SoloAlaska

No glass but usually the poolside bars will serve in plastic cups so you can bring your drink anywhere you go. 

Celebrity sometimes charges over $120 a day more for all-inclusive which doesn’t include your daily service fee (aka tips) and it doesn’t include specialty dining either . RCI charges 18% gratuity on its drink package. Carnival has a max of 15 drinks per day. Really NCL is by far the best deal for drinks. My last cruise was 15 nights and I knew I wouldn’t be drinking most days so I decided to pay as I go and drink prices weren’t too bad. My next cruise is shorter and I don’t have to work so I’ll be enjoying my time at the bar with FAS. 

3 cruises so far and have seen a porter only once really. Never have a need for a porter so that can save me a chunk of change. Next year I will see normal porters in action and looking forward to it. It’s odd being on CC and not being able to picture what seems so normal for so many.

7 hours ago, 57redbird said:

When we fly to Hawaii my hubby brings his cane (which he does need at times) & claims he needs extra boarding time so he can find space in the overhead bin...I board when it's my turn till our upcoming trip after my spine surgery - I'll see how I feel.

Companions are encouraged to board along with disabled travel partners. My step dad also sometimes needs a cane especially after a flight. That pre boarding for carry on space is gold. 

12 minutes ago, LucasLounger1 said:

I acquired it very quickly.  I love sea days on the balcony, and I also like joining different activities onboard.  We've only done eastbound.  Yes, the time changes can be tiring, but at least you avoid an overnight flight to Europe. 

 

That said, we've only done them with friends/family.  Will be a totally different experience when we do one just the two of us. 

Flight to Europe I find easier than a flight home. If you can get a direct flight and sleep on the plane it is pretty good. Plus if I need a little extra sleep on vacation it isn’t so bad compared to when I’m home and have to catch up on work upon my return. So happy both options are available depending on what works for each individual.

15 hours ago, irun5k said:

Thanks all, these are some solid options so far and gives me some confidence that we'll find *something* to do 🙂. Hopping on a tour with someone selling from a kiosk is a little scary to me just because I'm risk adverse and like to reach the company, duration, etc. ahead of time but I am sure it is normally fine.  I presume most of the pier runners we see have gone off and done their own thing and planned it poorly.

 

My hope was indeed that the float plane trips had a higher likelihood of happening than the helo flights to the glacier so we went with that option instead.

 

My daughter loves dogs and would be upset not to have some experience with them so I decided to book the musher camp excursion in Skagway figuring that was almost a sure bet.  Playing the odds here... not just in the casino.

 

 

We went whale watching with one of those kiosks last year and it was incredible, the staff were awesome.

Mendenhall or whale watching would be my two options for plan B. The tram is a pretty quick little thing unless you want to take a multi hour hike. The hike to Gastineau Peak is over 3 hours and rated as hard according to AllTrails, I’m planning on it and maybe another hike for my cruise but I love hiking and am preparing for some pretty serious trails during this trip.

$1 for each drink, $5-10 for simple excursions and $20 for expensive/complex excursions, $20-30 for room steward, a little extra for other things like restaurant service. Then I add in any small spending I plan to do in port. So for my upcoming Alaska cruise it’s $200 (40-$1, 4-$5, 7-$20) and I’ll still have my credit card for bigger shopping if I need it but probably not often on this cruise.

I loved my TA. Made great friends. We even started a knitting group and met on every sea day. I think the trick with a TA is to be able to entertain yourself and not bring a partner who can’t self entertain.

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

It has gotten absolutely insane what people call carryon.  There is no enforcement in the US anymore.  Go to Europe and it is a different story.  I always pack to European standards. 

People with massive packs that when in the plane take the space of 3 bags drive me nuts.

Carry on only isn’t a problem but people are who don’t follow the rules.

20 hours ago, vandercapellen said:

Please explain the 5-4-3-2-1 packing. I'm intrigued. 

The basics is something like 5 tops, 4 bottoms, 3 shoes, 2 bags, 1 swimsuit. Obviously it can be modified depending on your style and trip but it’s a nice framework to have. Pinterest is a great place to get ideas for this type of packing, you’ll find lots of graphics based on different destinations, climates, and styles.

1 minute ago, julig22 said:

If all the cabins are GTY then your only choice is to either not book or take what they give you. You can look all you want and you still only get a choice of GTY or nothing. Not the same as booking sailaway.

If only GTY is available then it is likely the cruise may be oversold and that brings in its own risks.

If someone wants to avoid 1/3 of the ship then there is a 33% chance they will be unhappy. If there are cabins available and someone chooses to get a good deal with a GTY and the forward cabins are pretty much booked up then the chances of being unhappy are much smaller. It’s all about the odds based on the exact scenario of that particular sailing.

16 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Not necessarily. They often use GTY for unknown reasons and/or when the inventory is limited - and you don't get to choose. Doesn't mean they are the worst, just still empty for whatever reason.

I never said you would get the worse but if you aren’t ok with the worse cabin and it will “ruin your trip” then you should not be booking GTY. Being surprised by an amazing cabin should be valued but knowing you could get the worse shouldn’t be a problem. Looking at inventory ahead of time and seeing what is available is a good way to see what the odds are of a great cabin. For OP if they look and see most cabins in that category that are still available are forward then they might be concerned, if it’s mostly midship available then the odds are in their favour for a favourable outcome.

8 minutes ago, JeffT237 said:

We did the Chef's Table on our Wonder cruise last March, we really did enjoy it we were cruising with another couple who joined us and the other 2 couples who we were seated with were a lot of fun, it led to an enjoyable evening.  The wine pairing is included, I don't think you'll have any trouble getting an entire group but on the Wonder it was limited to eight seats, might depend on the ship and the area they have the Chef's Table in as to how many total guests they can have per seating.  You should be able to find the menu and wine selections online.

 

We sail in 3 weeks and I just looked at our cruise planner and every night is available expect for Day 2.

Oh wow I expected it to be booked way out. From the website it seems that Freedom seats 12. Our group is 12 but I think we would probably be 10 (one couple refuses to be in the same room as the other). The drama of family travel is one I’ve avoided for over 16 years but it has returned full force.

If your day in Juneau is one with lots of large ships I would book ahead of time for taxis. You can find out by looking at the port schedule for the day you are in Juneau which will tell you which ships are docking and then do a little google search to find out how big each ship is.

When do reservations open for Chefs Table? We are a larger group and would love to book together but I know that means the only chance might be to book the minute it becomes available. How far out do bookings start? If you’ve been did you love the experience? Are wine pairings included? We will be sailing on Freedom of the Seas in March 2025.

37 minutes ago, MONYMONY68 said:

I just booked a last minute cruise on NCL Spirit in a balcony guarantee (that was all that was available)  I'm somewhat nervous about it because I don't like forward cabins.

If you've booked a balcony guarantee in the past, what cabin was assigned to you?  Were you happy or miserable? 

Would love to hear everyone's feedback because I'm sure there are a few lighthearted stories to share!

Did you look to see what was available? If you book guaranteed you should expect the absolute worst.

after my first cruise I learnt that if there is a potential for rough seas I can’t be forward. So until I book a cruise with little to no risk of rough seas I will not risk a garanteed cabin.

Let’s be honest here bartenders have looked the other way to those sharing drinks or grabbing a drink for a friend. I am not getting into the theft debate ok. Also if you have the plus package your drinks can also be water and Starbucks etc so it’s not always alcohol. 
 

People drink different types of drinks with different percentages. People have different bodies and different tolerances. My scotch will get me quicker than some bigger guy drinking light beers through the day.

People who are following the rules on NCL and only ordering for themselves will never hit a max limit when it comes to a set number. You’d be in the bathroom non stop if you tried.

46 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Are you sure?. On a week cruise we each average over 100 drinks.

 We did a 40 night (one booking number) and we consumed 1210 drinks combined.

 Yes we are really thirsty.😁

99 per day is what I meant. 

We’re I live in Canada temps and this time of year can reach -40c but this past week we have had 8c. It’s been a crazy warm winter and has a lot of us worried. Warm temps like this mean our summer will be affected probably by droughts and forest fires. 
 

Wear layers and you’ll be fine. The difference in what I would pack for -15 vs -40 isn’t much. 

Supposedly the system doesn’t allow you past 99. So no limit really but more of a computer programming thing (think Y2K fears). 

2 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

Excellent suggestion. There are many sugar free electrolyte powders on the market for those lines that won't allow you to bring sports drinks on board. 

Lots of options. The sugar filled options like Gatorade can cause an upset stomach so looking at Nuun or Eload or other things on the market is a safer bet.

Nuun is sold as tablets in a tube, you just pop on in your water bottle. So much easier to travel with than a big pack of bottles.

5 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Absolutely possible! I use it for maps, photo upload/download, social media, travel recommendations for where I am, including video. If I'm stuck somewhere (say waiting for a cab, on a bus, etc.) I might stream a show. Streaming one thirty-minute show could be three to seven GB's, per Google.

 

From 2/1 - today, I have used 6 GB's of data and 60.5 GB's of Wi-Fi data. That's just in regular life - now imagine me on vacation looking up travel blogs, hints and trips about wherever I am/am going, etc. So yup, I could definitely see myself doing that.

You can also turn down your streaming settings. I just checked on my Prime account and a 45 minute show is less than 300mb. If your watching something on your phone you definitely don’t need the top quality on. 

Talk to a travel doctor for advice. For Dengue the main prevention is avoiding mosquito bites so wear long, loose, light coloured clothing preferably and use mosquito repellent. Every mosquito bite will increase your risk so by reducing the amount of times you get bit it will reduce your chances of getting ill. 

I am not sure how this is an issue most travel insurance companies you can set it to start next day. I can literally walk into my bank today and have a travel insurance policy start at midnight or I can call another company and do the same thing without leaving home.

1l of water with an electrolyte replacement before bed. Make sure it isnt one filled with sugar. I find nuun to be easy to buy and easy to travel with. Here is another trick, prep it before you go out drinking and leave it in a place you can’t miss so you don’t forget to take it.