txwriter

Thanks for the help! These are great guidelines. Now that I have my cruise booked, I can really focus on the land portion, narrowing down the what and figuring out the when. I'm excited!

Generally I am an early booker. I find that I get the best deals if I am looking very early, even if I don't book right away.

 

What happened at Orlando when that happened to you? Did they honor the rate? Did you have your confirmation information? Did you book directly with the car rental company or through a third party ?

The rental car incident was the cherry on top of a pretty bad travel day. I booked several months in advance (checking rates often) and got a good rate for a compact car. When I got to the counter, they had my reservation, but they wanted to give me an SUV. I did not want an SUV. I did not book one and did not want to pay extra for gas, and my sister who was the driver that trip didn't want to drive an SUV.

I honestly don't remember if they were offering it for the same rate. I went to a local rental counter a few feet away and rented what I wanted for a comparable rate. It all worked out, but I now worry about walking up to the counter and being told there are no cars like the one I booked.

Thanks for all the quick replies. The information really helps. I'm sure we can limit ourselves. We're very good at being frugal. I think using the app to communicate would work for us on the ship. Off the ship, we can use our phones where there is service. Will research to see if there are zany free wifi hot spots. Lots of time until cruise, so things can change.

I've only been on one cruise before, and that was in 1990. I've lived more than half my life since then, and changes have been plentiful. When we cruised the last time, there was no cell phone service (smart phones didn't even exist), no computer on board for public use, and no televisions in the room.:eek:

I'm booked on the Star Princess for its May 27th departure out of Whittier, AK.

I saw that Princess has an app and that they have WiFi on their ships, but I also saw that there are internet charges (very expensive ones at that) per minute. Is the WiFi free, or do you have to pay for internet? Also, I saw that the app included messaging. Does regular messaging not work due to being on ship?

Sorry to sound so dumb, but I really just don't know. I have to be able to explain it to my mom who is traveling with me. Mom loves her iPhone and would love to post on Facebook from the ship, but I don't want it to cost and arm and a leg. Please help educate me. Thanks!

First, I want to thank everyone here for their valuable information. I posted a thread a few months ago asking for advise and received lots of help (and a few snarky comments which I am ignoring).

I booked our Alaska 2017 for the May 27th sailing out of Whittier on Star Princess. I'll be wrapping it up for my mom's Christmas present!

Here's what I want to know from all you uber planners out there that like to get the details settled early. I know flights cannot be booked more than 330 days out, but I don't know about the following:

1. Car Rental - What is the earliest you can book? (I know flights are 330 days out). Is there a better time to book (historical sale dates) or is it better to get it booked early? Has anyone had a problem going to pick up a car they they booked really early and it not been there (only asking because this happened to me at the Orlando airport once).

2. Hotels/Lodges/B&Bs - Again, earliest you can book? Any advantage to waiting within the 6 month window?

3. Tours - How early do cruise lines open booking for excursions (I'm on Princess)? Do independent operators open earlier, same time, or later than cruise lines?

If anyone booked REALLY early for the 2015 cruise you took this past summer, how did booking early help/hurt? Would you do anything different?

Thanks in advance for your information.

I am also traveling in 2017 and am awaiting the cruise itineraries to finalize plans. Regent released their itineraries this month, but they are out of my budget. When I spoke to Celebrity a couple of months ago, they said the 2016Alaska cruises came out around December last year. They were hoping for an early release again this year. They did not commit to a firm date. Most of the travel agents I've spoken with have said early spring is when the cruise lines publish itineraries and fares for the following year.

Years ago, I worked for an airline both in domestic reservations and domestic tariff. In tariff, we dealt with the fare rules and regulations. The short version is that you may be eligible for a refund or refund in form of a voucher if you book a ticket and the price goes down. It depends on the airline and their specific rules. You could even probably do an online chat which would give you the option of keeping the transcript.

Before purchasing a ticket, I would advise any traveler to call the airline he/she plans to use and ask specifically what the ticketing policy is in regards to price drops. Also, if booking a codeshare flight (it's booked as one airline like Alaska but another airline like American is doing the actual flying), make sure the rules are the same. If considering more than one airline, make a call to each airline considered and ask them. You may find that one airline has a better policy than another.

Thanks for posting. I haven't been to Alaska yet and really appreciate those personal asides where you give your impressions and thoughts.

This was a great review. I have heard a lot of negativity toward Carnival, but everyone that I know personally who has sailed them has loved their time on the fun ships. I recommend this to anyone considering Carnival for Alaska or anyone who wants to see some AMAZING pictures. Wow, great photos!

Great review with amazing pictures. Thanks for sharing!:)

txwriter: If you use the search function on Cruise Critic you should be able to locate the equivalent of Princess Patters for all of the cruise lines. For example, yesterday on the Celebrity forum someone who was on Celebrity's recent Captain's Club Alaska reunion cruise posted the front and third page of the Celebrity Todays from that cruise.

I have done as you suggested. Thanks. Right now, it seems that I am leaning towards Princess or Celebrity, but HAL and RCI both have some things I like too. It will depend largely upon schedules and itineraries once they are posted.

Thanks to all who have given meaningful and thoughtful responses. I do not believe my expectations are unrealistic. I have already done a ton of research which is how I came up with my list of contenders. I realize there is no perfect cruise; I am simply looking for the best experience for us for the best value. Compromises are always a part of travel; I realize that also. My request for additional data from people's personal experiences is to help me decide exactly where those compromises will be.

I'm sorry I can't address you each by name but did want to thank a few of you for giving the type of specific, helpful information I need.

Special thanks to the poster who gave all the great information on HAL. I loved the details! HAL is still not on my top druthers, but I will consider them if pricing and itinerary is right (will need to wait for 2017 cruises to come out).

I also loved the suggestion that I look for Princess Patters online. This was fantastic advice! Reading through a few got me a little more excited about them.

I would love the same kind of detail on Royal Carribean and Celebrity.

Regent sounds wonderful, but it would probably be a compromise I am unwilling to make since I would have to forfeit all or most of my post cruise land tour to afford them. That said, I already have a rep at Regent who will send me prices and schedules as soon as they come out. We'll see.

Finally, thanks to those who have been encouraging. This is a huge trip for us, and there is a lot of data to go through. I believe if I am going to plan more than 1.5 years in advance and pay more than three times more than I have for a vacation previously, that I can try to get the trip that will work best for us (even with compromises). I am not looking for perfect...just the best for us. Again, thanks for the help so far. All useful information is appreciated.

Thanks for the clarification on jeans. I had read that after 6pm, HAL did not allow casual wear on deck (which for me is jeans). In that case, I could consider a HAL inside cabin.

A private yacht would be great, but alas, it is not an option.:)

Perhaps I was unclear. I realize there are many people onboard. I have already done extensive research on the individual ships' stats. I am only looking to see if people have felt so crowded that it impeded their ability to enjoy themselves or physically affected their ability to get from place to place. Example: We once went to Disneyland the Sunday before Memorial Day--dumb move on my part as it was shoulder to shoulder. I am fine with there beings lots of people. I just don't like to feel like I can't move around. I need feedback on the vibe and feel of the ships.

I have considered flying into Juneau. Right now, the cruise makes sense for what we want to do since the ship can keep sailing while we sleep. We can cover more ground in less days and have more time to get to see interior areas like Denali.

HAL seems like a great choice on many levels, but I would like to get a balcony, if possible, and the smoking thing is a big issue for me and a bigger issue for my mom. I don't want to spend all that money on a trip for her with her griping the entire trip about the neighbors. (Our luck would be getting smokers on both sides, and I guarantee she could smell the smoke in the cabin). Once her apple cart is turned over, she does not recover. Happy mommy is the goal. Also, I'm on vacation and do not want to put on slacks just to be on deck in the evening (which I will definitely want to do especially with the longer daylight hours).

Hello all!

I've been reading posts for weeks now, and I've looked at all the cruise lines websites and also read Frommer's EasyGuide on Alaska cruises. What I am missing are a few details that will help me finalize my decision.

About myself and my trip plans: I am currently 42 and will be traveling with my mother who is 30 years older than I in 2017 (we haven't picked an exact time yet). This cruise is primarily for my mom. She has always wanted to go there, and I want to do this for her, because she has earned it. Our last successful trip was to Walt Disney World in 2008.

Who we are: Mom is a retired school teacher and will be either 73 or 74 at the time of our trip (her b-day is July 26th, so I sort of want to take her around that time, but she would prefer to go earlier). I work in banking/mortgage and write on the side. We are both more introverted by nature and like to have alone time to recharge our batteries. Mom is more prone to motion sickness than I am, and she also is slightly claustrophobic. Finally, Mom had back surgery this past May. She has some limited mobility issues which may improve by the time we travel, or they may be the same or worse. But there is a good chance she will have a walker with her while traveling. We have cruised once before, but that was more than 25 years ago when Mom took my sister and me on a Canada/New England cruise. It was on RCCL.

Things we like: We both like relaxing and doing a lot of nothing. Spas are wonderful, and we like good food. Mom is not a picky eater except she does want her meat well done. I am slightly more picky, but I wouldn't describe either of us as foodies. We love to learn! I like to have fun and go out more than Mom does, so I would like the option to see some shows or entertainment. Also, we both like to do minor crafts. Mom loves being on the computer, so a ship that won't break my bank for this would be nice. We like wearing comfortable clothes and sneakers, but we also like niceties. We LOVE to be pampered.

Things we don't like: LOUD. Neither of us likes loudness--especially Mom. We do not drink, so bars are not important to us (a place with great mocktails could be fun though). We do not smoke and are allergic to cigarette smoke, so a ship that attracts lots of smokers is a no go for us.

Ideally, I would like a ship that offers a fun upbeat attitude and good lectures/activities/crafts for at sea days as well as a good spa. (Neither of us is all that excited by glaciers--could change after we see them, but I NEED something to do onboard those days).

Primarily, I am looking at one-way itineraries (out of Vancouver), but I am also contemplating asking about disembarking early (say in Juneau and hoofing it on land from there). This would give us a few more options of cruise lines since some only offer RT fares. If anyone has feedback on the ease of doing that, please let me know.

Currently Contemplating:

Princess

Royal Caribbean

Celebrity

Regent (if I win the lotto):)

Ruled out:

Holland American - allowing smoking on balconies and too many rules about clothes (no jeans after 6 pm does not fly with me)

NCL - I don't care for their décor, and I don't want to pay for room service

I am looking for feedback on onboard experiences--primarily what there is to do ON the ship (particularly that does not involve gambling or drinking as Mom is not a fan of either).

What kind of learning opportunities are there?

What is the spa like? Are the prices worth what is delivered?

Is it easy to navigate from place to place?

Did it feel crowded? (Not looking for passenger count...just the experience of being in public places)

Was there anything you would have done differently? Or wish you had known that you learned after disembarking?

Are the shows fun? Are they loud? (Do I need to pack ear plugs but still go because they are SO worth it?)

If you went to the ship's library, was it good and worthwhile?

Are there onboard tours to take? Which would you recommend?

What are the clothes rules? Will t-shirts and jeans be okay pretty much the entire time? If not, how dressy? How strict are the clothes police?

I don't need answers to everything...just looking for overall impressions on what each floating city is like. Thanks!