Hekla

You might of chosen the wrong cruise line for yourself. Carnival probably would have been a better fit . For a first I usually recommend a warm weather cruise like Mexico or the Caribbean. Even NCL to Alaska might of been a better fit. Keep in mind Alaska is more for the scenery and wildlife than the cruise or cruise ship.

One question who chose the cruise ?

One couple of the group chose the cruise and the rest of us signed up. I jumped on it because it was a way to go on a cruise without having to pay most of the fare again in airfare - I live in the Seattle MSA, so it is a hike to any other port that doesn't go to Alaska.

I found out later that Alaska is one of the most expensive cruise destinations period and it can work out close to be the same to go other places assuming a good deal and off peak airfare. Oh well. Like I said, the only other cruise I would consider at this point is a Disney one, probably to the Western Caribbean so we could see the Mayan ruins. Otherwise, the next 'big' trips in the pipeline are land based to Key West or Hilo (for Volcanoes National Park) and Scotland.

I mentioned before that we had bought the premium drink package. I think this is fine for a once in a lifetime binge, but it was hard to keep up even with other couples in a party mood. I definitely went over the break even point, but I was literally forcing it in and could hardly begin finish my meals, I was so full of booze. I was able to try a lot of things and learned a lot more about what I do and don't like. It was fun just to have the freedom itself to drink whatever and not have to worry about the cost. However, we both agreed there was no way we would ever drink that much ourselves cruising on our own and probably would never spend that much on the drink package again and just buy them as they came. We did save some money on our kid though. She did not need a package at all because she does not drink juice or soda. Not because we don't let her, she just doesn't like it and will waste it if you give it to her. We bought her a virgin mudslide for $4.60 + tip as a treat and I think that was about it. The rest of the time was milk or water.

Now that I mention the binge, I came back 8lbs heavier than when I left. I just got rid of 4lbs of water and still apparently peeing it away. I figure I am getting close to the actual fat I put on, probably 3lbs or so. The very last day, I don't see how that was under 4k calories at all and I need around 1800-1900 a day to maintain my weight. We were all drinking like it was our last night on Earth.

I can't believe so many people like cruise food :confused:

My BIL called the Windjammer the S**tjammer. I couldn't stop laughing. The MDR is hit or miss, but generally decent. The specialty restaurants I found were very much worth the money. I definitely would have paid more than $20 a person in Giovanni's.

My husband and I were eating breakfast in the buffet one day. We looked at the table next to us and this dude had a stack of bacon at least 6 inches high on his plate and under it sausage links. I was pissed because the bacon bowl was empty when I went up there and this seemed to be part of the reason why. He ate it like a machine. Probably one of those guys on the keto diet wondering why it isn't working...:rolleyes:

I took RCCL's Rhapsody of the Seas up to Alaska last week with my family and two other couples. I'll just be speaking for my family on this trip.

Pros:

*Small ship and you can get to know her pretty fast.

*Food in the specialty restaurants was amazing. We went to Izumi's and Giovanni's. Did sake bombs and ate the most amazing risotto and lamb. My god was it good.

*To save about $40 a person, we booked our Glacier Point Wilderness Safari excursion in Skagway directly through the operator, Alaskan excursions. I absolutely recommend this excursion. We saw humpback whales, sea lions, seals, orcas (but they said this was very lucky as there are no residents or migrants in the area, only random transients), and a big male brown bear. Whether or not you actually get to walk around on the ice is a function of how much it has been raining and/or the heat of the day. We didn't because the melt was too heavy, but it was really cool to as close as possible to it.

*Instead of Tracy Arm, we ended up in Endicott Arm and the captain was able to sail within a 1/3-1/2 mile of the Dawes Glacier, which many frequent cruisers to Alaska said was the closest they have ever been to any Alaskan glacier on a cruise ship of this class or larger. There were frequent episodes of calving and although the weather was less than pleasant, I stood out there until the very last turn watching it. The sun came back out on the way out of the fjord and it was absolutely gorgeous. We saw another cruise ship coming up the fjord on the way back, but then turned around and went back about a mile away in the direction we were sailing.

*The bartenders in the R Bar were AMAZING and our servers for dinner in the MDR were great.

*My husband threw out his back at the beginning of the cruise and the ship's doctor was able to get him meds to get him through it. Very glad or else he would have spent pretty much all 7 days trapped in the room. For the curious, an office visit is a very reasonable $121.

*An oceanview suite was definitely worth the money for this trip. I am glad that we didn't spring for the balcony. We just didn't spend all that much time in the room to justify the actual expense of a balcony, but we did like looking out the window from time to time when we were in there. We had a pullman bed suite and I would recommend them.

*My third grade daughter loved the Adventure Ocean program. They seemed to have timed the releases on sea days to coincide with the open Solarium hours for kids. We'd just take her straight from the kid's club to the pool. I also heard mixed things about the outdoor pool being heated. FTR, it definitely is heated.

*Cruising is probably the cheapest way to see this much of SE Alaska. For fun we priced a ferry from Bellingham just to Ketchikan with our car and room and it cost $2000. It was worth it for Endicott Arm alone. We're planning on another trip to AK, but will be driving up to Fairbanks, satisfied with what we have seen of the SE.

Cons:

We had our dinner reservations linked from basically day one linked with the two other couples. We had all called several times to confirm we were all sitting together. We get to the dining room and realize we have all been split with another large and unrelated group who also had linked reservations that got six ways of screwed up. Eventually it got hashed out, but we were moved to an 8pm dining time, which was not preferred by me because my kid needs to eat dinner earlier than that, plus it conflicted with AO activities that my kid really wanted to do like the Pirate Parade.

*Most bartenders outside the R Bar were mediocre to just plain bad. Some of the drinks...let's just say we were glad to have bought the premium package.

*We went to the Windjammer on the first day and that food looked more suitable to a school cafeteria than a cruise ship. It did not make a great first impression on us at all. Also we would often never get asked if we wanted a drink or only right when we had just finished our meal/snack. We quickly learned that if we were going to eat there, we had to bring our own drinks.

*My whole group was upset that we wasted so much time doing nothing in the strait after we left Victoria. That was time we could have spent longer in ports.

*It seemed that a cruise was fun if you were 7 or 70, but for people in the middle (we're early 30s), it was a wasteland for the most part, especially since I didn't want to pay for the few other activities I was interested in like massages or other spa items or gambling (heh). We would have appreciated more clubs or events that didn't feature only music from long before I was even thought of. The Viking Club kinda did it, but only after midnight and then it closes at 2... I guess we are just too active for a cruise. We like staying in nice hotels and all, but the real focus is getting out in wherever we are at and doing things like hiking, visiting local restaurants, and sightseeing. Not going to totally write cruising off though. I can see going on a cruise again in 25-30 years when I think we would enjoy it more. The only exception I think would be to try a Disney cruise instead of going to WDW.

Overall it was a good trip, but I wasn't particularly impressed with cruising and think I could plan much better land vacations for the money. I can see the appeal for others though. :D

Even if kids sail free- you'll have to get a more expensive cabin that holds 5. Might be time to leave the kids home with a sitter. Will probably cost much less in the end.

I was thinking a lot more about the cost of airfare too if they have to fly to port. Kids only fly at reduced rates until 2 if you are lucky. I had to start paying full fare for my kid at 12 months because no way I was holding a near toddler for 12 hours. You'd have to hope stars cross to some extent that the cheap cruise matches up to cheap airfare. We've had to fly during the school year because it is often just simply too expensive to fly during peak. But when you can work it out, it can work out. We got an unexpected trip to Iceland out of flying Icelandair and using their free stopover service. It cost us $700 extra for a long weekend there. We would have not have gone there otherwise. And it was soooooooo worth it.

Personally, this was one of the huge motivators for us to stop at one kid. Travel is just expensive, even on the cheap, but at the same time, very important to us. We make a lot of adjustments in other areas of our life too to afford it: cheap no contract cell phones, drive old cars bought in cash, rent a place below our means, very little eating out, meals at home are planned, going to movies only happens once a year for kid's birthday, no credit card debt, buying a lot secondhand on CL, eBay and at Goodwill. We have rewards credit cards that we used to pay about $600 towards this cruise. We put everything we possibly can on the cards and then pay them off immediately. I mean, I pay as soon as charges post, not when the bill is due. So even if you have more than one kid, there are ways to significantly reduce your expenses and scrape up some extra cash for a vacation.

You just have to decide what is important to you. You may decide cruising isn't all that important after all. Nothing wrong with that. I know a lot of people look at us and can't understand how we can possibly drive around our old buckets and use such an old cell phone, etc, etc. *shrug*

It depends on the type of person you are. We have sailed many times with DL and BC and never once had any handwringing, stress about birth certs or immigration rules. Some of us make sure we have the proper documentation, a little research is all it takes, and don't sweat over something that has an extremely low probability of happening.

I said I'm lazy and can't be bothered with reading rules that are easily circumvented by having a passport.

The OP is obviously concerned about this. Why not just get a passport for the kid if she was getting one for herself anyway? What is the big deal?

I don't think you're lazy - I think you're smart. :)

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Not like it is impossibly difficult to get them or something. I got both of my daughter's when she was barely one month. Hardest part was just having her keep her eyes open for the pictures.

First time I applied for mine back 11 years ago, took about 20 minutes in the post office. Same with both mine and my kid's renewals recently.

If the OP is the only parent listed on the birth certificate, there really is no problem according to the Department of State.

If the minor only has one parent/guardian, evidence of sole authority to apply for the minor must be submitted with the application in the form of a:

 

• U.S. or foreign birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or adoption decree, listing only the applying parent
  

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/under-16.html

I just don't get this feeling of guilt for utilizing the kids' program. All of the mass market cruise lines have the programs for good reasons: to let the kids enjoy their cruise and to give the parents some time to enjoy their cruise. You'll have time for being together so don't concern yourself with how others view it.

My daughter is a newly minted third grader and excited about the kid's program. She likes ALL structured activities like this and always has since the first day she set foot in a preschool classroom at 3. She'd be mad if I didn't let her go do it. I don't have any guilt at all about it, particularly as two of our port days are packed with things we are all doing together as a family. I basically plan on letting her be in the kid's program as long as she likes, pulling her out for port days, kid swimming hours in the solarium, and meals.

I would not have cruised if it were not for the kid's programs offered by the lines. For the money, I would have much rather have gone on a good landbased vacation.

2.5!

I think it is ultimately less hassle and stress just to have a passport. Passport is bullet proof and better than all the handwringing and stress about birth certs and immigration rules every single time you end up going somewhere. I'm lazy like that though.

She's cruising Alaska for the summer.

Sweet.

So it's obviously World Cup time. There are a few matches I'd like to watch while cruising. Is ESPN available through RCCL?

Interesting thing this thread brought up was when I first was given my kid's CRBA, the instructions were basically not to lose it ever because the DoS would not replace it without it being a massive PITA. In fact, there is a big warning on the back of it to the same effect. But I just googled it out of curiosity, and it looks like the rules have changed and they will replace the document (thank whatever), but it costs $50.

Eh, I may take the CRBA if that is the case. I was only going to take the German one because I didn't realize the rules had changed it was easier to get a German replacement than a US one.

Thread has been helpful in more ways than one. :p

Have a great cruise, Hekla!

Thanks! It is all of our group's first and we are very excited. :D

OK. I called them and they said generally for all children under 17, a birth certificate should be brought. I also asked if I could take her German one instead of her US CRBA and they said as long as it was the original with stamp or seal, that was fine.

To add to the discussion above, we are all bringing passports anyway.

My minor daughter has my last name, but not my husband's, but he is the bio father. Do we need to take a birth certificate with us?

Booking link is here:

https://www.alaskaexcursions.com/site/excursion/glacier_sk

I found the link googling for reviews of this excursion. You can read reviews for the operator in general here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60877-d2172599-r190595667-Alaska_Excursions-Skagway_Alaska.html#REVIEWS

Glacier Point Safari? In the past this was only available to cruise passengers through the ship shore excursions? Did you get transportation included?

Email confirmation says they will pick up at the Rhapsody dock, so I am not sure what you mean by transport.

You can book directly on their website.

I booked the 10:30 tour directly with the operator. Also saved quite a bit of money doing it that way.

Google for Cruise Compass. It will come up.

I am traveling in a group of 7: 3 couples and 1 child.

June 20 - Leave Seattle. I live in the area, so...zzz.

June 21 - Drunk at sea.

June 22 - Cruise Inside Passage in the morning. Port afternoon/evening in Juneau. We are going to visit the Mendenhall Glacier, hike a few trails around it. Come back to town, grab a bite to eat, explore the town a bit, and then meet up with the others. The second couple is going to rent bikes and go trail riding. I am not sure what the third couple is doing.

June 23 - Port day in Skagway. My family is taking the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari over to the Davidson Glacier. Hope to see some whales and have fun canoeing to and walking around the glacial tongue. The second couple in our group is going salmon fishing. The third couple is I think taking the railroad, but not 100%.

June 24 - Tracy Arm Fjord in the morning. Nap in the afternoon. Group formal dinner at Chops at around 7:30.

June 25 - Drunk at sea. Husband and I may do the couples massage.

June 26 - Victoria. My family has been here before, but others in our party haven't. There really isn't too much to do here that we haven't already done, so that sort of sucks for us. There really hasn't been anything of interest for the rest of my party either. Oh well, always booze, rite?

June 27 - Back in Seattle. Dropping the second couple off at the airport then driving home to spend the weekend recovering from our vacation. :p

Thanks! I hope they have it on the Rhapsody. My husband and I are big fans of apple cider. :)

Is this offered to drink? I looked through some of the RCCL beverage menus and didn't see any listed, but that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't offered period.

This was an awesome thread. :cool:

A bit discouraged that Iceland was a bit better for scenery. We were just there this past fall and know it will be a hard act to follow. Despite Iceland being one of the most expensive places on the planet, we did it for far cheaper than this cruise...so...oh well. Perhaps the rivers of booze will make up for it.

We'll be trying to drag the average age of the cruise down. 6 adults in our early 30s and one school aged kid.