DCCRANCH

We just got back and did the zipline in Ketchikan. It was the "rainforest" tour. Pretty pricey on Princess lines at $210 a person. 7-8 zips with 900 feet being the longest and three nice suspension bridges to cross. VERY good guides and highly trained for safety - would definitely recommend (I'm 48, female, and semi adventurous). Might want to call the actual provider before you book. They had some pretty strong spring storms in Ketchikan that required the different zipline providers to reroute their courses this spring.

DON'T over pack. I did that and it was just a pain. Every port we were in had very reasonably priced clothing. T-shirts for less than 10$, Fleece and Hoodies for 10-25$, Fleece lined Rain Parkas for $30-40$. If you need it......they will have it and more than likely it will be fairly cheap. One pair of medium gloves, nice hat, and umbrella. Other than that....layers. If you have the basics then you can always get extras when you get there.

Seattle - traffic is a nightmare 24/7. Plan for at least 2x the amount of travel time as is shown in ANY recommendations. Pikes Place Market and the Space Needle are fun.........so is Snoqualmie Falls.

We had a starboard balcony room on the Crown Princess and had great views the entire day of Glacier Bay. Like others have said........they turn the boat 360 degrees so all rooms get the same view. If you go up on deck it is just a more "open" view of everything around you. If you want to have a spot in the Sanctuary for Glacier Bay day then you need to go make those reservations FIRST THING when you get on the boat. We waited a few hours and they only had interior seating left......not windows. It was around $60 per person for the day.

Just got back on a Princess cruise. Check both lines itineraries. The Princess ship docked first each day followed by three other ships. Each time, Celebrity was last in port and got the worst docking position. Twice, Celebrity had to anchor in port and use shuttle ships. Seems a bit frustrating for passengers. You can Google cruise port itineraries. You will find a sight that lists all cruise ships in each port for everyday of the year and what time they arrive.

We just got back from Juneau and were told that if a whale surfaces within the required distance from the boat then the captain is REQUIRED to shut off the engines. They are only allowed to turn the engines back on if it is 'deemed' that the whale has moved away to a safe distance. So, theoretically, if the whale stayed in the same location then the boat captain would have to stay floating with no power until it was safe for the whale. Seemed to me that the majority of the captains and crew are VERY concerned for the safety of the whales.

DEFINITELY do whale watching. They are having a stellar time right now with whales. We watched two pods of 6-8 whales each for over 2 hours and could have stayed even longer if we didn't have to go back to the boat.

Just got back on Saturday. The same cuisine is offered in all the dining rooms each evening. It didn't seem to me that they had any 'special' cuisine because it was a formal or not formal night. Each night did have a 'theme' though. As far as dress....I was VERY surprised about that. There were people in both dining rooms, even on formal night, with shorts on. Some were in jeans and polo shirts. All of our paperwork stated what was expected and it was even posted outside the dining rooms. Not that I cared.......but, I would have foregone the extra garment bag if I had known that the 'formal' would not be required. They did have a 'special' dessert each evening and I would definitely recommend that you try it.

We just got back on Saturday. We chose to do the Summit to sea bicycle ride. They haul you up to the summit by van and you ride downhill back to Skagway. There is only one short uphill and even I (a bit out of shape) was able to do it. The guides were encouraging and supportive of all the riders whether they were fast or slow (like me). It can go at a pretty fast clip so be prepared for that. I was the slowest in the group but the guide in the back had no problems with that and was VERY encouraging with me to only go at my own pace. Good safe bikes and helmets are provided. They stop about 5 times on the way down for pictures and a quick rest/stretch. Highly recommend for an active excursion.

Definitely do a whale watching excursion in Juneau. Just got back on Sunday and the whale watching was incredible!!! They are having more sightings and more whales then ever. Record numbers! We watched two pods of 6-8 whales each for over 2 hours straight. Don't miss it!