I enjoyed my first Alaska solo NCL cruise. Despite a few hiccups with my modified excursions and a full ship of passengers I will definitely Cruise Alaska again and also cruise on NCL
Embarkation
5 out of 5
My scheduled time thought was 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.. My NCL desk agent Thomas went out of his way to check me in. He allowed me to get on sooner rather have to endure a long wait to board.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
I had the BEST Mexican food at Los Lobos. My 16 oz ribeye at Cagney's was so good. I also ate 2X at Savor, 3X at The Manhattan Room. I also sampled the pub food at The Local. I ate a few time as The Garden Buffet. I don't recall any food not tasting great.
The Manhattan Room - Main Dining Room
5 out of 5
I had great food here. I had the New York strip steak, I had some great Caesar salads. I had the best Tiramisu dessert. I ate here twice with some of my fellow solo Cruisers. I also had a dinner by myself. The staff was awesome and always attentive. I had a great orange with chocolate mousse. I also had a chocolate cake. I don't normally eat desserts but they were very good
Savor Restaurant - Main Dining Room
5 out of 5
I had lunch on embarkation day. My Pina colada, my Philly cheese steak, and my Caesar salad were all excellent. I had several dinners also at savor. The New York strip steak was cooked perfectly. I had an awesome dessert also. I found a wonderful Gerard Bertrand Cabernet wine that I had it every meal. It was included in my dining package and it was excellent
Sugarcane Mojito Bar
5 out of 5
I went to a solo meet and greet. I met my fellow Solo Traveler Regina from Newport News. We each had two mojitos. After we tipped our bartender he gave us our third mojito complimentary. There was a variety of different Mojitos to try. They were all very good. Bar staff were very welcoming, funny and polite. I just wish I remembered their names. To give them a shout out.
Garden Cafe
4 out of 5
I only ate here a few times. Breakfast omelette's made to order were fantastic. Their prime rib was very good. Normally I'm not a prime rib eater. I had some very good stratchitella ice cream. Their Korean chicken was very good.
The Local
5 out of 5
I ate at the local for lunch several times and late night. All of my food was good. I especially liked the chef made me my chili dog minus the beans specifically at my request. It was very very good. I also was able to have my same Gerard Bertrand Cabernet
The District Brew House
5 out of 5
My first time here was for a private event. A solo meet and greet for 200 of my fellow solo Cruisers. The second and third times were for the piano show. The musician was named Archie. He was very good played '70s, '80s and '90s music. He was very very popular. They have a full service bar also and food was available to order.
Los Lobos
5 out of 5
I was invited to dinner by 4 of my felloe solo travellers. The Jalapeno margarita's we awesome. The tableside quac was wonderful. You could order it made mild or spicy. I had the best carne asada I think I've ever had. I had a great dessert also. The service was excellent. The food food was marvelous
Cagney's Steakhouse
5 out of 5
I chose my one included specially dining meal for Cagney's specifically. I had a shrimp cocktail, lobster bisque and a 16 oz ribeye. The ribeye was cooked to perfection
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
I enjoyed The Waterfront on Deck 8. It was a great alternative for picture taking as the Observation Lounge was overcrowded most of the time. I did use the Fitness Center. It was a well equipped gym.
Tradewinds
3 out of 5
Tradewinds was your typical shopping area. They would have a sale every night. I did buy some 75% off Alaskan merchandise items. A solo Cruiser I met but an Invicta watch at 75% off they put out a lot of merchandise that they were trying to get rid of. I just bought a couple of items.
Pulse Fitness Center
4 out of 5
The fitness room was well stocked with the usual gym equipment. My friend made it to the gym almost daily. I didn't quite but I found enough machines available. It was well used by fellow Cruisers.
Encore Casino
5 out of 5
I had a great time in the casino. I won $50 on a scratcher. I won $145 on a slot machine. Overall I won about $240. The staff were always happy and polite.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The Choir of Man and The Beatles Tribitr shows were amazing. I also went to Karaoke at The Cavern Club. In The District Brewhouse was an amazing pianist named Archie. He played 60's, 70's and 80's music.
The Cavern Club
5 out of 5
I was at this venue twice. The first time was for karaoke. It was easy to get a seat. They had a bar where you could order drinks. The second time I was at this venue is for the Beatles tribute show. That was also very good. Both times I was able to easily get a seat
Encore Theater
5 out of 5
I attended the 10p.m. show The Choir of Man. Firdt come first served on the seating. I had no problem getting a seat pretty close to the stage with a great view. This show is awesome and not to be missed.
Children's Programs
I was a solo adult traveler.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
My room steward Michael Quita was the best. He was very friendly and attentive. If I needed anything, i.e. robe, extra blanket, my closet door fixed (sticky) he made sure it was handled ASAP. Jimina, our Solo Cruise Hostess was amazing. Very friendly and energetic.
Ship Quality
2 out of 5
I found it easy to navigate after the first day. Initially I had trouble finding my room until I realized I was on the starboard side and the fishies on the carpet pointing forward helped me find my room. The public bathrooms are always clean. I did not notice any lingering dinner trays coffee cups or glasses and any of the dining areas.
Cabin / Stateroom
1 out of 5
I occupied solo cabin 12535 on Deck 12. My room was 99 ft. Surprisingly for the size I was not claustrophobic and it was perfect for one passenger. There were two closets and enough outlets for electronic devices such as my phone. Both my carry-on and my check bag fit securely under my bed. My cabin was always clean. My cabin steward Michael Quita was on the ball everyday.
Ship tip
Keep your phone on airplane mode while on board the ship to avoid roaming charges. You can buy an upgraded internet package on board and still use Facebook messaging.
I flew in one day prior to my cruise. I arrived in Seattle about 1:00 p.m.. I was at my hotel by 2:00 p.m.. I had a dinner with four other fellow cruisers at Aqua by Gaucho. Very very good food and on the waterfront. Prior to sailing on Sunday the 22nd I was able to for the Public Market. It's an awesome place and I did get a few gifts and souvenirs. The bubblegum wall was kind of crazy.
There was awesome sites sailing the Inside passage. Again using The Waterfront on Deck 8. I was able to go outside and walk around the ship taking pictures from various sections. It's a great alternate to the overcrowded Observation Lounge I encountered at times during my cruise.
I'm only giving Juno 3 stars only because my Excursion to Mendenhall Glacier and Gold Belt tram was modified. NCL exceed the number of giests allowed to tour Mendenhall Glacier. I did receive a %50 refund. We were taken to a nature trail 2 miles from the Glacier. It was nice but not what I originally planned. Why was this point that some Cruisers who booked after me still got the full Glacier experience and I didn't booking almost a year ago. However the Gold Belt Tram portion was awesome. We were ascending just as the sun was setting. I was able to get some beautiful shots of the sunset and our ship down below. I did buy a few souvenirs from the gift shop. We also had a couple of local Alaskan beers at the bar. We just send it on the last tram going down and hit the T-shirt shop that was open. It was a zoo because they had a huge end of the season sale. I collected some stickers, a couple of shot glasses and a really nice sweatshirt at a steep discount. When in Port I would turn my phone off of airplane mode so I can catch up with my text messaging.
This was my second modified excursion. Due to track work we could not ride the White Pass Railway to the Canadian border. We did write it to Inspiration Point. The scenery was awesome. There was a lot of snow at the top. We had a good guy who told us a lot of local history and pointed out various points of interest. You could also go out on the platform between cars. That was a great picture taking location that was very very cold. After the train ride we did go through town. We had the best Alaskan fry bread at the Doughboy shop. Also had a beer at the local Skyway Brewing Company. Some shops were closed due to it being the end of the season. There were not too many end of season sales comparative to in Juneau. When in Port I would turn my phone off of airplane mode so I can get my cell phone reception.
Glacier Bay itself was awesome with beautiful views. However the downside the Observation Lounge on Deck 15 was overcrowde Many passengers slept in the observation Lounge the night before. A lot of the seats were taken up by sleeping people. My alternative to this was again The Waterfront on Deck 8. Also the bow was opened up and it was an awesome place to get a view as we sailed into Glacier Bay. The ship did two 360 turns while sailing Glacier Bay so you didn't miss any of the awesome views.
So my fellow Cruiser friend and I did the 90 minute tour to Totem Bight Park
. We had an awesome tour guide and she took us on a walking tour in a beautifully wooded area and pointed out which totem poles were original and which were recreations. It was a beautiful location lots of awesome picture taking opportunities. A lot of stories behind the Eagle and Raven Clans were imparted to us. The downside is your time in port is only 4 hoirs.The Mill is the shopping area at the dock. You passed through the mail on your way to your Excursion. When you come back there's all manner of souvenirs, t-shirts, magnets soaps, kids t-shirts, keychains magnets Etc. There were also snacks available to purchase. When in Port I would turn my phone off airplane mode and have cell phone reception.
The downside is you arrive at 8:00 p.m. and sail at midnight. Stop is only 4 hours . It's required by maritime law to stop in a non-us port on this Alaskan cruise . I happened to take the one hour excursion, The Horse Trolley. It was cold but they provide warm blankets. Our guide gave us a through history of the area that we passed through. There were also buses available to take you directly to downtown Victoria if you wanted to explore on your own. There was of course at the Canadian US border at the end of the pier a gift shop. I did buy a couple items there before re-boarding the ship.
We docked at 6:00 a.m. in Seattle. I was able to grab coffee and a light breakfast. My tags were purple so that meant I was able to exit the ship at 8:15 a.m.. it was very easy to find my two suitcases. That is because all of the luggage pickups are designated by color. I boarded my bus to the airport that I booked through NCL. I got to the airport by 9:15. The only downside is my flight wasn't until 12:50 p.m..
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