jsn55

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.

Lots of good advice. Don't think travellers can imagine how awful it is to have a serious emergency connected with a trip. Once you're 'been there', you understand! The top Chase Sapphire card might be tough to get, but it offers benefits that far outweigh the eye-watering annual fee.

I've lived in California too long! I don't recall ever seeing a pair of waterproof pants. Where would I go to find some online?

It really doesn't matter what the 'rules' are. Carry the contact phone and/or email when you travel, and notify your insurance company ASAP if you have a medical issue. If you're travelling alone, put a note in your wallet in case you arrive at the ER unconscious.

This is a good reminder to us all to check our insurance coverages. Does your auto insurance cover you in a rental car? Does your health insurance kick in overseas? What will your credit-card insurance cover in the way of unexpected expenses? It's a good idea to at least have a clue before you start your journey. I think I'll make up a little summary to keep on my laptop just in case.

'big travel websites' are not travel agents (or advisers as they wish to be known as now), most travel websites are just online booking services. You tell them what you want, they book it, they make money. If trouble arises you're on your own. There's big money in these websites. Cruisers need to find a real travel advisor, one who is a cruise expert.

I agree that some cruiseline websites are too glitchy for words. Good IT people are incredibly expensive. I think it's a double-edged issue ... 1) they don't want to spend the money for a really good IT experience because most of the people using the website probably cause the problems themselves. And 2) cruiselines probably want you to use a travel agent (a real one, not some online booking service) to add some space between the cruiseline and the pax; then they can blame the middle-man for pax errors. I know that information I can barely wade through is a snap for my cruise-expert TA ... and she does most of the work on the phone.

Well, this is going to ruffle some feathers! As a smoker, I don't smoke inside anywhere. I just don't like to annoy others, kind of a personal issue I guess. Unless cruise ships provide adequate ventilation in an indoor smoking location, I'll be happy to smoke outside. What I'd like to see addressed on cruise ships is quieting down the constant loud talking ... on and on the yappers go. And the loudest talkers are also the ones who have little to say, they just like to hear the sound of their own voices I suppose. But the rest of us would rather not hear every inane word they utter.