ChemistBabe

I strongly suspect that if you click "can't use medallion for cruise experience" that means she can't use it to get her free coffees/mocktails, etc.

I couldn't do it on the app. I am not sure I could have done it at guest services, I forgot to try. Honestly, there was nothing in the stores that even began to draw in my child. (Unlike the Disney cruises where they wanted EVERYTHING.). He didn't get a single souvenir on our cruise! For that matter, I didn't buy any souvenirs! (I certainly didn't want effy jewelry or random bags.) I did buy him a drink package that didn't include hot chocolate, so he did run up a very small bar tab. Maybe $20 or so.

We took the Alaska Big Bus transfers. Cheaper than Princess transfers and totally convenient. Rental cars aren't really a choice.

We took Skytrain from the airport into Vancouver and stayed at a hotel downtown. From there it was a very easy walk (or probably a cheap taxi ride) to the port. No need for transfers. You can probably get a better deal on your own for hotels. We booked ours, then rebooked a few times as prices dropped. Generally booking earlier is better, though. (Note: Vancouver hotels are very expensive.)

We were disappointed with LACK of movies on our recent Alaska cruise. My tweener was very bored. Our first sea day was too cold for adults, but all the kids were in the pool watching hte one movie they played. More entertainment for the kids would have been nice. (And I like watching movies from the hottub myself.) (On our Disney cruises he would hang out in the pool and watch movies.)

Yes, that is where we went! No reservations needed. (I don't think the big busses stop there.) Maybe we were a little early in the season, but no crowds, no real wait. Don't know exactly when we arrived and when we left, but kind of mid-day-ish. Just an FYI, the cart ride was motorized. They are training younger dogs to pull at the proper speed (10 mph) and don't have the strength to pull a heavy cart. It was very much a training run, rather than a dog sled ride. We absolutely enjoyed it however, as did the dogs!

We definitely caught COVID on our recent Alaska cruise. (Flew home Saturday, tested positive Monday.). Maybe we got it on the airplane, but cruise is most likely. In any case, definitely on the trip! My first thought was that we shouldn't have taken the trip. However, my husband has had it twice already, got it at work both times!

We used the ACT bus. Cheaper than Princess and truly enjoyed our bus driver. He was a great tour guide and quite droll. (Of course, your experience may be different.) Super easy and same timing as the Princess transfers as everyone uses the same tunnel.

We just got back from a trip and used DIY Jeep tours in Skagway. It was perfect for the three of us! The GPS guided tour was really enjoyable and worked well. Not quite as nice as a human tour guide, but lots of good information and stories. My little guy wanted a LOT of time at Michelle Phillips' sled dog camp. Multiple families came and went while we were petting the dogs. At Carcross we had plenty of time to eat, relax and shop, while there were people rushing because they had to catch their bus. We enjoyed tromping around Carcross desert. Being on our own schedule really worked for us. Except I didn't get to do the suspension bridge as someone was asleep in the back sleep.

We put them on after flying. (We always fly in ahead of time.) Hotel front desks always have staplers!

We sailed a week ago, two ships in port. We dropped our bags and checked in around 10:00. No lines. We then left to explore the port area some more. We returned around 11:30. Huge lines to check bags (we skipped those). Substantial line for customs/security but it was moving fast. No complaints.

We weren't able to make reservations with the app for the trip we just took. (We kept getting error messages.). I was a quite stressed out about it, especially since we traveled with a child. Honestly, we showed up every night at a random time and had no problems getting seated, including the time we ate at 6:30 which I think of as high volume.

So are we!

Traditionally they bring around skewers and you can sample as much or as little of every type of meat as you would like. Its unfortunate that pineapple isn't on the menu. Grilled pineapple is the best! (and pairing sushi with it is just a little wierd)

FYI Shout Color Catchers are AMAZING. Whenever I wash something new I make sure a color catcher is in the load right next to it. They do an amazing job at absorbing excess dye. (We had a Rugby shirt come out with a white collar and a fully saturated color catcher once.)

Not mandatory, but customary, expected, and part of the crew's anticipated compensation.

Error on my phone and a different error on the website. Spent a ridiculous amount of time waiting on chat... She said she was getting errors and escalated. Not feeling the slightest bit optimistic...

Yes, I am fully checked in, fully paid 39 days before cruising... Here is a screenshot of the error.

We are on the Sapphire Princess on June 8. comingsoon. can't make reservations...

We are now 39 days out from our trip and I have been unable to make any dinner reservations. (I have been trying for about two weeks now.) I get an error message on the app. I've tried using the web version with no success either. Any advice? Thanks!

Thanks everyone. I think we will stick with the bus tour I have reserved. That way I know we will get back in time for our afternoon excursion.

How hard is it to get a taxi at the cruise ship docks to Mendenhall Glacier and back again? (We will be there mid-June, so probably busy time.) We are not big fans of big tour busses...

Thanks, I'd forgotten that the Medallion can help me find him. Definitely want to be able to communicate also. (Its like before he had his phone and we were relying on air tags. I could see that he and his bike were at the basketball courts, but it didn't get him home for soccer practice any faster.) Can I buy internet buy the gig, or just a package for him? Since all he will be doing is texting, he won't use much data.

My 12 year old has a great deal of freedom at home (and when we vacation). I anticipate that I will allow him to roam the ship by himself a certain amount. (He has never abused that privilege in the past, will often go swim in the hotel pool while we finish breakfast, etc.) At home he wears an Apple watch so we can keep in touch. Is using his Apple watch (and paying for him to have a data plan) our best choice to keep in touch with him while we are on the ship, or is there something I am missing. Thanks!

We live in the bay area and NEVER go anywhere at night without a sweater. Once the sun drops, it starts cooling down FAST. The vendors at Pier 39 make a fortune selling hoodies to tourists who think that they won't need a sweater in California in the summer.