Denise T

Apex moving.

Checking in on this rainy day in Pennsylvania.

66 Days out. Getting closer! So, I was curious as to what ships will be in the various ports with NA. Whittier 5/28/2023 Nieuw Amsterdam Skagway 5/31 Celebrity Millennium, Majestic Princess, Norwegian Encore, Nieuw Amsterdam Juneau 6/1 Celebrity Eclipse, Norwegian Jewel, Ruby Princess, Nieuw Amsterdam Ketchikan 6/2 Celebrity Eclipse, Norwegian Encore, Westerdam, Brilliance of the Seas, Sapphire Princess, Nieuw Amsterdam Vancouver 6/4 Celebrity Eclipse, Brilliance of the Seas, Nieuw Amsterdam Seems like it will be somewhat crowed. I am sure there will be some changes as my trip gets closer.

Last year I visited both Charlottetown and Sydney. My sister and I just walked around the ports. They are very walkable. I really enjoyed walking around the harbors which if I remember were well paved. We also walked in some of the neighborhoods which I loved. It was these two ports that made me want to live in a coastal town such as these. It helped that the weather was beautiful both days. We sailed mid-October last year.

68 days out. Getting closer. We are all checked in and should get the boarding documents mid-April. I love that we can check in early. When I was on NCL last year, we could not check in until 21 days before our sail date. I have been routinely checking flights and itinerary for any changes. So far so good. At the end of this day, I have a lovely Margaritta having had a stressful day at work. I am imaging sitting on my balcony on the ship or sitting at any of the bars or perhaps sitting on the promenade deck on an evening. Soon, very soon. 😊

68

I booked through my TA. I do have the HIA package. I booked this trip 12/2021.I would love to be on an 18-day cruise!

Thank you for your review. I will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 69 days. Looking forward to following along.

Thank you for the great information. I have checked and found that at Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway, there will be several other cruise ships docked as well. It will be busy! I leave from Pennsylvania at 6:30 in the morning and will get into Anchorage at 8:30 pm. My sister and I are flying first class so I am looking forward to the free drinks. Preparing for the jet lag as well. I will nap on the planes.

I totally agree. The travel and tourism industry lost big during the pandemic. I have made several trips and noticed that with hotels, room service is now every three days and mostly all of the hotels that I stayed at no longer have room service. It is what it is. For me, it is the enjoyment that will come spending time with my family.

Thank you for the review of embarkation day. Can't wait for the pictures.

But who's counting? 😄

Here comes NA. My ship in 70 days!

Here comes Regal!

Love Boat toots!

Checking in.

Great pictures! Looking forward to the rest of your review.

Thanks everyone. Have a great evening and see you tomorrow.

I am so impressed with how these huge ships move.

I think they are still recovering from St. Patrick's Day.

Checking in. Hope everyone is having a great Saturday.

I am able to put this on my television and I have it on all day as I do my chores on both Saturday and Sunday. I often imagine myself at the port, soaking up the sun.

As I read the various threads on this board and the boards of other cruise lines, I see a lot of unhappy cruisers. It seems expectations are high, and reality doesn't quite meet those expectations. I have come to realize (finally, at my age), that stuff happens. I have choices. I can choose to get upset at those things that are not under my control, or I can choose to acknowledge my disappointment and get into problem solving mode. I don't expect perfection and I have come to accept that many businesses tend to underperform. It is the reality that we are living in at this point in time. So, I expect that things will probably not go according to plan on my trip. I will pivot and refocus. I am sure that I will be disappointed but, when there is over delivery of service, I will be extremely appreciative. This trip is to spend time with my family. If weather prevents us from visiting a port or we have a meal that just isn't up to par, we will accept it as it is and enjoy ourselves anyway. The one thing that we have that is in our control to change, is how we respond. And, yes, I am a professional counselor in my day job, and I specialize with working with teens. And to those who were disappointed in their cruises, I am sorry that this was your experience. Hopefully, on your next cruise, you can find enjoyment.

Here is our itinerary. I am looking forward to just sailing through the glaciers. I will be overnighting in Anchorage, then taking the train to Whittier. After the cruise, I will be overnighting in Vancouver. Looking forward to spending the day there with my family.

Thank you! And thank you for the advice. I have seen so many pictures of Alaska and the area is just so gorgeous. When I was in Canada/New England, my sister and I decided that we would just love to live in one of the little harbor towns like Sydney or Halifax. I am sure I will feel the same about Alaska.