Blondilu

Flashlight, small first-aid stuff including OTC medicines, deodorizer for bathroom. Snacks for late-night munchies (1 small bag of pretzels should last all week), playing cards, puzzle book, Kindle app on my tablet with a couple of books downloaded, MP3 player. Also, my own pillow. It's a neck roll and the only pillow I've used for years.

I actually always have this stuff, whether it's a cruise or some other trip.

I have driven up to 12 hours to a port. I live just north of San Francisco and we have driven to Seattle twice. And another time we drove to the port at Long Beach.

This is usually with my sister and we usually have a good time. We try to make the road trip itself a fun thing. But, this last time we both decided next time we would fly. The traffic is horrible almost everywhere in California. And around Seattle it's just as bad.

Maybe we're just getting old or maybe we didn't allow for enough time to relax, but it was more of a chore this time than fun.

All good points Slidergirl. I guess I have never been anywhere where I felt that vulnerable. Most crowded city I ever visited (other than LA) was London. I am sure I stuck out like a tourist, along with about 2 million other tourists that were wandering around town checking out the sights.

On my last cruise the last stop was Victoria BC. There were 3 ships in port. Everyone I saw looked like they just stepped off a cruise ship, probably because they did.

I do take some precautions to mitigate the risk of pickpockets. I'm not quite the ditzy tourist I may appear. Still could get robbed. Or not. Either way, that lanyard around my neck will likely have nothing to do with it.

With or without a lanyard I look like a tourist. Might be the camera or the guidebook or the confused look. So OK , I will probably never blend in like a local. But I'm not a complete idiot. The lanyard may be hanging from my neck but my money is tucked discreetly somewhere else.

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I've used a lanyard for the last couple of cruises. So convenient. Some of my pants don't have pockets and I hate carrying my purse around on the ship. And it's a great place to hang my glasses, LOL.

Off the ship I like having it where I know it will always be: around my neck and easily accessible. No digging around, trying to remember which purse pocket I put it in.

I was once behind people at the security check-point who were digging around in their bags, their pants pockets, their jacket pockets, their backpacks, each others pockets, looking for their elusive cards. And then doing it all over again cuz they needed their kids cards too. They certainly could have used lanyards and made everyone's life easier.

At work I have a reputation for being cranky. Probably because I have a very low tolerance for "stupid". Honestly, some days it seems I'm drowning in it.

On a cruise or any vacation for that matter I am such a different person. So much of the things being talked about here go right over my head. Guess you could say when I'm on vacation I'm my own brand of stupid. Sort of, LaDiDaDiDa, isn't life wonderful?

Don't know if it's the sudden cessation of work-related stress, something more "magical" or just being "upon the sea" but I really can't see getting my panties in a twist over most things. There are just so many other options to being mad or annoyed.

Of course, it could just be I've never been pushed that far. Or, at the very least, I didn't notice.

WupperAV,

Not worried at all. But, he asked. I was just trying to point out the questions he should ask before determining if it's worth it to him. Having an idea before you go is, in my opinion, priceless.

I also gave an "example" of what I budget, but mentioned that it would be more if the area I'm going to is more expensive. That certainly applies to Alaska. Still, I just checked a couple of websites for restaurants in Alaska and it looks like you could do pretty darn good for less than $108/day per person.

What I didn't mention is if it were me, I might go ahead and pay the $324 just for the convenience of having it all taken care of even if I didn't think the meals themselves were worth it. Sometimes convenience can have a tangible worth. I would still need to know how many meals that includes, does it include tips, etc before I made that decision.

A few questions to ask:

Is it 4 full days? or 3 days and 4 nights? $324 divided by 4 (if 4 days) is $81/day. If 3 days it's $108/day.

How many meals does it cover? Is it for all food? Including beverages and snacks?

Are tips included?

What would you spend on a similar trip by comparison?

For me, on a land trip I budget $50/day for meals. More if I eat at a special restaurant or if the area I'm traveling to is more expensive. But, I also always try to get accommodations with breakfast included. And then there's road trips where I tend to snack more. LOL.

So, for me it wouldn't be worth it unless it covered everything and the food was really good.

My first cruise was 2 months to the day after 9/11. The lines started at the airport. People hadn't gotten the hang of it yet and it was pretty chaotic. Then more lines at the port. I'm so happy to have reached Platinum. The terminal personnel now open up those little rope dividers and wave me and anyone else in my cabin past all those crazy lines. WooHoo, straight to the front in my own little line. Love it.

As for the rest, not quite a surprise as I had read nearly everything posted on CruiseCritic that summer before going.

Things I observed:

If you don't mind sharing and ask in a polite manner there usually is no problem getting a seat at the buffet. I was very shy the first time, but no more. In fact, I observed that asking politely will get you just about anything! And that a really good room steward doesn't wait to be asked. At least not the second time.

How to walk when the seas are a little rough, LOL. OK, I might not have that down yet.

How easy it is to relax. Rushing is such a life-long habit of working for a living. And I tend to do it a lot even when not working. There is something about being on the sea that tends to redirect one's focus. I can't tell you the number of times I've stood just staring out to sea.

How you can do whatever without worrying about your room that night or your next meal. It's taken care of and all you need to do is......relax!

I observed a "we're all in the same boat" attitude with the other passengers. Well, mostly. How much fun to meet someone who you might initially think is so much different than you are, someone from somewhere far away, start talking and Voila! Just like that you have new friends, even if it's only for the length of the cruise.

How easy it is to get to see things I might not otherwise get to see. No way could I do 4 or 6 or 8 different places in the same length of time for the same cost. Dreaming of going back one day to certain places (Scotland comes to mind) when I can spend 4 or 6 weeks and really get into it. But, for now this is the way to go.

AryMay,

Yep, double-checked the deck plans and you are definitely correct. So, I bet that door is not accessible on the Caribbean. The truth is on the Ruby, while we (and others) used it, it had the distinct feel of a crew access door. And to get to it you had to wind around the people sitting there at the IC. So, it may never have been intended for use by passengers, but not specifically marked "crew-only".

I've stayed twice in this location. Once on the Sapphire, but further forward and this last time on the Ruby in that exact cabin.

There was lots of noise on the Sapphire in the more forward cabin (thrusters? stabilizers?). But, E326 on the Ruby was not noisy at all.

It's a very convenient location. And yes, we used the door at the end of the hall as did several other passengers. It opens right next to the IC. The door is heavy and the area was occasionally congested with employees and boxes and things they were stocking the IC with. But, mostly no problem.

I have heard that the room steward knows whether the gratuities were paid. But, I don't believe there is any way for him/her to know if you paid them yourself or if they were part of a promotion. Either way they are paid.

I also always give extra to my room steward. I can be kind of messy and really appreciate anyone cleaning up after me. This last cruise I put the money in an envelope I got at the Customer Service Desk and left it on the desk in the cabin with the room steward's name on it. I didn't see him again, but he left me a handwritten "Thank you" and smiley face. I thought it was sweet.

Princess Theater twice, casino twice. Once at some indoor location that had no seating. It was like an overflow spot or something. I'm fairly certain if that happened and you asked they would get you a chair.

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I like to do a little of everything. In some ports that means a self-guide walking tour. In a lot of towns this is real easy. Last year, for the first time ever sis and I walked off the ship and straight to the taxi queue. We found a guy who took us where we were going, waited for us and then gave us a bit of a tour for a flat agreed upon cost.

Other times we have done private tours. These are really fun. Personal attention and you can see a lot more because the smaller vans can go places the big buses can't. Cost can be an issue if you don't share, and we don't. So we choose carefully. In Scotland our guide was local. In between the historical sites she showed us, we stopped for coffee and scones, and once she drove around the back roads looking for Highland cows. Since we drove right past her house on the way to the ship, she stopped and introduced us to her cats. And she was extremely conscientious about getting us back to the ship on time.

I also do ship's tours. They are convenient and can be fun, depending on your attitude. The guides are often local and sometimes really funny. I like not having to think about anything, just sit back and watch the scenery. And more often then not, you are free to go off on your own after reaching your destination. Just be back before the bus leaves!

I cruise with my sisters. One or the other, sometimes both. Neither are planners. I do all the planning.

With the one sister I'm convinced she doesn't even listen, but find out later she heard every word and remembers everything. She might even bring it up if it turns out we don't do that one thing I talked about. I then give her a dirty look and say "I changed the plan and didn't tell you cuz I didn't think you were listening." On the other hand, she doesn't even remember the name of the ship.

The other sister appears to be listening and even takes notes. She fills her Pinterest page with all sorts of ideas, but never tells me. I have to go there to see what she's interested in. Later on she does not remember anything I said and is often surprised when I put something in the plan that she wanted to do. "How did you know?" she says. Duh, I read your Pinterest page.

I feel they are both poor communicators, though they don't think that's true. I like things said straight out, no BS. They both keep things to themselves. The one is internet illiterate and the other is pretty introverted. And when it's just the two of them, they don't get along. With me in the mix, the dynamics are different.

After a couple of trips we've learned how to make it all work. It's like a dance and we just needed to learn the steps.

I would, however, love to have someone share in the planning. Not just stare at me, nod and then forget it. Probably not going to happen.

I haven't been back since my question. I've been on this board long enough that I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there is so much disagreement on this subject. Not really surprised at the answers, more the strong feelings behind the answers.

On the other hand, last night I asked my neighbor her opinion and was completely shocked when she said "did you know you can remove the auto tips and just give your room steward cash?" "Uh..............yeah, but why would you?" I asked. "Why should I tip people I never see" was her response. And she was quite passionate about spending as little as humanly possible on tips. To me it seems a little twisted to spend thousands of dollars on a trip and then begrudge someone else a couple of dollars. It's so easy the way the cruise line handles it, no confusion. Most of my confusion comes from when I'm NOT on the ship.

From now on I'll just make sure to have some extra dollar bills, or euros or whatever, so I won't be caught unawares. I really didn't like being so blatantly asked for a tip, but also don't want to offend. I'm so blessed to get to travel and those few extra dollars won't break the bank.

394

Sis and I just got back from a 7 day cruise to Alaska. The last port is Victoria BC and the stop is very short, 4 hours I think. We really didn't have anything planned other than go into to town for dinner. So, we bought the $10 shuttle ride from Princess and off we went.

The ride into town took about 10 minutes and the drive never spoke. The way back was even shorter. The driver gave a brief spiel about the sites and then said "You know how some people collect little souvenirs from their trips? Well, I like to collect dollar bills."

He thought he was being funny, but it made me uncomfortable. Maybe I'm old-fashioned but I thought it was tacky. Besides, I thought $10 was a little high for such a short trip. We've taken other similar shuttles for $2.

For an actual tour I would have saved out enough cash for a tip. I didn't think I would need it so I didn't have cash, but at that point I wouldn't have given him anything anyway.

I would be interested in what others think. If it's more common to tip than not, next time I'll have some dollars available. Thank you.

Many,many, many years ago I took my first trip that didn't involve a parent, grandparent or one of the aunts. It was a 1 week trip to Hawaii with a friend and I was so excited I packed 3 months in advance. It was cooler where I lived and the clothes were summer clothes so I wouldn't need them, but still.....

Now, about a month out I start packing in my head. Pull out the suitcase and throw in stuff I won't need otherwise and things like my always packed toiletries and first aid stuff. A week or so before I finalize the thought process for clothing, stick it all in but leave the bag open for any last minute changes in my wardrobe choices.

This last time was different. I'm driving to my sister's house tonight and we're leaving on Sunday for Alaska. I didn't even start thinking about packing until a few days ago. I feel very disorganized for starting so late but there has been so much else going on. Not to mention work. So, I'm probably overpacked but oh well. I still only have my 24 inch suitcase and 1 other smaller bag. Plus a bag for the road trip that will stay behind in the car when we board. The way I figure it is if I can manage my luggage on my own then it's all good.

I'm not sure if I could learn calculus. But here's what I learned about packing. What works for me, works for me. I tried for years to "get it right". I read a lot of different websites and tried to put the advice to use. And, for whatever reason I could just not apply to my satisfaction what I had read. It may be a right brain/left brain thing. Or maybe I'm just dense. Anyway, I always brought the wrong clothes, or not enough of one thing and too much of something else.

I finally stopped reading and just packed the way it made most sense to me. I'm sure some would consider me overpacked. But, the truth is I never have more than 1 suitcase and 1 smaller bag (the kind with a shoulder strap). I can and do manage my own luggage and with rare exception take just the right amount with a little to spare.

The only changes I make are the size of my suitcase: 20 inch for shorter trips or times when less works or when I'm going to be moving around more, and the 24 inch for cruises and road trips. Or road trips followed by cruises. Like this next time.

Kuddos to all those out there who manage with carry-on only. But, it's mostly not for me. And I have noticed that some people who "carry-on only" bring an awful lot of stuff and struggle to handle it. Easier to me to check that 1 bag. I guess it could go missing and then I might change my mind.

Both times I went it was August and it wasn't so cold as wet. My only extra layer was a jacket and that worked fine to keep me fairly dry. In fact, I bought the jackets there each time for under $20 and they were perfect, though in Ketchikan every second person was wearing the same jacket.

The only time it was really cold was on the excursion in the Yukon. It was sunny and beautiful, but cold.

My best recommendation would be to bring an umbrella or rain jacket. If the jacket is lined you may not need extra layers. Or if not lined then over a sweatshirt might be enough.

Also, the first time I forgot socks and the second time I only took 1 pair of shoes (not waterproof). So, if you don't have waterproof shoes then be sure and bring an extra pair. And don't forget socks.

Thanks all for the comments and ideas. I have started looking at all available routes. And Sis and I have talked about the possibility of stopping after the cruise either instead of, or in addition to that first day. Wish we had more time but I'll take whatever I can get.

I love being prepared enough to have options. Or like my nephew likes to say: "If plan A doesn't work out, there are 25 more letters in the alphabet!"

Peety3, thanks for that info. Sis and I actually did this before, meaning drive to Seattle for an Alaskan cruise. We had planned to stop for a short visit then, but traffic was so horrific and it took us so long to even get into town that we ran out of time so went straight to the pier. Only after the fact did we find out it was the weekend of the Hempfest, hence the massive crowds. LOL.

I think I'm a little better prepared this time. With your advice I will look up multiple routes just in case and we will definitely watch the time closely. The Hempfest is the weekend we get back so I'm going to try and figure out how to get around that.

Thanks for all the info. Sis and I are driving and will arrive in town the night before. We know we have only a very little time to look around. I just wasn't sure how much time. Definitely going to plan on being at the port by 2:00pm.

I'm not a newbie, but strangely this never came up. I guess we just always go straight to the ship whether flying or driving.

Anyway, if we do a little sight-seeing the morning of embarkation, what's the latest we should arrive at the ship? This is in Seattle, Pier 91. The departure time is listed as 4:00pm and I know that it's only about 1/2 hour from downtown to the port.

I was thinking to be safe we should head to the port no later that 2:00pm.