talpostal

Just back from a cruise to Alaska where I spent some time in the casino. Craps was $5 minimum with 2x odds. Blackjack had a 3:2 table with $25 minimum and one or two 6:5 tables with $6 minimum. They also had three card poker and "Fun 21," I did not check what the minimum on those were but I would assume $5 or $6. They also had a roulette table. I like Jacks or Better on video poker and while I did not play, I looked at the machine and it looked like 6/5 odds 👎

I went last week and it was consistently hot. Generally 60s-70s but we were nearly at 80 in Denali and Fairbanks. My rain/cold gear went unused and my one pair of shorts did a lot of work. As others have said, the weather is unpredictable and I would not expect it to be the same for your trip. I would pack the same as people generally recommend, but I would definitely recommend bringing a pair of shorts just in case.

We went last week as well. I did my research and expected a big line but when we arrived at 6:30 or 7pm after our fishing charter there was no line whatsoever. There were several ships in port but I suppose people have gone back to the ship for dinner by that point? We ordered a bunch of crab and it was very expensive and very good.

The union has reached a tentative agreement and as of now it looks like the strike has been averted.

By US-bound do you mean Vancouver to Alaska? That's a bummer, I was hoping I would be able to use it.

We ended up booking the 3hr train round trip for the morning. I did some reading and it looks like plenty of hiking options are accessible from the port in Skagway. Looking forward to it!

What changed on ships that went from BB Kings to Rolling Stone? Did they swap R&B bands for classic rock?

We were going to do the excursion where you get off the train and bike back to Skagway, but need to cancel because someone in our group won't be able to do it. I see that you can do the shorter ~3hr train ride round trip or longer ~8hr excursions that go into the Yukon for stops. Is it better to do the long excursion? It seems like there isn't as much to do and see in town in Skagway as there would be in Ketchikan and Juneau.

Is it good enough to wait in the line? I always hear people saying the line is out the door.

I'm doing the Ketchikan oyster farm in June. Was hoping to hear some reviews! I wonder why it was canceled.

I'm doing HAL northbound in June. Is there time to do anything in Whittier? It seems like we're off the boat and on the train to Denali early in the morning.

I am heading on this cruise in mid-June! How is the nightlife going? From reading it sounds like people do the piano bar and BB King's in the evening and then the late option is the casino bar?

I haven't cruised since covid. How does the muster drill work for HAL these days? It sounds like you watch a video in your stateroom and then go check-in at your muster location and that's it. Is it a lot faster than it used to be? No more lining up with hundreds of people at a certain time and hearing the ship blow its distress signal?

Is $6 min just regular $6 minimum or is that $5 minimum with a required $1 side bet? I imagine that house edge is pretty high either way in a 6:5 game. I generally only play craps to socialize while having a few drinks so I'm happy to hear that the minimums are lower on the ship. I'm used to $25 minimum on land.

I admire your dedication to coozies.