SoloAlaska

Celebrity is a notch above in both. My biggest issue with NCL is a complete lack of seasoning in almost everything they make. Absolute worse ceasar salad I’ve ever had was in the MDR of NCL. With that said I will continue to still cruise NCL but make my selections accordingly.

7 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Your trip is costing more than $1000.  You could trade those points for cash so the value of the points should be added to the $1000.   Having a larger viewing area is one advantage of the VIP tour since you have the open air platform at both ends of the car which you're sharing with only 10 or 12 other passengers.  Also since there are so few passenges inside the VIP car, the windows are not prone to fogging over.

Cant trade airline points for cash. Credit card points ok you’re right I probably could have gotten $150 in cash. So you’re correct it’s $1150, still not the 10k others may easily spend on their Alaskan cruise. 

2 hours ago, PirateAt45 said:

We are cruising on Carnival Panorama in July 2024. Six adults (3 couples: 2 sisters, 1 brother & spouses).

 

One couple prefers set time dining, one prefers your time dining, and one sees pros/cons of each. What is your experience with YTD on Carnival ships. I've only been on one carnival cruise so far and heard people complain about wait times for tables, but looking on other questions on this topic, it sounds like the wait is minimal, but service is inconsistent. What is your experience with dining and pros/cons of each type of dining. I'm a set dining/late dining person.  Used to be an early dining person when we had a younger kid.   

If anyone has food intolerances or allergies I highly recommend set dinning. Having to explain it every night is a pain plus there is more risk that someone won’t understand. 

3 hours ago, zeldaone said:

Are  there reliable taxi's or uber's at most of the ports in the Carribean? We dock in St. Thomas, St Maartin, St Lucia and Barbados. Would like to grab a ride at these ports. Thanks

You’ll find more info in the ports of call area of CC if you want specifics. Lots of info to be had on here.

30 minutes is the rule of thumb but I would aim to return 1hr before sail away just in case unless your staying really close to port. 

Without the wifi you’ll still be able to message your husband through the app.my first cruise was celebrity and I loved NOT having wifi. In Europe I always get an eSIM which I use in port for any data needs I have. 

50 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

It's not just the narration, it's also the ability to ask questions of the tour guide which is impossible if he is in another location.  I know it's a bit more than the 'coach' but it's a modest increase when you consider how much you're paying for the cruise.

Alaskan cruises aren’t necessarily a lot of money. I was able to use airline and credit card point to pay for flights and my hotel so my entire trip is costing $1000 and that’s traveling solo. So if you include a tip etc it’s almost 20% of my cruise to one excursion. If you have the money then spend it. The biggest benefit would be to have a larger viewing platform honestly. When it’s misty you really can’t see much out of the windows so being outside is the best spot, the regular cars only have standing room for a few people sadly.

4 hours ago, thinfool said:

Ahem...we may have been on that cruise (Nov. 2012) and saw those folks.  Mostly they were ignored and the wife was rather miffed!  

 

Not to be snarky, but booking a HAL cruise most anywhere....we did South America in 2016, would mean that you could use the bow of the ship...lean over, take photos, take turns with others,  Tis windy, but so is the upper viewing areas, as you found out.

I meant for hot chocolate delivery I needed a cruise husband. 

5 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Just to understand, NCL adds a mandatory gratuity to their drink package?  It cannot be removed or modified?  That isn't really a gratuity.  It sounds more like those notorious mandatory resort fees.   

More and more places now have mandatory gratuities. A lot of restaurants if youre more than 8 it’s mandatory 18-20%. It’s still a gratuity however.

7 minutes ago, Smitheroo said:

Except that they dont let anyone know when those solo gatherings will happen. I was just on the Getaway in the Studio accommodations. Very nice.  There were plenty of occupied cabins, I never saw more than one man in the lounge at one time, never saw a bartender although there was a bar. I never saw any announcement or information about a solo gathering anywhere on the ship. It was okay because I wouldnt have gone anyway, I was just trying out the solo accommodations.  So it you are looking for solo gatherings, better ask our room attendant. to be fair, there might have been something in the Dailies. I want looking for that.  I would think there would a notice posted in the Studio lounge

It’s in the Dailies every day and on the schedule on the app. Considering a lot of solo cruisers aren’t staying near the studio lounge and many ships don’t even have the lounge it makes sense to post it where everyone can view it. The solo meet up on my Gem TA had well over 100 people on the first night and on average over 40 people per night. They had to switch us to larger venues and get us more bartenders when in spinnaker. Having a great solo coordinator makes all the difference. 

They did on my crossing in December on the Gem

Our range will be 13-85 with most being in their 30s. We will be 12 on this family cruise. We are doing dinner together unless you are going to specialty dinning. There is no way we would all do breakfast together daily since one person likes to eat before the sun rises and several may be nursing hangovers. 

Out of 16 nights cruising in September I’ve seen them one night and missed one night. They were not impressive but if you have an iPhone take pictures since they actually show up better in picture than IRL. The best way I could describe what we saw was like a glow over a city but there was no city. But hey I saw them for the 4th time in my life so it still counts.

Life GF is so much easier now than it was 15 plus years ago when I couldn’t eat gluten. I was not Celiac but had such severe pain that I ended up in hospital repeatedly. Cruise ships are great with it especially. My worries are more when I’m off the ship. I have food allergies now but never had an issue on a cruise. Traditional dinning with set tables are the easiest and order your meal (or dessert) the night before.

Google luggage storage, I’ve used those types of services all over since I discovered it. You can also look up hotel day passes in the area. I’m sure others will have recommendations of places they’ve used in the pass. I haven’t been to FLL but these services are available all over.

I get nausea when in a car but not on small boats but have been very sea sick on a cruise ship. I also suffer from anxiety. I always bring prescription meds for my anxiety which in itself helps soothe my anxiety. For seasickness EmeTerm has been an amazing solution for me. I haven’t needed to take an OTC unless the seas are very rough. EmeTerm is a very small electric shock bracelet device. It doesn’t work for everyone but it’s done wonders for me. 
 

Not all cruises have rough seas. I just travel to places and at times of the year where it can be expected and happens. I don’t let it stop me though.

I saw an add for this little bag that locks essentials like your phone and cash etc onto beach loungers etc. it was pretty interesting. I usually travel with not much of value to places like the beach and then use a waterproof pouch for the things of value like phone, cards, and cash.

33 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

I guess I don't really understand the need or expectation to move.  There are prime viewing locations all over the ship and if a spot isn't prime, just be patient and as the ship moves, it will soon become prime.  If a person gets a good spot on the railing, just like if they grab a great lounger, it is theirs until they want to vacate it.  

 

And I think slidergirl nailed it.  In areas like Endicott Arm or Tracy Arm, we just hang out on the balcony.  We see one side going in and the other side going out.  And yes, we do get hot chocolate served.  Well, at least, my wife does because I'm the one going and getting it.  😁

So your saying I need a cruise husband 😂 

8 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

That's why I got myself a balcony for Alaska - I didn't have to deal with the "railing scrum" that goes on trying to get a spot.

But no one is serving hot chocolate on your balcony. 

5 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

What you say may have some truth to it but I don't see how the shift in clientele has anything to do with Porter's on time performance.  Additionally, I've used Porter on four round trip flights over the last year (two to EWR, two to FLL) and have not experienced substantial delays or lost luggage.

There are benefits for porter my favorite being gate check. Less of a chance of delayed carry ons that way compared to how Air Canada does it. I still search flights but what gives me the best deal so I’ll still fly porter occasionally but Air Canada has been my sweet spot for booking in 2024. In 2023 I flew all sorts of airlines.

I’ve never had an issue with this with hotels that cater to business people. I often send things to hotels but don’t send them too early since they can get buried and difficult to find in shipping and receiving departments. I usually target arrivals 2-3 days within the US and 5-7 days from Canada to the US. A budget hotel could be different. Call a prospective hotel ahead of booking.

Uber Black Car is a nice alternative but if you need the extra help with your luggage etc then a regular black car service would be better.

4 hours ago, bowen9475 said:

Thanks for the input. Not trying to sound dumb, but how important are waterproof shoes if we aren’t planning to do any hiking type activities? We mostly plan on sightseeing tours. 

If you don’t want went cold feet then bring waterproof shoes and something like light wool socks. 

19 hours ago, bowen9475 said:

We are cruising to Alaska in late June. What clothing should we plan to pack? Thank you!

Where you come from also makes a difference. Someone mentioned to bring a heavy winter jacket…. I would never. I am from a place that gets to -40 so winter jackets are meant for actual freezing cold weather.

for Alaska at that time of year bring a bit of everything from tshirts and shorts to warm layers. You’ll want to bring waterproof shoes and coats but you shouldn’t need them as much in June.

There’s also a baggage storage service about a block and a half away with a nominal charge. I left a VERY heavy suitcase there for 3 days when I took a side trip to Vancouver Island.