Hey everyone. I'm a long-time lurker on this site and I finally got the guts to join. Please be gentle. I apologize in advance if this isn't the right forum for this. Anyhow, myself, my hubby, my two kids (4) and (11), and my brother are headed to Alaska on Ovation on June 10th. Now we are aware of all the Covid requirements, and we are preparing, but we are nervous and need good vibes. My daughter (the 4 year old) isn't vaccinated but my son (11) is. If we had a choice my daughter would get the jab, too, but unfortunately it's not an option. The reason we could use some good vibes and/or karma is this is our second attempt at cruising. We tried to take a 5 day cruise to Mexico in January, and two of us tested positive the day before we were supposed to embark. I really hope I don't have to see the disappointment in my kids eyes again.
Anyhow, assuming all goes to plan, we are really excited. I wanted to ask a few questions, and I hope that you experts can answer them for me to put me a bit more at ease. I am stressing out, haha.
1. Can I book excursions the day of or day before? I don't want to do it now and then get denied boarding because of the nasty C word. I understand that they typically (and have been from what I have seen) been selling out. Do they put the kibosh on buying them after we embark?
2. What about dining? What are my best options? Will I be out of luck if I try and do it last minute?
3. Can my daughter go ashore with us or is she out of luck because she is unvaccinated? I think I read she can still participate in the kids area with a mask?
4. How early should we arrive to the port? How long does it take to do the day of test my daughter will need and is it PCR or rapid? Will there be a cost?
5. Is the weather in Alaska this time of year cold or chilly? Light jacket or snow jacket?
6. We got a balcony room (unobstructed) and put in a bid for the Royal upgrade thing. Has anyone here ever won a bid?
I'm sure I'll have more questions but that's all for now. Thanks in advance,