auntjoy036

My Mom and I were on the Volendam in May 2016. We loved that ship! It was beautiful, flowers everywhere. And the size was manageable for Mom, who has limited mobility. I booked her again for 2017. I'm taking my teen/twenties nieces to Alaska. I wanted a ship that showcases the scenery rather than making a spectacle of itself.

Vicki

Mom and I were on a seven night cruise on the Volendam in May. I'd read online that one could only make reservations for three days at a time. Once we got a nice table the first night and said we liked it, however, we were allowed to reserve it for the rest of the week.

Vicki

My life at home is pretty casual. On my last few cruises I enjoyed changing from my day clothes to nicer clothes for dinner. On non-formal nights I wore slacks and a silky blouse. A dress would be great too. Foot surgery has sentenced me to sensible shoes, which are less obvious with slacks than a dress.

Vicki

Because I learned on this board that it is important to the crew, I was quite the little name dropper on my post-cruise survey this May. While on the cruise I jotted down the names of the cabin stewards, dining room staff, and concierges. I mentioned each in the survey and said something specific about them, any good thing I could think of. The service is great on HAL, so it wasn't hard to find things to praise.

Vicki

QVC sells skorts. I think they have some in Denim & Co., their casual brand. I bought one in their Susan Graver brand. It is in a silkier, dressier fabric, really beautiful. I'm sorry I don't know how to make a link. QVC dot Com, use the search feature for skort.

Vicki

Sailaway2joy, Thank you so much for sharing your experience. That description helps me a lot.

Vicki

Have any of you done Celebrity's Essential St. Kitts Tour. It's a three hour bus/van tour. How was it? I'm thinking it may be a good way for Mom (86) and I to see the highlights of the island. How extensive is the walking? Do they allow time to shop at Caribelle Batik?

Thanks.

Vicki

I am considering Crlebrity's Butterfly Farm and Marigot tour for Mom (86) and me. Mom can walk, but not long distances. Does the Butterfly Farm have paved paths where we could use a wheelchair? Or is it a relatively small place? (Mom can walk from the front to back to front of a US grocery store, but can't walk up and down every aisle.)

Thanks for your help.

Vicki

Thanks, Crew News. Your awesome photographs have influenced my choice of excursions during my recent visits to Alaska. Mom and I saw a brown bear cub feeding on dandelions this May, but the blurry little snap I got of him is nothing like the image you'd have captured. Thankfully I have the memory and my Mom to share it with. Thanks again for your help.

Vicki

Budget Queen, Do you have a preferred whale watch provider in Juneau? Crew News, Did you say you prefer Gastineau? I went with Allen Marine via HAL in 2015. It worked well for Mom and me. This summer we toured Tracy Arm instead of doing a whale watch in Juneau. Next year, God willing, I'll be back in Juneau with my teenage nieces. Not needing to accommodate a wheelchair this time, I'd like to try one of the smaller boats.

Thanks.

Vicki

I know nothing about the Kenai Fjords tour, so don't know if you'll see whales there. If not, whale watching in Juneau is a must. I came to Alaska the first time over twenty years ago. I came the second time a couple of years later because I'd heard others describe the whales and I hadn't seen any. I went whale watching on the second trip and feasted on the majesty of that encounter for many years. What seems like a lifetime later I got a chance to bring my 85 year old Mom to Alaska. We went whale watching and over a year later she's still raving about the trip. Next year I'm bringing my teenage nieces to Alaska. They can choose what we do in Skagway and Ketchikan . In Juneau, I'm taking them to see the whales. There's nothing better.

Vicki

Hi 78232. I had your dilemma. I was traveling with lots of prescription bottles that took up too much carry on bag space but I wanted to carry the meds in the original pharmacy packaging. I live in the US. After reading advice on cruise critic, I found an independent pharmacy that "blister packs" my medicine. Each notebook paper size sheet, less than an inch thick, has seven strips of four blisters, that's four doses a day for a week. Several pills or vitamins can fit in each blister. The blister pack is labeled with my name and info, the pharmacy's name and info, and the name, strength, and a description of each pill. This would vary based on insurance plan, but for me the copay for my meds packaged like this is no more than the copay for big bottles at a big chain pharmacy. I found my pharmacy google searching "blister pack pharmacy" or something like that. I've taken several trips since packing my meds this way. I find it very convenient.

Vicki

I was on Oasis of the Seas in the Caribbean in November 2015 and the HAL Volendam in Alaska in May 2016, so once on your cruise line and also recently in your destination. On non formal/elegant/chic nights, I wore slacks and a silky blouse. Some nights I may have worn a shell and cardigan instead. On the "formal" nights I wore black slacks and a black lace blouse. Both times I had packed a cocktail dress but felt I looked better in the slacks and blouse.

Enjoy your trip!

Vicki

Thanks, J&B in GA for mentioning the different types and pick up points for the water taxis. That's good to know and gives us more options.

Vicki

Thank you, xxoocruiser. I had read the thread you posted earlier in my planning. At the time I was thinking of a beach day in St. Kitts, not obsessed with batik. Thank you for bringing it back to mind now that my plans have changed. I am encouraged.

Vicki

I would like to visit CaribElle (blame auto correct for the weird capitalization) Batik at Romney Manor on St. Kitts. I will be traveling with my Mom. Mom can walk short distances and climb stairs with a hand rail. We will get to Romney Manor by van tour and have a manual, collapsible wheelchair to help Mom cover the longer stretches.

I read on trip advisor that CaribElle Batik is not accessible. Do any of you who can walk, but not long distances, have experience there? Could the van or a wheelchair get Mom close enough to walk to and enjoy the batik store?

To give you an idea of Mom's ability, she could walk into a grocery store or Target store, pick up a needed item or two, check out, and walk back to the car. She does not have the stamina to go to the grocery store and walk up and down every aisle.

Thanks for your help.

Vicki

OP, I don't know anything about Princess' upgrade practices. For the little it's worth, Mom and I had an accessible balcony cabin booked on a HAL Alaska cruise this May. A couple of weeks before sailing I cheked and an accessible Neptune suite was available. I asked my TA to call and ask about an upgrade. They said I could have it for $x. I thought x was too much and declined. I thought it over and decided I wanted it. The next day I made another inquiry and got the upgrade for $×-100. The upgrade cost was peanuts compared to what those suites usually cost. It might not hurt to wait, watch, and ask. Best wishes.

Vicki

Mom and I talked our way into an upsell to a Neptune Suite on the Volendam this May. Last year we had a regular balcony cabin on the Noordam (nothing to sneeze at). My favorite thing about the Neptune Suite was the big L shaped couch. We were sailing Alaska's inside passage, so it's all about beautiful scenery all the time. In the regular cabin there was one comfy chair and one little desk chair. Mom and I would joke about whose turn it was to sit in "the" chair and look out. In the suite, we could both stretch out on the couch and see out the windows and balcony doors. Much more comfortable.

Also I could not imagine a use for a concierge. Turns out he came in very handy exchanging inconvenient preassigned explore four dinner reservations for days and times we wanted.

On the Noordam in a balcony cabin, every time I requested a table for two I got much static and resistance from the dining room manager. We often got directed to a shared table, a misery for my Mom who is hard of hearing. As Neptune Suite guests on the Volendam, we were ushered to a table for two by the window that became ours for the week. I don't know if this is a difference in dining room managers, cabin categories, or my increasing willingness to insist, but it sure was nice.

Enjoy your splurge!

Vicki

Thank you. Being able to rely on taxis makes the planning so much easier.

Vicki

Thank you both for sharing your experience. Thanks too for the helpful link. This cruise itself is a splurge (aren't they all), an "extra" vacation compared to my family's normal pattern. I am hoping to keep the cost down on port days, thought maybe we could do a little trinket browsing instead of a tour. But the main thing is to keep Mom safe and comfortable. I'm still weighing the options.

Thanks again for your help. Best wishes.

Vicki

I've read about a water taxi that runs from the pier in St. Maarten to a commercial area. Mom can walk short distances, but uses a collapsible, manual wheelchair for long walks. Do any of you know whether we would be allowed to bring her collapsed wheelchair onto the water taxi assuming Mom could step onboard herself?

Thanks.

Vicki

I've never been to St. Kitts. Mom (86) and I will be there in January via Celebrity Reflection. Mom uses a manual, collapsible wheelchair. Are the commonly available taxis in St. Kitts big enough to fit the collapsed wheelchair in the trunk (it will fit in most US cars or SUVs) or are they small like a Mini Cooper, which might not fit us plus the chair. Thanks.

Vicki

I am planning a January cruise that leaves from the port of Miami. When I got ready to book a hotel I knew just where to come for advice. There were already plenty of threads to glean information from.

I am traveling with my elderly mother. Restaurants in "walking distance" for most people are out of range for us. I wanted a hotel close to the port of Miami with on-site breakfast and dinner. Nice, clean, and safe, of course. After looking at several often-recommended ones, I chose the Marriott Miami Biscayne Bay. It had a senior citizens base price no more than the price at the Hampton Inn Brickell, which I also liked. In the end I paid extra for a package that included breakfast, transfers to the port, and a bay view. (I'm a sucker for a water view.)

Thanks to all of you who take time to contribute to these where to stay threads. I wouldn't have known where to start without your helpful observations. Best wishes to you all.

Vicki

I live and travel with my elderly mother. At home I do all the driving, prepare and serve meals, etc. On a land based vacation, like when we rent a condo at the beach, it's all the same tasks, just in a different place. On a cruise I get to put the car keys aside for a week and be the one served instead of the server. It's a real break from the everyday.

Vicki

I was in Alaska on the HAL Volendam in May. I took two pair of shoes, black slip on ath-leisure shoes and nice black sandals for evening. If I had planned to use the pool i'd have added water shoes.

Vicki