Kayaking in Alaska and Other Questions

[Sports Shooter]

My wife and I are excited to be going on our first Oceania Cruise in a couple of weeks.   We will be traveling on the Regatta and will embark from Vancouver on June 23rd.   This will be my first cruise and I am trying to decide what to pack in my luggage.  More specifically, here are my questions:

 

We have signed up for the Icy Straight Point Kayak excursion.  Can anyone tell me if the ship provides special shoes or clothes for the kayak trip?  My primary concern is getting my shoes wet and if the ship does not provide anything, I will need to pack an extra set.

 

I have read that the Country Club attire requirements can be accommodated by a collared shirt (polo or button up), nice pants (not worn jeans) and casual shoes.  Can someone verify that I will not need a sports coat or suit jacket?   

 

We are booked for an A3 Concierge Veranda room (216 sq ft).   Will 2 medium and 1 carry-on suit cases comfortably fit in the room?  Under the bed or in the closet?

 

I also read in the forums that the 6 bottles of wine limit is not enforced.  Is this true?  I'm not sure how much wine we are bringing but wanted to understand what is acceptable.

 

I really appreciate any feedback for the above.

 

Thank you.

Randy

 

[1985rz1]

3 minutes ago, Sports Shooter said:

 

I have read that the Country Club attire requirements can be accommodated by a collared shirt (polo or button up), nice pants (not worn jeans) and casual shoes.  Can someone verify that I will not need a sports coat or suit jacket?   

Consider it confirmed.  You will see some men who like to "dress up" with sports coats in some of the specialties, but there is no requirement or need.  You won't feel out of place either way, with or without.

[ShopperfiendTO]

43 minutes ago, Sports Shooter said:

My wife and I are excited to be going on our first Oceania Cruise in a couple of weeks.   We will be traveling on the Regatta and will embark from Vancouver on June 23rd.   This will be my first cruise and I am trying to decide what to pack in my luggage.  More specifically, here are my questions:

 

We have signed up for the Icy Straight Point Kayak excursion.  Can anyone tell me if the ship provides special shoes or clothes for the kayak trip?  My primary concern is getting my shoes wet and if the ship does not provide anything, I will need to pack an extra set.

 

I have read that the Country Club attire requirements can be accommodated by a collared shirt (polo or button up), nice pants (not worn jeans) and casual shoes.  Can someone verify that I will not need a sports coat or suit jacket?   

 

We are booked for an A3 Concierge Veranda room (216 sq ft).   Will 2 medium and 1 carry-on suit cases comfortably fit in the room?  Under the bed or in the closet?

 

I also read in the forums that the 6 bottles of wine limit is not enforced.  Is this true?  I'm not sure how much wine we are bringing but wanted to understand what is acceptable.

 

I really appreciate any feedback for the above.

 

Thank you.

Randy

 

 

I am pretty sure that the ship will not provide any special shoes or clothes (or anything for any excursion) - it is not an expedition ship.  They just book the excursion operator so it will be whether the operator would provide them.

 

Your 2 medium and 1 carry-on should fit under the bed.  If not, I think the room steward would store any too-large-to-fit luggage for you until near the end of the cruise.

[babysteps]

Hint on luggage-your medium suitcase might appear to barely not fit. If so, you (or a staff person) can lift the bed frame and scoot the luggage underneath. 

[Sports Shooter]

1 hour ago, 1985rz1 said:

Consider it confirmed.  You will see some men who like to "dress up" with sports coats in some of the specialties, but there is no requirement or need.  You won't feel out of place either way, with or without.

Thank you.  I've read a couple of threads on this topic but wanted to ensure that I understood the requirements.

[Sports Shooter]

29 minutes ago, ShopperfiendTO said:

 

I am pretty sure that the ship will not provide any special shoes or clothes (or anything for any excursion) - it is not an expedition ship.  They just book the excursion operator so it will be whether the operator would provide them.

 

Your 2 medium and 1 carry-on should fit under the bed.  If not, I think the room steward would store any too-large-to-fit luggage for you until near the end of the cruise.

Good point.  It really is dependent on the Kayak company and unless someone knows what the specific company for this cruise will provide, it most likely will be an unknown.  Thank you.

[china addict]

I too am booked on Regatta on June 23rd to Alaska, but I am boarding the ship at Pier 66 in Seattle.  Are you sure you are starting from Vancouver?  Puzzled.

[Sports Shooter]

3 minutes ago, china addict said:

I too am booked on Regatta on June 23rd to Alaska, but I am boarding the ship at Pier 66 in Seattle.  Are you sure you are starting from Vancouver?  Puzzled.

We are boarding from Seattle as well.  Right after I posted I realized that I had made an error with Vancouver but I didn't see an editing function so I couldn't modify.   I was waiting to see if anyone would catch the mistake.🙂   FYI, we live in La Crescenta so we are about 50 minutes from Thousand Oaks.

[china addict]

Sports Shooter, I'm glad we sorted that one out.  Many Alaska cruises do leave from Vancouver, and I had visions of you booking a flight to the wrong airport.  La Crescenta, huh?  We lived at the top of Upper Briggs Canyon for many years and were evacuated during the Station Fire.  Lots of smoke damage, then mudslides, but survived.  Still have relatives in the area and go back to eat at Taylor's and Dish.  See you on board!

[Wynterwynd]

I would pack water shoes or sandals if you have them.  Just FYI, last summer our kayak excursion at Icy Strait Point was cancelled and we didn’t find out until just before we left the ship.  It seemed the company offering it had been cancelling regularly.  It’s an interesting port and worth a stop.

 

Polo shirt and khaki slacks are always acceptable.  It can get cool out on deck (and you’ll go out there to see Hubbard Glacier and maybe whales).  I’ve found one of those squishy down jackets is easy to pack and carry.

Enjoy your cruise!  It was my second Alaska cruise and my favorite stop was Sitka.  The White Pass RR in Skagway is something everyone should do.

[Sports Shooter]

4 hours ago, Wynterwynd said:

I would pack water shoes or sandals if you have them.  Just FYI, last summer our kayak excursion at Icy Strait Point was cancelled and we didn’t find out until just before we left the ship.  It seemed the company offering it had been cancelling regularly.  It’s an interesting port and worth a stop.

 

Polo shirt and khaki slacks are always acceptable.  It can get cool out on deck (and you’ll go out there to see Hubbard Glacier and maybe whales).  I’ve found one of those squishy down jackets is easy to pack and carry.

Enjoy your cruise!  It was my second Alaska cruise and my favorite stop was Sitka.  The White Pass RR in Skagway is something everyone should do.

Thanks for the advice and input.   We just bought some waterproof socks we are bringing sandals for the Kayak.  Interesting that the kayak excursions have regular cancellations.  I'm thinking it may not be one of the more popular activities so I wonder if they struggle to meet the minimum participants.