RuthC

When I did this tour there was a resident bear who hung out in the tree over the grill while the salmon was being cooked. When the food was brought inside to be served, the bear would come down and eat the pickings off the grill. Dinner AND a show! What restaurant is going to give you that??? PLUS! No one has really mentioned that the flights over the ice getting there is so close to the ground that the views are incredible! I loved this excursion, and I don't even care for salmon. I have gone to Alaska so many times, and done practically all the shore excursions HAL offers, so I will say with utmost confidence, your friends can't really go wrong with whatever they choose. It all depends on their interests and what they want to spend. And don't forget things they can do on their own. For example, in Juneau there is the museum, not too far from the docks, and very, very interesting. In Skagway there is the National Park Service museum, and a local one further up the street, and down a side street. This is not a one & done destination.

A martini is gin and vermouth, with an olive garnish. Everything else that some people call a 'martini' is merely served in a martini glass. That said, the drink I like, which is served in a martini glass, is the Lemon Drop. Delicious. You can also have it served on the rocks.

You can find out who had what reaction by going to the upper right corner of the roster of threads page. There, you will see a bell, with a number of notifications. Remember that number, as it disappears as soon as you click on it! Then you will see a list of who reacted, on what thread. You can click on those, and be taken to your post where the reaction is.

This will vary depending on which deck your inside cabin is on. Do not plan on having an outlet near the head of the bed, although some cabins may have one. Do plan on bringing a basic extension cord, long enough to reach from the nightstand, to the desk. Again, that will depend on the configuration of your cabin, and the insides do vary. I have been in many inside cabins on the Vista/Signature ships (Nieuw Amsterdam is a Signature), but all were on Main Deck, which has the largest insides. I had the cabin steward tape the extension cord from my CPAP, along the wall, under the closets, and up to the desk. It kept it neatly out of the way, so it didn't become a tripping hazard, yet could still stay in place. There was one 110 and one 220 outlet at the desk. The last time I was in one of those cabins (can't remember which ship, though), the shelf which had formerly held the TV and DVD layer had been freed up, and there were a couple of outlets there. Made a good place to store and plug in any extra equipment. Your cabin may or may not have this arrangement. The inside cabins on other decks, with the exception of some I-category cabins, are much smaller, but it's best to have a long cord.

You will receive a check-in time on your boarding pass. That time may change several times until you get the final, official, boarding pass with the bar code on it. Remember: that is a check-in time, not a boarding time. Boarding generally begins about 11:30, or so. Once the initial crowd is boarded, starting in groups that include those needing wheelchair assistance, the crowds thin and boarding proceeds smoothly. Normally. Sometimes something happens to screw up the works, but this is the usual & customary.

I learned a very long time ago, as I listened to a new subordinate give totally incorrect information to a client, with total confidence, that you don't have to know what you're talking about. You only have to sound like you know what you're talking about, and no one will question you. That HAL representative only sounded like she knew what she was talking about.

Over the years HAL has slowly moved the dining times, as well as the entertainment start/end times---earlier and earlier. Several years ago the fixed dining times were 6:00 and 8:15 PM. Then, HAL moved to four fixed dining times, moving the later times to 8:00 and 8:30 (I don't recall the early times, but they were moved, too. Then there were two fixed times again, when open seating started, and things started moving to earlier and earlier. On my last cruise early dinner was at either 5:00 or 5:15; I don't recall precisely. Show times were moved from 8:00 & 10:00 to 7:00 and 9:00. Lounge entertainment moved from starting at 9:00 or 10:00, depending on the lounge, to 8:00, and then incrementally even earlier. Some lounges that closed at 11:00 are now finished by 9:00, or even earlier. It's as if HAL wants everyone to go to bed early, and is pushing the issue by shutting everything down, turning off the lights (figuratively), and planning bed checks next.

Correct.

Much as I loved my dinner and the service in Rudi's, I was only happy there because I especially liked the entrée that was on special that night. I always find something to love in the Pinnacle, and service there has been impeccable. Lately I have been craving a dinner there. Any ship restaurant will depend on who is the executive chef that cruise, and how the cooks in the galley are. That can vary a great deal, but I have never been unhappy in the Pinnacle.

Why didn't you just wait in your cabin? It is one of the best things about a HAL disembarkation. Or you could have sat out in the open on the Lido Deck.

I assume you are talking about a Vista or Signature class ship? If so, the J & K-category cabins on Main Deck (and Main Deck only) are about as good as you can get. The K-category cabins are aft of the aft elevators, so a long walk home at night if you go to the show, casino, or entertainment venues near them. The J-category cabins have to be selected carefully, so that you are not directly under the entertainment venues (unless you are out late, when it wouldn't matter). Closer to mid-ship is safer.

I didn't. Primarily because I never thought of it. However, I wasn't the organizer of the group, and I believe he may have, but got no satisfaction. Too late now! The cruise was almost 20 years ago! (where has the time gone???)

Thanks. It was a great cruise, and I met friends that I travel with to this day.

This goes back quite a few years, but I will tell the tale. I joined a Cruise Critic Group Cruise where Cruise Critic chose the travel agency. I would not use them if I were booking a cruise otherwise. My most frightening part of the experience was that the agency charged the fares to itself on my credit card, then sent in all the payments from their own account. No other agency I have used before or since has paid it that way; the payment has always gone directly to the cruise line. Fortunately, everything did work out all right on that score, but the agency funneling the money through them is considered a red flag. We were also supposed to get a group cocktail party, but when the time came there was just either some wine, or a few selected cocktails (I don't remember which). I do remember that I wasn't able to get my drink of choice without paying for it.

Please, just leave it on the bed. The steward will be certain to see it there, and send it down. I can just see teens heading down the passageway draping dirty laundry left outside all along the cabin door handles, laughing hysterically.

If by 'the larger ships' you mean the Pinnacle Class, then the pre-assigned room IS your muster station. In case of emergency, that is the place you would report to.

How neat! Thank you so much for posting the link. I had never heard about this weathervane, and am sorry I have never had a chance to see it.

Good point.

Even if you cancel at the last minute, HAL will refund your port charges and taxes. Are you after final payment date? If not, you could purchase the HAL Cancel For Any Reason insurance. There are two kinds: one will reimburse 80% of your fare, while the premium will refund 90% of the fare. In cash---not a voucher for a future cruise. If you are already past final payment, keep this in mind for next cruise. Good luck with your plans. Perhaps you will be able to make the cruise after all.

You should be able to find a variety of tea bags, and there is milk in a container nearby. Just look for the coffee stations to find them. Boiling water? Not really. You will find very hot water, but a rolling boil? Not quite that hot. Sorry.

It's just starting in my area. I expect the practice will spread quickly. My grocery store has both plastic and paper bags at no charge. The next city over banned plastic bags a while back, and within the last two weeks one store chain there has started charging for paper bags. I haven't been to that store since the change. I started using paper bags years ago. I double bag them, and bring them back with me every time I go to the store. When they are double bagged, they last a lot longer than the two bags would last if left single.

Thanks for that info.

Thanks. That is strange, and I wonder what's going on. I have noted that Daily Programs from other recent cruises have had Mass celebrated, which is one reason I'm confused now.

I had done Tracy Arm a few times on the cruise ship when I decided I wanted to see it from the catamaran. So, I booked a cruise that had that shore excursion, leaving from the ship at the beginning of Tracy Arm, just so I could do that. So very glad I did! The scenery from the perspective of being closer to the water was a real change. We also got very close to the glaciers (yes, we went to both North and South Sawyer Glaciers), which gave an entirely different view of them. Well worth the price, and I would be happy to do this excursion again.

Does the child have a school ID? I have heard of those being accepted sometimes. If it is issued by a school district, that is a government agency, too. You will want to have a permission statement, signed by both parents, allowing you to have the child with you, and to obtain medical treatment, should that need arise.