karatemom2

It’s been a couple of years since we took what used to be called the Casino VIP cruises, now Casino Hearts cruises. But we recently got a great offer for one that fit our Fall vacation window and interest as we were already thinking about heading back to Alaska this year, so we booked it. We have found these cruises a lot of fun in the past with all the special perks – I even won $1000 dollars in one of the drawings on one, which really chafed the DH because I’m not the gambler and was only showing up at the casino for the drawings. 🤭 Are they still doing the drawings, special gifts, welcome cocktail party, and other special perks? And how easy or difficult is it to get your free drinks in the casino now that most no longer have operational bars? We will be on the Ruby. Would love to hear some recent experiences.

Seems like a little game Princess has been playing recently - raise the excursion price and then put them on "sale" - in the end basically they cost about the same as the original price. It's standard mind manipulation you see so often in retail marketing to make the consumer feel like they are getting a deal. That being said, if there is an excursion you really want to take, you should definitely book it now. Experience shows that the prices will generally only go up from this point, especially as the cruise date draws closer. Excursions for our Norway cruise this summer have gone up substantially. So regardless of whether it is a real "sale" or not, best to book now and make sure you have the excursions you want locked in at likely the best price you are going to get.

I haven't ever noticed these before - we always pay at the gate. I will have to look for them next time we are there. We have been going out of 92 our last few cruises and I haven't seen anything similar there. Good to know they exist.

It’s just a coincidence that thematically those songs tied into the Eclipse theme of your particular cruise. Both songs are a regular part of the Rock Opera lineup. But pretty cool that they offered extra meaning on your cruise! We have some friends onboard with you and from her reports it looks like an amazing experience. Lucky you!

Yes, you absolutely can do that anytime up to just prior to your cruise. A couple of years ago my DH and I had a cruise booked and literally just a few weeks prior he realized a work issue was going to make it impossible for him to go - so we swapped him out for our son and he and I went together instead. He also did it on a NCL cruise last year where he was taking a couple of his employees on a boy’s trip - one ended up moving suddenly for a new opportunity and again my son got swapped in. He has really benefited from these last minute changes! The only caveat is that one of the original two people must remain on the booking.

We have friends onboard the Discovery and she has been posting on her social media. They seem to be having a truly amazing time. Seems like Princess went all out to make it special. She has nothing but great things to report. Makes me jealous!! I’m going to be eyeing the 2026 options!

Some other things we enjoy in Juneau: Eagle Beach Shrine of St. Therese Treadwell Mine Trail Fishing salmon at Macauley Fish Hatchery dock Hiking trails at top of Mount Robert’s Tramway Salmon Bake - touristy but fun and tasty!

@Luckybee sorry you are having issues. I totally understand - we have had similar frustrations. We book our cruises through the Casino Department and generally have better experience with their team. Do you have a number for them? It may be the number you used to book as opposed to the general Princess Customer Service line. If you do, you might try reaching back out via that line and speaking to someone in the Casino Sales Department. Best of luck!!

Or "Cali" - please never, ever! ☺️

Yes, it still is definitely worth the visit, not just for the glacier, but the whole area. It is very beautiful and there is other opportunity just to enjoy nature, the falls, and every once in a while a rare bear sighting. We also saw a beaver one year.

Yes, there is a very nice hiking path that takes you all the way to the beach and Nugget Falls.

It will be Pier 27, San Francisco Cruise Terminal.

We have been visiting Alaska about every year to every other year since our first cruise there in 2006. The difference at Mendenhall is really profound. I still like to visit and enjoy the overall natural beauty and of course Nugget Falls, but it does make me a sad to see how it has diminished over the years. I'm very grateful that our family had the opportunity to see it back in earlier days.

Most excursions in Alaska run rain or shine or they would be canceling a lot of tours because it rains regularly. I remember a particularly wet zip line adventure my daughter and I shared once in Ketchikan. We were soaked but it was exhilarating as the damp lines made it a little faster. So unless the weather is so bad it creates a safety issue, you can count on your excursion being a go.

Why don't you take the ferry? It only takes 90 minutes and costs about $40 per person.

Only option available now is the package for the full length of cruise, or you can purchase by the day as you need it, but this is priced higher.

That will work best most likely. One nice aspect of the Medallion Net, even if you don't have the internet plan is that you are able to locate members of your immediate traveling party via the app. It just helps you see where they are though, not actually communicate. So if you want to have that ability, you will definitely want to have the WiFi plan.

So sorry to hear about some of the issues you encountered, but glad you were able to make the best of it thanks to your beautiful days and destinations. Hawaii is a little slice of paradise! But, I have to say this just jumped out at me and I was truly shocked. I don't blame you for being upset. I would be hopping mad if someone picked up wet, dirty, towels off of the floor where you are instructed to leave them as an indication you want them removed and replaced with fresh towels, and then hung them in my closet next to my clean clothes. Never in all of our cruises have we ever heard of or experienced such a thing. I'm wondering if your steward was very new and still not fully trained? I hope Guest Services responded appropriately and that issue was fixed immediately. Can you share what happened with the GS response and if things improved? Thanks for sharing your experience!

Princess offers production shows that are more akin to elaborate variety shows then Broadway productions, but they are good and entertaining. Lots of singing and dancing. Generally there are at least two or three different shows during a cruise. Also, they generally have a comedian and at least one show featuring an individual singer. Typically, the only two lines that offered more Broadway style shows were NCL with Six, Jersey Boys, and I heard they were bringing Beetlejuice. I think RCI has some Broadway style shows and perhaps Disney. But, I certainly wouldn't pick an Alaska cruise based on the shows. Princess does a great job on the Alaska cruise portion and certainly offers production shows that your mom would likely enjoy. And to your questions about the regularity - I am not familiar with any cruise I have ever taken on any line that offered production shows every night - usually it's a few nights with other entertainment mixed in.

We have done a smaller boat tour in Tracy Arm Fjord on two occasions and I would say it is well worth the price. You will see the cliffs, waterfalls, and ice floats along the fjord in a much more up close way, and will also get very close the glacier. We have always been able to get close enough to see the baby and mama seals on the ice floats in front of the glacier. There is a good chance of seeing whales along the way as well - and sometimes even wildlife on the shores, although more rare and not guaranteed. We did see a bear on one trip and mountain goats on another. You will want to have good binoculars. Being up close when the glacier calves is an amazing experience that you will not forget. Sign up before it sells out - because it will. It is totally worth it!

Just keep in mind that Ketchikan is a very small town and there are not a plethora of taxis. Also, their priority when the cruise ships are in town is not short runs, but taking people on full tours, so will often be very booked up with tour groups on port days. You may find yourself looking for a needle in a haystack at a very busy time when you and all the other passengers trying to get back to Ward Cove via other means then the NCL shuttle are all competing for a ride.

Oh my gosh - so many, where to begin. Ketchikan itself is a charming little town with a wonderful history, so just exploring in town offers quite an array of things to do and see. We love going up to Cape Fox Lodge for breakfast and sitting by the window watching the float planes land and then walking down Married Man's Trail from the top and exploring the historic Creek Street area. During salmon season you can watch hundreds of salmon fighting their way back up the creek and we like to fish from the bridge and docks there. You will find a couple of small, but interesting museums in town and the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, plus just lots of charming shops and some fun and delicious places to try the local cuisine. The Lumberjack Show is cheesy, but fun for a once and done kind of thing. But we really love getting outside of town and exploring the beauty - in one direction you will find Saxman Native Village and up the road Herring Cove, where you can stop and watch for bears during the salmon run. If you head the other direction you will see the beautiful Totem Bight Park on the beach with it's pretty trails, Ward Lake and the hiking there as well as Lunch Creek Trail which is so easy and leads to a beautiful waterfall. We find that we have our best days in Ketchikan by renting a car or van for the day and letting the weather and our sense of adventure dictate our itinerary for the day. It is the best way to get out and explore and driving is so easy as there is basically just one road and you can only go so far in either direction. This is a great map to use for an overview: https://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/revillagigedo_map.pdf

What was the daily charge of the package for your daughter if it was priced lower due to the Zero Alcohol package? The general understanding is the Plus Package price is the same price for everyone, regardless whether it is the Zero Alcohol option so it would be interesting to know exactly what you paid per day for your daughter. Was it $50 a day, $40 a day? Surely if you paid a lower price, you could share what the actual cost was. It would be helpful for others here to know if in fact Princess does allow a reduced charge for minors.

Parking at San Pedro is very easy. You can line up and drop your bags off with a porter, then go park your car. It's a huge lot - generally plenty of spaces available. You are charged at the exit gate on departure and it is easier to use a credit card - it's an automated system where you put the ticket in the machine and then pay with your card - although there is always an attendant there to help, so I imagine you could possibly use cash, but who would want to do that these days?

Generally in a side by side comparison, Princess usually offers better port times, not just in length of time, but also not odd hours. Also, in Ketchikan, Princess docks right in town as opposed to a remote dock at Ward Cove that NCL uses. We have cruised both Princess and NCL multiple times in Alaska and one of my main issues with NCL was the Ward Cove docking location. It is very inconvenient and really diminishes the time you have to enjoy your time in port due to the shuttle situation. We love Ketchikan and always have a full day planned. Princess also just does a great job onboard with their Alaskan cultural and naturalist program that we have never found matched on any other line we have tried for Alaska.