1st Timer Questions, Questions........

[PennyAgain]

It doesn't matter if the cruise line books your air and arrangements or not. If your flight is delayed sufficiently you will miss the ship's departure.

 

I know because it happened to me with HAL.

 

They met me at the airport and put me on their bus. Thought I was going to the ship, but not! They had about 12 of us. They took us to a variety of hotels based on the catagory of room we paid for on the ship and left us. We had to make our own way to the next port with no contact numbers and no help at all.

 

The cruise line will NOT hold the ship for you. Not at all.

[NETexan]

Great information folks, thanks. I love information and like to know what I am doing.

 

smm4950: The blankets sound good. My wife is much less temperature tolerant than me and she will like that.

 

Rob: my flights are with Alaska Air, so I will check on the CC thing. If this is as good as my imagination tells me it will be, we will be back.

 

Kinda conflicting info on letting Princess book the air. My TA said the advantage was that if there was a flight delay and we missed the ship's sailing, Princess would do whatever they had to do to get us to the ship. Penny's experience doesn't sound too good.

 

Got another little stressor today. My wife got her passport Friday, I got a letter today. They say my birth certificate isn't the right kind (heck, it has the raised seal, my parents names, place of birth ect!!!!) and told me to mail off for a long form certificate, get it back, and mail it to them. I called them and expressed my concern on not getting this done in time. The passport lady was pretty relaxed about it, of course!! I should have gotten a passport long before this, but we decided on this trip about a month ago!! Didn't need one the last time I was out of the US in Mexico.

 

Oh well, now I don't have to wonder what to worry about!!!

[PennyAgain]

NETexan, " Kinda conflicting info on letting Princess book the air. My TA said the advantage was that if there was a flight delay and we missed the ship's sailing, Princess would do whatever they had to do to get us to the ship. Penny's experience doesn't sound too good."

 

I don't know why travel agents sing this song. Sure, the cruise line will make some sort of an effort to get you to the ship in any case, but if you ship departs Whittier without you a huge part of the cruise will be over by the time you do catch up with it.

 

You won't get a refund either!

 

Good luck with your birth certificate issue. I'm sure you will get it sorted out in time.

 

I wish you smooth sailing on all issues.

[MercedMike]

NETexan, " Kinda conflicting info on letting Princess book the air. My TA said the advantage was that if there was a flight delay and we missed the ship's sailing, Princess would do whatever they had to do to get us to the ship. Penny's experience doesn't sound too good."

 

I don't know why travel agents sing this song. Sure, the cruise line will make some sort of an effort to get you to the ship in any case, but if you ship departs Whittier without you a huge part of the cruise will be over by the time you do catch up with it.

 

You won't get a refund either!

 

Good luck with your birth certificate issue. I'm sure you will get it sorted out in time.

 

I wish you smooth sailing on all issues.

 

Well, I have not had experience in Alaska. But I have had experience with missing a Princess cruise in South America.

 

Our AA flight, booked independently not through Princess, was delayed a great deal. We arrived in Santiago long after our ship had sailed. Between the airline and Princess we were taken care every step of the way to catch the ship way down the coast two days later. Everything was vouchered, lodging, transportation and meals. Princess had people waiting for us when we finally got to the ship, and they DID refund the two missed days.

 

So, no, they will not wait for you. But yes, if you ask for it, they will give you assistance and possibly a refund. It does not really matter whether you booked through them or not.

 

When you travel, stuff happens. You either deal with or have a meltdown. Dealing with it is easier.

[krogerlady]

Hey Everybody,

I am going on my 1st cruise of any kind. Have booked Sept 5th Whittier to Vancouver on the Diamond Princess through a travel agent. She said my "papers" will not arrive until about 2 weeks before the cruise...... and I am a worrywart about everything. You may ban me after one post!!!

 

1. We are arriving at Anchorage at 1:10pm and my understanding is that Princess provides transportation from the airport to Whittier. How long is this trip and does anyone have any other info on how it goes?

 

I would be really concerned about trying to make these connections. The ride from Anchorage to Whittier is an excursion in itself, or should be, but you won't have time to stop. Lots of "bergies" in Turnagain arm.

 

2. Since we have booked, my reading tells me that September is the rainiest season for Alaska and Whittier gets a lot of rain during this time. Will I be standing in some sort of line waiting to board, in the rain?.... Did I make a mistake by not booking it earlier in the summer?

Don't worry about the weather. Be prepared, accept the fact its going to rain, and then be happy when it doesn't. We had some gray days, but Sitka was the only day we really needed rain gear, including a rainsleeve for the camera.

 

3. The reason this is my first cruise is the fact that my wife gets motion sickness very easily. This looks like a huge ship. Any suggestions other than the ginger, sea band, Bonine stuff?

 

Research your option on this, but my experience with the patch would lead me to tell people to not use it. Worked just fine, but took me almost a week to get over afteraffects. And that is hard to explain.

 

4. The itinerary says we set sail at 9pm from Whittier. I have heard that you have to go through a litany of safety exercises before you depart. Any info on that?

 

Muster drill on ship. Take your camera, and while you wait for the talking to begin, take silly pictures of everyone in their big orange vests...if you don't, you will wish you had...trust me...

 

 

Ok, Ok, I know everybody is rolling their eyes by now so I will stop with this "short" list. I appreciate any advice or information anyone can pass on.

 

FYI, booked a balcony room on the Aloha deck. Will I be able to sit on the balcony and drink a cup of coffee in Sept, or will it be too cold?

All together our group only had two people that were not in a balcony room...visiting those who did have balconies, I never saw anyone sitting. For one, your chairs will always have to be wiped off, and the scenery is so beautiful, you just want to stand at the rail and take it all in. But, I did not miss having my own. I was on the outside decks taking pictures as much as I could.

 

Ok, I'm really through this time. Thanks

 

Do not be afraid to ask questions....I asked tons and tons and tons...and had a whole year to do it, and everyone on CC is so so so nice!! I miss the anticipation....really....but I have some wonderful memories and fantastic pics.

[negc]

We had a balcony room on our Alaska cruise and strongly recommend one. First of all, we didn't have to fight for space at the rail to see the spectacular Alaskan scenery, although there are times when you will want to be up on deck to see the entire 360 degree view. Secondly, when it was chilly out on the balcony, we simply stepped inside our stateroom to warm up for a few minutes before venturing back outside. The ship's view from the bridge was broadcast on the stateroom TV so that if there was something special we wanted to view we had time to go up and out on deck as we approached.

Hours of daylight won't be as long as they would be if you were in Alaska a few months earlier but, any time in Alaska is, IMHO, a wonderful time to be there (well perhaps not later in the year when the sun rises at 10am and sets by 3pm:D).

If you are seriously concerned about somehow missing the ship because of delays enroute, you should seriously consider taking out some form of travel insurance. It may seem expensive but if it is needed you won't regret paying the premium.:)

[bethaniesmom]

jumping in here because i saw someone mention which side of the bus.

does anyone know which of the train i want seward to anchorage?

thanks....hope everyone has a great trip!

 

Beverly

[PennyAgain]

Seward to Anchorage: train sit on left when facing the engine if you want to see the water in Turnagain Arm. However, you may have assigned seats and thus no choice.

[NETexan]

Thanks everybody.

 

Ok, here is my question of the day, to continue the series............

 

Someone told me that when I check my luggage at DFW, I will not see it again till I am on the ship, that Princess will get it from the airline to the ship and to my room. My flight (as currently scheduled) stops in Seattle, switches planes(or at least flight numbers) and on to Anchorage. Does anyone have any firsthand knowledge of this?

 

Have booked the train in Skagway and Harv and Marv in Juneau. I am wrong in thinking that for H & M and possibly a trip to Mendenhall, that tennis shoes will probably not work?

[PennyAgain]

Your baggage will be fine so long as your flights go on time. You may be on the same airplane out of Seattle or just move a couple gates to another plane. I've made that run about ......25, 30 times or so. You put on your cruise tags when you check your bags at DFW and that's it. If you can, I would verify your luggage did arrive at Anchorage. May not be possible as it may be loaded on to the cruise line trucks on the tarmac.

 

I wouldn't do tennis shoes, but that's a personal issue. Slip and fall issues. You don't need that!

[negc]

It has been ten years since our last Alaska cruise tour so things may have changed. When we traveled with Princess we were met at Anchorage airport by a Princess rep and asked to identify our luggage which was then put on a truck. The bags intended for the ship had a special tag (provided by Princess) and we did not see them again until we boarded the ship several days later. The luggage with clothes etc. for the land portion of the tour went with us to the hotel. Princess representatives took charge of that luggage whenever we moved from one location to another and it always ended up in our room whether we were in Anchorage, Denali or Fairbanks. It was very well coordinated and the instructions that came with our cruisetour documents were quite clear as to how we should pack and label our bags.:)

[poolwife]

Regarding the patch for seasickness - a friend told me years ago to cut the patch in half and only wear a half at a time, then put a new half on every 3 days. I have always done that and had good success. Using only a half patch didn't give me any side effects.

 

Just my two cents worth.

[LoriPhil]

I am very prone to motion-sickness and used bonine with great success - no drowsiness, dry mouth etc. and most critically no motion-sickness! Started with one the day before the cruise and took one each night. People have also had success with Ginger pills, though you need to avoid these if you are on blood thinners. Side-effects are the key reason DW should probably speak with her Doctor first - make sure she doesn't have any medical issues that would conflict with the meds.

[harleygal33]

I am not a first time cruiser, only 3x tho, but never Alaska, which is a bit different weatherwise than the Caribbean cruises I've done. I usually book my excursions for Caribbean cruises w/ independent tour operators and don't have to worry about weather issues. So, the more I thought about it, the more I decided I better book w/ the cruise ship this time, b/c of money back issues/cancellations due to weather. However, I've waited too late, as we leave next week and all the excursions I want are booked already. They may still be available with independents, but my question is......(finally) Does anyone know if the independents will give any money back if they cancel the trip due to fog/rain, or, do they even cancel? And, which trips can you get or not get at port? I will give you my list and if anyone knows, can you tell me which ones are a MUST to book now (if available) b/c I don't want to be left w/ no tour and no money, but if the weather is good, will there be long lines or availability? I have no excursions booked now and can't get on the ship ones and don't know what the weather will be like. The excursions I would like are:

Ketchikan--Saxman Native Village & Lumberjack Show (book at port same day?)

Juneau--1)Gold Panning Adventure where you can do actual gold panning in the creek(don't want to do if it's foggy/rainy tho)

2)Mt. Roberts Tram (don't want to do in rain/fog)

Skagway--White Pass Scenic Railway one way to Carcross and Rental car back down to Skagway(don't want to do in rain/fog) Can you rent a car at Carcross????

Seward--Ididaride Dog Sled Tour (don't want to do in bad weather)

Denali--Jeep Safari(don't want to do in bad weather)

 

Any suggestions? I don't want to take these tours in rain/fog, but don't want to reserve them now and lose $5000 either. Thanks in advance.