therealblackknight

I would recommend including a few packets of disposable earplugs just in case. I keep a couple in my toiletry bag. I've had to bust them out 2 or 3 times over the years so it's not something you will definitely use each cruise but I found very helpful the few times I did.

Hi, I'm on this cruise too. I believe it is Terminal F. Guess we'll find out for sure when we get there, see you on the ship!

I sailed on Ovation back in May and they did not. I did not arrive at the port till about 12:30 (I was flying in that morning from Philly) which was my time to arrive and it took me about 2+ hours before I finally got aboard. Needless to say the line was quite long and very winding. The fact that they weren't checking is probably why the line was so long. I ended up talking to other people in line and I asked them their check in times and they were all over the place from before me to after me...

I was on Ovation for the 5/20 cruise. Not sure about capacity but seemed rather full to me. Bistro was not open. Did seem to me that they didn't have a full crew but that's just my feeling, I don't know anything for certain.

Was on last month and I thought they did real well, they do overlap so no real need to clip them together.

Yeah, I wished I could've done this but I was flying in from Philadelphia the morning of 5/20. When I got there was the fastest I could manage. Only way to do faster was if I had flown in the day before but as it was I was working up to the day before and I didn't want to have to use another vacation day for that...

Actually one other point, if you want to do the Northstar, apparently it is mostly free on days the ship is in port (I did the day we were in Skagway) but there is a cost on days that they are at sea. Whether you want to do it for free or pay for it, you need to book it via the app only. In the app, I think you had to go through the daily planner and then activities? In there you had to pick the Northstar from the options available. If you want to do it, I recommend trying to book it as soon as possible as spots get taken quickly (at least on my cruise they were) and they only release the spots the day before and sometime not till late in the day (as late as 8PM).

I was also on Ovation from 5/20-5/27 and let me just say now that I did enjoy this cruise a lot, this was my second time to AK and while I think I enjoyed the 1st time better, this was still worth the trip. That said, I will also attest to the long boarding time that another has men. My boarding time was 12:30 to 1PM, got there at 12:45. Ended up about 2 hours before I got on the ship. The bottleneck to me seems to be getting through the security check points as after I got past that, the wait to get actually checked in wasn't bad at all really. There was the issue of the medi-vac that another already mentioned but that is no one's fault and is what it is. Last we heard, the crew member is doing well so that's good. I do also recall the internet being bad, moreso at the beginning and I think lots of people complained apparently as I recall they even sent out a letter the one day apologizing. Got better as the cruise went on but nothing great and frankly a bit overpriced for what you get (note: I had the surf and stream). Also, there did seem to be a constant line at Guest Services, I know because I had to go a few times for different reasons, not all for complaints/issues. As for as the ship and crew, they were all good. I didn't end up going to the MDR but as far as the Windjammer, breakfast seemed to be the busiest though was packed on 1 or 2 lunchtimes too. Dinner was empty in there so I think a lot of people went to MDR for that. I did hit up Chops and Jaimes for lunch, there was a bit of a wait to be seated for that but not bad. The solarium bistro was not open the entire cruise as far as I know. And as far as I can recall, all other venues were open as per their usual expected times be it for eating, drinking, shows, etc. The only exceptions was the outdoor stuff like the pool, flowrider, climbing wall but that had more to do with weather. If it were warmer and less windy I'm thinking they would have been open as usual. As for the shows some were good and some I thought were just ok but that has to do with my personal taste more than anything else, the actual performances, production, etc. were what you would expect which is to say good or better. Lastly, I do wonder if they have a full complement of crew though as maybe it's just me but didn't seem like there were as many staff as usual (hence perhaps why the bistro wasn't open).

Was on the Ovation from 5/20 - 5/27. I did an excursion hike in Skagway. The ground was completely snow covered and the guide there said that was unusual as by this time of year, most of the snow would have melted. However, they had a higher than expected snowfall this past winter (guide estimated 50% more). Hopefully by the time you get there, it should all be melted. But highly recommend layers. I realize it's a pain to pack more but it's for the best. Also, if you have binoculars, don't forget to pack those! I can't tell you how many people lamented that they forgot to bring theirs on the cruise I was on...

Hi, thanks for this! This will be me in 2 weeks, can't wait!