S&M in Pgh

We only found out the night before the cruise. Boy was I pissed. The inaugural cruise on the Royal in the Caribbean. Over 500 Bears.

On the plus side, all the guys were considerate and polite.

On the downside, they had the Crown Grill to themselves EVERY night. There were so many at the retreat pool that you could never get space to even get your feet wet. And their general size, Bears are big guys after all put a serious dent in the elevator capacity. Not joking. It was like fitting the entire offensive line from an NFL team into the elevator. Took the steps a lot that week.

Other than being pissed at Princess for not telling people that a large group was booked (I dont care who the group is, if they are going to impact my use of facilities due to prearranged private functions, I deserve the right to know and book another date) and not being able to get into the Crown Grill, they didn't really impact the cruise too much.

Oh, you will know they are there, trust me, you cant help but know. And certain rooms, clubs, bars and restaurants may be closed to you on certain nights because they have reserved the use.

At least you are forewarned.

OK, regarding the train, since we are in Anchorage for a couple days on our own, I assume we would have to taxi to the train station. But at the Seward end, how do we get to the port with all the baggage? Is there a shuttle, taxis?

Thanks

Has anyone here used a transfer service from Anchorage to Seward that you would recommend?

Thanks

Mike

Been thru Amber Cove twice now in the last 6 months. Ships were not offering any dives and but were dive boats sitting in the harbor. However, on both visits, the seas on that coast were wicked and the viz looked awful. Grand Turk would be good for both diving and snorkeling. Have done both there. Half Moon Cay is a private island stop, so if the ship is not offering a dive, you will not find one on shore. HAL offered a 1 tank reef dive there a few years ago and it was OK. It was an easy dive at about 40 ft and gives you a lot of bottom time. I have not seen it offered in a while now. The snorkeling is good there at the tip of the island and south of the main area.

Nassau has some opportunities for diving. My brother and I did a 2 tank trip there in 2015 and we were very surprised by the condition of the reefs. A lot better than we had seen in the Southern Caribbean.

Hope this helps.

We will be arriving in Anchorage 2 days before the cruise departs and plan on staying in Anchorage as that is not enough time for Denali.

Does anyone one have a favorite hotel or one to avoid?

Thanks.

We will be arriving in Anchorage 2 days before the cruise departs and plan on staying in Anchorage as that is not enough time for Denali.

Does anyone one have a favorite hotel or one to avoid?

Thanks.

The only cruise where either one or both of us was not sick within a week of being home was the one cruise we drove too. Our last cruise in November, I was feeling great when it ended. Two days after flying home, I had a chest cold, a week after that, pneumonia. I was actually not feeling back to normal until February.

I blame the air on the planes and the close confines with 100 plus other people. One sick person sneezing on a plane can infect darn near everyone by the end of a flight.

Mike

Thanks for the info. We were on board the Royal when iTV was filming. Never did get to see that. Really wanted to see the bit they shot in Crown Bay when the couple stopped running to catch the ship and got booed by everyone watching.

I will have to watch the Regal, as we will be sailing on it next spring.

Mike

We have used the E Bags cubes for several years now. Don't travel without them. Not sure if they help you get more in the suitcase, but it certainly keeps everything organized.

A few cruises ago, when we were disembarking, I got picked for a random customs inspection. After they retrieved our bags from the direct to airport pile, they pulled the biggest bag onto the table. The very nice lady from customs (being serious, she was real polite) unzips it and the first cube she pulled out was the one with all my smelly socks, t-shirts and briefs. Took one look, put it back in the bag and said have a nice trip home. :D

I really think they make packing the bags more efficient.

Mike

Well, at least you are forewarned. We only found out the night before the cruise.

They were nice guys, however, there were just too many of them. Given their size, elevator capacity was cut in half. Seriously, a lot of these guys were NFL linemen sized.

They had the steak house reserved for them every night along with one of the night clubs. They also pretty much overran the Solarium and retreat pool everyday. Like I said, they were polite, friendly and good humored, but they did prevent others from using venues on the ship that we had paid to use also.

Any group of this size would have the same impact, not just this one.

Frankly, with any group of a significant size, I would rebook. But that's just me,

Mike

I have done the snorkeling excursion there and a dive as well as snorkeling on my own. Where they take you for the excursion is great, but but if the wind is kicking up, the surface conditions get nasty in a hurry. If they cancel, it is for a good reason.

Mike

For longer cruises I tend to go with a small binder organized by day.

Shorter cruises, we use a clear plastic document folder.

I have also been taking electronic copies of all documents, receipts and correspondence. I usually turn them into pdf files and combine in to one document. I then I mail myself a copy so it is on my phone and transfer it to my iPad too. That way, if we are off ship and i need something, I have it right there on my phone.

Mike

I'd do it in a heartbeat. Blu is great for dinner and breakfast. Just watch out for the body sprayers in your shower. Check the aim before turning it on. :D:D:D

BTW I'm not kidding about the body sprayer.

Mike

There is a woman that blogs every winter for past couple years. Pescado Amarillo - she's over on the Princess board. I know they did 10 b2b one year and stayed in an inside cabin. But you may want to check w/NCL - I think they have single cabins. I would definitely speak with a TA in your planning to see if there are any specials you can use.

Good luck

S

Scarp the Regal/Royal design for any new builds and start over.

Bring back usable balconys and a promenade that goes ALL the way around.

Mike

My wife has had this happen. A magnetic clasp on her purse was to blame.

But we also have had both key fail to work when we tried to get into the cabin on embarkation. They sent an engineer up right away and he replaced the entire lock mechanism. He said it happens to all doors after a while. Sand and grit gets in there and fouls the reader and scratches the cards.

Usually the errors are on the user end not the technology end.

Mike

We have always found the Renaissance on 17th to be a very nice hotel. And several good restaurants within walking distance.

Mike

This is certainly an interesting topic. Having cruise for over almost 20 years now and on lines from Royal, to Princess, to Celebrity and HAL, I have to say that I have seen a change in my fellow cruisers (or is it I now pay more attention to other's behavior and attitudes as I have aged?).

There is no one age group or income level that I can peg as being the most rude or stuck up or condescending. What I can say is that the sense of entitlement I see in people under the age of about 25, is staggering to me. These spoiled little prince and princesses have never been told NO in their life and have been bailed out and made excuses for by their self-absorbed parents. Children are not being taught common courtesy any longer, even in the South, good manners are falling by the wayside.

Now when I do encounter a polite and well mannered younger person, I will make an effort to reply in kind.

But the little devil in me also likes to call out the rude little snots by loudly saying please, thank you or your welcome.

When someone is rude to you, another passenger, a crew member, the kid behind the counter at McDonald's, call them out on it. Their parents never taught them better, so how else are the little snots going to learn?

Mike

Oh, S&M is Susie and Mike. Never mind!

 

I know exactly what you mean. I took the refresher on Allure in 2013 because I didn't dive in 11 months. The class ran a bit long and I had our meet and mingle to go to and your right this excercise was getting tiring. I decided to cut the class short and go to the meet and mingle. I had achieved my goal of remembering how to setup the equipment and tear it down and the basics. When I went to quit the instructor tried to tell me I couldn't quit and she couldn't clear me to dive. I was with a private excursion so she had no real say in the matter since I was certified. In reality I took the course just because I had OBC and wanted to swim in the aqua theater pool.

They do it in the Aqua Theater Pool? That would be cool. Almost makes me want to book a cruise on the Oasis or Allure. Almost.

Mike

If she is in a disabled cabin she may not have to go. I have seen this vary ship to ship. The cabin stewerd has told me to just stay in the cabin and listen to the announcements on the TV and that my wife had to go to the station. I would ask someone once you are on board the ship.

Mike

I have done the refresher course on board so there was not much time required outside of about an hour for some Q&A and then the pool dive. I would not recommend it for either actually. Doing the pool work is not as easy as you would think if they do it on a sea day. Once the water starts sloshing around, being under water and trying to take your BCD and tank off can get dangerous.

Try to do it at home, is my suggestion.

Mike

A usable balcony? On the new ships anyway.

It's as butt ugly as NCLs new ships. More like a hotel floating on its side than a ship.

Just my $0.02

Mike

HMC wins it for us because of the easy tendering process, better beach to water access, lots of shade and the private cabanas (which we try to rent) seem more o pen and airy.

PC is a bit more organized, better bar and food service and overall activities.

We like to go over to both, snorkel (or dive if offered) then relax in a cabana and maybe float in that aquamarine water until they drag me back to the ship, kicking and screaming.

I have often said, I could spend the entire week at HMC. And I would like to take that pirate ship and turn it into an artificial reef and maybe use the 2 story hideous cabanas for a nice bonfire. I know Carnival owns HAL, but the Carnivalization of HMC has not been a plus.

Just my $0.02.

Mike

It's not the end of the world - I know I was a bit floored and off kilter with my diagnosis but that was 5 yrs ago. The first few months, you will feel like crap until your sugar levels out. Don't forget to ask your cabin steward for a small sharps container for your lancets and used strips. I always take two meters and backup batteries. I'd keep the drink package. As a matter of fact - I usually purchase one. :D

Enjoy your trip:)

S