Jana

Health insurance - gov't or private would cover much of replacement.

I believe the OP is in the U.S., in which case... NO, it won't!

I'm having issues going in to just get pricing for a cruise. :( Not sure if it's a system glitch or what not. You click reserve and it just dumps you on a secured link with white screen. :confused:

Me too. Three days now. AND, it won't let me pay for the two cruises I have booked with deposit only. Very irritating.

Edited to add: I tried rebooting and then switched browsers, so it's obvious the issue is on RCI's end.

Cafe Latte-Tudes is not a Starbucks licensed venue. Currently, the only ships with Starbucks licensed venues are Oasis class.

Thanks!

Wow, thank you so much for posting this! I have it in my cart but I already had questions just from the online description... what does "or 50% off" mean if you've already got the card, for example, or in tiny print "not applicable at any Starbucks-licensed venue" which may or may not mean Latte-Tudes, which prominently displays the Starbucks logo. I envisioned a nice morning latte, an after-supper cappuccino and a mocha frappe mid-day but now I'm not so sure this would be worth it.

Starbucks coffee might be fine with a double shot but I get three in my 16 oz. mocha at my "local," which would use up the card pretty quickly.

Again, thanks for the heads-up. (I am not going on Anthem but it looks like the "new" policy will be fleet-wide.)

That would be nice, but we have 2 kids and isn't Breezes adults only?

 

 

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No, Sandals is adults only, Breezes is a family resort. Lots of activities for kids, check it out!

Ooops, I just looked it up... 14 and older. That's a change from what it used to be, sorry.

I did a standard Alaska cruise as a solo in 2015 and because I was alone couldn't manage to wrangle both the rollator and scooter so just took the scooter. It was AMAZING to be able to actually get out and do things, I was so pleased! I could not, for example, have made it into Skagway with just the rollator. I did miss having it though, especially for use around the ship where the scooter sometimes felt like overkill.

Last fall my daughter and I did a Pacific Northwest cruise together so she carried the rollator on board for me. I used it once off the ship, just going to the little shopping area at the port in Astoria to make a purchase after our day in port. There is no way I could have used it all day in any of our stops, but it was nice to have it to go to the casino or the dining room while on board.

A couple of notes on the scooter use in Alaska: Many (most) of the walkways are made of timbers and it's a jarring, clattery ride. I ended up most nights feeling bruised from head to toe, but OMG it was worth it. You CAN get the scooter into the funicular in Juneau and also the one in Ketchikan that goes up to the inn (I highly recommend it for a cup of coffee and incredible views). You can take it onboard the Skagway rail trip but depending on where you're docked and how far a walk to the train, the rollator would be a better choice.

If you're going to a port that requires a tender you can't take your scooter.

Have a great time!

Yes, I agree. There are letters or offers you get in the mail or on your VIFP online page. Those are just that - offers for cheaper or free cruises that are mostly random.

 

The letter you get personally from the Casino Host or Manager, slid under your door, is the free cruise you "earn" from your play (or losses). Not always have to lose to get it either. It's how much you bet and how long you play.

I never knew this! I got the "under the door" letter on my last cruise but couldn't use it; I am now booked on what you're calling a pack and play. I really thought it had to do with the casino and how much/how long I played. I thought pack and play was for immediate travel, like within the next few weeks, but I booked my next cruise four months in advance...

Can you explain more about this please?

TIA

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Go watch the comedians. Comedian contract issues? Go play basketball. Don't like sports? Go to the arcade. Don't like games? Go to the piano bar. Don't like piano bars? Play trivia. Don't like trivia? Toss washers. Don't like competition? Go to an art auction. Don't like art auctions? Judge a hairy chest contest.

 

Don't like hairy chests? Play mini-golf. Wait-you don't like sports, then go to Red Frog pub and listen to the guitarist. Don't like guitars? Listen to the R^B in the atrium (on Magic, assuming similar on Breeze). Don't like R&B? Do karaoke. Don't like to sing? Watch the magician in the dining room. Don't like magic? Ride a waterslide. Don't like water?

 

Why are you on a ship?

I have been working through getting over my really horrible very bad day. Reading this did the trick. Thank you SO MUCH for the laugh!

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No we weren't, we were at the South Franklin Dock. I was on the same cruise. This dock, a 5 minute walk to- the dock next to the Tram- called the Cruise ship Terminal, D on the map. No shuttle service from dock B- South Franklin.

 

http://www.traveljuneau.com/downloads/DowntownJuneauMapOct2013.pdf

Thank you, that's what I saw on the port cam. I wonder if they are doing some work on the Cruise Ship Terminal dock because Legend was at B and the much smaller Seven Seas Navigator was at A.

I have been at that berth before and we had a shuttle. I'm sure it's just a five minute walk to the tram for able-bodied passengers but not so much for mobility impaired cruisers like me, so it's a bit disappointing.

Thanks again!

Thank you again for your exquisite photos!

I've noticed that Legend is docked at one of the more remote berths in Juneau. I remember a shuttle from that location; is it still there? Is there a charge for it?

Thanks!

Subscribing. I will be on the Legend in 1 week! :)

Oh yay! Warm it up for me, I'll be boarding as you're leaving!

This is fantastic, thank you so much! I'm looking forward to more!

Mosiegirl, thanks to your commentary, I have reserved a scooter for myself on my upcoming Glory cruise. I had looked into it and had contemplated taking my Go-Go Elite Traveler, but the skinny wheels -while great on a flat sidewalk or in the mall, for example- make it terrifying on uneven pavement. I don't want to risk it, I'm always sure the machine will fall over, but I worried that anything larger wouldn't fit through the door.

Special Needs Group assured me that they do this all the time and that the middle one will indeed fit. (I know it would not in a Fantasy-class ship, my rollator was about 1/4 inch too wide without folding it when I was on Inspiration in March.) Anyway, I am taking their word for it -and yours!

Can you tell me how it fits in the cabin? I have a standard balcony (9290). Will I completely lose the use of my sofa? Do you have any photos from the 5 or 6 times you've done this? My daughter was supposed to be with me but is now unable to go so I'll be solo; I have to know that I'll be able to manage everything on my own.

One thing I do know is that I will feel very comfortable in Old San Juan on the Victory and I wouldn't even bother trying the Go-Go on those cobbles and those hills. In fact, I think I'm going to Craigslist mine and get a 4-wheel Phoenix!

Thanks, Mosiegirl, I really appreciate your input.

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I was on Inspiration in March as a solo (it was one of the single-surcharge holidays so there were a lot of solos). We had a big table: four solos -me, a senior woman; a substantially older single gentleman widower, a very young man (like just turned 21) and a middle-aged fellow "celebrating" his divorce. Two women friends, a young (awesome!) couple and a middle-aged couple engaging in gooey acts of PDA throughout each dinner. Ew.

We shared! We actually had a very chummy time together and enjoyed each other a lot, with the exception of the divorced guy who came to dinner every night in crisply ironed shirts and precisely creased khakis and who seemed to have little tolerance for the quirks and foibles of his meal-mates. He ate and left.

I ordered the calamari for the table every night and someone else ordered the Caesar salad and we really did share. There was no carafe, there was no bread box, and there were table cloths on the table every night. Some of the people wanted to try everything and they did ... alligator, escargot, two or even three main dishes. By the third night we were sharing main dishes too ("you get this and I'll get this and we'll just divide it.") That happened because on our second night lobster was served as well as prime rib and some people wanted "surf and turf" and because the meals are pre-plated, they ended up getting two main meals instead of a piece of prime rib on the same plate as the lobster tail.

The menu was fine, different but interesting. The desserts were lacking and I really, really hate to say this because I know how Carnival prides itself on its pastry chefs, but the pie slices looked factory made, not hand made, like someone had gone to Costco or Sam's Club and purchased them. Some of the dishes were really poorly plated, just uninspired plopped onto a dish that usually was too large for it. Most of the dishes came with pre-assigned accompaniments which I thought was pretty normal. You could also order separate sides.

I'm on Glory in two weeks and I saw a review with photos of the bare tables. I considered that quite jarring and I don't like it. I love anytime dining on other lines and can do that on Carnival too, but I look forward to the slight formality of the MDR every night; to me it's "dining," not just "eating," and as a solo it gives me a familiar group with which to converse and share and enjoy the telling of each person's day. I think I can take the bread box and I can take the carafe, but no table cloth? I don't want to put on make up for no tablecloth!!!

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Thank you SO MUCH for this! I'm on her on the 26th; I see several people in this thread on the same cruise.

I wanted to take DD away for a week; she's transitioning into a new position (big promotion!) and this would have been the perfect trip, but it turns out she can't go after all. So I'll be solo :( It's ok, I'll take the time to just sit on the balcony and read, but I'm sad that she won't be along. Still, the rate was so good that even paying for both of us, it's a bargain. I love when that happens!

I was on a four-nighter on Inspiration in March. The menu was almost identical but there were tablecloths every night; I was startled to see them missing in your photos. Somehow it diminishes the experience of "dining" in the MDR to me to not have them. That's not necessarily a bad thing, I just won't feel as guilty choosing a more casual venue on a couple of nights!

Thanks again, it was a really complete review and your photos are wonderful.

The Holiday Inn on Poinciana Blvd also offers complimentary shuttle to both airport and seaport. The price can be either hit or miss. I've seen it as low as $90, or as high as $250.

That Holiday Inn is great... I used to stay there all the time when I lived in Raleigh and went through Miami quite frequently. It's not fabulous but it's certainly convenient... and it offers port shuttles, too. If anyone can tell me how to get that one on Hotwire or Priceline I'd be really grateful... I've never tried to use either service!

Jana

Joanne,

The suite's nice, but your daughter is FABULOUS! Thanks for sharing.

Jana

Can you ask for extra pod packs?

 

Will room service bring a container of half and half? We like a lot :)

Yes, they'll bring as many as you'd like, either high-octane or decaf.

I asked for extra half and half at breakfast and they brought a pile of the plastic things. I know that Carnival Corporation ships are doing away with those for ecological reasons but NCL still uses them.

Half and Half isn't written on the breakfast card so I wrote it in. We ordered rolls, too, and butter isn't listed on the card so I wrote it in.

(Pod-paks -- I'm sure there's another name for them -- are the crimped, pre-filtered coffee packs that you drop into the filter holder. You never see the coffee grounds and it doesn't make a mess when you take it out to discard it. I prefer regularly filtered coffee, or to use two of those pods per pot.)

Jana

It has been there as long as I can remember. As a TA I send the link to many clients.

It was not there last week. You don't have to believe that it wasn't there, but it wasn't there. The "site map" link was there, and I missed it, but the first link on that bar was "About Us," which I clicked to try to find the FAQs. The FAQ link was not there.

You are right. It was not there. I clearly remember the About Us link being the first link to the left at the bottom of the page. Maybe they were updating or something when we were looking. Well hopefully it is there to stay :)

Shew. If it had been there, we wouldn't have had to jockey info about "booked guests" or "site map." Thanks for the verification.

Jana

Coming late to this (have been away for about 1 1/2 years, but will be trying for Alaska on the Star in May), but I guess I'm confused about the difficulty some folks have had in finding the FAQ's on the NCL website .... They are readily available at the bottom of pretty much all of NCL's web pages.... about four lines up from the bottom, usually the first clickable link.

Yes, funny about that. It wasn't there last week.

Are they the little 4 cup ones? Do they give you coffee grounds and filters....or ?

 

What about half & half and Splenda?

They are four-cup makers and take the crown-shape filters. The coffee is Folgers, in pod-paks. I'm no coffee aficionado, and I use Folgers at home, but it takes two of those pods to make a decent cup of coffee. I always bring filters and coffee with me from home. It's such a luxury, not just in the morning but any time, to come back and have a fresh cuppa in peace and privacy without having to wait for room service.

Yes, they have Splenda, Equal and Sweet n' Low, and peel-paks of real half and half.

I love room service breakfast. I love staggering to the door and getting the tray and having fruit and coffee and rolls before my eyes are open. I always have singles in a drawer to give the room service staff. One of the extra special things I love on a cruise is smoked salmon and bagels for breakfast; it isn't something we have at home. Carnival and HAL have it for room service (can't remember if Princess does) but NCL doesn't (yet). I hope it's on the 2.0 menu.

(ok, I'm ready to go... somewhere.)

Jana

If it makes you feel better, I don't get there by clicking on "booked guest registration" etc -- if that were the only way to find it I think that'd be too weird even for NCL's whackadoo site organization! You can get there by clicking the "site map" link, which for some reason is buried in mice type WAY at the bottom of the home page. At least doing that's a bit more intuitive, and available to anyone whether they are booked or not.

 

From there you can access the FAQs as well as the guest ticket contract, and all the other useful information you might need.

Michell, that makes me feel MUCH better, thank you. I had looked on the bottom for exactly that, "site map" or something similar, and didn't see it. It's there, so my bad, but I just couldn't find it.

I wish they'd make it easier, these are fairly important issues. There's a lot of small print that people might like to read before they commit.

Thanks again, Michell. My pain and humiliation is significantly lessened :o

Jana

I thought I was...hehehe. I agree that NCL's website needs some touching up. The only other cruise site that I have been to is Royal Caribbean's. Much better for someone trying to find out more information.

They are ALL better. NCL's old site had FAQs in a location easily found as well. I need to go through cruise line sites often for information, and NCL's is the hardest to figure out. So... thanks for pointing me in the right direction, but I am going to have a hard time getting over the "not computer savvy" crack. **sniff**

Jana

I was trying to be nice to others who aren't as computer savvy as some:o

Hey! I'm "computer savvy," I just couldn't find the d*mn thing! Be nice!

(terrific football game, by the way...)

 

Here is how to navigate to find them on the site:

On the main page to the bottom right you will find something that says "advance guest registration" - click on that (you don't have to have a reservation to enter this part of the site). In the bottom/middle it says "what to know before you go". There you will find the faq's section, the ticket contract, terms and conditions, passport info, prepare for your cruise, etc.

 

Thank you. Now why would someone who is looking for information and FAQS know to click that link prior to booking since it says "booked guests get ready to cruise?" I know I've seen the FAQs before but I could not figure out how to get to that page and never thought to look under something that says "booked guests." Nor would most, I think.

Jana