live2vayk

Just looking for your opinion?? Always have done mid ship (motion not an issue with us), but may choose another location. Thanks....

Hello!

I can't speak to forward cabins, but I LOVED our Aft cabin. We had a deck off the back of the ship, it was wonderful! And I really didn't notice any difference in the amount of movement, but the way the room was configured we sort of "see saw-ed" instead of rolling back and forth. It was only slight, and not bothersome at all. Others have said it is nosier in the back when you get into port, we didn't notice that. I would book another aft cabin in a heartbeat. I am still hesitant to try a forward cabin however, because I have heard that the motion is much more pronounced toward the front of the ship. But I have heard/read so many things that didn't hold true for me that one of these days I will give it a try to see for myself.

Happy sailing!

OP~ Your post made me chuckle! I fly 5 or so times a year, so not a ton, but it is very unusual for me to be on an aircraft WITH a TV! Only when I fly on JetBlue do I have a TV to view. United, Delta, US Air, none of them have TVs out of my little home town airport.

Silly question, but I am curious... we always buy a few family portraits on our cruises, but have only cruised in warm climates, so the backgrounds that have scenery have been beach scenes mostly. Will our Alaska cruise offer some cool wilderness type backgrounds? We will be on NCL Pearl.

I have never been snorkeling, so I'm not sure about the level of swimming ability needed. A "non-swimmer" friend of mine is taking swim lessons in preparation for her upcoming family cruise. What are the minimum basic skills she will need to learn in order to enjoy this excursion? Also, are life jackets typically provided?

Thanks for your feedback.

 

Hello! Yes, life jackets are provided, however, on the handful or snorkeling excursions I have been on my opinion is that while you don't have to be a "strong" swimmer, you will want to have a level of confidence/comfort in being in the ocean. The swells can move you around a lot, gently, but still you get swept around up and down, so you just want to be strong enough to be able to get yourself around, and confident enough in your ability to do so. I have witnessed people getting right back on the boat, even with life jackets. But again, having said that, that happens to very few. Most are fine! Have a great time!

Do you think there's a big advantage for balcony over inside for an Alaska cruise?

 

I started planning out our Alaska cruise trip and the tours are crazy expensive. Looking at the tours we would like to take, it's totaling around $3100 including tips. So I'm thinking maybe we should downgrade to an inside instead of balcony. What do you think?

I have booked our first cruise to Alaska for next August, and went with a balcony. We also had sticker shock at the total cost of the excursions we want to do, but I can't imagine going all the way to Alaska (we are East coasters) and not doing the things we want, and not having a balcony. However, it really is such a personal decision. I know people who say the balcony isn't really worth it to them as they can go out on deck, and others who wouldn't go without the ability to sit on their balcony. I have done plenty of inside rooms on other cruises, but can't imagine not having the ability to be on a private balcony in Alaska, so we are sticking with a balcony.

So - any actual recommendations from those who have used any RECENTLY :p Much appreciated - can't wait.

I know you asked about a shuttle, but if you don't mind renting a car I strongly believe that is the best way to go. Especially if you fly in a day early. That gives you freedom to do what you want the evening before. We sailed on Freedom of the Seas last year. I had rental codes for discounts. I paid $50 total for a car to get me from MCO to Port Canaveral, and their was a Hertz right outside of our hotel. We stayed at Country Inn and Suites. We dropped the car the next morning at the rental place, which was about a mile from the pier, if that. We could see the ship from the hotel. Then they shuttled us to the pier. When we got off the ship, we caught a shuttle to another rental place close by, I can't recall the name but it was a different one, again it was around $50 for having the car for the day as a one way form the port to MCO. We picked up a car and headed back to Orlando. Our flight was late, so we did a little shopping and went to lunch before heading to the airport. We went on this trip with another family who did the shuttle route, and they got the the airport at 9 am and sat all day. We had a 6 pm flight. They were wishing they had rented a car. And the total for both ways, plus the gas and tolls was half what the four of them paid for their shuttle service. It is a very easy drive. If car renting seems like a hassle you won't want to do it, but to me the hassle of the paperwork and getting cars and turning them in was worth it for the savings and for the freedom of having our own wheels. And the car rental agencies have it down to a science for one way rentals to the port and then one way rentals back. Also, I often hear concerns about not having enough room for luggage. We had plenty of room in the trunk. We are not heavy packers, but we each had our own suitcase and a carry on.

Whatever you choose, have fun!! We loved the FOS.

Interesting thread here... a few years ago I spoke to my children's principal well in advance to let him know my children would miss a week of school for a family trip that would also be educational. My kids on average miss only 1 or 2 days a year for other reasons, and have maintained decent grades. I did not expect this to be a problem at all. Well it was! In our school district missed time for vacation is unexcused and they do not give your children any school work, or help them catch up. He was very curt in explaining this to me. I did it anyway, and they were just fine. Now, I don't tell the school why my kids are absent. I simply send a note that they will be out of school for X dates. I would not let them miss school if their grades were not stable, or if they had missed several days for other reasons. And usually it is not a full week, it is a couple of days prior to school break or a few days into the week after school break. (airfare during school break is crazy expensive, so we leave just ahead or come back just after the week, but again they miss a total of two days usually.)

I'll post when we get back, but we don't sail until January 4th. We reserved a car for our transportation both to and from the ship. The car both ways was less than transfers for three one way. Now we have the flexibility to stop for wine, sunscreen, soda oh and more wine since we only do carry ons and we can't carry these things on the plane;)

 

The drive is about an hour

It is an easy drive, and you will be glad you have your own transportation to be able to do things on the way to the port! Don't forget to have some quarters and dollar bills on you for the tolls. Have fun!

We would rent a car again if embarking at Port Canaveral.

I echo this sentiment. We sailed RCCL Freedom last year, and rented a car from MCO to the port, and then did another rental at the end of the cruise back to MCO. I paid about $110.00 in TOTAL. That includes the rental, tolls, and gas. For four of us, way less expensive than any transportation I could find. It was an easy drive. I love the freedom renting my own wheels gives me. We swung in to Target to pick up some last minute things we needed, we grabbed a bite for dinner then stayed at the Country Inn and Suites. Turned our rental in next door to them (I think it was Hertz we used on the way to the port) and grabbed their shuttle to the ship the next morning. Then, when we got back, I had rented from another company, can't recall which one, there are several close to the port, and took their shuttle from the port to their building and got another rental back to the air port. We had a very late flight, so it was nice to be able to do some shopping, go to dinner, and not have to sit in the airport all day. I rented one day rentals from two different companies because I had two different coupon vouchers for deals. They are easy to get, you can even find coupon codes online and book online. Easy. If you are someone who doesn't want to have to be bothered to rent a car, drive yourself to the port and figure out all the details, this won't be your cup of tea. But, if you are like me, and want to have control over what you do and when you do it, and don't mind the details, renting a car is the way to go. It really couldn't be any easier to do.