donaldsc

The Edge holds 3000 passengers. The ACL ships hold maybe 200 - 300 passengers so economy of scale applies. You have to also consider what a better cruising experience is worth. In my opinion, almost any small ship will provide a significantly better experience than any of the oversized ships that they are building these days. I don't consider cruising on a floating amusement park to be a good cruising experience. DON

Welcome to CC. Ultimately you are responsible for keeping track of your stuff. If you had left something that looked valuable behind, I am certain that the steward would have turned them into lost and found and you would have been reunited with them. But bathing suits??? People leave lots of stuff behind in their staterooms purposely because they just want to get rid of them and not take them home. You can't expect the steward who is very busy at turn around time to be responsible for every item that they find in the cabin. DON

Consider the port times - only a few hours in Ketchikan; most of the day in Skagway except that ypu arrive late; the typical couple of hours in Victoria. Do I have the times right? DON

Looks like you are on a 7 day cruise w only 2 ports. DON

I am usually pretty good at finding stuff on the internet but I have been been unsuccessful in this search. We are going to be in Sitka for several days prior top the start of our cruise. We have been to AK several times and we almost always find a good bear tour to do. I know that there a good number of bears on Baranof Island and I was hoping to find a tour that would give me a good chance to see bears and hopefully brown bears in the wild. I am not interested in seeing bears at the Fortress of the Bears in Sitka. I have been to a number of enclosure type bear places in the US and AK. Although I may be wrong, Fortress sounds like a very depressing example of that genre. I would like to find a tour out of Sitka that gets me into the rest of Baranof Island where I might see bears. I can allot a full day for the tour if necessary. Am I missing something or does the tour that I am looking for not exist. I should add that we will be in Sitka in early July so if the salmon are not running in the streams at that time, such a tour might be a waste of my time and money. DON

You can use Google Maps to determine the distances between places in Sitka. DON

You should also have a notarized "authorization to treat" letter from the parents just in case they need medical care anywhere on the voyage. With regard to the notarized question, it can't hurt to have it notarized just in case. DON

Everyone?? DON

The lobster is frozen. All frozen lobster is always tasteless. All the lobster I have ever had on a cruise ship is tasteless. If you want good lobster, take a vacation in Maine. DON

If you are new at your job, don't know what you are doing and lack confidence - that is exactly how I would expect him to behave. DON

We have not. DON

We are going by bus. Canada Place to SeaTac. When you consider the waiting time at the airport, it is almost as fast as by plane. Cost is $82. DON

I don't know if you are a museum type of person but there is a wonderful museum in Anchorage. Also there is a great outside market that is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Personally I was disappointed w the Native Heritage Center but if you are interested in in, there used to be a shuttle that took you from downtown to the Heritage Center. I don't know if it is still running so you need to check this out. One other thing that most visitors to Anchorage are unaware of is that the Alaska Native Medical Center has wonderful exhibits of native artwork and also a great gift shop that sells art and handicrafts done by the native peoples. We have bought stuff at the gift shop. Their stock is not Chinese made junk but quality works with fair prices. You will need an Uber to get there and check on hours and gift shop opening times before you go there. The gift shop may be closed because of Covid. DON

Do you think that Princess cares what you would prefer? DON

This is sort of similar to the ads that I believe Princess is running on TV that shows the really intense aurora that you will get to see on their cruises. Sometimes it is hard to believe the bald faced lies that cruise companies propagate. DON

Everyone's insurance situation is different. Do the math for your trip and insurance costs and see if you come out ahead. We use Allianz. DON

Have you checked on private non-ship tours. DON

We are booked for late September. That gives them some time to get things sorted out - we hope. This will be our first Star Clipper cruise. DON

Simple one way solution - fly. DON

I notice that nobody has suggested a drive by cruise of Alaska or perhaps a drive by circumnavigation of New Zealand because none of these cruises make any sense. I can't see where a drive by cruise of Antarctica is any different. Just my opinion. DON

My parameters for cruise line choice are 1) Itinerary 2) Itinerary 3) Itinerary 4) Ship size - the smaller the better. Prefer ships that are less than 1000 passengers. I am currently booked on 2 cruises on ships w ~200 passengers each. 5) Absence of the features that make the ship more similar to a carnival w rides than a real ship. If I want carnival rides, I will go to a carnival (note the use of lower case "c". DON

This whole ArriveCan thing is confusing. I am getting on cruise that starts in Sitka and ends in Vancouver. Do I have to get my ArriveCan before I board the ship in Sitka or before I disembark in Vancouver. Also, does the "within 72 hours" mean that I have to submit my request more than 72 hours before I board or closer than 72 hours (i.e.; 60 hours for example) of when I either board or arrive in Canada. DON

If they are in the tip pool, I see no reason to tip them. That is tipping on top of a tip. DON

Try the Spain board. DON

You might try the Ports of Call board. DON