Pittypatbr

We are on Jan. 25 for an anniversary also.  Sure hope they don't cancel that one!  We don't go often so its a big deal for us.

Waiting to hear more as we are on this cruise in October.  

PapaB, do any of the specialty restaurants require a sports coat and/or tie?  We would prefer not to pack one, as we are trying to pack light.  My husband will have slacks and a dress shirt but wasn't sure if he might need the coat.

Is there any reason to bring a sports coat and/or tie on the cruise?  Do any of the specialty restaurants require them, or will slacks and a dress shirt suffice?  How about slacks and a polo?

Thanks, Beachiekeen.  I was wondering about the trolley tours.  That and the walking tour would still involve storing our luggage and getting back in time to retrieve it, and I wasn't sure about transportation TO the tours.  It seems as though some local companies would specialize in this kind of pier - tour - airport thing.  I guess if I wanted to pay a lot I could do it easily though!

First time visitors to Hawaii on POA in a couple of weeks.  We don't fly out until 7:50 on disembarkation day.  We would love to book a tour to fill some of the time and get a last look at Oahu.  We are visiting Pearl Harbor and Polynesian Village before the cruise.  What and who would you recommend?  We don't want to rent a car that day, but don't want to spend the day at the airport either.  Nothing too active, my husband's back won't hold up to much hiking.  Thanks!

Thanks so much PapaB.  I really appreciate all the tips and reviews.  It sounds as though you have an attitude similar to mine, so I expect we will feel the same way about the trip.  We sail on March 23, so we are short-timers now.  Can't wait.

Thank you so much for posting this.  I am loving reading it, getting tips, and getting an idea of what to expect.  I am still finishing planning my excursions and shore time, so all the info is so very helpful.  Have a wonderful rest of the trip and I will be reading along.

Loving your report.  We are on the March 23 cruise, so currently trying to tie up the loose ends and finish plans.  So your observations and experiences will be VERY helpful!  Thanks!

Thank you, Kaymoz.  You answered some questions in my mind.  Would you share any specialty dining experiences you had?

Alaska Trip and Shore Excursions

May 11 Fly to Vancouver, stay at Pan Pacific Hotel at Canada Centre

May 12 Tour of Victoria and Bouchard Gardens

May 13 Board Holland America Zaandam

May 14 Cruising inside passage

May 15 Ketchikan: take the bus to Totem Bight and Potlatch Park, bus pass ($3 for day), Creek Street and salmon ladder

May 16 Juneau: whale watching and Mendenhall boat tour through Harv and Marv’s *http://www.harvandmarvs.com/alaskawhalewatching.html*, spend more time at Mendenhall, walk around Juneau,

May 17 Skagway: White Pass RR Summit trip through HAL 3-3.5 hrs , walk around town, park service tour, Arctic Brotherhood Hall

May 18 Glacier Bay cruising

May 20 Seward: Kenai Fjords trip 7.5 hrs., buffet included:

http://www.alaskatravel.com/seward/major-marine-kenai-fjords-special.html

May 21 Alaska Sealife Center, bus to Anchorage

May 21 Anchorage: walked around downtown

May 22 Train to Denali, then Flightseeing trip to McKinley

May 23 Tundra Wilderness Tour and Cabin Nite

May 24 Sled dog show at visitor center, train to Fairbanks

May 25 Fairbanks: Gold Dredge and Riverboat

May 26 Museum of the North, fly home

The trip was just perfect - we loved every minute. Wish we could have flown Southwest, though. We just love them, and HATED paying for those bags!

We were in a DA on Main Deck, 2557, and it was great. Right around the corner from the elevator and a quick hop up the stairs to the lower promenade deck. Our friends were next door in 2553. Both very comfortable and very convenient.

Oh, my, so many books, so little time!! I am immersed in Dana Stabenow and Sue Henry for my fiction/mystery enjoyment, and just got from the library Coming into the Country.

I also got Four Quarters of Light by Brian Keenan, Passage to Juneau by Jonathan Raban, A Land gone Lonesome by Dan O'Neill, and Stalking the Ice Dragon by Susan Zwinger. If I run out of reading time before my trip in May, which of the last four would be most recommended?

I am trying to intersperse these with my guidebooks - Frommer's Alaska Cruises and Ports of Call, Fodor's Alaska, Anne Vipond's Alaska by Cruise Ship, Joe Upton's Alaska Cruise Handbook, and Alaska's Southeast, Touring the Inside Passage by Eppenbach.

Of course, I have to leave time for Cruise Critic browing, too!! :D

That does look yummy. Is there one of those close to Canada Place?

I agree. They can be read out of order but make much more sense chronologically. I jumped in the middle with the first one I read and then realized I had to go back and look at copyright dates and get them in order for more enjoyment. Hope you like them as much as I do! I am about half way through.

I have been reading Dana Stabenow's mystery series. She has two series, the Kate Shugak and the Liam Campbell series. Both are set in Alaska with a lot of native culture and are very good. I am starting to get a much better picture of the countryside, the politics, and the culture. She is a well-known author from Anchorage.

Hmm. That's a thought. There are four of us, two couples, and we are all celebrating our 45th wedding anniversaries with the cruise/tour! Thanks for the suggestion.

Thanks, Putterdude. My problem is that we will be there May 11, and the trolley tour of Stanley Park doesn't begin until late May or June. Oh, well. Guess we will take the bus there and just walk around a little.

We are doing two nights pre-cruise in Vancouver. On the first day, our flight is scheduled to arrive about 1:30, and we will have to make it through customs and to our hotel, which is at Canada Place. The second day, we have a pre-arranged tour to Vancouver Island, Victoria, and Bouchard Park. Third day will be embarkation, and we don't want to do any touring that day. Thanks to the great people on these boards, I know we want to see Stanley Park including the aquarium that first afternoon, but won't have a lot of time to do it. I would love to get to the park, ride around it, and then go back and visit the interesting places such as the aquarium. Bicycles would be great but everyone in my group of four won't do that. The Hop on, Hop off options are very expensive for the amount of time we have. What would y'all suggest for transportation? Thanks for any suggestions and information!

Well this was just wonderful, but how come you are on the computer instead of out at a parade? :D You are a terrific photographer, and you give me hope that I will get some decent pictures with my point and shoot. The zoom is pretty decent, but I had been worried I needed a lot of lenses and a fancy camera.

We are headed up in May, Vancouver to Seward on Zaandam and then the land tour to Denali, so these were an awesome teaser! Sounds like you had done your research and made your plans well - hope I do as well. I also like your attitude about the weather, trips, and everything. I am sure that helped you to have a great time. :)