cmmaxwell03

Glad I'm not the only one receiving eye rolls from their DH. In the end, they are going to thank us for our planning when things unfold nicely during our trip. Right now, my DH's focus is on an abbreviated trip to Vegas the week before the cruise. (lil' tangent here...but I told him if he comes back sick from Vegas I will kick him in the rear! We leave for Anchorage 7 days later) It was an unexpected trip to play in a trading card game tournament (insert my eye rolls here). Luckily, we had enough points left after our cruise needs to cover his flight and hotel. Due to the busy tournament, and his lack of interest, he doesn't intend to do any fancy dinners or gambling. I did not offer to do the planning for this trip and I'm kind of giggling when he comes to me to ask for suggestions. He was about a month out when I asked if he had purchased his entry into the tournament or looked at any side events. Nope... But it does appear he must have done it within a few days of me questioning him since I saw the purchase come across our bank account. LOL

If you question going to KF, maybe a cruise to Resurrection Bay for wildlife viewing would be better. That was what we opted for. It was through our cruise line.

Not sure what port you are leaving out of, but I was able to get a helicopter ride and dog sled tour out of Anchorage in early September with Alaska Helicopter Tours. We are flying into Anchorage a few days before the cruise leaves out of Seward.

Food for thought... There have been a few conversations about how rough the waters can be during the Kenai tours. Lots of people were seasick.

I forgot to mention that I also skipped the longer cruises into Kenai and went for a shorter cruise in Resurrection Bay. I agree that it's risky to make a pricey investment when you are prone to motion sickness.

Woot! Glad to see you were able to do more planning. I'm to the point where the only real planning I have left is to pack and then sign up for things that are only available onboard. TBH...and I think after all your planning you might end up feeling the same way...I'm going through a dry spell (planning wise) and I'm itching to plan something else. LOL! I'm hoping to do a 'live' post during the cruise but it will probably end up in the forum specific to the cruise line. I'll make sure to tag you in case you want to follow along or want me to check on anything in port (if time allows).

OMG yes...29 days 🙂

For our time in Anchorage, booked a helicopter dog sled tour with Alaska Helicopter Tours. They have shuttles to pick you up if needed.

Depending on the time of year, some places could be crowded. If it's a place that takes reservations, I would go ensure you make one so you do not have to wait.

Hey there fellow Alaskan travelers 🙂 I was wondering if you can share which Chef's Table menus were rotating through your time on the Orion for the 2023 AK season? Thanks in advance!

I appreciate this 💚 I like the idea of sharing the joy of cruising with Viking

Happy to hear they nailed it when it came to dinner at the Chef's Table. Also happy that the options for your wife were equally enjoyable.

This will be our first time using AirTags when we travel. I had no idea the battery could run out after a year. I did some quick research and found instructions for changing the battery. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211670

Welcome to the 'cruise planning club' 🙂 We appreciate the find details of planning almost as much as the trip itself, haha.

SAME!! They say it's a "thinking man's cruise" but at this price...it's a drinking man's cruise. (even if it is tea)

I will be hanging on your every word if you post while onboard 🙂. (Jokingly!!) I expect a full report, lol.

Noooooo! Say it ain't so! I hope it's included 🙂

I love your attitude! There will be loads of fun to be had on board if nothing else. And maybe the weather will pull through and you could have some great days. Or maybe it will be lightly snowing and you can make some amazing memories walking through AK. Either way it will be better than sitting at home 💚

The latest update to the SS package covers items by the glass up to $18 🙂

Smart, smart, smart!! I also plan on taking extra OTC meds. Between Zycam, Nyquil/Dayquil, Tylenol, Aleve, and heartburn meds...I will have a small pharmacy 🤣 I have seen laundry detergent sheets but never used them. I know OFF makes wipes that are great to use when traveling. We took them to the Bahamas to protect against sand fleas.

I was just thinking of you this morning!! I'm less than 50 days out from our cruise and we have (finally) started to purchase some clothing. The hubs and I both needed new rain jackets and water proof shoes. We plan on wearing layers for our days in port (long sleeve shirts, fleece/puffy vest and rain jackets). This way we can peel off layers as needed. For "water proof" shoes we went with some hiking shoes that we can also use after the cruise. That has been my philosophy while making any clothing purchases...we need to be able to use it at home so that it's not a totally frivolous purchase. While I was walking our dogs earlier today, I thought to myself, "Is it too early to start packing?" LOL...IT IS! I really want us to try to only take 1 full size suitcase (each) in addition to our carry ons, so that leaves me wondering if I can fit everything into the suitcase. By chance, did you pick up any goodies for your cruise on Prime Day? I picked up the following things: 2 travel toiletry bottle kits 2 cruise approved power strips w/ USB and USB-C 1 mini white noise machine (battery powered, size of a clementine, impressive volume!!) 1 pack of air tag holders (I honestly looked for the cheapest option, lol) 1 travel pack of Poo-Purri (not on sale but totally worth it) 1 travel pack of Tide pens (also not on sale)

There might be a few vendors closed and maybe less options for excursions but the views are still going to be amazing! I have ended up on a few vacations that started out pretty poorly with no chance of getting better...then I remembered that it is what you make it! We have turned a few vacations around just by pivoting and doing unconventional things to ensure we had a good time.

Viking newbie here 🙂 Is it true that for the most part the World Cafe and Restaurant have the same menu? That would be great when you just want to try a little bit of most things on the Restaurant menu but do not want to be wasteful.

WHEW! I was really hoping they did not give us actual keys. LOL

Do we need them to open the door to our cabin?