SomewhereGirl

I can't answer your question but since the question of disembarking early is asked occasionally on this board, would you mind sharing what process the person in your group had to go through in order to disembark early? What kind of itinerary was this? Were there threats of fines? Just curious. Sorry to hijack...

That's scary. What if Heather was a stalker?!

The early train arrives at the railroad depot in Seward. It was a decent walk to the cruise terminal. I was expecting the train to be closer but apparently that's only the cruise charter trains that arrive closer to the cruise terminal. There was a shuttle for the early train but I don't know how that would've worked with luggage. I only had a rolling carryon and walked to the cruise terminal. The path and roads were uneven or dirt. Had I had lots of luggage it would've been unpleasant. Luckily the weather was nice.

There was a big tent just outside the train station in Anchorage where you could check in your luggage before going inside the station to check in yourselves.

3%

Ah, the month may make a difference. Sorry, wish I could say for sure. I don't know if NCL is contracted to only use the AJ Dock. If not, then odds are in your favor you won't tender with being 1 of 3 ships in port. On the 2023 schedule, there were some days with 4 ships in port at the same time, including the huge Ovation of the Seas. The schedule should get updated eventually.

At 113 days out, have the actual airline tickets been issued? Maybe you will all end up on the same flight after all.

Generally, no, NCL does not tender in Juneau. The 2024 schedule doesn't have the docks listed listed yet but you can see them on the 2023 schedule. Looking at August 2024, all the other non-NCL ships in port are already there before Encore arrives. Bliss leaves before Encore arrives, just like on the 2023 schedule. I'd expect the same for 2024. AJD dock, further from town, but still a dock. I've been to Alaska a handful of times on NCL, always to the AJD doc. JNU-Juneau-2024.pdf (claalaska.com)

I used the shuttle this year when the Jewel docked at Ward Cove. It really was not a big deal. There were lots of busses (some double decker, some school). I waited a bit before getting of the ship to avoid the initial rush, and never had to stop walking from the time I exited the ship to boarding the bus. Very easy. Dropped off at berth 4 in town (in 2021 when this all started, the drop off was closer to berth 2). On the return, there was no wait at all to board a bus back to Ward Cove. Not everyone on the ship will be using these shuttles.

I'm with the OP on this one and NCL should make it right. When you book online, FAS is automatically added and it's up to the passenger to remove. When I call CAS for a price, they start with including FAS. If the OP had FAS on the original cabin, why would the rep not assume they'd also want it on the upgraded cabin? I don't doubt the rep screwed up.

I thought it was a little off putting for the CN guy to ask everyone in line who were there to sign up for the behind-the-scenes tour if they have purchased their CN certificates. I can see why they'd do it (if they can't sell, they'd be out of a job), but if we were eligible for a free tour, we are aware of CN.

Plastic crabs? Unless it's changed over the years, we did get to touch live (but planted) creatures, like an octopus and a huge king crab. The eagles were very cool as well. I think kids would enjoy that.

I admit I fell asleep on the train back to town, and I was in my 30s. I wouldn't recommend the train for "active teenagers". Would definitely recommend renting a car so you can stop where you want and get out and hike around. If it's sunny or partly cloudy (but not raining), the scenery is amazing on the drive towards Emerald Lake.

My previous post was not directed at you. Allow me to enlighten you... Like you said, it's already mid-November. People are probably not cruising around Scotland in Winter, so I copied and pasted the listed ports into Google, and the most likely result is an Azamara cruise in June 2024, which is not exactly last minute. Now, if the OP was sailing around Scotland this Winter "kind of last minute", that would a bit of a time crunch.

I would recommend checking to see if there's a roll call for your sailing. I booked my British Isles cruise about 7 weeks in advance. The roll call was super helpful in pointing me towards tours other people had already researched.

That's kind of sad to live in such fear. There are much bigger targets. More likely to get killed on the way to the port. Besides, there are hundreds of cruise ships sailing every week. What are the chances the target would be your ship/sailing?

Is this last minute cruise in June 2024?

Again I ask why does it matter how long a cruise line has been sailing to Alaska? Does Glacier Bay look different on an HAL or Princess ship? Do Princess and HAL go to a different Skagway? Other than one HAL cruise, I only sail on NCL and Princess. They both have their positives and I wish they'd get married. What upcharges does NCL have that Princess does not? NCL just has more variety, especially on the big ships. And if the OP is sailing the Haven, on Bliss or Encore they'd have that separate observation lounge.

Encore sails to Glacier Bay and Skagway. Encore is the younger (newer) sister of Bliss. As for NCL not being recommended for Alaska, that usually comes from HAL and Princess fans who have never sailed NCL, and say that HAL and Princess "know how to do Alaska" because they've been there longer, even though NCL has been sailing to Alaska for over 20 years. NCL will also have a park ranger on board for Glacier Bay so that's a non-factor.

Just because you had a great cruise and someone else didn't, doesn't mean you're right and they're wrong. Every guest doesn't interact with the exact same employees. People are going to have different experiences, and they are entitled to to their opinion the same as everyone else else. Bully a cruiseline? Please.

Make sure your phone is in airplane mode. My free package didn't show up initially on embarkation day because I was not in airplane mode. Had to find the right person to point that out.

Was this a guarantee cabin? If so, you may have trouble requesting reassignment.

As someone who is not of advanced age, and has actually sailed on both NCL and Princess, if I was 9 years old I would prefer the big NCL ships like Encore or Bliss. OP, don't discount NCL because old people prefer Princess. Wildlife doesn't only come out when it sees a Princess ship. 🤣 Again, consider port times. You're more likely to see wildlife on excursions. And does this really look unsafe to any of you?

I was actually shocked at how close we did get to Sawyer Glacier on the Jewel last month. We just kept inching closer. And then a nice clear view of Hubbard Glacier, which I believe is where the "bergy bit" hit the Sun. As for Glacier Bay, it's the same Glacier Bay on any ship. And NCL has the park rangers too. Port times are important. I've sailed NCL and Princess with one HAL. If I was bored on HAL in my 20s, I can't imagine being a 9 year old.

My very first cruise was to Alaska on NCL 20 years ago so they aren't exactly new to the region. Bliss and Encore are big, flashy new ships that might appeal to a 9 year old. But do check port times and what your priorities are.