The very first Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) cruise ship has officially left a U.S. port. This is very exciting!
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| Photo credit Google |
NCL Encore set sail out of Seattle to officially start the cruise
season for Alaska, approximately 21 months after a global pandemic shut down the
world. This was a test cruise that
carried industry partners and travel agents and only had one port of call which
was Ketchikan. This was also the first
NCL ship to leave a U.S. port as other cruise partners have already been cursing
out of Ft. Lauderdale for a few weeks. It set sail yesterday carrying the first round of paid cruise passengers.
**I would like to take a moment to note that five cruise passengers from a Holland American cruise ship, while also docked in Ketchikan, were killed aboard a sea plane during an excursion. The pilot and five passengers did not survive the crash. This makes me so sad for all of the families involved and my heart goes out to all those that were affected by this tragic day.
One of many “travel couples” I have been following on You Tube
and Instagram was aboard NCL Encore which has made me anxiously waiting some
intel on what cruising on NCL is like post-pandemic. (Are we even post-pandemic? I honestly don’t want to think about it because
it just depresses me). They have posted
one video thus far of embarkation day. Thankyou EECC Travels for allowing me to vicariously be a part of your trip journey while I anxiously wait for my turn.
Here is what I have learned:
· NCL requires 100% of cruise passengers and crew
members on-board to be fully vaccinated.
They pride themselves on offering cruise passengers the best experience possible
with the least amount of restrictions.
In order do this, they are taking the safety of their passengers very
seriously. You cannot board a NCL cruise
without proper documentation you are fully vaccinated. If you have any questions about this, reach
out to a NCL representative.
· After you arrive at the cruise pier, you are
sent to a nearby hotel for a rapid COVID test. You are swabbed and have to wait 20
minutes. Once cleared, you can continue
back to the pier to start your check-in.
I have managed to go 1.5 years without having a single COVID test, nose
swab or other. I plan to make it another
eight weeks until our cruise with no COVID test. Boy do I hope I pass the test when the time
comes to board the cruise ship.
· The muster drill takes place as soon as you
board the ship. Royal Caribbean
and Celebrity Cruise Line are having passengers watch the muster drill video in
their room. At some point before the
cruise ship sets sail, you are required to respond to your muster drill station
to finish the process. With NCL, you are
sent a video of your muster drill ahead of time are sent to your muster drill
station once you board to finish the process.
· The buffet remains self-serve. This had to have been the biggest shock when
I watched EECC Travel’s You Tube video aboard NCL Encore. I have been following their other You Tube
adventures on both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise Lines. In each case, the buffet is still up and
running but instead of self-serve, the staff serves you. Either way does not make a difference in my
decision to set sail again. It was a pleasant
surprise to see NCL is working hard to make the post-pandemic cruise life feel
like nothing changed.
· There will be entertainment. NCL had provided us with information that
entertainment on board may not be the Broadway shows one has come to
expect. I now have confirmation that the
show Choir of Man is available during the current Alaska cruise season. I am really excited to see this show. I won’t know what other entertainment is
available as this test cruise was not the typical 7-day cruise itinerary. I am a little bit bummed that I don’t think I’ll
be seeing Kinky Boots. This just means I’ll
have to book a return cruise on NCL Encore to be able to catch this show.
· No masks! A HUGE benefit of a 100% vaccinated cruise coupled with COVID testing is that you do not have to wear a mask once you board the ship. I will have to wait and see if it is required on transportation to/from the airport and on cruise excursions. Hopefully I’ll find somebody to follow along for more tips in the weeks to come.
I have no idea how I am going to survive the next 8-weeks
waiting for our Alaska Cruise Adventures to begin. I have already started my packing list and I’ve
been watching the weather. I tell ya, I
am full on crazy right now! Get me on a
ship ASAP.
Follow along with EECC Travels on YouTube. It is really fun to live vicariously through others and I learn so many great tips that way too.
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