Who knew?

Thanks for passing this on, Keith.

We'll be in Anchorage for 3 days in early August before starting a cruisetour. I've already learned a lot from CC trip reviews and postings on this board, but this filled in some blanks and added some options to the mix.

Linda:)

Thanks Martincath and honestly I have no idea where I read Shoppie's post!

 

.........

 

I still want to know how I got to page 142! LOL

Most likely the post from Shoppie you were reading was at the beginning of the thread. The reply you wrote to him went to the end of the thread (page 142), since posts are displayed in the order they were written. (Is that all clear as mud?)

Example -- your post was on page 142, but this one I'm writing will be on 143.:p

Linda

Remind me to let you know how it was about a month from now.

Will make a note to do that!

Our hotel in Anchorage is the Anchorage Hilton.

Okay! Thanks for the quick reply. I realize we might not have the same hotel but it's something to go on.

We'll be interested in the trip on Prince William Sound (Whittier to Valdez) and the stay in Valdez and any activities, included or optional, there. Also the Richardson Highway trip to Fairbanks. Haven't seen any reviews about any of those.

Have a great trip!

Linda

Originally Posted by puli

So the above " Southbound Sun" dailies are not from the Sun's south sailing from Seward to Vancouver but rather a R/T sailing.on another NCL ship!

Correct, they are from the recent Vancouver roundtrip on the Norwegian Sun.

 

I am sailing Southbound in less than three weeks and will post dailies when I get back.

But NOT another ship as suggested in Puli's post. A "different" itinerary but still the Sun.:)

Linda

Thanks, Off to Alaska. Based on that, I suppose we'll know sometime in early July. Sooner would be nice but I guess it is what it is.:rolleyes:

I see your itinerary has an overnight in Anchorage the last day. Have you learned what hotel?

We're looking forward to this trip so much. Will look forward to any reports from you about your experience.

If it's easier to reply directly, my email is LLTAFEL (at) yahoo (dot) com. (The upper case isn't necessary but clarifies "L" not "I".)

Linda

This is a question to those who've been on NCL cruisetours. When did you find out what hotels you're staying in, especially for the first night on land-first itineraries?

We'll be in Anchorage a few days beforehand, and will have to get ourselves to the NCL hotel the first day of the land tour. We haven't seen any information about it on the published itinerary. (Some trip reviews have mentioned the Sheraton and the Millennium, but we'd like to know for sure.) We'd also like to know where we're staying in the other stops on the tour.

Will we get that information with our cruise docs? I think they're supposed to be available 60 days before departure. Is that 60 days before the tour starts, or 60 days before the ship sails?

FYI, the tour is the southbound Denali-Valdez Explorer, starting in Anchorage Aug. 9 (2016), followed by cruise on the Sun from Seward Aug. 15.

I posed the question on the NCL board with no responses.

Thanks for any information.

Linda

This is a question for those who've been on NCL cruisetours in Alaska. When did you find out what hotels you're staying in, especially for the first night on land-first itineraries?

We're flying to Anchorage a few days early, so we will have to get ourselves to the NCL hotel for the start of the tour. We haven't seen any information about the hotel. We'd also like to know where we're staying in the other stops on the tour.

Will we get that information with our cruise docs? I think I read they're available 60 days before departure. Is that 60 days before the tour starts, or 60 days before the ship sails?

Just FYI, we're on the southbound Denali-Valdez Explorer, starting in Anchorage Aug. 9 (2016). (The cruise is on the Sun from Seward Aug. 15.)

Thanks for any information.

Linda

Traveling to Juneau in the beginning of Aug, and we want to visit the Mendelhall Glacier. Our question is -- shuttle vs city tour also?

I would post your question on the Alaska forum.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

Linda

So many requests to email. Would it be easier to post them here?

 

If not, I'm at LLTAFEL at yahoo dot com. Upper case not necessary but it makes sure "L" isn't read as the number 1. ;)

 

Thanks.

 

Linda

I'm sorry if my post (above) was misunderstood. I meant that if lawgirl86 isn't able to post the dailies on CC, to ask her to send them to me also.

Didn't intend to be confusing.:p

Linda

You're misreading it. Look at the commas. They separate the acceptable alternatives. If you write it as a list with each item on the list being what is offset by commas you'll see how it should be interpreted:

 

You may sail with:

 

A valid Passport,

Proof of citizenship and a valid government government-issued photo ID,

Or any other valid WHTI-compliant document.

 

You need any one of the three alternatives, not all three. The "and" is only applicable to the second alternative, because that is the only alternative that requires more than on document.

I agree with that interpretation, but I have to say that the way it's written IS ambiguous. The last OR could just easily be taken as an alternative to the DL, with the AND applying to the first 3 items.

They could have clarified it with semi-colons where the commas are.

Just sayin'....

Linda

So many requests to email. Would it be easier to post them here?

If not, I'm at LLTAFEL at yahoo dot com. Upper case not necessary but it makes sure "L" isn't read as the number 1. ;)

Thanks.

Linda

I understand that a historical forecast doesn't mean no rain, it is just down heartening to see day after day of rain with seemingly no nice days. We don't have rain suits only rain coats and at this point no time to obtain rain suits so we are just going to have to make do.

Still 3 days. Don't know exactly where you are, but isn't there a Dick's, Bass Pro, Cabela's or similar within reach?

Just thinkin' ....

The really lousy box hair dryers. Bring your own or plan to spend an hour getting your hair damp dry.

I was afraid of that. I'll bring mine. I have short hair and it can air dry, but looks better fluffed up by the dryer.

**********.com

 

Here's the 15 August Seward to Vancouver sailing: ****************************/cruise-k83953-alaska-norwegian-sun-seward-ak-vancouver

 

Zoom into the map for the intended route.

 

EDIT: Unfreaking believable. I hate CC's site reference filter since it completely f's up the interchange of valued information. I understand the concept of not enabling your competitors, but if you have the superior product there's no reason to enact such lame measures. Use s e a s c a n n e r . c o m in lieu of the asterisks.

I found it. Thanks!

You can also get it by Googling "scanner cruise-k83953". Now to figure out if I can make the map full screen.;)

Linda

By the way except for pocket cruise ships,what is sailed by mass market cruise ship today is no longer 'a true inside passage route' even out of Vancouver.

Which reminds me, I've been trying to find a map or description of the actual route the large ships take to Vancouver. We're on the Norwegian Sun in August, southbound Seward to Vancouver.

I like to know where we'll actually be sailing. The promotional materials from the cruise lines and TAs (when there are any at all) only have macro-view maps showing a line behind Vancouver Island. But it's hard for me to see where that would be.

Anyone have a link to a real-life map or chart with detail?

Former sailor/Navigator at heart,

Linda

So much great info, as usual! Thanks, Shadowmeboy and Martincath.

I feel better already about things going smoothly, having the day in Vancouver pretty carefree. We'll stash our luggage at the hotel, take one of the HOHOs. Get off at some of the high points, have lunch or dinner at Granville market, and still hit the sack for a decent night's sleep before a 4 AM wake-up.

We're so looking forward to this Alaska cruise with a week's land tour preceding! This is our first trip to Alaska, which has been on my list for years.

I'm spending too much time on CC, though.:p Got to get busy with real world stuff!

Linda

Umm. You didn't really mean DHMo? http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

 

Umm. You **DO** know what Dihydrogen Monoxide is?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrogen_monoxide_hoax

I'm reviving this thread with a followup from some earlier discussions that I hope someone can help with.

We disembark from the NCL Sun Aug. 22 in Vancouver and have reservations on Amtrak to Portland the next day. Departure is 6:30 AM.:eek: All the other departures use the bus connection to Seattle, which we don't want. We considered taking Amtrak just to Seattle later in the day on the 22nd, staying overnight there and going on to Portland on the 23rd. But we're looking forward to seeing a little of Vancouver, and also prefer to just go straight through on the train.

We know we have to be at Pacific Central Station at least an hour in advance to clear CBP.

First question, how much earlier should we get to the station to up our odds of getting good seat assignments (right-hand side)? Is there any advantage to being much earlier than 5:00? E.g., how early are there actually Amtrak and/or CBP personnel on duty; when do people start to line up beforehand?

Related to this: What's the sequence for check-in, seat assignment and CBP? That is, do you check in to Amtrak first and get seat assignments, and then go to CBP? Or do you not get seats until boarding?

Finally, how do you recommend we get to the station at that hour from the YWCA Hotel on Beatty Street? We're thinking a cab, even though it's only a 3-minute drive. A 20-minute walk means an earlier wake-up, and doesn't appeal to us at that hour, especially with luggage. And it looks like public transportation would take just about as long. (Am I correct at that hour it's a bus, no SkyTrain?)

I've learned so much from reading these boards. Looking for all comments/suggestions any of you locals have. Thanks in advance.

Linda

Thanks, Tony. I'd read a post where someone said there was less narration on the downhill route.

Linda

We embarked in SFO.

Tips:

For great pictures without the plexiglass barriers step outside the lounge, deck 12 forward.

The great outdoors has yummy cookies in the afternoon/evening.

The sports bar is a good place to find a table to eat during breakfast and lunch and it has yummy food after 5:30.

Madero's breakfast area had both a waffle and egg bar and is usually less crowded.

They have a crepe station in the evenings in the garden cafe.

Make reservations before you go for the main dining rooms. We never had to wait and had the take size we wanted.

There are 4 lifts in the Artrium that are usually busy but if you walk a little more forward there is a bank of elevators that are quick and that's how you get to deck 12.

There are 4 aft elevators outside of the Garden Cafe. The one most right as you are facing them is a completely different system independent of the left 3.

Thanks for the tips, Woodz. I've copied them to my notes for our cruise on the Sun in Alaska in August. Hopefully they'll have figured something to do about the odor by then.:rolleyes: (We're in 9014, forward port.)

Another question: What kind of hairdryer was in your balcony cabin? I just read a post in another thread about the old wall-mounted hairdryers, which the cruiser was hoping would be replaced with hand-held ones during the Sun's refurbishing. If they weren't, I'll be packing mine, which ordinarily I wouldn't do.

Thanks in advance.

Linda

What are your thoughts on the experience taking the train up versus down? We've reserved with Chilkoot in August for the van up and train afterward. Mostly chose it because it starts at 8:30 instead of 7:30. DH doesn't do early too gracefully, but he would manage if it made a difference to the quality of the trip.

Linda

Several years ago we bought great jackets at anchorage Walmart.

Looks like we can get there by public transit from downtown.

Linda

Tongass Trading sounds great, but Ketchikan is almost at the end of our cruisetour in August.:mad:

We'll be staying in Anchorage (downtown) on our own for 3 days before starting the land part of the cruisetour. Can someone recommend a place there for a similar rain jacket, for a similar price, to those from Tongass?

Thanks - Linda

We will be on a Cruisetour (land first) in August with NCL. I understand NCL doesn't have the "meet me at the ship" option for a bag you don't need until the cruise starts. At least that's my TA said they told her when she asked.

Can anyone confirm this? If that service isn't available I guess we'll just have one bag (probably fairly small) that will follow us around but we won't need anything from it during the land portion. But it would still be nice if the info the TA got was wrong and we didn't have to deal with the extra bag.:rolleyes:

Thanks for any information.

Linda