Cyclone92

I booked a 2024 Southbound Alaska cruise on the Sapphire, but have a few questions on the itinerary and hoping the community may have some insights! 1. Departure is scheduled for 8:30 pm on embarkation day. That is much later than cruises I've been on in the past. Does that mean boarding times will also be later or can we plan on boarding around 11am? 2. Hubbard Glacier is the day after embarkation from 3pm-8pm. I'm guessing we won't spend a full 5 hours in front of the glacier so I'm wondering which hours are most likely going to be spent at the glacier? Also, this obviously conflicts with the most popular dining times and evening entertainment. Do most people try to book late dinner reservations (e.g. 8pm or later) for that evening? Will the showtimes for that evening be adjusted later to not conflict? 3. The final day of the cruise is the inside passage from Ketchikan back to Vancouver? However, this day is not specifically mentioned as scenic cruising. Are there any particular points or times of the day that are particularly scenic and worth planning for?

Thank you! Oddly enough, there are only five or so excursions being offered by Princess and none involve the beach. In fact, there is only one that involves that water at all and that is a two hour snorkeling trip. Seems that Princess is really missing out on easy revenue by offering a beach excursion which would really only require van/bus transport.

Arriving in La Paz (Pichilingue) this summer on Princess and trying to figure out the best way to get to Balandra and/or Tecolote. It seems the two options are (1) bus or (2) taxi. The bus leaves from town so I would need to take the shuttle from the the port to La Paz and then catch the Playa Bus back to up to the beaches. I'm not able to find any details on the current bus schedule or pricing online. The other option is to take a cab, but it's not clear if there will be cabs available when I get off the ship or if there will be cabs available at the beaches to return. Has anyone done either options before or have other guidance?