Alaska on the Royal Princess

[robseat]

We have booked a 14-day cruise on the Royal Princess in August. Roundtrip from Seattle. Cabin 7086, which is one of 2 wheelchair accessible balconies. We haven't started looking at excursions yet, but any suggestions would be welcome. Last time in Alaska (8 years ago), we booked excursions thru Princess, and they provided vehicles with wheelchair lift. DH uses manual wheelchair -- cannot stand or walk at all. We did whale watching, the Skagway train, and a couple of other sightseeing tours. This time we also will be going to some different ports -- Kodiak Island, Icy Straight Point (tender), Seward and Victoria. We understand we will probably not be able to tender Icy Straight, but who knows.

 

Any other hints on what to expect on board the Royal? We will be flying in from Florida, and using the Princess transfer. I'm nervous about being away from home for 14 days! Will really require some planning in order to keep luggage to a manageable amount.

[Splinter]

As far as luggage, we take about the same no matter the length of the cruise. You can do laundry on Princess ships (self serve or send into the ship's laundry) if you need to, and we plan to wear every outfit at least twice. I now wear the same outfit for every formal night. No one else remembers what you wore at the last formal night except for you, and it cuts down on the need to pack as much.

 

Keep in mind that if you are taking medical equipment or supplies, and pack it separately in its own bag or box, there is NO CHARGE for checking this nor does it count as excess baggage when checked. It must be labeled as such, and cannot be comingled with regular clothing, etc. Don't check everything though...never your meds, and always keep at least 2-3 days supplies of bowel/bladder/etc. stuff with you in your carry-on.