Can May Pearl to Alaska cruisers take notes for us?

[BoltzHead]

Like I said, I contacted NCL(several times) months ago, when I came across their on-line map. I 'thought' then, that we had already cleared up this inside-outside thang?

 

They actually put me on the phone with a supervisor, who did the ol' absolutely-positively-swear on their mommas grave promise, that the Pearl WILL go inside of VI!

 

I was willing to re-book on Serenade O' the Seas r/t out of Vancouver, but after their rock solid guarantee, I was more than happy to stay put. I figured that if my DNA members didn't have their sea-legs after six days, then they'd only have to suffer one day of worshipping the proverbial porcelaine idol?

 

BTW... "Ute Fan" there's a village (Lehi) that exiled their idiot(me!).

[ute_fan]

We have friends who live in Lehi, so I know exactly the area you're from. It's too bad that you were given misleading information from NCL. Unfortunately, their shore services don't seem to be nearly as good with customer service as the onboard staff. I have had extremely good responses after sending emails to Colin Veitch, the president of NCL, but I know that's not always the case.

 

My DD also gets seasick, and I was quite glad she wasn't with us that last night out of Victoria. Have your family members tried ginger to help? The best solution for my DD seems to be a combination of meclazine and ginger. She got extremely blurry vision after using the patch but manages quite well with the meclazine/ginger combo.

[BoltzHead]

Yes, good ol Lehi...Back in the day, when I was growing up, it was a nice little one horse hitchin' post. Our rival high schools (not so)affectionately called us "Swamp-ville" due to our close proximity to Utah Lake and the ripe aroma of stagnant swamp water wafting through our fair town... Now I read, that the famed architect Michael Graves, is going to design and build there, one of the most futuristic communities the world has ever seen! Plus, Lehi has it's own Cabela's super store now...Soon as I left, everything turned to roses? : )

 

Thanks for the sea-sick remedies. I'm not sure how some will do, due to the fact that we will have four 'cruise virgins' in our group? I figured I'll play it safe and take a first-aid (barf)bag with everything from fresh sliced ginger, all the way up to a couple of morphine drips!

 

Cheers!

 

BTW...Give a past and present soldier a hug today!

[BoltzHead]

Well, the latest word from the lovely and talented Rachel & Stacy at NCL is, that they absolutely guarantee that the ship does and will, go North out of Seattle, on the 'inside' of Vancouver Island... Yay!!!

 

They checked their itinerary schedule and said absolutely nothing has changed, from their '2007-2008 Freestyle Cruising' catalog. They even checked their logs and it show no itinerary changes at all, for the Pearl's recent cruises?

 

They wondered if the blogger who said that the Pearl went outside, both North & South, might have been on a different ship? I said I don't think so.

 

For me, the good news is... That it looks pretty sure that we get to see and experience the IP and that my DNA members will enjoy some relatively smooth sailing to start with. The bad news is...I'm really not sure what happened to the previous Pearl Alaskan Cruise's?

 

Cheers!

[ute_fan]

I wonder if Rachel and Stacy have looked at the itinerary map that is posted on ncl.com? Click on "ships", select the Pearl, select "view ship itineraries", select "Alaska", and then select map, instead of itinerary. It clearly shows the ship sailing west of Vancouver island -- not east, which would be the "true" inside passage sailing.

 

The sailing the week of 5/13 (Budget Queen's week) and the sailing the week of 5/20 (my sailing) were sailing on the west side of Vancouver Island. What future ones will do could possibly be different, but I sure wouldn't be counting on it!

[brunolvr]

I wonder if Rachel and Stacy have looked at the itinerary map that is posted on ncl.com? Click on "ships", select the Pearl, select "view ship itineraries", select "Alaska", and then select map, instead of itinerary. It clearly shows the ship sailing west of Vancouver island -- not east, which would be the "true" inside passage sailing.

 

The sailing the week of 5/13 (Budget Queen's week) and the sailing the week of 5/20 (my sailing) were sailing on the west side of Vancouver Island. What future ones will do could possibly be different, but I sure wouldn't be counting on it!

 

We did this same itinerary in 2005 and 2006 (on the Star) and we sailed on the west side of Vancouver Island both times.

 

I guess the confusion lies in the fact that the NCL brochure shows the Pearl going northbound on the east side of Vancouver Island even though the online itinerary map shows the west side. I wonder who "Rachel & Stacy" are?

 

I'm afraid BoltzHead is going to be really disappointed!:(

[BoltzHead]

Rachel & Stacy are the two very helpful and pleasant salespeople at NCL.

 

I spoke with Rachel first, then I called back to make sure we we're both talking about the inside of VI and not further North, then spoke with Stacy. It seems they share the same supervisors, because Stacy said that her supervisor had ALREADY told Rachel, to tell me that YES, the Pearl indeed goes to the inside of VI!!!

 

FWIW?...They all we're looking at NCL's 'master' computer, to see the Pearl's route....

 

They said they would inform their webmaster, regarding their online map this time.

I also told em to read these blogs, they said they would...?

 

UteFan, you could call NCL and give them your firsthand Pearl knowledge?

1.866.234.0292

[ute_fan]

I'll try to give them a call tomorrow if I get a chance. I got news the Friday before I left that the company I work for is being sold, so my life is a little hectic right now, as I'll probably be out of a job in a few months.

 

We checked the information channel that comes from the bridge quite frequently for temp and wind conditions. The map that gives your position is also broadcast on that channel (it displays several different bits of information in rotating order), and it also showed that we were "outside" Vancouver Island.

 

I may also try sending an email and ask them to make sure everyone is working off the same page, because it sure doesn't sound like it's being handled very well from the people on shore.

[F5Loar]

Inside, outside, sideways,frontwards,backwards........ just give me a cruise to nowhere and I'd be happy. I would think you booked it more for the ports and ship then how the ship gets there. As far as Rosie she seems to be self-destructing herself and her latest charter NCL cruise to Bermuda was changed to other ports as Bermuda didn't want her kind there. As long as she's not on my week I can live with NCL for their offers no other cruise line has to date. Is Disney doing Alaska now?

[ute_fan]

F5Loar -- I normally feel the same way that you do when it comes to cruising in the Caribbean. I don't care which ports I'm at and would be just about as happy if I stayed on the ship for the entire trip. Alaska, with it's beautiful scenery that you see from the ship, is a little different for me.

 

I knew in advance that this was an "outside" Vancouver Island sailing, which was fine with me since we'd seen the scenery of the inside passage when we sailed from Vancouver 3 years ago. This time around, I was most concerned with seeing Glacier Bay, which was beautiful.

 

My difficulty next time in sailing to Alaska will be making a decision between seeing the inside passage if we sail from Vancouver, vs. whatever glacier choice there is if we sail from Seattle. I'm probably in the minority, but I'm really leaning towards choosing the inside passage over Glacier Bay. I enjoyed Glacier Bay, but think that between the two, I'd rather see the inside passage a second time.

 

I'm thinking that, when we go again, I might have to choose a different cruise line that goes to Hubbard Glacier instead of repeating one of the NCL itineraries. When we reach that point, I''m sure I'll be doing a lot of research to see if I can find a ship that sails the inside passage and goes to Hubbard Glacier or one of the other glacier areas.

[BoltzHead]

Inside, outside, sideways,frontwards,backwards........ just give me a cruise to nowhere and I'd be happy. I would think you booked it more for the ports and ship then how the ship gets there. As far as Rosie she seems to be self-destructing herself and her latest charter NCL cruise to Bermuda was changed to other ports as Bermuda didn't want her kind there. As long as she's not on my week I can live with NCL for their offers no other cruise line has to date. Is Disney doing Alaska now?

 

Yes, the boat and destination were a large part of our decision making, but the Inside Passage, like I said earlier, was the MAIN reason for picking this itinerary and the Pearl. Otherwise, we would have happily picked another cruise and or, cruise line that goes inside. I'm easy, I'll sail with anyone! All I need is the facts, so I can decide.

 

I think cruisers are really doing themselves a disservice, if they don't experience the Inside Passage just once, and I mean all the way. It's the most surreal thing that I've ever witnessed...In-fact, I HIGHLY recommend to everyone, to someday do a 'one way' Alaskan cruise. We did one two years ago, going North out of Vancouver, IP, Ketchican, Juneau, Skagway, with Glacier Bay and College Fjord as the literal icing on top of the perfect cruise...Just do it and thank yourself later!

 

Give Disney-On-Water time and they'll go to Alaska...As highly successful as their two ships have been, I'm shocked that Mickey doesn't have a huge fleet by now? But perhaps that's what makes Disney so Wonder-ful(roll eyes) they can concentrate their Magic(rim-shot) on just two ships? If you have kids under the age of say, oh 85, go do a Disney cruise, then thank yourself, again... : )

 

 

Cheers!