RoperDK

Not exactly what you asked for, but you might like to consider another approach.  We flew in 3 days early, so had a day to explore Anchorage first. On our second day (your first) we took the train to Whittier and spent the night at The Inn at Whittier.  It is a quirky town with a fantastic history.  There are several tours there.  We enjoyed the 26 glacier tour very much.  You can take it the day you arrive on the train or the next day before boarding the ship.  The town is small with a lovely fishing boat harbor. The Inn is beautiful and as quirky as the town.  Great seafood at the restaurant.  We are so glad we took this unusual detour.        

 http://innatwhittier.com/

Thank you rkacruiser and martincath!  Yes, it is clearer to me. So, not a typical within the US flight situation, but doable with porters and pushers.  I actually was transferred on a "sealed" bus from our last Alaska cruise.  We were flying out of Seattle and disembarked in Vancouver. Left our bags outside our cabin the night before debarkation and never saw them again until the Seattle airport.  I don't remember going through clearance at Vancouver.  We boarded the bus and at the border a customs agent boarded the bus and did a check of our passports.  The luggage storage area had a "seal" on it so we didn't have to remove luggage. It was a smooth operation.  I guess I will have to have a lot of handy tip money for all of the people who will assist me along the way.  So nice to still be able to travel, even with a disability. Thanks so much for your help!

We booked with Chilkoot Bennett Scenic Journey when we cruised to Skagway a few years ago. We chose the bus up and train back.  We loved it!  We are hopefully cruising to Alaska again in August 2021 and would like to repeat the excursion.  Reasons for choosing Chilkoot over the cruise line and others were:

1. Smaller tour experience.

2. Transportation to and from ship, train tickets, meal, etc. were all included in the purchase price.

3. Chilkoot usually got the whole caboose for their small number of clients.  This was a highlight for us!  It was uncrowded and you could move around the car as you liked. Most importantly, we enjoyed having the view out of the back of the caboose on the outside platform.  I spent most of the train ride outside with wide open views.      

Do they still get the caboose most of the time?  Does more ships in port with late port departures matter? Thanks!     

21 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

re you asking about arriving at Vancouver?  Are you asking about leaving Vancouver?

Well, actually both.  I just can't get the picture of luggage and customs.  Years ago when I was in the military and traveled to Germany, we had to collect all of our luggage and drag it around before and during customs checks. I can't picture how wheelchair assist works with that. In other words, does luggage drop of and pick up work like a US airport with a luggage less customs check in between? Thanks!   

29 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

This was my first trip that I needed such assistance.  I ain't as young as I used to be.

 

My first realization was from my flight from DAY to MSP.  Delta changed their DAY gates and I walked to my "former" gate area and had to find my way to the new gate area which was at the furthest gate it could have possibly been.  I was worn out, but I made it.  Arriving at MSP, I thought my gate for the Vancouver flight was close to my arriving gate; a friendly cart attendant told me, "hop in, it's farther than you think".  It was.  Arriving at Vancouver, soon after leaving the plane, I could see that the "journey" to C&I and baggage claim was more than I could endure, I was able to hop aboard another Delta cart which got me through C&I, baggage claim, and to the exit where the HAL shore staff member hailed a taxi and sent me on my way to the Pan Pacific. 

 

It was an unsettling experience at first.  Not easy to recognize, "one is not as young as one once was".  But, I accepted that I needed to contact my travel agent and make more accommodating arrangements for when I returned home.  I did and my trip ended well! 

My problem is my right knee.  It is fine, until it isn't.  I'm sure you understand that.  Lately, walking through endless airports, on and off ships, and trekking around ports is just too much.  I would rather "save" my knee for exploration than to waste it on the getting there and back mileage.  Can you tell me about Vancouver C&I?  I don't have a clear picture in my mind.  In the old days you had to collect your luggage and proceed through customs.  Do you still do that or do you clear another way?  How would you do wheelchair assist and handle your luggage, too?  Thanks in advance!   

21 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

A 1:20 departure is quite doable, and is not considered an "early" flight.

 

Princess will help you along the way....with your bags and getting you off the ship, and on to your bus. All cruise lines do this. Your airline and the airport will be the one that helps you at the airport. There will be wheelchair assists at Vancouver.

40 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

August, 2019, I required wheelchair assistance at disembarkation in Vancouver and wheelchair assistance at Vancouver's airport.  (I was sailing on Coral Princess.)

 

Everything worked smoothly.  Disembarking the ship with a crew members help, I was taken to the Princess transfer bus to the airport.  At the airport, a Princess ground staff member was there to assist me.  Had to step on an escalator to get from ground level to the baggage claim/check-in area.  Another Princess ground staff member met at that location, put me in a wheelchair while she collected my luggage and took me to check-in.  After check-in, I had a short wait until another staff member took me through security and got me to my gate.  From there, I was on my own, although I was permitted to board the aircraft at first call.  

 

Had wheelchair assist request at MSP and at my final destination, DAY.  All were provided and the staff members were waiting for me at the end of the jetway.  (Airline was Delta.)

 

At DAY, even though it was close to Midnight, the Delta staff member stayed with me until the van from the parking company where I parked the car arrived and took care of the luggage.

 

After embarking the ship, I would check with the Front Desk, as you have time to do so, to ensure that your travel plans have been properly recorded by your ship.  A call to your airline before departure would also help to assure you that "all is good".

 

Worry not RoperDK.

Thank you both so much. I have never flown needing wheelchair assistance and it seems so overwhelming to me. Glad to hear that both the cruise line and the airports went out of their way to help.

On the Royal Princess (Saturday arrival).  Flight is at 1:20 to the US.  I have difficulty walking long distances.  Was planning on taking the Princess transfer because they pick up and load luggage for you.  Does Princess have an early transfer for early flights?  There is no way for me to handle luggage and take public transportation.  I will get wheelchair assist for debarkation at the port.  Is this flight doable?  Is there wheelchair assist at Vancouver?  Any other suggestions for me and our group of 4 adults?  Thanks!     

On 7/21/2020 at 12:46 AM, Nicole&Pete said:

That is annoying that there is no Alfredo’s on Regal and the balcony size sounds very small to me. 

 

I have been on the Regal and they definitely have Alfredo's.  It is a free sit down restaurant right off the Piazza on Fiesta Deck.  There is no charge and they have salads, pizzas, pasta dishes, calzones and wonderful tiramisu.  There is also a traditional walk up pizza place on lido deck. The interactive TV is great. So much to choose from. Yes, the balconies are too small.  We get around that by booking a mid-ship mini-suite with angled balcony.  Don't know why Princess thought that 4 foot deep balconies were a good idea.     

Well, this is an interesting thread.  I just booked a back to back on the Royal out of Vancouver for August 2021.  Why doesn't this ship cruise the inside passage?  Either way?  Also, can you explain the customs procedures for a Vancouver embarked cruise? My only other Alaska cruise embarked at Whittier on the Coral.  I considered booking the Coral, but really like the Royal Class.  I have an extended angled balcony mini suite.  While we enjoyed the Coral, I found the food in the buffet to be sub par.  The Coral was showing its age back then, also.  I like the many food options on the Royal.  I don't care about the indoor pool.  No other ships were on my preferred list.  Any other differences on a back to back on Royal compared to Coral?  Thanks!  

Can't seem to find anything in searches.  Is it allowable to embark in Vancouver on a Northbound Alaska cruise and stay on the ship for the Southbound trip leaving out of Whittier and ending in Vancouver? Does it violate the Passenger Vessel Services Act?  I don't recall any trip reports of people doing this.  We would fly in and out of Seattle and have Princess transport us to and from the ship. 

Thanks!  

On 5/28/2020 at 12:59 PM, tybrkr17 said:

Hey Cruisers - especially cruisers who have sailed on the Spirit class ships - I need your help!

 

1). Normal balcony or extended balcony?  Or is a suite worth the price? (I am still Gold with Carnival, so I do not have platinum/diamond perks yet.)

2.) Which deck do you prefer? (I do not mind stairs or walking long distances. I rarely take the elevator anyways so I don't need to be by one.)

3.) Port? Starboard? Aft?

4.) Any specific cabin category or specific balcony room you have stayed in and loved?

 

Thanks you all 😎

 

 

Your cruise sounds wonderful! I've never done that itinerary so can't recommend one side or the other.  I've cruised many times on Spirit class ships though and have several cabin types that we always book. As far as not needing a balcony on port intensive cruises, I want to add that sitting on your balcony while the ship arrives or departs ports is a big deal to us.  We love our little slice of outside, so we always book at least a balcony.  I would avoid the couple of lower decks that have the life boats obstructing your view from the balcony.  The extended balconies are 2 feet deeper. We like them, but not necessary for us.  We usually book suites now.  We love the extra room, but we spend more time in our cabin then we used to.  Carnival's suite benefits are pretty slim compared to other cruise lines.  Only you can decide if the extra dollars are worth it to you.  I've listed my favorite Sprit class cabins, they go fast.     

1.  Vista Suites are the best!  Aft wraparound balcony with a separate living and sleeping area. Great bath, closet, and dressing area.  We love the deck 4 Vistas (4228 and 4237).

2. Premium balcony (9B) cabins are a best kept secret.  Cabin 7299 is our favorite.  The room is like a suite, but the bathroom is like a regular balcony.  No noise from the elevators. 

3. The "bowling alley" balconies (7258) are a regular balcony cabin with a triple long balcony.  Lots of room for a couple of loungers as well as tables and chairs.

Whatever you decide, enjoy!

6 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

Oh ... that's too much $$ IMO!!  Princess is nice but, I would stick with the Club Class with one of the nice large balconies if I were you.  You know, the Enchanted will have 4 mini-suites that are club class at the bow that have larger rooms and huge balconies.  The only thing is, the balcony may not be usable while at sea.  But, they are so very popular.  I would think they are a lot less than a full suite.  

Full suite benefits are a step above club class but not worth another $143 a day pp.  You will get a breakfast in a special area (on the Grand, it was in the Crown Grill) complete with mimosas, coffees, etc ... but you already have the beverage package.  And, you will get a mini bar set up but again, you already have the beverage package.  You also will receive some amenities such as a sleep kit, shoe shine, nice robes, slippers, room service in your cabin off the menu, even on the last morning ... but club class is pretty great for that anyway.  You will get a nice plant in your room, usually an orchid, but ours died before we boarded last time and they didn't have any replacements onboard.  Not a deal breaker but something I like having in the room.   You will get a nice tray of hor d'ouves on formal nights, I believe you can order tea in your cabin (we never did).  Your jetted tub will come with bath salts.  They will escort you onto the ship if you choose.  You will also get a complimentary specialty dinner in the restaurant of your choice.  You will receive two points towards your captain's club status as well.  But, the real advantage to a suite for us is the specialty breakfast  and the club class dining.  The other amenities are just a little frosting on the cake.  I believe you are still able to use the priority disembarkation lounge with club class (maybe?).   I've never sailed in a suite on the Royal Class so don't know what the concierge does for you but, we didn't get any special reservations or anything like that for the shows for being in a suite on the Grand Class ships.  

Whatever you decide ... I hope you enjoy.  And, I would try to snag one of those forward balconies on the Lido or Marina deck ... that's just me.  

Thanks Cruise Raider.  We are leaning towards keeping our mini suite with large balcony.  With already having the drink package and the upgraded dining I think the upgrade price is pretty steep.  We are supposed to have priority embarkation and debarkation with the CC mini, too.  That leaves me with more $$ for the casino! 😁 I will look into the forward mini-suites. They sound great.  

40 minutes ago, Treasure Hunter said:

 

We have booked Celebrity Equinox forJanuary 2022! We book through the casino and get 20% off which makes a suite ( Celebrity) much more affordable.

 

Princess only gives us 5% off a suite ( they have a sliding scale.on rooms) no matter the amount I bet.

 

Princess is for us more fun, I love the customers and they do a much better job on excursions ,trivia  and games.

 

 Now that Princess  has  club class dining the lure of Luminaie or Costal Kitchen with their strange limited menus doesn’t appeal. I like the floor plan of the Princess suites. They are just perfect for us. 

Thanks Treasure Hunter.  The cruise on the Apex will be our first Celebrity cruise. We enjoy having fun on our cruises. Don't want to have a stuffy, too formal experience. Heck, we enjoy Carnival on their newer ships. Always loads of fun! We decided to give Celebrity a try because we have found some people's opinions of a cruise line to not match our personal experiences once onboard. 

I agree on the Princess casino rate. Don't quite understand the downward sliding scale for better cabins. All of the other lines seem to offer the same percentage off no matter the cabin category.

I am looking forward to trying Club Class dining. Last fall on the Harmony we enjoyed the expanded dinner menus in Coastal Kitchen.  More like a traditional menu with more options and nightly chef specials.  

10 hours ago, Ferd Berfle said:

 

Agree with Treasure Hunter,  aft "Penthouse" suites:  D726/D727 huge balcony, room is strangely shaped but nice.

I think TH meant that the Thermal Suite isn't complimentary to suites on any Royal Class.  It is on the Grand Class ships that have them, plus Coral and Island.  The Sanctuary isn't comp'ed on any ship.

 

We also liked Club Class Mini L107/L108

 

 

Ferd Berfle, The Retreat on Celebrity is new on Edge class vessels.  It is like the suites having their own private Sanctuary.  

13 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

$2000 more?  Is that for a 7 or 14 night sailing?  

I do love the suite amenities on Princess and the balcony is not all that tiny in these cabins .... they are just long and narrow.  

If it's for a 7 night cruise, that's too much more in my book ... I would definitely try to make it work if it were for the 14 night sailing, though.  

 

 

Cruise Raider, it is for a 7 day cruise. The $2000 upcharge does seem high, but I just don't know enough about Princess.

15 minutes ago, Treasure Hunter said:

We sailed in mini suites for years but now book suites. For us one  reason ( we are Elite so get the wonderful free laundry anyway ) is that often I want to go to sleep before my husband. He likes to stay up late and watch sports on tv . The suite works better for us. Also the big stand up shower is safer than the slippery bathtub in the mini. Another reason is that the suite concierge bends over backwards to help with everything, reservations, getting in a tender first, leaving at the end of a cruise, etc. The next two cruises we booked are aft suites with a bigger balcony. My only complaint with Princess my favorite line after 50 cruises, is that the Sanctuary  is not included for suites. I fear They will be losing out to Celebrity retreat. 

Thank you Treasure Hunter.  I agree that having a regular shower is wonderful.  I am so afraid of slipping with my creaky knees.  That is a big plus for me.  I also get up earlier than my husband.  Having a quiet place to have room service delivery that won't disturb him would be nice. It is nice to hear that the concierge is helpful.  On Oasis class having the escorted exit on disembarkation is almost worth the price of a suite.  We have our first (now lifted and shifted) Apex suite cruise and am so looking forward to the Retreat.  I think Princess should look at added benefits to their Suite Class.  The suite pricing on Princess is not a value compared to the benefits on other lines.  Of course, I am not experienced on Princess, so I don't have the number of cruises with them to compare properly.   

16 minutes ago, Mears Family said:

 

If you already have the beverage package the concierge lounge drinks is less of a perk.  If you are Elite or Platinum, the PES event is more social than the concierge lounge.  However that was then and then this is now, perhaps the exclusivity and LESS social interaction is a big plus.  On the Royal, the concierge lounge has no natural light-not very inviting.  In short, my opinion is leave the concierge lounge out of the decision making.  If you are Elite status, the big missing perk is breakfast at Sabatinis.  Club Class breakfast is still an excellent perk.   If your not elite, it might come down to free laundry and room size.

Thank you Mears Family. We have only cruised on Princess twice, so we are not Elite or Platinum.  We have cruised several times on RCCL in suites on Oasis Class and having an ocean view suite lounge area and private restaurant are hard to match.  We are on a 7 day cruise, so laundry isn't a big deal.  The room size is nice, but oh, those tiny balconies.     

On 5/14/2020 at 11:04 AM, lottiegreen56 said:

 

social distancing. If smokers can't congregate in the casino due to new rules, where will they go?

Princess has indoor enclosed smoking rooms with nice seating and ocean views.  Somewhat like the old smoking lounges at the airports, but a lot nicer.  

For me, the newer the better.  I want big, with all the bells and whistles.  We have sailed over 30 times, 24 on Carnival.  We never get less than a balcony anymore.  We are older now and retired.  The kids are on there own. We have so much flexibility on when and where we cruise. A luxury that many people don't have. We will never sail on Fantasy class again.     

I would like to see a grill station added. Other lines have them.  Steak, pork chops, chicken, shrimp, veggies, the list in endless. I know these are more expensive items. Maybe a small upcharge for a good quality steak.  At any rate, I definitely would love to see all self service go away.  It has to be more sanitary.   

We cruise on several lines, either in mini or full suites mostly.  I've only cruised in minis on Princess.  I have a club class mini on the Enchanted in a larger angled balcony next March.  We are pondering an upgrade to the side penthouse suites located near the concierge lounge.  Things I don't like are the tiny balcony and the $2000 upgrade price.  Things I do like are the larger bathroom with shower and of course the extra room.  My mini has the club class dining experience already, along with priority embarkation and debarkation.  I bought the plus package with included drinks, gratuities, and wi fi.  Do you think the extra amenities in the suite would be worth the upgrade?

Thanks! 

BTW....we haven't put the breakfast order hangar out in quite a while.  I find it easier to just call room service when I wake up. Usually there in 10 to 15 minutes.  We don't always know when we will get up, so not having a set delivery time works better for us.     

5 minutes ago, seaman11 said:

breakfast before going to breakfast ? 😵

Well, in reality we go out for Bloody Mary's on the way to get food.  Sometimes we don't make it to lido until it's time for a Guy's burger. We are on vacation after all. Lol. 😉

A BLT for breakfast is our go to item.  We get it toasted with extra bacon and a side of ranch for dipping. A pot of coffee, split the BLT and we are good to go until we are dressed to go out for more food. They are free after 6am, I believe.  We have been doing this for years and never had to pay. 

I am booked on a January Enchanted cruise, also.  I've left it as is.....for now.  I also booked another cruise on Enchanted in late March.  I am not confident that either cruise will sail.  I thought Enchanted started sailing in Ft. Lauderdale in late November. Why do people think that Enchanted won't be in Ft. Lauderdale in January? Perhaps the TA was canceled because of questions of international travel.  I have to admit that I have been absent from the boards a bit lately.