AlohaPride

So so SO excited to follow along with your blog! Not only because we'll be on the Amsterdam in Alaska, but because the world cruise is on our bucket list (we have plans to take it in celebration of my husband retiring many moons from now LOL).

love love love your pictures! Thank you!

Never mind. Confused myself. ROFL

I was not able to find a roll call for you, but I would post with the date your tour actually starts (i.e. the date you meet your guide). Have fun and happy anniversary! We're sailing for 14 days in August for our 10th wedding anniversary :) No land for us! LOL

CC has a great new feature where you can search/create a new roll call by clicking that little gold star in the box just above your thread. :) It's super easy now! Welcome back!

Our Alaksa cruise is much more expensive right now than when we booked with explore 4. We won't be using our dining reservation (the Italian place because we booked an inside) because of celiac/gluten intolerance LOL I'm most interested in the drink card ;)

The program has just barely started (some holiday cruises, otherwise Jan 1) and I think the majority of the vast majority of the cruises it has applied to thus far would be the Caribbean, reduced value cruises.

True. Darn. Must wait longer. . . Unless someone on a Mexican cruise can chime in?

Thanks so much, John! Really love your writing style. :)

For cruises other than Caribbean, how is the Explore 4 Beverage Card working out? I remember there was confusion about the "value" being $50 per person per day or 14 drinks. Now that the promotion has started, how did it go?

Thank you for your review. Our Noordam Christmas Cruise is one of my most cherished memories. I'm glad you had a great time.

Oh my gosh! Portuguese Man-of-War are awful!! There is a beach here I refuse to swim at or even go to because I've literally been stung every.single.time I've gone there. The last time left me scarred for almost a year. I hate hate hate jellyfish! I won't go near the water 9-11 days after a full moon.

Ok, Certified Dive Master and Shark Awareness Instructor checking in:

 

Could you suffer a shark attack in the water----Yep it happens a few times every year.

 

Your ship could also catch on fire,sink, or you could fall overboard.You could fall down the stairs onboard.

 

Being the victim of a fatal shark attack has about the same odds of winning Powerball !!!!! More people are killed by vending machines falling on them every year than by shark attack. I don't go around fearing Coke machines. More people die by coconuts falling and hitting them in the head than by shark attack every year. I ain't scared to much by trees on the beach.

 

Divers pay Big Money to see and interact with sharks. Consider it a very special treat if you see one snorkeling.

 

In the Bahamas and Grand Turk you could certainly encounter a Caribbean reef Shark on the walls.Nurse Sharks are very common on the reefs.I RESPECT sharks but I have never had a shark threaten me and I have intereacted with many of them while diving.

 

The simple fact is that Man is far more dangerous to sharks than sharks are to man. We kill millions of sharks every year (shark fin soup,etc). When the apex predator disappers the reefs and oceans suffer greatly.The end result is a very unhealthy marine enviroment.

 

Please,get out and enjoy the beautiful reefs.The snorkeling is fantastic.If you are lucky enough to see a shark, stop and admire one of nature's most fascinating creatures.

 

Hope this helps.

Thank you!

As a side note, the state of Hawaii actually has a state AND county budget to cut the coconut from our trees to reduce the risk of one falling on you because it IS a true risk ;)

That 14 day cruise on the Amsterdam is wonderful. We have done it 2 times. We were going to do it again next year -- but have had to cancel it.

Aww, I'm sorry, KK, that stinks!

We are vacationing on Maui next week (we have visited Hawaii many times in the past) and recent shark attacks in the Makena area have been quite bad. Here is a list of shark attacks in Hawaii, and you can add the poor German girl who was killed in late August less than 100 yards off the Makena area beaches. This took palce less than a mile from our hotel and less than two months ago. We will not be swimming/snorkeling in that area!

 

http://www.hawaiisharks.com/incidents.html

 

Quite frankly, I am getting real tired of hearing that sharks are not a problem and that more people die in cars, etc, etc. Tiger sharks in Hawaii are a real problem and the problem has been getting worse in the last two years. Mayor Arakawa has taken the visitor industry's position right out of the Jaws movie and has declared that he will do nothing about it (as long as the tourist keep on coming).

 

So, take care, do your homework, always swim/snorkel with a crowd, and don't be the farthest one out. This is not the time to enjoy solitude.

 

igraf

8 million tourists visit our islands each year. Add that to the 1.1 million residents and make the assumption that a fair number of those visitors and residents take a dip in the Pacific and we've had only 8 shark attacks this year. Of those 8 only 1 fatality. Yes, that's more than last year, but tourism is also on the rise. Any certified SCUBA diver knows that you shouldn't dive without a buddy, and that same rule should apply to snorkeling.

Traffic in Hawaii (O'ahu specifically) is horrendous and we've had far more traffic fatalities (average is between 120-150 deaths a year) than shark attacks.

Our government isn't going to "do anything" about the sharks because sharks played an important role among the ancient Hawaiians, and are considered by some as ‘aumākua, personal or family gods, and sacred guardians and protectors that should be respected.

Sharks really aren't as bad as Shark Week and other shows make them out to be. I've been SCUBA diving with sharks many times (I think they are beautiful) and nothing has ever happened. I'm sure the people with the tour will take good care of you. If I had a phobia I'd try my hardest to work through it, because you really shouldn't miss the beauty of the snorkeling available in the Caribbean (and if you're ever in Hawaii don't miss out here too LOL).

Bill wasn't in search of "socks", they were looking for "slacks" as they forgot to pack them! :D

Oh good Lord. I obviously read that before my coffee this morning :p

Women's slacks could have been found at White House Black Market on the third floor by Nordstrom. I hope Bill and Mary Ann have better luck on Maui. :(

Actually, we found this small shop while exploring the Ward complexes on our way back to the ship. Never realized there was a series of stores right off of Ala Moana Blvd. Sometimes it is nice to go off of the beaten path.

 

Lunch today was not where we had planned to go. While at home, we often go to California Pizza Kitchen, but there was a long line waiting. The same was true at Bubba Gumps. We ended up at a place called Islands, where we were able to find seating in the bar area. This was our day for a fun lunch....chips and salsa, and chicken quesadillas. We love Mexican cuisine, and are always commenting that the ships should serve more of it.

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Ward Centers is a very popular shopping and entertainment center with a lot of little boutiques. A block away, Ala Moana is the largest open air mall in the world, and it's getting bigger with four stories, and four wings with a center stage/court area. I'm not really surprised you couldn't find socks because we tend to wear sandals/slippers year round ;) LOL My guess would have been to shop at Nordstrom or Macys for your socks.

Funny story, when I read you went to Ruby Tuesday's for your burgers on Thursday I was going to post that you should try Island's for burgers instead. They are AH-Mazing. Then I read you went to Island's and had Mexican I thought, "Oh no! They should have gone to Wahoo Fish Tacos at Ward!!" LOL Next time you must try Wahoo's.

Glad you enjoyed your stay on O'ahu and I hope you'll come back soon.

I think the $50 a day limit is for the Explore 4 promotion signature drink cards only. I don't think the $50 a day limit applies to signature drink cards actually purchased.

We really want to see the Sled Dogs, but on our 14 day trip next Summer the ONLY ship option to see the dogs is in Juneau. We are also stopping in: Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Anchorage, Homer, Kodiak, Sitka, and Victoria. Are there any private tour companies and sled dog places in any of the other ports of call I have listed?

 

We have three children who will be 6, 5, and 3 at the time we sail. I'd love some other suggestions for excursions and things that shouldn't be missed in any of these ports. So far, there aren't any excursions in Sitka we'd be interested in doing with the cruise line.

We went ahead an booked the sled dogs in Juneau (along with the Mt. Roberts Tram).

I'm looking for suggestions for Homer, Kodiak, and Anchorage. I think we've narrowed down what we want to do in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Sitka (unless anyone has any tips on getting to both the raptor center AND Fortress of the Bear without having to book through the cruise).

Our cruise line is offering the following excursion for $110 per child and $180 per adult. Can you tell me if it's worth it? We really wanted to do the Raptor Center and Fortress of the Bear, and this is the only excursion that goes to both places. However, I won't book the excursion if it's possible to get to both places on our own. We'll be in port from 9-5.

Here is the excursion write up:

This unforgettable tour provides the opportunity to experience all three of Sitka's most popular wildlife viewing experiences. First, you’ll board a deluxe, waterjet-powered catamaran and set out to explore the marine wilderness to observe sea otters, whales, Steller sea lions, porpoise, harbor seals, brown bears, black-tail deer and a variety of marine birds. An on-board naturalist will explain the workings of this remarkable ecosystem as your skilled captain maneuvers the vessel to provide the best possible views. Next, take a short coach ride to the renowned Alaska Raptor Center, where injured birds of prey, including the American bald eagle, receive medical treatment. A wildlife interpreter will guide you through the Bald Eagle Flight Center, and introduce you to some of the raptors-in-residence perched in outdoor habitats. You’ll then have some time to explore the river trail and enjoy interactive exhibits. Your adventure continues with a narrated drive along a winding, coastal road to visit the Fortress of the Bear rescue facility at Silver Bay. Here, you can view and photograph brown bears up-close from a raised platform, and learn about an Alaskan family’s dream—offering a life-saving alternative for bears caught in conflict with their human neighbors. You will have free time to explore beautiful Sitka on your own after the tour.

Love reading your posts. We'll be there in the morning to greet the ship (and spend some time with Copper :) ). Super excited to see a DAM ship in Honolulu!

Nope. I'm too young ;) :p

We really want to see the Sled Dogs, but on our 14 day trip next Summer the ONLY ship option to see the dogs is in Juneau. We are also stopping in: Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Anchorage, Homer, Kodiak, Sitka, and Victoria. Are there any private tour companies and sled dog places in any of the other ports of call I have listed?

We have three children who will be 6, 5, and 3 at the time we sail. I'd love some other suggestions for excursions and things that shouldn't be missed in any of these ports. So far, there aren't any excursions in Sitka we'd be interested in doing with the cruise line.

$60 per person per day. You can adjust it down to $12 per child and have charging turned off on their room cards (we won't even be giving our 3, 5, and 6 year old children cards on our next cruise). We will probably actually pay our gratuities ahead of time in OBC and then do the $48 per adult per day as the credit hold. :)

edit to add: we were able to do this at check-in back in 2009 when we traveled with a 15 month old. We didn't have to go to the front desk.

Thank you. Really loved Adiago :)