Mehroswitha

Have you considered Viking? We love it for exactly the reasons you mention--their enrichment lecturers are especially outstanding. Food quality is subjective, but we think theirs is excellent. Viking is, admittedly, somewhat more expensive, but in addition to the great lecturers, having no casinos, kids, art auctions, obnoxious sales presentations, or omnipresent photographers makes it worthwhile to us. In comparing costs, also consider that at least one of the shore excursions in each port is offered at no extra charge; nor is there any extra charge for specialty dining or use of the really lovely thermal suite. With that being said, we also thoroughly enjoy cruising on HAL--it just depends on what we're looking for on a particular trip. Next cruise we have booked is with HAL in the Mediterranean, and we expect to enjoy it thoroughly.

Can't speak for the Koningsdam in particular, but we've shared Neptune suites on other HAL ships with our adult son, who says he's been quite comfortable. Every bit as good as a "real" bed? Well, maybe not--but entirely acceptable. On some ships, we've found it a bit awkward getting through the balcony door with the extra bed opened, but our room attendant has always been very prompt about opening and shutting it. Usually closed by the time we return from breakfast and re-opened while we're at dinner.

My memory is that we boarded the catamaran in Tracy Arm directly from the ship--no tender involved. (It's been a while, so someone please correct me if that's not right or if procedure has changed in the interim.) It's operated by a third party, and we booked it exactly as we did shore excursions that actually went on shore. Capacity is quite limited, and it's a popular excursion, so book as early as possible if you want to do it. Great experience! Club Orange is, in my opinion, also worthwhile, and it often does sell out quite early. Having it or not having it, though, would have no impact on catamaran.

I'm the one who posted about sharing cabin with our adult son. Just to clarify: Far from still living at home with us (as some seem to be speculating) he lives and works over a thousand miles away, and we're able to see him only a couple of times a year. One of things we look forward to most about shared vacations is the chance to spend time together. He's single, so a separate cabin would mean double fare for him. He (and we) feel it makes more sense to use the money for spacious, shared accommodations--with the suite benefits as a bonus--than to get separate cabins. Best thing about cruise vacations is that everyone can choose their own style. This suits us.

For what it's worth, Royal Caribbean might be introducing a similar policy attempting to ensure maximum passenger count. (Or maybe just new to us.) My husband and I sometimes cruise together with our adult son in a HAL Neptune suite or a two-bedroom suite on Royal Caribbean. RCCL's two-bedroom set-up suits us particularly well since it allows both him and us a greater measure of privacy. We're planning a Mediterranean cruise in 2025 and recently tried to book with RCCL on Voyager of the Seas because their itinerary appealed to us a bit more than what HAL was offering--only to be told that the two-bedroom suites are reserved for groups of five or more. Agent told us that if one was still available after final payment date we might be able to book it, but she of course couldn't promise anything. No explanation of why we've booked one in the past with no issue at all. Maybe that sailing wasn't selling well? Not a real problem for us: We promptly booked an aft Neptune on Oosterdam and expect to thoroughly enjoy it. Just thought this might fit in with what some others have reported experiencing on HAL and elsewhere. Or maybe this RCCL policy isn't really new but just something we've never encountered before.

I've had pretty good luck over the past several years by doing a re-boot of the computer just before trying HAL, then using Chrome rather than my usual Safari. In addition to being time-consuming and annoying, that sort of thing should not be necessary. But--in my experience, anyway--it usually works.

I couldn't begin to address any question about the "best" cruise line for Alaska, but since you asked about "favorite" line, here goes: We've been to Alaska twice and are going again next week, so we must like it! Our first trip was with Princess (2003); second time we switched to HAL (2016) because traveling companions strongly preferred it, and 2023 will be HAL for the same reason. Both were great trips, with Princess having the edge (in our opinion) on entertainment, specialty dining, and onboard enrichment program. We preferred HAL for MDR meals and "atmosphere," by which I mean no kids allowed to run wild, fewer adults who over-imbibed, and a bit more serenity overall. None of those issues were a real problem on either trip, though. And I understand HAL has recently upped their game in onboard enrichment. We'll see next week! Left to our own devices, we might have booked this return to Alaska on Viking, our current favorite line, but cruising with our friends is more important on this trip than what line. Whatever line you choose, I have two strong recommendations. First, do a cruise tour if at all possible so you experience a bit more of Alaska. Denali Park is a magnificent experience, and the trip from there to your embarkation port (or vice versa) in one of the domed rail cars is not to be missed! HAL and Princess both operate their own lodges at Denali, and we liked the Princess one better simply as a matter of personal preference. Not sure whether other lines have their own. Second, try to choose an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay. Number of cruise ships allowed there each day is limited, and I believe Princess and HAL have most of the slots locked up. Hope that helps a bit! Decide to make the most of whatever it is that the line you choose does best and try to overlook the things they don't. You can't go wrong with Alaska so don't waste your emotional energy second-guessing yourself!

Dave, what browser are you using? I'm not in on the casino deals but have found that--at least for me--the HAL system functions FAR better using Chrome than Safari, which I usually favor for other purposes.

Is it necessary on HAL to take and insert our own security photos in order to get our bar-coded boarding passes? It's a pretty simple task, but for some reason I've had great difficulty accomplishing it on other lines where it's the standard procedure.

You mentioned laundry as a concern: Neptune Suite passengers on HAL receive free unlimited laundry service. Usually same-day in our experience, but that is not promised. The concierge in the Neptune Suite Lounge has been very helpful to us in dealing with shore excursions and just about any issue normally handled by Guest Services.

We've loved every one of our cruises, starting with a Princess cruise/tour to Alaska in 2003 and including several great ones on HAL. Our all-time favorite, though, was on Viking, starting in Bergen and following the coast of Norway northward above the Arctic Circle, then across to the Shetland and Orkney islands before terminating in London. Next up: return to Alaska on HAL this summer!

Different people in different situations can have very different experiences dealing with the same company. Several years ago we had a large and rather complicated claim with Travel Guard and could not have been more satisfied with the way it was handled. An important part of the reason for our positive experience, I believe, is that we contacted TG as soon as we realized we were having a medical emergency while abroad. We worked with a single TG rep from start to finish and were able to get all necessary medical forms filled out, signed by the doctors, and faxed back to TG even before leaving the emergency room. TG not only covered our early return home (as one would expect) but they booked the patient in business class and made all the arrangements including booking flights and transportation to the airport. Because out TG medical coverage was primary rather than secondary, they covered all the medical expenses rather than our needing to first file with our "regular" insurer. (Some TG policies include primary medical coverage, others do not. At least that was the case last time I checked.) Like Mort&Fran, we paid the hospital bill using a credit card and received reimbursement from TG very promptly-- in less than two weeks, as I remember it. I can't dispute the negative experiences some others have had, and wouldn't want to. But we've been using Travel Guard for years as a result of this experience of ours. Your mileage, as they say, may vary!

THR: We took the Midnight Sun itinerary the summer before covid and thought it was among our best cruises ever. You've made a great choice! In the Shetland Islands we teamed up with another couple from our roll call for a private tour with Kittiwake Tours, and it was excellent! Highly recommended! We'd both been to London numerous times before so were looking for something a little different to do and chose Churchill's War Rooms and the Imperial War Museum (through Viking). Another really good one, whether you're a military history buff like my husband or more interested in social and cultural history as I am. If you're interested in the wealth of neolithic sites to be found in the Orkneys, I highly recommend you book a private tour there, too. We used Wildabout Orkneys, which unfortunately didn't survive the covid shutdown, but other people on our cruise were equally pleased with the providers they chose. The sites are absolutely amazing, and some are only do-able with a small group. Among our top three or four excursions in 20+ years of cruising! Hope that's of some help!

For what it may be worth: When I'm having trouble accessing MVJ through Safari (which I much prefer), I often get much better results by using Chrome. Doesn't always work, of course, but often enough to be worth trying.

We have done Alaskan cruise tours with both Princess and Holland American and were fully satisfied with both. It is, of course, not possible to make a direct comparison because the land portion itineraries were not identical, and we experienced Princess in 2003 and HAL in 2018. Covid has had an impact on almost every aspect of travel! With that being said, we felt the Princess accommodations were a little nicer--I believe both lines use their own properties. We were in no way dissatisfied with HAL, though. Most meals are not included; that will be spelled out in the tour descriptions, but sometimes you have to read pretty carefully to find the information. We found most of the included meals good but not memorable. Restaurant prices in Alaska seemed quite high, so included meals are a plus. We experienced two (separately booked) outdoor salmon bakes--one absolutely outstanding and a clear "don't miss," and the other just "good." Unfortunately I don't remember the name of either provider, but highly recommended in either case. Reviews are available on line for most providers. A highlight of the land portion for us was the train trip covering at least part of the stretch between Anchorage and Denali. You will travel in a dome car providing views that are beyond spectacular! When we did it, a host with amazing wildlife-spotting abilities provided just enough commentary to be interesting but not intrusive. When we took this trip excellent meals in a dining area downstairs from the dome were included. I understand this is no longer the case--or maybe it depends on the package booked? Some itineraries cover this stretch by bus, but I highly recommend the train!