BeasleysMom66

1 hour ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Can't imagine they would do this with the smokers casino money going elsewhere

I live in Las Vegas and smoking isn't near as prevalent as it used to be.  When MGM redid the Monte Carlo and rebranded it as The Park MGM it went COMPLETELY smoke free.  The same comments came out that it wouldn't last but lo and behold it is one of their most popular properties because it is 100% smoke free.  

The number of hard core smokers/gamblers has decreased drammatically because they are aging out and dying off.  With the price of a pack being $11 or more and a carton going for well over $100 the number of younger gamblers who smoke are fewer than ever because there just isn't enough money for both.  Other cruise lines have no trouble with very limited smoking areas.  I think all should endorse it because the major problem with the habit is the exposure of everyone else to second hand smoke as a carcinogen along with having to smell like an old ashtray or decaying dumpster on a hot afternoon from the exposure.

49 minutes ago, Skicruiser55 said:

I wondered if there are tours you can just book from the dock?

No.  There is a shuttle you are required to take (for free) from the ship down the pier due to a rock slide danger in between the train depot and where the ships dock.  When I was there no tour operators were set up on the dock or at the depot that I noticed.

49 minutes ago, Skicruiser55 said:

Any restaurant suggestions?

Yes, for seafood:  Woadies.  https://www.woadiesses.com/  Not fancy at all but great locally sourced seafood.  You can walk to it from the shuttle drop off point or take the shuttle into town for $5 all day use.  Woadies is at State and 3rd ish.  It is literally in a housing fringe of the shopping area but very walkable.  

This was my lunch (sorry it loads upside down).  There is over a pound of crab in that leg.  

That would be fantastic since my first Princess cruise is at the end of January 2025.  Fingers crossed.

3 hours ago, canderson said:

That said, booking solo shouldn't cost MORE than double occupancy for the number of solo travelers that cruise.  That's too punitive.

Which is the point that keeps getting glossed over.  If the cost of a cabin on a particular sailing is $2000/double occupancy to ensure covering costs and profit margin then charging a solo $2700 for that same cabin is price gouging and should be illegal.  It is one thing to charge based on double occupancy it is another to expect a solo cruiser to make up for other spending that two in the cabin might not spend either.  

Here is how close the Summit was compared to the excursion boat:

On 6/7/2024 at 4:39 PM, amshowers said:

Just did this excursion on the May 17 sailing of Summit.  It was awesome!!  We got within half a mile of the glacier.  It was a full boat, but the outdoor viewing platform has plenty of space for all to view and take pictures.  We saw several instances of calving.  I know Glacier Bay is the preferred experience, but for those of us sailing on Celebrity this is the best glacier experience we can have and I was very satisfied with it.  If this is your only cruise to Alaska and you want to see a glacier up close, this is a great opportunity.  I’m happy to answer any specific questions, but I think it is definitely worth the money.

I was on that cruise and that excursion and have to agree completely.  I do not regret spending that money one bit.  I know of one person who was on that cruise who was very angry that the Summit didn't get closer than 5 miles to Hubbard while the 130 of us on the excursion got within a half mile.  

Dress warm though because when the boat is moving you will need a good winter hat and gloves for sure.

I can say that on my cruise last month when those of us who had booked whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier through the ship were delayed for an unknown reason.  We got to the meeting point and were informed we were delayed and not leaving for 40 minutes.  They apologized and said they were crediting us 20% for the issue.  When I got back to the ship I checked my account for another reason after dinner and the credit was already there.

4 minutes ago, miched said:

I think a person traveling solo gets double the CC points.

I can verify this.   I just logged into my Celebrity profile and checked my points after my cruise last month and I was given double points as I traveled and booked solo.

5 minutes ago, miched said:

Look at the revenue being lost with only one person in a cabin.

It is a wrong assumption on the part of Celebrity.  First if there is only one passenger the crew isn't doing as much work therefore double gratuities aren't needed for that cabin.  It also assumes every passenger books excursions, drinks packages, and specialty restaurants when that isn't accurate either.

On my cruise last month I booked private excursions in 2 ports (one in Seward because that was the starting point and private was the only option prior to boarding) but did use ship's excursions in the rest.  I did not need or want a drink package as it far exceeded what I would use and was not financially beneficial.  I brought a 12 pack of my Pepsi on board and avoided having to buy those at $4/can.  Being a port intensive itinerary I did Tuscan one night with 2 others and we were sorely disappointed.  I will not be doing that expense on future sailings I might book because of that.  I prepaid gratuities.  While I gambled, the casino did not seem to be very busy on most nights but I also wasn't there every night either.  Even if I was cruising with a companion I wouldn't be spending differently.

14 minutes ago, miched said:

When anyone books a cruise or a hotel you are paying for the room or cabin.

Which is why my opinion is the price of the cabin should be the price of the cabin.  If you put two people in then the port fees and taxes are x 2.  3-4 same thing.  No different with the gratuities. Those billables are multiplied by the number in the cabin.   However, if Celebrity REALLY wants to maximize that extra spending they need to improve their product.  The staff in the MDR at our table was friendly and helpful but slower than a herd of turtles running a marathon in peanut butter.  We noticed EVERY night many tables finishing 30 minutes before us and we still didn't have our dessert menues let alone the actual food.  We never got drink refills other than water and seemed to be an after thought for the staff on everything.  Worse the food was meh at best and frequently not cooked as requested (i.e. steaks).  The staff noticed we weren't finishing it and offered other options but we all discuss it would be a waste of food since we weren't likely to enjoy it.  I did better in the buffet but even that was lacking.  I got ice cream one afternoon at the cones place:  the chocolate was brown but had NO FLAVOR what so ever.  None of them did.  I dined in Tuscan with 2 different people and NONE of us finished our meals and were not happy with the quality at all.  The spaghetti and meatballs I had was so bad it made Olive Garden look 4 star Michelin quality.  

Don't get me wrong the cruise was fabulous and the trip of a lifetime but the way it was the last time I cruised back in 2012 was very very different.  The focus now seems to be on nickel and diming passengers rather than product quality.  The constant pandering and questioning about how everything is gets tiring on vacation.  If you are truly delivering the quailty you want passengers to have you don't have to hammer then 24/7 asking if they are doing it right.  There are ways to make passengers feel valued and still make money and quality of the product doesn't have to necessarily be compromised in order to maximize profits but for now my impression is the focus seems to be more on the profit margin and less on customer satisfaction as long as that bottom line is where they want it.  

232 days.  Going to give Princess a try.  Got a "free" cruise from the casino here in Vegas for an inside room but a travel companion and I threw a reasonable amount of money at it and upgraded to a suite for 8 days in the Caribbean.  Come on January!

10 hours ago, jellybean1010 said:

Our bus is taking our luggage to the porters.

I too used a bus transfer (on my own) from Anchorage to Seward.  If your luggage had your cruise ship tags on them they handled it for you.  I did just that and when I arrived at my stateroom after boarding it was waiting for me.  No delays!  There was no charge for this service but I did tip the guys on the bus.  

As a side note there is a Safeway and a convenience store walking distance from the marina and I walked over to the Chevron/Convenience store and grabbed a 12 pack of diet Pepsi.  Yes, it was $12 but that was 75% less than what Celebrity charges per can on board.  Well worth it.  

36 minutes ago, jellybean1010 said:

After a 10 minute wait, she told me once I board in Seward, I am not allowed back off ship.

This is accurate.  I confirmed before my sailing that only B2B guests were allowed to disembark.  I checked my luggage and walked around the marina to Major Marine Tours and did a whale watch for 4 hours and then took the free shuttle back to the terminal after.  It was around 4:30ish and there were maybe 5 other people checking in.  I walked right on.  There are amazing tours to set up on your own instead of just sitting on the ship and eating or using the pool all day.  Look into that.  

3 hours ago, cleobella said:

We are taking an excursion where we sail in a smaller boat to see the Hubbard Glacier up close. We were planning to bring our waterproof rain jackets, with a tee and hoodie underneath. Should we be dressing even warmer than this? Is a winter coat necessary? Maybe some who has done this can advise?

I did this excursion.  I had on an Under Armor thermal shirt, hoodie, and outer water resistant jacket and good jeans.  No problem there.  I also wore a winter hat and GLOVES.  It gets COLD when you are outside and the boat is moving.  When they float so you can listen to the glacier and take photos not bad at all but it is better to have the hat and gloves with you and take them off than to be stuck inside because your hands and ears are freezing.

39 minutes ago, kj_connections said:

When I cruised with other cruise lines the fine print was the same (cannot use OBC for casino) but their invoicing system didn't discriminate charges to my folio, and the OBC was just deducted off ANY purchases charged to my account (casino, gratuities, excursions).

This is my educated guess:  If you use the OBC on slot play and spend it down they don't care but if you were to try and load it into a slot machine then cash out immediately they would.  I think it is there to prevent those from using the casino as a way to convert OBC to cash.  

3 hours ago, kayehall said:

Do you remember the cost of this meal?

Oh yeah, including gratuity:  $105.  The crab leg alone was $85 but over a pound of meat.  It was delicious and I don't regret it but not a dining option I would do at home on a regular basis.  Definitely a travel treat I enjoyed though.

Here is their website including prices:  https://www.woadiesses.com/

Keep in mind seafood prices can change as market prices fluctuate.  

I had one in my cabin but my small travel one is WAY better and fits in the bottom of my back pack.  We got lucky on my cruise and I only needed it for a couple hours in the morning in Juneau.  Otherwise it was sunny and gorgeous but I was prepared!

1 hour ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Plus if they know that saline IV might be needed

The problem is they DON'T know what will be needed.  NO medical team is going to assume all that is needed is a normal saline IV and just hook a patient up and run it in.  They will require blood work to find out if it is an electrolyte issue, salts, minerals, glucose etc.  It could be a "banana bag" (the yellow mixture of electrolytes and glucose) is needed and they may not carry that on board.  There are a myriad of IV solutions in various sizes and there is no way for a small infirmary on a cruise ship to stock all of them or pre-stock for a potential need of one passenger.  Even if the current treating physician sent a medical note stating that the patient might need [IV solution 1000cc bag at XXml/hour] they are not going to undertake that treatment regimen at sea.  The patient would be disembarked to a local treating facility.  

8 hours ago, dleahy4444 said:

Do you recall about how much it was?

My educated guess is that after the clinic fee which is probably $150 or more, some routine lab work that will run a few hundred, and the IV would be another few hundred dollars you are probably looking at anywhere from $750 to $1500.  The actual price is impossible to know as the circumstances at the time care is requested will dictate how far this goes.  

I know this isn't what your friend wants to hear but as long as they are under going treatment that leaves them depleted requiring IV therapy support now is not the best time to be cruising.  Focus on their health being stable and then cruise.  They will enjoy it more not worrying about having to go to medical and how much it will cost or if they will be put off the ship and have even greater expense getting home under a medical emergency status.

The train was very fun and included a LOT of history the downside is it really doesn't stop for photos or wild life viewing.  Anywhere wildlife would be is going to be a distance as you go higher.  I don't have experience going to the summit any other way.

22 minutes ago, ggo85 said:

 I can buy a 12-pack of cans (on sale) for $4 retail.  That's $0.33 per can.

I just went on the Summit to Alaska and bought a 12 pack of Diet Pepsi at the gas station for $12.  The $1/can was a fourth what Celebrity charged on board.  While I wouldn't pay that much for a 12 pack at home it was worth the money to have a couple daily and not have to pay over $100 on board to do it.

1 hour ago, Scottdalfonso said:

I know they show some events outside and in your room, we are sailing the week of the first two NFL games. They are prime time Thursday and Friday night games, so they will be nationally televised, not just local games. Will there be an actual bar that shows games inside? I mean, watching it outside will be cool if that's what they do, but just looking for a backup plan that doesn't consist of sitting in my stateroom...I'll just watch the highlights later if that's the case. 

I don't sail on Princess until January but my experience on Celebrity is that when it comes to NFL/NBA/NHL games especially nationally televised ones the casino bar is usually the guaranteed "go to" option to watch.  I will be keeping an eye on this thread since I will be sailing during NFL playoffs.  

2 hours ago, cleobella said:

Do the Juneau, Ketchikan and Icy point Strait port terminals offer free WiFi?

NONE of these ports are formal terminals.  It is a dock/pier.  Literally walking distance to the small town.  In Juneau you cross the street and you are there. (see photo) Wifi in Juneau and Ketchikan was fine on my T-Mobile plan.  Icy Straight Point/Hoonah is a little more liberal and I had dead spots riding around the little town.  

Everything I heard about shipping fish home is that will break the bank.  One boat pilot on a whale watch and the guy in the salmon shop in Ketchikan said the cost of packaging and shipping home can end up being more than the excursion.  Remember other than Juneau and Anchorage most of these ports are REALLY small towns on islands that make shipping HUGELY expensive.

I did whale watching with Alaska Whale and Drone Tours.  I don't recall seeing any private fishing charter boats at the very small marina we sailed out of in Hoonah.  To give you an idea of how small Hoonah is this is their City Hall:

On 5/23/2024 at 1:14 PM, cruisequeen4ever said:

Ok, thank you. Yeah, dungeness just isn’t the same. I think we’ll go to Tracy’s. 

I was recently in Alaska and in Skagway I ate at Woadies and it was fabulous.  

On 5/7/2024 at 8:21 PM, kwokpot said:

furthermore,table games winning of ANY AMOUNT aren't subject to W-2G reporting.

Not true.  On craps tables if you bet one of the special bets like a FIRE bet or bonus craps where the odds are 300/1 you will be W-2g reported before they pay it out.  I have had it happen and seen it happen more times than I can count.  Now if you cash in $500 and turn it into $12k in chips you have no worries but certain bets will trigger reporting if the odds are high enough regardless of whether it is slots, table games or sports betting.  I bet $10 on a 10 team NFL parlay with 600/1 odds and when it hit I got the W-2 before I got the money.  The parlay where I bet $15 on a 7 team that paid $1200?  No reporting because the odds were much lower.  

On 5/5/2024 at 4:59 AM, MRVEGAS711 said:

Win / Loss statements work just fine as well as dead scratch tickets and Yes, sweepings from a Horse track floor. 

I have W-2 Gambling claims every year. My losses don't always cover my winning, but majority of the time, 100% backed up by various forms of losses.

I live in Vegas too and am in the same "boat" so to speak.  I have not been audited but I hold onto any paper betting slips in a folder for that year along with W/L statements and W-2gs I receive and so far the IRS has been fine with it.  

Bring bug repellant wipes.  My understanding is the mosquitos are so huge they need clearance to land from air traffic control.