Questions Re: The Jewel's New Alaskan Route...

[kcfoxy]

...and staff.

 

I know the Jewel is replacing the Star as one of two NCL ships on the Seattle to Seattle closed loop route. And I know the Jewel's just transited the PC on her way up the Pacific Ocean coastline for the Vancouver to Seattle shakedown cruise.

 

Itineraries would appear basically identical to the Star's ports of call. Victoria instead of Prince Rupert, Sawyer Glacier instead of the Pearl's Glacier Bay venue.

 

What I'm wondering is what the staff situation will be and how this will affect the pax. All new crew upon leaving East Coast? Crew bidding for new/favorite route based on seniority and/or performance parameters?

 

 

Staff unfamiliar with excursions, ports of call, expected weather and seas?

 

Captain new to this route/Inside Passage waterways?

 

We've enjoyed NCL in the last few years and are obviously booking with same into the future, but after researching my little heart out/having been on a similar HAL Amsterdam cruise in 2003, (substituting Skagway for Sitka), just wondering what the learning curve might be in this exciting new Jewel class voyage.

[deladypilot]

Crews run on contract. Not every crew member leaves at the same time. One crew members contract may end in June and another in September. They go on their break (usually 3 months) and then return, sometimes to the same ship and sometimes to a new ship.

 

We cruised on the Star last August. Our cabin steward was headed home on his vacation in October. By then the Star had moved to the Carribean. He told us that when his vacation was over, he would be headed to the Dawn.

 

So to answer your question, the crew change on a variable schedule so you never have a totally new crew.

 

Hope this helps

[kcfoxy]

Crews run on contract. Not every crew member leaves at the same time. One crew members contract may end in June and another in September. They go on their break (usually 3 months) and then return, sometimes to the same ship and sometimes to a new ship.

 

We cruised on the Star last August. Our cabin steward was headed home on his vacation in October. By then the Star had moved to the Carribean. He told us that when his vacation was over, he would be headed to the Dawn.

 

So to answer your question, the crew change on a variable schedule so you never have a totally new crew.

 

Hope this helps

 

Yes, thanks! Of course, I didn't figure the entire crew would be brand new, what with the overlap of contracts and amount of time on/off contract for the differing crew positions. IMHO this would seem a cool assignment and we hope to run into some old friends among the staff on this new-to-the-Jewel route :D

[Hikini]

I don't know this at all, it's just my human brain 'hard' at work. But I wonder if there wouldn't be a shift to the Jewel of a few staff previously experienced with the AK cruises. At least for a few weeks to make sure all is smooth.

 

I'm sure they have some kind of training or coaching in regards to all of their transitions from itinerary to itinerary.

 

In 8 of our NCL cruises to AK, 6 were booked in September so by then the staff would be well versed in AK stuff.

 

Have a great cruise kcfoxy!

[Starry Eyes]

Could you be over thinking this? I sometimes do when I plan trips:D.

 

The crew serves their contract, moving along with the ship unless otherwise needed by the company. When I have done relocation cruises, the crew often seems very happy...It is fun to see them so excited...a few are so happy they can barely contain themselves. After all, they get to see new places and do new things. Or if they have sailed the venue before, they get to return to places after a time away. I imagine the Jewel's crew is a bit tired on Nassau (or was that just me?) I consider the crew's enthusiasm to be a big plus. The crew will get insider info from others to help them find diversions on their limited time ashore. The cruise director's staff and excursion staff will be briefed, I am sure. Some will have sailed AK before, but they will have adequate info...they have had enough info on infrequently visited ports like those on transatlantic cruises.

 

The Captain and his officiers are well traveled. Some will have navigated the waters previously. All will surely study their charts. I imagine they can use simulators as well to get to know the route and it's hazards. Plus they have the local pilots.

[ute_fan]

I'm not worried at all -- evidenced by the fact that I'm on that first Alaskan sailing from Vancouver to Seattle.

 

We actually sailed on the Jewel several years ago (2006, I think) and it was her first sailing out of Miami that season. It was also right as the Pearl was coming into service, and we did notice some hiccups with the service during the week. I think it was more that quite a few of the crew had been transferred to the new ship, rather than a change in location.

 

The only problem we had that I would have attributed to the new itinerary was that check-in was extremely slow. They had problems with some of the computers not functioning yet. That wouldn't be ship specific, but location specific. I am wondering if we may have similar problems this time too, especially since the Jewel sails from Ballantyne, which is used less frequently than Canada Place. Our last cruise left from Ballantyne however, and we didn't notice any glitches.

[kcfoxy]

I don't know this at all, it's just my human brain 'hard' at work. But I wonder if there wouldn't be a shift to the Jewel of a few staff previously experienced with the AK cruises. At least for a few weeks to make sure all is smooth.

 

I'm sure they have some kind of training or coaching in regards to all of their transitions from itinerary to itinerary.

 

In 8 of our NCL cruises to AK, 6 were booked in September so by then the staff would be well versed in AK stuff.

 

Have a great cruise kcfoxy!

 

Both my SE Alaskan Inside Passage cruises have been the tail end of May into the first week of June. I'm guessing some crew would have bid for this spot...a nice break from other itineraries, and agree that it's likely there will be some with the taste of king crab and huckleberry cobbler previously instilled :D

 

Very much looking forward to a relaxing, thrilling and scenic vacation...thanks as always for your thoughtful input and best wishes!

[kcfoxy]

Could you be over thinking this? I sometimes do when I plan trips:D.

 

Oh, this is highly likely!!!

 

The crew serves their contract, moving along with the ship unless otherwise needed by the company. When I have done relocation cruises, the crew often seems very happy...It is fun to see them so excited...a few are so happy they can barely contain themselves. After all, they get to see new places and do new things. Or if they have sailed the venue before, they get to return to places after a time away. I imagine the Jewel's crew is a bit tired on Nassau (or was that just me?) I consider the crew's enthusiasm to be a big plus.

 

Imagine the upbeat attitude and enthusiasm as major plus factors. Thinking back, those poor souls toiling in the 3 day/4 day Miami/Bahamas circuit we experienced on the Sky last October, as nice as they surely were, for the most part...wouldn't this seem a treat?

 

The crew will get insider info from others to help them find diversions on their limited time ashore. The cruise director's staff and excursion staff will be briefed, I am sure. Some will have sailed AK before, but they will have adequate info...they have had enough info on infrequently visited ports like those on transatlantic cruises.

 

I think this will all shake out in the first months or so. Luckily, I am a (temporary) encyclopedia of shore lore for our port stops :rolleyes: so my only real questions shall be

 

where will pax with NCL excursions meet up with the shuttle from AJ dock in Juneau to the Island Air sea plane dock to Taku Lodge, where will we be meeting the shuttle for the Golden Glassblowing/Jewell Gardens tour in Skagway, and where is the rail car pickup for the White Pass Railway/Sitka again, oh yes, and the two Allen Marine tours....Juneau Tracy Arm and Ketchikan Misty Fjords Explorer (the high speed double hulled catamarran dealios)...stuff it would be verry hard for newbies, even helpful types to share info about ;)

 

The Captain and his officiers are well traveled. Some will have navigated the waters previously. All will surely study their charts. I imagine they can use simulators as well to get to know the route and it's hazards. Plus they have the local pilots.

 

I remember the Canadian pilots coming onboard really soon after leaving Seattle, and staying with us for a good while through all the tricksy B.C. bits of waterways. Will try not to further overthink...just got to realizing this was almost a shakedown cruise...though ute-fan has the honors of experiencing that one! Thanks very much Starry Eyes for imparting your pearls of wisdom...

[kcfoxy]

I'm not worried at all -- evidenced by the fact that I'm on that first Alaskan sailing from Vancouver to Seattle.

 

I don't feel worried either, though the devil is in the details. BTW: being somewhat disabled, it would be nice to have some experienced accessibilty person(s), to anticipate needed WCs for the long AJ Dock...those of us renting scooters and such for ship only use, can sometimes transit a city block or so with canes, rollators and the like, but need a means of getting from gangplank to shuttle bus in one piece :eek:

 

We actually sailed on the Jewel several years ago (2006, I think) and it was her first sailing out of Miami that season. It was also right as the Pearl was coming into service, and we did notice some hiccups with the service during the week. I think it was more that quite a few of the crew had been transferred to the new ship, rather than a change in location.

 

Hiccups is a good term for minor disruptions in the usual stellar service we've come to appreciate through NCL...amazing crew and officers. After the pleasure of intereating with the likes of John O'Hara, (a brief moment of silence), and Steve Knotts...I will be anticipating my first interactions with Hugo, who sounds, by all counts, to be superb!

 

I mention the Hotel Directors, because I've observed first hand and have come to firmly believe that they set the tone, like no other, for the performance/happiness and overall crew/ship vibe.

 

The only problem we had that I would have attributed to the new itinerary was that check-in was extremely slow. They had problems with some of the computers not functioning yet. That wouldn't be ship specific, but location specific. I am wondering if we may have similar problems this time too, especially since the Jewel sails from Ballantyne, which is used less frequently than Canada Place. Our last cruise left from Ballantyne however, and we didn't notice any glitches.

 

I can't remember if it was Seattle or one of the Vancouver terminals that mentioned the snafus of pax having to load suitcases one by one onto an xray conveyor thingamabob and it taking forever. I'm sure we'll both have wonderful travels and will be looking forward to your take...already vicariously enjoying the Roll Call thread right before ours :D

[auntierobin]

KCFoxy,

 

We have done the Tracy Arm, Misty Fjords, and Whitepass excursions, if you have any questions I will be happy to try and answer them.

 

We sailed on the Pearl and the Star to Alaska, so have gone both routes, and are sailing on the Jewel in June.

There is no such thing as overthinking a vacation, if Captain Lars is still the master of the Jewel, he has done Alaska before (and you ask "how do you know this?",simple, I asked him) and a lot of the staff that we talked to are looking forward to the Alaska itinerary as a break from the hot weather itinerary. Now they get the best of both worlds cool in summer, warm in winter.

 

You are going to love the Jewel and Alaska, enjoy!

[ute_fan]

kcfoxy -- Sounds like someone might be stalking my roll-call :D. I thought at first we weren't going to have much participation, but we've added several new people here at the end, so I'm hoping it works out well.

 

Have a great time! Unfortunately I won't be able to post any details before you board the ship. Will wave as we exit (sob, sob) while you're boarding.