littlelulu01

We purchased the ncl Hubbard glacier excursion on the Allen Marine tour boat to get us up close to the glacier. The small boat can get through the ice and then back away from glacier when the calving creates good size waves. You can stay inside and keep warm but it’s only a couple hours so I opted to brave the elements and hear the cracking of the ice and be just a bit more up close.  It’s not cheap but definitely worth it imo.  Here’s pictures of where we left the ship which didn’t get any closer.  And then un zoomed pics of how close the Allen marine tour boat gets and the amount of ice it had to get through. You might be able to get closer later in the season or have a better view on a clearer day. 

On 6/8/2023 at 8:44 PM, YVRteacher said:

Here’s the screenshot I meant to post.

 

We recently did this itinerary and did not sail inside passage.  Still a fantastic trip. 

We were recently on the Spirit. Our atv tour through ncl was canceled. We didn’t get a chance to reschedule anything but will say the town is easily walkable. They have a Safeway grocery store and a free shuttle from ship to town.  Tourism doesn’t seem to have taken off in the town just yet. I saw what I needed to of Valdez pretty quickly on foot and got back to the ship for a Starbucks onboard, sat outside and enjoyed watching bald eagles flying around, hot tubbed and got some warm sunshine while the ship was docked. 
 

5 hours ago, JennKach said:

On this cruise it was just me (57) and my husband (60) on cruise #17, #9 on NCL and second cruise as Platinum.  I originally booked OV and bid $105 on a balcony upgrade which came through 30 days before sailing at just above minimum bid.  I was pretty confident I’d get it because the ship had so many empty cabins, and prices kept falling so much I could almost upgrade to a balcony for less than the bids!

 

Our cruise was the May 17 Spirit 7 day sailing out of Seward (Anchorage) Alaska which did a full southward route to Vancouver and visited Valdez, Hubbard Glacier, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan.  I used to live in Valdez so it was a homecoming for me, but other than Anchorage I had never been to the other cities.  It was the first trip to Alaska for my husband and it took me 30 years to get him to come with me!  The ship was empty with crew outnumbering the 850 passengers.  As expected there were only a handful of kids, and adults were mostly 45+ with less mobility issues than I’m used to seeing on a cruise.  Our strategy was to do a lot of sightseeing and excursions prior to sailing rather than spending so much scheduled time and money during the cruise.

 

Pre-cruise Travel

We flew to Anchorage seven days early using FF miles on Alaska Air out of Detroit.  There was an 8 hour overnight connection in Seattle to a 6am Anchorage flight so we chose to sleep at SEATAC instead of wasting money and travel time getting to a hotel for maybe 4 hours of sleep.  Luckily we scored a padded curved bench area and got a little sleep.  Flights were on time and we upgraded to extra leg room, but drew the short straw on passengers sitting next to us.  One flight had the person that should have purchased an extra seat and skipped the cologne, and on the other flight the guy was either amped up on caffeine or needing a fix because he jerked and moved around for three hours!  After eight hours of manspreading, being squished in my seat or getting elbowed, having a headache and flashbacks to the toddler years, I was really tired.  Be sure to order your meals ahead of time online because they don’t have much extra on board.  With overnight connections your bags are checked straight through, so keep everything you need during the night in your carryon.

 

Anchorage

We arrived at 8:15 am and went straight to the rental car.  Make sure you reserve MONTHS in advance and keep checking for price reductions.  They sold out weeks ahead of our trip.  Also make sure you reserve your hotel MONTHS in advance for the best pricing and availability.  We stayed at the Dimond Center Hotel on a AAA rate with free airport shuttle and a really nice breakfast included.  It’s in the shopping district next to a mall, Walmart and Kane’s Chicken.

We explored Anchorage and did day trips out to Palmer, Whittier, the Wildlife Conservation Center, dogsledding in the snow, and spent a day at the Nordic Spa at the Alyeska resort.  We visited breweries, a distillery, did light hiking, viewed Denali, drove up Flat Top Mountain, saw moose everywhere, and visited the Aviation Air Museum.  On our last night we returned the rental car to the airport and shuttled back to the hotel.

When driving south of Anchorage be prepared for construction and rockslide/avalanche mitigation that can randomly close the road for a few minutes or an hour.

 

Seward

Getting to Seward was supposed to be a nice train experience in the upgraded domed cars, but unfortunately the track was still closed near Seward due to excessive snow and avalanche risk.  Instead we got to take a taxi at 5:45am to the train station to board a bus.  At least they threw in a free breakfast box.  I was very disappointed to miss this train experience as it was a surprise for my husband to splurge on first class.  Note: if there are multiple buses, one will make another stop for passengers in Girdwood.  Ask the drivers before you get on if you prefer to have a shorter trip.

The bus drops you off at the Seward train station which is right across the street from our hotel, the Harbor 360.  We spent two days here in a spotless room with a fridge and microwave.  Bring your bathing suit for the pool and hot tub.  We did the Orca Quest cruise with Major Marine which left from the hotel.  There are several great restaurants and a food truck within a block.  We used the free city shuttle to come back from our walk downtown.  You can’t beat this hotel for convenience. 

 

Embarkation

Our hotel was on one side of the large marina and the ship docked on the other.  Rather than wait for the 12pm shuttle, we walked over at 11:15.  There is a sidewalk for most of it, but you do have to cross a large gravel parking area to drop your bags.  With priority check in we had no line and also got priority through the security line.  By 12:10 we were sitting down to lunch and a drink in the main dining room.  Rooms were ready when we finished.

 

Food

Buffet – we mainly ate breakfast here but also a couple dinners and snacks.  Not much really to say about it.   I never waited for an omelet.  If you miss lunch, there is a small area from 3-5pm with basics and afternoon tea type items.  I enjoyed the fresh scones with cream.  With so few passengers we always got a window seat.   There was fresh brewed iced tea on some days in glass dispensers near the water machines that was delicious!  What a nice surprise.

Main Dining – I think we only ate three meals here.  It was fine but sometimes we just preferred the menu in the buffet and to sit in the windows watching for whales.  We had three meals in specialty restaurants and it was a port intensive cruise.

Cagney’s – Yummy as usual.  I actually liked the crème brulé this time vs the last cruise.  It tasted like the old recipe I remembered.

Le Bistro – Lamb Chops were awesome, and I had a glass of Veuve Clicquot to see what all the fuss is about.  It was good!  They gave a generous pour and refill and I didn’t let it go to waste.

Onda – I’m not sure people knew this restaurant existed.  You couldn’t pre-book online, I had to call.  It was fantastic!  The caramel custard dessert was so good that we came back a second night for just drinks and dessert.  I’m not sure they would let us do that if it were crowded.

Room Service – We only ordered once on the day we had a 9am behind the scenes tour.  We used them as our wakeup alarm and for the first time in my experience, they were late!  It was a mad scramble (pun intended) to eat our eggs and bacon, throw on some clothes and make the tour on time.  Got our morning cardio running to the atrium.

 

Cabin

We were in a balcony on deck 11.  Having two CPAPs was not a problem running the cords under the bed with the extension cord I brought.  The cabin steward provided bathrobes and distilled water at my request.  We booked at a time that included 6 complimentary large cartons of water per person and all 12 were sitting on the desk, plus the two Latitudes waters.  We barely drank half of it and I’m not a fan of spring water.   Cabin service was fine (once a day) and the steward managed to get it done while we were out of the room.  You may recall from my last review that the bathroom cleaner smell was overpowering and set me to sneezing.  Yep, they use the same cleaner on this ship but it wasn’t nearly as strong.  A quick word to the steward that we didn’t want him to use it for the week and everything was great.

 

Ports

Valdez - As I mentioned, I used to live in Valdez when my dad was an engineer on the pipeline 45 years ago.  This port was the reason I booked this particular cruise.  6 months in advance I reserved a Turo vehicle for the day so I could show my husband all the sights I remembered, plus see the new salmon hatchery and take pictures by the Oil Terminal, original town site and the waterfalls up in Thompson Pass.  Unfortunately the people that rented the car on the cruise before mine were hit while turning into the gas station.  The car was totaled (they were ok thank goodness) so I had no transportation.  This was a bigger disappointment than the canceled train!  Valdez has no Uber or taxi service, and bikes were sold out so we were on foot.  We made the best of it and walked as far as we could, and visited a couple museums.  I’m glad we made it this year because Valdez is not on the NCL schedule next summer.

 

Hubbard Glacier – the day turned out to be foggy and rainy so the glacier was not very visible.  The captain turned the ship around a couple times so everyone had a “view”.

 

Skagway – we walked around the small town, no excursions planned.  I must say they have the best and most plentiful public restrooms I’ve ever seen!  I was in the Parks Service Visitor center and overheard them recommending a free tour of the Parlour Museum.  We really enjoyed it.  They only have a couple tickets per tour and it’s a quirky little place.  Most people take the White Pass railway tour here but we weren’t interested this trip. 

 

Juneau – again, no organized tour here.  This is a tender port.  We took a leisurely walk up to the capital building and the governor’s house.  It’s a leg workout for sure on steeper hills than San Francisco.  My husband was still wanting some King Crab so we had lunch at Tracy’s.  It’s fun watching the sea planes take off and land right next to the ship.

 

Ketchikan – the ship docks in Ward Cove and there is a 20 minute shuttle bus to town, but not actually in the center of town.  It’s still a bit of a walk to Creek Street and the main area where all the other ships dock.  We ended up joining a private bus excursion for $75 that took us to Saxman Village, Eagle Point, a short presentation by a native Alaskan, a city tour, salmon ladder and dropped us off at Creek Street.  Ward Cove has a very nice shopping area right there with reasonable pricing.

 

Entertainment

The comedian was the only show we saw in the theater.  We caught the Not So Newlywed Game which wasn’t that great.  It felt like one couple was exaggerating stuff and putting on a performance and it dragged on forever.  The band in Spinnaker at night was very good.  I played slots for an hour and came out $0.09 ahead.   

 

Pools

I saw a couple people swim, but mostly they used the hot tubs.  We got in one day and enjoyed the views.  The chlorine smell stayed with us for a couple days though so we didn’t go back in. 

 

Latitudes Perks

This was our second cruise as Platinum.  We got priority embarkation, and a nice treat plate with two strawberries and a few other items.  The free laundry is a game changer for packing!  Since we had a week on land first, we immediately used one free bag of laundry to wash what we had already worn.  Then, on day 5 we used the second free bag for the rest of it.  We used our two free dinners, free bottle of wine, discount on one photo, and participated in the Behind the Scenes tour.  I hadn’t planned to do the tour again, but I’m glad we did because we learned way more than on the last cruise.  We skipped the cocktail party and wine tasting though.

 

What to Bring

I see lots of discussions about what to bring or wear.  It really depends on what you plan to do, and how heavy you like to pack, but in May we encountered everything from 32 degrees with wind and rain, to 65 and sunny.  We walked in 8” of snow, and in puddles, mud and rain.  Some days we walked 12k steps and other days much less.  We slept in an airport with a blanket.  What worked for me was thin, light layers.  My best purchases were a long puffer jacket with hood that fits in a small pouch, a waterproof rain layer with hood, a zip up fleece, and waterproof hiking shoes.  Other things I used a lot were a drawstring pack, binoculars, gloves and lip balm.  I sometimes layered leggings under jeans.  Wool socks and athletic shoes are very warm.  We spent a lot of time on deck leaving ports and it got really cold underway.  For some reason I didn’t think my skin would be dry but I really missed my forgotten lotion.  It is totally doable to only bring a small suitcase and a backpack on this trip.

 

Wildlife

Of course everyone wants to see wildlife.  From our experience you can’t guarantee it, and it is often unexpected.  Anchorage has moose like Michigan has deer.  We saw lots of moose but not on wildlife tours, we were just driving around the city.  Eagles are also everywhere and often perched on a lamp post.  From the ship we saw a huge pod of whales while having dinner in the buffet.  There were porpoises in the ship wake leaving port.  Harbor seals hang out next to the ship docked in Valdez.  On our whale watch tour we saw killer whales, humpbacks, sea lions, sea otters, black bear, porpoises and beautiful harlequin ducks.

 

Miscellaneous

I didn’t see any pier runners and I don’t think we left anyone behind.  

 

Spice H20 is a really nice place to watch for wildlife and take in the scenery.  You can easily go from side to side and there is a bar nearby.  Lots of covered space to get out of the sun and wind.

 

Booking Alaska in May?  Pros: less crowded, hotel cheaper, rental car cheaper, land based excursion discounts, can dogsled on snow without a helicopter, cheaper cruise, no bugs, no kids.  Cons: Colder, some tours not running yet, Alaska Railroad routes limited, no scheduled bus to Seward yet, some port businesses closed, Tram at Mt Alyeska closed, salmon not running.

 

Jet lag is harder the older I get.  It’s 4 hours different for us and it took several days to adjust each way.  I’m so glad we arrived early to be all set for the cruise.

I had trouble spending my $100 OBC.  It doesn’t cover extra tips, but it does cover the room service charge, and meal/drink upcharges.  We also bought snacks for the trip home, a T-shirt, and a photo.

 

Passengers were pretty boring so I don’t have any crazy stories to tell.  

 

I stocked up on CruiseNext certificates.

 

Get your travel insurance!  A lady fell on some steps in Juneau and was being taken away by ambulance.  It’s not just major medical emergencies or extreme activities that can derail your trip and finances.

 

Disembarkation

We did the NCL air promo for the flight home and had a 1:45 pm flight out of Vancouver.  With no reason to hurry, we vacated our cabin at 8:30 as instructed and headed up to the buffet for breakfast.  The daily said we had to be off by 9:30, but they were announcing final call at 9:00.  It’s a pet peeve of mine that they say to relax and enjoy your breakfast until XX time but in reality they push you to leave earlier.  There was no line to get off, we found our luggage easily and were on our way in minutes.  The Vancouver port is right downtown.  We called an Uber which arrived in 1 minute and were at the airport about 30 minutes later.   

 

Trip Home

NCL air gave us two flights home on United with a connection in Chicago.  After my last immigration/customs/tight connection nightmare in Chicago, I was pleasantly surprised to find out we get our clearance in Vancouver instead.  After checking bags you go through traditional security.  They are more thorough than usual and don’t recognize TSA Pre-check since it’s Canada.  In addition to taking off shoes and taking out liquids and tablets, they had us take our CPAP’s out for inspection too.  Then you get in line for immigration. It still took awhile but at least we didn’t have to deal with it later.  We made it to the gate by 11:00 am, in time to nap a bit and grab lunch before takeoff.  Miraculously we had a row to ourselves for a comfortable flight home. 

 

Final thoughts

NCL did it again with an outstanding ship and crew.  My husband declared the Spirit to be his favorite ship because of the intimate spaces that allowed conversations even when music was playing or the area was crowded.  We had gorgeous weather most days but used ALL of the layers and footwear we brought at some point in the trip.  It’s a casual vibe on this itinerary so don’t bother dressing up.

 

Great review. We were on your sailing.  The Spirit is my new favorite ship too. Idk if it was so few passengers or if the ship is really just that easy to get around.  We never had waits, experienced polite and friendly passengers and crew, and were able to slide right into vacation mode the second we boarded.

I had some great excursions planned but many were cancelled due to lack of participation or weather.  Our train and bike back to port from Canada only had 7 participants. We got stuck on our bikes for quite a while at the border due to the Canadian holiday but the group we were with had fun chatting and time flew.
 

😢 we just boarded the Spirit yesterday in Seward and it’s by far my new favorite ship.  Perfect for Alaska. 

Spoke with the Alaska Railroad rep who’s refunding me for the bus tickets I purchased on their website.  She thought the train service would start next week.  

28 minutes ago, GTJ said:

The reason for the Alaska Railroad to continue taking bookings is that it is a transportation company and many people have a need for transportation. The Alaska Railroad is not limited to providing such transportation by railroad, and indeed its published terms and conditions specifically state: "The Alaska Railroad Corporation reserves the right to cancel, substitute transportation, or alter for any reason, any rail trip or tour itinerary as current conditions, in the Alaska Railroad’s sole opinion, may require." Indeed, the railroad regularly offers bus transportation between Portage and Anchorage, designed for passengers coming from points south on the Glacier Discovery train, and who do not desire the time-consuming train maneuver from Portage to Whittier and back, before proceeding to Anchorage. The railroad charges $105 one-way between Anchorage and Seward ($213 for its first class "GoldStar" service), and so the railroad might be able to make a greater profit by providing substituted transportation. It may seem unfair, but there is no obligation on the part of the railroad to provide any particular means for the transportation it provides. Nonetheless, the railroad should provide at least a partial rebate upon substitution, if only to protect its public reputation. But at its heart, the railroad continues to take bookings because people need transportation. (Take a look at a typical cruise line's terms and conditions and you will find similar, if not more onerous, provisions. For example, the Holland America terms and conditions state: "Except as otherwise provided, Carrier may, for any reason, without prior notice, . . . substitute ships, aircraft or other transportation . . . ." Thus, the cruise line could provide a bus ride between Vancouver and Seward in place of the cruise vessel.)

Very understandable the née to switch but at least put a notification on website if zero train option. We were excited to take the train and spent extra for the opportunity.  Booked directly with the cruise line for the 1pm train and spent considerably more $ than the bus fares. Tonight I received notice from cruise line of the switch to the bus service. I looked at the train company website and there was still 3 seats left on the 6:45 am train. Both the train and cruise companies were closed for the night so was not able to speak to a person. Not wanting to miss the opportunity for a train ride I paid again figuring that despite having to throw away my 1pm bus ticket from cruise line it would be worth it for a train trip. Now I realize I have just spent a few hundred extra to book a 6:45 am bus trip, I’ve also got the 1pm bus ride that I’ll proceed with given the more favorable time.  Just frustrating the train website had no notice that trains aren’t even running. What a waste. 

5 minutes ago, JennKach said:

All trains to Seward for the near future are canceled due to avalanche risk.  We were booked on the 6:45am train today and ended up on the bus.  The track is not open.  Not sure why they keep taking bookings.

Thank you! I’ll call in the morning and see if I can get a refund. 

We’re booked on the ncl Spirit May 17 Seward departure. Just received notification from ncl that the train transfer from Anchorage to Seward was cancelled due to snow and they’ve rescheduled us for a bus transfer.  The train website has the early train transfer option available. They have closed for the night and only a few seats left so I booked the 6:45 train. Too close to sailing for a refund from cruise line but we really want the train option.  Does anyone know how common it is for train to switch to bus option?  Just wondering if I just threw away a few hundred extra only to still be put on the bus?  Seems so strange that the train can’t run for ncl due to snow but the early time on same day is still scheduled?  

They seem to increase annually.  I try to pay for as many as possible as far in advance as possible. Sometimes it’s a negligible increase but more often they’re fairly significant jumps in price. 

Thanks for your through review.  I had the same reservations on this room but didn’t want to sour your opinion.  Seems you had the same issues with the stateroom.  We were in a haven penthouse for 10 nights prior to moving into your stateroom for the TA.  The penthouse we had was incredibly noisy with non rectifiable ceiling noises that necessitated us sleeping in a room down a couple of decks in a nice quiet balcony room.  Luckily your stateroom just had the one comparatively quiet creak in the bedroom ceiling. It was on our ta segment that husband and I got COVID. It was right before they ended the covid protocols and testing.  I think we were the last mandated sailings to be tested before sailing. We were allowed to stay onboard and be treated /quarantined in the stateroom.  So despite all the flaws with this room I was so thankful we had spent extra for this room with the balcony and hot tub.  I did eventually get pretty stir crazy even in this suite and can tell u every little flaw with this room.  I think the two top category suites are better equipped.  This room seems like an afterthought design that just doesn’t work - right down to blowing the entire power to the suite and surrounding area each time I used the hardwired hairdryer in the bathroom.  I told the engineers that something was definitely correlated and initially they told me it couldn’t be but 100% of the time i used it the power blew.  I wonder if they subsequently just removed the hard wired hairdryer or fixed the issue. 
 

I wasn’t crazy about the Haven (except loved the Haven restaurant) but I absolutely loved the rest of the Prima.  I think I’d either book non haven or one of the two top suites and seeing how expensive the aft hot tub suites are on 13, 14 and 15, I’m pretty sure I’m ok with non haven, specialty dining and extras such as spa pass on this class. 

It’s not just cruise lines adding the service fees.  Most restaurants do it now too. if dinner is $100 and there’s a 20% service fee added on, I might add a couple extra dollars for the “additional gratuity” for exceptional service but can also leave that additional gratuity line empty and know I’ve still squared away my server.  I won’t be leaving an additional 20%. I think most people don’t want pay 40% more than list price.  I see that service fee with the additional gratuity line pretty often in Washington State.  It’s on ncl ships too. Easy way to take care of everyone when the expectations are that I’m going to get great service. I can remove it should I get bad service but I’ve never had the need to do so on ncl. 

21 minutes ago, dexddd said:

10686 or 10186?

10186. 

4 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

Yeh that minimalist design does not work well for us ladies. Poor design IMO. Where do they keep the hair dryer? No mirror there? 

There was a hard wired hairdryer in bathroom. also a razor plug and a usb plug. Just no US or EU outlet. There was a mirror- just no makeup mirror. I got the makeup mirror from butler so I could see while curling/straightening hair.  Also just used the same area to put my makeup on.  It wasn’t that big a deal.  I’m just used to having a dedicated area to myself to get ready and so it was just strange to have that area by the coffee machine - but that’s where the majority of room outlets were. Things could easily be different now.  I know they were planning to get things like bathroom garbage cans when the ship got to New York so assume it might be better equipped now. 
 

when u want to fill or empty your hot tub just ask the cabin steward. It takes a couple hours for the water to heat up. 

ask for the special of the day for Meals in the Haven.  The chef came up with some excellent variations on the menu like lobster rolls… so always good to ask. 
 

4 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

Is there no plug in the bathroom? The BEST makeup mirror I have had onboard was in the Discovery Princess Sky suite (amazing suite too). 

There wasn’t a plug in for bathroom when we sailed but they might have put one in?  Also no bar or foot rest to shave legs in shower.  What the room might lack in amenities it makes up for on the balcony. 
 

closet space-  the closet in the master bedroom is not very big but we were in Europe for several days before boarding and onboard for 22 nights so had a few things.  I had hubby use that one and the dresser in there and I took the dresser and closet in the hallway. 
 

here’s a couple pictures.  Enjoy every minute and hopefully u get great use of balcony space like we did. See how the tv doesn’t face the bed?  That unit pulls out in case u want to watch tv in bed. 

 

17 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

When’s your cruise?

 

Ours is May 31 and June 7 (back to back from Seward to Vancouver and then back to Seward).

 

Another bonus with Spirit - longer port hours than the mega ships!

 

May 17th.  I usually get a spa pass but $199 pp for use of loungers and no hot tub seems pretty steep so I’m passing on those. Will check it out onboard though in case it’s an area that warrants the extra $ or the price is listed wrong in my ncl. 

22 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

A special thanks to @Sthrngary  for his fantastic Haven thread and butler letter suggestion. I did that last year and think it helped. Our butler asked if she could share it with our concierge, so this time I have printed out 2 copies – one for our butler and one for our concierge (along with nice tips for both). I also want to thank those who have done previous Prima Live reviews: Your threads were great sources of information and helped me plan this cruise. 

 

Although I was really,really tempted (thanks for your great LIVE @sid_9169) to book the Vibe when it opened for bookings, I did not. I figure other's will need that special adult only area more than we will.  NCL really needs to offer more 18+ areas with hot tubs/pools onboard. IMO THAT is the main reason why Haven pax book the Vibe. 
 

The vibe on this ship is absolutely beautiful.  For haven passengers, it’s a really easy way to get to the Haven without need to take an elevator down, walk over and then back up. The hot tubs in vibe are better located than the ones in haven.  We had a Haven penthouse for a Europe sailing and then 12928 for the TA. We loved the hot tub on our balcony in 12928 and used it regularly but never got a chance to use the hot tubs in Haven when we had the smaller penthouse room because they were so packed whenever we tried to use. We didn’t get vibe passes but was a little frustrated till I got the layout down that I’d see the Haven right there but had to go down and around to get back to my room. Have a wonderful time!

Btw- the television in master bedroom pulls out and can be moved to face bed. I didn’t realize that till the end of sailing and thought it was such a strange place to put a tv.  Also- there was no plug in for my hair straightener.. or a makeup mirror in 12928.  The butler found me a mirror and I used the plug in and table by the coffee maker to get ready. 

25 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

 

The Starbucks self serve machines are on the pool deck, starboard side outside the Garden Cafe, and there is Starbucks bar in the Atrium.

 

Starbucks bar in Atrium

Atrium - the Starbucks bar is at bottom center.

 

Self-serve outside Garden Cafe on pool deck.

 

The Prima, Bliss and Encore have Starbucks SHOP, and there are far more people on those 3 ships, so no surprise about the lines!

 

You chose wisely the best ship (Spirit) for your Alaska cruise - we chose Spirit hands down because we love the aft section of the ship - Garden Cafe, Terrace Bar, Terraces, Spice H2O, padded loungers, tables and chairs, etc. Great viewing area for Alaska! From deck 10 up to 13.

We are booked in an oceanview cabin, and will not bid for upgrade .... for this reason!

 

 

 

Thanks again.  I’m really looking forward to trying this ship.  The vibe of the ship looks like a cross between the Haven and the Prima for adults. I don’t know why it’s not been on my radar to try before.  
 

I wanted to try an inside stateroom on a smaller ship like this one to test waters for future bookings to save $/cruise more but husband wasn’t ready to do that so we’re in a balcony. Got the last balcony aft on deck 10 after reading about it in various posts and KeithJenner’s previous positive comments. I’m pretty sure we’re not going to bid for upgrade either. 

On 4/23/2023 at 1:14 PM, bluesea777 said:

Have you cruised on the Spirit before?

 

The thread that I created was directed to the people who had sailed on Spirit previously and were dying to see what the $100m refit did to the ship. We were the first pax on the new Miss Spirit.

 

We loved that ship - perfect size! We will be going on her next month for the two B2B Alaska cruises. Can't wait to set our feet on Miss Spirit once again!

 

 

Thanks for your pictures. Ship looks beautiful!  Just booked Alaska. I see there’s Starbucks self serve machines in buffet but did you notice anywhere else where Starbucks is sold?  The lines at Starbucks on the Prima and Bliss were pretty crazy and I’m hoping this smaller ship will have easier access to my morning Starbucks fix.

13 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

In September, I felt like I was coming down with a bad cold. A friend traveling felt the same, asked the ship to test him for Covid just to be safe - he was negative. The next day my cold didn't improve, so I asked to be tested. I came up positive right away on the rapid antigen test. That was the end of my vacation. We only had 3 days left in our trip, so I was quarantined to my cabin for the rest of the time. My hubby was either allowed to stay with me and be in lockdown too, or he could choose to move to a different cabin by himself so he wouldn't be on lockdown.

We were in a HH Haven family suite on the Joy, so obviously there was nothing comparable to move him to. The best they could do was a balcony room a few cabins down on the same deck. He abandoned me and got to live it up for those last 3 days by himself (although I had the better room). I was resigned to my cabin with 2x/day temperature checks and getting meals dropped off at the door. 

 

The thing I didn't like, was that they didn't force him to get tested when I turned positive. Which means they didn't force anyone else to get tested. At the time he had no symptoms, but by the time we got home he was starting to show some and tested positive with a home kit. Our cruise ended in NY where we live, so not sure what would have happened for those last 2 quarantine days if we needed to fly home somewhere.

 

Even though he moved to a regular room, he kept his Haven privilege's. But even though I had the drink package and couldn't leave my room, I still wasn't allowed to ask for liquor or cans of soda to be brought to my room with my meals. They were going to charge me I think $4/can of Sprite. Plus they didn't tell me I could use my last dining credit until the last day of the trip - previously they told me I had to order from either the room service menu (very limited) or the main dining room menu - which I didn't have a copy of. So either you sit there listening to someone read all the choices off to you, or you wing it and just get one of the classic dishes that you know will be there.

 

For us, biggest lesson learned is to wear masks on bus tours because I'm 100% convinced I caught it from the man behind me who was coughing and sneezing his brains out on our Titanic excursion. And to self-test in your room and not be stupid. If you have symptoms, stay in your room regardless of what the test says. If someone looks like they have cooties, I have no quams about shaming them and telling them to stay the eff away from me and to go back to their room.

 

There were officially 10 of us who got escorted in bunny suits off the ship at the end of the journey, but I know for a fact there were many many more who just didn't formally get tested. It spreads quick, so keep wearing a mask if you're immunocompromised or don't want cooties. I was grateful to have the giant Haven room, but I essentially lost all perks and benefits that come with Haven once I tested positive. The cabin steward called me every day to see if I needed anything, but no one was allowed in my room at all.

Since I had no symptoms, I was told to wear high quality mask when outside my cabin,  isolate self immediately and report any symptoms if noted,  and was to be tested 5 days after exposure if no symptoms prior (They gave us KN95’s but I had my own supply of fit tested so used my own.)  I think we were not made to separate because our stateroom was essentially set up so that we could easily be fully isolated from each other. 
 

regarding the food, we were able to get canned sodas, pelligrino, Starbucks nespresso pods… I had butler get me all hooked up prior to me testing positive and so I was able to work the machine/clean myself… 

We were initially ordering specialty menu items and using our credits but they had some miscommunications with that.  When I switched over to the COVID call center the food and food service was much better.  Delivery was timely and not awkward.  Crew knew how to get us the meals and pick up the dirty dishes. 

26 minutes ago, LGinPA said:

 

Thanks, this is useful.

 

Another question about testing positive, initially.  Did you use a test kit you brought with you to determine you were positive, or go to the infirmary to be tested? 

We were the last sailing with mandatory testing.  We spent a week in Finland and Copenhagen prior to boarding the Prima so brought with us the emed proctored kits. I had a 6 pack just in case. We had tested negative for first leg and had those results loaded in the system.  I was able to complete my proctoring prior to losing fast internet in Bruges but we didn’t get husband’s done in time when leaving port. On turnaround day husband woke up with symptoms. Never having covid previously and knowing we were about to have several sea days where we might not be able to get off the ship I was not sure what to do. In the end it all worked out and we made the right choice (for us anyway) by staying on the ship. I tested him and the ship retested to confirm results.  Same thing when I contracted. 

Not sure how current but we tested positive in October and were allowed to stay in our stateroom. Prima b2b with the TA. Husband tested positive on turnaround day. We were in the Haven. We were scheduled to move to a bigger room within the Haven for 2nd leg. After he tested positive they put him in a balcony room. When the new room was ready they gave us the option of him isolating in an inside stateroom or the separate bedroom of our new room.  I’d already been exposed and figured I was going to catch it anyway so we just separated till I tested positive the next day. I was really surprised they didn’t kick us off the ship in Southampton. Immigration came to us when we got settled in the room. We were taken care, of free of charge, by the ship’s doctor and medical staff.  Medicine like cold/flu pills were free. They offered us plaxovid for several hundred dollars but our symptoms were mild so we decided against taking that. We tested negative pretty quick.  Crew checked our temperatures daily and tested us when we were eligible . Husband was let out of isolation after two days of negative tests in Reykjavik and I was freed a day or so later. They had us wear high quality masks till I think day 10.  It was our first bout of COVID and I gotta say it wasn’t too bad.  Helped that we had food delivered, a hot tub on our balcony and separate living room. I did the cleaning… till we were both cleared from isolation. I’ve never been so thankful in my life for splurging on the stateroom. It was more $ than I’d ever spent on a vacation but once we got sick the stateroom was our isolation quarters for many days. We used the hot tub several times a day, had a crazy amount of space on balcony and separate living room. 

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

I think that Deck 8 atrium is a good use of space. You would never put two bars next to each other in the atrium. The Bird actually purchased some bling at the Pandora shop. 

Agree. I for one love the flow of 6, 7 and 8.   I found myself shopping more than I ever would on a ship.  We were onboard for 22 days at first they had a ton of selection but by the time we crossed the Atlantic the stores were pretty picked over.
 

Regarding small venues- they were having some technical difficulties in the main theater.  From my understanding they will be utilizing the theater more but it’ll just take a while to work out the bugs. 
 

I noticed quite a bit of pop up entertainment. Would be getting a Starbucks and a guy would start performing spur of moment.  More of an organic happening with entertainment to cut down crowds.  
 

Thanks for the great review. 

Congratulations on his graduation.  Just the fact he wants to vacation with you guys probably indicates he’s happy to hang out with you two.  I met you both on the Jade pre COVID 😊. Our daughters had a great time meeting people their own age when they were on a Mediterranean sailing. Ncl sponsored some activities and meeting times/places and it wasn’t long before the 10 or so college age kids all got together.  In fact our daughter is now engaged to the boy she met on the Jade! 

We were recently onboard for 22 nights.  Some of my negatives are pretty petty and also will likely get ironed out- just typical new ship issues so I won’t dwell on them. I’ve never spent that much $ on a cruise and hadn’t intended to be on the first few paying passenger sailings but due to supply chain issue delays we ended up sailing on a ship that was a little too new for my liking.  
 

My thoughts are that the ship is just beautiful! I love all the little spaces, smaller venues, great places outside, and think this class of ship will be a big hit.  I’m not for the big huge pool deck and loved all the infinity pools, smaller outdoor venues, the beautiful vibe beach club that was imo nicest outdoor area  area on any ship. 
 

The spa was stunning and once they get the components running correctly it will be a huge hit. 
 

The balcony rooms are beautiful. We had an issue with our first haven suite and they put us in a balcony room for a few nights till it got fixed.  The balcony room was beautiful, so functional, spacious and whoever designed it deserves an award. 
 

The Haven- I love the fun touches like the artwork and fantastic books and artwork in the rooms and common areas.  Again- you can tell so much thought was put into creating spaces that just work for relaxing. 
 

The food- I was impressed with the responsiveness to feedback.  They started offering daily specials that were always good and fun like lobster rolls for lunch…  the crew was fantastic on all levels. 
 

I was impressed with the entertainment.  I know they have a few kinks to work out there too but the theater and shows are the best I’ve seen at sea.  

The crowding in areas ?  It happens but if u go with the flow and are willing to adjust schedules, it’s pretty easy to go somewhere else for a meal or entertainment if one venue is too crowded. 
 

Loved indulge food hall.  It’s fun and quick and easy. Indian food was the best but they had great nachos, chicken legs, Starbucks right there, serve yourself Coke. 
 

I personally loved the 6, 7 & 8 shops, the Starbucks, the atrium venues and actually had fun shopping on a cruise ship- something I never do. They did get pretty picked over towards the end of our 2nd leg. Love how easy to grab a Starbucks and listen to some music or just people watch. 
 

Our aft owners suite had  a few missing things.  Idk if they’re going to be added but seems strange that the one hard wired blow dryer has a cord that you have to bend over to get it close enough to dry hair. It also blew the power circuit when the hard wired blow dryer is on high.  I asked for a makeup mirror and set up my own vanity area and used plug in by the nespresso machine but I kind of wonder how someone designs a room that’s a couple grand a night and the only strategic place to plug in a hair straightener is the drawer where the coffee supplies and dishes are. A few little things like this aside and the room grew on me.  Our own private hot tub was a godsend and we used it a few times a day. I loved how I could lay in bed and watch the ocean. I loved the balcony. I loved how quick the haven elevators worked and once I figured out the lay of the ship it did make sense on how to get around. I think 160 haven suites is too many.  I’d almost be inclined to do a vibe pass and skip the haven for warm weather sailings.  We splurged and were thankful we did. All things considered, I’m most partial to the jewel class Haven but I will definitely sail this class again and if not in the Haven I’d pick this class of ship over anything else at sea.