seattleslew

Is he on the Star right now?  Can't wait to meet this legendary man!  I just saw an interview on YouTube with him and he's hilarious, so our fingers are crossed he's still on the Star for 2019 Alaska end-of-season runs (before he goes to the Sky this fall).

I simply left my cookbook on the Captain's Circle desk when she wasn't there.  There was no way I was toting that thing home!

We had this cruise booked and needed to cancel at the last minute so I'm so pleased to see these beautiful pics.  I completely forgot to follow you on the Ruby Bridgecam (what was I thinking?), but friends who were on her the week before had identical weather.  Crew onboard tell me that most of their cruises so far have been perfect weather.  Lucky for us the prices are way down for insides for what looks like the entire month of June (I've not seen pricing this low before) so we're headed out on the 29th (4th of July cruise, which I can't believe isn't fully sold out).  When Alaska is this beautiful it just does something to your soul.  I think we all become Alaskans.

We're leaving on our 16th Alaska cruise this month, 8th on Ruby.  The question might be:  have you ever stayed in an inside before?  Did it bother you in any way?  A couple other things:  if the weather is bad, you wouldn't use your balcony anyway, and the days are getting shorter in late July so not as much sunlight in the evenings.  The upper decks are so much fun on GB day:  carts of hot toddies being pushed around and happy people oohing and ahhing, listening for the telltale "gunshot".  We always get an inside --- I just checked your cruise and they're half of what a balcony would be ... and there are lots of balconies left.  Would you like to choose an inside and then take a possible upgrade or upsell?  It's possible with so many cabins left unsold right now.  Also, re your wedding ... you'll be fine ... you don't need another cruise date or port.  We can be home to Portland as soon as 2pm after disembarking at Pier 91 and it's 190 miles.  

Oh boy, we love our Go Go's , don't we?   In the past, I've actually brought a towel to kneel on when I take the battery out and lower the tiller.  Yes, it can be done, but do I want to?  Hah!

Some time ago a very nice man responded to a thread about this subject, but now I can't find it.  He told me he reads CC infrequently so I need to ask again:  does the Auckland airport have shuttles to the ship or taxis or vans that will hold our scooter without our needing to break it down?   He actually gave me the name of a driver who specializes in scooter/wheelchair transport.  Thanks.

This is an answer for Seattle Pier 91 cruisers only.  We cruise Alaska twice a summer with our own scooters but that only means that I'm clued into noticing them.  I can tell you that 100 feet from the entrance to the embarkation building (which is called Pier 91) there has always been a covered tent (staffed by an employee) that has scooters inside it.  I'm sorry that I haven't paid more attention, but check with Specialneedsatsea or Scootaround to see if you can rent onsite at Pier 91 (I would certainly recommend a reservation).  I have thought (as I passed by it) that I should definitely stop in to see what the deal is, and now I regret not doing it.  But it sure looks as if it's meant for the cruiser who gets out of her car, looks up at the size of the ship,  and says "No way I can navigate that much walking!  Why, here's just what I need!  A rental scooter!"  Sorry that this is all conjecture, but that's sure what it looks like at Pier 91. Another thought might be to call Port of Seattle and get someone who KNOWS about the cruise terminal and ask them about it.  If it's what I think it is, it's an amazing marketing tool and a huge convenience for Seattle cruisers.

Same on Grand P the week before drydock (in Vines).  If you can find the 50% offs, watch your folio, though.  Even though Pass Services said they corrected it from full price to half price, we neglected to double check that they did it.  Arrived home to find we were charged full price on some of our half price bottles.  :  (    If you're on the Grand, tell Dennis in Vines we said hi from Portland.

Thanks for the hints on LGA and JFK.  We fly Alaska Air almost exclusively so I'll see what makes sense.  We in smaller markets (airline) often need to get creative.  I need Alaska Air miles to be MVP again this year.  You guys near huge airports really benefit from direct flights.  And we in small markets benefit from great airports!

So if we fly into Newark the day before, should we stay there in Newark?  Or should we immed depart for a hotel closer to the ship's Brooklyn pier?  Should we stay in Brooklyn or Manhattan?  We're not tourists ... been there many times, just need a place to rest up.  What will be easiest and cheapest?  Regal will depart Sept 28.  Thanks.  Or on second thought, should we bite the bullet and fly into JFK?

See the gray color behind the ship?  That's not a backdrop --- that was yesterday's weather:  light snow all day long, not enough to stick.  35 degrees and nasty.  Poor crew --- they don't want snow!

We got off the Grand four days ago and hated to leave our beds.  Yes, they're the newer ones and yes, they're heavenly.  So comfortable and four great pillows, although I bring my own side-sleeper.   TVs?  Nope, old style, but maybe change out during the drydock?  Sometimes when we disembark we can see the new supplies coming onboard (mattresses, etc.,) but this one had so many containers being hoisted to the top deck by a huge crane, who knows?  And speaking of that, OMG, the planning that must go into a drydock ... sure glad I'm not the PM!

Thanks for a really nice review about HC cruising.  We and our scooter just booked the Regal today with the $1 deposit.  Happy Valentine's Day to us!  And anniversary!

Charles, the descriptions of your fun adventures have been so helpful and educational for the thousands of us who read them ... and now we learn of and share your incomprehensible loss.  I take comfort knowing the kind and caring support you received from the wonderful crew (who are also devastated) and that you've left behind a ship full of friends who will never forget you.  My heart hurts as I know the trauma you've been through and still lies ahead.  We're all out here thinking of you, having had our lives changed because of your terrible loss.  Please come back someday.

And then came January 1.

We came back a little too late on New Year's Eve --- Stanley had had his own party.

Just be sure to rent in advance.  Friends on the Xmas cruise had a car rented and when they got to the rental office, all the cars were checked out and gone.  Made for a frustrating day!  This could happen on any of the islands including Oahu, depending on what conventions/activities are in town.

The Golden had one three weeks ago.  Always cold with very few players!  And open only later in the day ... sometimes before dinner to catch the pre-show crowd, but always by 8.  They will close it if there's no activity late at night though.

Hi and welcome to CC.  No, drinks are not at all forthcoming.  This is my experience over many, many cruises:  If you absolutely park your butt on a stool at a table game and pretty much stay there for hours every day, you may on Day 3 or 4 be friendly enough with the pit boss that you could suggest that you want a drink;  sometimes the dealer will call him/her over for you. Otherwise, PCL policy doesn't seem to provide drinks.  In fact, servers are relatively rare and will probably need to be paged over to serve you (with that weird kiss sound they make).  I've always thought PCL is really dropping the ball in this area.  2.  I highly doubt the boss will reserve or open a table for you due to staffing considerations (never seen it done). They don't seem to care, IMO.  3. Smoking is a huge issue in the slot area;  not so much in the pit.  The worst part is the smoking at the slots at the entrance --- you'll be met by a huge blue cloud.  Smoke-free nights are advertised in the Patter in small print - mainly formal nights. 4. Not sure about Cabo but I think the tenders have a last run and then begin again in the morning.  Another thing about the casino:  you'll need to present your cruise card every single time, even if you just move one table away.  You'll sit down and say "Room Charge (or CRC for those in the know) $300 (or whatever) and slide your card to them.  Oh, and in our experience, we have NEVER seen a hot craps table on PCL.  I almost never play anymore because of that.   It is very very weird!  But what I do enjoy is all the dealers (not PCL employees) are cross-trained in all games, inc craps.  If you're friendly to them, they are right back to you, but they rarely smile!

Thank you especially to Skibum, Memoak and Echoship.  I feel better already.  So many of you really get it!  And for the record, daughter fell in her stateroom a day out of Juneau and we had to medically disembark there.  She was Life-Flighted home for the flight's cost of $26,000;  PCL Juneau agent was fabulous, Bartlett Memorial in Juneau was fabulous, PCL itself was fabulous and we never paid a dime, thanks to our elite Platinum insurance, but our file was an inch thick!   NEVER NEVER NEVER travel without GOOD insurance.

Thanks for all the valuable replies.  This will be the longest cruise we've ever taken ... and our emergency would be life & death.  I would need to be involved for decisions, but obviously know that I couldn't fly out until Tahiti or Hawaii.  No one else can make these decisions about our daughter so it's not a frivolous question.  We embark knowing things will be fine at home (they always have been), but I HAVE to know what my options are in case of unspeakable tragedy while we're gone.  We're rolling the dice because I need to have a life, too.

What are the options if I'm on a 19-day Trans-Pacific cruise (two stops:  Tahiti and Hawaii) and there's a serious emergency at home?  Does What's App work?  Ship to Shore phone call? Anything else?

You won't be able to get very close to her because of security down on Swan Island, but if the trees are still leafless (?), which they will be,  you can get a sort of long shot from up by Univ of Portland on the edge of the cliff.  Welcome to Portland.  We're not all crazy.

She's coming here to Portland for the second time since her tender platform accident near Hawaii in 2016.  Several of our beloved crew members are going to try to get time off so I can give them a tour like I did last time.  The most popular drydock duty for the crew is Fire Duty ... they get more time off if they are assigned it.  Many, like room stewards, keep their same jobs because all the contractors (many of them flown in from all over the world) live aboard.  The crew is looking forward to Portland so they can go to an NBA game and maybe see snow as happened last time.

You will find crab at ANY restaurant in Alaska and it should all be great, but probably not fresh (maybe).  I'm not a fan of snow or king crab, though:  I'm a Dungeness girl ... always choose that above any other offering if given a choice.  Ask. And don't miss out on fish n' chips at ANY restaurant (even a dive) in Alaska, but spring for the often-fresh halibut instead of the cod.  Worth the extra $3-$6 ... you won't be sorry.