Turtle05

You are GREEDY, GREEDY, GREEDY. :D

Tampa

Port Canaveral

Ft. Lauderdale

Miami

Jacksonville

 

FIVE PORTS...omg....and how many ships? I wonder if anyone knows that fact.

You give us the Harmony after you pay for the Verazano Bridge being raised and you can have the Anthem (AFTER my cruise in October, of course). hahahah:):):)

Lol! I guess I am greedy! I would trade one Oasis class ship for a Quantum class ship! As much as I want to try the Harmony, I could settle for the Allure a second time or the Oasis, but it would be real challenge! #thestruggleisreal :D

My mom told me about three time in about a day and half's time that her boss said August is bad for flies, and I can assure you that once she has decided against something, it will be almost impossible to change her mind.

The reviews I read were more upset over the behavior of the Chinese on board, both guests and crew. They said the crew looked down on non-Chinese passengers. Several people commented on the overall behavior of the Chinese cruisers, particularly rude and unhygienic behavior. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but one reviewer claimed that a Chinese boy peed into a plastic bag in the dining room.

As already stated, I have no personal knowledge as to whether any of this is true. I am merely restating what others have claimed.

The passenger that went Missing on the Navigator of the seas was a pleasant 46 yr old Man. I had the pleasure of meeting him and his mother last night on their way to dinner. I just happened to be there neighbor and our conversation was very short and sweet. This was his first cruise and he said he was having a great time and would be cruising again. It was just chit chat and I found him to be extremely friendly and engaging. I do wish people would stop assuming and spreading rumors.

Oh my his poor mother :(

I do two excursions in ports whenever I can (i.e. I have the time and the money!). However, I've always booked mine through the cruise line. I know so many people save so much money doing it on their own, but I am that person that would get left. I would look into the excursion companies' policy on cancellation in case the cruise schedule changes. Maybe try to determine the distance between excursion 1 and excursion 2 to see if it's likely you will be on time.

While searching the major cruiselines, I found one itinerary through Princess in May only that swaps Skagway with Sitka. Quite a few Royal Caribbean itineraries hit Icy Strait Point.

I will second what Keith said. I'm planning a 2017 Alaskan cruise (can't book yet because I don't have locked in vacation days) so I have a spreadsheet (oh I do love a good spreadsheet ;) ) of all the itineraries I like and multiple price points by room type. Pick what appeals to you most. Some like the ease of a round trip, others like the more robust itinerary of a one-way. Note how much time is spent at each port. Research the ports to decide which ones you want to go to. Most go to Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, but some stop at Icy Strait Point, Victoria, or Sitka. I'm not sure if you are locked in to a certain time, but be aware of the differences in when you go. Shoulder months (May and Sept) are cheaper, so if cost is a concern, consider going during one of those months. Even if money isn't an issue, I'd rather save when I can. It's all up to what you want to see and what kind of experience you want to have. Happy planning!

W00t w00t we get double in our house. 😎

It's been a rough couple of weeks for RCI. First the issues with the Anthem, then the champagne cork incident, and now this. I will pray for his family 😥

Unless I am mistaken, I do not recall the Liberty having a mini golf course. I think the Freedom class traded those out for the flow rider. Speaking of the flow rider, I hurt my neck (no, not seriously) on it. This sounds a bit silly, but just make sure to tuck your chin when you fall. I got a little whiplash from falling, which caused the neck pain. I couldn't really tilt my head to look up for about two days, so like I said, not serious but still not fun. I loved the Liberty, and I hope you do, too!

Ok mine is more fun than special, but my husband and I invented our own game of sorts on the Allure a couple of years ago. We made up our own race/scavenger hunt of sorts, and we continue to play it at different places. It's a household tradition, so much that it is deemed the ****** House Olympics (just FYI, the stars are representative of our last name, not a bad word!). We will certainly replicate this on any subsequent cruise as well. I'd also like to point out that I won the inaugural game, and I am currently the two-time recurring champ.

Ok forget my question I poked around the RCI website and read the reviews. It seems like the reviews I read were mostly negative due to the cultural differences of being in China. I am personally sad to see these ships are in Asia and Jersey. I do not desire to cruise Asia, and I am much closer to FL ports than NJ. I hope one of these ships moves to FL in the next year or so!

Can someone articulate the exact dining difference on Quantum class ships? I am not fully understanding the difference. It seems like traditional MDR dining is not there and has been replaced by complementary restaurants. Is that the case? Something interesting that people who aren't really familiar with RCI might not know is that Quantum ships are actually smaller than Oasis ships. I love that RCI is mixing it up. I love love love Oasis class ships, but I am dying to try a Quantum class ship as well! I enjoy good food, but dining is not at the tip top of my list when cruising. It's probably more towards the middle.

Looks like from what I've gathered, it would seem a "mini suite" on a Princess ship offers the same amount of room as a Holland America ship?

 

Booked on Star Princess in a balcony (only for 4 nts) and it would seem the cabin is smaller than on Island Princess?

Yes I've noticed that different ships have different cabin sizes, though the difference isn't massive. I do think the difference between a mini and a standard balcony seems big enough to make a difference to me. However, I can't say if someone would rather have the larger room over the covered balcony, especially in Alaska.

Hi turtle

Have you read either of the ones mentioned?

 

 

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I read Cruising Alaksa by Larry Ludmer a few years ago when I first visited Alaska, and I really enjoyed that one. I don't remember any of the details, but I do remember liking it. I might bust it back out, but unfortunately it's a digital book. I am an avid reader, and I appreciate the convenience of digital books, but certain books I do like to have in actual book form, such as travel books 😊

So this is weird. When I try to pull the Coral's deck plan, it gives a date range and has a different plan for after May 6. To me, that would indicate some sort of renovation/dry dock, but there are sailings going on before that, so it does not make sense that the deck plan changes. I hope it's not going into dry dock after I've read all the horror stories of crushing right after a dry dock!

The map in Joe Upton's book is great! Did not use Anne Vipond's book although we purchased it --Frommers or others are better. Check out second hand book stores or libraries to get an idea before you purchase.

I paid $20 for Anne Vipond's book at Barnes and Noble, and it really didn't tell me anything I haven't already read on CC. There is some history stuff in the book that I didn't find relevant for what I wanted from the book. I feel like most info you can find for free on here and other sites.

Thanks for all the input. I called RC and it's only $500 cdn for a Park balcony. I think that will be a good compromise as it's $1500 more for OV balcony.

At least that way will get some daylight and a breeze :)

Awesome! I suppose if I were 8-10 I'd select water slides too!

No questions but a lot of jealousy over here! I hope you continue to have an amazing time!

Oh, I think there will be plenty to keep the kids (yours and everyone else's) plenty busy on either ship. DH and I are big kids, and we had no issues staying busy. Are you all four in the same room? Balcony for sure if so!

I say balcony, but then I would never book a promenade view room because I feel like that location might be loud and lack privacy. If you don't mind that, the Harmony does look amazing.

There are lower rates booking now for 2017. There isn't any magic date of bookings. :)

 

What's going to dictate it for you, is going to be your time off, isn't it? You can consider double booking. then cancel one of them before final payment. BUT, be fully aware that some booking agents do charge cancellation fees in ADDITION to what the cruise line may charge.

Unfortunately, booking now or really in the near future is not possible. DH is military, and he is due to be in a new position before the cruise. I'm [hopefully] at the tail end of a major career change, and I should have my new job by the end of this month. I have no idea what the vacation policy is for where I'm going, but I'd imagine it's restrictive, especially for new folks. Whereas DH typically gets holidays off, I am moving to something that does not get holidays off. That's another reason I'm aiming for the shoulder season. It should be easier all around for us to get off while kiddos are in school because parents don't typically take off that time either.

Double booking is an option if everyone else is on board. I've always booked directly through the cruise line.

Freedom class ships are great! I've been on the Liberty. Your son and possibly even you and your hubby will love the flow rider. I know newer ships offer the ability to pre-book all shows, spa appointments, and specialty restaurants, but I'm not sure if that is currently offered on the Freedom. I recommend just perusing these boards for any topics that speak to you! I would say read up on what to pack because I've found that I can overpack on clothes I would normally wear running errands and going out, and I maybe under pack on excursion-appropriate clothing, particularly for active excursions. Also read your excursion tickets because I recently forgot a towel and change of clothes on a water excursion... Lol. There are lots of articles and probably threads on what to pack, particularly what to pack in your carry on versus regular luggage. Remember, cruise ships are not as strict as airlines concerning carry ons, so you can always shift stuff over to your carry on, like toiletries, before boarding. Also read the cruiselines rules on what you can and cannot bring on board. Good luck, and have a great time!

I realize that with Alaskan cruises, you need to book ASAP or last minute. I need to know kind of a "no later than x months or days out" to get what I want at a decent price. For anyone who hasn't seen my others posts, I'm planning an Alaskan cruise with my DH and parents in 2017. We are unsure of when we can go due to jobs that aren't exactly early-vacation planning friendly. I see that most cruiselines allow cancellation with full refund on 7-day sailing as long as you cancel 75+ days out. However, I'd like to avoid cancelling and rebooking a new cruise, and I'd like to make my most informed decision as late as possible while still being able to get desired cabins at decent price. We are leaning heavily towards Princess, and DH and I would prefer at least a mini suite, and my mom wants at least an outside cabin, but I think if they can afford it, they would appreciate a balcony cabin.

So, what does everyone think is my best "no later than" time frame to book? I do not possess the personality that would allow me to book such a cruise last minute. Neither does my mom (hey, I get it honestly).

They all go to Glacier Bay. Time will first depend on when everyone in our group of four can go, and then probably price will be the next factor, so I'm really aiming for May and then September. I think we'd rather spend the money on excursions and maybe splurge for some nice on board dining over spending extra to go during peak season. Also, while I've never been bothered by kids on board, I always try to aim for times when kiddos are in school.

Right now I have 13 itineraries in the running:

2 NB Vancouver to Anchorage

1 NB Vancouver to Fairbanks

I have the reverse going southbound for those itineraries.

5 round trip, 4 from Seattle and only 1 from Vancouver. The Vancouver one is my personal favorite if we go RT because it's from Vancouver and it swaps Skagway for Sitka. Unfortunately, it only runs twice, early May on the Coral and mid May on the Emerald.

I have a feeling all my questions will end up being irrelevant because once we determine when we can go, unless the prices are all comparable, our choice will end up being glaringly obvious. I enjoy cruise planning/comparing.