jkmmah

17 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

AC says the minimum connection time in Montreal is 55 minutes.  What I would do is take a look for any additional flights they’re operating that day (to your destination).  If they have more than one then I would feel comfortable with 55 minutes.  As the others say, AC wouldn’t be allowed to book you on a flight where you can’t make your connection time.

 

Here you can take a look at The Terminal Map.

 

As a Global Entry member you will be able to use the expedited NEXUS/GLOBAL ENTRY lane for pre-clearance to the US.  This enables you to arrive at your destination as if you were on a domestic flight.

 

Have a wonderful time!

This is the shortest layover option they have for my final destination. The next closest is 1.5 hrs. Even though that one leaves an hour earlier in the morning, I may take that instead to pad my layover time just a bit.

I thank you for your reply!

53 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

Further to what Mon Says above  ;o)

 

As a Montrealer, YUL is our "home" airport. As the others have said, you definitely will have to clear US Customs/Immigration during your layover, and keep in mind your flight to Denver will start boarding 30-45 minutes after you land from Quebec City depending on how the large to outbound aircraft is. Also, the inbound flight from YQB will probably end up in an "internal" gate at YUL, meaning you will have to walk across the airport to the Transborder/US gates, quite a haul.  Yes, YUL is tiny, but it's not THAT tiny.  There are only a few things in your favor:

 

1) Since you are flying AC on both legs, there is the possibility that AC personnel will be active in the US Customs hall armed with clipboards, expediting and hand-holding in-transit passengers through Customs and security to ensure they make their connections. Not guaranteed though, but we have seen it done many times

 

2) As you have Global Entry, you MAY be able to use the NEXUS line at the Transborder Customs hall, which will greatly expedite your passage time. You will want to look into that. When we did this very thing a few days ago on our way to LAX, there were probably a hundred people waiting in the "normal" line, while we NEXUS holders walked right up to the facial recognition scanners and were talking to the USCPB agent in under a minute.

 

3) The only other thing in your favor is whether or not Air Canada actually lets you book the flight itinerary. If it does let you book, then, to my way of thinking, that means their "system" says the 1 hour transit is acceptable

 

All that being said, a one hour transit like this is very tight. Maybe call Air Canada and ask an agent?

Thank you for such a detailed and thorough reply. This is fabulous info!

Is the following itinerary feasible going through YUL for two Americans with Global Entry? Never having been through YUL before, I don't know if we will need to do anything additional for our layover that has us going to a US destination. If it's just a matter of getting from one gate to another, we can hustle and hopefully have no problems. If we have additional screening to go through, I don't think an hour is enough. Thank you for your input.

Coming from the USA. How long should I expect it to take to clear customs in Aukland? Then flying Aukland to Sydney, how long is customs taking there? Just trying to gauge what to expect at both places. Thank you!

39 minutes ago, jkmmah said:

I am doing this for the first time next month. I am very much looking forward to it.

 

For those who can advise, how much time should I allow in leaving our SeaTac area hotel in the morning to get to the downtown Amtrak station for the morning train? I want to have plenty of buffer if needed.

Sorry. I meant to post this in a different thread. 

I am doing this for the first time next month. I am very much looking forward to it.

For those who can advise, how much time should I allow in leaving our SeaTac area hotel in the morning to get to the downtown Amtrak station for the morning train? I want to have plenty of buffer if needed.

Thanks for the recommendations. I think we’ll have to try the Fisherman’s Daughter and Skagway Fish Co.!

We’ve been to both of these ports before, so this upcoming trip we really just want to chill, wander around, and eat at some local restaurants. At ISP, I think we will walk into town so seeking recommendations for hole in the wall, mom and pop type places with yummy seafood that are not right at the pier. Thanks in advance.

I booked it! Thanks to everyone for your advice!

1 hour ago, Wishing on a star said:

Which itinerary did your friend sail.

I definitely prefer some other ships, especially for some sailings.

I like the open, unobstructed retreat pool, the Sanctuary, etc.

But, for Alaska, you might love Majestic.

 

If you understand the weather and timing limitations, then you could def. consider that cruise!

Just be aware that it will be late in the season, there could be cooler more unsettled weather, and then there are the short days, with early twilight.

 

I think there have been other threads and comments in the past about sailing the last cruises to Alaska.  Maybe a search would find them for you.

 

It is almost September now, so I would watch the weather and Fall-time conditions to see what you will encounter.  I don't know about any nice Fall change of colors.  But I am sure that there are areas where the trees, maybe Aspens, are scenic.

He said it felt the bars were very closed in or closed off, not set up well for live music in his opinion. He had a few other negatives but I can’t recall specifically what. His comments gave me pause, but they won’t be a deal-breaker for us.

One other plus I just remembered for why we were looking at later in the season is for the better possibility of seeing the aurora. There was slim hope in the forecast on the cruise I just got off, but it didn’t pan out. We hoped maybe September might yield a better (though still slim) possibility.

Great idea about watching this year’s forecast in mid and late Sept to give me an idea for next year. How simple and yet I hadn’t even thought of that yet.

I had done a search for Alaska in the late season and found a lot of chatter among guests who said if they had to pick between early May or late Sept, they would pick May. That whole thread gave me a little bit of pause, too. I’ll keep searching and see if there are enough positives to warrant me taking the leap.

Thanks!

2 hours ago, jwattle said:

The ship has the Hollywood Pool and Conservatory, which is in a way like having an indoor Retreat, at no charge. They have several venues which are not cookie cutter to the other Royal Class ships.

The crew are AMAZING! 🥂

Thank you for that! A friend of mine sailed on the Majestic and did not care for the ship, so his opinion has been taking up space in my head. Haha!

I just returned from an 8-night sailing on CCL to Alaska. I’m ready to book Alaska again for next year and am eyeing the Sept. 16, 2023 10-night on the Majestic for a few reasons:
 

• 10-night sailing!
• Longer port time in Ketchikan, which was a favorite of ours
• Glacier Bay
• Travel dates work well with our work schedule
• R/t from Vancouver is appealing to us
• Loved Princess when I sailed the line in 2019

I am aware that weather can be a concern, and that late in the cruising season there may be vendors who have already closed up shop. However, I would like to hear from the crowd all the pros and cons you can think of about the sailing, ship, itinerary, and experience that could sway me one way or another. 

11 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Coral Coral Coral. We have sailed her many times.

Best size 1800 pax

Great promenade deck (excellent Alaska viewing)

Forward facing buffet

International Cafe (although not as big as other ships, still great)

Universe Lounge

Exploreres

Princess theater

Bayou Cafe

The best Wheelhouse Lounge

Forward and aft viewing decks.  (excellent Alaska viewing)

http://www.cruisedeckplans.com/Princess/odell/res76zxu/princessbalconies/index.html

 

Thank you. Excellent points!

8 minutes ago, voljeep said:

on this forum, I would be surprised if Royal got even a single mention ...

Are people not liking the Royal Princess? 

I've narrowed down my summer 2021-first-timer-to-Alaska search to these three ships. The itineraries are similar, with Coral having Icy Strait vs Star and Royal having Ketchikan.

Which of the three ships would you recommend for Alaska? Please expand on why.

Thank you.

16 minutes ago, Gardyloo said:

Well I'm going to offer something of a dramatic alternative.  Skip Victoria.

 

Instead, take a day or more to visit some of the marvelous gardens right in Vancouver.  

 

1.  Queen Elizabeth Park Gardens.  https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/queen-elizabeth-park.aspx

 

This is a free and stunning garden, largely built in a former quarry (like the "sunken gardens" at Butchart.)  QE Park also offers stunning views of the city skyline.  Within the park is the Bloedel Conservatory, a remarkable domed "greenhouse" full of tropical plants and tropical birds flying about.  It's a world resource with no equivalent at Butchart Gardens.  

 

 

 

 

2.  Van Dusen Botanical Garden.  https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/vandusen-botanical-garden.aspx

 

This is not far from QE Park and features a very wide ranges of plants from all over the world, as well as local wildlife here and there.  There's an Elizabethan maze, a couple of places to eat, and offers terrific walks (as well as guided tours.)  

 

 

 

3.  Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden.  https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/dr-sun-yat-sen-chinese-garden.aspx

 

This is in the middle of Vancouver's big Chinatown, and features wonderful Chinese-themed plantings and structures.  

 

 

 

4.  Stanley Park https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx

 

What can be said about Stanley Park?  Forest walks, stunning views, beaches, playgrounds, totem poles... but also stunning gardens including a tremendous rose garden, a world-class aquarium... sort of a world unto itself.  

 

You might be able to visit all of these marvelous gardens in one day (but I'd take more time), save a ton of money by not having to pay for ferries or rental cars or additional flights, and get a much wider range of experiences, all without leaving the central part of Vancouver.   Map - https://goo.gl/maps/LLMx7Q9ywXDSjmPy8

Fabulous ideas! I will present this possibility to Mom to gauge her interest in doing these instead of Butchart. You just may have presented an incredible solution for us!

This will be my first time to Alaska, but my mother's 2nd. She visited Butchart Gardens on her previous cruise and found the short shore excursion time far too little for what she wanted. Ideally she wants 8+ hours to spend in the gardens. I don't find any itinerary for summer 2021 that has that long of a stop in Victoria. Therefore I'm considering having a pre- or post-cruise extended stay to include the time in Victoria to please mom. However, my mind is boggled trying to figure out the logistics of getting there. 

If our cruise ends in Vancouver and we plan to do Vic as a post-cruise on-our-own excursion, should we take the rail to Seattle to stay in a hotel, and then the next day ferry for a day trip the following day to Vic and back? Then we could fly home from Seattle? Vice-versa if the cruise will start in Vancouver and we plan Victoria pre-cruise? 

Budget is important, so flying from Vancouver to Victoria for the day trip is not something my mom would splurge for.

Am I making this more complicated than it needs to be? Is there a simpler plan you can recommend? 

Thank you. We will heed your suggestions and advice!

Thank you!

My husband and I would like to go for a 3-4 mile jog around the island on our afternoon in port. Would this be safe to do? Anything we should be extra wary of? Thank you.

My husband and I would like to go for a jog together straight from the port. Do you feel the area is safe for that? Any areas to avoid? Thanks!

What about any theme nights onboard? Was there a 70’s or 80’s night, or any other specialty nights?

On 12/11/2018 at 4:19 PM, Shmoo here said:

Just off the Crown.  The shows were Encore, Magic to Do and Blame it on the Boogie.  Also they just got a new cast onboard (during our cruise).  

Did you experience the piano bar during your sailing? If so, how was he/she? I love a good piano bar, but the player can make or break it. 

3 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

Call back and tell them to put you on the waitlist in case another upsell offer comes through.  I had no idea they had such a thing but the offer was gone by the time I spoke to the rep on a cruise last August and she said she would put us on a waitlist and if one came available before our departure date, she would charge the credit card we used for the cruise.  It was for a full suite and we didn't get a call (likely because there are so few full suites), but that was the first that I had heard that a wait list was even an option if you didn't manage to succeed in getting the first offer.

I will do so. Thank you for the suggestion. 😊

1 hour ago, Colo Cruiser said:

When you finally got through did you tell the rep you would be open to another call?

I did not. I voiced my sadness that it didn’t work out for us, but I did not actually mention being open to another call. This call came two hours after I had gotten out of surgery, so my mind was a little groggy. 😜