thegoaliegirl

Just an update. We changed our plans and will be making the drive from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale the day before our cruise. I’m all about less stress!

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I appreciate it. 

Considering adding a day or two in Orlando before or after a Port Everglades cruise. Would you do the drive on cruise embarkation day (Sunday)? I’m assuming renting a car is cheapest option for 4 people. Trying to make the most of our limited vacation time but adding Orlando might end up taking too much extra time. 

Princess does a fantastic job in Alaska. As others have suggested, please arrive at least one day prior to departure. Too much stress the day of, what if your flight is late and you miss the ship?

You didn’t mention if you start in Whittier or Vancouver. If you are starting in Whittier, I highly suggest a half day transfer from Anchorage that stops at the Wildlife Conservation Center. 
 

The Alaska board has a lot of suggestions plus the trip reports are very helpful. 
 

right now there is a lot of uncertainty on when cruises will resume and what they will look like. No official word on if you need to take an excursion to leave the ship or not. Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan are all easy to walk around in, as the ship docks right in town, if it is allowed. You can book excursions once on board. Is there something that you really want to do as a family? 

Princess has fantastic kids clubs. My kids absolutely love them. 

12 hours ago, Smokeyham said:

Thanks for the responses.   223 kids on your August, 2019 southbound seems like quite a few.   Did you notice their presence very much?

I really only noticed because I had kids with me. We saw a few kids at dinner that were very well behaved but I honestly don’t recall seeing kids around the ship (except in the kids club).  

Aug 2019 on our Southbound cruise there were 223 kids between the ages of 3-12. 

Thanks for the responses! I figured the map was way off!

Considering the Springhill Suites for a late arrival into FLL the day before a cruise. I noticed on google maps there are shops across the street but the walking map (from google maps) says it will take 1 1/2 hrs to walk there. Is it possible to walk across the street in a normal amount of time? Or is it a busy street where you can’t safely cross? Thank you!

I suggest booking what it is you want now. Do you want/use the Princess plus items? If that is important to you, then I suggest booking it now. I’m in the US and it is easy to re-fare if a new promotion comes along (unless it is for new bookings only). When you re-fare, you lose all the perks you had (Princess plus, obc, specialty dining, etc) and instead get the new ones. Who knows how long the Princess plus package will be around. I book what I want and then if a better price comes along, fantastic. If not, oh well, as I still have what I wanted. 

In 2019 we stored our bags at the Pan Pacific. It was $5 per bag if picked up before 3pm or $10 per bag if picked up after 3pm. Super convenient (maybe a 2 minute walk after exiting customs and everything). Here is their email address: bell.services@panpacificvancouver.com

Thank you! I’m leaning towards Western Caribbean as my kids both want to go to Mexico, especially after my oldest did a report on Mexico. Ports would be Cozumel, Belize City and Roatan. Thank you!

Not sure which Kenai tour you are looking at but we did the 6 hr one with Major Marine. Saw a lot of wildlife and an amazing glacier BUT part is very rough and 2 of the 6 of us were seasick. 
 

I used Bear Paw Transportation (similar to ACT) and did a private half day. We really enjoyed the Wildlife Conservation center. 

I also would recommend doing your own tour. My youngest daughter has a shellfish allergy. We did our own land in Alaska (to make it more kid friendly and do what we wanted) and had no issues. All of the cruisetours had long travel days and it just wasn’t what we wanted. 
 

I’m sure you could reach out now to the hotels that the cruise line land tour uses and talk to them about how they handle allergies. I’d be surprised if they aren’t very prepared for allergies, especially if the cruise line owns the hotel (like Princess and Holland). 

Starting the process of planning our first Caribbean cruise. We’ve done Alaska a few times and are ready for a warmer weather cruise. 
 

Going with kids (7 and 9 at the moment). Interested in beaches. Are there any islands you’d recommend with good beaches? Leaning towards Western Caribbean but also looking at Eastern Caribbean. 
 

How is weather April-June? Is it an ok time to go or would we be better off going at a different time? 
 

thanks for any feedback! I’m very overwhelmed!

20 hours ago, 57redbird said:

Is the strap adjustable?  You could turn it in to a 'fanny pack' type for around your waist for dinner - then adjust it back to be a crossbody.

This idea has never occurred to me! Might try that!

Thanks for the suggestions. On land I carry a much larger purse, that tends to stay well on the back or side of a chair. Think I’m going to look for a purse hook. 

I carry a small crossbody purse around the ship with me. I never know what to do with it at dinner (or any other meal). I’ve tried hanging it from the chair but that never works, so I usually wear it. There has to be a better solution. (Leaving it behind in my stateroom isn’t an option). What do you do with your purse at dinner?

My Mother in Law recently did. She purchased two items and both were horrible. One was supposed to be a top, instead it was a very long dress. The other item was way off as well, nothing like was pictured. She says the return process is hard, so she might not even return them. So of the two items she purchased, she was happy with 0 of them.

Last summer I did the 6 hour tour with Major Marine to Holgate Glacier. Plus: saw lots of sealife (transient Orcas, Finn Whale, stellar sea lions, harbor seals, otters, puffins, etc) and the Glacier was amazing. The lunch was nice. Cons: there is a stretch where it is very rocky and 2 of the 6 of us were motion sick and missed some of the trip. Still,. it was really nice. I believe the 5 hour (with Major Marine at least) is more protected. We booked over Black Friday weekend and got a GREAT price. We had a rental car, so no bus or train experience.

My personal vote is for DIY, especially since you said "we like scenery, wildlife, moderate hiking, and adventure." There is a lot to do in Seward. I'd suggest spending a few days there- take a boat tour to Kenai Fjords (I did the 6 hour with Major Marine, book Black Friday weekend, can book open ended dates and still get best price) and another day do Seavey's Ididaride dog sleds and Exit Glacier as they are near each other. Exit Glacier has some nice trails and great views of the Glacier, even if you don't hike all the way to the glacier. Byron Glacier (near Portage Glacier and the Whittier turn off) is another easy to hike to glacier but would not work if you are taking the train. After Seward, then take the train to Anchorage. 

I had a great experience with Seavey's in Seward- but I do not believe they are in Skagway. Going on the assumption that you meant Seward, it is a small scale business and their only income comes from when they are doing tours but their expenses are still high, as the dogs still need to be fed. In fact, their food costs will be higher, as they also received the leftover buffet food (prime rib and salmon) from the Kenai Fjords boat tours. Please have patience while they figure it out. No Alaska season is going to be hard on the AK economy.

Princess has a great kids program. Dining room has a good kids menu and the buffets have lots of kid friendly options. On the Royal, they had a section of the buffet for "kid friendly" foods (plain pasta, mac and cheese, etc). Kids clubs are for ages 3 and up and my kids (now 6 and 8 ) are crazy about the kids clubs.

I was there in August and while we didn't book one- there were many people selling whale watching tours while we wandered town. Don't remember the prices but there were lots to choose from.

I booked independently and biggest difference was that we had a bit of a walk to the depot (flat and easy). Our car was not incredibly packed- we had plenty of room on board and no issues being outside in the viewing platforms. Passed other trains and they seemed way more packed than ours.

I have not sailed in one but have priced them several times. The base fare is for 4 passengers since it is essentially two staterooms with extra living space. You don't get the 3rd/4th person discount- instead that starts at passenger 5. Passengers 1-4 are the same rate.