PennyAgain

It is FAKE and tastes accordingly.

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Wow! Great thinking. Thanks!

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Yes it is an older crowd but that isn't an issue for us as we traveled for the river. Most people turn in early. There isn't much drinking. It is very calm. I like calm.

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I hate tandem docking! No river cruise company will make any promises about how often it will happen. As I cannot climb steep wet stairs, I'm avoiding River cruising.

Finding a liquor store in Alaska is easy. Prices used to be much higher in Alaska but compared to where I live in Texas not so much anymore. I would arrange with your ship to buy on board your ship and have it in your room when you arrive. A small cost compared to your cruise. On shore you can buy what you want to consume in each town in a bar. You may meet some real Alaskans! If you like to mix with water or cubes likely you will find that both taste better in Alaska. Better water!

You will have more choices at the factory. However most cruise lines advise that you have your ulus shipped home at the time of purchase. In other words, they don't allow you to bring them on board. In any case an ulu can only fly home with you in a checked bag.

AIP, good luck with Denali and the Aurora. My pet thing to do. I keep trying to retire. Will hire you for my Alaska guide!

Funny (in retrospect) story: During my annual physical in October I asked for a flu shot and the shingles vaccine. They said I could only get one at a time, so I chose shingles. They gave me a flu shot because they were out of shingles vaccine. My bad, never followed up on the shingles vaccine.

 

 

 

Of course 3 weeks later I got shingles! Fortunately a very mild case; I can't imagine a serious case. And at the same time CDC announced this year's educated guess on the flu shot missed the mark! :eek:

Very sorry the shingles.

Really bad luck!

Let's all stay healthy!

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I have been offered a cash upgrade at the point of check-in, but the cost was stunning. At least for me.

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Good travels to all. A bit of advice: I had a flu shot in Sept 2014 and still got the flu. Doc says it likely wound have been a lot worse had I not taken the shot.

The flu was awful

Take care of yourselves and stay healthy!

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I would avoid that connection as you will have stress just worrying about it.

I always allow extra time at JFK.

No Cruise Air will not automatically rebook your flights if you miss the connection at JFK.

You will have to take matters into your own hands.

A charged up cellphone and appropriate phone numbers is your best friend in a situation of missed flights. You can use the phone while waiting in lines.

It's not just at DFW where the TSA pre-screeners send people back who have too much carry-on stuff. I've seen it in plenty airports.

I travel with one 25 inch checked bag that weighs between 35 and 38 pounds and one carry-on bag which has no wheels. It weighs 15 pounds.

Checking up to 3 bags costs me nothing on American Airlines.

I have no problem with trying to do a cruise with just carry on if you do not want to bother to deal w checked luggage. However, to do it just to avoid paying the $50 luggage fee (about 1.6% of your total cruise cost) is in my opinion a bit absurd.

 

DON

In addition to the issue of trying to do carry on only for any trip, airlines are now cracking down on how much carry on stuff you will be allowed to carry on to your flights.

On recent flights I saw quite clearly that many folks were be denied the 'right' to carry on as much as they pleased. At many airports including DFW, you can't get up to the TSA check area if you have too much carry on luggage. You are sent back to the main check in area for your airline to check some of what you are hauling.

Yes insurance does go up with age. My husband is a few months older than I am. When he passes a significant birthday, his travel insurance was more than mine. We carry an annual travel evac policy and purchase ins for each trip. Likely more than we need, but we feel better with this practice.

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I travel frequently and have seen much more enforcement about weight limits for Australia flights. Do you feel lucky? Do you plan to argue otherwise that tape measure?

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I keep my Rx and over the counter meds in their original containers for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is US Customs and the customs agents of other countries.

Don't even think of going into Japan with unlabeled meds!

If I were to fall down or fall ill when away from home, having the correctly labeled medications will help medical professionals to find out what and how much of what I've been taking.

That could be a lifesaver!

My late mother-in-law was taken apart by US Customs when returning the the USA at JFK airport. All of her medications which were in the multiple day containers were first thrown on a filthy table and then pawed thrown and then seized from her.

She didn't even have enough heart medications to get her home to Florida!

The cost of replacing the seized meds was very high and took a lot of telephone work on a weekend to get the replacements once we got her home.

It is very unwise to give people the advice that there are 'no US laws about unlabeled medications' which is a very untrue statement.

Local police can seize unlabeled meds if you are pulled over for any reason!

It is better to be safe than sorry!

Passengers being removed from ships for medical reasons is not what Flatbush Flyer was talking about. He was talking about being denied boarding because you don't have the proper documents required by the cruise line.

 

Some cruise lines (generally luxury lines) require all passengers to have passports even if government regulations permit cruising with alternative documents such as a a birth certificate and photo ID. If you show up at the pier without a passport you're not going to be permitted on the cruise ship even if your documents meet government requirements.

And having a passport in hand speeds up the boarding process a great deal.

The luxury class ships, Crystal etc, seem to be doing OK even now that many are either All Inclusive or Semi-inclusive. Still plenty of upgrades and tours to buy. But the days of bargain cruises on the mass market ships seem to be gone.

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Very glad GreatAm is in Homer!

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The last trip north of the season is my top choice. The cruise ships shops on land may already be closed for the season but others will have sales. Many tour operators shut down earlier than your trip.

But you will see and experience more of the 'real' Alaska.

Be sure to take along good skin lotion as I always dry out in Alaska.

I always have a head net in my camera case. Has come in handy many times especially with No See Ums which I strongly hate.

I have an iPhone app that helps me with this issue. I also have a watch that shows two time zones at once (home and away). Long ago my pharmacist suggested keeping a log book. I now do that on my iPhone.

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I've long since given up on expensive tours for Alaska. Not that I ever did many as I lived and worked in Alaska, but now and then I would take a tour to get somewhere I couldn't get to either on my own and/or at a price I could pay.

Now I just take it easy and watch the world go by with some walking in the ports and some shopping.

Most ships are very peaceful when most of the passengers are ashore.

Thanks for the ideas on how to manage a Frio when out and about. Hadn't thought about the need for a mess bag.

Will have to work on this.

You will have no problems with a folding cane in your checked bag.

You also will have no problems if you decide to travel with a rigid cane in hand. You have the right to do so in airports and on your flights.

Some of us have had folding canes fall apart.

If you are happier with a good, solid and steady non-folding cane, do take one along with you!