blondie59

Yes, Coral, you are right, it was Tracy Arm.  Been one of those weeks, sorry!

Tried to delete, but too late.

We did the boat only cruise last week of May 2019.  Had originally booked a floatplane to Taku, but changed to the cruise when we boarded our ship in Seward. Weather that day turned out to be really cloudy, and while flights weren't cancelled, there is no way we would have gotten the photos above.  

That said, we both really enjoyed the cruise. Being up close to the walls of the fjord and being able to get right next to a waterfall made it worthwhile.  Then, the time spent at the glacier, where we saw lots of calving and heard a loud clap of glacial thunder (only time we heard it), plus being close to icbergs and having the luxury of the crew letting us stay at interesting sights without worrying about a tight schedule, made for a much different experience than the cruise ship. And we were able to watch a black bear eating mussels from the shore on the way out of the fjord!

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/coronavirus-here-s-what-s-happening-in-canada-and-around-the-world-1.5496334

However, it's just one quote from the Transport Minister several paragraphs down the page.  In effect until at least July 1.

No 💙 for Noordam?  5/19/19 Seward to Vancouver!   😎

ClaireyBear, do you or anyone else know the names of these shops? Sounds just like what I'm looking for (and husband is not big on wandering around while shopping).  Thanks!

Another question, then....how early can you check in and/or drop off bags? Planning to return a rental car at 11:00, then do Major Marine cruise at 11:30. Cruise returns at 5:30. Will we need to take bags to Major Marine, I believe they will store them?

Also, on-line check-in doesn't give you a place to request boarding time. Does HAL just assign this?

Thanks SilvertoGold, for such a quick answer. This board has been so helpful in planning our first HAL cruise.

For our south-bound cruise from Seward on the Noordam, departure time is 8:00 PM. How does this affect boarding times? Still start around noon, or is it later? Do people board up until 6:30? Can you drop off luggage and/or check-in then go back out and tour?

We were in the same room in May! Loved having a window with light, and being able to walk right outside with our coffee in the morning, especially as we were coming into ports. There is a bench on the deck by your window, which gets you out of the wind if needed. The deck is public, but I only noticed people out there on 2-3 occasions. The room did have a mini-fridge, but we also requested ice for our drinks. Very quiet hallway. Enjoy your cruise!

Is the same thing true of Carnival's cruises to Alaska? I've sailed on Carnival 7 times, but never with my husband. Trying to talk him into an Alaska cruise for our 40th, but looking at the more "sedate" lines for that.

I'm sure you have recovered by now, but did you consider you might have developed a sunscreen allergy? I did in my late 50's after using sunscreen all my life. Bumps all over my arms, my legs don't get as much sun and weren't affected. Hydrocortisone helps with itching, but they did take some days to clear up.

Fortunately, the newer sunscreens with invisible zinc oxide don't seem to cause a reaction.

Relatively shallow, we were floating well above the coral, but you could easily dive down to it if you wanted. That day, the water had some sand floating in it, but it was also windy and rough outside the bay where we snorkeled.

And for someone who asked earlier in this thread, the Steakhouse menu was the old one.

So we did choose the All Inclusive Snorkel & Beach based on the pictures on Carnival. Great choice, we took an air-conditioned bus to Sousa Beach and spent about 45 minutes there. I do wish we had gotten a fresh pineapple drink while there, they looked delicious.

We were tendered out to the catamaran and a short ride to 3 Rocks snorkeling spot for about an hour of snorkeling. Lots of fish with great variety. Many of the snorkelers tended to stay close to the guide, which was a little too crowded for me, but we were able to stay far enough away while still being watched over by the staff on a small boat. You did have to pay attention to the current but not bad.

Afterwards we had a light lunch with beer, rum punch & sodas. Then music and some dancing on the way back, which was a little rough. There was definitely some queasiness in a good percentage of the passengers.

The staff was very informative and interactive with the group, and I would recommend this trip. Having the nets for laying out for my daughter and comfortable seats in the shade for me made it an enjoyable day.

Thanks for posting all the pictures! My daughter and I were on the same cruise and didn't take nearly enough...yours bring back so many memories.

Thanks for posting this! Nice views of the restaurants and Serenity deck. Can't wait to see Sunshine in two weeks.

Please help me decide between the (1)All Inclusive Snorkel and Beach by Sailing Catamaran vs (2) Deluxe Catamaran Sail & Snorkel. I have already read the reviews and tried the compare option on the Carnival excursions page. This is for myself, 63 year old woman and my 30 year old daughter.

Usually I would pick the smaller group(2), but looking at the larger catamaran (1), it appears to have the nets for sunning for my daughter and a substantial shade shelter for me. Does the smaller catamaran(2) not have these?

Is there a big difference in the two snorkel spots that each boat goes to?

Thank you for any help in deciding!!

Looking forward to the rest! Great photos, too.

Fun video, it brought back so many memories of cruising with my Mom. Loved the sunrise on the return to Miami.