karatemom2

Yep, same offer here. Sadly the timeframe doesn't work for us, but we would jump on it otherwise!

Exciting news, thanks for sharing! We are back to Alaska on the Ruby this September for the first time since 2022 and so happy to be going back again to our favorite destination. It is great to see that Princess is really upping its Alaska game, which in my opinion was excellent already! We will be really looking forward to experiencing some of these new offerings!

The classic soda package does not include bottled water or the freshly squeezed juices from the juice bar. It does include all fountain and canned sodas, regular juices that are available at the bars like apple, orange, and smoothies and mocktails. We used to get it for our kids when they were younger and they definitely enjoyed getting the smoothies and mocktails. And my daughter was the Shirley Temple queen!

The wildflowers are beautiful here this year with all the rain we had this season. I bet it was gorgeous. The interior jeep tour is a great tour - I hope they don't change your itinerary. Catalina is such jewel!

Skagway Fish Company has very good food and is literally right at the dock area if you want something close by. No shuttle required - just a short walk from the ship. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60877-d5110097-Reviews-Skagway_Fish_Co-Skagway_Alaska.html

Thanks for sharing your cruise experience with us. We are on the Sky in June for the 14 day Land of the Midnight Sun itinerary, so very interested to follow along on your journey!

Catalina is a tender port and can really only comfortably accommodate one ship - it is very small. So maybe there is a delay to see how the schedule shakes out? Other lines regularly stop in Catalina including Carnival which has a regular rotation there. If you do end up going, be sure to check out the inland Hummer tour that takes you to the more remote parts of the island and up to the Airport in the Sky. It's an amazing (albeit a bit bumpy tour). Great way to see parts of the island that those who stick just to Avalon don't experience and also catch sight of some of the wild roaming bison.

I think most printed materials are going the way of the dinosaurs these days considering the exorbitant cost of four color printing and mailing - online, email promotions and app advertising is where it is at. We still get the occasional post card, but that is about it, which is perfectly fine with me. The less paper the better!

HAL also offers an unlimited laundry package you can purchase for the length of your voyage. They also offer a single laundry bag special.

Another vote for BlackBerry, pricier than some other options, but very reasonable for a private car service and super professional and reliable. We have then booked for both our arrival and departure this summer.

Yes, most of the stores in the downtown tourist area stay open into the evenings when ships are in town.

Here is how I would look at it - you will have the privilege of seeing Alaska at a time of year most travelers do not. Crowds will be gone, but the beauty will remain. Yes, the weather could be less than perfect some days, but if you’re prepared to enjoy it no matter what the conditions, you will not be disappointed. It sounds like a wonderful itinerary and great deal, so I would encourage you to take the leap!

I’m really looking forward to having the option. Often there is a lot going on after dinner and the chance to be able to catch the show early is not only convenient, but helps spread out the crowding among three shows. It’s no different then theatre offering a matinee.

Oh I do too!! I feel if there was only one thing I could convince Princess to bring back, it would be the cookies and milk. It would be an instant guest pleaser!!

Actually, my husband is 6’7” and he much prefers the showers in the regular cabins as opposed to mini suites. What many people fail to account for is the fact that the tub shower actually raises the shower flooring considerably higher then the standard shower which is basically flush with the bathroom floor. However, the shower heads are the same height placement in the bath showers in the mini suites as they are in the standard room showers. So ultimately he has less headroom under the shower head in mini suites. Trust me when I say he notices these things and I have spent our entire married lives telling him to watch his head and looking for ways to accommodate his height. It’s challenging, but he has never had an issue with the shower curtain or overall shower situation in our regular rooms on Princess. Now if the water pressure is bad - then he has an issue!

You may need to rent a car to get to these places, but in Ketchikan there is Rotary Beach, and in Juneau, Eagle Beach, Echo Cove and, also the beach at the Treadwell Mine Trail.

I have seen the kiosks along the dock that seem to be selling tours, but not sure what they offer. I would say it might be a good idea to look at the date you will be in Juneau and check the port calendar to see how many ships are in town with you and the times. That could have an impact on availability, even for walk up tours. This is kind of an old thread but it talks about the pier vendors in Juneau:

It is delivered to your suite and you will need to order it from room service in advance for the day or days you prefer. It is not really served in the same way it is in the dining room with a waiter serving you, but all the components will be delivered to your suite - tea, sandwiches, scones, sweets, with all the accompaniments. They will bring a tablecloth to put on the table and get things set up and leave so you can serve yourself and enjoy. We enjoyed it on the couple of occasions we have had a suite, and as an Elite benefit. It is really nice to sit in your balcony with your full tea service and just feel very civilized and pampered!

Oh my gosh!! That is awful! My DH had a similar situation on NCL when he took a boys trip with my son and son-in-law. The floor was similarly drenched - they came in and used water sucking vacuums and then the huge fans to try to dry it out. But even after they claimed it was all dry - they were still noticing damp areas on the floor and within a day, the room started to smell bad - like mildew. They really had to push, but they were able to finally get moved to a different cabin. I hope they can get this resolved for you as soon as possible. So sorry you are dealing with this - that must have been such a shock to come back to that mess!

Thank you so much for sharing this. We were so fortunate to have done the LA to Hawaii cruise over the Christmas/New Year holidays for four years in a row when our kids were in middle school and high school. My parents had passed away in the previous couple of years, and for a few years, I just had a need to get away from home for the holidays with my little family and make some amazing memories. Those were some of our most memorable cruises, thanks in very large part to David Cole and Elua - Dave and Leialoha. Not only were the holiday activities magical, but the Hawaiian cultural program they brought to all of us made you feel the spirit of Aloha from the moment you stepped on board until the day you left - usually with a tear in your eye as you said goodbye. It was the reason we kept coming back year after year until I was finally ready to start celebrating holidays at home again. I remember someone I worked with asking me why we would spend 10 days cruising just to have 4 or 5 days in Hawaii, and it was hard to make her understand that it felt like you were in Hawaii from the beginning to the end, thanks to their wonderful enrichment and entertainment. Those lovely days at sea always flew by and I remember each and every trip with them with tremendous fondness and gratitude. They will be so missed, but what a wonderful legacy they leave behind that hopefully Princess will strive to continue.

Maybe some have had better luck, but we have tried to waitlist on four different occasions for excursions and never had success. Your best option now that they have removed the waitlist is probably just to check as soon as you get on board to see if anything has opened up. Good luck!

Oh, the Greek salad! I loved that. It’s very disappointing they have stopped serving the salads/side dishes.

Seems like it is very inconsistent between ships as to when and how much gets posted in advance. Our cruise isn’t until June 15 and the schedule is already pretty complete, including shows and guest entertainers. I imagine this falls under the role of the Entertainment Director for each ship. Some may be a little more proactive about it than others, although it would be nice if it was more standard across all ships in terms of the timing.

Haines is a very small and non touristy town. I wouldn’t count on picking up a tour at the dock. The few private tour operators there will no doubt be fully booked with a ship in town. If you can’t find a tour, the town is very walkable and you can enjoy a low key day there soaking up the local atmosphere and taking in some of the sites like Fort Seward. If you want to explore outside of town, it’s easy driving. There is a small Avis office located at the Hotel Halsingland that we have rented from on past visits. Lots of beautiful spots to visit outside of town including Chilkat Lake.

When you open the app click on the ship icon on the bottom for journey view. It will bring up a tab for My Journey which has your dining reservations, and a second tab for Ship Schedule which should bring up your daily activity view when you click on it.