dmwnc1959

2 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

The coconut tapioca pudding would like a word. I'm not a tapioca person, but that was honestly the best dessert I had on that cruise...and I had it four times. Kudos to our waiter for recommending it...as well as an extra tip. (Oops...not another tipping thread...)

I’ve never had tapioca pudding before either! Another cut and paste to my dining reminders. 🤣

20 minutes ago, MSUjohn said:

it is my father and i; it is our "tradition" to do moderno on the last night of any cruise we are on, as a consolation prize of sorts.

That’s so fantastic! Absolutely heartwarming! 🥰

7 minutes ago, MSUjohn said:

um, its fixed price as opposed to a la cart yes.

idk about booked first i always use my "free at sea" and platinum meals...and occasionally purchase vouchers before i sail.

with the a la cart if you use whatever kind of voucher, they treat it like a "fixed price" because you get a starter main dessert type set up.

i know out of pocket the a la cart prices can run "out of control" very quickly. 

In order to give all the other dining venues a fair shake I’ve settled on the 5-night specialty dining package, plus the two FAS. If I add Moderno, I’ll have to make sure to add it on a night when we leave port late in order to hope that it won’t be packed early in the evening. For Le Bistro it’s on the night that we leave Guatemala at 9pm, that is if we even go there.  Maybe I can add Moderno to the night we’re in LA and we leave at 11pm. Or vice versa. 😉

19 minutes ago, www3traveler said:

The tables by the picture windows are usually 4 top (4 people) or 6 top (6 people) not 2 top (one or two people).

I grabbed a couple of screenshots from a walk-through video and posted them on a different thread. I wonder if it varies by sailing, but most of all these look like two tops? 

5 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

Those seats are reserved for high level latitudes guests.

Maybe I can flash my ORANGE beginners card at them and they’ll have pitty. 🤣Although I’ve read greasing the palm of the waitstaff or maître d may help. 😉

16 minutes ago, MSUjohn said:

the bean pie with matcha ice cream is the best dessert on the ship. i will eat somewhere else and stop there for just for dessert.

i am not even a dessert person, i am a savory person...it is just that good.  

Looks like I’m going have to screenshot this and add it to my list just so I don’t forget! 🥰

11 minutes ago, MSUjohn said:

i have seen a video of the RCL churrascaria and it looked awful; NCLs top notch especially the "buffet"/ starter bar. 

Moderno is classified as one of the fixed-price restaurants? So, one of the ones that should be booked first before the à la cart venues? 
 

DINNER

COMPLIMENTARY

Grand Pacific Main Dining

Alizar Main Dining 

Jasmine Garden - Asian

Garden Café Buffet 

COVER CHARGE APPLIES

Moderno - Brazilian

Teppanyaki - Asian 

A LA CARTE CHARGE APPLIES

Cagney's Steakhouse

La Cucina - Italian

Le Bistro - French 

Sushi - Asian 

Just now, www3traveler said:

The Great Outdoors (outdoor dining space outside of thee rear of the buffet across the stern of the ship) will probably be very chilly in the evenings for dinner.  Great place for lunch.

 

Lots of people going out there to take either sunrise or sunset pictures.

Any thoughts on the food quality for dinner at the Garden Café?
 

I’ve actually already looked up the times for sunset for all the days that we’re in Alaska and (weather permitting for the scenic cruising) don’t want to miss a minute of it on sail-aways down channel. For me it’s the FOMO on the 🏔️ scenery and possible 🦅 🐋wildlife sightings while eating dinner or seeing shows for hours. I think these may be the days I’ll be grabbing something quick and then going back topside. The average daytime high seems to be around 50°, but the morning lows in the lower 30’s are going to be 🥶. I’ll have to find a way to deal with the cold on a moving ship. 

Another quick question about the Garden Café buffet. During the final days of the 25-night itinerary we will be in Alaska, and I like to be top-side a lot. For those that have eaten dinner in the buffet, do you find it passable? Not really wanting to spend an hour or two eating dinner ‘below decks’ while the world passes by.

12 minutes ago, sfpd3000 said:

I will be working Wednesday when the Ruby Princess will visit.  I will ask the Hop-on hop-off rep when I see him.  Pier 30/32 is not used very often since Pier 35 is our backup terminal (but that’s another story).

Much appreciated appreciated, OP said he was on Holland-America and by the schedule it may be the Zaandam doing an overnight on April 23rd. 

11 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Don't overlook Jasmine, the complimentary Asian restaurant, We ate there four nights and loved it every time. 

It’s on my schedule list three times! 👍 I may need to reevaluate that now! 😁

2 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

The rear of Grand Pacific is very nice, although sometimes the sun can be an issue near any of the windows. They often fill the areas near the windows first so I'n certainly get there before they open to give yourself the best chance. You don't have to get there too early, maybe 5 minutes.

 

One other thing to be aware of is that some people (customers in suites and higher latitudes levels) get preferred seating, although that is inconsistently applied, so you may find that they leave some spaces for those.

In the real world I am an early eater for dinner, so getting there several minutes before they open isn’t a problem. I’m sure by 5:30pm food will be the first thing on my mind without a doubt! 😋

Just now, MSUjohn said:

Moderno is my favorite place by far; drastically better than cagney's.
but that is just my opinion; and opinions are like .....well never mind.

See, after looking at the menus I was the exact opposite. I’ve eaten at a restaurant similar to Moderno on Allure of the Seas and it just wasn’t even a good experience. Where as the menu in Cagneys…😍 it would be interesting to hear you expand on why you like Moderno best. 

3 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

We were on the Jade for 14 days a month ago. We ate in Alizar once...Grand Pacific five times. We much preferred the atmosphere in Grand Pacific...the place is huge and (at least to us) more elegant. You have a different table and different servers every time (unless you just happen to get the same table by sheer coincidence,)

 

 

I’ve watched a couple of walk-through video tours - Alizar with all of the bench seating just pales in comparison to Grand Pacific, which looked stunning. 🥰

2 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

There are about 21 MDR menus, so on a 25 day cruise there will be some duplication, but not too much.

 

As for seating, there is no effort to seat you in the same place. Every time you turn up you will be seated wherever is convenient (i.e. balancing customers per server). In the example you gave of going there a few times at the start of the cruise and then again towards the end there would be no difference between days 1 and day 2 or day 2 and day 20. Each time they will seat you wherever is available when you arrive.

 

You can request the same place and I'm sure they will try to assist (never tried it myself), but it certainly wouldn't be guaranteed. You may not get the same servers anyway.

I like the idea of all of this. As for main dining room seating, I’d like to aim for the back of Grand Pacific near the windows. 😁
 

41 minutes ago, MSUjohn said:

off the top of my head there is a 7-day rotating menu.
>there is the daily favorites served everyday (think beef pork bird fish noodle/vegatarian) and then a rotating menu.
lunch and breakfast are more "repetitive" but that (especially breakfast) is to be expected. 

also there is an asian themed restaurant jasmine garden* that is complementary, if you want some variety. 

here is the menu for the mdr NCL Menus 2024 · Prof. Cruise, Ship Tour, Cruise Vacation, Cruise Travel, Cruise Menus (profcruise.com)

*just pop in for dessert and try the red bean pie with green tea ice cream; thank me after your cruise 😃

I managed to rotate my 25-night dinner schedule through every dining venue on the ship except Teppanyaki and Moderno, neither which are really personally appealing. Every other specialty and complimentary restaurants are on my listed program - I even got O’Sheehan’s on the books one night after coming back from what will probably be a long day in Colón just to grab something quick and easy. I definitely took a look at the menus, and La Cucina is a heavy favorite! And the red bean pie with green tea ice cream sounds really amazing!!! 
 

I see Norwegian Jade has two complimentary main dining rooms, Alizar and Grand Pacific. In the Freestyle world of NCL are you able to choose and walk up to which ever one you want to eat at for dinner, or are you assigned one prior to embarkation? I definitely fancy one over the other. 

As for long cruises (25 nights), if you eat there a couple of times at the very beginning and then don’t come back for a week or longer, do they seat you at the same table (can you request an area) or is it open-seating where they just put you wherever? Always looking to participate in the 530pm stampede. 
 

And do the menus rotate through 7-10 days and go back to the same menu from Day 1? Can’t imagine how many different menus they have on 25 nights.
 

I sat down last night to try and plan out my dining for next year’s Big Cruise - which ports or sea days I’d like to attempt and book specialty dining - and divvy up the rest of the nights between the other venues. It was harder than I thought for such a long cruise with so many options! 

Juneau Says To Book Mendenhall Glacier Ahead of Time or Miss Out
 

https://cruisespotlight.com/juneau-says-to-book-mendenhall-glacier-ahead-of-time-or-miss-out/?fbclid=IwAR2hOSUvR-N1-KX3IBjWJ70iqnGN1KWqJFMU2l-b00a7JQK7TkVkTn5mfzc

🥸

12 minutes ago, Paula_MacFan said:

Interesting that the article attached by the OP states ships will be capped at 5 per day in 2024, but according to the CLAA schedule there are many days this year with 6 ships.  Granted, they are staggered in port times, but that's not the way the article reads.  We will be in Juneau the first week of June so I've been keeping an eye on the schedule.  We have our excursion booked for early in the morning to hopefully avoid some of the port congestion.

 

https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1551

I think it’s that ‘staggered scheduling’ (hot berthing) that keeps the cruise lines complaint with the limit of five ships ‘docked’ (at the same time) per day. 

35 minutes ago, sfpd3000 said:

The Hop-on hop-off buses will pick you up at Pier 27 once you walk out of the terminal.  If you bought it as an excursion on board, they will exchange that ticket for a hop-on hop-off ticket.  For certain cruise lines (Princess), if you DIDN’T buy it as an excursion on board, you can buy a ticket before you get on the bus and the rep can directly charge it to your stateroom account.  I think if you choose not to do either option (or once the rep leaves) they will force you to walk to their office in Fisherman’s Wharf a half a mile away and buy your ticket there.

Great reply!!! THANK YOU! I have purchased it already from NCL. I had called the Shore Excursion Deck at the cruise line and they had no idea. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get a response here so I also actually emailed the Hop-on Hop-off bus company. 🤣
 

Will this also be the same for the OP down at Pier 32/30 where the bus will pick them up if it’s purchased through HAL? 
 

😁

Just now, Coral said:

I have done several including the Sun Princess, Dawn Princess, Sea Princess, Sapphire Princess, Crown Princess, Radiance of the Seas, Star Princess, Golden Princess, Coral Princess and probably some I can't remember.

 

I think it is fine up to the Sapphire Princess (2600 passengers). Obviously I prefer the smaller ones also and most were done on 77,000 tonnage ships.

We are obviously addicted!!!  🥰 

27 minutes ago, Coral said:

I know this won't happen but I would love for something like this would create demand for cruise lines to build some smaller ships.

 

I would love to see a ban of the very large ships overall for the ports (not just inside passage). I am ok with 109K tonnage ships on inside passage but that would be my limit.

Of the ships I’ve cruise in Alaska (you can tell it’s been a while) they were all ‘smaller’ - the Dawn Princess and Sun Princess; Volendam, Celebrity Galaxy, and a very small ship from Cruise West called Spirit of Oceanus.
 

In 2025 it’s Norwegian Jade on a sort of B2B. And I’m booked on Holland-America’s Noordam in April 2026 for what’s being billed as ‘Great Bear Rainforest’ and focuses on the Canadian Inside Passage from Prince Rupert to Vancouver.
 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/find-a-cruise?shipId:(NO)&departDate:[2026-04-01T00%3A00%3A00Z TO 2026-04-01T00%3A00%3A00Z%2B1MONTH-1DAY]

When their 2026 schedule is fully released I want to do it as a B2B into the Alaskan Inside and those ports. 
 

😆

26 minutes ago, Coral said:

This is great news. It would help if cruise lines didn't send their largest ship's to Alaska. The ports just can't handle them.

Totally, totally, TOTALLY agree. I wish they would restrict the size of cruise ships cruising the Inside Passage to something less than 100,000 tons and 2000 passengers. 

Alaska’s capital city, Juneau, is in a conceptual agreement with cruise lines to cap passengers in the 2026 season

https://www.cruisehive.com/juneau-takes-steps-to-limit-cruise-ship-passengers/128027?fbclid=IwAR04obDq5YGhp3YP8jDfYsXFRCdZCA-xiAICT3Jmc53NyisbQdEVgR0Ozvs

🥸

On 3/22/2024 at 4:42 PM, AryMay said:

San Francisco is an overnight port stop on our April cruise. I am interested in the Hop On Hop Off bus but concerned because our ship is scheduled to be at Pier 32/30 which much further south than the main Pier 27. 

 

Has anyone ever booked the HOHO bus through HAL? The times listed for the tour booked through HAL are either 8:30 am or 9 am but booking independently through the Big Bus website shows the bus begins service at 10 am. 

 

What I'm trying to figure out (and couldn't get an answer by calling HAL) is:

 

• 1.  Is transportation provided to one of the bus stops? The closest stop to Pier 32/30 is almost a mile away at the Ferry Building.
• 2. Why is there a difference in starting times?

 

 

If there is anyone out there that has done these hop-on hop-off tours SPECIFICALLY IN SAN FRANCISCO, and know details of how passengers from Pier 32/30 or Pier 27 access the tour buses from the ship, please chime in. 
 

I’ve done similar research to where the first bus doesn’t depart until 10AM, but the tour options start at least an hour or more before this.