Geldhart

Thanks everyone; Some useful information here.

Answering a few questions that were asked.

Flying to Seattle will cost about double compared to going to YVR after accounting for the points and voucher I have.

Cruising out of Seattle is based on a few factors; one of them being the logistics/costs of flying to or from Alaska. I would have loved to do a b2b out of Vancouver, but financially, that's not happening yet.

I Like the idea of the Quick Shuttle picking us up at YVR; right now it looks like a toss up between that and taking the TRAIN. (Yes, you can call me Dr. Cooper). Since it doesn't look like Bolt goes to YVR, I can drop that from consideration. If I'm going to catch a cab to go to another form of transportation, I might as well catch a train. My son would like that as well.

Thanks for suggestions on the Hotels, not knowing Seattle at all, looks like I was way out to lunch on my choices. I will look into Seattle Centre or Crown Plaza downtown. Either that, or I might look at a car rental once I'm in Seattle. Some choices there look OK.

How does one get a $90 one-way car rental? Nothing I saw was even close to that? (Mind you I can't get my exact dates coming up yet).

I'm also hoping the Seattle Mariners are playing in town when we are there. Major bonus points if the visiting team is the Blue Jays, but that will have to wait until next years MLB schedule comes out. I figure I have a 50/50 chance of catching a game.

My family of 4 (DW, DD14, DD11 at the time) will be taking the Aug 23, 2015 Ruby Princess RT cruise out of Seattle to Alaska. Never been to Seattle, but have been to Vancouver a couple of times, but always on business and never had much of a chance to look around.

In my previous job I accumulated a large amount of points for WestJet and IHG hotels that I am planning on cashing in. Since I'm flying WestJet, I will be flying to Vancouver; not Seattle.

We would be flying in on the Thursday (Ship leaves on Sunday).

What is the easiest/economical way to get from YVR to Seattle? We were looking at taking the train, but am not sure about logistics of getting to the station from YVR. Renting a car is probably out unless rental+gas+parking is significantly cheaper. We are okay getting around by public transportation.

Then in Seattle, need a hotel in the IHG family that's a reasonable distance from the port and "stuff to do in Seattle" -- or at least with good public transportation options to the Seattle stuff. We are likely going to get a taxi or other transportation to the port.

A few hotels we are looking at? Any recommendations (even off this list provided they are IHG hotels).

Holiday Inn Express and Suites : North Seattle - Shoreline

Crowne Plaza : Seattle Airport

Holiday Inn Express and Suites : Seattle-Sea-Tac Airport

Is Seattle Airport and Sea-Tac the same thing?

Timing it instead of assisting the woman? Must have been a lawyer. :rolleyes:

If the victim was already being attended too by professionals nothing wrong with that. Questions like "how long was she out?" need to be answered.

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Limit what they pack; Say 1carry on per person (or smaller suitcase)

If room is not reasonable, they (all) have to hang with you for the day

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Privacy can run the range from "just the two of you in the cabin" to in front of everyone at one of the shows in the theatre. Specialty restaurants, by the pool, after a workout in the gym, plenty of places and times. Or just do the "I'll know the time is right when it's right"

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Integrity is doing what's right even when no one is watching.

Um why should the cruise line do something for him when he is perfectly capable of doing it himself with the proper tools. It's like saying the cruise line should carry him around the ship instead of letting him use his "dangerous" electric wheel chair (people have been run over by those things you know).

For the original poster was this all on the same cruise line? (Never mind saw the original post again)

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I'm of the belief that children do need to learn freedom and responsibility so that when they leave home after high school, they LEAVE home. Pending an accident that renders them mentally incompetent, my long term goal is to have both DD13 and DS9 function as fully independent adults by the time they are 18/19. That's not going to happen if I solve all their problems for them.

On our last cruise our kids did have different rules, not only due to age, but also relative maturity. My DD has a good head on her shoulders, my son not so much (but he does surprise us sometimes).

First time cruising, DD was 11 and DS was 8. First morning in Adventure Ocean was mandatory -- meet some people before the cliques formed. After that, both of them could decide if they were going to go. If they went, they were committed for the session. DD could sign herself out, DS could not (don't think he was eligible anyway, if he was, it still wasn't going to happen).

DD could go where she wanted to on the ship, but she HAD to let us know where she was, and if changing locations had to leave a message on the cabin phone on the way. We spot checked (first by checking the messages), and the rule was, we had 15 minutes to locate her, or she was dead meat. One of us stood by the entrance to the location (in case she was in transit to somewhere else (like the phone), just getting a drink or snack, or coming back from the bathroom, etc) while the other did a circuit of the area.

She also had to do a private muster drill on Day 2 before earning her freedom. While we were in the buffet for breakfast, I excused myself (presumably to go to the washroom, but in reality I went elsewhere). My wife told her that she had 7 minutes to get to the muster station without assistance (to simulate being separated from us in an emergency). She actually beat me there, and I had a head start.

Only rule was that she couldn't go swimming alone -- she had to be with someone who would also be in the pool with her (and friends she met on the ship, that we had also met and approved of were okay).

DS for the most part had to be with us, but was allowed to get his food from the buffet, go get another drink, go ahead of us and meet us at the entrance to the dining room, play a round of mini golf while we watched from nearby, etc. For swimming, either myself or DW had to be in the pool with him -- non negotiable as he isn't a strong swimmer.

Once, because the 3 of us had things we really wanted to do, that he didn't and adventure ocean didn't appeal to him that morning, on Day 4 we allowed my son about 30 minutes of freedom on the sports deck. I was a bit late getting back and couldn't find him. Looked all over, and returned to his cabin just in time to answer the phone telling me that he was near the Flowrider. Once he realized he was "lost" he "hugged his tree" and asked a crew member for help -- EXACTLY what he was told to do.

That was "MY FAULT". Our procedure was "Don't leave the area" and "Hug a Tree" and I made the silly assumption that he wouldn't remember (I know my son) and as a result, I left the deck when I shouldn't have. Had I stayed on the deck, my second loop would have spotted him (or he would have spotted me). He did EVERYTHING right, I was the one who screwed up.

On the next cruise, we think that he should be able to handle a similar set of rules as his sister.

My son (8 at the time, now 10) got lost on the Freedom of the Seas, and I told him he did everything right --- he went to the the Flowrider and alerted the crew there. I was searching for him, when I walked into his cabin just as the phone rang telling me where he was.

I had to show my SeaPass card to the crew member, and was asked a few questions to prove that he was my son. Scary moment, but he handled himself well in a crisis. Why? Because he had practiced that exact drill a few times.

Our procedure for "lost kid is this"

*The person who is lost "hugs a tree". In malls they do not enter a store or leave a store. They only leave the "Tree" for safety reasons (don't stay in the parking lot, move to the entrance of a store for example).

*They look for someone in uniform from their "tree" and ask for help. We don't care if that person is male or female, but they are not to move from their tree (very far, they can go to a nearby bench) and they are to STAY in a public area.

*Currently my daughter (13) has a cell phone, my son does not. She is to take out her cell phone and text me exactly ONCE, then keep calling me. She is to keep calling until I answer the phone. During this protocol I DO NOT call her back to avoid us calling each other at the same time.

*If there is no cell phone, then of course, the helper can call me (both kids have my and my wife's numbers memorized).

On cruise ships, the protocol is slightly different, but essentially the same.

*Hug a tree OR return to the cabin (the tree can be a ship phone near the closest elevators).

*Request assistance from a crew member, but again, stay in the public areas.

*After 30 minutes, OR your check-in time, return to the cabin. Which ever is earlier.

Thanks all. Called this morning before I left for work.

After cruising twice on RCI we at going Princess for our Alaskan cruise in Aug 2015. Issue is that I messed up on one of the cabins and noticed it this morning. On the RCI site changing cabins is trivial, but on the Princess site I just can't seem to find where to change cabins.

Is it just me being blind or can you not change your own cabin online?

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Google/Picassa

Flickr

Instagram?

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A few thoughts

1. You only have 12 days, can you try doing some gentle training to keep the food on the tray? Won't be perfect, but make it a game to keep as much off the floor as possible.

2. Request a table just for your family. While I would understand, not everyone is as patient with toddlers.

3. Waiters love the kids, especially the ones with little ones back home, so they won't hate you, and it is part of their job.

4. This isn't the first 13 month old that's ever been on a cruise, and probably not the messiest. Just go with the flow.

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A question I have regarding accessible cabins, is why on NEW ships can't they make all standard cabins modified from the get go. I'm not disabled, but I do work with a large number of people with varying disabilities, and for most of them, they only require very simple modifications (grab bars and shower seats being big ones). Principles of Universal Design are a popular topic inside the offices of one of my larger clients.

I can understand people in wheelchairs and scooters needing more space, and that could be a problem on a ship where space is at a premium, but Praeto's Principle suggests something.

What are some simple modifications/features that could be added to an ordinary cabin (even retrofitted into an exisiting ship) that would allow 80% of people with disabilities to use that cabin as is? (The other 20% would need the fully accessible cabins).

Please understand I do have some ignorance on some of these matters, but I am learning. I'm actually in IT Support, and over the years have built up a bit of business in the non-profit sector through referrals, and people tend to refer others like them.

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With the second week of new menus "in the books" I wonder if the menus were different the second week? Would appreciate comments from those that were there for week 2.

Wasn't there, I get on Freedom on the 26th, but I don't see them changing at all that soon. If there are "issues" with the new menu, they still need to determine if they are :

A> Related to working out the kinks in preparation, cooking, serving, and the waiters really knowing the menu. Issues here are simply solved with practice and minor behind the scenes adjustments - not changing the menu.

B> Related to people not liking a particular menu item. One week isn't enough to determine that, you need a few weeks to reliably determine that.

Is the Linguini Pomodoro a vegetarian meal?

IIRC Pomodoro is a basic tomato sauce (Bolongase would have meat in it)

With a teenager I would remove the SIM as a just in case. Try it at home to make sure she can still do everything she wants. Without the SIM there is no connection to anything, period (except WiFi).

That way there is no "oops I didn't mean to take it out of airplane mode".

Looking for help with excursions for Corner Brook 8:00-5:00 & Sydney 7:00-3:00 we will be sailing to these ports for the first time in the fall. Need help with what we should see & what not to miss. Thanks

In Sydney try the Coal Miners Museum in Glace Bay. The Underground Mine Tour is worth it just by itself. I was there 2 weeks ago (on business) and it was awesome.

Just an FYI on the tour - its NOT accessible and there are sections that require you to crouch unless you are like 10 or so.

Is there anywhere one can look to see the available songs? (specifically Freedom of the Seas)

I'm thinking about giving it a try, but the songs I know well enough to sing may not be available.

Do you have a family member who can travel with you to help provide 24/7 supervision? If you switch "Mom Duty" on and off, you can have alone time with your daughter, and still take Mom on the cruise.

One idea may be to pay the costs for the person in exchange for the assistance.

Another way of getting 3 seats for 2 for free, but NOT guaranteed is this simple trick.

Only buy 2 tickets, but when choosing your seat online, pick the window and the aisle. That will eliminate all but single travelers, and they will likely choose the middle seat LAST.

If someone does claim the middle seat, the person on the aisle can just slide over. Didn't gain anything, but you don't lose anything either. If no one takes the middle seat, you win. I find the middle seat only sucks when you are solo, when you are with a companion, there's nothing wrong with it.