Silverado6x6

Well they could have at least offered to have hands on training for eligible skilled workers looking to learn a trade. Not a bad deal, trade school and a cruise together..... I've been through much less exciting events.

I don't see why they don't try to make an updated series, after all Roseanne is back. Doesn't have to be Love Boat themed, doesn't need to be a documentary either, and heavens forbid another Poseidon adventure! As a former chief engineer on a cruise ship i could see an interest in the daily logistics of herding 5,000 plus passengers.

I live north of Anchorage, Big Lake to be precise, thats 300 miles south of Fairbanks. I have driven that 300 mile stretch in less than 5 hours, including rest stops. Many parts is all new highway, but it can be bumpy in the construction zones and at the frost heaves. Whats nice is during the month of june the sun is up and shining at midnight, gets a little bit of twilight from 1 am to just before 4am and its up again.

Sadly though there can be accidents quite often as most of our main roads are only two lanes and you get hotshot yahoos trying to pass you in all the wrong places, lots of motorcycles and motorhomes, tons of tour busses as well. Best time to visit Alaska is mid june to late August, any earlier its gray and frozen, later it rains a lot. I could say may might not be too bad, its been warmer in the spring the last ten years.

I hope Brisbane gets a good deal, on a long vacation several years ago i flew out of Brisbane, lovely airport, much better than Sydney or Melbourne and even smaller Adelaide.

I have been checking the Emerald Princess out, good reviews. I'm 61, but i too would say its far better to do a land vacation for the islands, you get only a day excursion per each island coming off a cruise ship. Still researching but if i had a wish it would be a week on Oahu, another on Maui and then a RT to Tahiti and back. But i live in Alaska so i have to fly into Oahu of course.

Hope you enjoy it, i live in Alaska, never rode the tourists train but mid to late june is the best time of year, bring sunglasses and a good camera. You won't see much darkness! Maybe a twilight for an hour or so.

Reminds me of an episode of Top Gear, they built a train using a passenger car with steel wheels and had carriages of descending classes with the last and lowest with nothing but a bench, straw on the floor and a hole in the cabin.

Beware booking a room with straw on its floor i say!

Thank you for that review, it definitely changes my view of this type of a cruise.

Couple of years ago i flew in from Honolulu, the Intl side was great, no hangups at all, stayed at the Rydges Hotel literally across the street from the arriving terminal. Problem is the next day was getting to the domestic terminal, requires a long long trip by bus, difficult with luggage, and the domestic terminal was a nightmare! Virtually no air conditioning, rude people, and they charge you every which way. Never again!

I left Australia out of Brisbane, by far the best airport i have ever been to.

Can you get a cup of coffee and some form of breakfast really early, like 4 or 5am? All my life I've always gotten up early, like 3 am, never used an alarm clock either. Watching your trip, I'm interested in a first time cruise.

I have bought several Invictas, they look really nice but back then i had no idea the community reaction to them.

Basically they are the laughing stock of watches, like timeshares.

I have authentic watches, Breitling Aerospace and a Superocean, great watches. For traveling titanium is the way to go.

Then i have several high end replicas of Rolex, and i mean they are VERY accurate. Not cheap Aliaexpress watches.

Problem is i feel weird wearing a replica, especially one that would retail for over $40,000. Like the platinum looking Day Date, the two tone Submariner or the custom black coated DeepSea.

Anytime i wear long sleeves i wear a watch, otherwise i just use my phone. I hate snobs and snob judgement.

A person could just get a Rolex watch looking tattoo and let that just be it.