TheCalicoCat

Just to have a decision made, we chose Seattle Airport Express. (pricing similar to what you stated - but we are a duo in a car...)

What are your plans for your children?

When my son was 2, we chose Carnival (to the Bahamas) because they had the best children's activities for that age. (We wanted him to have age appropriate activities & were comfortable with the cruise ship staff.)

When my son was 4.5 we took him on HAL to Alaska because that was in our opinion the best itinerary for us (Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm small boat excursion, round trip out of Vancouver, & mid-week departure - YMMV) where they have to be potty trained to go to the club.

Now my son is 8.4 & we are going back to Alaska & we are sticking with HAL - 14-night in July = nothing to compare it to.

However, i was reading great reviews on Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer Catamaran Excursion Right off the Ship. What are the time requirements for this excursion? Choosing a cruise line/itinerary that offers it. (We did it from HAL Volendam & loved it.) It will say "service call" or something similar on the website to denote that the ship stops for passengers on the excursion to off load onto the catamaran._

Also, is Tracy Arm Fjord better then Glacier Bay?

Better is subjective. I say, "No."

"Different" is how I describe it.

Also on Volendam, we had a day of sailing Glacier Bay.

The perspective is different. On the cruise ship you the equivalent of several "floors" about the water line. On the catamaran, you are much closer to the water.

One final thought, Glacier bay is guaranteed glacier viewing. Tracy Arm can be missed as can Hubbard.

Thanks for sharing. did you mention when you sailed?

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that ALL of the sled dogs on glaciers are helicopter type excursions.

(There are sled dog rides on dirt tracks as an option.)

& The helicopter to glacier just to walk on/see the glacier up close are rather quick stops from what I have read.

For our port stop in Victoria, where can I change USD into CAD?

(I'm considering the Harbor Ferry & assume that I will need cash for entrance. Ditto taxis...)

Both.

Do cruise lines accept Bit Coins?

& yes, It has been asked before if you can use USD in Alaska...

TheCalicoCat, an excellent idea. Barb's Fish & Chips while at Fisherman's Wharf, grab an ice cream cone and either walk or take Harbour Ferry to visit the Bug Zoo. If you are up for it, after the Bug Zoo, it's a doable walk along the Empress Hotel, check out the Legislative building, which should be lit by then and walk back to the ship. A great evening for you two!

Thanks, I hadn't considered the Harbor Ferry - I hadn't thought about how to go from point A to Point B at all...

To the person who said do Mendenhall first - GENIUS! :* For me it was going to be an after thought or plan b, but going there first sounds so much better when you think about how close the tram is to the port.:rolleyes:

I guess you never can be done "planning.";p

Thanks again for all of your responses, I appreciate your time & opinions.

Thanks.

In our limited cruising experiences, we have ranged the gamut of boarding from no lines, to long line to sitting around for a while.

None of that bugs us because we are so close to being on the boat. (Once every couple of years with a now 8.5 year old, so the novelty hasn't worn yet. If it has for you - take a child!)

Here's my opinion on the only one of the three that we've done. We've done it several times, and each was great. : https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3835583.pdf

Thanks.

Wondering if anyone has been to Anan in the past few weeks and saw bears???

 

We go July 5th, which is the first day of peak viewing. Really would have preferred going later in July but couldn't get off work.

 

Thanks :)

What vendor is taking you? (Assuming independent?) Have you asked them?

For almost as long as I have had my cruise booked (Jan. 2016) my plans in Juneau were to ride up to Mt. Roberts and to "hike" if the weather was ok (I'm not sure what that actually means.) &/or go back to Mendenhall to do more "hiking" that last time & to get a second photo to go with this one

DSCF8195 by Amy S, on Flickr

Now I have heard about Perseverance National Recreational Trail.

Have you been to all 3 places & hiked/walked? Any opinions? Should I stick with my first plan and forget that I heard about the other option?

(I'm on a cruise vacation, I am not packing my serious hiking gear - but we are bringing our hiking shoes - so these hikes may be more like rambles or walks... Semantics.)

Victoria:

 

We are from Victoria

You can never go wrong with Butchart Gardens!

 

 

Interesting to hear form a local. & for someone who is not a fan of planned gardens, your recommendation in Victoria would be______?

I'm travelling with an 8.5 year old boy & will be in Victoria from 1 to 11 on Sunday, July 30th. My current plans are Fisherman's Wharf to see the habituated seals &/or the Bug Zoo.

So I have narrowed my choices to the two previously mention.

NCL Sun April 19th - 28th:

Pros:

9 days

Extra port Icy Straight

Longer time in Victoria

longer time in Ketchikan

previously cruised with NCL

 

Cons:

Early in the season (1st cruise to Alaska for the season but that could be a good thing)

Does not go through the Inside passage between Victoria and Vancouver

not as fond of the deck plans

 

Princess Ruby April 28th - May 5th

Pros:

a little later in the season

goes through the inside passage

longer port time in Juneau

I like the deck plans of the Princess more It looks like it has more viewing decks

 

Cons:

Less days

1 less port

short port time in Victoria

was only able to book a guaranteed room

 

I do not have any promotions to make one a better value. They cost about the same with the NCL slightly more expensive because of extra days.

At the end of the day, the choice is yours. As you note both have pros & cons. For me the early April is a serious CON... but if it wasn't possible, they wouldn't offer it, right? (I'm still thinking about weather so bad that a port was missed this past April & rougher seas = seasickness. I mean with all of the planning & expenses you want to enjoy yourselves, right?)

Caveat, in 2012 when we did AK the first time, May was too early for me. (In error I assumed that May was less desirable, I would not be opposed to a May Alaskan cruise now that I have more knowledge on the subject.) Next time for us is July 2017 - so we can see bears!

I mention that so that you can maybe make up your mind based on what you want to see/do. Is April too early for _______? Is the question you need to answer. (You may want to think about contacting vendors to get the answer from "the horses mouth.")

Think about it, if your business was based on May to September & you hired people form out of state for the summer - that could impact whether or not you operated in April. (Not to mention if May to September were your busy time, you might want to grab a quick vacation for yourself in April prior to the start of the season.)

It isn't that they are clueless it is just their priorities are different then yours. They are busy working and taking care of parents or children and having the planning burden taken away from them is something they find appealing.

(y)

Best way to cure that addiction -- book the cabin you want when you book the cruise. :)

Who wants to choose an inside when you could get a window by booking guarantee? (I'm off back to steerage.)

Does anyone know the rules regarding this? Can you take a sandwich of the ship for an early departure all day shore excursion?

You can only take packaged food off the ship. USDA rules. I've seen sniffer dogs and pile of bananas that had to be surrendered. (With that said, I have read about people sneaking food off - with the same kind of glee that people express when they are able to smuggle alcohol on board.)

Boxed cereal from the Lido or granola bars/jerky from home are the kids of officially permitted food stuffs that can be taken ashore.

I'm not one to generally say this, but neither one of you looks old enough to have been married for 25 years! Congrats.

Kodiak was our next stop, it is a charming port and we really enjoyed it. When we arrived we grabbed cab and took it to Fort Abercrombie.

Glad to hear this was an easy & enjoyable choice in Kodiak. This is our plan B if the weather is not good enough for our flight.

Good Morning,

I will be Sailing on MS Amsterdam on July 17th out of Seattle.

I booked a MM Guarantee, I have not been assigned my room yet, but that cabin type or one that is perhaps better could be on many decks.

I have already hired a car to drive my from my airport hotel to the pier at 11:30 a.m. on the 17th.

I just got this letter & and questioning if I am ok with my already planned car service. (& How could I abide without knowing where my room is yet?)

Thanks again in advance.

We would like to provide you with important information regarding your sailing. To enhance the check-in and boarding experience, we ask that guests arrive at the terminal based on the following times. Guests who have booked a transfer or hotel package with Holland America will be provided a check-in time at the

airport or hotel.

1:00 PM - Deck 6 & Deck 7 (Verandah & Navigation)

1:30 PM - Deck 3 (Lower Promenade)

2:00 PM - Deck 2 (Main)

2:30 PM - Deck 1 (Dolphin)

We invite our 4 and 5 Star Mariners, Pinnacle and Neptune Suite guests to arrive anytime between 12:30 P.M. and 3:00 P.M. Boarding will commence shortly after check in. All guests must be onboard 1 hour prior to sailing. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation, and look forward to welcoming you onboard.

Thanks again.

I have also been studying the menus that Crew News posted on his website...

I think I'll be able to figure out an alternative.:cool:

Thanks, I had read that a jalapeno martini is only available in the Silk Den. (A bar that is not on Amsterdam.) & wanted to check about the possibility of other specialty bars.

Can all Bars on Amsterdam make all drinks?

I'm asking because on both Carnival & RCCL, there are "special" bars where they make hand made cocktails (Moscow Mule made with muddled ginger instead of canned ginger beer), & others were you get beverages with a more mass market appeal (Frozen Pina Colada).

I have Explore 4 & I'm going to try all of those adult beverages that I'm too afraid to spend $8 on only to realize that I don't like it... I just don't want to ask for ____ only to find out that the special ingredient is only available at the _____ bar.