RSF Cruiser

Yes

We were in D726. The balcony was large and covered. My all time favorite location and balcony. 

We always stay in aft suites. Aft cabins have more vibration than midship, regardless of the ship. I did not notice more vibration on the aft suite on the Island than any other ship we've been on. Fortunately, I find the vibration relaxing; the slight movement lulls me to sleep whenever I'm in a horizontal position 🙂

We were also in A729 for a Panama Canal crossing and that suite is our favorite suite of all time (I don't know how many suites we've stayed in, at least 15 on Princess). No, the balcony isn't covered, but the size is huge and the furniture is the most comfortable of any suite we've been in. The inside is well lit and brighter than other aft suites - probably because this suite is one of the newly added ones. We like the two sinks in the bathroom and didn't miss a sink in the bar area. I prefer to be closer to the water, but wouldn't hesitate booking this suite again.

4 hours ago, voljeep said:

has anyone actually got the credit posted to their account yet ?

The credit showed up in my cruise personalizer under onboard credits about 2-3 weeks after authorization. I talked to a princess rep who said the credit will be automatically applied to a future cruise. My "next" cruise is in July on a 14 day to Alaska, so it has been cancelled, but hasn't been removed from my cruise personalizer yet. After that I have a 15 day cruise to Hawaii in December 2021 - sure hope we get to go on that cruise!!!

I've rented multiple times from Avis in Skagway. I always have to call the phone number listed for the Skagway office. The call gets routed to the Anchorage airport Avis, and they are able to make the reservation.

Laundry turnaround for elites varies and is dependent on the number of elites onboard. 
 

laundry for suites is same day if the bag gets to the laundry by 9:00am or next day if you miss the 9:00 cut off, regardless of how many elites are onboard. I always mark same day on the laundry slip and have never had a problem. 

As a suite passenger, you can also make reservations in the any time dining room. They limit reservations there to about 1/3 of the tables, unless you are a suite passenger. We always stay in a suite, and when traveling with others who are not, we reserve a table in any time dining for all of us. We get to eat with our friends at the time we want and have the same waiter every night - just aren't eating on Club Class. And as others have mentioned, you can order for as many people you want for room service.  

We were booked with Jayleene's in Juneau and Snorkel Alaska in Ketchikan. Immediately got back our deposits. I was really impressed and sure hope they can stay in business for next year! We also got a future credit from Travel Guard for our trip insurance. The only deposits we haven't received yet is from Princess, but then, they have so many more deposits to process.

Ah, thanks - it says Carnival Cruise Lines. So guess we just have to wait to see what Princess will be doing.

I may have asked my question too soon. I've been doing more searching, and it looks like Carnival Cruise Line made the announcement today for Carnival cruises. They evidently did not make the announcement for all cruise lines under the CCL umbrella, but my guess is, Princess may follow with an announcement. Ugh... I won't be surprised if San Francisco cancels cruises, given that the Bay Area counties just put into place more stringent stay at home orders. Sure hope everyone is staying safe and healthy...

My cruise personalizer doesn't show any cancellation. I'm wondering if San Francisco has deemed no cruises out of that port. I can't find any information, so thought maybe here knows.

Have all San Francisco/Alaska sailing been cancelled for 2020?

I read under the heading Carnival Cruise Line: Alaska All Alaska sailings are canceled through and including June 30, 2020, with all cruises scheduled to depart from San Francisco canceled for the rest of 2020. Source: https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/5016/

I saw nothing on the Princess web site, although I did find the same message on Carnival.com. I have reservations for August 11 round trip from San Francisco to Alaska. I do not want to call my travel agent or Princess, since I"m sure they are busy with dealing with customers whose cruises are sooner than August.

Does anyone have any more information about cruises out of San Francisco?

Thanks!!!

We always get aft balconies. The view when leaving the glacier or port is beautiful. While at a glacier or coming into port, we like to be on deck and see the views from all angles, but when leaving, it's so relaxing to sit on the balcony, have a snack/drink, and enjoy the views. Plus, with an aft balcony, you get protection from the wind. Although the air might be cool to cold, there is little to no wind.

1 hour ago, nw gardener said:

Having done HAL for several GB cruises, I would recommend going up to the Crows Nest early,   by 700 is a good target if you want a seat.  Park rangers ( and a Native  representative from Hoonah) will set up displays and maps that show the approximate times of arrival for all the glaciers. Park rangers are picked up around 0830, and are happy to answer questions.   Bring good binoculars and camera,  walk around outside too, the promenade can be a great spot.  And yes,  your aft balcony is the best when you sail out.

Yes, that's the view!!! I love eating on the balcony with what you see in this picture as the backdrop!!!

We always have an aft cabin and love it for Glacier Bay. We stay on deck traveling into the bay and for while we are at Marjorie Glacier. My favorite spot in completely forward. It's windy and cold, but that's where I like to be. Once we get to the glacier, I walk to various spots, nut I mainly stay at the very front of the ship. Once we start to leave the glacier, we go done to our cabin, order breakfast, and eat on out balcony while gawking over the incredible views. If you have a clear day, the backdrop of the glacier covered mountains in the distance is wonderful. Yes, it can be cold on the balcony - we just wear a jacket, hat, and cloves. Because the aft balconies are protected from the wind, sometimes it's warm enough to just have on a sweater.

I'm sure what people give varies - at least a dollar or two.

1 hour ago, canadjineh said:

Do they dive for tips or is there an 'entry fee' or drinks minimum (a bar or restaurant there?)

They dive for tips. There isn't a restaurant with a view of the divers - you stand on the malecon to watch.

4 hours ago, saryj said:

Thanks for the response!  How did you find the weather on the 3 sea days at the beginning and end of the cruise?  Will it be warm for the first couple and last?  Will be able to use the outdoor pools etc...

I don’t remember any rough seas, but then they would have to be really rough for me to notice, so I’m not a reliable judge. As for the weather, we were one if the first ships to get to Alaska. Alaska was colder that the later months, but not a problem for me. I’d say the weather going

up the coast was the normal spring weather. Since you’re going in the summer, it should be warmer. I find the best attitude regarding weather is to expect it to be bad - then you are generally happy with what ever happens. The coldest day will be a whatever glacier you are going to - from the ice radiating out, but you’re o ly there for an hour or so. 
 

I don’t generally go in the pool, but I always go in the hot tub. That was delightful. 

Yes, ship excursions do fill up, especially the popular ones. I always book as soon as I think I might want to go an excursion. They are fully refundable until a day or so before. Often the price goes up, and if the excursion isn't selling well, it might go on sale - in which case you can rebook. We booked a glacier landing in Denali, but weather prohibited the landing - we had the option of not going on the flight for a full refund, but we decided to do the flight, too, and it was spectacular. We've also done dog sledding in Juneau. They both are incredible experiences. Google these excursions and look at the online photos and videos - that might help you decide between the two. The scenery in Denali was probably more spectacular - I thought it looked like what Yosemite must have looked like when there were glaciers there. The dog sledding experience was fantastic - wonderful scenery, and then being at the dog camp and riding on the sleds was a Wow! experience. We've also taken a helicopter ride in Juneau where we landed and walked around on the glacier. Another incredible excursion. Maybe you'll be like many people on thses boards and go back to Alaska multiple times, so eventually you'll get to do all of the excursions 🙂

We did the round trip from LA in April/May 2019 and have it booked again in July 2021. We loved it because we could cruise to Alaska without flying. We've cruised to Alaska from LA, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver. Like anything else, each has its advantages and disadvantages - it really depends on your priorities. If spending the maximum amount of time in Alaska is your priority, this cruise may not be for you. On the LA round trip you will spend most of your time traveling to and from Alaska, so be sure you enjoy sea days! We're aren't sensitive to the ship's rocking, so I'm not a good one to ask about rough seas. One of the things I like about the 2021 itinerary, is the number of stops in Alaska - it's been a long time since we've been in Sitka.

We often fly into Oakland for a cruise and take Uber or Lyft. The airport is well marked for where you go to get your Uber/Lyft - when you walk out of the terminal, you go to the second or third "pick-up" island. It's fast, easy, reasonably priced, and we don't have to deal with the San Francisco Airport and worry about fog closing things up.

When Princess introduced the photo package, and for the first few years, as long as one person who had the photo package was in the photo, that person got a hard copy and the digital file. We've had the package many times, and it worked wonderfully - my husband and I bought the package, and as long as one of us was in the photo we got the hard copy and the digital file. Fourteen  months ago, aboard the Grand to Hawaii, we were told the policy changed - if there is even one person in the photo who did not buy the package, you have to pay the per photo fee to get the hard copy or digital file. I'm hoping that policy was short lived! We purchased the package again on the Star for this summer to Alaska, and will ask for our money back if we can't have others in the photos. Does anyone have recent experience with the photo package? My experience is 

We did the Napali Coast through Princess. Most of the time was cruising along the Napali coastline and cliffs. The boat ride was spectacular. We saw a school of spinner dolphins, and the captain stopped the boat so we could watch them. We also went into a few caves and then stopped for snorkeling. Lunch was served during the snorkel time, and there were people who did not go in the water. Even if you stay on the boat, you can see fish and maybe turtles from the boat.

If you are sensitive to vibrations, you might not like an aft cabin. We always stay in aft suites  - we love the wake view, vibrations, and rocking. Vibrations don't bother us, so it's not an issue. The boat also rocks more in the front or back. I observed an interesting physics lessons once on the ship's swimming pool. The boat was rocking quite a bit, so in the center of the pool, the water stayed pretty stable (think teeter totter here), the ends of the pool rose and fell a few feet. If you are sensitive to movement, the best place to stay is a center level in the center of the ship.