PittsburghNative

23 minutes ago, tsutt35 said:

We did Ketchikan on our own and had a full day. I blogged about the day with photos if you are interested. Didn't go to Sitka though sorry.

 

https://tanyastravelblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/18/blue-skies-for-the-red-light-district/

I also creeped on your other blog that mentioned all the ports you visited and I must say I love your humor lol. Your photos are stunning too! What month did you cruise?

3 hours ago, Coral said:

I have been to Alaska a ton and don't own waterproof pants. Probably never will.

I wouldn’t buy them if it wasn’t for the dogsledding tour. I have a feeling it’s best to buy a pair because I would hate to wear jeans and for them to get super wet...it would make the experience not so fun.

1 hour ago, skrufy said:

Yes they are expensive, but the reason they are is..... The cruise season is only 6 months long. 

I don’t think that’s necessarily true. Cruise fare is expensive because the season is only a few months. Excursions are pricy because many include float planes, helicopters, boating, trains, etc. I feel since the accessibility to activities is a little harder, that’s what makes the tours expensive.

8 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

So this removes frown lines?

LOL...fortunately I only need it for clothes 

I bring this with me every time I travel and it works great.

13 minutes ago, iluvvaca said:

Interesting. When I called Viator, I was told all the post cruise tours bring you back to the cruise port. If you would then like transport to the airport it would be an extra $178 for 4 people. Maybe the phone rep I talked to didn't know what she was talking about.

They don’t know what they’re talking about lol. I booked the tour through Viator’s website, as it allowed me to book in USD, or else I would have booked direct. I don’t think it mentioned anything about an airport transfer, it just said it includes hotel pick up and drop off. They have a spot when you’re filling out your info to let Landsea know where to pick you up. There wasn’t an option to select Canada Place, so I selected the Pan Pacific Hotel (since it’s at the port) and in the remark section, I wrote I needed to be picked up at the port. When they notified me, they told me exactly where to be after getting off the ship and they then confirmed my drop off location at the airport.

25 minutes ago, martincath said:

That's odd - Viator simply resell the products of local companies and I cannot think of the single one of those I've seen that does NOT offer a free airport drop after any post-cruise tour instead of bringing you back downtown. NCL are just reselling (usually with a HEFTY markup, as all the cruiselines do!) the same tours, so the reviews of their tours will depend on exactly who they've chartered this season - the one advantage to the cruise charters is of course they can customise the start time so if your flight is before say 4pm, you may find that a cruiseline charter gets you dropped off quicker due to starting earlier.

 

e.g. try checking the Post-cruise options of LandSea (their shortest option is the 4 hour 'city highlights' which drops you at YVR c.2:30pm). Can't give a personal review as I've never need to take a post-cruise tour since I live downtown, but these guys have been around a very long time...

We are doing Landsea and booked through Viator, and almost immediately after making the reservation, Landsea contacted me to get my pick-up and drop-off info. They do take you to the airport.

7 hours ago, Crew News said:

Worst-case weather would be rain while riding on a whale-watching craft at 20 knots with temps in the 40's.  The above rain suit would be perfect as an outer layer.  Since you already have a waterproof coat (hopefully with a hood) the above jacket would not be needed. 

 

Without the rain you may still need a second layer to protect from the wind chill.  Rain pants could be that layer or be carried in an excursion backpack until needed. 

 

If you have two layers without the rain pants, a large Frogg Toggs poncho that covers down to your ankles could be carried in your excursion backpack just in case.  Using a poncho in the rain will also keep your camera dry between photographs.

 

Just my two cents.

 

 

Thank you for your insight! I thought that I may be missing why this set would be important. I'll buy it and if I don't use it, I'll just return it.

I found this Frogg Toggs set but I’m wondering if it’s completely necessary to buy? I have a waterproof coat, but I know it was mentioned here to look into them.

My mom and I will be traveling in our first suite on the Eclipse for the 5/9 Alaska sailing. One of the perks is having butler service. I’ve heard that some people don’t even utilize their butler because they don’t know exactly what he/she can do for them. I’d love to get ideas of what past suite guests have asked their butlers to do for them to make their vacation even more fantastic. Thanks in advance for any insight!

5 minutes ago, SuperCrewBear said:

I'll probably get flamed for this. Oh well.  I've been on two Alaska cruises in May and on a few multi-week Alaskan road trips.  I can easily get along with my normal clothes (I live in Oklahoma) without buying and bringing extra items that I wouldn't normally use.  I do have a good coat and/or jacket and a pair of nice gloves -that's about the only out of the ordinary items I will take.  In May there could be the odd colder day but my two May cruises have been pretty nice weather where I wore cargo shorts, t-shirt and a light jacket most of the time.  I will have a warmer coat if the day appears to be cooler and jeans.  I've taken water proof pants and jacket that I've never opened - I'll risk it without carrying those again.  My last road trip was the first couple weeks of February this year.  Believe it or not, we saw quite a few people wearing shorts - they were locals out for dinner or a movie.  One day it was about 15 degrees, had been snowing heavily but has sort of cleared off - we saw some kids playing hockey in the street (not on skates) in t-shirts and shorts without coats. Ha Ha  Earlier that morning while at breakfast (it was REALLY snowing then and about 10 degrees) there was a fellow waiting to be seated with a coat and shorts.  There's no way I'd go on a May cruise and not take at least a couple pair of shorts.  You should be able to judge the day before getting off the ship and dress accordingly.  And if you don't load your bag down with a bunch of stuff you may or may not need and you decide that you actually DO need something there are plenty of souvenir shops where you can buy an inexpensive coat - I've bought a couple pretty nice looking Alaska coats as gifts for less than $30.  My estimate is that a high percentage of cruisers will never be in the situation where they truly need a lot of what everyone thinks they need to take to Alaska - especially in May.

 

I took the street shot just outside the restaurant where I then saw the fellow in the shorts.  He didn't appear to be a nut. 🤪

 

Flame away!  (I'm fireproof... Ha Ha)

No judging here! We have thousands of winter savvy tourists that flock here everyday and where us Floridians would wear a coat and boots in 60 degree weather, they would be wearing shorts and bathing suits and playing in the ocean.

When I was living in Pitt, I made fun of southerners because they thought 50-something degree weather was freezing. After living in the south for 10+ years, I am now one of those people who will bundle up in 60 degree weather 😂 

27 minutes ago, martincath said:

They'd bill your CC in CAD so you'd be hit with a Foreign Transaction Fee whether or not you used the apps... likewise, since cabs (and Butchart shop) all happily take Credit, even if you pay a typical 2.5% FTF it would probably be a wash compared to getting cash in advance from your bank without the concern about over-purchasing and having to return leftovers at even worse rates of exchange. Hitting an ATM in Canada, if your US bank has a reciprocal arrangement to avoid fees, is the only way to really get close to the true exchange rate using cash...

 

Your condo is in the $32 Fixed Rate Zone inbound from YVR if it's near that hotel. Taxi to the pier, $10 should be enough to allow for even terrible traffic waiting to get inside (and you can always instead cab to Fairmont Waterfront or even Pan Pacific Hotel above the pier at street level - it's only the cabs going inside the pier that get held outside waiting for 'dead mans shoes' to be allowed in). Cash Only restaurants are rarer than hens teeth up here - we actually have some Card-only restos these days where no cash, even CAD, is accepted! Even food trucks process credit card payments.

 

I haven't used an ATM to withdraw cash locally in over three years - that's how cashless Vancouver is 😉 But if you really feel more comfortable carrying stealable-and-immediately-usable plastic money (which thanks to it's design feature of springing back into shape, can actually 'jump' out of your pocket if casually stuffed in - a proper wallet or purse is a necessity for plastic banknotes, as a buddy of mine who works in movies found after losing several thousand bucks!) than using your Credit, bring $50 to cover your cab fares plus whatever you tend to spend on souvenirs and food and tips (all very personal and subjective).

 

If you assume you'd be paying about the same for food and knick-knacks as at home that would make sense, as while our dollar is weaker we have higher minimum wage for servers and more taxes, plus lower population to amortize the extra costs of adding French to labels, so the actual price to buy food tends to work out similarly as in e.g. Seattle (small US towns are usually much cheaper to eat in than Vancouver - even Portland's a bargain thanks to no OR sales taxes) and buying Stuff is usually cheaper in the US too, hence all of our cross-border shopping.

Thank you martincath! I’ll also ask you this (if you don’t mind) instead of making a new thread....what is the recommended percentage for tipping tour guides, servers, and cabs in Vancouver/Victoria?

These are the two ports we aren’t doing excursions. I’m wondering what y’all suggest to do on our own? In Ketchikan, we want to see the totems and possibly Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, if it’s worth it. In Sitka, we plan on seeing Fortress of the Bears and Alaska Raptor Center. We also want to check out Tongass National Park. Is public transportation to all these places easy to get? Any other ideas of not to miss spots?

5 hours ago, martincath said:

That should be a safe assumption!

Eek. Both apps have awful ratings. I’m debating whether to bring cash or use a credit card and suck up the foreign transaction fee. What would you bring in cash if we had to get from the airport to around Executive Hotel Vintage Park? We bought our post cruise sightseeing tour online and paid USD, and it includes an airport transfer. So we just really have to worry about $$$$ from the airport to our condo rental, condo to Canada Place, and some cash for food. And I totally just remembered we are stopping in Victoria, so need cash there if we want to purchase souvenirs at Butchart Gardens.

23 hours ago, martincath said:

The e-cab app covers all four Vancouver-based fleets; and recently launched was our local Uber/Lyft alternative, Kater (which only uses licensed cab drivers so it's really not any different to the e-cab app at this point in time). You can download both from Apple/Google Stores.

Im assuming both charge in CAD? 

1 hour ago, RSLeesburg said:

I cannot commit on which is better as we have only done one from Juneau, but I will tell you my thought process.  The helicopter tour is often cancelled, so we booked Juneau as it was our first stop.  We figured if we got cancelled there, we could try to rebook in Skagway.   If we had stopped at Skagway first, we probably would have booked our tour there.  

I was just about to say this. I’ll be in Skagway first on 5/13, then Juneau on 5/15. I thought it would be cooler to land on the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, but I’d much rather try my luck in Skagway first, and worst case scenario if it’s cancelled, I may be able to rebook in Juneau.

I’m loving the tips and advice! Thanks all for your suggestions.

5 hours ago, Crew News said:

My packing list for Alaska in May includes UnderArmour 1.0 lightweight long underwear for fast whale watching boats and medium weight cargo pants with pockets for small camera, phone charger, small notebook, snacks, etc. for excursions.  I bring Toggs rain pants and a rain poncho in my excursion backpack for heavy rain.  FWIW backpacks are not permitted on helicopter flights to dogsledding in the snow.

 

I wear a mid-thigh columbia jacket with a cardigan sweater that I can easily remove (I leave the liner for the jacket at home as it is too bulky to fit in my excursion backpack/camera bag).

 

If you discover that you forgot any clothing items, the top floor of the Tongass Trading Company right at the pier in Ketchkan is where the locals shop for warm work (fishing) clothing.

 

Of great importrance is waterproofed hiking/tennis shoes to keep your feet dry as Southeast Alaska is in a temperate rainforest where rain is measured in feet-per-year.

 

Enjoy your cruise planning.  Just to get you in a dogsledding mood:

 

 

Thank you for everyone’s suggestions so far! I didn’t even think to bring cargo pants, but it makes sense, especially for zip lining. I’m in the midst of trying to find waterproof hiking shoes. I’m not wanting to spend over $100 since all we wear in South Florida are flip flops, but I may just have to bite the bullet because I will hate to be walking in wet shoes all day.

Crew News, thanks for sharing your photo! I’m super excited for the excursion. Where did you do your dogsledding tour? Mine will be in Skagway. Can you give me an idea of what the temps were like when you went? I’m bringing a Columbia jacket for that tour.

I know to dress in layers for tops, but I’m wondering what to bring for bottoms. I have no idea what the temps will be like early-mid May. I’m coming from Miami, so the temps will affect me more so than let’s say someone coming from the North. Even though I’m from Pittsburgh, I’ve been in the South for too long that my body is used to heat. I also hear it’s much cooler on the water and it would be awful to be miserable viewing the glaciers.

I'm already in the process of buying some hats, long sleeves, light jackets, etc. I’m trying to find some waterproof pants that I can put over my jeans when I do the dogsledding on a glacier tour. Any suggestions on which ones to buy?

I was trying to buy bottoms today and I was thinking to myself “should I buy jeans?” and “should I buy long leggings?” I left the store empty handed. I don’t want to overpack but I don’t want to be freezing. Any suggestions for bottoms when my cruise is from 5/9 - 5/19?

I don’t have any tips for Alaska, as it will be my first time in May, but I will say Vancouver is AMAZING! Make sure to take a sightseeing tour or read up on the “not to miss” sights. When we get off the ship, our flight doesn’t leave until 11pm at night, so we are doing the 7-hour Vancouver Delights tour with Landsea. The company offers several tours if that one doesn’t interest you.

https://vancouvertours.com/tour/vancouver-delights-capilano-tour/

13 minutes ago, BEENSAILING said:

I have reserved the train and suspension bridge excursion in Skagway when I am on the Ovation of the Seas in August. 

Have fun! We are visiting the Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver after our cruise on Celebrity Eclipse in May. 

1 hour ago, murfie said:

I think you need all that time at Butchart Gardens especially if you are going to take time out for lunch or a picnic.  We were there for three hours yesterday and we didn't take time for a refreshment break or get a chance to see the Japanese Garden and the Rose Garden.  I spend a lot of time taking pictures though, maybe you will go through at a faster pace.

If you are bringing children though they would enjoy the Butterfly Gardens.  I consider the Butterfly Gardens a good thing to do on a rainy day.  Butterfly Gardens has lots of tropical birds and butterflies.  I would check their website and see if it would be of interest to you.  https://www.butterflygardens.com/planyourvisit/

We are making reservations at The Dining Room, I didn’t even take that into consideration. From what it sounds like, I don’t think there’s anyway to do both. 

12 hours ago, sherryf said:

It's not even  in the Yukon.  It is in British Columbia. You couldn't pay me to walk on that thing. 😮

The location of the bridge is in the name. It’s in the Yukon.

http://www.yukonsuspensionbridge.com/

We are going to Butchart Gardens through CVS Tours and noticed that they make an additional stop on the way to Butchart where you can visit Victoria Butterfly Gardens. I’m wondering if it’s worth seeing or if we should focus all our time in Butchart Gardens. We are in port from 9am-6pm, and chose the 11am departure from the Fairmont Empress to Butchart Gardens.

I’ll be doing ZipRider at Icy Strait Point in May. It’s the largest and highest zip line in the world. It’s a super quick ride, about 90 seconds, for approx $150 USD per person. The view is what makes this zip line amazing.