OV8

It isn't "one thousand percent markup!" It's about 2.5 times what I would pay for the same item at a convenience store near the port.

Ok it's a 150% markup on bottled tap water....

I just reviewed all the cruise lines and the beverage policies on my blog-

http://thecheerfulcruiser.blogspot.com/2016/07/bringing-beverages-on-major-cruise-lines.html

Thanks for this!

No its not a dumb argument. forty years ago we all drinks from the hose of the hearest neighbors house when we were playing for the day. Im sure almost every one on here remembers their mom saying dont come home till the street lights come on.

 

So dont say its dumb argument because you happened to become accustomed to the false lie of bottled water being healthier.

Dont be so ignorant at your age.

 

Life survived on this planet for hundreds of millions of years without the invent of the plastic bottle...

 

anyways... good luck with your life.:D

Many of us also stood up straight & learn a few things too besides dragging knuckles.

But hey you believe what you want to believe & other will do as they please.

We don't need your well wishes gramps.

It's SODA. Give me a freakin' break!

I'm glad they charge 500+% markup for wine & liquor.

It's just wine & spirits.

You pissed it away anyhow right money?.

Announcing the change 120 days in advance would give everyone who'd booked under the previous terms the opportunity to cancel without penalty from NCL. Of course, by raising the specter of "security reasons," NCL may have been trying to justify the last minute change.

 

Note that I said "without penalty from NCL." I know that doesn't necessarily help passengers who've paid for their own airfare, but at least people could look into other trips rather than sail under different T&Cs, if they are so inclined.

 

The change to SDP from UDP didn't impact passengers who'd booked the UDP. This change does.

Yes. +1 ^^^

It's not a logistical nightmare from a well organized & run company.

Apparently, NCL is neither & in using recent events as a shield to nickel & dime - their motives are dubious even more.

Slim Brita is a container with filter that is 5 cup capacity - it's smaller and slimmer then the regular size. I got it for my 2 older boys for their college dorm refrigerators - fits perfectly. It should fit in my suite fridge but we normally keep the larger one out on the counter at home so that will be OK too! Going to get a bunch of reusable water bottles from the $1 store (just in case on gets lost) and bring a cook pack bag we have (which folds flat). I'm in the haven so I am sure our butler will have no problem freezing a few of our filled water bottles - this way I can have a few with me on excursion days. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the tips!

Never had to think about all the workarounds before on a cruise.

Of course, I've never been on a cruise line that changed policy for confirmed customers; essentially changing the written rules under which I understood as when I contracted with them.

LOL at how literal people are. ...replacing $5 worth of water will cost us $70.

That's the problem, those literal people apparently don't understand math & enjoy paying least retail for everything.

No matter how one slices it, whether it's 2x or 10+x markup, paying an astro markup for water is asinine but it is what it is.

NCL should have grandfathered in those who book & confirmed prior to this policy change so that they can see how people really feel.

All I know is that not being able to bring my own water bottles is very disappointing. However, i do understand the reasons they had to do this. I think the price they are charging is outrageous. I am traveling with my children who only drink water. I think the price is very high for something you could easily drink 3-4 bottles a day of. My family of 4 could easily go through 16 bottles a day. I won't be ordering water bottles. Instead, we will bring our reusable water bottles. The ship has filtered water and I also have a slim Brita that I have traveled with before. It certainly won't ruin my trip but I'd rather not blow my entire budget on water.

Great idea.

can you tell me what that slim Brita is?

Have to prep for my trip on the Spirit Airlines of the seas.

A few months ago, I had a hard time deciding which excursion to book for Juneau.... well, we decided and it was the highlight of our whole trip.

 

Here is my video:

 

I am not kidding....worth...every....penny!!!!!

Thank you for sharing!

Looks like a once in a lifetime tour.

Can you share the outfit you chartered - as we are doing our search for things to do on our cruise.

Some thoughts...

 

Instead of rain pants, consider a pair of convertible hiking pants you then treat with a DWR product such as Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In DWR.

 

Spudz microfiber cloths are great for cameras and tuck back into their own little clip-on pouch. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NZC8H8W

 

I really wished I'd brought a flexible rubber screw in lens hood for my primary lens. There were a few occasions where I was shooting through a bus or train window and this sort of hood really helps reduce reflections.

 

Bring more memory cards for your camera than you think you'll need. We met a couple on the Tundra Wilderness Tour who'd filled their cards and were shooting with their cellphones.

 

Unless you're going off on some serious hiking, skip any heavy hiking boots. Trail running shoes are more than adequate. (I've backpacked through the Smokeys in mine)

 

Look at a running store for thin, lightweight gloves that'll block wind yet still allow you to operate all your camera buttons and dials and levers.

 

Clothespins can be real handy for closing up any gaps in your room/cabin curtains when it's bedtime.

 

A couple big envelopes or plastic bags to collect all the various papers and pamphlets you'll receive can be handy.

 

Consider bringing a supply of Airborne or Emergen-C Immune+ to help ward off the nasties from Bronchitis Betty and Phlegmmy Phil.

 

A small / light luggage scale is handy at the end for avoiding surprises at the airline check in counter... We watched a lady do the unpack / repack / weigh / repeat cycle at FAI.

Thank u! you folks are great!

Some really excellent practical tips.

Will used this in trying to convince my group with the right verbiage to describe what & why about certain items vs. what they 'think' Alaska is like.

You didn't say when you are going to Alaska or what area your 5 day land trip might be covering: Therefore you may want to consider the following for your list.

 

A compact good quality flashlight for each of you

Gloves for sure, keep them in the pockets of your jacket

Full zipper polar fleece or similar style jacket to layer with

A warm hat, like a ski cap something you can pull over your ears to keep warm

Binoculars for each of you

Waterproof hiking boots or good quality running shoe

We took rain pants did not need them for rain, sure helped with the wind . Great for being on deck near the glaciers, during our whale watch excursion private boat with 10 passengers, hiking on the Matunuska Glacier, & Kenai Peninsula Boat Tour out of Seward over 6 hours on deck taking photos. ( of course these rain pants are optional ) They can be found at any major sporting goods store like Pro Bass, Cabela's, Dick's, etc.

A small towel or cloth to keep camera equipment clean Be sure to use fresh water to clean equipment & dry quickly when near or on the ocean.

 

Pack as light as you can, if possible separate land trip items from your cruise essentials, so you are not working out of 2 cases all the time. Our combination bag for the cruise stayed in the trunk of the rental car, as we did not need it for our 7 day DIY land tour.

 

Hope this helps, John

Thank you for making this short & sweet!

U answered some question that literally popped in my head at the moment.

Just to update this thread with a more recent experience, I used my t-mobile Simple Choice North American Plan in June 2016 without trouble in Anchorage, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska .

 

Skagway throughput is known to be sketchy for most carriers, and t-mobile was no exception.

 

200 MB of data is available monthly for roaming (t-mobile roams in Alaska). Tethering works (hotspot from phone). This was a convenient option for using my chromebook while on ship at port.

 

To my knowledge text and talk are not metered.

Thank you for this update!

Was wondering if the TMO coverage map was true or not.

Does anyone know how the GPS map acquisiton (i.e. download the route before starting nav) is with TMO in Alaska?

Or do I have to load the local maps offline first?

Or do I need to get a standalone GPS?

We plan to do some self guided excursions via rental cars & was thinking about GPS usage.

This will be a good start.

 

http://www.alaska.org/advice/alaska-packing-list

 

http://www.alaska.org/advice/what-to-wear-in-alaska

 

http://www.alaska.org/advice/what-to-wear-hiking

 

Keith

Thanks this was really helpful!

After you put in your cruise choice scroll down to were you see the sailings listed and then click on show prices

In this example you will see the agents until a specific seems to pop up :) I just picked any cruise for the example.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/check-prices/tabs/?date=2016-09&cruise_line_id=24&section=fac&ship_id=265&destination_id=119&itinerary_id=14512&vendors=%7C&family=ie&referral_source_tag=Direct&device_height=640&device_width=1138&ui_version=tabbed&generate_dimension=1&variation=vid_146_vid_135

Thanks for the info!!

Did a quick review. http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=510360

 

Alaska is one of our favorite destinations. Second time there. First time was on Princess. We went on July 4th last year. It was a tiny bit early. The salmon and bears were not very active.

Thank you for your review! Nothing little about the details in that review!

Nice Room too!

We're going on next to last week in July.

You cannot pay the DSC with non-refundable (use it or lose it) OBC. But one thing you can do with it that many folks don't know is use it for extra gratuities to specific crew members. Go to Guest Services with that person's name and job title, tell them how much you want to give as an additional tip, and they will fill out a voucher for that crew member's account. He or she can use it on board OR withdraw it as cash, like a bank account. You get a receipt that you can give to the crew member, so he/she knows you did this. (We travel with thank you cards; very handy at the end of a cruise.)

Great info thank you!

Jewel us a great ship. We sailed on her to Alaska last year

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@BirdTravels - did you do a review of your experience on the Jewel to Alaska last year?

We're going in July & would appreciate any feedback.

If yes, can you post a link to it please?

Thanks

But I believe they do have a place on the Home Page called How to find a Travel Agent...EM

Thanks EM - unfortunately I searched & didn't see it anywhere.

When looking for a travel agent, I would suggest finding one at a brick and mortar agency in your area. Ask family, friends and/or co-workers for recommendations.

Thanks for the feedback!

they do NOT permit any discussion and/or naming of any TA on the site.

Understood that already prior to my original question of:

Does cc.com have a resource to research for or a list for Travel agents?

Does cc.com have a resource to research for or a list for Travel agents?

Taxes and fees are gov't/port regulated and they are the same for every occupant. There is no tax on the fare. EM

Thanks for the confirm!

First time on NCL & Jewel.

Going to Alaska Rountrip from Seattle.

Getting an oceanview.

On RCCL - we always wanted to be near the stairs just in case the elevators are backed up with people.

What are the preferred locations for the Jewel to get around quickly & is elevator backup an issue?

Would like to hear people movement strategies on the Jewel please.

NCL is running a 3rd & 4th passengers in a 4 persons cabin at reduced rates.

Are the 3/4 taxes+fees based on the reduced rate, based on the full rate or is it just flat fee across the board for all passengers regardless of price you pay?

The cabin sizes go from 152 sq.ft (inside, very tight!) up to 182 sq. ft (superior balcony). I would go with the largest I could afford. None are what I would call "spacious", until you get into the suites!

 

Definitely look at the deck plans! And, have those plans in front of you when booking...you should know what you're paying for!

Thanks for the great tip cas.

Is there a preferred deck plan link on-line somewhere or is the RCCL plan here good enough?