Scooley01

Thank you all for the advice! We've got some excursions and dining booked now, and I feel like I have a better idea of what I'm getting into. One thing I'm currently nervous about, the family REALLY wants to do a fishing excursion in Ketchikan, but the cruise excursions are all fully booked so they're looking into booking something locally at the port. My understanding is that these are not guaranteed to get us back on the cruise ship at the correct time the way the sponsored excursions would. Is this a crazy idea?

Hi all! My family (in-laws) booked an Alaska cruise for us this summer - we'll be on the Grand Princess at the end of June, Anchorage to Vancouver, with stops in Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan (plus two days of scenic cruising). I have never been on a cruise before, but my family has been on several. In fact, I only just got my passport at the beginning of this year! What are the need-to-knows? I'm a HUGE planner - I planned a big Disney World trip for myself and my spouse last summer, and we had a ton of fun! I don't know much about cruises, but I've started to do some reading. I know the family booked the Premier alcohol package for us, along with balcony rooms, but I don't know much else. The family wants our input (tonight) on excursions and meal reservations. There are a lot of options for excursions, many of which seem to be remixes of other options. (you can have a salmon lunch, you can watch a cultural show, or you can do both at the same time, for example). Any tips on choosing excursions? Also, any tips on where to dine on board? And what about on board shows and activities, any suggestions there? What kind of clothing should I bring? I'm used to dressing pretty casually on a vacation, but from what I'm seeing online it seems like some folks bring suits and ties on the cruise! Are there any items I should be purchasing ahead of time? Stuff we might need in our room or while we're on the ship? I read that most cruise lines don't allow power strips if they have surge protection...Does Princess allow any kind of power strip? Can I bring the external battery for my phone? Any general tips or suggestions are also welcome! Sorry for a zillion questions, but thank you in advance!!