NoVAgeek

Luvsnorkeling - Yes, you MUST use a web browser to connect to Princess@Sea. Any device with a web browser will work (like an iPad or even an iPod Touch, if those are still around) as long as it's connected to the ship's WiFi. But it won't be able to connect to the outside Internet unless you also buy an Internet access plan for that device. Otherwise the only site the device will be able to connect to is the one provided by the on-ship server (which on my recent voyage was http://emerald.princess.com).

We had a big, unexpected problem with the Princess@Sea messenger functionality during our recent cruise on Emerald Princess. Messages are shown as coming from the passenger's legal name, with no way to change it that either we or the manager of the internet cafe could find. If you have multiple generations of a family on board with two or more people with the same first and last name, it can make it impossible to tell which messages are from whom. We had to sign all our messages manually, and there was much confusion when one of us forgot. Because of that, the lack of push notifications, and frequent "System Temporarily Unavailable" server errors, we'd pretty much stopped using Princess@Sea by the third day of the cruise. If we cruise again, we'll probably just resort to a whiteboard on our stateroom door, which we saw lots of other passengers using.

Does anyone know if the Port of Seattle will valet bags from Pier 91 to Sea-Tac for a flight leaving the next day? We're disembarking from Emerald Princess on Sunday, August 5th, but our flight back to the east coast isn't until Monday morning. I don't see any information about this on their site, but will inquire via email (and report back here) if no one here has an answer. Thanks in advance!

I downloaded the Patters when I came across that thread, and it looks like on that sailing (Emerald, June 10-16) the Crab Shack was on Tuesday and Thursday in Café Caribe.

Can anyone point me to (or describe) a Crab Shack menu on a recent Alaska sailing? I've read that it varies on Alaska cruises, but can only find the regular non-Alaska menu.

Idahospud, you're saying that wheelchair assists ARE available at Alaska ports of call, using a Princess-provided wheelchair? The Princess accessibility office explicitly told me the exact opposite in an email earlier this week -- they said that wheelchair assists are only available for embarkation/disembarkation in Seattle, and if we need any sort of assistive device at ports of call, we must provide our own. I wonder if they've recently changed their policy?

My family is cruising to Alaska (Ketchikan/Tracy Arm/Juneau/Skagway/Victoria) on the Emerald Princess July 29-August 5, as part of a 7-person group. My wife has an autoimmune disease that attacks the motor neurons in one leg (essentially causing severe foot drop), and for the past couple of years she's walked with an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) that locks her ankle at 90 degrees. Smooth level surfaces are fine, but ramps/inclines are a problem, and I'm rather worried about gangways while getting on and off the ship.

When flying we get a wheelchair assist from the airline to get her up and down the jetway. The Princess accessibility office says wheelchair assists are available while embarking and disembarking in Seattle, but not at ports of call, and if we need any sort of assistive device to get on or off the ship in Alaska, we must provide our own. We do have a wheelchair, but hauling it around with us all day at the various ports ONLY to use it to get down the ramp in the morning and up the ramp in the afternoon is going to be a hassle. And now my wife is in "I don't want to be a bother mode" and is talking about just staying on the ship on port days. (Fortunately, I have a month and a half to change her mind.)

Does anyone have guidance on how accessible the ports at Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway are? The email from Princess was less than helpful - essentially "we can't provide any details on anything at any of the ports, because it might vary due to weather, or sea conditions, or what sort of mood Stanley Bear is in that day, and besides our lawyers won't let us. So there." Since we only need a wheelchair for getting up/down the gangway, would it be an option to get my wife off the ship with the wheelchair, then send a member of our party back up to the cabin with the empty wheelchair, and reverse the process coming back on board? Or would security lines, etc. be such that it would take too much time?

Alternatively, she can negotiate ramps by slowly side-stepping, preferably with a helper or two. How much of a problem would Princess (and the people behind us in line) have with us doing this?

Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Thanks, everyone, for all of the information! The Gold Creek Flume Trail is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for! I emailed the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary in Ketchikan about their boardwalk, but never got a response. So I guess that's off the list.

I got a less-than-helpful response from the Princess accessibility office, and my wife is now in "I don't want to be a bother" mode and talking about just staying on the ship on port days. But that's a conversation for the CC special needs board.

Thanks, everyone, for the information so far. I've got an inquiry in to the Princess accessibility office asking about getting on/off the ship, but haven't heard back yet (the auto-reply says it can take up to 10 business days). I'm especially concerned about Ketchikan, since we'll be at berth 4.

I hadn't found the CC special needs board yet - I'll check that out now.

We have a collapsible wheelchair that we're considering bringing, but we're hoping to avoid the hassle if we can.

We're traveling to Ketchikan/Tracy Arm/Juneau/Skagway/Victoria on the Emerald Princess July 29-August 5, as part of a 7-person extended family group. We love the outdoors and want to see wildlife, but my wife has some mild to moderate mobility issues. She has an autoimmune disease that affects the motor neurons in one leg, so she walks with a brace that locks her ankle at 90 degrees. Paved level surfaces are fine, but ramps/inclines are problematic (I'm a little worried about getting on/off the ship in port, but that's another topic), and non-level trails with rocks, roots, etc. are right out. Can anyone recommend some places in our ports of call that we'll be able to explore, either as part of an organized excursion or on our own? From what I've found so far, it looks like some of the trails near the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center might be good, as well as the boardwalk through the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary in Ketchikan. Can anyone who's been to these places confirm that there's little to no walking on non-level or unstable surfaces? Are there any other places you'd recommend? Thanks in advance!