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Aquahound

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Everything posted by Aquahound

  1. No. Well, yes, maybe, but they are very few and far between.
  2. And you may not be wrong. It just depends on how much weight you put into shipboard activities. Many folks are totally fine with little to no activities and are almost entirely interested in the scenery only. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. After all, it is Alaska. However, if the shows, lounges, activities, etc, are things you enjoy and expect in a cruise vacation, certain cruise lines, like HAL, are almost certain to be a disappointment.
  3. So true about triggering certain people with that. 😁 I am one of the few who absolutely will NOT cringe at that. You pick whatever line, ship, and itinerary you like. Like you, I want a great ship experience as well. I cruised AK on Eurodam a few years ago and yes, the ship experience was dead. It made me swear off anything older than HAL's newest Pinnacle Class (Koningsdam and newer). Movies and port lectures as the main evening show was not my idea of fun. If you choose RCI's Quantum Class, you will not be disappointed with the ship. The live entertainment is as good as it gets on a cruise. And if pools/hot tubs with a view is your thing, you can't do much better than this. DW and I spent a lot of time here while cruising Stephens Passage...
  4. Agreed. There should be no debate on whether or not this is ok.
  5. Sapphire. She is an early Grand Class ship that was built before they expanded the ship design by adding an extra deck and creating crowd problems. From reading the Alaska boards, Sapphire seems to be a favorite among regular Princess cruisers.
  6. At some point, you gotta just pull the trigger and be firm with your choice. I, too, would much rather sail RCI, or even Celebrity. They do have nice one-way itineraries that go to Hubbard and cruise the IP, but none go to Glacier Bay. If...say...Radiance of the Seas had Grand's itinerary, this would be a no-brainer for me. Those who know Princess well seem to prefer Sapphire. Just do it. The itinerary is as good as they come. Do not worry about it being a sleepy experience on board. Princess is really good with entertainment, including game shows and other activities. The Piazza, which is Princess' central atrium, commonly has live music. The entertainment is pretty much exactly what you would find on RCI's Vision and Radiance Class ships.
  7. On some ships, yes. On RCI Quantum Class ships, you have to walk through the handwashing station to enter the buffet and there is a crewmember standing there enforcing it. In truth, one could just walk right through it and get away with it, but at least they try to enforce it by at least directing you into the station.
  8. I don't think this is feasible. I've embarked a few times in Vancouver, and I'd be very surprised if they allowed you to disembark after boarding. The whole check-in process, including pre-clearing Customs, is so onerous that I don't think you can do it. I will happily eat crow if I'm wrong though. Some people, like me, prefer to board early in order to make the most of the ship. You could drop off your luggage early, go explore the city for a little bit, and then return in the early afternoon.
  9. Other options were provided. American Cruise Line and Uncruise are 2 US flagged cruise lines that do not need to make foreign port. They're pricey and small but still options, nonetheless. The few people I know who have cruised them speak very highly of their experience. Just FYI, Victoria isn't an island. It's on Vancouver Island.
  10. I don't think it's much of a hassle to rent a car. The airport is close, and an easy taxi from the port. I'm in Kodiak once or twice a year for work, so I'm very comfortable driving the area with a rental car, and I totally recommend it. You'd be doing yourself a HUGE disservice if you only got off the ship and walked to the downtown area....which is very unimpressive, by the way.
  11. NCL is very much like Carnival and RCI in terms of vibe, atmosphere and entertainment. Their newer ships are really nice and have a ton to offer. No formal nights and no fixed dining. Gotta jump on dining reservations early or you'll lose out on premier times and could face lengthy waits if you just show up.
  12. Pfft. Out here in Seattle, people just go on the sidewalk. Convenient and free.
  13. Oof. That's a tough one for me. I agree with ruling out the NCL option....not because they somehow don't do a great job with Alaska, but because the other 3 itineraries are better. I think I would lean toward Grand. I think it's the best itinerary because it hits 3 of the musts....Hubbard, GB, and Inside Passage. Yes, it's an old ship and yes, Princess kinda sucks at modernizing the looks and feels of Grand Class, but Princess does offer good food and great entertainment, and there are still parts of the ship that are pretty nice. Royal Class is terrible for Alaska. Can't cruise Inside Passage, and the ships have no lounges with outward facing views.
  14. Not sure I would choose this over a nice, comfy suite but to each their own. I can definitely see the draw to this though.
  15. My last 4 cruises were on RCI and they were very good at enforcing the Solarium age rules. I saw pool attendants pouncing on parents almost immediately after entering the Solarium with kids and if they made it past that layer of defense, the lifeguards were excellent at politely redirected them toward the exits. Regarding other rules, I don't think everything can be enforced all the time. You have to accept that if you choose to cruise a mega ship with more people than a small town on board, the likelihood of observing abhorrent behavior is pretty good. Just gotta be patient.
  16. The only thing I can think of are lines that give reciprocity for your status elsewhere. RCI and Celebrity do it among each other, and MSC does it for almost any loyalty program. I think HAL grants 1-star status for having been on any Carnival Corp line.
  17. That is a good point as well. Not sure how other lines treat their mini suites but on RCI, junior suites are granted access to the suites restaurant based on availability. I have been very happy with my meals in Coastal Kitchen.
  18. That is Spring Break season and 3 cruise lines I generally avoid out of South Florida that time of year are Carnival, NCL, and RCI. Book Celebrity.
  19. You can see the face of the glacier from the visitor's center and from Nugget Falls trail, but you will not be anywhere close to ice caves. If memory serves me right, you have to hike the West Glacier Trail to get to the caves, and the trek down to the glacier itself is pretty sketchy. It's about a 5-6 hour round trip hike.
  20. Aquahound

    Cabin for 5?

    RCI Quantum Class has some balcony rooms that can sleep 5. I know you said no suites, but they also have junior suites that are connected to interior rooms. The JS has 2 toilet rooms, so this option would provide 3 toilets.
  21. Unfortunately, main dining room food quality is not a priority on the mainstream lines. But of them, I'd rate Celebrity and Holland America best. Very subjective and just my opinion, of course.
  22. I've seen entertainment staff and Cruise Director staff in the dining rooms. I'm sure there's others I'm not remembering.
  23. Well, if the hammock doesn't work, you can always do what this clown did. Throw in the cigarettes and matchbox, and you've got yourself your own little campsite.
  24. Thank you! I agree 100% with this. For me, like many, the ship is also very important.
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