Dayenu

Depending on the family... do you really want to take the blame for something you planned or didn't plan when something goes wrong?

Hi, I need some advice.

 

This will be my first cruise to Alaska. I'm considering two. The one-way is more expensive than the round-trip, especially because of the airfare.

 

Is the extra expense worth it to go one-way and see College Fjord? Any other considerations?

 

One-way itinerary:

1 Vancouver

2 At Sea

3 Ketchikan 6:30 AM to 02:00 PM

4 Juneau 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM

5 Skagway 7:00 AM to 8:30 PM

6 Glacier Bay National Park (Scenic Cruising)

7 College Fjord (Scenic Cruising)

8 Anchorage

 

Round-trip itinerary:

1 Seattle, Washington

2 At Sea

3 Juneau 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM

4 Skagway 6:00 AM to 8:15 PM

5 Glacier Bay National Park (Scenic Cruising)

6 Ketchikan 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM

7 Victoria 7:00 PM to 11:59 PM

8 Seattle

 

Thank you!

Enough beautiful places to see on both, and sometimes fjord cruisings are not as expected when the ship cannot go all the way into a fjord as planned (happened to us). As the ports are similar, I would pick the round trip to save some money for the next vacation.

 

I was just making sure we could still board as long as we are there before 3PM or if we are SOL because we can't board at our deck time.

Your ship departs at 4, this means, everyone must be on board by 3, one hour before the scheduled sailing time. Check-in takes time, so you must be there by 2.30.

Sailing is not like taking a train or a plane, you must be there earlier than scheduled.

Whenever we go to the Caribbeans, our sons ask us to buy them local rum. We have a nice large wine shop that carries imported drinks, so we get several bottles and pass them as souvenirs from our cruise. They still don't know :p

Hi ya'll, I'm new to the site and new to cruising. We booked a cruise awhile back and we are super excited. So much so we got pregnant! I'll be entering my 24th week on the last day of the cruise and I just found out that is a no no to cruise at any point during your 24th week. How do the cruise lines verify how far along I am? Do they actually call my midwife and talk to her? What about HIPPA protection...do I have to sign something saying they can talk to her? What if I don't tell them I am pregnant or tell them it’s none of their business if they ask? I am showing and won't be able to really hide it....although we are going to Alaska so it's not like I'll be in my bathing suit.

I realize many on here will have an opinion but I'd like to keep this thread for facts. Does anyone have any first hand experience of cruising while pregnant and what the process is like?

Thank you in advance.

Mary Beth

Just a few days ago there was a post from a woman who was 20 weeks pregnant. She was not allowed to board without her doctor's note.

I hope you have insurance that will refund all you paid for the cruise so far.

Just think positive:

you ARE going on a holiday

there are many people who cannot afford a holiday, or don't have enough vacation time

you can take another cruise later

you are going on a holiday :D (and I am not :( )

If you like to sleep in the dark, you won't have issues with lights. There should be light by the entrance door, 2 lights by the bed, one on each side. Also light(s) by the desk to put makeup on, your TV will give an additional light - and it will have a channel that shows the view of the cam outside.

If you worry about waking up your husband, you can leave the bathroom or closet light on, or bring a night light that you can plug in.

I have a cheap wrist watch, easy to change time. Don't have to wear it, can toss in the purse, not to get a suntan line.

On the ship - yes, put it in the carry-on in case they want to see that it's not alcohol.

If you fly, you may be required to check in with the suitcase, depends on how large the bottle is.

OMG, I am already in the 60+ age range, where did the time go :rolleyes:

NO. My age is 49.95 plus shipping and handling :D

Hi there! What a lovely sign-in name you have ;)

2-3 weeks prior start putting things in a certain place, marking them off the list. Pack suitcase the weekend before. Last minute things (cell phone cord, cards, snacks for the flight) the night before the trip.

Why don't you check the cruises going North? To Canada and back, or one way. We cruised in that area, and traveled on land, and loved both.

Can anyone suggest the best way to keep track of who owes what when it comes to paid deposits, expenses, etc?

 

I guess I'm looking for some sort of template that will keep track of... who paid how much of a deposit and how much they owe, splitting the cost of rental cars, hotels, and other expenses.

 

When vacationing with friends and multiple families, what do you do?

For expenses that are shared equally, we designate a wallet, and everybody puts in the same amount of cash. When run out of money, get some more in. Of course, it's not as easy as for somebody to keep track, and at the end I can write you a check, but this way no charge is forgotten.

I saw service dogs for blind on the ships only twice. Even though I am not a pet person, I admired those well-behaved helpers.

I take a bus to/from work every day, and often on weekends. Most often it would be a canine or feline companion of a mentally sick person, if a pet is on the bus. Haven't seen this kind on ships.

I would rather err and allow "fake" service pets on the ship than to keep somebody at home.

We had to call 911 (yes, ON the ship) from the cabin when a relative got sick. The nurse on duty came to give a shot. Paid out of pocket and got a copy of paperwork for insurance reimbursement. I think the charge was in the $100-$120 area.

1) ship must take us where we want to go

2) ship must sail at the time when I can get time off work (husband retired)

3) ship must have a desirable (for us) cabin available

4) the price must be right for us

May be not in this order, but these are our deal-breakers.

[QUOQTE=Dayenu;50607720]As for soda - each type has caffeine in it: Coke, 7-UP, Sprite. If you are addicted, what are you going to do?

I don't think 7-up or Sprite continue caffeine.....

There is a non-caffeine Sprite also.

I have clothing made out of bamboo - the fabric feels great, soft, huggly :) Natural fibers - for those who try to avoid synthetics.

As for soda - each type has caffeine in it: Coke, 7-UP, Sprite. If you are addicted, what are you going to do?

I don't think you drink juice on the ship. Real juice is labeled "fresh squeezed" and they charge for it. What they give away as "juice" is a sugary watered drink with little juice in it. If you don't believe me, wait to see how they fill juice containers or glasses.

Let me start by saying, I know very little about art and have never purchased art while cruising. Do most pieces sell for more than their actual value?

 

I'm cruising next month and was curious about the onboard process of buying art. Pros, cons, or things to avoid.

 

Thanks

Even the sellers admit, those are not paintings. They are "limited edition copies" - whatever it means! Art is sold in art galleries, in art exhibits, not on ships.

If you have money, spend thousands on originals from trusted vendors on land. If you don't, don't waste them on cheap imitations.

Does anyone know what can be done when NCL (Europe) customer services are not understanding the concept of your complaint or taking any type of responsibility. I have stated clear 'misrepresentation' however they are just not interested at all! Where can I go to now to take this further as I am finding it extremely hard to make any contact with their Miami office? Can anyone offer any advice please? I have heard NCL are particularly bad when dealing with post cruise issues.

Misrepresentation is a serious accusation, may require an attorney to start a class action law suit.

This depends on how advanced dementia is, how functional she is, if she gets agitated or not, will she listen to you when you ask her to go with you.

I know a couple where the man loves cruising, but his wife cannot leave him alone, so this makes visiting activities a bit problematic as he can't participate.

I also know another couple where the man was high functioning, and assured his partner that he will find the cabin - and disappeared. They found him somewhere on the ship, thankfully, it was on a sea day.

If your mom likes to walk away, how will you make sure she is in the cabin? She can easily open the door. Can you get some sort of traveler's alarm to put on the door, if needed?

While the dangers to a pregnant woman and her baby cannot be understated, Zika is pretty much a non-event for everyone else.

Sorry, but this may be not so. Some male (yes, men) athletes are cancelling their Olympic appearance in August, fearing the virus. They don't get sick, but if they want to have a baby, the virus can be transmitted even if they feel healthy.