NikiPinkston

I have never had Indian food but think that I'd like to try it. How did you like it?

I got some Sporto boots for our first Alaska cruise in 2015 and love them. We don't do any serious hiking anymore, but they offer good support, are comfortable, and keep my feet dry. I sometimes wear them here at home when it rains and will be taking them on our fourth Alaska cruise this summer. HSN.com has several styles on sale right now.

I second the helicopter flight. We did that over Maui on our first visit to Hawaii many years ago and it was unforgettable. A flight over the Napali Coast would be spectacular!

Yes, it was a large van. Our group was about 12-14 people and I felt like we really got to see a lot of the island.

Can't speak to Kona because we've always just gotten off the tender and walked around town but, in Kauai, our favorite excursion was the Director's Cut, where they take you all over the island to see various movie locations. Lunch at a local restaurant was included and it was a really fun day! We've never attended Luau Kalamaku in Kauai as we've done the Polynesian Cultural Center Luau a couple of times, but I understand that it's kind of a big deal, too. We love the POA. Have a wonderful cruise!

That's disappointing! We've used Port Valet on our last two cruises out of Seattle and were planning on using it again next month. Previously, the cost had been the same amount we would have paid the airline to check our bags. Hope that they reinstate it.

Thank you so much for all of this great info! We'll be visiting Glacier Bay on NCL this coming May and now I'm super excited!

It's not that passengers aren't allowed to tip them. Longshore workers are extremely well-paid and my brother-in-law, who is a longshoremen, has repeatedly told me that longshore workers are not supposed to accept tips but, in my experience, they always do LOL! They aren't like the porters at the airport who make minimum wage, longshoremen have six-figure incomes. As I said, I always tip them anyway to ensure that my bags are treated well on their journey to the ship!

Out of curiosity, I googled what time the shops open in Ketchikan during cruise season as I thought I recalled them being open earlier than 9 am when we were there, and the consensus is that many of them open at 8. Our port stop this coming May is 6 am - 1 pm so I think the last shuttle back to Ward Cove would be around 11-11:30, which makes for a pretty short visit.

The bus ride can actually be pretty entertaining. Last time, the driver had some great bear stories!

Thank you, @vacation44 Appreciate your kind words. I love it when I can be helpful!

We have family members who are longshore workers, as are the porters at the Port of L.A. They are not "allowed" to accept tips, but I always tip them anyway because I want to be sure my bags get on the ship safely, usually $5 for two bags!😊

@PandaBear62 That is the correct address for Berth 4, but here are the directions from Berth 4 to downtown from Google Maps. It shows that walking will take you 11 minutes. I read somewhere that there's another shuttle from Berth 4 to downtown but can't confirm that. Perhaps someone else on this board knows, although then that would be another shuttle to have to wait for. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ketchikan,+Alaska/Berth+4,+105-120+Schoenbar+Rd,+Ketchikan,+AK+99901/@55.3433222,-131.6562625,16z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x540c25088729e15b:0x7e90e56bcfc60674!2m2!1d-131.6461112!2d55.3422222!1m5!1m1!1s0x540c25f3bce98341:0xdaf2944023c1c2c6!2m2!1d-131.6561142!2d55.3442609!3e2?entry=ttu

I agree @dpavid when NCL docked at Berth 3 it was so much better. Or, if you have a long port stop, shuttling from Ward's Cove is okay. The stop in Ketchikan this time is way too short, but we've stuck with NCL because we love the relaxed vibe and the other port calls on our upcoming cruise are long (Juneau and Skagway are virtually all day). In addition to Creek Street and downtown, we've done the Lumberjack Show and the Duck Boat, both of which I recommend, but this time we probably will just stay onboard, or maybe get off to take a look around the building at the pier.

Something else to be aware of is that the shuttle drops you off at Berth 4 in Ketchikan, which is 1/2 mile from "downtown" and it's a 10-15 minute walk.

@Pepohwin So glad that you have those avenues available to get your documents in time. We'll be doing our 4th Alaska cruise from Seattle on NCL in May. You're going to have an amazing time! BTW, welcome to Cruise Critic!

Actually, California does not issue Enhanced DL's, just Real ID's. https://fox5sandiego.com/news/california-news/the-real-id-deadline-is-next-year-heres-what-californians-need-to-do/#:~:text=Some states do issue Enhanced,permanent%2C in the United States.

Yes, our county just has the seal printed on the official document.

I believe the birth certificate must be from the County Recorder where she was born with the official county seal. I don't believe the BC from the hospital will work. This can be ordered online.

Happy turnaround day! 🚢Thank you for sharing your first week with us. So glad that you were able to relax and re-charge. Looking forward to hearing about your further adventures!😊

We're newly Platinum, too, Melody, and I wish that I knew the answer so that I could respond to your question. Maybe try calling NCL? Anyway, I love your sense of humor!

When I called our PCC because the fare on our cruise had gone down, he upgraded our stateroom from a balcony to a club balcony and, if we're taking a short break from cruising, he won't call me & will wait until I call him. I think I have a good one.

@YVRteacher I looked up your question about the depth of the Mississippi. While the river is regularly dredged further upstream, the depth of the river is naturally about 190 feet in the French Quarter and reaches a depth of about 200 feet at its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico. Really enjoying your live!

We've used the same PCC for about 5 years and he is wonderful! Before that, we used his predecessor for about the same length of time and he was also great! We've been very happy with ours. He'll call me back on a Sunday and even gave me the name of his brother, who's also a PCC, in case he's ever out of the office! Wish we could recommend him by name but I know that that's not allowed here.

Your photos brought back such great memories! Thank you for that. Last time we were there, it absolutely poured for three days. I do love me a good NOLA thunderstorm but it does slow you down. I was going to tell you not to miss the pralines, but the ones I make at home contain cream. BTW, the pronunciation is regional, so it's okay to say PRAY-LINES, just not in New Orleans LOL. Happy embarkation day!