JoAnnaBullhead
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Posts posted by JoAnnaBullhead
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40 minutes ago, slidergirl said:
GOOD suggestions.. mine too was $10 . We just used it again in March for the Grand Canyon!!
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Good info.. our 14 day HAL cruise does not go to Skagway, but, I have been there. Also if you have the Senior National Park Pass.. TAKE IT WITH YOu!! FOR FREE ACCESS TO THE PARKS.
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I thought I would share some of the many things we enjoy doing every year in Alaska.
In Juneau, we walk out to the street.. crossover.. ( there is usually a really "colorful" guy directing traffic )
and hail a cab. Tahe the cab to the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery
cab costs about $11... share the ride. Entrance fee to the hatchery is or was..$5.00 a person.
Absolutely worth seeing. I could stay there all day!! You can see many Bald Eagles!
Or... you can walk about 2 blocks to the police station ( ask anyone where it is ) and you will be at the main bus hub. Take the bus that goes to the Alaskan Brewing Company. Be sure to ask the bus driver to tell you where to get off. The bus costs about $1.00 each way ( be sure to have singles ) The brewery is free.. great talk on how they brew.. free samples of the different beers and great little gift shop! Of course there is Mendenhall Glacier, you can also take the bus there, but it is a bit of a walk from where the bus drops you off back to the park.
I also enjoyed deep sea fishing in Juneau.
Also there is the tram to the top of Mt. Roberts.. It is a bit pricey.. but doing it once is worth it.. the view from the top is incredible! They have a rescued Bald Eagle up there, and a nice restaurant and gift shop. it is free to hike the trail up to the top, but, they charge you if you want to ride down.
Now in Anchorage if we are not meeting friends and family that live there .. we take the free bus from the port to downtown Anchorage. Walk around the block to the Visitors center. There you can choose different things to do.. ie: the zoo, a museum and many other things.. they have little "trains" that will take you where you are going. Most are free.
We take the free little train to the Ulu Factory. ( be sure to tip the kids that are driving.. they are college students that are working over the summer ). There you can see how the Ulu knives are made... and buy them. Be careful.. check carefully if buying an Ulu elsewhere that it is NOT MADE IN CHINA!! Right behind the Ulu store There is a river.. and a bridge.. you can walk right over and stand on the bridge ( it is foot traffic only ) and watch them fish for Salmon, and watch the Salmon run upstream if it is the right time of the year . usually the end of July beginning of August ). And when you take the "LITTLE TRAIN" back to the visitors center, go across the street to the Polar Bear Gifts.. the best place for t-shirts and all sort of gifts and sweatshirts.. So reasonably priced. If you are daring.. try a reindeer hot dog or sausage.. not for me , but my husband.."just has to have one every year"! I am intentionally not recommending any tour companies, as what I think was good and a good deal.. may not be to someone else. Google "tours" in the city you are interested in. Hope you enjoyed reading this, and that perhaps it gives you a heads up on fun things to do that do NOT cost a fortune!!
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Tenderpaw.. can I come cruise with you!! LOL I like your way of thinking!!
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8 minutes ago, Tenderpaw said:
The purpose is 2 fold: decrease costs and increase revenue. The food and beverage manager in Seattle was told to cut his costs by X %, and this is one way to get there. This is just like every other cut/surcharge that we have seen crop up in the past 10 years.
I take a cruise for all 3 reasons above. I enjoy eating and trying new things and frequently order 2 main menu entre's. Never more. I have seen people order more than 2 though. I am not over weight and don't eat like that at home. I'm on vacation and this is something I've enjoyed doing on cruises for the past 30 years.
For all of you who smugly say "no impact for me", great for you. Eating multiple portions in the MDR at no cost has always been a cruise thing. They budget for it and covering the cost has been included already in the prices we are being currently charged. People doing isn't a new thing and isn't a surprise to the cruise line. It is a vacation perk that many folks enjoy. It isn't gluttony.
Your double portion will no doubt be considered a second entre, as well as it should. How is it different than someone else ordering 2 different entres.
I hope they get bad survey's/feedback from this. It's tacky, cheap, and just another cut.
Amazing to me, that when people complain onboard, and I ask if they are going to put that in their survey.. they say .."oh we don't bother filling that out"... If HAl or any place does not know or are not aware of a problem.. how are they suppose to fix it.. Please all fill out the end of cruise survey.. or questionaire.. whatever you want to call it!
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1 hour ago, Cruising-along said:
Cruising-along... I agree with you. When we cruised last summer and saw the menu, I called room service. They told me exactly what you said.. fill in what you want. I did, and they were kind enough to accomodate our wishes. Funny.. I ordered 2 hard boiled eggs. I got 4.. I think they thought it was an order for 2 people. The next day, I wrote 2 hard boiled eggs ONLY! I got 4 !! Day 3, I ordered 1 hard boiled egg. I got 2! LOl.. Gotta love the language barrier! That being said, Their English is way better than my Filipino!!
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We rarely eat in the dining room. If we are with friends that want to eat there, we go.
Personally I feel HAl already charges enough for the cruise without having to now start charging more for a 2nd entre'!
We have not been happy in the last few years with all the changes HAL is making... and not for the better!
Their room service breakfast menu changed horribly. No more self laundry.. which I need.. as I can send my husbands out but I am allergic to so many soaps I prefer to wash my own.
We did a Christmas cruise with Princess and we were so impressed!
All the things we loved about HAL is going, going, gone! FYI we have done 7 cruises with HAL.. 7 days short of 4 star.
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Thought I would share this Pdf... gives lots of good info about what you can and cannot do.. where to find things..
just all around good info.
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Yes, on HAL you can buy liquor and they use to deliver to your stateroom the night before you disembark...
In July.. you had to actually go to the store and pick it up!
What to spend OBC on... Specialty rest. Treat yourselves and be pampered to The spa.. massage.. hair, nails..
book some excursions. Thee are usually sales onboard.. buy presents.
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I sure get confused.. I think I am posting mainly for HAL and then am told it is not..
anyway.. Please know that the only cruise line I am really familiar with is HAL... have cruised once or twice
with other lines. Also our next scheduled cruise is Dec. 18th HAL out of Ft. Lauderdale.. thru the Panama Canal.. ending in San Diego. And the smoking statement was me posting , looking for other smokers on the above cruise. I too do not wish to debate my smoking.. merely stating that I do.
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3 minutes ago, JoAnnaBullhead said:
JB.. you are too funny!
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HAL permits vaping in your stateroom.
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On 9/19/2018 at 8:24 AM, John Bull said:
Restrictions on smoking aboard have gotten tighter and tighter over the past decade or so.
Like sparks, I don't think there's a single cruiseline now which permits either smoking or vaping on balconies or in most public rooms.
Unless their policy has changed (and they frequently do) I think Princess actually permit vaping (not smoking) in the cabin but not on the balcony - that kinda makes sense because vaping doesn't (???) leave any lingering smell or residue.
But your friends won't be short of places to smoke, there are designated smoking areas dotted around all cruise ships though mainly on outside decks. In my experience those are very sociable places for those of us with unsociable habits. 🙂
If your friends are contemplating a cruise to somewhere like Greenland or Siberia or the Antarctic, I reckon that smoking can be at a greater risk of double pneumonia out on deck 😄 so they'd best choose a ship with an indoor smoking area.
Other than that, no worries 🙂
OK, anti-smokers, I've got my tin hat on - feel free to vent your spleen about smoking in general 😜
JB 🙂
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On 9/19/2018 at 6:44 AM, OneHotMomma said:
I am asking this question for someone we are cruising with that has never cruised before so any help would be nice.
They are wanting to know since they have a balcony room on the 8th floor port side is smoking allowed on their balcony? or where can they smoke if not allowed on the balcony?
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My bad! Sorry thought I was on a board for the cruise we will be on.
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OBC CANNOT be used in casino on HAL
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23 hours ago, Go-Bucks! said:
Go to the casino and maybe you'll end up with more than $800! 😉
OBC CANNOT be used in casino on HAL
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Try the specialty restaurants. Buy gifts for upcoming birthdays, weddings etc. Watches, perfume. Souvenirs...
Use the credits instead of your money by buying excursions onboard.
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We knew that it was going to happen.
We send laundry out -- just be careful you don't send anything out that is very delicate and you don't want ruined.
I send hubby's out.. not mine.. allergic to many soaps.. I use Tide free and clear.. so I usually do just 1 load of my things... guess I will just have to wait till we get home to do mine.. no worries.
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I've sent out very delicate items and they have returned in perfect condition.
One of my favorite things about a HAL cruise is the $7/day unlimited laundry.
I have never heard of the $7 unlimited laundry. We are just a few days short of "free" laundry :)
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FYI... as of July 2018, None of HAL's ships have self serve laundry facilities anymore!
We booked our cabin to be close to the laundry room. Surprise, surprise!! They are gone.. We were told that there was too many problems with them so they took them out of all ships!
You can still send laundry out for a fee. I think it was $20 for a laundry bag full. ( Roll your clothes.. more fits in the bag ).
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JaniceB.. according to my "research".. yes tours available... not at the dock.. you have to walk from the dock.. out to the street and they will be there.
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Things to do in Alaska that will NOT cost a fortune!!
in Holland America Line
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