Non-Disney cruise boards? (Alaska)

[Tarheel Tink]

DH and I are doing an Alaskan cruise this June/July on Royal Carribean and I would love to find a website with trip reports,etc. similiar to this board. Royal Carribean's website does not have it (surprise, LOL!) and I have not had luck in finding one.

Anyone here know of one? Like my WDW trips, I like to be prepared!
Thanks!

 

[ErinC]

Try www.cruisecritic.com , it's the only other one I know of. I found it before we went on a carnival cruise. Erin

 

[Tarheel Tink]

Thank you! This looks like it will be very helpful! DIS always gets me an answer!

 

[Grumpy's Crew]

:bounce Hi tarheel Tink. We went on an Alaska cruise last year, as a matter of fact, and we had a great time!!!!! We went pn Princess Cruise line, and the ship was the" Dawn Orincess". I'm not sure when you are going,(we went in early June), and since you are going on another 'line I don't know if I can be of any help. I'm sorry but i don't know of any other cruise discussion boards either. I am usually on the June 22nd cruisers 'thread if i can be of any help, good luck--Alaska Cruising Is GREAT!!!!!!!SEE YAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tarheel Tink]

Thanks Grumpy! We are really looking forward to this- we are doing a 7 day northbound on the Legend of the Seas during the week of the 4th of July.
How was the temperature during your June cruise? From what I have read on the board ErinC told me about it can be pretty cool at night and that I can expect sunrise at 4-5 a.m. and sunset at 9-10 pm! Yikes!
I also read not to expect to view the northern lights that early in the summer and that south, but hey, an excuse to return.

ErinC- I love the board you recommended. It is very informative and similiar to this (but MUCH less traffic, LOL!). Thank you again.

 

[inkkognito]

Hey Tink, that's the same time we sailed last year! We were on Radiance of the Seas, and it was COLD. We didn't spend a lot of time out on the deck. It was rainy at several of the ports, but we still managed to have a great time. We did lots of neat shore excursions, like dog sledding on a glacier, horseback riding, helicopter and seaplane rides, canoeing, and rafting in an eagle reserve.
The time change was a real killer, since we are from Chicago...it felt so late to eat dinner, and the late seating shows were AFTER dinner, so I didn't see many of those. Too bad, as the ones I saw were good. The food was good, too, but the adults-only areas were not enforced at all. Overall, it was lots of fun. It was hubby's dream trip, but after the cold he says he will now stick to the Caribbean and warmer areas. The only pain was the horrible embarkation and disembarkation procedures, which is common with RCCL.
We found lots of great info. on Cruise Critic before we left, and we even "met" another couple there who were sailing on the same date and hung out with them on the ship. This year, we'll be back on the Wonder for the 4th of July. Have a GREAT trip!!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Tarheel Tink]

inkkognito- it sounds like you had a great time! You must have done an excursion at every port.
I will prepare for cold (more of a time change for us too- hot,humid NC coast here!).
If you don't mind, what is the problem with the embarking procedures? We are cruise newbies who will be with a large group of friends who are mostly cruise veterans and I'm researching so as not to be total goobers when we arrive, LOL!
Watching Titanic just isn't cutting it!

 

[Grumpy's Crew]

Hi Tarheel Tink. When we went to Alaska 'cruise last year, we 'cruised south from Anchorage to Vancouver. We had all kinds of clothing packed(8-suitcases) and we did use virtually something out of every bag at least once. There were four of though. The temperatures were moderate for the most part, I thought it was rather warm for what I expected. When we got off the plane in Anchorage, it was somewhere around 80-84 degrees and this was at 6-pm in the evening. Not what I expected!!!!!Where's the snow??????? We spent three days in anchorage(two-nights), before the cruise and the temp. was rising!! It was 85-89 degrees most of the day!! As we took the wonderful train ride(we opted to do this instead of the bus---cost a little more but very well WORTH-IT!!!!!!!)south to seward to meet the ship, we went over some high altitude mountain passes and that was a refreshing change. The temp. at Seward was nice and cool(60-68), and I was wearing shorts and short sleeves and it was pleasent. When your ship goes into "Glacier Bay" the temp gets quite-a-bit cooler around all that ice!! Time for a windbreaker and jeans. On only one day did we put on our parka's(that we so dutifully brought), and that was on a day at Sea when we were in a small sleet storm and we went up on deck...There was a good bit of snow up in the hiking area up on Mount Roberts--in the hiking area above the tramway,This Is A MUST-SEE thing to do!!!The view from up there is stunning!!This is at your stop at Juneau,by-the-way. Vancouver temp's were very moderate as well(80-86). Stanley Park there is very nice also!! It is larger than N.Y.'s central park. Hope all this 'rambling helps you!!!! SEE-YAA!!!!!!!!!

 

[atigeg]

Tarheel Tink,
We embarked in Vancouver, and it was a ZOO! You had to take a number to get into the line to check in, and then take another number to board the ship. I couldn't believe that we had to wait for numbers twice...then, you could only embark when your number was called. Problem was, no one seemed to know what was going on and it was almost impossible to hear the numbers they were calling. Everyone was milling around in a daze of confusion. It literally took almost a couple of hours for the whole messy process. Then hubby's key card didn't work, and it took forever for someone to come to recode it. We ended up being very late to get our spa reservations due to the terrible embarkation process, even tho' we had arrived at the port early.
For disembarkation, they give you a colored luggage tag, and you can't get off the ship till your color is called. This process can literally take hours. We've learned that the way around this is to sign up for the city tour if your flight is late enough. That way, they have to let you off early for the tour.
I forgot all about the tramway, but I agree...it's GREAT. We slipped it in after one of our other excursions and didn't get to spend as much time hiking as we wanted, but we loved it.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com