julie2s

We are 4 adults traveling on HAL Eurodam and will be in Sitka on May 30th from 7:00 am until 1:00 pm. For those of you that have rented a car in Sitka, would you say it was worth doing? If so, did you use Sitka Car rental? The rate for a 5 person SUV appears to be $95.00 which seems reasonable.  (I haven't checked availability so it may be a moot point.)  If not, can you tell us how our time there is best spent?  In Juneau, we have booked Mendenhall Glacier& Whale watch tour through Alaska Shore Tours.  In Ketchikan, we are taking the float plane to Misty Fjords through Family Air. 

10 minutes ago, Greysandy said:

I just booked a cabana for our upcoming Xmas cruise on the Eurodam. It was $399 for the whole week. If you want to just book a day or two, you need to do that once you get on board and you run the risk of them selling out to the weekly renters. Check out the flyer on Roger Jett's site:

 

https://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/hal-regular-and-specialty-restaurants/cabana-club-menu

 

Also check out some of the Eurodam ship tour videos on YouTube to see what they look like. Basically the regular cabana has two loungers and a small table with two chairs. If you don't mind swapping and sharing seating, then a smaller one would be fine for 4 people. There are open air cabanas that overlook the lido pool if you are in the retreat section rather than Lido cabanas. The side cabanas in the retreat have plexiglass but face the ocean, so there are positives and negatives to each.

 

I'm pretty darn excited to have a cabana on this cruise, since we went cheap and booked an inside cabin. Most of the reviews I have read have been very positive about the excellent service from the cabana stewards.

Thanks so much.  I had found the roger jett photography post, which was very helpful. Thanks for responding. 

I have read about Cabanas on the Eurodam.  We are cruising out of Seattle on 5/25/19 through 6/1/19. We have booked an Oceanview cabin. Wondering if a cabana makes sense.  Are they located where you could sit more comfortably and view the scenery? Also, there are 4 of us, do we need a family retreat cabana? 

Based on lots of great feedback we decided to book HAL Eurodam May 25 - June 1.  This is our first time cruising to Alaska.  We are a mother/daughter celebrating our combined 100th birthday (I'm 61, she's 39.) Now we are trying to decide on shore excursions.  First and foremost, my daughter loves wildlife, so bears, whales, etc. will be of high on the list.  I realize that late May is not optimal for Bear. Also not sure if sled-dog experience is worth the $$.   I love to fly so helicopters and/or floatplanes are something I would LOVE, combining both would be ideal.  

We will be in Juneau all day (1pm - 10pm), Sitka (8am - 5pm) and Ketchikan for a short time (7 am - 1 pm) then on to Victoria.  I'm looking at outside tour operators (Island Wings, True Alaskan Tours & Alaskan Shore Tours) as opposed to ship organized excursions.

Here's my question, what would be your ABSOLUTE MUST DO excursions in each of these ports.  I realize that this could be subjective, that's why there's chocolate and vanilla, but I'm just looking for feedback from past experiences.  Many Thanks in advance.  These boards are so helpful.

Thanks, MJCruise. As much as I would like, I don’t think a 14 day is within our budget. I couldn’t access the document you linked. Am I allowed to provide an email address for you to send it to? I’m sure it has a wealth of info. Once we decide on an itinerary then I’m hoping it will be easier to determine what to do at each port. 

Thanks again

10 minutes ago, mjcruise101 said:

Julie  I just happen to be reviewing HAL posts for our next cruise and saw your  post. We went to Alaska last year on a 14 day HAL Amsterdam. It was great and we chose it because it went to Kodiak and Homer across the gulf of Alaska where most the cruise ships don't go. I just looked at the 2019 Eurodam itinerary and it go to Ketchikan, Sika and Juneau.  Nice ports but I am not sure how much wild life viewing there is. In Juneau they have an excursion to Mehdenhall glacier, and Nugget falls really nice. If you are adventuresome, instead of taking the excursion offered by the cruise line, we took the white bus, Juneau tours rt to the glacier for $30. each. Much cheaper. They have a pick up right at the port. Look at some of the reviews on Trip Advisor for each port, there is some real good information that might include wildlife viewing. if you can afford the time, I really recommend the 14 day Alaska cruise. Also there is a 7 day cruise RT Seattle on the Oosterdam  that has the same ports as the Eurodam but also cruises the Hubbard Glacier that is spectacular. Good luck. We love Holland America, medium size ships with great service. Next year, we are off to Iceland on the Zuiderdam I found part of my review, some of the information pertains to the Amsterdam  but has information on Juneau.

Review of 14 day Alaska cruise7-3-17.docx

Thank you so much for the information. My original plan was to go from Vancouver and you’ve convinced me to go back to that plan. The issue is that we are flying from Boston so flights are a huge added expense. It might be cheaper to fly into Seattle and take the train to Vancouver. It’s just a challenge finding the balance between budget and wish list. 

13 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

I have completed 2 full Alaska seasons as a navigator many years ago and multiple more recent cruises as a passenger. Have also cruised the BC coast for > 30 years.

Both your options are R/T from Seattle, which in my experience provides the least favourable Alaska experience. Between Seattle & Alaskan waters you head out into the Pacific Ocean and you must also visit Victoria to comply with the US PVSA.

Ships based in Vancouver head up the inside passage, which is more sheltered and has an abundance of wildlife. Ships based in Vancouver provide R/T cruises and also N'bd & S'bd up to Prince William Sound. Personally, I would look for a N'bd or S'bd out of, or back to Vancouver.

With respect to HAL or Princess, they are both the Alaska experts, having spent the most years in Alaska. Princess started in the 70's. Both cruise lines also share the same management group. Therefore, I would pick which ever HAL or Princess ship has the best itinerary, time in port and dates.

Good luck finding a cruise.

 

 

 

 

We are not first time cruisers but it will be our first time cruising to Alaska.  We are a mother/daughter celebrating our combined 100th birthday (I'm 61, she's 39) I am having trouble deciding which way to go.  I've previously sailed Holland America and am considering the Eurodam RT Seattle cruise (Glacier Bay is high on our list.) I've also sailed on Princess and am considering the Ruby Princess RT Seattle cruise as well as the cruise fare is somewhat lower.  Although the fare is a bit higher on HAL, they are offering a free Signature Drink Package versus the Princess offer of pre-paid gratuities (value of $14.50/pp/pd) I'm thinking that the HAL drink package offer is a better deal, since I'm pretty sure our bar bill will exceed $14.50 per day.  The added benefit is that the Eurodam itinerary includes scenic cruising of Stephen's passage.  Wildlife viewing is important to my daughter.  Which would you think is the better option?  Many thanks for any guidance.

Thank you so much, I'll try that.  Not going to lie I'm finding these boards very frustrating.

We are not first time cruisers but it will be our first time cruising to Alaska.  We are a mother/daughter celebrating our combined 100th birthday (I'm 61, she's 39) I am having trouble deciding which way to go.  I've previously sailed Holland America and am considering the Eurodam RT Seattle cruise (Glacier Bay is high on our list.) I've also sailed on Princess and am considering the Ruby Princess RT Seattle cruise as well as the cruise fare is somewhat lower.  Although the fare is a bit higher on HAL, they are offering a free Signature Drink Package versus the Princess offer of pre-paid gratuities (value of $14.50/pp/pd) I'm thinking that the drink package is a better deal, since I'm pretty sure our bar bill will exceed $14.50 per day.  The added benefit is that the Eurodam itinerary includes scenic cruising of Stephen's passage.  Wildlife viewing is important to my daughter.  Which would you think is the better option?  Many thanks for any guidance.

I have searched this forum for a current answer to this question and cannot find one. On the Dream, do they still allow you to drop off a T-shirt or pillowcase with markers for signature by the characters?

Our first Disney cruise with our grandchildren departs on April 18th. We can book activities on February 3rd. Their ages are 7 (boy) and 6 (girl) Are there any things you would recommend that we be sure to book (other the obvious character/princess meet and greets) They are fussy eaters so brunch or dinner at Palo or Remy's would not be worth the up charge. I'm thinking it might be nice for us, but wondering which date/time would be the best choice as we don't want to miss a special dinner with the kids. Also, what about the Oceaneer's club? Do kids their age enjoy it? We had originally booked Comfort Suites Resort for a day in Nassau, but have since decided to stay on ship relax that day. Lastly, the kids love snorkeling and we are bringing their own equipment but I'm wondering if the stingray adventure on Castaway Cay is worth doing? Lot's of questions, I know Thanks for any and all replies. :cool:

I have confirmed that the all aboard is 3:45, so I think we'll be okay (as long as there are no flight delays). Thanks for your help!:)

Thank you. You have set my mind at ease somewhat. Do you think it would be to our benefit to use the DCL shuttle, just to be sure they'll wait for us? Or do you think if I call DCL and let them know that will be enough?

Because of extenuating circumstances, our grand children's flight arrives at MCO at 12:40 on Monday, April 18th. They are not checking any bags and we expect to be on the way to the port by 1:00. Assuming there are no traffic issues we should arrive at Port Canaveral by 2:00 pm at the latest. Google maps says it's a 45 minute drive.

Is the latest embarkation time 3 pm? Believe me, if I could have them fly in any earlier or the day before I would, but that is not an option. Can anyone confirm that as long as we are on the ship by 3 pm, we'll be okay.

Many thanks!

Thanks so much!

What a great suggestion. I just booked through Resort for a day. The total cost was $413. Which was a savings of $14 over booking.com. That might cover the cost of the cab ride over. They offer a 14 cancellation policy so if we change our minds, we should be fine. I think we will do the Blue Lagoon Dolphin encounter and spend the rest of the day at Atlantis.

What time do you need to be back on the ship and how much time should we allow taking a cab back from either Blue Lagoon or Atlantis?

What a great idea. The rate for a room at the Comfort Suites is $404 for one night. The Atlantis Aquaventure would be $604.50 for the 4 of us. Huge savings! Thanks for the tip.

Would you be willing to share information on who you booked through privately as well as info on the Bahamas day pass? I've cruised quite a bit, just not with Disney. I have no problem booking privately. Many Thanks!

We are booked on the Disney Dream in April 2016, stopping in Nassau. We are traveling with our grandchildren ages 6 & 7. I am trying to decide what, if anything, we should consider doing in Nassau. I can't decide if either the Atlantis Dolphin Cay Shallow Water + Discover Atlantis or the Blue Lagoon Dolphin Encounter are worth the money. If so, is one better than the other? If not, should we just stay on the ship or is it worth going to Atlantis for the Aquarium (I think the giant water slides at Atlantis are out of the question). Having been to Nassau (and once is enough) I don't have any interest in anything else on the island. Personally I'd rather do 2 days at Castaway Cay. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.