McGarrett5oh

On 5/24/2024 at 10:53 AM, VMax1700 said:

Nieuw Amsterdam

 

02 December 2023 – 16 December 2023 (07 December 2017 - 19 Decem

Do you know if this ship was also in Dry Dock in March 2023?

We received an email about 2 months before our upcoming cruise from Holland America asking us if we’d be willing to downgrade.  So overselling seems to be more than a one off occurrence.   I understanding that the shorter tour is more educational and the longer tour is more scenic.  

1 hour ago, Cruise Suzy said:

6106 is next to our second-favorite stateroom on Nieuw Amsterdam or Eurodam.

Nice to know.  We will be in 6108 and our friends will be in 6106 on NA for Alaska this summer!

On 4/21/2023 at 7:17 PM, kevingastreich said:

We always book a Signature Suite on deck 6.  They are more spendy but the location is better, 

Do you know if the Signature Suites on Deck 6 can be adjusted to connect to the Signature suite next door?   We'll be on the Nieuw Amersterdam.  Thank you.

1 minute ago, Crew News said:

feel free to ask lots of questions.  Those who post on the HAL Forum are willing to share their experiences to help their fellow members be better prepared for pending cruises. 

Thanks.  I will.  I'm a bigger contributor sharing our experiences over on some of NCL & Virgin boards, so I'll be happy to tap the experience of the HA cruisers!  Cheers!

49 minutes ago, Crew News said:

My luggage (suitcase and duffel bag) was placed outside my door before midnight.  I found it in the clearly marked Blue area (numbers 1-3) in the terminal.  I walked off the ship with my roller and camera bags.  All of my stacked pieces were rolled to the prepaid bus line and to the bus loading area.  As I always do, I watched three of my pieces being loaded under the bus before I boarded and my camera bag sat on my lap for the ride to the airport.

 

It must be noted that my duffel bag was not unloaded at the airport without me pointing to it still under the bus.

 

There were numerous porters with luggage carts available at the luggage drop off point at the airport and a few inside the cruise terminal.

 

As the bus was leaving the terminal, I noted a very long line of taxis waiting to move to the underground terminal as needed.  There is a set fare of $41 CAD to the airport according to my pre-cruise taxi driver

 

FWIW the ramp from the underground terminal is a steep push for luggage if you are staying in Vancouver and not wanting a bus/taxi. 

Thank you for the detailed response, Roger.  We have a HA prepaid bus transfer to the airport in Vancouver and not only have we never cruised on HA, we have never used the prepaid transfer on any cruise line, so you've helped us understand what to expect.  Cheers!

On 5/21/2024 at 9:54 PM, Crew News said:

Disembarkation Day

As the ship crossed under the Vancouver Lions Gate Bridge, the weather was heavily overcast and chilly.

 

The Lido Market opened at 6:00 AM for breakfast and with a Blue 1 luggage tag for 8:00 AM, I ate breakfast at 7:00 AM and had no trouble finding a table.

 

About 15 minutes before 8:00 AM, I found a seat at the Rolling Stone bar and observed the ongoing disembarkation process.  The pathway to the gangway was created to pass through the Rolling Stone Lounge, between the wall and the counter behind the seats (a narrow passage).  The "Gangway" sign was situated in the middle of the entrance to the Rolling Stone seating area and waiting passengers gathered in the hallway thinking that the seating area was closed.  After watching from my bar seat for about 20 minutes, the Guest Services traffic guard moved the sign a bit and began asking passengers to take seats.  The traffic guard was ineffective, so passengers waiting for their luggage tag color to be called were helping passengers find the narrow passage behind the seating area. 

 

Disembarkation began at least 30 minutes late which caused a backup at the entrance to the Rolling Stone Lounge.  I overheard a number of airport shuttle bus passengers expressing concern about making their morning flights. Interestingly, passengers with their own luggage did not all lineup at the designated 7:30 AM time and wandered toward the gangway all the while I was seated.  I overheard at least two passengers who had left their stateroom cards in their staterooms and could not get back inside to retrieve them.

 

My Blue 1 luggage tag (first of three airport shuttle bus departures) was called at 8:45 AM (45 minutes late) and I entered the narrow passage that led back to the three Deck 2 Security checkpoints.  Yes, despite all of the announcements, stateroom cards could not be found by some passengers when they arrived at the checkpoints.  I appreciated the three checkpoints and I could move to another line.  Passengers were then funneled into the single-lane gangway.

 

The terminal had lots of signs and Canadian guides who remained silent as they just watched the passenger flow.  I spotted a red-haired member of the SHOREX staff (same person who answered my Kenaji Fjords question posted on this thread) and was given amazing instructions how and where to join the correct line for the prepaid airport shuttle.  I followed the far right wall and ended up at the prepaid bus line.  When I saw my luggage loaded into the bus, I boarded the comfortable bus.  My bus departed for the airport as soon as it was nearly full.  It was announced that the bus would make two stops with the first at the International Terminal and the Domestic Terminal to follow.  The bus paused momentarily at a holding area until a terminal unloading spot was available.  I was at my Delta Airlines check-in counter at 10:15 AM. 

 

Global Entry made the Security screening a breeze (no shoes, laptops, liquids, or belts were removed).  A facial recognition photo was taken that immediately recognized me. A few steps latter, I heard my first name called, asked if I had anything to declare, and then a "Welcome back to the USA" greeting followed.

 

I unlocked my front door a bit before midnight. 

 

Photos to follow in the next few days.

Roger - Did you carry ALL your luggage off yourself or did you leave any outside your cabin door the night before and met up with it in the terminal?   Our concern is making sure our luggage gets on the same bus we're on to the airport.   Thanks

On 5/15/2024 at 5:35 PM, RocketMan275 said:

wouldn't hesitate to call them:

855-625-4283

norwegianconciergedesk@ncl.com

All you need is  your booking number.

The last times I called this number in the Fall of 2023, I received the same initial phone tree options as I did today and spoke to what appeared to be a dedicated Haven On-Shore Concierge.  However, I got the impression that the Haven Concierge is now part of a larger "On Shore Concierge Desk" that handles more than just the Haven.  This impression came from the "on-hold" messaging (promoting their "group" concierge), the 13 minute wait time to speak to an agent (I had never waited more than a minute or two), NCL's cost cutting strategies shared in their Investor Day this week and the answers the agent gave me when i tried to poke at this impression.   He did not confirm that he handles more than just the Haven but angain left me with that feeling.

Nonetheless, I received excellent service from the representative.

10 hours ago, Crew News said:

i dined twice at the Pinnacle Grill this cruise and twice on the previous cruise the last week of April.  The creme' brulee' is amazing.

Thanks.  Would you recommend the PG over Tamarind?   Also, was there an “Orange Night/Dutch Heritage celebration on one of the formal nights? B

Really well done thread Roger. Thank you. Also appreciate the photos on your website.  Is there a reason you didn’t dine at the Pinnacle Grill?

11 minutes ago, CHOPPERTESTER said:

Doubt they were New England crab legs (It was a snow crab cluster, claw and three other legs, say 1/2 lb) and, yes with a 3" x 3" x 3/4" filet of salmon. Maybe 1/2 doz clams and 1/2 doz mussels. 1/3 corn cob. I'm thinking some red potatoes as well.

Were you able to reserve before sailing or did you have to wait and book the boil once on board?  Thanks.  

9 hours ago, roddy good boy said:

I’ve actually been on Bliss in a Haven aft suite.

How did you find your Aft Suite experience (aside from the night butler)?   We’ll be doing the same in September.  TIA. 😀

13 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

It does seem odd that the older NCL ship could tender there. Maybe part of it is the size of the ship. On my cruise the captain said there were too many passengers to tender.

We were on the Prima last fall and had to skip Isafjordur since the harbor was still under construction and, as the captain explained,  the Prima’s lifeboats are only that - lifeboats.  They cannot be used as tenders so the Prima must dock or use the port’s tenders if they have them.  I would assume the same is true for Viva.  
 

Another design shortfall on this new class of NCL ship IMO.  

All the tours leave steps from the end of the "SeaWalk", which is the floating dock that comes out to meet the ship.  You should be fine if you can be on time to disembark.  The tour company will be waiting for all their Bus Tour passengers so you won't be alone. 

The only wild card is if there are two ships in port that day as one has to tender since the floating dock can only accomodate one ship.  Prima likely will get priority.  You can check the Geiranger port schedule here:  https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/geiranger-port-547

11 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

 

@McGarrett5oh in my opinion, the most powerful thing you said was, "lower your expectations".  I say it another way, "Have Realistic Expectations".  That is why to this day, whether on NCL or Regent Seven Seas; I still say, "Butlers are hit or miss."  Same, it should not be that way. 

Agreed!  Based on this thread's advice our "realistic expectations" have yet to be met by the butlers, so our realistic expecations are now a notch lower.  That way, we won't be disappointed and perhaps surprised and delighted by service beyond these expectations.

Case in point, in the Retreat, the cabin steward set up a birthday surprise for my wife upon returning to our cabin from dinner.  This thrilled her and delighted me as we were not expecting any type of recognition despite the key date being on our reservation.  The Butler may have had some part in this but since we didn't see him nor did he acknowledge a role, we profusely thanked the cabin steward (and called him out in the post cruise survey) who DID ask how my wife liked the surprise.

Sorry if this sounds negative as we really enjoyed so much of our "ship within a ship" experiences (dining room, bar, pool area etc).

@Battlement  We also did the type of research you did on this thread and after long consideration decided to tip our butler on the Prima one half of what we had budgeted.  For a 14-day cruise with 4 people in a 2 bedroom suite, I decided that about $10/day per person was the appropriate amount.  And to @Sthrngary (and other's points), that it's hit or miss on the butler, we will NEVER tip in advance again.  Despite the butler letter and the gratitude he showed us, we didn't really get the minimal service we were expecting.  The cabin steward, who has a much harder job (not knowing if she would be tipped), was much more pleasant and attentive than the butler and only received her deserving tip at the end of 2 long weeks.  Despite the wait, her quality of service never waivered.  

Recently we spent 10 days in the Retreat on Celebrity, whose Butlers are even more stretched (i.e. # of cabins they service), we opted not to tip in advance.  We saw our Butler 2 more times the entire voyage (in the hallway and he never asked if we needed anything), yet saw our cabin steward several times a day.  We tipped him, but not the Butler at the end of the cruise.  

So as we plan for a cruise in the Haven on the Breakaway, we have lowered our expectations and see the value in the restaurant and the ability to get away from the crowds, not the Butler service. 

As a test I mentioned in a previous post, we have always singled out exceptional service on post cruise surveys so on this next Haven cruise we're going to ask our attendants early on if we can take their picture with their name tag "for the survey".  I have a feeling that may motivate them more so to provide quality service than the hope for a tip, as the comments on the survey have a signifcant impact on their long term compensation & promotions.  They won't know whether they will get positive or negative reviews from us, but certainly can hedge their bet.

12 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Just to add to the Haven experience (and true of any other experience on any other brands)...

 

-an ounce of friendliness towards the staff, a little appreciation shown for the work they do, will net you a great experience.  Don't bark at them.  Don't be demanding.

-give them tine to do their job.  Mostly, they can do what you can't on board. But, it's not instantaneous. 

-a smile, a kind greeting, inquiring about their well being will do wonders in the job they will do for you

I have also found that if we’ve had good service from a crew member, we take a headshot photo of them with their name badge and tell them we will mention them by name in the post cruise survey.  
 

Of course you have to be sincere and follow through.
 

The accolades by name in the survey are as good as gold for crew members in terms of future promotions and the increased pay that comes with them.  
 

I haven’t done this yet, but on our upcoming Haven cruise on the Breakaway this Fall, when we are delighted by a crew member, I’m going to take the picture right then to thank them.  Instant gratification can go a long way in addition to @graphicguy’s excellent advice.  

This fall we will be in an Aft Haven cabin as on the Breakaway as well & also just looking to relax on board, so very interested in your impressions of the ship, the aft and the Haven.   Enjoy your cruise!!

On 1/21/2024 at 3:23 PM, PatJim said:

Jim and I will be on the Prima for the first time in November, in a Haven 2-bedroom cabin, so we love the reviews that you and others have posted here.  I’ve read that the master bathroom in this suite doesn’t have hooks or anywhere nearby to put the bath towels after showering.  Was this a problem for you?  We can bring Command or 3M hooks for a temporary fix, but are they needed?

Yes this is so.  There are many design flaws in the bathrooms in the Prima 2 bedroom suite.  Hooks and shelf space are issues.   We bought these suction hooks and attached to mirrors (unlike most ships, the walls are not magnetic).  
 

Antimbee (10 Pack) Suction Cup Hooks for Shower, Bathroom, Glass, Door, Windows, Kitchen etc, Max Hanging up to 11 lbs - Waterproof Suction Cup Hanger Holder Removable (Transparent Dual Hooks Design) https://a.co/d/4sb8w5K

You will also need to get creative on maximizing space throughout the suite. Have the butler remove all the accent pieces and books. Use the space on the window ledge.   Your butler will stow any suitcases that don’t fit under the beds

although we kept one in the corner of the master bedroom and used as a shelf.  
 

We enjoyed our Prima cruise but wish they had made some better design choices.   Cheers!

Some may recall our thoughts & somewhat mixed review on the Prima's Haven last September on a 14 day itinerary to Norway and Iceland out of Southampton.  Tomorrow we depart for 10 days on Celebrity Beyond in their Retreat.  While the weather in the Caribbean will be different than Northern Europe, I hope to be able to share some "compare and contrast" about the non-weather experiences on these two ships, that both debuted in 2022, to this community, if it's of interest.

I would say at this point the lead up to the departure has been quite similar between the two, with the takeaway being that it really is up to the passenger to control their destiny.  I did not/have not heard from either prior to departure but have found both to be very professional and accomodating when calling their on-shore concierge phone.

7 days will fly by and getting off the ship in port, even if just to walk about a bit will change the dynamics.   Plus the Beyond is a gorgeous ship with much to offer besides the casino and pool.  IMO

Thank you for completing your story.  It was so well done and helpful for our planning.  Cheers!

What a terrific report!  Very helpful for our cruise this summer on the exact same ship and itinerary.  I do hope you add a concluding post from the Inside Pasage to arrival  in Vancouver.  If not, know that your timely insightful and detailed information was very much appreciated. 

Cheers!

It appears that the only fixed wing options at Denali are these 2 companies.  Fly Denali lands on the Glacier.  Denali Air stays airborne.  The price difference and time in the air is proportional.  We are trying to decide between the two for June 2024. 

We like the idea of the snow landing however some of our party are more comfortable that Air Denali has twin engine planes and are a bit larger vs. Fly Denali's single engine aircraft.

Any experiences to share?

PS.  We can't get to Talkeetna and don't want to fly a helicopter.

Thank you!

@Sthrngary  Thanks.  We have an FCC we must use up and are considering the Haven on Escape or Encore with the same/similar itineraries.   Just starting the research into the two ships.  
 

BTW, this FCC came in part from your coaching on what to do if the price of your Haven suite drops after final payment.  I don’t think I ever reported back on that nor did I THANK YOU for the advice!   Cheers!