SoloAlaska

Alaskan cruises are generally a little more casual. Think ll bean or patagonia style . You’ll want a range of clothing from shorts to warm sweaters and don’t forget a rain jacket for July in Alaska. Lots of info on what to pack on the Alaska board mentioned. My first cruise was to Alaska and I was hooked.

30 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

I was always given a number at the MCT, maybe they don’t give them out anymore?

All depends on where you’re cruising from. MCT I hear does but I avoid Caribbean cruises as much as possible.

I also recommend RCI for this. The only reason I am cruising RCI is for a family trip but it really is the one that is best for multi generational cruising like this.

We did this for our March 2025 cruise. Put my friends name down and just waiting to figure out who that extra person would be. We booked almost 2 years out and 3 of us were single. The question is which one will have a SO 3 months before the cruise.

So one thing people don’t realize is there are infants who are potty trained. My niece has only had a handful of dirty diapers  since she was a few weeks old. Finding clothes that fit was not easy because everything was meant for diapers. She also has a pool at home and will ask for someone to take her to the washroom while she’s swimming because she has to go pee.

22 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

You will get a check in time, not a boarding time, you will be given aboard g number at the terminal.

Have yet to see one of these boarding numbers when starting a cruise. Only time I saw one was when we went to port early in NYC and needed to reach zero before everyone could go back on.

I start watching at 10 months but try to buy before 6 months for international. In that period I try to wait for a seat sale or bonus points deal. Flights have just gotten insanely expensive lately. For North America I start at 8 months and try to buy before 4 months.

I just got an Air Canada Amex. Typically I fly with them and the card gives lounge access in NA and first piece of luggage free up to 9 people on the same reservation. Plus the travel insurance is perfectly adequate for me so the savings will be quite high.

Make sure you give yourself extra time in case the train runs late. I haven’t taken that particular section in many years but via rail does not run as smoothly as European trains. Plan to arrive in Quebec City a few hours earlier than required just in case. 

10 minutes ago, Seas2mountains said:

 

Thank you. That is what we experienced, too, on past cruises in 2023 and most recently in December on the Pearl.

 

This is very new to us and we are hoping it won't be the new normal.

Crossing fingers over here as well. Hopefully it was an outlier.

4 hours ago, Denbon1985 said:

The wife and I have decided we are not going on a cruise. We are going to Iceland and rent a Campervan. We are photographers and the landscape in Iceland is beautiful. Ten days in Iceland is going to great a fun time for about the same cost as a cruise. Thanks to everyone that commented.

Ok now that sounds absolutely incredible. Great option 3. Enjoy Iceland.

Azores is the one port that made me want to go there for a few weeks. Frequently it is missed due to weather though. 
 

I find it very entertaining when people ask if there enough on these massive ships to do to not be bored. I did my first TA on a ship much smaller and never felt bored. Bring a book, pack a portable hobby, enjoy the quiet days at sea. That’s what makes a TA so special. The cruise direct and their team works very hard to constantly hold a range of events on sea days.

Barcelona is a really cool city as well. I wish I had had more time to spend there but for me it was just another port stop.

Maybe new but it wasn’t the case in December on the TA of Gem. Bingo would sometimes run past 5pm in the spinnaker but there was no deal or no deal after dinner time.

11 minutes ago, Monica887 said:

Thanks! I'll only have about an hour left after the Ketchikan excursion, but will see how the day goes - that's the perfect option if we have time. 

 

And I'm not sure we can convince my travel companions to do a second hike in Skagway - is it safe for a single to do alone? Looks like something I would enjoy!

It’s one of the most hiked trails in Skagway from what I’ve been told. I hike solo in Alaska, just follow normal precautions for bears and general safety. Talk or sing to make sure bears know your around, don’t wear headphones, tell someone where your going etc. I added a screenshot of the trail map from AllTrails, love that app for finding trails and getting detailed information.

@Heidi13 thank you for sharing so much technical info on here. Usually I just enjoy the view if it’s there but now you have me going back to my good old days and wanting to research ride schedules again. I use to work on some of the highest tides in the world so it brings back memories.

Ok I’ll just suggest a few things that only take 30 minutes to an hour to complement your excursions. If you have a little more time in Skagway I’ve heard good things about Yakutania point hike which starts by one of the docks and only takes 30 minutes and is quite easy. If salmon are running when you’re in Ketchikan I recommend you take the time to go see Creek Street. The salmon and seals alone are worth the visit but there’s also some cute shops and historic buildings there.

I much prefer set dining time. If by chance I’ll be later then I will either schedule specialty dining or go to the buffet that night. Most nights I want to have that level of service that comes from set dining and always having the same server. “Freestyle dining” is the thing I dislike from NCL, I wish they had the option for traditional dining.

3 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

One thing most people don't realize is almost any medical coverage outside of the US is going to require you pay in full. Even travel insurance (in most cases) isn't going to have everything settled for when you want to leave a foreign hospital.

That’s when I call my uncle for his credit card number 😂. Well I’m not from the US so this is particularly true if I get injured or sick in the US. Most other destinations are a lot cheaper if something happens but the US is brutally expensive and none of my credit card limits go nearly as high as they may need to go

Prices are up for flights unless there is a decent sale. We’ve notice almost a 30% increase on some of our flights year over year. 

I’ve only flown Alaska a few times but never noticed them checking. Now I do have two suggestions. First is don’t try to fill it, if they see the zipper stretched they are more likely to check the size because usually that means it’s over. The other is if you can offer to gate check it. This way you still get free luggage but they won’t check the size if you offer for it to go in the belly at the gate.

My flight to my last cruise had a connection in Iceland. When volcanos started erupting I could have worried about if I needed to pay for a new flight if the airport was shut down. I however knew I had insurance that would cover me which took the stress away. 
 

I am a younger and moderately healthy solo traveller and the peace of mind insurance offers is worth the cost. I travel 4-6 times a year for a week or more plus quick visits out of country since I live close to the border. An annual policy makes sense. Now I am looking at switch to a travel credit card with similar coverage but honestly the annual fees is more than my insurance premium. If I do not take advantage of the other benefits it would make no sense.

I will second the practise suggestion. Every year at my industry tradeshow someone gets injured by a scooter. One year it was a little girl who had her leg broken in multiple places because some woman ran her over. It takes time to learn how to operate a scooter safely.

2 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

10 drinks over 10 hours puts my BAC @ .08…not a big deal on a cruise, IYAM, Lots of judgement by at least one on this thread. 
 

https://www.calculator.net/bac-calculator.html

Omg this is a fun calculator.

10 drinks over 10 hours gives me a 0.12. Now to go calculate with my project weight for my upcoming cruise. Great part about cruising is not driving anywhere, woohoo.

19 minutes ago, Bateau_de_croisiere said:

Really debating on doing Ovation this April from Hawaii to Vancouver. I figure Ovation is a bigger ship with plenty to do and different dining experiences. Anyone have experience with this reposition?

How many consecutive sea days is it? I think my max number is 6 no matter the size of the ship. 

40 minutes ago, Cerbiattina said:

I will argue your point. Holland America Cruise to the Caribbean had almost no gluten-free options and you have no idea how often I get sick from eating food that was promised to be gluten-free and non-contaminated and yet is one or the other. Life for people with Celiac Disease and zero tolerance to gluten is pretty isolating. The safest thing is to eat at home. No disrespect for those who don't eat gluten as a "lifestyle" choice, but they have ruined, and keep ruining the lives of those with pure Celiac Disease. Dining facilities think that as long as it says "gluten-free", food, it is ok to eat, with total disregard of cross-contamination. Not to mention that most times they don't even know which food is gluten-free and which one isn't. It happened to me on the Holland America Cruise with a couple of servers. Kudos to the Maitre who took the plate off their hands and educated them about Celiac Disease..

I’m so sorry to hear that. When I was GF the options were almost non existed and quite horrible tasting and way over priced when you could find them. I use to drive over 2 hours in order to buy a loaf of frozen bread. 
 

My exposure to GF cruising was Celebrity and I was impressed at the options and the person who was very sensitive to any cross contamination had no issues. It’s unfortunate Holland does not offer the same level of service.

Know there are people who take it seriously out there. Because someone isn’t Celiac doesn’t mean it’s just a lifestyle choice. There are people who have intolerance that are very severe like mine was.