Lessons I Learned on the Diamond Princess (Alaska) 5/15/04

1. Buying travel insurance was a very good move. Because the ship was
blown into the pier in Victoria by high winds, incurring some damage,
our return to Seattle was delayed and we missed our return flight.
There were considerable expenses involved in changing our flights,
having to spend an extra night in Seattle, and buying two extra
dinners that night.

2. Keep a copy of everything you are given on the ship until you get
home and you're sure you don't need it anymore. We needed a "Proof of
Reason" document from Princess for our insurance claim, but I hadn't
kept the letter from the Captain explaining what was going on.
(Fortunately, a kind soul on a message board responded to my plea for
help and e-mailed me a copy in a PDF file.)

3. Arrive the day before the cruise to allow "wiggle room" for things
to go wrong. There was a huge pile of luggage waiting at the Juneau
pier for those poor souls whose luggage didn't make it from their
planes onto the ship in Seattle. That's a long time to go without your
luggage. . . especially since one of those nights was formal night!

4. Mid-May is too early to see much in the way of wildlife, so we were
disappointed. It is, however, the best time for the most gorgeous
scenery, because there is still some snow--so the mountains are still
snow-capped and the waterfalls are gushing from the snowmelt.

5. Cruises leaving out of Vancouver (instead of Seattle) navigate
through much more of the inner passage, enabling you to see much more
wildlife and much less open sea.

6. Research your excursions thoroughly before you go. I booked all our
excursions directly with the vendors, which turned out remarkably well
except for one in Skagway (Eco-Orca Tours). Had I done a Google search
on this tour operation, I would have been forewarned that there might
be problems. Such as, calling an excursion a "sea kayaking" trip when
it was basically an inflatable pontoon canoe/raft. And that the owner
had had legal wranglings in several other ports.

7. If you do book with private vendors, know that sometimes cruise
passengers get preferential treatment over those going with the
independents. My husband almost didn't get on the ferry to Haines
because of this. Also, if you book with an independent tour operator,
make sure that your money is refundable if the ship misses the port,
you're sick or whatever. Bring the contact information for the vendor
with you when you get off the ship. (An excellent use of one's cell
phone!) Always leave plenty of time to make it back on board. The
ship's not going to wait for you if you get stuck in traffic, the car
breaks down, etc.

8. If you're going to stand or walk or hike on a glacier, wear thermal
socks! You won't believe how c-c-c-c-cold a glacier is. I never knew
how frigid my feet could feel. And that was with boots.

9. Seattle is a very wet city. Bring a folding umbrella in case you'll
have to stand in lines at check-in, and once you've retrieved your
luggage at the end of the cruise. You just might need it again in
Ketchikan anyway, a very rainy city.

10. Do your homework in advance about the areas you'll be sailing
through and visiting so you can better appreciate what you're looking
at. Especially read about glacier activity. The reading will only
enhance your anticipation of the cruise, which is a very important
part of your enjoyment!

11. Call the concierge desk (a dedicated button on your phone, or DINE
from any phone) to make your PC reservations as soon as you get
aboard.

12. Have room service bring you a carafe of coffee first thing every
morning, even before you go to breakfast. Don't forget to ask for
everything you need: cream, sugar, sweetener, etc.

13. Get to shows early (30 min.) because the Princess Theater is far
too small for all the people who want to see them. They were often
full 15 minutes before curtain time.

14. The excursions are wonderful, but don't forget to leave time for a
little shopping. We completely forgot to make sure we bought postcards
or a t-shirt.

15. Take binoculars, one pair per person. Be patient. In Tracy Arm I
saw Sawyer Glacier calve and watched a bald eagle fly from the tree he
was perched in because of doing nothing but sitting and watching.

16. Bring a book to read or listen to on tape. Then, when you DON'T
read or listen to it because you are just sitting and soaking in the
beauty of Alaska, your sense of enjoyment will be heightened by the
joy of playing hooky--even if it's hooky from something you chose to
bring!

17. The Diamond is a new ship, and you never know what kind of
glitches you'll experience. We had a couple of power outages (nothing
serious, but we were also in a balcony cabin so we had light) and at
one point the commode wouldn't flush. The electronic equipment
sometimes needed cajoling in some of the lounges. But we sure liked
how clean and new everything was!

18. Unless you purchase it from Princess ahead of time (recommended),
get the Alaska Cruise Companion with the map in the boutique ($20).
It's worth every penny. The Princess Patter will tell you what pages
to check each day, though it's not hard to figure that out on your
own.

19. We packed bottles of wine (and a corkscrew) in our checked bags
and had room service bring fresh wine glasses each day with our
morning coffee. We'd pour our wine before dinner and walk into the
dining rooms with our own glasses of wine.

20. When you're outside, breathe deeply and listen to the quiet. It
really is different from anything else at home.

21. If you have a chance to drink glacier water, DO IT! It's the only
American water that's safe to drink (no giardia), and it tastes
wonderful!

22. I am so glad I brought a power strip, which I plugged into one of
the outlets at the desk. I am also glad I brought a clock radio from
home so I could see what time it was in the middle of the night.

23. If you find something for sale in the boutique, buy it when you
have the chance. I waited to get Cruzan rum till the last night and
was disappointed to learn they had sold out of the flavor I wanted.
You are limited to stock on hand on a cruise ship!

24. I can't recommend highly enough the Island Wings floatplane
adventure with Michelle in Ketchikan. She is a great pilot,
articulate, knowledgable, and warm. We'd love to go back just to take
her other excursions!

25. Adjust your expectations before you go. On a scale of one to ten,
I had heard so many superlatives about an Alaska cruise I think I was
expecting a 25. When it was merely an eight I was disappointed. That
was dumb.

In article , SueBee
wrote:

25. Adjust your expectations before you go. On a scale of one to ten,

Thank you for posting your lessons. A lot of info on Alaska cruising.

Number two is one I would not have thought of but since I bring back
everything the cruise line issues I would have been okay in a similiar
circumstance.

I would never pour my own glass of wine and bring it to the dining
room. If I brought my own , I would bring the bottles to be opened in
the dining room.

--
Charles

"SueBee" wrote in message
om...

Hi Sue,
Thanks for your great review, tips and suggestions~I enjoyed reading them!

21. If you have a chance to drink glacier water, DO IT! It's the only
American water that's safe to drink (no giardia), and it tastes
wonderful!

Did you get a chance to do this and where?

23. If you find something for sale in the boutique, buy it when you
have the chance. I waited to get Cruzan rum till the last night and
was disappointed to learn they had sold out of the flavor I wanted.

Very true, whether on a ship or in any store!

25. Adjust your expectations before you go. On a scale of one to ten,
I had heard so many superlatives about an Alaska cruise I think I was
expecting a 25. When it was merely an eight I was disappointed. That
was dumb.

Not really, but I'll bet as you relax at home and reminisce while looking at
your gorgeous photos, it will be higher than an eight!
Glad you enjoyed your cruise and that you were able to get your insurance
problems resolved.

--Jean

SueBee wrote:

2. Keep a copy of everything you are given on the ship until you get
home and you're sure you don't need it anymore. We needed a "Proof of
Reason" document from Princess for our insurance claim, but I hadn't
kept the letter from the Captain explaining what was going on.
(Fortunately, a kind soul on a message board responded to my plea for
help and e-mailed me a copy in a PDF file.)


SueBee,

Thanks for posting this and I am glad to hear that you got a copy of the
letter you needed.

sue

glacier boots was worn over shoes didnt need thermal socks. glacier
water big deal cold tidy bowls of water

4. Mid-May is too early to see much in the way of wildlife, so we were
disappointed. It is, however, the best time for the most gorgeous
scenery, because there is still some snow--so the mountains are still
snow-capped and the waterfalls are gushing from the snowmelt.


Actually not true- May is EXCELLENT for wildlife out of Skagway and poor the
rest of the season. BUT for sure sightings tours are ALWAYS recommended.
Cruise brochures are greatly enhanced.

I think this could also be dependent on which line you are on. I haven't
done Princess from Seattle, but a couple years ago did NCL, and it was in
the inside passage about as much as our cruises from Vancouver have been.

Of course, things could have changed.

-Monte

"SueBee" wrote in message
om...
5. Cruises leaving out of Vancouver (instead of Seattle) navigate
through much more of the inner passage, enabling you to see much more
wildlife and much less open sea.





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I think this could also be dependent on which line you are on. I haven't
done Princess from Seattle, but a couple years ago did NCL, and it was in
the inside passage about as much as our cruises from Vancouver have been.

Of course, t

Take a look at the route map- Princess goes entirely outside passage around
Vancouver Island. NCL is the only Seattle departure that does inside.
Overall all ships are doing more open ocean sailing compared to several years
ago.

SueBee wrote:



25. Adjust your expectations before you go. On a scale of one to ten,
I had heard so many superlatives about an Alaska cruise I think I was
expecting a 25. When it was merely an eight I was disappointed. That
was dumb.


When you go mass-market, what do you expect? There are "10"
experiences in Alaska, but you do get them mass-market, of course.

Try rafting the Alsek River (partly in Canada, to be sure),
for example. Or a flightseeing trip from Haines over parts of the
same route (on a clear day, of course, and not a mass market
flight ... do the 5 hour special that lands on the beach). These
are 10s.

Doug McDonald