jsn55

If you're incapacitated, you won't care. Seriously, I keep a little card in my bag with my emergency contact person's details. He has all my information and knows exactly what to do. He can take care of all the formalities while I'm out cold. Might not work, but it's the best solution I can think of when I'm travelling solo.

And here I thought the original post was supposed to be amusing, albeit in poor taste.

Might be a good idea to review all the amenities on the ship's website. Some 18yr olds can spend hours by the pool, reading a book, using a device and having pizza for lunch. Others want more active things to do. Some want sports. You know your kids, so discuss what's available on the ship with them.

It's amazing how many thousands of people have developed great sensitivity to smoking over the years since the media decided that's what needed to happen. I happen to be very sensitive to the smell of garbage and sewage but nobody wants to discuss that.

It depends on the person doing the service. One bag, cheerful demeanor, careful, $5. A good example is the shuttle bus driver who unloads my bag, places it upright on the sidewalk and pulls up the handle.

Trip insurance is usually not refundable. The providers were very lenient during the virus disaster, so there's always a chance. When I'm faced with an issue like yours, I make up a spreadsheet of all the features that are important to me so I can compare easily. Careful study will probably show you that the cost of most mainstream cruises are about the same. Most cruiselines run on 'tipping', so it's usually just part of the total cost. But let's NOT discuss 'automatic tipping' here. I'm still not sure how the cruiselines get away with it. If you booked with a real travel agent or directly with NCL, I would expect some monetary consideration when you book your next cruise. That's a rather serious error on the agent's part. If you booked by phone, it would be difficult to prove that you weren't informed. If you used an online booking service, there's little recourse. Always scrutinize your confirmation immediately so you're not sideswiped by this kind of thing in the future.

Well, it's all marketing, isn't it? This does sound a little far out there, tho. I think there are plenty of solo cruisers who book higher-grade cabins ... we just don't talk about it with our new friends.

On the whole, pax look pretty decent most of the time, in my opinion. There will always be slobs among us, and always be people who will put on (or take off) anything that attracts attention. I find loud obnoxious pax far more troubling, and think that people who disrupt a nice dining room should be sent back to their cabins. It's a cruise, the ship is full of people you don't know, this stuff comes with the territory. Shrug and move on. A river cruise is usually hugely different than an ocean cruise. Pax seem to be well behaved and considerate. However, on my trip through France last month, on the first night, we all showed up eagerly to the port talk. A very drunk woman was so disruptive that our CD walked out of the room. Far as I could tell, she was falling-down drunk for more than 48 hours. There's little any pax can do, just have to wait it out.

Everybody's right ... but the thing is that if you have no local money, you'll need a little. If you bring it with you, you probably won't spend it. I'm the type who doesn't like to waste my travel time, so I bring the currency with me. Do whatever makes sense for your travel style. Oh, how you will LOVE this trip! There just aren't any negatives about travelling in Scandinavia.

Princess IT is a mess. Has been since I started trying 2 use it a few yrs ago. I'm grateful to have a great TA cruise specialist w her own direct contacts; but even she has issues trying 2 do the most basic stuff sometimes. Princess is always a last resort in my plans.

I'm sure I've passed through terminals like this over the years, but it would be the last thing I'd ever notice. Far more interested in the speed with which I can move through it, and the efficiency plus friendliness of the people in charge. This is just really a tiny, unimportant part of a cruise in my mind.

I stayed at a very nice Hilton at Logan last time I was in Boston. I'm sorry that it's no longer there.

When I'm lucky enough to cruise out of San Francisco, I find that staying in a hotel on a park & fly package the night before is really stress-free. Airport hotels are usually inexpensive, I have a leisurely morning and call a taxi to the port.

Oh what a great story! I would love to be able to find an artist that moves me like this. You are SO RIGHT ... buy it now and enjoy it for decades. I hope you do get to meet her.

Seems like a good idea. There will be 4 or 5 big ships in Juneau when I'm there in August. I'll take a ship's shore ex, but probably not even go looking around the town. Therefore, I will not be spending any money to support Juneau's small businesses. I'm not cruising Alaska to stand in endless lines and walk through crowds everywhere.

While the medallion system can be a horror, I had no trouble onboard getting things delivered to my cabin. It was great fun to order champagne and chocolate cake!

If the above advice doesn't calm her, find a hotel near the parking area and make a stop there first. Knowing positively that she won't have an issue, nor will she have to wait, might make her just that more comfortable.

Victoria is a lovely walking town. About half an hour from port to the Empress which is kinda the area's highlight. Pedi-cabs available on either end if walk is too much.

Other than outerwear, I wouldn't wear anything more than twice without washing it. Checking a bag for a cruise is so simple ... you arrive at the port, someone takes your bag away and it appears in your cabin. With the incredibly variable Alaska weather, I'd definitely check a bag.

My standard 'formal uniform' is a nice scarf and pretty earrings with a black silk tunic top & pants. Men don't need to pack anything more than a collared shirt and a belt. But people who do enjoy dressing up are always welcome, so us peasants can admire them.

weather dot com is your friend.

I've taken several Avalon cruises and don't even look at other companies. Friends who know me well are taking their ninth Avalon cruise later this month; they knew I'd love Avalon. Avalon just has a way about them that makes me feel that I can ask for anything at all and they'll gladly deliver it. But I rarely have to ask; it's all just there. I'm picky, very picky ... I hate tacky stuff, scrounging, things not done as well as they could be. I just finished Avalon's Grand France and for two weeks the only negative I came up with was that they had the same kind of (delicious) cookies out in the coffee lounge every day. Double chocolate, what's not to love? That lounge has a cold water dispenser; six flavors, sparkling or still. Huge coffee machine that will make you anything your heart desires ... and I like my coffee just so. The reading lights on each side of the bed are a perfect example. Attached to the wall, they rotate 360 degrees so you can focus light right on your book. The shower is huge for a river ship, with plenty of hot water. Cabins have tons of storage space. Avalon just doesn't miss a beat. I do agree with several others, a spreadsheet with elements that are important to you is a real help.

I don't think the people who run parking lots or garages care much about individual customers. I cruise out of San Francisco occasionally, and I just book an airport hotel that includes parking for the night before. Just take a cab up to the port. The last thing I want is to have issues with parking my truck in SF, I'd much rather have a nice late breakfast at the hotel before boarding.

Oh, I can't wait to read this! The concept of living on a cruiseship is insane, but it's always really interested me. Thanks for posting this.

Alaska in June several years ago, it was HOT. We had to buy t-shirts. Bring layers, always a good packing scheme for any trip anyway.