Just back from Diamond Princess Alaska Cruise

[wzhao6898]

The trip was great! We had a blast, and thanks all the posts for useful information and tips. The service and food were great, gained a couple of pounds, if not more :-)

Some pointers I'd like to share:

1. No cell signal the first 2 days of the trip. AT&T (I have an iPhone) service are in Ketchikan (Edge), Juneau(3G), Skegway(Edge), and sometime while cruising along the coast line. didn't use the internet on the ship, I think it's a rip-off, tether your phone (iphone users know what to do) if you have your laptop with you.

2. It was raining almost the whole trip, but we did see the glacier's true color this way, and enjoy the scenery. Bring multiple layered, WATERPROOF, WIND BREAK clothes, and think of a way to protect your camera in the rain if you'd like to click away. It gets chilly and windy in glacier bay.

3. If you want to take advantage of duty free jewelry or watch shopping, make sure you have a reference price in the states to compare with. A Breitling watch can get 20-25% off, and keep bargaining!

 

enjoy your upcoming cruise!

 

David

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the comments.

[Momma Mojito]

The trip was great! We had a blast, and thanks all the posts for useful information and tips. The service and food were great, gained a couple of pounds, if not more :-)

Some pointers I'd like to share:

1. No cell signal the first 2 days of the trip. AT&T (I have an iPhone) service are in Ketchikan (Edge), Juneau(3G), Skegway(Edge), and sometime while cruising along the coast line. didn't use the internet on the ship, I think it's a rip-off, tether your phone (iphone users know what to do) if you have your laptop with you.

2. It was raining almost the whole trip, but we did see the glacier's true color this way, and enjoy the scenery. Bring multiple layered, WATERPROOF, WIND BREAK clothes, and think of a way to protect your camera in the rain if you'd like to click away. It gets chilly and windy in glacier bay.

3. If you want to take advantage of duty free jewelry or watch shopping, make sure you have a reference price in the states to compare with. A Breitling watch can get 20-25% off, and keep bargaining!

 

enjoy your upcoming cruise!

 

David

 

We were on the Diamond May 15-22 and were blessed with great weather. I have been watching the weather since we came back and this past week seems to have been one of the rainiest!! But glad to see you too enjoyed your cruise. This was our first time to do the Alaskan cruise....never had the desire until this past winter.... We are so glad we did and will be back.

[CruisingGoddess]

The trip was great! We had a blast, and thanks all the posts for useful information and tips. The service and food were great, gained a couple of pounds, if not more :-)

Some pointers I'd like to share:

1. No cell signal the first 2 days of the trip. AT&T (I have an iPhone) service are in Ketchikan (Edge), Juneau(3G), Skegway(Edge), and sometime while cruising along the coast line. didn't use the internet on the ship, I think it's a rip-off, tether your phone (iphone users know what to do) if you have your laptop with you.

2. It was raining almost the whole trip, but we did see the glacier's true color this way, and enjoy the scenery. Bring multiple layered, WATERPROOF, WIND BREAK clothes, and think of a way to protect your camera in the rain if you'd like to click away. It gets chilly and windy in glacier bay.

3. If you want to take advantage of duty free jewelry or watch shopping, make sure you have a reference price in the states to compare with. A Breitling watch can get 20-25% off, and keep bargaining!

 

enjoy your upcoming cruise!

 

David

 

Thanks for your comments! We are leaving on Island Princess next week. Does the ship not have a cell tower onboard? Why wouldn't you have service the first 2 days?

[love&livetocruise]

Hi....going on Diamond in 3 weeks. Thanks for the info! Can you tell me what type of cabin you had and if they had a robe in there for your use? Also, how formal was formal night. Hubby & I enjoy dressing up....however, another couple going with us does NOT want to bring his coat and tie....what were your observations?

[Colo Cruiser]

Hi....going on Diamond in 3 weeks. Thanks for the info! Can you tell me what type of cabin you had and if they had a robe in there for your use? Also, how formal was formal night. Hubby & I enjoy dressing up....however, another couple going with us does NOT want to bring his coat and tie....what were your observations?

 

 

Robes are available in all cabins.

If its not in the room just ask the cabin Steward aka "Stewart"

[TracieABD]

Glad you enjoyed your cruise!:)

[love&livetocruise]

Thanks, COLO CRUISER! Appreciate the info! Can't wait! AND hoping for better weather...come on warm and sunny!!!!!

[Coracii]

Thanks for your comments! We are leaving on Island Princess next week. Does the ship not have a cell tower onboard? Why wouldn't you have service the first 2 days?

 

You'll always have cellular access through the ship and their Cellular @ Sea service, however spend more than a couple of minutes talking on your phone (sending texts, reading e-mail, or surfing the web) and you'll end up really regretting it when you get your bill. If you aren't in network and have to connect through the ship and Cellular @ Sea your rates can vary quite a bit. I don't know what they are now, but at one time they ranged from $2.49 to $7 per minute depending on your carrier.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for your comments! We are leaving on Island Princess next week. Does the ship not have a cell tower onboard? Why wouldn't you have service the first 2 days?

 

The cell carrier MCP and due to regulations is only on when the ship is a certain distance offshore and because Alaska cruises are so close to shorlines then sometimes the MCP system is not turned on.

So there is a good chance you will not have service for part of the cruise.

It is $2.49 per minute.

[Coracii]

The cell carrier MCP and due to regulations is only on when the ship is a certain distance offshore and because Alaska cruises are so close to shorlines then sometimes the MCP system is not turned on.

So there is a good chance you will not have service for part of the cruise.

It is $2.49 per minute.

 

Got my ship cellular services mixed up, my post above is wrong. Princess does use MCP and not Cellular @ Sea (I don't usually pay attention to who is servicing the ship since I refuse to pay the rates). When we were in Alaska last year there were quite a few people on cell phones while we cruised the inside passage on the way to Ketchikan. I put my phone in the safe on the first day and pull it out on the last, so I can't say whether they were connected through the ship or not.

[Colo Cruiser]

Got my ship cellular services mixed up, my post above is wrong. Princess does use MCP and not Cellular @ Sea (I don't usually pay attention to who is servicing the ship since I refuse to pay the rates). When we were in Alaska last year there were quite a few people on cell phones while we cruised the inside passage on the way to Ketchikan. I put my phone in the safe on the first day and pull it out on the last, so I can't say whether they were connected through the ship or not.

 

I hear ya.

Seems that on our Alaska cruise we could only use the phone mostly in port stops due to the system not being activated very much while at sea.

[CruisingGoddess]

The cell carrier MCP and due to regulations is only on when the ship is a certain distance offshore and because Alaska cruises are so close to shorlines then sometimes the MCP system is not turned on.

So there is a good chance you will not have service for part of the cruise.

It is $2.49 per minute.

 

Thanks for this info. I didn't know that my cell phone may not work onboard and I'll have to make additional arrangements for emergency contact.

 

I appreciate it!

[wzhao6898]

Thanks for your comments! We are leaving on Island Princess next week. Does the ship not have a cell tower onboard? Why wouldn't you have service the first 2 days?

I called AT&T before we left for the trip, it's too expensive to use the tower on the ship, and I didn't find their signal either the first two days. I was trying to get a way for emergency contact, I did buy credit for using SkypeOut if you get to use the internet on the ship.

Have a nice trip!

 

David

[wzhao6898]

Hi....going on Diamond in 3 weeks. Thanks for the info! Can you tell me what type of cabin you had and if they had a robe in there for your use? Also, how formal was formal night. Hubby & I enjoy dressing up....however, another couple going with us does NOT want to bring his coat and tie....what were your observations?

We had a inside cabin, we don't have robes in the cabin, but as you can see from other post, you can get one from the steward (We didn't know :)). And I'd say the majority of the cruisers dressed up on formal nights, you may kinda stand out if you don't. I didn't dress up for the second formal evening, business casual is fine I think.

Enjoy your trip!

 

David

[Uncwrn93]

We're just back from the Sapphire Princess and we had the same trip it was great but cool and wet (well cold for us Texans).

 

Cell service was spotty except in ports and half of the trip. At one point we did get a "free" text from Verizon telling us we were now connected through Verizon Cruise service. $2.50/min call, .50 text out .05 text in.

 

We too teathered our cells to the laptop when in port to touch base as needed with home.

 

We dressed up both nights. First night almost all were dressed up, second night the people in the dining rooms were about 75 dressed up and 25 smart casual.