BroncoLvrs

This sounds like just what I want. Not sure the dates available are what I can do this time around, though. If I go to Anchorage and take a southbound tour, how much time should I set aside to get to see Denali?

Sorry...I forgot a very important bit of info...we did our Major Marine Cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park. Denali is about 4 hours north of Anchorage (Whittier and Seward are south). There are also great driving guides for Anchorage to Denali You can also take a train or bus between Anchorage and Denali. A good site to check out if you want to go to Denali is: http://www.alaska.org/advice/how-many-days-in-denali

Enjoy!

We buy a case and put a "luggage tag" on it and Princess delivers it to our room. We bring the water with us for excursions. As far as drinking on the Ship, we drink the Ship's water without any problems.

The Allegro Dining Room is for traditional dining. The map online shows most tables for 2 to be close to another table for 2 but online photos show some tables for 2 as "stand alones".

We sailed on the Coral Whittier to Vancouver (GREAT Ship). It was AMAZING! We flew into Anchorage and out of Vancouver. We rented a car (though you can also take a Princess Bus or Train) and took a day driving down to Seward. What a gorgeous trip! If you do drive I highly recommend "Mile Post" which provides great information as you travel down the Seward Highway. We used it to plan out our trip. We also purchased "Seward Highway Audio Guide" for the trip itself. One of the BEST things we did was stay two nights in Seward. The first night we arrived late (we took our time traveling down) and the next day we did a marvelous full-day (7.5 hrs) with Major Marine. We saw every animal we hoped to see (Humpbacks, Orcas, Eagles, Seals, Puffins, Sea Otters, Black Bears, Sea Lions, Dall's Porpoises, Mountain Goats and numerous other birds.

Wonderful of you to surprise your wife!

The last few Princess cruises that we were on, there was no hand sanitizer to be found. It doesn't kill Noro, so I wasn't concerned. Just washed my hands a lot as I normally do. Can't beat soap and water.....

 

(I did read an article last week that a new hand sanitizer has been developed that kills Noro, but I've never seen it in stores. The type we are used to seeing and buying does not kill Noro.

The hand sanitizer that kills Noro is called Gemstar Noro and is available directly from the company or on Amazon (amazon.com/gp/product/B00BFEX82C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). I purchased some for our upcoming cruise. We always wash our hands but its nice to have a little sanitizer available for the buffet (we always sanitize before eating after going through the lines) and for visits to other areas where a quick hand wash isn't possible.

Are you going LA to FL or FL to LA? We had a mini-suite going FL to LA on the Starboard side and it was perfect. We had friends on the Port side and they had a hard time using their balcony because of the heat. Just something to consider.

If you have a late flight from FLL and you aren't sure what to do with your luggage FLL airport has baggage storage. More info at :

http://www.broward.org/Airport/Servi...s/Default.aspx

Public Baggage Storage is available in Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 4. Enjoy exploring the airport or surrounding communities without the impediment of having to take your luggage with you. For more information, call 954-359-5505

Terminal Hours Days

1 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sunday

2 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Seven days a week

3 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sunday

4 9 a.m. - Noon Saturday, Sunday

You will need to check with your airline.

If you have a late flight from FLL there is another option...the airport has baggage storage. More info at :

http://www.broward.org/Airport/Services/Pages/Default.aspx

Public Baggage Storage is available in Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 4. Enjoy exploring the airport or surrounding communities without the impediment of having to take your luggage with you. For more information, call 954-359-5505

Terminal Hours Days

1 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sunday

2 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Seven days a week

3 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sunday

4 9 a.m. - Noon Saturday, Sunday

We also walk in Vancouver. We stayed in a downtown hotel and it was an easy walk to Stanley Park (lots to do there) and restaurants. Enjoy your cruise!

First cruise - definitely use a travel agent that specializes in cruises. They will have all the information you need and will be able to answer your questions. Also will be savvy as to deals, promotions, perks, etc. We did our first cruise on our 25th and used a travel agent. Going on cruise number 59 for our 56th anniversary. You really have something to look forward to.

Larry and Pat, you are living my dream! CONGRATULATIONS on 56 years!

Congratulations on your 25th anniversary! We did our first cruise for our 25th (Alaska). When I began planning I purchased a book from Frommer's (Alaska cruises Ports of Call) which gave a review of the different cruise lines. My book is from 2008 and much has changed but to give you an idea the book lists the following:

Best Ship for Luxury

Best of the Mainstream Ships

Best of the Small Ships

Best Ships for Families

Best Ships for Pampering

Best Shipboard Cuisine

Best Ship for Onboard Activities

Best Ships for Entertainment

Best Ships for Cruisetours

Once you know which itinerary you want I would suggest going to a book store and browsing through their cruise section :)

Welcome to CC!

 

If I lived that close to the port I would be in trouble :eek: .

Us too! :eek: Colorado is amazing but it does take effort to get to any port!

The Island has great views in the far aft. Not sure if Caribe and Dolphin will still have the aft area after the refurb but it looks like Emerald has room. We've spent many hours watching the sea go by from the aft area. Spend the money on excursions!

Betty,

Thanks for the review! We will be traveling on the Royal Princess in February and I am SO excited! Glad you had a good time!

I bring both power plug strips and extension cords when I cruise.

Just booked a Princess get-a-away on the Golden for a $2.00 deposit. Also received $75 in OBC. The Thanksgiving Black Friday deals are on! Get them while they are hot.

Congrats and enjoy! Just wish we could find such great deals on airline tickets to get us to the Port :)

Hi,

 

A friend and I are taking our first cruise onboard the Sea Princess (assuming the repairs still work :p ) next week and neither of us have a credit card. I was just wondering if princess do onboard cash accounts, and if so, what's should I make sure I do when we embark next week? I'm just looking at onboard purchases such as the sanctuary, non-alcoholic drinks etc. We've already paid off all of excursions.

 

Thanks.

Hope you have a great cruise!

We have called and ordered Onboard Credit (it happens immediately) and then used a debit card for our shipboard account. Since everything was pre-paid Princess never put a hold on our debit card.

The best bet is to find out from people on the same ship and itinerary the cruise or two before yours. My experience is that sometimes Princess does change the time to match the local time. Those people who say that Princess always does have obviously not been on some of the cruises that have had the ship an hour ahead or an hour behind local time.

 

Since you're planning a trip to St. John, it won't matter that much as long as you're just taking a cab to catch the ferry over there. The ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay leaves on the hour in your timeframe. (There's actually a 7:30 a.m. ferry, but I doubt you'd be able to catch that one.) Coming back, the ferries also leave on the hour. For a 5 p.m. departure, I'd want to be on the 2 p.m. ferry.

Great idea! Thanks! It does make it a little more challenging to book private tours when you see the Itinerary Port Times and tour operators ask if that is ship time or local time :(

Congratulations! How very exciting! Enjoy your cruise!!!!

I agree with Paul, it is really up to you. As I said, just our thoughts....

 

If you like your servers, tell the maitre'd you like them and want to have them for the next segment. It's good for you and puts in a plug for the servers too.

 

We've done this several times and every maitre'd seems very pleased to hear their staff is pleasing the passengers.

A great idea! Thanks!

One of our all time favorite excursions was the Glacier Trek in Juneau. It is pricey but an experience you'll never forget.

In Skagway we rented a car and drove into the Yukon to see Emerald Lake. There are some great stops along the way (including the world's smallest desert) and on the way back we saw a black bear hanging out on the side of the road.

I agree the Alaska boards are a great help and whatever excursion you do in Alaska it is sure to be fabulous!

Enjoy your cruise!

We sailed Whittier to Vancouver leaving May 28th. We had absolutely gorgeous weather and ended up with sunburns while cruising Glacier Bay. We had friends that went the same time the following year and it rained everyday. You can never tell what weather you will get in Alaska but the scenery is amazing either way.

CONGRATULATIONS! We will be joining you on Feb 7th (the first leg of our B2B).

Call Princess and "gift" yourself OBC to cover all known expenses (as outlined previously). We've done this and checked in with our debit card and never had a deposit withdrawn when checking in.

Enjoy your cruise!