New Cruiser Here...Booked on Golden Princess to Alaska

[BayouGirlUSA]

First time cruiser here!!! Just booked the Golden for July 10th! It will be me and DH and my sister and her DH! We are extremely excited but a bit anxious since this is not only our first time to Alaska but also our first cruise.

 

I have a few questions that maybe some of you avid cruisers can answer for me...

 

Can you buy wine in Port and bring back to the ship? If so, how many can you bring on the boat? Per person limit?

 

Is a jogging suit jacket sufficient for port excursions or will I need something heavier?

 

What is it like on an ocean view balcony at night? Cool? Cold?

 

How much light is in the rooms when you're trying to sleep? Do I need something to hold the curtians closed?

 

What is the attire in the dining room on non-formal nights?

 

Does anyone know what the entertainment will be in the showroom?

 

Any helpful tips or hints would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

What is your best recommendation for motion sickness?

 

Not only is this my first cruise but also my first time posting to this board....definitely NOT my first time reading though! I wanted to get into some posting action...LOL!

 

We are extremely excited for our first cruise and can't wait to meet all of you on the deck!!! Woohoo!

[paul929207]

Welcome to cruise critic.

 

The weather in Alaska is unpredictable. It can be in the 80's but it can be in the 50's. Even the warm days willbe col in the morning and evening. It is best to bring clothes that can be layered and removed or added as the temperature changes.

 

You can bring wine onboard. The Passage Contract does not specify any limit.

 

Non-formal = slacks and a collared shirt for men.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Yes, bring layers and something warmer than a jogging suit just in case. Also throw in some gloves and ear warmers for the glacier viewing days. Most days on land we wore jeans, long sleeve shirt and fleece vest or jacket. Then if/when it was warmer you could shed layers. In the inland portion (we did a tour that went as far north as Fairbanks) you could do shorts as it was warmer mid-day. I mixed and matched for evening wear as we were trying to keep luggage weight down-try to stick with a couple of colors for slacks/tops and interchange.

 

Have lots of fun-Alaska is beautiful!!

[Oi]

First time cruiser here!!! Just booked the Golden for July 10th! It will be me and DH and my sister and her DH! We are extremely excited but a bit anxious since this is not only our first time to Alaska but also our first cruise.

 

I have a few questions that maybe some of you avid cruisers can answer for me...

 

Can you buy wine in Port and bring back to the ship? If so, how many can you bring on the boat? Per person limit?

 

Is a jogging suit jacket sufficient for port excursions or will I need something heavier?

 

What is it like on an ocean view balcony at night? Cool? Cold?

 

How much light is in the rooms when you're trying to sleep? Do I need something to hold the curtians closed?

 

What is the attire in the dining room on non-formal nights?

 

Does anyone know what the entertainment will be in the showroom?

 

Any helpful tips or hints would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

What is your best recommendation for motion sickness?

 

Not only is this my first cruise but also my first time posting to this board....definitely NOT my first time reading though! I wanted to get into some posting action...LOL!

 

We are extremely excited for our first cruise and can't wait to meet all of you on the deck!!! Woohoo!

 

Ok, let me see if I can address some of this: First, when are you going to Alaska? Are you doing the cruise tour or just the cruise? Where do you leave out of?

 

We went from Fairbanks to Vancouver on the Coral (cruisetour) and it was in the 90's in Fairbank and close to that around Denali/Mckinley too. It gets cooler in the evening time.

As we moved further south in Alaska, the weather cooled and in Ketchikan it was rainy...monsoon rainy, but still wonderful. We had one heavy jacket with us, one of those rain jackets that are also warm, not like a giant ski or winter coat and that was perfect for the cooler temps. As the other poster said, bring and dress in layers.

 

First cruise huh? Good choice, we went with my parents and it was their first cruise. My mom gets motion sick easy, but Alaska was so mild, it was not a problem in the slightest. She enjoyed it ever so much! However, for motion sickness, I hear the pink patch is the best without drowsiness. My mom had to use it only one evening during the cruise and it helped.

 

The light took some getting used to for me, but the curtains in the ship do very well. I don't remember a lot of light getting in at all. I think we had more problems at the hotels on the land portion blocking it out.

 

The wine question is something that is all over this board and I've seen answers vary, but the overall guidelines in princess say 2 bottles per passenger I think. You can have it in your room or bring it to the dining room, but if you do that, there is a 15$ fee.

 

Alaska was one of my and my familys favorite trips, if you have any other questions, please ask. I can't answer anything about the ship, as we were on the coral.

 

Happy Cruising!

[Colo Cruiser]

First time cruiser here!!! Just booked the Golden for July 10th! It will be me and DH and my sister and her DH! We are extremely excited but a bit anxious since this is not only our first time to Alaska but also our first cruise.

 

I have a few questions that maybe some of you avid cruisers can answer for me...

 

Can you buy wine in Port and bring back to the ship? If so, how many can you bring on the boat? Per person limit?

 

Is a jogging suit jacket sufficient for port excursions or will I need something heavier?

 

What is it like on an ocean view balcony at night? Cool? Cold?

 

How much light is in the rooms when you're trying to sleep? Do I need something to hold the curtians closed?

 

What is the attire in the dining room on non-formal nights?

 

Does anyone know what the entertainment will be in the showroom?

 

Any helpful tips or hints would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

What is your best recommendation for motion sickness?

 

Not only is this my first cruise but also my first time posting to this board....definitely NOT my first time reading though! I wanted to get into some posting action...LOL!

 

We are extremely excited for our first cruise and can't wait to meet all of you on the deck!!! Woohoo!

 

 

Check out my photos from the Golden in June.....

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1022921&highlight=alaska+redone

[Oi]

here is my original review:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=197725&highlight=

 

in addition to the review, there are follow up questions with answers that may give you some information you might be intertested in.

 

I'm excited for you. This was one of our favorite trips.

 

Enjoy!

 

Happy cruising.

[2278]

For motion sickness, Bonine works great.

 

We were on the Diamond last July. I did not take anything for motion sickness until the morning of the third day. The second day we were in one of the hot tubs on the Lido Deck, a couple of guys were talking behind me and one mentioned somebody was in thier cabin stricken with sea sickness (2' seas, actually very calm). Well from this point, I began dwelling on the idea and after eating breakfast the next morning, my mind won!

 

I took a Bonine and 15 minutes later all was well. From that point, just took it every day as directed. The nice thing is there are no side effects.

 

The heaviest thing we brought was a fleece top, combined with a rain coat should take care of the cold and rain.

[East Texas Cruiser]

I see you are from Louisiana, so your normal temps are around the same as here in East Texas. In July, we had unusual rain and cold through most of the trip. We wore layers and layers, topped by fleece, topped by rainwear. Gloves and Ear Muffs were absolutely necessary for the glacier viewing days, as the cold wind was really hard to stand up to. But the glaciers and sea otters made it mandatory!

Our Alaska cruisetour remains our all time favorite trip. We cruised on the Island and loved every single minute of it! The scenery is just captivating, so much so that it was hard to stop looking and go to bed at night. It was definitely the scenery that interfered with sleep, not the light. (but of course if it hadn't been light, we couldn't have seen all the sites - waterfalls, otters, whales, etc!) I am sure you will absolutely love this trip - it is almost otherworldly if you have never visited an icy land. Many wonderful excursions can be booked both with Princess and with outside vendors. Try to go see the whales, maybe even flightsee to the bears! Incredible natural wonders abound.

[Janan]

Congrats on your first cruise...We sailed to Alaska for our honeymoon:D, It was gorgeous! We went in May and had Great weather...almost rained but we were lucky! If I could give you a couple of pieces of advice 1) prepare for rain.....they advertise a gauge in ankorage ...a LIQUID SUNSHINE GAUGE ABOUT 120 " A YEAR!!:eek: The other I only heard that in the latter pats of the summer it tends to get a bit buggy...so bring some bug spray...and even if you don't need it...you have it and if you need it you got it...and i bet you'll be glad you got it.

 

Otherwise Have a Great cruise!!!

 

Andy

[QuilterGirl]

My DH and I are also booked on this cruise, same sailing. It will be our fourth trip to Alaska, plus, we are from Seattle which often has similar weather. Can't tell you about bringing wine on board, but for clothing, yes, it's all about layers. You want something warm (fleece, plus gloves and earwarmer), something waterproof (Gortex shell and a waterproof hat with a brim), and something for warm/hot weather (shorts, short-sleeved shirt, hat with brim, sandals). From then on, it's mix and match, depending on what Mother Nature throws at you. I like a jogging suit for early in the day, when going up to breakfast, on board during sea days, and/or while waiting to see what the weather will be. Princess and/or the stores in the ports will be HAPPY to sell you whatever you didn't bring!

 

We usually have a day where there is a downpour (and I do mean torrential), at least one that is cool and overcast (this would be the typical weather), and a hot one.

 

Attire on non-formal nights: we've found that folks dress down a little in Alaska for shipboard dinners, compared to other cruises we've been on. (Sometimes you will have just returned from an excursion in the great outdoors.) Still, looking neat and tidy are the main elements IMHO. You will see it all. If you feel underdressed, dine elsewhere or get room service.

 

Nights, the balcony is going to be cool, even if the sun is out. Also may depend on which side of the ship you find yourself at the time. You will be SO GLAD you have a balcony on this cruise! And.... we've not had trouble with it being too light to sleep, but you can bring a clothespin or two, or large safety pins, if you are concerned about keeping the gap between curtains closed - they'll be dark enough otherwise. It's more a matter of disciplining yourself to go to bed, even though it's still light out!

 

Never have had any motion sickness trouble on this cruise (your mileage may vary, of course). See you in July!

[Cruisin' Chick]

I brought layers too for our RT out of Seattle. I'm suspectible to motion sickness but found this cruise to be our smoothest, and we were in a far forward cabin.

 

My advice is to try out several different remedies ahead of time on land. See which ones don't make you drowsey or sick and take a few of those (more than one just in case something doesn't help with actual use). If you are on any medication, talk to your doctor so you don't take something that is counterindicated.

 

For my last cruise, which was a typically rough seas one, I took candied ginger and ginger flavored Altoids.

[BayouGirlUSA]

Check out my photos from the Golden in June.....

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1022921&highlight=alaska+redone

 

Colo Cruiser....Thanks so much for sharing your pictures. The Golden looks absolutely beautiful and each and every time I get a glimpse of her and the wonderful scenery pictures I get more and more excited!

[Cruiserkenn]

I have been on six different Alaska cruises, so I can tell you to be prepared for all kinds of weather in Alaska, especially in July. It can be warm, or even hot, in port. However, at sea, as well as on shore excursions that travel by boat, you should have layers. In addition to the jogging jacket that you mentioned, have a button up type sweater, as well as a sweatshirt, just in case.

 

If you love the outdoors, as I do, you will want to be outside when viewing Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm (whichever one your ship might be doing). I always have cloth gloves, as well as a winter type knit hat that comes down over the ears, for such times. This kind of gear is also useful for boat type shore excursions, such as the whale watching tours.

 

Since this is your first cruise, you and others in your group might not know if you are susceptible to motion sickness, or not. (I am a Scandinavian Viking, so I have no problem with it. Others in my family, though, need the sea sick pills. Bring some along. Taking them in advance, if prone to motion sickness, will greatly improve your cruise.)

 

I am sure that the curtains in your room will make it dark enough for sleeping. Not to worry. It does get relatively dark, late at night, even though you are in the land of the midnight sun (in July).

 

Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy! Oh! Don't miss the eagles in Ketchikan... they are ever present, and sometimes they are around in great numbers there._