Aquahound

I've cruised Quantum and Ovation 4 times out of Seattle in the past couple years. 10-10:30 is about when boarding begins. Look at your reservation. It'll tell you on what day your online check-in opens. To snag an early boarding time, you need to jump on it right away when it opens. I'm cruising Quantum again in a few weeks. I wasn't able to get online until the afternoon of the day mine opened and the earliest I could snag was 11. I'm struggling to remember if JSs were included in priority check-in. Either way, I think the app SeaPass says "suite", so it can't hurt to try. 🙂

Sincere apologies. I am just now seeing this. That's a tough one. I love Kodiak by land but a bus isn't going to get you to most of the most beautiful locations. Yes, a boat tour could be chilly and it is most likely to be overcast. I'm not sure where the tour goes, so it's hard to judge. Sorry, this might not have been the most help.

Embassy Suites is my go-to hotel in Anchorage. Not sure if anyone in your party qualifies for a military rate but despite their pricing online, I have always been able to get the rate by calling.

You two...for heaven's sake..."tropics" and "tropical" have 2 different meanings. No, Bermuda is not in the tropics due to its location. Yes, Bermuda is tropical due to its climate.

Not sure about your cigarettes question. I'd say...probably. But as for the ships, I'd rank them in this order.... Norwegian Escape, Caribbean Princess, Norwegian Jewel.

If by west coast you are including Alaska, several lines are running their newer ships.

New and monstrous. Give me a brand-new mega-ship full of activities and great entertainment. If I decide to indulge in what others consider to be "upscale," I'll book a high-end suite on the brand new mega-ship. 🙂

Nuf said...

I dumped Facebook 4 years ago for reasons just like this. There is too much power to control narratives. Altering opinions, regardless of how true they are, quickly get erased. Yes, I totally appreciate Cruise Critic. 🙂

And that, right there, is what is important. 🙂

I agree, but that wasn't the OP's question.

I did this excursion and we loved it. Don't worry about it being too fast. They are good at keeping the group together. You will stop at several points to take in the scenery and learn about historic spots. Crossing the border on the bicycles was kinda cool too.

For Alaska, it would be Royal Caribbean Quantum Class ships. Broadway style shows are put on in the main theater and in the aft show lounge called Two70. This is one of the Two70 shows, which isn't even the ship's primary show lounge...

I've seen endless pools on a couple Princess ships.

Blown away? Easy answer for me. Royal Caribbean Oasis and Quantum Class ships have amazed me more than any other ships. They are simply spectacular, and I always debark feeling like I had an amazing experience.