Lots of questions, first time cruisers - Alaska

[jmk22574]

Hello everyone.....my husband and I have just booked our first cruise, my dream (which he now shares), an Alaskan cruise. We're booked for May 2007 on the Oosterdam, which will be our two-year anniversary. I've learned SO MUCH from reading the wonderful suggestions on this message board. I'm sorry if some of my questions are repetitive of others on here, but I'd appreciate answers to any/all questions that anyone is willing to share.

 

1. We will be booking our airfare separately and will be adding one day to each end of the cruise just in case problems arise with air travel. Should we take a taxi to a hotel closer to the pier or stay at the airport hotel these nights and take a taxi to the pier on the morning of the cruise? I'm just wondering which way might be more hassle-free.

 

2. We are both in our early 30s and tend to relax in jeans and T-shirts/sweatshirts. I can only imagine the awe I will be in just sitting on our balcony, and I really don't plan on leaving the room other than when we're in port (I do understand my thoughts may change once underway), but for those who cruise often and enjoy getting dressed up, will we truly be offending a vast majority of people if we just walk around the ship in this attire? I understand dressing up in slacks and nice shirts for informal dining, but just to walk around the decks?

 

3. We would like to pamper ourselves a little with a trip to the spa. We've been told to book these visits immediately after arriving on the ship. Should we truly make a "mad dash" for the spa to make these bookings or can this be postponed until later that day/evening? Also, do these services get added to our on-board account?

 

4. I know it's a matter of personal taste, but any suggestions on "must-see" attractions at various ports, or even shore excursions? Any that seem to be a resounding waste of time/money? We will be on the 7-day roundtrip Seattle itinerary of Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Victoria, BC.

 

5. Lastly, we have booked a superior verandah suite. I know this isn't in the same category as the deluxe or penthouse suites, but with this being our first cruise we thought that would be a nice-sized room to start with. We're in room 6074, and I've read some comments on not wanting to be too close to the elevators on this deck as people stare at you on your balcony. If anyone can give me some feedback on the decency of this particular room's placement, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Thank you so much to anyone who takes the time to read this and respond. Being newly married and finding a great traveling partner, I'm hoping this will be the first of many fun-filled cruises to come.;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to the boards!!

 

I would book a hotel close to the ship for your pre stay and get that hassle out of the way. You can either take the Greyline bus - services many hotels, or a taxi. Just last month we used "Already There Towncar". It cost $5 more than a yaxi and they picked us up right at the curb and drove us right to pur hotel.

 

After the cruise, I would stay at a hotel near the airport - don't have to worry about traffic.

 

I don't think that you will be sitting too much on your balcony in May in Alaska - chilly. Plus there is so much to see and do on the ship.

 

JMO - we don't own any jeans - therefore never wear any. I feel they should be left at home. Also remember they are heavier than regular slacks for suitcases and air planes.

 

Anything and Everything you purchase on the ship goes onto your shipboard account - including the spa.

 

Juneau - We did Captain Larry's whale watch this time. Some people book it on line. We waited till we got there and booked him. We also did the Blue Bus - $6 per person each way to go to Mendenhall Glacier. Mount Robert's Tram is great if you happen to have a clear day.

 

Sitka - Sea Otter and Wildlife with Raptor Center is a great tour - book it on the ship. This is a tendering port.

 

Ketchikan - Totem Bight, Saxman Village - great. The lumberjack show is now $30 if booked on the ship. Walk to Creek Street - lots of small shops - don't forget to visit Dolly's House.

 

Can't answer too much about the size of your cabin - but it is not near the elevators.

 

It is too soon to do this, but next winter go to www.cruisecal.com and check each port to see how many ships will be with you.

[Roz]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

I stayed out by the airport on my first Alaskan cruise in order to save money. On my second one I booked a hotel in downtown, but it wasn't near the pier. Again, to save money. Vancouver has an excellent transportation system, so you'll be fine no matter what you choose to do.

 

Jeans are fine for out on deck and wandering the ship in the daytime. However, if it's cool and damp (or downright rainy) as it's likely to be in May, you may find water resistant fabrics like spun polyester to be more comfortable. I was glad an outdoorsy friend gave me this advice.

 

It's hard to give someone else advice on "must sees". So much depends on your interests. Do you enjoy cultural and historical sightseeing, or looking at nature? Do you want active excursions such as kayaking, hiking, or salmon fishing?

 

My first cruise was to Alaska and I've been hooked ever since.

 

Roz

[karen2cruz]

Congratulations on your first cruise. We have taken several cruises ourselves, but this will be our first time on Hal and to Alaska as well. You will love your balcony, regardless how cold it will be.

 

An extra day before and after cruise is a smart thing to learn to do right away. As far as hotels, I agree with KrazyKruisers. Only thing I would say about transportation is do it yourself (dont use cruiseline transportation.)

 

Jeans - that's a controversial topic for the HAL old timers, but were from Utah and wear jeans all the time, even skiing - you'll be fine during the day, especially in ports. We have several friends from Alaska and jeans are standard wear. Used to be jeans at night were a no-no; however, it seems HAL has lifted that restriction this year for casual dining and it has been mentioned that jeans were seen on those nights. Personally, my son and I will wear nicer attire on those nights just because it is fun to dress up for dinner, we like the ambiance. In the future, if you cruise, I'd say leave jeans at home for Caribbean or European cruising.

 

Agree with KK on the ports except to add a flightseeing tour of Misty Fjords seems to be a must do in Ketchikan, and either glacier trek or dog-sledding on a glacier in Juneau, if your budget can handle it.

 

Just depends on your interests. My son I and are doing the glacier trek, misty fjords flighseeing, and Capt Larry's whale watching -we love the outdoors.

 

Half the fun is in planning the trip -enjoy!

[dj_crusin]

5. Lastly, we have booked a superior verandah suite. I know this isn't in the same category as the deluxe or penthouse suites, but with this being our first cruise we thought that would be a nice-sized room to start with. We're in room 6074, and I've read some comments on not wanting to be too close to the elevators on this deck as people stare at you on your balcony. If anyone can give me some feedback on the decency of this particular room's placement, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Here are some pictures of Oosterdam Cabin SS8079 (Same catagory). We never heard the elevators or any noise period!

http://k4fxn.shutterfly.com/action/

Look under the tab Oosterdam Ship. We cruised in May and used our balcony at lot, especially in port and at Hubbard Glacier. Have agreat time! Wish we were going too!

[lougee1043]

1. We will be booking our airfare separately and will be adding one day to each end of the cruise just in case problems arise with air travel. Should we take a taxi to a hotel closer to the pier or stay at the airport hotel these nights and take a taxi to the pier on the morning of the cruise? I'm just wondering which way might be more hassle-free.

 

imo you should stay downtown both days --there is nothing to see or do at an airport hotel--but if you are downtown there is lots to do and restaurants to choose from --may cost a few bucks more but its your anniverary--good idea to book air on your own-----dont forget to purchase travel insurance on your own ---go to www.insuremytrip.com to find a company that meets your needs

 

2. We are both in our early 30s and tend to relax in jeans and T-shirts/sweatshirts. I can only imagine the awe I will be in just sitting on our balcony, and I really don't plan on leaving the room other than when we're in port (I do understand my thoughts may change once underway), but for those who cruise often and enjoy getting dressed up, will we truly be offending a vast majority of people if we just walk around the ship in this attire? I understand dressing up in slacks and nice shirts for informal dining, but just to walk around the decks?

 

jeans are fine during the day but imo most people dont wear them in the pm -- also the packing tip re jeans that was posted earlier is important

 

3. We would like to pamper ourselves a little with a trip to the spa. We've been told to book these visits immediately after arriving on the ship. Should we truly make a "mad dash" for the spa to make these bookings or can this be postponed until later that day/evening? Also, do these services get added to our on-board account?

 

yes they get added to your account-- also they usually discount prices a bit on port days becasue most pax are ashore and they are trying to drum up a little business ----book asap and they are a little on the spendy side

 

4. I know it's a matter of personal taste, but any suggestions on "must-see" attractions at various ports, or even shore excursions? Any that seem to be a resounding waste of time/money? We will be on the 7-day roundtrip Seattle itinerary of Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Victoria, BC.

 

juneau a tram ride up to mt roberts -- we took the duck boat ride in ketchikan-- save your money on this one --- it usually rains most of the year there so be prepared

 

5. Lastly, we have booked a superior verandah suite. I know this isn't in the same category as the deluxe or penthouse suites, but with this being our first cruise we thought that would be a nice-sized room to start with. We're in room 6074, and I've read some comments on not wanting to be too close to the elevators on this deck as people stare at you on your balcony. If anyone can give me some feedback on the decency of this particular room's placement, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

i think yu should be ok there privacy wise -- also you picked the correct (port) side of the ship becasue there are inside cabins right opposite your door but the doors to those cabins are on the starboard side of the ship-----have a great time[/color]

[jmk22574]

Thank you so much to everyone who has responded to my many questions. So many great suggestions! Thank you also for the wonderful pictures of the Oosterdam. Seeing everyone dressed up and looking so nice, I'll work on convincing my husband that we need to invest in some more "cruise-appropriate" attire. To those who responded with suggestions on shore excursions, thank you. We are open to nearly anything in that regard, so I truly appreciate any suggestions. Although rain may be a bit of a bummer, being a misplaced Michigander now in Tennessee, I'm extremely homesick for cold weather. I will definitely be spending every "dry" yet potentially cold minute I can on our balcony. Thank you so much again for all the replies, I only wish I could push a fast-forward button to May 2007. ;)

[dj_crusin]

3. We would like to pamper ourselves a little with a trip to the spa. We've been told to book these visits immediately after arriving on the ship. Should we truly make a "mad dash" for the spa to make these bookings or can this be postponed until later that day/evening? Also, do these services get added to our on-board account?

 

Forgot to mention that even though you're not in a Deluxe Suite you still have Telephone Concierge Service. You may try that for your reservations.

[grannynurse]

Hi JMK,

Welcome to Cruise Critic and Welcome to the HAL board. I understand your uncertainty about dress. We're transplanted Michiganders who have lived in Oklahoma since 1981. My husband was not happy about formal nights at first too. We took a 10 day NE/Canada trip and he reluctantly took a suit. The next year on our first HAL transatlantic to Europe he wanted to rent a tux.... then lo and behold, bought his own for the next transatlantic, AND he loves it and keeps adding different vests and ties.

 

We always wear jeans on shore except when a dress code for the tour is stated. We wore them in France, England, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, Ireland, and all over Norway, but we never wore them to dinner except one night when we were too tired to go to the dining room and ate in the Lido, and did we ever feel uncomfortable. We never did it again.

 

Apparently HAL does not forbid jeans in the dining room on casual nights anymore so I'm sure this will work for you. Plan on 2 formal nights, 1 informal, and 4 casual with the day of boarding, and the night before you get off definitely casual. Be aware though, that the dress code for the evening is for the whole ship, not just the dining room.

You'll miss so much of the HAL atmosphere if you boycott the dining room, please reconsider.

Again, welcome

grannynurse

[KAYEF]

Oh, you will love the "O"................we were on her for 23 nights for our first cruise and weren't ready to get off at the end.........the thermal pool is SO wonderful and would be great after a cold day ashore, for sure. You can buy a plan for the entire cruise and it's less money that way.

Alaska cruises seem to be much more informal and you will see blue jeans on the ship and in the ports...........wear them..........of course, you will want some dressier pants as well.

Try to find a hotel that picks you up at the airport; there are many with shuttles.

Sitka...........lucky you! Be sure you go to the (free) National Park Service museum.............the original "Bishop's House", I think. I may have that wrong...........it's been refurbished..............be sure you see St. Michaels Church.........it straddles the street. I'm sure you've seen photos of it. Be sure you walk (to the right!) also and go to the park with the totems and the history of the Russians killing all the Tlingits (so they could have the sea otter pelts)...........the history in Sitka is wonderful to learn about............lots of free walking...............with things to see.

There's also a Pioneer Home there and it's such fun to wander around, see their greenhouse and beautiful flowers and visit with the people living there.

We love Sitka............spent a week there once when we "cruised" on the Alaska Marine System.

There's a beautiful volcano mountain that is compared to Japan's volcano...................hope the sun's out!

[JmzandJojo]

 

1. We will be booking our airfare separately and will be adding one day to each end of the cruise just in case problems arise with air travel. Should we take a taxi to a hotel closer to the pier or stay at the airport hotel these nights and take a taxi to the pier on the morning of the cruise? I'm just wondering which way might be more hassle-free.

We stayed an extra day ahead and beyond our cruise and were thankful. We are also from TN and the long flight can be trying. Hint – Try booking one that stops over in St. Louis instead of Dallas, they are far shorter flights. We taxied to the ship day of the cruise no problem. We actually rented a car after the cruise to enjoy Seattle. Airport drop off cost an extra $50.00 but they shuttled us to the airport free.

 

2. We are both in our early 30s and tend to relax in jeans and T-shirts/sweatshirts. I can only imagine the awe I will be in just sitting on our balcony, and I really don't plan on leaving the room other than when we're in port (I do understand my thoughts may change once underway), but for those who cruise often and enjoy getting dressed up, will we truly be offending a vast majority of people if we just walk around the ship in this attire? I understand dressing up in slacks and nice shirts for informal dining, but just to walk around the decks?

 

We were also first time cruisers, and unsure about attire. The old guard – grin – we love em, but they tend to always advise against more casual dress. Trust me on our cruise in May we saw LOTS of jeans, cargo pants, that sort of thing in the daytime. They are also perfectly acceptable in the Lido buffet. You won’t feel the least bit out of place during the day. TRUST me, you WILL be off that balcony wandering, the ship is just to amazing! We adored our balcony and it was never too cold for me.

3. We would like to pamper ourselves a little with a trip to the spa. We've been told to book these visits immediately after arriving on the ship. Should we truly make a "mad dash" for the spa to make these bookings or can this be postponed until later that day/evening? Also, do these services get added to our on-board account?

 

We didn’t use the spa but did arrange to have our hair done in the salon. There are week and day passes available anytime for the thermal room and pool – MY choice above a one time massage. Appointments seemed readily available for most everything. Cost precludes many people using the services so wait to tour the Spa and choose then.

4. I know it's a matter of personal taste, but any suggestions on "must-see" attractions at various ports, or even shore excursions? Any that seem to be a resounding waste of time/money? We will be on the 7-day roundtrip Seattle itinerary of Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Victoria, BC.

 

A Juneau MUST is the floatplane to Taku Lodge. The aerial view of the glaciers is beyond compare, and the food was the bet we had on the whole trip. Shopping downtown ewwwwwwww like any high tourist place all cruise line owned. Fid a LOCAL (not Reddog) bar and have a few with the locals. We had a BLAST talking with them.

Sitka – Do NOT miss the Captain’s choice wildlife Beach trek. It was the one time that I felt like I touched wild Alaska. The boat was so comfortable, the sights unbelievable. We watched a whale, visited an otter colony, a seal colony, viewed Eagles sitting on a nest, and landed for 45 mins on an island. AMAZING. The naturalist with us was enthusiastic and informative.

Victoria – Unfortunately for us was a bomb. W booked the Evening Orca trip. The pod had moved further north so no whales. We started towards a sea lion colony but our boat stalled out!!!!! Took the captain 45 mins to get us started again, sorta freaky! I’m sure it was an aberration, but I’d have rather seen more of the lovely city.

Can’t help with the room placement., we had an aft balcony and it was wonderful. You are going to have a BLAST! Excited for you.

[jmk22574]

I just want to thank everyone again for the wonderful, informative responses on this message board. I'm slightly jealous of the number of very interesting places/cruises many people have been on. Being first-time cruises in our early thirties, we have a lot of catching up to do. Thankfully, we have completed the "Dave Ramsey plan" so now cruising is definitely in our budget. We're blessed with very open work schedules, and being newly married haven't started a family yet so I'm going to start eyeing some of those longer itineraries. Thanks once again!;)

[Cracker Ken]

When in Juneau, be sure to drop by and see Patsy Ann. Actually, it's the statue in memory of Patsy Ann, a beloved dog that was the town mascot in Juneau way back when. She was the official town greeter, and met ships at the docks all the time. The statue was located where the HAL ship was docked when we were there. There are some interpretive plaques next to the sculpture. If you are a dog lover, you might even need a kleenex or two when you say good bye. When I was there, one of the officers from the HAL ship came by to tell her good-bye just before they sailed. We are going back in Sept, and I'll be sure to go by and give her a pat on the head.

 

Ken

[snowcat]

We are were in our 30's (early, early 40's now) on our Alaska cruise and we are also jeans and sweatshirts kind of people....we almost always wore jeans during the day and felt completely fine. We liked to dress up in the evenings...it's kind of fun! One thing I would like to add is to bring warm clothes for sitting outside, whether on a balcony or on the open decks. We went in early September, which may be similar to May. I had brought a hat and mittens and used them alot. I wish I had brought my long underwear (we are from Minnesota)! I would definitely have used them on the glacier-watching days and on our whale watching tour. And a nice warm polar fleece jacket that you can layer over stuff is a definite must. We were in anything from shorts and T-shirts to every layer I had plus hats and mittens. Oh, and bring raingear....pants and a jacket. It poured both times we were in Ketchikan....we had rain jackets, but not the rain pants and that would have been a useful addition to our wardrobe!!! Enjoy your trip....it will be GREAT!

[cruznon]

What a great way to start cruising: Alaska and the Oosterdam! I suggest that you leave some room in your luggage to buy a couple of neat "Alaska" sweatshirts! I love wearing sweatshirts, and I bought three new ones--pink, navy and brown! Everytime I wear them I'll remember Alaska!

Our recent Alaskan cruise was incredible. Now I understand why everyone speaks in such glowing terms about Alaska.

Have a fantastic time!

[SF49erfan]

Hi and welcome! Alaska is a wonderful place to cruise to. It was our first and second cruise and my DH and I are doing it again next month!:)

We have sailed from Vancouver on all of our cruises and made our own arrangements. We fly in early the day before, which gives us a little time to explore. We found a tour company that picks you up at the hotel, gives you a three+ hour city tour and drops you off at the pier. From the time you bring your luggage to the hotel lobby, you don't have to worry about it again until it appears outside your cabin door! Check to see if Seattle offers something like that or if your hotel offers ant type of cruise package (We found one that did in Norfolk)

Most days I wore jeans and a denim shirt for shore excursions (and took a waterproof jacket, hat and umbrella) and wore jeans and a sweatshirt on board, especially when we were viewing the glaciers.

Hopefully, you won't really spend the entire time in your cabin. There is so much to see and do. There is usually some sort of naturlist on board that gives background talks on what we will see. A park ranger comes on to talk about the glaciers. There are usually others who come on to give talks. (One cruise, the first woman to win the Idiarod (sp?) came on board and gave a talk. Very interesting. Also there are tons of activities all over the ship and many people to meet and exchange stories with!:)

Juneau we have seen Mendenhal glacier and the fish hatchery, Mt. Roberts Tramway, whale watching, the museum, float planes over the glaciers (breath-taking). We are hoping to do the floatplane to Taku Lodge this time. (It has been rained out each time before:()

Ketchikan we have done Misty Fjords floatplane and the crab feast. Both are wonderfully. If you get a clear day, be sure to walk over to Creek Street.

We haven't been to Sitka yet. This trip will be our first. We are looking forward to the tour, Russian dancers and raptor center. Victoria is a beautiful city.

Hope you enjoy your cuise!