LeeW

Typically $8-12 for hotel shuttle to port from airport area. Hotels don't actually run these - they just arrange the transfer.

We have booked Celebrity onboard a Royal ship with the same $100 deposit but haven't tried getting an open booking certificate where the Celebrity cruise isn't identified. The onboard agent did have to contact Celebrity to reduce the deposit so my guess is they could do the same to issue an open certificate on the other line.

Son onboard said late boarding was due to extended cleaning for Noro on previous cruise. But he didn't know why they were so late sailing last night.

OP is a citizen by definition (US parents) but not sure how one would get a document proving that, other than a passport. Military kids born out of country can have the same problem. Technically a Real ID should prove citizenship but will the port folks recognize this?

The Ocean World facility is around 20 minutes from the port and has a lot of shows, a small snorkeling tank with fish and beaches. Was pretty hot when we there so we didn't use the beach but it was extensive, with lots of umbrellas and loungers. The avian exhibit allows you to feed the birds (tip expected but not required). Recommend a hat since they WILL land on your head. Would highly recommend it for grandkids. Labadee has calm and shaded beaches to the right and a more open beach ahead and slightly left. About a 15 minute walk from the ship or you can take the free tram. Lots of free loungers (although locals will try to set one up for you for a tip). Standard lunch buffet typical beach BBQ. Really no worthwhile snorkeling there. Extra cost excursions include an inflated water park and a toboggan like slide. You don't have to spend anything there. Slides on the ship are always free, subject to height limits.

Note that OP is in Australia. In the US there are two kinds of bookings, refundable and non-refundable. Assuming you are before your final payment date, a refundable deposit would be returned when you cancelled the room for any reason. Non-refundable would not. Once you hit the final payment date and have fully paid then any cruise is non-refundable, the penalty for cancelling increases up to the full amount of the cruise. In the past some folks have been able to move the deposit to a different cruise. I don't know the rules for Australia. Contact whoever you booked your cruise. If booked with a refundable deposit you should get your money back (prior to the final payment date). If non-refundable, ask them to move the deposit to another cruise - and it doesn't have to be a similar cruise. If this doesn't work the next option is to file with your insurance company for the loss (assuming you have insurance).

Exception is if OBC is used. This reappears in your account immediately after cancelling (refresh page). Our experience with credit card is normally around a week for the first purchase to refund.

If one of the four people on line tries to log a fifth device in then someone will get kicked off and you can't predict who. So this requires that the person using the new device log themselves off before logging on the new device. Some people who need two devices will buy the four device package and sell the extra two to someone else on their roll call. As long as everyone only uses their slot and doesn't try to log in a fifth device it works.

Typically 6/5. Sometimes better if you bet $1 or more. And bonus poker doesn't pay double for two pair. And different machines can pay differently. I have seen double double pay either 4000 or 3500 for a royal on a 5 coin bet. Most quarter machines these days want you to play 10 coins.

Could be similar to what we found out on Symphony, with a donut shop and a buffet. Our assistant waiter worked in the donut shop area and told us they made the donuts for the buffet all through the night and the ones for the local shop last. When we went there he would go in the back room and bring out fresh hot donuts for us even when there were some in the display area. Buffet needs large quantities and it takes a while to produce and deliver them.

Older ships still have cruise cards you can punch holes in. And replacing that system would cost a fortune.

Just remember that a single device means one device at a time. Unless you are both on at the same time you may be able to buy just a one-device package and share the login.

I've looked at this a couple of times and still don't think the price is worth it. You are going to spend up to 90 minutes each way by small boat on potentially rough water. The tour is around $85 if booked locally and $190 if booked through Celebrity. You get a welcome drink and lunch with non-alcoholic drink. Would rather do an AI that is much closer to the ship in a different port. In this extremely hot port we normally take the shuttle from ship to the port building, visit the emerald store and free zoo area and then take the shuttle back to the ship. We have visited downtown and fort areas on past trips.

Agree with posters that trains require early rise. For example, our northbound interior train tour left the ship at 6 AM. You also spend a lot of time waiting around for the train to show up in Talkeetna and Denali. But Princess, at least, is very well organized for this. May is VERY early for an interior trip. Roads into Denali are not open yet (and the main road will still be closed for another couple of years due to landslide). I would do a back-to-back from Vancouver at that time of year. There will be lots of ice in the fjords and you may not get all the way to the end. Any time of year weather can be an issue. On our last northbound Hubbard Glacier stop in September (Radiance of the Seas) we never got close the the glacier - solid fog and rain. A few days later we did get to see the glacier southbound, although still lots of rain. On a different September B2B our stops in Glacier Bay (Island Princess) were three days apart. Massive changes in Margerie Glacier in just 3 days. Another advantage of B2B on Princess is the Phillips 26 glacier cruise you can do on turnaround day in Whittier. Lots of wildlife, good food and closeup viewing of glaciers on a small boat. Gets back around dinner time on the ship. Book direct with them.

Old post, but the train stops adjacent to the pier in Whittier (if it went any farther it would be on a barge). Luggage dropoff is right there. Walk about 100 yards and you are on the ship. Sit on right side of train for best views.

Everybody says that about visibility. Our two trips in September had tiny clouds near Denali both times, although it was clouding up when we came back the second time - later tours did NOT see the mountain (moral: take first tour in the morning). Both of these were before the road closure. Two stops at McKinley Lodge in Talkeetna and one had zero visibility of mountain. Not a great place to stay since it is a 45 minute ride into town for activities.

Whale watch smaller boat (independent) in Icy Straights and Juneau. Eagle preserve raft in Skagway (ferry to Haines). Helicopter to glacier with dogsled in Juneau. Miner's camp in Skagway has puppies and dog sled rides on wheels. Floatplane to Neets Bay to see bears in Ketchikan. Kayak or canoe at Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. There is a zipline in Skagway but we haven't been yet - scheduled for next summer.

As I recall around 3.5 miles, mostly along a dirt road. Not really scenic but could be done. Mileage better spent in the totem park.

Some cruises will do an independent boat when they cruise Tracy Arm. This costs similar to the one at Hubbard Glacier ($350-400US pp). This boat departs directly from the ship. Boat and floatplane tours also leave from Juneau. These are cheaper. Helicopter glacier landings with dog sled are usually out of Juneau. Lots of operators and can be $500 or more. Your May trip is early season, so assuming the weather cooperates you have a good chance of flying up to the glaciers. We've been fogged out later. We actually prefer to go whale watching out of Juneau. This can also be done from Icy Straights if your ship goes there. For Skagway we often do a float down the river at the eagle preserve (requires a long stop in Skagway since you take a ferry over to Haines).

Note that independent booking opened yesterday (my other post). When I talked to them in July they said that there really isn't an issue in getting seats as long as you don't wait until next spring. Best part of Anchorage to Fairbanks trip is just north of Denali park - the canyon there can't be seen from the road. But it is all scenic mountain views. There is a low pass south of Denali that we had snow in September, with 72 degree weather in Denali and Fairbanks. Southern part between Anchorage and either Whittier or Seward is along the coast. Lots of tidal flats with huge tides. Different kind of scenic.

We have been trying to book independent Anchorage to Seward for next summer and bookings opened yesterday 11/2. Not real enthused about the 6:45 departure but better than using the cruise line charter that gets in late.

We usually book 18 months or so out. Depends on when we book a cruise. And since restart the local vendors have had problems getting staff to man the tours. Many of the operators are running fewer tours and it is fairly common to see the owner of the business and spouse either running the tour or the bus to get you to the tour.

A few weeks ago on Ovation the greeter was letting blocks of reservation times through in order. So 7:00 got in around 6:50. However the only time he did this was on formal night where the line was long. Most nights if you showed up early for a reservation you just went up to the podium. Might have a delay if the table you wanted was still occupied, but generally the host just put us at a different table in the same waiters' area.

If you cancel 5 days before cruise it goes back to your credit card. Later and you get onboard credit. General policy is 48 hours before a tour departs but there are a very few excursions that can't be cancelled. These will be noted in the description.

On one booking a few years ago one of us was listed as "open seating" and the other Mytime. I wasn't able to make dining reservations until our travel agent fixed this. So if you try to make reservations in the cruise planner and can't, have whoever made your booking fix the problem.