secretcastle

Will you be on the Amsterdam or Volendam?

The Amsterdam 😀⛴⚓️

Thanks so much !

This is such a fun thread, I have been so enjoying it!

Julia :)

Amsterdam looks very pretty as she leaves.

 

Love your updates and so fun to see the pics! Would absolutely love it if anyone gets a chance to post screenshots in 4 weeks ( August 4th) as it will be our long awaited turn and would be so fun to see 😀⚓️

Thank you so much for doing this thread - so appreciated. Like many others following, we are going on an upcoming sailing and hearing all the amazing details just makes the anticipation so much more fun!

Julia ⚓️😀

Thanks so much everyone for all your replies and ideas :)

Too bad they are being made overseas :( and losing the integrity of the product.

Will check into the Grundes as well 😀

Hello,

Thanks so much for all the amazing and helpful feedback everyone is posting here.

We will be heading up soon and stop at Juneau, Ketchikan, Anchorage, plus some smaller ports and are hoping to pick up some of the XtraTuf boots. Just wondering if there are better places to buy them than the Tongass Trading in Ketchikan?

Thanks again,

Julia :D

Thank you, 150 years and counting! Wishing Canadians all over the world a Happy Canada Day and Happy 150th Birthday Canada !!! FYI we started the day off with a truly Canadian experience, going to Tim Horton's for coffee and breakfast.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

That's how we started our day too - Happy 150 Roll up the Rim to win 😀🇨🇦

Hi Geeks3,

Thank you so much for for taking the time to help us out! I hope you had a great holiday.

Do you know where the self serve laundry is located on the main deck if there is one there?

Nice to know that the dryers are free- might come in handy to throw damp clothes in for a few minutes if we have been out in the rain!

😀⚓️

Is there a daily newsletter that is delivered to the cabins each night? I heard somewhere they stopped doing that but hoping that is just a rumour.

Julia

Thanks so much for all the wonderful and helpful feedback! Much appreciated ⚓️😀

Thank you so much for your review - those photos are wonderful! I especially loved the on board ones , those flower arrangements were gorgeous 😀⚓️🌷

Thank you so much for your reviews - it is such a treat for those of us who are planning a trip and it is much appreciated!

⚓️😀

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions and it is great reading all of the other responses as well:)

Julia 🌷

Thank you for your review , glad you had a lovely vacation! We will be doing the same trip soon ( as I am sure many others on here) and any information is so welcome! Did you find any favourite quiet spots to read or just sit and enjoy coffee?

Were there any production shows/comedians/ magicians?

Is there much in the way of shops onboard?

Thanks so much

Julia :)

Thank you for all the time you took to write such a wonderful blog. I will miss checking in every day as well . We are looking forward to Alaska this summer on the Amsterdam and having never sailed on her before, it has been nice to hear about your experiences 😀 ⚓️

Thanks so much for the tips, and all the best to you 😀

Thank you for your blo, it has been so interesting and fun to check in on every day. You seem like such Iovely people and I wish you all the best.

We will be on the Amsterdam for the first time this summer to Alaska. Any ship specific tips you have would be most appreciated.

Cheers

on a 14 night Alaska cruise on MS Amsterdam in late July/August.

 

What do people wear in the evening for dinner? Are they more relaxed with the dress code so that jeans are allowed in the dining room?

 

Are the gala nights dressy?

 

Just not sure what to pack.

We are on the same cruise as you - as we live close enough to the port and do not have to fly in, we tend to bring more clothes than if flying. I love dressing up , and DH enjoys his chance to wear his tux once or twice 😀

There will be at least one man in a tuxedo on our Alaska cruise. My husband and I both enjoy dressing formally for dinner. It makes the dining seem special. It also makes it seem more like vacation since we dress so casually every other time of the year.

My husband will also be in a tux. We live the chance to dress up formally when on holiday :)

Yes, to answer your question, but our cruise is July 17 on Amsterdam... Are you sure that your cruise starts July 21, 2017 on Amsterdam? On July 21, 2017 Amsterdam will be in Juneau.

 

(If you meant 2018 - never mind. Crazy old lady sitting behind this keyboard.)

Sorry , that should have read July 31st lol

When is your cruise? I have a flights planned in Ketchikan & Kodiak. I want to see bears, so my cruise is in July - when the salmon are spawning. (Another option, you could fly over Misty Fjords out of Ketchikan.)

Calico Cat- we are on the July 21st Amsterdam sailing.

Are you going on a flight to see bears in both places? I hope you see lots :)

Salmon spawning is pretty neat to see as well. We are from the Vancouver area so we have had a chance to see Quite often :)

Thanks so much for answering!! My roll call is super quiet and I try to respond to everyone to keep it going, but it is lonely . This cruise is so much fun to plan :)

Thank you, Budget Queen, I appreciate your thoughtful answer. I was worried that the excursions might sell out before his birthday ( end of April, and cruise is beginning of August ) but maybe having him choose from what is available would be best. I was afraid to zip line and ended up having a lot of fun , maybe a float plane could be fun - definitely more shy about the helicopters.

Thanks again ! :)

I am trying to come up with a wonderful excursion to surprise DH with. We have been to Alaska a number of times and some whale watching, dog sledding, zip lining, etc . I am really afraid of helicopters and planes , but I think he would love one of those excursions as he loves adventure , so I am wondering people's thoughts of spectacular tours they have taken. We will be in Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Anchorage, Kodiak, Homer , Icy strait.

Thank you so much in advance , you are all so helpful and it is much appreciated :)

Hi Charlene - it sounds like you have some great ideas - do you have a blog?

On the Grand btb earlier this month, it was not by lottery, it was first come first served. They only offered the tour once during the 15 day voyage, and it was not offered on the 4 day cruise following.

:)

Wondering if anyone has done this recently. My parents are sailing the Caribbean princess and I thought about purchasing it for them. I read an older review where the op said several photos were included as well as a bathrobe? Is this still the case? I also thought I heard the tour skips the bridge now, although the website still lists it in the description. Any info is appreciated!

 

Jen

We just did the UST in the Grand a couple of weeks ago. ( we have done them before as well) this time we got the lovely bathrobes, chef's aprons , personalized stationary, photo frames, and a number of group photos that the photographer took. The tour included the bridge where we drank champagne and had canapés. Once in the past we did not do the bridge as the weather was very foggy and rough.

We always find this an interesting tour, and well worth the money, more interesting than a lot if similarly priced shore excursions.

Julia :)