lax19

Check the room location. It appears that all the mini's on the Dawn are on Deck 11, right below the pool deck. If that is your only choice, I would stick with a regular balcony on deck 9 or 10

Here's my take on reviews:

1) The "over-generalization" review: The ones where everything was horrible. "The food was completely inedible." "Everyone was rude." "Every child screamed all day and ran up and down the halls all night." "The ship is so dated." (hey my house is 50 years old...its dated too.)

These I ignore (after i get a good chuckle).

2) The "One thing totally ruined my cruise" review: The shipped missed this port and that's the only reason I came and my cruise is ruined" or "They wouldn't show the big game anywhere and I missed my favorite team." Hey, if the game is that important to you...stay home and watch it! Again, ignore.

3) The "We had issues and so now I want to complain" review: "Our toilet was clogged" or "Dinner service was so slow". Did you try to get it fixed while you were on the cruise or did you wait until afterwards to complain about it?

4) The balanced review. One that lists both good and bad. There are some foods I don't like, but you may. If I said in a review, they served escargot, but I passed because I don't like it... you may respond "Great they have escargot and I love it!"

One my first cruise during the goodby show, the cruise director said something like -"We're here to make you happy...even if you are only happy when you are complaining. So if we have given you something to complain about, we've done our job."

I'll be on the Jewel in 48 hours!! I'll let you know about her in 48 hours and 7 days!

Lots of fun at Maho Beach. I also agree with doing Bernard's Tour. You'll end up here around 1:00. Let the sandblasting begin!

I'm guessing you have already checked out the Bell Street Garage. $142 for the week and across the street from the pier.

Which Marriott are you asking about?

We're thinking about going to a Seattle Mariners game the night before we sail.

 

We're staying at the Marriott Renaissance downtown and we're wondering what options we'll have for transportation from the game back to the hotel.

 

We assume we can get a taxi from the hotel to the game but not sure what our options will be to get back from the hotel from the game.

 

Appreciate any advice.

If you choose to get a taxi back to the hotel, you will have better luck walking to the north side of Century Link field (Seahawks stadium) by King Street Station (train station). You'll be out of the Safeco crowds and will be able to snag a cab.

My wife and I are going in August on the Jewel. I originally booked in December through a Kirkland Washington based warehouse chain's travel service. The price was $1581 per person (which includes tax, fees and prepaid daily service charge) for a category BC balcony. I watched prices and at the end of January rebooked for $1430 per person. Prices then started to rise. Today the same room $2550 per person. A balcony guarantee (BX) is $1650 per person for the same cruise.

If you want, you can bring a reasonable amount of bottled water and soda on to the ship with you.

Look like Mickey's leasing or financing it...

FAA registry for tail number N305CC shows it is owned by Wells Fargo Bank.

Either way, it is a nice aircraft!!

Now, I just have to book flights for the outbound leg. I'm pretty sure we will be flying in the day before the cruise, but the decent hotels around the port area are all $200+. Any chance the hotel prices will come down between now and November?

Have you considered staying near Long Beach Airport? It's less expensive (Marriott brand is around 140-150)

Thanks for posting the first day daily. We'll be on the Jewel in August! Was the cruise director Jamie DeSousa? She was the CD when we were on the Star a couple of years ago.

99 (or the Alaskan Way viaduct) is an elevated roadway. You'll be walking downhill to the water front with sidewalks the entire way, and a lot of stairs at the end.

 

We were with a tour group out of Albuquerque, 43 of us, so most of the time it was just our group in the buses. Princess had everything very organized. We flew into Fairbanks at 1am and the same day did gold panning and the riverboat. Spent another nite in Fairbanks, then a bus ride to Denali, where we took the afternoon 6hr tour.

I wonder if my son was your bus driver from Fairbanks to Denali. Tall, good looking kid (aren't they all?)

Or the OP's client met a guy who knew a guy .... hundred bucks later, he had a "birth certificate". ;>}

we'll have 2.5hr layover on a Friday evening. A Delta to Delta connection (ATL-SEA-ANC). Any suggestions for dining within area we'll be? TIA:)

There are plenty of restaurants within the terminal area. I wouldn't venture out of the airport with only 2.5 hours. Getting back through security could take an hour by itself.

Here's a link to the port of Seattle map for SeaTac. The Central Terminal has an Anthony's which is a Seattle staple for Seafood. Just hover over the blue dots for the restaurant name.

http://www.portseattle.org/Sea-Tac/Maps-and-Directions/Pages/Central-Terminal.aspx

Of course, the flip side is Disney operates at a generally much higher price point, so part of it becomes how you prefer to pay.

This is true. For example, a 7 day Alaska cruise on Disney is $1350 per person more than the same week on NCL/Princess/Carnival.

It's a balancing act - higher cruise fee and lower on board revenue or lower cruise and higher on board revenue.

Thank you very much for a clear and concise answer to my questions. BTW-It's an NCL Pearl embarkation if that helps id pier, otherwise i gotta go look it up.

 

Just checked it is Terminal 91

Hey Bones774 - I think NCL uses Pier 66 (http://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Port%20Directions_Seattle.pdf).

I will be staying at the Crown Plaza Seattle the night before my cruise. There does not seem to be a lot of retail around there. Am I crazy, but would like to get a case of bottled water and soda to bring on the ship with me. Is it going to be worth the hassle?

 

There looks to be a Target at 2nd and Union, but Seattle looks pretty hilly.

 

Rob

From the Crown Plaza to Target is about 1/2 mile down hill. So that makes the return trip 1/2 mile up hill. Walk a couple of blocks more and you'll be at Pike Place Market. Downtown Seattle is a very walkable even if you are not in good shape.

One of the couples even went so far to ask how we were able to afford the cruise and that we must have "had mommy and daddy pay for it." I found it to be quite rude.

Try this response: Yup, some people have mommy and daddy pay for their cruise...others pay for their cruise by suing their plastic surgeon.:rolleyes:

I currently have a suite booked on the Dawn for Feb 2015 with $300 OBC. I checked online today (mock booking) and noticed the OBC was $450 when I did not sign into my NCL and only $150 when I was signed into My NCL. There was no mention of the Valentine's Day special.

I called NCL to see if I could get the extra $150 OBC. The NCL Customer Service Rep gave me good news and bad news. Good news was I could get the extra $150 OBC (total of $450 OBC), but my cruise price went up $12.00.

Sure I'll spend $12 to get $150 any day. Rebooked, with same cabin and $450 OBC!

No they didn't call me. I check the price almost every day. I go to the NCL site and book a dummy reservation with all the same info as the trip I have booked. When I did that today the price was lower. So because I have my cruise book directly with NCL I called them directly and they did the adjustment.

Exactly what I did with my upcoming Alaska cruise (except I booked through a TA).

Checked price, it was about $220 less

Called the TA, they confirmed with NCL,

Offered an upgrade, no thank you, I want the lower price

Rebooked at lower price. (Final payment is not due until May)

Don't forget a roll or two of quarters....for the pay toilet down the hall from your cabin. I also heard that the 1X cabins are next to the recycling room. You have to put in a couple hours separating recyclables before you get your meal of hardtack and gruel.

:p

For the week of August 16th, a balcony on HAL cost almost $500 more than NCL (Jewel). With NCL's Ultimate Dining Package ($119) per person, you could eat in a specialty restaurant each night of the cruise and still come out $250 ahead.

If you like Chinese food and want to get Dim Sum..Try Ocean City resturant in the international district in Seattle.

Deck 8 Aft Suites are also above Spinnakers. There have been several posts regarding late night noise (thumping bass) from Spinnakers.