Italy52

Wonder why all the changes are happening to the Quantum. We are on the Ovation in August and haven't seen any changes. I thought the two ships were almost the same size? Odd.

Understand, please don't feel the need to justify --- each person has their own likes and dislikes.

We love ISP. We always go whale watching with Glacier Wind Charters and then walk back into town from our tour. It is so peaceful there and love sitting on the bench and watching the water and if we are lucky, seeing whales. We are also fans of the Fisherman's Daughter.

My boarding times have been available 59-60 days out.

We are on the Ovation in August and will have a stop in Skagway. Wonder if we will be stopping in Skagway or sent to another port.

@LawDog61We were on the Discovery in February and April and did see some gluten-free labels on a few food items (bread, desserts) in the buffet. There might have been more GF options. Had I needed to eat GF, I probably would have paid more attention to the offerings. Enjoy your cruise.

We will be on the Crown Princess in July with a lengthy ( 9AM-10 PM) stop in Victoria. The ship doesn't really offer a whale watching or orca excursion that we are interested in doing. When we dock in Victoria, is there an excursion hub or booths that will sell excursions to the general public?

If looking for a good whale watching company, I highly recommend Glacier Wind Charters. Wonderful company to work with and will work very hard to ensure your experience is memorable.

The Hanger in Juneau is good but it can get busy with some wait time to get in for service. Very popular place.

We took the bus transfer from Vancouver to Seattle during the COVID testing times. Our bus was not "locked" and we had to get off the bus to go through processing. Our driver said that we were fortunate because there could have been some other buses ahead of us that had priority and we would have had a longer wait. Be prepared, the ride is subject to traffic. We encountered a traffic accident and construction on the road to Seattle which delayed the trip somewhat. For us, the option wasn't a good fit. Perhaps it will work better in your favor.

When we fly out of Vancouver we usually leave the next day on an early flight --- flight times are better, cost is cheaper and takes the stress out of rushing to the airport/or waiting at the airport for long periods of time. We get off the ship, check our luggage at the hotel (if no room is available yet) and then go sight seeing --- usually Stanley Park or walk along the beach front. Very relaxing day!

We sailed on the Discovery already and got our answer; thanks for the post;

Have cruised to Alaska numerous times with balcony and inside cabins. Cabin choice is a personal decision so do what you feel works best for you and your budget. Alaska excursions are expensive there is no doubt about that. Balconies can also be subject to weather --- if it rains a lot or is very cold temperature wise, you might not get a lot of use out of it. We like to take pictures so we roam about the ship looking at wildlife and landscapes. From the balcony, we can't jump from side to side if things are happening. However, if outside, we just run to the other side of the ship to snap that photo we want. Whatever you decide, hope you have a great trip -- Alaska is beautiful.

@JeffM1We do the same thing when we cruise --- the dry washer detergent sheets and a laundry basket that folds flat in the suitcase --- won't travel without them.

We are sailing on the Crown Princess in July and booked 2 tickets for the excursion. Princess' pricing is $299.95 for DH and $299.95 for me. Because we are Elite, we will also get a 10% credit back to us for purchasing the excursion through Princess. We decided to use our OBC so the trip is free for us. We feel lucky to take advantage of this perk. I have seen a lot of crazy pricing for some of the glacier tours --- not sure if it has to do with the cost of fuel or not.

Last year while on the Discovery, a crew member assigned to the laundry room for clean up asked us if the clothes in the stopped dryer were ours and we said "no" that they belonged to someone who hadn't returned in the 20 minutes that we had been there. The crew member opened the machine up and put them on top of the dryer. We usually stay while our laundry is washing and drying as we want to make sure to remove our clothes ASAP so other cruisers can use the machines. Unfortunately, some people don't care about other cruisers --- such a shame.

Thanks a lot, appreciate the post.

Thanks for the reply. There is an offer code on my letter and I can provide that to the TA, I was wondering if I could preview the cabin selections prior to calling my TA to see if there is anything worthwhile for us to book. We are not at the level for a "free cabin" just free play.

@azbirdmom We received a certificate in our cabin for free play. Does my TA have to book the cruise through the Players Club (PC) department or can we just book it as a normal booking. I know the certificate mentions select locations on it, just didn't know if we had to go through PC or regular booking giving the offer code to the Princess representative who answers the phone.

We are big fans of independent whale watching companies. In Juneau, we like Jayleen's Alaska and in Icy Strait Point, we like Glacier Wind Charters. Both companies are great vendors and have lots of great reviews on Cruise Critic as well as TripAdvisor. Since independent vendors have a tendency to book up fast, we always book ASAP as we don't want to miss out. With that being said, do what you feel most comfortable doing for your cruise.

Good to know, Coral -- thanks.

Great minds think alike!

@azbirdmomAt least you got notification. I had one of our tours cancelled by Princess because we were no longer going to that port (Monterey). I didn't receive any notification, it just fell off of our excursion listing. I am taking all of our paperwork with me when we go on the cruise April 8th just in case there is a problem.

@Hammergirl. I have cancelled excursions in the past but do not remember ever receiving a notice from Princess stating there were cancelled. Whenever I book an excursion I always print out my Travel Summary right away as it will show that I booked an excursion --- this is my proof should I ever have problems with Princess. Also, if I paid by credit card, I keep a copy of the email that Princess sends stating I booked an excursion and the cost that my credit card was charged. I don't know when you cancelled your excursions --- it does take some time for a refund. Sometimes, the refund is fast and sometimes it is anywhere from 7-14 days. Good luck, hope your refund comes soon.

Thanks. Aware that it is a tourist trip. Used to live in SoCal (Irvine and Chula Vista). Meeting a friend there so wasn't sure how long of a walk it would be from the ship.