islandchick

We have booked a Penthouse suite on Marina for a 22 day cruise. We are very excited that we can order meals from any of the restaurants to our room. It will be enjoyed very much on busy port days. It is really important to us that we can eat our meal on the balcony but we have noticed that there is only a very small table out on the balcony. Is there any way to get a little larger table (even a folding table) put on our balcony for meals?

This looks like the Grill menu on Regent. Hopefully it is better on O as Regent's was very lackluster even though it sounded great. Stale buns and dry burgers even though they were cooked medium.

Bummer!. Thanks for the info

Does anyone know if they ever hold poker tournaments on the Jubilee, and if so day and time would be appreciated.

Anyone who has recently been on Orion, can you tell me what chefs table menus they have been using ? Also, any particular days where they have had special meal (seafood buffet, etc) or lobster nights? Trying to figure out our dining schedule so any info is helpful.

Bumping this as I would still like to hear more info and opinions.

I would suggest packing it anyway. Even on your balcony or on deck you may need it if it is windy. I have taken a dogsledding tour but it was approx 10 years ago in Juneau but they did not provide anything but shoe covers, things may be different now.

Does anyone know the brand of tv's on the ocean class ships?

HAHA, I Had one of those in the early 90's.

I would say that if you are adventurous and able to deal with anything then go independent, however if you haven't been to a place like this it is very much a system overload and you might want to consider being part of a tour that can take care of anything that comes up. Its really based on what type of traveler you are.

I can assure you that the local Alaskan breweries are amazing. I don't drink beer but my husband is a real beer snob and his all time favorite have been from Alaska. On our upcoming Alaska trip we are also planning on going to a brewery or brew pub in every port possible.

I'm a little surprised at all the confusion regarding the ss drink package and drink prices. I will try to break it down so as to ease some of the confusion. Without the Silver Spirits Package- You get complimentary wine - house red or white (maybe rose if you ask) at lunch and dinner. Anyone can purchase anything off the menu at any time including bottles of wine. Anyone can bring wine onboard at anytime and there is no corkage fee. Here is the info direct from the Viking website about the drinks package Silver Spirits Package Upgrade and enjoy unlimited beverages in all dining venues and bars throughout the duration of your cruise. Our newly enhanced Silver Spirits Beverage program is now $25 USD per night. The package includes: Any drinks up to $18.00 USD including premium wines by the glass, cocktails & aperitifs Now includes house champagne by the glass Premium wines by the glass, cocktails and aperitifs Selection of applicable wines change twice per cruise 30% discount on premium beverages above $50.00 USD 50% discount for premium tasting events The Chefs Table premium wine pairing Wide range of upgraded selection of whiskeys & whisky’s Wide range of upgraded wines and spirits Soft drinks & juices Onboard BeveragesYour onboard lunches and dinners are always accompanied by complimentary hot or iced tea, coffee, house wines, beers and soft drinks. Our bartenders and waitstaff are always available to recommend: Cocktails Aperitifs Specialty coffees & teas Champagnes & sparkling wines Beers Juices Please note you must be 21 years of age or older to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages. Both guests in a stateroom must purchase the package for the full length of the cruise in order for it to be valid. A 15% service charge per person is included with the price

Bumping this thread. For anyone on the last cruise or the cruise boarding today, please give your input on everything. All info is appreciated. Especially interested in special events, food and beverage reviews, and any photos. I hope everyone boarding today is having a wonderful time.

SantaFe1- Other then the Taste of Alaska event, has there been any other special events or special dinners and if so can you tell me what days they occurred on? How is the rest of your cruise going?

Seward is a very small town but beautiful. The ship will be docked right in town and there are several restaurants right near the marina. There is a shuttle in Seward so you could try to find the map of where they go and maybe ride it around. Another thing you could consider is renting a car for the day. There is a Hertz within walking distance of the dock and you could drive around a little along resurrection bay and also drive to exit glacier which has a easy walk to the face of it. Its a short and very pretty drive .

Bummer. How has the food been otherwise?

Did you partake in the Taste of Alaska, if so how was it?

Just reminding you as requested. Hope you are having a wonderful time in Denali. Would love any thoughts you have on your cruise but also would love info on food, daily activities, timing of special events etc. Thanks

We take a small boat out of Seward that is called Alaska Saltwater Tours and it is 9 hrs. I have gone with them a couple of times and have another tour booked for July. It is amazing and you will see tons of wildlife. They also take you to a glacier. Small amount of people so it is more expensive but believe me it is a much better experience then the large boats.

Lands end resort will have the best views and is on the beach

I have read this and enjoyed it quite a bit. It would be a great read while in Alaska

I have done Southeast Kayak twice in Ketchikan and I highly recommend it. Did not see much wildlife other then eagles however they do take you a good distance away from Ketchikan and I trust them to get me back to the ship on time. Very professional operation.

FYI, it looks like they have this helicopter dogsled excursion in Skagway still available.

If you have never taken the helicopter and dog sled tour then I would say find a way to take it. I took it several years ago and it is a fantastic memory for me, I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was a breathtaking flight with views of snow covered mountains and glaciers and then landing in a dog sledding camp where we took a dog sled for about an hour into the beautiful Alaskan scenery. I do see that it is sold out on our cruise so I would look at a private tour instead or if you are staying in Anchorage or Seward there are similar tours you can book. I would book as soon as possible and get on the waitlist for our cruise. , I know this is an expensive tour and not everyones cup of tea so my second suggestion if you cant get a tour that you want would be to take the gondola up the mountain and hike the short hike up on the top (I have seen a really large black bear up there) then maybe go roam around town and find a local place for lunch. There are options to buy tickets for Mendenhall Glacier, but if you do it make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship as there are large amounts of people waiting for the bus back (also this has become very expensive- used to be less then 10 bucks a ticket , I think it is about 50 now)

We will be sailing July 9th and would really appreciate any info on the current Alaska cruise from anyone on it. Would love to hear your opinions and any daily info including menus.