Haljo1935

Welcome to HAL! I hope you find it to be the best $1 you ever spent. 🙂

Yes!! I've had it happen to me more than once. So far, my number has not been drawn in the dummy overboard drill, but I'm likely overdue. 🫣 I was awarded my 4* Mariner pin even after getting said violation letter, so methinks permanent record is safe...

If there's a cabin you would not want, then personally, I'd leave it as No Upgrade but call periodically to check. If there's something available you like at a price (could be $0) you deem reasonable, you can take it. That way you don't risk being put somewhere you do are not happy with. Sure, it's a little effort, but worth it to me for possibly getting something better w/o risking an already acceptable location.

ALWAYS!! Gonna be a loooong week for the people around them. And looking at it again, I think Pops is already trying to separate himself from the pack...Wise move.

Agree you see more on the one way itineraries; however, every RT Seattle Inside passage cruise we do always includes Glacier Bay. We most recently did it this year April 29 - May 6 Eurodam.

I'm not onboard yet; I cruise in Sept. I canceled and rebooked for 1st night. Original charge included 18% gratuity. Refund on credit card was for dinner only, did not get back the 18%.

Maybe a good option for people feeling squimish.

Definitely worth looking, especially since you are willing to go next year as a back up. People do cancel and last minute deals pop up. You just have to be diligent in looking and flexible on what you're willing to take. Good luck - I'm rooting for you!

That's what I saw, too. We're going to be a big bunch.

Had you registered w/State Dept? I always say I'm going to do that, but never do. This time, I mean it, I'm going to register. That would help, right?

We take hard copies and so far have never needed them. To confirm OBC - no matter the trype/source - I always have a fresh invoice sent to me 2 days before sail date so I can do a final confirmation it's all correct.

Mud residue from being rescued from the channel!! @TxTeach79 Luggage - 1, Port of Galveston - 0!!

Hate to ask, but is "Very Important @TxTeach79 not getting luggage" listed under "what's happening today? Sorry 😞 They should be able to bring it to you in Key West. But so sorry. If I'm on w/your parents in Sept I will tell your dad happy birthday. We're B2B out of NY Sept 16-29.

Good job, Gustave!! He knows how to get a vacation started!

Exactly as @Cruise Suzy said. We turn our TV on as soon as we enter the cabin to drop our bags so it starts playing right away. As she saud, it won't work until it's mustered, too, lol.

We have had to do every year even though we were told it was permanent. We don't have to resubmit, but we do have to call in, give Mariner # and ask them to check the profile. "Oh yes, I see it; I'll add it." Then I have them send a new invoice and it's there.

Congrats on the cruise - excellent choice for an anniversary! The Neptune Suite will take an already great experience over the top. •Highly encourage you to make full use of the Concierge services and lounge. •Allow yourself to enjoy breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill; it is only available to suite guests and is a special way to start the day. •Have the booking noted as an anniversary celebration - they will do a couple extra things for you. •Bring binoculars - the ones in your cabin are not good enough •Spend as much time as possible on your deck to maximize wildlife sightings and the beauty of AK •Ask cabin steward to show you where the lap blankets are if you don't see them - they're a must for evenings on the balcony •Arrange (Concierge can do this for you) for anniversary dinner on your balcony one evening You've gotten great tips on here that I'm aligned with and mostly won't repeat, but having cruised AK in May & Sept for a few years, including in a Neptune, think some are worthy of reinforcing: *Consider reducing your packing yet again - it's always too much, lol *Absolutely make use of the laundry service - it allows you to make those packing edits pain-free. HAL does a great job w/laundry - research the numerous threads here on CC *Heavy jackets not necessary, layers for sure, waterproof outerlayer absolutely *Neptune suite gets you priority boarding so disregard check in time on your boarding pass - go as early as you'd like, drop carry-on luggage in your cabin (even if it's not ready yet, you can drop your bags), explore the ship and have lunch in the MDR *Research CC threads and ask questions - there's a lot of experience and knowledge here that CC community members are happy to share. I think I pick up at least one new tip (probably more) before every cruise I go on. I'm excited for you @gregma60 - wishing you a Happy Anniversary from a fellow anniversary-in-AK cruiser (we celebrate husband's birthday in AK each May and our anniversary in AK each Sept). Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

Congrats @JVes!! Welcome to cruising and CC 🤗 - sooooo exciting! Looking forward to learning about the details of your cruise - the ship🚢, itinerary, when, who with, what ypur expectations are and what questions you have.🤔 I hope you'll consider doing a "Live" review prosing on your adventure and documenting with photos. It would be cool to get a first timer perspective on their first cruise on their first Live. 🤭 Welcome, safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

I find it could be either depending on how full the ship is. Generally, the more cabins available, the lower the cost to upgrade so the better the deal. The more full the ship is, the higher the cost to upgrade. And the closer to the sail date, the more impact the above have. My experience, YMMV.

I wanted to move around so I could get the free wine at the steakhouse on 1st night. That meant I had to cancel and rebook. Some of the reservations had the 18% gratuity charged at the time I booked, some did not. The credits showed up w/in a week, but none included the 18% gratuity. So be diligent about looking for the dollar amount, not just that you got a credit. Doesn't have to be this hard...

I call HAL and ask to have a new invoice sent. You will be able to verify OBC, but it will not identify the source. If you want to know the breakout, you will have to call. @The O Mariners if you are using a TA, you will need to get the invoice from them.

We've been looking at the Fall Foliage tour in Halifax but it is now sold out. I haven't found any independents offering similar tours. Does anyone know for sure if there will be independent tours avail in Halifax or booked one and can share the info?

@BridgettBBB how many more people do you need?

Is anyone starting to get serious about excursions? We had been planning on the fall foliage tour in Halifax, put it in cart a couple times,, but never booked. Yesterday we see it's sold out. So now we're looking for options. There's not much to be found on other sites. Could we expect independent tours to be available in Halifax or does anyone know of any?

People have asked for ice and ice buckets as they do anything else they need. But many reported not being able to get one or both on various Venezia sailings. So I was merely asking for an update to see if the issue had been resolved. I am on in a few weeks and simply trying to get prepared.