hike to the fun part of Victoria.

Being from Seattle, we can zip up to Victoria fairly easily on a weekend via the Victoria Clipper and enjoy all the wonders.   

Our August 12-19 Bliss cruise has this silly stop as well.  Our plan is to just have a leisurely dinner and  enjoy the last night on the ship with fewer people.

Note that in Canada there are limits to how many bars can be open, so your favorite beverage location on the ship may not be available.  

EDIT:  Whoops, I didn't see that three other folks responded as well.  I stand by my comment on the bars, so am leaving this here vs. deleting.  

Sail on friends! 

On 4/15/2023 at 8:29 AM, VUCruiser said:

Pikes Market this morning (4/15). 

If you want to sound like a local it's "Pike Place Market".  🙂 

On 3/6/2023 at 7:49 PM, Kierste said:

The fill a bag special is enough for us to get 3 people’s worth of laundry done halfway through an 11 day cruise no problem. You just have to roll the clothes tight and you can fit a lot in a bag. We are platinum now, so it’s even a better deal 🙂

Is it bad form to bring tape to reinforce the bag?   (jk)

On our 11 night Panama cruise I was able to get most everything except for long pants and swim suits in the bag and we are not small people.   I do love a game of tetris.  

16 hours ago, Indyopie said:

Called my TA today and saved $712 on our Med cruise in 2024!

For me, this is the fun part about booking early.   We have an Alaska cruise on the books for August 2023 at a price I was happy with.  It has dropped in price enough to cover our PBP and then some.   Anything else will be gravy.  One could argue that the pricing is infuriating, but by booking early we have the cabin we want at what feels like a fair price.  

Based on this thread though, I'll be cautious about making sure our perks stick if there are additional changes. 

Also, it's so nice to have something on the books.