Itinerary
The first part of this cruise departing from Seattle was destined for Alaska. It was not the first time that I had taken a ship to visit this magnificent remote region of the United States. And the comparison that I was able to make with my previous trips (including one with Celebrity) was not to NCL’s advantage in terms of itinerary and especially ports of call.
Seattle
First, this cruise in Alaska took place at the very end of the season for this very northern region. During several ports of call we heard that it was the last cruise ship to stop here for this year. This choice to extend the season so late has already had the consequence of having days of relatively short duration, so that the arrival at the ports was done at night, just like the departure in the evening.
Juneau
Most of the time, I avoid buying excursions from cruise companies, they are often expensive and made in too large a group. They also often include a passage through shopping centers following a probably self-serving arrangement between the company and these stores. I have nothing against commerce and the tourist-driven economy, but these malls are too often away from cities, and purpose-built for tourists, away from the local quaintness. In short, often a tourist trap.
Icy Straight Point
I prefer to go for a walk in the port which hosts the stopover of the day, and possibly find more interesting excursions there for a much lower price. Scams are of course possible there too, but the choice is freer. Be careful as experienced cruisers will tell you: if the ship will wait for passengers of a late excursion when it has been booked with the company, this will not be the case for independent passengers. Too much delay will cause them to miss the departure of the ship.
Glacier Bay
This cruise ports of call have practically never covered the whole day. That of Ketchikan ended at the very beginning of the afternoon! The ship was moored very far from the city center, in a new port, which made the use of a shuttle bus compulsory. And this one only worked from 9am to 11am, no matter how crowded. It was therefore very busy and much too short to visit the city. The stopover in Victoria took place from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., the last evening of the trip. Arrival at night, the evening when they have packed their bags… and or may want to treat themselves to a restaurant to mark the occasion… well, it’s the restaurant or the stopover. Not good.
Ketchikan
One of the ports of call, Skagway, has been replaced by Icy Straight Point. Again, nothing to do instead of mooring. Without excursion, the short day (except to go out at night), the tour was quickly done.
In short, NCL will not have made great efforts to offer its passengers a quality itinerary.
There remained the visit to the glacier… where the ship makes a stop and a big turn on itself so that all passengers having a cabin with a balcony can admire the landscape. Always sumptuous, of course.
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Cabo San Lucas
Mazatlan
Puerto Vallarta
Acapulco
Puerto Quetzal
Panama City
Panama Canal
Cartagena
Next page: the conclusion…
Hi Jean Phillipe,
You are brave to travel on cruise lines other than Viking, though I get the appeal of different itineraries. I love reading about your experiences, thanks for sharing. Next time you are in Seattle you should give us a call.
Theresa and I are currently booked on 3 Viking cruises. Now I understand why you said you would likely be changing some of your future trips, as we changed one of the cruises we booked on board and will likely be changing the other as well. We are currently scheduled for Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica, 12/15/2024; Ancient Adriatic Treasures in October this year (this one we will likely change), and British Isles Explorer, 9/17/2025.
Hope we run into you on another cruise in the future.
Bon Voyage,
Kathy
Knowing other cruise lines is the best way to appreciate the best ones (and yes, it’s a risk to be disappointed with the bad ones !).
We do hope to share a new Viking adventure with both of you too.