mapsmith

In Ketchikan, on Creek Street, in the building next to Dolly's is an artist who sells t-shirts of his paintings.

http://normanjackson.com/

I would expect he may also have ties, but it has been 5 years since my last Alaska Cruise.

BTW the T-Shirt is of an Inuit Bear. (red on black) Have had several people in Tucson tell me that they are familiar with his work.

Take AQ or a suite and go to Blu. You can get a decent steak there every day if that is what you are looking for. Like a lot of people we like the food in Blu very much. Don't care about escargot every day or white gloves. Food is so much to the specific liking of a single person. What's great for somebody might be gross for somebody else ( f.e. Escargot ). So for me leave the price where it is and if you want something "more" you can either go to a special restaurant or choose a "luxurious" line.

 

 

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Totally agree. This is the solution for the OP. Having only been on X once and was lucky enough to get Aqua Class for a song, Blu has the best food that I have had on any of my 13 cruises. I still have the pictures (food porn) of all of our dishes from Blu.

A suggestion.

Maybe a cousin's Daughter is a) getting married and you have been invited? (includes wedding clothes for Elegant/formal night)

b) said cousin's daughter is getting ready to have a child and wants you two to be godparents at the christening. (again would have to take a suit)

c) and the one I would fall for. A combined 60th birthday party in Key West. (maybe if the ship stops there.) But you have to fly to Ft. Lauderdale and drive down.

But the birthday trip to a resort that turns out to be a cruise would be great. Allows for the anticipation and planning that makes travel fun.

I don't think anyone said there weren't flights to/from LAX. My issue is that to fly from LAX instead of SNA would take me an extra two hours to get there for an about 1-hour flight and cost me a lot more to get to LAX. Not worth it to me. I don't mind that for a 6- or 11-hour flight as it's worth the inconvenience. I use AA miles and haven't paid for a flight, including First Class to Beijing and again to Venice this year. Yeah, picky, picky. :)

You could also take the short drive to Tijuana and take the flights from there.

Living in Tucson, a couple of misconceptions on the thread need to be clarified.

First, there is regularly scheduled flights from LAX to TUS. United has a jungle jet. And American Airlines also flies small jets to and from Tucson to Los Angeles. Southwest makes connections in Las Vegas for Tucson to Los Angeles.

Aeromexico technically still has access to gates in Tucson. They haven't been used in about 10 years but there is still an International Terminal and facilities for CBP at Tucson International Airport. (small planes do make the trip over the border all the time.

You do need a passport or passport card to cross the border (except sometimes like spring break, CBP will just caution you.)

However, you do not need Mexican Auto Insurance to drive from Phoenix or Tucson to Puerto Penasco, although it is probably a good idea. Your US Insurance usually will cover you in Sonora, but not if you are driving through Baja California (Norte).

Crossing the border can be a pain, but it is usually coming from Mexico to the US where the hold up is. Having the proper papers always helps. And don't try to bring back any contraband. (We used to buy a bag of oranges, since we knew they were not allowed to cross the border and just handed them to the CBP. Seemed to make a difference in that it appeared that we knew what was allowed.)

Can't wait for a Home Port 3 hours away from Tucson.

By the way the drive from Tucson (and to a lesser extent from Phoenix) travels through some of the most beautiful Desert areas available (Including right through the Middle of Organ Pipe National Monument.) On the other side, just to the west of the highway to Rocky Point is the Pinacate Natural Area (Mexico's sort of National Park) with dramatic cinder cone Volcanoes.

Bow tie with Tux OR Bolo.

Regular necktie with Dress Shirt, (with or without jacket)

Bolo Tie when feeling Southwestern. (I have about 6 various ones including a rare Pacific Northwest Indian Silver one)

My DH's favorite "Hawaiian" shirt was purchased in Alaska. It has all the usual animals, bears, moose, wolves. It also has pictures of planes AND cruise ships!!:D:D:D

Take my money now! Hawaiian Shirt with a Moose. Gotta have it.

Your post actually made me feel better about not spending any money on excursions. I trying to booked a second (technically 1st trip before my planned Nov. one) and thought I should budget in an excursion from Carnival in one of the ports but now knowing that I shouldn't, that means more money to waste on alcoholic beverages. :D Which technically means whatever I do in Port Canaveral is my 1st excursion, just haven't decide yet if its Disney, Sea World or Universal.

My vote is for SeaWorld. The others are best experienced over a couple of days rather than in a single day.

Although you did not mention Cape Canaveral. The history is amazing. And even though NASA is winding down, they do still have a few rockets that launch from there.

Also a single day trip and an excursion would work well.

Like a lot of others here, we have taken a few cruises. Sometimes it may make sense to take an excursion. Other times not.

Ship excursions that we have taken.

Stingray City in Grand Cayman (Carnival Paradise) This was our first cruise and first excursion.

Xunantunich in Belize. Carnival Miracle. Because it is a 7 hour excursion and the ship was in Port for 7.5 hours. Took a ship sponsored excursion because the ship was to wait on us (we were on the next to last tender)

St Thomas with Godfrey. First non ship sponsored excursion. Found out about him on CC. Only problem was our ship left 1/2 hour before he thought it would and we almost didn't make it back. Godfrey himself was speeding through town. I was literally the last person up the Gangplank.

Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau Alaska. We just found a vendor at the dock and used them. Worked out fine.

Places where we did not take excursions because it didn't make sense.

Grand Turk. The beach is right there. There really is not much else to do for non-scuba people.

Nassau. Enough to do downtown without an excursion. Most excursions seem to go to Atlantis. Not interested.

St. Maarten. see Nassau

Cozumel. our least favorite port. Unless you want to lie on a beach or go to an all-inclusive, or shop, not much. I mean, I am on a ship that is all-inclusive with a pool. And I have seen Diamonds International enough in my life.

Ketchikan. Enough to do downtown.

Vancouver and San Juan. Love both enough that I have been there other than on a cruise ship. Same with Key West.

Places that I may book excursions that I have not made it to yet.

Colon, Panama. Great Britain, Baltics.

So, if we know a port, we usually don't take any excursions.

Although, I basically have an iron stomach and never felt the need for any anti-seasickness assistance. (The only time I "chummed" the water was on a 30 fishing boat off the coast of Texas when a storm was coming in)

I saw these http://www.psibands.com/ at the Travel Goods Show a couple of weeks ago. They seem to be really good and the inventor was a lady who took the knitted ones and improved upon them. She tried the knitted ones when she had morning sickness, but had problems keeping them properly adjusted to the correct point. So she used an adjustable pressure spot in a plastic watch type band.

The Science is there, and they supposedly work for morning sickness so they should work at least as well for seasickness.

Exactly like Budget Queen Says.

If you are overwhelmed by the information. Wait until you actually get there and be overwhelmed by the scenery.

Your locally owned mapstore (like mine!) is always a decent choice for maps of the islands and regions. Most also have Guide Books too!

Don't do the comedy shows, but I do go to the bars/club and I do stay up till the wee hours. But I do that at home too (on weekends). :D I do not however, get up to watch the sunrise. I am not a morning person.

For guys over 50 "wee hours" may have a significantly different meaning.

There are several other good maps of Alaska, (most available from your local Map Dealer like me or even on line)

1. ITMB Alaska $12.99 retail. ITMB is based in Vancouver and has great maps. They also have a retail store under the Richmond stop on the Monorail toward the airport.

2. RKH Alaska $14.95 to $17.95 retail. Reise Know How is a German Tour Company that publishes probably the most detailed maps of German Tourist Destinations available. Maps are topographic and have wonderful detail of hiking trail, roads, lakes, and so on.

3. The Milepost claims to be the "Bible of North Country Travel" and it truly is. It also includes a very detailed 'tear out' map that would work for a wall. Plus they have individual maps printed in the book, of specific places, including a very good one for the inside passage. The new edition of the Milepost is now out and for the first time in about 6 years it has a price increase to $34.99. But you can often find older versions in used book stores.

These are my opinions because I sell them in my store.

Is there a market for Cruise Luggage Tags. Saw some last week at the Travel Goods Show in Phoenix. (Plastic sleeve type luggage tag that the print out ones fit into. Attach to the bags with a nylon strap) About $10 retail. Trying to decide if it is worth it to put them into my shop.

I seem to remember that they were available in the MDR. Or I had a really good waiter who scrounged them up. The White Gravy was decent but was not a true "Gunpowder" Gravy with cracked pepper.

Maybe you need to ask in the MDR.

I just picked these up at the Travel Goods Show last week.

http://www.seattlesportsco.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=1951&idcategory=120

They are waterproof to three meters. (good enough for snorkeling) They also are essentially dust and sand proof. They make several styles and colors.

They also work for Cell Phones and operate through the plastic. They even now have one big enough for an iPad!!! The pic shows one that allows you to even use headphones with it. (There is a patch cord that goes to the socket, but the socket into the bag is waterproof. And yes there are waterproof headphones out there)

They sell for about $15 from most outdoor stores.

Living in Tucson, with the current drought, I do not have any first hand experience with these as yet. But you can bet I will be taking one on my next cruise to give it the Ultimate Test.

I have felt safer in Nassau than in Miami.

We were on a cruise that also had Dialysis at Sea. We did not use it, but we did have a member of our Roll Call whose husband was a patient. It actually seemed like a decent deal. (the Fee for Dialysis at Sea was broken down by all the participants. The fee included the machine(s), fluids, and technicians' fare.) On a seven day cruise, they had dialysis days scheduled for two sea days and a short port day, so the patients could take the best advantage of the Cruise and the Dialysis without having to give up too much of their time on the cruise.

We fly Southwest almost exclusively. Families with kids under a certain age board after the A group, not first. Children flying solo board first.

 

I've not noticed hoards of people boarding early because of physical handicaps. They have to have a blue folder to do so, but I don't know how you qualify for one of those.

 

These observations have been made in Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, Tampa and Orlando. Your mileage may vary.

You get a blue folder by asking at the desk for preboarding because you need more time because of a disability. Seldom do they ask what the disability is. (Bum Knees or a bad back seem to be used a lot)

Check the Florida Departures board here on CC

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495

We have done the Tri Rail a couple of times. It MIGHT be cheaper, but we have had mixed results. We used it a couple of years ago, but did not want to wait for the Miami People mover to take us downtown and then either walk across the bridge or get a taxi from downtown to the dock. So we took a cab. The taxi from the Tri Rail Station was the same as the cab from MIA or $24. Tri Rail from West Palm to MIA on Sat was only $5/pp. So it was about a $50 trip. We did not take it back north, but during the Weekdays, TriRail is a little more expensive than during the Weekend. And you have to get to the station from Port. Again either cabbing it or walking to the People mover station.

Getting to your lodging by TriRail does not really make much sense. The Tri Rail follows I-95. So you would have to take the shuttle from the airport to the Tri Rail Station, take the TriRail a few stops north, then get off and catch a public bus to your lodging. I think that you would probably find a cab from the airport to Las Olas area would be cheaper and less time consuming.

You have a decent idea, but I am not sure that it is worth the time involved.

I love their non stops BUT am so tired of them allowing wheelchair people and people with children to board first. They also allow people with medical cards to. Over the holidays when the boarding started, a dad with a small child was up with the gate attendant and she yelled back and said the entire family could board - it included gramma and grampa plus an aunt and uncle and more kids. It really made many people including me mad because they did not purchase the early boarding option. Same with many older people - they have figured out how they can board early and not pay the extra fee. An elderly couple came into the gate area with both pushing wheelchairs that were full of bags. They sat at chairs right by the gate entrance and the wheelchairs were parked next to them. The boarding started and they pushed their way to the front of the line. Number one, I thought the airport had people that pushed them so how did they get an airport wheelchair for their luggage???? They looked very spry - yes, that doesn't show all.

 

And on every flight I have been on lately, the bulkhead seats are taken up kids. I don't care for those seats but I don't feel kids need take them just because they are allowed on first.

 

And I also am sick and tired of being told to move over while I am in line waiting to board a ship. I had to stop at the ramp to the ship while 12 wheelchairs and their guest went past us. But what really upset me was when they jumped out of the chairs and ran off when they got on the ship. Saw several of them all over the ship - even dancing - no wheelchair

They are already seated - why do we have to stand while they are allowed to go on first. This handicapped stuff is getting out of hand.

 

Oh, and before you flame me, I do have a handicap car permit and my own wheelchair but I don't use them very often because it is better for me to walk and unless I am having an attack, I don't use it.

Google "Miracle Flights". Will give you a bunch of examples about (particularly) flights from the Northeast to Florida with multiple wheelchair passengers that for some reason don't need the wheelchairs when they arrive at PBI, FLL, TPA, or MIA. Lots and lots of discussions on these.

I agree with Pmang.

Actually, I would not mind if I kicked the bucket on a "bucket list cruise" I can think of a lot of worse places to go than on a cruise ship.

There is a FREE walking tour through town by the National Park Service. Usually leaving at the top of the hour. Since a good part of the town is part of the Gold Rush National Park, they do a good job. It is not a tiring walk, and is very informative.