donaldsc

On 1/21/2024 at 9:23 AM, Ferry_Watcher said:

One of the interesting things I have noticed working at Seattle's Pier 91 is the crazy number of luggage pieces that Carnival passengers arrive with for their 7 day cruise to Alaska.  Granted, a lot of folks overpack, but as a group, Carnival passengers stand out for the number of large suitcases they travel with. 

It isn't unusual for a Alaska bound Carnival passenger to arrive with two 25", or even two 29" suitcases, along with a rolling 22" carry-on suitcase, plus some sort of tote bag.  And mind you, this is for a single traveler, not a couple.  It's makes me wonder if they think that they are heading to the Arctic tundra, or if one suitcase is just filled with shoes. 

Hopefully, they are able to manage moving all these pieces of luggage to and from the pier (and airport), and that perhaps they take note of what they actually used and needed, and what they could have done without bringing.

I doubt it.  Some people just figure out that even though they are going to a casual place they need 10 pairs of shoes and a several changes of clothing per day including a different outfit for each dinner.  Now I do take more electronics and photo gear than I really need which is something that my wife reminds me every time we leave.  My camera bag is a pain literally and figuratively to carry.

DON

37 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

I bought a blend in port years ago and I thought the port inspectors (who were checking every bag as we returned to the ship) were going to cut it open to check for "something"..fortunately I had a receipt.  It was good coffee but I paid $14 for 16 oz of beans, bargained down from $16.

That isn't much money for good coffee.  I pay $25 for 12 oz of espresso beans at my local roaster and I use about 16 grams of coffee per cup.  If my math is correct that works to to $1.17 per cup of coffee.

DON

I am retired.  Often I have to look at my phone to see what day of the week it is.  Now if the airfare was different on different days of the week it might matter.

DON

1 hour ago, Elaine5715 said:

Best bet would be Amazon.  The stuff for sale in the small shops cheap isn't the real stuff.  

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=blue+mountain+coffee&crid=2W4LJ0B3CU9C0&sprefix=blue+mountain+coffee%2Caps%2C161&ref=nb_sb_noss_1.  254 hits if you want unground whole beans. 

This place also looks good -

https://bluemountaincoffee.com/ 

Google and Amazon are your friend.  No need to get off the ship to get your coffee.

DON

It is whatever the payment agreement that you guys agree to.  Just decide ahead of time.

DON

If you do this make sure that your insurance covers your costs if you miss the 2nd cruise because the 1st one came in too late.

DON

3 minutes ago, sunrise220 said:

I think there is a similar service in the UK but cannot remember its name.

If you find the costs acceptable then its worth considering

I am not going to use it myself but I posted because it might help someone else.  Again - my post is not a recommendation but a FYI post.

DON

Have you asked your TA or tried to book a suite for 4 people to see what happens.  You should get an answer really quickly.  Now the question as to whether it is practical is up to you.

DON

On 1/15/2024 at 9:28 PM, mncbabu_yahoo said:

I am planning to book 7 days inside passage cruise for the month of May or June. Based on my budget ($1500; no drink package)  I have down selected these two cruise lines. Both have similar itinerary, port of call. Both itinerary include glacier bay and hubbard glacier.

 

1. NCL Jewel - North bound (Vancouver to Seward) - May 13 to 20 - Inside cabin (I can pick the cabin)

2. HAL Noordam - Southbound (Whittier to Vancouver) - June 2 to 9 - Outside-obstructed view cabin (guaranteed - Cruise pick the cabin in last minute)

 

We are couple in early 50s. Please suggest the right one to pick.

 

Thanks 

 

 

 

I may be wrong but I think that NCL docks at Ward Cove which is outside of Juneau and you have to take a bus into town which cuts into your useful port time.  If I am correct I would not pick NCL.

DON

38 minutes ago, nordicacres said:

NCL offers a two hour small ship tour up close at Hubbard Glacier as an excursion for a day at sea. If we’re also planning either a Kenai Fjords boat or kayaking tour to Aialik and/or Holgate Glacier is the Hubbard tour worth it? It’s $400/pp which seems a bit overpriced IMO. I’m struggling with my excursions!

 

 

Your post is a bit confusing but I will try to help.  Kenai and Hubbard are very different. 

Hubbard is one big glacier which is spectacular.  The problem is that often the ships don't get close to Hubbard or even into Hubbard because of bad conditions and you do have a better chance w a smaller boat excursion.  However $400 sounds high unless they are also doing something else.

Kenai gets you close to 1 or 2 glaciers and a whole lot more including wildlife.  A Kenai excursion is usually longer than a Hubbard excursion.  If I had to pick one I would pick Kenai.  One other thing.  Is there any reason why you are doing your Kenai excursion as a ship tour.  How long is the NCL excursion.  There are 2 companies in Seward that have been in business for years that do excellent Kenai trip.  I will also bet that they are longer than the NCL and probably cheaper.  If they fits into your port time do one of those instead of the NCL tour and pick the longest one that fits into your port schedule.

DON

Hope that you realize that Mt McKinley Lodge is located in the middle of nowhere and near absolutely nothing.  It is 49 miles from Talkeetna and 98 miles from Denali Village.  

DON

I am trying to figure out why anyone cares in either a positive or negative sense if a port or anywhere else in the world does eye scans.  Do some people consider it an invasion of privacy or am I missing something.

DON

3 minutes ago, Hezu said:

I have no personal experience with any smart phone aurora photography, but after a quick Internet search I learned that most likely you want to use some sort of tripod with a phone holder as you generally want to use exposure times measured in seconds and that isn't optimal for hand held shots as usually you don't want to combine creative ICM techniques with aurora photography.

I am already set up for a good support for my cell phone.  

DON

I am planning to get one of the new Samsung S24 phones to use on my Viking Aurora cruise.  Has anyone used one of the late model Samsung phones for this purpose.  Any thoughts.  I will also be taking my Sony 6400 with a fast wide angle lens so I will not be totally dependent on the cell phone.

DON

23 hours ago, Coral said:

Ward Cove does waste time and many itineraries are very limited there.

 

I don't think anyone really understands glaciers until you are there. I recommend 2 days of it because if you only have 1 and miss it, you miss it! I know so many people who go only 1x and they miss it or they don't even get close. And that was their only trip to Alaska. The mountains are gorgeous there also. Scenery is so different from where you live. Plus on glacier days you can see beautiful scenery, wildlife, etc.... I find it sad that people just go out at the face of a glacier and they miss so much of that day. I love May (sunny, dry, snow still on the mountains) - maybe it will work for 2025 for you.

 

 

Glacier Bay is pretty much a sure thing.  Hubbard Glacier is less certain depending upon the ice.  Prince William Sound is pretty much a sure thing unless it is foggy which it was the last time we were there.  Tracy Arm is more uncertain - lot of ships do not get close.  See https://www.alaska.org/advice/best-glaciers-on-an-alaska-cruise.  

DON

1 hour ago, SoloAlaska said:

So are drones yet they are allowed on and kept with security.

Have you carefully read your cruise contract and all the FAQs to see if they address the issue of bear spray.

DON

I am not going to try to convince anyone to go anywhere.  All I can tell you that I have been to AK maybe 10 or 15 times including an almost 3 month driving trip covering 12,000 miles to and from Las Vegas and driving nearly every drivable road in AK.  I take my grandkids on a coming-of-age to AK cruise without their parents and we and the grandkids have loved the trips.  My best cruises in AK were on ships that held 50 - 100 people and not several thousand people.  I even went to Fairbanks in February to do aurora photography - talk about cold!!   I have been to different islands in the Caribbean maybe 3 or 4 times and that is enough for me.  My opinion of Caribbean cruises is that they are all sort of boring but obviously many people feel differently about the Caribbean. 

Different strokes for different folks.  It is your decision to make.  I will be happy to answer any specific questions you have about AK however,  

DON

My replies for AK are very simple -

1.  IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT IS ON THE SHIP SINCE YOU ARE THERE TO SEE WHAT IS OUTSIDE OF THE SHIP!!!

2. ANY SMALL SHIP WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER THAN ANY BIG SHIP!!!!!

DON

On 1/12/2024 at 7:27 AM, DCThunder said:

3/4ths of the "art" I see in the Princess Art Galleries is hideous.  And the other 1/4th is Thomas Kinkade.

Are you suggesting that Kinkade's works are not hideous or maybe that they are worse than hideous.  For me it is the latter.

DON

I have a semi stupid question re transatlantic crossings.  I would love to do one but my wife will not.  Do they have a deals for single cabins.  One other question. I am in good health but in my low 80s so stuff can happen at that age.  I worry about needing medical attention in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with only a physician's assistant or a nurse on board.  

DON

5 hours ago, Ellen495 said:

Thank you for your information. We are also considering Quark because the ship is smaller and it's actually less expensive. They will let me son share a room with another solo traveler dropping the cost.

I did a shared room on the Quark Ocean Adventurer.  That is the ship I was describing in my post.  I booked a shared room figuring that I wouldn't have a problem sharing with a stranger and the saving was significant.

DON

26 minutes ago, WingerSupreme said:

I've done it, but here's my follow up question.

If they come back and say 'Sorry, this is the best I can offer,' am I a jerk if I end up taking the other offer instead?

 

Not sure if it matters, but I looked at a couple of other quotes they sent for different cruises, and they're not even as good as the standard deal I can see on CruisePlum. They're also a solo TA (they are their own agency, from what I can see) and they're fairly new (only started within the last 6 months), so now I'm worried they may not be able to do much at all for us. They've been very helpful, but I also need someone who can get things done.

Just a quick note.  You are not allowed to mention specific TA names on CC.

DON

On 11/3/2023 at 6:54 AM, PerfectlyPerth said:

If you are sea dogs and have never been seasick before - a different body of water is not going to change that fact. 
 

Seasickness is in a persons equilibrium & inner ear. Once a seasick person - always a seasick person - as my uncle was told when he joined the navy. 
 

I've been in rough seas all over the world in vessels small and large - never been an issue for me. 
Yet I've seen people turn green on massive ships with full stabilisers on a sea as flat as a mirror. 
 

So I'm more inclined to say you will be fine and just enjoy it!!

Personally - if I was doing the Drake in a big cruise ship (I've only done it in icebreakers and ice strengthened expedition ships) I would want a cabin at the front looking out over the bow so I can take good "bow splashy" photos !! 🌊🌊🌊🌊

Totally agree with you.  Also some people love rough seas.  One my first Antarctica trip we had a force 11 gale off Cape Horn.  It was a hoot watching them get the pilot on board..  On my most recent trip we had a day of 68 mph winds.  

DON

I am going to come onto this from a different direction especially as you are trying to keep your costs down or else spend the same amount pf money and get a longer trip and maybe even a trip that does Antarctica and either the Falklands or South Georgia.  You have to ask yourself which is more important - what is inside the ship such as luxury stuff or what is outside of the ship such as sea birds, penguins, seal and stuff like that.  If you can live with smaller but comfortable cabins, good but not fancy food and a lack of fancy ship amenities you can save money or have more of a trip.  That was the route I took the 2 times I went to Antarctica.

If you want the 2nd option you will not get a lot of information on CC as it appears that most of the people who post on CC for Antarctica want to go the luxury route.  You will also not get a lot of good information by looking at the WEB sites from the different cruise companies since all of them a puff sites.

What you need to find a travel agent company that specializes solely in Antarctica trips.  Not one that does both polar regions or one that does Antarctica and a bunch of other places.  You need one that does just and only the southern Polar regions.  They exist.  That is where I booked my trips but unfortunately according to CC rules I can't tell who they are.  Talk to them on the phone (not internet but phone) about what you want and what your budget is.  They will come up with some good options.  They also know what bargains there are out there.  

The ships I ended taking held about 90 people so the 100 people on the continent regulation did not impact us.  They had small but functional cabins.  After all what do you really need in a cabin but beds, a desk and a bathroom.  The dining room was not fancy but the food was good.  There was a large lounge where we had our meetings and also where we relaxed.  After all what more do you need in Antarctica.  The expedition staff was wonderful.  We even had the person who was station chief at the Russian Antarctica station Vostok Station (look it up - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vostok_Station) earlier in his career.  He had some interesting stories to tell.

Hope this helps.

DON

2 hours ago, Mud_Shark said:

On a recent cruise, on the library table, there was a half completed jigsaw puzzle with a hand written sign on it that read "Do Not Touch".  It was there for at least 3 days before someone crossed out the word "Not".

 

Except for the fact that it would ruin the puzzle for others a good response to this problem would be to take 8 or 10 pieces out of the puzzle box and hide them somewhere.

DON