First Time Cruise On Ovation to Alaska -- Need Good Vibes and Questions Answered =)

[MommyCruiser81]

Hey everyone. I'm a long-time lurker on this site and I finally got the guts to join. Please be gentle. I apologize in advance if this isn't the right forum for this. Anyhow, myself, my hubby, my two kids (4) and (11), and my brother are headed to Alaska on Ovation on June 10th. Now we are aware of all the Covid requirements, and we are preparing, but we are nervous and need good vibes. My daughter (the 4 year old) isn't vaccinated but my son (11) is. If we had a choice my daughter would get the jab, too, but unfortunately it's not an option. The reason we could use some good vibes and/or karma is this is our second attempt at cruising. We tried to take a 5 day cruise to Mexico in January, and two of us tested positive the day before we were supposed to embark. I really hope I don't have to see the disappointment in my kids eyes again.

 

Anyhow, assuming all goes to plan, we are really excited. I wanted to ask a few questions, and I hope that you experts can answer them for me to put me a bit more at ease. I am stressing out, haha.

 

1. Can I book excursions the day of or day before? I don't want to do it now and then get denied boarding because of the nasty C word. I understand that they typically (and have been from what I have seen) been selling out. Do they put the kibosh on buying them after we embark?

 

2. What about dining? What are my best options? Will I be out of luck if I try and do it last minute?

 

3. Can my daughter go ashore with us or is she out of luck because she is unvaccinated? I think I read she can still participate in the kids area with a mask?

 

4. How early should we arrive to the port? How long does it take to do the day of test my daughter will need and is it PCR or rapid? Will there be a cost?

 

5. Is the weather in Alaska this time of year cold or chilly? Light jacket or snow jacket?

 

6. We got a balcony room (unobstructed) and put in a bid for the Royal upgrade thing. Has anyone here ever won a bid?

 

I'm sure I'll have more questions but that's all for now. Thanks in advance,

[auntjoy036]

Hi @MommyCruiser81 . I can help a little bit with the weather question. The weather in Alaska in unpredictable and can change a lot in the same day. Highs will probably be is the 60s or 70s, but might be higher or lower. I prefer to take layers so I can adjust each day. I take a combination or tanks/tees, long sleeve tops or sweaters, and fleece jackets or pullovers. I also take a waterproof jacket. Some of the ports are prone to rain. On glacier sailing days I also wear a hat and gloves. Best wishes for a great vacation. 

[traveler1980]

Glad you joined!  I've learned a lot from this forum.  Wishing you all the best on your upcoming cruise.  

 

I'll try to answer regarding excursions.  

 

I wouldn't wait on Alaskan excursions this year.  They are selling out fast.  If you see something still available you'd like to do, book it!  You should be able to get a refund from almost anyone (cruise line or not) if you have to cancel due to covid.  Just verify before booking.  Some excursions may be available through the cruise line after boarding, some might be available at the pier, but I wouldn't risk it with Alaska. I'd book now.  

 

 

[CruiszBug]

28 minutes ago, MommyCruiser81 said:

1. Can I book excursions the day of or day before? I don't want to do it now and then get denied boarding because of the nasty C word. I understand that they typically (and have been from what I have seen) been selling out. Do they put the kibosh on buying them after we embark? You can still buy excursions from the Shore Excursion desk once onboard. I sailed on May 5-13 and there were still excursions available both onboard and on the pier.

 

2. What about dining? What are my best options? Will I be out of luck if I try and do it last minute? You will be out of luck if you are talking specialty dining. It was very hard to get reservations due to a lack of crew, not because there weren't any tables. It can be done if you want just one or two nights. Do it as soon as you get on the ship for the best chance. If you are talking about the Main Dining Room, go to one of the dining rooms when you board and try to get assigned early seating. Otherwise you will wait a long time to enter the dining room for a late seating (kids won't be happy either, wink!)

 

3. Can my daughter go ashore with us or is she out of luck because she is unvaccinated? I think I read she can still participate in the kids area with a mask? I saw other kids going ashore. But don't know about this. Check when you get onboard.

 

4. How early should we arrive to the port? How long does it take to do the day of test my daughter will need and is it PCR or rapid? Will there be a cost? Arrive at least an hour before your scheduled time. You need to drop off your luggage and get your bearings before getting in line. There are crew members and port staff that can direct you as to what line you need to get in for testing your daughter.

 

5. Is the weather in Alaska this time of year cold or chilly? Light jacket or snow jacket? Layers are the only way to go. It starts out chilly in the morning, can warm up significantly by noon, then starts cooling off again later. Having a back pack to stuff your outer wear and rain gear in is key. Also check the weather every morning to see what is expected for the day to give you a heads up.

 

6. We got a balcony room (unobstructed) and put in a bid for the Royal upgrade thing. Has anyone here ever won a bid? I have never won my Royal Up bids, but you never know! Good Luck!

 

I'm sure I'll have more questions but that's all for now. Thanks in advance,

 

[bonsai3s]

Sending good vibes and good karma your way.

 

2. For the MDR, you should have been given the choice of early seating, late seating, or My Time Dining.  * The Ovation has 4 dining rooms...Chic, Silk, the Grande, and American Icon. If you don't like your table or prefer to be in another dining venue...talk to the MaitreD' on embarkation day. 

For specialty restaurants, there will be various locations to book your reservations...or simply go to one of the specialty restaurants and you can book all your reservations at one place.

 

3. Unless it has changed, all unvaccinated children are allowed to go ashore only on ship sponsored excursions.

 

4. Arrive when testing begins...guessing around 10am...difficult to tell how long you'll have to wait...antigen and it's free for your daugther.

 

Happy sailing!

[Biker19]

9 hours ago, MommyCruiser81 said:

We got a balcony room (unobstructed) and put in a bid for the Royal upgrade thing. Has anyone here ever won a bid?

Welcome to CC.

 

Do a filtered search by title on Royal Up - you'll get lots of threads which discuss bidding/wining.

[puppycanducruise]

Sending you good vibes.

Hope you have a wonderful cruise.

[John Reid]

Vibes, indeed.

[EdandMary]

Youi didn't mention when your cruise will be so we will just tell you what we experienced last August on this ship, as well as the shakedown cruise in April 2022.

Weather is always changing so plan for layers as required.

Dining is dependent on if the ship is still separating vaccinated versus unvaccinated. Yesterday the CDC opened vaccinations for 6 month old and above so you might consider that option.

Pier check-in is based on what time you choose based on arriving. With a balcony, they stick to the chosen time for the most part.

You should download the ArriveCan.gov. app as you will need to do that before they will allow you in the terminal. That will require you to send via your application for each member your CDC card information as well as photos.

We prefer the MDR seating as it is assigned, either early or late dining. My time gets a bit chaotic as it is wait to be seated as tables are available.

Every ship has crew shortages so expect some delays.

Excursions should be booked early if possible as they do sell out.

Going ashore with your unvaccinated child should not be a problem, except possibly in Victoria . Canada is always changing their position so stay tuned. As of now, they are requiring vaccinations through June 2022.

In theory , your daughter, if unvaccinated, can get tested at port, but wouldn't count on it.

We were on the shakedown cruise and with the Arrive Can accomplished, we had no problem in Victoria. It is advisable to carry paper copies of everything you need to show the folks at the port.

They will ask for Identification, boarding passes for everyone, CDC cards for everyone,

Negative covid test within 2 days of sailing.

Pre-print all of your luggage tags and put them on the bags. and get in the line for the time you selected to arrive.

If you are driving and park at the port, there is a shuttle to the terminal.

If you are flying in, plan enough time for everything as Sea=tac is crazy again with traffic and people.

You possible may have to again wear facemasks, but that is still being discussed, for while you are in the lines, terminal, but probably won't be required on ship normally.

Last, but not least, HAVAE A GREAT CRUISE on this beautiful ship.

[TxStacey]

Our group of 13 is on your sailing!  Sending good vibes your way..especially since you already had to miss a cruise due to Covid!!  I have cruised over 20 times, but first time on this class of ship and first time to Alaska...I have some of the same questions that you have, so I'm following this thread!  We sail in just a week!

Edited June 2, 2022 by TxStacey

[MommyCruiser81]

Thanks for all the great advice and good vibes 😃

 

I have another question…

 

How’s the Internet plan? If I want to do Facebook or light web browsing (such as this forum) or some coding stuff at Codecademy? Is it worth it?

[Biker19]

5 hours ago, MommyCruiser81 said:

If I want to do Facebook or light web browsing (such as this forum) or some coding stuff at Codecademy?

Welcome to CC.

 

Voom will work for that those things, though performance will degrade as you go north and may lose it altogether in some locations (due to the terrain).

[RW20]

I am going on Ovation to Alaska in August. My question is if I purchase an ulu in port will Royal allow me to bring it on board (even if security takes it until I need to pack it)?

I heard other cruise lines are not allowing them on the ship at all and require you to have them shipped. However the vendors seem to only be shipping them to the US and not Canada which does not help me. 

Any insights here will help.

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, RW20 said:

I am going on Ovation to Alaska in August. My question is if I purchase an ulu in port will Royal allow me to bring it on board (even if security takes it until I need to pack it)?

I heard other cruise lines are not allowing them on the ship at all and require you to have them shipped. However the vendors seem to only be shipping them to the US and not Canada which does not help me. 

Any insights here will help.

ULU?  You mean the knife "thingy"?

 

I don't think those will get through security when you reboard.

 

OP.....just a word of caution....was on the Ovation in April.  Weather was sunny and 60sº during the day....actually, short sleeve and shorts weather if you're doing any activities.  At night, it cooled down.  Lots of daylight.

[graphicguy]

One last thing.....reservations for the MDRs didn't seem to help. Long lines all the time, regardless of reservation times (and even My Time Dining) in the MDRs.

 

Even Ocean View Buffet had "no more seating available" a few times with long lines to get in.

 

Specialty Restaurants didn't have that issue.  So, it seemed Royal was trying to get passengers in their "extra charge" restaurants.

[MommyCruiser81]

Unfortunately my son tested positive today with a very, very faint line =( 

 

We are still waiting for my daughters pcr test (it’s been 24 hours) but I am just deflated here. 
 

Is there a chance he’s on the tail end of an infection or does a faint line mean that he’s about to be fully positive?

 

I am starting to think nobody wants me to cruise ever. 

Edited June 8, 2022 by MommyCruiser81

[baelor]

3 minutes ago, MommyCruiser81 said:

Is there a chance he’s on the tail end of an infection or does a faint line mean that he’s about to be fully positive?

When I tested myself because I was experiencing symptoms, the line was very dark.  It became fainter over time until it disappeared altogether.  I cannot comment on what my tests would have looked like before I was symptomatic, because I do not know.

[Biker19]

12 minutes ago, MommyCruiser81 said:

Is there a chance he’s on the tail end of an infection or does a faint line mean that he’s about to be fully positive?

Not sure it matters, the only thing will get him on a ship is a verified negative test.

[MommyCruiser81]

I guess I test him later and if the line is darker it’s bad? 

[baelor]

1 minute ago, MommyCruiser81 said:

I guess I test him later and if the line is darker it’s bad? 

Probably, yes.  It likely means the infection is ramping up rather than winding down.  Give it a couple days.

Edited June 8, 2022 by baelor

[MommyCruiser81]

2 hours ago, baelor said:

Probably, yes.  It likely means the infection is ramping up rather than winding down.  Give it a couple days.

I’m supposed to fly out tomorrow. I tested again and it’s more faint than before. So I guess I’ll wait til tonight, test again with the proctor (the last one was a self test) and see if it disappears? 
 

I still haven’t gotten my daughters PCR result back yet. I’m so stressed. 

Edited June 8, 2022 by MommyCruiser81

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, MommyCruiser81 said:

I’m supposed to fly out tomorrow. I tested again and it’s more faint than before. So I guess I’ll wait til tonight, test again with the proctor (the last one was a self test) and see if it disappears? 
 

I still haven’t gotten my daughters PCR result back yet. I’m so stressed. 

If you want a negative test wait as long as possible- maybe tomorrow morning. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

On 6/1/2022 at 7:11 PM, MommyCruiser81 said:

Anyhow, myself, my hubby, my two kids (4) and (11), and my brother are headed to Alaska on Ovation on June 10th.

 

Pier staff was told to expect upwards of 700 kids on this sailing (June 10th).

[Ferry_Watcher]

OP, are you looking at results from a self administrated home test?  Can you get a free test from a free community professional test center?

[MommyCruiser81]

Good news! I tested him again and he’s negative! I waited til the last minute to do the proctored one and no second line. We are all set to go. Now here’s hoping my daughter passes the test on Friday! If not, we will be 1,200 miles from home with nowhere to go lol. 

Edited June 9, 2022 by MommyCruiser81