Hopefully, Live From the MS Amsterdam May 17 - June 1, 2014

[SilverLining4Me]

Here's another review: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2069385&highlight=14+day+alaska

 

And another: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2091549

 

Thank you so much .... off to read them now.

[SilverLining4Me]

The reviews/links you posted with a HUGE help too. Thank you again.

[TheCalicoCat]

I was quite excited to learn that there was a quilt shop in ISP! It's new this year. The people running it have a quilt shop in Seattle. They seemed to be pleased with the traffic today.

 

Do you have any more information on the Quilt shop? (What kinds of fabric did it stock, etc. I'd also appreciate the Seattle info. as we will probably fly in 2 days early.)

[Daffodil17]

Hi Alberta Quilter,

Thanks so much for your review, it is so helpful!

I am doing a 7 day northbound Alaska cruise from Vancouver to Seward in May and it is also my first cruise so some of the information you provided has helped me understand what it is like to be on a cruise, including dining and getting back on board at port after excursions (All aboard!).

As part of the trip I will also be visiting your province in Canada (Jasper) which I am very much looking forward to :)

Edited January 23, 2016 by Daffodil17

[Alberta Quilter]

Do you have any more information on the Quilt shop? (What kinds of fabric did it stock, etc. I'd also appreciate the Seattle info. as we will probably fly in 2 days early.)

 

I'm not sure what Seattle info you want. Was it about the quilt shop there? The only one I found was in Pike Place Market but it was closed at the time. I only got to peer in! If you wanted info about the other Seattle shop that the folks in ISP had, I didn't get that information. Sorry about that!

 

As for the quilt shop in ISP, IIRC, it stocked mostly fat quarters, patterns and kits. I think there were also some knick knacks too. I don't recall any yardage there but I could be wrong. If they had yardage, there weren't many bolts. But, it was almost two years ago so a lot could have changed since then. Hopefully, someone who has been on an Alaskan cruise more recently can chime in, or will provide that information over this coming season.

[Alberta Quilter]

Hi Alberta Quilter,

Thanks so much for your review, it is so helpful!

I am doing a 7 day northbound Alaska cruise from Vancouver to Seward in May and it is also my first cruise so some of the information you provided has helped me understand what it is like to be on a cruise, including dining and getting back on board at port after excursions (All aboard!).

As part of the trip I will also be visiting your province in Canada (Jasper) which I am very much looking forward to :)

 

I hope you will have a wonderful time in Jasper! And I hope you will also get to Lake Louise and Banff as part of your trip. The three are not to be missed. Are you doing the Rocky Mountaineer train as part of your trip?

[Daffodil17]

I hope you will have a wonderful time in Jasper! And I hope you will also get to Lake Louise and Banff as part of your trip. The three are not to be missed. Are you doing the Rocky Mountaineer train as part of your trip?

 

The Rocky Mountaineer was a bit over budget - I started planning an Alaska cruise and suddenly found myself with a trans-Canadian add on!!!

We are taking the 'cheaper' option of ViaRail's The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver, so will just be stopping in Jasper between one train and the next one 3 days later. I doubt we'll have time to see everything (our wish list would need 5 days) but intend to take the Icefields Parkway out towards Banff in any case. I suspect it will give us more reason to come back!:)

[TheCalicoCat]

$98 for unlimited, $20 by the bag. A few days before the cruise ended, we got a notice of a price reduction on the "by the bag" laundry - I just can't remember what the reduced price was.

 

It would be different for you if you were to send out laundry every day, or had more than two people in your cabin. We will either have to take less clothing (not a bad thing, anyway), or really figure out how much we would use the laundry service.

 

Something I need to consider more closely... I had planned unlimited, but "by the bag" may be better with the 2 of us & more strategic packing.:rolleyes:

[TheCalicoCat]

For those contemplating laundry. my DH and I really got our money's worth with the $98 laundry package back in 2011 on this itinerary. If memory serves me right we sent out 1-2 bags almost every day until the last day or two. We did try to pack light on this trip, so the unlimited laundry was a good investment for us. We began our vacation with a 4 day stay in Washington State so as soon as we got on the ship we sent off a few bags of laundry. Our room stewards left us two bags in our closet rather than the usual one bag.

 

& now I am back to thinking unlimited.:o