graphicguy

I always thought 2X/day cabin service was a bit much. If there are 3 bath towels (which seems to be the minimum), I’m good for the day. If you need extra, just ask. I don’t need my bed to be made up 2X/day. Once is fine. I don’t keep glasses, dishes, half eaten food everywhere. If I dine in the cabin, it’s only for breakfast. And, the steward always takes everything away when s/he services my cabin. All good for me.

Great to hear. All’s normal!!!!!!!

https://www.juneauharborwebcam.com Thanks! Good view! Looks like the tram up the side of the mountain is running, too!

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I don't have a traditional drink once I'm on board and settled in. I'm a beer and bourbon kind of guy. Thinking of getting something "foo-foo" as a new tradition. Have to ponder, and am open for suggestions.

Pill organizer for me, too. Been doing that for at least 20 years with no issues. That said, I know of incidences where someone was stopped at a port (Galveston, NOLA) with medically prescribed weed. I think one had gummies and the other had joints actually in the prescription container. They had carry on luggage, so not sure if that matters or not. Aside from TSA getting in a huff and confiscating their stash, they didn’t get in any legal trouble. But, TSA made a point of detaining them so they would miss their flights.

Just checked flights. All good. Weather is holding steady, which is good. Hold the mail….CHECK! I know I’m packing my Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals hoodies. That leaves the one that I’ll wear on the flight, and another plain ‘ole sweatshirt….4 in total. Trying to decide on weatherproof pants, or just plain old jeans. Maybe wear jeans, and bring 3 pr of khakis, one pr weather proof. Hiking boots, which should double as my dress shoes for dining in LeBistro. Tennis shoes for traipsing around the ship. Downloaded the NCL app. Watched the safety vid (2X). Probably have to watch it again when on board.

Laundry tags…..I know. It’s sometimes a couple of months I feel them scratching me before I identify what it is, and then peel their gorilla glued tags off. Some things I’ll let slide (like my pile of mail that I look at once/week). Others, like my bathroom, bedroom….it must be orderly. Otherwise, I feel like a slacker and judge others accordingly (j/k).

Out of our entire itinerary, Ketchikan is the one I care about least. The little “souvenir” warehouse is a bit tacky. Plus, it was raining like crazy when I went the first time. Really not much in the way of anything to do if the weather is bad. @Lush LaRue….I’m debating only taking 4 pr of skivvies. I have two free laundry tickets. I can get on the ship with entirely clean clothes. And, I can get off the ship with entirely clean clothes. Plus, everything will be clean every day by using the laundry. Let’s just say I take cleanliness seriously. I even fold my dirty clothes and put them in their own little bag. I don’t leave anything strewn about in my cabin. I put all my toiletries in a row in the bathroom and make sure they’re clean and dry before I leave the bathroom. I actually pull up the blankets of the bed before I leave it. I’m seeking OCD help. Lord knows I need it.

Packing list hasn't changed much....it's still.... -3 pair of khaki/painters pants -3 hoodies -meds -electric razor -wrinkle away -7 pr boxers (TMI?) -4 pr socks -1 rain slick -umbrella -1 iPad -chargers/cords -1 iPhone -passport -ticket/e-ticket -deoderant -Maxpresso coffee packs I think that's it. 1 back pack and one roll aboard. No checked baggage.

Yeah...it's a nite stopover. I'm sure there's a good reason. I just don't know what it might be. Either way, there look to be some nice evening excursions available.

Thanks, Henry. Will be following you, as well. Going to try to go "live" as best I can. I know my last trip was spotty for WiFi. But, my itinerary is pretty port rich, so should be able to upload to CC when we're on land. I have Verizon, which I recall to be pretty reliable from my last trip. Bon Voyage! PS...I was looking at some of the pics from our GEM cruise on the cabin crawl. We all had a grand time on that one.

Weather Skagway looking forward… https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/a775f6f76797f6c3011ef0b87f10eeec2fe2a01c1446b5965531b4035fb18609 Juneau https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/bc6c6d8f7cfb302a9347c9936e52c2118b582c1b2c177cae22673d9f9853f4e0 I know we’re a week out, but looks like 40ºs-50ºs during the day and rainy. So, crafting what I’ll pack accordingly.

Last time I sailed to Alaska last year, it was nice weather, mostly. I think it was Skagway that was the only rainy port. Had wished for an umbrella, but didn’t have one. So, taking one of those little collapsible ones…hangs off my belt. Regarding peopel getting “stabbed” with an umbrella, whoever is wielding the umbrella and poking people with it, I’d probably have to have a “discussion” with them about their behavior.

Note to self…don’t forget to pack an umbrella!

@Lush LaRue…sounds like a great plan. Thanks for the info. I think you’re right. Different type of guests going to Alaska vs Mexico. Probably will be a lot of chill. @www3traveler…thanks for the info. Didn’t k ow any of that!

I did not know that. So, they dropped off passengers in Vancouver and sailed to Seattle to pick up more passengers?

So, this is the pic of the Bliss as she sits. Right about now, the last passengers from the previous cruise are off the ship. And, in about 30-60 minutes, they'll begin boarding the new passengers. Exciting times!

Thanks! I'm one who pretty much rolls with the punches. It takes a lot for me to be upset while on a cruise....maybe like running aground in Italy and having to abandon ship....or maybe being on a cruise where all the toilets back up at the same time...... In all seriousness, if one venue can not meet what I'm looking for, I'll find another. That goes for restaurants, bars, etc. There are so many options on a ship, if one option doesn't work out, it's pretty easy to find another. Or, at least that's my attitude. Hope you enjoy your cruise, too. Just looked at Seattle/Alaska weather....looks like it will be in the 50s, so will forgo heavy coat and stick to a menagerie of hoodies and rain slicks when I start packing (which probably won't be for several more days).

Thanks! https://www.spaceneedle.com/webcam

“Pack’em, Rack’em, Stack’em” as we used to say in IT!

My sympathy. That’s a huge PITA!!!!

Regarding service, NCL puts its best, most experienced crew on their newest ships. The Prima and all the Breakaway Plus ships are their newest. The issue, as I see it, is the shutdown caused many of their crew to look for other employment opportunities and didn’t come back. What that did was force them to hire lots of new, inexperienced crew. Every once in a while I’ve encountered some crew on the sailings I’ve done who came back because NCL “took care of them” during the shutdown. But, there were relatively few of those. The result is a lot of 1-2 year crew who replaced 8-9-10 contract people. The inexperience shows.

So, this is what’s on the agenda, so far. Got the Meet and Greet on Sunday at 10:30 a.m., also. Vacation Summary Reservation #: XXXXXXXX Embarkation: Apr 22, 2023 Seattle, Washington Disembarkation: Apr 29, 2023 Seattle, Washington Onboard Spending $75.00 Money: Ship: Norwegian Bliss Stateroom: Club Balcony Suite Stateroom XXXX , Category: Booked Activities Item Date & Time Guests White Pass Scenic Railway Shore ExcursionsSkagway, Alaska Tue Apr 25 02:00 PM XXXXXX Jersey Boys Entertainment Wed Apr 26 06:30 PM XXXXXX Six Entertainment Sun Apr 23 07:00 PM XXXXXX

This was right after the restart and I was on a Celebrity Cruise to the ABC islands. Was talking to an ex pat that lived at our first port (can’t remember which one). He and his wife were retired school teachers living there and supplementing their retirement income by doing tours. Started chatting with them after our tour. They were very open about how they got to the area, what they did year round (a mix of Caribbean tours in the Spring, Fall, winter and spending summers with their daughter/grands). While you’re correct, if they did one or two tours a day (I think they said they averaged 50 participants in total), they’d pick up a nice $500 bill. But, they could only do that 2X/week, at most. And, if bad weather hit, they couldn’t do any tours at all. More of a life choice, but certainly not enough money to make a living if you didn’t have supplemental income like retirement. They said it was mostly college kids doing the tours in the Summer, which is why they come back to the states at those times. They said the tour company did supplement their housing costs and provided a food stipend but neither was very much. Interesting talking to them.