georgiacat

We are on a Princess June cruisetour.  You are able to add additional days to stops along the way.  We used a travel agent to register for us, but I am sure there are other ways to do this.  We are flying into Fairbanks a day early to get our eastern clocks resettled and rest.  I have seen fly fishing trips advertised in the tours.

Check out the towns and stops that you will be visiting by using Google.  The ship tours are not the only game in town.  Read all that you can and decide where you wish to fly fish from.  No one can predict the weather, so don't count on that working perfectly.

good luck and enjoy!

I am thinking of flying into Ft. Lauderdale for a Carnival cruise that sails out of Miami.  What kind of transportation is available for this?  How early in the day should we arrive if we plan to fly and sail on the same day?

Has anyone faxed their shareholder credit application lately?  I was thinking of doing that soon.

We are also doing Alaska cruisetour in June.  I was wondering, since we have been in Alaska for 6 days prior to boarding ship, do we need a negative COVID test?  How would that happen?

Yes, I think there is a roll call out there.  I have not looked at it lately.

So glad that you are back.  I enjoy your style of writing and cruising.  Wish we were on a cruise soon, next summer.

You are looking good.  I like that hair.

Yes, we were on a Vista aft balcony a few years ago.  It was the Havana category; is that what you want?  If you look down, you see the Havana area.  If you look out, you see the wake and the ocean view.

The balcony was huge and the room was large.  However, the balcony was very hot, no overhang.  We kept the curtains closed to aid the AC in cooling the room.  Otherwise, it was wonderful, and we really enjoyed the Havana area.

People are different.  We visited Liverpool (a Beatles excursion); it was my least favorite stop.  Of course, I would not say that our guide was top notch.

I Loved Stonehenge!  Maybe most people don't like what we do, but we spent between 2-3 hours there.  We enjoyed the small museum they had, and ate lunch in their cafe.  Loved the mystery and history of Stonehenge.  I learned a lot more than what I had imagined it was like.  I would definitely go back if I could.  I would also check out the Bath area and other areas outside of London (did that).

We stayed in Salisbury for 2 days prior to our British Isles cruise.  We loved Stonehenge and the Salisbury cathedral.  There is a lot of history there, among which is one of the original copies of the magna carta.  Loved the town; there was marketday when we were there, wonderful.

The only bad part was no air conditioning and England was having a heat wave in August, 2018.  We had a very hot room with no sleep.

We used Smith's cars for transportation from airport to Salisbury and from Salisbury to port.  Wonderful.  Used hop on/hop off bus to Stonehenge; bought tickets on line; easy as can be.  Stayed at The Red Lion Hotel; very nice people with complementary (American style) breakfast.

I am enjoying your review and love your pictures.  I look forward to going to Curacao for the first time next fall after seeing your pictures.

We enjoyed the town of Talkeetna.  We had 2 good lunches there at local restaurants, and we took a flight tour from the air company in town.  It was very interesting even though the mountain stayed in clouds.  Princess provided a shuttle bus from hotel to town, not too bad a trip.

That hotel/town was my favorite of the cruisetour.  We plan to do it again in 2022.

Our flights transferred about a week ago.  I have already changed to a lower rate.

Looking forward to your review.  Bon voyage.

beg3yrs,

Delta notified me yesterday that they had changed our flights from Atlanta to Fairbanks (minor) and from Vancouver to Atlanta (not acceptable).  I have been checking my Princess account all day, but Princess has not changed the flights yet.  I have decided to wait until Princess gets what Delta decided to give us, and then go in and make changes that are acceptable to us.  We have a long time to fix the flights before June; and they may change again before then.

I booked our Alaska flights for June, 2022 using EZ-air about a week after they became available.  I do check to see the prices, etc. Most of the time the price has gone up.  I do like the fact that you can change flights and not have to pay for the flights until payment of the cruise.

I use Delta (for points), and I noticed that business class (we usually use) was not available to Alaska; but if I went to First class, there was no problem.  I suggest you try changing "classes".

quack2, I looked at the website for Kroschel Wildlife Refuge out of Haines; it looks interesting.  What was the weather like when you did this?  Did you tour/book it yourself or through a ship?  It looks to be all outdoors, so I am concerned about how comfortable it would be if it rained.  (no control over the weather by anyone)

Please send me more details about your trip.  thanks

We are planning our Princess June, 2022 Alaskan cruisetour.  I want to do whale watching from Juneau.  I have been looking at several different tour companies and offerings (including the Princess's tours).  I notice that they spend different amounts of time on the water, from 2 hours to 5 hours.  If you have been on a whale watching tour, what do you think is the best tour and amount of time?

Currently my favorite is a Juneau Whale Watch tour that also includes Mendenhall glacier.  However, it is one of the shortest on water tour (2 hours).  If you have taken this tour, please comment.

Nicole & Pete,

In R515 the bed was on the wall on the RIGHT as you entered the room.

No noise issues.  The balcony was very small, but I think that is the way on all royal class ships unless you get a corner or aft room.

We get a balcony because we like to go outside to see things and feel the temperature before setting out.  We moved to mini-suites because we like more shower/tub room, more room in the cabin in general (I do pay attention to square footage when I book), and a sofa for larger, sitting hanging out space.  I suppose we are in the cabin more than most people claim they are.

I take pictures of cabins to remember what they looked like, but I am not sure how to post pictures here.  I will try.

Thank you both for this information.

We are booked for a cruise to Alaska in June, 2022.  Hopefully we will make it.  What can you tell me about the choices in Ketchican for:

Totem Heritage Center. Totem Bight State Historical Park. Saxman Native Village. Potlatch Totem Park.

Which is the best to see?  Are there tours that go to the best of these?  I am not impressed with Princess's choices.

We stayed in R515, a mini-suite on the Royal Princess.  It was nice, good location.

We did a Princess cruisetour in 2011 and have another one planned for 2022 (pray that it will happen).  We did not opt for the connoisseur version, but we will be staying 2 days/nights in each place.  We do not wish to drive ourselves, preferring to let someone else do it.  We ate in places other than Princess hotel restaurants all the time and found some great food.  It is not hard to locate other places to eat; I do not guarantee they are much cheaper, as Alaska is expensive.  We had 2 rail trips and one bus trip and enjoyed every one.

Thanks.  I may look at Panorama.

Dancing GrandMommy,

I also wondered who would spend that much extra money for the Havana area when I first heard about it.  I certainly did not think that I would.  Then we took a cruise on the Vista in a Havana aft-facing balcony room.  Oooooh, that was wonderful.  I am looking to book another on the Vista or Horizon.  I have looked at the deck plans for the Panorama, and I think the Havana area is smaller and on the side (instead of the aft).

Our balcony room was on deck 6 overlooking the Havana area on deck 5.  Our room was the largest we have had and the balcony was huge.  The view was great.  My husband loves the pool and he could always find space in it; I love sitting in a chair in the shade.  I was always able to find what I wanted.  Not crowded, bar close by.  We used that area every day.

I was not interested in the patio rooms.  I have read the view is obstructed by the sides, furniture uncomfortable, besides the lack of privacy possibility.

One deck up was very convenient to walk up or down the stairs; close to the Ocean Plaza for food.  I could read or watch the aft view from my balcony.

Bad parts:  the balcony was very HOT.  We were in the Caribbean, late April, early May.  It was bright; we kept the curtains closed to the room for the most part to help the AC out.  Yes, AC was good.

People from balconies above us could look down and see us on the balcony, but that did not bother me.  I saw people up there maybe once.  I am not interested in nude sunbathing (in my 60's).

We were over the nightclub area.  I heard, or felt the bass booms, rather softly.  It ended about 11 or midnight.  It did not hinder my sleeping.

I recommend the Havana area.  I will definitely be looking for one when the ships cruise the waters again.

Hi CruiseGirl6,

We took a Princess cruisetour to Alaska in 2011 and plan another for 2022.  I looked at your choice.  My "opinion" (only), if possible choose a longer land tour.  You will have very little relaxing time on your own.  It takes a long time to travel between places.  We plan to spend 2 days at each stop with no set excursion planned.  The hotels do have excursions to offer or ranger talks and other entertainment.  Another choice we made is a smaller ship (albeit older) the Sapphire rather than the new large one Majestic.  You have your own reasons for choosing that ship, I'm sure.

The rides on buses and trains were enjoyable and informative although long.  I believe both modes of transportation are equipped with restrooms.  They can stuff that 26" suitcase under the bus.  Carry your medicines, camera, book, whatever you need with you in a large purse or smaller carry on bag (zippered rather than open on top).

The Natural History Tour (?) to Denali was on a schoolbus.  I have heard others say that has been upgraded.  There were sufficient restroom stops (from an old lady who goes often).  The provided snack was not enough to curb your hunger.  We had extra granola bars (husband diabetic), and I read that someone took sandwiches from SubWay across the street on the bus trip.  We plan to check that out this time 2022.

From the Mt McKinley hotel, catch the shuttle bus to Talkeetna.  We LOVED that little town.  We walked and ate twice in locally owned restaurants and took a flight tour.  Disappointed not to see the top.  Excuse to go back.

Juneau - we plan to go whale watching (did not go first time); I would like to see Mendenhall glacier; I enjoyed it greatly first time.

Skagway - walk around town

Ketchikan  - totem bight state park (again); I really enjoyed it the first time.  Not so the LunberJack Show; will skip that.

Take layers, with hats, scarfs, gloves, sunglasses, warm pants.  It can be cold or record hot.  Our first purchase in Alaska was a hat for my husband who forgot to pack his, and he always wears a hat.  HA!  We have had people in Germany follow us around because of that hat and start a conversation.  He always packs his Alaska hat no matter where we travel because it is such a conversation starter.

Arrive a day early in your first town, so you have some time with jet lag and get rest.  Use EzAir from Princess.  We take the transfers, but I am sure there are plenty of taxis.  I have not priced them.

Do not try to do it ALL.  That will give you an excuse to come back.

Enjoy.  I am so looking forward to our Alaska 2022 cruisetour.