eeyore81

2 hours ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

Dolphin Swim is offered at 11, 12:30 and 2. 🐬

Are we given the choice once we get there?  I have it booked directly through RCCL.  It doesn't list a time for the swim.  It just says excursion is from 8:30 to 1:30.  

Does anyone know (or know who to call to find out) what time the dolphin swim is if you book through RCCL.  The website says the excursion is from 8:30-1:30.  I would like to book the dolphin swim through RCCL and then add the Sea Lion Encounter directly from Blue Lagoon.  There isn’t a option to book the Sea Lion Encounter other than being charged for the full excursion with transportation, etc which we will have already paid for with the Dolphin swim.  I know the Dolphin swim itself lasts about hour.  The Sea Lion Encounter is available at 11 and 12.  Does anyone know if either of these times will work with the Dolphin Swim? 

Thanks. The game is at 4:05 and the boat leaves at 11pm so I think we will have plenty of time.

Can anyone recommend a private tour guide for Portland Maine? We would like to go to Kennebunkport as well. Thanks!

Well we are going for it. Just bought the tickets. Yes it is the Yankees. We aren't fans of either team (we root for the Reds) but its a once in a life time experience to see the Red Sox play the Yankees at Fenway.

Does anyone have experience with going to a Red Sox game during the RCCL Granduer stop in Boston. It looks like the game starts at 4:05. The boat is docked from 10am -11pm. Can anyone give me details about how to get there, how to get back to the boat and if it is doable?

We took our child to Alaska the week before her 3rd birthday and then again the following year. She had a great time. We went whale watching, saw a lumberjack show, shopped around, saw glaciers etc. The following year wasn’t a cruise, it was a rail trip but she had a great time too. 5 years old is plenty old enough to go and have a great time.

We cruised twice with RCCL as vegans. Both cruises we brought a small collapsible cooler with us. We kept vegan sour cream, salad dressing and butter on ice throughout the cruise. The first cruise we had a great waiter. Although he did not really know about a vegan diet, he always checked on things for us. He even brought us the ingredient list cut off a box of pasta and something else so we could tell him if something was vegan. We ate a lot of steamed veggies, baked potatoes, salad and pasta. Our second cruise was exceptional. I would not plan on having a cruise like this one. It was on the Explorer. The headwaiter knew all about a vegan diet. He said that about a year before we cruised he had a vegan VIP and learned about the diet. We ate like royalty. Every night he brought out a vegan Indian dish and also a vegan "American" meal. We had delicious vegan vegetable soup (I liked it so much I had it on day 2 and the chef made it again for me on day 6). We were also brought vegan veggie burger on a vegan gluten free bun (the bun was not very good), a variety of veggie wraps, and a delicious veggie quesadilla etc. The waiters really went out of their way to check ingredients and show them to us as I was not confident in the translation that I trusted someone else telling me it was vegan. I really think it is luck of the draw on if you get good food or not. We lucked out with people really willing to go out of their way to help us. Bringing a few vegan snacks and candy as well as the cooler really improves the options.

Thanks for the responses. We have no problem keeping her with us the entire cruise. We have been on several with her. I just thought she would enjoy some of the activities. We may try it and see how she does. Do you know if they have any activities or crafts around the ship where parents and children are together?

Can anyone tell me if they will allow a parent to go with a 3 year old to Adventure Ocean? I know my daughter would enjoy the activities, etc but she is going through a rough patch of separation anxiety. I am not expecting it to pass by our cruise. This is not just a cry for a minute and then get over it- we have had to take her our of preschool. She makes herself physically sick and has a panic attack. Thoughts?

Our flight departed at 11:35am. I would not do that again. We were frantically running from one place to another. It takes a while to check your luggage, get through security and customs and get to your gate. I would be on the safe side and book the later flight.

I think that's way too young. Alaska is about Alaska not amenities on the ship such as slides and kids clubs. Also a lot of the popular excursions such as whale watching won't allow young children. Just my 2 cents!

We booked with Orca Enterprises and were allowed to take our 1 almost 2 year old. We also booked a wildlife/glacier tour with Major Marine without any problems.

We took our daughter with us on the Crown Princess. She turned 2 the day we got home from the trip (Saved us $800 in airfare). We started off with an 8 hour plane ride. She did great. We brought along plenty of things to entertain her. She loved the trip. We took the whale watching excursion with Orca Enterprises, did a private site-seeing tour with Beyond Skagway, the train at Whitepass and a glacier tour with Major Marine. We did not feel like we missed out on anything having our daughter with us. On the Princess ships, although they do not have a kids club for that age, toddlers are allowed to go to the kids club as long as a parent stays with them. We played and participated in the different crafts. Our daughter came to dinner with us every night. The waitstaff loved her. They even bought her a birthday present (a stuffed moose from one of the shops). Everyone made sure she was the star of everything we did. The only thing I would change about our trip was that I wished we would have booked the pre-cruise rail tour to Denali. We did not do that because we were not sure how she would handle that, but I know she would have been just fine. So now we have a 7 day rail tour booked this summer. Only you know your children. Our daughter has traveled since she was weeks old. She has been on numerous cruises, flights, etc to various places. She can sleep anywhere. I know it is hard to believe, but she knows how to behave. We have had plenty of people stop us on our cruises and trips and tell us that they were worried when we showed up at a show, etc with her but were shocked at how she acted. I truly believe it is because she has been exposed to that sort of thing since she was so little. I am happy to answer any questions you have about traveling with a little one to Alaska. I say go for it!

Thanks for the replies. What we are actually taking is a Rail Only Explorer tour. It is not escorted. Other than a very few planned activities (that can be removed from the tour if you elect not to do them) the only time you have to do something is be on the train for the next stop. The only thing that is included in the trip is the rail transportation in Princess Dome cars and overnight stays at Princess Lodges. I know some will disagree with me but I think it definitely depends on the child. As stated in my original post, we have traveled a lot since she was born. We have never had anyone give us a nasty look or say something to us because of our child. We have had numerous people stop us and say things like when I got on the plane I thought this was going to be miserable but your child's behavior shocked me-- she is so good, etc. We have had people say similar things to us on cruise excursions and at the shows on the cruise ship. She definitely has her moments but we are the first to remove her from an unhappy situation or distract her with toys, snacks, ipads, etc. Although Alaska in an RV sounds great, it is not an option on this trip as we will be traveling with a group of family and friends.

We are looking at the 7 day Alaska Rail Tour through Princess Lodges. We will be taking are 2 year old (turning 3 on the trip) with us. She is a great traveler. She has been on numerous trips to all kinds of different places (long car rides, long train rides, long plane rides, long boring formal dinners, you name it). We went on an Alaska cruise last year and she did great (I think better than the adults on the 7 hour leg of our air travel to get to Alaska). All that aside, I just do not think Denali is for her. I'd like to take her to Denali. Let her look around. Take a picture, etc. but I do not think any kind of extend bus tour would be good for anyone involved (and trust me we are the type of parents who take our child anywhere we go). I was wondering if there is any way to coordinate morning and afternoon departures. My parents will be going on the trip with us. I was thinking half of us could get up early and go on the morning tour and then the other half go on the afternoon tour. This would allow my 2 year old to stay at the hotel, etc during this time. Would this be doable? Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!

Can someone help me with Labadee cabanas? We are not suite guest, so I know we have to book a cabana at Nellie's beach. My mother uses a mobility scooter. She can walk short distances with a cane and can go up a couple steps slowly. I am trying to figure out which cabana to book. I want to get the best one, but I don't want it to be a problem for her to get there. I called RCCL and they were unhelpful. The option showing online are

Beach Cabana - Over the water at Nellie's Beach or Beach Cabana at Nellies Beach.

It is just a $30 dollar difference, so I do not think price is a factor. Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks for the comments. I reserved a rental car for the day. I think my family would like the Wildlife Center. We love animals and are excited to see some of the Alaska animals. We will make a few stops along the way to make a day of our trip. Thanks again for your advice!

We are going on a Prince William Sound glacier tour with Major Marine the day our cruise departs (Saturday). Is the Wildlife Center "worth it" or should just stay in Anchorage on Friday. Seems a bit expensive (to rent a car or get a shuttle) and a bit of a drive if its not worth it.

Is there any transportation from Anchorage? We have the entire day prior to our cruise. I am trying to figure out what to do. The only transportation I can find is a stop on the way to the cruise port. Any suggestions on what to do for the extra day? We are a family of 6. One infant and my mom uses a mobility scooter. Thanks!

Has anyone had a Promenade room on the 7th deck of the Oasis? I am looking to book one but am concerned about noise from above or below. I know there will be noise when there are events and parades but I am worried about late night noise from any of the clubs or restaurants. Should be do a Central Park view instead of a Promenade? Thanks for any info you can provide.

Thanks for the info! We booked the cabins which are right above the nightclub. I hope we did not make a bad decision.

I need your help once again. Looking at two interior cabins on the Crown Princess. There are 2 located at E715 and E719 or there are several located in the very front such as D117 and D111. I'm worried about the location of the ones on E as they appear to be right above the nightclub. Also can anyone tell me what the space is between the rooms and the elevator. The ones on D are the furthest away from everything. Anyone have any advice on which ones to get.

The only two balconies left on our sailing were A701 and A643. Does that mean the balconies will not be connected?

We just booked 2 balcony cabins for our Alaska cruise on the Crown Princess. Is there anyway to tell if we will be able to open a door between the balconies. I read somewhere that not all balconies can be opened between each other. Thanks!