Lady_Jag

Me too! I walked in Elizabeth, New Jersey (at Newark Airport) without incident - sketch if there ever was a sketchy area! You should be fine. Do you wear ear buds? Perhaps keep one ear open, just as a precaution. :)

Good point! I do wear earbuds, but keep the volume low.

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Just be aware that the crack of dawn may be about 0430-0445. Actual sunrise in June will be 0500-0515.

 

Since I am wide awake at the first sign of light in the morning, I usually wear an eye mask this time of year. LOL

Thanks! I'm on EDT (FL) so 5AM PDT is actually sleeping in for me. [emoji6]

but if it were me and I was inclined to go jogging (which I am not--if you ever see me running, you can assume a grizzly bear or a lava flow isn't far behind me), I wouldn't worry too much about an early-morning jog there.

LOL! My husband says the same thing - that if I ever see him running, I'd better turn and run with him because that means something really awful is behind him! :D

Thanks for the input, everyone!

Thank you!

It's the Best Western - Executel, SeaTac

Hi!

I am staying at a Seattle hotel near SeaTac next month, and need to know a little about the area.

I get up at the crack of dawn and go for about an hour walk/jog every day, but since I've never been to Seattle before, I was wondering if this is a safe area to be out and about alone at dawn? Also, are there sidewalks or bike/walking trails along the roadside?

(I'd really prefer not to deal with the hotel gym. Ick!)

Thanks!

Usually, I don't care who the CD is, but I was looking forward to sailing with John Heald as CD on the Legend in .June. Now I'm disappointed that he won't be there until July.[emoji17]

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I thought that lends takes a 77mm filter.

 

The only challenge I had was the wet August weather in Alaska. Just got myself one of those Sigma WR filters. Can't wait to test it in the rain to see how well it disperses water on the lens.

The 67mm lens hood fit perfectly. My friend bought the exact same lens and a 72mm hood that was supposed to fit, but it was way too big,

I have a camera sleeve for the wet weather. Hope that's all I'll need.

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Love my Nikon 18-300mm.

Me too! I bought a 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor Lens 2 months ago for my Nikon and plan to make it the only lens I take with me to Alaska!

I'm flying cross country from FL to Seattle and don't want to worry about multiple lenses in my carry-on. Plus this lens saves me so much time and frustration because I don't have to change from my 18-55 mm lens to my 35-200mm lens AND it gives me an even greater zoom! At almost $900, I had to think long and hard about purchasing it, but I'm glad I did!

The only cons I've encountered thus far has been that it's heavier (of course!) than either of my other lenses (but still not as heavy as carrying multiple lenses) and none of my filters or lens hood fit it. (I had to buy a new 67mm lens.)

I've used this lens to photograph a golf tournament, a weekend youth conference, and, at the request of my priest, Easter Sunday Mass at my church. The pictures are outstanding, even in the low light settings of the church, and thanks to the 300mm zoom, I was able to be a stealthy ninja photographer at all 3 events.

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I'm still planning our upcoming cruise for June, but here's what I have planned thus far. Note that there are 4 of us in the group, including my mom, who has limited mobility, and my daughter, who just turned 9:

Saturday:

Depart Florida at ~10:00am EDT. Layover in Denver almost 4 hours later at 11:45 MDT. Grab lunch at the airport and change planes, which departs @~2:00pm MDT and arrives in Seattle 3 hours later @~4:00pm PDT. (Yes, 7 hours of total flight time! So *not* looking forward to this part!)

Call hotel shuttle and check in at Best Western Executel Sea-Tac, then grab dinner.

Two choices after dinner: Bullwinkle's Family Fun Center for 9yo (I have a Groupon.) or hang out at the hotel and enjoy the indoor pool then call it an "early" night.

Sunday: Seattle

Breakfast at the hotel, then Woodland Park Zoo or Seattle Aquarium, depending on our mood and the weather. Ride one of the ferries and maybe visit the Space Needle in the evening. Plans for activities are flexible and depend on how my mom is feeling and whether she opts to use her wheelchair or her cane. Might consider renting a car. If we skipped Bullwinkle's on Sat, we might give it a try Sun. Evening.

Monday: Seattle

Pike Place market first thing in the am. Maybe a HOHO trolley tour to catch various other sites in the city. Again, we'll have to play it by ear, depending on mom's health.

Tuesday: Cruise Embarkation!

I've reserved a shuttle (Seattle Express) from our hotel to the pier for $12/adult (9yo is free.) check out of hotel and take the shuttle to the pier. I am Platinum status, so we should be in the first group to board. Go to Guest Services on board and ask for balcony divider to be opened. Go to Shore Excursions and book Behind the Fun tour for me and DH. Drop off luggage in cabins, lunch on board, then get reacquainted with the ship (Carnival Legend). DD will want to swim and/or ride the slide. I will hang back with mom and decorate cabins/unpack. Enjoy whichever onboard activities strike our fancy.

Wednesday: Day @Sea

Enjoy balcony views and any onboard activities, as desired. Take mom to afternoon tea. DD will likely want to be in and around the water areas.

Thursday: Tracy Arm Fjord

Repeat of Wednesday, enjoying the views from our balconies.

Friday: Skagway

We booked the "Best of Skagway-Rail Summit, Trail Camp, Salmon Bake" tour that includes a train ride to the summit, a stop in Liarsville with a salmon bake, and a return via bus.

Saturday: Juneau

I booked a Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier Photo Safari for just me. The rest of my group will be exploring on their own - possibly the aerial tram.

Sunday: Ketchikan

Nothing booked yet. We might just catch a cab to some of the totem spots as soon as we get off the ship. Do a little shopping, perhaps.

Monday: Victoria, BC

We are here from only 7:30pm-midnight, so we're going to wing it. I doubt my mom and DD will be up for too much of an adventure so late in the evening, but we'll see.

This might be the Behind The Fun tour day, if it wasn't on Wednesday.

Tuesday: Seattle/Debarkation.

Seattle Express will pick us up at the pier and take us to the airport. Our flight leaves at ~11:30am PDT and arrives 4.5 hours later in Nashville around 6:00pm CDT. We'll have dinner somewhere in the airport, then board a plane home at 8:00pm CDT to arrive back in FL 1.5 hours later at 10:30pm EDT. Total time in flight: 6 hours. [emoji53]

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Wow! Thank you all for the great info! There's a lot of good stuff to digest here. I hadn't considered renting a car, but that would definitely be a good option.

Thanks! [emoji1]

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Looking for some pointers, please! We are cruising to Alaska the second week of June and will be arriving in Seattle a few days before embarkation so that we can enjoy some of the sites. Travelers include me and hubby (40-somethings), DD who recently turned 9, and my mom (65), who has some mobility issues. (Mom will have a "companion" wheelchair, as she can't walk long distances or stand for very long periods of time.)

We are flying out of Florida late Saturday morning (EDT), arriving around 4:00pm PDT and staying at a hotel near Sea-Tac. What would be the best way to spend our days without wearing out either my mom or my daughter before we even board the cruise ship Tuesday morning? Here are some of the ideas I've been kicking around:

• The market and the space needle are on our list of must-sees. I thought we would do these and whatever other attractions we happened across in the downtown area on Monday, our only weekday there. We plan to hit the market first, then the space needle, and then maybe catch a ferry in the afternoon.
   
  I'm a bit concerned about the crowds and maneuvering mom's wheelchair, but we will have to make it work. How wheelchair accessible is public transportation to and in downtown Seattle, by the way? Keep in mind that Mom can stand and walk on her own, but stairs are a challenge. (Not impossible, but a bit tough.)
  
• DD wants to go to "Bullwinkle's Family Fun Center." I originally thought maybe we can spend a little time there Saturday evening after dinner and get it out of the way first, but after getting to and checking into our hotel, then grabbing a bite to eat and finding transportation there, we might have to give into the jet lag and call it an "early" night. (8pm PDT = 11:00pm EDT!) So maybe push this activity to Sunday evening instead?
  
• Sunday, I thought we'd take a trip to the Woodland Park zoo, if it's not raining. Not sure what our plan B is though? Maybe a children's museum or the Seattle aquarium? Like any child, DD is more of a "doer" than an "observer," whereas my mom needs to take the less active, observer route. This makes finding something that makes everyone happy a bit tricky at times!
  

Is this a logical plan? Any other suggestions? I am trying not to over-schedule our visit and still get the most out of our time in Seattle.

Thanks!

In a similar discussion I had with someone on here - it's only a deal if you are going to do those things anyway. Make sure you want to do these attractions ... and ask yourself if you are going just to get the value out of the ticket.

This is great advice! Also consider whether you have enough time to do all those things. I was going to get City Passes for my family of 4 for our 2-1/2 days in Seattle before we cruise. After careful consideration, though, realized that the first day would likely be a wash after flying in from the East coast, so I would be cramming a LOT into those remaining 2 days. Add to it that my mom has mobility issues and my daughter is only 9, and realistically, we'll probably get to only 2 of the attractions on the pass.

How about one of these Kyss Bags? I've seen them recommended frequently on these boards

 

http://kyssbags.com/

This is what I use - not only for beach time but also when on the ship, in case I want to take a dip in the pool or soak in the hot tub and don't want to leave my stuff (iPad, camera, etc.) without some sort of security.

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I know you have your answer, but I want to warn you that when you get your check to sign at the end of the meal, there will be a line that reads, "Gratuity (optional)" which can be confusing. Hubby asked 2 of the wait staff if the gratuity was already included or if he needed to add it himself, and both people skirted the question with a vague "gratuity is optional" response. So yeah - gratuity is included in the price, but if you want to tip additional, there will also be a gratuity line on your bill.

Enjoy!

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pop up hampers?

 

 

 

What I did in the past was take large outdoor black trash bags and the dry dirty laundry went in there. I did laundry halfway through... only ended up being a load or two... then on the last day I did laundry... again, only a load or two. I then threw away the black trash bags and packed my clothes all clean and fresh so when I got home they got a little spray of downy wrinkle releaser and went straight back to the closets.

 

I don't know if I would really use the pop up hampers... but have you guys ever taken the collapsible cubes? storage bins? I was considering this.....

I use a collapsible bin from the dollar store to hold all the papers, charger cables, trinkets and stuff that likes to run rampant on the desk. It keeps the room neat and frees up desk/counter space, plus makes it easier to find the stuff DH always dumps from his pockets after returning from port. When it comes time to pack, the bin folds flat and goes into the suitcase without taking up any space.

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Just go to the Carnival fare viewer. I think the address is carnival.com/bookingengine/fareviewer#. If that's not right google "carnival.com fareviewer."

Don't hold your breath. I'd love to see a price drop too, but I don't think they will roll one out for president's day. Here's hoping, though! :D

We embarked on Easter on the Legend last year. Maybe because it was embarkation day there was nothing special but they didn't do a thing. We ate in the Steakhouse though.

 

 

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We were on the Legend a few years ago and embarked Easter day. We had the same experience - outside of the employees in the terminal wearing bunny ears (and the security guard pulling my little girl into the "naughty room" and making her cry) there was nothing remarkable done for the holiday. :(

Ah, memories! We sailed the Celebration out of Jax in 2004. It was my favorite Carnival ship.

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My list for our upcoming Alaska cruise is a bit different than our normal cruises out of Florida, since it's a once in a lifetime sort of thing. We splurged by taking my mom with us and getting 2 "bowling ally" balcony cabins. (Usually we scrimp by getting an OV or IS for just me, hubby, and DD.)

We're also splurging by allowing for 2 excursions, whereas we usually scrimp by going off on our own or booking a cheap 3rd party tour.

And of course we're splurging with 7-hour flights across the country to Seattle, plus 3 night hotel stay, whereas we usually drive to port day of or night before.

Some things we always scrimp on:

- Pre-cruise travel: There are 2 home ports within 2 hours of our house, and two more 3-4 hours from home, so we usually drive day of, or sometimes the night before if I get a good Priceline hotel deal.

Cruise rate - We often book either IS or OV cabins using ES about a year in advance. Then I watch the rates like a hawk and fill out the form if it drops even $1. Our upcoming cruise, I was able to cash in on one of my loyalty points program and buy $100 Carnival gift cards for $90 each. I purchased 2 gift cards with each pay check and in the end saved 10% off the total cost of both cabins (saved over $600!)

- Food/drink: We seldom buy bar drinks, sodas, or specialty dining/desserts, if at all. We also rarely eat meals in port, unless we're away from the ship for a long time.

- Spa: With exception on 2 separate cruises, we never get any of the spa services.

- Gambling: We don't play bingo and usually stay out of the casino. If we try our luck, then it's limited to $50 the duration of the cruise.

- Souvenirs: We don't buy much on board (usually an ornament or a pin) and look for bargains if we shop in port at all. Except for maybe the embarkation photo, we don't buy pictures either.

Some things we splurge on:

-Gratuities: We reward exceptional service with a note of thanks and extra tips.

- Kids club: We usually let DD participate in the extra fee "Night Owl" party once during the cruise, if she wants to.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

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Are you sure ? Seattle Express has never had service from SeaTac to the pier in the past nor does their web site indicate such service. Shuttle Express has this route

 

Seattle Express only takes passengers from partner hotels to the pier. After the cruise they drop off at SeaTac and partner hotels.

You are correct. I will be at one of the partner hotels neighboring Sea-Tac pre-cruise: Best Western Airport Executel at Sea-Tac, so they'll pick us up there and return us to the airport after the cruise.

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I just got a quote from Seattle Express and I thought they gave me a very good price. Booked them for two different cruises including SeaTac to hotel, hotel to train station, hotel to pier and pier back to SeaTac.

Same here. $12 each way between SeaTac and the pier. Kids are 1/2 price and you don't pay until you board the shuttle. They told me they could accommodate my mom's wheelchair too.

I've totally seen them too! That's a big part of why I don't want to use one on board. Plus it's good to walk off a few of those extra calories, and hauling a toddler up the stairs should help :p

 

 

 

My husband informs me that we did take a stroller with my older DD, and I have apparently just forgotten it entirely (I did have a baby since then, with the associated memory loss!). I don't think renting one on the ship would work for us, just because the main place we would want to use it is the airport.

 

 

 

Now I just need to figure out what to do about the car seat situation! We haven't decided if we are renting a car or taking a shuttle, but I'd love to figure out some way that I don't have to drag car seats on and off the ship!

I forgot how old your little one is, but we got a small lightweight car seat for Dd when she first started cruising at age 3. It was like $20 at KMart and very basic - no back or cup holders or any extras. We brought a couple of bungee cords to attach it to the back or the stroller and it worked fine while in port. We attached one of our luggage tags to it for embarkation/debarkation. It served us well for many cruises until DD was old enough to be without a car seat.

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Another vote for umbrella stroller. Second option would be to rent one on the ship and not bother trying to fly with one.

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We take our grandsons' monkeys and then each Christmas we make a book of the travels of... Our grandsons absolutely love reading about the antics of their monkeys :D even if we do feel very silly setting up the photo shoots, we do it out of love.

Precious! What a wonderful treasure for your grandsons! [emoji4]

We brought DD's Elf on The Shelf on our last cruise. She's 8 and looks forward to her elf, Julian, coming to see her after Thanksgiving. Julian had a good time folding towel animals and writing messages on the mirror while we were at sea.

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