olemissreb

That was my Alaska trip. A DIY week on land followed by a week on a cruise Southbound from Seward. Best vacation ever!

I'll be traveling next year with my sister and her BF. Sis and I learned long ago that we can vacation together, but just not stay in the same condo. We've got a couple ports where we'll do things together, but other than that, my BF and I will do our thing and they'll do theirs. Maybe we'll end up having dinner together and maybe not, but we'll definitely meet up at some point to "compare" our days. I can't wait.

Thanks for this question. I'm contemplating getting a Vibe Cabana for myself as well as gifting one to my sister. So what makes it worth $600 over a regular Vibe pass? If you get a regular Vibe pass, can you use a cabana if it's not in use?

Sadly, I still haven't gotten an NCL offer for my AMEX. I did get one for Resort Pass though, so not a total loss...just hoping they have a pass for the resort I want to go to in Barbados.

My first cruise, my now ex called the company TA who got us a balcony cabim on an Eastern Caribbean Princess cruise. I remember getting in our cabim and finding out one port had been canceled/changed (don't remember which). I know we booked excursions and even one of those was canceled, but I don't remember when/how we did that. I do remember the couple that we shared our assigned seating with...they were celebratimg their 50th anniversary and the cruise was a gift from their kids. He was a first generation Italian American and embarassed the ---- out of our waiters (who were speaking Italian at the wait stand which was right by our table) and it was sooooo funny! I remember the maitre'd asking us if the 4 of us minded changing tables and when we did, we met another couple who ended up getting deserted from our San Juan walking tour with us (our first semi-independent tour and we made it back to the ship in plenty of time. Yes, there is a lot more information to be had, but it's the memories that stick more than anything.

I prefer to book direct so that I maintain control of my reservation. If I find a price drop or a better price on a better cabin, I can call directly and make the change without having to go through a TA who may be closed.

Book now! It is totally worth the price. My family and I flew with Michelle at Island Wings in Ketchikan and if I remember correctly it was on a Dehavilland Beaver. Michelle had some music playing as we flew toward the Misty Fjord National Monument that had my mom and I in tears...it was so beautiful and just "fit" the scenery we were looking at. One of the best excursions we took.

Thank you! I remember the additional ag screening, bit couldn't remember the best recommended time for flying out. It's been 15 years since I've flown out after a cruise and even then we stayed an extra day to make it easier.

I'm sorry. I know this topic has probably been posted a million times, but the search function on my phone stinks!!! I'll be flying back after my cruise. If I book a flight leaving at 12:50pm, I should be ok right? That flight gets me home at a decent hour, but if I need to find something later I can deal.

My BF became a grandpa in Dec., so I guess I'm an honorary grandma to this cutie! How I spent my Easter Sunday. My view for Friday's night baseball game. Sadly the ump never listened to how I called the game.

My favorite cruise line is Celebrity. I've been on 2 M class ships (Millenium and Constellation) and had a cruise on Summit scheduled for March '25, but then they cancelled it and repositioned the ship to Florida. So because we wanted to sail out of San Juan (my sister and her boyfriend live in Wisconsin and want the warmest start to the cruise) we ended up on a brand new ship, the Nowegian Viva. I look at my favorite lines first to see if they have an itinerary I like and if not, I'll look elsewhere until I find something that piques my interest.

Layers are key. Temps can vary wildly. If you are going in to Denali National Park...100% Deet for the mosquitos. Those things swarm you and will feed on anything less. Not sure if any other place has mosquitos that you'll need it for, but good to have just in case. Take a good camera with a really good long distance lens. My now ex was able to catch a full whale breach from nose up to tail down by using sport mode. I don't agree about not getting a balcony. Yes, you may miss something on the other side, but it's also a great place to escape and just watch for the wildlife. My mom and I were able to hear the "snap, crackle, pop" of the ice floes as the ship sailed toward Hubbard Glacier. We couldn't hear that up on deck as there were too many people talking. The ship made a full circle at Hubbard Glacier, so everyone was able to get a look at it. Biggest thing...if you can afford to spend an additional week inland, do it! Either before or after your cruise doesn't matter...inland views are SPECTACULAR!!! Plus you can't see Denali unless you add a land based portion (very easy to do on your own). Word of warning though...Alaska will leave you wanting to go back again and again.

Thank you for asking this question. I'm a sucker for cruise photos too and my next cruise will be the first for my boyfriend so I want to be able to get pics to remember it all...especially since we never take selfies of us together.

You might get a better response on the RCL boards. I'd post the link, but I'm technologically challenged on my phone.

I love to buy a Christmas ornament to put on my tree and remind me of all my vacations/adventures. It doesn't have to be specific to every port like the blown crystal ornament I bought at Nova Scotia Crystal on my New England/Canada cruise with my mom. I also bought some All-Clad cooking pieces to add to my collection. Expensive yes, but it's something I use all the time and they shipped to me (same with the crystal ornament and the crystal bourbon glasses I bought also). I'll be in Key West in a few weeks and I'd like to get some souvenirs for my co-workers and my 2 adult sons...but I'll want to ship it all home. I HIGHLY recommend shipping items if it's not too expensive as they know how to package things and what to do to get through customs. Plus you don't have to take up room in your luggage. You may not be able to give out the gifts right away, but it'll give you a chance to relive your trip when everything does arrive and you give things out.