libtrek

Thank you, thank you for the encouragement. Many of my family and friends are saying are you nuts? My guy loves Alaska too and for the most part we are taking ship tours. I have an Apple Watch on him that allows me to track wherever he is. I also put a Christmas ornament with jingle bells on the door that rings like crazy whenever the door is open, we are actually doing a B2B cruise so he can settle in better. Again, thank you for the kind thoughts.

Well, we leave in about a week and a half. Because hubs has Alzheimer’s it makes our cruise different than most. I try to simplify everything. The itinerary the Jewell follows is great scenery most of the way, so if we don’t move around much, we still have something to look at. We too are Sapphire so enjoy the extra fancy dinners and free laundry. I can pack less which makes things easier. Any specific questions? Mary Lou

Good question. I would eliminate Carnival, we’ve outgrown them plus they go from Seattle. I would go with Princess or NCL. We tried Celebrity and meh. Lately we’ve done NCL Jewell. Smaller ship, good port times, does inside passage. I like their drink package (included). You do have to pay the tips but if you have a Bloody Mary in the morning, a few drinks during the day, wine with dinner, and a nightcap, you’re ahead. Staff is excellent and the ship was refurbished just pre Covid. Mary Lou

Just a couple thoughts from someone who has done a lot of Alaska cruises both land and sea. 1. You have a bit of time. Suggest you read through a lot of reviews about DIY trips. You might be better to rent a car and pick a specific area to explore. Then get on your cruise. 2. I would suggest you think about a one-way cruise, like Vancouver to Anchorage or something similar. We have found that most round-trip cruises from Seattle have shorter times in port and more open ocean time. 3. You might even want to think about a smaller ship as they do spend longer in port, do the inside passage, and things like that. 4. Pro and con about cruise tours. They are very structured, you will often have to have your bags out early in the morning and then take a long bus ride. On the other hand, if you have never been to Alaska before it might be a good orientation. We started with cruise tours, but then did a DIY. Must say the DIY, even with car rental, was cheaper and we enjoyed doing things on our own pace. 5. You might consider this cruise a one and done. From personal experience, going on our seventh Alaska cruise soon, you might find you just have to go back. L O L. Mary

Bless you Martincath, always a huge help. We are arriving at Vancouver airport and going to Sutton Place Hotel. Was thinking about the train but wonder if it would be too much for 2 seniors, 1big suitcase, 1 carryon, and 1 of us using a rolling walker. Alternative would be a taxi. No rush since we don’t criuse for 2 days.

Been cruising for over 30 years. Tried all the lines but in our senior years, find we prefer NCL. My only dilemma is that I love features on the new ships like Food Republic, Ocean Blue and Onda. But, for Alaska I must admit the smaller Jewell works better for port times. The crew is so nice and the refurbished space is lovely. Looking forward to our May trip and the whales, glaciers, ship food, drink package, and ………… (fill in the blank).

I only bought jewelry on my first few cruises. Now I buy scenic calendars for the next year and a Christmas ornament.

Now I want to know what luxardo cherries are where can I get some. If you’re willing to go to the trouble of bringing them along and I love cherries ……….

Yes, seize the day, I couldn’t agree more. As for the door, I’m not sure about the alarm fitting but I have a simple solution. I have a ring shape with dangling bells that I put over the door handle. Pretty sure it would wake me up if he tried to leave the room. Left over reflex from mom days. I am loving my tracking device, on my phone it shows where it is. So far he is intrigued by it so leaves it on. A lanyard with room card is good. If he wanders on ship, any crew member could find his room with the card.

I would say with him walking slowly and stiff, you might want to consider wheelchair assistance at the ship and airport. Also, I would bring a cane for him. Have you considered some sort of tracking device, just in case. I’ve settled on an Apple Watch. He might find the ship disorienting so be prepared.

I too now have a song stuck in my head. Have fun.

She did.

That said, my hubs with dementia finds cutting his steak just too much. I, with much mother-experience, just grabs his steak and cuts. On the Jewel last year, our adorable waitress said, oh let me do that for you with a huge smile. ❤️

Bless your MIL. I would do the Vancouver route any day to get the longer times in port and less open ocean time. My favorite picture is in the inside passage with the tug boat pulling the chain of houses. With what I’m pretty sure was an outhouse on the last float. Wish I could find my picture. ML

I prefer lanyard. I just put inside my shirt if I don’t want it swinging. On one of my brief forays into crafting, I made a beaded lanyard with a purchased card holder and hook. Should have used bigger beads. My eyes came to hate those teeny tiny holes.