rslinky

Don’t have an answer to your specific question, but have information.  There are city shuttles that take you to the glacier.  They are right outside when you get off the ship.  They run on a regular schedule so you can stay  choose when to go back to ship.   And you can book the tram right there too.  It’s been a few years since we did Alaska but I think the shuttles were about ten bucks.  Very easy to do.  You might prefer the control you have over your schedule this way.

FYI. From our experience, sailing the longer itineraries over Thanksgiving will result in far fewer children/teens.  We did a ten day Panama Canal and there were very few.  

Next door to main train station.  Schweitzhof.   

ROZ, Sketchers makes several waterproof shoes and low boots.  I ordered a pair of waterproof sneakers and they are light and as comfy as all the sketchers I own.  I will also be taking a pair of low waterproof hiking shoes.  I figured if we have lots of rain, it might be good to have more than one pair for day use.  

Going on our first river cruise so also first visit to Christmas Markets.  We are sailing on Emerald and we know our itinerary of course, but not times in each stop.   Dinner on the ship  is at 7:00.   So wondering if most of the time available for Markets is during the day.  All the variables of when the ship is in motion, the fact that it gets dark early, etc, just wondering if on a December cruise if it is likely to have both day and night opportunities.  Thanks for sharing your experiences.  

For those needing boots/shoes, sketchers has waterproof shoes very reasonable.  They would be useful whatever climate you have at home and serve their purpose on a river cruise too!

We are excited for our first river cruise in December.  Basel to Amsterdam. Will have two days in Basel before we start cruising,  plan to explore Basel and Colmar, France.  Have waterproof shoes/boots, multiple layers to mix and match depending on the day.  Only real prep left is reading a bit more about each stop so we know options.  Have been in holiday prep mode too as everything must be done before we leave for the  11 days.  All Christmas shopping is done, cards addressed and presents wrapped,   So hoping to find wonderful gifts in the Markets and have most of next years shopping done too!   With Christmas markets basically everyday, I have to hope I can be patient with our shopping so that I don’t run out of  funds or space in luggage in the first few days of the trip.  Of course, there is always shipping home.  Have no tips as this is our first River cruise,  but ready to hear from experienced Christmas market cruisers.

We did both Alaska and Panama Canal cruises with HAL.  Loved both.  Our Alaska was a land/sea and I wouldn’t want to do Alaska without the land portion.  HAL has the best ship for viewing the inside passage.  The Crows Nest.   There are Panama itineraries that do a partial transient of the canal,  and this is what we did on this cruise.  Love Cartagena Columbia and Costa Rica.  We did a Baltics on a different line and it was when two days in Russia was possible.   But still worth going without that stop.  Estonia, Sweden, Copenhagen, so much to see.   For me there isn’t a wrong choice. Go where your mind and heart call you to go.  And Enjoy.

American announced late summer that they were eliminating 1100 plus flights in the fall.  I was lucky enough to have two of my four legs of a European flight eliminated.   They tried to give me a two stop flight home thru London with a 50 minute connection time.  My husband said no.  At 84 he doesn’t run anymore!   So we are staying an extra night before coming home to catch a flight the next day, no charge.  Sometime you get people who really want to help and others who don’t.   Glad you can relax about making your BA flight!

I have never once overpacked!   I have, however, come home  with unworn options!

Thanks for the responses.  I am not overly sensitive to odors, but just that it is in Emerald’s terms of agreement as something for which they give no compensation, I thought maybe it was a frequent thing.   Looking forward to this new experience.

We are doing out first river cruise in December.  The paperwork we need to sign mentions that noise and odors are normal.   Not concerned about noise, but has anyone experienced odors on the ship?  On a small vessel it makes sense that exhaust, fuel and food smells could be more noticeable.  Would hate to have eight days of sewer smells though.  We are in a lower level cabin so don’t believe our small windows open.   

I am not going to read 34 pages to see if this has been suggested before, but I know many with success using vaccinespotter.org.  It takes five minutes to register and get an appointment, generally within the next few days.   You are booking directly with the pharmacies in your area, get an email confirmation.  I realize areas of the country are different.  Here in TN, there were vaccines left over every day, so state opened this week to anyone over 16.   Again, vaccinespotter.org. 

Our Australian Shepherd mix never holds it against us when we travel.  When we take him to the kennel, he wags his tail and wants to greet everyone.  He never looks back as he is led away.  He doesn’t eat as much, but he isn’t as active.  He is back in routine the minute he is back in the door!  For me, however, the body is generally back home a full week before my mind!    

For me, it’s is date night!  If we are on a ten day cruise, I say we are off for 10 date nights in a row.  Drinks, a nice dinner and a choice of entertainment every night.   Love the time together without the interruptions of daily life like walking the dog, fixing dinner, vacuuming, paying bills, mowing lawn, etc.    As has been mentioned, the unpacking only once!  We travel a lot, love car trips sight seeing our way around an area.  So while the ports are new experiences, I didn’t have to pack and unpack to get there.  We didn’t have a cruise planned this year, but sure was disappointed our ten day self drive of Norway was postponed.  

No advice other than keep calling.  It’s things like this that make me go into investigation mode!

To those thinking it was a I am right, you are wrong deal with my friend, you are wrong.  I am just a logical thinker and if I know two things - Canadian ports closed and NCL listing 10-20 as their relaunch date - then I know NCL is likely not sailing.  So I did share this with my friend who did want to let go of the trip and kept saying, certainly they would have told us and they just be figuring out how to get around the Canadian.  But received an email from her this morning saying she had gotten notice the cruise  is not sailing and thanked me for the heads up even if she didn’t want to believe it.  We are real friends, no scores kept!    But now she knows and is really disappointed.  So we will both continue to talk about the the places we will be going, either together or with our own families when travel is less risky.

Last night I got on NCL site and was invited to chat with an agent, so I did and Adrian was very ready to help me with my cruise plans.  Then I asked if the cruises out of Seattle in Sept were sailing and waited for the response.  What I got was “Agent has ended chat”.   Obviously they were not putting anything in writing.

Well, the other friend just booked that cruise for departure mid Sept from Seattle.  Called and booked in person.  So some one tell me how this Alaskan trip is happening.  Is NCL really getting people’s money now to pay those refunds 90 days old?  

46 minutes ago, MJSailors said:

   Hasn’t NCL sent her a cancellation notice by now ? 

Princess, who has done Alaskan cruises for decades and are leading cruise experts in that region,shut down their Alaska season months ago.

   You might tell your friend to call NCL to confirm that the cruise she booked is a go. Or , at the very least,if she insists that she will be going on this cruise in September, she will find out for herself if she goes to the pier the day of embarkation and sees no ship at the pier.

She says they have been told the cruise is still a go when she called.  They have received no notice.  I tried to explain that it appears NCL is cancelling cruises a month at a time,  so they will be slow so they can keep her money.  She just wants to believe that if they weren’t going , NCL would tell her.  But as I have said, not my problem, just want her to know what I know.  

My friend has a cruise scheduled for Alaska mid September out of Seattle.  She thinks they are going.  Another friend is even thinking of maybe booking and going  too.  I have tried to explain that ports in Canada are not open so there is no place dock to make this a legal sailing to Alaska with out Canada.  Someone posted list with  target start up dates for each Norwegian ship and her ship has a start up date in October.  Sent that to her.  She thinks that if the ship weren't sailing, they would be told.  If anyone has any more concrete evidence, let me know.  The two printed articles I have sent, evidently are not enough.  Of course, I would think just the daily news would be enough to say at least one of two things - no way do I want to cruise right now     or      no way cruise ships will be allowed to start up under current conditions.  I know it is not my problem, I just hate to see her still excited about something that is most likely not happening.

Well Sue1898, we are going to have to try that drink when we can.  We are in Sevierville and find it interesting that we have done three of the cruises you have, the New England/Canada, an Oosterdam Alaska land and sea and the Zuiderdam Panama Canal, but all different dates!   Stay Healthy!  I know this county needs tourists but am glad to see things shut down.  We are taking the stay at home seriously.  

12 hours ago, sue1898 said:

My choice...hard to photograph but in a HAL souvenir glass.

Did you get that in Pigeon Forge?  Are you local?

Definitely agree that no formal tour is necessary.  Use google and TripAdvisor and learn a bit about the old city and what you want to see there.  Print out a map at home and plan your route. We took a taxi, 20 bucks for four of us to the clock  tower which is a main entrance for the walled city.  Coming back it was ten for the four of us.  We shared with a couple we met on the ship, did our own things there and met up to share the ride back.  At no time did we feel unsafe walking around.  Beautiful historic city.  Be sure to walk to top for the huge market.  And notice all the door knockers.  And the doors.  Beautiful and huge wooden doors with wonderful knockers - spirits, owls, turtles, lions, lizards, fish.  Found them fascinating.  And visit the little zoo right there at the dock.

We enjoyed this show in June.  Wine not high end, and the food at cirque was much better, but thought the story was entertaining, I learned a bit about wine and the lead male was very talented.  A good time and we thought worth it.