Cruisingthesuitelife

March 10, 2017

Awesome! Thank you. I'm guessing the OBC will have to go to one or the other, so we will likely give it to my son. My daughter's friend was added because we had to pay the same price for the cabin whether we had one person or two, so may as well gift a cruise to another person. :)

Oh that's a lovely thing to do, I am sure you will all have a great time :)

March 10, 2017

Separate on board accounts can be set up with each persons credit card, I have done this in the past with no issue at all.

I am not sure about the OBC.

March 10, 2017

Harv and Marv have assured me that they will use wheelchairs for us to get down the ramp when we go in May.

I hope they do. When I used them a couple of years ago, they promised the same but there was no wheelchair there. Luckily, the walk wasn't too far but getting back up the ramp after the trip when it was low tide was a bit of a nightmare. Ensure you have it specified in writing exactly what help they will be giving and take that with you.

The rest of the trip with them was fantastic though and it wouldn't put me off using them again.

March 9, 2017

I thought Radiance didn't have them...?

March 8, 2017

I prepay gratuities with my booking and give cash if I want to give anything extra.

March 8, 2017

Thank you to everybody for taking the time to respond.

Old As Dirt Mom – Apologies for all the questions and I guess I do have high expectations, but this will be my first cruise and in fact my first holiday for 6 years, since I have suffered ill health and so I guess I do want it to be as special as possible, because personally I feel I deserve it!! Although,I appreciate it may not be perfect. I would love to be closer so that I can do it yearly, but unfortunately living in the UK and so far from Alaska means I can’t necessarily afford to do it every year. I do appreciate the point you are getting at though and perhaps I am being a little overzealous for my first cruise! I just want to make the most of my money and make sure I do the main highlights.Thank you so much for all the info though and providing me with the link to the blog that your sister has put together, she’s certainly a very talented lady and that is so interesting!! Looking at the photos and reading through it just makes me want to go tomorrow!!!

Snowmc – Thank you also for the link to your blog and packing list (that is very helpful and I’ve heard layering is key!) It will make interesting reading.

I’m a bit all at sea (excuse the pun) with the itineraries and I’munsure what glacier to choose. Some include Tracy Arm, or Hubbard Glacier, some Glacier Bay and some Icy Strait Point. So I guess a good thing to ask would be, can anyone recommend must-sees out of those for my first ever Alaskan cruise?

Can anyone also recommend ‘must-do’ shore excursions?? I appreciate there are so many, but at least the top ones for Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.

I realise that with Alaskan cruises, Alaska is the main attraction and I will probably not get much time to experience the ship and won’t care too much about nightlife, as I will probably be too tired!!

Hi

I am by no means an expert. I have only been to Alaska once but am planning to return next year. I am a similar age to you, have health issues which dictate and limit how much I can or can't do and also live in the UK, so completely understand your wish to have the best trip possible - given how long it takes to get there and what that journey in itself will take out of you.

I always cruise Royal Caribbean - it is just the cruise line I have settled with and works well for me. I would also consider Celebrity but that is just me personally.

Firstly, there is NOTHING wrong with being excited, having high expectations or anything like that. You do deserve it! It is just a case of understanding that things don't always go to plan and where wildlife is concerned, it really can vary - but I am sure you know that already. What works for someone else won't necessarily work for you and vice versa.

A lot of people on these boards highly recommend Glacier Bay. I haven't had that on an itinerary but have seen Hubbard Glacier, which was spectacular. However, weather can dictate whether glacier viewing is even possible.

Icy Strait is quite different to most of the other Alaskan ports in that it is not as commercialised - there is a large visitor centre and the town of Hoonah down the road. I am not too sure on what other options are available for excursions there as I did whale watching with Glacier Wind Charters last time and plan to do the same next time. There is a zip line but I cannot do that but would love to - it looks amazing!

The must do shore excursions for me are whale watching where possible. It works well for me in terms of my health as I can sit down or stand up as often as I need. I always choose non ship excursions and go with private companies in the ports, most offer much smaller groups, so that works well too. In Juneau I went whale watching with 'Harv and Marv' and will do the same next time. When you book ensure you specify the small boat (their big boat is only 12 people or so but best to say or book the one you want if you have a preference). Next time, weather depending, I will also do the Mount Roberts Tram. In Skagway, last time I did a short trip up the Klondike Highway - not going too far at all. Next time I am going to hire a car and drive to Emerald Lake and Carcross, going much further up the Klondike Highway. If you don't feel comfortable driving, there are companies who will do the drive, such as 'Dyea Dave'. It is a long day though, so keep that in mind. You can pair the drive with one way (up or back) on the train. In Ketchikan last time I went to the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show (a bit cheesy, OK, a lot cheesy but a good laugh) and a walk through Creek Street. A lot of flight-seeing tours are done out of Ketchikan, so there might be something here that can show you more of what you want.

Since I went for the first time I have longed to go back but it just hasn't been possible. I was meant to go this year but awaiting an operation and so I am determined it will happen next year and it just gives me more time to plan and get excited.

I hope you find what works best for you and regardless of what you end up seeing or doing, I know you will have a brilliant time :)

March 8, 2017

Is Symphony the only one available for 2019 booking? That's the only one that comes up when I attempt to book

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Yes, currently Symphony is the only ship with dates released in 2019.

March 5, 2017

Whats Indy?

Wow I didnt realize they had solo suite offers. Thats good to hear.

Indy is Independence of the Seas.

I don't think it was a solo suite offer as such, I just meant I was travelling solo, so I probably still paid 200% it was just a good offer.

March 5, 2017

I have booked 2 cruises quite late - one 3 weeks prior out of Southampton to Norway and one 2.5 weeks out on Allure to the Western Caribbean. The Norway one was an OK deal but not brilliant. The Allure one was a great deal - booked a solo suite guarantee for about $2000 including prepaid gratuities and $50 OBC and got a Grand Suite. That was a few years ago though.

Now I always book when cruises open, so not sure about deals in recent times.

March 2, 2017

I have done disembarkation at Southampton several times. If you carry off your own bags, you can be off pretty swiftly after the ship is cleared. The earliest I have managed it that way was around 7.00am or just before but I wasn't queuing to be the first off, otherwise it could have been even earlier! It would be later if you weren't able to carry your own bags but it depends on the luggage tag number you have.

March 2, 2017

They are listed under the Junior Suites - so I would think the Family Panoramic OV would get the same benefits as the Junior Suites.

Yes, they quite specifically said on the webinar it would be the same level of benefits as a Junior Suite, not Grand Suite and above.

Also, from where it was mentioned above, nothing was said on the webinar I listened into about Junior suites dropping to 1 point per night.

March 2, 2017

I did last week of May in 2015 and was so lucky with the weather - it only rained when we were in Vancouver at the end of the cruise. It's so variable though. I would choose May again as it suits me quite well.

March 2, 2017

Am I right in thinking that Europe 2018 should be available to book in the next few days?

Europe deployment is released over 2 different phases. The first is week commencing 6th March. It is unlikely the itineraries will be released on the Monday and will most likely be at some point next week. It could still get delayed though! Best thing to do is keep an eye on here because usually someone will give a heads up that itineraries are being loaded into the system.

March 1, 2017

Couple more slides with the codes and how the new codes are formed.

March 1, 2017

Some screenshots of slides from the webinar today. They are basically trying to create uniformity across the fleet. It does seem a little complicated to start with but by the end of their explanation it was starting to make sense.

Not all the relevant slides with explanations are posted below, I didn't manage to get all of them.

February 27, 2017

As you didn't mention when you are going one piece of advice I might mention is if it is during the summer months, reserve your rental car early.They seem to disappear fast!

Completely agree with this!

I have already got the car booked and I haven't even booked the cruise yet :')

February 27, 2017

I think the 'must do' varies by person and what they are interested in and any limitations they have. I love wildlife and scenery but due to physical limitations, I cannot partake in more strenuous activities - hikes, trails etc. The same is said of my travel companion. I have been to Alaska once and am returning next year, so I am by no means an expert, however, I am happy to tell you what we did and what we plan to do and hope it gives you an idea or two.

The first time we went, we hired a car from Hertz for a one-way rental. This was an excellent choice and one we will repeat next year. The flexibility it offers is of such worth to us - the ability to stop where we want and alter our plans as necessary. Last time, we landed in Anchorage early afternoon and our ship left the next day. We were already tired so drove the Seward Highway, stopping at many different areas for photographs and such. Our main stop was the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. We then drove straight to Seward and didn't really have the time or energy for much else before boarding the ship and we feel we missed out.

Next year, we will arrive into Anchorage (hopefully) around lunchtime. We are planning our first stop at Potters Marsh Bird Sanctuary. We will also stop at various pullouts along the way. From there we are going back to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center before doubling back and staying overnight in Girdwood and going on the Mount Alyeska Tram. The following day we will set out early and go to Portage Lake and do the one hour Portage Glacier cruise. From there we will head down to Seward. Depending on timings and energy levels, we might go to Alaska Sealife Center that afternoon. We are planning on having 2 nights in Seward. The next day we are planning on doing a Kenai Fjords cruise. On the day our cruise starts, if we haven't managed to get to the Sealife Center on the first afternoon in Seward, we will go there first, drop the car back to Hertz and then board the cruise ship.

Would this suit everyone? Definitely not. Does it suit us? Absolutely! We are seeing what we want to see, in a way that is suitable for us and that really is the most important thing.

Planning is great fun :)

October 13, 2016

Currently on Brilliance. Rafael Soares in the Concierge Lounge is fantastic. He currently thinks he will be on until end of January. Mihaela Toana in the Diamond Lounge is lovely. Not sure of contract info for her.