JT1962

Most have moved to the big social media site.

The best option would be to push them for a refund. They may not do that, but it’s worth a try. That way you are not tied to a specific cruise line, using it by a certain date or even taking a cruise.

We have been to both and they are both impressive. Sometimes ships cannot get close to Hubbard or may miss it altogether due to ice. That rarely, if ever, happens with Glacier Bay.

GoPortCanaveral. Uber / Lyft may be cheaper with 2 or more.

They will generally be on a sea day or short port day, so it can vary depending on your itinerary.

If itinerary is important, Divina is offering a 12 night repositioning cruise from Port Canaveral to Miami sailing on October 9, with interesting ports and some really good rates. They also offer this as a 19 night cruise departing on October 2, which combines a seven night cruise to ocean cay, Costa Maya & Cozumel with the 12 night repositioning cruise. I am booked on the 19 night cruise, but l will be flying, not driving, so the different arrival / departure ports is not an issue.

I would guess the 2 are both related to a high number of Covid cases. It’s likely many of the Splash Academy staff had a positive test and the number of cases onboard also exceeded the threshold that St Thomas has to allow ships to dock. It would also explain why there is no explanation offered by NCL.

I think it’s because it is technically 2 port days in a row, although you have a long day cruising after Ketchikan and long day cruising the following day before arriving at Victoria.

Yes. You can add excursions, drink packages, internet, specialty dining, prepaid tips, etc. up to either 24 or 48 hours prior to your cruise.

I see Shel71 has not replied. My guess would be the they were on NCL, which charges $ 179 for the White Pass Summit trip. Each cruise line charges a different amount, so it’s always good to compare prices between the ship and booking directly.

Yes, you will need to complete ArriveCAN to board the ship in Seattle, showing arriving by cruise ship in Victoria. If you go to the Yukon, you would complete a 2nd ArriveCAN request for a land entrance at Fraser.

Whale watching & Mendenhall Glacier combo tour in Juneau. Rent a car in Skagway and drive into the Yukon or take the Yukon Bus Tour with Chilkoot Tours. You will need a passport and to complete a 2nd ArriveCAN request after the initial one for the ship in Seattle.

We totally agree. We have been on over 20 cruises and only remember the name of one CD, and that is because he was extremely annoying. If we want to know what is going on, we look at the schedule and don’t need someone reminding us every hour what is coming up. Unless there is something of importance - the ship is on fire / sinking, the itinerary has changed, etc., we much prefer they keep quiet. We sail primarily for the itinerary and would never book based on who the cruise director is.

Yes. The ports are about 6 miles apart, with Taino Bay being closer to Puerto Plata. The excursions, other than what is inside each port area, will primarily be the same options.

This tends to happen in the summer when water levels are low. They only do those that have enough depth in the pools to be safe. It’s still a good excursion, especially if you do the 7 Waterfalls and Zipline Combination.

As Mogsmom said, there are as many opinions on the food and many things on MSC. Most seem to either love it or hate. I found the food to be comparable to or better than the food on other lines I have sailed (primarily Carnival & Royal Caribbean). I sailed in a Fantastica Balcony and ate in the main dining room, buffet and steak house (1 night). My recommendation is to give MSC a try. I was pleasantly surprised based on many negative reviews I read prior to my cruise. They have some great rates and Ocean Key is excellent. Worst case scenario is you’ll find it’s not for you, but you may find you have a new option for cruising. Some things I found regarding food: - There are usually less choices on the dining room menus than other cruise lines, however, you can order multiple items from each section on the menu. - There tends to be less beef than on other cruise lines sailing from the US. - Shrimp Cocktail, Steak & a few other items cost extra in the dining room on nights other than “Elegant” night. - The menus are more European than most lines sailing from the US, but I always found items I liked. - There are almost always a chicken, fish / seafood, pasta, vegetarian and one other meat item on the entrees each night. - The Steakhouse was excellent. I had the 3 Course Tasting Menu. Below is a link to my post after my cruise on Meraviglia in January that includes some menus. These may not be the same as what you might see if you book a cruise, but will give you an idea of what they serve:

Juneau has many good options - whale watching, Mendenhall Glacier, Mt Roberts Tram, museum, restaurants, shopping, etc.

Virgin is officially dropping pre-cruise Covid testing for all cruises, including the US. Hopefully others will follow soon. https://cruiseradio.net/virgin-voyages-drops-testing-lets-10-percent-unvaccinated-sail/

I have not been to Prince Rupert, but from what I have read it is relatively small and has less options than Juneau. I would review the excursion options in both of the ports and decide based on which ones of are most interest to you.

We liked Lamanai since it involved a boat ride and the tour included lunch.

I agree those are much better, but likely aren’t doable on their roundtrip itinerary from Seattle on Eclipse. The only option would possibly be Anan from Ketchikan, but it is likely the limited permits are gone for the date they would be there. The $ 450 - $ 700 (approx) cost per person is also prohibitive for many.

I agree with others that it is unlikely you would encounter a bear unless you were hiking a remote area. If you want to safely see brown and black bears, go to Fortress of the Bear during your stop in Sitka

The 27 (Damajagua) Waterfalls is one of the best excursions we have done in 30+ years of cruising. We used Marysol Tours, but Iguana Mama gets good ratings also. If you don’t have mobility issues, and can walk 45 min or so, much of it uphill, in the jungle, I highly recommend it. Here are a couple of videos so you know what to expect:

There are many things you can do for free or low cost in Alaska. Since you have a reasonable budget of $ 800, I would suggest reviewing the available excursions on YouTube or other sites to find one that your family really wants to do and “splurge” on that and do low cost options in the other ports. The memories from Alaska will last a lifetime. I sailed on Splendor in May, which was my third cruise to Alaska. Here are some things I have done in the past, both free and more expensive excursions, that I enjoyed: Juneau - Check the Mendenhall Glacier tour bus with Juneau Whale Watch. They have return buses every half hour so you can spend as much time as you want at the glacier. Definitely hike to Nugget Falls and possibly some of the other trails, if you enjoy hiking. If you want to splurge, take the Whale Watch / Mendenhall Glacier combo tour with them. https://www.juneauwhalewatch.com/ Icy Strait Point - As others pointed out you can do many things here for free or low cost - hiking, ride the free tram between the two port areas, see wildlife and amazing scenery, tour the restored cannery, walk or take the shuttle into Hoonah to see a traditional Alaska town, etc. If you want to splurge, do a whale watching tour with Glacier Winds or Hoonah Travel Adventures. https://www.g-wind.com/ https://hoonahtraveladventures.com/ Ketchikan - Very easy to do on your own. Pick up a free walking tour map at the Visitor Center. You can also take a public bus to see totem poles. If you want to splurge, the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s Tour is excellent. Kayaking with Southeast Sea Kayaks is another good option. https://alaskacrabtour.com/ https://kayakketchikan.com/ Victoria - This is primarily a stop just to meet the required foreign port visit on your itinerary and is usually 8:00 pm to Midnight on the Splendor. I would not book an excursion or probably even get off the ship unless you just want to walk around some so you can pick up a souvenir and say you have been to Canada. Seattle - I’m not sure if you are staying a night or two in Seattle before or after your cruise. If you are, definitely go to Pike Place Market. If you want to splurge, take the Snoqualmie Falls & Seattle City Tour with Shutter Tours: https://www.shuttertours.com/snoqualmie-falls-tour.php

There were no official meet & greets that I recall seeing, but I did not attend any if there were. I cruised solo and was only around others in line at the buffet, on a van excursion with others from the ship and in a long line to get off the ship. There were more than just in the social media group that tested positive after the cruise, as there are on most cruises now. As far as the Testing & Vaccine requirements, they obviously are not working currently and are a hassle & extra stress for those wanting to cruise. I remember a leader last year saying if you get the vaccine you cannot catch or spread Covid. That has turned out to no longer be true. They need to let everyone decide for themselves as to what they feel comfortable with.