alohayall

I’m going with 1. Timing. The price may change for either, depending on how far out from your sail date.  And length of cruise.

But I think it’s about consumption and demographics.  Perhaps they have found passengers on Anthem actually drink more.  Is Brilliance an older ship, possibly with an older crowd?

Just some thoughts.

And yet, how do individually purchased drink prices compare?  I am guessing that’s pretty even.

Following along.  Keep it coming…

Readers could throw in a few good dog photos, too.  Well, good dog photos is redundant, isn’t it.

I wondered about Wonderland, not necessarily on the Wonder, for a solo diner. Thanks for the perspective.  You confirmed my suspicions.

On 4/21/2022 at 9:44 AM, baelor said:

Thanks.  I think our inclination at this point is to skip Chops and opt for 150 CP, Wonderland, and a third restaurant (maybe either Jamie's or Hooked).

Welcome to cruising!  Hope you have a great time.  All these return cruisers let you know that food has not kept them from returning to the sea.  (I am sure there are many people whose dining experiences made cruising a been-there, done that experience).

I have only done one RC cruise (without doing specialty dining), but have read lots of reviews in preparation for a cancelled cruise and it’s replacement next month.

I could join you in your choices.  Generalized review: 150CP seems to be the winner (where available) over Chops. Wonderland has people saying they liked the food but thought it was over-hyped. But they loved the beef and the World dessert. Not a lot of reviews of Hooked. Maybe it’s not on so many ships? (Or the ones I’ve considered).  Jamie’s seems to be love it or hate it. Where Giovanni’s has replaced Jamie’s, people seem happier.  (Maybe it’s a British chef v. Italian name that leads to an expectation.)

I’ve opted for buying just one Specialty meal on my upcoming cruise - Jamie’s for lunch.  I know it will be too much food, but I will just eat what I want (but knowing I will get four courses).  I ate at a Jamie’s Italian in England and am going to one at sea; I expect to be satisfied.

And the best steaks I have had at sea have come from Italian restaurants on Disney and Norwegian.  
 

I cannot believe they call that aberration in the photo beef stroganoff.  At least not as Americans know it.  Where is the sour cream sauce smothering everything?  (I am so thankful people post photos on the internet.)

I appreciate hearing that food preparation in a restaurant can change within a week - and even at the same table.  Despite food preferences being so subjective -  you can realize that people’s less favorable reviews might have been different with a different piece of meat.

Bon Voyage and Bon Appetit!

Now I feel like I just took a cruise.  You certainly communicated your week in a way that someone who cruises could have a virtual experience. Glad to her your fish and her support team had a good time.  Next time, I’m guessing potty trained, so no limits on her swimming?

Cozumel - was the resort next door accommodating diaper wearers, hence your taxi driver’s statement that you should have gone to it instead?

(I think Odyssey is a Quantum Ultra Class ship.  Okay - just checked. The Anthem ship is also a Quantum class.  Just semantics.  I don’t want you to get flamed by others.).

Thanks. 

Menus were previously showing for our May 4 Quantum sailing (1st of the AK season).  They were heavy on Asian cuisine (the ship had been in Singapore).

Now, the offerings are Kids’ and Vegan menus (with desserts for same) AND wine.  Are those groups that difficult dining companions?

And it still might not be available.  Ours was a few days late in opening.  

Not the mountains, but it shows where you are. I think people could stand behind the sign, too.
 

The pier at Haines.

Do a Google search for “Haines Alaska pier” and you will see that there is a beautiful mountain inland, behind the shore and town.  

It can be hard to get smaller / half portions in some dining rooms.  Don’t sweat it.

And you don’t have to share your reasons.  Order what you want. Eat what you want.  Don’t deny yourself an item / course because you can’t clean every plate.

I left food on my plate and would say, thank you, that was good, now I am saving room for the next course.  Smile.  And no problem.  Especially for-fee dining.  (I did get half a lovely filet mignon boxed to go when I couldn’t finish it.  It was great the next morning for breakfast.)

You don’t have to order kids’ food. But you can if you want to.

Bon Voyage and Bon Appetit.

Thanks for this. I was wondering what she would be doing before the AK season begins on May 4.  … And wondering if we would truly sail that date.  She was near Singapore when I checked her a few days ago.

If you can do WDW during the week before the Dec 8 sailing, you will find lower crowds.  The first two weeks in December have been great times for us to travel (land or cruise) over the years. Thanksgiving is on Nov 23, 2023, so flight prices should not be affected by post-Thanksgiving travelers.  It may add an extra week of shoulder-season crowds and pricing.  (Disney tickets are date-specific, based on estimated/ historical crowd size).

If you look at the newer ships, make sure the bells and whistles are something you actually are interested in. 
 

You may need that $$ you can save on the cruise to help cover the ever-rising price of Disney World!

Transportation from Fort Lauderdale or Miami - Brightline is scheduled to be operating trains sometime in 2023.  If you cruise out of one of these, keep an eye out for this option.

Possible savings on Black Friday on cruises, drinks, various packages.

I vote for Option #1, based on what you have presented as your original criteria.

3 hours ago, CruisingSince1982 said:

Oh ok. My cruise is a loooooong time away. November 2023. Was just curious! 

I keep reading about Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals on drink, dining packages. You may want to do a search for that online or on this forum.  Or someone might chime in.  (Or post as a question)

I’d expect them to kick it out. It should say “pending” while they review your submission.  Eventually, you should see that you need to resubmit the photo of your card.  I had to resubmit my card.  In the meantime, they had already issued my Set Sail Pass. You will have to show your cards at the port, anyway, so don’t sweat it.

Since pre-entry testing is not required (as of April 1), the cruise terminal address is your quarantine address, as stated by the PP.  

Government quarantine facilities are for those who cannot provide for themselves.  You should expect to house yourself in a hotel if needed.

Do you have pre-Cruise testing to do after arrival in Canada or will you do that at home?

Have you considered using a telehealth-proctored test with immediate test results?  They cost around $33, order online to carry with you, and require data access on your phone.  

Are you a fully vaccinated traveler?

Do you have the means to pay for a hotel for the duration of a quarantine?  
 

I just checked their website; it looks like a Yes to both of those is going to make it easier for you. 
 

Further investigation is needed, as I sail on May 4 with a stop in Victoria. I think I read something recently about their newest set of requirements (being eased).  

Not an answer to your question, but Taxifinder shows the average taxi from Aloha Tower to HNL as $31.90.

I have used HUI car rental, which is a time-based rental (think partial day) to be a great find. A two-hour rental is ~$22, cheaper than the taxi to the airport.  All day can be $109.  
 

Pick-up and drop-off locations are across Oahu, including Aloha Tower (you do not have to drop-off at same location as pick-up).  
 

You need data on your phone to use the app to open the door and start the car.  And have added the app at least 24 hours before use.

When staying overnight in Oahu, you can avoid the $$ hotel parking.  Many of their vehicles are Prius, avoiding using expensive HI gas prices. 
 

Aloha.

I’ve only sailed Royal once before - 9 years ago, so no idea when this came about.  
 

It’s a pretty good deal on my cruise - 7 (or more) possible meals — gratuities included.  That’s $23 per meal.  They are charging $55 for dinner at Chop’s (I’m probably spelling that wrong).  
 

But it’s also a lot of food; I realized it would be too much for me, and I ended booking one dinner at Jamie’s for $45.

You’ve got to know if your eyes are bigger than your stomach.

Bon appetite!

From the Royal website, for my cruise:

”Savor the savings with the Unlimited Dining Package! For one low price, you can enjoy multiple entrees and visit multiple specialty restaurants every night of your sailing. And as an added perk, this unlimited package also applies to lunch at specialty restaurants on sea days. Plus, enjoy a discount of 40% off bottles of wine under $100 and 20% off bottles above $100 while dining in specialty restaurants.

Not valid for premium experiences including: Wine Pairing Dinners, Taste of Royal, and Mystery Dinner Theater.

For restaurants with a la carte pricing, you'll receive a $20 food credit.*

For ships with these venues, Teppanyaki/Izumi Hibachi is included, with a $10 surcharge, Chef's Table is included, with a $49.99 surcharge, and Dadong is included, with a $35 surcharge. These will be charged once onboard.*”

Pricing is dynamic from ship to ship and sailing to sailing.  
 

This is the precruise price; they state it is 50% off (we are at the 38-day mark.  I don’t think anything, excursion, drinks…. Was available until fairly recently).

our ship has Chop’s, Jamie’s (these two also offer lunch), Izumi (no hibachi from what I can see), Chef’s Table, and possibly Wonderland?  

You can dine at most of the for-fee Specialty Restaurants the entire cruise when they are open - some offer lunch in addition to dinner.  The restaurants vary by ship.

On my upcoming cruise on Quantum OTS, 5 nights to Alaska in low season, it is $160 pp.  It states you can eat at more than one restaurant each meal (I guess you could do a progressive supper, if you can get reservations).  The two Sea Days have two restaurants available for lunch.  
 

Let me grab some info…

No offense taken; it just was not not a negative impact on my time.  I have been fortunate to visit Ketchikan several times, so just walk around town most days. This time, our first excursion actually left from Ward Cove, so that was an easy walk, followed by a bus trip in and out of town.  
 

For those trying to connect with independent tours, I am amazed that anybody is on time (that’s probably hyperbole), but it feels that I’ve seen lots of delayed arrivals.

And, yes, for those who don’t know to do research on cruise details, docking can provide a surprise, if you expect to pull up right in downtown and walk off the ship.  Cruises to Rome dock 1.5 hours away.  I usually end up at AJ? Pier in Juneau (so no easy walk back).
 

I do research my cruises as much as I can, so I am not usually surprised - IF I can get information from port authority websites or other sources. Sometimes it is not easy or clear.

I was glad to see Royal Caribbean list a port stop for May as Ketchikan (Ward Cove). 
 

I do think the average cruiser would book their excursions through the ship and then follow the leader to the transportation.  This doesn’t excuse the cruise lines from giving better information.

I think my cruises have always docked at the far pier. And there has always been a shuttle that drops off near the Mt Roberts Tram.  Otherwise, it would not have been a comfortable walk for someone with mobility limitations.

Have a great cruise.

Looks like a great plan.  The original one left me tired, just from reading it.  Too many short connections between activities, with no room for activities running late.

Nice price on the Pan Pacific (for Vancouver; but you are going shoulder season).  Such a subdued, refined hotel.  
 

If you have never been to Vancouver, a walk out the front door in either direction will give you a nice sightseeing glimpse of the area; Olympic flame to the West or Gastown to the East.  A free excursion between breakfast and cruise check-in downstairs.
 

We flew with Island Wings back in 2011. I have only heard good things from others, too.

White Pass Railroad. My response was been-there, done-that. But we also did a helicopter ride that afternoon. So maybe my memory is a comparison of long and slow v. high and fast.  Definitely depends on your interests (and how tired you are by that point.)

I’d let you plan our next AK cruise vacation.  I was taught that planning was half the fun. Looking back over the years is great, too.  These forums are great for reliving happy vacations.

This is my favorite type of boat for whale watching. (Ship excursion, photography whale watch, Juneau).  No jostling for a good viewing location.

Other than questioning your driving around bear country on tour own, it sounds like you will have a great time (especially since you picked out the activities).

I have gone whale watching four out of five cruises to AK.  And Hawaii and Massachusetts. It’s something you love or could be a been-there done-that experience. I think my ISP experience was better than Juneau.

Ketchikan is totally walkable. 

I base my choice on excursions. I loved my visit to Icy Strait Point last year - did whale watching and ZipRider. For just walking around, I’d probably skip it.

One visit to Haines for a really lackluster wildlife viewing boat ride (better eagle viewing in downtown Ketchikan). Not much to do here.  It’s a very small community.

I love Glacier Bay - nearly a full day cruising, with multiple glaciers (and yet not as good as College Fjord, which is seen on one-way Northbound cruises).  I have seen Hubbard Glacier and Sawyer Glacier - they are all pretty spectacular if you like glaciers. 

Victoria - if you can get there in time to visit Butchart Gardens, that’s a beautiful spot.  Arriving in the late evening is rather disappointing that you are there just for a technicality.  Can’t bike or do activities after dark.

I have never been on a ship where I didn’t need a sweater (or more) for inside.  AK or the Caribbean.