JT1962

Great news. I was concerned I would need to be tested twice for my 19 day October cruise that consist of a seven day and a 12 day back to back.

Great news. I do wonder why the Coast Guard would not tow a “known empty vessel” to a port or otherwise identify it so that does not occur in the future. Or worse, have a ship hit the boat. Do they just let them drift until they wash ashore or sink?

Anything that happens on a weekend rarely gets immediate coverage unless it is something really big or of National importance. Assuming this is true, I would expect it to be reported on the cruise websites and mainstream news sites by Tuesday, if not sooner. I just saw a report by a few on the Carnival Sunshine of a man overboard alert. Some said they found an abandoned boat, but did issue a MOB alert. That normally makes mainstream news, but there is nothing online yet. Since it was posted by more than one person currently on the ship, I assume it is true, but can’t provide a “valid” source. If the passenger overboard on the Sunshine is true, it likely will take precedence in the news. Hopefully the alert was an error or the passenger will be found.

I looked at one of those for a New England/Canadian cruise next fall, but decided against it after I saw it only had a sofa bed and not an actual bed . The sofa bed did not look like it would be comfortable for 10 nights.

They might see the future that Virgin Voyages could merge with or be sold to a competitor, so they would rather be their owner instead of competing with them. It might be a good fit between MSC & Explora.

The average water temperature in Cozumel in February is in the upper 70s. Depending on the air temperature, wind, sun / clouds, and what you are used to, that could feel a little cool when you first get in..

There are updated warnings for travel to Mexico. Cozumel, Cancun and most of the Yucatán haven’t had too many issues in the past, but criminal activity seems to be spreading to those areas now also. “While the U.S. government has no restrictions on travel for its employees in Quintana Roo’s tourist sites, such as Cancun, Cozumel and Tulum, it is warning Americans to “exercise increased caution due to crime and kidnapping.” Tourists are warned to “remain in well-lit pedestrian streets and tourist zones” in the wake of shootings between rival drug cartels that have injured bystanders.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2022/08/27/mexico-travel-drug-cartels/7903270001/

After I posted that, I checked my email, and I had an offer for $70 from Jacksonville. If I did not have a 19 day cruise booked in October, I probably would’ve done it.

From my experience, they seem to send cheap offers to those that haven’t cruised with them in a while. I had not sailed with Carnival in 6 years and got a great offer in February for 8 days on Splendor in Alaska in May for $ 125 solo that I booked. When I returned, I got an offer for 5 days on the Ecstasy in June for $ 70 solo, which I also booked. After that, I have not received any offers close to those prices.

This is probably more of a notice to give the appearance that they are are doing something than anything that will actually be enforced. This seems similar to the rule of not saving loungers for hours on end, but never using them, or not smoking in your room or on your balcony, that seem to be rarely, if ever, enforced.

That would be my first choice, but I would have no problem going with Hoonah again either, if Glacier Winds was fully booked.

I use an iPhone to access their site, so it may be different if you’re using a desktop, laptop or tablet.

I emailed mscexistingreservations@msccruisesusa.com with my table request for my October cruise and they said they would pass it on to the appropriate person, but could not guarantee the request could be honored. I will find out when I board as to whether it worked or not.

3-4 months with Glacier Winds and just a few days with Hoonah Travel Adventures because my original excursion that was booked with the cruise line was canceled 2 days before we arrived.

I booked both in Advance. Glacier Winds has 2 boats - 6 & 13 passenger. Book as soon as you know that is what you want to do, as they fill up quickly. Hoonah Travel Adventures boat was larger (maybe 20?), but still not crowded and everyone could see without crowding others. All of the boats had restrooms onboard and felt very safe.

The only real advantage to booking ahead of time is if there is a long line to purchase tickets once you arrive and there are sometimes discount code you can use on Viator to get 10 or 20% off. It may be best to wait until you get there and see what the weather is like. If it is pouring rain, you may decide you don’t want to go. I believe you can purchase tickets the same day by using your cell phone on Viator, so you could always wait to see what the weather was like and if there was a long line, just use your phone to purchase the tickets and show the tickets on your phone to board the bus.

I’m actually surprised they provided any compensation at all, since that is common on most ships.

Once you choose your cruise and offer, it defaults to an inside cabin. There should be an arrow on the right of the screen that will move you to other cabin types - Outside View, Balcony, Suite, etc.

https://www.cruisehive.com/carnival-cruise-ship-forced-to-cancel-port-of-call-due-to-protests/79774

I did the Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier Combo Tour with Juneau Whale Watch I’m May and it was excellent. They do the whale watch first, then drop you at the glacier. The return buses run every 1/2 hour, so you can spend as much or as little time at the glacier as you choose. Just make sure you catch a shuttle at least an hour before your all aboard time and know when the last shuttle leaves.

Since the Internet is out on the ship currently, you will have to find Wi-Fi in the ports or use your cell service if it works in the ports. It’s good to disconnect while on vacation anyway and will save you some money.

If you want to see glaciers from the ship, an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay is your best option since Hubbard, Dawes and Sawyer Glaciers are sometimes missed due to ice / fog. Glacier Bay is rarely missed. Holland America and Princess have the most sailings to Glacier Bay, with Norwegian Cruise Lines having multiple sailings as well. Norwegian would probably have the most things to go onboard, especially for a 10 year old. If you just want to see a glacier, most ships stop in Juneau which has Mendenhall Glacier nearby. You can take a shuttle to the glacier and see it from a distance or take a helicopter tour that will actually land on the glacier, but is relatively expensive. A one way itinerary between Vancouver and Alaska (or Vice Versa) will give you the more time in ports and possibly an additional port / glacier visit vs. the roundtrip cruises from Seattle.With a one-way tour, you can also add on a land tour before / after your cruise to see even more.

Basically like the honor system on the health questionnaire prior to Covid.

One thing to be aware of is the new Artemis 1 rocket ( for flights to the moon) is scheduled for it’s first test launch on Monday morning. The good news is you will have a great view of the launch. The bad news is you may be stuck in traffic for a few hours. They expect 100,000 - 200,000 in the area to view the launch in addition to the 36,000 people trying to get to / from the 5 ships that will be in port that day. https://www.wftv.com/news/local/brevard-county-officials-expect-road-closures-traffic-delays-space-coast-artemis-1-launch/GIAOW6QIQFDBNJQZRLEEATLU5U/

Thanks. Yes it includes Aruba, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. Those are on consecutive days, so I likely won’t have much time for tv on those days anyway.