spudicusrex

16 hours ago, spethstation said:

Anyone have success with a 'poor' bid from a balcony to a spa balcony? I'm sailing the Escape on Dec 7 and thinking about bidding the absolute minimum ($100 CAD pp) just to see what happens. I'm really interested in the thermal spa pass but can't swallow the actual price.

It's not quite the same but I recently had success with a poor bid on an upcoming Bliss sailing. I bid $110 US pp to move from a mini suite to a spa mini suite. That bid was in the poor range, maybe $10 or so above the bare minimum. Like you, I wanted a thermal spa pass but it costs more than I'm willing to shell out. 

Just to let everyone know, I was there last week (11/12) and the slides were open.

Thanks for all the replies! I appreciate everyone's suggestions.

Cheese sandwich - That's exactly what I'm looking for! It never occurred to me to look for baby wet bags, but it totally makes sense.

For those asking - I like to minimize the amount of single-use things that I use. No judgment if that's not your thing. But that's why I was looking for something reusable.

In the next few months, I will be visiting Florida twice and going on a Caribbean cruise so I'm in need of a reusable bag to store my damp swimsuit when I need to pack it before it's dry. I would also use it when going to the gym for a swim. I had one before but it was terrible and would leak even when the suit wasn't terribly wet.

Does anyone have a reusable bag (non-ziploc) that they recommend?

Thanks for posting this link! I never understood what bubble net feeding was all about. That was a great breakdown. Sounds like David Attenborough.

I cruised Alaska late August-early September in 2016. It's just my opinion, but I think the down is a bit excessive. I'm almost always cold, but even at the chilliest times I was comfortable in a long-sleeve top, hoodie, fleece, and a hat. The benefit is that all of those pieces are useful on their own as well. Plus, I don't think down insulates as well when it gets wet.

Full disclosure: I'm biased as a light packer who wouldn't bring such a large item that serves only one purpose :)

There’s a little food mart in the Chevron station about 1 block from Major Marine. Safeway would have the best selection though.

Thank you, Glaciers. I think we will check this place out first and then hustle to Safeway if we can't find what we need.

Less then 3/4's of a mile from the port is a Safeway Grocery Store.

 

Keith

Thanks Keith. I saw Safeway on a google map but had discounted it because of our need to walk from the ship to major marine to drop off our luggage and then walk to Safeway and back from there. I thought it was farther than 3/4 mile. I will check it out again.

I will be on a northbound cruise this June disembarking in Seward. We are looking at a tour with Major Marine that will have us occupied from 11 to 5. Then we will board a shuttle to Anchorage at 6:30. Due to dietary restrictions, we are not interested in the meal offered by Major Marine. Is there a grocery-type store near the port where we can grab snacks (fruit, nuts, etc...) to take on our Major Marine cruise? I'm not looking for restaurant recommendations.

Thanks!

After swearing them off for years, I recently purchased two bras from Victoria's Secret and I love them. Great support and the price was right. Some styles were better than others so I recommend trying a few different models.

Other brands I like are Natori and Chantelle. They are a bit pricey full price but I can regularly find them at a great discount at Nordstrom Rack.

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm not generally a last-minute planner, so this is all new territory. We'll just decide on embarkation day.

I've booked excursions on the day of the excursion.

That's good to know. Thanks for replying so quickly! Your posts on this board have really helped me navigate my first royal caribbean cruise.

I'm looking at a shore excursion that would be on day 2 of my cruise next month. It's a long 9 hour excursion so whether we book the excursion or have a quiet day in town will be based on how exhausted we are after a week of pre-cruise vacationing.

Assuming it does not sell out, would I be able to book on embarkation day or would that be too late? I thought I saw somewhere that you have to book excursions 24 hours in advance. In case it matters, I'm on the Navigator out of Southampton.

Thanks!

I did this same itinerary on the Pearl in August 2016. I traveled with my mom who also has some endurance issues as the result of chemo and she had no problems with any of the things we did. Her priorities were to take in magnificent views and spot whales. What you chose will come down to what your specific reasons for visiting Alaska are. Here's what we did:

Juneau - Whale watching through the ship

Skagway - White pass scenic rail excursion through the ship

Ketchikan - Cheap public bus to Totem Bight then walked around the town

Victoria - My parents did a horse drawn trolley through town; I walked from the port to the city to explore. There was very little time to do much with such a short stop.

As for tips for the Pearl - We had a balcony but I really enjoyed watching the scenery go by in the Spinnaker lounge. There were great views up there and it was very quiet in the mornings. I also recommend getting a thermal spa pass. It was well worth the money.

I traveled to Alaska on the Pearl last August. I would definitely say the spa pass was worth it. I ended up going at least once a day to relax. On our sailing, the pool was open but it was quite chilly most days and the hot tubs were full of children. It was nice to have an adults only area to relax. My parents treated me to the cruise so I bought spa passes for all three of us. We all loved it.

If you do buy the pass, do so before you sail. I think you end up saving a few bucks that way.

Wow! I went away on vacation and came back to so much great advice. I appreciate everyone's input.

I've decided on four pairs of shoes after all. I'll do some waterproof walking shoes since I expect a fair amount of rain, casual skechers for walking when it's not wet out, flip-flops for walking to/from the hot tub and shared bathroom situations, and a shiny new pair of dexflex flats. I like how little space the dexflexes will take up and although they probably aren't the best for long cobblestone-type walks, I also like that they will be comfy enough to dress up some jeans for the evening. I think I will get a lot of use out of them.

Again, thanks for all the advice.

Go to jambu.com and see if any of their vegan offerings float your boat (had to throw in that pun).

 

I have a couple of their vegan shoes and sandals; one of them has been my staple for European travel. They don't make it anymore (bought them in 2011), so I can't point you to those specific ones.

 

Also, hit the sahalie.com website and look at their shoes and sandals. They have lots of Jambu, but others, too. Just weed out the leathers...

I always appreciate a good pun! Thanks for the info on Jambu. I've never heard of it. I don't think their shoes will work for this specific purpose but I may have found a pair to buy for the summer. Great options!

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Light packer here as well. I usually pack no more than 4 pairs. I bought Dexflexs from Payless and I also have a pair of Tieks. I feel Tieks are wonderful, however the price, not so much. Put in flats in Payless and you will see them. Tries to copy them on my phone and couldn't get it to come up.

 

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Thanks for the info. How have your dexflex shoes held up? Have you walked much in them? I like that they seem lightweight and easily packable.

I've heard great things about Tieks but I'm afraid the signature turquoise color on every shoe will clash with my dresses.

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I'm working on my packing list for my October cruise. (Yep. I'm that girl :)). I'm a light packer, but I want to participate in the chic nights onboard and have two lightweight dresses picked out. I try not to take more than 3 pairs of shoes, so I'm trying to find a black flat that will work with my "formal" dresses but also be comfortable enough for some heavy duty european city walking. Please tell me there's hope! Does anyone have any suggestions?

Here's one of my dresses. The other is a green, satin number that has long been discontinued. If the shoes work for this dress, they will also work for the other. http://www.dillards.com/p/jessica-howard-cap-sleeve-soutache-tiered-sheath-dress/506661171?di=04796568_zi_black_tan&categoryId=-10032&facetCache=pageSize%3D96%26beginIndex%3D0%26orderBy%3D1%26facet%3D-119661089799107

I should add that I don't wear leather or suede, which is not making things any easier.

Thanks in advance!

We have a first time cruiser coming with us next summer to Alaska. We have cruised 6 times to the Carribean but never alaska. Our first time cruiser is terrified of not seeing land and cruising in general. I heard that Glacier Bay is not to be missed but wasnt sure if that can be combined with an inside passage trip? Looking at the glacier bay maps it doesn't seem like you are far from land can you still see land kind of?

I took an inside passage cruise on NCL. It stopped at Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria and we also spent a day cruising through Glacier Bay National Park. You can definitely take an inside passage cruise that cruises through Glacier Bay, you just have to search the right cruise lines. There are a few threads that thoroughly specify which lines cruise Glacier Bay.

I found that I saw much more land than the other cruises I have been on (Caribbean, Mediterranean, Pacific Coast), but probably not enough for someone who is afraid of cruising and not seeing land. Especially at nighttime.

It's not the first time this question has been asked by someone doing a back-to-back, but I don't recall any feedback. It would be helpful to future cruisers if you could give details of your experience.

I will be happy to report back, although it will take a bit since my cruise is not until October.

I emailed ibis budget and they said the laundry facilities were not available to guests. I find the idea of the "serviced wash" quite compelling. I'd never heard of it before, but it sounds perfect!

I appreciate the links and thorough responses.

Did a little search and found this https://www.orbitz.com/Hampshire-Hotels-Ibis-Southampton-Centre.h3431.Hotel-Information

There are others -- I searched Southampton hotels with laundry facilities--but I would always contact the hotel to check it's still available.

Thanks for this. The site I use doesn't have a filter for hotels with laundry facilities.

I'm researching hotels for a couple nights pre-cruise in Southampton in October. It would be quite convenient to be able to do a couple loads of laundry before we sail. Can anyone recommend a hotel with self-serve laundry facilities, or one that is near (within a 5 minute walk) a self-serve laundromat? I'm not looking to send anything out. I'm hoping to avoid doing laundry in a hotel sink. Thanks!

For those of who are minimal packers, do you "pick 1 sweatshirt" and stick with it?

Short answer : Yes.

Long answer: I pack similarly to Hoyaheel who gave some great advice. On my trip to Alaska (7 nights) last summer, I packed 4 short sleeves shirts, 3 long sleeved shirts, 1 black basic cardigan, one hoodie, a fleece, rain jacket, and 3 pants (one yoga style to relax/nap in, one pair of jeans, and one pair of outdoor pants because I spent some time hiking and birdwatching). I run cold, so the average person could probably drop the cardigan or hoodie but I definitely needed both.

I'd pack the same for a 14 day trip and just send out some laundry at the halfway point.