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The porters will take both large bags and carry-ons. Hubby likes to drop off both, I only leave my larger bag. I like to personally carry on my iPad and his medications.

This! I’ve taken a number of girls cruises and have received the shareholders OBC since the shares are in a joint account. And, I also request the OBC to be credited to my account (hubby and I use different credit cards on board—I keep track of gambling costs/losses) so he doesn’t have worry about spending it!

I’ve done a number of girls’ cruises where I’m the only one with shareholders OBC. It’s on my account— no one else has access to it so they only know about it if I tell them! That being said, I always use the shareholders OBC to book something special for the cruise—specialty dining, spa treatment. It’s nice to be able to treat one’s friends and family! (I do have to go to Guest Services to pay for the others but it’s easily done.)

And then there are those of us who are addicted to our daily New York Times crossword, wordl, nerdl, sudoku and other games! 🤣🤣

We asked for an upgrade on our July 2023 Ruby cruise (the one that was delayed). We saw that a number folks had gotten off the ship so sent a request in via CrewChat. Got a letter under our door telling us to go to Guest Services. We were quoted that to upgrade from our ocean view to an aft balcony would be an extra $30 a day for the rest of the cruise (total cost was $210). We took the upgrade—had on board credit that covered the cost. Our steward assisted us in the move—we emptied our drawers into suitcases, the rest of our belongings were moved by him. I recognize that we were able to move because of the unusual circumstances of the cruise, but we had friends who upgraded on board on our southbound Majestic cruise this past June. My advice to the OP is to ask.

Yes, it’s the only company I use in ISP! (Her son’s name is Casey. He has a master’s degree—not sure of the exact degree but it is focused on Alaskan wildlife/fish. So the tour, in addition to some great whale watching, is very informative!) Book independently. Glacier Winds cost less than a Princess tour. The Princess tour will pick you up along side the ship but you’re in a large group! If you go with Glacier Winds, they will pick you up at the Excursion Hub at the port, drive you to the boat and then transport you back. It is a small group tour—around 10-12 people on board.

I have celiac disease and cruise Princess because of how they accommodate my dietary needs. On the first day, have your sister talk to the restaurant manager and he/she will walk her through the process in the MDR. At the buffet, just ask to speak to the chef and get shown what is safe to eat. Some ships also will have nutritional labels at the buffet as well as a special gluten free section. The soft serve ice cream is not gluten free, a number of the drink mixes are not either. The protein powder in the smoothies included in the Princess Plus package is not safe to eat. Just ask—there will be very knowledgeable staff on board to assist your sister. I do bring onboard gf granola, crackers and cookies on every cruise.

For your kids, I would skip the White Pass rail excursion. My kids went on it when they were 8 and 10–slept the whole time! In Skagway, I would suggest more hands-on activities. There are a couple of sled dog excursions (puppies!)—one that includes s’mores, another that includes gold panning. They only last a couple of hours so you could fit in a nap before venturing out later in the afternoon. If interested, there is a Junior Ranger program at the Klondike State Park. For Ketchikan, I also strongly recommend the lumberjack show. It’s corny, cheesy but good fun for kids! There is also a science discovery center—lots of hands on activities for kids. We enjoyed visiting it when in town. You might look into renting a car in Juneau (if you brought or have access to car seats). We did it when our kids were younger. After visiting Mendenhall Glacier, we got a picnic lunch, stopped by McDonalds for kids meals and then went to a state park to explore. Kids loved being able run around and make noise! We also stopped by a playground before heading back into town.

If you’re concerned about mobility issues, then I would suggest taking a taxi to either the Marriott or Westin in Puerto Vallarta. One can take the free shuttle from the ship to the port building, hop on a taxi and then be dropped off directly at the resorts. Both of these resorts in PV have great pool areas. One does have access to the beach but walking on sand could be an issue!

I like to go to either the Westin or the Marriott’s. I take a taxi to the resort, pay the day use fee (which usually includes food/beverage credit) and have the concierge get me a taxi back to the ship. Total cost for me is about $90 USD. I did the Princess excursion once. The resort was nice but it involved a 20-30 minute bus ride (depending on traffic) and I was on the tour’s schedule not mine. It had a nice buffet but I like the pool areas better at the Marriott or Westin. The quality of food is better at Marriott/Westin but not quantity (they don’t have a buffet).

I have cruised in Alaska on all three—Princess, NCL, HAL. Earlier posters have given you some great advice and information about the differences between these cruise lines. I personally will never cruise on NCL again (five total Alaskan cruises with them) but my needs/interests are different from yours! We also really enjoy aft balconies but we’ve become fans of midship cabins! Hubby tweaked his knee golfing prior to our cruises this summer. In the past, we had no problem walking the length of the ship from the aft section. This year, hubby struggled with the distance! So much so that we changed cabins on the next cruise (it was a B2B) to midship. It was much easier on those 60-year old knees! What nobody has discussed yet (and deserves to be a part of the decision-making process) is the onboard Alaskan themed activities. On Princess and Holland America, you know you are cruising in Alaska! There are enrichment talks (wildlife, culture, geology), naturalists on board, totem carving (Princess), live animals on certain ports (sled dog puppies, raptors), special drinks featuring Alaskan spirits, Alaskan beer tastings, Alaskan food in the MDR (the Alaska trout on the Majestic last month was fantastic!), films highlighting Alaska, Alaskan trivia and many arts/crafts. On an NCL ship, you would not even know you were in Alaska unless you looked outside! (And yes, I have recent experience—this summer). I really feel that these onboard activities enhance the whole Alaskan experience—you are in Alaska for the entire cruise!

We’re on the Crown Princess visiting Honolulu on January 13, 2023. Hubby really wants to visit the Polynesian center (PCC)—he used to go as a kid with his family. We’ve reserved a car and are planning on driving to/from the PCC. Our ship leaves at 11 pm that night (all onboard will probably be around 10:30 pm). After reading posts on this board, I’m a little concerned about getting back to the ship on time. PCC told me that their HA: Breath of Life show ends at 9 pm. If we have a rental car, will have to return it prior to heading to the port. If we purchase transportation from PCC, we have to make our way back to the ship from the drop off point (Aloha Towers??). I really don’t want to take the cruise line’s tour but it may be our only option to make it back on time. We also want to upgrade to the Super Ambassador package but can’t do that on the Princess tour. Another option is to still drive, visit the center and then just head back to Honolulu, missing the show and dinner. We’d then look into having drinks/appetizers at The House without a Key. I know that we should just bite the bullet and book with Princess but am interested to hear from folks. Is going to HA: Breath of Life worthwhile? Hubby doesn’t care so much about the show—he just wants to spend time in the villages. Thanks!

Thank you for link. It’s a nice starting point.

I sent in a request yesterday for an October 2023 cruise. Got the credit applied within an hour!

We just did the tour last month. Booked it independently (about $25 cheaper per person than through the cruise line!) with M&M Tours. Caught a shuttle from the pier to the mine. We arrived at the gold mine, had about a thirty minute mine tour, bused back down to a ‘mining camp’ for a short history lecture about the mine and then panned for gold. There’s a small store there as well. Afterwards we were taken back to the pier. Took about three hours. Would I recommend this tour? No. It’s still a pretty small operation that seems to be trying to enter the tourist market in Juneau. The employees, while friendly, spent most of the laughing and joking amongst themselves; the two shuttle drivers got in an argument and were yellling at each other. Our shuttle driver apologized to us for losing his temper, and yelling and cursing…. The mine tour was just a walk into the tunnel, the gentleman was very knowledgeable but was difficult to hear (no mic, large group of people who were talking). He demonstrated how a couple of the mining tools worked. The gold panning was meh (but they had seeded it was some gold) and took about ten minutes. We just stood around waiting for transport back to Juneau. The mining camp was just a number of wooden store fronts painted to look like a town (the port a potties were located behind one of them). The whole experience just seem amateurish and one of the worst tours we’ve ever been on. My undergraduate degree is in geology so I’ve been on many mine tours. I really wanted to like this tour but it wasn’t very good. I just asked hubby if he would recommend it; he said no, save your money and time.

Sounds fun! My only suggestion is to take a Kenai Fjords wildlife cruise (at least six hours). The longer you spend on the water, the more opportunities you will have to see wildlife! Also, while Resurrection Bay is scenic, the Kenai Fjords are spectacular!

When dropping off luggage in Anchorage, be sure to have your cruise line’s luggage tags on your bags—the staff at ARR will load it in the appropriate truck and you’ll see it onboard your ship. This is what we’ve done for the past two summers (2022, 2023) when traveling on the train. The cruise port in Seward is close enough that one can walk from town after spending the day in Seward. My only advice is to make sure you get to the port before the cruise-sponsored train arrives! Otherwise, it will be a long wait to get on board! To the OP: we are train buffs so we always recommend taking the train. However, my suggestion for Skagway to take the train in one direction and then take a small group tour back to town. You’ll get the train experience as well as the opportunity to visit the Yukon and make scenic stops.

We were on the June 25 Westerdam cruise—loved the new library! It was a fantastic place to browse, read and talk to others about books. There were six comfy armchairs in the room facing the windows. Hubby and I loved sitting there reading and watching the scenery. I, for one, am glad there were multiple copies of the same book (there were about 2000 people on board!). It was fun seeing other folks reading the same book and then having an impromptu reading club! There was also book drop off section. Hubby had finished a book on a previous cruise so he just left it for another cruise to enjoy. And yes, we really enjoyed the cruise!

We really like the new menu! We ate at Sabatini’s twice this past week on the Ruby. The food, service and ambiance were great! We have not had good meals at the Crown Grill lately—in fact, the steak I had at Sabatini’s was better than the filet I had at the CG last week!

With only three days post cruise, I would also suggest to the OP to explore spending the time in Seward and save Denali for another trip (and for when the road is completed!). And DIY! OP, I would look into taking the earliest transfer from the ship to Anchorage. Once in Anchorage, rent a car and drive to Seward for a few nights. In Seward, you can visit Exit Glacier, take a Kenai Fjords wildlife cruise (longer the better!), kayak in Resurrection Bay, visit a sled dog kennel, hike in a glacier…..lots to do! In addition, there are some pretty good restaurants in town. I wouldn’t waste time driving/staying in Homer or the Kenai Princess Lodge. You will want to spend the majority of your time IN Alaska, not DRIVING in Alaska! You can visit the Alaska Wildlife Center on the drive to/from Seward as well as other scenic outlooks. You can have a fantastic Alaskan experience on the Kenai Peninsula! If you’d rather not rent a car, then I would chose a transfer to Anchorage that includes a stop at the wildlife center (and other scenic stops). There are a number of companies who offer these types of transfers (our favorite is Salmon Berry Tours). Once in Anchorage, spend the night and take the morning train to Seward. You arrive at 11 am in time for a Kenai Fjord wildlife cruise. I would look into Major Marine—they have a package that includes the cruise and hotel. Stay in town at a hotel since you won’t have a car. There are shuttles to Exit Glacier, one can visit the sea life center or book kayaking/canoes/sled dog tours. Then take the train back to Anchorage for a flight home. (You can get around easily without a car—we’ve done it a couple of times). Enjoy your planning.

Here’s page 2 of the letter:

12:50 pm Captain’s update: still working with the USCG and will get an update from them in one hour.

Not a word since 10:15 am.

No wine yet—just Bailey’s and coffee!😁

10 am update from Captain: USCG is on board currently and inspecting the repair work. Still hope to leave today for Alaska. No passengers allowed off the ship. And, as stated previously, there will be compensation following a review of the new itinerary. Sorry to not have any more information and will update us further at noon. Activity staff had added more events and activities for today—trivia, movies, craft projects, etc.