Aquahound

On 1/28/2024 at 6:44 PM, Kristelle said:

And nothing about people is any of our business - but wouldn't be much conversation if we never asked people about themselves or shared about ourselves.

No matter what is said in this thread, I still will not understand how discussing occupations in a setting where people are getting to know one another is so bad but then again, we live in a time when people are offended by pronouns, so I guess I'm just not meant to understand.  Oh well.  🤷‍♂️

Like what some of the others said, Royal Caribbean is the first line that comes to my mind for accommodating such a large and age diverse group.  

Just now, Kristelle said:

 

is what do you/did you do for a living a bad question??

 

When meeting people on vacation or day trips or anywhere this seems a common  ice breaker question to me - have been asked that many times and never thought it or found it problematic for anyone.

Honestly, that one baffles me too.

I'm with the others though.  I've only seen outdoor decks closed but have never experienced ship-wide room confinement.  

When I read the thread title, I thought it was for disciplinary measures.  😁

I live in a city that crossed the lunacy boundary a long time ago, so politics is a discussion I would much prefer not be discussed while on vacation.

23 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

Do you have a fly-fishing excursion in Haines? June 10 is a bit early for salmon, so I assume you're going for trout or dollys. But the 3pm would get you back in time.  All aboard would be 4:30pm.

You don't think the kings will be running in mid-June? 

Just now, clo said:

I reread it but clearly missed it. Sincerely, what? xoc

The point was......it was ONE solitary meal during what was almost a 3-week trip eating almost exclusively local meals, and I happened to like it.  If you can't accept that, just move the heck on.  Good heavens. 🙄

Just now, clo said:

Nope. I'd grab street food if pressed for time. It's my fave food place - including my own home 🙂

 

Great for you, but that still wasn't my point.  

40 minutes ago, clo said:

Scream bloody murder!!!!!!!!!! In my favorite food city in the world I would never, ever eat fast food in Barcelona. Talk about "to each their own.' LOL.

I think you missed the point of my post.  😉

5 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

It might not be your thing but it is definitely a phenomenon. There are travellers who make it their mission to try McDonalds at least once in every country they visit. Funnily I have heard the same critiques levelled at cruise ship food😂. 

After an exhaustive 14-day cruise across the Mediterranean, preceded by 4 days in Venice, where we did all we could and ate locally as much as humanly possible, we hit a McD's in our final stop of Barcelona.  Honestly, it was heavenly.  🙂

7 hours ago, njhorseman said:

And now the test format is gone . 👍

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

And a great majority of the regular posters are applauding.

Totally agree!  Thank goodness it's back to normal and the test failed.  

If you're a Carnival fan with high priority being on-board activities, and you simply want to get a taste of Alaska, Luminosa is probably your best option of the few Carnival ships that sail Alaska.  

jsglow made some really good points but I'll whole heartedly disagree with one of them.  Personally....and I totally understand this is personal choice.....I could not imagine sailing such a scenic cruise without a balcony, unless you book a panoramic view room.  Waking up to that scenery and then taking it in while it's still light before going to bed is magical.    

The Florida comment made me laugh.  I always joke that you always know when someone is from Florida because it's the first thing they tell you.  And I say that as a former Floridian.  See, I just did it too.  😁

If you're looking to do some walking with window shopping and dining, downtown is better.  The downtown Hilton is in a good spot.  I recommend walking across the street to 49th State for lunch or dinner.  The chowder and the elk burger are amazing, as is the beer selection.  

The midtown area is far more spread out and walking isn't as easy.  I usually stay at the Embassy Suites in midtown, which is a great hotel, but that suits me for business travel.  

2 hours ago, Tropical77 said:

Any inputs on Holland America? Never used them but seems to have better reviews than Norwegian. 

 

If Celebrity is your preferred line, I recommend looking at Princess first.  They will be most similar.  Holland America is a very nice line but if you want some decent fun time while on the ship, they fail miserably.  You can mitigate that a little by booking Koningsdam but anything older is very sleepy.  

Not sure how your first question would work with a casino giveaway.

Regarding your second question, why not?  Personally, I think RCI is an overall better line than NCL, but that doesn't mean you'll agree.  Give them a try and see for yourself.  What better way than with a free cruise.

I've cruised the largest ships sailing Alaska and there were zero delays getting on and off the ship.  No issues there at all.

For lively onboard activities, I don't think you can beat the RCI Quantum Class ships like Quantum and Ovation or the NCL Breakaway+ (or whatever they're called) Class ships like Encore and Bliss.  Princess Royal Class, like Discovery, is also worth looking at.  

Celebrity Edge is sailing AK now too.  I haven't been on that class yet, but it looks amazing and some friends of mine can't stop raving about it.  

Thing is, none of them can sail the Canadian Inside Passage, so you sail outside Vancouver Island in what is often rough seas.  

I recommend not even looking at HAL.  HAL is a nice cruise line but activities and entertainment are horrible.  

On 1/13/2024 at 7:05 AM, MississippiMom said:

 

I would love to hear from the cruisers who saw Alaska on NCL, RCCL, Carnival or Celebrity?

My last 4 AK cruises have been on RCI.  Frankly, it's because I live near Seattle and boarding in Seattle is easy for me.  Plus, the wife and I love the Quantum Class ships and always have a fantastic time on them. Got another one coming up in May.  🙂

Granted, this is because I've done other AK cruises in the past.  I've been to Glacier Bay twice on HAL.  In total, I've done 7 AK cruises, and my clear favorite was a southbound on Celebrity from Seward to Vancouver.  If not for having already experienced all this, and if AK was a one-time bucket list item, Seattle itineraries would not be my first choice.  

To correct something that was said above, all 4 of these cruises on RCI did have enrichment programs and lectures on numerous topics.  

The whole Princess/HAL Alaska thing is a little exaggerated in my opinion. Yeah, I said that.  😉

I second wolfie's opinion of the bridge.  I too found it underwhelming.  

On 9/20/2023 at 11:27 PM, Mainer3 said:

One of them told us the only bears were on the other side of the island and could not be reached in the time we had in port.  

Wow.  As you learned, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Sheesh.

I think that's a great endeavor, and on 2 really nice ships.  Just, pray your Silhouette cruise does not get delayed during crossing.  It most likely won't, but a 1-day buffer between cruises would make me feel better.  

On 1/16/2024 at 3:30 PM, mncbabu_yahoo said:

How is HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam for Alaska? Is it recommended as well?

Yes!  I have cruised that ship and I loved it.  It's a slightly larger version of Noordam with a few extra amenities, like the Tamarind specialty restaurant.  It's a beautiful ship.

But I see you went with Princess.  Enjoy your cruise.

I have been on sister ships to both and I would choose Noordam.  I am not a fan of the NCL Jewel Class ships for many reasons.  The only reason I would recommend Jewel over Noordam is if you said you valued entertainment over everything else.  Otherwise, I think HAL is a much nicer experience.  

6 minutes ago, SoloAlaska said:

It’s reasonable to not assume something is strictly prohibited vs prohibited ish since they are all on the same list but treated very differently in real life. That’s why I asked here for anyone with real life experience with bear spray and cruise lines. 

I am Coast Guard and I work very closely with cruise line security.  There is no wiggle room here.  You can't take it on board.  Period.  That is your answer.