Nhsaltshaker

Hey everyone!

 

Thank you, everyone, for the kind words. We're a little bummed (and tired) from the whole ordeal but again, Royal handled everything fantastically and this is why we are Loyal to Royal.

 

Johnny and I are on the plane for our flight from JFK to PHX now! Still feeling some rocking (I had no idea how much the sensation would stick around - but it totally has!) but everything else looks like it will be fairly uneventful.

 

Thank you, again, everyone for tuning in. It definitely helps to be respected somewhere on the Internet (despite all the hoopla trying to exaggerate the story).

God speed and thanks for sharing with us!

The Tour Guide is the only one you would tip. All others (meals, drivers, baggage handlers, sponsored excursions, etc) are included in the fare.

Making observations from past experience and am glad to hear I am in good hands with both your claims for my cruise in April.

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Might as well start flaming me now.

I've had crew tell me Claus was not very concerned about passenger comfort. Although I've read from posts, they appreciated his announcements.

Yup, go ahead. Tell me... I made this up....I'm being mean...I don't know what I'm talking about. I hate Royal Caribbean...

Looking for the water bucket brigade.

I am grateful RC made a ship capable of surviving a storm such as this, really, I am. But, product, people, then profits come first. Without the product and people, there are no profits. And, no, I own no stock.

My wife and I along with our 16 year old daughter are planning on cruising Alaska sometime next year.

 

Any recommendations for a first time Alaskan cruiser? Any and all tips/suggestions are welcome.

 

We are from the Caribbean so Alaska is really a bucket list item for us.

 

Thanks in advance.:)

My tip is also to spend time on land along with a one-way cruise. It is cheaper to go north on a cruise and then do a possible land tour. Reason being, there is a lot of packing-unpacking plus travel on the land portion. Therefore, most people prefer to get some of the more 'stressful' part of the trip out of the way first.

It would benefit you to start investigating the usual travel sites and pick what best fits you and your budget. This process has helped me in determining what I want and how much it will cost.

I have postponed two bucket list trips for at least a year in order to save up some money to do what I really want to do. It paid off tremendously and made every penny worth it!

Vintages on deck 5. Get there early if you want a seat.

Awesome. THANKS!

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You might also consider buying a prepaid phone which has good service in the area you will be in. I have Tracfone and have had very good reception in Bayonne as I always have to call friends & family to let them know I arrived safely (and brag about being on the ship with a drink in hand!). Tracfone is just one of many prepaid phones, but I know their phones ending with a C are using Verizon towers. There are plenty on eBay and pretty inexpensive. A 30 min. one month card is $10, not cheap but better than the aggravation of no cell service.

Thanks! I'll check into that. It appears Verizon has a strong signal in that area?

You should have a signal without roaming in the Narrows (going under the Verrazano Bridge). I've used my phone both in and out bound on Sprint from the ship at those points without problem or charge.

That's good to know! Thanks! But I wonder if I should be calling a service saying I'm off the ship, if I'm not? The couple of service's I've checked say to call when I'm off the ship...because it could be held up by Immigrations?

1+ hrs with no phone signal :eek: I think i would look at getting a new phone. It's not like Bayonne NJ is in the middle of the boonies, you should have gotten a signal right away.

My phone works great in the boonies here in NH. I prefer not to cancel or switch phone services just for a ride to the airport.

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No problem getting on the queue for a cab to the airport. You could either do it as a solo or in a shared van. I remember the shared van cost to be around $30 with tip.

Thanks. For some reason I don't have much patience for waiting around when I get off the ship. It seems getting from point A to point B the quickest way possible keeps my mood in vacation mode a bit longer.

I've read in posts last year people were waiting forever for taxis, even when there wasn't a storm. If things have changed, a taxi would be my first pick.

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I think it is 11:45 a.m.

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Hi all,

Last year at Cape Liberty, I had a car service that required a phone call to let them know I was off the ship. My lovely Sprint service didn't give me a signal for an hour and 15 minutes and then the call dropped 5 times. Then it took another 2 hours for my car to show up.

Are people still having issues getting cabs at the port? Is there a service where I can send them an email or text that I am ready? Have they installed pay phones at the port?

I'm solo, doing the walk off, and the ship docks at 7 a.m on Monday, April 18.

What options do I have?

Thanks!

Thanks for taking us along!

Hi Anthem (and possibly Quantum) cruisers,

I was wondering if anyone knew where Muster station D01 is located on Anthem of the Seas. My cabin is on Deck 7, port side, on the hump.

Thanks!

Watching it leave now.

Does anyone know what side she docked on? Port or Starboard?

Can also vouch for Bernard Tour. Hit all the highlights. Maho to see the planes, an hour or so at Orient beach, stop in Marigot at the open air market, several scenic stops. There was also a stop where there were several iguanas. Plus all the beer and rum punch you wanted. Excellent value for the price

I'm leaning towards this. Can you tell me what type of vehicle was used? Big bus? Little bus?

I had no idea alcohol is provided, did they give that to you while on the vehicle?

Thanks so much!

I replied to someone asking about Cozumel. (I prefer just to answer rather than correct...)

My apologies...the not generally chilly comment threw me for a loop.

In general the Gulf of Mexico is not described as chilly at all. But there will be wind associated with the ship moving (faster is behind schedule).

I thought for sure you were going to say "In general the Gulf of Mexico is not in Alaska". :D

Anticipating a good outcome with your insurance company and praying you find some sun.:)

Agreeing with other comments above, if you really want to print your airline boarding passes while on board and not at the airport, bring about 5 extra pieces of paper per passenger for airline tickets.

Twice (doesn't matter which cruise line), I've tried to print tix and all the printers were out of paper with no attendant in sight to ask for more. Meanwhile, what was left of my internet minutes were ticking away...:eek::eek:

We have been to Alaska in the past, and are going back. I know that the connoisseur includes many meals, but does it also include a tour guide that stays with the group the entire time? Our last cruise tour we had a wonderful bus driver that was very informative. Just not sure the extra cost is worth it, since we probably don't need to eat so many large meals.

Assuming you are talking about Princess's connoisseur tour, yes, a tour guide is with you the entire time. He/She is not the bus driver. Having done this tour in 2009 and doing it again in 2017 gives me the permission to say a connoisseur tour is worth every penny. They will help schedule any land tour excursions, take care of any problems that might be encountered, and go out of their way to make you trip exciting and memorable.

Did they provide soap and water?

In no way am I an expert, but if this is on the top of your to-do list, start with a booking on your earliest stop. If that gets cancelled you still have another shot at the next stop.

I've done the Denali shuttle bus several times. My favorite was the third week of May. Lots of animals out. They're hungry in the spring and easily sighted near roads and rivers. There were many moose calves and little bear cubs. I stopped my wildlife tally count at 300 part way through the day's tour. I like early season. Fewer tourists.

That's great news as I'm going the same week in 2017. Thanks for the renewed excitement.

I spray the highly-toxic Permethrin on my luggage before a trip. Not recommended if you have cats.

Agreeing with others, bed bugs can come from anywhere, tour bus, train, airplane overhead.

Once I found one crawling INTO my luggage at a hotel. Luckily, I got the heck out of there and didn't bring any home with me. Now, every room gets inspected thoroughly before I even bring my luggage inside.