Thank you for visiting our channel! We are the Janeks, and we live in the Tampa Bay area. Our channel explores things to do in Central Florida (west coast to Orlando, usually). These are usually special events, theme parks, or natural areas. We will also be adding more travel to our channel as COVID restrictions lift in other parts of the country and world. We are always looking for suggestions on where to check out, so if you have a favorite place let us know!
Norwegian has started to build their own docks to save money on port fees, have priority docking etc but choose to not be super transparent about it. I live in Ketchikan.
@drathen1556 There isn't even a chance for an extra tip, as there is no receipt to sign. They were one of the staff we gave a cash tip to at the end of the cruise since we visited them so often. But with the package any gratuity was included.
@myhomemovies55 we used Chase points to book the cruise. When we booked they offered a few promotions and the Starbucks option was one of them. No additional cost!
We are headed to Bradenton over Thanksgiving to visit my Mom, and we were looking for some places to hike and film. Fortunately, we found your channel and now have a better idea of what to expect at Emerson Point. Thanks for sharing, and you have earned a new subscriber!
I found your video very interesting and informative. We are going first time to Alaska on Bliss (1st NCL) in June 2025. Got lots of notes from you, thx!
100% agree, it was a joke compared to the last time I sailed with them in 2019 and we docked downtown. All ports are shuttles, except Icy Strait Point.
I was on the first sail on the encore this year and that first sea day was the same. I was very sick. Went to the observation lounge and watch the horizon and almost instantly felt better. It worked out well because of the light food right there.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re going on our first cruise - Alaska in October 2024! Super duper excited! I appreciate you focusing on the ports, especially navigating them. I have some mobiilty challenges so it’s great to have some perspective on what to expect. Question about the Starbucks on board - can you buy a la carte or do you have to get the drink package? I dont know if i can drink that much Starbucks in a week!
Everyone is allowed an opinon surely. Yes, cruise ships are dirty and wasteful, that is a fact. You have your chance to enjoy it and contribute to that industry, they have a right to protest against this industry. Its called democracy.
@@mdred2276 If you get motion sick at all in the car, I would definitely prepare. Worst case, you don't need the Dramamine, but I would bring some anyways! Or, often on the cruises they have complimentary motion sickness pills available at guest services.
Thank you so much for this video! I have a few questions: You mentioned Adventure Lab has a Geocaching tour in Sitka? Can you tell me more about that? I’ve never used Geocaching but I am very curious and this seems fun! What time does Starbucks open? Is there a mini Starbucks in the Garden Café Bar? At 1:55:55 you mention your favorite spot on the ship; is that the Observation Lounge or a different area? The funky creatures in the low tide that squirt water are called geoduck (we call them gooeyducks in Seattle); they are a type of clam! I think the weird orange things were anemones that were tucked into themselves due to being out of water. I could be wrong though! Thanks again & happy travels :)
@lunaesqueda7472 For Aventure Lab, just do a quick Google search for Adventure Lab Geocaching. It is a separate app, and the video they provide as an overview is much better than anything I can explain. But basically it's a walking tour where you have to also hit certain waypoints and answer questions. It's a lot of fun. For Starbucks, I believe it opened at 6 AM each day. There are no other locations than that one. And my favorite spot is called The Brewhouse. We didn't go there much on this Alaska cruise because of having the aft balcony, but on my last one I was there every day. I hate the Observation Lounge... way too many people.
@@journeywiththejaneks awesome! I initially downloaded the regular geocaching app, but now I have the Adventure Labs one and it's much more obvious. Thanks again for your tips :)
Great video. I am booked for a May 2025 cruise on the NCL Encore. Even though May is still early in the season, there are 6 cruise ships scheduled in every port we visit >_<. Demand growing for Alaska. This time is probably good for self guided touring. I noticed a lot of the big ticket excursions, like the helicopter to glaciers, are not open until at least May.
Any regrets on port times and how far away the ship docks in port doing NCL? I really want to book with them, but I keep hearing to be aware of timing. Also, we are looking at doing September, less busy season - does that make any difference?
I’m going in July on the same cruise. That you for your info. Taking a lot of bonine for the open ocean. The inside passage is usually smooth. Rain is common in this area. It is so much like Seattle but it is hot here this summer.
What hotel did you stay at? We're taking this exact cruise in April 2025 and are looking for a hotel to stay in so we can fly in a day early. And thanks to your video, we actually booked the same room too!
We stayed at the Crown Plaza downtown. Easy to get to from the metro from SeaTac. We took an Uber the morning of the cruise to the port, but you could have walked. It was just too much luggage to be lugging around for our comfort. Go glad you booked an aft, it was amazing! We spent our $ there versus excursions and it was well worth it!
we stay at the Edgewater, which is literally steps to the ship..."over water" rooms, but can get pricey...but lots of other hotels really close to the pier...we will be there April 25th next year.
Thank you for all of these wonderful videos! Will be taking our first cruise to Alaska next month, and I learned so much valuable information from these!
@@journeywiththejaneks I'm 67, I don't think I could do that much. I did 15,000 once, though, so maybe I can do it in Sitka. I'll try my best. I want to see as much as I can on our May 2025 Alaskan cruise
All you can drink Starbucks on the Norwegian Cruise Ships?! I better not tell my wife that! LOL Paying money to see people work tour is not my cup of tea either. I would expect to see the bridge and engine room instead. Haven't been on NCL for about 25 years, going to the Bahamas. We enjoyed our Alaska trip, but it was on the Royal Caribbean. I'm a gold member. LOL!
Love this video! I am just about to book an Alaskan cruise for May 17, 2025, which happens to be our 45th anniversary. What were the temps when you were there in April?
