psuboater

Trivia Addict's daughter here -- after having a great experience with the Vibe that past February (but not used as well as we hoped, it snowed on our trip from LA to Enesanda!), I checked every day online for Vibe passes from February to June (and I do mean every day!) - no luck. Hearing that "once sold out online, they're gone" I shifted my mindset to not having the Vibe to Bermuda (still going to Bermuda, who could complain?) We didn't plan on getting to the port so early in June, but our car pick up was over an hour earlier than scheduled. We had a Club Suite so while not first to board, we were one of the first. We sat down at Mixx and I told my mom I was going to just check Teppenaki *just* to make sure. I was shocked to see Vibe passes still available and I got into line. I was told they hold 10-20% back for onboard passes. We were one of the last people to get passes, I think they cut off the line 3 people after me. It was not yet noon, we boarded around 11:15 So if you don't have passes, getting to be one of the first on board, and do not pass go, do not collect $200, do not go to guest services as stated (I heard someone behind me say "well if they told me to come HERE first I would have gotten one!"), and may the odds be in your favor. The Joy will expand her Vibe footprint during her dry dock in February, taking over the laser tag space and making it two levels, so there will be more chances for all next season 🙂

Something to think about (and your son to think about)- there are many, many posts here from people when their checkin luggage was pulled to the "naughty room" for power strips, small appliances, alcohol in listerine bottles, etc. This brings me peace of mind that every piece of cargo going on the ship with us has been screened throughly. In the same vein of worrying - when ships stop at ports that have travel warnings from the US - having a good, safe experience is how these companies profit. They are not going to travel to any port that they feel will put a large amount of people in danger. Back in 2012, we stopped in St. Croix- it was the first time major cruise lines stopped there after years, because the ships pulled St. Croix from their itinearies because it wasn't safe for their customers to travel at the time. All travel assumes risk, but cruise ships will go above and beyond for safety as any incident (especially after COVID and their tremendous loss) of bad publicity that scares away customers is bad business. That being said, we will be on the Joy in June for our 5th time to Bermuda and our 3rd time on the Joy. It is our absolute favorite itineary - Bermuda is friendly, safe and clean. We hope to see you there!

Even bidding the max bid doesn't guarantee you a win. I've bid max bids a couple of times on the lower Haven categories and rejected each time.

I booked our Vibe for the Joy for 6/9/24 on 6/19/23.

Wanted to add to look into BC wines if you're from the US. I didnt realize how great they are until we went on a wine tour of the area. The US restricts Canadian wine imports which is why you don't see it here. Backyard Winery Reserve bottles rivaled Napa wines for us. Give it a try when you're there!

Please see #5 and #6 in this thread to the answer.

Cancellation here! We took the Summit every year to Bermuda and had a $500 Non refundable deposit for this past June. We took a quick trip on the Norwegian Joy to Mexico in Feb. We booked our Bermuda trip on board, and cancelled Summit as soon as we got home. Rebooked on the Joy for June 2024. Occasionally pop on here and see our decision was the right move. Even not being in Haven, we do add ons that give us a top tier experience for a fraction of X these days.

The Westin immediately comes to mind, and even closer to the market is The Thompson. There's also the Inn at Market which is right on top of Pike Place. Most of Aves are flat, the cross streets can be hilly. The nice thing is if the one cross street is too hilly for you, go one or two more blocks and it's much flatter.

Adding to this- I'm based in the Seattle area but went to Alaska on the Quantum last April. We had a custom clearance delay after we docked and the first people off the weren't allowed off until close to 9. We had no rush, but people with early flights who expected to get off at 7:15am were freaking out. Is a 10:20am doable and are others going to say they made it no problem? Sure. But SEA is a gamble in the heavy cruise season. Some days it's less than a 10 minute time through security, other times it makes the news when security times are over 90 minutes. Checking in baggage can also be a long wait. I have Sky Priority with Delta and it still took me 30+ minutes for bag drop. I avoid flying out of here from June-September, take that as you will 🙂

After baggage claim, head up on the esclator to the sky bridge. There are signs that will lead you to cruise transfers.

I remember I just found out I loved Sushi in 2009, and then being on the Equinox in 2010 with the afternoon tuna nigiri in the buffet....I was in Heaven!

It will also help to know where you're flying from. When we were in Alaska in May, I was on the top deck with flip flops and a sweatshirt, since I live in the Pacific Northwest. I saw others from Florida who were in full on winter jackets with fur. It just depends on your tolerance to colder and damp!

Yes, Celebrity is no longer a premium cruise line for the majority of their passengers (non suite), they're simply Royal Caribbean with a different color scheme. They're no longer worth the premium up charge because they have and are continuing to chip away at the special touches that differentiated themselves from their mainstream brand. We jumped from X to NCL for our annual Bermuda trip and no regrets. It's a mainstream cruise line but their base fare relflects as such and we pay for the extras we want.

Hi! Your corgo is adorable!

Seattle has a high rate of property crime, but not violent crime. I've had a package or two stolen from my front door, but that's about it. A good trip when visiting a large city, however, is to make sure you have nothing visible in your car that would tempt someone from doing a smash and grab. Granted, this has happened to us once, where my husband's wallet fell out onto the drivers seat...but this happened in a suburban gym parking lot in a very safe part of town...New Jersey. So if you're driving in a rental or your own, put everything away. That includes the odd coins that might be in your cup tray, or a phone charger (signalling that it might be worth smashing your window for your phone). I've lived in Columbus, OH and Philadelphia before moving here, so my view of "comfortable" and "safe" is a lot different than someone who has never lived in a big city. For me, Seattle is a very safe city. There are many blocks of both of my previous cities where I would neverever visit, where as in Seattle, I tell many to avoid 3rd Ave, but way different than "what ever you do, don't visit 3rd ave". I worked in the Belltown neighborhood, and yes, I reccomend being aware of your surroundings, working on your best 'I know what I'm doing face' and other such medium-to-big city sized recommendations. Bad things do happen, unfortunately, but they're happening everywhere, and you just need to be vigilant. I understand, however, the nervousness people feel. During the pandemic where I didn't need to go in often, the local news definitely made me skittish the first few times returning to the office. It took time for me to ignore the noise and just walk with confidence.

They absolutely would -- however, it's the luggage lines that would give me concern. If you can squeeze everything into a carry on, that would be the move. The last time I flew out of SEA was in June for my own cruise to Bermuda, and even with priority luggage line access on Delta I still waited 45 minutes to check my bags. 10:30am is too early for Port Valet, so you're at the mercy of the Alaska agents. Alaska is getting a lot of criticism this summer switching over to a more automated system for checking bags, it's creating longer lines and more confusion. One would hope that's resolved by next year, but do with that information as you will.

This happened to me in 2019 and I'm a local! Our Uber got stuck behind a major accident on the way to the train station, so we were panicking to make our train. We run into the station to find out that yes, we could make it, but also it was to Vancouver, WA. The Canadian Vancouver train was sold out and had been for months. We had to get an uber back home and drive to Vancouver. Lesson learned -- if Amtrak doesn't ask you for your passport information when booking, it's the wrong Vancouver 🙂

Just a word of warning (and hoping that you're in the 24 hours of booking since you can cancel/change without penalty) - 4th of July week was the busiest air travel week SEA saw this year and lines stretched into the parking lot. You might be able to avoid the cusp of it since it's that Monday...but that would be too close in my opinion.

I've taken this route and have loved it. Are you trying to take the train same day as when you're leaving however? I'd leave at least an overnight from taking the train to boarding the cruise. They're usually reliable and on time, but that route is prone to mudslides in the fall/spring. Otherwise, it's a relaxing way to get between the two cities, with a lot of the route right on the water.

For upscale (and if price is no issue!) Highly recommend the Lotte. It's downtown but about a 10-15 minute walk to Pike Place, but it's one of the top hotels we've stayed at. The Olympic Fairmount is classic old school Seattle. I've never stayed there but have done work happy hours at their bar and it's lovely. We just stayed at the Astra in South Lake Union a few weeks back and it's more of a modern upscale luxury. We have coworkers that stay at the Monaco- it's very nice but rooms tend to be a bit smaller. The Westin is in a great location and clean, but a bit dated.

I did this for a work event right before the pandemic, as we had co workers fly in from around the world for that week. As a local, I really enjoyed it! I thought it was well worth the experience. If you have mobility issues, please keep in mind the stairs are narrow and some of the older sites do not have elevator access. Otherwise I would definitely recommend.

There's a lot of fast "grab and go" options to tide you over, but it's largely dependent where you land. Alaska utilizes N, C, and D gates, so it's hard to plan. As others have said, if you have bags that you're waiting to pick up, you don't want to leave them straggling at the carousel. I have SkyClub access and if I'm waiting for bags I'll track my bags via the app and use the SkyClub for the bathroom, a coffee and a light snack if I have time. The Centurion lounge and the Lounge at SEA does not have arrival privileges, unfortunately. As others have said, if you can be held over by a snack, getting out of the airport and to your hotel is the best option.

My friend and I found ourselves with an extra day in Vancouver and we did a day tour to the wineries with Lawrence Tours. Michael is the owner and is a Vancouver native who knows all about Vancouver and the areas surrounding it. We went to 3 wineries, stopped in the town where a lot of Hallmark movies are filmed, had a picnic lunch provided, and learned so much about BC and BC wine! Highly recommend.

May 1st was Amazon's RTO, that made a huge difference. Right now between sold out cruises, Taylor Swift last weekend, All Star Week right before that- it has been a PACKED July! The monorail is not really used by many locals. The last time I took it was pre pandemic and it only had a few people on it since it was a weekday before cruise season. Pioneer Square has been cleaned up of encampments since then. There are less stores, yes, but new businesses are starting to pop up. As someone who has been here since 2017, we've made leaps and bounds since the ghost downtown of 2020.

While this may have been true in 2021-2022, workers are back (as is the traffic!!). Amazon went back a few months ago, my employer starts 3x a week tomorrow. I have been going in a few times a month since last year for work. While I am not Asian, I am a petite female. I walk from King Street Station to the downtown core for my commute. I have never felt unsafe, even during the winter where the sunsets at 4pm. If you are used to traveling/cities, then the same rules apply here. Keep aware of your surroundings, walk with purpose, don't flash anything valuable, etc. I've lived in Philadelphia and Columbus OH and I've felt the safest walking around here.