RBKL

Enjoyed a nice sea day on the way to Victoria. Weather started to turn but still had a nice day. At 10-1 there is spectacular brunch in the MDR. Not sure if they had that on our Caribbean sailing since it is hidden in the daily schedule. It was a great meal with ice carvings everywhere.

Thursday is a like a sea day until Victoria. The final show is at 4:15 and dinner in the MDR and Oceanview start at 5 so you can eat before getting off. I was surprised they don’t offer specials for the specialty restaurants since so many people get off. Murano does offer a lunch that day.

Originally in Victoria we were going to do a City Tour however, on the 2nd sea day we decided to change it to a Whale Watching trip. No time to book something privately so we went with the ship. They use Orca Spirit Adventures. It was a great trip and crew. We saw several Orca.

Between my daughter and I we must have over 2500 pictures. Thanks to digital we caught a lot of action.

Unfortunately our trip was over far too soon. We woke up, had breakfast and de-boarded. Customs could not have been any smoother and Century was there within moments of our getting curbside. I could see the other Suburbans trolling the area looking for passengers.

We enjoyed this cruise so much we booked to do it again same week next year. So much to do and not enough time to do it all so we have to go back.

Un packing is done and laundry is underway. Packing for Alaska is tougher than a Caribbean cruise. Layers is the key. We also didn’t realize we’d only need to dress nicely for dinner 5 nights since you’re in Juneau on one and Victoria during another. We didn’t go to the MDR either of those nights.

We ate in Tuscan Grill on Skagway night. Service was great, food was okay. If they could couple the Tuscan service with the Murano food we may have gone every night.

Saw whales and dolphins from the ship several times. Disappointed they don’t make announcements about sightings so you don’t miss any. Saw more eagles this trip than in my entire life and each of them were amazing.

Now on to planning next year’s excursions.

We got up very early to see Tracy Arm. My daughter and I braved it out side on deck 14 at the very front. Cold and a bit of wind but worth it. My wife and her sister spent most of the time in the Sky Lounge right below us on deck 12. It is warm and you can hear narration from Brent Nixon. You can’t hear it outside but it was worth the extra view.

Our cruise tendered in Juneau. Tender tickets were supposed to be available at 1:30 which is when tendering is supposed to begin. We got in line at 12:30 and were about 15 people back in the line. At 1:15 they began handing out tender tickets and we got #8. Just enough time to grab our stuff and head to deck 2 for a tender. I think if we had waited we would have been stuck longer on the ship and we wanted to enjoy Juneau as much as possible.

I spoke to another cruiser on board who took a private whale watching tour with Orca and Brent Nixon was on board as the naturalist/narrator. Very fortunate. Not sure if that happens all the time or just that one time.

We booked another private excursion with Harv and Marvs for a private whale watching tour. Just the five of us with Captain Liz. Can’t say enough good things about Capt Liz. Very warm and professional. Got to know each of us quickly. It was an amazing trip with a great Captain. On the way back to the ship we stopped at Mendenhall. Saw several bears and although it was too short of a stop we were enjoyed the time. Ten thumbs up for Harv and Marvs. I liked that we didn’t have to fight with other people for views and pictures. In Victoria on the Orca trip it wasn’t as pleasant and caught several pictures of the back of people’s heads and their arms pointing.

Once on board we had a late night snack in the Oceanview Café.

Next morning was Skagway. We booked a tour with Chilkoot Charters. We picked the bus up and train down tour at 8:30. Great tour guide and we had a close up with a bear on the drive up. For us a much better option than getting on the train first. Plenty of room on the train down. We saw them loading the train going up right next to the ship and between the Solstice and other ships right there it was packed.

The train ride was beautiful and everybody enjoyed it.

Next morning we had breakfast in the hotel, visited Starbucks and then caught the 10 A.M. shuttle to the pier. Bag drop off was smooth and easy and check in was just as good. We had a short wait to board the ship but were on board by 11.

After a quick stop to turn on charging for our daughter, get holes punched in the Sea Pass cards for lanyards we headed to Bistro on Five for lunch. The $5 charge seems to keep a lot of people away. It wasn’t busy then and for most of the cruise. We enjoy it and had a great meal.

This was our second time on the Solstice and first for my in-laws. We booked this cruise while on the Solstice 16 months earlier. Last time we were Starboard and this time we were on the Port side. I believe Starboard is slightly better for viewing.

By 1:15 the staterooms were ready. Bags didn’t arrive until after the muster drill. We had Concierge Class staterooms on deck 10 right on the rear hump. Nice rooms and we really liked and needed the extra storage over the bed.

That night we ate in Murano. 20% first night special. We loved it and the lobster was great. Will go again.

We also had the Premium Non-Alcoholic Drink Package. We enjoy the freedom to order drinks anytime. We paid for the few alcohol drinks we had and that worked well for us.

My brother in law gets sea sick and hasn’t been able to cruise. Between using a patch and the smoothness of the ship he never had a problem. The weather the entire cruise until the last day was spectacular. Warm and sunny. We had some rain during the day on our way to Victoria.

Brent Nixon was the Naturalist on board. We attended all his shows and ran into him a couple of times on shore. Spectacular. We really enjoyed him – even my daughter. His advice helped with ensuring we knew what to look for and when and where.

First stop – Ketchikan. We did a private Hummer tour with Alaska Hummer Adventures. They have five Hummers with drivers who can take up to five people on a tour. We had a great tour guide who took us to great places. It was a great way to see a lot of Ketchikan.

We just returned from our first Alaskan cruise and wanted to return the favor and provide a review of our trip. We benefitted from so many others who shared so generously.

We’re a married couple with a 14 year old daughter from Maryland. My wife’s sister and her husband from Las Vegas traveled with us.

We arrived in SeaTac within 5 minutes of each other. We used Century Car Service to get from the airport to the hotel and again from Pier 91 back to the airport. They were great. Once we had our luggage they were curbside immediately. Car and driver were great. Great value for the five of us and all our luggage.

One warning – there are vehicles and drivers who try to take passengers at the airport and cruise pier. They will pretend they are the car service you booked and you won’t realize they aren’t until it is too late.

We stayed one night pre-cruise at the Marriott Waterfront. Our rooms were ready when we arrived. At check in we booked a shuttle for $7 pp to take us from the hotel to Pier 91 in the morning. Another great value and it worked out perfectly.

We liked the hotel a lot. Very pricey but can’t beat the location. It is right across from Pier 66 (too bad Celebrity is now sailing out of Pier 91). I used Marriott points for both rooms. Right next to the hotel is an elevator that takes you up towards Pike Place Market. Saved most of the climb up.

After dropping off our bags we headed to Pike Place Market. We had lunch at Pikes Chowder and it was superb. Great place to eat and one of many tips from a Cruise Critic member.

Wanted to go to the original Starbuck’s for a mug only sold there but the line was too long. We went back pre-cruise early the next morning and it wasn’t as long.

We visited Rachel the Pig, Lowell’s, the gum wall, the fish tossing, etc. Spent far too little time there but can’t do everything. Quick stop at Hard Rock Café for a pin and to see the retired General who has become their unofficial mascot.

We then walked to the Underground Tour. Long but reasonable walk from the market. Interesting tour and we all enjoyed it.

From there we took the train and monorail to the Space Needle. Had a bit of a wait for our time up. Beautiful day and had a rare view of the mountains.

Headed to dinner at the Crab Pot. Bit of a wait for a table but enjoyed the dinner.

Hi RBKL ......

In Victoria we used http://www.classiccartours.com

The owner's name (he drove one of the cars) is Larry.

 

For transportation we used Shuttle Express and OnStarLimo.

They were equally professional.

 

Shuttle Express is based at the Seattle Airport. It was a little walk to find them. With our luggage in hand.

ie: pick up luggage' date=' take the elevator up one floor, go across the sky bridge, then take an elevator down one floor, then walk a ways to their desk, which we only found because we asked someone.

 

If I had it to do over again, I would book everything with OnStarLimo.[/quote']

 

 

Thanks for the reply. Only 4 days until our cruise.

Thanks for a great review. We leave Thursday for Seattle and our Solstice cruise on Friday.

Please tell us what transportation you used from the airport to the hotel, hotel to the pier and ship back to the airport.

Who did you use for the tour in Victoria. Sounds very special.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience.

Thanks for posting your review and tender experience.

We're on the same cruise Aug 9 and tendering as well. Ugh.

Big debate on the value of the concierge class and I realize it isn't for everybody. We like the extra cruise credit and we booked so far out that we saved a lot.

We were in your cabin last year. You did say you loved the large balcony in a great location which is one benefit of the concierge class. Up to each of us if that is worth the cost.

We're trying to decide if we want to book a specialty restaurant and if so what night. Was there a special lobster night?

What did you do in Skagway?

Thanks again.

I was looking at Europe cruises and noticed for some, CC is only $100 more than a regular Veranda.

 

Can anyone tell me what exactly the benefits of this class are? We have no need for a concierge, and it appears the rooms are the same size. Is there any good reason to upgrade?

Extra cruise credit too

We enjoy towel animals so once we get to our cabin we either tell the room attendant that we love them and give them a tip or leave them a note and a tip.

We appreciate that they have a lot of cabins to take care of and towel animals take time.

It's nice to come back from dinner or a show and have one waiting for us.

On the Norwegian Sky we had them twice a day and we formed a zoo on the couch.

Hey - it's vacation and fun is fun.

We took the Bernards Tour when we were on the Oasis and really enjoyed it until the end.

We were counting on getting back as promised to do a little shopping before we took the water taxi back to the ship.

When we stopped at the beach store after 3 we were a bit ticked but quickly learned that we were literally two blocks from the main shopping street. So off we went without a hitch.

That last stop is unnecessary. I realize why they do it.

We love Bavaria too. Spent 16 years there in several different cities while in the Army and our daughter was born there in a small town called Bad Aibling.

Thanks for a great review. Glad to see you're back after a short break.

We were dropped back at the pier at 3:15. If I have one very small complaint about the Bernard’s Tour, it is that it was advertised to get us back to the ship by 2:30, and I had verified the return time directly with Bernard that morning. We got back at 3:15. Not a huge deal, and once we realized we wouldn’t be back at 2:30, there was nothing to be upset about, but we did have plans to be at the (you guessed it) flowrider when it opened at 3. Not a huge deal, though.

We were on the Sky last month and had no problem bringing water on board. Anything non-alcoholic was acceptable.

Thanks...I wonder if this is something NCL is trying out. This isn't a sponsored "excursion" from their Shorex site.

Not really sure. There weren't very many of them - maybe 6 total. The water was so calm it seemed like a good place to do it. It was an on-your-own activity.

They don't advertise the mats or very large floats either but there were plenty of them for rent.

They are going to have a sting ray encounter. They are raising the stingrays now and had an area in the water fenced off.

There was a group in that area with them but not sure why. Possibly a snorkel group.

Regarding paddleboarding...Do you know if this was something offered by NCL on GSC, or was this a picture of the neighboring island owned by another cruiseline?

 

Thanks!

The life guards were renting paddleboards in the area near the Cabanas. Not sure what the cost was but saw a few people take them out. Water was very calm.

You could get a clam shell in several areas along the beach. Right before the cabana area there was a group of shade trees. It didn't seem like a lot of people knew they were there. The few people that set up there had nice shade.

On the Allure they sold them on the last day at sea outside the pub. Just the bags - without the beer. Love it.

There is a show on the Travel Channel tonight (and it re-airs often) with a scene from a family in Roatan with monkeys. One of the monkeys named Poncho attacks a teen boy in the group. Pretty bad bites.

Ended up having to get rabies shots back home when the bites didn't heal.

Not sure where they were but it looked like it was near a zipline too.

The video is also posted on Youtube.

Poncho was doing great with everybody else in the group but jumped on the one boy and started biting him.

I realize the risks you take when doing things like this but it didn't seem the owners took any action to help them.

We're in Roatan on our upcoming cruise and might pass on the monkees just to be safe.

Generally the benefits are the central location and the larger balconies.

Truly the most detailed, best written and personally relevant review I have ever read (I will be on Allure in just over 2 weeks with my 9 and 11 year old).

I see you went to Rita's festival. I looked at booking it on line and it said you had to be over 21 years old only only noted the price with alcohol. I also saw that kids are not allowed in specialty restaurants after 7 PM.

How were you able to dine at the restaurant with the kids?

Did you book before the cruise?

Thanks

Dan

We were on the Allure last week. We did Rita's Fiesta with a group we met on Cruise Critic. There were several kids there. You have to book them for the Without Cocktails option for $10. The with Cocktails option is a great deal at only $20 with three drinks.

We brought our DD to Samba's without a problem and saw several other families with kids. FYI - the Samba's special is great. MTD people can go to Samba's for half price on the first night. We really enjoyed it and the price break was a nice treat.

Our DD (13) joined us for Chops too. Saw several other kids there as well.

You wouldn't, by any chance know where the ping pong tables are, do you? If so, please include deck number when replying. After all, it IS a big ship and I'm kinda old. LOL

Thanks ...

:)

Anna (and Gary)

The ping pong tables are just outside the Wipeout Cafe near the basketball courts and mini-golf area on deck 15. It's enclosed so your ball doesn't keep going and going and going.

We were in 10598 on the Oasis last year and felt it was a great central location. We're in the same area again on the Allure for Thanksgiving.

I found it to be quiet and just a quick trip up or down to most anything plus very close to the elevators.

View from the balcony was great.

Can water be purchased elsewhere on the ship? I'm just wondering if is cheaper to get water other than the Evian package and delivered to the rooms. Can I bring my own water bottle (empty) and are there places (e.g. buffet or somewhere else) where I can fill it up?

Yes, you can easily bring your own water and there are plenty of places to get cases before you head to the cruise port. $6 a case is better than $72 and you can get the sports bottles which are great for adding Crystal Light to.

I cannot understand why anyone would take small kids on any cruise.It is no holiday for the little ones or Mum and Dad, and as this post shows folks will be unhappy with children in certain venues.

Take the little darlings to Disneyland or let Granma and Grampa spoil them for a week.Thats what my family does.

We sailing on the Allure in November too. On the 20th. What sailing are you on?

There is the Live the Oasis game on board. You buy the book and you get two lanyards. As you complete the areas you get buttons for each area completed. Everyday they have a trivia game and at the end there is a bigger game using the clues from the book. It was a lot of fun and a great way to see all of the ship.

Even if you don't play the game the book was great and it was a good way to get an Oasis lanyard.