oaktreerb

Thanks for the current update. Enjoy your cruise.

You must be in Sitka today. Was there a shuttle operating from the visitor center to the Fortress of the Bears and the Raptor Center, like a hop on hop off for around $10? Sitka is my favorite Alaska port. I hope you got good weather.

A clue as to your free time. On-line, Princess will offer to sell you excursions only during the hours of your free times.

Don’t wait. HAL wants you to send the request in three weeks prior to sailing. If you asked for e-mail confirmation and it’s been three weeks it’s time to call or e-mail to confirm that they received and acted upon it.

It looks like Fortress of the Bears is only open on certain days in 2022. September is late in the cruise season so ???? Ask at the Visitor’s Center if it’s open and how to get there.

OP is asking about May 2023 and I’m hoping tourist opportunities return to normal by then. May is early in the tourist season. I would contact the Fortress of the Bears in early May to see if things are getting back to normal! In 2022 it seems to be open on certain days. People at the visitor center should be able to advise how to best get there. You can walk to the Raptor Center through the Totem Park but the Fortress of the Bears would be a long walk.

The Visitor Center has hikes and exhibits. There is a great National Park Visitor Center bookstore. There are scheduled free visits to see the sled dog’s of the park demo. It really depends on what you enjoy. On a clear day you can take a flight to see Denali from above. Check the national park website for inexpensive options and your cruise line excursions for more expensive options.

Take the ship shuttle from the dock into town. At the Visitor Center/Convention Center you should be able to take the bus mentioned above by @JT1962. The bus does a loop that will take you to the Fortress of the Bears and to the Raptor Center and returns to the Visitor Center. It’s like a hop on hop off.

Looks like a quiet location, near the bridge and under the spa.

Sounds like a Yukon cruise tour. You’ll have a great time! I’m pretty sure the issues have been addressed by now. The Yukon cruise tours are probably sold out. You may be on the last Yukon cruise tour. We had hail/sleet in Dawson City on an August itinerary. What a surprise that was!

We spent.a week on Vancouver Island b/4 Covid on a Road Scholar trip. We sailed to Alaska on a HAL ship, debarked in Victoria (with special arrangements) and joined the Road Scholar group for a bus trip up the island and then took the ferry back to Vancouver. It was a wonderful 2 week vacation. Nice pictures of the Koningsdam, my favorite HAL ship!

Check your booking. The Zuiderdam is sailing rt Vancouver. You say you are flying into Anchorage?

You gave me an idea for my next Koningsdam cruise. I’ll pass on dessert in the dining room and go instead to the Dutch Cafe to enjoy the yummy delights! Dinner at 5 in the MDR, dessert at 7 in Dutch Cafe.

In June there was a trip report from a cruiser who complained about the room stewards replacing the Charmin brand toilet paper she brought for the stateroom. Her husband wanted the softer toilet paper and the stewards repeatedly replaced it with the ship’s toilet paper. Folks on the thread replied that the Charmin could clog up the toilets and they should use the HAL provided toilet paper. The cruiser said she talked to people onboard who told her it was ok to use the Charmin she brought with her. She made a joke of the controversy. Could you please address the issue of people providing their own toilet paper. I don’t even throw a tissue in the toilet in fear of causing a back up!

Which hotel did you quarantine in? Do you know the names of the other two hotels that accepted HAL quarantine travelers? Could you choose your quarantine hotel or did they just assign you to a hotel?

Thanks for posting the phone #. I need to call them, my request was faxed 21 days ago.

Nice!

What class of seating is this? Do these seats convert to beds?

The dining room at the Westmark (Belinda’s) is a nice place to have breakfast. Of course, they provide the breakfast buffet offerings for those on the go but if you have more time I think you can get table service.

We’re missing the parade! Sounds like fun. The camera person got a day off for the holiday! Eurodam soon to tie up, then on to Koningsdam. Beautiful Independence Day.

Good choice of starting your Alaska visit in Seward. If you rented a car you might consider stopping at the Wildlife Conservation Center along the way. In Fairbanks there is an excursion of a Salmon bake and a show. I haven’t done it but might sign up for it this year. We are traveling mid-August so the rain and daylight hours may be a factor. Dawson City in itself is a delight. Since you rented a car go up to Midnight Dome, the view is amazing. We did an excursion out the Dempster Hwy a few years ago. Once was enough. We love to hang out in Dawson City. Parks Canada has wonderful programs and there are a lot of historic buildings. Just walking along the Yukon River is a special experience. Skagway is a national park and has Gold Rush exhibits and some wonderful hiking trails. When you get to Skagway you will be taken to the ship to check in and then may have some time to see Skagway. I don’t understand how they are working in the railway excursionthis year. We took it from Fraser to Skagway as part of the transportation. We have taken the Yukon trips several times and there have been last minute changes every time so be ready and savor the journey as HAL says. Be prepared for rain and have a great adventure.

I have taken this itinerary but it’s been a few years and there have been lots of changes. You will get a lot of information with your packet when you meet your journey host in Anchorage. There are several options of this itinerary: Y3, Y4, Y5, and Y6 ranging from 14 days to 10 days. You should definitely see Emerald Lake whichever you are on. The bus will stop at interesting places every two hours for a comfort break and/or lunch. My favorite itineraries have an overnight or two in Skagway, some go directly to the ship. Hopefully someone who has done this land first Yukon trip this year will reply.

The kids would love the Kroschel Wildlife Center.