MNfamilycruiser

Check out the times you will be in each port north vs. south - they can change and sometimes one has better times.

Hi there,

 

we also look forward to our first Alaska cruise. We have the problem that we travel 7 weeks total and our luggage weight is limited. So we take only the most important stuff with us and have to buy all other things we need.

 

 

 

Do you really need all this stuff in summer? Well, I live in Germany and of cause we also have cold winters, but I never wear special clothing besides lined shoes. Maybe I would put on some long underwear if it's under -10° celsius. But I do not expect that low temperatures in summer. So why can't I wear my jacket I wear in normal winter days? On pictures everyone has that funny colored jackets - I don't want look like this :D

If you are from a colder climate you probably would only need hat, gloves for glacier viewing - standing out on deck for an extended time near the glacier will probably be the coldest time. Or if you have a whale watching trip planned out on the water.

How does your winter jacket do in pouring rain? That is why people suggest a waterproof layer with another layer underneath. Alaska is frequently rainy in the summer and by using layers you will be able adjust to whatever the conditions are.

You can find jackets and fleece in dark colors - on of my daughters will be wearing a Navy waterproof jacket with a grey and lavender fleece for layering under. She also did not like the bright bold colors. My husband has a black waterproof jacket.

We are a family of four - my husband and myself and our two teenage daughters. We have booked all tours privately using information from this site and trip advisor.

5/21 - Flight from Minneapolis to LAX to Anchorage with quick trip to our Dr. in LA

5/22 - Anchorage sleep-in, recover from long travel day. Rent bikes and ride Coastal Trail

5/23 - Coastal Classic Train from Anchorage to Seward. Embarkation. Sea Life Center in Seward possible.

5/24 - At Sea, Cruising Hubbard Glacier

5/25 - Juneau, 8 hr. Mendenhall Glacier Trek with Above & Beyond Alaska

5/26 - Skagway, Chilkoot Charters and Tours - Yukon Rail and Bus Excursion. My daughters will be adding the Dogcart Ride.

5/27 - Icy Strait Point, Whale Watching with Glacier Wind Charters

5/28 - Ketchikan – Misty Fjords Flightseeing tour with Island Wings. Tour Ketchikan on our own after.

5/29 - At Sea – cruising Inside Passage

5/30 – Flight home from Vancouver

We had a dressier one that attached behind the neck with a magnetic closure. It took us a while to figure out why my daughter's sea pass card kept needing to be replaced. No problem while she was wearing it, but when she took it off....:o

My teens have them - they don't wear them all the time - especially in port.

I am a little unsure as to how much to bring for clothing and plan on bringing basically what I snowboard/snowshoe in (Hot chilly type shirts) along with my jeans and a bunch of sweatshirts and good shirts. I am still mulling over sneakers vs. hiking sneakers. I tend to get cold very easily, and fear the my one suitcase will turn into two in order to have enough to keep warm.

 

Is it practical to bring more than one jacket that can be layered with another rather than my winter coat? I have a fleece jacket as well as a mid-weight jacket (sort of water and wind proof). I also have a rain coat and a lighter coat. Does anyone bring snowpants?

 

Also, (not to start anymore threads on dress code) my husband and I are not dressy people and want to know what our dining options are if we wear jeans and a good shirt to dinner; I am having a hard time getting a definitive answer out of my TA. We have already decided that the MDR is probably not going to be an option based on this - and we are fine with that- but want to make sure we have other options. The thought process is that we may bring a set of dress clothes, if space permits, to go into the MDR one or two nights but nothing beyond that.

 

I was planning on doing my own laundry as well but want to know what others think of the onboard laundry service. What is the turn-around time? Any issues? If I use the onboard service, can I give them my own laundry soap-I use unscented but can adapt if necessary.

 

Thank you for the assistance!

I can answer some of your questions based on my research here :) For dining it will depend on your cruise line - they vary in how rigorously they enforce the dress code. We are going on Royal Caribbean and I am planning on having my teen daughters wear nice colored skinny jeans with nice tops on one or more nights. They would wear those clothes to a nicer restaurant here. Will I wear jeans? Probably on the arrival night because you don't necessarily have your luggage before dinner. They are also pretty lax on the last night when people have packed many of their things.

Definitely do a fleece layer and waterproof/windproof layer rather than a winter jacket. (Partly depending on how warm your winter jacket is!) That gives more options to adjust to changing conditions. I have heard of people bringing snowpants...but either they mean something different than I do when they say snowpants or they must be from a VERY warm climate.

I don't know about laundry - but I am planning on having some jeans washed this time. My guess is that it would be very difficult to have them use your soap. Turn around time probably varies with cruise line and possibly when you turn in the clothes.

Linda,

 

I hope you all have a wonderful time! We have to wait until next year for your next journey north, so we'll be living through you all this year:D. I love answering the questions - camera or otherwise - as often as I can if it's of help to others.

 

L.J.

Really looking forward to our trip. And thank you for being so helpful. It was just a little funny reading the older thread straight through...

Thanks! I feel bad about having left this thread hanging so long. My shoulder actually started bothering me last spring well before I hurt the knee, but once I did that, the knee took priority. I have some bone spurs and arthritis to take care of, but the two biggest issues are a small rotator cuff tear, and a partially tear of one of my right bicep tendons where it attaches into the shoulder joint:eek::(. So once the surgery happens, I'll likely be limited on being able to even move it enough to work on a keyboard for the first few weeks from what I understand (never mind take photos for a couple three months). So I figured I need to get cracking before if was 6 months between posts:D!

 

L.J.

Sorry about the shoulder! But I benefitted from the delay - because you started posting again in 2014 I was able to find both of your trip reports - amazing photos!! I read the 2012 one first - it matches our Southbound itinerary. Makes me very excited to be going in 3 months.

Thanks so much for all the details and commentary - and for being so patient with other posters....I really had to laugh at how many times you had to answer the camera/gear/lenses question!:D

Here is an older one: http://www.beyondships.com/files/Oasis_18.PDF

I just googled it.

I thought I had emailed them when we got back, but I can't find where I did and thought it might be a little too late now since it's been almost 8 months since we took the tour. :o

I guess it isn't the same each trip - I got a response saying that we could ask what was played after our tour.

Nope, not used to warm weather, Canadian :)

 

I just couldn't figure out the logistics of people coming in from around the pool then going to a skating show. Sounds like it's warmer than an average arena but still cool in the stands. I plan to toss on a sweater.

From Minnesota here...never needed anything other then what we were already wearing. There is a lot less ice and a lot more people than a typical rink. But - some people get chilly in air conditioning at restaurants and such - then you might need a sweater.

I thought I had emailed them when we got back, but I can't find where I did and thought it might be a little too late now since it's been almost 8 months since we took the tour. :o

It can't hurt to ask - so I did :D

Enjoy your tours with Michelle. If you can find out what songs she had in her "soundtrack", please come back and let me know. I remember some of the songs were from the album "Secret Garden" by the group "Secret Garden" and some from "Out of Africa". I really wish she could find a way to give everyone a copy of that music without running up against copyright issues. I would so pay extra for it because it would take me back to our day in Misty Fjords National Monument.

I just emailed them now :D I thought it might be easier than me trying to remember and write down during the tour.

We did this in Ketchikan and it was PHENOMENAL! The scenery was breathtaking and Michelle (the pilot) had this perfect soundtrack playing over the headphones as we flew. It bring tears to my eyes when I think about it. My youngest son was on crutches and the whole Island Wings staff was so accommodating helping him get into the plane. Michelle landed in a quieter cove than she normally does so that my son could still get out and "crutch" around on the land. The area where she landed was stunning! This was probably our best excursion of the 2 weeks we spent in Alaska and well worth the money.

 

The plane carries 7 total people including the pilot. For our trip, it was my family of 5 plus one other gentleman from a different cruise. My oldest son got to sit in the co-pilots seat on the way back. He wants to major in Aerospace Engineering at Auburn this fall and he also wants to get his pilot's license. Michelle was so awesome giving him tips on how to go about choosing a flight instructor. She got her pilot's license at age 17 so could relate to my 18yo son.

 

If you can book with Michelle at Island Wings - do it! Don't hesitate because her excursions fill up fast. Plus per FAA regulations, she's only allowed to fly so many hours per day and she strictly adheres to it.

 

As for sea sickness, I too usually get a little green around the gills. I read here on CC that many people start taking Bonine or Dramamine several days in advance to get it in their system and they have no problems. I did this and it worked like a charm. The medication usually makes me drowsy (even when labeled non-drowsy), so I would take it at night just before bed and it helped me get some really great nights of sleep.

I am so excited now - we booked with Island Wings too - I haven't heard such a wonderful description of the tour before - just that it was one of the best. Thank you - only 91 days :D to go.

I have been looking almost every day - and because of this thread I looked again tonight....and they are finally open:D

One more thing checked off my list!

OK Thanks for the Yoga Info. Any ideas on the other? or should I just call my TA?

Go to the RC website with your RC confirmation number - there is a section called My Cruises to purchase all the extras, schedule MTD, shore excursions etc.

We are on an Alaskan cruise at the end of May and none of our specialty restaurants or MTD can be booked yet :( So it just depends on the particular cruise when it becomes available. The website says that if you are more than 60 days out, it may not be available - but for the majority of cruises it seems like it is much earlier than that.

However, IF walk up ticket purchases is considered, you do have to be off your ship early and head right to the box office. "Sold Out" is a given most days.

Thanks - I would purchase ahead, I am not one to leave things to the last minute. There are 3 ships in port that day. I just need to check with my family to see if they would like to see the show, or would rather walk around.

Did you try typing "Ketchikan Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show" into Google search?

 

DON

Thanks! I assumed they didn't have a website since it wasn't listed on trip advisor. I'll have to remember that :D

Can this show be booked independently? Or only available through the cruise lines?

There is no website. Can we just buy tickets for the show in Ketchikan? We have a flightseeing tour booked and I thought this might be fun for before or after our flight.

I know I have seen menus recently, trying to remember where. Either links/photos in cruise review here - or directly from the RC website - I think you can download all the Main Dining room menus as well as the specialty restaurant menus.

Frankly, to see and do the most in one day, rent a car with Hertz, one way. Yep, it's costly, but "cost" value is superior if you spend your time seeing Alaska, rather than being stuck in an airport for hours, or on "tours" that aren't of priority interest? The "tours", usually involve a stop at the Wildlife Conservatory, BUT, would you be interested in adding Portage Glacier Visitor Center? Alaska Sealife Center? Crow Creek Mine? Alyeska? Exit Glacier? Anchorage? etc etc etc? Simple to do with a rental car, and all your luggage goes with you. You do need to allow at least 3 hours for the transit Seward to ANC, and a 2 hour window at the Anchorage airport.

Exactly!

From the website, it looks like it is only available in:

 

•Fort Lauderdale

•Port Canaveral

•Miami

•Seattle

•Seward

Thank you - it was so great to use in Port Canaveral I was disappointed that it wasn't available other places. If only I was taking the Northbound cruise instead of the Southbound...

Does anyone know if the luggage valet service is available in Vancouver? I know it is not available in San Juan - so I am not sure if that is true in all places where you have to go through customs?

I am assuming you would have to go through customs in Vancouver....

Thanks. For some reason I don't remember 4 books sitting around the last cruise... but one for each person does seem fair.

If we have the coupons on the cards, do you have to tell them to use the discount? Or will they automatically apply it if it is available?

I can't remember - with the books - did you get one for each person, or one per cabin?

And how does it work for seapass cards - each person gets all the coupons loaded on their card?

How about teens?

Thank you, that answers my question :)