shipgeeks

By the timing, I'm guessing that the Enchantment cruise was the first one with the new menus. Do you know when Anthem switched? I suspect there is a learning curve involved in changing over.

Agreed. The only problem I've come across is the line between suggestions and requirements. I recently came across a post in which the young lady was led to believe she had to purchase specialty dining packages in order to be able to eat on her cruise. I think it is important for us to be clear on what is required (documents, etc.) and what can be useful.

We both like being able to sit at the window, with the sea, sky, and occasionally creatures, right there. If there is a balcony in the way, the view is cut off by that "tunnel". OV cabins are on lower decks, closer to the sea. With a balcony, we have to draw back two layers of drapes, unlock, step out, latch balcony door, sit in uncomfortable chairs, open door, step in, lock door....... So much nicer to be able to just sit in comfort and enjoy the view. More recently, it seems that there are more passengers who refuse to close their balcony doors, thus affecting the AC in the surrounding cabins. I'm fine with unavoidable things such as a port being cancelled due to weather, but I'm not okay with other passengers lessening our cruise experience in this way. The two times we had balcony cabins, we did not pay balcony prices, so it's not price that leads me to prefer OV. Both times, after spending very little time out on the balcony, we said we wished we had done otherwise.

And short cruises tend to be more party/booze cruises, which might or might not suit your family.

Paging Chief Engineer Cheng! Care to set the matter straight?

Well, now we will get into disagreeing..... Post 4 says pack bathing suit, etc. This assumes one cares about being at the pool on boarding. Post 6 says travel insurance and seasick meds. We do neither, and have never regretted it.

Assuming Liberty is similar to Enchantment, you will be asked to vacate your cabin no later than 8am. Whether you are okay with staying longer, while lugging around at least your carryons, is up to you. But then you will most likely be expected to leave the ship around 9 or so, at the latest, if I recall.

I think the other consideration is whether NCL, and the ship and itinerary you end up on, is the best choice for you. Even if the cost is low, a poor match can lead to a disappointment. As well as posting further on the NCL board, I would also recommend browsing the Alaska section on the Ports of Call part of CC. The ports you would be visiting can be a deciding factor, too.

We were upgraded to a balcony on our AK cruise, and we only used it one short time in our 10 days aboard. We would never book a balcony again, even at Inside prices. We spent all our waking hours up on the top decks, or promenade deck, watching the beautiful scenery and the sky and sea. In our cabin, our view was diminished by the framework of the balcony.

We are not permitted to give travel agency names here on CC, so I can't say more in that respect. I'm kind of shocked at $599 for port fees for a 7-night cruise, though! If, however, that also includes taxes, which are not included in my TA's price, that would make a difference. Still seems high, though.

Never leave your balcony door open;, or even slightly ajar. It will disrupt the AC in not only your cabin, but the other cabins around you. Find the little drain in the floor of your cabin bathroom (not the one in the shower), and pour a glass or two of water into it. That will take care of any odors in the bathroom. Do not put wipes or other non-toilet-paper items into your toilet. Don't believe that there are "50 essential items", apart from clothes, meds, etc., that you "must pack" to have an enjoyable cruise.

How would flights to Baltimore (BWI) work for you? Royal Caribbean has cruises from there year-round, with a different itinerary and different length each time. You mention 4-5 days, which they occasionally do, but if you are going to the trouble and expense of flying in, I would recommend at least 7 nights. The ship, Enchantment, to be followed by Vision of the Seas, is smaller and has fewer "bells and whistles" than the mega-ships sailing out of Florida, but has excellent service, nice music, entertainment, and activities. Not mentioned by you, but are you set on a certain time of year, destination, beaches, ports, hot weather, etc.?

I might also mention that our TA's site does not indicate that any category of cabin is close to being sold out, and they usually do if this is the case. I just get a sense that you are being pushed to a quick decision, and it makes me concerned that they are also going to push you to, perhaps, upgrade to a balcony cabin (definitely not needed for Alaska, as views from the open decks are so much better) for an outrageous fee, etc. And I wonder why you are limited to one ship and two dates, out of all the ships and dates that will be doing AK. Perhaps asking on the NCL board, as well, would be useful, re whether this is a desirable ship for the itinerary, etc.

I'm aware that Alaska cruises have always been expensive, but I'm sorry to say this does not look like a good deal. All those fees are, IMO, totally out of line. Sort of like a restaurant saying you will have a three-course meal for $1....but your glass of water (required) is $45. Admin fee? If you were to book through a TA, or the cruiseline, there would be no admin fee. For comparison, our TA shows the same cruise, OV cabin, for a very similar price, but that price includes port fees (not an additional $599!). I hope others, maybe some who are more familiar with comped cruises, will also weigh in. To me, it just makes me distrustful.

RoyMartin, you have a similar travel history to us. We never cruised in our young adult years (though we did sail a lot on cargo ship/Navy ship), seeing it as "a bunch of people drinking and playing bingo". We started in our late 40s, and are now addicted. In our case as a twosome (son would never go on our cruises), we prefer smaller ships. Perhaps one of the things that has made us able to sail multiple times a year is the fact that we don't like balcony cabins, much preferring oceanview. And after many visits to some of the same ports, there is no pressure for us to get off the ship and explore -- but we can if we want to. Cruising has turned out to be ideal for us. I hope you and your family will enjoy your cruise as much as we do!

I have no knowledge of it myself, but I recall some earlier posts saying it did not work onboard, or even that it led to some electrical problems. Maybe a CC search for Dyson Air Wrap? Different electrical system from other brands?

What is unique about his perspective?

I imagine your neighbors don't appreciate that. It will shut down their AC, too.

Maybe you or someone else will fill me in, because I have no patience with videos, especially if 25 minutes long. Brief rundown?

Excursions will be sold on the ship as well as in advance. If you have your hearts set on a particular one, it might be wise to pre-book; however booking while onboard will also be an option. What are your ports? You can do some research here on the Ports of Call, Alaska section further down on the Cruise Critic site. You can also ask further questions there. Don't hesitate to ask! And welcome to CC!

Stories like this still won't deter me from booking more MSC cruises. The only thing I might reconsider is whether to request a table for two instead of our usual group table. In 50 cruises, we've had one couple who, 30 seconds or so after introducing themselves, said "We voted for......", and one couple who complained at every meal. Neither became our favorite tablemates. Apart from those two, we've enjoyed all our cruises, and all our dinners with positive people.

Surely seeing a Flamingo guitarist would compensate for some of the inconveniences.

The time that we did a one-way itinerary like that, we were on HAL, a small ship. Perhaps the reason the smaller ships are used is due to the river restrictions at times. In our case, even on little Veendam, we were scheduled to finish in Montreal, but could not go all the way there due to the high water under the last bridge, and had to port instead some distance downstream. That ship was not only smaller, but also older, but we did not feel that it was a disadvantage at all. No bumper cars/ice rink/roller coasters, but a really nice ship with lots of viewing areas all over, which was a good thing in the cold weather!

Our September cruise on Vision of the Seas has just had an itinerary change. No more Bar Harbor, but replaced with an overnight in Saint John. I'm looking forward to that. We enjoyed the Container Village during last September's cruise there. Perhaps there will be some evening activities there? Concert? (hint, hint) What else might we expect in the evening?

Well, we just got an email notifying us that BH has been cancelled on our Sept. 14 cruise, and replaced with an overnight in Saint John, as well as a longer day in Halifax. I'm happy; my cruise has been improved!