sambamama

Delta and JetBlue are just as bad about switching flights from nonstop to one stop, and those with tight connections to boot. Service is lost on most airlines. The worst thing about AA is that they have no entertainment. You must provide your own tablet and download your ownmovies. Give me JetBlue entertainment any day!!

It depends if you are looking to see black bears or brown bears (grizzlies.) I've seen many black bears all over the US and Canada, but I've never seen a grizzly. Its harder to see grizzlies. I'm booked on a grizzly spotting tour next year, but its part of my 20 day land tour after my Alaska cruise.

You don't need to get Canadian money ahead of time. There are numerous ATMs. But just about everything uses credit cards. I can't remember if you need cash for public transportation. Vancouver is a lovely city. Enjoy!

Ive used a TA for years. You don't have to book your hotels through the TA, I never do. My TA tracks sales. If my cruise goes down in price, she lets me know. Usually I then get a better cabin. She keeps track of up sales and we have a prearranged deal so she knows to just grab a cabin and at what price point so she doesn't lose time trying to reach me. She knows the differences between the lines. If something goes south, she is there to advocate for me.

On my Alaska cruise, I had an AMAZING tour with Dyea Dave himself! He took me and my two friends all the way to Carcross. After the official tour ended, he took the three of us to the graveyard and on a hike to a waterfall. He then took them back to the ship and picked me up in his red Morris Minor convertible and took me to Eyes for 2 hours! I have a great picture of me sitting behind the wheel of his convertible, and great pictures from the tour where we saw a mother black bear with two cubs! I am so sorry to hear of his passing. I think of that day often.

Absolutely do a cruise with Glacier Bay. I have only done a RT cruise, so I can't comment on the difference of a one way. I will also say second that you don't need the HIA for either ship as you won't be onboard much. I've been on Princess once and HAL lots, and found them fairly similar with Princess having better entertainment and more pasta dishes. HAL has bigger cabins.

Most all my big trips, I've flown from JFK. Do I wish I could fly from Bradley? Sure, but its not an option. And its far, far easier to take the train to JFK than to get to Logan. If I could take Amtrak from Springfield to Logan, I would. But the local bus company owner has blocked Amtrak expansion to Boston. Newark is even easier as you just have to take the Air train from the Newark Amtrak station. And the JetBlue schedule is out thru May. Sure, they may change the flight from a nonstop. And in that case, I may change my flight to out from Bradley.

No, I'm not concerned about getting to JFK. Its actually easier for me to get to JFK than Boston. I travel alone. There is no train to Boston, and the bus to Logan involves changing. One line even charges $50 per piece of luggage. My local airport is very limited for international flights. I can take an 8 minute taxi to the Amtrak station, take the train to Penn Station, get on the LIRR there to Jamaica Station, and then take the Airtrain. That cost can be less than the cost of an Uber to Bradley, or the long-term parking cost. Hartford doesn't have connecting flights to JFK any more. And I think that the nonstop JetBlue flight to Vancouver will remain. Its the only nonstop in the tri city area. In the Hartford area, if you are trying to fly to Asia, or Africa, or the South Pacific, really anyplace other than Canada, the US, Hawaii, Mexico, or Europe, you are forced to fly out of Boston, Newark, JFK, or LaGuardia. And with no train, and the messed up buses, and the very expensive parking, if you are going away for a week or more, its easier to fly out of anywhere but Boston.

The rule about HAL and Princess is that the line can bump you IF the room is designed for 3 or more and someone wants to book it. You can tell on the deck plan how many people the cabin allows. I am doubtful it applies to double occupancy suites, at least for HAL, as I haven't seen prices at less than a 100% single supplement. So I'm sure you can book your suite, just don't book one that holds 3 people!

A cheaper option is a do it yourself version by booking an Alaskan land tour or just going place to place yourself. I'm doing a 20 night land tour that won't cost much more than some of the 3 - 4 day tour portions for 2 people.

This is just another poor marketing move by HAL. I've looked at their choices and decided I get far more bang for my buck touring by land. I don't worry about single supplements, or my cabin choice getting changed, or menus getting cut again and again, and entertainment budgets cut to the bare minimum, and the MDR being shut on port days and spas at 4 times or more pricing.

I did a 14 night Asia cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong that was booked when Lincoln Center was available. We had no classical music at all. When I have to fly to and from Asia, and sail a cruise postponed for 4 years, and lose my classical music, not to mention the other cutbacks, I was pretty upset. HAL is offering very little for me now, and I doubt I will be cruising much any more.

Look at other airports. Look at flying in a few days early. Look at flying in to a different city and taking the train.

It depends on what you are looking for. I' m going an Alaska cruise myself this May. I usually use my local airport, Hartford Bradley. But by flying out of JFK, I can get a nonstop to Vancouver on Jetblue. It may even be the cheapest or near cheapest option, but its too early to say as flights have not opened yet. I'm going to Greece and it was the cheapest and best option as it has nonstop flights to Athens on Emirates RT for around $700.

Look at Matt Barrett's website on Greece. It has extensive information on Greece, especially Athens.I have 4nights booked at the Hotel Attalos myself. He also lists ideas for tours, places to go, public transportation, hotels, neighborhoods, etc!

Go to Matt Barretts 's website on Greece.He has a section on Piraeus, public transportation, things to do, and restaurants. And yes, you could easily take a ferry to Angina or Athina, both small islands very close to Piraeus. Or go to a close beach. Or check out other ideas in Athens from Matt Barrett's website. It has tons of ideas. Its how I planned my entire Greek trip!!

Me, I'm flying in 4 nights early. I've got transport to my hotel and to the ship booked through a Greek travel agency. I will be going to 4 different Greek islands by ferry and staying several nights on each and then I have a 6 night bus tour on the mainland to finish. And I've got a RT ticket nonstop on Emirates from Newark to Athens, and all I need to do is take the train to Newark and back!

I've got 2 solo cruises booked. I'm booked on a 7 night Celestial cruise doing 7 nights in the Greek islands leaving from Athens August 31. It goes to a different island each day, and there is only a 50% supplementing and an emphasis on archeological tours. The ship is the old HAL Ryndam. In late May 2025, I am booked on the HAL Noordam from Vancouver to Whittier for a 7 night Alaska cruise. I am doing a 20 day land tour through inland Alaska, including Denali after. That tour has no single supplement.

And when people say folded, they mean folded neatly into tissue paper which is then closed with a gold seal. Free laundry is by far the best benefit of being a 4 star!! I almost always get my laundry the same day. I do a mix of folded and hangers! And I usually get at least one note per cruise. Its one thing of HAL's that has not gotten worse since I've been sailing (since the 1980s.)

It is never fun when you have to worry about connections. And you have to weigh in your comfort level. Me, I would take the longer connection time. You need to decide will there be space on the later flight if you miss your connection. And how good is Delta at moving you to a later flight. You could end up spending the night in Atlanta. Airlines routinely oversell flights now so there are no guarantees you could make it onto the later flight.

I can't see any possible advantage to this unless you booked with a horrible TA.

Yes, sometimes there are bargains. But they are few and far between, and usually last minute.

I have a brand new Samsung S24 plus, so that's not the issue.I have uninstalled the app 4 times. I've changed my password. I was totally unable to do anything on the app. We all know that HAL's IT is awful. Look at their website. It is now so awkwardly designed it is basically unuseable. You can't even search for cabins except one section of the ship at a time.How stupid is that??

You had a choice and you made it. Now you cross your fingers and hope nothing goes wrong. Personally, for all overseas cruises, I fly in at least two days early. I've started doing that for domestic ones as well. Nonstop flights are almost nonexistent now, and I won't take any chances. You may end up flying on a domestic Greek flight or taking a ferry as well.

I wouldn't even consider this. I don't know any cruises that disembark that early. I've been cruising since 1983. Plan on the later flight.