Northern Aurora

We did Hakodate immigration on one of our cruises this spring, and it was done in a long rectangular room in the cruise terminal. Very quick and smooth, but I will admit that we are Zenith loyalty members who cruise in Suites so we were escorted off the ship and directly into the terminal. Another photo, finger prints and another stamp in the passport. Their country, their rules. We just go with the flow.

This post will be too late for @scorfman but in 2018 when left the Millennium we spent five very busy days in Tokyo. Our Shinjuku hotel (the Hilton) arranged a private driver who picked us up from Osanbashi and drove us to the hotel. I don't remember the price, but it wasn't anywhere as high as we had been led to expect. There are other hotels in the world that when I contact them for a price for a private driver/transfer the price is actually very reasonable.

I also suspect that there are simply so many passenger nationalities on some of these sailings that it would be a challenge. For example, on that particular Edge itinerary (which was a B2B2B for many) there were folks from all over the world as it was a unique sailing (through the Suez Canal). But we received Express Notifications indicating that the responsibility for obtaining the correct passports fell onto the passengers, and still a surprising number of folks were oblivious. And I can't imagine trying to upload passport photos and so forth using the ship internet -- apparently it was a challenge.

I didn't see this question at the time, so sorry about the delayed response. We were one of the last to leave the ship and so there are lines to go through customs. But I am guessing maybe ten minutes at the most. Lots of taxis were available -- in different sizes. It took us about35 minutes to drive from the Osanbashi terminal to Haneda. Regarding your third question -- do you mean security at the airport? The Haneda airport is well planned and organized. Took longer to take the shoes off and so forth then actually king through security. Much faster than many US airports.

Last fall we were on the Edge boarding in Civitavecchia and departing in Sydney. Numerous visas were required -- if my memory is correct we, as US citizens, had to obtain visas for India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Australia. The ship cancelled a port call for Jordan, but we would have needed one there too. It was surprising how many passengers didn't have the required visas. Also it seemed that so many folks are accustomed to traveling in Schengren Area countries and just were oblivious. Edge staff patience was very thin and folks who had to try to navigate websites to obtain visas while on the ship didn't get much sympathy or assistance. During a question and answer session in the Edge theater Capt. Matt expressed irritation and frustration with the lack of passenger compliance.

Males tend to emerge earlier than females, but by late April they are out and about.

I've heard the "quaint little drinking town with a fishing problem" in reference to Homer. Dutch Harbor/Unalaska isn't what I would consider quaint, but is industrial and functional. We spent several days in Dutch Harbor/Unalaska in 2016. We had taken the Alaska Marine Highway ferry the Tustamena from Kodiak to Dutch Harbor and stayed for several days. When the weather is good it absolutely gorgeous. But they can also experience torrential rain. We had one day of really bad rain with the remaining days absolutely beautiful. In addition the Museum of the Aleutians and the WW II Museum there is also an interesting Russian Orthodox cathedral. We had rented a SUV for the duration, and so drove the limited road system birding. It is a birdwatchers paradise. A great number of WW II remnants along the road system. Driving it really enforces how fortified Dutch Harbor was during the war. The views from Ft. Schwatka are also incredible. Ft. Schwatka was a WW II coastal battery, and is the highest coastal battery ever constructed by the US. It is on Mt. Ballyhoo. Many of the buildings have been beaten down by the severe winter weather and winds, but you can still see the gun emplacements and so forth. Rental cars are available at the airport. And I also have been to the Falklands. The communities are actually somewhat similar. In Dutch Harbor the ship will be docked, but in the Falklands we had to tender.

Harbor 360 is my recommendation. We stayed there when it was branded as a Holiday Inn (or was it a Hampton Inn?). The current owners have upgraded the facility. Incredibly convenient if you are taking a Major Marine day excursion. Winding Lodge can be rather noisy.

Hey Peaches : The longest length we have done on a single ship was 52 nights. It was a series of cruises, and if I remember correctly, was a B2B2B2B. And I will have to admit that it was a rather long time -- I quilt, we have hobbies (not just sitting on a cruise ship) and volunteer activities. Sometimes you just need to return to real life. But then again -- no one has to vacuum the stateroom, we have Zenith unlimited laundry, we don't do the dishes, and so forth. And the novelty unlimited food was lost for us around 2009. Neither the hubby nor I rarely gain any weight on a cruise. G.

Dana -- Indeed -- I remember you. The first time we encountered Celia was on the Eclipse while on a B2B2B in South America in 2019. I thought she was great, and she told us that both Milos and Brent Nixon had encouraged her to apply for the naturalist position. Milos seemed to live in the Sky Lounge. And Brent is often there too, or roving through the Ocean View during non peak dining times. Since there isn't an equivalent spot on the Edge I am really curious as to how the naturalists will handle this. Somehow that aft view from Eden just doesn't have the sense of discovery as the ship approaches whales or a glacier. In any event I will be curious to follow passenger opinions as to how suitable this ship is for Alaska. Gerry

I will also be following. We spent 40 nights on the Edge last fall boarding in Civitavecchia, transiting the Suez Canal and leaving the ship in Sydney. The ship has some interesting features, and I will be interested in opinions as to how suitable this ship is for Alaska. While the naturalists present their Beyond the Podium lectures in the theater, on M- and S-class ships they often are set up in the Sky Lounge with spotting scopes and so forth interacting with passengers. I wonder where they will be on the Edge.

I am also glad you are now at home. We spent 40 nights on the Edge last fall boarding in Civitavecchia, through the Suez Canal and leaving ship in Sydney. Both my husband and I were convinced that the stateroom corridors on the Edge are narrower than on either M- or S-class ships. Wonder if it is the same on the Beyond. While I don't have mobility issues my late father spent the last three years of his life in a wheelchair due to advanced Parkinson's. One of my pet peeves is seeing used room service trays left outside a stateroom in a hallway. So annoying.

I think I understand your question. You cannot pick and choose days for your beverage package. For example, your beverage package will be in effect for the duration, not just on sea days.

The laundry slip has per item costs listed for laundry, dry cleaning and pressing. A number of folks have posted that the Downy Wrinkle Release works well. Also folks will pack items which are prone to wrinkle in the light weight plastic bags that a dry cleaners return clothes in. In our case we revive unlimited laundry as a Captain's Club loyalty perk, but I still pack easy to care clothing.

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