Questions for early Alaskan cruisers!

[jlwhitney]

Another port upgrade story - 11A to 5A for $875. Sooooo glad we did it...Tracy Arm day was icky, but our balcony + room service was perfect.

The people in front of us did an 11C to 6 something for $1000ish.

For the May 10th cruise we went from a 5B to a 1-bedroom suite for $1680, it was awesome, though I would never pay rack rate for it.

 

[Chirple]

Thanks for all of the airline bag-check fees responses. I think I'll play it safe and e-mail them as well; if they say no fee, then I'll bring a copy of that with me to the airport.

We also used ff miles for our tickets which is why it wouldn't bother me to pay the baggage fees.

 

[gonemousin']

A couple questions that I haven't noticed here after a quick search....

2. Is the dining rotation Tritons-Animators-Parrot or Tritons-Parrot-Animators?

Thanks.

It was Tritons, Animators, Parrot.

 

[LAWalz23]

We are interested in the ziplines in Ketikian but there are two of them, Bear Creek and Rainforest. Does anyone know which one might be better for those who have never ziplined before and are not used to these type of adventures? Thanks!

 

[mmmears]

Is one side of the ship "better" than the other on the Tracy Arm day?

I was reading reports of people "space hogging" up at the front of the ship on Deck 10. I don't want to deal with that mess. Is one side (port/starboard) better for viewing?

I'm hoping we can watch from our balcony, but if we're on the wrong side, maybe we can find a non-pushy spot on deck 4?

Any advice?

 

[neoavatara]

I don't think any side was better. I was port mid, and got a great look at most everything. I did go up on deck for the glacier, and there was plenty of room of there actually.

 

[Pixiegran]

Is one side of the ship "better" than the other on the Tracy Arm day?

I was reading reports of people "space hogging" up at the front of the ship on Deck 10. I don't want to deal with that mess. Is one side (port/starboard) better for viewing?

I'm hoping we can watch from our balcony, but if we're on the wrong side, maybe we can find a non-pushy spot on deck 4?

Any advice?

The ship makes a round trip...you see both sides from whatever side you are at....one side going in the other side coming out. Anyplace is good viewing.

 

[siburdue]

Actually I got the Alaska cruise scrapbook paper pack on the first night after first seating dinner. I bought the last 2 they had out and there weren't anymore until day 3 I think. On day 4 the album appeared. The album has paper in it. A few are duplicates of the pack, a few different and a couple are same print but different color from the pack. The pack does have a few papers that are not in the album and a lot of nice stickers. I do double page layouts so I bought two paper packs. I also bought a nice pack for pirate scrapbooking, I really like it, but wish I had bought a second one and I bought the pack for Disney cruising. Only some of it can I use now...the rest will go to scrap Hawaii cruise next year because it has too tropical a tone for some Alaska photos . I was really pleased and surprised at the amount of scrapbooking supplies available...a lot more than I found at Disneyland last time. I will definitely use it all with my 600+ photos from the week

Thank you so much for posting this information, as the last time I Cruised with Disney (10 years ago) they had NO scrapbooking items. So glad they have paper and stickers as well as an album. We plan on taking alot of pictures!

 

[bigAWL]

Actually, The Golden Mickeys was *scheduled* for the first Sea Day on the Inaugural cruise, but had to be canceled because of the rough seas (since they had to take the outside passage West of Vancouver Island). So it was re-scheduled for the next night (Tracy Arm day).

Sayhello

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks.

It was Tritons, Animators, Parrot.

Great! Thanks for the info.

 

[epjenk]

Posted this on the main board but thought I might have better luck here. Is Tracy's Crab Shack in Juneau workable for a family of 7? I will have MIL and small kids that need actual tables and chairs to eat, but it doesn't look like much seating in the pictures.

Also, has anyone used Murray's Guide with a rental car in Skagway? I'm wondering how long it really takes to do the whole drive. I'm sure we will stop and walk a bit at Emerald Lake, and do some of the activities at carcross like the husky puppies and gold panning.

 

[joycsk]

Oooh, Joy, from my "can't help myself" lawyer cynicism, that above phrase could come back to haunt you on this...

By telling you that getting "free" checked baggage depends on the route or fare purchased leaves open the legal door for Air Canada/Continental to charge you.

I would try now to get an email or some other writing (even from a desk agent on Air Canada letterhead from your local airport) that confirms that you will have 1 free checked bag for everyone in your party for the specific flight(s) and date(s) you are flying to have available when you check in to and from Vancouver.

A gate "guard" will probably let you slide if you can produce something like that, but you don't want to be at their mercy if you don't have to be- customer service just 'ain't the way it used to be in the airline biz!

Good Luck!

It's been a long weekend and I'm just checking back now. I'll try to get TA to send over confirmation, but their website does state that my kind of ticket - can't remember the name right now, does get 1 bag free. I'll get to work on that now that I've survived a weekend more tiring than my job!

 

[LAWalz23]

When checking in for our August cruise, I noticed that we had to pick port arrival times. Is DCL holding folks to these times? We have 7 cabins of cruisers but only 3 are Castaway Cay club members, so we were able to book excursions and register at 90 days while everyone else has to wait for 75. If we have different times is there going to be an issue if the group stays together? I know my family can always switch to later but we would like to avoid it as we have to be out of the hotel by 11am.

Are the characters out in the terminal like at Port Canaveral?

Thanks for any info!

 

[Cerberus9]

When checking in for our August cruise, I noticed that we had to pick port arrival times. Is DCL holding folks to these times? We have 7 cabins of cruisers but only 3 are Castaway Cay club members, so we were able to book excursions and register at 90 days while everyone else has to wait for 75. If we have different times is there going to be an issue if the group stays together? I know my family can always switch to later but we would like to avoid it as we have to be out of the hotel by 11am.

Are the characters out in the terminal like at Port Canaveral?

Thanks for any info!

We showed up on time for the second boarding time listed and were among the last people to board the ship. My impression is that, like a lot of the published "rules", the "port arrival time" is something that people will ignore if they find it inconvenient.

 

[LAWalz23]

We showed up on time for the second boarding time listed and were among the last people to board the ship. My impression is that, like a lot of the published "rules", the "port arrival time" is something that people will ignore if they find it inconvenient.

Thanks for the info. I just know my mom will be upset if everyone can't be together and my father will have a fit if we have to hang out in the lobby of the hotel, so my sister and I are in a no win situation. We probably should have linked the cabins differently but now have to depend on others who are not planners to do their part. It is very frustrating to say the least!

 

[SanDiegoSteph]

It's been a long weekend and I'm just checking back now. I'll try to get TA to send over confirmation, but their website does state that my kind of ticket - can't remember the name right now, does get 1 bag free. I'll get to work on that now that I've survived a weekend more tiring than my job!

I think you'll need to get the written statement from the AIRLINE rather than your TA to make it enforceable with the airline gate "guard." Is that what you meant? Getting a confirmation through your TA from the airline?

If they can't get it, I would email the airline customer service and request confirmation that you get one bag free for every one of the people in your party for your flight(s) # xxx on date xxx (including all the flight leg numbers).

When they email back "yes", just print that out with the date of the email and carry it with you...

Or, just fly Southwest

 

[MagicMe]

Thanks for the info. I just know my mom will be upset if everyone can't be together and my father will have a fit if we have to hang out in the lobby of the hotel, so my sister and I are in a no win situation. We probably should have linked the cabins differently but now have to depend on others who are not planners to do their part. It is very frustrating to say the least!

There's been a lot of speculation around this port arrival time. Some people still just show like regular time and will sometimes receive their boarding number which could be low or high. There have been stories of people being handed a five or six and then when actually checking in the CM would change it down to a two or three, etc. I think the boarding times are to try to stagger people as much as possible. Once you are there, you will receive a boarding pass number. This is what they call to get on the ship and is what is important. If you have a three and your family has a ten, DCL allows the entire group to board on the lowest number called. So you will all be able to be together.

 

[HiMagicFan]

I have been reading that the boarding around 1pm is the longest. IF so, what is the latest one can board?

I too don't want my parents to be sitting around waiting. And am trying to time it so that the whole process will take no more than an hour or hour half.

Is this even possible at 1pm?

 

[mmmears]

I have been reading that the boarding around 1pm is the longest. IF so, what is the latest one can board?

I too don't want my parents to be sitting around waiting. And am trying to time it so that the whole process will take no more than an hour or hour half.

Is this even possible at 1pm?

It's funny because from what I have read a 1pm is the shortest since there isn't much back-log of people at that point. I wonder what it's really like at 1pm?

 

[ufgrad98]

What would be the ideal time to get there to board?? We will be in Vancouver two days early, so we can get to the ship anytime we want on boarding day. What time should we get there?

 

[Cerberus9]

What would be the ideal time to get there to board?? We will be in Vancouver two days early, so we can get to the ship anytime we want on boarding day. What time should we get there?

You should get there at the time you indicated you'd be there (online check-in).