barbierahrah

I’ve had nothing but trouble wit Flighteze!  My flights have disappeared from the website for 10 days due to a scheduling change.  Shouldn’t take that long, should it?  Holland Flighteze doesn’t had the same flights for me that SAS does.  When I call, they put me on hold for hours and then cut me off.  I don’t want to pay another cent til my air tickets are confirmed.  How do I contact customer care???

WOW!  I’ve never been on Holland before but have booked a cruise for August.  So far, all lies!!!  I cannot access my flight info for the last 10 days (they says there’s a schedule change), but it doesn’t take ten days for that!  I call and call, they put me on hold, hope I’ll hang up and then they cut me off.  They obviously have my phone # and email, but don’t contact me.   Obviously I’m not paying another cent til this is resolved.  Can’t find any way to contact them and complain.  Any ideas???

Thank you everyone for the feedback. After having son review camera choices I think we are going with the Lumix Fz80. Now just counting down days till we sail! :)

As advice, I had a prior Lumix and it was acting erratically occasionally, so I got the FZ80 before our Rhine river cruise. I wish I had spent more time learning the new camera before the trip, but the results were pretty much ok. Both cameras used the same battery, so I took the old battery and charger along with me and was glad that I did. Several days I would need to get out the extra, fully charged battery before the day was over. So look in to getting an extra batter on Amazon if you don't want to miss out on any shots. Take extra cards, too, as they are expensive to purchase on the ship.

Great info thanks!!!

Quick question do you have to go through some sort of customs each country ?

On the Rhine cruise, no customs stuff. When we left Como to bus to Basel (where we started the cruise) we were told to keep our passports handy "just in case", but the officials just waved the bus on through. Viking actually advised us to leave our passports in the room safe each day when we went out.

Whatever sandals I wear for walking need a closed toe, or I'm forever tripping like a clutz on the cobblestones and uneven pavement. I wore knee length shorts of a non-wrinkle fabric and felt fine in those, and capris are good too but tend to be warmer. Scarves are good for cover-ups or even with a jacket if it does get chilly. I do not send laundry out. It was quite expensive on Viking river cruise and no "bag deals" were offered. Have you tried Febreeze? It is my new friend. A small travel sized bottle works well to refresh a top or shirt after a warm day. I spray down an item the night before and it's good to go the next morning. I also throw a few loose unused dryer sheets in my suitcase to help with any funky smells as the days wear on.

I have booked my included excursions and am waiting for the other excursions to go “live”. We are sailing from Amsterdam to Basel on Viking Summer 2018.

 

I was wondering if anyone had any input on what are the not to miss excursions by Viking or other options. In addition the cost?

 

Is there something better? A private tour company or just walk off the boat to specific destination?

 

I thought I read somewhere that you can book a excursion online (pay for it) and when you get to the boat you can cancel it. Then re-book with your on board credit. Is this true?

 

 

Strasbourg, France

 

-Strasbourg Highlights - 4 hours/Included

-Alsatian Wine Tasting ( for us skip)

-Taste the best of Alsace (for us skip )

-Mercedes-Benz Factory (for us skip )

 

 

 

Heidelberg, Germany

-Panoramic Heidelberg Included - 6 hour/Included

 

 

 

Koblenz, Germany

-Marksburg Castle - 3 hours/included

-Moselle Wine Tasting (for us skip )

-Ehrenbreitstein Fortress 3 hours cost $?

-Dine in Rüdesheim am Rhein - (debating on this one, book on ship and use credit ?)

-Wine Tasting & Dinner at Eberbach Monastery (for us skip )

 

 

 

Cologne, Germany

-Cologne Walking Tour 2 hour/included

-Brühl UNESCO Palaces 3 hours/ cost (maybe? Book on ship)

-Top of Cologne (for us skip )

- Cologne’s Beer Culture & Dinner (for us skip )

 

Black Forest, Germany

 

- Looking into a private tour for Black Forest

- 2:00 – 5:45PM: Optional Excursion – Colmar City Tour ( I definitely would like to do this and would book before we leave. Anyone know the cost?

We just did the Viking Basel to Amsterdam in May and LOVED it! We really enjoyed the tour of Colmar. It is a darling town with beautiful buildings and little streets. Very colorful. The schedule may be different for you since you are going the other direction, but that morning we had our Black Forest excursion (included). It was a bit of a long bus ride (in the rain) to the location, and it seemed a bit rushed when we got there. We did the Black Forest walk, which was actually a rather steep, but short hike to a waterfall in slippery conditions. Pretty, but it was not exactly a "stroll". We went back to the boat for a quick lunch before taking the bus to Colmar. I think that tour was $69 PP, and it was the only optional tour we took all week. So many of the tours were wine tasting or something along those lines and we just were not interested in that for ourselves (we live in California and have tons of wineries within 30 minutes of our home). There was no Bruhl palace tour or BMW tour or Mercedes Benz tour offered on our trip -- I wonder why??? It seemed like all of the tours were still available to book once on board the boat, but perhaps May is not as crowded. Our boat only had 165 on board and not the capacity 195.

In Rudesheim we just walked off the boat and about 5-7 minutes to the sweet, safe little town. No shortage of restaurants if you choose to skip the optional dining tour, although people said it was very enjoyable. Viking gave us incorrect info, but we were able to take the gondola to the top of the hill to the Niederwold Monument. It would have been nice to get the correct times and go there directly and have more time, but it did work out after all. We enjoyed that ride and the nice weather and views, and then just wandered around town a bit (took way too many photos!). We hadn't been that hungry in town after gorging on gelato, so we just strolled back to the boat and the staff was nice enough to let us go in to dinner about 40 minutes late and still serve us just a smaller portion of the menu offerings. We were docked in Rudesheim overnite. BTW -- it seemed that most times the boat would dock in an area that had a park area just off the ship.

When we were in Strasbourg, we did the AM included walking tour and took the first bus back to the boat.(they offered 2 other later buses if you wanted to stay in town longer). No Mercedes Benz tour offered on our trip! There was a nice park & residential area off the dock area and after lunch we went out and walked there. There were shops, pretty homes and a lake, and at the end there was something called the White Fir tower (commemorated something or other) that is really tall. It's about 150' and you can climb it for free for a great view if you're energetic.

It rained the day we went to Marksburg Castle. It was a bit of a hike on a paved road to get up there, and it was a tad slippery initially once inside on an uneven section, and did have some narrow steps and walkways. A couple of people in our group actually fell down. But it was a nice tour and fun to see the castle, and the rainy weather sort of added to the mystique.

In Cologne we docked right in the city and could walk to everything and go to and from the ship whenever we wanted. It felt safe and was well lit at nite. We did the walking tour, and then since we had not booked the evening tour, we had lunch at a restaurant nearby the Cathedral. It happened to be some sort of holiday, so most of the museums were closed. But I had read about some Roman ruins under the area in front of the Cathedral, so we found those. Nothing much, but our own little discovery. I could never do the top of the Cathedral tour (afraid of heights), so we walked across the bridge with the locks all over it to a large skyscraper on the other side called Koln Triangle. For cheap (like 5 euros each?) you can take an ELEVATOR to the glass enclosed viewing area on the top for a nice view. Personally, I thought we had a bit too much time in Cologne and too little time in other spots. Maybe that is why Viking offers that Bruhl palace tour now. Since most people were doing an evening tour, we booked the Italian Dinner that nite on the boat in the Aquavit Terrace rather than eat in the dining room. You can only book it once on your trip, and it only seats maybe 16 each nite, and this was a good nite to grab a reservation. There is no extra charge for that, and it was a nice, quiet diversion for us.

I don't think I ran in to anyone who was doing any private excursions the entire trip, unless they were maybe meeting up with European relatives. It might be difficult to time correctly due to schedule changes, and really, a lot of the stops are just in small towns. If your included tour includes free time, Viking always gives you a local map, so it's easy enough to wander around on your own, which is part of the fun. If you're observant, there are often signs on the sides of the buildings or on the streets directing you to the things you want to see, so that helps you to not get lost.

If you have any other questions (or would like to take me along as your own person tour director!), let me know.

I have this same camera, actually the Panasonic FZ80, and have a few questions if anyone can help me out. Just returned from a European trip and Rhine River cruise and not totally thrilled with my photos, although some are good.

1. How do I turn on the image stabilization? I thought it was always on.

2. How do I turn off the digital zoom as one person suggested?

3. The iA function didn't seem to work that well for me. I was disappointed in that -- the photos seemed quite bleached. Any ideas?

I did take numerous shots of the same scene so that I could choose the best when I returned. Some of the long range scenery shots were the worst and I guess I need to zoom less. I don't really want to lug a tripod around all the time, especially since this Lumix is a bit larger and heavier than my former Lumix. I am totally faithful about the neck strap usage.

One other question -- I was even dumber and accidentally set the camera to video while taking some shots of the flower market in Amsterdam. Of course, flowers don't move a whole lot, and I wanted just still shots. Does anyone know how I can convert my one second video to a still image?

Barbierahrah THANK YOU! We just got our final docs today and your post has gotten me very excited. Did you do a pre stay with Viking? What adapter do I need for the hotel. Thanks again.

 

 

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Thought of something else. In Cologne most of the folks we sort of hung out with had booked the evening tour. We weren't interested in beer hall hopping, so we booked the small, semi-private Italian dinner in the Aquavit Terrace on the boat for that nite. It was a nice, quiet change and there is no extra charge for that. Also, in Rudesheim, we didn't book a dinner tour there. We walked around the cute town and found out the gondola was still operating (the Viking front desk had said it would be closed!) so we were able to find the starting point for that and took the ride up. It is a nice view, not very expensive to do, and you can take a short walk to this huge monument that you'll see the next morning from the boat. I thought it was fun. Just take good walking shoes. We did a ton of walking everywhere.

Barbierahrah THANK YOU! We just got our final docs today and your post has gotten me very excited. Did you do a pre stay with Viking? What adapter do I need for the hotel. Thanks again.

 

 

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Yes, we did the precruise tour in Lake Como and it was awesome. I highly recommend it, and it was nice to get to know the smaller group of folks better before we met up with the boat. We had a nice walking tours, went up the funicular, had a fun, rather long but enjoyable boat ride to Bellagio, plenty of free time too. The hotel was the Sheraton which had a nice pool, and we could easily walk to a little town of Cernobbio which had lots of cafes along the lake. We found a pretty little church, and a lovely garden area on the hillside just beyond the town to explore there. There is a large market next to the hotel for snacks and beverages. Buffet breakfast at the hotel was great. The precruise stay was a good way to acclimate and be at a more relaxed pace before jumping on the boat. The best part was the bus ride through the Alps to Basel. No one had told me before we left, but we stopped at Lucerne for a very nice lunch at a cute spot, saw the Lion Monument, and had time to walk around for a couple of hours on our own to explore the little streets and covered bridge. It was a wonderful surprise to stop there. Unfortunately we did not get to the boat in Basel in time to go on the bus or walk in to town, but I would much prefer Lucerne anyway. I do not believe that we needed an adapter at the Sheraton, but we did stay in Amsterdam and flew on to Munich -- both on our own, but Viking booked the flights as a "deviation" -- and at our hotels in those cities we did need an adapter. I've purchased them at places like Marshall's, and sometimes the hotel will even have them to purchase there or will loan you one that someone has left behind. If you do Como, it does seem to rain there every afternoon, but the tours were in the mornings and the rain never slowed us down or kept us from going out and about -- except to the pool!

Just booked a last minute cruise on AMA in July, Amsterdam to Basel. So excited! We are arriving 2 nights days early and leaving 2 nights later. I have been to Amsterdam several times but DH has not. I plan to take him to the Anne Frank House and the wonderful museum. What else - and restaurant recommendations? We might stay at the Renaissance with a package that my travel agent is looking into - if not, any hotel recommendations? I normally like hotels with some local character and very comfortable, high quality bedding and location is important for walkability.

 

Basel-Lucerne-Zurich is a bit more of a puzzle. We will probably fly out the morning of our second night so will need to stay in Zurich. However, I am really intrigued with spending time in Lucerne and seeing a bit of Basel, so what to do? And what is not to miss in those towns?

We were on a Viking Rhine river cruise May 9-16 from Basel to Amsterdam. We did a 3 day precruise in Como. Viking motorcoached us from Como to Basel with a several hours stop in Lucerne, which was a wonderful, beautiful surprise. We did not arrive in Basel in time to do any touring or exploring. We had originally planned to go directly to Basel and spend 3 nites there, but we changed to the Como pretour. I'm glad that we did, because Como was beautiful and there really didn't seem to be all that much to do in Basel for 3 days. Switzerland is quite expensive and has their own currency, not the euro. We arrived in Amsterdam via the boat. We then walked across the street to the train station. There is a good public tourist office there where you can get info, maps, transit and train tickets, etc. We purchased a multi pass for the transit so we could go all over town quite easily and out to our hotel which was a bit of a distance from downtown (a Residence Inn in Houthavens), and out to the museum area. Otherwise it would be a bit of a long walk. That worked great, saved money, and was convenient. We also purchased a fairly inexpensive ticket for the day we left Amsterdam to fly to Munich. We could use our transit pass for a bus back to the train station and then the train to go to the airport very easily and far less than a taxi, and we certainly weren't the only ones dragging our suitcase around!!! We did a HOHO bus one day, and explored the canal areas, the Jordaan district, stopped at the Gassen diamond factory for what we thought was a nice, free tour -- and nice, clean and free restrooms! I thought it would be a good place for a souvenir, but my husband thought otherwise! We went to the Bloemenmarkt, the Red Light District, and took the Heineken Tour, which also included a 1-hour canal boat ride. We REALLY enjoyed the Heineken tour and the canal ride was great. The houses and their cute windows and shutters are just adorable. If you are adventurous, go back to the tourist office at the train station and inquire about the 10euro per person day passes. There are several available for different routes and areas -- castles, beach, north of Amsterdam, etc. We purchased the pass that was good for the towns of Edam, Marken, Markendam, etc. We got the proper bus at the rear of the train station and had so much fun. Edam is an absolutely adorable little town with tiny streets, canals, cute shops and cafes. Markendam (I think) was the larger town, on the water, and we ate fresh herring and pancakes. It was more touristy, but Marken was also very, very cute. We could have booked a tour (much more pricey), but this was nice to just do things we wanted on our own time schedule without having to watch the clock all the time. Those buses run frequently and we seemed to manage it all just fine. We found people in Amsterdam to be very friendly and helpful, and most everyone speaks some English. Just watch out for the bicycles. Everyone rides them everywhere, and they have the right of way over pedestrians. Even electric scooters use the bike lanes. Make sure you know where the bicycles areas are and don't ever step back to take a photo, or you'll get run over! It's crazy! We walked by the Anne Frank house, but had not gotten tickets ahead of time as required. I was kind of glad that we didn't go in as it just seemed so different an so much more commercialized than it was when I was there 45 years ago. Have a great trip, and let me know if you have other questions.

We leave in a week and received "final" documents from our TA today.

No mention in the email or on My Viking about any changes.

I'm hoping for the best regarding water level!

We were on the Idi on the Rhine from May 9-16 and did not encounter any water level issues. It was a wonderful trip. Enjoy!

I am leaving in 46 days for Viking Rhine River Cruise and this will be my first river cruise. From my research I see ocean ships and river ships are very different.

 

I was wondering

 

Does Viking charge 15% for gratuity on drinks?

 

Do they offer ice tea as one of their free drinks?

 

What do they charge for a diet Coke?

 

What hot tea do they offer?

 

Is Lotion, Shampoo,etc included?

 

What is the embarkation like? If you have booked a pre-stay with Viking in Amsterdam do they offer embarkation procedures at the hotel?

 

Out of curiosity do you get a card like the big cruise ships to make purchases and room key?

 

Does Viking check your bags when you return to the ship?

 

How can I find the number for the ship to give to family at home?

 

Dressing for dinner is casual correct. No dresses but Bermudas, skort would be OK?

We just returned from the Viking Rhine cruise (Basel to Amsterdam) in mid-May. Here are my observations an answers to your questions.

No 15% gratuity on drinks. We did not get the beverage package, but you just give your cabin number if you order a beverage in the lounge. The trick is (if you are not heavy drinkers) -- get your wine/soda/iced tea glass refilled before you leave the dining room at lunch and dinner, and just take it with you. REALLY, no one cared!!! You can sit in the lounge or up on deck or in your room with the beverage. A couple of evenings, a wine or sparkling drink was provided free in the lounge during the evening orientation, and sometimes an appetizer or two. You'll want to attend that -- every day just before dinner. You go from the evening orientation directly to dinner. They give you a preview of the next day's activities and time schedules (in addition to the newsletter in your room each nite), so it's a really helpful way to prepare. No charge for soda or iced tea in the dining room, and I got really hooked on these small bottles of cold, Italian lemonade -- delicious! Hot tea was available in the dining room -- I need decaf. Also, just outside the lounge on each side were coffee/tea/cocoa/water stations. You could go fix yourself a cup anytime and take to your room, etc. Tea was in bag, and a variety was available. Also in that area were baskets of fresh cookies (variety rotated, such as oatmeal, chocolate, etc.) and in the mornings, pastries were there instead of cookies. The dining room would have buffet style breakfast -- omelets or eggs made to order, fruits, sausages, bacon, bread and pastries, etc. Then you could order off the menu also -- french toast, eggs benedict, etc. If you're rushed for time in the AM, it works well. They also had champagne sitting there, so you could have a mimosa if you liked and had the time on a more leisurely day. Each day when you get off the boat, you are supposed to pick up your personal card from the desk, and you return it when you reboard. It's not computerized like on the ocean ships, but they do supposedly keep track that everyone is on board. You also get a card as to which tour group you are on (they split the boat in to about 4 groups), so you know which bus you get on. It also has the location of the boat in that port so that you can call or have a place to give to anyone if you are on your own and have an emergency or get lost. Take your listening device, which works quite well. They are small and not very heavy at all and have a neck strap. Each day when you depart, they give you a free bottle of water for your day. Pretty thoughtful, and usually when you get back on they supply you a little treat or small shot of a smoothie. No, they do not check your bags, and in fact they encourage you to bring back beverages or snacks and offer to cork wine for you at no fee if you bring it back on board. One time we had a thing where there were a few boats in port and the other boat had to walk through us to their ship. The staff was a bit more cautious then when we returned, making sure we were on the correct ship and actually belonged there. The hallway doors were secured to prevent anyone wandering through. If you want to purchase anything from the very small shop, you just tell them your room and they put it on your tab which you pay up the night before you debark. Actually the staff seemed to know us on sight after the first day or two and were very friendly and helpful. We did the precruise in Como. Our tour director in charge of us there went with us on all the tours in Como and was always available for help or suggestions. She went with us on the bus to Basel. We stopped in Lucerne for a few hours for lunch, a bit of a walk around, and then time on our own. Very nice lady, and she continued as far as Basel where she told us good bye. I'm assuming Amsterdam would be the same, except your hotel isn't very far from the boat. Getting on the boat was a breeze. We showed our passports at the desk and a staff member took us to our room and ran us through the amenities, quick and easy. The room has several electrical plugs for US needs, and a good hair dryer, so no need to pack that. There are bottles of nice shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion supplied as needed. There is a mini frig in the room, and your steward will bring you fresh water as needed, too. There's adequate drawer and closet and bathroom storage, and store your suitcase under the bed. We had a veranda room, but honestly, we were not in the room all that much. The boat is so much smaller than an ocean ship -- you're up to the dining room or lounge or up on deck in just a minute. It seemed like most days we didn't have a whole lot of time to pretty up between our tour and lunch or dinner, so often I'd just wear what I had on or maybe change my shirt and head to the dining room. It is casual dress. Most ladies had a pretty or nicer blouse or top, but just capris or slacks or even shorts for dinner. I'd imagine by the time you go on your trip it would be warm enough to throw on a summer or sun dress and be comfortable and feel fresh and pretty. BTW -- the room is air conditioned, but you do have to put your room "key" (a plastic card) in the slot to activate the a/c and lights. I put my AARP card in the slot and it worked to keep the a/c running as needed while we were out on tours and not be stuffy when we returned and just made sure to turn the lights off to conserve. A good hint I heard was when out on your tour, set your phone alarm for 30 minutes BEFORE your tour guides meet-up time. That way if you get carried away walking around or relaxing, when your alarm rings you'll have ample time to make your way back. One couple on one of our tours got lost and missed the bus back to the boat, even though we waited 30 minutes for them and we were all concerned. You'll be in the same time zone your entire trip. I think there is a number you can give to your family in the final document booklet that Viking mails to you. I took along my Kindle for reading books on the long flight, and I could check my emails on that while on the boat. Internet isn't that great on the boat, but it works eventually. You need to put your cellphone on airplane mode though unless you purchase an international plan there before you go (mine was $60 for a month). There are also a couple of computers you can use outside the lounge area. It was a wonderful trip. I have no real complaints, except we did have some gloomy, rainy weather. We're from California, so we're not that used to rain. It didn't really interfere with anything with did, and your weather should be much nicer. Viking did have some large umbrellas you could use if needed, but I brought my own small collapsible umbrella and a windbreaker. If you have any other questions about the cruise, the ports, tours, etc. just write to me. We did and saw so much -- it was just amazing.

I had a Lumix FZ40 and just replaced it with the FZ80. I know it's larger than what you're looking at, but I just didn't want to give up the options and quality that I've become accustomed to.

we picked may because of the price, yes I do realise that we may not get as far into the park, our tour does the tundra wildness tour, coming from australia we are excited to see snow, we cannot afford the prices in June July. my big problem is what to pack as coming from the tropics are winters are 20c

We were on the Coral May 31 - June 8 with land tour following. Being from California, the weather seemed cold to me, and it rained in Juneau and a few other spits of rain here and there. The temperatures on the ship (restaurants, lounges, shops) were fine. The BEST thing I did was pay $20 for a fairly waterproof parka with hood at our first stop in Ketchikan. I lived in that thing! My husband smartened up and got one for himself at our next stop in Juneau. I stuffed it in the suitcase for the trip home and surprisingly it washed up quite well, but for $20 you could pitch it as you head home if you need the suitcase space.

I understand some folks were recommending a longer tundra tour. However, the shorter, 5 hr. tour was plenty of time on a bus for me!

I've been looking at the 7XX minis too, it seems like a great location. My one concern is that it is a long walk forward to all the dining venues. We much prefer running up and down the stairs to walking the length of the ship all the time. We really liked our aft cabin on the CB for that reason. Can anyone comment on that?

 

I'm also looking at the Baja forward minis because they also have quick access to an outside deck.

We were just on the Coral in D620, which is uncovered. I liked that it got lots of sun, which was good as we were in Alaska. I would prefer the aft to be close to that rear deck -- it will be less windy than a forward deck when the ship is moving. The Coral is a smaller ship, so the walk to the Buffet or MDR is not so great -- and we always have a vow to walk and always use the stairs and not the elevator so we can justify dessert! You're doing Panama Canal, and I just read somewhere about whether port or starboard is better, depending on your direction of travel -- but I can't remember now what it was! You might want to ck that before deciding on your cabin since there will be lots to see, I imagine.

We were just on the Coral in May also. Goodness -- just realized your cruise is a whole year away! We loved the Coral -- a smaller ship than say the Ruby, so not as many shops, etc. but nicer to be able to run in to folks you've met each day on the ship. Also, getting on and off each day seemed so much quicker and easier. Dining rooms and public areas were lovely, and several different lounges and areas for entertainment and relaxing. Personally, I don't think you can beat the landtours that Princess offers -- very economical when you figure it out compared to on your own, and they coordinate it all perfectly and it's very organized. I was amazed. It is confusing at first to decide which landtour to book. We did a TA4 and cruised first and landtoured after. Since food is pretty much on your own once on land, I figured it was a good time to conserve and start my diet! We left from Vancouver and ended up in Whittier. Our TA4 took a train (included in our cost) to McKinley lodge for one nite. The train actually ended in Talkeetna where you had options to book a jet boat or rafting, fishing, flight excursions,etc. After that, it was a 1 hr. bus ride (included in our cost) to the McKinley lodge. There's not much there, except a few walking trails. The next day we took the bus to Denali Lodge (about 2.5 hrs.) for 1 nite. Optional tours are also available there, and there are numerous shops and eating places across the road, but also a couple of good restaurants right at the lodge. The grounds and views at both McKinley and Denali were lovely. The next day was a natural history tour of Denali via bus, which was included in our cost. It was a beautiful tour, and we saw moose and a grizzly! The bad thing was the tour left at 6 AM!!!!! That afternoon we took a bus (included in the cost) to Fairbanks, making a stop or two along the way. We were at the Bear Lodge in Fairbanks, which was OK, but if there had to be a low point of the trip, that was it. The next day was the Gold Dredge tour and Riverboat Cruise (both included in our cost) and those were both very well worth it. The final day (our plane left at 2 PM) we had time to walk through a bird santuary/preserve next to the hotel before taking the shuttle (included in our cost) to the airport. As I said, I think by the time you figure in transportation and hotel and tour costs, I doubt you could do all we did for less cost. As far as the port stops -- Ketchikan is quite small and you're not there very long. Juneau is larger, and there were places to book tours when you got off the boat. Skagway was EXTREMELY small, and we had prebooked a private tour co. to take a small bus (25 passenger) up to the Yukon, have lunch, see Husky puppies and a wildlife museum (quite small of course, but interesting) and then take the train down the mtn. It was pricey but absolutely fantastic. I believe you cabin is portside, which I think is best for Glacier Bay and College Fjord. Good luck and enjoy!

Just on the Coral in June. Pumps in the shower were for hair products and shower gel. The steward did leave a nice sized tube of lotion, and when I had put it away in my cosmetics bag, he left another, so I started doing it every day and a few to take home!

We stayed at the McKinley and Denali Lodges (both Princess). McKinley is in the middle of nowhere, but our room was fine -- not luxurious, but clean and large. The main lodge was nice with lots of indoor and outdoor seating, high ceilings and view of McKinley. Denali lodge has many shops and eating places across the road -- nothing looked too upscale. We stayed in the A/B building and it seemed newer or more updated than the other rooms that I saw. There were a couple of nice restaurants there with a view of the mountains and river. For Alaska, it was quite nice. The Bear Lodge in Fairbanks was pretty much a 2 thumbs down -- bad location, lousy food, etc. Perhaps you can make requests for the other hotel in Fairbanks (if you are going there) and request the A/B building if you go to Denali Lodge.

Thank you all so much for the information you gave me. I depend on these forums for the "real picture". I know our days will be full but it's always nice to see as much as possible outside of the planned excursions. Several posters have said to change the Natural History Tour to the Tundra Wilderness tour so that change is on my radar.

 

Caribill...thank you so much for giving me the thread for your review. It was very informative!

:D

We were on the Coral May 31 and a 4 day tour afterwards. We took the train from Whittier to McKinley Lodge. The train was nice and a beautiful ride. McKinley Lodge is nice, but very remote. There are a couple of restaurants on site and large indoor and outdoor seating areas at the Main Lodge. A free shuttle runs around the property and stops at the various room areas. You can pay $5 for a shuttle that runs hourly to Talkeetna and get excursions or meals there. We went on a jetboat ride. There are some walking trails at the McKinley Lodge. A bus took us from McKinley to Denali Lodge. Again, the Main Lodge has a lot of seating and a gift shop, with a couple of restaurants and a pizza place on the property. Our room was great. Across the road were numerous shops and places to eat. We did the shorter Denali History Tour and it was fine. We actually saw moose and a grizzly. Guess we were lucky, and the scenery was beautiful. After trains and buses and more of that to come, I was not inclined to go another 8+ hours on a bus. The shorter, 5 hour trip was just fine with me. In Fairbanks we were assigned to Bear Lodge, the Wedgewood property. The rooms were OK, the restaurants was pretty awful. There was virtually nothing else close by, but there was a free shuttle to various places in town that we did not take advantage of. In Fairbanks we did the Gold Dredge Tour and the Riverboat Cruise (w/lunch) and enjoyed both of those immensely.

Don't know about the Crown, but we were on the Coral May 31-June 7 and much to my surprise (after numerous questions to lots of people) they did offer 2 different wine packages. You have to look for it though. We were wandering the Horizon Buffet near the windows in the front of the ship after we boarded and there was a table with wine bottles and information, but no one there to explain! I'd advise you to snoop around as soon as you board, as that appeared to be the only time the wine packages were offered and they certainly were not advertised. BTW -- we decided not to get it anyway!

We were on the Coral May 31-June 7 and they did the On Deck for the Cure. I believe it was on Thurs. or Fri. AM and there was a $20 fee and you received a hat.

Ok thanks! She'll be spending lots of her time there

We were on the Coral May 31 - June 7 and used the outdoor pool's hot tubs and a few kids were in that pool and seemed to be having a great time. Otherwise there is an indoor, sort of Tiki themed pool for nastier days.

No big deal -- I always just take a roll of quarters and these neat Purex sheets that serve as both detergent and fabric softener.