Ricktan

So, do you think the 12:45 will work??

Sending prayers just for you!!

I thought I saw something on this recently but can't find it now so I'm sorry if recently discussed. I'm booking my flight for R/T Vancouver for Alaska next Sept. I need to pick between a flight that departs at 9:55 am and 12:45 pm. We disembark at 7:00am. I know the later flight gives me more time but puts me starting a 3-hour drive at 10:30 that night vs 8:30 that night. Is it possible to make a 10 am flight??

We did our first Alaska cruise 8 years ago on HAL. Our DD was 15. There was only a handful of teens and she did join join in a few activies on sea days. They had a scavenger hunt one day that she really liked. We let her help pick the shore excursions and our focus was on our family time and enjoying Alaska. She still talks about how "grown up" she felt on that cruise vs our Carnival cruises. We are going again next Sept r/t Vancouver. And we are staying in Vancouver for a couple days before. Will enjoy the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan! Can't wait to see what you decide

Thanks everyone!

I have looking into cruising Alaska for a long time now, so I do know some of the basic info.

 

We would be looking into booking Adventure Bound to get into Tracy Arm... as they should be able to get farther and closer.

 

I do think that most all the OV rooms on the NA would have the layout that we like.

 

But, I am surprised about the number of 2 or 3 star out of 5 reviews that I am seeing on the NA. ????? I am assuming that the vibration and shaking can still be a problem.

We spent 12 days on the NA last month and never had a problem with vibration. Not saying that it doesn't exist as others have spoke of it but we never had any issues. We are on her for Alaska next Sept and can't wait! You will enjoy her!

I tried the lobster and I'm not a fan. It was mushy and salty. I didn't mention it to them. I'm going to have to try those doughnuts tonight to take one for the team :D;). I tried the chicken and rice soup. It was a bit bland. I'm going to have to start wearing yoga pants for dinner. My pants have all shrunk from the salt air.

Try the Laska soup.......I swear, a month home and we are STILL talking about it!! :)

In Venice we sat at a table in San Marco square at the Florian. They had live music and the location screamed tourist but was beautiful. Ordered 3 Cappuccinos w/whip cream. Cost us 42.00 Euros and that was no snacks or Wifi included. There was a 6.00 charge per table for the music and drinks were 12.00 a piece. Of course, we had looked at the menu so we knew what we were doing. But...I can see where a couple of drinks and snacks and Wifi could add up in a tourist spot.

Glad you can overcome your fears, not everyone can. I have had a fear of heights my whole life, so I avoid driving in the mountains.

 

My last cruise was in 2011 where we hit 25 foot seas on the Pacific Northwest cruise from Vancouver to Los Angeles. When the 2nd in command on the Bridge answered a fellow's question about why the ship slowed down, with the statement 'he was afraid the ship was going to break apart' it was enough for me to state I wouldn't be cruising again.

 

And likewise my last flight was 5 hours of hell from Maui back to Los Angeles. The pilot tried to fly over the storm, under the storm, around storm, all to no avail. Only flight I've ever had the oxygen masks drop down, thus I haven't flown again since then.

 

I also sat on Jamaica on a land vacation as the hurricane headed toward us, but thankfully shifted direction and skirted the island.

 

I don't ride helicopters, or zip line, and I would never bungy jump or skydive.

And when I make hotel reservations I ask for ground level or no higher up than 3rd floor. My niece just posted photos on Facebook of her hotel in Vegas from the 51st floor (I wouldn't even go up there).

 

While I know everything may not be perfect on any type of trip, like the OP, I don't plan to spend any part of my vacation in fear. Not my idea of fun!

 

Thankfully there are plenty of options for all types of folks to choose from.

Don't get me wrong.....I'm not that brave! I have no desire to bungee jump or sky dive :) I don't try to beat fear just to overcome fear. I just mean that if there is something I enjoy (like cruising) I don't want a scary experience to ruin it for me......however, if the fear overrides the fun, I wouldn't do it. Every one has to find their own comfort zone

Copper,

I am interested in the coastal that includes the stop in Santa Barbara. There was no information on HAL's website about it that I could find. What is the date? Would my TA have information yet if I contact her? Or perhaps I should call HAL?

Not Copper but I see. 5- day under the Pacific Coast on May 16, '16 that lists Santa Barbara

I, too, feel bad that the OP went through a scary experience. I was on the NA, with a severe list that lasted almost 6 minutes so I understand. Was I scared? Of course I was! But I was so amazed by how wonderful and competent the crew were. The situation was handled so quickly and calmly that I knew we were in good hands. And....at the end of the day, I refuse to allow fear to ever control my life. I refuse to live scared. Five years ago, I was sitting a red light on a normal day, singing to the radio and Bam! I was slammed from behind. My world changed in a single instant. I now have metal plates and screws in my neck and even after numerous surgeries on my shoulder (looking at another in the next 6 months) I live with the repercussions every day. Do I now jump when someone honks a horn or I see then getting too close while in my car? Yeah, I do, it's like a reflex. My DH and DD will pick at me and make light of it to try to make me feel better but I'm sure I will always be like that. But you know what........after months of therapy 5 days a week, the minute I was cleared to drive, with a sling, my DH sat by me and encouraged me the entire way home and I drove with a sling still on. I think that when you allow fear to change how you love or dictate what you can or can't do, you miss so much! When we went Alaska 8 years ago, I was too scared to fly in the helicopter or float planes. Well, next year, I'm doing it! I'm not saying anyone is wrong by making their on decisions....I'm sure cruising is not for everyone. I'm just saying I won't let my fears keep me from trying different things. If you don't like it, you don't like it! But hey, I know have a great sailing story to tell!!

So like you i'm amazed to find not a lot of information on our Listing Incident. I had to laugh at the excerpt from this post. Those "two moms" were my wife's cousin and aunt. I was sitting in the MDR with them as i watched the whole event unfold. Im going to post out video from the MDR shortly on my youtube channel. I started recording shortly after the focal point of our list.

 

Glad to hear no one got injured while in your stateroom.

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL-m7NwzKqy2Y51kdzBx-pA

You got some great shots! Glad your camera wasn't damaged!

Hey! Just saw that you are from Savannah!! That's where my business is although we moved about an hour West 2 years ago after getting DD out of school. I drive in every work day. (Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread!)

Hey C! Just realized who you are, haha!! Try the soup, it's awesome!!:)

Hi Everyone, Psee's wife CruiCin, thank for all the great recommendations. Tanya, I will have to get the details on the soup tomorrow.:o

Hey! Just saw that you are from Savannah!! That's where my business is although we moved about an hour West 2 years ago after getting DD out of school. I drive in every work day. (Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread!)

Several reasons. One, it's a lot less expensive. Two, there's a slight chance for upgrade. And three, the cruise line does allow you to move if you don't like your room. Their rules, not ours, so I don't know why some people feel the need to flame. :confused:

I most certainly was NOT "flaming" anyone! I was asking a legit question. I have spoken with many people who do not care what kind of room they have as long as they have a place to sleep and bath. I understand why they would book a GTY if it means saving a few dollars. However, if you really care about what room you are staying in (which I do) then I'm curious as to why they would set themselves up for disappointment.

I'm wondering about it myself.:confused: On checking the Mariner's benefits a couple of days ago I notice it says nothing about lunch on embarkation day, only mentions an afternoon reception. Perhaps because there are so many they have done away with it. Shame. Hopefully, though, we can still eat in the MDR on embarkation day.

No embarkament lunch and the MDR was NOT open on our NA Sept cruise.

Please note that it would only be sent to your room if you request and set that up. It's not done automatically. Also, there are always treats and "nibbles" in the Lounge that you can grab. You can eat it there or fix a plate and carry it back to your room with you.

I have to agree. I'm sometimes surprised at the laundry list of wishes that people with guarantees have. I booked a guarantee on the eurodam and hoped I wouldn't receive a Juliette balcony. That's the chance I took. The balcony category is showing as sold out on my cruise. I was ready to accept the Juliette balcony if that's what it came too. I don't think it's as easy to change as what has been shown here.

It's obvious that you understand what you are agreeing to with a GTY. I don't understand why anyone would book this way if they have issues with certain locations and/or cabins?!:confused:

Here's hoping you enjoy a wonderful cruise !!!

Summary.....the entire cruise was wonderful! Was there a couple bumps along the way? Yes, of course, as expected. But, overall.....HAL was everything we expected and then some. It was slightly sedate, elegant and refined. The crew was AMAZING!!! We found that HAL was the correct fit for us (maybe not everyone) but for us, it was exactly what we want in a vacation.

Internet.....I left thinking I would purchase the unlimited but was lucky. I have TM (can I say that??) and I have a plan that gives me unlimited data and text and everywhere we landed found me with free service. The only thing that would cost me is if I called home....they could call me free just not the other way around. So, I didn't purchase internet, just used my phone when in port and that was all I needed!!

Smoking....I worried about this and shouldn't have. Not saying that some people don't have issued but I didn't!! I spent a LOT of time in the casino but there was no smoking on the tables we played on and it was a complete non-issue for us! Never had a problem with it on our balcony either......I'm guessing we got lucky.

Laundry....we had unlimited dry cleaning and laundry as part of our suite and I used it almost every day! Had a couple things that had to be sent back for "better" pressing but no bad issues. They do a better job than I would have!

Food......hmmmm....I never went hungry! Food was great...some things better than others but overall wonderful! And....I never planned a plan, set a plate or wash a dish so it doesn't get much better than that!

Age groups.....sometimes, reading this board, you would think that everyone on this line has one foot in the grave. We met so many couples close to our age and the ones that were older (and, yes, they are older than Carnival!) had such wonderful tales to tell! Everywhere we went, bars, casino, dinner....we met such interesting people!

We loved the Neptune Lounge and all that came with it....is it worth the extra? To us, yes, but to some, I'm sure it isn't necessary to enjoy a great vacation! Just depends on what you are looking for!

Dress code.....I tried so hard to pay attention to the dress at Gala Night. My DH was is a tux and was stopped several times by people to tell him how nice he looked! Even the photographer kept telling him how nice it was to see a 3-piece tux! I didn't see more than a handful....lots of jackets and lots of cocktail dresses (I had a gown) but honestly, it didn't affect us. We dressed for ourselves and felt great so I didn't really care how others were dressed other than curious because of the hot debate on here!

Our cruise was a wonderful vacation and I am ready to now start planning in earnest for our Sept Alaska cruise on the NA ! If I have missed something that you are interested in, please let me know!

The 2 couples that we toured Sienna with we stayed in contact with the entire cruise. Since we were in the Penthouse Suite we had decided to enjoy balcony dining with them as our guests and since Kotor was a short port day, we had chosen that day. We had asked Joyce in the NL for help setting it up and as always, she was on top of her game. She had meet the MDR manger and they went in and measured out our balcony space in order to set it up. They sent us the menu for MDR the night before dinner so that we could each give our order early that morning. They set the table up and served us course by course.....it was so wonderful! It turned dark as we ate and the setting was gorgeous.

Venice. Our last port.....and our absolute favorite!! We LOVED Venice. It's the spot that I would go back to and just stay! We booked the Bauer Hotel through HAL so we had our transport included. This is a spot that if you are thinking about using HAL transfer, I say go ahead! Once we said our Good-byes and claimed our luggage, they put us on a bus which carried us just a few minutes and then we were put on a water taxi and delivered to our hotel. Shared our water taxi with 2 lady friends from VA.....one had just turned 80 years old and she was a complete hoot! I hope that when I'm her age, I am living like that.....cruising to foreign lands and loving life! My DH helped them both with their bags and they were so grateful but I have no doubt that could have handled it!! They were in our hotel also and we saw them several times. We stayed 2 nights in Venice and it was not enough! It was so peaceful yet playful, exciting yet calming....We took the gondola ride, walked the streets, ate pasta, drank wine, drank coffee and cappuccino ....ate gelato......it was Italy at it's finest! If you have to chance to stay here longer, do so!!

Dessert.....the chocolate tube on the right was filled with ice cream!

Master Chef Dinner. Wow! I can't say enough about it. The whole experience was just wonderful. I will say....if you are not a "foodie" and/or willing to try new things, it would probably be a waste of your money. However, it was one of our favorite evenings! We were told that it sold out the first day and they had a waiting list so I'm glad that we booked right away. (I will do so again in Alaska and hope that it fills up!) Rod greeted us and we all were given a delicate Rose Champagne upon arrival and sat in the Pinnacle Bar. Once everyone had arrived they escorted us into a small room inside the Pinnacle Grill. The table setting was absolutely amazing! (you will see some in the pics). All of the other 5 couples were lovely people and we throughly enjoyed the company. We had wine pairings with every course (which they constantly keep filling) and I had to pace myself a little. The wines were all wonderful and I'm sure if I was POA1 I could tell you weren't they were but I'm not that good!! We also experienced another port at the end of the evening that Rod gave us (the first one we had was at the Cabana Club dinner). I don't know much about ports but found that we really liked them and that we have been missing out! They were served with dessert at the end of the meal.

The company was great! Funny, everyone talks about how much older the crowd is on HAL. We did see (and meet) lots of "older" people but it amazed me how many people close to our age that we met along the way. At the dinner, two couples was in their mid 70's. One couple was from Australia and I learned that chips and snacks are called "nibbles" and I have a new word to share! They were newlyweds, SO cute and I absolutely loved them! The other 4 couples were actually close to us in age and the conversation across the table was so enjoyable.....and, of course, the ever flowing wine helped to loosen every one up!! We were a great mix....we are from GA (USA) and there was one couple there who lives about 2 hours from us! The Aussies, a couple from NY, one from Holland, 2 from GA and one couple that the gentleman was from NC and the lady from Montreal. The service was impeccable! With every course they gave a great description and although they "hung back", never hesitated to join in which was fun. If you got up to go to the restroom you would return to a neatly folded new napkin sitting on you table spot! Made me feel bad for running to the restroom but hey, that was a LOT of wine!! HAHA! Here's some of the wonderful food that we enjoyed!

Dubrovinik, Croatia. This was our actual anniversary day (our 25th). We had a driver who took us up into the hills for a different view.

He was in his early thirties and was a child during the civil war there. He had so many tales to tell and it was incredible to get a first hand account of how it affected his family. We spent about half the day out but then went back to the ship. We filled the hot tub on our balcony up with cool water (since it was so hot outside) making it our personal pool! We enjoyed a bottle of champagne and just relaxed....a perfect day! Kotor was the next day and a short day in port so we just repeated the process!!

Dubrovnik was the evening of the Master Chef dinner but I will post that next since I have several pictures.

Corfu was the night that we had reservations for Le Cirque. We really enjoyed it. After everything I had read, I knew that I wanted the lobster salad and it did not disappoint !

Sorry for the shadows

We also tried the escargot and the pea soup.

The Chateaubriand was excellent!!

I'll let you decide if we liked the Creme Brûlée

Sorry for the delay...been a crazy few days! After our "adventure" at sea we arrived in Corfu Greece. I have to say that it was not what I expected. Beautiful but not what I have imagined. When I think of Greece, I think of all the pics on the HAL website....blue water, white houses with colored roofs with colored flowers all around. Found out that is the other size of Greece! Corfu is green and lots of mountains!

We hired a driver who drove us up the mountains and through several tiny little villages. Stopped at one and we were given some homemade bread made in a wood burning oven with some local olive oil, feta cheese and black olives. We saw olive trees that were hundreds of years old and covered in olives! Here's one of the trees.