Studio472

Visiting Nassau via Majesty in December. In the past we've bought Kalik beer while in port. Last time I was in port, the stores only offered bottles at 'per bottle' pricing.

I was wondering if anyone knows if there are local beer distributors or stores that sell 6-packs or cases at 'normal' prices. I'd like to avoid spending $50/case.

I understand the cruise line will hold the beer until the last night of the cruise.

When you get to the rail station there is a tent with. Inside are the cruise lines sailing that day. You need to have you luggage tags on them, and they will take the luggage on a box truck. You hop on the train and your luggage will be waiting for you in your ship cabin.

It's the best!

I don't think so. I think they are assigned when purchased. Maybe call the ticket counter before buying and see.

In gold star it doesn't really matter, unless you get front row of the 1st car, everything is about equal.

OP - I think it's very important you and your wife look at how much activity you want or don't want before making any choices. Alaska can be daunting but it's worth it. I can't wait to get back.

We did 5 days on land going to Denali, then sailed from Seward to Vancouver for another 7. Those first few days of travel, driving, Denali were a LOT of running around and we saw a ton of stuff. I wouldn't take it back for the world. Everything we did was a home-run. Then we got on the ship and saw some nice stuff, but I felt like the amazing part of the trip was on land.

The point I'm trying to make is that I saw a lot of people on the cruise ship that seemed to think moving around the ship from time to time was a busy day. There are others who try to pack every minute with something to do. My point is, before choosing anything, I would decide if you want this trip to be extremely relaxing or if you want to make an adventure and see much more.

Once you have an idea the amount of activity you want, the folks on this forum can really help out with ideas. And when it get's too overwhelming, realize that no matter what you pick, it's going to be really good! Weather plays a big role too. September is the very end of cruising season, there's a good reason for it. We went in mid August and the 'summer' was already winding down.

OP - I too enjoyed reading your thoughts and agree with most everything you said. I'm 34 and just finished my 7th RCL cruise, so I'm obviously still a baby compared to many of your cruising resumes.

I can't say I've noticed much decline in service or food in my short cruising experience. I do miss the midnight Chocolate Buffet, that was boss.

I can say I've noticed the nickel & diming on an almost exponential rate. I was surprised that even our MDR waiter gave us a talk about the drink packages. I suppose I'm going to see that when I go on my 1st NCL cruise in December, so it is what it is. I've cruised enough to know what to expect and how to handle the 'sales' side on-board.

I have several friends who no longer cruise RCI for various reasons, one is a common thread on the boards here, things that were once included are now at a premium. To him I must be one of the newer cruisers that doesn't know what I'm missing, and that's true. I can't miss something I haven't had!

I understand your sentiment that RCI is shifting their product away from you. There are times I feel that way and I'm surprised you've hung in there this long. Best wishes and I hope you find that ideal experience.

Maybe you should just stay home.

I think I'll stick to better itineraries. Alaska was wonderful and I'm looking forward Bermuda this spring.

Nassau was a dump. Had we booked an excursion I have no doubt it would've been terrific. We had decided just to wander around the port area. Won't do that again. Pushy sales people, sickly looking horses, and touristy tack. Would just stay on the ship next time. Again, those who went to Atlantis or somewhere else surely saw a different, beautiful piece of paradise. Lesson learned.

Nassau ALWAYS sucks. Without exception. Every time I say I'm not going to get off the ship, and get off and remember why. Someday I will learn this lesson. Best way to avoid this is to choose non-Nassau itineraries.

The only positives around Nassau:

1. Hard Liquor prices are hard to beat, although deals on the ship are usually pretty competitive anyway
   
2. Kalik brand beer is available here. Always try to get a 'road beer' on the way back to the ship
   

As far as negatives go, we went to Senor Frogs to tie one on (at 11am) and were really disappointed. They're owned by the same company that runs 'Carlos & Charlies' in Cozumel. This place was a huge disappointment. Even the 'yard' frozen drink plastic glasses no longer fill to the bottom (saves them money). Not that the drink was worthy of needing more, but at C&C the selection and taste of every drink was great.

Posted in Alaska... Enjoy

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2253145

I often post- it is EASY to get any bus you want, with calling 2 days prior at 7am- when they release their hold back tickets. I've heard a few times, that it is 35% of the seats. I've never, not gotten the bus I wanted.

That's good advice. Next time I go it won't be with 8 other people so that will certainly work for us.

Part of what I was trying to say (but didn't clearly) is that I felt like if we got off at Eielson and tried to get another bus back, the group would have been broken up. It seemed like there were people waiting for bus after bus, even at Eielson.

I didn't get to say this before but I really liked your review and didn't look at it as complaining as some did. You have your bar set with expectations and you measured this cruise against that bar. Since everyone's bars are at different heights you're going to get a range of reactions. My 1st cruise was on Majesty and despite the rampant hate for that ship, I loved it and loved it again when I sailed her last year.

Things we liked...

Cabin and steward....was fine! Actually I think our balcony cabin was a bit bigger getting around the bed. Towel animals EVERY night!

This got me thinking about a 5-nighter on Navigator. We had the worst room steward. We never got towel monsters and the room was rarely made up. Things just felt thrown around. That seemingly minor detail really stands out because it my wife's 1st cruise and I knew she'd love the towel monsters. Point is, even though everything wasn't perfect we still enjoyed the cruise, had wonderful wait staff and in general had a good time.

we totally missed the bread choices! Only 2 types...Italian and a white roll. That's it! NO savory bites, seeded or wheat rolls!

I can relate to your love of savory bites. We just got back from Radiance and by the 2nd night they just brought us little plates full of savory bites.

I have cruised 7 times, all Royal, but the last cruise left me with fewer reasons to stay loyal. I've never had a 'bad' cruise but with everything some are better than others. So many factors come into play it's a shame people stereotype an entire cruise line based on cherry-picked details. For example, Oasis class ships are amazing, but they're so big they can't get to many cool ports. I recently sailed on Radiance which is a more classic cruising experience without all the bells & whistles.

Going forward I'm going to book cruises based on itinerary/ship/price where before I was chasing Platinum status. I've got my first NCL cruise booked this December so I'm looking forward to see how they do things differently. Even though CCL's prices were better across the board, my wife isn't willing to try them just yet.

You make it sound like microwave ramen. That may be how meatloaf is made at your home, but trust me, you can class it up, and I have had it in many good restaurants.

 

What's wrong with ramen!? Loving the back and forth.

Burrito place near us had 'ramen bowls' for a limited run, was one of the best burrito things I've had in many moons :)

Thanks,

I see that there are options in selecting a shuttle.

 

 

• Shuttle Bus (VTS)
  
• Eielson Shuttle Bus
  
• Kantishna Shuttle Bus
  
• Toklat Shuttle Bus
  
• Camper Bus
  
• Wonder Lake Shuttle Bus
  

Kantishna goes all the way to the end and Toklat seems to go 53 miles. Any suggestions on which? We won't be camping.

I just got back from our trip and we took the Wonder Lake Shuttle. We booked Wonder Lake because it's one of the better places to see Denali (if visible). I highly recommend buying your shuttle tickets ASAP as they sell out. We bought months in advance and still didn't get the first shuttle out. The original plan was to skip Wonder Lake if Denali wasn't showing, but someone said the trip to WL was worth it anyway. WL was very underwhelming. After so many hours on the shuttle, it was nice to be off the shuttle for some time, but without a view of Denali, it wasn't anything special.

Round trip took almost 12 hours. It was a LOOOOONG day. It all depends on your tolerances & expectations. In a way I wish I took the Eielson Shuttle since it was foggy / rainy most of the day.

One thing you should know is that the seats you book are yours, until you give them up. Each stop there are people looking to go further into the park or back out. Depending on availability the driver will let new passengers on. Our bus was fully booked and the concern about getting off at Eielson is that we would be waiting just as long for a return shuttle, so we kept our seats.

I could of sworn I saw 'tan' busses going as far as Eielson but I might have been going mad after hours on the bus. Those looked more comfortable but I was happy with our driver and blown away by the wildlife we saw.

PS - Binoculars are an absolute MUST. Without them, the shuttle bus is a long bumpy ride with lots of moving dots people are looking at. Message me, maybe you can borrow mine.

I loved your review! You did the complete opposite of us. You boarded when we disembarked and then we did the DIY while you cruised. We also flew from PA but we flew out of Newark instead. I am very jealous of the wolf, mother bear and cubs and all the moose you saw. We stayed at the McKinley Creekside where you had the meal that one night and we also used Coastal Helicopters. I completely understand how you feel. I am finely feeling rested after being back a week. It was an exhausting trip. We were on the go constantly. I have started posting my review tonight ánd have way too many pictures to choose from.

If you were on Radiance 7-14 then we just missed each other. We were on the Coastal Classic heading towards Seward while you were disembarking. Did you do a Kenai Fjords tour? If not, go back and do it :) After reading your review it sounds like you had a wonderful trip.

My biggest regret on this trip is not being prepared with a really good telephoto lens. I had my wide-angle & a 30-110 zoom, but it just didn't have the distance. There were two others in our group with pro-level lenses so I'm hoping the picture sharing actually happens! I'm not going to make the same mistake for the next trip.

megan9933 had plans to go hiking in bear country. That was thwarted by "Private Property" signs. My in-laws had booked a private bear watching van ride. They did see salmon but no bears, bummer. The rest of us walked into town about a mile from dock. Along the way we saw many humpback whales & spouts. On the way back we looked for bald eagles and saw 10+ either perched or flying. Hookah itself had little to offer in terms of shops but it is an active fishing port.

The Hookah Brewing Company has been open 3 days and we tasted there. Only had 3 options to try but they said they were only starting to ramp up. The shops by the tender dock were decent. More crafty than touristy.

The Windjammer had a taco bar for lunch which was surprisingly good. There was always a line. I had a burrito bowl and even the guac was OK. Tonight is our 2nd formal night. The galley staff was introduced and received a much deserved round of applause. We have a group of 15 and weren't sure how My Time Dining would go. On our 2nd night we had Regan & Jude for our waiter team. We have been lucky to keep the group together and get to be at Regan/Jude's tables. Some of us caught the acrobat, not my cup of tea so I'm relaxing in the cabin.

White Pass Railroad & Yukon Bike Ride - Many in our group did The White Pass Railroad with some sort of combination to follow. The train was nice but a little disappointing because of how foggy it was. I took pictures but didn't feel they were as great as the AKRR Coastal Classic.

I bought the DVD so I can see what it looks like on a nice day. The crew was very nice and I liked that I could go out onto the balcony of the rail car for pictures. After the train I did the 15 mile bike ride down the mountain road with Sockeye Cycling. After hearing my friends review of the Bike'N'Brew (Juneau) I was hoping this would be more challenging. Since you're going downhill 95% of the time there isn't much need for physical strength.

This ride was actually only 10 miles which I suspect was shortened due to wet roads. One of the groups ahead of us had someone take a spill. She was picked up in a van (not med-evac) so I think she wasn't too banged up. If you aren't comfortable on a bike, it can be difficult to keep your hands balanced while keeping two fingers on the brakes. Most of the ride you have to keep the brakes on at least lightly which can be fatiguing after some time. I suspect the lady who fell hit her brake too hard and lost control. These were some serious hills. The tour had plenty of scenic stops and a very friendly guide Monica. The bikes are newer Trek or Specialized 26" Mountain Bikes, most with disc brakes.

The entire ride is on-road and we were passed by the occasional car or tour bus. It was also neat to ride a bike over the U.S. / Canadian border as well as customs which are two different places due to the border being in an avalanche area.

I recommend this tour if you are comfortable on a bike, otherwise steer clear.

Shops - Went into town and found many great shops. The further down Franklin St you go, the more authentic / craft like the stores get. There were some very good t-shirt stores near the ship. I found our ULU knife made with Moose antler (we saw moose so it's fitting). They worked with us on price and were very reasonable, enough so we thought we should buy now instead of Ketchikan. I also had some great conversations with shopkeepers who were genuinely interested in helping me find items they didn't sell. No pressure, just nice people. Jewelry stores were the normal routine. Had a beer at the Red Dog Saloon and listened to a few songs by the acoustic guitar act.

Coastal Helicopters Ice Field Excursion - This had been booked privately (non RCCL) months in advance. We were picked up near the tramway and brought to the airport. They assured us we would land on the glacier despite the Sled Dog group before us who were unable to land. Later I ran into those folks back on Radiance and they were given a full refund even though they got a helicopter ride. That's pretty amazing customer service. We had 7 in our group and were combined with another party in two Helicopters. The flight to and from were fine. Our pilot Sean was informative and experienced. Landing on Herbert Glacier was special. The pictures don't give it justice and the beauty is awe striking.

We took pictures and spent 20 minutes before heading back. I was able to fill my bottle with fresh glacier water which was pretty amazing (yes...water). The grippy booties they put over our boots provided excellent traction. The lighter people had to work harder but I was loving it. This was a once in a lifetime experience I hope you can find a way to make work.

Tour Vendors - While we were trying to figure out where The helicopter tour would pick us up, we spoke with the folks selling different tours. I was very impressed with how much information they provided and gave us advice (like fill your water bottle with glacier water). They could have tried to sell us tours but they were simply helpful. Afterwards one came up to me and asked how it went. Again, genuinely good people. When I'm in Juneau again I hope to book with one of them. It was nothing like what you experience in the Caribbean.

Dinner & Show - Saxcruiser & I broke off from the group for dinner at Izumi. The prices were markedly more expensive than I recall on Oasis a few years back but the quality was as expected. We both enjoyed a delicious meal. They offered us a 20% discount if we return on this cruise. As much as I love sushi, two times a week is a bit much. The show tonight is Piano Man featuring the house band, singers and dancers. Overall the quality was good and the show was entertaining. megan9933 was particularly impressed with a certain move the ballet dancer did during "Tiny Dancer". The show did take some odd turns going into some Wizard of Oz stuff.

After a dining room breakfast several of us went to the Cruise Critic Meet & Greet. We met a few people and got to put faces to the screen names. Was hoping to meet mapleleaf but didn't see them there. Wife & I went to the Cha Cha class which had a really good turnout. Lunch in the Windjammer was so-so and crowded with lost/confused/indifferent people wandering. Not my favorite venue on any ship. Disenchantment Bay was clear and smooth and we arrived early at the glacier. Captain Göran got us closer than expected and we watched for calving while the ship did donuts for about an hour. They had hot chocolate on the helipad which cost money (surprisingly).

As we departed the glacier we got some family & friends pics with the glacier/mountains in the background. After dinner we saw "The Las Vegas Tenors" late show. This was one of the best vocal acts period, let alone on a cruise ship. Very impressive show. They had the crowd dancing in the isles. I also want to say how great the house band did. This act is not a RCL routine and last week was the first time they worked with these guys. You would never know it wasn't a meticulously rehearsed show. Speaking as an experienced Sound Engineer, the RCL sound guy was perfect in every way.

The terminal was desolate and our group checked in and boarded in minutes. Had time to unpack before muster drill. Went to My Time Dining for dinner just after. Some of us rushed through dessert and caught the beginning of the "Welcome Aboard Show." The comedian (Pat Godwin) was funny and we're looking forward to the adult comedy show later this week. Some did Karaoke, others explored the ship while I went to bed after another bang bang day. This is my 2nd Platinum Level cruise and we got robes in our stateroom! Megan9933 was excited about that.

Next up ... the Cruise! Stay tuned

Upon arrival in Seward we boarded a shuttle bus for "Kenai Fjords Tours". A quick check-in process and we boarded the Aialik Express for the 6-hour "Kenai Fjords National Park Tour". Weather was exceptional and the seas were smooth (as the Pacific goes). This tour was yet another home run! We saw Puffins, Sea Lions, Humpbacks, Orcas. On the way to the glacier we kept running into groups of humpback whales in all directions. Two of them even breached!

After we had our fill of playing whales we continued on to Holgate Glacier. The smaller tour boat was able to get very close to the glacier where we saw calving. The boat stayed at the glacier for 20-25 minutes before beginning the trip back.

En route back we encountered a pod of Orcas. They hang around the surface more than the humpbacks. We counted 6-8 in the area. They surrounded us and even came closer to us! We could only stay so long to avoid being late. The tour includes lunch and a warm baked cookies. Two home run tours in the same day! Also note that previous comments about the Resurrection Bay tour state you don't see nearly as much as the full Fjords tour. Most of the wildlife including humpbacks and orcas were in or near Resurrection Bay.

Our tour guide was very excited so we got the impression our tour was something special. Regardless of what you pick you'll love it! The Kenai Fjords tour shuttle promptly got us to the cruise terminal by 6:00pm. During the planning phase I posted questions about timing back to the ship on time. The folks at the cruise terminal said we had until 7:00 not 6:30 like the documentation states. Little bit of worry but we obviously made it without issue.

We stayed at the Anchorage Grand Hotel and were able to walk down the hill to the Alaska Railroad Train Depot.

We had a 15 person group reservation and they allowed me to check in for everyone. We all had Gold Star tickets and I highly recommend this. We took the Coastal Classic in glass domed cars. Included in the price was diner style breakfast, 2 adult beverages and a separate semi-private boarding are on the side of the building. We were able to board without contending with the crowds. The accommodations on the train were excellent and the views speak for themselves. There is also a viewing balcony which never got too cold. Can't say enough about the overall experience on the Alaska railroad. All in our group were blown away.

The folks who got in late on travel day woke up early and went into Denali to see more wildlife. They were able to see more of Mt. McKinley than we previously did but not the summit. We headed into town for an hour of shopping, checked out of the house and started the drive to Anchorage. We stopped for photos at Hurricane Gulch (Mile 173?) and continued to Talkeetna for lunch at the Denali Brewing Company.

Again the food was excellent. We had planned to stop at Independence Mine State Park but we didn't realize it closes at 6 so we missed that. We wanted to stop at one of the coffee huts and found "Perky's Espresso" in Wasilla. Everyone loved it! As we wrapped up the last leg of the drive to Anchorage, the 5 family members joining us for the cruise tried to get a reservation for 15 at Moose Tooth Pizza but the wait was too long. Instead they got pizza and some of us went to "Ginger" in town. We probably could have skipped dinner altogether but we got plates of apps and split them. Very good!

We had purchased our shuttle tickets months ago and even then were unable to take the first shuttle out in the morning. We booked tickets for the Wonder Lake shuttle which is an approximately 11-hour round trip on a school bus. Along the way we saw Caribou, Bear mother with Cubs, Bald Eagles, Moose Cows/Buck/Baby, Dall Sheep, Herrier or Raptor and Arctic Ground Squirrels. The view of Denali was obstructed by clouds so Wonder Lake itself was kind of underwhelming.

When we finally got back we went for dinner at Panorama Pizza and the food was awesome. We then hit the sauna, made s'mores and prepped for the drive to Anchorage tomorrow.

The minivan group of 3 waited for our last arrival and drove through the night. While waiting they stopped in Girdwood but saw little wildlife. After reaching the house they slept in after the long night. The original big van went into Denali (14 miles north) and took the courtesy shuttle to Savage River for a hike. In hindsight we could have driven our van to the hiking area but the shuttle gave us a taste for what to expect tomorrow.

After a 2 mile hike we grabbed a green bus heading out of the park for a ride back.

Then we swung by the house for a quick bite, grabbed the other 3 and headed back to the park.

The Denali Park rangers offer a dog sled presentation 3x a day so we went to visit the kennels, meet the dogs and see a short demonstration. The dogs ranged in personality and most loved the attention. Highly recommend checking this out.

Afterwards we stopped for dinner at the Creekside Cafe for dinner. Following dinner we had reservations at Denali Raft Adventures. There were 2 groups but our group of 9 got our own raft. The tour we took was the 11-mile Scenic Run down the Kenana River.

Our guide and oarsman Will did a great job and brought us into heavier rapids if we wanted and had options if we wanted to take it easy. The tour was a blast.

We did run into construction delays near the park area. These averaged 10 minutes each. After another long day we got to bed so we could get up early for the Denali park shuttle tomorrow.

Our initial group of 6 flew out of PHL on AA to Chicago for a 3 hour layover. The flight to Anchorage was on Alaska Air on a brand new jet which made it nicer than a typical flight. We landed on time in Anchorage and caught the ABC Rental shuttle. We picked up our 15 passenger van and a minivan. The big van headed for Denali with a dinner stop in Wasilla at "The Last Frontier". Food was good, large portions. After lunch (or dinner depending on time zone) we went to Wal-Mart for groceries. Then had a 3 hour drive where we noticed a lot of Espresso stands and lucked out with no construction of delays. We stopped at the South Denali viewing area but only saw the base of Mt. McKinley. We saw a moose by the side of the road as well as a wolf. We stayed at the Carlo House at mile 224. The Carlo house has 3 Bedrooms with 1 Canadian King, 3 Queens & 2 Bathrooms. The house also has a fire pit, sauna, kitchen, wifi, satellite TV etc. We were all impressed with the accommodations. Most of us went right to sleep after a long day of travel.