Live from the NCL Jewel May 1-15, 2023 (caution: may contain grumpiness and sarcasm.)

[NikiPinkston]

Loved hearing all about your excursion and the photos of you & your dad! DH is not far behind in age and sometimes I see him vividly in your dad's comments. (We call it a ship card!)

[libtrek]

My DH is a year older than your dad and showing dementia signs. I have to laugh at your dads comments, I hear the same every day. I am trying to copy your patience. We are going on Jewel in June, crossing my fingers and thumbs that DH will do well. Retired librarian Mary Lou

[YVRteacher]

@wil e coyote

I just just checked with Guest Services and departure from Seward is 9:00pm.

Edited May 4, 2023 by YVRteacher

[YVRteacher]

8 minutes ago, libtrek said:

My DH is a year older than your dad and showing dementia signs. I have to laugh at your dads comments, I hear the same every day. I am trying to copy your patience. We are going on Jewel in June, crossing my fingers and thumbs that DH will do well. Retired librarian Mary Lou

Hi!  We need to cruise together some day soon!!!

I really wish I had contacted the Special Needs Access desk ahead of time.  Maybe that will help you too.

[vacation44]

17 hours ago, vacation44 said:

@YVRteacher.....after reading your latest post and positive review of the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour, I just booked it for my husband and I.   Tomorrow I will cancel our previous plans.

 

Really enjoying your live report and glad you are having a wonderful time.

 

10 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Please tell them the woman who cried when she saw an octopus says hi!!

I definitely will.

 

Did you book directly with them or through NCL?   I did book through NCL last night, but just now I noticed you could book with them directly.    The price difference is only a few dollars after the discounts.

[Susanp37]

36 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

@wil e coyote

I just just checked with Guest Services and departure from Seward is 9:00pm.

Thank you for checking with Guest Services!

 

I called NCL after seeing the post about departure time change on this board. We received no notice of itinerary change through NCL. The rep said the departure time was 6pm and passengers need to be onboard by 4pm. My flight was scheduled to arrive in Anchorage at 2pm, so with the 3 hour bus ride we would miss the ship.  The rep's response was that if "enough" passengers don't check in by 4pm they will hold the ship.  She didn't specify how many passengers constitute "enough", so we spent an extra $500 to change our flights and another $400 for a hotel in Anchorage.  

 

My Edocs now state departure time as 6pm as does the website if you do a mock booking for the Jewel on May 8.  My hope is that there is a glitch in the NCL system, or people who don't read these boards are going to be very unhappy come Monday.

[wil e coyote]

47 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

@wil e coyote

I just just checked with Guest Services and departure from Seward is 9:00pm.

Thank you! I am looking forward to meeting you on board next week!

[wil e coyote]

4 minutes ago, Susanp37 said:

Thank you for checking with Guest Services!

 

I called NCL after seeing the post about departure time change on this board. We received no notice of itinerary change through NCL. The rep said the departure time was 6pm and passengers need to be onboard by 4pm. My flight was scheduled to arrive in Anchorage at 2pm, so with the 3 hour bus ride we would miss the ship.  The rep's response was that if "enough" passengers don't check in by 4pm they will hold the ship.  She didn't specify how many passengers constitute "enough", so we spent an extra $500 to change our flights and another $400 for a hotel in Anchorage.  

 

My Edocs now state departure time as 6pm as does the website if you do a mock booking for the Jewel on May 8.  My hope is that there is a glitch in the NCL system, or people who don't read these boards are going to be very unhappy come Monday.

I think some people are going to be unhappy no matter what at this point. If the ship really does leave at 6 PM, my guess is a bunch of people won't know about the change and will get to Seward to find an empty pier. But if we actually leave at 9, people like you who spent money to change their plans will not be thrilled.

@YVRteacher, sorry for hijacking your thread - now back to your excellent review of this week's cruise! 😀

[Kathscof]

9 minutes ago, Susanp37 said:

Thank you for checking with Guest Services!

 

I called NCL after seeing the post about departure time change on this board. We received no notice of itinerary change through NCL. The rep said the departure time was 6pm and passengers need to be onboard by 4pm. My flight was scheduled to arrive in Anchorage at 2pm, so with the 3 hour bus ride we would miss the ship.  The rep's response was that if "enough" passengers don't check in by 4pm they will hold the ship.  She didn't specify how many passengers constitute "enough", so we spent an extra $500 to change our flights and another $400 for a hotel in Anchorage.  

 

My Edocs now state departure time as 6pm as does the website if you do a mock booking for the Jewel on May 8.  My hope is that there is a glitch in the NCL system, or people who don't read these boards are going to be very unhappy come Monday.

but at least now you have time to do a Kenai Fjords tour in Seward! 🙂 Unless that 6pm is true haha

[bluesea777]

Seward cruise schedule:

 

 

[YVRteacher]

13 hours ago, vacation44 said:

 

I definitely will.

 

Did you book directly with them or through NCL?   I did book through NCL last night, but just now I noticed you could book with them directly.    The price difference is only a few dollars after the discounts.

I booked with them directly.

[YVRteacher]

12 hours ago, wil e coyote said:

I think some people are going to be unhappy no matter what at this point. If the ship really does leave at 6 PM, my guess is a bunch of people won't know about the change and will get to Seward to find an empty pier. But if we actually leave at 9, people like you who spent money to change their plans will not be thrilled.

@YVRteacher, sorry for hijacking your thread - now back to your excellent review of this week's cruise! 😀

You didn’t hijack the thread at all!  No worries!!

[YVRteacher]

Day 4

Juneau

(Apologies for typos!

A) I have the drink package 

B) I am relaxing on a hot stone lounger and am finding putting words together with any kind of coherence is a challenge)

There was a mosquito on our balcony this morning. I’ve read near-panic threads on Cruise Critic about how bad the mosquitos are in Alaska yet have enjoyed over 75 days here and have only seen this one. That means I’ve seen more bears than mosquitos in Alaska.  Besides, if a mosquito bit someone from a cruise ship they would get alcohol poisoning thanks to the Ultimate Beverage Package!

11:00am is a perfect time for a cruise ship to arrive in port.  Late enough to enjoy a leisurely breakfast (I had half a waffle today and it was crispy on the outside, delicately fluffy on the inside and delicious on all sides) and early enough to spend the day doing what one wants.  This non-early morning person also appreciates that sail-in didn’t happen while I was asleep.  I miss a lot of sail-ins! With nothing booked, we stepped off the shuttle bus, saw a smiling face with beckoning ways at a tour booth, bought a $45 city tour where they included a trip to the glacier since the trolley was broken and we were on our way for a day of scenic adventure.

Ken the driver said there is a new law in Juneau: we need one of his photos or cds to get back on the boat.  

Facts (or talk tales from Ken)

-rent for the jewellery stores is $30000 a month.

-everything is shipped to Juneau from Washington state. The barges come twice a week year round. 

-There are 4 fire stations in Juneau but it rains so much they rarely need them.

-there are three ways to get in to Juneau: boat, plane and birth canal

• the question most asked at the Juneau Visitor Centre is “where’s the bathroom?”

-Every Alaskan gets a revenue cheque from oil. 

 

-This spouting whale statue cost 10 million dollars: 1 million for the building of the statue and 9 million for somebody’s pockets.

-Two gold mines are still operating here -there are 130 miles of mine shafts under Mt. Roberts where they used to mine. 

- there is a  $50 per  cruise passenger “tax” to improve the “passenger experience.” Some of these funds went to build the whale.  They built the whale a mile out of town instead of at the dock so the cruise lines sued the city of Juneau. It was a $20 million law suit and the cruise lines won.

(Can someone with working internet confirm this?)

Ken is a man with a history. He is a musician and he shamelessly plugged and played 

his CD.  The first song was a cover of Elvis’ Dream Lover.  Of course dad started singing along.  He can’t remember what he had for breakfast today but he knows every word of Elvis songs!

Our tour took us through the main part of town, over to Douglas Island for a photo stop at Homestead Park, to the whale statue then to Mendenhall Glacier. The first time we were in Juneau it was a drizzly grey day.  Glaciers look so much prettier in the sunshine! 

 Mendenhall glacier was named after a person who did something a long time ago. I tuned this part of the tour out.

Look what they sell in the gift shop:

Rocks and mud. I can get rocks and mud for free on the playground at school.

While I really wanted to walk to Nugget Falls, dad really did not want to walk to Nugget Falls.  We compromised and walked to the photo viewpoint.  The sign said it was .3 miles but really it was just a few steps.  I think sometimes my dad loses confidence in himself and doubts his abilities. I knew he would be fine walking to Nugget Falls but I also know that expecting him to do something when he doesn’t want so usually isn’t the right move.  As we approached the viewpoint my dad saw a sign and asked what it said.  I zoomed in and saw that the area was closed for Arctic tern nesting.  

We walked around the bend (I took a lot of photos of evidence of glaciation)

and we saw little birds bouncing at the shore of the river.  I asked the Park Ranger if they were Arctic terns and she said yes, today was the first day they were spotted this season. Two days ago a bear and her two cubs were here.  My dad asked the ranger about predators of the Arctic terns and the ranger explained that the bears will eat the terns but ravens are the prime predator.  The ravens eat the tern eggs.  Last year the net count of eggs to surviving chicks was zero due to the ravens. 

Here are some of Juneau’s resident ravens feasting not on tern eggs but on tossed morsels from the Filipino food trucks

When we were on the bus back to town, I did a check in with dad.

Me: are you ok if we go to a couple of stores? I want to get a birthday present for Omar.

Dad: sure, we don’t have dinner for a while.

Me: dinner? We haven’t had lunch! 

Dad: I thought we had lunch.

Me: when did we have lunch?

Dad: you gave me food and I ate it. I thought that was lunch.

(I had given him a cookie.😀)

Tip for Juneau: in late June and July when the salmon have returned to spawn, you can walk to the whale statue then head west beside  the creek (next to the Foodland) to see the salmon.  It’s an incredible sight.  We spent a couple hours here in 2019.

Back on board we dropped off our jackets and saw we had a tray of veggies and dip. Dad wanted soup so I brought the veggies upstairs and remarked, “nothing like bringing your own food to a buffet!”

Here’s what we did between 3pm and 10:00pm:

-ate

-had drinks outside at Great Outdoors (dad had a Blue Moon)

-had drinks indoors 

-chatted with Emma (cruise director) in the atrium

-went in the hot tub outside

-ate

-had after dinner drinks

-went to see Omar about booking more cruises and talk about Juneau (Omar’s first time here!)

-played Scrabble

-went to the Broadway cabaret (loved it!)

-had evening drinks

-I walked my dad to the cabin and made sure he was settled then I changed into pyjamas and went to the spa to hold down one of those hot stone loungers.  I feel like you should know I didn’t walk around the ship in pyjamas.  I had a robe on. There were people in the Garden Cafe dining in their robes yesterday. Freestyle cruising!

As dad said, “we couldn’t have wished for a better day!”

Edited May 5, 2023 by YVRteacher

[Kathscof]

That statue is SO FAR AWAY.....I went last year in May, it was so sunny and dare I say it “hot” and we had already trekked all over downtown after our excursion.....and then while taking pictures, the parents of graduates got mad I was in their shot.....you’re in a public place! You can’t tell people not to be there!!!! (They wanted me to not be in a HALF of the surrounding area...)

[Always Cruising]

Hope the odor in your bathroom is gone.  Did you try the pouring water down the drain/grill on the bathroom floor?  That has always solved the problem for me.  Enjoying your review so much - thank you!

[cruiseny4life]

4 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Me: are you ok if we go to a couple of stores? I want to get a birthday present for Omar.

 

Ok...I don't usually do this as I doubt the crew remember us, unless our face is in front of them....if you'd be so kind, would you please wish Omar a happy birthday from Aaron and Alex from the Easter, 22 Bermuda, Getaway sailing (we were the scruffy, not well-dressed guys on their first cruise). 

 

And, obviously no worries if you're like no way am I doing this. I know I'm asking for far too much.

[YVRteacher]

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

Ok...I don't usually do this as I doubt the crew remember us, unless our face is in front of them....if you'd be so kind, would you please wish Omar a happy birthday from Aaron and Alex from the Easter, 22 Bermuda, Getaway sailing (we were the scruffy, not well-dressed guys on their first cruise). 

 

And, obviously no worries if you're like no way am I doing this. I know I'm asking for far too much.

I would LOVE to wish Omar a happy birthday from you!  It will make his day!!!

[YVRteacher]

2 hours ago, Always Cruising said:

Hope the odor in your bathroom is gone.  Did you try the pouring water down the drain/grill on the bathroom floor?  That has always solved the problem for me.  Enjoying your review so much - thank you!

The only thing that looks like it could be a drain is under the garbage.  Is that right?  I haven’t poured water yet because I have a Masters degree in Language and Literacy, not plumbing and not technical stuff.  What if it isn’t a drain and I have then just randomly poured water on the floor???  This is a conundrum.

[BigRedFan]

Thank you for this, I read every page and it made my morning!  You are a wonderful daughter and your Dad seems delightful.  The memories you are making are priceless and you definitely have to publish your travels together.

I will be on the Jewel next year on a B2B, 1st Japan and then the transpacific back to AK.  Can't wait to try some of your experiences there.

Hannah Han is wonderful.  She was on my most recent cruise on the Sun.  Very personable and also efficient.

Enjoy your adventures at sea with Dad and please keep putting smiles on the faces of those of us who read about your escapades.

🙂 Genzi

[YVRteacher]

23 hours ago, www3traveler said:

(1) Ask Vicente about the bell on the Bridge.  He should know.  Is there a plaque on the post?

(2) If you get a chance, please give Hannah a BIG HUG from me.

(3) Has Omar gotten another cruise booked for you?

 

BIG BIG BIG BIG HUG

Love and prayers always

 

I know you posted before, but can you tell me your names again so I can say hi to Hannah from you?

[Boschmann]

25 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

What if it isn’t a drain and I have then just randomly poured water on the floor???  This is a conundrum.

I had a sewage smell issue in a 2Br on Epic.   There were two floor drains in the master bath - large chrome grates.  I actually think it was coming from the tub drain which is seldom used.  Pouring water in all the drains definitely helped. 

[www3traveler]

29 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

I know you posted before, but can you tell me your names again so I can say hi to Hannah from you?

Tell Hannah and Vicente "HI" from Miss Mandy.  I am very long time friend of Steven's.  If it is allowed please give them a BIG HUG from me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND BIG HUG TO OMAR too please

Edited May 5, 2023 by www3traveler
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[Arrow34]

Gotta say Velvet was amazing! See it if you haven't

[YVRteacher]

@cruiseny4life
Of course Omar remembered you! He said hi and thank you and that is so sweet of you!!

 

In the Where Are They Now Thread someone posted a while ago that why does it matter who the crew are since they don’t remember the passengers.  Well, we were walking along the oceanfront pathway in Juneau yesterday and our wonderful waiter from Cagney’s in December came running up to say hi.  We hadn’t seen her on this cruise because she is in the Palace this week.  A couple days ago we were in the ship corridor and a room steward stopped us to say he was our steward in 2019 and he remembered which cabin we were in.  Crew remember passengers!

 

I had asked Omar to price the Bliss for Christmas, knowing the Bliss doesn’t have the non-Haven two bedroom suites.  He found a two bedroom Haven suite.  Cost for one week in Canadian dollars? $27000😲😲😲 (we did not book this!)

 

So, I may have wrapped Omar’s birthday present in Cruise Next itineraries…

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by YVRteacher

[www3traveler]

Just heard from Steven.  He says all is well on The Pride.