traveltime3400

We are planning of driving in to the port the day of our cruise out of Seattle. We live 3 hours (up to 4 with really bad traffic) away. Our boarding time is 1:30 and we need to allow for parking and getting our luggage to the pier.

I am only slightly nervous to come in that day, but I'm reluctant to spend extra money to come in the day before (we wouldn't have time to do anything, just sleep in the hotel). Plus my daughter will just be arriving home from overnight camp, and she kind of wants to sleep in her own bed for 1 night. But, I would consider doing it if there are other reasons that I should consider.

Thanks!

Is a flat of water or 12 pack of soda considered one of your 2 pieces of allowed "luggage"? (We sail on July 10th)

Thank you both! I looked online at claalaksa.com. For our day in Juneau, July 12th, it said "AJD". I think that stands for AJ Dock?

I re-read my email from juneau car rental, and it said they were located at the A dock, so I guess this is a good option.

Thank you for everything so far! We are on the Pearl leaving on July 10th (!!!), so I am excited to hear more.

I have a rental booked with Avis near the cruise docks already. I just found a cheaper rental (1/3 less expensive) from Juneau car rental, but they said it could be up to a mile walk. We are on the Norwegian Pearl and have a somewhat short time in port (2-9 pm). Will this be a long distance to walk? Any preference on which company to use? Thanks!

Excited for our tour in July! Thanks for asking about that, it is nice to hear the feedback.

Thank you! The additional information is very helpful.

Thank you! Yes, I think the Mendenhall glacier combo would be great!

If we whale watch in Juneau, we are leaning towards doing a cruise excursion for a few reasons. I was hoping that you could chime in and let me know if these assumptions are correct or not - thanks!

1. My mother in law has a bad knee and 4 back surgeries, she sometimes uses a motorized scooter. She can walk up and down regular steps. I think she would be more comfortable getting on and off of a big catamaran?

2. My mother in law is worried about a lot of motion because of her back, and my daughter gets sea sick on small boats. I thought the catamaran would have a little less motion for them?

3. Does time of day make a difference for sightings? We have the option of afternoon vs evening (mid-July).

4. My mother in law will probably stay seated for the whole trip, if she gets a window seat, will she be able to see the whales if they show up? Or will the people outside be blocking her view? How hard will it be for her to get a window seat?

Thanks a bunch! (can you tell we are sailing soon....so many questions!)

Thanks all! This is great information. We won't go in expecting salmon, that will just be an added bonus.

Thanks for the input! If we did the "walking around town" option, is that accessible if my mother-in-law needs her motorized scooter?

Will the salmon likely be running in mid-July?

I am trying to find a plan that my whole group would enjoy, if not we will split up for the day. We have a limited time (6 am-1:30 pm) and I doubt we would be off the ship before 7:30 am due to MIL mobility issues. Our group is 2 grandparents, 2 parents (me and DH) and 2 kids 7 and 12. We are looking for land based options (no boats, no flying). I think we would all enjoy the Lumberjack show. We love outdoors and wildlife, and the kids are learning to enjoy cultural things.

Plan 1 - Cruise ship tour "Rainforest Sanctuary and Lumberjack show". The reviews online of the sanctuary are interesting. It seems that people love it when they see bears, and are bored and think it was a waste of money if they don't see bears. I think I would be disappointed if we didn't see some wildlife (esp bears), because we do hiking all of the time at home so the trail in itself is not a draw for us.

Plan 2 - Private taxi tour for 2-3 hours, then Lumberjack show. I've read good reviews and it sounds like the local tour guides know where to spot wildlife and there are some cultural highlights as well.

Plan 3 - Walk around Creek Street + Lumberjack show. Most easy going plan, low commitment, but none of us are big shoppers so I don't know if that would be fun.

Any thoughts on these plans? Or, am I missing something we should consider? Thanks so much!!

Drat! The 2:45 train is booked and we would have to take the 4:00 train back to Skagway with Dave's tour. Not loving that option, so we might have to go with Chilkoot afterall.

We've decided on booking a private tour for train + bus for Skagway. We've narrowed it down to Dyea Dave and Chilkoot Charters. I am leaning towards Dyea Dave because I like the idea of getting lunch on our own (vs the BBQ chicken lunch pre-arranged with Chilkoot). However, Chilkoot guarantees you are back to your cruise ship on time or they get you to the next port. I'm can't imagine Dyea Dave can guarantee the train ride back since we purchase the train ticket separately...if there is some mechanical issue with the train, we could be in a sticky situation. Now, I know the chances are slim but it is a consideration.

So, wise Alaska cruisers, what are your thoughts on that? I would value your input!

My parents just got back from HAL roundtrip from Vancouver - they said it was smooth as glass! I am definitely concerned about our trip from Seattle, and will be researching how to take precautions.

Thank you all! That was super helpful.

I found out about AARP: To get the discount, someone in the room needs a membership. Since AARP offers a free spouse membership we were able to get a discount on both rooms (DH and I are officially in different rooms, one with each kid) but only pay for AARP once.

Thank you! We picked mid-ship (booked today) just to be safe. Nervous and excited for our first cruise!

Thank you, Vancouver is not an option for us at this time. I am leaning towards mid-ship.

Hi, newbie cruiser booking an Alaskan cruise with NCL for the first time. If someone could help with some booking questions, I would be very grateful!

1. If you book a room and the price drops, can you get a price adjustment on the same exact room, or might they move you to a different but similar room? Also, do you keep your promotion even if the promotion isn't being offered anymore?

2. If you are booking multiple rooms with AARP discount, does someone in each room need to join AARP or can we do it all under the same membership?

3. Can the insurance be added at any time? For example, make the reservation and add the insurance later? Does the insurance rate go up if you wait? Is it better to get insurance from an outside company or my credit card?

Thanks again!!!

We are booking a round trip from Seattle on NCL for next summer. As many of you know, it doesn't take the inside passage for two of the sailing days. We have never been on a cruise before, but my daughter and I get pretty uncomfortable on smaller boats (ex. whale watching and snorkeling).

I've read a ton of threads about the nice aspects of the aft balcony.....but trying to decide if mid-ship might be better just in case? I would love some advice on this.

Thank you!!

That doesn't sound odd at all! If it were just the grown ups, I wouldn't be so uptight. Maybe I am overthinking it...especially since this is our first cruise. But it makes me feel secure knowing there is so much to choose from. If we don't do the extras, so be it! :)

Here are the "group" activities that grandparents + kids would enjoy (based on dailies posted online), that are outside of the kids club:

NCL

-Bowling

-More frequent movie showings

-Giant checkers and chess

-Family dodge ball

-Scavenger hunt

-Family cupcake decorating

-Family circus

-Arts and crafts

-Win, lose or draw (kid friendly?)

-Charades

-Family pizza making

-Magic workshop

-Family balloon twisting

-Junior ranger

Holland

-Tea ceremony

-Cooking shows*

-Flower arranging*

*younger child might not care for this

Both cruises

-Pool

-Library/games

-Ranger talk

-Crew talent show

-Towel folding

-Ping pong

I wouldn't even begin to expect that we do all of these, but it makes me feel good that we have the option for activities together if the interest is there. I am starting to feel that the greater selection on NCL trumps the better itinerary of Holland. I would lean in the other direction if it were a different group traveling together.

Excellent point, I definitely wouldn't want someone to miss something that would be very special for them just because all of us can't participate. But I am trying to pick a cruise that has more opportunities for group activities, to give us the option when we like.

I looked at Disney and the base price was double the cost of the others, which is way more than what I want to spend on this trip. Thanks for the suggestion, it is clearly known as the most kid-friendly! (And I hear adults have a lot of fun too)

I am actually leaning towards NCL, even with the sacrifice in views/itinerary compared to Holland. When I looked at the daily activities, it seems like there are much more group family activites on NCL. The purpose of this trip is quality time between grandparents and kids, as well as seeing the amazement of Alaska. It seems like there are more opportunities for that on NCL. I don't just want to stick the kids in the kids club.

Haven't booked it yet, so there is still time to go crazy contemplating. :D

Thanks again to each one of you that has given me input. I haven't made my decision yet....I think I need to digest this information and research excursions. But this is invaluable! :)