karatemom2

Wow. How cool and exciting! Oh to be young again. I married into a family of sailors who regularly did the Newport to Ensenada races in the 80s and a couple of us wives would drive the van down to pick up our husbands and a couple of crew and then drive home while just my brother-in-law and his wife would sail the boat home together. We had some adventures for sure - but never anything scary. In fact, only ever kindness to a couple of wild young brides on the loose!

Sorry that happened to you. We have driven as far as Ensenada, also Tijuana and Rosarito Beach over the years. Our friends regularly drive between their homes in Arizona and San Felipe. Our friends in Cabo, La Paz, and PV sail back and forth. Fortunately neither we nor they have ever experienced anything similar to what happened to you. Sadly there is potential for bad people anywhere you go - as you said, situational awareness is key. One has to accept a certain level of risk in any type of foreign travel. Obviously visiting ports by cruise ship carries much less risk then driving through long stretches of land.

Same. We live in Southern California and visit regularly from Baja to the ports on the coast of Mexico on an almost annual basis, not to mention having friends who actually live in La Paz, San Felipe, Cabo, and Puerto Vallarta. Some of these statements seem a little over the top. No wonder people get scared.

Honestly, it is just a good idea to be careful anywhere you travel. We cruised the Med last year and many people were almost hysterical in their warnings about Barcelona and Marseilles. It was way overboard. Yes, there are pickpockets - but common sense prevention and circumstantial awareness are really all that’s required for a smart traveler. I absolutely loved both places and felt absolutely safe and confident in my ability to be alert without being paranoid. The ports in Mexico are fabulous if you don’t allow irrational fear to take over and you employ the same common sense you use anywhere. There are many places I would avoid in Los Angeles where I feel less safe! The Mexican people are generally warm and welcoming. There are so many fun things to do and see. I particularly love Cabo and Puerto Vallarta. Todos Santos is a great excursion and an absolutely charming, authentic town. Go and enjoy!

Cabo San Lucas is one of the most Americanized ports in Mexico - tons of retired expats there and other areas of the Baja Peninsula. It is exceptionally safe and welcoming. We have been there many times as well as other Mexican Riviera ports and have never felt the least bit unsafe. The areas that cater to tourists are very secure. The excursion to Todos Santos is excellent. It’s a lovely little town and you will be with a well organized tour traveling through very safe areas. You really don’t need to be at all concerned. Much of what you read in the news is not at all reflective of anything we have experienced on any of our many, many trips to the Mexican Riviera ports where we have been traveling for the past 30 years. We even have many friends who live in these cities very safely and happily!

Yes, we have done this tour. It’s a pretty hike through the rainforest and you have a chance to see bears during salmon season. But it’s nothing that special and you can do more on your own for much less money. If you really want a cost effective way to see Ketchikan and the surrounding area, rent a car. It’s easy to drive - there is only a single road that goes either direction out of town. You can go to Herring Cove and look for bears, drive yourself to Saxman and Totem Bight, head out to Ward Lake and Lunch creek for beautiful hiking. Here is a link for the car rental company - choose the in town location for pick up - and a handy map of the area. http://www.akcarrental.com https://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/revillagigedo_map.pdf

According to its Yelp and TripAdvisor pages it appears to be closed. It was still open on our last visit in 2022, but it seems like it has since shuttered. What a shame. It was always a favorite shop to visit in Juneau - so many beautiful things. I’ve purchased teacups and Matryoshka dolls there in the past.

We have found the best thing to do in Ketchikan is rent a car. There are so many beautiful spots to explore outside the city and it’s basically one road in either direction. We like to go for hikes and try to spot bears at Herring Cove during salmon season. There are some really pretty waterfalls in both directions as well.

Thanks so much for your report. We are really looking forward to our cruise on the Sky next month. I completely understand the experience you are sharing as we have noted the same on our recent cruises on both the Sky and Discovery. We are very used to waiters being present and actively taking orders in places like Explorer’s Lounge, Princess Live, Vista Lounge, etc. and this service does seem to be quite diminished. Like you, after having very hit or miss experience with Ocean Now, we just get our drinks at the bars. Much less frustrating.

I have purchased a number of clothing items and actually found most of them good quality. Several have lasted for years and some favorites like my quilted jacket are still a staple. You just have to be careful of what you select. T-shirts are generally not something that stand the test of time.

It's called The Alaska Fish House and it is directly across from the entrance to the lumberjack show.

There can be massive temperature swings in Alaska in all of the summer months. August can have days that are quite cool and rainy. You could definitely do it with a carryon if you are content to limit your wardrobe choices and stick to very basic layers. If I were to try this, I would wear jeans, boots/walking shoes, a turtleneck, pullover and warmer waterproof or water resistant over jacket of some type on the plane to make sure I had a good basic starter wardrobe on my back. Then I would pack in a hard sided rolling carryon meeting the size requirements: (I think you could make all of the following fit) One additional pair of jeans A couple pairs of warm leggings that pack tightly Maybe one more pullover Two turtlenecks One to two pair of lightweight dress pants for dining room evenings (my choice is black) A couple of nicer lightweight blouses, maybe one dressy enough for formal night Lightweight sweater to wear over blouses and turtlenecks to mix it up A few pairs of warm socks Black flats to wear on the ship to dinner/other onboard activities Undergarments Over the shoulder carryon to take place of purse (you can put purse inside) Makeup Hair tools Medications Hat/Gloves/Scarf Disposable plastic rain ponchos Hand warming packets This would probably provide a good basic wardrobe, with some regular repeats and at least one load of laundry during your cruise.

It was a fun one and done experience for us on a recent trip after many visits to Ketchikan, just to say we did it and try something new. I wouldn't put a high priority on it compared to other activities, but we found it entertaining and enjoyed a nice fresh seafood meal at the restaurant nearby on the docks afterwards.

I think my daughter was 8 or 9 when she did it. They take the group of kids down to an area of the kitchen that has been prepared with a station for each child and each one gets a hat and apron that they get to keep. They each get to bring one parent to watch. Their stations are set up with their cakes, cut in two layers and all of the frosting, fillings, and toppings. The pastry chef does a brief demo for the kids on how to decorate the cakes and then they get to make their own creations using the materials provided. My daughter ended up making the most beautiful cake using mostly the chocolates and cherries provided along with frosting and some of the other decorative elements. It was reminiscent of a black forest cake. When the children finish, they each get a photo with the chef holding their cake, and then the cakes are taken to the pantry with your child's name and stateroom number so you can request that your waiter deliver it to your table that evening for dessert. Of course there was a charge for this, but so well worth it. She was beaming with pride when they presented her cake to all of us at our table that night. Just a super program - called Jr. Chef. I do hope they are offering on your ship!

Yes, they do offer dry cleaning. We have had suits dry cleaned onboard and I had a dress dry cleaned once. They all came back in perfect order.

This was a great program! One of the favorite things my daughter ever did on one of our cruises. What a good suggestion - I hope they are still offering it. So much changed after COVID, but it would be wonderful if they brought it back. OP, you don’t mention your daughters’s age, but if she happens to be in the Kids Club demographic and you are interested in this, be sure to inquire the first day when you sign her up as space was always very limited and it was first come, first serve. I believe they allowed 10 kids.

Ugh! That's awful - I'm so sorry for you and the rest of your fellow cruisers. Sending you all lots of positive thoughts that they can somehow make things right and you make it to your other ports of Juneau and Skagway. Do you have anything planned for land travel when you get to Whittier?

Yes, it's always better to fly in the day before IF YOU CAN. But sometimes, like the OP, you can't for whatever reason. So here is the reality - there have been a number of cruises where we had to fly in same day due to work or family commitments. And may the odds remain ever in our favor, we never had a single problem and made every cruise. So it is quite probable that the OP will have no issue. If there is, as the OP pointed out, they are prepared to deal with it. Sometimes you just gotta roll the dice! Best of luck to you and I hope you make it and have a great cruise!

We have never been charge anything for delivery of our Elite tea service. We do generously tip the crew member delivering as they generally go above an beyond to bring it in and set it up for you.

I believe I have seen in the cases where they display the multilayer dessert cakes included with the Plus benefit, that they have some shown with special messages. You may be able to buy one of those cakes and request a special birthday message. Just something about which it might be worthwhile to inquire.

From the Princess description: The Classic Soda Package is USD $14.99 per day plus 18% service charge (totaling $17.69 per day) for all itineraries except Australia. The package is AUD $23 per day which includes a service charge for all Australian based vessels. A tax may be added at the time of purchase for certain itineraries or ports of embarkation. You will be charged the full amount for the complete voyage at the time of purchase.

Wow, I'm so sorry for those of you on the Sapphire who are experiencing this. I can understand and totally sympathize with your disappointment. I'm sure Princess will offer some level of compensation, but for many it will likely still feel inadequate to make up for what they missed. I think it might behoove some of us here who have the very great privilege and blessing of being in a position to cruise often, to please remember that is not the case for the vast majority of people. Sometimes I think this place is just an echo chamber and it might benefit all of us to remind ourselves that not everyone has the same rose colored glasses about Princess or cruising in general. Many people save up for months or years, to splurge on a cruise in Alaska. For a lot of people, this could be a once in a lifetime trip that has been a long time coming, and so yes, of course, they have EVERY RIGHT to share their disappointment here. It is Cruise CRITIC, after all. I think we need to allow people a little grace and understanding if they feel angry or cheated. Basically telling them that this is the norm for cruising, they need to go with the flow, they aren't cut out to cruise, be happy with what you are getting, is not very nice or very helpful. Just because a lot of people here get to cruise multiple times a year or return over and over again to favorite places like Alaska, does not mean it is true for everyone. Can we try to maintain a little empathy instead of just telling people to get over themselves? To those affected by this, I'm so sorry for your disappointment and I hope that Princess compensates in some satisfactory way and that you are still able to get the opportunity to enjoy as much of what Alaska has to offer as possible. Wishing you all the best!

In our experience, yes. My daughter is Elite and her new husband is not, yet they allowed him to join her in all of her Elite perks on their honeymoon last year.

When you are cruising in Alaska, the salmon served onboard may have been caught in Alaska, but it is not brought in from the ports fresh. It comes in large quantities at the embarkation port and is frozen. That’s not to say that when prepared and served onboard, it isn’t good, because it usually is enjoyable. But, for truly fresh Alaska seafoods, take your opportunity to dine in the ports while you are there. It is a different experience.

We are Elite and since we are very light drinkers, the benefit helps us with our decision to pass on the Plus package for now. We exchange our minibar for 20 sodas and water, along with preordering the water and sodas packages which provides the greater share of our daily non alcohol drinks. As Elite passengers we can go to the daily Elite happy hour for small bites and $8 cocktails which pretty much satisfies our alcohol consumption with maybe an occasional glass of wine for dinner. Any more than that leaves me feeling unwell. Elite passengers also get half price Wi-Fi. We really only need one device that allows me to stay connected at work and with our family, so less expensive again with our Elite benefit than buying two packages. The Elite laundry service is an amazingly helpful benefit for us and allows lighter packing, especially for longer trips of 14 days or more. And since we are cruising in large part to visit the ports, we really appreciate the priority tendering service as we are generally up early and ready to get off the ship as soon as possible. The 10 percent discount is nice - it applies for shops, shore excursions, and the spa so definitely a savings we appreciate. A couple of other benefits we enjoy are the free wine tasting event and the free in room tea service delivery. We usually take advantage of each of those benefits every cruise. Everyone has different styles of cruising and different things they value. Those who get more value from the Plus package may find it dilutes the value of their Elite benefits a bit, but for us we really appreciate the savings from not needing Plus packages which we invest in amazing port experiences, a much higher priority for us.