Kempa

I know I made a reservation for dinner at one of the specialty restaurants, but I don't remember which night. Can I find it on HAL's website, or only once I'm on board?

If your cruise line has self disembarkation (almost all do), you must use it so you can be among the first off the ship.

Dont miss:

Pelourinho historic area.

Sao Francisco (St. Francis) church.

If your ship is staying the night, go to the Folkloric Ballet.

3. What is the best viewing area on deck to see Glacier bay etc..

Promenade deck is great. There is no glass in front of you as in the pool deck.

I'm thinking about booking w/ Island Wings, is there more than one pilot?

Also, is there a handle to pull yourself up in the plane, is it easy for a handicapped person (well a little handicapped)?

Island Wings is Michelle's company. She has one plane, the Lady Esther, and she is the only pilot.

You have to be able to transfer from the dock to the float, then go up a couple of steps on the ladder to get into the plane. There are places that you can hold to pull yourself up. At the mountain lake, you will have to get off and do a short hop from the float to the shore and then back onto the float.

Here is a photo of the plane at the dock with the door open:

Breakfasts at all these hotels are very expensive. Recommend Tim Hortons donuts, with many locations.

Yes to Tim's!

The location across from the cruise terminal opens early (I think 5 AM). The other locations nearby open at 7:30 on weekends.

Are cruise ships going through Tracy Arm yet this season? Recently I read that they were being diverted through another route because of ice. Any updates on this? Thanks!

I was on the Nieuw Amsterdam on July 4. The ship did not enter the fjord. The tour boat entered the fjord for the 3rd time this season because it had been blocked by ice previously.

I highly recommend the drive from Skagway to Carcross. The drive is beautiful. In a rental car you can stop or not at any of the attractions. Lots of beautiful stuff to see in the way. We rented from Green Jeeps. If you don't rent from them, you should buy Murray's Guide to the South Klondike Highway, as it is a valuable addition that will tell you about the stops. Green Jeeps provides a copy for your use during the rental.

Looks like you had a pretty nice day in Juneau.

 

Thanks for the picture. That's a view we don't get!

The camera is in the blue building.

The day was amazing. Spent most of it at Tracy Arm. Got some awesome views from Robert's Tram.

Nieuw Amsterdam here. We should be leaving soon. About to pull up the last tender.

Apparently the dock that was damaged by the Celebrity Infinity will be usable starting tomorrow. A big relief for us, as we're on the Nieuw Amsterdam next week, and it uses berth 3.

 

http://www.krbd.org/2016/06/28/ketchikan-berth-3-initial-repairs-completed/

Awsome news! We will be on the same cruise. We know we have to tender in Juneau, and would not want to have to tender again in Ketchikan.

I meant behind the Jewel.

Behind the Pearl now.

Kempa, the book was around the same price. I think it might have been $19.95. It is well worth it.

Thank you. I'm leaving home on Friday, so I will buy it on the ship. No reason to fret about Amazon getting it to me on time and then having to pack it if I can get it there.

I looked at the book preview on Amazon. It looks great! I'm sort of a map buff and would love to buy one.

May I ask the cost of the book onboard? I see it for $19 on the Amazon store. I can still get it from Amazon if I order it quickly, but I'd rather buy it on the ship if it doesn't cost too much more.

I read that Berth 3 should be fixed by July 3. I'll be in Ketchikan on July 8 so I guess I will find out! You can find updated schedules here: http://claalaska.com/?page_id=632

There was an article on Ketchikan Daily News yesterday stating that they hope to be finished by June 30. There was a photo of the contractors installing a dolphin cap. The article was/is behind a paywall, so I couldn't read beyond the first few sentences. If you look at their website today, you will only see the title of the article.

My cruise is scheduled for Berth 3 on July 7. Hopefully it will be repaired by then.

Per an article I read today, cruise pier repairs have started and set to be complete by 5th July, damage not quite as severe as thought, no underwater damage, no replacement billings/ berthing dolphins required as damage can be repaired. Cruise ships are likely to tender passengers to berth 3 where there is no alternative berth available for the ship to ensure that local businesses do not lose any trade

I hope their schedule is right. We are supposed to dock there on July 7th. :D

I went to Brazil recently on a non-cruise trip. My itinerary included time in Sao Paulo, where yellow fever is not endemic, and Manaus, where it is.

I checked my local clinic in the US. It would have cost me $80 to speak to a doctor, plus $200 for the vaccine. Instead, I took it in Sao Paulo at a government clinic for free.

I'm 47 and I didn't have any side effects at all.

Remember to switch off whatever your phone does to check voice mails. I left mine on thinking that all I had to do was not answer, but it seems that the voice mail app would make an actual call every so often to check for voice mails.

Yes vines!!

 

The sushi I have seen in the HC setting was nasty. :(

The "sushi" at Horizon Court is beyond nasty! It was by far the worst piece of food that I ever had on Princess. It is an indistinct paste of ricelike color, where you cannot feel individual grains. The taste is somewhere between soap and Play-Doh.

I don't know about the sushi at Vines, as I didn't taste it.

Unique as in unusual? This was in Halifax.

Embarkation day we got to our cabins and were enthusiastically greeted by our ultra-efficient and cheerful stewardess (not kidding). As we are talking to her, some guy comes and tells her that there is something wrong with his cabin. She asks him for his cabin number, and politely tells him that she is not his stewardess, but she will be glad to notify his steward whatever the problem is.

The guy says that there must be something wrong because his cabin is too small. They are three people, and there are two beds. She explains that one bed will be lowered from the ceiling or brought to the room, but the guy is livid. He demands a larger room, because “in case of an emergency, it would be dangerous to have three people in such a small room”.

He books the cheapest cabin onboard with three people, and then complains that it is too small? It’s the same cabin that I booked for my kids, and they fit perfectly fine (big kids). I have had them three to a cabin in smaller cabins too.

After this she just tells him to look for his steward or complain at the purser’s or something. When the guy leaves saying that he will indeed complain, she just looks at us and says: “There is always one of these. Probably paid a discounted price, too.”

She was a great stewardess. :D

Leaving Halifax on the Carnival Victory, August 14, 2007. I love this one.

Two of mine. One is the cruise party atmosphere, the other the cruise laid-back atmosphere.

Party at the Grand Princess

Majahual with Grand Princess in the background