LEtue

I can't find any recent review of these cabins. Has anyone stayed in one of these oceanview cabins on Deck 4?

They seem to be in the perfect location and they have been available long enough on the Radiance Class ships that it is surprising not to find any info.

Princess doesn't have any round trip Vancouver 7 day cruises, so if you want to stick with Princess you could do a B2B from Vancouver for a total of 14 days.

Except for early in the season - the Coral and the Emerald in 2017.

Viva la différence. We enjoy different cultures along with the different food and languages.

 

I'm under no illusions when it comes to cruising on MSC, and hope to enjoy all the great things and likely will ignore some of the not so good. We eat to survive, we dine to enjoy and will continue to do so since food is just one small part of our cruises.

 

However, I don't agree that ALL Americans feel the same and want everything the same. Let's be honest, if we all liked the same things, why would we even need colour. just sayin' .... :)

I need a like button.

Thanks LEtue! Sounds like a great (and less expensive ) option for us!

 

Dawn

You are welcome and enjoy the ride on the Alaska RR. I love it :D

Just did this for the second time last August to catch the Star Princess from Whittier and it is very easy to do your own hotel/train package.

We stayed at the Springhill Suites (with points) - used their airport shuttle to the hotel and again to the train station the next morning. Once you arrive at the train depot you simply put your Princess tags on before checking them and you don't see they again until you get on the ship - Princess transfers them for you.

I kept a backpack with me because we were doing the 26 Glacier Cruise before boarding but you could easily go directly to the ship.

Booking the Alaska Railroad on line is very easy so you should find a hotel that works for you and go for it~

I weighed everything - price, time of year, etc., and I booked September 2nd of next year. It was still a nice savings over August, and I made my deposit today. I ended up getting the port side cabin.

 

I hope on the way back to Seattle, after Glacier bay, towards Ketchikan, that we are close enough to the shore to see some nice scenery.

If you are not determined to sail from Seattle then you should look at the Holland America itineraries available from Vancouver. They are really nice and you will enjoy a much more scenic route from your suite and the price should be close to the same as from Seattle.

I do not find airfare prices to be an issue from Florida and often find better fares and times in and out of Vancouver.

Yes, that is exactly correct. It was very easy to get the SkyTrain at the airport. I think we paid $3 per person since we arrived on a Thursday evening. There was a person at the ticket kiosk/dispenser on the train platform who was more than willing to help us buy them, who also explained that the train would arrive in 5 minutes. We each had one suitcase and one carry-on bag, and there was plenty of room on the train to bring these.

 

At the end of the line: Waterfront, we got off and walked a very short distance to the Millenium Line, which came right away. It's just one stop later to get to the Hyatt (Burrard Station), and the hotel is across the street from the Burrard Station.

 

I would not hesitate to use the SkyTrain to travel from the airport to the Hyatt again. It was easy, comfortable, and inexpensive.

Thanks for the details! I often have to transfer to another train when traveling between the Atlanta airport and the North Springs stop when going to visit my daughter (when MARTA is single tracking) so this sounds very easy and a good way to get to the hotel. :)

We have stayed at the Westin Bayshore several times. It's a very nice hotel that is close to Stanley Park, but it's a bit of a hike from Canada Place. If that hotel had been available on 9/24 using Starwood points, I might've booked it.

 

The Hyatt Regency appears to be more luxurious, but its main attraction to me is its proximity to Canada Place and next to the Burrard SkyTrain station: http://www.translink.ca/en/Schedules-and-Maps/SkyTrain/SkyTrain-Station-and-Elevator-Maps.aspx#map

This is great information so thanks for posting it.

I have a question about coming from the airport to the Hyatt. It appears the end of the Canada Line is at the waterfront. So you must have to do a quick transfer to the Millennium Line to get to the Burrard Station - correct?

I am glad the later posts indicate no major issues with the Infinity since I just booked Alaska 2017.

I haven't sailed on Celebrity since 2000 so I reading all the recent posts that I find :)

Just bumped in to a friend at the gym, they just got back from Princess Coral Alaska, said the cruise was sub par and wouldn't cruise with Princess again. So yes, they had a great itinerary (north-south) but the ship ruined otherwise a good trip.

What part of the cruise was sub par? The Coral normally gets great reviews and having sailed this same itinerary on the Star and the Island - I can't imagine not sailing Princess again because of an experience on this itinerary :confused:

I have sailed one time RT from SEA and will never do that again. In our case the first port was Juneau and the Oosterdam stayed in open water longer than the Princess ship that left Seattle behind us and was headed to Ketchikan.

A quick transfer to Vancouver (if airfare is an issue) is easy and relatively inexpensive. I have not found a difference in fares from FL so it is worth checking. I don't like the stop in Victoria either and would rather spend more time in Alaska on an Alaskan cruise ;)

Our port time for the Infinity next year is 2pm - 8:30pm and I assume we will be taking a spot vacated by one of the ships leaving at 1 or 1:30 pm.....

Looks like the OP is sailing in August so there should be salmon visible at that time.

Here is a site with more info and you can ask for directions once you arrive. Enjoy!

http://www.alaska.org/detail/ketchikan-creek-falls

Too bad the sale only covers sailing through April 2017......

We were on the full length tour: http://www.kenaifjords.com/day-cruises/national-park-tour/#10am

The photo was taken in Aialik Bay on the way back from Aialik glacier.

 

The seas were a little rough as we crossed over from Resurrection Bay to Aialik Bay but not for very long. As I've never had any issues with motion or sea sickness I can't give any more helpful info.

 

The boat we were on was one of the Kenai Fjords Tours boats pictured above. It was much more stable than the little 14 person boat we took whale watching out of Juneau. (not implying it didn't rock though, just relatively it was more stable than the little boat)

Thanks for the additional information.

I am considering the 6 hour tour and I have only been seasick once - when "spotting" for a diver friend in the Gulf of Mexico. It was a very little boat and once we stopped and we started "bobbing" like a cork - that was it. So my concern would be if the boat stopped for extended periods of time in rough water. I will call them and see what they suggest.....

I would book the shorter trip but I don't want to spend time on Fox Island instead of on the water :(

Our Kenai Fjords tour gave us the BEST wildlife and glacier viewing of the entire trip. We were also lucky enough to encounter a very playful humpback that did many near full breeches.

 

In addition to onespots' list we also had some orcas.

 

If you possibly can go, do so. Remember though that this stuff is often luck of the draw and we drew well on our trip.

 

What trip were you on when you took this picture? The seas look pretty calm so I assume one of the shorter trips that doesn't leave the Bay?

I have only done trips out of Whittier in the past and want to try one from Seward next year. I have never been seasick unless I am in on a small a boat "bobbing around" here in the Gulf of Mexico......

All of the Royal's cabin balconies are fully covered except perhaps those at the very back of the ship.

 

I'm on the Royal next week in an inside across the hall from these cabins (C323.) I deliberately chose this location. It's near the forward stairs and elevators. These elevators are less used than the aft elevators.

Pam, how was your cabin location?

Also, your comment about the forward stairs and elevator is interesting. There are so many more cabins mid and forward I would have thought the opposite. Thanks for your input.

Have you checked to see if one of the Princess excursions covers the cable car ride and anything else you want to see? That will probably be the best option.

Also, I have organized many independent tours in a few Med ports and often we had a uneven number participating. Some were solo passengers and some were extra family members. So don't worry about that at all. :)

I'm not sure what your itinerary is but there are shared tours sites for most of the Italy ports that you can join. Very easy to do on line. Let me know if you need some links.

I have used this site for booking many tours including the Colosseum underground. See if this helps.

http://www.tickitaly.com/tours/colosseum-dungeon-upper-level-tour.php

Got a call back 60 Staterooms Cancelled, Including Mine.

Yikes, what was the reason?

Did they offer you something else?

I've been looking at hotels for our cruise next May. My criteria is central Rome so we can walk to most things and want the price point to not go over $200/night if possible.

 

We know people who stayed at the Hotel Columbus. It is very reasonably priced. It is on the Vatican side of the river but within easy walking distance of many attractions.

 

I'm also considering the Hotel Madrid, Hotel Trevi, Hotel de Petris, Hotel Campo de Fiori and Hotel Navona, but it's too soon to see prices for most of these hotels. Most include breakfast and wi-fi.

Most hotels should be available to book now for May 2016 and I would not wait.

I most often book direct after using a search engine for availability and selection.

Official Email from ROYAL...

 

"Over the years, Legend of the Seas® has entertained and indulged millions of cruisers in all corners of the world. In March 2017, this Royal Caribbean® favorite will make its final departure. But there's still time to get onboard for the ship's farewell run of Europe and South Pacific sailings.

 

To make the transition more seamless, we've added exciting new Europe and Transatlantic sailings onboard Rhapsody of the Seas® and Vision of the Seas®. The ancient monuments of Athens, the medieval walls of Dubrovnik, and relics of the Ottoman empire in Ephesus."

 

"Legend of the Seas farewell sailings beginning February 20, 3 unique itineraries from Brisbane to Singapore, Dubai to Barcelona."

 

"Rhapsody of the Seas stepping in on a European Adventure with 7 night Greek Isles, Croatia and more!"

 

"Vision of the Seas setting sail with unique Fall Foliage sailings and open jaws between Bayonne and Quebec."

 

BILL

Bill,

Thanks for posting this. I wonder when the new Rhapsody sailings will be available for bookings. I'm guessing it will take some time to get booked passengers moved around.....

They must be loading the new itineraries now. They aren't bookable yet but it looks like the Rhapsody has been added to Venice in 2017

They must be updating the site now. I am able to view some new Rhapsody sailings but it won't let me book.....

Really! That is awesome news and thanks for posting.

I looked earlier this evening so it must have just been updated. However, the cruise I was looking at was $791pp and now it is $1248 :(

This is so frustrating!

If it is a redeployment - I don't see why they would schedule an early TA instead of keeping the same September and October published schedule from Venice :( Don't all TA's leave Europe by November anyway?

The sailings must not have been selling well at all.....