Meander Ingwa

I have recently found out about their offering and am preparing to plan a Fall 24 trip. It sounds wonderful

since OP mentioned interest in the fish hatchery if I was going to drop bags and go out, I would go north to the Ballard Locks and watch the boats in the locks, see if the fish ladder is running, enjoy the garden and grab some lunch at one of the nearby places ( north side of locks) An Uber /Lyft can drip you on the south side of the locks. there is sometimes a music combo playing on the grounds Another option if you are walkers is to simply walk north on the pier and hook right around and get on the bike/walking trail that will take you south to Centennial Park/ Myrtle Edward Park. See google map for this detail. Weather, right now is forecast for a nice day , 70 and partly cloudy, and the three following as you sail north are likely to be stunners

depending on when your ship departs, I would say you have little time to do much of anything on the ground. Looks like departure times for the ships in port are all mid to late afternoon You need to allow for at least 2 hours from landing to luggage claim and getting in to town in Saturday mid-day traffic. With three ships departing the area is going to be busy both at airport and on the roads You will have to drive through the stadium district and core Downtown to get to the port. A savy driver might take the Viaduct but either way, you are going to hit traffic The Seattle area has some of the worse traffic in the country

You are correct, I was speaking generally as to inside cabins

Pray tell, what did he look like?

dents near welds, sounds like a major investigation of the fidelity. I dont think one of those suction thingies they can use on some car dents is going to work Those gouges. 😬

It may be that port days need to be planned for Free WiFi zones in Starbucks and libraries etc. ( bummer) I understand that Portable Hotspots are an option for ships docked at/near land, but again, that may also depend on global positioning. Choosing trips with a lot of sea days and overnights might work in your favor. A high quality hotspot might get you boosted on sea days but that is something to research I know one You Tube maven says her hot spot works best if the unit is near the ajar cabin door. She trends towards inside cabins. I imagine a balcony room might give you the best of the world on a good, sunny day. Sounds wonderful, I also wonder about areas like quiet lounges where signal might be a bit boosted?

I have heard from some here that it does not always work. Some have said that audio announcement did not reach the rooms. Others suggest leaving the room screen on to the bridge monitor with the speaker on. The announcement can then be heard in the room. Northern Lights is a huge roll of the cosmic dice. The Sun and weather need to align.

I think as well what cruise line is an often discussed subject here. It comes down to how you wish to spend a majority of time. I am on Viking. It is a more low key lifestyle; lectures, small music soloists and combos, art and conversation, relaxation in Spa and in the library. Adults only. Other ships offer shows, casinos and production value, all ages welcome. low capacity vs high capacity.

I agree, noise cancelling ear buds may be a good investment. Also handy on planes and subways. Agree and understand about the anxiety aspect. I use Bose headphones (a blessing) but am going to try some earbuds to have a smaller packing footprint. They also make a linking dongle that you can use on planes to link the audio system to your buds

It may simply be their internal accounting bucket note. They are not likely talking to "you" but referencing what section of the books it came from. likely a way of speeding your refund rather than the round about checks and balances of ship to office to credit card company and on it goes

this is considered one of the worlds great rail journeys. ENJOY!

I would see if you could fit in a Christmas Eve church service in one of the old , historic Hauptkirche St Petri. I bet it will be music filled and quite wonderful. no matter your persuasion music in these spaces is usually worth experiencing

Alta has a very important UNISCO World Heritage site and its museum is built to feature ancient heritage along with more contemporary art and exhibits. Rock art created by ancient peoples. Narvik has an excellent rail journey you can take from the station inland to the Swedish border. Considered one of the iconic and scenic journeys. Google Ofotbanen, The Ofoten Railway. I was planning on doing this by it looks like , at this time, we do not arrive in port until mid afternoon so there is not enough time for me. If it is a pretty day I would take the train to Katarat and sit on the left side

Particularly if you wish to walk on deck It may be sunny but movement and winds might mean a warmer long sleeve or a wind and rainproof jacket is welcome. Japan can get big rains during September and even though it may be warm-ish, it might get wet

if the train or FLIX works for you it is a good option, If flying in to SEA then a connection flight to Vancouver is probably more practical, in the end. It is all about your own level of comfort and practicality. Uwajimaya is an excellent choice for browsing and eating!

As the crow flys, the hotels around the Seattle Center are the closest and as @Glaciers kindly mentioned, you would be near amusements and performance venues along with plenty of eating options. The Smith Cove area is industrial and I don't believe there was ever a hotel or motel between there and the ship canal. There are a few small places in Ballard. There might be air BnB options, but as a whole the area is not easily walkable and you will need transportation to access the pier area.

Sly Smothers Brothers reference. Bravo!

I am, at heart, a no frills gal but occasional frills are not unwelcome. The train is the pleasure, the stops along the way as well. Check out Corrour Signal Box

just cam in from the British Isles Explorer out of Bergen, Back out again in the opposite direction

in my opinion all those modern buildings already did that.

I have thought about a ramble around Scotland using a Scot Rail pass and this would certainly cap an amazing holiday

I would call the doctors office and ask the staff if the doctor or nurse have advice. As @kingston13 kindly mentioned, they do make products specific for purpose. Your doctors office might have a suggestion as to which one is bast suited to your wifes specific type appliance. It might be a good idea to have a steak knife at the table for every meal, which might make cutting up food easier, if that is an issue. That way she can select anything rather than choosing things she can manage without cutting. If you eat at the same table the staff will remember her needs book appointment at the ship salon for a hair shampoo and treatment , bit of pampering feels good. Does she do her eyebrows ( wax thread or pluck). If so, make sure she is able to get to salon before trip if she wants. Perhaps nails too, even if to just tidy them up. you dont need 2 arms to dance 💃🕺

I agree with Julia, for September you really are not going to hit cold weather. It is, however somewhat relative to what you are use to. I have friends from Arizona and Florida who have their polar fleece jackets on at 65 and I am there in short sleeves. Down, for me, comes out when it is below 0C. 50s and 60s is mild and a simple long sleeve sweatshirt or a short sleeve top when in 60s You can check the weather charts yourself and decide, but down is probably overkill. A rain proof shell would be a better investment

I think the very fact you are thinking about it and asking about it means you might be ready. there is no guarantee that you will not have a pang of sadness along the way ; a memory triggered by a smell or sound or place. But that happens along the way and it is shocking how long those memories can linger; years and decades. I found the hardest part of going through grief was that time where I realized I was not thinking daily or grieving daily. That triggered a touch of guilt. I then realized that I was needling to face my life ahead. There are likely kindred spirits on board. Consider something close to home or logistically easy to get to. Consider a smaller cruise line with a more low key approach. If I saw someone experiencing a moment of grief I would likely ask if there was some way I could help them along. You are not likely to be alone in this situation and a smaller cruise provider might offer some advantage here. I am looking at very small cruise provider Hebridean Island Cruises. So excited by the prospects. They do have solo cabins