dmwnc1959

4 minutes ago, zqvol said:

That is the price after the application of the credit. Very confusing on the web site. 

Going forward I’ll definitely have to pay more attention!!! 

Just now, Wayward Son said:

 

It already has. You bought a $79 excursion.

 

😳 I had no idea! Wow. That’s a heck of a deal. 🤑 THANKS! 

Just booked my first NCL shore excursion! YAY! 🎉

So this also shows up when making the booking:

Shore Excursion Credit Applied

The excursion itself was only $29, and there’s a $50 credit per cabin per shore excursion. I’ve already paid for this now, when does the credit get applied? I used the NCL credit card. 
 

😁

Just now, Ferry_Watcher said:

Looks like the bundled laundry service is a reasonable option.

I’ve heard the NCL laundry service paper bags are relatively small and tear easily, and that the best way to get the most out of it is to insert a plastic bag like what you get from Walmart/Target. This will allow for more expansion without destroying the paper bag.

8 minutes ago, SbbquilterUT said:

We travel very light (by choice) and pay to have laundry cleaned on board the ship.  Limit shoes - for Alaska we take waterproof sneakers and another pair of shoes for dinner and around the ship.  Then our plan is layers so that in cooler spots we can be warm but remove layers if the day is nice.  Hiking pants out of rain repellent fabric work great and can easily be rinsed and hung to dry in the cabin.  Our outer layer is rain coat with a fleece jacket underneath if needed.  DH does bring a pair of hiking shorts and quick dry shirts for day wear, a couple polos, a couple long sleeve cotton shirts and a sport coat (wears on the plane) for dinner.  I use compression bags for the fleece, gloves, hat.  We pack in one 24" check bag, one 22" carry on and a personal bag each.  For us (again our choice as I hate wrangling luggage) this has worked for warm weather as well as Iceland, Norway and Alaska.  We plan to send out laundry every 4 to 5 days as well as hand wash some that can be worn again without a machine wash.

Don’t think I’ve ever heard of compression bags for packing. That’s definitely an interesting idea. A lot of really great suggestions on what clothes to consider. I’m making a list and checking it twice from all of these posts! 
 

I’ll have to go back and check the airline restrictions on how much and what type of luggage I can bring as far as a checked bag, a personal bag, and a carry-on. I also looked at the NCL prices for sending out laundry, and it is quite cost prohibitive. I’ll have to rely on the mid-cruise laundry deal and doing a couple of loads in San Pedro, there’s a laundromat about a 15 minute bus ride from the cruise port and I’ve already checked out the route and ticket cost. 

14 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

Quick hints:

 

For non-delicates, when you take a shower (especially when you wash your hair), put a few items on the shower floor before starting the water.

Then let the assorted soap product(s) flow right onto those clothes.

And then... make like Lucy in the I Love Lucy "grape stomping" episode.

That is, stomp around on them, let the water and soap really get into them.

Then the reverse as you rinse off.  If the water isn't clear for the clothing, then either get some more exercise 😉 or just rinse them by hand a bit more in the shower (or tub).

 

Before drying... open up a couple of bath towels (ask for more if needed).  Wring by hand anything that can be safely done, for starters.  Then lay out the wet clothing, spread out nicely.  Then ROLL the clothing/towel so there is a layer of towel between every layer of clothing.

Then... take the roll, and... do a bit more gentle stomping so a lot of the water is transferred to the towel. 🙂 

 

There should be a little extension cord in the shower or tub to hang clothing on.

 

Heavy clothing may take a bit longer to dry if you are in a very humid area.

 

GC

This was both very entertaining to read and quite enlightening, never thought about any of that so a lot of very good suggestions! 🥰

19 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

I would suggest shopping the Columbia brand for a couple pairs of light weight, quick drying zip-off pants that you can zip off the legs and wear are shorts.  These pants will work for you in Alaska.

 

For shirts I would look at the quick drying Dri-Fit type short sleeve polo shirts that will be perfect in the warm weather, and suitable to wear to dinner.  Columbia also makes long and short sleeve button-up shirts that also are quick to dry, and gives you UV sun protection.

 

Do bring a fleece jacket or vest to use as a layer, and don't scrimp on the waterproof outer shell jacket.

 

A close toe sandal from Keen will take care of you during your 25 day cruise.  I suggest a waterproof shoe or light hiking boot for Alaska.  An all black sneaker (Brooks) should be suitable for any dress-up dinner.

I tend to be VERY modest (almost to a fault) and my legs have never seen daylight. 😳 They’re good looking legs 😂 but I’m just super embarrassed, so have quite literally never worn shorts. So at this point I’m not wanting to scare off any people or blind them. I’ll definitely check out Dri-fit, Keen, Brooks, and Columbia websites to see what they have to offer. Haven’t heard of those brands before, so this will be fun. The fleece jacket is definitely a good idea! 
 

😁

35 minutes ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

We spent 6 weeks in Australia and New Zealand last year with temps ranging from 40's in the fiords of New Zealand to over 108 in the Red Center (Uluru area).  And everything in-between.

 

We each brought one 24" suitcase and a small carryon.  Since most of our days were spent in 70-80 degree temps we packed mostly for that.  We had light jackets and each packed one of the puffy jackets that roll up into a very small case.  For Alaska I'd pack some kind of waterproof or water resistant jacket as well--even plastic poncho types would work.  I've been to Alaska in late May, not April and weather ranged from 40's (Glacier Bay) to 70's, with some light rain.

 

Our trip last year included two cruises and some land travel.  I tried my darndest to keep my luggage to a 21" carry-on size but just couldn't do it.  We have free laundry on Princess, did laundry in hotel self-service laundry rooms and some hand washing.

 

For a hint, my husband usually wears a sport jacket on the plane so he doesn't have to take up room in his suitcase.  But, on our Princess and RCI cruise, you didn't really need one.

I’m probably going to end up taking (as a minimum) the largest suitcase that I can check-in for a plane plus the largest carry-on I can manage. I already have an oversized suitcase, but last cruise drove to the port so it didn’t matter then. Loved the Princess self-service laundromats. Going to really miss those.
 

I’d already planned on wearing/carrying my ‘winter’ coat on the plane ride down to Florida, so I’ll try to find a nice thin sport coat to pack. Also planned on taking at least 15 shirts, most of mine are very thin polyester for shipboard wear. Probably going to buy about a half dozen or so cotton ‘novelty’ t-shirts for day use. Not sure about how many and what type of pants. I tend to overpack a lot.

😁

13 minutes ago, ldubs said:

Aw, I thought your concern was the weather extremes.  I agree it is best not to attempt to pack enough for 32 nights.  

That too. We will more than likely have spring-like weather in Florida, transiting to very hot and humid in Panama, then quite chilly temperatures in Alaska. Don’t think I’ve ever experienced temperature extremes like that on a cruise.

6 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

100% pure curiosity.  Why is "clear" important?  Is that some kind of fashion thingy?  

 

I think I was more or less trying to be considerate 🤔 for the transit through the Panama Canal, if it rains. Didn’t want people up on the decks behind me and in the forward-facing suites to have some bright colored rain gear showing up in their pictures.  Crazy, I know. 😉

17 minutes ago, ldubs said:

No need to over think this.  I would just bring a coat for the colder days.  Otherwise, pack as normal -- some long sleeve, some short sleeve, fleece, etc.  

I think I’m stuck on the 32-nights aspect of it, but if I pack for 16, then wear everyone twice 😉 it’ll cut down on stuff. I know I’ll need to bring some Downy Wrinkle Release Plus. A partial list of things I want to pack already includes:

- Light-weight (clear) water-proof rain parka

- Wide brim sun hat with neck flap (light-colored)

- Cooling neckerchiefs 

- Gum

- Small clear plastic umbrella 

- Eyeglass / camera lens wiping cloths 

- High SPF sunblock 

- Couple of long-sleeve shirts for the colder weather

- Multiple boxes of drink mix 

- Insulated coffee mug

I’m not new to cruising by any stretch of the imagination, but I am booked on something that seems to be rather daunting on how to pack and prepare for: 32 nights on a cruise ship. Actually, it’s a 25-night repositioning cruise from Florida through the Panama Canal to Alaska followed by a 7-night Alaska SB from Whitter to Vancouver, doing them as a B2B. The longest cruise I’d ever done before this was 14-nights on a B2B, but that was on Princess and they have self-service laundromats.
 

There are more than likely going to be a lot of temperature extremes on this cruise, from possible 90° temperatures in Panama and cruising up the Central American coast, to the mid-40’s for two weeks in late-April Alaska. 

Layers, I know lol. 😉 I think I’m (dreadfully) looking at probably two suitcases. FYI I’m a 65yo mid-size guy and won’t be packing formalwear except maybe a light sports jacket. NCL does not have self-service laundry, albeit they do have a mid-cruise ‘Bundled Laundry Service’ about half-way through the repositioning cruise. And I researched how to do some laundry in your cabin’s bathroom sink. Plus one of the ports (Day 16) is San Pedro, California. I used to live in Southern California, so there’s really nothing of interest here except maybe a laundromat, which I’ve researched and found.

This has me totally baffled on how to pack for this, and I would really appreciate some insight and suggestions for those who may have also cruised very long cruises on ships with no passenger laundry room service.

😁

35 minutes ago, JIMESOPUS said:

@dmwnc1959 You could be right but once the Prima and Viva left the Marghera shipyard, and completed sea trails both ships ended up in the Trieste shipyard for the final touches. Both ships sailed the Mediterranean before heading over to the US.  

Also, just curious - I’m not even finding any shipyard pictures of her, although I’m sure there are some. Has she even been floated out from the builders dock into the water yet? 

Does she have a ‘launch date’?

Thought these (undated) satellite images of the shipyard from Google Maps were interesting. I wonder which two ships Prima-class these are? 

18 minutes ago, JIMESOPUS said:

@dmwnc1959 You could be right but once the Prima and Viva left the Marghera shipyard, and completed sea trails both ships ended up in the Trieste shipyard for the final touches. Both ships sailed the Mediterranean before heading over to the US.  

I looked at the NCL schedules for 2025 and didn’t see anything before the March 28th maiden voyage. Based on that I was assuming that she was coming from the shipyard straight to Southampton, then proceeding to Boston on the maiden voyage. Didn’t see any wiggle room on the schedule before March 2025 for Mediterranean cruises?

From the builders shipyard to Southampton the crew will be getting public spaces finalized and prepared to receive paying passengers. There will always be last minute things that still need to get done, and the passage between shipyard and England give the shipyard personnel and cruise line teams to work together to solve any issues that arise. There will most likely be a large number of shipyard staff on this sailing as well. And don’t be surprised if some shipyard staff accompany the ship on its maiden voyage. They’ll more than likely be there, just in the background and below decks. 
 

She may stay in Boston for travel agent tours and maybe even an agent cruise, etc. or go to NYC for similar functions. The Boston (or wherever) to Miami sailing is a dead-stick move with zero paying passengers, allowing 2-3 days transit (no rush to get there). Cruise lines do this a lot, since this ship really can’t go from Boston to Miami without first stopping in distant foreign port to abide by regulations.  

As for the week after her Miami arrival, as others have said, expect more travel agent and media function cruises. There are usually two or three of these, each being 2-3 days in length. Add another full day for the christening ceremonies, then the first cruise will embark 4/16. 

I’ve watched Norwegian Jade on Marine Traffic and on her Live Bridge Cam for the last several cruises, and she always docks alongside Terminal 2 at the Tampa cruise port. There’s only one other ship in port that day we leave, Enchantment of the Seas. 

Just curious, when you first walk onto the ship from the gangway, what public space do you walk into?
 

Is there anything that I should expect during the process of screening and checking in that stands out? 

😁
 

46 minutes ago, Wayward Son said:

 

Yep. It's nice not to have to plan your venues, or walking routes to venues, because of a bit of odor. I guess we're just lucky.

 

I don’t gamble and never just hang out at bars, totally not my thing. So it’s very easy to plan my cruise and plan my evenings around these things, like avoiding cigarette smoke and smokers. And I’ll have several weeks onboard to get my feel where the designated smoking places are on Norwegian Jade, how active they are on my cruise, and avoid them. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. I live in, worked at, and frequently visit a large number of places that have ZERO smoking on the inside. There’s a reason those places have made ‘no smoking’ decisions. I’m glad this topic came up. 

😎

4 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

They say kissing a smoker is like licking an ashtray.

Walking through the Jade Casino is like rolling around in an ash pit.

🤢 🤮
 

Note to self:

AVOID THE CASINO AT ALL COSTS 😳
 

There’s got to be a better way. 😉 I’m guessing the main theater only has a single access deck? I see there’s a balcony, which I prefer. Is that accessible via another deck? 

5 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

I don't know how I failed to mention this in my initial post, but the Casino smoke was beyond horrible. You almost need an oxygen tank just to walk through that gas chamber. And the smoke permeates all of the surrounding area. Unfortunately, one of the main pathways to the theater is through the casino. (Unless you take the 7th deck). I was actually contemplating playing Texas Hold 'em, but I can't hold my breath for more than 30 seconds at a time.

Yikes! 😳 Smoking areas on NCL wasn’t something I had really thought about until now, and albeit I don’t gamble the smell of cigarette smoke is repulsive and repugnant. It goes everywhere. 🤢

48 minutes ago, cheersforbeers said:

If you book À la carte for first two then fixed for 3rd and 4th the system will bill you for that cost at checkout. 

As simple as this sounds, I think for a NCL first-timer going on a +3 week-long cruise this is going to take a spreadsheet. 😉

If I may ask, why is everyone saying that the fixed-price restaurants need to be booked first, then the à la carte? Is it because the former book up the fastest, or some technical reason with how these register on the reservation? 

5 hours ago, 9tee2Sea said:

there is going to be LOTS of construction on LA's roadways.  We are having the 2028 Olympics

( Im pretty sure it's 2028), so they have to spiff things up for all the visitors.  Its going to be CRAZY

The 2024 summer cruise season is relatively light since it’s sort of 50/50 between ships leaving from Long Beach or San Pedro.

But when the fall/winter 2024/2025 season kicks into high gear the construction on this critical interchange is going to be in full swing, and that’ll throw one hell of a monkey’s wrench into a LOT of transportation plans getting to and from the cruise terminal at San Pedro.
 

I’ll be there in April 2025 on a cruise ship in transit from the Panama Canal up the coast and can’t even begin to imagine how this will affect the simplest of things like going on shore excursions into LA or heading over to the Queen Mary. 
 

This is going to be something people will want to keep track of. 

Expected to be completed by 2026
 

https://www.portoflosangeles.org/references/2024-news-releases/news_031324_sr_47_construction?fbclid=IwAR3vHfwH0nSZwwT10lGV9zy9K_S9NA1hvNEsueWc9SOVMLpyerB3ZnypgJA

Their FB page for updates 

https://www.facebook.com/100064510671744/posts/pfbid02prTZjTRs8aiPCD2wYXxGeHDs85M8Leh6FW5uw2m7FRg6tndHT94fhXxcoCVVW1o3l/?app=fbl

For reference the cruise terminal is in the upper right corner of this picture: