Countrygirl44

Thank you for your prayers and I do hope you will continue them. He is to start his chemo on Tuesday. Last time he was not able to complete the regime as he could not keep his counts up. Probably one of the reasons the cancer spread to the bones. We are praying this round will be more effective.:)

His attitude is so positive, that a part of me has to believe he will beat the odds. In my mind I am thinking that I may look at this cruise again in late July early August to see if it is still available at the wonderful price quoted last week, and if so, it could possibly be a go.:)

I do apologize that I gave a little misinformation. :confused: It is the last cruise of the season for the Golden Princess (September 13-20). However, there are some ships with other lines as well as Princess that will be cruising later in September. If my research is correct, the last ship will be in Skagway on September 25, Ketchikan September 27 and Juneau September 24. Would this middle week of September make that much difference?:eek:

I do so appreciate so much your help.

Was getting ready to call and book the cruise until DH's sister's husband got a devastating report on his last scans. Lung cancer has moved into his spine and hips. Timing would be just too risky. Thanks to all for your comments. I would like to request your prayers for our family. Thank you.

Thanks so much for all the replies. For those of you that traveled the last cruise of the season, share with me about the "hours of sunlight". On one of our late May cruises, I don't think we actually saw complete darkness. Of course, we were off to bed fairly early.

Countrygirl,

Sorry I can't answer your question...

We're going on our first Alaska cruise the last week in August/first part of September. You said the weather was "not bad" on your previous cruise during that time....can you elaborate?

 

Thanks!

We used our umbrella some in Juneau. Ketchikan was fine and our trip to the Yukon (from Skagway) the weather was wonderful. The coldest, wettest, and worst weather was July 2012. Our other trips in May were a mixture of rain and sunshine. Can't remember the year, but once we were in Ketchikan when they hit a record high. My favorite of our times are in late May. I followed the web cams last week and the temperatures were very nice in the ports.

DH and I have cruised Alaska six times, however, the latest was the last week of August. Weather was not bad. Worst weather was July 2012. We have been offered an opportunity to go with a local group that is fully escorted. It is inclusive of everything, transportation, transfers, flights, cruise, motels, and insurance. We would be responsible for tips, gratuities, meals in Seattle and any tours and excursions we planned to do. It is a balcony handicapped cabin as DH has health issues. With it being fully escorted would be such a stress reliever for me. The lady escorting and I have been friends for so many years. She is a first class escort! I would only have to drive about eight miles to meet the bus for the transport to the airport. On the return, I would pick up my car and drive eight miles home. It just can't hardly get any easier than that. My problem? I want to hear from you "last cruise of the season people" with pros and cons. Thanks you so much for your help.

We have been to Alaska five times. We have ATT and service has been excellent in all ports.

Called Princess about 11:00 am (EST). They were aware of problems in some places. I had some errands to run and just now able to get back to the computer...it is up and running now for me. Pam, I was getting the same data you were. I am not planning a cruise any time soon (DH's health issues) however, I just love to play on the site and "dream" of cruising again. Sure have found some nice deals if we could cruise. Happy cruising to my CC buddies that will soon be "smelling the salt air".

Have been trying to "sign in" and access the Princess website since last night, but have not been able to do so. Is anyone else having difficulties?

That is a nice upgrade. We got an upgrade to a balcony aft on caribe deck last summer (from a balcony gty.) The balcony is larger and we did enjoy the wake view...that being said, my favorite location is the last cabin on the aft port side.

Could you elaborate further upon Luggage/Valet/Direct? I have no idea what this is. Do you have to be going directly from the aeroport to the ship? If so this would not be applicable for us this cruise as we are overnighting at both ends. I would still like more information on this. Thanks.

On the fourth or fifth day of your cruise, you will get information about the luggage direct, EZ Check, etc. Each cruise line has a little different name for it. What this means is that if your flight home is on the same day as you debark the ship and if your flight is after a certain time (11:30..I think). You can pay $30.00 a person for this service. This is in addition to regualr check bag fees by the airline. You complete the documents for this. The last evening of your cruise, you will get your airline tags for the luggage and your boarding pass. Put the airline tags on your luggage and put outside your door. You will not see your luggage again until you are at the baggage claim area of your home airpot. You do not have to search for your luggage at the terminal. You do not have to go to your airline check in counter and check your bags and get your boarding pass. Also we were in the first group to debark the ship after those handling their own luggage. In fact, we were able to whiz past some of those in the terminal and outside getting transportation. Once outside, our prescheduled town car arrived within minutes and we were onn our way to the airport. He took us directly to the entrance for our airline. We just went directly to TSA line and then to our gate. This service is also great if you have a late afternoon flight and want to do a tour. We use it everytime we can. I think the money for the service is well worth it. DH and I are both senior citizens and he has some serious health issues. It would be almost impossible for us to try to take our own luggage off the ship.

On our most recent cruise we thought about purchasing the luggage valet program but at $20 pp it seemed a waste. I thought more about it when we were schlepping the bags through the terminal ( it gets a little harder every year:p) So.. maybe we will get a porter next time. Does anyone know what a customary tip for a porter would be?

 

On another note... the cupcakes on the RCI ships are yummy, but not worth the $2.75 as they are mostly icing anyway. Now we know.

 

I use the cruise line rewards credit card throughout the year and use the points accumulated for OBC. We had $400 worth this cruise and used some of it on specialty restaurants, one discounted glass of wine and DH's traditional T shirt purchases, as well as gifts for our little granddaughters and one soda package. We ended up with a negative balance on our bill at the end of the cruise:D. We did do the "next cruise" program and that will give us more OBC for next year. With our remaining OBC our discounted deposit was only about $50.

We only did one excursion, which was not a cruise line sponsored tour.

If we didn't have the OBC we wouldn't have spent what we did, so we enjoyed it very much.

 

Next year when I book I am going to look into private travel insurance to see if it is better and/or cheaper than the cruisecare insurance.

DH and I may try to save in lots of areas, but Luggage Valet/Direct is not one of them. Whenever we can we always use it. Put the bags out the ast night with the airline tags on them, put your boarding pass in your purse. The nexdt morning at disembarkation, you are usually off the ship in the first group after self disembark. Do not have to worry about pushing and pulling the luggage off the ship and through the terminal. In fact, you can skip the entire "find your luggage" in the terminal. On to the airport (there again we may spend a little more and do our own transportation..no cruise ship transfers to the airport for us). Once at the airport, you do not have to check in with the airline and check your bags. After security, go to your gate. Your luggage with be in baggage at your home airport. We save in lots of other ways, no photos, casino, bingo, drinks, etc......but then again, that is our lifestyle at home too. We take both cruise ship and private vendor excursions. We are making memories so we spend what is necessary. We do not eat in the speciality restaurants. We tip above the tips that are added to the shipboard account. We aso watch the pricing and if it drops, we call our TA immediately. At home, we live very modestly and cruise the same way...well, I do have to have my balcony room. It actully comes down to personal preference.

Norris, I have to ditto what the others have said about the review. Loved and enjoyed every posting. What memories it brought to my heart, as I will probably not get back to Alaska.

Hands down, this was the best review I have read. The narration was so well written. The pictures and the videos just transported me back to Alaska.

Thanks again for all the time and effort you put forth for us to enjoy.

Enjoy your trip to the opera in Germany and your future cruises.

Not sure how it would work for a " place to stay on departure day", but I would highly recommend the bed and breakfast House of Jade in Anchorage. They picked us up at the airport, we even had dinner with them that everning in addition to a fantastic breakfast the next morning. After breakfast, they took us to the train depot for the ride to Whittier. Rates were great and our suite was unreal! I would highly suggest if you just want somewhere to rest after a late afternoon arrival flight from the east coast, check out the House of Jade.

Norris, as (I think) Bob Hope used to say "Thanks for the Memories". Each time I viewed your videos and your still photography, I was transported to my favorite vacation...The Alaskan Cruise. Thanks so very much! Enjoy your future cruises and your trip to Germany.

Norris: I am sooooo sorry your "journey" will be ending soon. I check cc several times a day to see if you have added a video or photographs. DH's favorite place to cruise is Alaska. We have been six times. He would love to go again, but it will not be this summer. His health would just not allow it. Maybe things will be better and we can go in 2014. He has enjoyed the photographs and videos. Me too! It is almost like being there. I love the Vancouver to Anchorage sailing. For the last two times, we have done the R/T Seattle as it is easier for DH in flying. We are able to do nonstop Charlotte to Seattle.

Your style in writing is soooo enjoyable. I think I mentioned in a previous post that you must be a writer by trade. Will check cc again tonight before I go to bed.

P.S. I have a childhood friend (we went to elementary school together for a few years before she left the mountains of Southwest Virginia for the city of Chicago). Me, still in the same place, just across the "county road" from my childhood home. We e-mail each other at least once a week. She lives in Alqonguin. We have been friends for 60 plus years!

Here is a video of a beautiful ship we met in some of the ports (Juneau, Skagway). When I first got the idea of Alaska cruising the first line I looked at was RCI (RCCL) as I had worked for them and was always proud in saying that.

 

More research though, led me to book the Coral Princess...and the rest is history. In 16 months I took 4 Princess cruises and became Platinum on my last cruise on the Ruby. (Suites count as two cruises)

 

It's 4 minutes of nothing much happening except a beautiful vessel leaving port.

 

To me it's exciting to witness.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwbjcCPHubU

Norris, this one is also marked private. Loved the photographs of Skagway. I love all the Alaska ports, however, it is close as to my favorite, Skagway or Ketchikan.

Norris, this one is also marked private. I have enjoyed your review so very much. It is sooooo interesting to read. the videos and the still photogrphy are amazing. DH and I both love Alaska! We would love to go back again, however, his health at this time would not enable him to go. We are reliving Alaska through your review. Thank you so very much!

I have uploaded a couple of video clips of our bear-watching excursion in Ketchikan. The will be followed by some stills.

 

A couple of hints/tips if you go on one;

 

Be quiet, be very very quiet. That's if you want to see the bears behaving naturally. They don't have good eyesight-worse than mine actually but they can hear very well.

 

Stay still if they approach you. Don't run at them and try to wrestle them.

No-second thoughts- by all means do that but only after you have alerted me and given me enough time to prep a camera.

 

Don't try and use a camera and a camcorder at the same time, switching back and forth. You spend all that time waiting for a bear to appear and when it does finally show you start fumbling to put the camera back in the bag, boot up the camcorder, get your focus and while you are doing all that the bear comes out from a bush on a unicycle balancing a ball on his nose....and you missed it!

(ask me how I know)

 

I edited the video into manageable clips....there's a part 1 and a part 2.

Then some stills.

 

The first part of the video is taken from rope-bridges strung about 10 feet above the ground (at the sagging mid-point).The piers are at about 20 ft so very steep. The bridges swing and creak with a dozen people on them. The excursion is therefore not accessible to anyone using a stick or wheelchair, alas.

 

 

 

Norris, I have absolutely loved your review. :) You certainly have a "way with words". Perhaps you are a writer by trade. :D Alaska is my favorite place to cruise and Princess the way to get there. Never been on the Diamond. You have done an excellent job of "presenting the Diamond Princess". I, for one, think your photos of the ship "without the people" displays the features so much better. I can hardly wait to see the rest of the instalments to come. I have been able to open all the other "youtube" presentations except this one. :mad: Can you please help?:confused:

Love all of these ideals.... I have been going to the $ tree for yrs. and DG and I am a big bargin hunter... Never pay full price for anything if I can help it.. Love Belks 60 and 80% off racks that is the only one I shop from. I go to good will and no I don't run all over town to do it only when I am in the area... I get alot of my household things from $ tree...

A true Southern Lady...BELK SHOPPER..oh, how I love Belk. I hardly ever go to Sears or J.C. Penny anymore. Last week I bought tooooo much from the 50 percent off with additional 50% off. :D Now a $50.00 blouse for $12.50 is my kind of a deal. I am a woman of size and love the Ruby Road brand.:o

I also love Dollar Tree. We do not have a Goodwill, but when I am in Roanoke Virginia, (about 120 miles from where I live), I always check out the ones there (4). Got some great buys on name brand shoes....and yes, I love to go to yard sales. Bought two pair name brand (almost new shoes) last week for $2.00 a pair. Two nice purses too!;)

We used Already There last year and they were GREAT! Just got an e-mail last week from Princess with wonderful rate reductions for June to Tracy Arms. :) Have been to Alaska five times, however, never to Tracy Arms. Am giving it much consideration. :confused: If I do go, I will certainly use Already There again!:)

Beautiful accommodations...the long side wrap balcony and the deep aft balcony. We have never cruised HAL, but are thinking of the R/T Vancouver for May 2013. (We are going to Hawaii on the POA in 2012). Our yearly cruise is usually to Alaska with Princess. We usually have the last mini suite toward the aft on the Emerald Deck. Nice balcony, but nothing like the pictures of the aft wrap on the Zuidy.

Just for curosity I priced the R/T Vancouver for May 2012 in the wrap aft and I am sooooo sad to say that it is totally out of my price range. To those that can afford it, have a wonderful time and enjoy.

How Sad! How very very sad!

Just one more installment in your cruise review. It was such an excitement to check morning and at bed time to see if you had posted. How much fun it was to read your review and enjoy your excursions and daily exploits on the ship.

Your writing is just absolutely fantastic. Sure hope you cruise again soon and will write a review.

P.S. Thanks for the dailies.

Good Luck with the college moving. Will they be far from home? Our only grandchild ( granddughter ) is in her last year of her Masters Program. In the last six years, she was in the dorm one year and this is her fourth apartment. Seems like we were moving and storing every summer. She starts classes on Monday. Has been home all summer, leaving Sunday.(at least she is only a couple of hours away). I know that empty feeling in your heart.

Will be checking the website on Monday or Tuesday to see is you have been able to add a new chapter in your "novel".

The pleasure of reading the review continues to get better and better.

Bedtime here on the East Coast, however, still a few hours earlier for you. You might decide to add another segment tonight. Will have to check early tomorrow morning.

Kinda sad, in that you will only have two more cruise days, then debarkation...and maybe some post- cruise time.

Just like a CPA (got that eye open for errors...LOL). Yeah, I meant World War 11. Thanks so much for the dailies. I have briefly looked over a couple and will print them off to read while savoring my morning cup of coffee.

Can't wait to check CC before bed tonight or upon rising tomorrow morning to read your new addition. You truly do have many readers looking for your updates on a daily basis. Your review is truly enjoyable. I will have to say again that your style of writing and humor makes for fantastic reading.