Go2SeaTheWorld

Yes there are taxis at pier 66. On July 1st, we disembarked about 9:00 am & taxi took us 30 min. to  American Airlines flight terminal. Lines at check in & security can be long, even with TSA pre-check. So would just depend how comfortable you are with cutting it close.

We walked around Sitka on our own and thoroughly enjoyed the day. Whalewatching also in Juneau.

We booked the forest tram at the top of the mountain on Icy Strait Point, but it was raining hard so passed on that.  Even taking the gondola to the top of the mountain, we were  unable to see much of Glacier Bay due to rain & fog.  Did enjoy walking along the beach to the tourist shops established in the former salmon cannery.  Booked Blight National Totem Park & Lumberjack show in Ketchikan. The Park was beautiful & really interesting. Show was cheesey & have seen better on ESPN back in the day when they used to carry those competitions. If had it to do over would definitely just do the park & take the rest of the time to sightsee on our own around the town. 

We cruised POA in May 2022, started with the land tour before boarding ship on Sat. It was at about 60% capacity, aft facing penthouse suite. We enjoyed it so much. The excursions we booked were fantastic & staff, though reduced at the time, was great. Everyone has his/her own experience, it seems to me, regardless of the ship/itinerary booked. But as far as the most convenient, beautiful way to see Hawaii, we wouldn't trade our experience for anything.

Delete.

6 hours ago, drumming cruisers said:

Have only cruised to AK in June always cool and no rain, always very nice.

Can anyone tell me what to expect in August? Am assuming warmer, but also rainy? 

 

Anyone know who concierge is in Haven? 

 

Thanks

Efren was the Haven concierge for our cruise 6/24-7/1   He was exceptional.  Sorry, no clue on August weather.

We sailed on the Bliss to Alaska last week of June. Had 17726 starboard, Penthouse with large balcony and were very pleased with access to all of Haven.

Definitely! We just returned from the Alaska cruise on Bliss. Experienced the Haven for the 1st time-Penthouse with large balcony. OMG. We are spoiled for life. So happy we are also booked for same on Epic Nov. Haifa to Rome.Everything others have said about the excellent staff & perks is spot on.

7 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

Don't take the train. It is really a commuter train, and large luggage is cumbersome. I learned the hard way. Based on our experience and others I met along the journey, I would not use NCL for flights. You won't get the details, perhaps until about a month before. You have lots of planning to do. If you have the time, arrive earlier and visit Israel.  

Oh, no, almost used it for a cruise we had planned right as Covid hit (so cancelled) & learned from Cruise Critic how risky that could be. We're flying American. Really glad to know about that about the luggage. I'm a pretty high maintenance packer, especially for a 2 week trip. Hoping that we could still purchase the airport transfer to the cruise ship, though.

1 hour ago, sherrihall128 said:

 

I would say it depends on how comfortable you would be with that time frame. The train from Tel Aviv to Haifa takes 60-75 minutes according to my research, plus the walk to the pier (the train stop looks close, but it may be dark when you arrive). You may want to do a private transfer or NCL transfer based on your risk assessment. Also, have you considered traveling a day before? That time frame looks a little tight for my comfort.

Really appreciate your response. Unfortunately, we have had another obligation set for a few months on that day before. It had to be the 19th & in order to reschedule the original flight, the 5pm arrival was the earliest available. Our  cruise was originally on the Epic from Rome to Haifa 12/1-12/13 that was cancelled. So felt lucky to even be able to get the same itinerary, in reverse, 2 weeks earlier. Guess we’ll just have to 🙏 it all works out. I have been looking at private transfer, but $$$$$$.  Will certainly check for NCL transfer closer to date. 

We will arrive in Tel Aviv at 5PM on 11/20, the day of sailing, embarking 11pm. So was wondering if best to use train to Haifa bus station, the taxi to pier or see if best to purchase NCL transfer from TLV airport directly to ship.  Recommendations?

5 hours ago, Asawi said:

So you were able to book already and get the 20%? It's supposed to be available from June 1st, but I would really like to book an October cruise right now. (I'm not in USA and I do not use a travel agent if that matters)

Yes. It was there on my account. 

It took some time to sort through everything, but we were able to book on the Nov 20-Dec1 sailing, just the reverse of our OG "Rome to Haifa" on the Epic. The 20% off made a huge difference & even saved a bit rescheduling our flights. Now keeping fingers crossed that nothing more happens.

19 hours ago, Ellis1138 said:

One thing to note is that, after this June, the Pride of America will not be cruising the Na Pali coast as part of the itinerary. So, if you do go on it, you'll need to book your own excursion via helicopter or by boat/catamaran. 

Oh boo!  That was incredible!  How can they stop that part of the cruise?

We did that last May and it was awesome. Our 1st time to Hawaii & have already said we will do it again some time. There were just so many options for excursions, we could do something completely different & see things we didn't experience the 1st time.

4 hours ago, mpk said:

Just got the email.

 

This stinks...  I have hotel, flights, etc. all lined up.  I will incur at least flight penalties, not to mention points stuck with an airline I don't normally fly 😞

 

 

 

Dear Valued Guests and Travel Partners,

On behalf of Norwegian Cruise Line, thank you very much for your loyalty and for making us your vacation of choice. We have important information regarding your upcoming sailing onboard Norwegian Epic. We ask that travel advisors please share this update with impacted guests.

As a company, we are committed to providing exceptional vacation experiences, both aboard our ships and by taking our guests to some of the most sought-out destinations around the world. As a result of a fleet redeployment, Norwegian Epic's sailings from December 1, 2023, through and including April 9, 2024, have been canceled. We understand the desire to travel now more than ever, so we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

A full monetary refund of the fare paid will be automatically returned to the form of payment provided at the time of reservation. No further action is required; your refund will be automatically processed within 30 business days. You will see the refund returned to the original form of payment seven to 10 business days from the processed date. The visibility of the funds is dependent on each financial institution's internal policies.

For those reservations paid via a previously issued Future Cruise Credit (FCC), 100% of the FCC used will be automatically re-applied to your Latitudes account within 10 days of the cancelation date. No further action is required.


 

Had been looking forward to this trip so much & am pretty devastated it's been cancelled. The dates and the itinerary worked perfectly for our schedule. So not really an option to find another now.  Relatively new cruisers, so is a fleet redeployment usually determined only 5 months ahead? or could this just be an invented reason for cancelling cruises that may be determined to be unprofitable?

34 minutes ago, MedCruise_2022 said:

I am excited for you! In 7 months, you will be cruising such wonderful port-intensive itinerary.

Would love to hear your updates.

Thank you! I will definitely do that. BTW, saw you're Dallas area, we're Hurst-Euless-Bedford. cliche, but true...Small World!  

On 5/10/2023 at 10:06 PM, MedCruise_2022 said:

Now I am worried haha!

We are booked on Norwegian Epic for October 29-Nov 10, 2024 from Haifa to Rome.

We booked this particular cruise because of its "epic" destination/ports of call: Israel (Haifa and Jerusalem), Cyprus, Turkey (Istanbul and Kusadasi),  several Greek isles, and Italy (Naples,  Livorno, Rome).

Hoping for the best!

Every time I have seen a bunch of negative posters about the cruise we're about to take, I have been pleasantly surprised & hubs & I have enjoyed ourselves immensely. We've booked this cruise, but in reverse, on the Epic Dec 1-12, 2023.  The itinerary looks incredible and we can't wait!

4 hours ago, DCwom said:

Well I discovered that NCL offers a pre-cruise tour for 3 day in Honolulu, the pricing doesn't extend into 2024, so the cost is a bit fuzzy. Has anyone done the cruise tour that can give some feedback ? I assume you can probably do Wed-Sat on your own for less (or more) cost if you are inclined.

We did it last May. My husband does not like driving anywhere he doesn't know, so the pre-cruise with the daily bus tour was the best way for us to see Oahu. The hotel Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort was across the street from the beach, tons of shopping/restaurants walkable. Our bus tour guide was INCREDIBLE. So much information, friendly, made everyone feel like family "Ohana".  We might have been able to book hotel,tours on our own for less than booking thru NCL,

but having the bus pick us up & drop off right at the hotel each day was so hassel-free, it was worth it to us. We had the transfer to port the next day, luggage picked up outside the room night before, was waiting for us upon arrival.

We did the POA last year just as it got going after quarantine so ship was only 60% capacity. We booked the 3 day pre-cruise package through NCL since it was our 1st ever trip to Hawaii. It was wonderful! Our hotel was right across the street from Waikiki, great location for shopping/restaurants after tours each day. The cruise suited us perfectly, being able to "stay in one place" while experiencing everything we wanted to see on each island.

Although we booked our excursions through NCL, noticed many others had booked privately. Don't know how much cheaper that might have been, but also observed a number of folks had Uber pick ups for whatever they had planned for the day. You could find more about that on the POA thread. I found that board VERY helpful in planning ahead. In any case, we loved our experience.  Aloha!

Since we've only done 2; On the NCL Star out of Venice-Montenegro, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, Dubrovnik & because of airline snafu, got an extra 2 days at AA's expense with a whole day in Treviso, Italy. 2nd was the Pride of America Hawaii cruise. Both were so different, impossible to pick a favorite. Looking forward to adding the beauty of Alaska Inner Passage in June on the Bliss. Have December scheduled on the Epic with 2 days in Rome before heading to Israel with stops in Florence,Naples,Athens, Kusadasi & Istanbul Turkey, Patmos & Rhodes, Greece, Limassol, Cyprus, Jerusalem & Tel Aviv. I seriously doubt there will be one that stands out over the others. Each will have it's special place in my memory, based on the 2 we've experienced so far.

Really appreciate all your information. We're on the Bliss last week of June, with the Dawson Glacier; Sitka, Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan & the quick evening in Victoria, BC. But will be only our 3rd cruise ever & the only one departing from the US, so very excited.  Most of our cruising family members have Alaska at the top or ranked near the top of all their experiences.

1 hour ago, genealogyfan said:

There isn't anything wrong with the Epic, People just have different opinions of what they like and dislike. One person may love it, one person may hate it, but neither opinion is wrong.

 

I've sailed on it twice (just recently got off on Apr 22) and I thought it was a good ship. 

 

Make sure you research the bathroom setup. I just got off the Epic and I was amazed the number of people I talked with who had no idea that the bathroom setup was totally different then any other ship. It was not a problem when I sailed with my friend, in fact we thought we had more room when we pulled the curtain close to change, get ready, etc.

 

Our cruise was sold out and it didn't feel crowded at all. I was surprised. The only issue I had was on the main decks of 5,6 and 7 where the venues and restaurants are located. It's tight to walk through from one end of the ship to the other. One deck you are walking through the casino with machines and tables in the middle, other decks you have to walk through O'Sheehan's and other areas. If you want to avoid this go to deck 7 and go outside - there is an outside deck on both sides and a walking area (doesn't connect to each other outside). You can walk from one end of the ship to the other and it was always pretty empty.

 

There also wasn't an easy way to walk around the ship, even on the pool deck. 

 

 

Very much appreciated this feed back and suggestions.

9 hours ago, MeHeartCruising said:

 

The ports are all well-established and known cruise ports.  You can research them on cruise critics forums for the Mediterranean ports.  You can browse NCL's excursions for these ports here https://www.ncl.com/shore-excursions/search

 

The EPIC is a ship that you will either love or hate.  The reviews are about 50/50 on it.  You won't really know which camp you sit in until you sail her.  I've sailed her twice and have no problems at all with her.  It's not my favorite ship, but it gets me where I want to go.  

 

The itinerary is a great itinerary.  I would book it in a heartbeat if I had the time.

Decided to take the leap and chose the Dec 1-11th itinerary from Rome to Tel Aviv. Going to be quite the year for us, will have our 3rd & 4th cruises ever. Alaska in June then the Med in December. 

Thank you all. Very nice to have multiple opinions. We do love the itinerary.

beginning in Rome, ending in Haifa. Has anyone done this cruise? Haven't committed due to neg reviews on Epic, and finding no reviews of ports,excursions. Appreciate any input, positive or negative.