Hsmama

Ok I have the zs50 Panasonic,and have playing with it like crazy trying to learn the manual settings for good pics. Getting lots of practice with my birdfeeders. How many sd cards will I need for a week? I have a 32 and a 64 already- plus 2 extra batteries just in case I need them.also I'm shooting jpeg,not RAW b/c I have yet to figure out how to process those....

Butchart Gardens- one of the best in the World- book online the CVS express shuttle, picks up from the pier. They also have city tours. Ships have to stop at a Canadian port before returning to US that's why the night stop.

Are the gardens worth visiting after they close at 5 pm? or is it all closed behind gates? any other gardens of note to visit while docked? we only get in at 6,so not sure what to do

4. If you enjoy girly, spa, pampering ... but are on a budget and cant go for the massage or facial, etc. Consider the THERMAL SPA ... heaven on earth ... use at your leisure, relax, read or nap on the heated loungers, use the mild or hot steam rooms, enjoy or even share a (swim suit on) Tropical Rain shower with optional Icy Drench. I personally didn't care for the aromatherapy room (something was 'off' with the scent for me) but its there too if you like it. This will run you $30 per day currently, or get better price per day for the whole week ... but then you also have to factor in whether you will use it every day or not.

 

4a. even if you don't decide to spend $ on the Thermal Spa you can use the dry Sauna and Steam rooms in the (separate) Ladies and Men's changing/locker rooms. Unless I am mistaken, since access to the work out facilities is free, you can access these at no charge ... regardless of whether you actually work out or not.

I'm curious about these thermal spas....... our HA ship apparently has them.... but I need to see what they are exactly before buying time with it...... does HAL have steam rooms also?

@herfnerd...... how do you do that? without changing the settings? ok....... full update after a frustrating weekend with my new camera....... I stopped trying to take pics using auto functions,first of all! That alone changed the results quite a bit. After doing intensive reading on this model,and trying to figure out settings, I set myself to hundreds of photos of the birds at my feeders- since I am mainly interested in this for the oudoor/wildlife capabilities. Well..... I have changed my mind, this thing takes some excellent zoom shots outdoors,using the proper settings! (I'm really enjyoing cataloguing my bird friends) I learned that auto is usually a recipe for disaster..... but one really big question, what setting works best for indoor and people shots? Now that I'm getting the hang of more outdoors photos, I still don't get how to get a crisp indoor shot of people,say in a group,or even singly. I don't really hear that whirring anymore,either I've gotten used to it, or it has gone away. So..... still debating/hoping I don't have to send it back - I will be spending time trying for faces indoors to see if there's an issue. so far,all the faces are too soft focus no matter what I try....

hmmmmm I'm going to keep trying for another day or two- then possibly send this one back if it doesn't improve. For a simple,close up photo of whatever, the iphone takes a better,clearer shot. most esp. with people,still poses,on auto this camera can't seem to focus well at all, how does it do for you with people/faces?

I don't know.... for those here who have/use the zs50, what do you think of it? I've spent two days fiddling with it, trying various settings,and types of photos. I'm concerned I may have gotten a defective model (it was factory refurbished and sold as new) -anyone have issues with the focus capabilities? So far I am 100% unimpressed with the quality of the images I'm getting..... indoor,outdoor, different modes, various settings.... all the same lackluster results.I'm getting none of the crisp clarity I've seen in various blogs. I can get photos,just not very good results.

Ok currently I have the Panasonic zs50 in my hand.... is is normal to hear a sort of whirring like something 'running' inside camera while using? I'm unsure if this is normal....

I have been doing that google compare now for two weeks....my mind is spinning! I am narrowing it down I think between the zs50 and sx720..... but then when I see the sx720,I compare the sx720,which appears to be the same camera,minus a little zoom capability (like 30 vs 40x optical)- I'm wondering if that extra bit of zoom is worth the extra $$$ (If I go with Canon) or not? I am having hard time visualizing the difference between 30x and 40x..... in terms of distance. Like for example, I see an eagle on a branch,and it's 200 feet away...... how 'close' can a 30x zoom get me for photos?

question- if you had to choose between the panasonic zs50 and the canon sx720,which would you choose? the 50 has 12 mp, the 720 has 20 mp....I know that's not the only thing to look for, but it is somewhat important

The last three cameras mentioned here all rate really well on the comparison sites I've been reading,the sony hx80,the canon sx720,and the zs50....... I've been looking at them all,and thinking. The Canon might be the lowest of the three, but the price is right...... the optical zoom info is helpful, is there a difference in the average shooter with 30x and 40x telezoom? I dont know if the 40x would make things so shaky/fuzzy that it's not really useable in most situations..... but I don't really know. I'm going to investigate the monopod

Oosterdam- Alaska cruise- never cruised before. I have been reading,and it appears that bringing our own travel mugs for water etc is a good idea, to bring back to cabin? Also- if I have some water bottles ready to fill/refill,is this smart? port days,etc. I don't like paying for bottled water if I don't have to- I want to be able to have a drink of water in the cabin with me, do I need the mugs, or just stick with water bottles to refill?

 

 

You forgot one of the best FREE events " Captains cocktail party. Free drinks and you can have several ,Also free beaches on alot of the islands !!!!!!. Call me cheap but I will not pay to eat at a speciality rest. on board when there is so many other choices of food on board that comes with my cruise fare.;)

What is the Captains Cocktail Party?

I am almost decided on this camera,I want it for an upcoming Ak cruise- plus plenty of photo opportunities in regular life, like birds,etc. I was also looking at Panasonic lumix zs60 and comparing, but I am drawn back to the Canon 720 ..... any advice? I don't want a DSLR as I am looking for easily portable, easy to use and transfer to tablet,etc - the Lumix model is superior in some ways, but I don't know that those points are something I'd even use....

You have to remember with optical zoom that the more you zoom out the shakier the camera gets and sometimes it becomes harder to find your subject. Not against optical zooms just giving some advice.

Well,this model claims to have image stabilization for the zoom lens..... I don't know..... it's hard to decide,and for me this is an expensive purchase so i want to choose well...

after reading this thread it got me thinking about how much Iove to take photos,and how my iphone is always a disappointment for that for great scenery shots,and how Alaska will be full of great scenery...... I have it narrowed down (I think) to the Canon sx 720- it looks like a great overall point and shoot with a 40x optical zoom,and the price isn't too steep. It's small and easy to use also,which I want. Any better ideas than this model? I've done some researching and this one keeps catching my eye...

there are a few threads here about just diy'ing it in the ports..... I intend to do a fair bit of walking and hiking myself, in Juneau we have a car rental, in Sitka and Ketchikan we intend to walk and or taxi where we want to go

Yes there is an app that you can use on the boat for FREE messages. Load the app "Cruise Ship Messenger" before you get on the boat (requires wi-fi to load) so you won't have to pay. If you wait till you're on the boat you'll have the pay the Wi-fi fees but only to load it. Once you have the APP put in your friend/family's IP addresses and you're all set. You can call or text for free thru that app when you're on the (free) ship network. This only works for people on the boat with you. It was fabulous during my trip in January.

 

I can't believe they don't talk about this more on the HAL boards!

Ok thanks for the detailed info! I'm going to try and do this, not sure about figuring out the ip addresses but I have some time ........ I found the app itself at least

ok cool....thanks all- I am planning to visit fortress of the bear, as much as I like them,I really don't want to run into one accidentally!

I'm a newbie, and intend to take my first cruise soon,to AK- at first,reading the boards here,I was a little disheartened by all the advice to 'just go for it, it'll be worth it,you have to experience all of it' etc - well, for us, this is a budget trip- an 'extra' trip in our year,and my goal is to see what we can see while saving as much as possible. This means, for us, we are looking forward to a fabulous week on a ship with great food, and in the ports we are planning on walking and hiking as much as possible to get the feel of the places we're visiting. IS it the same as the flyplane excursions,etc? Nope- but it's gonna be really cool,and in our budget! So I'm glad you posted the question,b/c I plan to keep things very budget also.

curious.... we plan to try some hiking in Juneau,Ketchikan and Sitka- first week of May, I think they'll be out of hibernation, but it's too early for salmon run etc,right? What are the odds of seeing bears on a hike in that week? I prefer not to randomly bump into bears..... it would be cool to watch them from a distance,like catching salmon etc but I think we're the wrong season for that..... should we be concerned while hiking?

OK-I'm with the OP here.and I would like to know this also. I have a family,and since we'll be doing various different things,meeting up at the proper times is going to be a challenge,unless we have a simple way to text,or some such thing. I think the question got lost here among all the 'answers'..... is there no free option to do this on HAL? specifically for me, the Oosterdam? And if threr'es no free option,what options are there? just onboard wifi,which I prefer to not have? For those who hate texting etc, ok...and I'm still familiar with notes etc- but texting a meetup time and place is extremely convenient and useful. I'm actually a little surprised at the responses here to what I thought was a simple question.....

Wait.... I'm confused...... If I'm on the ship,at sea, no 'net package, and data etc shut off, does texting service work at all? Is there an on onboard system to allow text between phones,even if i have no cell service?

thanks for all the info..... no I'm not worried they'll starve, I guess I was just wondering about how it all operates.... If they eat nothing but cheeseburgers for a week, that's fine..... I want to hit that dining room anyway!

For those planning on hiking Deer Mountain trail. Melinda mentioned the free shuttle from the dock to Totem Heritage Park then walk the 1/2 mile to the trailhead. For some reason I wasn't able to paste the link, but if you Google free shuttle in Ketchikan there is a PDF of the shuttle loop stops and time operating.

Awesome-thanks! so useful to know this ahead of time..... on Tripadvisor I was advised to stay away from Deer Mountain,and instead try rainbird trail....any opinions about that?

So I have question, we have teens in our group, who will likely not get up early on ship days, is it ok for some in our party to head to dining room,and others to go later whenever they get up? Separate dining?