azappraiser

I don't see the Haven Lounge on the list; but since it's the only one on deck 18, are we to assume it'll be open and we should expect much shorter lines?

Only TWO cruise ships per day are permitted to sail Glacier Bay National Park, so that will limit your options. I recommend taking a look at the boards for each line & ship that's sailing your desired itinerary... many "live" posts from cruises currently under way. We chose itinerary first, then the ship... then, how much we want to spend.

Shareholder Benefit Request Form.pdfThe request form tells you what's required.

Thank you, thank you, thank you... exactly what I wanted to see. 20-yrs Air Force and former Real Estate Appraiser, and don't forget boy scout; I plan ahead. Again, thank you.

I believe it's 3998 at Double occupancy... several cabins/suites accommodate 3, 4 or even 6 passengers; plus crew.

@justhappy Loving your posts and pics. We're not sailing for quite a while, but your thread is enough to curb my appetite for now. Would you mind posting a pic of the "Disembark" letters/paperwork... I haven't been able to find anything online regarding them for NCL Encore, Alaska. Just curious. Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

We were on the Gem in 2013, during the "Blackout" Bowl. They had the game on the big screen in the Theater and the Atrium, most, if not all the bars with TVs, and the cabins. We also had some pretty rough seas... the curtains on each side of the stage were swaying back and forth. DW grabbed a ginger ale on her way back to the cabin. During the blackout period, the staff kept everyone entertained and full of popcorn. We had a much better time than the people at the game...

Great shots of the eagles!

I'm so glad you addressed this; I too, have searched to no avail, for any scrap of info regarding Aft Haven suite passengers. I'll be sure to "add" a Forward Boarding Request when I reach out to the pre-cruise concierge. When the suites were ready, was it just a free for all with everyone heading aft, or was it organized chaos? Group escorts? Anything? While we're on the subject of Aft Haven Suites; are the Butler's hours of availability reduced since the suites are not located in the "Haven proper"? Would it be considered an out-of-line request to have the Concierge desk drop-off a package while in port; if the package is properly sealed and a shipping label is attached? There are two shipping sites in the port, both accept FedEx shipments, but have different hours.

Peak Design has some great gear; love their camera straps. DW gave me this Travel Tripod, from B&H Photo Video for Christmas. Oben is B&H's "house" brand. Comes in it's own travel bag, the ball head has an Arca-Swiss compatible plate, detach one of the legs and connect to the center column for the monopod. Lightweight, yet sturdy... ball head stays put too.

I'm taking a travel Tripod/Monopod... planning to use the tripod on an aft-facing balcony with my one of my cameras set to shoot at intervals while the ship pivots in place in Glacier Bay. Should be a pretty impressive panorama if all goes right. I'll use the monopod on any walks or excursions. Also taking Jobi Gorilla Pod table top tripod for DW's camera.

You definitely want to check your cruise line's prohibited items list to avoid having it confiscated. I'm planning to take two bodies & three lenses; Pentax K-50 & K-70, a 14mm f2.8, a 60-250mm f4, & my trusty 18-135mm. Also packing a 1.4x Rear converter for a little extra focal length. Our itinerary includes Glacier Bay; so one of the things I want to do is set the K-50 on a tripod, on the balcony, and set it to shoot at timed intervals when the ship is rotating in front of one of the glaciers. I can then stitch the shots in post to create a glacial panorama. DW isn't into all the bells and whistles, so we're looking at getting her a Kodak PIXPRO. Decent enough specs for a travel camera, with a 16MP sensor & 24-600mm Optical Zoom. She can shoot in program mode or experiment with other settings if she wants. I like that I can set it to capture Raw & jpg.

Thought this was cute...

thought this was cute...

We had non-stop from Phoenix to Honolulu to catch the POA. We started boarding at 7:30am for a 8:00am departure. We deboarded after about 45 minutes for a maintenance issue. 11:00am and we're finally on our way... almost. Landed in Los Angeles 3-hrs later, fixed the issue again after 2-hrs on the ground, only to have the issue occur once more on takeoff. 2 1/2 hours later, we landed again at LAX and ended up spending the night. Got to Honolulu the next day... fortunately, the POA departed on Saturday, and our original flight was on a Tuesday, so we only lost one day of vacation, but saved one night of hotel & rental car bucks. We also received 2-R/T vouchers from Hawaiian Airlines to go back within a year. No maintenance issues on that flight.

DW & I were in a mini-suite on the Gem in 2013, at the forward end of the companionway on deck 11; the door to the bridge was to our right when we stepped out of our cabin. We had done several activities and an excursion with the folks staying in one of the Garden Villas. We were able to tag along on their private bridge tour. Then we went back to the Garden Villa for the rest of the day... unbelievably huge suite!

@thedoc29ca I've been following another thread on "disembarking", a few posters added a pic of the "instructions for disembarking" that showed the order & times, etc. If you still have those, would you mind posting them as well? We're not going for a while, but I like to do my homework...

Google Maps isn't real-time.

We chose Alaska for our 1st cruise with NCL, with an itinerary that included Glacier Bay. That alone was justification for us to opt for a mid-ship balcony. We had warm drinks and great views. On our 2nd NCL cruise, we stepped up to a forward mini-suite (no suite perks) with a generous balcony. Great hangout for a Caribbean itinerary and for capturing marvelous sunrises and sunsets. On the POA, we had an aft balcony. Sailing the Na Pali coast... with dolphins jumping the wake... and the sunsets... We wanted to return to Alaska, and Glacier Bay; and since we haven't been on a cruise since Hawaii in 2014, we stepped up our game. We had to have the aft balcony... and DW & I need a little pampering too, so we booked an aft-facing Haven PH with lg. balcony. I'm into photography, and there's tons of great shots that can be had if you deal with the many challenges the elements present. We're booked for the end of May in 2025, and know to prepare for "cold"... especially important for people from Arizona. I'll be taking good care of myself, as well as my gear, and will be using our balcony quite a bit.

And when you decide to book a particular sailing, head over to "Roll Calls" to see if anyone has started a roll call for that particular cruise. When we sailed on the POA, several members on our roll call spent several pre-cruise days in Honolulu. A small group of us did a sunrise photography tour one morning... easy to get up for that as no one's body was on Hawaii time yet. An even larger group got together for a luau at Germaine's. Made the cruise even more enjoyable.

Pic was taken in the afternoon... besides, it was 5 o'clock somewhere... 😏

Or opt for dinner from a specialty in-suite...

When DW & I take a vacation, we need to do a little planning. I'm envious of the many "posters" that are able travel at will. We're both in our 60's... she's on the sunrise end, I'm closer to sunset. She still works full time (31-yrs at same company); I've been retired for the past 6-yrs, although I do quite a bit of volunteer work for a well-known national non-profit. DW gets 5-wks of paid vacation, but can only request one week at a time & no more than 90-days out. In the past, management has been willing to make certain exceptions on an individual basis... such as putting down a deposit on a future cruise or an extended vacation. "Future" is the key, being a valued employee doesn't hurt either. After taking some time away from traveling, we've decided we've earned the right to treat ourselves to a "BIG" vacation. Now that doesn't mean I don't care about the cost, but as many others have said; there are deals to be found, you just have to do some research. There's a tangible difference between "cost" and "value"... "cost" is directly proportional to availability; getting "value" for that cost is a perception. I feel that I do enough research to reduce the cost as much as I can, while still receiving enough value to justify that cost. But there's one additional thing I wish everyone would factor into the equation; "Realistic Expectations"... I remember hearing from a fellow passenger on a past cruise that "their entire cruise was ruined because a friend had told them they would have lobster every night on the buffet".

We had an aft balcony in 2014... next door was suite with a much bigger balcony. I'm an early riser, so I'd sit on the balcony with my coffee enjoying the sunrise.

Easy to use, they use IDme for verification. Pretty significant amount on a Haven suite... enough to convince DW to book it now.