alohayall

I skipped pages 2-5... Agree about the binoculars. Don’t poo-poo the warm clothes aspect.  Temps off the water can be cold.  As can ship interiors.  And the reverse - it may be hot.

Always to places north in the summer - a clothes clip to insure no gap in closed curtains; that 4:30 am sunrise is too bright.

Have a great trip.

I’d have no hesitation to book for Vancouver next year.  I think the lockout of ships in Canadian waters is they are being protective of themselves.  If they are open next year, I’d go if I needed the vacation.  
 

(I just booked a September cruise out of Seattle). I feel safe in cruising a 100% vaccinated cruise with reduced occupancy now.  I also went to Disney World last fall with mask, social distancing and reduced capacity restrictions, so that’s the sort of person I am.  It felt very safe in the “Disney Bubble.”  

You have to follow your own instincts and listen and follow educated guidance.  Watch the trends.  Be careful.  If you don’t feel safe, don’t do it.  This is a general life lesson.

Another one is book early if you really want to do something at a certain time and place.  Especially with so much Bonus future cruise credits out there.  Cruisers need their fix and they have credit for cruises to use (by a specified date).  Just make sure your deposit is refundable - life can be uncertain.

Vancouver is a lovely city - you see it a lot on TV shows without realizing it.

1 hour ago, quack2 said:

With your time in Juneau, I would definitely try to take the small boat excursion to Tracy Arm, either through the cruiseline or booked independently. 

 

https://www.adventureboundalaska.com

 

It's well worth the money and will leave you with unforgettable memories.  It will take much of the day, but its my favorite thing to do in Juneau. 

 

 

Tell me more.  We sailed up Tracy Arm on the cruise ship, but since have heard of people small boat excursions that get them “closer,” as being nearer the water seems to make it more intimate.  Have you done both?

For so many, a cruise to Alaska is a once in a lifetime trip - with all the unique excursions.  
 

It does really depend on what you want to do, though, on your adventure. After 4 cruises to AK, I don’t have the same urge to do as much in each place.

Some thoughts:

Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier is an easy to visit destination, very peaceful.  Makes beautiful photos.  Several short hiking trails around.  I’ve seen boating on the lake below it.  As a state capital, it is a small town.  That city tour better be interesting, because it’s not obviously a place to spend a lot of time.  Yes, whale watching is probably the #1 thing for tourists - done in combination with the glacier.  (I will probably do that combo this September.  It’s not just the whales, it’s the setting / environment.  I’ve also gone whale watching in Hawaii 2 trips and Provincetown MA. I’d love to see them in Dominican Republic.  Use that as a reference to my view on whale watching.)

Ketchikan - Yawn as a town (this is a theme).  Pretty little totem park, fun, fast flowing creek near the old brothel area.  Some big tourist stores.  Cannery by the water.  Nice long jetty to walk to your ship.  Best thing in town - Bald Eagles.  Free viewing near the cannery.  Lumberjack Show is hokey for one visit.  I’ve not done totem excursions - saw them in the park.  Did a flight into/ over the Tongass Forrest - beautiful, with a landing on a glacier-fed lake.  Had fun in a self-drive Zodiac boat tour.  
 

Skagway - don’t blink or you will miss it.  Maybe 800 people live here.  It was a jumping off point for the Yukon Gold Rush.  If you like history, find an excursion that covers this.  Yes, the expensive heli tours are here.  We booked one the day we were there after taking a train ride up and down a mountain.  Great fun.  Second heli tour of my life.  Sister did hike, bike, float trip.  AK is great outdoors.  This is a cute town with some fun architecture along its wooden sidewalks.  There’s a pub at the end of the street with decent food.  Fudge stores.  A building whose outside is decorated with antlers.  

Icy Strait Point - is on my schedule for this September.  First visit.  Looking forward to riding the ZipRider - longest one in the world, almost a quarter mile down 1300 feet elevation change.  People whale and bear watch, too.  
 

Hubbard Glacier - well, you don’t leave the boat for this. It is beautiful to most people (I would be one of them).  Bring out the camera and binoculars,  spend a bunch of time on deck.  Dress warmly. It will probably be cold. As will most of the week, indoors or out, including dinner.
 

Your travel agency has offered you a schedule fit for 80 year olds; no offense to active 80 year olds or you or if that’s what interests you.

You can just walk around the town and then enjoy the ship you paid to be on; if you need relaxation, you will have a lot of space to yourself.

This is not intended to be mean.  When you look back at this trip, what do want to recall that could give you good memories? Plan those accordingly.  
 

City tours here are not like visiting Europe. No beautiful old buildings or artwork.  (There is a whale mural by Wyland on the side of a building in Anchorage).

... we drove into Canada from Skagway.  Beautiful, at times almost other-worldly.  But I am not sure Canada is letting us in.  And car rentals are very expensive or hard to find right now in most places, thanks to the virus.
 

I hope your cruise sails and you have the great experience doing what makes YOU TWO happy experiencing Alaska.  (and that you can afford).

I love cruises to Alaska!

Glacier Bay, July 2013

This was Tracy Arm in 2011.  One glacier at the end of a day of cruising. We headed after the Carnival Ship left. The glacier appeared “dirtier” than others I have viewed.  I have not picked this route again (it was Disney, which has priced me out from their AK cruises.  We can get balconies elsewhere for the price of an inside).

Sometimes the view is less than ideal; still beautiful.

Mendenhall Glacier, July 2015

You can get this close...

You don’t get the “calving” experience, but should in Glacier Bay.

Last week, I saw the sale and sailing for NCL to AK this year and booked for August.  I have sailed to AK 4 times, and thought a new cruise line and 2 new destinations (Icy Strait Point and Endicott Arm) would be fun.  
 

But I like the cruises to Glacier Bay... so I switched to September.  Still get to try Hoonah in Icy Strait.

[My favorite is College Fjords, but it’s not an option for you (nor would it be, if trying to save money, as it involves a one-way cruise and a flight home from AK).  And not on your list of choices.]

You can see a beautiful glacier in Juneau... Mendenhall Glacier.  No matter which cruise you take.
 

I’d vote for Icy Strait Point and Glacier Bay - and I did with my cruise reservation!

NCL Encore, Sep 11.

From a Disney cruiser:  these NCL prices are great!  A regular balcony next May to AK is $10K for 2 people.  (It was $7K in 2018).  Beats $3-4K on NCL, Celebrity...

And they sell out at those prices.  It’s not 3x better.

Looking forward to NCL soon.

What was the point of this thread?  Chastise the US for our stubbornness in not vaccinating?  Trying to convince us to put our cruise-planning energy and excitement into convincing stubborn people to get vaccinated?  
 

Yep, here on a website to chat with other cruise fanatics, comes a post that is neither a question for information or giving information that will help others.

But it did give several people a chance to interact.

I have a PIF Disney cruise that got bumped.  The second date is not officially cancelled, but I don’t believe a November cruise is happening.  I haven’t expected them to cruise since May 2020.  So far, that’s true.  
 

I saw NCL cruises going to Alaska this summer.  This was after they changed from the Bliss to the Encore.  I’ve bitten the bullet and took their offer.  30% off.  Expires in 4 days.  Then it ran again.  It’s on another time.  I don’t think it’s filling fast enough.  
 

I even booked flights on airline miles.  At least they can be re-deposited.  Cruise deposit is refundable.  Full payment date is approaching, but it can be a future cruise if necessary (hoping it’s not a corporate bankruptcy - but also not a pricy cruise).  All along, not totally expecting it to happen.  But hoping it will.  
 

Why now?  100% vaccinated cruise with reduced capacity.  Take tourist $$ to Alaska.  Which includes the big $$ the cruise lines turn in for each port.  Those port fees we pay are for the government of those towns to use for public expenses.

And I book in advance not just to pick my cabin, but to get a better airfare - but most importantly, to have the fun of planning.  A cruise May last a week, but two months of planning is two months of learning about a place.  Mother always told me, “Planning is half the fun.”  She was right.  She failed to mention the other half was actually thinking and talking about it afterwards (for years!). I have some photos if you’d like to see them...

The Encore is currently in SE Asia, dropping OFF crew members from other ships.  Employees were moved from the Joy to the Bliss to do Alaska.  Now that arrangement is moot.  It does not look promising for a quick restart, but if they can do 10 cruises successfully in AK, it’s a move forward.

... And the Europeans have been sailing along on their ships.  Despite slow vaccination rates in some countries.  It takes 3 months between doses in England!

Good job, OP, you allowed another person to go on a rant.  I had fun.

Never tried it, but found this on Google:

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/38/7b/4f/387b4fd955419f73382f52c57f1847ee.jpg

Just stumbled on this now, and am trying to catch up. I wish there was a way to just see OP's posts. These should be copy/pasted somewhere special in cruisecritic.com so they can be utilized more easily.

Try a different "DISPLAY MODE" - in the blue bar above the posts - on the right - select "Threaded Mode"

It might be what you are looking for.

Thanks for all the info Sherri!

Someone referenced your review on our cruises' thread - when I saw you as OP, I thought, "I've seen that woman before - I wonder if she has been on one of my cruises." Nope - I had read about your European adventure. The references to Helen Hunt, the broken nose and Too Tall Taylor is like finding mention of classic literature in a modern story.

After cruising Disney and Princess the last few years, I closed my eyes and made the jump over to Royal Caribbean and the Allure. It is a bit intimidating moving into a different line - and I go and pick the biggest cruise ship in the world to make the transition smooth.

I read Gambee's review (BIG thanks for that - it helped with the initial nerves) and am now hoping we'll see the end of this one by March 10 around 11:30 am (when we are heading to the port). I only realized at page 14 that I had started reading a magazine serial, not a finished novel. February is historically a slow month for natural disasters, I'm hoping.

However, I DID manage to snag an INCREDIBLE photo of the amazing carpet in the Lounge (don't laugh; I thought it was cool. For some reason, it evoked memories of Van Gogh's "Starry Night"...anyone else get that vibe? Or is it just me??!!)

 

On my Facebook page, on January 8, I posted a photo of that carpet for my nieces with this "Allure of the Seas - carpet - did they watch the Van Gogh episode of Doctor Who -" The carpet was not created by the folks naming the Pool Bar - although they weren't exactly original, were they? just a fun sense of taste.

... Now for 2 questions

The first is probably better answered by Amy - what time did you board (since she's Gold v your Diamond)

and

On the "private public balconies" - is smoking allowed?

I'll try to wait patiently and get the popcorn ready for further installments :)

PS: Love the caption under one of the photos - "Anyone, anyone, Buehler?"