BrandFam4

4 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

• An enhanced & extended Cruise with Confidence policy that provides the reassurance your clients need to stick with us — through the current environment and beyond! 
  • Now, even more flexibility! Cruise with Confidence has been extended to allow cancellations up to 48-hours prior to sailing in exchange for a 100% Future Cruise Credit on sailings through April 2022 for bookings made on-or-before August 1, 2020!
    
    PLUS...
     
  • NEW! Introducing Lift & Shift for your clients simply wishing to move their existing booking to next year, protecting their original price and promotion. Simply select a qualifying sailing in the future, give us a call, and we'll handle the rest!    
  • NEW! Book on-or-before August 1, 2020 and take advantage of our Best Price Guarantee up to 48-hours prior to sailing, ensuring that your clients are getting the best deal!   

I apologize if this has been asked already. I tried to read through all the questions asked and didn’t see it. 
 

So I could reschedule my July 2020 cruise to the same cruise in July 2021 for the same price under Lift and Shift? Does it say anything to what would happen to the air2sea portion of your reservation (if you had one)?

We were originally just going to rebook with the FCC (if/when we get cancelled), but it’s almost $2,000 more than what we paid for this year for the same cruise next year. So the Lift and Shift would be awesome. But worried about our air2sea part of the reservation. Would it be refunded back to us since flights are not Available those dates yet?

Thank you in advance!

I did a price adjustment on 3/13 and received the refund on 4/6 (side note: I will never pay off a cruise early again!). When I called at the two week mark the rep said she could see it pending, but the system was backlogged due to the amount of refunds going out. So took 3 weeks to receive.

Currently on hold myself for $300 price drop on our Alaska cruise. The hold is worth it. Can put that money towards excursions. 

On 2/21/2020 at 12:51 PM, TXRed said:

We are sailing on the Ruby Princess Alaska inside passage in May. Will I be able to use my cell phone? Do I put it in airplane mode?  I understand I will be able to use it in Alaska at the various ports...but was wondering about the ship?  thanks for your help with this.

I would check with your carrier. I have Verizon, just reviewed my plan and saw that Canada and Mexico are included in my current plan without additional fees. I do still plan to turn on wifi calling and airplane mode to avoid any oopsies going over our data limit. 

8 hours ago, familyoutdoors said:

What are the options to getting there on your own?

From what I read they are right of the Yukon highway (someone correct me if I'm wrong). We plan to rent a car so we will just stop at some point during our day. I did email them for more information. But it looks like they are currently competing in the iditaord so I am sure they are very busy right now. 

2 minutes ago, dyeadave said:

Then, the hardest part of waiting for a sled ride might be extra puppy petting! 

(Yes, this place still allows/encourages contact with the puppies with no time limit!)

We may be there for hours then if I let my kids decide when to stop. :-) LOL

Agreed, this was very poorly handled. I would write a straight to the point email with all facts listed. When my daughter was sea sick on the first night of our cruise, they immediately cleaned everything up and medical called us before we even made it back to our room. Thankfully some Dramamine did the trick and she was fine the rest of the cruise. 

Has anyone visited the Tagish Sled Dog camp off the Yukon highway? It looks like its right off the main road and easily accessible. I went on their website and it says no reservations required. I'm just wondering of the ease of accessing and if there are long waits since there are no reservations needed.

http://www.tagishlakekennel.com/tutshi-sled-dog-summer-tours/

Thanks!

10 hours ago, atobols said:

We went last summer.  My boys were 11 and 13 at the time.  We did a whale watch/ Mendenhall glacier tour through Juneau Tours & Whale Watch.  It was the highlight of the trip for my 13 year old.  We whale watched first, and saw 5 or 6 Orcas.  We got to Mendenhall pretty late in the day.  We fast hiked down the trail to the glacier.  It took about 10 or 15 minutes.  We passed a porcupine sleeping in a tree.  It was close enough to touch and it couldn't have cared less about us staring and taking pictures.  Down at the glacier we were wearing Keen sandals do we walked right into the water.  It was cold, but beautiful and the waterfall was right next to us.  It was a long day but totally worth it.  

I was wondering if you could go in the water. We will make sure to bring sandals as well. 

On 1/25/2020 at 7:56 PM, molsonschooner said:

My wife is interested in doing the cup cake class with our granddaughter, who will be 6 years old when we cruise. If DW only assists the granddaughter does she have to pay for the class for herself as well as paying for granddaughter.

We did this on the Navigator in March of 2019. I was able to sit and watch while my kids (09 and 11) participated and I did not have to pay. 

We have a rental car booked from the Avis right by the pier. Its $100 for the day. This was the cheapest option for our family of four. It looks like about a 15-20 minute walk from the pier to Avis. 

Be careful, there are two Avis locations, one by the airport and a seasonal one by the pier. This is the one by the pier.

https://www.avis.com/en/locations/us/ak/juneau/j2d

On 1/4/2020 at 2:31 PM, SbbquilterUT said:

We had a wonderful day in Skagway - rented a car and drove the Canadian/Yukon Highway, stopping whenever we wanted.  Startling views along the way made for a special day.

Did you rent through DIY Jeep Tours or just the local rental place i.e Avis? Thanks in advance!

44 minutes ago, ABQrobin said:

I know you don't want to hear this.... but bite the bullet.  Alaska is an adventure, and for some people it may be a Once in a Lifetime Adventure.  The helicopter tours are some of the most amazing things ever and you cannot imagine the memories you will make taking your kids on something like that.  It is worth every penny and you don't want to come home and say you regret not doing it.  

When we went on the Alaska cruise in 2016, we figured it was that one time trip, so go ahead and book whatever and don't consider the cost at all.... it was expensive but we are so glad we did.  And now, 4 yrs later, we are doing the cruise again so we can do even more. We didn't have time to go whale watching in Juneau last time, so we are going back.   It is sooooo worth it! 

 

And just to let you know... our ship had lots of kids onboard, and you could hear them talking about their excursions all the time, in the dining room, it the buffet area, kids talking about what they did that day.  Lots of happy kids on the ship.

 

 

It's funny, i had that same thought when I asked CC, maybe we should just bite the bullet.... and when I asked my son (he's 10) about it he said he did NOT want to go in a helicopter. Not sure where the fear came from because we live in the land of roller coasters and those are his favorite thing. Anything thrill related, he loves. 

I decided as of right now, to rent a car in the morning and do Mendenhall glacier, explore as time allows, then at 3pm we have a dog sledding excursion, THEN if we have time allow head up on the tramway before we have to be back on the ship by 8:30. 

Hopefully, I made the right choices, I'm already wondering i did. Because there is just sooooooo much to chose from. 

14 hours ago, Coral said:

Whale watching.

13 hours ago, crystalspin said:

Whale watching. I cannot imagine a kid not liking this. You can combine with Mendenhall Glacier, but I have to tell you -- it has retreated so it's a LONG way across the lake. If you step right out, you probably can take the longer walk to the waterfall, but I'm not sure if that gives you any better look at the ice.

 

We did walk to the nearer-to-visitor-center viewpoint in 2016. In 2018 we did not "visit" Mendenhall, but the driver to the whale watching port did stop at a pull-off for people to take photos.

 

The tram is quite steep and probably fun for kids. Your ship will be visible as you descend!

Thank you so much. Great ideas and tips! :-)

10 hours ago, thegoaliegirl said:

This summer we flew home from Vancouver to the US. We left the cruise area around 3pm and went to the airport. We were too early to check in for our 7:20pm flight home on Alaska Airlines. Due to customs pre-clearance to the US, they won't take bags until 3 hours prior to departure. When we checked in there was no real delay (a few people max) at any point and went very fast to clear security, Canadian customs and pre-clear US customs, maybe 30-45 minutes max. We were traveling with younger kids (6 and 8). 

Perfect, thank you!

You all are the best and super helpful. Thank you. 

8 minutes ago, martincath said:

I'd personally be aiming for a 5am YVR arrival - the biggest issue is actually ensuring that you are early enough to meet the minimum bag drop time, without being so early that CBP aren't operating yet! Any time from 4:30 until 5:15am (most airlines demand 60mins preflight for checking bags at YVR) should be OK - so I'd take the shuttle on the second or third go-around, some time between 4 and 4:30am leaving the hotel. If you want to play it super safe, sure, take the first shuttle but be aware that you'll probably be through bag drop and security before CBP open and have to wait.

Also note that CBPs listed hours are indeed when they operate, not flight times that make use of them - 20:30 is actually 8:30pm, not 10:30pm. So flights that are after ~9pm are the ones which would not be Prescreened in the evenings. The morning delays are due to having a meeting at start of shift, so it's 10+ mins before anyone actually starts processing people - and the big backlog of folks who arrived 3 hours early because they didn't know about CBPs limited hours takes at least another 20mins to actually clear, hence my preference to arrive just after 5am.

 

Oh thank you! Feeling better and better and glad I picked that early flight home! I've heard it's a very nice and traveler friendly airport, but I always like to extra precaution if needed. 

30 minutes ago, hallux said:

You MAY clear customs and immigration before boarding, making your flight "domestic" for arrival into the US.

 

Here is the info on the USCBP at YVR.  It says they operate between 4:30AM and 10:30PM.  I believe those are the ranges for flight departure times as I was definitely in the airport before 10:30PM but didn't have to go through USCBP clearance before going to my gate for a midnight flight to the US.  https://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers/navigate-yvr/customs-and-immigration/us-customs-and-border-protection

5 minutes ago, Langley Cruisers said:

OP,  you will use the US pre-clearance for your flight into Florida from YVR. I have read on these boards that although US CBP opens at 4:30, it's really closer to 5 am when they start getting going and screening. If you are in line early and get through the checkpoint around 5 am, you should easily make your 6:15 flight. The US departures wing is not a long walk and there are several coffee spots open, good for a coffee and light breakfast for your family.

 

Honestly, I would not hesitate to take the hotel shuttle at 3:30 am, no worries. 😊

Thank you both! I feel better now about my early flight. When I booked it I just focused on the arrival time to Florida and not all of the steps in the morning. 

On 1/11/2020 at 4:16 PM, thegoaliegirl said:

My kids are 6 and 8 and we did the Mount Roberts Tramway. It was interesting but would not be good on a cloudy day. Booked when we arrived, did it early in the morning. Later in the day the lines were much longer.

Thank you! Added to the list. 🙂

Hi everyone!

Our flight home to Florida is at 6:15am on a Monday out of YVR. Our hotel has a free shuttle that starts at 3:30am; however, according to YVR's website it says we should arrive 3 hours early. That would be before the shuttle even starts running. If we wait for shuttle and get to YVR around 2.5 hours early, will that be plenty of time to get through bag drop, security, and US pre screening? We will have a 10 and 12 year old with us too. 

Thanks in advance!

8 hours ago, luvteaching said:

The Alaska State Museum is a great way to spend an hour or so and very walkable from the cruise dock. If you are interested in salmon there is a fish hatchery with a tour that is often coupled with Mendenhall Glacier on the ship tours. Juneau is very walkable for the downtown area with quite a bit to see. I'd wait until arrival to decide on the Mount Roberts Tramway. If the weather isn't good you may not want to go up. 

Karen

Thank you! I was thinking about walking around after we did an 'excursion'.

13 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

I wonder if the kiddos would enjoy the Mt. Roberts Tramway?  Folks don't need to pre-book it so if it you are in Juneau on a clear day it is an easy add-on to other activities.

Thank you, I will look into it. I would like to fill the day with as much as possible. 

9 hours ago, SJSchell said:

Do you enjoy hiking? We hiked up Mt. Roberts and then road the tram down. (For the cost of a souvenir at the gift shop)

 

Tram tickets are spendy to go up but the only request you make a purchase and you can ride back down for "free."

 

We saw a porcupine crossing the trail. We went early and still has time to see the glacier.

We do like hiking, do you recall how intensive the hike up was?

59 minutes ago, mapleleaves said:

 

Visiting Mendenhall and whale watching are the popular activities in Juneau, or with $$, heli dog sledding.

 

Since there are at least 3 of you, consider renting a car for the day.  You could go to Mendenhall first then drive to the coast ... visit the Shrine of St Therese, Eagle Beach, and spend some time on the shore watching for whales and other sealife.   If salmon are running, visit the Macauley Fish Hatchery.  Visit the  AJ Gold Mine.

 

Juneau is land locked so very little hwys. impossible to get lost. ie less than 20 miles to the coast.

The map in the Visitor Guide pg 26 provides approx distances.

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/10785063#/10785063/26

 

Have you read thru past trip reports (posted above) to see what other families have done ?

 

 

Thank you for the information. We are doing the DIY Jeep in Skagway so I wondered if renting a car in Juneau would be nice as well. I'll take a look into it. 

I did try looking through old reports, but found it hard pertaining to kids and in Juneau. 

I think part of my problem is we want to do a little bit of everything and can't narrow it down.

Thanks! 

32 minutes ago, BrandFam4 said:

Hi everyone!

 

What is the best shore excursion to do with kids in Juneau? They will be 10 and 12 when we go. I would like to see Mendenhall Glacier, but really do not know what else to see. This seems to be the toughest port to plan so far. We are moderate in activity, like animals and scenery, enjoy touristy stuff. But nothing is really jumping out at me (within our price range, no flightseeing and or helicopters).

 

Personal experience welcome! Any other suggestions?

 

You all are the best! :-)

Hi everyone!

What is the best shore excursion to do with kids in Juneau? They will be 10 and 12 when we go. I would like to see Mendenhall Glacier, but really do not know what else to see. This seems to be the toughest port to plan so far. We are moderate in activity, like animals and scenery, enjoy touristy stuff. But nothing is really jumping out at me (within our price range, no flightseeing and or helicopters).

Personal experience welcome! Any other suggestions?

You all are the best! :-)

On 5/29/2019 at 9:02 PM, Ourusualbeach said:

Kids sail free is back starting June 3.  Valid for sailings until May 2020.  The usual holiday and summer exclusions apply. 

Surprisingly this is valid on some Alaska sailings this time and I just saved another $580 on our 7/2020 cruise. Even the phone rep was impressed!

Thank you as always for the heads up.