3rdGenCunarder

Check the schedule for Sitka to see where you'll be and how many other ships will be with you. Cruise Ship Schedule Calendar Combined Ports (claalaska.com) I have tendered from the anchorage and been docked out at the cruise terminal. I actually prefer the tender because it drops you right downtown. Three years ago, we were docked with some big NCL ship. Shuttle bus into town wasn't bad. I don't recall a long wait. I think maybe the other ship didn't dock as early so we had all the shuttles. If you dock at the cruise terminal and take a tour, it will probably load the bus at the cruise terminal. Going back in the afternoon, the line for a shuttle bus was long and slow because there were people from both ships going back. The transfer point is near the city municipal building, downtown.

Thank you! I much prefer Hubbard. It's so big and so blue that even on a dreary day (cloudy/drizzle every day for 11 days on my recent cruise) it's still almost glows. I did this tour 5 years ago on a gloriously sunny day. Every moment was a "wow!" @titodewy, can you book the tour online? That's the easiest way. I'm just off an Alaska cruise on Queen Elizabeth, and that tour was offered. When we got the excursion list on board, it said "limited," but someone I spoke to said she went to ask about it right away and was told it was sold out. So don't wait. There's only one boat, you don't want to miss it!

I rarely buy the cruise line insurance because it covers only the cruise. I add travel days before and/or after the cruise, not through the cruise line, so that wouldn't be covered. You really want door-to-door coverage. Most people look at trip insurance as cancellation coverage. But it should give you much more than that. Medical coverage is an important part of insuring a trip. Check your own plan to see if you're covered out of the country. Many seniors are shocked to learn that Medicare ends at the border, so if you're over 65, don't count on Medicare. Take a good look at the "repatriation" coverage. Will the insurance get you home in case of illness or injury? Many years ago, we saw a young man in a full leg cast stretched out over the middle 5 seats on a 747. We thought, wow, that's expensive! Years later, we found out how expensive repatriation can be. DH fell, had a ton of complications due existing health issues, and we flew home "air ambulance" from England. I would estimate the flight alone was around 125K. It cost us nothing. Travel Guard paid for (and arranged) the flight, plus all medical care while DH was in the hospital in Yorkshire. My story raises a few points. I always buy the insurance during the window that gives coverage for "pre-exisiting conditions," so there were no quibbles about his health issues. I also buy the rider for choice of hospital, so we were taken to the hospital in our town. The basic plan is "nearest appropriate hospital," which, flying from England could have been Boston rather than NJ. As I get older, the insurance gets more expensive, but I won't cruise without it.

You're right, gotta grab that machine while you can. I hate the dilemma of removing someone else's laundry. I don't like to do that, and don't like having someone move my stuff. How long do you wait? Is it like college where if the professor doesn't show up after 10 minutes, you can leave? I was impressed by the young man who had an amazing sense of timing. I was waiting for a machine when he walked in about 30 seconds before his machine stopped. He loaded the dryer, set his watch (aha! that's how he did it), and left. I don't think it matters much if you put the soap sheet on top of the clothes. When the machine tumbles, the sheet will be next to the drum part of the time.

Depending on the length of the cruise and what I need to do, I sometimes don't buy the full voyage until the third day or so. The price does go down by $18 per day that I wait. I don't know how long you can wait like that. I don't think I've ever bought the plan later than day 3.

It's the same brand on QA. When I was on, they started by setting out boxes, but people were using the soap so quickly that they resorted to putting out a large stack. Because I was traveling alone, my wash loads were on the small side, so I used only half of a sheet. I didn't like seeing how much suds a whole sheet produced. On QE last week, they were still using powder. I don't know what brand it is.

Just thought of another thing. In Vancouver, don't leave before they call your color/number. I went off in the first group, and the only luggage lined up was our Orange 1. So I think they call groups as the luggage is set out.

I agree that the entry-level pricing is the same as the guarantee (and the cabins are in the same neighborhood), although in years gone by the guarantee price was lower than the cheapest cabin. In the past, the guarantee was just a classification, but this states a specific cabin. And although it says "we guarantee you a stateroom in the category you have selected," when I clicked continue, I got a booking that identifies a specific cabin. (number isn't the same as above because I closed the site and went back to look for this)

Don't see anything about it on the RR website or FB page and the website seems to be taking reservations for this week.

Okay, I know what a guarantee is. But I'm seeing something new on the website. I don't like guarantees, but I do look at the price to compare with choosing. On my cruise for next winter, it's about $100 a day more per cabin to choose compared to a guarantee. That seems like a lot, but if I want to choose, I'm stuck with that. I did some dummy bookings, looking at possible cruises and availability. For some categories, they show you which room they have chosen FOR you. And it's the same price as if you chose a room in that area. Has anyone else seen HAL's choice of guarantee cabin identified? WE CHOOSE YOUR STATEROOM

I just came off an Alaska cruise on Queen Elizabeth, July 11-22. It rained at least part of the day EVERY day. Sometimes harder than others. Heaviest rain was Juneau (on the 18th), where they said they hadn't seen the sun in 10 days and expected a few more days of rain. Looking at radar, I could see that there was a big blob of rain just hanging out over southern Alaska. We were in Haines the day before the people on that tour arrived there.

Strange results looking at a cruise on Eurodam for this winter. I'm already booked, and our roll call has noticed how little availability there is for verandah cabins. Neptunes are sold out. After the discussion about singles and doubles not able to book a triple cabin, I did some exploring. A month ago, sure enough, I couldn't find a triple cabin if I entered 1 or 2 passengers (I checked the deck plans against the website). I tried 3 and got a whole different set of cabins offered. Today, I see only two double cabins on the whole ship. Same two whether I enter 1 or 2 passengers. If I ask for a triple, the website wants me to book two cabins. But it shows me a selection of quads on deck 4. Why would I want two quads for 3 people?????

Years ago, when flying was more reliable, we did the red-eye to London to get on QE2 for Europe cruises twice. Both times we were traveling with friends who didn't have extra time off. We were lucky, all was fine. And we had booked through Cunard, so they would have arranged for us to get to the first port. But the way airlines are now, I wouldn't chance it. I figure I've used my quota of airline luck and I won't do that any more. Plus, I enjoy some time to see my departure city, or just rest up from jet lag. And if I can do a day flight, I much prefer that over a red-eye.

And/or using the launderettes more! On our cabin crawl, there were several questions of "what would you do on a long cruise?" One of our roll call members had all of their shoes lined up along the wall opposite the foot of the bed. Brit and PG looked like there was a space that could take an extra closet. But that won't happen any time soon.

I don't know what you consider "lower grade," but I was in PG and storage was definitely inadequate. Three closets, mostly shelves. Maybe 4 feet wide all together. Britannia had only two of these, but there was a third closet near the bed that looked like an afterthought.

One last, rather mundane, photo. People ask about outlets. No USB anywhere. Over the desk there are 2 US, 1 UK, 1 European. There are two other outlets on a cabinet, but they're used by the kettle (EU) and coffeemaker (UK). This is a PG cabin.

All my pictures were taken with my 35-400 zoom. I haven't edited anything yet, so these are as they were taken. I did better with flora than fauna.

Ketchikan in the rain didn't bother me. It's supposed to rain here--they're proud of it, although one woman at the craft market blames her osteoporosis on the lack of sunshine and not taking vitamin D supplements soon enough. I took advantage of the wet to get some artsy photos.

Misty fjord. I didn't take many pictures here. It was all much of a muchness at that point. I had already seen 583,492,210,784 spruce trees at that point, give or take a few.

Anan. The eagle sums up the trip. Hanging around in the rain waiting for something to happen. And something FINALLY did.

Mendenhal 7/17 The visitor center showed a series of photos taken over 10 years. It ended with 2017 and an outline of the glacier in 2007. Porcupine hunkering down in the rain on the Steep Creek Boardwalk. (halfway up to the right of the trunk)

Flame, 2017; her calf, Bunsen, enjoying a splash.

Juneau. This is Sasha. I also saw Flame and her calf but my pictures of them are even worse. It was so misty that I couldn't get a sharp picture.

Haines 7/16

Hubbard Glacier 7/16 The captain said this was the closest to the glacier he'd been able to get all season.