Sequim88

Not so much a cruise question but just time stamping my 5,000th post. Only took me almost 16 years. :rolleyes: I don't see a lot of the really old timers from before 2001 posting on Cruise Critic. Even for the newer members with 100,000 posts already I don't know how they do it. But CC has been a great resource over the years and hugely enhanced our cruise experience with all the tips and information - not to mention a few fantastic Roll Call groups, especially for the transatlantic cruises. Looking forward to many more cruises and many more posts. :cool: Thanks CC!

This last cruise it took both of us a solid week but it was getting better along the way. We had a very rough passage outside Vancouver Is. both ways so it seemed worse afterward than other cruises - even Transatlantics. I say "worse" loosely because we both sort of enjoy this continuation of the experience of being onboard.

Two issues we ran into with my wife's wheelchair. Lack of curb cuts so lowering off curb can be jolting. And also the paving or lack of it in any of the older cities. Most have cobblestones that can have significant cracks and are very bumpy. My wife called it "the popcorn popper ride". If you can find a wheelchair to rent for the trip that has pneumatic tires (like bike tires) for the larger wheels it will help a lot. You might even be able to find just the wheels for purchase that an be retrofitted to the existing chair.

Downtown Seattle hotels are very expensive in cruise season. Renting car one-way has the advantage of a very scenic drive (Chuckanut Drive) up toward Bellingham and lower hotel prices in Bellingham. Cross border early next morning before lineups and have breakfast in Vancouver before heading to ship.

 

Main thing it comes down to is the combo of flight cost difference between SEA and YVR and hotel costs (net of currency exchange).

Even if you get SBP included on a promotion you pay for it. We had Explore4 and when we switched from an Inside to a Balcony we were given the option of giving up Explore4 and getting various OBC combos for three different fares. When I backed out the Pinnacle Grill and other Explore4 benefits and factored in the OBC on the fares without it I could get the "true cost" of the SBP part. It worked out to a break even of about 6 drinks for each of us. So we were still paying for it in the end.

 

We hit 7-8 per day mostly because when asked if we wanted a double (counts as two) we frequently did. Usually the last drink of the day that we took back to the cabin for a nightcap there. For us it was very much worth it for SBP but would not have been for EBP since everything we wanted was OK on SBP. We're not that particular and actually fell in love with the Tatoosh Bourbon which was included on SBP.

Become good friends with a local in Alaska and get invited to dinner. Worked for me when I traveled up there for work to the manufacturing plant the company had in Anchorage. :D

Snow on the lower peaks around Juneau will probably be gone and the waterfalls on the east side of the channel probably just trickles. But peaks over 7,000 feet or so will still have snow in August. For sure you will see lots of snow covered peaks back away from the foothills - some of those mountains are 15,000 feet or more and fully glaciated and snow covered. That said we were really surprised by how little snow was on Mt. Edgecumbe in Sitka in mid-June. It's relatively low but still would have expected more based on prior visit. Might have been warmer and rained more last Winter.

How long will that last? I'm going in September and have no idea what to bring....

 

In Seattle and Vancouver summer is really from August through September and then about October 1 the rains turn back on. A big reason Alaska cruise season ends about then. I get really mad :mad: at our apartment management for closing the outdoor pool after Labor Day weekend when it can still be really nice for another 3-4 weeks. Farther north things start turning earlier as the days get shorter.

Interesting. I don't like the sound of that duplicated tags bit. Each bag needs to have a unique ID for trace-ability. With the security scanning of bags you would think there would be a link between the "record" of the scan and the unique bag identifier. It all goes into a database so things can be reviewed if there is an "incident". I wonder if Port of Seattle is aware of what they are doing onboard with the duplicated tags. :confused: For that matter TSA too. :eek:

Great web site. Maybe put a link for it in the Seattle FAQ thread at the top of West Coast board. Also on the Doing page EMP could be updated to MoPop which will make it easier for people to spot on the Seattle tourism maps. Wish I would have checked out the dining before our "let's pretend to be tourists" day on July 3rd. ;)

Having recently done a HAL cruise to Alaska we were really disappointed in the evening main theater shows. A comedian, a magician/comedian, a crew/staff show, a BBC Earth movie done to live music and a reprise of the comedy guys. Granted Alaska cruises are not about the entertainment but we had to wonder if that was just HAL or if we do RCCL again we'll see this as yet another area of cutbacks. RCCL has always been, in our book, very strong on the theater shows. Still the case?

Contrasting to HAL cruise a few weeks ago...

 

 

• No chocolates on pillow - Chocolates every night, not that we needed them
  
• Drinks averaging $12 - Ouch. Our beverage package allowed up to $9 and 90% of drinks were under $8
  
• No wine packages - Neutral on this as we don't drink much wine
  
• Way less good prizes.........I got a jacket once, now you're lucky to get a key chain - All lines have headed this way
  
• You have to ask for ice and robes - Had both automatically
  
• Not counting basic breakfast, room service is about $7.95 - Another ouch
  
• No birthday/anniversary cakes........you may get a cupcake if anything - Got cake for 40th anniversary
  
• MDR has dummied down the dress code - so has HAL, we still dressed up and would on RCCL too
  
• Platinum and above are only invited to the top tier party..........no welcome back party - Welcome champagne reception in theater for everyone and Mariner lunch with champagne and Captain's toast on last sea day
  
• Captains formal night party is dummied down - Ditto MDR above
  
• Wine tasting is now a fee - Again neutral for us
  
• Any one else care to add?
  

Not good to hear MDR has deteriorated even more than before. Even on HAL we noticed that portion sizes had shrunk. Shrimp appetizer had two little shrimp. I wonder if all lines are trying to manage waste (cost) and assuming people who really want more will ask for more rather than over serving those who would not eat all of it. :confused:

We're back too and have been out of touch with RCCL world. A couple job changes, a move back to West Coast and a last minute cancelled NCL TA that we had waited for a year to do and a recent HAL cruise to Alaska out of Seattle (home area) have filled the last bunch of years but we are considering another TA for 2019 if we can find a Miami-Copenhagen itinerary. Now that we are Platinum on RCCL we might also try X if the price and itinerary is right. So... aside from a bunch of new ships what sort of policy and other changes could we expect?

We originally booked an Inside on Amsterdam and balconies were $1,000 more per person. Then they switched the ship to Oosterdam (with lots more balconies) so we called and checked an they were down to $500 more so we switched. Three weeks out we got an email upsell offer for for Neptune suite for $699/pp or Signature Suite for $249/pp. For us $699 was still too much but $249 was definitely worth it. Yes, whether using PCC or TA it is worth it to check.

Details: Lifetime Senior Pass takes effect August 28, 2017. Currently $20 for US citizens. USGS Store

 

Access Pass, for disabled US citizens, will remain free.

If you go on any long cruise, two weeks or longer during the school year, it's a boomer cruise!

 

Ditto HAL during the school year. All bets are off after school is out for Alaska cruises though. Must have been 200 kids on Oosterdam for our June 11 sailing from Seattle right after schools were out.

They usually had one in the afternoon and one early evening, before first dinner seating. Might have been an additional one one sea days. We did not get around to attending until the last sea day. They have a small low platform type stage and rows of comfortable chairs and sofas along the side and it is sort of partitioned off from the adjoining main hallway. Acoustics were very good with hard surfaces in the stage area and soft elsewhere.

 

Probably 50% pre 1900 (like Brahms) and the rest a mix. One day was classical takes on 60's, & 70's hits - ala Boston Pops. I'll grab my daily cruise schedules (Where & When) and see what else we missed. :(

To update a somewhat older thread....

 

HAL now has Lincoln Center Stage on many of their ships (Vista class for sure) and this is a great venue for classical music (and modern done classical style). We attended an amazing Brahms "Piano Quintet" concert consisting of piano, Cello and three violins. Wish we would have dropped in on more of the concerts there.

Looks like the Eurodam runs about 2 at sea days per 7 day segments in Alaska and Caribbean.

 

Alaska sea days are, to us, not really sea days like on our transatlantics were. Alaska sea days are really coastal cruises (especially inside passage areas) with lots to see as well as good chances (for those who are patient and vigilant) to see whales and other wildlife.

 

We were very pleased with the on-demand video system on Oosterdam and could see where on another transatlantic we could easily set aside a time each day to watch a movie. Or if something is playing visit the Screening Room theater for a bigger screen and really comfortable seats (and popcorn!). But our #1 activity is camping out in the Crow's Nest with good tunes on the iPod and a good book on the Nook.

Reminds me of having to develop a corporate IT disaster recovery plan. Since every possible situation couldn't be anticipated it boiled down to broad categories of situation combinations based on scope, severity and duration and then planning recovery procedures for each combination.

 

RFID bracelets like Disney would help.

We got the same notice before our June 11 sailing. We checked in at about 11am and boarded with the rest of the wheelchair folks at 11:45 (after the suites people). Since the photographers were all set up already it was apparent they were not boarding strictly by the schedule. Not sure what the process was after we boarded but suspect they "flushed out" the very crowded waiting area fairly quickly in the order indicated on the schedule. As soon as the line got short enough they probably called the next group. Our guess was the staggered time suggestions/requests are to reduce the initial crush of people in the waiting area.

 

If they really did start at 12:30 it would just about totally eliminate anyone getting to do lunch in the MDR which was open from Noon to 1pm and fully staffed so obviously they were ready for people being onboard at Noon.

you have stamps not visas. But visas can also be affixed,

Yup, entry and exit "stamps" are common and can be done faster that you may notice when entering a country (or region like EU). When we stopped at Canary Is. (Spain) we did not get an EU entry stamp so later when we flew from Rome to Amsterdam to board flight back to USA the EU immigration control person questioned where we had entered the EU since there was no stamp in the passports. We ended up having to dig out the cruise documentation with the itinerary showing the first stop and he finally relented and gave us the required exit stamp. We thought for a moment we would be stuck at the airport for years like Tom Hanks in "The Terminal". :eek: He did make a comment under his breath about "lazy Spanish".

 

When I went to Australia on a business trip I had to get a Visa first and when my passport was returned from the consulate in San Francisco one whole passport page was covered by a physical stamp with visit details. The passport was also stamped on entry and exit.

Seattle and Vancouver are entering the driest and sunniest time of year and will likely be seeing temperatures around 80° for highs in the afternoon at sailaway time. Cool cloudy mornings due to marine layer but that burns off by noon usually. But north of these cities things cool off fast due to cold ocean water and depending on where you live your need for shorts will vary. People from Pac. NW who wear shorts pretty much all year, down to 45° will be fine for the entire cruise. Folks from far south may as well leave them home. Not to say a freak east wind blowing down off the coastal mountains might not warm it up (to 70° or so) a day or two but the odds of that are long in any given week. Cruise tours going to the interior (like Denali) can see really warm temps due to long daylight hours and no cold ocean water nearby.

The bus stop is up on the Magnolia Bridge (West Garfield). Coming from downtown direction there is a stairway down under the bridge at one end of the fish warehouse loading dock. There are signs indicating Stairway to Cruise Terminal. Once down it is about 1/3 mile to the terminal via roads likely to have a lot of cruise related traffic.

Very sensitive neck/shoulders so can't bear the thought of any weight on it. Cruise card goes in my cell phone pocket (left front pants pocket) since on cruises the cell phone isn't there.