Foggy Bay

Yes! Just ask--on our transPacific recently I drank "unleaded" Margaritas--the servers know exactly what you want (they are good!). Ask what they have and they will give you their choices. You can also ask for your own mix--I love tonic with pineapple juice over ice with cherries on top (to feel fancy). I ask too that they come in a wine glass for extra fancy. They will take care of you!

We were underneath the smoking area on the Konigsdam, and the only time we ever smelled smoke was when we were in port, and then, only rarely. However, sitting out on the balcony (esp. in port), the voices were loud, the chairs being moved around were noisy, etc. We were on a GTY, so took what we got, but I wouldn't book there again. Not horrible, but definitely noise and action going on from early morning to late at night.

We are booked at the Westin for our upcoming cruise in a few days. We used to dock there when we visited Vancouver on our boat, and loved it! Room service right on the dock (this was before cell phones so the actual activity was much more cumbersome than it sounds--lol)! I am looking forward to staying there almost as much as I'm looking forward to the cruise.

We lived on and cruised on our boat in SE Alaska for 20 years, with 10 of those years spent in Sitka. In our opinion, having lived there and in Ketchikan, and cruised all the waters extensively, Sitka is the most beautiful town in SE Ak. Easily walkable, beautiful National Park, a raptor center where they rehab injured birds of prey, a gorgeous harbor, the extinct volcano that looks like Mt. Fuji....I could go on and on. If you've been to Skagway already, take an itinerary that visits Sitka. You won't be disappointed.

I have a very similar item and have taken it on several HAL cruises. I'm glad to hear yours was a recent trip. I'm reading it as nothing with surge protectors.

That's good to know, for many reasons. Might give them another try...because...ahhhhh. I need a massage.

13 days. It's just called Orient/Far East/Alaska on the official title.

Vancouver to Tokyo on Noordam, departing Sept. 29. Celebrating an awesome award. Woohoo!

Nice! Enjoy!

That's why I've never done another massage after the first cruise I ever took on HAL. The unrelenting pitch at the end literally ruined it for me--mine wouldn't take no for an answer either, although it was my final answer. UGH. I'm glad you posted this--I was feeling a bit weak and thinking of booking a massage on our upcoming cruise. I'll stick with the thermal spa visits and save myself the aggravation.

Same--we leave on Noordam out of Vancouver on the 29th (I think) with the final destination Japan, so this thread is SUPER interesting to me! We lived in Sitka for several years and I can't wait to see that wonderful little town again.

This looks like an amazing trip! We are on a two-weeker from Vancouver to Tokyo at the end of September, so I will be eagerly following your trip. ENJOY!

Great to know!

Ours is the only big ship in port that day, according to the port schedule. We have friends in town offering to transport me and my group privately, so we are all set!

Yes, that's why we loved it--it really is "real Alaska." I know there's always been resistance to cruise ships--I feel kind of guilty going there via a ship! I'll be wearing dark glasses with my collar turned up...

I've been taking small groups to Alaska on Princess, my husband and I take trips on HAL, and I'm switching to HAL for the group travel. Reasons: HAL has the forward observation lounge, which is a must in my view, especially for first-timers. HAL has a promenade deck for nice walks at sea. I like the smaller feel of the ships--Princess ships are HUGE and the waits at the elevators are enough to send me finally scampering to HAL. I also love the views from the thermal spa beds better than the center-of-ship spa on Princess. I think it just depends on your style. Princess seems to have things going on all the time and being more sedate cruisers, we like HAL's vibe a little more. Honestly, you can't go wrong with either.

All set--thanks for the responses. I found the port codes and our date in 2025. You guys are the best!

Thanks so much for this. I'll check the ship schedule and see if it's posted yet, this far out. We used to live there--I can't wait to be there again. Our favorite town in all of Alaska.

Thanks--we lived there 8 years ago and I remember the ships tendering in to the dock near the bridge. I wasn't sure what the Halibut Point dock/transportation situation is these days. I'm bringing a group up and we'll walk around town and through the park. I appreciate your response.

Anyone been in Sitka lately on HAL? Dock out on Halibut Point road or tender from anchorage? Wondering about shuttles, drop off/pick up location, etc. How many shuttles, how long in line, etc. Trying to plan the day when we arrive.

Pro tip from a former SE Alaska resident and someone who leads tours there: Don't bring an umbrella, even if they are provided. You will be in and out of shops, opening the umbrella, shutting the umbrella, being annoyed and annoying, poking people--wear a rain jacket with a hood like the locals and be happy. Trust me. 🙂

We were on this cruise too, and I loved reading along! What a great recap of it all. My husband saw the little yappers up on the aft pool deck, laying on the couches with owners. It really makes me angry when people cheat the system. We have a dear friend who is blind who has an actual, fantastic, very well-trained service dog, and to see the "not service dogs" being passed as such is really disgusting, in my opinion. I am going to mention it in our survey. Loved this trip--it was so relaxing and nice. Loved the thermal spa, loved the food, loved sitting on the veranda reading, loved it all. Reading your blog here is like having a scrapbook of the trip--thank you so much! I hope everyone had safe travels home--ours was happily uneventful, other than a plethora of crying children on both flights. Konigsdam ROCKS. Best cruise we've had.

I had a massage on the first cruise I was ever on, and the sales pitch--well, the sales PUSHY PUSH--was so bad I've never booked another massage aboard ship, ever. It really ruined the experience for me, and clearly, I still have bad memories from it! It's really too bad--I would have probably bought something at least, but after fending this lady off for 10 minutes I was done.

Thank you SOOO much! I've been wondering how this works.

Question on the wine package--I've purchased one of the packages for my husband for our upcoming trip, but he's a red-wine-only-guy. Will there be an option to choose that? I've not ordered this before.