karatemom2

We cruised one time with HAL in Alaska several years ago and were surprised to find we got the equivalent of having sailed with them once prior - or what would be Gold level with Princess. It really didn't get us anything other than an invite to their equivalent of the Captain's Circle Party. No perks to speak of, at least at that time. It was a great itinerary, but we quickly determined we hadn't yet aged into the HAL demographic, so have not taken another trip since with them. If they decided to fully match our Elite level on Princess, I might consider it, but I don't see that happening. I will say they have some great itineraries, and I love the look of their ships. But the Casino was a giant yawn for the DH - no Craps table on the Amsterdam that trip which was a big bummer in his book. Maybe that has changed, but for now we will stick with Princess and maybe sprinkle in an NCL here or there.

Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments, and especially your amazing photos. I would agree - we found the food on Sky to be pretty excellent across the board compared to some of our other recent Princess sailings. We really do find it our favorite Royal class ship. Love, love, love your photos of Windsor. It makes me want to go back again. We did a tour a few years ago on our transfer to the ship, but definitely needed more time. Really great trip report - thank you so much!

The West Coast cruises are very popular with those of us living in CA, and the Southwest in general. They are a nice alternative to Mexican Riviera cruises and the ports like San Diego, Catalina, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Francisco, Astoria, etc. are pleasant places that have plenty to offer, even on multiple visits. So you will find lots of repeat cruisers. They are easy, priced well, and a fun cruise escape to nice ports.

No,no! Don’t stay on the ship. There is plenty to do in Skagway. If you have a rental car you can drive as far as the road closure, depending on where it is. Drive out to Dyea. Lots to see there - check out start of the Chilkoot Trail and the Slide Cemetery. Take a hike around Yakutat Point. The easy trail starts right in town behind the airport - beautiful views. Explore the charming town - a couple of good museums, Days of 98 show. Head out the Gold Rush Cemetery and take the short easy hike to the waterfall. You have a lot of options. Never waste a day in Skagway on the ship!

It may very well be more of an American phenomenon. I think as a culture, Americans are a bit more casual. Probably something born out of our general revolutionary spirit of going against the aristocracy. I mean, our ancestors did make leather clothes, coonskin caps, and cowboy hats, tres chic, after all. That being said, in nice establishments, I think most people do know how to dress, but in many cases the expectation, even in very upscale places is quite relaxed here - even among the very wealthy. We live somewhere between Beverly Hills and Montecito, and let me tell you, the super elite will dine at the fanciest restaurants in SoCal casual chic outfits that would definitely not pass muster on "formal night" for most people here. It is almost like someone dressing up too much is clearly trying too hard or a "pretender". They do pull out the fancy duds for the awards events - but even at those if you check out the after party photos - they often dress down quickly. Real wealth often flaunts itself in jeans and a t-shirt here, although they probably cost a fortune. And that is just the vibe. On our trips out of Southampton, I have noticed in general, those charming Brits we are traveling with do tend to dress a bit better and personally I love it. But I'm a CA girl, so I also don't mind a beach casual vibe. But please, no baseball caps in the dining room. Save it for the buffet, thank you!

I'm loving this whole thread as we are booking the same itinerary for next year, and in doing my research I was actually so surprised to find out how tiny the statue really is. But somehow that made it all the more charming to me. I would literally not be able to imagine going there and not getting that iconic photo and seeing it in person, no matter how small. It is just one of those iconic landmarks that defines certain places - like the Empire State Building in NYC, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or Big Ben in London. Just on a very much smaller scale!

I think that’s a great decision. Yes, we were very lucky to find this one itinerary on the Sky this year that included Flam, Geiranger, and Olden, as well as the Arctic Circle with Honningsvåg and the North Cape. I have been looking for friends who want a similar itinerary and haven’t been able to find anything like it next year. But your plan sounds really solid!

This is a bucket list plan for us when we can take the time. I think it’s a brilliant idea!

Both are beautiful, but yes, there is a huge difference. Geiranger is in a class of its own. Jaw droppingly beautiful - just seeing the Seven Sisters waterfalls was an amazing experience. But the cliffs and waterfalls at every turn are stunning and the scenery at and around the port is unmatched. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site for a reason. We almost chose a cruise last year that included both Iceland and Norway, but after fully researching my options we decided to choose Norway only with an itinerary that offered the most fjord ports. Fortunately for us it was a 14 day, so I get your desire for a longer cruise. Have you considered a back to back option? If you have the time maybe you could do a second full week, especially if you could find one with a slightly different itinerary. Something to consider.

Hope you have better luck than the family who was on an actual NCL tour to the lumberjack show that they left behind last week. We have been to Ward Cove twice with NCL and the shuttle situation in town as the time gets tight is pure chaos.We specifically arranged a private tour with ship return on our last visit to maximize our time. But we made a firm decision that last trip that we would not sail NCL in Alaska again. I hope you don’t run into too much hassle on your visit.

It doesn’t impact my enjoyment - but I still find it a bit tacky. But I’m a live and let live kind of person, so I’ll just smile and enjoy my meal with my nicely dressed husband and consider how fortunate I am. And I will be silently judgy though! Haha!

I am with you. We NEVER use the hot tubs. The idea kind of makes my skin crawl. As you say - one’s imagination… ick. We are fortunate to have a nice hot tub we enjoy at home so definitely don’t need to share one with thousands of fellow passengers on vacation.

Thank you! I’d be interested in hearing Ken’s opinion of the hypnotist as well. On our recent Sky cruise he was really struggling to get people under and released quite a few. And of those remaining it was clear at least a couple were faking it. I felt bad for him - it was kind of painful.

Thanks for sharing this information! I noted the passport notification - are they actively checking that people are carrying their passports on them as they get on and off the ship?

We started cruising when our kids were young too, and being from the West Coast, we did a lot of Alaska cruises - it was pretty easily accessible, especially on our San Francisco departures, and we just love Alaska and would happily go again and again and again. My son loved it so much, that when he graduated from law school last year in Virginia, he chose to take the bar in Alaska and pursue a legal career there. He is now a prosecutor in Anchorage. Amazing how much cruising to Alaska so often helped inform his choice to ultimately move there.

It is super weird wording and to my PR trained ears, very carefully chosen to defer responsibility for the issue back to the vendor. Might be some legal considerations in the wording as well.

Love all your photos and content! Thank you for sharing!

Looking forward to hearing how you spent your day in Skagen and any recommendations you have to share.

While we personally have little interest in the Sun now after following the reviews and realizing we just prefer sailing on cruises without so many people, we do sympathize with families who are going to be disappointed by this turn of events. It did sound like a fun space for kids of all ages. That being said, I am going to sound like an old curmudgeon here - and I’m really not that old. But I have come to feel that we are doing a disservice to our kids these days by catering to every expectation for constant stimulation or entertainment as catering to their whims. I mean, regardless of the bells and whistles, how lucky are any of these young people to be going on cruises to wonderful places on beautiful ships even if they don’t have slides, parks, gliders, or rope courses. When we first started cruising Princess with our kiddos, they had the kids clubs, small arcades, putting greens and sports court, pools, and games in the library. And guess what? They had wonderful, memorable, and amazing experiences even without wave riders, slides, go karts, and laser tag. We played games as a family, they joined us at trivia and karaoke, they did the kids talent shows, they made friends and went to parties in the clubs, enjoyed family friendly entertainment, great food, and best of all, they traveled to wonderful destinations. They were LUCKY kids to have wonderful family vacations - spoiled for sure. So, I get that it is disappointing and it would have been a cool add on, but ultimately how blessed are these children to be traveling like this. I can’t imagine any young person feeling bored or disappointed to be treated to such an experience - with or without Park 19. Maybe it will open up opportunity for families to find other options for fun onboard which are still ample.

Thank you for sharing your journey! We just got back a couple of weeks ago from the Land of Midnight Sun cruise on Sky and it was amazing. We are very close to booking a Baltic cruise with your same itinerary for next summer so are very excited to follow your adventures and get your perspective. Enjoy this next leg of your trip!!

Agreed! Norway, like Alaska, is a place where I would very much choose based on the best itinerary, especially the fjords included. We almost chose the wrong cruise when deciding on our Norway cruise for this year and I'm so glad I did my research and got great advice here and ended up on a cruise with three of the high priority fjords. It made a huge difference. I love the Sky and it was a great setting for our cruise this year, but what really mattered was the itinerary, and I would have gladly have chosen another ship to get the right one.

Those are good points, but it is important for people going to Ketchikan to know that grabbing a taxi there is not easy or readily available. It is a tiny town, very few cabs, most of which book out on port days for extended private tours. And the few that might be available are going to be in high demand for the Ward Cove run as the ship departure time approaches. You may find yourself out of luck if you think you are going to be able to just get a cab back to the ship at a moment's notice. Given this situation happened with an NCL shore excursion where one could reasonably assume you would be guaranteed to be back on the ship on time - I think I would avoid booking any excursion, even an NCL excursion, that ended too close to the last shuttle bus time. We found the Ward Cove situation pretty poor the two times we were there with NCL. The second time we booked a private tour to make sure we had a guaranteed ride back in plenty of time for all aboard without having to worry about the ridiculously long shuttle lines and potential to miss the ship.

Agreed and we are very happy - my point was specifically in relation to having Elite benefits, since that was what this thread was about, or at least that is how the discussion was framed. And in my mind, I have always assumed the definition of teetotaler is someone who abstains from alcohol completely, which definitely does not define my husband or I. We are simply very light drinkers at best. But I can't help but feel like somehow your reference to people being teetotalers is equated with being no fun - and I can assure you I'm very fun even stone cold sober! ☺️

Oh, and I want to add one more good option that has been my husband’s go to for breakfast. In the International Cafe each morning they have Egg Bites - basically like crustless mini quiches with broccoli, cheese, mushrooms, etc. Totally Keto friendly, low to no carbs, and high protein. He ate them for breakfast everyday on our recent cruise - they are really tasty and satisfying!

Glad this helped. I hope you find the perfect itinerary. Here is the review I did of our recent cruise if it helps provide some inspiration or ideas on ports and tours.