OhJinkies

I always buy travel insurance. This is how I look at it: your cruise fare, airfare, etc. is generally already paid for. If you lose it, you're out that money, but it's not a huge hardship. But if you have a serious illness or injury, the cost of medical care and evacuation back to the US could be astronomical. A couple of hundred dollars for insurance gives me peace of mind that I won't be in debt for hundreds of thousands should something catastrophic happen.

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I'm new to RCI (I have a cruise scheduled for January) but wanted to throw in my two cents. I mostly cruise solo so I need to look for either ships with solo staterooms or low-priced interiors, since I usually need to pay double. I was researching a cruise to the Baltics (which I've put on hold for now) and was leaning toward one of the big, newer NCL ships so I could book a solo studio. But I read a review where they missed a couple of ports due to weather, but the ship's size was also an impediment to being able to successfully dock (or safely launch a tender). So now I'm rethinking -- when I do decide to book, one of the Radiance class ships may be a better choice (I'll just have to watch for sale rates). So I do think that there is a need for smaller ships, and would love to see more new smaller ships. Not every ship needs a rock wall or flow rider!

Thanks so much for doing this – I appreciated your review while I was planning for my Alaska cruise earlier this summer. How are you hosting your photos now?

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I ate at Roadhouse twice. The food is yummy but be aware that they have communal tables.

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I was also on the June 5-12 cruise on the Norwegian Sun (hi, Mitch!) and spend a couple of days in Seward. I booked a room at the Breeze Inn – just a really basic overnight accommodation in the small boat Harbor area. I took a Kenai fjords cruise with Alaska Saltwater Lodge – this is a small boat that holds about 15 people max. It was a wonderful experience – we saw lots of seals and sea lions, Dall porpoises, humpback whales, puffins, and lots of other birds.

The next day, I decided to walk the coastal trail from the small boat harbor area to downtown Seward. What a beautiful walk! I took my time taking lots of photos, and it took me about an hour. I visited the Sea Life Center, had some lunch, and took the free shuttle back to my hotel. I boarded the 6 PM train to Anchorage, stayed overnight at the Lakeshore Inn and Suites, and then got a ride to the airport to pick up my rental car. I drove to Palmer, had some lunch, and then took the Knik glacier tour (Thanks, Brian!) It was so beautiful! I thoroughly recommend this experience. I stayed overnight in Wasilla, at a place called Pioneer Ridge Inn Bed and Breakfast. It was a charming place and had beautiful views.

The next morning, I drove up to Talkeetna for a flightseeing tour into the Alaska Range. I could spot Denali directly ahead as I drove north… I flew with Talkeetna Air Taxi, and it was a great experience. We had a glacier landing, and the views could not have been better. I got an up-close look at Denali that was unforgettable. I stayed overnight in Talkeetna at the Denali Fireside Cabins and Suites.

The next day I headed back down south. I stopped along the way to take a walk around Reflection Lake, and headed down to the Turnagain Arm. I continued south and visited the Alaska Wildlife conservation Center. I headed into Anchorage that evening for a sunset photography tour, and stayed overnight at the Turnagain View bed and Breakfast. Another place I highly recommend!

On my last day, and headed up to Girdwood and the Alyeska Inn to do a dog mushing experience. Lots of fun! Then it was time to drive back up to Anchorage for my flight back home that night.

I would recommend making your car reservations as soon as possible.

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I use a CPAP as well. I recently cruised with another line that had no outlet by the bed, so I had to stretch the extension cord across the room. I was really worried that I might trip on it getting up during the night (and either fall or pull the CPAP off the table) so Housekeeping taped it down for me (running much of the length under the bed). I can bring some duct tape and do it myself, I suppose, but has anyone had experience with this? I'm wondering about the tape leaving residue behind, and whether the cruise staff would prefer to tape it themselves. FYI, I'm cruising on the Navigator OTS in January.

The Solarium is air conditioned and the most comfortable place to be even if it is blistering hot outside on the outdoor pool deck. There are some windows that can be opened by the crew to bring in a little more fresh air.

Thanks!

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I just booked my first Celebrity cruise for next April on the Equinox! I'm curious about how warm it is in the Solarium during the day. From the photos, it looks like there's not much air circulation in there!

I'm hoping to find some nice spots on the ship to sit in the shade, enjoy the fresh air, and read. If you have any suggestions on places to go, please share! Thanks!

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I'd say it's more likely that you picked something up on the plane. Dry, recycled air makes you very vulnerable. I use a saline spray and gel to keep my nasal passages moist and VERY rarely get sick when traveling. Hope you feel better soon!

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I was interested in the bus transfer service, but was staying an extra day in Seward, and found out that they only make the run certain days out of the week (when there are cruise ships in Port). So double check their schedule!

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I researched this a few months ago. While DEET is a proven insect repellent, I'm just not fond of the way it feels on my skin. So I ended up purchasing Picaridin instead. I leave on my trip in less than two weeks, so I can't tell you for sure how well it works. Here is an article with more information:

http://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/picaridin-vs-deet-which-is-the-best-insect-repellent/

I also purchased some Permethrin spray to put on my clothes.

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I'm 17 days out and feel the same way!!

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One more thing – Bring your Freestyle Daily on shore with you. It includes the "all aboard time" on the front page, along with port agent information. This is your emergency back-up in case you do miss the ship. Sometimes the port agent can help reconnect you with your ship via pilot boat, or at least give you a hand in making arrangements to catch up at the next port or get home.

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Thank you both!

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Ships time is generally local time, unless you're cruising on Carnival. They usually just stay with the home port time throughout the entire cruise... it depends on the itinerary.

"All aboard" time is generally half an hour prior to posted departure time.

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I heard that they have rolled it out in Port Everglades, but that is all.

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I have booked an aft-facing balcony on the Sun for next month. I'll be happy to take photos and share notes when I return!

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Here's a moment of irony: I use a CPAP machine, which needs distilled water. According to the FAQs, i'm allowed to bring a sealed bottle of distilled water on board with me.

In the US, this is only available in gallon-size bottles. Since my cruise leaves from Vancouver, I'm not sure what size would be available. All I know is that I'm already going to be carrying a medium-size suitcase, one carry-on bag, and the case with my CPAP machine. How am I supposed to handle up to a gallon size jug of water in addition to that? I would much rather purchase the water on board. I have written to the access desk in hopes that they can assist me.

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I'm bringing my CPAP machine on the Norwegian Sun with me in a few weeks, and I'm also planning to bring an extension cord. Can any recent passengers from the Sun tell me whether the electrical outlets are the standard two-prong, or whether they also have the grounding plug?

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Thanks so much – I have written to my PCC to ask him whether I should bring an extension cord for my CPAP machine. And it's nice to know I don't have to deal with one of those old wall-mounted hairdryers!

I recently bought a pair of binoculars to take with me on my trip, and I'm borrowing my sister's camera was a really nice zoom lens.

Thanks again!

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Wow - any tips on the room?

Is there an electrical outlet near the bed? I have a CPAP machine.

Also, is there a hairdryer in the bathroom? Is it the old-fashioned kind with the hose on it?

Do you have any glacier–viewing advice? Do you think I still need to go up on deck for part of the day?

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We did an AFT and were on the NCL Sun and loved it. I would not get an Aft balcony if in a hot climate and with no cover over the balcony. We were on Singapore to Dubai in an Aft balcony and it was exposed. Temps were in upper 90s and it was just too hot to use the aft balcony. We should have done a regular balcony in that case.

 

We had an OV on our first cruise, which was ok, but later went with a balcony. It is a bit more expensive, but you have a connection with the outside and the ocean.

What balcony were you on? I'm booked in 9277 for my cruise on the Sun next month! It's a regular balcony, not a suite or mini-suite.

I started planning my Alaska cruise a couple of years ago. I actually work for Disney, and love the ships. But for Alaska, the itinerary was my number one priority. I definitely wanted to cruise through Glacier Bay. I spoke with a friend to see if she wanted to come with me. She insisted on cruising with Disney, and that was simply a deal breaker for me. I'm cruising solo.

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I'm doing the train/van combo on my cruise next month. I'm doing the van portion first, as recommended by Chilkoot. I would strongly recommend that you contact them. Even though your disembarkment time may be 8:15 AM, it could take you 20 minutes or more to get off of the ship if there is a line of guests waiting to do the same.

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I have been planning my Alaska cruise since mid 2015. For most people, I believe that itinerary really drives your decisions. The biggest question you should ask yourself is whether you want to do a round-trip cruise, or one way. If you do a one-way cruise, then you have time either at the beginning or end of the cruise to do some touring inland. There are many places to spend more time, such as Denali National Park. Most of the cruise lines will offer a packaged tour along with the cruise, or you can tour on your own. One-way cruises generally offer slightly longer port days, since they don't have to make the full round trip.

The most common places to depart from, other than the Alaska ports themselves (for one-way southbound cruises), are Seattle and Vancouver. Vancouver cruises generally sail through the inside passage, which is calmer and tends to be more scenic. Seattle cruises sail through the Gulf of Alaska, which is open waters and more vulnerable to inclement weather. I have found that most commonly, the round-trip cruises leave from Seattle, and the one-way cruises leave from Vancouver.

From the research I have done, I decided that cruising through glacier Bay was a "must" for me. There are, of course, other places to see glaciers. Depending on the time of year and weather, access to these areas may not be available during your cruise.

I would just urge you to spend some time considering, along with your family, what your priorities are for this cruise.

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