NikiPinkston

Yvonne,

I'm so sorry you had such a less than stellar cruise. Like you, we've been loyal to NCL because we've really enjoyed the experience. The food and service are DH's no. 1 priority and I've really enjoyed the entertainment, so we'll see what our upcoming cruise on the Sun is like. We've enjoyed some of NCL's smaller ships in the past but, If it's lacking, we'll jump ship to Princess, too, as they have a trans-Pacific we've been eyeing for awhile anyway (and we'll definitely let NCL know why we're leaving).

It's so sad that all of these cuts have adversely affected such a great product. As always, loved your review and hearing about your adventures with Dad. I hope that you're both doing well and look forward to your Princess review this summer!

8 hours ago, shadowmeboy said:

 

What a gorgeous morning!

 

 

We still have close to 12 hours of sailing until we reach San Juan and the natives are getting restless. The kids on this ship cannot wait to get off and touch dry land. I have enjoyed the Sea Days, plus this was the first morning I didn't have to bring my sweatshirt out! We finally got to the warmer waters!

 

Baltimore was our coldest sailaway ever at 38 degrees.

 

 

Look a rainbow!

 

 

Do you know who didn't see the rainbow? Sleeping Beauty! I mean Susan. Plus about 95% of the rest of the ship!

 

 

 

1st breakfast!

 

 

Washy Washy Crew singing Washy Washy Christmas Carols!

I LOVE this, Matthew! Washy Washy Christmas Carols and a rainbow? Score! You have inspired me to get up and out early in the morning.😊❤️🌈

I may be wrong and, hopefully, one of the smart people on this board will correct me if so, but I believe that the requirement to be on board two hours before sailing is only on embarkation day. As I recall, it's usually not more than an hour at most. Also, embarkation in ports usually begins much sooner than two hours after docking, although that is still a very short stop in Ketchikan considering the shuttle ride into town.

10 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

@NikiPinkston hi Niki 

since going to once a day room cleaning and reducing the number of room stewards on board (meaning cabins aren’t ready until after 2:30pm) every NCL ship has luggage storage on embarkation day. It is on the same deck as the boarding deck, so either deck 6 or 7. Just ask when you board.

Thank you, Yvonne! I so appreciate your answering my question. Hope that you're feeling better. I love reading about your adventures. You rock!

1 hour ago, shadowmeboy said:

 

Niki,

 

I have never looked for a place to drop off the bag on embarkation day, so I don't know if the Sun has one. Sorry 😞 

 

Seven Seas is the Aft MDR and open for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. It will also be the MDR open when you board the Sun. The aft elevators are in the open area across from Seven Seas, so no need to lug your suitcase down stairs. 3 of the 4 elevators stop at deck 5 and one goes down to deck 4, so there are two sets of buttons. Keep that in mind.

 

Decks 6 & 7 are your pass through decks. These are the decks you can go from the forward to aft or vice versa without going outside or going down hallways of staterooms. Decks 11 and 12 are pass through decks but you have to go outside to go forward to aft or vice versa. 

 

Hope that helps!

 

Matthew

Matthew, 

Thank you so much for all of the great information! You are the best!

Niki

Hi, Matthew,

I always enjoy your reviews, especially those on the Sun because we'll be sailing her in a few weeks. (And I'm always happy to hear you say that she's your favorite ship!)

I have a couple of questions that I hope you can help me with. Is there a place to drop off a carry-on bag once you get onboard? Do you recall which MDR is open on embarkation day? And, last but not least, is Seven Seas MDR accessible by elevator, or stairs only?

We always have our embarkation day lunch in the MDR and, since we'll have a carry-on, I'm trying to figure out if we'll have to lug it up and down stairs. Thank you so much for your help!

NIki

Hope that all of your wishes come true!❤️🎂🍷

I love my women's ECCO Soft 7 slip-ons as they are extremely comfortable, look great and last forever. I haven't quite convinced DH to try a pair, but am working on it. (He's only a few years behind your  dad.) They're great for all-day walking!

https://us.ecco.com/men/collections/soft-7/

They don't come in wide widths but are made to accommodate feet of all widths. Perhaps if Dad could try them on first.

"ECCO shoes are designed in a unique way so that they fit from the heel forward to the instep, unlike conventional shoes which fit across the toes, thereby restricting the natural spreading of your toes whilst walking. ECCO's “Freedom Fit” means that ECCO shoes are able to fit a very wide variety of feet."

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

Our chief rat is always talking about this! I haven't seen him lately, which means he's probably scurrying around a ship somewhere...likely Alaska, knowing him. I believe these are the stretchy waist pants he recommends from LL Bean:

 

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/126320?page=mens-athletic-sweats-zip-fly-sweatpants-drawstring-28in-mens&bc=12-26-502921&feat=502921-GN3&csp=f&attrValue_0=32588&gnrefine=1*COLLECT*Athletic Sweats&pos=2&imgt=41

 

Paging @ChiefMateJRK to the conversation. Did I get the right link for our intrepid traveler?

Yes, it was @ChiefMateJRK who wears sweats that look like regular pants, and I bought some of these for DH on the Chief's recommendation: 

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/126004?page=mens-llbean-1912-sweatpant-32in-mens&bc=&feat=MEN'S SWEATPANTS-SR0&csp=a&attrValue_0=37948&searchTerm=MEN'S SWEATPANTS&pos=5

These don't have the elastic on the bottom of the legs so they look more like regular pants. DH loves his and calls them his "formal sweats."😁

1 hour ago, ihate2cruise said:

I don't see a where it tells me if we are docked or Tendered. I just see letters after the cruise ships w/o a guide to what they stand for.

 

I believe that there's a letter T before the dock code if you're tendering. For instance, the day that we're in Skagway, the schedule shows TWL, meaning that we're tendering to the Wilderness dock. Berth Codes confirms this.

Just thought I'd jump in here with the webpage where you can check your dock and what other ships will be in port the day(s) that you're there:

https://claalaska.com/

Click on 2024 Schedules and then your port. Another kind CC member posted this awhile back and I've found it really helpful. Have an awesome cruise!

We've sailed the POA twice and you're going to have an amazing time. Hawaii is my absolute favorite place on earth and you & Susan are going to love it!

Thank you so much for this video! So looking forward our visit to ISP now.😊

Love your reviews, Matthew! Looking forward to hearing about your and Susan's holiday adventure on the Sun! 🚢🎅🌞

10 hours ago, shadowmeboy said:

Christmas/New Years Review is officially underway! Link: 

 

Yay! Love your reviews, @shadowmeboy We took a Christmas cruise a couple of years ago and it was one of my all-time favorites. Looking so forward to reading about your and Susan's adventures on the Sun!

Your helping Dad pack reminds me of the time DH packed himself and brought five black t-shirts, so it looked like he was wearing the same shirt every day! (I now do his packing.)😁 I'm excited to read your upcoming Princess live as we'll probably jump ship at some point to do an L.A. to Hawaii trans-Pacific & Princess is our #1 choice.

Happy embarkation day! We'll be sailing on the Sun out of Seattle in a couple of weeks and I'm excited to read about your adventures.🚢❤️Have an amazing cruise!

1 minute ago, YVRteacher said:

Have you read Our Missing Hearts? So powerful and beautiful!

 

Thankfully Ketchikan has doughnuts! Jellyfish Donuts on Water Street. I don’t drink beer either but still always enjoy time in a pub.

Definitely putting Our Missing Hearts on my list. You always have the best recommendations!

1 hour ago, YVRteacher said:

Hi Niki!

your advice to me on the Breakaway cruise was perfect. You really helped me out!

 

Thank you for coming along on this cruise too.

 

Does your husband like beer? When my dad gets tired we stop for beer. Have you been to Asylum in Ketchikan and the Klondike Brewing Company in Skagway? We also loved Pike Place Brewing in Seattle (their pizza was incredible!)

Hi, Yvonne,

I'm so glad I was helpful. Loved your Breakaway review!

DH isn't a beer drinker, but I could substitute just about any kind of food (pizza and donuts preferred), so that's a great idea! 

I wanted to tell you, too, how much I enjoyed The Midnight Library! Thank you so much for recommending it. I also just started Matt Haig's How to Stop Time.

So excited for you to embark!😊

Thank you for taking us along on your adventure! Hope to do this itinerary one day. Have a wonderful time in Honolulu!

As always, so looking forward to your live! You are the best daughter anywhere and I love hearing about your adventures with your Dad. We'll be on the Sun from Seattle later in May and I'm really interested to hear about your activities in port as DH sometimes has a problem with a lot of walking. It's our 4th time to Alaska, previously on the Bliss, the Encore, and the Jewel (which we love-NCL's "smaller" ships are great). We received priority luggage tags last week, although we're in a lowly balcony stateroom. It was a nice surprise, though, for these newly-platinum cruisers. You have an amazing attitude and your love for your dad is so heartwarming. Happy birthday! Have a wonderful cruise! I'll be coming along here on CC.😊

I have never had Indian food but think that I'd like to try it. How did you like it?

I got some Sporto boots for our first Alaska cruise in 2015 and love them. We don't do any serious hiking anymore, but they offer good support, are comfortable, and keep my feet dry. I sometimes wear them here at home when it rains and will be taking them on our fourth Alaska cruise this summer. HSN.com has several styles on sale right now.

I second the helicopter flight. We did that over Maui on our first visit to Hawaii many years ago and it was unforgettable. A flight over the Napali Coast would be spectacular!

Yes, it was a large van. Our group was about 12-14 people and I felt like we really got to see a lot of the island.

Can't speak to Kona because we've always just gotten off the tender and walked around town but, in Kauai, our favorite excursion was the Director's Cut, where they take you all over the island to see various movie locations. Lunch at a local restaurant was included and it was a really fun day! We've never attended Luau Kalamaku in Kauai as we've done the Polynesian Cultural Center Luau a couple of times, but I understand that it's kind of a big deal, too. We love the POA. Have a wonderful cruise!