donaldsc

All of us have other things in our lives besides responding instantaneously to posts. Relax!! It is only 23 hours since your post. DON

Considering the cost of the cruise and what optional stuff you buy on your trip, I would think that an additional 7 E expense is hardly worth worrying about. DON

Use Google Maps to see how far it is from the Occidental to your ship. DON

Prince Rupert Cannery National Historic Site - https://northpacificcannery.ca/. Very interesting. DON

I would add that doing the full day water trip is even better as it gets you out of Ketchikan for most of your port stop. When you jam 10,000 to 15,000 visitors into a small town w a population of 8200, the only result is going to be a zoo. There are only a limited number of things to see or to do in Ketchikan and as with most of the southeastern AK towns, you can't drive out of town. My best trips to AK have been small ship cruises which hit small towns and extended driving trip on the mainland or to towns by Alaska Marine Highway ferries. DON

I would go one step further. If NCL persists in using Ward Cove which we know that they will, I would avoid NCL completely and tell them why. The only way to punish cruise a cruise line that treats you badly is to stop cruising on them. DON

I get it sometimes. It lasts maybe 3 days to one week. Don't worry yet. DON

What port? DON

If you are happy with NCL or with amy other product don't change. Do changes just to make changes makes no sense to me. Put another way - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. DON

That logic is absurd in my opinion. If you have never cruised and you get stuck in a bad cabin in a bad location you might have a really lousy cruise and never cruise again. As a 1st time cruiser you should pick the best cabin that you can afford. Once you know what you are doing you can then downgrade and save money. DON

I also noted that 7 of the 14 days were sea days. Not a cruise that I would want to take even if it were cheaper. DON

According to Google, this is the definition of "facilitation payment" - "What are Facilitation Payments? A facilitation payment is a small bribe known as a ‘grease payment’ or a ‘speed payment’ typically solicited to facilitate or expedite the performance of a routine transaction or service to which the person or company making the payment is legally entitled to receive." Check out the definition of bribe versus facilitation payment on this site - https://www.ganintegrity.com/compliance-glossary/facilitation-payments/ DON

I regard Ward Cove as a way to jam even more passengers into Ketchikan than the main docking areas can handle. The population of Ketchikan is 8200. If you have 4 or 5 large ships in town you will get maybe 10,000 to 12,000 cruisers in a town with a total population of 8,000. Add another 3000 coming in from Ward Cove and the whole thing gets ridiculous. That is why our AK trip this year will be on a ship that holds about 200 people and that stops at mostly very small towns that the big ones can't stop at. DON

If it is a private tour I usually tip more and a also buy the guide lunch. We always enjoy our conversations w the guides even at lunch. We almost never take bus or group tours an but we tip at a lower level for tours like that. DON

The big ships from NCL etc. have never been able to put excursions directly on the continent. There are no docks in Antarctica so all landings have to be done using zodiacs which hold maybe 8 or 10 people. Can you imagine off loading a 500+ passenger ship 8 passengers at a time. DON

That is an awesome site. Port information. Maps, Weather and climate data. An extreemely useful site. Thanks DON

We have lots of posts on what binoculars to buy. Here is the most recent NY Times Wirecutter report on binoculars . https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-binoculars/ This is sort of long but it is a copy of the actual report. Note that none of the choices are less than $100 and none of the recommended ones include the $20 cheapie ones that some people have considered buying. Also note that all of them are a very reasonable power of 8x and not the 20x power binoculars thatsome people have looked at. Stuff in italics is my additions to the NY Times report. DON Athlon Optics Midas ED The best binoculars for nearly everyone Relatively affordable with great optics, these binoculars have comparable performance to many models that cost thousands more. $315 from Amazon. Current price on Amazon is $269. The eye relief on these is also very good. The Athlon Optics Midas ED 8x42—along with nearly all of the other binoculars we tested—are the beneficiaries of a revolution in optical quality caused by the falling costs of precision manufacturing and optical treatments. For just over $300 you can get a pair of binoculars that matches—that’s matches, not comes close to—products that cost hundreds, or even thousands, more. The Athlon Midas ED pair’s optics aren’t its only strong suit: These are exceptionally durable binoculars that easily withstood the humid, dusty, and hostile environment of the Mexican rain forest and harsh sun of the Californian desert. And their focus dial adjusts reliably and smoothly across a wide range of depths, making it easy to focus on what you’re trying to see, no matter where it is. Runner-up Celestron Trailseeker ED For a smaller grip These binoculars are a close second to the Athlons, with just-as-clear optics, solid construction, and easy-to-use focusing. They also have a slightly smaller grip than the sturdier Athlons. $326 from Amazon $329 from Adorama If you prefer a slightly smaller grip or the Athlon Optics Midas ED pair is out of stock, the very similar Celestron Trailseeker ED 8x42 Binoculars are a sharp, easy-to-use choice. After the Athlons, these were the binoculars I most often grabbed when trying to see a new bird. Like the Athlon set, the Celestron Trailseeker features crystal-clear optics (even around the edges of the field of view), comfortable ergonomics, and predictable focusing, all in a slightly smaller package. Budget pick Carson VP Splendid views at a great price Proof that binoculars have undergone a quality revolution, these are high quality at a price that once would have gotten you little but junk. Buy from Amazon $133 from Walmart *At the time of publishing, the price was $231. If you’re on a supertight budget and are willing to see less of a scene at a time, you can get the Carson VP 8x42 for around half the price of the Athlons and get almost all the performance, with only a slight compromise in field of view (how much of the landscape you’ll see through the binoculars). Also great Pentax AD 8x25 WP The best compact binoculars Compact binocs aren’t the best for birding, but these combine pocket-size convenience with enough magnification to actually identify things. $120 from Adorama The low-cost Pentax AD 8 x 25 WP are ideal for day hikes or airplane travel, where you want good-quality optics in a small package. Everything worked—the eyecups felt solid and comfortable, the hinges weren’t too loose, and focusing was quick and surprisingly accurate at any distance. Of course, this is not the pair for serious birding, stargazing, or anything requiring exceptional detail. But if you want inexpensive, very compact binoculars, this is the pair for you.

I would not ever bother my TA for a $43 reduction. She works hard to get me deals and such a small reduction would be a waste of her time. DON

Not sure exactly what you are asking about but I guess that the answer would be that it will occur whenever the cruise lines decide to do it. DON

You should have taken the tour and left DW behind. My wife and I sometimes do different excursions on trips when we can not agree on what to do. We spent 3 or 4 days in McCarthy and Kennecott on one of our AK trips. The place is great! DON

Also what is your flight time and what are you interested in. How do you plan to get from Whittier to Anchorage. What time does your ship get in. How much money do you want to spend on the excursion. How mobile are you. DON

If you did a cruise on a true small expedition ship you can usually be on the bridge as much as you want to. DON

I can't remember where it is but we were in one place in AK where they had a maybe 6 ft statue of a mosquito labeled as the AK state bird. DON

My wife has the same problem that your wife has. We were in one place in Denali. I don't know if you have ever been in Australia where you have to wear a head net to avoid the swarming black flies. My wife had to wear her Australia black fly hat. Depends upon the season and the place you are in but they can be a real problem. DON

I am going to answer posts # 8 and 9 in the same post. Post #8 - Any binocular at $25 is going to to 100% pure junk or even worse than that. Post #9 - try hand holding a pair of 20x binocs. It will be impossible. What you need is a set of 8x or 10x binocs. When you buy binoculars you should not buy cheap but buy them as a lifetime purchase. Also do not buy them w/o trying them. Find a sporting goods store or a camera shop that has a good selection and try them all out. This is especially important if you wear glasses or if you plan to also use them for bird watching where you need to focus on objects that are close up. The last time I bought binoculars I spent several hours in the store trying them all out and I made a total pest of myself before I bought. I got a good pair which were not cheap but were worth the money. There are lots of good WEB sites w good binocular sites that make suggestions at different price points. Also there are references to binocular sites on the photo board on CC. I know because I have submitted several of them. DON