erisajd

We are on this cruise in the Haven June 8-15 - see below:

1. Where is the port located in Seattle? It appears to be the Smith Cove Cruise terminal, but looking to confirm.

Search Google or other Map app for 'Pier 66'  

2. Anything to pack (or not pack) for an Alaskan cruise (other than the obvious)? We've only ever done Caribbean cruises.

When you go is important.  April May Sep Oct will require heavier clothing - but LAYERS and a warm waterproof jacket is key most of the year.  Its rains a lot - even in summer.  Plus, if you do a glacier expedition - its cold since the ice is cold.  

3. We are in the Haven. What time should we get to the cruise port to get on the ship ASAP? Is it still "arrive anytime" for Haven guests?

You will not get on the ship until 11am  Haven guests go first along with top elites.  So it doesn't matter when you arrive - you won't get on til 11.  And then you are escorted to the Haven lounge for a briefing and lunch - the Haven cabins are usually available by 1pm.  

4. We've sailed in the Haven before, but not for quite a few years. Any new Haven tips/tricks that we should be aware of to help us enjoy our time?

Apparently it has changed alot - no more free booze delivered to the cabins.  They don't ask you 50 days out what pillows you want - you are treated pre cruise very much like a regular pax except for you do have some priority in getting reservations for specialty dining.  

5. Any particular Bliss tips/tricks that folks have learned that would help us?

Lots of websites and threads for this. 

6. We are set for excursions, but also open to any recommendations for things to do/see/eat/drink in the Alaskan cruise ports. We visit Juneau, Victoria, Dawes Glacier, Sitka, and Ketchikan.

Victoria is in Canada and we do not arrive until 8pm: most shops are closed.  There are a few Dawes Glacier excursions listed under tghe Juneau port day - everyone raves about the Dawes Glacier boat trip leaving the ship at 115p . . . I hear the Lumberjack show in Ketchikan is a must see.  OTT - sit on your balcony with the provided binocs and watch the show go by.  

10 hours ago, pcrum said:

Not our experience at all.  We frequented Maltings and Shakers and never had more than a couple of minutes wait for a drink. The pool bars were crowded, so we tended to avoid those, but inside the ship, no problem at all getting a drink. 

I bet that’s the exact opposite of an Alaska cruise!! 

19 hours ago, icft said:

WilsCM made an innocent, easily understood, rational comment. Why twist it into something nefarious?

Because it’s the internet and that’s what happens when you don’t have to risk getting punched by the person whom you are insulting. 

1 hour ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Whether or not the butler will actually get that amount is between the butler and NCL. 

This would be a pretty dazzling expose if you give a tip to someone on your onboard account to someone who is not compensated as part of the unified tip pool and NCL ( or any other cruise line) takes part of it. 
 

28 minutes ago, krazy4kruisin said:

Yes, Want top be prepared. just don't like to travel with a wallet full of bills....Wanted to know all of our options

bring an envelope in your carryon.  1s, 5s, 10s. Bring $100 and a butler letter in the haven.  

7 hours ago, Barb Nahoumi said:

Yeah, Tee shirts with the NCL LOGO, and the name of the ship, with a picture of the ocean and some fish.  That would be cool.  I'd buy one.

Seems like there are t shirt companies on Facebook that can have a custom shirt for every group.  Maybe NCL can contract with them for a couple hundred custom shirts for every cruise 

On 4/23/2024 at 7:32 AM, 7Contraveler said:

I gotta say with people like you who apparently know it all... shouldn't be asking questions on a public forum. When you are given answers you don't like then throw your snobbiness by saying things like "im in a Haven"..

What does where our cabin is have to do with anything.  I’m just someone else on the cruise. We all have to get on board using the same pier.  Why are people filled with class envy?  

3 hours ago, Kortehgehn said:

In my experience, NCL will mail out the Haven welcome letter and tags at the 30-day mark.  Although, we just cruised last week on the Joy and received our tags in the mail on March 9th, so that implies they are sending them earlier than 30 days out.  We have had times in the past when we did not receive tags initially and had to call the pre-concierge to have them resent to us.  It's also accurate, as mentioned above, that the tags are sometimes sent to your TA directly.

thanks - I'm sure its closer to 30 days - less chance of them going astray in modern busy household - 

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Since you finally bothered to mention that you are a Haven guest, then, yes, you should get your pre cruise letter and luggage tags about 50 days prior to departure. Always has been 50 days pre- and post-pandemic. 
 

Shortly before that, you will get a welcome email. 
 

If you don’t get them, then they probably went to your TA who threw them out versus paying to forward them to you. 

I guess your sunny disposition is probably accurate . . . 😁  My TA is a 10 min drive - and I go by her office often during my day - so - a simple call or email can arrange for a pick up - which prob goes further to identifying the customer service skill set of whom I am dealing with 

3 hours ago, quillwercruisers said:

Also, the luggage tags might actually go to your TA's office instead of directly to you. We have never used a TA, but since they control your reservation it is a possibility. They may already have them, but if you don't receive them, you can print them out from your e-docs. Happy Cruising.

thanks! 

1 minute ago, 7Contraveler said:

I forgot to mention the quicker you check in the more choices you have for check in time at the pier.. have a great cruise

we're in the Haven . . . .so . . . .but you are correct 

3 minutes ago, 7Contraveler said:

You get all of your documentation 24 hours after you check in online.. check in begins 21 days prior to your cruise at midnight EST. 

ok - thanks - yes I know when check in starts - thanks - there are a bazillion posts here with the 60 day start - then my TA appears to have literally made up the 45 day period!  

First I heard that NCL sends out pre cruise documentation [luggage labels etc] 60 days out. . . . well past that.

Then my TA told me 45 days out [which has passed by 5 days] - I can expect pre-cruise documents 

Then I read that NCL now simply makes everything available for download and printout as part of your check-in process 21 days out . . .

Anyone who has cruised lately - what's the procedure now - As I have mentioned before our TA is worthless and takes days to respond and is never available for a phone call - but then I suppose at some level I only used her to get an OBC . . .

How about asking the waiter - "can I swap an entree for a second appetizer?" 

Worst they can do is say no.  "What if you ordered an entree what would you order and if you ordered a second app what would it be? "  Thats how I would respond if asked - enter the entree into the system and bring out the second app - he goes back in the kitchen - tells them to skip the entree, deliver the app - and you tip him $10 which you should anyway, thereby saving the cost of the app and the additional 20% tip 

38 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

I've seen the "what if?" game played regarding dress codes.

 

I know there was debate a while ago about attire when sailing to Bermuda.  It's not uncommon there to see business people wearing a sport coat with shorts.

of course, that would be ON bermuda, not on a ship en route thereto!  Our British cousins have different standards on their ships, plus, they had a daily ration together with an entire Scots regiment boarded at times - thus - they needed to be more flexible in their dress when I was a guest on board!  😉

59 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

What about kilts?  Do you consider those to be the same as pants?

Since I own a kilt, the full 9 yards as well, I would be happy to wear one in the dining room. . . .but - as others have said - they don't want to see my junk! 😁

19 hours ago, vacation44 said:

I know that pants are required for men at Ocean Blue, but are they required if you are sitting outside?  

Pants are always required - I believe you are making the distinction between long and short pants - and if you are in the restaurant whether inside or outside I would suggest that long pants are proper attire - 

The airline cannot keep your money for a flight you did not take - dispute the charge on your credit card - even f you don't have the US protections on your credit card - a business cannot charge you for a service you did not receive ever.  I also think you should byotche quite loudly to NCL - THEY changed your flight within XX days of travel.  Go read the Air surcharge limitations 

18 hours ago, zqvol said:

It’s not several hundred above the unlimited, it’s less than $150 more than unlimited for a week. 

Ok - so its $300 more than the basic free at sea 150 minutes.  Got it 

5 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

No matter how I book, I don’t expect a travel agent to continually check for new promos or price drops after I book, their job is done.

Maybe if you understood what her promises were as part of the deal to get the business - you might understand why I say that.  

So - I'll be painfully direct:  "We [the agency] SHALL [emphasis mine] make regular efforts to determine if there are any specials, deals or limited time offers concerning your travel booked with us that can save you money.  This is at no cost as part of our service."

39 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

That would be a tough (if not impossible) "get" from a TA.  That is, asking for more than the kickback they're already giving you on your booking.

 

Not a TA, so I don't know how it works.

 

But, it's sort of like asking anyone on commission if they're willing to give up part of their compensation because I want them to give it to me.  I just literally cringed a bit while typing that.

 

So, are you saying you have an issue with your wife for booking a massage?  You want the TA to give you some money back because your wife likes expensive massages?

 

FAS+ isn't something I'd buy as there's nothing in the way of the expanded drinks that interest me.  So, that's not an expense I'll incur.

 

But, if you're looking for other ways to add value to your cruise, keep an eye out on offers on your credit cards.  I use my AMEX to pay for my cruises.  OP, I know you mentioned you are either booked, or looking to book, a Haven cabin.  AMEX Platinum offers $300 OBC plus diner at LeBistro plus a bottle of wine.

 

I think Visa Sapphire offers something similar.

 

Over time, my TA has probably made decent commissions on my bookings as I usually book Haven, Retreat or Yacht Club cabins.  I never ask for anything other than what she offers (which is between an 8%-10% discount or OBC).  She's hands on for my reservation, too...keeping an eye out for price drops, special rates on cruises she believes I might be interested in, etc.  So, she's not a "book'em and forget'em".

 

But, she works at a high volume internet cruise booking agency.  She books a lot of cruises to make her living.  

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think @cruiseny4life is a TA.  He can probably offer some insight regarding a guest asking for his commission.

 

EDIT....just saw @cruiseny4life posted while I was still typing.  Thanks!

Sadly, my TA takes DAYS to get back to me with inaccurate information usually.  She was the one who offered US an OBC.  I didn't ask - but once she did I negotiated further when we had an in excess of $12000 cruise fare. 

So far, other than trying to book us in cabins [and cruise lines] we did not want [and told her we wanted a forward or aft cabin, and then came back to us $5000 over our stated budget] and then refused her company's online price match - and then having my mother in law die which messed up our planning for a month - I got back to her with cruise time, fare, cabin location and price to simply book it so it was someone else's responsbility to keep and eye on the cruise, she missed a discount, missed a discounted FAS+ expiration and has totally failed to do anything else but charge us.  

So - that said - lets say I don't exactly have a soft spot in my heart for any travel agent - I have not found a decent one since 1985. . . 

My question is because my TA is kicking us back a portion of the commission and if they're gonna collect from two [very expensive] excurisons and the FAS+ plus inevitable $350 massage my wife is going to get despite telling me she isn't going to do - I'm gonna go back and ask for more $$$$ 

If you want streaming you have to pay for a streaming package which is several hundred above the unlimited internet package . . . . 

14 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Port Canaveral is close to Orlando International Airport (MCO). It's a little over a 30 minute drive but it's actually a different city and county. 

So the ship left from Port Canaveral - not Orlando. . ., . did they provide busses from MCO then?  Or were you on your own to get from whatever airport you arrived at to Port Canaveral?  

Issue for me is conclusions.  Conclusions require facts to back them up.  Give me meal three examples of inedible food. 
 

tell me the restaurant:

the specific food you spit into your napkin and 

exsctly what was wrong. Salty, spicy, bland, improperly made?  
 

MDR food is often not of the same quality as the speciality restaurants where they can spend more $$$ on the food.  
 

dear OP:  convince with facts. Not conclusions.  Seems like everybody today is about conclusions and not facts. 
 

let’s also acknowledge the reality it’s been in storage since before they left Florida 

and. How does a cruise leave from Orlando?  I know that is totally OT but I’ve been wondering.