Stokeset

I was in two separate stores the first week of December (2016) and I purchased nail polish, polish remover, intensive care lotion and some air freshener. Saw some of every kind of personal hygiene product, not a large selection, but I'm pretty certain you could find the basics.

I travel with this that I bought at Wal-mart for less than $5. Very light weight (my jewelry case fits inside it in my suit case). It's 5" L, 2.5" H and 2"D. Holds a lot of stuff

I love Carnival, but you'll likely miss Glacier Bay unless you go with another cruise line. No matter which you choose, if you can go later in the season, you'll likely see more calving from the glaciers. Awesome sight to both see and then seconds later, to hear the cracking sound of splitting ice! DH and I thought before our first Alaskan cruise that we would mark it off our bucket list and we'd move on to other cruises. Already considering when to go back for number # 3.

Met an 80 something year old man on our last Alaskan cruise who said he'd taken over 20 cruises to Alaska. Said he has to keep coming back for all the beauty. I fully understand how he feels. Hope you will too!

Liz

I was on the same ship and same time frame as the OP, but I cannot say we were on the same cruise. Cruise from hell ….. really?

DH and I along with many others around us enjoyed some very good tasting food provided by some of the best servers we’ve ever had; the entertainment was delightful (especially the singers and dancers), and most days, the weather was great. I came home with a nice tan and weighing 3 more pounds.

Yes, there were both mechanical and engineering issues, but all was in good working order by the morning of the last sea day. The captain kept us posted and reassured of our safety. The crew worked so very hard to ensure that our needs were met as quickly as possible. Yes, there were short periods of time the commodes did not flush and there were times we had only tepid (not hot) water. The engineering/mechanical issues did force us to move much slower, thus arriving late to Cozumel, and missing Roatan all together. We made Costa Maya, but due to high winds (30 knots), were unable to dock, as did 2 other cruise ships scheduled that day.

But to top it all off, we were then very nicely compensated for any of the inconveniences.

And in case anyone wonders, I have been on one prior cruise I would almost label the cruise from hell, and it involved several days of 26 foot swells, with over half the crew and passengers extremely sick.

I am reminded of a TV episode where a man has died and has not yet determined if he has gone to heaven or hell. After the opening of several doors, he is finally placed in a room with another couple who are watching their vacation slides…over and over. Yeah, you got it: their heaven, his hell.

I will not hesitate to cruise with Princess or on the Coral again. And those of you that have her booked- I am certain the crew will take very good care of you.

PS: And if you find something unsightly in your cabin, just ask the steward to remove/replace/clean it and please, MOVE ON.

Is there any reason to delay getting on board tomorrow, since there are no passengers to debark? Would love to be on board by 10 AM!

I will be one of those who vote for the train ride; Both Princess and Holland America had glassed domed cars with excellent viewing, comfortable seats, and very good food. Both of our Alaskan land tours were done in the fall, which made for outstanding scenery and why we may have enjoyed it more than others who saw only green (see photos below taken from the train). I will agree that the more time you can spend in Denali, the better; but you really need to be on the Alaska board.

Your best bet for packing recommendations will be on the Alaska board. That being said, my two cents will be like many others who have traveled to Alaska: dress in layers. Make clothes serve more than one purpose. Cuddles duds, long t, turtle neck, thermal vest, wind pants can be your basics for most areas. A rain repellent/thermal jacket will cover the rest for cold weather. Don’t worry about evening attire; it’s more relaxed in Alaska, as your focus is to spend as much time outside as possible. A black turtle neck or T with black slacks and black slippers with various scarves/covers will do nicely for dinner. Add some bling and you will be fine for the dressier nights. I’ll be glad to follow-up with any other questions you may have. Love, love, love Alaska- but so many places… so little time… and, uh, yeah, the money.

Have fun planning and even more fun going!

Liz

I have given your question a great deal of thought, and perhaps it’s semantics, but its seems the way that you have worded your question has all but set the stage for what will occur (disappointment).

Perhaps the better question might be: Will I receive good value for the money I spend with Carnival? I can unequivocally state yes. For if your have selected a cruise that meets your travel requirements: right time, right length, right ports, and right price, then what remains are your own (personal) expectations, which you stated were: “like to people watch and drink beer and eat good food ….” I think you will find that Carnival will surpass your expectations.

Best of luck with your choice, and hope you give Carnival a try,

Liz

If the St Kitts cruise is also in January, and all other things are mostly equal, then I'd take the cruise farthest south. The water will be much cooler in January in the Bahamas, and having done some of the out-islands in Dec thru March, it was hard for me to enjoy being in the water. We snorkeled in St Kitts and had a wonderful time.

I'm sure you'll have fun, no matter which one you choose!

Liz

The island’s open air market has many delightful handmade souvenirs and was a great place to spend several hours.

From one of my prior postings- discussing the souvenirs of Bonaire- (2010).

"There's a husband and wife, Jan and Jannie, in the market who sell underwater photographs, matted and with an envelope from $5 and up. He photographs, she paints (with watercolors), fish and wildlife. I bought three $5 photos and 1 $7.50 of fish, turtles, and jellyfish (all of which we had seen snorkeling) and one of hers of a native bird for $15. They make for the BEST souvenirs, and our grandchildren loved the photo of "the blue fish with teeth."

I also bought soap made of aloe vera. It is wonderful! 2 bars for $7."

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=28088858#post28088858

I am one of those who would like to know- we sail behind you in May. Having sailed Fantasy several times, I'm looking forward to exploring the differences. In case you don't get an adequate response, I hope you will consider posting your findings when you return.

Best of luck, and smooth sailing,

Liz

This would not be classified as a packing mistake, but it does have to do with planning:

After a disappointing snorkeling excursion early in our cruising "career," I now always check water temperature of the ports we're visiting before I pack. I don't do well in water temps less than 80 degrees, so there's no need to pack all the accouterments this entails.

If you and your friends like to snorkel, or want to and have never tried, then try Dead man’s reef at Paradise Cove. There were 6 females in my group and we loved it. A guy named Elvis taught my 67YO friend how to snorkel and she took to it like, well, you know the expression. Good food too! Or you can relax on the beach in a lounge chair. This is family owned business and they'll take good care of you.

http://www.deadmansreef.com/#!freeport-bahamas-things-to-do/cvau

Does anyone know if there is a way to find out on what ship a crew member may now be assigned? I've been thinking about the best waiter we've ever had (several years ago) and wondered if the stars could align for my next Princess booking.

So very glad to hear this news! It's always been the one hold-back for us when looking a potential cruises. When sleeping on theirs, I was reminded of the fairy tale, and this "Princess" could never get comfortable- felt like lots of "peas."

Hello, and thanks everyone for your responses. Just to let you know about another small surprise. I had requested in my fax to Princess and Carnival to please contact me by email with any questions. Two days after my initial post, I received the following email from Carnival, and I must say I am very happy with their immediate reply and in the information they supplied. Keep in mind that our Carnival cruise isn't until November, 2106.

"Thank you for submitting your shareholder brokerage statement. However, the shareholder benefits are currently only applicable to sailings through July 31, 2016. In order to apply your onboard credit on your reservation, you will need to submit a current statement after March 2016 when the new shareholder benefits are released.

Please fax or mail a current statement after that date to fax 305-406-6477 or mail to

Carnival Cruise Lines

Attn: Guest Administration

3655 N.W. 87th Avenue

Miami, FL 33178"

Happy sailings!

Liz

About 3 weeks ago, I set up an investment account through my bank (BOA) with Merrill Lynch. I watched Carnival stock for a while to see if there were any kind of trends, and on 11/22, I transferred money from my bank savings into my investment account. I had to wait 24 hours to verify the transfer, and on 11/24 I purchased 100 shares of Carnival stock (CCL). The next day I was able to print a receipt of purchase. Due to the Thanksgiving holidays, I was unable to fax the verification of purchase to both Princess and Carnival for our 2016 cruises until 12/1. Went on-line this morning (12/3), and (WOW!) we already have the on-board credit with Princess for our upcoming cruise in 58 days. Was that fast or what!!!??? I was expecting it to take weeks, and I had it in less than 48 hours.

The only regret: just wished I had done it YEARS ago! It only cost me $6.95 for the purchase and about 20 minutes of my time to set up the online investment account.

Now if I can just figure out how to weed through Carnival’s website to see if our other credit has been applied……

Hope this may help someone who's been on the fence.

And it's great to be booked with Princess again-looking forward to spending time on Coral.

I am looking into this site for Feb '16. Was in this small village many years ago before it became a cruise port. Anxious to see how much it's changed.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g499450-d3844947-Reviews-Maya_Chan_Beach-Mahahual_Costa_Maya_Yucatan_Peninsula.html

Did whitewater rafting and never thought to bring foot or hand warmers.

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/products/hand-warmers.jsp

Enjoy Alaska, there 's no place like it!

Just a reminder, but the points can count toward affiliate cruise lines also. Received and used points in booking our most recent HAL land/cruise.

This an overview of our land/sea cruise to Alaska with HAL (D2L). I will try to mention or clarify some of the information that I found useful prior to this trip, or those things that I would have liked to have known before hand. Everyone on this board was extremely helpful, so I’m gonna try to pay it forward. I did a review of our ship on the HAL board if you want specific info about cruising the Oosterdam.

Wed 9/2: Arrived Anchorage @ 7:30 PM and was met by the HAL rep at luggage. Within 30 minutes we were on a bus and making the rounds to several other hotels before we were dropped off at the REAR of the Westmark Hotel. (Initially, I was put off by the hotel’s appearance, not realizing where we were, but later the next day when I saw the front lobby, I changed my mind.) We were held in the back entrance waiting area from @ 10 minutes where we were given our travel packets, room keys and directions for what to expect the next day. We had 2 very comfortable queen beds and all the amenities of standard hotel, much like a Holiday Inn, etc: coffee machine, hair dryer, iron/board and free Wi-fi for guests. I had made a list of restaurant recommendations for dinner, but as we had eaten dinner on the plane and were very tired from a long day of flying, we grabbed some crackers from the vending machine and promptly went to bed.

Thurs 9/3: Luggage needed to be in the hallway by 6AM and we had 2 pieces- one was going into storage to be delivered later to our ship’s cabin, the other was going by van to HAL’s resort in Denali. We carried a small backpack and an over sized purse for the train. At @ 8:15AM, we were picked up by a bus, and after a small delay, were confirmed by radio that we could board, and so we were transferred to our assigned car and seats, where you have to go up a flight of curved stairs. (There were some that had difficulty getting up to the second level, as the steps were a little steep). As we pulled out of the station, our tour guide as well as the bartender and wait staff introduced themselves, explained time frames and what to expect, and so we sat back and waited for scenery. And we were not disappointed! Just a lovely trip! Both breakfast and lunch in the dining car (located below us) were so delicious. We made use of the bar as well. Hot chocolate and Kahlua makes for great sipping as one surveys the vastness of the tundra and the mountains!

While on board, and just prior to arriving in Denali, we were given our room location, keys, and assigned bus for transfer to the McKinley Chalet Resort. We were in the Canyon, second floor. Our luggage was in the room when we arrived. Again 2 queens, fairly comfortable, and all amenities, but no wi-fi. You have to go to the lodge for that. The laundry room was conveniently just 3 doors away, which we made use of the night before our departure. ($1 each to wash and dry) We walked over to the Princess resort next door and had dinner in one of their restaurants we had visited in 2006. The food was great! It was also great to get out and walk about; we could have made use of the resort’s vans (runs every 10 minutes) to take us to dinner, but as the weather was good and it was not yet dark- it felt good to move. Afterwards, we went across the street to the ice cream shop and had some for dessert.

Fri 9/4: the trip into Denali (TWT): I’m glad that we decided to grab some sandwiches from Subway to take with us. We also had breakfast there, which was very tasty. The substantial snack provided by the tour folks is just that: several bags of different flavored chips, some gouda spread and hummus, a pack of cookies and a small bag of dried fruit with water to drink. It’s about a 9 hour day, so consider your appetite when planning. Our day started out overcast and drizzling, but cleared at times for almost full sun. It was an amazing trip: saw Dall sheep, moose, caribou, and at least 4 grizzly sightings, one which was directly beside and under us as we crossed a bridge; we did not get to see the mountain. Our driver was very informative and accommodating; there were at least two potty breaks each way and lots of photo opportunities. There’s also a gift shop at one of the return potty breaks. By the time we returned to the hotel, it was misting, but we hazarded a walk back over to the same restaurant as the night before and had another good meal.

Sat 9/5: We picked up a bagel and coffee and some other snacks at the coffee shop located about 3 minutes from our room. Later in the AM, we walked about the shops, had lunch at the lodge. I had booked the Canyon Whitewater rafting tour through HAL on line, but DH couldn’t make it due to an eye problem. I went alone and it was exhilarating! This was class 3-4 waterfalls, which I have done before, but never in water as cold as this. It was a beautiful fall day; the sun was shining (this was the 1:30 tour) and the fall colors were really beginning to pop. There were 8 of us and we were provided dry suits with foot liners as well as boots; the guide did all the oaring. They tell you to wear/bring an extra pair of socks. But this is what I would do next time: bring some of the hand/ foot warmers (http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=67462476) and slip them into socks and gloves. Bring your own rubber kitchen gloves as well as a pair of lightweight cloth gloves to wear under them, as your hands will get wet, and in our case, we weren’t provided “dry” gloves. Also, one of my boots had a small leak, and although my sock remained dry, my foot was beginning to get pretty cold half way through. Was it worth the cost? Yes! Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! Def one of the highlights of the trip.

Sun 9/6: Luggage had to be in the hall by 6AM. We were up by 5, and were fortunate enough to step outside and see the northern lights. A small trail of lime-green light crept its way from North to South, and we watched it for at least 15 minutes. I felt so blessed to have seen it! Anticipating a long day, we had a full breakfast at the lodge restaurant and then later, at 8:30 met our bus out front for our ride to Seward. There is no getting around this drive, but HAL makes it as comfortable as possible. Less than an hour into the ride, and after watching a movie about Alaska, we pulled over at the war memorial and rest stop and the Mountain was out in all its glory. Everyone was so happy to get photographs of what we thought we had surely missed! Yet another blessing. Snacks and water were provided at this stop and we continued until @ lunch time, where we pulled off the main road for maybe a 10 minute ride to a designated restaurant for a sandwich buffet. The food was good and the warm cookies even better. Next door to the restaurant is a convenience store, so many passengers took this opportunity to purchase carry-ons: water, soft drinks, and wine; I bought some chap stick and DH needed an antihistamine, so it worked well for us. Another pit stop or two, and at 5:05, we were pulling into the parking lot of the pier for boarding. Less than 10 minutes after getting off the bus, we were walking up the gangway in a light mist and heading to our state room, both pieces of luggage awaiting our unpacking.

Mon 9/7: sea day- how relaxing

Tues- 9/8: Glacier Bay- started off foggy, but by 11AM the sun was out and it was a gorgeous day to view the glaciers and the mountains. On the sunny side of the ship out of the wind, it felt like it was in the 70’s. I wore sun glasses most of the day, a windbreaker jacket and a stocking cap in the morning, but not in the afternoon.

Wed 9/9 Haines: I had booked the Kroschel Wildlife Center with HAL prior to the cruise. We met out transport bus at 11, took a 30 minute bus ride to the reserve, and proceeded to be introduced to their wolf, hawk, moose, lynx, sable, mink, otter, moose and badger. (and that’s not all the animals). Lasted about an hour and 15 minutes. Very enlightening and enjoyable.

Thurs 9/10 Juneau: A repeat of Harv and Marv’s from 2006, this time with one of the daughters, Jayleen as the captain, and Emily as first mate and primary instructor. It was a very rainy day, but we were well appointed with ponchos and got lots of photos and videos of whales (even saw a lone one feeding), a pod of Orcas with a big bull going at an unusually slow pace, and dall porpoises running along with our boat at incredibly fast speeds. Our driver took us by Mendenhall afterwards, but it was so rainy and misty it was almost impossible to see the glacier. But the waterfall was roaring and violent looking with all the rain from the past several days. Several of the trails were flooded. It was an awesome day!

Fri- 9/11 Ketchikan: Even more rain! Donned our jackets and ponchos and headed to Creek Street. Got a photo of my husband under the street sign “Married Man’s Trail.” Bought some really nice souvenirs, walked some more about the town, and as the weather kept worsening, we called it a day and returned to the ship for some hot toddies.

Thanks everyone. Hope that something of what I’ve written helps others with their plans. Will be glad to answer any questions, and again, if you want to know more about our experiences on board the Oosterdam, please see my posting on the HAL board.

Happy Journeys,

Liz

Thanks for your review. Will be sailing on her in 30 days!!

Will you be doing the 10 or 21 day cruise? I absolutely love Bonaire- best snorkeling ever! Hope you have a wonderful time.

Liz

Oh dear! OP "flew home with the band". Was there a replacement band or is that it for BBKing for the next (and last of the season) Alaska Cruise? :confused: Glad to see that your trip was successful in most ways!

I didn't get to ask the members the circumstances, but as the ship was returning to Seward, I'm guessing they had completed their scheduled time and another band was coming in.

DH and I returned in the early hours Monday from our Alaska land sea excursion with HAL (D2L). I’ll be posting the specifics of that trip on the Alaska board later this week, but wanted to post on the HAL board first, as this was our first time with this cruise line and we were excited to experience all they had to offer. First of all, thanks to the veteran HAL cruisers and specifically, those that have sailed the Oosterdam for all the info provided prior to this adventure. She is a lovely ship and we enjoyed our time on board.

We found Capt Michiel Willems to be exceptionally personable, and who I understand is new to this ship; the crew appear to be adapting well to new leadership, as I did not note any side-bar conversations of discord, unhappy faces, or undertones of complaints in my conversations with crew members or in walking about. Having recently experienced and adjusted to a similar change in my own work, I know the signs of an unhappy crew, and all I saw were some very hard working people striving to please their customers and provide a memorable experience.

Having sailed other lines and classes of ships, I noticed the differences and was able to make what I feel are honest comparisons. The Oosterdam is a very classic ship, its use of wooden paneling in the décor reminding me of what one would have found in a bygone era. Reinforcing this traditional perspective is the lovely promenade deck that completely encircles the ship and the numerous alcoves that provide areas for private conversations or time alone. Because there is no centralized atrium ascending the height of the ship, I found it difficult to maintain my bearings on this ship, which is normally not a problem for me. I suppose this is because I am a visual and global learner, and I need a point of reference. Others may not find this to be a problem, but it took me about 3 days to feel confident in my chosen directions.

We made great use of the Crow’s Nest: kudos to Miguel for his fine bar-tending skills; Explorations Café with Czara having my early morning coffee preference down-pat by day 2; the library- I especially enjoyed working on the 1000 piece puzzles on those rainy early mornings/late evenings.

We did early seating on the upper level of the dining room- table for two. I want to point out that we always request a table for two when we cruise, and this is the very first time we got what we wanted from night one. Seems in the past we’ve had to wait/struggle to have this preference met. Also, we noted that tables for two appeared to be plentiful, which was unique in our experience. We found the food to be very good, and in this department, I will not make a blanket statement that one cruise line’s food is better/worse than another. I am a foodie and understand that serving hundreds of people at a given time is a difficult task, so for any chef and staff to maintain uniqueness to the dishes is nigh on impossible. Hot foods were delivered hot and cold delivered cold; food was well flavored and some night’s dishes were far superior to others. We have found this to be true on all cruise lines we’ve experienced. We did make use of the Pinnacle for one meal and I’d rank that as one of the best we’ve ever had on a cruise.

We had a balcony (8026) and were very pleased with the roominess and features. Handa and Dewa provided professional and unobtrusive service. The bed and pillows were extremely comfortable, far surpassing other cruise lines we’ve been on. Thanks to whatever powers that be who make these decisions- a good night’s rest can make all the difference when traveling!

We attended a majority of the shows and found them delightful. Enjoyed some “down” time in BB King’s (flew home with the band), and lost some/won some in the casino. Met some delightful folks from all over the world and enjoyed their company on both the inland and cruise portions. Will not hesitate to recommend or use HAL in the future. Again, thanks to all who contributed.

I'll admit when I first saw this feature I thought it would allow me to email my schedule, much like plane reservations, and was disappointed when I could not. However, I have Foxfire, and it did print, but excruciatingly slow. Listed all arrival and departure times, our bookings and excursions, and even DH's birthday. Maybe give it another go, wash a load of clothes, and come back to see?

Good luck!

Liz