talpostal

On 5/5/2024 at 10:16 AM, rrrrtt said:

I asked on another forum here but no answers.   I'll find out if there's still one for U.S.-bound cruises tomorrow.  There was one in 2017.

By US-bound do you mean Vancouver to Alaska? That's a bummer, I was hoping I would be able to use it.

On 5/24/2024 at 2:51 PM, talpostal said:

We were going to do the excursion where you get off the train and bike back to Skagway, but need to cancel because someone in our group won't be able to do it. I see that you can do the shorter ~3hr train ride round trip or longer ~8hr excursions that go into the Yukon for stops. 

 

 

Is it better to do the long excursion? It seems like there isn't as much to do and see in town in Skagway as there would be in Ketchikan and Juneau.

 

We ended up booking the 3hr train round trip for the morning. I did some reading and it looks like plenty of hiking options are accessible from the port in Skagway. Looking forward to it!

What changed on ships that went from BB Kings to Rolling Stone? Did they swap R&B bands for classic rock?

We were going to do the excursion where you get off the train and bike back to Skagway, but need to cancel because someone in our group won't be able to do it. I see that you can do the shorter ~3hr train ride round trip or longer ~8hr excursions that go into the Yukon for stops. 

Is it better to do the long excursion? It seems like there isn't as much to do and see in town in Skagway as there would be in Ketchikan and Juneau.

Is it good enough to wait in the line? I always hear people saying the line is out the door.

I'm doing the Ketchikan oyster farm in June. Was hoping to hear some reviews! I wonder why it was canceled.

I'm doing HAL northbound in June. Is there time to do anything in Whittier? It seems like we're off the boat and on the train to Denali early in the morning.

I am heading on this cruise in mid-June! How is the nightlife going? From reading it sounds like people do the piano bar and BB King's in the evening and then the late option is the casino bar?

I haven't cruised since covid. How does the muster drill work for HAL these days? 

It sounds like you watch a video in your stateroom and then go check-in at your muster location and that's it. Is it a lot faster than it used to be?

No more lining up with hundreds of people at a certain time and hearing the ship blow its distress signal?

55 minutes ago, AV8rix said:

Well, I only play blackjack (am a tournament player on land) so can only provide substantive info on the blackjack tables on HAL:

 

The $6 min table is always open when the casino is open, starting in mid-morning (about 10 am) on sea days; after the ship clears the port on port days -- which is usually in the evening.  However, that's a 6:5 table and is generally populated by the "beginners". 

 

The higher limit table on most of the ships opens in the evening, although if you request it (and there are sufficient dealers) they will sometimes open it in the daytime on sea days.  The high-limit BJ table is generally $25 min, although I have seen it on some ships as low as $15 min.  And that is a 3:2 table -- the only kind I play on, land or sea.  I'd chew ground glass before I'd sit down at any 6:5 table 😊.

Is $6 min just regular $6 minimum or is that $5 minimum with a required $1 side bet? I imagine that house edge is pretty high either way in a 6:5 game.

34 minutes ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

Another note about the craps table (at least on the Rotterdam) everyone on the staff were extremely friendly and obliging. By the third night we were like old friends (old friends who take my money with a smile).

I generally only play craps to socialize while having a few drinks so I'm happy to hear that the minimums are lower on the ship. I'm used to $25 minimum on land.

5 hours ago, Sun Queen II said:

Hi folks we are packing for our cruise on NS this weekend and wanted to make sure we remembered to pack beer cozies/koozies. Does anyone know if beer is served in a can, a tin bottle or a glass bottle. We have cozies for all types, but we don’t want to pack what we don’t need. 
 

first world problem I know. But cold beer is imperative 😉 

I admire your dedication to coozies.

Is the format/musical style changing from BB King's to Rolling Stone or is this just a branding change?

My booking confirmation document has itineraries for each day including a specific time (2:20pm-7:50pm) set aside for the TWT. Is that accurate or is it a placeholder? Everyone is saying that you learn the time closer to when it actually happens.

Has anyone had the sushi? Thought Morimoto had wonderful sushi when I went in Las Vegas but I'm sure it's a different challenge serving it on a cruise ship.

Is the gist here that HAL is switching from two pianos to one? I will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam this summer.

12 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

The bus from Fairbanks to Denali will arrive late afternoon.  You will be given your room keys on the bus and dropped off at your lodging.  Your bags will be delivered to your room.  You could plan an excursion for that evening.  The TWT will probably be a 6 hour bus ride which is just a half day.  You may have an early morning time and will still have the rest of the day free.  The next day your train will be Denali to Anchorage and is about an 8 hour train ride leaving mid day.  We usually meet the train at the station so that we have some time to visit the park exhibits and the bookstore.  

We booked a similar tour that will have us arriving in Denali in the evening, 2:30pm Tundra Wilderness Tour the next day, then bus to Fairbanks early the next day. Should we try to book something in the morning of the second day or is it nice to have some free time?