corgigrl

We stayed at the Denali Princess lodge last year and booked a flight seeing tour for our free afternoon. It was pricey, but oh sooo worth every penny. We booked privately with Denali Air and OMG it was beyond awesome. They picked us up from the lodge. We had perfect weather for our flight. Highlight of the entire trip.

Exactly the same hibachi experience. Same menu, same portions, same “show”. Just much cheaper for lunch. We did both lunch and dinner on the Harmony last year (a couple days apart) and just happened to get the same chef for both. His spiel wasn’t as entertaining for us the second time as we already knew all his jokes.

Just one of the hundred or so photos I took.

Best way by far to see Denali is by air. It is pricey, around $400-$500 per person, but oh sooo worth the cost if you can do it. We lucked into an awesome flight in early May 2023 and the weather was perfect. Highly recommend.

Definitely Glacier bay! Longer and closer viewing time, more glaciers, more wildlife and park rangers on board!

Can’t figure out how to flip the image, sorry!

cIf this is a bucket list trip Glacier Bay is definitely a must. We did a one way itinerary on Princess last summer and it was the highlight of the cruise! Most glacier viewing is 3-4 hours max including the time to sail in and out, but Glacier Bay was an all day event at least 6 hours. 

I’m sure either line you are looking at would be a good choice. I’d probably chose based more on port times and ship. We loved having a balcony so we could pop in and out easily and have a quiet, private place for viewing.

I always enjoy wandering around the waterfront in Seattle. Haven’t been inside the aquarium for several years, but I remember it being decent. It’s not far from the ferry terminal as well. If you do visit the waterfront be sure to check out Ivar’s Acre of Clams on Pier 54. There is a sit down restaurant and and also a walk up window outside. We always get our fish and clam chowder to go and sit in the covered, heated outdoor seating and watch the ferries come and go. I love riding the Washington state ferries. It’s a nice low key ride with beautiful views. Best part is you can stay warm and dry on even the nastiest day.

Seattle Center is also worth a visit. It is pretty pricey to go up in the Space Needle, about $40 these days, but some great views on a clear day. The pop culture museum is also fun. 
 

Pioneer Square  and the underground tour there is something unusual and fun as well as informative. The guides are great. I never had so much fun while learning history before. 
 

There is so much to do and see in Seattle you can’t even begin to see it all in such a short time. Have fun!

I had a similar experience. When are you sailing? I first tried to book shortly after final payment and I was charged. I backed out of the reservation. Tried again about six weeks before sail date and bingo, the credit applied, no problem. Not sure why, but if you are a ways out try again closer to your sail date. Doesn’t hurt to try…

On 2/20/2023 at 7:30 AM, Ky Bill said:

Labadee is one of my fav ports.  Many years ago we were there when you had to tender ashore.  We were sailing on the Song of America which was a beautiful ship.  About two hours into our visit ashore we were rounded up and hurried back to the ship because of civil unrest.  I think that might have been when "Baby Doc" took power.  Labadee was closed for a number of years.  Labadee has changed greatly from those years long ago.  A new pier, out buildings and more accessible beaches.  

Enjoy your visit.

Bill

Our first cruise was on the Song of America. Christmas 1987. I remember well tendering in. There was not much there, just beautiful beaches, a small marketplace and a couple lunch spots. Locals hanging out in small boats, selling shells and trinkets. Took our kids back in the early 2000s. Still no dock, but they had wave runners to rent and an aqua park. Returning next week on the Harmony of the Seas. Looking forward to seeing all the changes. When did they build the pier?

1 hour ago, Coralc said:

It was Captain humor. 😄I guess you had to be there. ☺️

And they do it every week, twice! 😏

We were on Navigator for a three nighter that turned into a cruise to nowhere last August. Civil unrest in in Mexico that weekend put an end to our planned Ensenada stop. We putted around in the Pacific for three days at a snail’s pace. Probably never even entered Mexican waters. 

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

 

Pineapples are no longer grown in Hawaii...

True for the most part. There are two exceptions that I know of. Dole pineapple pavilion on Oahu grows some and there is fairly large operation on Maui, Maui Gold. They offer a fun, informative tour that includes a “free” pineapple for every guest. Took the tour a couple years ago. Their pineapples are the bomb, very sweet and juicy. You can even order them online, but very expensive!

Bumping up because I’d like to know more about this excursion as well.

I understand where you are coming from. I wanted to avoid that. I did speak to a “DineMyWay specialist”. I was looking for a way to make a reservation for 4 using dining credits from two bookings. How hard can it be? Good to know that it is refundable OBC at least.

10 minutes ago, mrkjones61 said:

We took an Alaska cruise in August of 2022 and had 3 specialty dining credits. We tried to make reservations several weeks in advance and they wanted to charge our credit card. We waited until a couple of weeks prior to the cruise and tried again. That time, at the check out window, our dining credits showed up.

We are taking a cruise on the Regal in a few weeks with another couple. They are linked to our booking, however when we try to make specialty dining reservations, they want to charge us for all 4 people. We have booked individually for the same time and will  call the dining line once we are on the ship and merge the two reservations.  We like the ability to make reservations in advance with the app, but the process with specialty dining and multiple couples need to be improved.

 

Exactly my thought. We will try again after I speak with my sister. We will probably book individually and merge them onboard. I also really don’t want to pay ahead of time for something I’ve already paid for, but at the same time we want to be sure to get the nights and times we wanted. Do you know if you get onboard credit (which I won’t need) or does it go back to the credit card (which I would have already paid off)?

Ok, just got off the phone with a medallion app navigator and I’m more confused than before I called! Long story, but I’ll try to be brief. We have an Alaska cruise tour in May booked. We are traveling with my sister and BIL. Two separate bookings, both Premier, but bookings are linked so we can make dining reservations together. We have both made final payment so as I was told we could make specialty dining reservations at that time I attempted to book on the app for all of us so we could have a table for 4. App showed we have a dining credit so I booked the first night we wanted for all of us. Immediately I was was charged for all 4 people. Not wanting to pay for all 4 and risk our dining credit getting screwed up I canceled. Not happy to have to essentially  pay again for something I already paid for in my cruise fare. But, no harm, no foul.  
 

So now I spent hours over the next few days trying to talk to someone about this. After 3 failed attempts and hours of my life that I’ll never get back on hold I was told that you will get a credit once you get onboard. The agent couldn’t tell me how I would get this credit. Does it go back to my credit card (how many months later) or onboard credit that I won’t need? Can I be reasonably sure that the dining credits would get credited to the right booking?  Is there a way for us to book individually and request a table for 4?  Why do they do it this way? I don’t think she really understood my question, which in the end boils down to how do I ensure that we can get a table for 4 without carrying a charge for eight meals for at least 4 months? Should we book individually and request a table for 4 once we get onboard, or just wait till we board?  Of course I know I could ask my sister the pay up front for their meals. The point is, I shouldn’t have to!

Itineraries are the same, so don’t have to take that into consideration. Grand, Sapphire and Majestic all do the same run from Whittier. Tried for the Majestic, but there were no accessible balcony cabin available on our desired date. Is Sapphire in dry dock or out of service because of low demand?

I recently booked an Alaska cruisetour on Grand Princess (land first, then cruise) for next May. Since then I’ve been seeing a lot of reviews about the Grand saying that while the crew was fantastic the ship herself is looking and feeling outdated and worn. This will be a once in a lifetime cruise for my sister and brother in law so now I’m having doubts about my choice. Thinking about changing to Sapphire Princess two weeks later. Reviews of her seem a little kinder. Price difference is minimal, around $300 per cabin. I know that the two are sister ships with the Sapphire being newer. Deck plans are very similar. Are there differences I’m not seeing? Is it worth the price difference? Am I overthinking this? HELP!

I would certainly benefit from that assistance boarding and disembarking as those are long hauls with sometimes steep ramps and nowhere to stop and rest. I’m generally ok on level, even ground. Hills and uneven ground on the other hand are rough on the bad knees.

I was thinking along these lines. My sister would greatly benefit from the features in an accessible stateroom and we will definitely try to score one for her. I really don’t need all that (just a little help on longer hauls) and would most likely be fine onboard with just my cane as there are places to stop and sit most anywhere onboard. It is primarily ashore that I am concerned about for me. To further complicate things, we are considering doing a cruse-tour, so as long as there is room to store it, I may end up renting for the duration.

First cruise ever was on the Song of America, December 1987. Eastern Caribbean sailing over Christmas. We had an inside cabin. Very small as others have described, but we were young and only slept and showered in there. So many memories. Hubby still jokes about how many times we heard “New York, New York” in the lounge.  They would open the dining room for dinner every night with a chime and the announcement “Ladies and gentlemen, the Madame Butterfly dining room is now open for your dining pleasure.” Earned a “Ship Shape” T-shirt for participating in fitness  events. Christmas evening we came back to our cabin to find a gift from Royal Caribbean, a large Lladro figurine that I still have. 

I am planning an Alaska cruise for next summer with Princess. Our travel party would be myself, DH, my sister and BIL. All in our 60s. I have advanced arthritis in both knees and normally use a cane for support. I ca handle short distances, but would possibly need a scooter or wheelchair for long hauls. My sister is worse off than me and will be bringing her own scooter onboard.  A couple questions. Is it possible to rent scooters or chairs for excursions, or would I be better off renting one for the entire trip? Would there be room in a typical balcony cabin to store said scooter? DH and I are experienced cruisers, though it’s been a while. My sister and BIL will be first timers, so I want to make sure things go as smoothly as possible. Any suggestions?

You're not walking on hilly terrain but you are walking on suspension bridges along a fixed trail which isn't bad

 

 

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Thanks, we just might give it a try. Have an awesome trip!

Thanks so much for taking time out of your vacation to post al these wonderful photos. I have a question about the bear viewing excursion. I'm interested in doing this next summer when we are on our cruise, but I can not walk long distances due to arthritic knees, especially on rough, uneven terrain. How far did you walk and is hilly and/or rough?