goatgoat

We were on b2b (Mexico/circle Hawaii) in January 2022.  Toward the end of the first leg, HAL had everyone continuing on to leg 2 circle thru the MDR for a covid test.  We received a note (in advance) in our cabin as to when we were to go.  It was fast and well organized.  Took about 15 minutes.  No charge.

We have been on many cruises but we have always driven to the port. Hawaii is our last state on our bucket list to visit all states. Our last cruise was Zauderdam to Panama Canal. We are sold on HAL cruises and would like to go to Hawaii from San Diego. Having never done that we need some info on the process. I have seen too many posts where someone has missed a cruise due to a flight delay. So I plan to fly in day before. Any info appreciated. How is the luggage handled and is there a limit. How to get from airport to motel then to cruise port. Then return flight info.

We sailed the Panama Canal departing from San Diego on HAL in January. Definitely fly in the day before. We were meeting another couple there and we were all scheduled to arrive early afternoon. Their 7:00AM flight was delayed by fog in Little Rock :( They arrived around 8:00PM and would have missed the ship without the extra wiggle room built into the schedule. Also, San Diego is a lovely place to spend the extra time.

We took a taxi from the airport. Don't remember what costs but it was likely $20 or less including tip. It's only 2-3 miles.

Check out the SpringHill Suites San Diego Downtown/Bayfront. We stayed there for about $125/night including tax and breakfast. Very comfortable with nice restaurants within walking distance. Best part was the following morning when we pulled our roller bags across the street to the pier and handed them over to the porters. Easiest departure day we have ever had! (We each had one checked bag and one smaller carry-on.) No taxi or shuttle needed.

Since you will be sailing to Hawaii, it will be a long time before a misplaced checked bag will catch up with you. That extra day in San Diego might help but recommend several changes of clothes in your carry-on if you can swing it. Our luggage has never failed to make it, but I know others have had that problem.

A couple of years ago, we did a circle Hawaii on HAL departing from San Diego. It was an awesome trip. Know you will enjoy it!

Denali looks amazing but I didn't think it was open yet in May. Or at least it was iffy. I'll have to look into that.

 

As for the type of activities, I guess I'll know when I see them. As for the ones I've seen so far: The lecture and learning series look great to me but not so much for the kids. We'd all like the trivia games, the gym and the cooking classes, but then what? The computer classes seem too basic, We don't want to sign up for a fitness class, no flower arranging, no Pamper Party (whatever that is), no to the art auction or jewelry seminar. Gotta say no the medi-ped seminar and the instant wrinkle remedy seminar haha. The health seminar is on relieving back, hip and knee pain. No to bingo and afternoon tea.

 

Maybe I should create a new post: Alaskan cruise sea days for 20 somethings. This is our first family vacation in a long time and I want all of us to have fun every day, not just 3/6.

 

My daughter and I backpacked through Italy for almost 2 weeks two years ago, and each day was something new. Venice, Pompeii, Colosseum, Cinque Terra, cooking class, the Vatican...

 

I am so on the fence about an Alaskan cruise, just because the sea days don't seem interesting. Am I missing something?

When our adult son(30) cruises with us, he enters ping pong tournaments, swims, rock climbs, etc. Some ships now have ice skating rinks, miniature golf, virtual reality skeet shooting, etc. Check the web sites to learn more about the specific ships you are considering. As a family, we enjoy board games, card games, etc. On most cruises, you can do as little or as much as you want.

Hi Mary Kay & Joe,

 

I've narrowed it down to a round trip departing from Seattle or Vancouver, and from there to HAL, Carnival, Norwegian and Princess.

 

The AK boards are where I found out that Glacier Bay is not to be missed so I crossed off cruises that don't go there (VERY helpful). Thank you!

We are in our mid-60's but have been cruising since 1984. For me there is no better vacation than a cruise (but that is just me). As to best cruise line, I think it is a very personal preference. These lines have a personality and a target group they are catering to. In Alaska, the differences aren't as distinctive because all passengers tend to be more mature than a ship going to the Bahamas. You just won't see a large number of small kids on Alaskan cruises. We have sailed all of these lines and prefer HAL and Princess. They seem to have the best service and food. For me, being pampered and truly relaxing is awesome. (It takes a few days to really relax and get into the cruise mode)

Carnival caters to the youngest group (more pool activities, heavier drinking, lots of late night partying). Entertainment tends to be geared to that group (games by the pool, very loud music, etc.)

NCL and Princess fall more in the middle age wise. NCL has no formal night requirements and that attracts a lot of people. NCL and Carnival tend to be a little less expensive.

HAL caters to the oldest (things are pretty quiet by midnight). Some things I really enjoy on HAL are the movie theater and the Music Walk (a deck that offers a jazz club, a Lincoln Center classical music venue, a piano bar and their main entertainment theater which presents either a musical presentation with house singers and dancers or individual entertainers ..singers, magicians, comedians, etc....that are brought on board in the various ports.) Also, there is a large common area on the front of the ship called the Crows Nest (on most HAL ships) that has panoramic views with lots of comfy furniture to enjoy the beautiful Alaskan scenery coupled with a library, board game selections and large jigsaw puzzle tables where passengers stop by, work a few pieces in and move on, a Starbucks type coffee shop, a dance floor, a bar, etc. There is something going on there all of the time. My husband knows he can find me there most of the time.

Princess has great floorplans for their cabins (but there is only so much you can do with that small space). They also provide self-service laundry rooms that allow you to cut down on the amount of luggage you drag around. (Great on long cruises..not so necessary on 7-day or less) Some of their newer ships are really beautiful. Food, service and entertainment (IMHO) are right up there with HAL. They have a a great pizza venue that has no upcharge. Princess has Movies Under the Stars...great in the Bahamas...a little chilly in Alaska. They also have a recording studio where they record some shows for in-cabin tv. We have attended some recordings there that we really enjoyed.

A little surprise: a lot of the ships in Alaska have a retractable roof over the main pool. On a sunny sea day, they will close the roof and your serious sun worshipers will show up for serious pool and hot tub time.

When we took our first cruise, we told the travel agents we wanted as many ports as we could get in a 7-day cruise. His response was, "That's what everyone says on their first cruise. The next year they come back requesting more days at sea." He recommended no more that 3 ports for a 7-day cruise. He was so correct. When we came off that first ship, we agreed we could that the same cruise the next year and never leave the ship. ( A little extreme maybe) We are leaving Thursday for an 11-day Panama Canal cruise. We were just there in January on a different ship and have been to every port at some point in time. I may get off the ship, I may not but I will have a wonderful, relaxing time and meet a lot of interesting people.

If you have time, look at a cruise tour on Princess or HAL. It will mean flying one direction. They have domed trains to travel to and/or from their lodges and you will likely enjoy the time on land. We did this on our first Alaskan cruise. It was a great mix and you see a lot more of the coastline on a one-direction cruise.

Hope you enjoy your cruise!

Always recommend two hours prior to boarding as ideal and two hours prior to departure as a minimum. A couple of years ago I was flying from Seattle to DFW on first class. Short line to check baggage (supposedly) and short TSA security line. Gate was the closest one to the TSA check point. Husband dropped me at the closest door two hours before departure and I barely made the flight. Last passenger on and the door closed behind me. Most of the time this is not the case but better to be safe than sorry!

Just stumbled onto this thread. Sorry for the late response! We live near Gig Harbor and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. In August 2013 we did a cruisetour out of Anchorage and ending in Vancouver. We flew from SeaTac to Anchorage and cruised back to Vancouver, spent the night and caught the train the next afternoon returning to downtown Seattle. Getting to the airport and back from the Seattle train station were challenges. With 4 adults & related luggage it involved going to SeaTac the day before to get a full-sized rental car which we returned the next day after dropping the group and the luggage at the departure area. On the way back, we had a town car reservation to pick us all up at the train station and get back home. We also rented a car in Vancouver and enjoyed the extra day in Vancouver and the train back. In July 2014 we sailed Alaska out of Vancouver. This year we were doing 14 days leaving from and returning to Vancouver. We drove to Vancouver the morning to the cruise. Beautiful drive and super easy parking right at Canada Place (but pricey) where you can drop your luggage inside and continue to a parking space without even going back outside (all covered and unaffected by the weather). We left fairly early and were there before they even started boarding passengers. This was a far easier and faster option and it was a pleasant drive back home. We also had our own car from a little sightseeing upon our return. If you don't mind the drive, I would recommend you just drive to Vancouver. That will always be our choice going forward.

Do they not have security and drug dogs during embarkation?

It is very similar to the airport. Your carryon will go through xray and you will go through a metal detector. Your larger luggage will be screened after it is turned over to the porter. Don't know about the dogs. Could be behind the scenes where luggage screening is happening.

It is very similar to checking in at the airport.

If you drive to the pier, you will park your car and jump on a shuttle with your luggage. If not, you will be dropped curbside with your luggage.

You give your big luggage to a porter. It will be delivered to your cabin later (Normally before dinner unless you are late getting to the port).

You stand in line to check in with your documents.

They screen your carry-ons.

Main difference is your photo being made and electronically linked to your sign and sail card. The card becomes your room key, your charge card to charge things to your cabin (very little cash exchanges hands on board), a way to track that you have left the ship when you go on shore and your "boarding pass" when you return.

It is all quite simple and normally takes 30 minutes to an hour (just like the airport) depending on the time you arrive.

Have a wonderful time!

Our first cruise was on the RCL Song of Norway in October 1984. Our first impression was the ship was small and the decor was dated. We sailed to Cozumel, Jamaica and Grand Caymen. As I recall, we were scheduled to stop in Cancun but skipped that to avoid an oncoming hurricane. We had a very rough day at sea as a final day. My husband went only because he knew had badly I wanted to go and he thought the price we paid months in advance was ridiculous. He really went into shock when he learn the tips that were expected at the end. (I think we paid $999/person for the smallest ocean view cabin on the ship.) In those days, air was included from Dallas to Miami. The cabin had no tv, no radio, no coffee pot, etc.

At the end of the trip, we agreed it was by far the best vacation ever and was a great bargain. There was no where we could have gone with the level of service, the excellent food and wonderful entertainment for that price. My husband insisted that we tip above the recommended amount for the outstanding service. We agreed we could go on the very same cruise the following year and never leave the ship. We were more relaxed and happy than we could have ever anticipated on Day 1 and hooked on cruising!