My one big disappointment NCL Jewel to Alaska

[zqvol]

I am going on the Jewel leaving September 23, 2017 10 day ultimate Alaska cruise leaving from Seattle.

Are you saying I won't be traveling the inside passage?? It does end in Vancouver. I just don't see anywhere in MyNcl where it says Inside passage". I wanted a longer Alaska cruise - more than 7 days but do want to sail the inside passage.

 

Thanks

 

Harriet

 

You will sail the west side of Vancouver Island northbound, and the east side south bound.

[hpecorari]

I couldn't enlarge your thumbnail picture enough to read it, but looking at the printed itinerary on the booking page, it shows the first day out of Seattle to be "At Sea", while the last day before Vancouver is shown as "Cruise Inside Passage". So I think it's safe to say you will have one day Inside Passage only. If you take a look at a Sun itinerary out of Vancouver, the itinerary will show two days as "Cruise Inside Passage". If it doesn't say that, you're not getting it.

 

Thank you, Brenda

 

Harriet

[NLH Arizona]

 

I plan on following up with NCL

Please come back and let us know what NCL says.

[em-sk]

I am going on the Jewel leaving September 23, 2017 10 day ultimate Alaska cruise leaving from Seattle.

Are you saying I won't be traveling the inside passage?? It does end in Vancouver. I just don't see anywhere in MyNcl where it says Inside passage". I wanted a longer Alaska cruise - more than 7 days but do want to sail the inside passage.

 

Thanks

 

Harriet

 

Generally the trip from Alaska into or out of Vancouver travels on the east side of Vancouver Island. The trips into Victoria and then Seattle are on the West side.

 

The obvious reason is Vancouver is on the east side and it is a detour of several hours to go on the west side.

 

Victoria is on the south-west trip of Vancouver island.

[em-sk]

The one consideration I just remembered from our past Inside Passage was the timing of going through the narrow north end. The tides are pretty extreme and tugs/log booms/barges have priority. I wonder if sailing out of Seattle at 4pm catches the slack tides or tug traffic at the wrong time versus leaving Vancouver at the same time.

 

It also looks like there will be no M&G as not enough people are signed up for the Jewel June 4th CC Roll Call.

 

I could be wrong, but I believe that straight that you mentioned requires the ship to bring on board a local pilot.

[Laszlo]

I must admit this is kind interesting. We are leaving on the Jewel Labor Day Weekend. I just assumed we were going up the "Inside Passage" because that is what the map indicates we are doing. Our itinerary say "Sea Days" and nothing about the inside passage, it is misleading. I will mention this at the CC meeting on the ship

[triptolemus]

I must admit this is kind interesting. We are leaving on the Jewel Labor Day Weekend. I just assumed we were going up the "Inside Passage" because that is what the map indicates we are doing. Our itinerary say "Sea Days" and nothing about the inside passage, it is misleading. I will mention this at the CC meeting on the ship

 

Please note that the "Inside Passage" extends from southeastern Alaska, in the United States, through western British Columbia, in Canada, to northwestern Washington state, in the United States.

 

You will be cruising a portion of the Inside Passage. Skagway, up into Juneau, down to Ketchikan and the areas around Sitka and Gustavus toward Glacier Bay (for Pearl, Sun) are all within the Inside Passage.

 

While the east side of Vancouver Island is certainly part of the Inside Passage, in the five trips I have taken to Alaska from Seattle on both Jewel and Pearl, we have never traveled that route. That said, the map on the 7 day Sawyer Jewel page on NCL.com is wrong -- what a shocker.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Passage

Edited May 30, 2016 by triptolemus

[Tutu cruiser]

we are tanking the Jewle on June 11th and it does clearly show we will be sailing the east side going and the west side coming back. I will ask about it when we leave. I have never been to that part of the country so I won't know what I'm missing but after reading these comments, I do hope they take the advertised rout!

[triptolemus]

I do hope they take the advertised rout!

 

You won't be.

 

See the two maps below. The first one is Jewel's track from this past weekend, clearly coming around the west side of the island. The second map is Pearl's track from this past weekend, obviously on the west side.

 

Jewel:

 

Pearl:

 

But don't take my word for it... watch her for yourself:

 

http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:376003/mmsi:311827000/vessel:NORWEGIAN%20JEWEL

Edited May 30, 2016 by triptolemus

[zqvol]

we are tanking the Jewle on June 11th and it does clearly show we will be sailing the east side going and the west side coming back. I will ask about it when we leave. I have never been to that part of the country so I won't know what I'm missing but after reading these comments, I do hope they take the advertised rout!

 

You will not go on the east side of Vancouver Island either direction with a round trip out of Seattle. The map is incorrect. The advertised route is misleading. You have two "at sea" days but no "cruising the inside passage" day. The "cruising the inside passage day" is the one where you would go to the east of Vancouver Island. Even the 10 day cruise doesn't go to the east of Vancouver Island.

[rockdoctor]

Just went to the NCL website and you are indeed correct. It plainly shows the route on the east side of Vancouver Island. That's why I always use a travel agent, to call up the cruise line and be your advocate and read 'em the riot act. They can't say it's a change in itenerary since there is no ship I know of that sails from Seattle up the east side of the Island. Good luck on this.

[hpecorari]

I must admit this is kind interesting. We are leaving on the Jewel Labor Day Weekend. I just assumed we were going up the "Inside Passage" because that is what the map indicates we are doing. Our itinerary say "Sea Days" and nothing about the inside passage, it is misleading. I will mention this at the CC meeting on the ship

 

Thank you! I will look for your reply as to what they said as I am very interested

 

Harriet

[Laszlo]

Thank you! I will look for your reply as to what they said as I am very interested

 

Harriet

 

Will do Harriet, hope your feeling well!

[hpecorari]

Will do Harriet, hope your feeling well!

 

Thank you. 90% of the time I am, and every day is a gift… So yes I'm doing well!

 

Harriet

[rhblake]

It may be that ships must burn cleaner fuel on the eastern passage and NCL may not be able to bunker enough clean burning fuel to do both the eastern passage and the rest of Alaska.

[kdzkatz]

If indeed the theory of "Sea Day" = west side of Vancouver island and "Inside Passage" = east side then should NCL not be able to easily make an accurate map? I consider it false advertising as it looks to be that the route shown on their website is not the intended route at all. I believe that is considered a "bait and switch" tactic.

 

Their fine print may legally protect them but I am hoping that enough of us on here can get them to realize what they are doing is morally wrong. It is a simple fix on their behalf.

 

I did email our pre concierge and they gave me the guest relations post cruise phone number. I will be calling it tomorrow. I will let you all know what happens. I hope they rectify this soon as I am willing to go to the upcoming roll calls and ask as many people as possible to bring up this concern at their Meet & Greet. I will ask them to say, "Mark wanted me to ask you why we are going on the west side of Vancouver island when you advertised it would be the east side".

 

Hopefully they will get sick of hearing that to the point of fixing this issue.

[triptolemus]

If... "Inside Passage" = east side

 

But it doesn't.

 

The Inside Passage, as posted above, runs from around Skagway all the way over to Gustavus, down to Sikta, Ketchikan, Juneau, continuing south through parts of BC and into Washington, US.

 

Your ship sailed the Inside Passage.

 

I sail Alaska regularly and am not at all upset about NCL's representation. I don't find it to be something to get worked up about. Unfortunately, you can't count on me to say anything about it -- especially at a M&G. I'm not in Kamp Katz on this one. Yes, the map is wrong. Life goes on.

Edited May 31, 2016 by triptolemus

[triptolemus]

Okay, here's some value.

 

It's about 400 miles from Seattle to Hope Island via the east side of Vancouver Island. Assuming the ship could make 12 knots (probably would be more like 10), it would take over 30 hours to complete the transit.

 

It would be dark -- well into the night -- before you ever got to Ripple Rock.

 

Departing Seattle at 4 PM on May 21, the sunset in Vancouver was 8:51 PM. You would see nothing of the east side transit anyway except pitch black darkness and the tiny lights on the shore.

 

Is it even safe for a ship that size to pointlessly make that transit in the dark?

 

Get the map fixed, I agree, but it's no wonder why the ships don't go that way from Seattle.

 

I'm not trying to argue with you Katz. But you've got to understand that sailing that route is not reasonable. And you're correct - advertising that route is not reasonable either.

 

 

It's about equal distance on the west side, but obviously the ship can push 20 knots 80% of the journey, and safety is not compromised by traveling in a narrow passage in the dark.

Edited May 31, 2016 by triptolemus

[kdzkatz]

In 2010 we sailed round trip from Seattle to Alaska and took the east side of Vancouver island. We had a full day of land viewing going up the east side. It was not night time. The experience is way different than the normal west side. It is much more scenic. It is so much different I am very disappointed they advertised a route they had no intention of taking that is so superior to the one that was taken.

 

I do appreciate the value you were wanting to add but I am coming from the first person perspective. I have done both routes and I, first hand, know the difference.

 

Had I not done this route I would have thought you were correct in that you would think by first daylight of our sea day had begun we would have already traveled past Vancouver island. It is quite the contrary and a beautiful route on the east side.

Edited May 31, 2016 by kdzkatz

[triptolemus]

In 2010 we sailed round trip from Seattle to Alaska and took the east side of Vancouver island.

 

What time did you depart Seattle in 2010? What time of year was it? What was the itinerary? All the same ports? Tracy Arm in there, too?

 

Sounds like they could have slow-played SEA up toward YVR overnight, then did the transit during the day?

 

I'm sure its wonderful going that way. The more I think about it, the more I wish they advertised the route correctly. I am starting to agree with you more.

Edited June 1, 2016 by triptolemus

[kdzkatz]

What time did you depart Seattle in 2010? What time of year was it? What was the itinerary? All the same ports? Tracy Arm in there, too?

 

Sounds like they could have slow-played SEA up toward YVR overnight, then did the transit during the day?

 

I'm sure its wonderful going that way. The more I think about it, the more I wish they advertised the route correctly. I am starting to agree with you more.

 

It was a standard 7 day cruise with the ports of call being Ketchikan, Juneau/Tracy Arm same day, Skagway and Prince Rupert. It started and ended in Seattle. It left Seattle at 4pm. All of our cruises to Alaska have been in May.

 

I think you are correct with a slow play for a daytime transit. We did not even know we were going to take this route and when we woke up the first sea day we thought maybe we slept through the whole sea day and were going to be arriving in Ketchikan. We were very confused until we turned on the tv and saw the map.

 

It was definitely one of the top highlights of our 8 cruises to Alaska.

[em-sk]

It was a standard 7 day cruise with the ports of call being Ketchikan, Juneau/Tracy Arm same day, Skagway and Prince Rupert. It started and ended in Seattle. It left Seattle at 4pm. All of our cruises to Alaska have been in May.

 

I think you are correct with a slow play for a daytime transit. We did not even know we were going to take this route and when we woke up the first sea day we thought maybe we slept through the whole sea day and were going to be arriving in Ketchikan. We were very confused until we turned on the tv and saw the map.

 

It was definitely one of the top highlights of our 8 cruises to Alaska.

 

Perhaps the captain was expect rough weather that day and the decision was made to sail on the inside. Vancouver Island provides quite a bit of protection vrs the pacific side.

[VideoTech]

I am going on the Jewel leaving September 23, 2017 10 day ultimate Alaska cruise leaving from Seattle.

Are you saying I won't be traveling the inside passage?? It does end in Vancouver. I just don't see anywhere in MyNcl where it says Inside passage". I wanted a longer Alaska cruise - more than 7 days but do want to sail the inside passage.

 

Thanks

 

Harriet

 

Not to worry, you will definitely be sailing the "inside passage" on any Alaskan cruise. You cannot get to any of the Alaskan ports, or Glacier bay, without using the inside passage.

 

While the full geographic definition of the "inside passage" includes the waters east of Vancouver island, the usage in the case of most cruises refers to the the narrow straits, channels and passages that go through the islands that make up south eastern Alaska.

[DkswartzFamily]

We sailed on the east side last year on the Sun (don't really know ship sizes) it was a MUcH more scenic route than we had previously done. I had read reviews that it was rare and weather dependent so I was excited that they did it. I understand being disappointed when it was something you were expecting

[bonvoyagie]

I am sorry the OP was dissapointed that they did not get to go on the east side of the island. I have to agree that the map on the NCL site is indeed misleading as it clearly shows the track to the east side of the island.

 

The last time I did that route was in 2002 and I too was disapointed as it was midnight when we hit the Johnstone Strait and we were at the tip of the island at 7:00 the next morning - we were on the Sky at the time. The following year we did the same cruise and went on the West side of the island both directions.

 

In 12 we were on the Pearl and did the outside of the island both directions. I also remember that the map on the website that year was accurate showing the west side both directions. The map for the Pearl does show the correct path.

 

In watching the tracks of the ships over the past few years the ships leaving Seattle almost always go to the west - the only times I have seen exceptions is if the weather is bad on that side.

 

Ships that leave from Vancouver usually travel the east side of the island. The Pearl this year did it's 10 day season starter from there and went on the east side. When the Jewel does it's 10 day season ender, all bets are off as to the return path - they could go either way as they are also going to visit Victoria.

Even if they do go on the east side, it will be night time when they go through the most scenic portion of the trip.

 

As for the defination of the "Inside Passage" that is a subject often debated. I have heard that there is an Alaskan and a Canadian "Inside Passage" I have also seen it lumped together. At some point all alaska cruises travel the inside passage.

 

If you want to insure that you travel on the east side of the island - then cruise out of Vancouver (BTW most of those cruises are one way to Seward/Whittier AK) while most RT cruises are out of Seattle.