shuyak
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Posts posted by shuyak
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@MOLAcruiser, our trip will be in near future - plan to use this service though.
We assume the testing for Vancouver embarkation should comply with Canada's requirements, and testing for flying back to US should comply with US (CDC) requirements.
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@muffin, thank you for the confirmation. We plan to use it for our upcoming testing requirements.
I feel the availability for multiple people booking together in one appointment would be (much) convenient, and saving both time and money. The bigger the group, the more the savings - one 30 min appt for 8 people is only @ 70.00 Canadian dollars.
Hope this info is useful for some fellow cruisers.
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Add one more option:
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If you have self test kits, this post is an option.
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@cdn_tbird and @gnome12, thank you both!
We have T-Mobile North America plan that covers talk and data in Canada and Mexico. It's coverage map shows strong signal in Vancouver, just hope to confirm it.
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@Ex-Airbalancer , got it. Thank you. Should be a question to US based cruiser.
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@Fouremco, thank you! I was not sure if the "pacific daylight" is the "pacific" listed in the Life Centers' scheduling page.
Can someone advise if there is reliable T-Mobile services around Canada Place? Perhaps we can do proctored tests prior to debarking.
Flying back to US the following day - assuming it will not be easy to find a quite place until we can check into hotel in the afternoon.
Thank you!
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That is great! Thank you!
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So Pacific Time it is. Thank you!
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What about tips? Heard cash in Canadian (vs USD) is preferred. Thanks.
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May I ask what time zone should be used for Vancouver?
Pacific? Did not find "pacific daylight".
Thanks.
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5 hours ago, SightCRR said:
I think you need the ArriveCan within 72 hrs of boarding SB
@SightCRR, thank you! I truly hope HAL will guide us.
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5 hours ago, martincath said:
I'm just hoping that some of the folks who have already traveled this season can confirm whether they completed another ArrCan or not on a cruise excursion, and an Indy excursion by bus, to cross into Canada from Skagway...
@martincath, thank you very much for the specific responses. I too hope to see some cruisetour reports as the season gearing up.
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This is a re-post from the Canada (Alaska/Pacific Coastal) ports of call board.
Hope locals/experienced/cruisers on same boat can help with a sanity check (accuracy and completeness) of our understanding below:
We will be on a 19 day HAL Vancouver roundtrip cruisetour (3 day NB cruise + 9 day land including Yukon + 7 day SB cruise) + (3 nights before + 1 night after) stay in Vancouver. The chronological requirements are:
ArriveCAN : within 72 hrs arriving YVR
ArriveCAN w/ Covid test : within 72 hrs embarking NB cruise (PCR within 72 hrs or rapid test in 2 days)
ArriveCAN : within 72 hrs of Skagway bus into Yukon (assume HAL will assist/remind)
Covid test : within 1 day rapid test flying from Dawson City to Fairbank (assume HAL will assist)
ArriveCAN : within 72 hrs arriving Vancouver on SB cruise (assume HAL will assist/remind)
Covid test : within 1 day rapid test flying back to US
Thanks!
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@martincath, thank you for the quick reply.
Hope you/locals/experienced can help with a sanity check of our understanding below:
We are on a 19 day HAL Vancouver roundtrip cruisetour (3 day NB cruise + 9 day land including Yukon + 7 day SB cruise) + 3 nights before + 1 night after in Vancouver. The chronological requirements are:
ArriveCAN : within 72 hrs arriving YVR
ArriveCAN w/ covid test : within 72 hrs embarking NB cruise (PCR within 72 hrs or rapid test in 2 days)
ArriveCAN : within 72 hrs of Skagway bus into Yukon (assume HAL will assist/remind)
Covid test : within 1 day rapid test flying from Dawson City to Fairbank (assume HAL will assist)
ArriveCAN : within 72 hrs arriving Vancouver on SB cruise (assume HAL will assist/remind)
Covid test : within 1 day rapid test flying back to US
Thanks!
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@martincath, can you share the source for 96 hours as pre-trip threshold for cruises?
I can only find 72 hours per link below:
https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/cruise
We will fly from US east coast to Vancouver Sunday night for Wednesday embarkation. (Time zone difference+flying time. 1 or 2 arrivecan...)
Thank you!
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On 4/6/2022 at 9:50 AM, shuyak said:
@JT1962, thank you for the alert! Will wait to see what arrangements HAL will make for our upcoming Yukon part of the cruisetour.
We received email from HAL this morning informing us the cruisetour Skagway to Fraiser OW train will be replaced by Skagway to Summit RT train. Assuming we will take the RT train ride then bus from Skagway to Whitehorse. 👍
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@JT1962, thank you for the alert! Will wait to see what arrangements HAL will make for our upcoming Yukon part of the cruisetour.
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@Milhouse, thank you very much for the feedback!
We decided guided e-bike tour will be a great introduction of the city; it will also eliminate issues related to renting e-bikes. The tour we look at offers rain cancellation, which alleviate weather related uncertainty.
You are correct about the Sea to Sky tour stops, and the 7.5 hr tour (without traffic) will make it a really long day.
We likely will leave the post-cruise plan open for now and decide after our day 1 touring. Be it HOHO to explorer beyond the core area, e-bike tour to a different route, walking food tour, or just wander around and absorb the beautiful/vibrant city, we will have wonderful memory for certain!
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This is a duplicated posting from Tripadvisor, seeking advise from the local and the experienced. Thank you!
We will stay in Vancouver for 3 nights prior to our 19 night Alaska cruisetour in mid-June 2022. Both Burrard and YWCA have good reviews and with comparable pricing that fit into our budget. Any pros/cons comments from the local and the experienced are appreciated!
Update: With the input from a Tripadvisor contributer, Burrard appears to work better for our plan.
Since our flight will arrive late, we will have 2 and half days pre-cruise, and 1 full day post-cruise prior to the 10 PM red-eye-flight home. Below are our thoughts/tentative plan (we both are in late 60th and ok health):
Pre-cruise:
1st full day: tour around city (Stanley park, Granville Island Public Market, etc.), possibly rent e-bike or join e-bike tour.
2nd full day: join Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain tour.
Half day before boarding: wander around city.
Post-cruise;
In consideration:
(1) Sea to Sky post-cruise tour (will this be much similar to the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain tour?)
(2) Store luggage near port and Hop-on-Hop-off to the areas we missed during pre-cruise and/or would like to revisit .
Any suggestion to further enhance our Vancouver experience will be great!
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@donaldsc, thank you for pointing out the bright sunlight issue, which is a real problem. Wonder if something like sun shade will help for general viewing purpose.🤔
To achieve the described 3D experience, one needs to have good fitting eye glasses, good fitting binoculars, able to quickly locate the object and instantly adjust the focus. I admire your ability and experience!
@don't-use-real-name, the two paths analogy is right on that one needs to honestly evaluate own agility plus own priority to choose the better matched path. Thank you!
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Tag along this discussion with similar needs.
Were evaluating [8x42 binoculars + small point and shoot camera + cell phone] for our 2022 Alaska trip.
With the less choice long eye relief requirement (wearing glasses), having both outdated cameras and cell phones, and the concern of juggling among pieces of equipment, we are leaning toward just upgrading our android cell phones - for some new ones offer very powerful optical zooms (the best we understand has both 3x and 10x).
Does anyone have the experience of using cell phone as binoculars to view wild life, etc.? How good is good enough for non-professional use? Comments and suggestions (Android based) are really appreciated!
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Yes, before our original posting, we checked dog kennel options along the land stops, including Fairbank, Denali [national park (DNP) and the Husky Homestead (HH)], and Anchorage. Similar to other tour offerings in Alaska and Yukon for 2021, most were (1) closed - temporarily or permanently, (2) with reduced schedule and/or program (DNP and HH?), (3) not providing transportation (HH). The availability for 2022 is yet to be seen.
The more we view the dryland sledding videos, the more we wonder if it is what we would appreciate. Husky to us is a pet to be hugged, loved, and to "pull and walk" us. Summer camps have their purpose and function, just we would worry the potential leg injury running on gravel.
Will table this for now. Who knows, we may make an Aurora/Dog Sledding trip somewhere in 2025 when the next time Northern lights peak. 😉
Since our only "will do" tours are NB Juneau glacier/whale/king crab, Fly Delani, and SB Ketchikan snorkling (our only chance due to its age limit), we will continue researching and following the boards in both CruiseCritic and TripAdvisor. Should we encounter specific questions later, will restart a new thread.
We are not looking for the "Best" Alaska trip - it really can't be concluded as such without parallel comparisons of the endless combinations. This and every trip will be as good as we believe it is!
Really appreciate all the feedback from both of you! 🙏
Cruise safely and happily!
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On 7/12/2021 at 4:12 PM, Crew News said:
My favorite Skagway train experience was the one that goes to Lake Bennett with the bus dropping you off to catch the train in Cairncross (small town).
Juneau dog sledding or glacier walk is short but amazing...
On 7/13/2021 at 12:34 PM, oaktreerb said:I agree with Crew News recommendation of the Lake Bennett excursion of the White Pass and Yukon Railroad.
We hope to make an AK dog sledding tour in memory of our beloved syberian husky, named after the Shuyak Island, AK. Are surprised to find most kennels do not have husky as the major (or even the minor) breed though. We only budgeted for one flight excursion and have elected the fly delani.
Will evaluate SB [Skagway Lake Bennet + Juneau dog sledding].
Train seating/photo/meal tips are taken.✏️
On 7/13/2021 at 12:34 PM, oaktreerb said:With an overnight in Skagway you will have plenty of time to enjoy the area. Pick up a hiking guide at the visitor’s center. There are some great hikes rated by difficulty. We enjoyed the easy Smuggler’s Cove/Yakutania Point hike.
Yes, this is the plan for NB Skagway ,✔️
On 7/13/2021 at 12:34 PM, oaktreerb said:you can take an excursion that hikes up the beginning of the Chilkoot Trail to a point along the river where you get into a raft with your group and raft back to Skagway.
and hike/tubing is the backup/supplement plan for SB Skagway. ✔️
On 7/12/2021 at 4:12 PM, Crew News said:The king crab you find in Juneau will be frozen from the local Costco since King Crab season is only wintertime. You can have the same King Crab at the ship's Pinnacle Grill for a lower price.
Unless one can find a super deal, and perhaps just for the environment. 🤔 Our Costco is @ $32.99/lb for size 4-7. (Still remember those $16.99 days)
On 7/12/2021 at 4:12 PM, Crew News said:Dungeoness crab season starts June 15th and will be fresh.
Drawn by the "before" and "after" pictures from the other post, we did a test run with Costco dungeness crab ($13.99/lb). After one and half messy hours, it is evident that our skill won't be perfected in time for an AYCE crab feast.
May try ala carte for the fresh taste especially the season is right.
On 7/12/2021 at 4:12 PM, Crew News said:Consider doing the same and share with CC.
Noted.
May try ala carte for the fresh taste especially the season is right.
Boarding Time?
in Holland America Line
Posted
First time HAL cruisers here.
Boarding time has been changed 4 times already in a month, yet there is still near 2 weeks to go. Although the assigned time appears to be a reference point only, the fluidity make it impossible to schedule a 72 hr pcr test the day we fly out.
Not sure if this constant changing of boarding time is padamic related practice or not since it appears to be the norm with HAL? Perhaps senior mariners can advise.
We have never encountered any change with 3 other lines we have cruised - except once moved up by one day due to Hurricane Sandy.
The frustration of Navigator is still not showing one of our 2nd booking after 5 calls (~1 hr wait each)+ 2 live chats (~30 min wait each)+ an email (near a week ago) to the Navigator.support is another story.
Sorry for the vent.