dd57

In Juneau we took the gondola up Mt Roberts and took some of the hiking trails there. Although we didn't do this, I have heard in the past that if you hike up Mt Roberts you can ride down for free. The view from the gondola is really awesome. In Sitka I would look into public transportation over to the history museum. The totem poles and nature walk is right there. Skagway is the only town where I would just walk around because of all of the history exhibits. An earlier thread talked about nature hikes in Skagway.

Do check out the timing, though. Regular laundry service takes 2 days, and you can pay extra for same day service. Check with your room steward about same day service the day before disembarkation as I once was told it wasn't available.

I'm glad to see the kiddies are out and about. I was beginning to wonder if they were under the weather or just being lazy like slo... Oh. Never mind, not my business.

We did this last August; it rained some most days. Layers and waterproof for sure, and don't forget waterproof shoes. I took waterproof hiking shoes with goretex and didn't have any problems. I wore silk long johns under my hiking pants and was warm, and the pants dried quickly, but then I didn't go on any small boat rides. If you are going to Vigur island, or any small boat ride, you might want something warmer. A lot has to do with what you are going to do. I'm from Colorado and most days a long sleeve t, sweater/fleece, and rain shell were enough, but when I was on a walking tour in Alesund in the rain, the damp cold got to me and I walked back to the ship.

You still might want to find a TA that does give OBC. We book directly with Viking, then let our TA take over the booking. We automatically get the TA's agency's OBC. Then we have someone in our corner when we need interference run, which has happened a couple of times.

I chatted with a Viking agent the other day, asking how things are handled when the 2 people in the cabin are from different households. I explained that I wasn't interested in anything specific yet, but just thinking about a future cruise with a friend. The agent sent me her contact info, called twice and then sent an email. I replied to the email and explained again that I wasn't interested in booking anything now. She thanked me and I haven't heard from her again. I was wondering too about commission... This was the chat function on the Viking website.

I bought a women's backpack/bag very similar to this $25 one at Target: https://www.target.com/p/tiny-full-square-15-4-backpack-wild-fable/-/A-84145182?preselect=82173164#lnk=sametab It meets the "personal item" size for airlines and has a lightly padded back that protected my chromebook. My DSLR and purse fit in too. Easier to handle than a duffle.

Viking does hold off on ticketing, sometimes until 60 days in advance. If you have paid for Air Plus, you can (or better yet your TA can) ask that they be ticketed at any time. If something were to go sideways, like if the airline drastically changes the schedule, you would be responsible for any cost differences if you have to change your flights. That is at least one reason Viking holds off. On some airlines you don't really have a seat until ticketed.

In the late 1930's a law was passed in the US, which is still in effect today, that the minimum wage for restaurant workers is set low because they get tips. Restaurants only have to pay wages so that wage plus tips equals the higher minimum wage for anyone else. But they don't necessarily do that. When I worked in a fast food restaurant in my teens (yes, MANY years ago) I discovered this when I wondered why the pay was so low. And no one tipped in a fast food restaurant. I believe now the restaurants have to provide evidence showing that the employees receive enough in tips to make up the difference. The federal minimum wage for restaurant workers is $2.13 an hour while minimum wage for everyone else is $7.25. Individual states can set higher minimums.

We did a salmon fishing/bear viewing floatplane trip out of Soldotna several years back. It was fantastic. We went to a place called Wolverine Creek. I don't know if the company is still around after Covid, but I highly recommend doing something similar. Our friends wanted to fish and I wanted to see bears. A good time was had by all.

I wouldn't say Viking is new to the area - we were on a Viking Alaska cruise in 2019. They also have one of the slots in Glacier Bay.

This is why I got a USB2GO device that plugs into my Android cell phone power port. I manually backed up the day's photos to a USB stick. The cloud backup eventually happened but meanwhile I had a backup. Does iPhone support USB2GO?

See, this is why I always leave a comment about port talks on the feedback form. Sometimes there is information about an excursion that you can't really get otherwise that might make you want to change to a different one. I think it would be helpful to have the port talk further in advance than the day before.

I realize I am responding to a post from a few pages back, but I wanted to clarify to others with Verizon that some Verizon Unlimited plans do include hotspot tethering. The cheapest unlimited plan doesn't but the others do. We had ours set up so my husband's phone had the hotspot ability, while my phone - the one that gets all the 2FA texts - was on the cheaper plan. That way we could leave his plugged in in a corner while I used my phone and he used his tablet.

I'm gluten intolerant too, and was very well taken care of on Viking River. Yes, you can't eat the pastries at the coffee station, but there are lots of options once the dining room opens - GF bread at the buffet or you can order GF french toast, pancakes, eggs benedict, etc. I always travel with a few KIND breakfast bars for those super early mornings. On our first Viking River, we boarded at 1:30, just missing lunch. I went to the terrace at the front where the chef said "oh, I saved you a GF sandwich in case you were hungry". I was blown away. Not to mention the GF chocolate cake they made as a surprise for my birthday. And while the restaurant is crowded, I wouldn't call it a zoo. Lunch and dinner are served, not buffets.

The 15% gratuity on drinks is already included in the price, not added on top. Or else all the bartenders I've dealt with forgot to add the tip... I've never had the SSBP.

Different TAs have different approaches. OBC from our TA shows up on our Viking invoice and is available pre-cruise for excursions or anything else.

Sometimes the top deck is closed for other reasons - like going under bridges. When we did the Grand European, Budapest to Amsterdam, there where several days when the top deck was closed all day. Most of the locks along that stretch had bridges

We did both Ocean and River in 2022 (and more pre-COVID). We've decided, for us, that we prefer Ocean to River because: The onboard lectures about history, culture, and nature are much more in depth than those on river cruises which tend to be short segments included in the discussion about the next port The excursions, for the most part, have much wider options for different interests and level of activity There are more dining options including eating by yourself or sharing a table. And you can choose when to eat. The public spaces are more wide open with plenty of choices of where to curl up with a good book or socialize The food was better on our 2 latest Ocean cruises than on our 2 latest River cruises (and it was good on both, but less so than pre-C) We don't care one way or another about the entertainment. It is easily avoided if desired. We cruise to see and learn about new places, history, and other cultures We greatly enjoyed our River cruises and would recommend them in a heartbeat. But we are going to concentrate on Ocean for now.

Once I asked if they still had what was being poured the day before. They did and I was able to get it at no charge. I would guess that that doesn't always work either.

Speaking only of wines, each day there is a "wine of the day" red and a "wine of the day" white that is included in your fare. If you want a glass of a different wine, you have to pay for it, thus it is "premium". You can either pay as you go or pre-pay via the SSBP.

I think 6. You can ask to be seated with others.

We've done several on both. We have had no problem meeting people on the ocean trips, but you do have to be outgoing, like talking to others on the same excursion, stopping and saying hello when you recognize people, etc. In the restaurant the tables for 2 are right next to each other and it is easy to strike up conversations if your neighbors are so inclined. The ships have never felt crowded. Lots and lots of large and small and public spaces. Lots of room in the bars and lounges. The Explorer's bar does tend to have more people after dinner. The biggest differences between the two are more due to the differences between river cruising and ocean cruising.

We did a "drive by" on Princess 10 years ago. Our friends wanted to go on an expedition cruise and refused to go with us. They ended up never seeing Antarctica at all (the husband has since passed away). For me it was the most amazing, jaw dropping, beautiful scenery I have ever seen, and we have been to many places. The magnificent table icebergs in Iceberg Alley, The incredible deep snow on the mainland. The island with 400,000 penguins queued up and marching in and out of the ocean, Even though we didn't go ashore, we saw lots of wildlife (binoculars and a telephoto lens). We did go to Magdelena Island and the Falklands so did see penguins up close. It is still the cruise I think of when someone asks about my favorite cruise. Now we have more time, and more resources, and are researching going back on an expedition ship. We look forward to even more adventures that way. But I am glad we did the "drive by" because you never know what the future holds.

I 2nd the point of getting out of port. We're going back for our 4th Alaska cruise this summer because we enjoy it so much. Friends of ours just walked around town at the stops and didn't understand why people like Alaska. You don't have to spend a lot of money at all the ports, but the big adventures do cost a bit.