Saruman

Read on other threads that they ARE requiring ArriveCan at check-in, regardless of whether or not you intend to get off at Victoria. Go ahead and pass on filling it out now, as long as you are willing to risk the delay of doing it all at the Terminal. 

Just had word direct from Port Valet in Seattle that as of today, Carnival has NOT confirmed participation. This is too bad. Port Valet is a free service that sends your luggage directly from your stateroom door to your final airport destination. Everyone else in Seattle participates. Not Carnival.

I sure hope the poster was correct that the stricken passenger was alive and taken to a hospital. From where I stood on the Promenade deck when they took him off by stretcher, I assumed he was deceased. The blanket covered his face. Perhaps this was for privacy sake. But we supposed that was the real reason that he wasn't airlifted or disembarked at a Belgian or Dutch port, or an English port further north. Anyway, I heard no anger expressed over missing Stavanger, only disappointment. Everyone I heard talking was sympathetic to the passenger and family and seemed to understand the situation.

Curious. We were on the Crown for the Norwegian Fiords cruise, first week of July. Except for embarkation, our passports were NEVER asked for, nor did we show them at any of the ports. Actually, I don't recall ever having my passport collected. Six of them were Alaska cruises, but we have done three European cruises.

We have seen bears on two separate runs up the pass in Skagway aboard the train. Both times we were alerted by whoever is on the intercom up front. Two bears (both times) were munching on something happily as we moved by and didn't seem bothered by the train's presence. The joke was that they were employed by White Pass Rail company to give us a thrill! But we also saw one bear on the other side of the pass on a bus tour to the summit another year. No moose, I'm afraid, but don't give up on bears. Eagles all over the place and 100% chance of humpies on the whale watch. Have also seen a few just from the balcony, so if you don't spend the cruise days entirely in the casino, shops, dining rooms and bars, you might spot a few whales just on your own!! Good luck!!

We stayed there before our first cruise, thinking we could just walk next door with our luggage... but I booked it before I realized that Princess used a totally different pier. We watched, from our bay facing window, a regatta of classic 30's era wooden motorboats go past the Edgewater and then return later that afternoon. The next morning, while drinking a cup of coffee, I glanced out the window and saw an NCL cruise ship come in and dock next door. It looked, for all the world, like the ship was going to come right into our hotel room!!! :D

If you can't score a room at the Edgewater, the Marriott Waterfront is just across the street from the pier. The bellmen will even help you across the street with the luggage with the hotel trolley. Sadly, there is nothing that convenient for the other pier, for Princess ships!

I remember the last time we were in Skagway, the train loaded from the end of the pier. It was a long pier, but there was a courtesy golf cart that could bring someone who needed it to the end of the pier where the train was. That was two years ago. SOmeone more recent will comment, I'm sure. The bigger problem may be climbing up into the train.

According to their webpage, they DO have a baggage storage facility.

I have not personally observed this and am far away from Seattle at the moment, but found this online. Hope it is accurate! Good luck! This site should have times. Forgot to look.

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=am/am2Station/Station_Page&code=SEA

Yikes!:eek: I think I've gained three pounds just looking at your photos….

Will be on the Ruby this summer and checking out your daily entries is a lot of anticipatory fun!!! Thanks for doing this!!!:D

I'm sure you will get lots of advice here, from local Seattle folks, but this Midwesterner heads for Anthony's on the waterfront. Our Alaska cruises seem to fit in the window of opportunity for Copper River Salmon being "in town". It is a treat for us to sit outside by the marina and enjoy the alder planked salmon the night before our cruise!:D

It would be useful to CC readers, I think, if we could have folks reporting on whether or not luggage and supplies are being loaded on the outgoing cruise ships or whether the union problems are affecting the actual cruises.

At least one person, lately, reported things were going okay this last weekend at ONE port. Any other reports of current conditions? Do we know if it is likely to spread to/affect East Coast ports?

Have booked our sixth cruise on Princess and have reserved tickets for the whale watching in Juneau through Princess. We have NEVER failed to be see whales or orcas on any of the trips. I know lots of folks have done the independents and there are craft out there that are smaller than the catamarans we take, but the skippers are all communicating with each other and everyone seems to see whatever is out there, with whichever outfit they take. We know that the timing back to the ship will always be coordinated and are quite content with the tour. Take your pick, you're going to see a whale. Probably more. Now, are you going to see a whale breach clear out of the water like they show in the television clips? Probably not. But you will see whales…tails and fins at least. That seems to be the norm. The breaching is a special thrill. Do any of the competing tours guarantee you'll see a breach? Nope. But they ALL guarantee a sighting or give refunds!! You'll see a whale! Enjoy!! And if you are patient and watch from the ship, you might see a whale while sailing up or down the passage!! We have.:)

Thanks for your reply. Can you also tell me whether it is a good idea to get the cruise luggage tag holders (like on Amazon), or is this an unnecessary expense?

We haven't bothered. I print them out on thicker paper and then run a strip of package tape on them. Then I punch a hole in the ends and use zip ties, slipping a few more zip ties in the suitcase for the return. However, I have read a lot of folks' replies on other threads who swear by the commercial holders or who just staple the paper tags without any augmentation. Have yet to read of someone reporting problems AFTER the cruise. Your choice!!

We will be making our sixth Inside Passage trip this summer, although taking the Ruby will be a first. I would disagree with the poster who didn't think much of the views up and back, but then being from the Midwest, anything that isn't flat with a row of corn or soybeans in front of it is beautiful in my book. We always take a balcony so we can sit back and watch the coastline (after the first sea day) roll by. Mountains and forests and inlets, with the possibility of whales and eagles at any time, are pretty nice. And the Tracy Arm, even if you don't get around the last bend to see the glacier, is a couple of spectacular hours of gorgeous fiord!!

Take the whale watch in Juneau and you will see a glacier behind you as you leave Auk Bay on the catamaran. :D

You aren't required to do so, but since you will be printing them out yourself, it doesn't hurt to print an extra tag or two and either attach to your carry on or slip inside, just in case you and it become separated during the check-in/boarding procedure.

We have done this trip on two occasions and both times used the Princess shuttle, "transfer" option. The first time, we were met right outside the security area by Princess personnel who collected our luggage on a large trolley and then led us and other arriving passengers straight to the shuttle bus. Might have cost us less with an independent service, but it sure was convenient. The second time, we arrived a week ahead of the cruise but booked the transfer. After our week on our own, we returned to the airport, turned in the rental car and met the Princess rep inside the airport. No problem.

I've been looking at the shore excursion options for the Inside Passage cruise and I'm thinking it's mainly the same things from previous years, just rebranded with the Discovery name in the title. I hope I'm wrong.:(

If you book online, you can specify the cabin also. We booked by phone and asked for two specific minis next to each other and got them with no problem.

If you are on an Alaskan run, the robes DO make handy lap blankets! :D

For those of us who do NOT as a rule remove the auto tip on our cruises, is there any advantage or disadvantage to pre-paying this…other than the timing of the money coming out of our bank accounts, that is? Am I missing something?

Credit is on the passenger's Captain's Circle account and not transferable.

Thanks Pam; Thanks Rick! That's what I was afraid of.:(

Yes. It's credit on your Captain's Circle account to be used to pay for one or two cruises. Think of it as a gift card. :)

Can the original passenger(s) transfer the credit to another member of the family or is this credit only good for the original named passenger(s)?

So if my husband goes and orders a latte at 6am (while I am still sleeping) he can get a large (16oz-ish) cup with a lid that he can walk back to our stateroom with? Or do you think we should take personal coffee mugs? I'm trying to decide if its worth the hassle to take up the room in the suitcase...

We like the insulated cups for morning coffee. One of us usually goes up to the Horizon Court with them and fills them both. They hold more than the mugs that are available in the HC and the coffee stays hotter longer. Of course, we could always order a pot from Room Service, but this works fine for us. We bought the cups from the Cruise Critic store and they work fine. They get packed at home with clean socks or something inside to save space. I think our room steward even washed them for us (unasked and unexpected) several times when we were in a suite!:D

The Aquarium is awesome!! Huge fish tanks, a great collection, and an octopus habitat where you can get up close and personal with it!! (Sort of glass gerbil tank!!) Also harbor seals and sea otters. And it's right there on the waterfront, not far from the Pike Place Market, where you need to be hungry BEFORE you visit, otherwise you will be sorry!!:D

It seems to have happened at the summit. There are any number of places on that trip up to the summit where it could have been much worse!! We have done that trip three times and never felt at risk. Will probably do it again, but we hope the investigation serves to make the trip even safer for all!! Glad the injuries were minor.