dmwnc1959
-
Posts
15,245 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by dmwnc1959
-
-
2 hours ago, nordicacres said:
Well, we are on board the Jewel and were notified yesterday that this excursion was canceled by the tour provider due to low participation. I was looking forward to our $9 boat trip. Ah, well.
If recent history is any indicator, I'm now willing to be that for my repositioning cruise (arriving at Ward's Cove on April 24th) the excursion won't even be offered. -
18 minutes ago, Mike Senior said:
NCL appear to believe that Norwegian Jade was refurbished in 2022 https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/918800-CMI-Ship Fact Flyer-Jade.pdf
Hmmmm. Was going off of some comments in an earlier thread from this year (and which referenced some 'official shipyard report data') where it was stated she had last been in 2017, and was due March 2025. Also reading current FB posts of her looking old, worn, and dated. 🤔 -
I've read that the last time Norwegian Jade was in the shipyard for upkeep and general maintenance was in 2017. She has a full schedule between now and the end of her Alaska season in 2025, and her Miami Fall 2024 schedule is a rotation of the shorter, high-turnover cruises with a lot of charters and weekend party cruises.
Will there be no time between now and Spring 2025 when she will receive cosmetic upgrades to the public areas and staterooms?
Eight years seems a loooong time.🤔
-
1
-
-
2 hours ago, JasperCruiser said:
I’ll be on Carnival Spirit.
Check you arrival date here. Looks like the Carnival Spirit pretty much always docks at the Ore Dock.
https://claalaska.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SKG-Skagway-2024.pdf
-
24 minutes ago, Coral said:
It doesn't matter to me if I book something in one leg or 3 legs. Often, financially, it works out better for OBC to book multiple legs.
I looked at that as well. And in this one case it didn't, at least for me. The advantages of a single-leg longer cruise outweighed the cost benefit of getting more OBC in the fact that the cruise cost was significantly cheaper for the Norwegian Jade over other ships and lines when booking multiple legs. -
41 minutes ago, Coral said:
Many lines do the FLL, through Panama Canal to Alaska trip (or reverse) when they transition. This is not unique to NCL.
A lot of lines do offer this, but very few offer this extensive of a single-leg 25-night repositioning cruise all the way to Alaska on ships small enough that can still transit the historic locks of the Panama Canal. Most terminate in Los Angeles or Seattle. This went all the way to Whittier, so I added the SB sailing to make it 32-nights.
I researched this endlessly, had spreadsheets and did the cost breakdowns, looked at what the contending smaller ships offered onboard and which ones matched my personal style (no formal nights is best), and Norwegian Jade won hands down. I even got what I consider a superb deal on a solo inside, a standard-sized cabin specific for single-occupancy at a solo discounted rate.
I'm not worried about missing the ship in Ketchikan. I have plenty of time on both port stops to make it back, with the added benefit that it's a small ship and maybe one other cruise ship docked in port on the same day.
-
12 minutes ago, edinburgher said:
Other lines dock at downown locations meaning just walk of ship and you are there, saving
money and gaining extra time as not losing the 2 X transfer times and the lines to board the transfers..
Just now, Coral said:You must not hang out on these board much. I haven't read any positive comments about Ward Cove. Most people complain because they don't have time to do anything due to the commute to Ward Cove and limited times in Ketchikan.
Shuttles should be free and should be plentiful. People worry about getting back to the ship in time and about missing the ship. The talk of long lines for the shuttles is not something I would look forward to.
Appreciate the advice. This will (only) be my 6th and 7th time to Ketchikan. I've been there on Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, and Holland-America. I've already done the wildlife cruises, totem pole sights and lumberjack shows, visited Misty Fjords and Metlakatla. So I personally am not bothered at the loss of riding a school bus from Ward's Cove to town.
On this B2B cruise the first call will be from 6a-4p, the second call 10a-6p. If NCL drops the price as previously mentioned in post #9, I'd love to take the slow hour-long scenic route. In both directions.
-
1
-
-
8 hours ago, Coral said:
I am just glad I didn't book NCL. This is definite the definition of nickel and diming.
This will be my first cruise with NCL. I primarily picked this Norwegian Jade itinerary due to the fact that it goes to so many places I've never been - Panama Canal, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Cabo San Lucas and Acapulco - then roughly 10 days in Alaska after hitting the US West Coast. I don't mind that it goes to Ward's Cove, and I don't mind the fact that they offer the excursion transfer to and from downtown. Do it or don't. I don't see as being nickel and dimed. Personally I think it will be fascinating. -
8 hours ago, nordicacres said:
NCL dropped the price of this excursion from $99 to $59 for our upcoming cruise. We have FAS+ so a whopping $9/pp for us. We decided to go for it and will report back afterwards!
Still definitely hoping it shows up for one of my B2B port stops at Ward's Cove. Seriously have nothing planned at all for either one, so the boat ride back be very neat. -
3 hours ago, toad455 said:
Have to admit, the ship is absolutely stunning!-
3
-
-
30 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:
The grass isn't always greener....The late port calls are of little value to us because being at Icy Strait Point at 9:00 pm is pretty useless...
Not sure what time of year you are going up for this itinerary, but, for example, sunset tonight up there is after 10pm. 😳-
1
-
1
-
-
Well, she has officially left Vancouver en route to Alaska.
-
21 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:
Might this other Hurtigruten thread be related?
GC
I did read that. It did not explain why so many cruises have been canceled, why the ship is still not in Alaska, and why the ship has been in the shipyard twice - once for at least a week in a drydock in Panama, and this past week in North Vancouver. -
12 minutes ago, roddy good boy said:
Can you imagine? That’ll be 2 cases of canned or bottled water you’ll have to store in your stateroom! 🤦🏻♀️
I'm sure it'll fit under the bed. Those empty suitcases under there will hold that just fine.-
1
-
-
3 minutes ago, Kwaj girl said:
I'm wondering why SSA would care if someone gets their monthly Social Security payment whether in or out of the US. This is OUR money that we contributed over a lifetime of work. Not like unemployment benefits where you're supposed to be actively seeking employment in order to qualify.
Oh, I totally agree! I had been reading the thread and wanted to make sure that there wasn't some weird requirement I was missing. Post #8 was the one that made me question things. I'll be out of the country next year for right at 32 days. Already talked to my mail carrier about holding the mail for that long, as well as having someone check the house once a week. -
On 6/6/2024 at 9:25 PM, Kwaj girl said:
This reporting requirement may apply to SSI benefits but not necessarily Social Security RETIREMENT benefits.
I'm hoping that's the difference. Maybe someone can clarify specifics on retirement benefits, and if you are required to notify them if leaving the country for more than 30 days. I have direct deposit, and am recently retired. -
-
-
Am I looking at this right? The pier at this new facility looks like it's a couple of football fields long, and extremely narrow. I wonder if they're going to run shuttles back-and-forth?
https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/06/disney-magic-becomes-first-ship-to-visit-lookout-cay/
https://x.com/raisarivas/status/1799134800390877484
"Constructed to meet government mandates to protect the environment, reports mentioned that Disney Cruise Line is working on solutions for guests who may find it difficult to walk the distance from the ship to the destination’s entrance.Additional reports reveal the walk from the ship to the family beach is more than 1.5 miles. However, the good news is that only one ship per day will dock at Lighthouse Point to allow guests a better experience when calling on the new destination." - Cruise Hive
https://www.cruisehive.com/disneys-lookout-cay-welcomes-first-preview-guests/136690
-
Lovely video! So crystal clear, and love all of those happy people! 🥰
-
I keep seeing her show up on the Alaska cruise port schedules, but there's no ship. Was eventually hoping to catch her on the Juneau live cam.
Seems like it has been a couple of weeks since she was at Fuerte Amador, Panama. She entered the dry dock at Balboa and was there a while, then slowly transitioned up the coast to Astoria, and now Vancouver, BC. I see she has been in the shipyard there as well, and now Marine Traffic shows her own sea trials.
Is she having engine issues?
-
720am locator report
-
A few pictures from her Port Everglades departure late this afternoon...
-
1
-
-
23 hours ago, KyleClark said:
So I pre-purchased a 24 pack of water for an upcoming cruise. I think they were 1L containers I pre-purchased, if so, what will they do, give me 48 16oz cans?
How does the pricing now compare to what you paid for your package? You might have to call and get clarification. The current description in the NCL app shows this:
Coastal Connection & Waterfront views-NCL excursion Ward Cove
in Alaska
Posted
I hadn't thought of anything so adventurous! Was pretty much just looking for a scenic alternative to a bus ride. Now that the excursions seem to be canceled due to lack of interest, this will discourage people from even signing up.