Ray in NH

11 hours ago, Pam said:

It would be really nice to know where you go to get on the boat, how you determine where on the boat you are going to sleep, and what time the various meals are.  Also, whether you are going to start out going North or South, for how long, and where the stops are going to be.And, I guess, what day they expect you to remove yourself from their boat.  Just a start.

Have you tried asking the cruise line representatives these questions?  Seems as though that would be first place to try..

NRayH

On ‎9‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 1:52 PM, CruisingChick said:

 

Agree. We have sailed Summit every year since 2011, twice a year since 2013. Are there spots that are worn or rusty, yes but everything is always clean and the service and crew are wonderful. Not to mention the 14 night New England / Canada cruise is the best itinerary.

We dis-embarked Summit on 21 October, after 14 nights aboard, and wholeheartedly agree.

NRayH

On ‎11‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 6:17 PM, Bowler Kez said:

We are Aussies booked on ACL Mississippi cruise next August. Have done many ocean cruises & always had great CC groups. Can’t find a roll call for this one. Anyone out there going?  

Not on that same sailing, but definitely on our (to do) list.  Perhaps by next year we will book it also??

NRayH

Glad to hear that all is well again.  Of course I am still trying to stumble my way around the "improved" site.

NRayH

My experience: Choice of soup / salad appetizer every lunch and dinner. Two entree choices for lunch. Approx 4 entree choices for dinner, always a vegan option. Early in the cruise, a meeting is scheduled with the head chef for anyone with dietary restrictions to attend. Servers are briefed on which passengers have restrictions. Hope you have a great time on your cruises. I don't think you have any cause for concern. (I should add that my experience has been on the America and the Constitution, not Harmony or Song. But I'm sure the scheme is the same for them too.)

We have cruised on four different ACL ships and the dining selections have all followed the above process. You should not have any issues, as long as you make your needs presented to the ship's staff.

Bon Voyage.

NRayH

An update: I received a surprise call from my friend yesterday. She stated she had changed her mind and was going to go. Great! I am packed except for toiletries. Getting picked up by airport transport at 5:15 a.m. Friday for the loooong flights cross country and then onboard Saturday. Anyone else onboard this week? Look for my mini-review when I return.

Bon Voyage !!!

So glad that your friend can still join you. I commiserate with your early transport to the airport -- just confirmed our pick up (next week) for 04:15 a.m. :( I am sure it will just be a minor glitch -- the six, plus, hour flight should provide for some nap-time, especially since we are flying Jet Blue Mint. :cool:

Have a wonderful trip and please leave Spirit in good shape.

NRayH

They actually set up two bars on the Constellation the permanent bar on deck 3 then an additional bar (folding tables like on other ships) on deck 4.

 

I don't think the take down bar on deck 4 was open after dinner like the built in bar on deck 3 but on the other hand I didn't visit the deck 4 bar after dinner

 

Mike:)

Thanks Mike, That sounds reasonable. A temporary bar in the entertainment venue would cramp the festivities.

We have always seemed to find enough to drink, on any ship, thus avoiding "DTs" :halo:

NRayH

Yes, same location. The bar remained open throughout the evening's entertainment.

 

Mike:)

I can see that on America, where they have a "Real" bar in the one lounge. On a number of the smaller ships, the "cocktail hour" is an temporary bar set-up, that is removed (during dinner) for the evening's entertainment (in the same lounge).

We'll see what they do aboard Spirit in a few

NRayH

On America, I remember a couple of times at breakfast where the folks serving our table would seem to vanish for quite a while, delaying things quite a bit. (Only happened a couple of times, though.) Wasn't savy enough then to wonder if room service might be the reason.

We too had an open bar after dinner. I'm thinking this is now standard on all ACL cruises. The only difference vis a vis the first one, was that no food snacks were provided. Of course, by then I'd had so much wine & food I just wanted to toddle off to bed (and usually did).

On our last ACL cruise (June, 2018), we only had the pre-dinner cocktail hour.

We will be interested as to what we may have next month, during out Puget Sound cruise.

NRayH

Just a few comments about our recently completed cruise.

 

We arrived in Juneau late in the evening on July 27 and after a bit of jockeying were able to obtain a taxi to our pre cruise hotel. The Prospector is a very dated establishment with no AC which I later learned is the norm in Juneau. The temp was 78 degrees and it felt like the heat was on in my room so I opened the window which was next to a very busy thoroughfare allowing limited sleep. The front desk said they had several fans that they loan but all were already loaned out to other guests. The included bus tour of Mendenhall Glacier the next morning and delivery to the ship went very smoothly and the cabins were all ready upon our 1130 arrival. The Constellation is a very impressive ship and everything was spotless. I would say 85% of the crew was new (not only to the ship but American Cruise Lines) which caused a few bumps but overall they did an excellent job. We were surprised that a second cocktail hour was added beginning after dinner at 815. This itinerary (with the overnight in Glacier Bay) is certainly for those who like to get away and see areas not often covered on an AK cruise.

 

A couple of bumps were breakfast and the internet (WiFi). The implementation of room service during breakfast caused complete havoc during the morning hour which slightly improved during the week; but was still stretching the staff too thin to provide good service in the dining room. Many passengers were talking about this and in a ship this small it seems people could drag themselves to the dining room for the morning meal. We even observed folks using this for lunch (which the crew accommodated) when that is not offered.

 

I don't know if the Constellation has equipment problems with its routers, etc but there was not one minute of contact through WiFi with the outside world which was frustrating to many of us that have to at least have some contact while away. I will add that if you have Verizon cell service you might as well leave your phone at home while in AK. AT&T had decent coverage in all ports and nearby land areas. Guess who ditched AT&T for Verizon two weeks before our cruise?:o

 

The captain, Eric Brown was a delight and our group would happily sail on any itinerary where he was in charge.

 

I will be happy to try and answer any questions.

 

Mike:)

Mike,

Thank you for the report. This is another itinerary that we are interested in doing.

I agree that on this sized ship, and the way ACL normally handles breakfast, room service is an unfortunate additional extra burden on the service personnel.

Was the after-dinner cocktail time an on-going event, or just a "one-timer"?

NRayH

leaving next month on a Baltic cruise. Wondering about currency...

Do most counties take American dollars? Just charge everything? Planning on only tours thru celebrity Any advice you can give will be most helpful.

:):o

With this particular itinerary, in my opinion, the easiest solution would be use a credit card (that doesn't charge for foreign transactions). You may encounter a very few places that will not accept credit card payment (especially for low volume/cost items), but there is probably a vendor down the way that will. Although, some foreign currencies can make attractive souvenirs -- but may be "pricey".

NRayH

We are currently 20 points short of making Elite Plus. After our November 10 night cruise we will be Elite Plus. There is a 5 night cruise the week before our November cruise. If we take an Aqua Class room we would make Elite Plus before our 10 day cruise. The cost of this 5 night cruise is approximately $2000.

The question is making Elite Plus before our 10 night cruise WORTH IT:p

We are elite plus.

 

My answer to you would be, "NO" (unless you just want to take another cruise...but to do that just to get a little more in perks isn't worth it...imho)

Totally agree -- UNLESS, as also stated, you just want an additional cruise (nothing "wrong" with that :D).

NRayH

Ray,

 

We are planning our first cruise with American. We, too, are experience river (Europe only) and ocean cruisers. We have learned so many lessons, some the hard way, with each cruise line. Could we trouble you for a short answer with some of the lessons you have learned on American? You seemed like the best poster to ask. We, too, are planning AAC category, most likely. I am troubled at the lack of info put out on the size of the cabins--this makes it hard to choose. Are there any clues to choosing location of cabins? Are the ones in the stern noisy? Any real worries, like noisy under the pool deck or under a sun deck on the ocean liners? Thank you in advance for any time and trouble in sharing advice. Also, anyone else who can chip in, thank you!

 

John

Hi John,

Sorry for the tardiness of our reply.

Our experiences with cabins on ACL are that they are similar to what we had on Viking River Cruises in Europe, only these had actual balconies, although the balconies are smallish.

We have found the cabins, themselves, to have ample space that we never felt confined, or cramped. They are not conducive to entertaining other guests though, but there are lounges scattered about the ships were that can used for that purpose. On the itineraries we have cruised with ACL, we have not had to endure any full days cruising, so the amount of cabin space has not been an issue, for us. The AAC cabins are equivalent to many/most balcony cabins, on ocean cruise ships.

Concerning cabin location, we prefer mid-ship, many others prefer aft/stern cabins. We are not fans of "Wake-watching" -- not that there anything wrong with that -- just not our cup-of-tea. I have heard some folks say that the aft cabins on the river boats can be somewhat noisy. We haven't been there, so cannot affirm/negate that aspect. The Dining Salons are usually on the lowest aft deck and we agree that they can sometimes be noisy and vibrations can sometimes be felt (not horrendous, but noticeable). Do not know if that is true of staterooms above that level -- have not personally heard that complaint.

I hope this helps you out.

NRayH

we saw pictures on their web site showing people eating on their balcony.

It is shown as, on offer, with the quote of, "Not included on all ships or itineraries". You would need to inquire for any particular sailing, if it is a particular interest to you.

NRayH

My husband and I were recently gifted a cruising experience on the American Constitution. We will be leaving out of Boston in two weeks. We will go to Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island. We have been on many Royal Caribbean and Carnival ocean cruises but this will be our first experience with a river cruise. I have a couple of questions that I would appreciate help answering!

-If anyone has been to the ports in these areas, we would love suggestions for things you have done there that you loved. We shy away from walking/bus tours as we like to go out on our own most of the time.

-Can we bring alcohol from home onto the ship? Or purchase it in port and bring it back?

-Does anyone have experience on this cruise that can speak to the wifi connectivity? I will unfortunately be studying for an exam while onboard and it would alleviate a bit of stress to know I will be able to access the internet.

 

Any other tip/tricks that experienced cruisers have are welcome here!

 

We found out we were going on this cruise yesterday and we leave in two weeks so we are scrambling to find out information! Thanks in advance!

We are currently cruising in the same area, aboard a different ACL ship though. Internet connectivity can be somewhat problematic. It is dependent upon ship location as well as where on the ship you are trying to connect from. Currently I am posting from one of the passenger reading lounges. Connectivity in our stateroom (only three cabins away) is more "hit or miss". Good luck.

As previously noted, feel comfortable bringing aboard any wine you wish, no scanning at boarding. I assume you are familiar with the evening cocktail hour (complimentary) and also complimentary beer and wine at lunch and dinner -- never inquired about breakfast.

Enjoy your cruise, and good luck with the exam.

NRayH

Does anyone know when American Cruise Line’s American Song debuts? Or has it already? I am booked for 2019 but can’t seem to find information on this ship. I looked at the website, but can’t find any date. I want to read some reviews on this ship. It looks incredible. Thanks for your help.

According to the last information that I have seen concerning this ship (American Song) is that it will begin sailing during October, 2018 (Mississippi) then move to Columbia and Snake Rivers in 2019.

A call to ACL's Customer Services (1-800-894-8570) should get you latest sail-date/itinerary information.

NRayH

I've never been to New England so decided to go "all out" to celebrate 50th anniversary in late August/early September on ACL's new ship, American Constitution. Has anyone been in an Owner's Suite, AAM or AAL? Is 11 days too long or do ports/excursions maintain interest?

Previous trips on barges, river cruises and small ships in Europe and Caribbean.

Advice always welcome.

Wave18

First of all, "Congratulations", on the upcoming Anniversary.

We have not been on the Constitution, yet, but have been on other ACL ships, and have been well pleased. Our other cruising experiences have been on Viking River Cruises (3), over 100 ocean cruise (on various cruise-lines), to all seven continents. Some have exceeded thirty consecutive nights -- we have never found any "too long". Then again, that may be just "us, being us" ??

We have not booked the AAM nor AAL category cabins -- usually in AAC's. Not sure if the additional costs are warranted -- again, that may be just us?

We have always (almost) found something of interest in any "new" port we have visited around the world.

We will be doing a New England itinerary next week, aboard American Star, despite living within two hours of the start/end port. We have been to a number of the ports in the past, but the ACL group always seems to find something new to see. Perhaps not everyday, but often enough times to keep us coming back.

I hope this helps to alleviate your concerns. Please let us know your impressions after your return.

NRayH

We will be onboard the Constellation in July.

 

Mike:)

Great!!! Look forward to your sharing about your experience aboard.

NRayH

Are you going on this cruise? Has anyone sailed on her sister ship AMERICAN CONSTELLATION for the 11 day New England cruise ?:cool:

We have not done this one, but are considering it for next year. Would be very interested in your comments, when you return.

NRayH

great answers thanks im sold and cant wait to book

Curious as to which itinerary has attracted your interest. We have two "on the books" with a few more we are considering booking when we are on board again in June.

NRayH

thing of an arercan cruise but i do like more than a drink or two on vacation, I see they have a cocktail hour but thats about it . Do I bring my own or is this a sobering experience, please help we have found a couple of great cruises , but the booze thing is bit of an issue

Besides the more than "just a cocktail hour" (a pretty full open bar), there is complimentary wine/beer at lunch and dinner. Also have seen some folks leaving the dining room with full glasses of wine, heading to the evening show (or wherever). I understand that they also have drinks available (at a cost) -- have no idea of the cost of those. Have not seen any need for those, but that is just us.

NRayH

we are researching ACL cruises out of Baltimore for 2019. Does anyone have an idea where they may sail from?

ACL's Embarkation and Disembarkation points can vary with ports, and whatever other ships are in port that day. They are usually not the large cruise ship ports.

A call to their Customer Service line (1-800-894-8570) should get you that information.

NRayH

ok, thanks for the replies. I am a big eater. Love my food. Love trying new and good restaurants. Is the suite restaurant worth it?

Unfortunately, only you can answer that question for yourself. In our opinion (spouse and I) feel that the Suite Experience is worth the costs. That is our opinion, yours may be different. Trying it once is a good start to helping you make your own evaluation.

NRayH

Wow!!!

I thought that this would be a much more active thread ???

Shows just how much (or little?) I know. :o

NRayH

I’ll be happy to do so. I’ll leave it with the Hotel Director.

 

Did you sign on to the pre-cruise package (hotel, Seattle city tour and transportation to the ship)?

Thank you for agreeing to leave comments for us.

Yes, we did sign up for the pre-cruise package, mainly due to the pier being so far from center city (about 12 miles). We would normally stay a pre-night stay any way. The pre-night package also includes post cruise transfer to airport (almost 20 miles) where we will stay an extra night post cruise, as we usually also do. The extra hotel cost will actually be less than the additional airfare ( if we were flying on Sunday versus Monday), especially since we can stay using points for the hotel.

NRayH