Tips for Alaskan Diamond Cruisers in 2005

[Details]

There have been several reviews posted on the 6/4-6/11 Diamond Cruise. I will just post my tips for making your cruise more memorable/easier.

 

1. I wish I had packed more long sleeved shirts for our family of three. I took too many short sleeved shirts and didn’t benefit from the "layering idea". I also brought only one sweatshirt per person and could have used more. We did buy sweatshirts in Ketchikan (using coupons) for $15 each so this was a "bargain"!

 

2. Book excursions, if available through "Orca Enterprises". We did their whale watching tour in Juneau and were onboard a boat of only 14 passengers. We saw the "Princess Whale Tour" and they must have had 150 onboard! Much better picture taking on a smaller vessel. We booked their 3:30 cruise so even our late arrival in Juneau wasn’t affected. Our tour bus driver to the boat said: "Princess never arrives on time." Plan for a late arrival and you will be fine. My sister also booked a "float plane" trip through ORCA for Ketchikan and loved it.

 

3. In Skagway, we rented a car and drove to Carcross. It was a lovely trip. I highly recommend this option. We did stop at the Cinnamon Cache and their cinnamon rolls lived up to their reputation. The sun was shining and Emerald Lake is spectacular!

 

4. In Ketchikan, we booked Lumberjack Show through Princess. I think you could also do this tour on your own. The show is less than a two block walk from ship. It was cute, but not sure it was worth the almost $30 price per person.

 

5. In Victoria, we arrived late again and our tour of Butchart Gardens was cancelled. I highly recommend booking this tour if interested via the cruise line. Therefore you are guaranteed a refund if the trip cancels. ( I’ve also learned from this board that this is the best way to go as you will have to walk very far if you book independently.) I was very sorry we missed this tour and will have to go back to Victoria to see the gardens! I thought it would be a highlight of our trip!

 

6. We brought our own scotch to enjoy a cocktail in our room. We borrowed plastic bottles from my brother who used them on a previous cruise to the Caribbean. He purchased them at the "Container Store" for around $3.00 a piece. A "scotch and water" will cost you around $4.00 on the ship, so bring your own if you are inclined to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail. We also brought some small wine bottles for our daughter to enjoy.

 

7. In Skagway we went to grocery store and bought some "chex mix" to enjoy with our cocktails. We also bought a 12 pack of Diet Pepsi cans for the whopping cost of $7.79!! My husband is a "pepsi" fan and doesn’t like "coke".

 

8. We were given "coupon books" upon arrival in Juneau and used a lot of coupons for souvenirs. You can even get a coupon for a tee shirt for less than a dollar! Use wisely!

 

9. Games onboard are a lot of fun. Loved the trivia and Princess Idol contests and a great way to meet others.

 

10. Bingo: A scam for Princess to make money in my opinion. They collect $20 from 200+ passengers and total pots yield is less than $1000. That gives Princess a 75% return. Don’t waste your money.

 

11. Laundry facilities are lovely and I didn’t have to wait to use them around 3PM on Wednesday. I brought my own detergent and fabric softener sheets, so I didn’t have to pay vending machine prices. I only did one load of whites and although I had to "dry" twice, it was great! Pack lighter and do laundry is my advice!

 

12. If you are elderly or require assistance re: travel, I highly recommend meeting your port a day early. We met a couple that missed the first two days of their "suite" due to missing the departure. They were traveling from North Carolina, via Denver to Seattle. The wife said they were "hit" by "mechanical difficulties" and hence missed departure. This couple also needed wheelchair assistance between flights. (She was 72, he 80.) Why didn’t they travel a day early? We did. All she could talk about was "suing" someone for their "missed days". She said: "I paid $7000 for this cruise"! She also complained about the hotels, meal allowances, etc. that were offered to them. Plan ahead for delays and you will be fine. We had a lovely room at the Comfort Suites in Seattle for $99.00 and no worries about not making the departure. Take the time to enjoy your embarkation city, and consider this part of your vacation is my view.

 

13. The casino wasn’t "kind" to me, but my husband did win $250 on a quarter slot playing three coins at a time. I only really played the nickel machines betting three lines at one per line. I about broke even doing this on the "Leprechaun" machine.

 

14. I was happy with our Baja 251 cabin, but would book something more "midship" and perhaps on the Dolphin deck for a future cruise. Our daughter was seasick the first 40 hours or so, so that is why I’d make this change. Midship and lower is a more comfortable ride according to all we talked to.

[gg3]

What a great, positive, exciting post. Thank you so much for all the tips from someone just there. We go 6/25 and are so excited to hear your advice. Did you ever hear why you were late to Juneau and Victoria?? Thanks again, gg

[momthecruisedirector]

Thank you so much. We are leaving in 2 1/2 weeks, your suggestions are very helpful. I think no matter how many times you cruise it is nice to get fresh information. I, too, think it is a worthwhile investment to fly in a night before especially when you are coming cross country. It's too much risk.

[Details]

What a great, positive, exciting post. Thank you so much for all the tips from someone just there. We go 6/25 and are so excited to hear your advice. Did you ever hear why you were late to Juneau and Victoria?? Thanks again, gg

 

 

We were told both times it was weather related. However as previously stated HAL liner made both ports "on time". I really can't give an honest amswer re: delays. Sorry....We just went with the "flow"............

[ModestMeans]

6. We brought our own scotch to enjoy a cocktail in our room. We borrowed plastic bottles from my brother who used them on a previous cruise to the Caribbean. He purchased them at the "Container Store" for around $3.00 a piece. A "scotch and water" will cost you around $4.00 on the ship, so bring your own if you are inclined to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail.

 

Details, good tips -- I agree with most (didn't have the same excursions). I have "smuggled" liquor on past cruises but learned from these boards that you can get bottles delivered through room service at very reasonable prices. I got a liter of burbon for $20 and didn't have to worry about a suitcase "accident".

[jussuzmom]

We just packed unopened bottles of scotch and vodka in our suitcase..it's never been taken from us...as long as it's not in your carryon, I don't think they will take it...

[BJS]

....10. Bingo: A scam for Princess to make money in my opinion. They collect $20 from 200+ passengers and total pots yield is less than $1000. That gives Princess a 75% return. Don’t waste your money.

Didn't they have a very large Jackpot on the cover-all the last day in additon to the $1,000 in pots? :confused:

[carma7007]

I appreciate your insider info. I was wondering about doing laundry and if it would be a burden, especially since we are driving up and taking our time. Which means dirty clothes for mom to wash.

 

I will have to go and get some dry detergent. I usually pack dryer sheets into my suitcases to keep clothes fresh smelling and to combat any static in my hair.

 

Thanks again.

[Details]

Didn't they have a very large Jackpot on the cover-all the last day in additon to the $1,000 in pots? :confused:

 

Yes, they did have a pot of I believe $2500 the last day on the cover-all. By this time, they must have had at least 10 bingo sessions and I'm sure took in $40K by this time! (I figure they take in ~ $4000 a session times 10 sessions.) I don't think the $2500 they gave away the last day was too significant.

[Details]

I will add one other cruise tip. We obtained $100 in singles from the bank that I kept handy in a bag in our room. This made tipping room service and having it available for porters very easy. I strongly recommend this as you never have to search for singles. We ordered continental breakfast via room service daily and tipped $2.00 for each delivery. We had to sign a receipt, but I left the tip portion blank and always tipped in cash. No "room service charges" appeared on our final statement. I hope this info helps as I have read conflicting reports re: room service on another thread. My sister thought this was a great idea and wished she had done this, so I hope it helps. We also used this "stash" to tip excursion staff. In actuality, I think we only used half of this money and am saving the rest of the singles for our next cruise!

[NitaBcruising]

Well, I agree with these comments! We enjoyed our cruise on 6/4 very much on the Diamond!

 

We also did the Orca cruise in Juneau, car rental in Skagway, but just wandered on our own in Ketchikan. All were good choices!

 

We got off the ship in Victoria, as we were going back by ferry anyway, so just made arrangements to get off to stay on Fri. evening! We got a reservation at the Empress! Wonderful place! :D Then we spent 3 nights at the Ocean pointe, an even nicer place, with a view of the Inner Harbour, Empress, and Parliamnet Buildings! Victoria is a great little city for sightseeing and shopping! We took a Grayline city tour, got off and took the Butterfly Garden and Butchart Garden Tour. Great tours, sunny day, just perfect!

 

I also heard that weather kept us from arriving to Juneau and Victoria on time. I also got wind of propulsion problems. Who knows! But, one day while we were in Victoria, we heard the Sapphire wasn't able to dock, due to wind. Victoria is a rather breezy town! It was sunny the 4 days we were there, but quite breezy!

[ModestMeans]

I was wondering about doing laundry and if it would be a burden, especially since we are driving up and taking our time. Which means dirty clothes for mom to wash.

 

Carma, we had a laundromat right across the hall from us and it was very nice. Probably 5 each of washers, dryers, & ironing boards with irons. Detergent was availabe in vending machine if you don't want to pack. I believe all cost $1 (except irons -free)

 

Jim

[carma7007]

Jim

Thanks for the info. I was wondering how much they cost. I will probably buy the soap on board if I don't have to carry it in the luggage. I would hate if it spilled.

[Jkeith]

We were on the Diamond 6/4 -6/11 and enjoyed it immensely - the childrens program has not been mentioned but was very well run and provided time for adults and children alike to have their own time. We shared some of the same tours as other "posters", we were not so successful with the whale watching but saw plenty from the ship, not as up close as we would like but still lots to see. We took the Jet Boat Adventure at the Eagle Preserve in Haines and enjoyed the ferry ride from Skagway to Haines - the weather throughout the trip was beautiful - we toured by boat, our guide, Captain Amy, turned to everyone and said "now how do you like my backyard?" and looking around at the incredible scenery we thought she was very lucky to have this as beautiful country as her "backyard" and we were very fortunate to have this opportunity to experience Alaska.

We played bingo on the ship only once and decided "too expensive" but did participate in a lot of the games and activities that we would never do at home - the fun of cruising - the cruise staff is generous in prizes. Food was consistently good as was the service, loved Anytime Dining, tried all the different restaurants and no problem making a reservation even with six. Met lots of nice people.

We too were disappointed by not seeing the gardens in Victoria but vowed to come again and at least got into town for some shopping on a very balmy evening. I wonder if they will ever be on time this season but received a refund on our bill with no problems.

Be sure and take the coupon books when handed them in Juneau - as mentioned earlier - many great opportunities for reasonable souvenirs. For all those yet to travel this summer on the Diamond- enjoy!