Redheel Girl

I usually book AFT Penthouse which is what I have on the Jewel in October but I have had the Bow Penthouse on the Star going on the Panama Canal Cruise and for that Cruise it is the best. The fun thing about the foward Penthouse Suites is cruising out to Sea all of the Cruisers in the Suites stand at the Rail and visit back and forth. We would Set on the Lounge Chairs all the way back by the Cabin and read and you don't have a wind problem. Had a couple of Sailaways with other fellow passengers with Wine and Cheese and we all sat there for a long time. This Balcony is Huge ( about 270 feet) but on the Owners Suite (Jewel and Pearl) the front Balcony you will experience more wind. But you would have a Side BAlcony also. The middle Balconys are much larger than the ones on the sides (Owners Suite's) There is nothing better than the Sailaway on the Front of the Ship.

What a very sad time for you and your best Friend. I agree that He left having a wonderful time with the ones he loved the most. I have you all in my Prayers. I am thrilled to hear how great NCL was. Thank you for sharing. I cannot imagion having that happen on a Cruise and would not know how to handle every thing. I am very loyal to NCL and the Sky was a wonderful Ship.

I had a AFT on the Star for Alaska and it is my favorite Cabin for a great View. The wraparound would be good. But the best Cabin for the Panama Canal is the Forward Bow Penthouse for the Canal. I was booked on the Aft and got a upsell to the Penthouse on the Bow and the View is the best. You see every thing ..the Mules...all of the Crew taking turns coming up to see the Canal and all of the People on the Bow are chatting back and forth. We were lucky to meet BSR and she had the AFT Wraparound and they spent part of one Lock up front with us and we all ran back to their Deck 9 Aft Penthouse. It was great but a completely different view. The Panama Canal is one of my favorite Cruises!!!

Taking the Train is a adventure by its self. It is worth it to me to have the Bedroom with the Bathroom and more room. The last Coast Starlight they had a bag of aminitys for the Shower and two small Bottles of Champagne waiting for us to board. We were taken from the Bedroom Class "Traxx Club by Redcap Cart to our Attendent and Sleeping Car....on the Pacific Surfliner from Anaheim to Ventura which I take a lot I do always book "Business Class. One time leaving Anaheim Station on Business Class to meet the "Coast Starlight" for Seattle it was so crowded my DH and I did not get to set together. There are a lot of peoplle now taking the Train to LA.....And yes I have ran into some Grouchs in Attendents and Waiters but I finally learned to find the Conductor and report that person. I have had some wonderful Crews that bent over backward to please us...sorry but I do disagree about the food. It is very good and I usually have the Steak once and it is very good....I have never had a bad Cruise or a bad Train ride even though we were late three hours getting in to Seattle. No big deal. I have noticed on my last two Amtrak trips they are not letting Passenger get off to smoke and walk around and that way they are not losing time.

Doing Amtrak is a great Vacation if you have a Bedroom and yes it is much more expensive but a great experience. You just can't have high expectations. Just relax and let it flow. I have met many Cruisers on Amtak traveling to a Cruise and it is fun to talk with them. The Coast Starlight is the best because they have the Parlor Car with big plushie Chairs and an Attendent and Bar and they have a "Wine and Cheese" tasting at three in the Dining car and they have a movie Theatre below the Parlor Car. Saw "Gatsby" last September. Then in Seattle stayed at the Marriott which is across the Street from Pier "66" NCL's..the Bellboy walks you across the street and gives your Luggage to the Porter. So easy!!!

You are going to love the Suite Perks and having a Butler. Have a great Cruise and write a Review when you get back!

TINCAN782.... You are two up on me. Have not done the Fillmore Train or the Texas Eagle!!! I go to Ventura once a month sometimes using Hwy 126. This Amtrak trip to Houston will be the first time to use the "Metropolitan Lounge! Love the Traxx Club! What can you tell me about the "Sunset Limited"!!!!

I love taking a Train to a Cruise. I have done it many times and I am now Booked for NCL Jewel in October out of Houston. This is a 35 hour two nights. It is worth it to me to book a Bedroom with Bath. It is not cheap you can fly much cheaper but it is a wonderful experience. I do not like to fly and have taken the "Coast Starlight" out of LA to Seattle many times because it has a "Parlor Car" ( 1940,s Plush Car) where you meet many Cruisers. The Advice to arrive a day or more before the Cruise is smart. If something should happen to stop the Train they will bring in Buses and get you to your destination....There is a discount connected with NCL but no one at Amtrac seems to know it. If you can get the discount information for your TA or Bookingit yourself you will be better off. I have never been able to get the discount before but this time my TA found out that with the AAA senior discount it was more. The one perk for being a Senior. If you have a Bedroom or a Bedette your Attendant can bring your Meals to your Compartment. I love setting in my Bed and watching the countryside roll by.:D

Dorothy B..the Panama Canal is a great Cruise. I did it in October into Miami on the Star. We sailed from San Pedro in LA. One of the Cruisers on that Roll call is joining me on this Cruise.

Towerorchard....I hope they do learn from The Princess Cruises but I am not sure how long Princess has been sailing out of Bayport. I remember looking back at Ballentyne Vancouver and saw 2000 Cruisers behind me and we waited over an hour for them to start checking us in. :eek:

So they are replacing the "Blue Lagoon"...Deck 8 would be the best for them. I always wondered why they put "Modero" a pay Resturant in the Deck 8 Area. It had no excitement!

We are booked out of Houston 10\18\14 and I found out we will be the second time the Jewel or NCL has sailed out of Houston. What I am worried about is Embarking from Bayport and the check in People will not know what they are doing. It can be a mess. Had that happen at Ballentyne in Vancouver. Hours!!!:eek:

Had the Owners Suite on both the Pearl and the Jewel and I picked out my Boittles and I requested Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice and Mixers and the Butler always kept it full in the Refregiator. Nice Perk!

Great pictures. I was in the Owners Suite on the Jewel a year and a half ago. It is a beautiful Cabin. I will be on the Jewel in Oct this year with BSR. .My question is what Tours do you recomend for Cozumel, Belize and Roatan. Thaats quite an upgrade!

You always give a great Review. Did Alaska in September on the Pearl so these pictures brought back a lot of memories. Will be on the Jewel out of Houston in Sept. She is a great Ship:D

Two weeks before my Cruise on the Pearl my TA Called me at Work and said the "UPSell Fairy was on the line and wanted to up sell me to the two Bedroom Penthouse so I took it. At 4:30 on my last day of work Before the Cruise my TA called and said they wanted to up sell the Owners Suite and I took it. What a wonderful Suite. I had been in a Mini Suite..so maybe that is where they start. Good Luck.

This change is a bit of a disapointment..I loved the Oysters Rockfeller and the chopped salad and the Lobster with the small Steak...I hope they will not be charging extra for the Breakfast and Lunch for the Suites because if they do I may stop booking a Suite.:eek:

What a great Review. Love it.:D

Alikaalex...What a great job. It must have taken a lot of time to research all of the Names. Thanks for doing it for all of us.:D:D:D

Hi Alikaalix...what a wonderful thread. But what I really like about it is that I was able to click on your Roll call for April 25 2009 and was able to reread our shared Roll call. That really brought back some great memories. I felt like I took the Alaskian Repo again. Thanks for posting this. See you over on our September 22 roll call.:D:D:D

How sad to lose your Father while on a wonderful Cruise but he had to have died happy just being with you and his Family. May God bless you and all of your Family and I will be on the Jewel in September and I will have a Glass of Wine in his memory. It is nice to read how NCL handled this and how good they were to you and your Family. This is why I only Cruise on NCL. The best!

Yes there is a Up-Sell Fairy. On one Cruise they called my TA two weeks before my Cruise and offered me a Up-Sell from my Mini suite to a two Bedroom Penthouse Suite. Then one week before I was to leave they called my TA and offered me the Owners Suite. Of course I went for it. My last Cruise they offered me the Forward Penthouse for my AFT Penthouse and that Forward Penthouse was the best place to be for the Panama Canal. I think they start with the BAlconeys and the Mini Suites.:p:p:p

I have read on CC about this Ship and it is great to finally see her. she must have been one of the best to have so many Cruisers talking about her so many years later. Thank you for sharing this. A real blast from the past!

I am booked on the Jewel Cabin 10164 in September. I went on wwwcruisedeck.com and saw the pictures that other Cruisers that have stayed in 10164 and 10166 posted. To see the pictures you have to join and I think it cost me ablut $12 a few years ago. Now anytime we are going on a Cruise I check it out to see if someone has posted the pictures of my Cabin. The Cabin is pretty with bright colors. They also tell you the size of the Cabin and Deck plus showing you the floor plans. Lots of information What I saw was 10164 Cabin is approximatly 286sq feet and the Balcony is 65 sq feet.:D

Hi Alikaalex...I remember you on the "Star" repo to Alaska. We all met at the "Meet and Greet. I was just on the "Star" to the Panama Canal and I got to talk to the Captain at a cocktail party. He said that it was becoming harder to fill the Ship to Mexico. People are afraid to book a Cruise to Mexico. He also said the other Cruise Ships are pulling out for the same reason. He also said that the Crew was sad to leave Los Angeles. I am sad to see NCL leave the West Coast. I kept hoping that they would come up with another Cruise up the Coast.:(

I am going to Alaska on the Star on April 25th.:D When I recieved my welcome aboard booklet I read that NCL is now requireing each Passenger take only 2 pieces of Luggage :mad:and they can only be 50 pounds each. I had my TA call NCL to comferm and to find out what were the regulations concerning the amount of our carry-ons. My TA talked to a NCL Supervisor and she said that NCL wants to reglate the Luggage to comply with the Airlines. :confused:Then she went on to say that you will only be allowed 1 carry-on 18 by 24. No cases of water and ect.You of course be allowed Purses and Cameras. I did not find out when or where they will check the weight of the Luggage or will they charge us and bill it to our OBC:cool: