mommamiller04

You do get access to Diamond Lounge, which is great. Other little perks, too. But no gift or anything. From when we started cruising 15 years ago to now, they are giving less and less as far as gifts go.

1 hour ago, Mendels1029 said:

I was there two weeks ago on symphony with the half day pass.  We left on our own accord after lunch but never had any wristbands until we walked out the front entrance.  They asked if we wanted to come back later and gave us a yellow wristband but didn't scan our sea pass or check what we purchased.  It was the first time symphony was there so maybe they have changed it since but that was my experience. We weren't designated in any way having only the half day pass vs the full day.

That was kind of what I was picturing. To purchase the all-day passes is only $10 more than what I bought the half day at, so I am guessing they are calling it a wash.

11 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Yes, and they have the most common mixers.  No frozen or "blender drinks". 

Perfect! Thank you!

I see hard liquors listed on the menu. Do they make mixed drinks? With the wine being not so good, that sounds like a better option. This will be our first Diamond level cruise so wasn’t sure what drinks, specifically, you could get. 

We purchased the half day thrill water park passes a few months ago for our sailing in July. Does anyone know how they enforce the times? We have 7:30-10:45am. Is there a separate wrist band? I wasn’t sure how they did the half day vs full day. Thanks!

What do they have at the snack shack?

We did it on the Anthem this past January, and it was so much fun. The thing that made it the best for us was our table mates. We sat with such a fun group of people, and we didn't realize how much the mimosas were affecting us. We got a bit toasty for that early in the day, but it was a blast. The tour itself was really informative - not just about kitchen things. We asked questions about crew life in general and learned A LOT. And the food was excellent. Definitely worth it, in my opinion.

I have done the first itinerary, and it was awesome. I have been to St. Thomas way too many times to find it enjoyable anymore, but that was a bonus "sea" day for me as most people were off the ship. If it is your first time going to any of these islands, as someone stated above - they are all very similar. So look at excursions, and make your decision based off of what ports enthrall you the most that way.

This will be our first cruise at Diamond level. I didn't realize we got so many things! For the 24 hours of free internet, is it a 24 hour period (like 7am Monday - 7am Tuesday), or is it accumulative, meaning I can use it a bit each day?

Honestly, the windjammer is going to be busy at "busy times". We usually get on the ship as early as we can and go right to the Windjammer. It is our "we are officially on a cruise" moment. If you go after 12, it is going to be busier. Same for breakfast. We would go early or a little later. It is no different than a restaurant or anything like that. And depending on how many people are in your group, you might have to split up to eat. When we took my parents, there were 6 of us total, and we usually ate at 2 tables.

Thank you for the responses everyone! I will just plan on two taxis. ☺️

Hello! We are leaving on an Alaskan cruise on August 14th out of Vancouver. I contacted Vancouver International Airport and asked if they had taxis to accommodate my family of 6. They said they do - and we could all fit in a 7-person taxi paying the one $31 fee - but our luggage would also have to fit or we would need to take 2 taxis. My question is how much luggage it actually holds. We would have 2 large suitcases and 3 carry ons. Does anyone have any experience with these taxis and how much they will hold? Just trying to budget accordingly. Thank you!!

We will be on that ship, as well! So excited! We are going to hike in Juneau, rather than do an excursion. But with a baby, that might not work too well for you. :)

Hello! My husband and I are taking my parents on their dream cruise to Alaska along with our two children who will be 11 & 8. We have done 10 cruises but all on RCI, and I understand we won't be taking them since we want to visit Glacier Bay (my mom NEEDS to see a glacier).

My kids love cruising, but their favorite part is swimming in the pool. We are planning on going the end of July, so I was wondering if they would be able to swim, and if there is an indoor pool on most cruise ships. I know on RCI there is a covered pool, but it is adults only. They are not fond of the kid's programs (Adventure Ocean on RCI) because they are in separate age groups, and they would prefer to go to together. Is it possible to bump up my 8 year old to the 9-11 group?

We are experienced cruises, but I feel like Alaska is completely foreign to us. So, I am feeling a little nervous about it. Any feedback about cruising with kids would be appreciated! Thank you!!

Angela