carlsbadbruin

Thanks, all! He'll be sure to pack decent travel pants and collared shirts for the non-Gala nights, and maybe I can talk him into bringing one dark suit "just in case" :). It's nice to have options, rather than being disappointed once on board.

Ok, so my husband doesn't want to dress up... at all. I'm lucky if he'll wear jeans or cargo pants instead of shorts. If you're wondering why Cunard... well, we didn't realize this when we booked. He doesn't own a suit, or a tux, and refuses to wear one on a vacation (he's a physician and doesn't take many vacations, so I'm giving in). So, do we need to eat every evening meal (QV2, Fjords itinerary) at the buffet, or are there other eateries we can go to? Does the food in the buffet include the highlights from the dining room? Can we still attend any of the shows or anything else, like the casino? We don't dance (or drink), but like theatrical shows, etc. What are we really missing? Thank you! We promise not to walk anywhere we're not welcome -- I will be the woman in a cute dress with the guy in jeans :).

Thank you all for your help; we just booked the June 6th cruise! @Chart Room Princesswe'll see you on the Roll Call!

Hi all,

We're trying to decide between several cruises to Norway in 2023. We are interested in seeing the fjords and love beautiful scenery, wildlife, and exploring small villages over cities and museums. We would prefer as few sea days as possible, except of course where needed to view the fjords. Which of these cruises do you think have the best itinerary? Husband expressed interest in also seeing the Northern Lights, but I believe the cruises that go to the Northern Lights in the fall don't include viewing of the fjords. Thoughts? Thank you in advance for any suggestions based on your experience!

https://www.cunard.com/en-us/find-a-cruise/V315/V315

https://www.cunard.com/en-gb/find-a-cruise/V317/V317

https://www.cunard.com/en-gb/find-a-cruise/V329/V329

We're on the June 10th 12 day "Jewels of the Baltics."

Hi, we're on your cruise! It looks like they also added a day in Visby, Sweden. Both old towns look like fun to explore.

We're also cruising the Baltics this summer and plan to book a guided tour only in St. Petersburg. The other ports seem easy to do on your own. 

We're on Holland America's Jewels of the Baltic cruise this June, and are opting to do the ship's tour to Moscow on day 1, and an afternoon cultural tour of St. Petersburg on day 2 (I assume we won't want to get up early after a late night). My husband wanted to go to Moscow and isn't interested in being herded around crowded museums, so this seemed the best way to spend the two days.

Wow, there are so many excellent options to research; I'm glad we're not leaving until June! ! Thank you all so much!

The Glacier Wilderness Safari looks fun, and we have quite a bit of shipboard credit we can use for at least one more expensive shore excursion for the family. I think both my sons would enjoy the canoes, since they love kayaking, but the older one didn't like whitewater rafting when we tried it in Colorado (maybe this is easier?); he's not a big fan of rocky rides and water hitting him in the face ;-).

Hi,

We just booked a cruise to Alaska for next June. Besides cruising Glacier Bay, our ports are Tracy Arm (crusing or tender?), Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, and I'm looking for excursion ideas for our family (DH and I are in our 40s, two sons ages 16 and 18) that won't break the bank (unless they're a must do!).

Here is what seems appealing so far:

Juneau: Mendenhall and Nugget Falls hike?

Skagway: White Pass train and cycle down, or Green Jeep up pass and visit Caribou Crossing?

Ketchikan: Bering Sea Fisherman's Tour?

Dog sledding also looks interesting; I see one tour in Skagway that gets good reviews even though it doesn't take you to a glacier ($$$$). Any favorites that we should put on our "must do" list? We did do a two week land tour of Alaska by RV a few years ago, so wildlife isn't a top priority, although always wonderful to spot! Thank you for sharing any favorites that you think our teen sons might enjoy!

Thank you all so much for the advice! After giving it more thought, we have booked the two cabins as opposed to a Neptune Suite. This will make for a more relaxing (and romantic, it's our 20 year anniversary!) cruise. The two bathrooms will be wonderful, and we will spend most of our waking time out on excursions, dining, or hanging out together anyway. My boys are more into board games than partying, so I think we'll be fine!

Hi,

We just booked the Volendam for a cruise to Alaska this summer! I have the choice of either a Vista Suite plus an inside room across the hall, or a Neptune Suite for approximately the same price. We are a family of four with two teenage sons (16 and 18). Would they be comfortable on the Neptune sofa bed, or am I better off with the two rooms? Both separate rooms (two bathrooms) and all being in one room (family time) have their appeal; thank you!!

The port times look very similar. Crown Princess has more time in Juneau and Norwegian an extra hour in Victoria.

Hi,

I'm in the early stages of planning a cruise to Alaska for our family in June, 2016. We are in our mid 40's and have two teen boys (16 and 18). The itineraries (Glacier Bay) and prices for both ships are very similar. We have previously done 4 cruises on Disney (loved them!) and one on Norwegian (Epic in Europe, didn't spend much time on the ship). We generally favor buffets over the dining room, and we're not fans of dressing up after wearing suits all week. Evening entertainment/family-friendly show quality is a priority, as is the buffet food and access to family activities (ping pong, games, movies, etc.). We're planning a balcony room for the adults and an inside for the kids across the hall. Which would you choose for our family? Thank you for your help!