TheCalicoCat

Although we have done a lot of cruises we have never been with HAL before, could you let me know if everyone dressed up in evening wear for Gala nights please?

I saw a full range of dress. (including a powder blue tuxedo from the 80's & a super fancy military uniform!) For men it appeared to be at least shirt & tie.

I would not stress over "smart casual." After posting my packing list, someone on my roll call mentioned the smart casual & so I added a couple dresses & a skirt to my bag - I never wore them. (I did wear my 3 gala night outfits & my son wore shirt & tie trousers & dress shoes.)

Thanks again, I went through my photos last weekend, so I hope to do a more through (or a photo laden) review later.

I've made my shutterfly book! :o)

Yes but I appreciate the R-class midship stairs/elevators so the Half Moon, Hudson, and Wajang are not down a dead end hallway.

I missed all of those. I remember seeing a movie poster once or twice &/or America's Test Kitchen. I have no idea about the other 2 venues...

Not that I was negatively affected by this. I'm not great at be here at this time. & Based on what my table mates said those activities were packed. (not my idea of fun)

Unfortunately, nothing can be done about the Deck 4 egress from the lower LaFontaine dining room.Elevators and/or steps up and down are the only option due to the Main Galley being "in the way". Same story on the remaining two "S"-class ships. It's the ship's design

You are so right, but more than once I was irritated thinking I could go across only to find that I couldn't. (Not too many times on a 14-night cruise. But I was on that floor so infrequently, I had no idea where to get the tender ticket. I had never seen that "wine bar.")

Thanks for all of the responses, sorry I wasn't more prompt with the return. I've been going through my photographs...

The free shuttle to the Salty Dog on the Spit would have taken you near to their yurt and back to the ship. Did you have other people in your group?

 

Welcome home.

Apparently if I had read the "When & Where" I would have seen the note about the free shuttle. I just remember getting off the ship & seeing a lot of school busses - nothing looked "free" as opposed to for fee. Oh well, we survived & loved that tour.

There were a couple other families on our tour, but they were not from the ship.

Thanks, its good to be home, but I am going to start looking for this itinerary again - maybe in 2019... (I pay off my student loans after 20 years of a hard slog this fall - maybe the savings from that can be diverted to my vacation savings.)

Was your excursion fogged out of Kodiak or did you get fogged out of Kodiak all together? My husband and I are really looking forward to Kodiak.

 

Denise

We got fogged out all together. Extenuating circumstances: There was a ship in need of repairs at the 1 dock available. I think that if it had not been moored that we would have been able to dock. (Based on how close we were.)

We returned to the port y took the free shuttle to the spit' date=' and there was a real hop on hop off trolley therr. .

Terri aka augie's mom[/quote']

 

We missed that free shuttle (I don't read the when & where beyond "Smart Casual" or "Gala" to let me know how to dress.), only heard about the HOHO. As a consequence, we walked fast/ran to our meeting spot for our excursion on the spit. We made it, but combined with the beach walking my shins ached the next day.

Hi Calico, were your shore excursions everything you'd hoped they would be? I know you did a lot of planning in advance, in order to maximize your Alaska experience, so I'm hoping you were rewarded for all your research.

My flight to see bears in Ketchikan was everything & more! I also enjoyed the AK Coastal Studies tour out of Homer. We got fogged out of Kodiak. That was my only disappointment.

You are welcome. Thanks for taking the time to read it.

I plan on doing a full review, but wanted to provide a quick overview.

In Alaska, on the coast, the temperatures were about 50's to 60's. I was comfortable in sweatshirts. I did use my coat as well on occasion.

We visited:

Ketchikan - We flew to Anan Creek to see the bears - this was the best decision for me (not so much my 8 year old son - he was too hungry to enjoy the second half of the excursion) & I would do it again in a heart beat!

Juneau - I took the tram up & hiked on Mt. Roberts (My son wanted to stay in Club HAL & I let him since I did not have anything booked/paid for/planned) I now know why people say look at the time that you have in port. The Disney ship left at 12:30 & they were at a dock that was not centrally located. I'm not sure what time they arrived, but as I was walking around, some of the shops hadn't opened yet!

Icy Strait Point - rainy (so nice that they have umbrellas for people to borrow.) we just walked on the nature trail & around the cannery. My son showed interest in the tokens ("Currency" used before statehood) so one of the locals went out & got him a commemorative one. He had also finished his books by this time & so we got a copy of White Fang in the shop that supports the local schools.

Anchorage - My girlfriend let us borrow her car, so we drove on Turnagin Arm (So beautiful) to Girdwood where we hiked to a hand tram - not something you do everyday. & because it was close we also went to Crow Creek Mine to try our hands at gold panning.

1. panning is overrated.

2. That location was enhanced by the natural beauty & antique cars, equipment, & buildings.

3. My son fell in the creek at the "real" panning area.

Since we were away from the ocean/inlet/arm/open water, the mosquitos were out in full force & they didn't care one bit about the bug spray that had been purchased in Alaska by an Alaskan. (With that said I did not get bitten.) We ate dinner in town before catching the shuttle back to the ship.

This port stop is 11-ish hours because the ships have to come in & leave on the high tides. The gang way moved from deck 3 to deck 5 during the day & back.

Homer - We took a tour with AK coastal Studies (tide pooling & a forest hike - we saw a ton of animals & the wild blueberries were ripe!) it was wonderful. We also stopped by Gull Island, a large rookerie, on the way to Peterson Bay.

I'm still not sure if I just missed a free shuttle or if I should have purchased the $15 ea. HOHO shuttle.

We walked at a fast pack to make the requested time & almost missed the yurt because we were on the service road instead of the main road.

At the end we had to walk back to the ship - with frequent stops for photography/shopping, we got back "just in time."

Kodiak - I planned another bear flight, but because of the fog, we were not able to leave the ship. (The dock was occupied by a ship in need of repair, so they were preparing the tenders. It was not safe to tender into port. If we had been able to dock the ship, it probably would have been ok. So I am doubly glad that I booked a bear flight in both locations.)

As an aside, One of my favorite photographs from the who trip is of the orange tender in focus with the gloomy gray coast our of focus in the background.

Sitka - we walked to the National Park (free), before entering the visitor's center, we met one of the cultural artists who invited my son to visit him after we looked around. We listened to the ranger talk about the newest pole & when we went into the cultural center, I met the carver. Meanwhile, my son was doing metal carving on a bracelet. In the third room there was a lady working on beading. I walked the totem pole trail while my son worked on his bracelet.

I hear people on a tour wishing they had more time...

On the way back to the main part of town, we stopped that the Science Center/Hatchery/Aquarium ($5 ea). We got the same tour as those who got the shops tour, but we could stay longer.

Victoria, BC - It was HOT in Victoria! We took a Pedicab to Fisherman's Wharf, then a water taxi to the Empress Dock, a short walk to the Victoria Bug Zoo, a short walk back to the Visitor's Center where thankfully they were able to call the Pedicab for a ride back to the ship. (My phone did not work in Victoria, it said "No Service.")

We had 2 scenic sailing days:

Tracy Arm - diverted to Endicott Arm

Hubbard Glacier - It was overcast, so the blues were spectacular.

Both were lovely & the scenic sailing days were enjoyable, but I would still recommend for a first (only) AK cruisers that you choose one that sails into Glacier Bay. I would also still recommend the small boat excursion to Tracy Arm if it is available.

There were plenty people on my cruise that did nothing or pretty close to nothing while in port & were satisfied/happy. At the end of the day "you know you" (& your budget.)

From the ship in the different ports/areas, we saw a lot of Humpback Whales, a pod of Orca's, otters, seals & sea lions.

Any questions?

a quick photo free overview...

We visited Mt. Rainier prior to boarding the ship. (Please if you take no other piece of advice fly in the day before, even if you just stay at your hotel.)

After I had made my arrangements with a car company to drive me to the pier, I got an e-mail from HAL asking me to arrive well after the time that I had booked. I stayed with that pre-arranged time. The car arrived early, traffic was probably normal for a Monday (lighter than I am used to but the highway was full.) and we got to the pier at about 11:30. We were in our room (2684) by noon.

No hiccoughs with our prepaid unlimited laundry. The only mistake with our signature beverage package was refunded. (The Irish Cream flavor shot at the Explorations café was charged, because it was counted as a separate beverage.)

My son, 8, loved the Club HAL. There were 35 kids in the under 13 & 35 over 13. There appeared to be about a dozen who went to the club. I heard no complaints from those who went, but there were 10, 11, 12 year olds who were too old for club (as in didn't want to play with the younger kids) but not old enough for the Loft. There were a couple girls in that range that weren't well behaved/supervised... Not so much that it was a detriment, but enough that they got a reprimand.

The Loft also appeared to be well used. There were teens on the steps waiting for it to open.

I got it as part of Explore 4. I would prefer to book as Explore 4 again to get that package, but I also think that I would buy it. (I never got near the daily minimum, but I'm pretty sure that I went over the purchase price. I know my husband would make good use of it. As it is my son drank too much soda!)

I passed on eating in the Pinnacle Grill.

All of the staff were wonderful, the ship was clean and "just the right size."

I didn't like that the dining room was cut off from the rest of the ship on the 4th floor. (I barely passed The Pinnacle Grill & the photographs, etc. on the 4th floor as a result.)

I "never" had a reason to go down/up there.

The food in the MDR (90% vegetarian) was good. The options on the Lido for a vegetarian were very limited. One night I wanted something quick & ended up with a plate full of carrots. No pizza at dinner time & I did not want another cheese sandwich. (Chicken stock is the base for a lot of the soups even "mushroom" that could have been made vegetarian.) Food is very subjective... My table mates who were able to partake more widely really enjoyed their meals. The no sugar added desserts often sounded the most appetizing & were very good in general.

There was a children's menu in the MDR & my son ate his fair share of pizza & too much soda/ ice cream.

While I did not partake, I think that the daily entertainment was adequate & enjoyable according to those with whom I discussed it.

Trivia was done by the cruise director (Jorge for those who care) & his staff. The Piano Bar (David, I think was the players name) was full of listeners/ sing-alongers. The trio & the strings were also nice, but I think that they were all performing at the same time.

People left lunch early to get seats at the America's Test Kitchen shows. My tablemates could not get seats together for the shows in the lounge (& they liked the shows) even when one arrived early. The movies were current & the theater was full.

I guess this falls under self-entertaining, but on our cruise the puzzles were a hit & there were a lot to choose from, there were enough small group games and spaces for those who wanted to play cards, Monopoly, etc.

The library was well stocked & I saw several people toting along a book that they had borrowed. (I believe that they have done away with the Librarian & officially checking in/out.)

The bow was open for the 2 scenic cruising days & most of the outside viewing areas were full of people. (The 9th floor on the sides weren't full on the day on which we sailed into Endicott Arm, nor was the secret spot on the aft on deck 2. I did not check deck 3.)

Disembarkation was simple & easy. I liked that they asked you when you wanted to leave. Since my flight home was the next day, I chose the 9:20 slot. (I was even able to get one last Latte since I had the Signature Beverage Package! I wish I knew that before breakfast. The brewed coffee is not to my taste, but they had plenty takers.)

I'm not sure what else to add to a general overview.

35 3 to 12 year olds

35 13 & older

Not bad considering.

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We arrived at 11:40 & in our room by 11:59.

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YIPPEE! Assuming the weather cooperates (partly cloudy is the current forecast) we will be hoping for a similar experience on July 19th!

I actually laughed out loud at that. :D

Me too! Awesome start to my morning!

I have several pair of glasses - some days you want something more fun, others more serious/plain.

Am I the only one with multiple Rx glasses?

I'm sorry - I couldn't figure out how to send a message directly to the OP, so I was hoping that quoting the post would get their attention to answer. Didn't mean to cause confusion.

No worries, my comment wasn't relevant & you can't "undo" a comment...:rolleyes:

I know this is probably a dumb question, but how do you know if your Alaska cruise does the Inside Passage or not?

Juneau, Ketchikan & Skagway are all located on the inside passage.

The differentiation is whether or not you sail to the west of Vancouver Island (from Seattle) or the East (from Vancouver).

If I have already booked a cruise and they offer the Explor 4 package, would this be something I would be able to apply towards my cruise or is it only for future cruises that I book during the promotion?

I switched from view & verandah to Explore 4 - just call your travel agent.

I get really mad :mad: at our apartment management for closing the outdoor pool after Labor Day weekend when it can still be really nice for another 3-4 weeks. .

Or not opening before Memorial Day.:mad:

Thanks for sharing - I'm infected with your enthusiasm! Just curious though, how the inside cabin is like an RV or camping. (I miss camping and recently tend to cruise with an inside cabin.)

For me its like camping - 3 people in 1 room. & Not necessarily a large room. & our "RV" was a VW Vanagon not a Winnie.

I do not miss camping - work to get there, work to set-up, work while you are there, work to break down, work when you get home.:o

I can't wait for our Anchorage day. Thanks again for sharing.

Sorry didn't realize someone replied to a 6 year old post bringing it to the top...

Looking at the captain's Instagram videos, I see that Solstice made it all the way up Endicott Arm to the glacier this week... one week after it was full of ice.

 

 

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That makes me hopeful.