bomabound

If you get upgraded from a cabin with the lower daily service charge (and have pre-paid) and get upgraded to a suite that has a higher daily rate, do you get charged the difference? Just curious.

I just got an upgrade today for our May 24 sailing on the Spirit. It was from Balcony to Aft Facing Owner’s Suite. We are very excited about it as we’ve never had a suite of any sort, although I suspect we bid more than necessary. We are doing Back-to-back cruises, heading back from Seward to Vancouver after this cruise, so unfortunately this will mean we need to pack and switch cabins. I wonder if there is any chance the butler would arrange to help us move…..pushing my luck?

In Juneau if you hike up Mt Roberts you get to ride the tram down for free. It’s a beautiful hike. I think you might need to show a receipt for a purchase made in the restaurant or gift shop at the top, but they sell many practical items like soap, lip balm, etc. And when we were there they had nice chowder in a bread bowl. 😀

This might be a silly question, but isn’t the ship within 12 miles of land a LOT when scenic cruising along a coast, such as the inside passage to Alaska? Or do you mean from a port?

Thanks for all the feedback and ideas. I had searched for info on the area and found a walking map and information on the shuttle, and we’ll probably stick around Seward. It looks like a great little town. I was mainly just curious if people knew whether NCL actually organized tours of the area on the debarkation/embarkation turnaround day. On our last time doing this, the cruise line (not NCL) added a tour for people staying on that was sold as a sightseeing tour of Anchorage with time to explore Anchorage. But it ended up that what they did is arrange with the tour company to take people on the tour that ends at the airport (for people leaving), then drop us at Anchorage for a couple hours, and then pick us up to head to the airport to pick up the arrivals. When we got to the airport they said we had to go into the airport to join the group there, and when we did the next bus was full and we had to sit in the airport for two hours to wait for the next flights! It ended up being an expensive waste of time. So this time we really just want to have a relaxing day exploring Seward, but would be up for a tour just in Seward. It looks like there is plenty to do. We are both very active and enjoy walking and hiking, so we’ll likely walk around town and see what we find.

We are doing back-to-back cruises from Vancouver to Seward and then back and wonder if there is anything to do in Seward. The last time we did back-to-backs they added a tour to Anchorage and back but it ended up not being a very good experience because it was really meant for people heading to the airport, and spending a bunch of time at the airport felt like a waste of time. I don’t recall whether they added any tours right in Seward for people returning to Vancouver. Does anyone know? If there are no tours, is there much to do on foot in Seward or any cabs into the town? I wasn’t sure if I should post in the Alaska topic, but didn’t because I know some lines sell 14-day cruises and hence are more geared up for people staying on, and wanted to be sure to get an answer specific to NCL.

Can you tell me what sort of virgin drinks he was able to get? My husband and I both drink, but realistically I would probably want a glass of wine with dinner and a cocktail at a show. I’d love to be able to get virgin drinks earlier in the day. I know we’d probably spend less than tips if we just paid out of pocket, but I also tend to feel a bit guilty “wasting money” on drinks so I know I’d enjoy myself more with the package.

Thanks, that makes sense. On previous cruises we always got into the restaurants with no trouble, but I wondered if things had changed. We’ll be sure to make reservations as soon as we get on the Ship. We’re sailing on the Spirit.

I just booked a cruise today that departs in less than 60 days, and the booking included 2 specialty meals. When I logged in to try to make reservations I found that there is almost nothing left (other than to eat around 9 pm). Does NCL leave a certain number of spots for walk ups or for people to book once on board, or are they really all reserved?