tj_shopper

5 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Ask your TA if she offers group rates - those are refundable and could be lower than the regular price.

Yep we normally do get group rates that are refundable.  I think the two cruises I am looking at she does not have group rates for.  That's a shame because there will probably be a bunch of us going to Asia.  We did the Mediterranean cruise last May with 34 people and we're going on the Alaskan cruise next week with 33 people.

Thanks @smokeybandit and @mets123.  I do have a very good travel agent.  She always gets back to me via email within a couple of hours, if not faster any day of the week.  I've been emailing with her on the prices so I do know it's pretty current.  I'll probably email her again when I get on the ship to see how the prices have change; however, like @mets123mentioned, I can always reprice if the prices go down.  The question is, if I reprice, do I get to keep my OBC?

I also don't know whether to book refundable or non-refundable.  I normally book refundable but the price difference on these two cruises, especially the 12 days to Asia is vastly higher on the refundable.  I always get travel insurance so I think there is no need to get refundable unless I think there is a chance that I might want to change the dates of travel.

Decisions, decisions.  

We will be cruising on Radiance of the Seas on May 24th.  I have two cruises picked out that I'm currently thinking about booking - one 7 day cruise on Harmony in December 2024 and a 12 night cruise in January 2026 on Celebrity Soltice.  I've been reading some advantages of booking on Next Cruise - lower deposits and maybe perks like additional OBC.  We normally book a balcony for my husband and me and oceanview for my daughters.  Can anyone tell me if we should book while on our cruise or just do it at home?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me.

We are a group of 33 friends and family that will be traveling on Radiance of the Seas on May 24th.  We arrive to Juneau on Sunday, May 26th.  After calling multiple agencies, we finally decided to rent vans and drive to Mendenhall Glacier ourselves.  We are renting one 15 passenger van, one 11 passenger van and one 7 passenger mini van from Juneau Car Rental.  Total cost split among 33 of us was about $30 per person.  We tried to book three 11 passenger vans, but they did not have three available; thus the 15, 11 and 7 passenger vans lol.

It is a bit of a hassle though as the 7 passenger van will be at the cruise port area ready for us; however, we would need to drive the 7 passenger van to their airport location to pick up the 15 passenger and 11 passenger vans.  A lot of time wasted driving to the airport to pick up the vans, then back to the cruise port to pick up everyone, and then drive to the Glacier.  When we're done, we'll have to do the same.  They do have a shuttle to bring the drivers of the three vans back to the cruise port when we are done.  Luckily our cruise is in Juneau all day from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. so we have plenty of time going back and forth.  Hope this helps.

21 minutes ago, terry&mike said:

You mentioned you have Chase Sapphire, so you likely have some points you have been accruing with them. Depending on how many you have, you may want to transfer your points to Singapore Air to purchase your tickets. 

 

Singapore Air from the the east coast (JFK, EWR) direct to Singapore, 19 hours, has one way fares at Saver Rates in Business at 111,500 miles per person, once they are out of Saver Rates it moves up to 143,500 pp. From the west coast (LAX, SFO), 17 hours, Saver Rates in Business at 107,000 pp. 

 

Premium Economy should be east coast Saver 73K pp, west coast Saver 68K, but finding both of these usually requires about 80K pp spend. 

 

Some tips to acquire award seats on SA - 

 

Award seats from SA are released at 355 days out, which is unusual as most carriers release at 335 (or fewer) out. You will want to be ready with your dates/routes, and have some options. I tend to strip off the excess flights to make shopping for award seats easier, for example, I don't shop from Tampa to Singapore, I shop from Newark to Singapore, JFK to Singapore, etc. Sometimes, once I find availability, I'll put the domestic leg back on and see if it remains the same or not, but often I'll just buy the main international route with miles, and purchase the domestic leg on my own some other time. My goal is the long haul in Business, I'm less concerned about the domestic legs. 

 

Once you find your route, you can then call SA and have them hold your itinerary, another unusual trick. They will generally hold it for 7 days. This allows you to then transfer your miles over from Chase to SA, which with SA can be painfully slow; my recent transfer took 4 days. 

 

You can also buy a Top Up from SA if you don't have enough miles. SA charges .04 per mile, purchased in increments of 1,000, which is rather high, but it does provide an option when you are close to your award level. This must be done by submitting a form through email and takes a couple of days as well. 

 

My preference on getting to Asia, is to fly on the direct routes from JFK or EWR to Singapore, on the SA planes/hardware that are set up as large Business section up front, and the entire rest of the plane as Premium Economy (no Economy section). I like the vibe on these flights. 

 

As to breaking up the flight in segments by stopping in Europe, or flying a really long leg of 17 or 19 hours, we always prefer the really long legs when we can get them. We find that we get much more sleep on the long legs, as on a 7-9 hour flight, by the time they have served and cleared the post-take off meal, you are generally close to 3 hours into the flight, they will then turn the lights up and begin serving the pre-landing meal at about 1.5 hours before landing, this allows only a few hours for settling in and actual sleep. On a long flight, we are able to totally relax into the sleep portion. 

 

Also, I see you mentioned "First Class is definitely out of my league" in a post above. No worries on this. When thinking international long haul flights, like those from US to Asia, you need only consider Premium Economy or Business. Business class on major carriers will feature what you want, large comfortable seats that convert to lie flat beds. (*There are a few exceptions of international flights where Business is not a lie flat bed, but they can easily be discovered and avoided on SeatGuru and you are likely not going to encounter them.) First Class in International long haul flying is only available on a very few flights, and is a lot more fluff than you need - for example, First Class on Singapore Air from the US to Asia, is a separate suite with a double bed and also recliners. 

Wow!  This is exactly the type of information I need.  I've never used my Sapphire Reserve points for anything other than Southwest because that's really all I know how to use them for.  We are over one year out on this trip so I will continue to save up my points for my husband and me.  Currently I have over 90,000 miles on my Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Thank you so much for this information!  I need time to process all the good information here and will probably come back with some questions.  Have a great day!

4 hours ago, mo-chuck said:

I live in Australia so just any flight is a long haul flight. When I was younger I used to just suck it up and fly economy but as I've gotten older it just takes it out of me.
We flew to Italy 10 years ago and my feet were swollen for 5 days. I haven't flown economy long haul since.
If you can afford it shell out for Business Class. You won't believe the difference.
Another tip - if you're going to fly via LA, spend a night there near the airport and then get a direct flight to Singapore.
At least you will get on the plane well rested.

I hear you.  I am 59 and my husband is 62.  Luckily we are relatively small people, but flying long distance cramped in economy does take it's toll.  I flew 10 years from Chicago to Hong Kong direct on United's economy.  The 15 hour flight was one of the worst flights.  After 9 hours, I just wanted off.  I tried walking up and down the aisle but it really didn't help.  Once we figure out the dates, I'm going to start researching the cost of the flights.  I really don't have a clue how much more it would cost to go from Economy, to Economy Plus to Business Class.  First class is definitely out of my league.

Thanks for your thoughts.

1 hour ago, JohnCoffield said:

I can echo lots of what's already been posted. We recently flew from London to Sydney with Singapore Airlines in Premium Economy & I can't recommend them highly enough. First flight was just over 12 hours, 3 hours in the terminal then another 8 hours to Sydney. I'm early 60's but managed the time difference (11 hours) & was able to sleep, eat & be entertained the whole way. We've booked again with SA as we are travelling to Singapore later this year.

I've mostly flown U.S. airlines.  I've never flown Asian airlines - I guess time to check them out.  Also, check the price difference.  Thanks for everyone's suggestions and strategies!  This has been very helpful and I've taken many notes.

1 hour ago, SelectSys said:

I would suggest that you also look for advice on the "Cruise Air" forum.  I have found really good advice from the people in that follow that forum.  Their are several posters there with lots of good airline information.

 

I actually don't think a stop in CA would materially change the flying time.  Google suggest the difference between flights times from LA and Chicago is only 20 minutes.  In the end a stop on the west coast will result in a much longer total travel time.

The actual absolute time change is 9 hours.  This is the same for me as flying between Paris and San Diego.  That said, the OP should review dealing with jetlag and come up with their strategy.

 

My understanding is that seatguru.com is no longer maintained all that well and that aerolopa.com has more up to date seat maps.  I would look at both.

 

If you have access to a business class lounge and sufficient time this is a nice idea.  I will do this is my flight schedule supports it.  Especially if I have two long haul flights back to back.

Thank you - all great suggestions.  

On 4/15/2024 at 1:52 AM, cruiseaholic78 said:

Agree with all of the above but to me the most important thing is to book non stop direct flights. Spitting flights might seem the way to go but adds on quite a lot of extra waiting time as well.
We flew back from Australia to The Netherlands 5 hours wait in Tokyo 5 hours wait in Frankfurt and even the luxury of business class lounges gets boring when all you want is to get home.

 

When/if booking and you decide to book P.E. Make sure it is a proper premium, some airlines have economy comfort which is just a little extra recline and nothing near real P.E. Look at each airline and check the fotos and seat plans first.

 

Have a great cruise and enjoy Asia it is definitely worth the long flights.

So very true.  I really don't like layovers but just thought this might be the time to do it to break up the monotony.  A friend recommended doing a 5 hour layover in Japan and use the lounge to take a shower during this time to freshen up.  I have Chase Sapphire Reserve so we could do that - we never use this benefit - maybe it's time to try this.  Thanks.

On 4/16/2024 at 10:14 AM, monkey@cruise said:

I did travel on Business, Premium Economy and Economy on different carriers between Central Canada and Hong Kong. Mostly I used points for my flights, so I have exposed to different environment. There are small tips to survive long haul on Economy.

- Avoid North American carriers, I met some Chicago cruisers in Singapore and Hong Kong, mostly they flew on JAL (Japan Air Lines)
- Eva Air is one of the top notch on Business Class, their flights from North America to Asia are late night departure, Jason Wu design unisex pajamas amenity.
- P/E seats are < 2 inches wider than Economy, if your adjacent economy seat is empty, raise the armrest to make your own P/E seat.
- Wear loose clothing with layers.
- Wear slip on shoe.
- Wear compression socks.
- Try to travel at night, also Weekday flights usually had lesser passenger load and fares are less.
- Don't sit near the bathroom.
- Aisle seat for easy stretching legs when needed.
- black-out eye mask. 
- Airbus 350 or Boeing 787 are high tech aircrafts, better flight environment.

 

The biggest challenge for you will be overcome the 13 hours time zone jetlag and climate. Singapore temperature is 35C or 95F with 95% humidity. Hong Kong temperature is also warm mid-twenties C or 77F, also high humidity in 80%.

Thank you.  Great information.  Love this forum!

On 4/17/2024 at 9:38 AM, monkey@cruise said:

Flyer Asian carriers, leg room is better. SEATGURU dot COM is a website that features aircraft seat maps, seat reviews, and a color-coded system to identify superior and substandard airline seats.
The in thing on flight is seat assignment, some passengers are too cheap to pay advance seat selection or web check in to select seats, and expecting someone will move seats for them. Don't Budge !

Thanks for this info.  For sure, I will be checking out SEATGURU dot COM.  I feel like this is going to be one trip we can't go cheap on for the flights.  The flight will set the tone for the whole vacation.  Now, just to convince my better half.

2 hours ago, thehowlingroad said:

I've been doing LAX-HKG for 14 years; at its worst, it was a 16-hour flight. I also just came back from our Japan cruise, with a week-long stop in Hong Kong.

 

Agree with lots of the advice above: fly an Asian carrier, first of all. They tend to have newer planes, roomier seats even in economy, and better service. Try to find an airline that uses Airbus. I was very disappointed by Cathay Pacific this time around (unusual for me, I loved their 2010-2019 product), and very impressed by Korean Air (which code-shares with Delta). I've also flown Xiamen Airlines, but wouldn't recommend it for going to HKG; the hassle of trying to do a transfer in China isn't worth it.

 

Flying red-eyes will help as well; most of the West Coast flights will be red-eyes, as it'll get you to Asia around sunrise, and you'll be able to sleep overnight in a mostly-natural rhythm. I'm usually able to sleep 6-7 hours on one of these flights, in smaller chunks, if I can get a window seat.

 

Many Korean Air flights will layover in Seoul, but that's still going to be a 12-14 hour flight to get there in the first place. Sometimes you can get a layover in Honolulu, but that requires flying an American brand.

Thank you - very helpful.  We're going to Alaska in a few weeks and that will be a cake walk compared to this.

4 hours ago, monkey@cruise said:

Though airplane etiquette is only recline your seat when necessary. But during long haul flights, lots of passengers will recline the seat all the way back to rest, that will encroaching your personal space and your comfort on the tray.

Yes, I experienced this on my Aerlingus flight to Ireland.  It was awful.  I don't know if it was my seat but I had no room at all.  The guy in front of me could care less when I asked if he can not recline all the way back.  On the flight from Ireland to Milan, it was much better.  I felt like I had more leg room.  This really gives me anxiety thinking about the long flight to Asia.  

15 minutes ago, rogueriver said:

I'll be flying to Singapore in October and not looking forward to the long flight. I saw on Amazon an inflatable pillow with a hole in the top and sides.  You set it on the fold-down tray and then rest your head and arms in it to sleep.  My back always gets sore on long flights and I feel better if I can lean forward, but just not sure if this will work for me.  Has anyone tried this type of pillow?

Yes!  My daughter bought that pillow for our trip to Portugal.  I borrowed it on the trip home.  It did work okay and I initially really liked it.  However, I guess I’m not used to sleeping like that - leaning forward.  I ended up getting a headache and wanted to sleep sitting back but then my head kept falling sideways.  I might have to try it again if I don’t have any other options.  By the way, it’s collapsible.  If I recall my daughter blew it up like a balloon.

7 minutes ago, Mrs. Claypool said:

Not to sound like a delicate little flower, but in 50 years of taking long-haul flights across the Pacific, I have never found any way to sit comfortably or sleep peacefully in Economy class.  All I could do was put up with the discomfort until we finally landed. 

 

I just couldn’t make it happen until we started booking Premium Economy or Business. 
 

See if you can find a decently-priced Premium Economy flight to your destination.
 

I think EVA’s Premium Economy class is just great. They fly to all points East, generally with a stopover in Taipei. 
 

Emily

 

 

I have not traveled to Asia because of the long fight.  However, it is on my bucket list.  I just don't know how I'm going to handle this.  I guess I'll have to check out the difference in pricing for Premium Economy.  Thanks!

I'm thinking about doing one of the Asia cruises going from Hong Kong to Singapore or vice versa.  I live in Illinois.  The flight to Hong Kong is about 15 hours.  How have you handled long flights like this?  I am not inclined to go business class or first class and I don't have any points to use lol.

I've also seen those neck pillows and wondering if that helps or if they are just gimmicky items.

Let me know what you've done on long flights sitting in Economy.  Also, if there is a flight that splits up the time?  Flying to California would only relieve about 4 hours.

Looking forward to hearing suggestions.  Thank you in advance.

19 minutes ago, wolfie11 said:

Yes.  The fee is for the visitors center.  You can park and walk around all you want.

Where do we purchase the pass?  There is a group (34) of us that are not doing a tour.  There are some that will take the bus, rent a car, get a cab or I've heard of the blue bus.  thanks in advance.

Just now, kamelia said:

It may be worth noting that there IS a restroom facility available that does NOT require a pass to access.  

Thank you for that tidbit because I thought we would definitely have to purchase a pass to use the bathroom.

On 4/7/2024 at 9:46 PM, Aquahound said:

 

You got it made then.  Just drive there and park.  Parking is free and all the trails and views are free.  Enjoy! 🙂

If all that is free, what do we pay for?  Is it to go into the Visiter's Center?  Is that a must see?  Can we skip that?  We just probably want to do the hike and see Nugget Falls.  Thanks.

We will be on Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas on 5/24/2024 embarking in Seward.  Our ship does not leave until 8:00 p.m.  We will be checking in at 12:30 p.m.  We'd like to drop off our luggage, check in, have lunch, find our room and then head back out to explore Seward.

Does anyone know if Royal Caribbean will allow us to do that?  My travel agent sent me this link https://www.seward.com/cruise-guest-info/#:~:text=EMBARKATION %26 DISEMBARKATION&text=Because the town is so,baggage in the cruise terminal.  It's not from RC and I could not find anything from RC that says we could or could not do this.

Anyone have first hand knowledge or have done this before?  Thanks in advance.

13 hours ago, Tropical PJ said:

When I found out you are not allowed I stopped and started to use my flat iron...does the job!

 

I never thought about using my flat iron.  I think I will give that a try on something that needs a quick touchup.  Thanks!

13 minutes ago, crazyank said:

Yes and Yes.  It was confiscated and returned. 

Thank you!  Nice to hear about other's experience.  I won't be purchasing this lol.

15 minutes ago, BND said:

I'm also betting this gets moved since it's not RCI specific.

Probably right.  I didn't know where to ask lol.  Thanks!

Anyone ever hear of the Nori Press Steam Iron  https://nori.co/?  It looks like a hair flat iron but you use it on your clothes.  I know it's been discussed over and over again that Royal Caribbean does not allow irons or steamers on the cruise ships.  However, this Nori press steam iron is a game changer and it looks and feels just like a hair flat iron.  Has anyone bought one on the cruise with them and has it been confiscated?  Just wanted too know if there are other options out there for people like me who hates wrinkle clothes and the Downy spray and shower steamer does not work for me.

Thanks. 

On 1/24/2024 at 1:28 PM, ihate2cruise said:

 

 

Thank you all for your feedback.

 

This is our first trip to Alaska and I'm finding it a little over whelming, because, I usually book cruises well in advance, that way I have plenty of time to research. This is the first cruise we have booked inside of final payment.

I made a reservation for a nights stay at the Harbor 360 Hotel. I will call them to add a boat tour.

We are cruising in May and we have booked with Major Marine and spending the night at Harbor 360.  So looking forward to this!