Alaska June 2017

[mum2abc]

Hi. I am booking the june 7 2017 cruise from San Fransisco round trip to Alaska. My question (might be silly), but deciding between inside and outside, my concern is that there seems to be only a few hours of night time during June and so I'm worried that if we book an outside cabin that it wont be dark enough for me to sleep? The sun rises around 4.45 am in Brisbane, and its enough to wake me up in Summer....Thanks

mere

[CruiserBruce]

It sounds like, in your case, perhaps an inside might be a good idea.

[thinfool]

Not silly at all. It seems you have to decide between wonderful views out that window or being able to sleep till you are ready to get up.

 

The other thing that comes to mind is jet lag. Unless you are coming to the US for a few days before you sail, you will likely have some serious jet lag to deal with. It may be easier to sleep with a little light coming in the window than you think.

 

As I remember, the curtains in our outside were really good at room darkening. The only light was where we didn't tuck them in around the edges.

 

Frankly, as you will read here on CC, many feel (I agree) that most of your time north of Vancouver will be "up on deck" to view the wonderful scenery as you sail the Inside Passage. This means an inside cabin could be suitable.

[rocklinmom]

We just did that cruise on the Grand Princess, and they had room darkening curtains in the cabins. No problems sleeping at all. The sun didn't set until at least 10pm and sunrise was as early as 4am. Alaska has incredible views that are worth paying for a balcony.

[gpb11]

HAL Noordam had blackout curtains, as did every hotel we stayed in during the land tour portion. I'd be surprised if someplace didn't.

 

Bring a few clothespins or similar. They were helpful with closing any remaining gaps in the curtains when we went to bed.

[xlxo]

I vote for the oceanview with the biggest window on the ship. There's curtains.

[Paulinda]

We cruised this June and had an ocean view cabin. The curtains made the room dark enough. I too like pitch black for sleeping.

 

I would suggest taking some cloths pins to pin the curtains together in order to make it totally dark.

[AKStafford]

I live here in Alaska. I just use a eye mask in the summer. Blocks out the light and you are good to go.

[chubbypiggy]

We just did that cruise on the Grand Princess, ....

 

It is a bit off the topic of this thread, but since you just did the Alaska cruise, I have a question:

 

My friends will be going on the 10-day Princess Alaska cruise in July (RT San Francisco), and they asked me to post on CC to ask if Alaskan King Crabs were served on the cruise. If so, in the buffet or in the dining room?

 

Thank you.

[rocklinmom]

They had Alaskan King Crab Legs in the main dining room on the Alaska Dinner night. Also, there is the Crab Shack option in the buffet, it was offered two nights for sure that I saw. It costs $29.95 per person and you buy the tickets earlier in the day before dinner (can't miss the gal walking around selling tickets, she wore a crab hat) or at the door if they don't sell out.

[Sequim88]

Our past Alaska cruise was in June and on June 21 in the Gulf of Alaska I remember sitting in the Crows Nest lounge on Veendam at 2 am and watching the St. Elias range with the sky still bright in the far NW. We had a balcony cabin and the curtains were very good at light blocking except at the edges and top where a little leaked through.

 

But unlike our other cruises in warmer areas where we DID spend a lot of time on our balcony in Alaska we were either outside on a lower covered deck in lounge chairs or in whatever lounge had a lot of windows. With so much scenery in every direction the balcony was just too restrictive - Oceanview would be more so - so next June when we again plan to do Alaska (since we live in Seattle area) we plan to get an inside (our first). We figure if we will be on deck all the time we might as well lower the expense a bit.

[Paulinda]

Sequim88 - if you are sailing on Amsterdam I suggest you try to get an interior on the Lower Promenade. We found that we were on the walkway about half the time we were cruising. We were either sitting on a deck chair or walking the deck. Our cabin was literally feet away and very convenient.

 

If/when we do another Alaskan cruise we would probably do an interior on the LP. You're correct on the lower price and we like to people watch too so the walkway was nice for the socializing.

[Sequim88]

The full wrap around Promenade on Veendam was great. We would time the joggers and bet how soon their pace would drop. :D

 

Torn between Holland and RCI. Loved Holland service (and Pea Soup!) but building RCI Crown & Anchor points and will be next level with next cruise. Probably come down to which we can get an accessible cabin on a sailing that includes our anniversary date (40th).

[chubbypiggy]

They had Alaskan King Crab Legs in the main dining room on the Alaska Dinner night. Also, there is the Crab Shack option in the buffet, it was offered two nights for sure that I saw. It costs $29.95 per person and you buy the tickets earlier in the day before dinner (can't miss the gal walking around selling tickets, she wore a crab hat) or at the door if they don't sell out.

 

 

Thank you.

[mum2abc]

Next question. We are looking at a room forward on aloha level, which means the deck is just above us. If I were to go Up in my dressing gown, would this offend people or look out of place?

[sherryf]

Next question. We are looking at a room forward on aloha level, which means the deck is just above us. If I were to go Up in my dressing gown, would this offend people or look out of place?

 

Almost definitely! :eek:

[rocklinmom]

Do you mean go up to the buffet in your dressing gown? If so then yes people would be staring at you.

[mum2abc]

No. Not for breakfast. But say it was early or in the middle of the night? Just a quick look out on the deck. Or morning cup of tea?

And do you have to pay for room service as an ordinary bottom of the pile passenger?

Mere

[xlxo]

Do you mean go up to the buffet in your dressing gown? If so then yes people would be staring at you.

had to Google what a "dressing gown" looked like..... Is it a bathrobe? While not sheer.... Another vote for NOT recommended.

[Coral]

No. Not for breakfast. But say it was early or in the middle of the night? Just a quick look out on the deck. Or morning cup of tea?

And do you have to pay for room service as an ordinary bottom of the pile passenger?

Mere

 

Most lines provide room service free of charge or most things free of charge. I usually tip them $1-2 but that is not necessary.

 

If you are on Princess - there is room service 24/7 except the last morning.

[Joolsdave]

Hi. I am booking the june 7 2017 cruise from San Fransisco round trip to Alaska. My question (might be silly), but deciding between inside and outside, my concern is that there seems to be only a few hours of night time during June and so I'm worried that if we book an outside cabin that it wont be dark enough for me to sleep? The sun rises around 4.45 am in Brisbane, and its enough to wake me up in Summer....Thanks

mere

Hi Mumtoabc! Just found your post! We are also from Brisbane and are doing our first Alaska cruise on June 9th out of Seattle! Hope you have a great trip and have been safe and dry in our recent wild weather!

[Sequim88]

Seeing that I had posted in this thread from last year I had to look and see what I had said about darkness in cabin. When HAL switched our ship from MS Amsterdam to MS Oosterdam we had a chance to go up to a balcony cabin for half of the difference it would have been on Amsterdam. So we went for it and now will just deal with the extra light the OP had mentioned. Besides chances (unfortunately) are good for thick clouds and rain in June so maybe bright sun won't be a problem. ;)

[mum2abc]

Yes. We are high and dry. Hope you are too? My friends are in that cruise, also from Brisbane. We bump into each other at a port? Lol :) :cool:

[Joolsdave]

Yes. We are high and dry. Hope you are too? My friends are in that cruise, also from Brisbane. We bump into each other at a port? Lol :) :cool:

 

Hope you are all getting excited?! We will be in Juneau on the 11th, Skagway 12th and Victoria on the 15th. If we overlap at all we ought to arrange to meet up?! DId your friends book their cruise through Tripadeal as part of a Rockies tour too? That is how we are travelling leaving Brissy on 31 May. Can't wait! We have been advised to take earplugs in case we are in a noisy section of the ship too. As we booked the cruise as part of a tour, we have no choice over a specific cabin, just general category. We took the cheap seats(!) and are in an inside cabin so the light issue is not a concern. We have cruised in an inside cabin before and had no problems so are fine with this but I guess the eye masks you can buy might be a solution for you? Look forward to maybe bumping into you all some time! Happy Count Down!! :D;p:D

[Joolsdave]

Seeing that I had posted in this thread from last year I had to look and see what I had said about darkness in cabin. When HAL switched our ship from MS Amsterdam to MS Oosterdam we had a chance to go up to a balcony cabin for half of the difference it would have been on Amsterdam. So we went for it and now will just deal with the extra light the OP had mentioned. Besides chances (unfortunately) are good for thick clouds and rain in June so maybe bright sun won't be a problem. ;)

 

OH NO! :eek: Lets hope the rain gods will allow the sun to shine on us all this year!! :cool: We all seem to be cruising around the same time but in different lines, we are on RCCL Expolorer and this will be our first Alaskan cruise. Whatever the weather, we plan to make the most of every minute and can't wait for our trip! Happy holidays everyone!