txwriter

My mom hurt her knee, so no embarkation photo since we went up another area and were taken directly to our room. We have been too tired most days to gussy up for photos. We are having a great time on the Star Princess in Alaska, but photos have not been the priority (at least not of us...more pics of the scenery). It is not worth it to us on this cruise. It depends 100% on what type of cruiser you are and if you like having pictures taken. Photo opportunities abound every day, so it is definitely worth it if you want those photos.

Thank you all for the encouragement.

Mom and I are having a great time in Alaska. We are so glad we didn’t put it off any longer.

Get a wheelchair if you can. Enjoy Alaska

 

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We rented for the ship.

We are in Anchorage now. We did the trolley tour; it was ok, but it would not be my first choice if I were more limited on our time here. A local person we met suggested the zoo, so we are planning to go but haven’t been yet.

You didn’t say when your trip is going to be. We aren’t able to visit Hatcher Pass Independence Mine since it doesn’t open until mid-June. Make sure to check opening dates if going to any of the National parks since they don’t all open (or close) at the same time.

Yesterday, we drove out to Palmer and Wasilla and had a blast. We had more things we could do but had to take it slow due to my mother’s mobility issues. We did the Colony House Museum (good for history buffs but little kids would be bored) and the Reindeer Farm in Palmer. The Reindeer Farm is great for all ages. My mom was able to get around using a walker, and they drove her out to the furthest pen. There were kids, adults, older people, visitors, and Alaskans on our tour, and we all loved it! You will see reindeer, a bison, a yak, a moose, and elk. And you will have an opportunity to interact with several of them. Great picture opportunities. If you or any of your crew love animals, it’s a great time. They also had some pigs (maybe just one — not sure as we didn’t go look up close) and chickens. Just as we were leaving, we saw the horses running down the side of the mountain (I saw mountain but Alaskans might say hill) into the corral.

In Wasilla, we went to the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Headquarters. This isn’t a very long stop. The museum area is small, but there is an interesting 30 minute video about the sport of sled racing focusing mainly on the dogs. They have the trophies from the Iditarod there as well. The best part was holding the 7 week old husky puppies and then taking a cart ride pulled by a team of grown huskies. The rides are short but a ton of fun and only $10 per person. Everyone was very nice and willing to answer any questions you have. However, this is not a musher’s camp. If you want to talk to a musher, or hear personal stories of running the Iditarod, there are other places. However, it’s a good option within driving distance of Anchorage for a quick trip to have a uniquely Alaska experience. This is a great stop if you love dogs.

I am finally in Alaska after three years of planning and talking about it. I just wanted to post a quick note here for all of the uber planners.

We planners like to plan. We plan and then we plan for contengencies. It’s all planned out...until it isn’t, and we aren’t too fond of that. We can get distressed when our plans fall apart. It is a condition that is exacerbated even more if the trip is one of those “once in a lifetime” scenarios.

I finally got to bring my mom to Alaska. Mom is 74 and has been wanting to come here for most of her life. Somehow on the way here, she tweaked her knee, so now her slow speed is even slower. It’s impacting our trip, because now I am having to rethink EVERYTHING ... on the fly.

Mom is just happy to be here. I am the one who has to remember that the most important things to pack on a trip are flexibility and patience (and this is multiplied when traveling with kids or older people).

There are pay lots and metered street parking! Be careful in regards to street meters, as some of them are only 2 hours. So, after 2 hours, you can't just put in more money, you have to move the car to another meter!

 

Meters are free after 6 p.m.

 

Here is a link to the parking lot vendor for downtown, including locations and rates!http://www.easyparkalaska.com/on-street-parking/locations-and-rates.aspx

 

Susan in Anchorage:)

Susan,

You are awesome. Thank you so much for this info. We land in Anchorage tomorrow, so your timing is perfect. :)

Jamie

From what I understand, cruisers last week were treated to shorts weather!

I am such a nerd that I’ve been tracking the weather on my phone’s weather app for weeks. I just put all of the cities we’d be visiting in a simply swipe over to see what’s going on. Last week I noticed a lot of sunny warm days in the port cities...this week not so much. Next week so far looks to be a mixed bag.

We have spent so much money at this point what's another $150.

:') I feel the same way about things at this point.

Parking downtown is pretty affordable...

Pretty sure the Anchorage Museum does not have parking...

None of the downtown hotels have parking... Well, the Clarion Suites at 9th & L. You could park there. It's on the edge of downtown.

As long as there is parking somewhere...I guess we can figure it out.

Thank you for responding.

Jamie

I thought I couldn’t get more excited about our upcoming trip, but I was wrong! :D

We arrive in Anchorage on May 28th, and we will not be staying downtown. On the days we want to do something downtown, where’s a good place to park if wanting to go to the visitor center and maybe do the trolley ride around?

I assume the museums will have their own parking lots. Please let me know if I’m wrong.

Are there any free lots or is it all pay? Can you park at a hotel if not a guest.

Sorry for the silly questions—just trying to be prepared. We can take a shuttle from the hotel, but I’d like to have more flexibility.

Any help or insight is appreciated.

I am taking my mom to Alaska this year (she happens to be a retired teacher). I have planned most things, but since this trip was largely for her. Mom said up front she wanted Glacier Bay and a day in Skagway. This helped narrow choices.

First choice was round trip or one way. I picked a couple of itineraries for her, and she decided she liked the one way southbound. This gives a chance to acclimate to time change and see some things inland before getting on the ship.

Keeping mom in the loop has helped, and it’s been so much fun planning little surprises she doesn’t know about. Like you, I could only afford inside or oceanview. Mom said inside was no way since she needed a window, so we booked obstructed oceanview. Lucky me, I got an email from Princess a couple of weeks ago offering an upsell to a balcony for a very fair price and within budget (less than it would have cost for an unobstructed view cabin when I originally booked). Surprise! I found a t-shirt for her online that says “Alaska is calling and I must go.” I gave it to her for Mother’s Day. Early surprise! I also have booked a private tour in Skagway where I’m working with the vendor to add some special touches! Surprise! The little surprises are a lot of fun to plan.

If your mom is like most teachers I know, she will LOVE having something to look forward to during the school year.

Thanks. One thing I'm not clear about is just where they go from the port? Do you know?

Someone posted this link on another thread showing a map of the bus loop with the stops.

http://borough.ketchikan.ak.us/DocumentCenter/View/5424/Notice-of-Route-Changes-Summer-2018

I seem to recall that Chilkoot usually puts their next year’s schedule out about October or so of the previous year.

Thanks for the quick replies. I won’t worry about the rain cover then, so goody for me...one thing less to do.

I appreciate the feedback. I hope you are right about the website being the problem. I was pretty ticked, because my file said jpeg and the website said they printed that type, but I couldn’t get it to take the upload. I was bummed; I had used their site in the past, and it was never a problem.

I bought the Sony HX400v a couple of years ago for our trip to Alaska which is finally here. I’ve taken it on shorter trips to Branson and San Diego as well as locally, and I love the pictures it takes.

Question: will I need a rain cover? Best cheap option?

Question: Best options for printing pics upon return? Tried to print pics last year after San Diego trip (wanted to upload them to Walgreens’ website, but site said photos were not compatible :(). I think it was something to do with jpeg vs jpg ... is there a difference? Can I reformat? What’s best site to get pics printed and in my hands quickly?

Thanks!

Jamie

Would a microwaveable heating pad be an option?

Is there a place to heat a microwaveable heating pad? It would be a bonus for my mom if there was a place onboard.

:eek::(:loudcry: I am a mixed bag of emotional distress reading this.

I was supposed to take Mom on her dream Alaskan trip last year, but my grandmother's health failed, so we decided to postpone just prior to final payment, and then just a week after we'd cancelled, my grandmother passed away.

We had to cancel our cruisetour this year and opt for a DIY 5 days prior to the trip when we had an unexpected and ungodly expensive replacement of all of our sewer plumbing under our slab foundation.

This past weekend, Mom hurt her arm. Doctor says it is tendonitis, and Mom is already worried about it impacting her trip.

Now this! Ugh. With my luck, we'd end up missing Skagway which is the only port my mom said is a "must" and the one where I have booked a private tour and have been working with the vendors to put a few surprises in for her throughout the day.

Just a side note: the only other cruise we ever did was booked primarily so that we could go to Prince Edward Island. It's the reason we went on that cruise instead of the Alaskan cruise we'd thought about. Guess which was the one port skipped that cruise? Yep...PEI. Mom still is sour about that one, and that was back in 1990.

I have the insurance, and we could cancel EXCEPT my outbound flights are not insured. Oh well, I hope this is resolved before June 2nd.

Between Jewel and Radiance itineraries I would pick Radiance due to extra port (Icy Straight) . That said, we found Hubbard Glacier more impressive then Glacier Bay, however most people feel otherwise. Every time glacier discussions come into play the recommendation is Glacier Bay.

I think the preference for Glacier Bay is due partly to it being a world heritage site, partly because there are park rangers who come aboard, partly because there are more than one glacier seen, and largely due to the fact that is is missed less frequently than the others.

Also, there’s what I call “the cool kid factor” which is that because there are a limited number of permits for entry into Glacier Bay per season, it gives it the air of exclusivity. Some people like that. ;)

We are thinking about an Alaska cruise for the summer of 2019. I'm in the VERY early planning stages, and would love some input on possible itineraries. We will most likely be sailing Royal Caribbean.

 

About us: we are a family of 4 - me, DH, DS12 and DS15. We've cruised as a family 4 times, all on RC and all in the Caribbean. We've never been to Alaska. We (especially our boys) are very active. Our normal shore excursions are things like ziplining and rafting.

 

Which of these itineraries would you choose for us:

 

Radiance of the Seas:

Vancouver

Inside Passage (cruising)

Ketchikan 6am-4pm

Icy Strait Point 9am-6pm

Juneau 7am-9:30pm

Skagway 7am-4:30pm

Hubbard Glacier (cruising)

Seward

 

 

Ovation of the Seas:

Seattle

Cruising

Alaska Inside Passage (cruising)

Juneau 12noon-9pm

Skagway 7am-8:30pm

Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier (cruising)

Cruising

Victoria 9am-6pm

Seattle

 

We generally LOVE big ships, so I want to choose Ovation, but Radiance has two extra stops in Alaska - Ketchikan and Icy Strait Point. Radiance also cruises by Hubbard Glacier. But Radiance is soooo small compared to other RC ships we've been on (Oasis, Allure, Harmony and Independence) and seems like it'll have less onboard activities for our teen boys on our cruising days. On the other hand, we'll have SO much time onboard with Ovation, and if we're in Alaska, I'd like to get out and see Alaska at as many ports as we can.

 

I'm torn. Thoughts and suggestions, please?? Thanks!

I will be the voice of dissent here, I guess. For me, Skagway was a priority in our planning. If I’d been given these two options, I would’ve picked the longer port day in Skagway.

However, I think it entirely depends upon what your priorities are, not mine. 😊

I’d say pick Ovation if:

Ship experience is a deal breaker for your family

Round trip airfare works best for you

Overall costs works best

I’d say pick Radiance if:

You want to see more of Alaska

You want to have more ports/port activities

You want to add time before/after cruise to do some inland touring or activities in Seward.

Enjoy the planning stage and don’t let it drive you bonkers. 😊

Try this: https://www.princess.com/learn/excursions/index.jsp

Select Alaska and then the port or lodge, and it will give a list of what's available. Of course, they could change if not going until 2019 or later.

That's a terrible offer. I would think nobody would take that!

When I booked my 7 day cruise, the balconies were pricing almost $1000 more per person over the obstructed OV we booked. So, someone might take that deal. Many people booked their rooms at the full price, and no one says to them the price they paid was “terrible.”

The value is individually determined. If I cruised often, had cruised a route before, planned to cruise the route again, then I would be less likely to pay for an upsell than if I thought it would be my only chance to have that experience.

For me, I’m cruising with my 74 year old mom. I’m taking her on a trip she’s always wanted to go on, but my budget was limited, and we needed a handicap accessible cabin. I could not afford a balcony but really really wanted one for her. She was ok with obstructed OV. When they offered me an upsell to a premium balcony on Caribe deck that is handicap accessible, I took it. It will be a surprise for her. The surprise makes it worth the extra cost for me. She will enjoy the bigger clearer view even if it is too cold to go out much, and it will give her some extra options if she’s not wanting to be on deck with the crowds during the glacier days. My $289 pp upsell to someone else may be “terrible” but for me seeing my mom smile and look out at that view is priceless (but now within my budget).

Milk is white milk (regular or reduced fat). Chocolate milk is available for children, but adults have to pay for it if they want some.

My inner child is upset by this. 😠

PRINCESS CRUISES IS PLEASED TO EXTEND THE FOLLOWING OFFER TO OUR VALUED GUESTS CURRENTLY BOOKED IN AN OUTSIDE STATEROOM (cat.OC-OZ) ON THE JUNE 2, 2018 SAILING OF STAR PRINCESS.

Treat yourself by upgrading your accommodations to a BALCONY STATEROOM and enjoy the added space where you can relax outside and experience the unforgettable views.

This special upgrade opportunity is available for just $289 USD/$419 CAD* per person additional (exclusive occupancy pays 200%).

This offer is ONLY available by calling (Mon-Fri) 1-800-243-7342 extension 30743. Offer is based on availability and space is limited. *CAD pricing estimate only, see details below. **Single occupancy pays 200%.

We accepted this offer. We were able to upgrade from an obstructed HA room on Emerald deck to a HA Caribe premium balcony room. If the difference had been this small when I booked, I would’ve booked the balcony room. I’m excited!

:D

Hello all.

 

I was wondering if anyone has used a wheelchair during the land portion of a cruise tour? My mother has long distance mobility issues and I was going to bring a light weight wheelchair for her to use. Are they able to stow them on the bus and bring it to your room like luggage? I know in some of the lodges you are in out buildings and she wouldn't be able to walk far to get to the main lodge for meals. Any information or tips you have is much appreciated.

 

Thank you! :):)

My mother and I were booked on a Princess cruisetour for this year before we had to cancel due to budgetary restrictions.

We filled out a form with the access department for the cruise, because mom uses a rollator for distances. They ask about hotel accommodations on the form so that they can put your mom in the best place for her.

I’d contact your cruise line. Since they are arranging the travel and rooms, they are the best source of info.

Have fun with your mom!