Floridapenny

I will be traveling from Vancouver to Whittier on the Star and back on the Island in May. I enjoy drinking craft beer and was disappointed to read that the beer served on Princess is not very good. I was wondering if, while in port, for example Juneau, I could purchase a six pack of Alaskan beer and bring it on board and enjoy it while cruising. From what I have read, I cannot bring beer when embarking in Vancouver, but I was wondering about intermediate US ports.

Thank you.

I am a craft beer drinker and love to try new (for me) and local brews when I travel. I will be disappointed if there is no craft beer on the Star or Island in May when I travel to and from Alaska.

I also hope May is a good time for my first Alaska cruise. I am on the Star Princess northbound on May 20th and the Island Princess southbound on May 31st, with an "on your own" cruisetour in between.

Thanks for posting your inquiry. I learned a lot about my own situation in preparation for my first cruise (since 1973) in May to Alaska. I am a flexitarian (that loves salmon), who is allergic to garlic. I have already informed Princess of my allergy, and now I know to inform the Head Waiter of same. I am looking to eating lots of salmon (without garlic).

Thanks for your reviews. I just upgraded to Club Class Mini Suites for my May Alaska NB cruise on the Star and my SB cruise on the Island. I chose to pay the upcharge to be mid-ship.

Based on what I have just read, I made the correct decision.

The non-drug Reliefband also works for my wife.

Thanks. I ordered Reliefband on line last night. Again, I really appreciate the suggestions.

Thanks for your review. I will be on the Star Princess in May for my first cruise since the early 1970's, and am trying to read as much as I can about what to expect. :)

Thank you so much for your suggestions and personal experiences. I really appreciate the feedback.

I am a seasoned train traveler, but absolutely a novice cruiser. I am fine on a train as long as I spend most of the time facing the direction of travel. Sometimes, it takes me a while to get my "land legs," but the discomfort is not severe enough to take any medication.

I went to Whole Foods today and purchased a couple of different brands of ginger candy/chews. So far, I seem to tolerate ginger very well and will travel with a stash. I drink organic green/ginger tea and plan to bring quite a few tea bags with me on my trip. I plan to purchase inexpensive wristbands and 12.5mg meclizine tablets (as backup).

Based on responses and other input, I think I will pass on the prescription patch. I try to avoid medication whenever I can and lean toward natural/homeopathic options. Although I am not a heavy drinker, I do like to have a couple of beers a day and natural remedies would permit me to imbibe without possible side effects.

Again, thank you for your responses. I certainly welcome additional suggestions and/or personal experiences.

I am planning to embark on cruises between Vancouver and Whittier, Alaska in May (NB on Star Princess and SB on Island Princess). The last time I "cruised" was in 1973, when I was in my early twenties. I did suffer some motion sickness when the Caribbean was rough. I understand that ships are more "stabilized" now and that the Alaska cruises are not as rough as the Carribean cruises.

I am on the Dolphin (deck 9) on each ship with a balcony. On the Star, I am mid aft and on the Island Princess, I am mid forward.

Just to be "safe," I asked my doctor for a prescription for the patch. I have since learned that the patches in my area (maybe all over) are out of stock. Also, since then, I have heard from many people that I should avoid the patch altogether. In fact, I recently read that using the patch will cause 3 days of dry mouth and blurry vision, which sounds very unpleasant.

All my adult life, I have taken a "children's dose" of most medications. I am not underweight, but I am considered small. Thus, I am even more concerned about the patch.

I have been researching non prescription motion sickness medication on Amazon and discovered the following:

homeopathic pills

https://www.amazon.c...IZMLM3VSJH&th=1

motion sickness patches

https://www.amazon.c...00?ie=UTF8&th=1

wristbands

https://www.amazon.c...C1IV79CDTQ&th=1

generic Meclizine tablets 12.5 mg. A friend of a friend, who travels quite a bit and suffers from Vertigo, suggested a prescription for Meclizine 25 mg tablets. I went to Walgreens and inquired and found an over the counter package of 10 tablets for $7.79. The pharmacist suggested that I may want to cut them in half. Amazon sells 100 12.5 mg tablets for less money, which sounds like a much better deal.

I plan to purchase ginger chews for the trip.

Has anyone (especially someone small who weighs less than 120 pounds) used any of the homeopathic products for motion sickness? Am I over thinking this?

Any suggestions or advice is welcomed and greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Alaska Railroad between Anchorage and Fairbanks was one of our favorite train trips. Canadian Rockies was also very impressive. I hope you are on the upgraded Alaska RailRoad that includes narration. We had our only clear glimpse of Mt. McKinley from the train.

 

Enjoy!

Thanks. I did upgrade to the Goldstar Service on Alaska Railroad.

I hope you are planning to arrive a day or two ahead of time on your Amtrak trip. I'd hate to have you miss your cruise because Amtrak was late (again!).

Thanks. I think I will have enough cushion. I am arriving in Seattle on Thursday, spending Thursday night in Seattle, then taking a morning train on Friday to Vancouver. I will spend Friday night in Vancouver and begin the first cruise on Saturday afternoon. I figure if the train is moderately late, I could skip Seattle. If there are avalanches or major flooding involving major delays or cancellations, then I am out of luck since I do not fly.

I missed a trip in each of October 2015 and 2016 due to flooding in the Carolinas resulting in Florida trains being canceled.

Princess charges for Yoga, Pilates, Spin, Boot Camp, and TRX. Usually around $15/class or a discounted fee for a package. Princess does offer a free stretching class in the morning.

Has anyone participated in the yoga classes? If so, were they worth the charge?

In May, I will be embarking on a bucket list trip to Alaska. From Florida, I will be taking Amtrak trains to Vancouver, then the Star Princess to Whittier. I then plan to take the Alaska Railroad to Fairbanks and pick up a Princess (on your own) tour. After stops in Denali, I will be taking the Island Princess back to Vancouver. From there, pretty much the same Amtrak route back to Florida.

My last cruise was in 1973, a Carribean cruise on the Nordic Prince. I suffered a bit of seasickness during that trip. I am not sure if I should be concerned now.

I am also concerned about trying to do too much. I am a seasoned train traveler and have traveled across the US many times. However, I am a novice cruiser and may need advice.

I travel very light since I take my roller bag on the train with me. I hope black slacks and black tops are sufficient in the dining rooms on the ships because I will not have a lot of room to pack.

I practice yoga regularly and was disappointed to read that Princess charges for yoga. I am curious whether the yoga classes are worth $15 a class.

I was also disappointed to read that Princess charges for bottled water. I hope I read that wrong.

Thank you for any advice or comments for someone who is a bit overwhelmed. :eek: