DreamOf

Because there are no flights between our home and Seattle that would arrive in time for the ship departure nor return home at a decent hour, we are going to spend the night somewhere.   We'll probably stay near the airport.   I remember reading about transfer companies that would take us from the port to our hotel or airport, but can't find the name anywhere.   Any suggestions on this part of the trip would be very helpful.   Thanks!

This is our first Alaskan cruise and we want to see and do as much as we are able.   We both have difficulty walking too much so we're probably limited to tours, etc.   Are there tours available offered by outside companies, more than what H. A. offers?   Any suggestions would be great.   We thought about renting a car, but I know we'd learn more about the history and culture with a tour company.   Thank you for your help!

We will be sailing in June on Holland's Eurodam to Alaska.   There are no flights leaving early enough from our airport on the day of departure to be able to arrive in time to sail, so we are flying in the day before.  My question:  Is it better to stay near the airport in a hotel that offers free transportation from the airport to the hotel and then find alternate transportation from the hotel to the port on the day we depart; or arrange for transportation directly from the airport to a downtown hotel near the port the day before?   Thanks for  your suggestions.

Thanks everyone for your input!

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We are planning on taking our first Alaskan cruise next summer.   I'm thinking I'll pick the ship, based on the ports it stops at.  What are your favorite ports?   For some reason, I've wanted to see Sitka, but definitely the glaciers.   We are somewhat limited in physical activities, so sightseeing is about our limits.

POA costs - yes, it's not a cheap cruise! But when you research the cost of hotels on each island, flights to each island, you'll see that it isn't a bad price. I still have issues with having to pay extra for the specialty restaurants, and because of the cost of the cruise, we chose not to visit them. We ended up having 2 meals most days on the ship, so there's a savings as well. And you have the nice convenience of not having to pack up and move to another hotel. For this cruise, you don't utilize the ship as much, since you are there to see the sights, not relax and cruise. In fact I often heard people saying they wished there was at least one day at sea to they could relax from all the excursions and trips on land! As for the quality, I have to agree with many who said that the ship was great! Staff were all friendly and helpful, from the cabin steward, to the officers. We were completely pleased with all the staff. Our cabin was small but we were prepared for that. The public places were well placed and we rarely felt like the ship was crowded. Absolutely loved the cruise and would recommend it to anyone. Just keep checking the prices daily. I did and found a great price about 6 months out, after watching it drop from the first time I started researching. I jumped on it and was glad I did, because it began to climb in price again shortly.

We just returned from our cruise. We are in our 60's and from our experience, I'd say find another family traveling on your Roll Call or during the cruise and share a cab to the airport. Leave the family to disembark at their leisure (rather when the ship tells them they must leave). They can always sit in chairs inside awaiting your return with the rental car. We ended up taking a ships tour to Pearl Harbor and that bus eventually dropped us at the airport to get our car. That day was a lot of wasted time, since we only wanted to see Pearl Harbor. Since there were several busses going, we had to wait til our appointed time to go to Pearl and instead got a tour of Honolulu as well. We would have tried to see several spots on our own, so that was a help, but by the time we got to Pearl, the Navy had shut the port down and we could not go to the memorial. It was nearly 3 before we got to the airport and well after 4:30 before we got a car, checking at our hotel around 5:00-5:30. If you grab a car, pick up the family you'll have a lot of time to explore. The trip up to the north shore can take longer than you think, but a short trip up to the Dole Plantation would be a great way to spend a little time that day and then check into your hotel early afternoon to relax after the hectic week of cruising.

We just returned from our cruise on POA

, and our cab driver said there is only one cruise port, pier 2.

Thanks for your suggestions. I'd love to take a flight of some sort, but hubby is afraid of heights and just couldn't do it! One additional question. Is there someplace to park a rental car near the Nawiliwili port?

I have always wanted to visit Hawaii so this is my "trip of a lifetime". It's doubtful that we'll get to go back so we want to make the most of this trip, soaking all that we can. DH and I are stopping at Kauai on one of the legs of our Hawaiian cruise on POA. We are not adventurers, but love nature and are looking forward to seeing all that the island has to offer. We plan on renting cars in each port. We do have some limitations regarding extensive walking and climbing, so we can only do light walking. What are some of the best scenic sites to see, the kind that are true Hawaii and should not be missed. We will be in Nawiliwili Port.