Using on board credit positively

[Ellen495]

44 minutes ago, zelker said:

 

Dyea Dave is in Skagway and is fabulous.  He books out quickly so if you want to do a tour up to Carcross in the Yukon with him, I recommend contacting him sooner than later.  Oh, but I just saw you're docking in Haines so not sure you'll have enough time to take the ferry from Haines to Skagway, hook up with him for a tour, then take the ferry back to Haines … and weather and sea conditions can effect the ferry schedule too.  Unless you're in port really late, if you want to do something in Skagway, I'd suggest a ship's tour.  But Haines is beautiful so don't discount doing something there for the day either.

 

YES - I booked him!. OH NO I didn't realize that Haines would be a problem!!! We arrive in port at 6:30 am and leave at 9 pm but I don't want to risk that. I will contact him. I was thinking the train was great. Maybe I should book that one on the train. Or the dog sledding! Now I'm not sure THANK GOODNESS you told me this!!! THANKS

[zelker]

7 minutes ago, Ellen495 said:

YES - I booked him!. OH NO I didn't realize that Haines would be a problem!!! We arrive in port at 6:30 am and leave at 9 pm but I don't want to risk that. I will contact him. I was thinking the train was great. Maybe I should book that one on the train. Or the dog sledding! Now I'm not sure THANK GOODNESS you told me this!!! THANKS

 

Did you look at the ferry schedule yet (might be to soon for next year)?  I'd also ask Dave his thoughts about that piece of it because obviously the ferry is outside of his control.  These are just things I'd keep in mind.  Oh, you might check to see if the ship offer a Haines-Skagway-Haines ferry ticket by itself (transportation only, no tour attached) … then as long as you were at the appointed place by the designated time to meet it in Skagway, they'd hold the ship for you and everyone else on the ferry if it's late.  It probably doesn't happen all that often but I do know it does happen.  Good luck.

[Ellen495]

Thank you! I wrote to him.

[sevenseasnomad]

OP, you asked what our favorite/most memorable Alaskan excursions were.  Memorable excursions for us were: helicopter ride and landing on Mendenhall Glacier, Yukon Railway, and whale watching (saw whales exhibit every behavior naturalist pointed out).  All of these were private excursions.  Most expensive was Mendenhall Glacier, but how often do we ride in a helicopter?  For us, with our then 10-year old son, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

 

It sounds as though you're preparing well for your excursions.  Best of luck with booking those excursions that will help build great memories for you and your family.  

[Ellen495]

7 minutes ago, sevenseasnomad said:

OP, you asked what our favorite/most memorable Alaskan excursions were.  Memorable excursions for us were: helicopter ride and landing on Mendenhall Glacier, Yukon Railway, and whale watching (saw whales exhibit every behavior naturalist pointed out).  All of these were private excursions.  Most expensive was Mendenhall Glacier, but how often do we ride in a helicopter?  For us, with our then 10-year old son, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

 

It sounds as though you're preparing well for your excursions.  Best of luck with booking those excursions that will help build great memories for you and your family.  

I’ve heard those helicopters crash.are they really safe? I am cancer free... celebrating.. 

Yukon rail is from Skagway right? Can we go from Haines?

where did  you whale watch? 

Who did you use for the private excursions if I’m allowed to ask that? Thank you so much! I’m really trying to plan a trip of a lifetime that doesn’t involve massive crowds.

Edited October 2, 2019 by Ellen495

[victory2020]

12 hours ago, richwmn said:

At one time you could, but it no longer works. When you see your on board statement, any OBC from HAL or Carnival Corp has a notation that it is not to be used for cash or casino. When the night accountant checks on the last night of the cruise (s)he will make sure that no unrefundable  credit is used in the casino

Princess says the same thing but I always use it in the slot machines. Does anyone have recent first hand knowledge?

[richwmn]

13 minutes ago, victory2020 said:

Princess says the same thing but I always use it in the slot machines. Does anyone have recent first hand knowledge?

On several other threads on this board over about the last year several people have mentioned that HAL is watching this more closely.

For myself, I usually close out for cash on the last evening. When doing so on several cruises my account has been checked carefully to make sure I spent more than my CCL & HAL OBC. On my last cruise the night auditor charged a small amount that he contended I hadn't spent enough until I pointed out that the difference was due to a credit that had been issued.

 

Edited October 2, 2019 by richwmn

[mrmoviezombie]

My advice is stay in Hanies. It's a quirky little town that hasn't been overrun with cruise ship tourists yet.

Do the river rafting excursion in the morning, see the town in the afternoon.

 

Skagway is an over rated tourist trap. (but the rail trip is nice).

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It does require some plaining

[Ellen495]

6 hours ago, mrmoviezombie said:

My advice is stay in Hanies. It's a quirky little town that hasn't been overrun with cruise ship tourists yet.

Do the river rafting excursion in the morning, see the town in the afternoon.

 

Skagway is an over rated tourist trap. (but the rail trip is nice).

Well that's an interesting idea. We love quirkly little towns. Does it have a good seafood place? I was told Skagway has Tracy's Crabhouse which sounds like our type of place - but we wouldn't go all the way over there just for food of course.

 

River rafting would be too cold (for me)

 

And the train - some say it's a must-see.... But we are spending a week north first and doing many excursions (including trains) there so maybe you'll say it's a good-see but not a must-see?

Edited October 3, 2019 by Ellen495

[Alberta Quilter]

Tracy's Crab Shack is in Juneau, not Skagway.

[Ellen495]

2 minutes ago, Alberta Quilter said:

Tracy's Crab Shack is in Juneau, not Skagway.

OH! OOPS! Well then I won't go there when I'm in Haines! Thanks

[jb008]

Check the boards about whether HAL will serve Alaskan seafood on board. Princess had amazing AK salmon always available for MDR dinner and did crab one evening (not a formal night iirc) on the MDR menu (in Juneau in fact, cause I was debating whether I missed out skipping crab from Tracys before dinner)

 

Also so if you're in Anchorage, we had an amazing dinner at Bridge Seafood Restaurant (named updated w/edit). It was down the hill from the city center and literally sits on a bridge over the river. Possibly the best seafood we had in AK!

Edited October 3, 2019 by jb008

[Ellen495]

3 minutes ago, jb008 said:

Check the boards about whether HAL will serve Alaskan seafood on board. Princess had amazing AK salmon always available for MDR dinner and did crab one evening (not a formal night iirc) on the MDR menu (in Juneau in fact, cause I was debating whether I missed out skipping crab from Tracys before dinner)

 

Also so if you're in Anchorage, we had an amazing dinner at Bridge restaurant. It was down the hill from the city center and literally sits on a bridge over the river. Possibly the best seafood we had in AK!

WOW thanks yes we're staying in Anchorage for 2 nights - also Denali and Seward (all on our own prior to the cruise) THANKS!

[TiogaCruiser]

You said you have a few days on your own and one includes Denali. I’ve heard dog sled rides (carts) are available there.

 

Also, when we went (12 years ago) we did the HAL excursion via the train into the Yukon. We stopped at the chicken BBQ place (along with many other tours) and dogsled rides were offered by a vendor on the premises. I paid $40 directly to the kennel. Our bus driver told us it would be available if we were interested.

 

There might be other places you can add on the dog sled ride while you are on your own. You might want to check or ask on the Alaska board for current information.

 

Many of the dog sled rides offered are using a cart because that is how they train them in the non-snowy season. I’ve done both cart and snow, and they are both great experiences. We booked privately in Skagway and were the only 2 people at the glacier camp just after a brief snow storm, and the excursion was one of the best we ever have done. (This was before vendors were prohibited from taking cruise ship pax directly if they had a contract with the lines.)

 

About the train: this is a mountain train ride and is fabulous. It will be very different from the others you have booked. We have done it each time we have visited Skagway. 

[TiogaCruiser]

One more thought: being you are doing Denali on your own, I’m assuming driving- check out what dog offerings they have between Anchorage and Denali. You pass right through Wasilla and there is a lot of sled dog kennels in that area. You might find something much more interesting at a better price there. 

[Homosassa]

OP, you mentioned possibly paying for a specialty restaurant for better food.

 

If you haven't cruised HAL before and have only cruised Carnival, Royal Caribbean  or NCL, you will be pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food on HAL in the Lido (buffet), main dining room, and the poolside hamburger grill. No need to pay extra for better food.

 

If anything, as I see you are from Philadelphia, I would warn you against the Italian specialty restaurant. HAL pictures its typical passenger as being from the Mid West and it shows in both the Italian restaurant and the pizza served in the Lido. Also be careful on the ready made sandwiches in the Lido unless you enjoy mayo on the Italian sub and butter  and mayo on the corned beef.

[jebhoward3]

You wrote that you are bringing your own wine.  I may have missed it, but you are allowed 1 standard blt. of wine per adult and this is to be drank in you cabin/suite.  Any wine over that, or if you wish to take a room btl. of wine to a dining room, you will be charge a "corkage fee" of I believe $18 per btl.  This is charged against your OBC.  In the port before boarding the ship there will be a table where you show your wine and they issue you a sticker for each bottle and write you a receipt for the charge.

[Woofbite]

On 10/1/2019 at 7:25 PM, Ellen495 said:

I’ve heard those helicopters crash.are they really safe? I am cancer free... celebrating.. 

 

Come on.  You know they can crash and they are really safe at the same time.  Same as cars, trains, busses, ships, motor scooters, donkey carts, hiking trails and your own bathroom!  Things can go wrong anywhere, but your odds are far better than on your local freeway.  Go for the copter and have a fantastic, once in lifetime, trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tampa Girl]

On 9/30/2019 at 7:47 PM, Ellen495 said:

Hi Again you wonderful, helpful people,

So we will have 350 on board credit each (hubby and I in Neptune) and daughter and boyfriend will have 400 total. 

 

Are you sure that you will each get $350 OBC?  This is the first time I have heard of that.  Or are you saying that the cabin will get a total of $700?  

[mrmoviezombie]

Bamboo Room Restaurant Haines AK https://binged.it/30Mt01r

Best halibut we have had anywhere

 

The rail really is good, but save it for a cruise that stops in Skagway, which is just about all of them. You'll be back.

[Ellen495]

Wow so many GREAT posts! I was busy teaching Newton's 2nd Law of Motion to my 3rd grade gifted students. Woofbite - yes I know that logically! I'm teaching aerodynamics and i know why a plane stays up in the air. I also have a totally irrational fear plus it's very expensive and I'm bringing daughter's boyfriend. I'll have to think more about it. IF I did it, which port and which excursion?

Homossassa - thanks for the food tips. I hate mayo!

Jebhoward 3 - I knew that about wine. I didn't realize I could use OBC for it - good to know! 

Tampagirl - yes 700 for the Neptune cabin and 400 for daughter's ocean view

Mrmoviezombie (haha) Honestly I don't think we'll be back. We are explorers. We like to see new places all of the time. Next summer is Africa. I can see it as a maybe when we're old (should we get so lucky to have the privilege of getting old) but for now, assume this is the one time we go. We lean toward we should do the train. I guess I should seriously consider the flight. UGH - I'm thinking about it.

 

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!

[lindaler]

10 hours ago, mrmoviezombie said:

My advice is stay in Hanies. It's a quirky little town that hasn't been overrun with cruise ship tourists yet.

Do the river rafting excursion in the morning, see the town in the afternoon.

 

Skagway is an over rated tourist trap. (but the rail trip is nice).

Haines is one of our favorite towns. They only let one cruise ship a week visit, (or at least that was what we were told) so it stays pretty quirky and if you want really quirky be sure to visit the Hammer museum. It is worth the time. Yes, a museum for hammers from all time periods and even the sign is made out of hammers. 

[AmazedByCruising]

9 hours ago, Homosassa said:

If anything, as I see you are from Philadelphia, I would warn you against the Italian specialty restaurant. HAL pictures its typical passenger as being from the Mid West and it shows in both the Italian restaurant

 

You mean Canaletto? I'd actually recommend it. The food is nice (granted, not that much better than MDR). But compared to MDR, it's not much extra ($15 I believe), it feels a lot more intimate, and it's quiet (even though it actually is just a fenced off corner of the Lido). And it has huge windows, so make sure you get to sit next to those to see the sunset (provided the sun sets on starboard )

[Judyrem]

I am a newbie on HAL.  I will have 600$ total OBC for our Nov 10 sailing on Nieuw Statendam.  400$ from TA and 200$ from HAL.

There is an excursion that I really want to do on my birthday and I booked that ahead of time?  Was that necessary?

 We are in a NS so I will be able to use the services of the concierge to book specialty dinners, etc.

 

Can I use the OBC for gratuities?

 

I really wish they could let me use some OBC ahead of time like many cruise lines do.