jelenedra

Just did the 7 day, tour first, in September, and we did very well with packing one large suitcase each that would get tagged "meet me tonight" at Lodge X. We each also carried a backpack that had our meds, camera and phone junk, raincoat or fleece, depending on what we were wearing at the time, and some wrapped snacks we brought from home. Water bottle also. Things you would need with you at all times. That fit on the bus in overhead bins. I also carried my cpap case...I personally put my meds in there, as it was medical, and i wouldn't let it out of my sight! That fit at my feet, shoved under the seat in front of me (I am kind of short, so I didn't care) The buses did have room in the bottom for larger cases, if you really needed to take a larger one along. Other than that, the luggage pieces magically appeared in your room each night.

Packing to actually fly to Fairbanks was different....we started with one large case as a checked bag, and one carry on case each for the plane. Hubby carried his backpack as a personal item, and I packed my backpack in my big suitcase, and carried a purse and my cpap as personal items. As i remember, the plane was full and they gate checked our small carryons for free. When all the bags arrived at Fairbanks Princess, we repacked what we would use on the ship into our small suitcases and tagged them "meet me at the ship" (bye bye for a week), and packed our large suitcases with our land tour stuff. Then we used our backpacks as our "come on the bus" daypacks.

My big suitcase has a nice outer pocket that I put my crossbody purse and a wristlet in, for when we were going on daytrips from the lodge, and I didn't need a backpack.

Sorry if I can't help with the train, as we were unable to take it due to a landslide that blocked the tracks that day :-( (we just took a bus), but I tried to plan for what I would need to carry on certain day of the trip and just figured it out from there. But point is, if you have to carry your medical devices, they have to let you. I think on the train we were supposed to take, it was assigned table seating, from the looks of our itinerary. We would have just stuffed our bags under our side of the table under the seat. If there are medical devices, they have to let you travel with them, I don't think you will have a problem. Enjoy your trip!

I hope so :eek:

My Princess Cruise consultant called me yesterday and also sent an email with a number I could call if there were any problems with flights, etc. on our travel day. So I hope if there is an EZ Air snafu, Princess has my back!

I did find if I wrapped a fat rubber band around the nozzle, the stretch part wouldn't slip....but its such a tight elastic, its really hard and awkward to get it on right. My daughter got a "Hot Sock" brand--it fits so much better, so I'll be borrowing that! Thanks!

Any ideas for a diffuser sock for a travel hairdryer? Mine is oval and tapered, and the Conair mitt I bought goes flying/sliding off!! I just don't want to pack my bulky regular dryer and diffuser...tying to save space and weight. Any ideas? Are there any small diffuser-dryers on the market now? For anyone who has used Princess hairdryers, was there anything that worked as a diffuser? If I remember correctly, they didn't "blow" too great...but now I don't blow out my hair, so I don't want to take a chance and not be prepared!

TIA

Thanks for posting, Yardbird! It's a relief to know that info for sure. I almost was considering packing my CPAP in my day pack....glad to know they WILL consider it as a medical device like the airlines do. Now I can relax and pack easily! Hope you're having a great trip (if you're on it now, of course! ;) )

We boarded about 3:00. Started a load as soon as I unpacked. Done before dinner.

Thank you sooo much! We're supposed to get to the ship "in time for a late lunch". Would be good to empty out our land bags and get it done before the ship gets crowded! :cool:

Was on the Star in June. Did laundry the first day since we had been driving around Alaska for a week prior to boarding.

 

I don't remember reading anything in the Patter about laundromat being closed during the day. I do remember a sign on the door with the hours of operation, but can't remember when exactly the quiet hours were.

That'

s good to hear...I'm boarding in Whittier after a 7 day land tour. What time did you board the ship, and when were you able to take the hour or 2 to do the laundry??

I'm still deciding if I should do it in Kenai before boarding, or if it could wait.

TIA

My husband and I also learned the hard way about those port shopping talks. Wasted a lot of time when we could be doing something else, outside, just to see if we won something from a drawing. I'm hoping that there are port talks on the Alaska cruise that concentrate on just that...the ports and the wonderful things we'll see!

The best advice for me, is to first, have a list in mind of who you are shopping for and what their likes are. Then let Google and trusted traveler recommendations be your friend. I've already decided, for Alaska, which stores I will be shopping in, and what items I will be looking for, preferably Alaskan made. It will save time and energy to just go in and get what I was really wanting, instead of wasting valuable port time browsing all the stores and getting aggravated. Just my 2 cents, of course :D

 

If you have Anytime Dining, you are free to go to any designated MDR. On the Star, it is the Capri and Portofino restaurants. Times are posted on the patters each day.

 

So to answer your question, yes, you are free to go anywhere provided you have Anytime Dining. I have not done Traditional Dining, but I assume you are assigned a MDR and table at a specified time.

Kirenne, if you ate in the anytime dining rooms, can you fill us in on when is a good time to go to get a table for 2? I figure each cruise is different, in demographics and preferences, so was it easier to get in earlier than later? I really wanted early traditional, but because I knew there would already be days we wouldn't go at our assigned time and leave the table empty, I was hesitant to choose it.

It's always a fine dance setting up excursions.

We enjoyed the box lunch as it included a sandwich, an orange, oreos, chips, and a bottle of water. It was easier for us than going across the road (a wide main highway) to Subway very early in the morning.

If you don't mind, and can remember, can you tell me about how much was the box lunch from the lodge? I hear Subway is pretty expensive anyway, so it might just make sense. Thanks!

Not everybody saves theirs....there's so much paper and flyers you get on a cruise that I'm sure they don't think to bother! Me....I'm a pack rat...I have the dailies from all my cruises.

Too bad I'm going on the last southbound of this year, not that it will help anyone, but I will post them on Google drive when I get home anyway!!!

Even good reviews are helpful, to give an idea of the timing for the North to Alaska activities, or how the seafood at the deck parties were, or the wait for anytime dining....etc, etc ;)

Someone hopefully will post some tidbits when they get back! :D

Remember I was gone a month and only brought one carry-on bag.:)

Thanks for your reply...I'll look into the trolley (but I have a bad knee, so can't walk fast :( )

So you know our next question is......what did you pack!?!?!?

We have to pay $25 per checked bag, and I'm trying to pare the clothing down. We can each bring a carry on, so if we can cut things down so we only check one bag between us, that would be great!

I'd like to do the 12 pieces of mixable clothing thing...and do laundry.

What kinds of pieces did you bring to stretch your wardrobe between laundry?

Diamond doesn't have cafe caribe.

I was replying to post #5, regarding Horizon Court being closed at dinnertime on certain ships. Guess I should have quoted them.

I was on the Ruby a few years ago, and the Cafe Caribe section was open for dinner. It was nice....tablecloths and silverware. My last cruise was on the Caribbean in 2014...pretty sure all the buffet sections rotated. We ate in the buffet every night, first time we've done that!

Thank you so, so much for your review! We are doing the same tour, but one day less in Kenai, in September. Getting excited now, and would love to ask some questions!

Might you have Patters that you can snap and post, please?!?

When you stopped in Anchorage, did you get left off at the Captain Cook or the Egan Center? You said you took a trolley tour...which one and were you able to grab a bite in the city, or could you/did you bring food back on the bus?

What time did you dock in Skagway? We booked the White Pass and Yukon Rail privately, and hope we will be able to get off for 7:30! BTW, we dock at 7:00am, I see you docked at 5:30. I'm assuming the vendors know when the ship docks, so they also know it takes a bit of time to get off!

Thanks for any info...I may think of more questions later. :D

I've been doing internet research on where I might want to spend my time and money, to utilize port time well! Do you feel that you can get enough information on a shop when you Google "shopping" for a particular port? Or do most of the real Alaska-made gift shops not show up on Google searches, and you'd have to stumble upon them while walking the port? Not really interested in jewelry/gems per se, but something definitely made in Alaska. Thanks in advance!

Can anyone comment on whether all the laundromats have stayed open in Alaska waters and ports? Thanks.

I'm not thinking that you can, because of the luggage logistics on, lets say, Princess....some luggage goes ahead to the ship, and they wouldn't store it for you if you weren't part of the whole cruisetour, which is booked as a bundle. But you can independently book a stay with Princess Lodges, according to their website http://www.princesslodges.com/ and do a land tour.

You would have to check to see if they could provide transportation to get you to your port for your Celebrity cruise, or you'd have to provide for yourself. Princess sails from Whittier.

Not sure how helpful this is, I'm sure others will chime in!

Totally agree with you all. Even though it is pricier, neither one of us has to drive, or plan out anything. Our first cruise was a Med 12 day. We did all ships tours, even though our roll call was active and we could have joined in on DIYs. It was nice to have it all planned out, even though while we were waiting with the herds, ummm, groups, we were "mooing" to ourselves....:D

If you know exactly what you're getting into, it is your choice. When we are on vaca, we feel like paying a premium is worth it, to make our time easier. Instead of worrying about where to get a car or taxi, or planning a hotel, we got to sit and chat with each other and enjoy the experience of new places.

Yes, there were times where I wanted to stay longer somewhere, or missed a sight that would have been nice, but I got to see so many places I never had seen before, and make lovely memories.

We cannot wait for our Alaska connoisseur cruisetour...go ahead and tell me where to line up and where to eat....less hassle for me to figure out the logistics, when all I want is to just to relax and get away from my everyday work world. Let someone else do the planning!

Txwriter, have a wonderful trip with mom. I took my mom, who was 90 at the time, on a 5 day to the Bahamas. Planned all the airport stuff and rented a wheelchair to be delivered to the ship. We had the best time...I and she, will never forget that wonderful memory. It won't matter what you guys do, spending time together is the most important thing, especially if you can be "present" and not have to worry about planning!

Thanks, Mapleleaves and Alaskanb...

I've already been collecting clothing that i can mix and match...I'd like to keep it to 10 or 12 pieces and do laundry when we get on board.

I have an Eddie Bauer rainfoil parka and a Columbia fleece, and I'll have 2 sets of long sleeve shirt, short sleeve t, tank, and hiking pants, one pr jeans, as well as a v neck sweater, and a hoodie that should match all. For the ship I have a great sleeveless LBD for formal night that rolls up nicely, and I'll throw in some low heels and a couple of pashminas. Maybe 1pr black dockers or dark denim, 2 nicer tops and ballet flats for other nights in MDR. Week of undies and socks, too, of course! And earmuffs and gloves. And then, toiletries are a whole 'nother thing! :D

I have a 25in which I have to pay to check, and a 19in, and I'll use them for the flight out. I have a daypack which I may just pack inside a suitcase for later use, so I can just take my cpap and a small wristlet with travel docs on the plane, along with the 19in carryon.

Wow I know I'm overthinking this, but its nice to have this forum to see how other cruisers figured out how to pack their bags for both portions of the tour and what they felt worked out best.

I'm still not clear on how we will carry DH's CPAP and water on the land portion along with a day pack.

I'd also like to hear from others about this. I know it can come on the plane in its case as a medical device, along with my personal item, but not sure if I can take it along with the alloted backpack/carryon for the bus and train portion.

And for the plane, I'll have the cpap case, my personal item, and a carryon to stash in the overhead bin.....and one checked bag that I already have to pay for. :eek:

I'd love to hear how people have pared down the number of outfits they take, as well as how they decided what would go in each bag, or if they packed their cpaps differently, to reduce the number of bags they had to schlep around. I hesitate to pack the cpap in checked luggage though...

So even though you don't pay for internet minutes, you can use the ships WiFi to access the Princess website for no charge?

It helps me manage my expectations better - knowing what generally is offered. Knowing there won't be a midnight chocolate buffet, knowing that I have to choose between being in town vs seeing Libby, for example - it's better for me to have already figured that out so it doesn't damper my mood during the trip. So eager to see this year's!

Oh I know! Trying to cram in Mendenhall so we can get back to see Libby, and hopefully, puppies!! Planning for Crab Shack....lunch buffet by the pool....happy hours.... Etc, etc, etc :D

LOL, can't wait for vacation!!

Here's a link to someone's wonderful Patters from last summer. Thank you whoever you are!

I'm ashamed to say I look at them to get my fix now and then, even though I know activities and entertainment will be different :p ....we're headed out on Sept 17th! Can't wait!

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B9pSiIp_nFjAfktiZVQyT0ZMakZpLUU3dzNNM3JLWWxwZ1dweWVYUjd2eGtYZGNScG92N3c&usp=sharing

We sail on the Star in September, and had to prepay for the excursions not included in the cruisetour. Had no other choice but to reserve with a credit card. Charges were posted on our cc bill shortly after.