[dark0821]

Alright guys, don't laugh...

So I am about to embark on my first ever cruise, leaving on Sept 3rd on the Princess Alaska cruise. Going with wife and 2 kids (12 yrs old + 10 yrs old)

Now we just have the super basic fare, nothing fancy.

So bare with me, if you can share some your expreiences, tips and tricks?

1) All those upgrades/wifi/drink packages, are any of them worth it? The "per person per day" over 10 days really adds up quick~

2) How much tips is the "norm" for the rooms/food/servers etc etc thru our the trip? Do I need to go exchange some "cash", like $300 USD in $5 bills, so I can just leave them whenever?

3) The excursions looks hella expensive, but then again it's not like we will be going to a cruise every 2 years type thing, wanting to get the best experience, should I just splurge and be done with it?

4) Specifically, if I don't book "dinners" now, I assume walk-in are extremely hard once you are already on the cruise

5) Worth it to park the vehicle for 10 days at Canada Place? Planning to just get my bro in law to drive us to the skytrain and we are planning to skytrain down to Canada place? Am I just being too cheap loool?

6) Clothing, what are essentials that I must bring, what are some things that was like "if only I knew, or if only someone told me earlier"?


I am a total noob, watched a few youtube "guides", but kinda feels like a few of them are "being paid off by the Cruise companies lolol", so want to get some real opinions

Thanks guys~

Need to diet extra hard now since I assume I will pig out for those 10 days~

[Hondaracer]

I think some cruises the tips are included in daily fees, outside of maybe leaving money for room cleaning

Wife recently went on an Alaskan one, 5 days, and the unlimited drinks package basically worked out to having 12-14 drinks a day to cover the cost, however, the convenience and ease of access for drinks like specialty coffees etc makes it worth it imo. Eating the additional costs and not getting “value” for the drink packages just puts you in a nickel and dime mindset and you’ll probably opt to not have a nice cocktail or fancy coffee when you see individually they are $14-$16 USD

[donk.]

bout to trigger someone: Unlike workers in USA that already get a 17$ minimum wage for being a server, they dont need tips (cali / washington)

Cruise ship employees make as little as 3$/hr since they get free board/food and are employed internationally, up to you how and who you want to tip. The last cruise i was on, had an auto xx% gratuity for everything we bought with their "ship" card they provide you.

Cruise ships destroy local international economies because they push you to buy their own on-shore activities, so they can make more profit. Furthermore, many of their guided tours ONLY take you to shops that are also run by the cruise line, then scare you into saying other shops are a scam.
In other words, dont be afraid to take a local diy tour once you get off the boat, with caution ofcourse.

I cant imagine "walk in dinners" being difficult, the cruise ship would get a very poor rep if they could not feed you 24/7.

Lastly, dont overthink it, go enjoy your vacation

[EvoFire]

We've only been on one cruise but here's what we did, answering you in no particular order

We tipped our regular servers (dining room manager, server, assistant) and room attendant on the last day.
We didn't do any excursions, we googled our stops and figured what was close by and what we could do.
We prebought the WiFi package before hand for 2 devices since we would need our phones to communicate with each other when we are at opposite ends of the boat with the kids.
I didn't plan on having any drinks since wife was breastfeeding and we try to abstain together. Also avoided sodas as well and just drank whatever tea/coffee and free drinks available.

We just brought regular clothes that fit the occasion and weather.

My dad dropped us off at Canada Place with our family car, and he picked us up from the airport when we flew back from our destination.

[underscore]

1) All those upgrades/wifi/drink packages, are any of them worth it? The "per person per day" over 10 days really adds up quick~

You can do the math on them based on what you think you'll use but typically no. The last time I went on one you had to be a massive alcoholic to actually make it worth it. Some people like it just so they don't have to actually think about the price of each drink, which is still a waste of money but if it helps you actually relax on your vacation it may be worth it.

Also check what the free drinks are. I don't drink much pop but I love iced tea so when those are included I'm golden.


2) How much tips is the "norm" for the rooms/food/servers etc etc thru our the trip? Do I need to go exchange some "cash", like $300 USD in $5 bills, so I can just leave them whenever?

idk the going rates but I'd use cash to tip on the last day and make sure you watch the receipts for auto-tips before you add one and end up tipping 15% + 15% on something.

3) The excursions looks hella expensive, but then again it's not like we will be going to a cruise every 2 years type thing, wanting to get the best experience, should I just splurge and be done with it?

They aren't actually operating the excursions themselves so you can usually find the local company and book it direct through them for less. Especially when you're just in Canada/the US it should be fairly easy. Also note that the descriptions of the excursions given by the cruise line can be out of date and what you actually end up doing can vary a bit from what you were told.

4) Specifically, if I don't book "dinners" now, I assume walk-in are extremely hard once you are already on the cruise

It's been a while but I don't think I ever had an issue with that?

6) Clothing, what are essentials that I must bring, what are some things that was like "if only I knew, or if only someone told me earlier"?


Make sure you've got proper clothing for any of the places you might want to go. I messed up once and didn't bring nice enough shoes for the one restaurant that we wanted to try. Also be sure to have a watch with an alarm so you don't end up being those people sprinting down the dock trying not to miss the boat at one of the stops.

[whitev70r]

Yah, the calculated tipping on a cruise when I went was shocking how much it all added up to on the last day. Servers, room cleaner, maybe others.

Someone alluded to it, the cruise ship is a microcosm of the world's economy. The wealthy white folks are the ones behind the counter and direct customer relations roles/jobs. The servers and cleaners are from the developing world. There are really sad and tragic stories of how big cruise ship companies registering in places like Liberia where there are no labour laws and then really take advantage of workers ... like promising them a job and then charging them for accommodations while they work the cruise in the bottom of the hull ... 6 days a week, 3 months at a time away from their homeland. So much excess food wastes at the buffets after one cruise. Waiters/waitresses, I don't blame them, were so friendly and happy when serving you and on the last day, they can't wait till you and your entitled asses leave the ship only to have like 6 hrs to turn over for next mass of people.

I said ... 'No Mas!' ... I'll do anything else other than a cruise for holiday.

[bcrdukes]

All the weight you are hoping to lose is about to go down the drain.

[Eff-1]

Wife and I love cruises.

1) All those upgrades/wifi/drink packages, are any of them worth it? The "per person per day" over 10 days really adds up quick~

I personally don't get wifi when on a cruise because it forces me to disconnect from the grid and recenter my life. But if you feel like you need it or want it, then you're stuck paying whatever they ask for.

Unless you are heavy drinkers and plan of having multiple drinks per day, the drink package rarely works out from a math POV. Especially when you factor in that you are paying for the drink packages even on the days you are off the ship doing activities in port.

But where the drink package is nice is you can order a drink whenever you want and not worry about paying for it. It's like having a seasons pass to a ski hill. Once you pay, you can come and go freely without worrying about the day pass cost. So if you truly want to be on vacation and live freely, then get it.

There is also a reduced drink package that gets you soft drinks and espresso coffees at the on-board starbucks if you want that, but dont' want alcohol as much.

With these packages, sometimes there are deals they offer half way through the cruise as the number of days winds down, they'll try hard to sell you the package at a reduced cost.

2) How much tips is the "norm" for the rooms/food/servers etc etc thru our the trip? Do I need to go exchange some "cash", like $300 USD in $5 bills, so I can just leave them whenever?

No need to carry any cash. Just add tips to the bills when they are handed to you for signature. Same with adding a tip to the final total when you disembark.

The only thing I'd consider brining cash for is for offshore excursions and for gambling in the casino. I think if you try and get cash for the casino on board, they charge extra fees but I could be wrong. At least with cash, you can set a limit for how much to gamble.

3) The excursions looks hella expensive, but then again it's not like we will be going to a cruise every 2 years type thing, wanting to get the best experience, should I just splurge and be done with it?

Yeah. Excursions are nice because it's all planned for you and in the event you are late coming back, the ship will wait for you. If it's not prohibitively expensive, I'd do it. But you can always just plan your own days off the ship too. Sometimes just wandering the area around the dock and finding a restaurant for lunch and whatever is good enough.

4) Specifically, if I don't book "dinners" now, I assume walk-in are extremely hard once you are already on the cruise

Depends on the restaurant but yeah, don't expect to get a 7pm or 6pm table on a whim. If you don't want to eat in the main dining room every night, then book resos now in advance. Also note some restaurants come with an extra cover charge. Usually you can get prepaid packages for that too.

Also it's good idea to book ahead of time any evening shows or concerts. They do have standy seats but you have to wait in line and it's not guaranteed you'll get in. For example, late night comedy show or jazz show is popular that if you don't book in advance, it's hard to get in.

5) Worth it to park the vehicle for 10 days at Canada Place? Planning to just get my bro in law to drive us to the skytrain and we are planning to skytrain down to Canada place? Am I just being too cheap loool?

Don't park there that long. Might be broken into. Get a ride and take the train assuming you can wheel/carry your luggage no problem.

6) Clothing, what are essentials that I must bring, what are some things that was like "if only I knew, or if only someone told me earlier"?

I've not done an Alaskan cruise but I'd plan to bring something for all possibilities: tshirts and shorts up to sweaters and rain coats. the wind and rain on a ship is fierce. also bring a suit/tie for the formal night.

Bring lanyards you can put your shipboard card in for easy access whenever you need it.

And bring those big clips you can attach your beach towel to the outdoor lounger if you plan on sitting on the deck relaxing.

[PeanutButter]

We're also going to Alaska in September. Seven days with Celebrity.
It will be our first time to Alaska, but we've been cruising before.

I heard the best excursion if you can afford it is the dog sledding. Apparently this experience was outstanding. You can book it when you arrive on land and it'll be cheaper. Also it's not Mexico, so it won't feel as sketch booking it on land when you arrive.

Regarding dinner, if you haven't booked your dinner time yet, it's probably wait list only right now. This is the more formal sit down dinner. You should try to get on the waitlist for it. You can still get dinner at informal dining, but you need a reservation for the more formal sit down dinner.

Parking is like $60 a day at Canada Place. Taking an Uber or Cab is much cheaper.

Tipping is usually done at the end. They will likely put a preset amount of tip on your bill, but you can modify it. For example, we're going with two toddlers, so we're not going to tip full for them. I also like to tip the house keeper daily, I feel like service is better that way and you get to know them and get better service.

Also, they should have some sort of teens club for the kids. This was actually pretty fun when I went when we were younger. So you should look into it for your kids

[Badhobz]

Parking: dont do it. take an uber/cab get a ride

1) All those upgrades/wifi/drink packages, are any of them worth it? The "per person per day" over 10 days really adds up quick~

are you a drunk who can drink 60-80usd dollars a day worth of drinks? if not, then nope don't do it. Wifi isn't worth it either unless you're on business. All the ports (stops) will have LTE coverage and majority of the passage from Vancouver to the tip of Vancouver island you will have cell coverage (and its not data roaming because its canada)

2) How much tips is the "norm" for the rooms/food/servers etc etc thru our the trip? Do I need to go exchange some "cash", like $300 USD in $5 bills, so I can just leave them whenever?

no need to tip extra unless you feel the service is exceptional. every day they will charge per person 15 USD. That is for all the gratuities. You can tip more if you like, but I wouldn't recommend it. 15 USD per person per day seems fair to me. You can technically argue your way out of paying this 15 USD per person per day, but its standard stuff for cruises

3) The excursions looks hella expensive, but then again it's not like we will be going to a cruise every 2 years type thing, wanting to get the best experience, should I just splurge and be done with it?

do excersions. they are hella expensive but whatever do it. My skagway railroad trip cost 150 USD per person for 3h.

4) Specifically, if I don't book "dinners" now, I assume walk-in are extremely hard once you are already on the cruise

You cant book jack shit right now unless you signed up for the princess app and finished all your preboarding stuff. You can easily book all your dinners as soon as you board the boat through your TV. Highly recommend you book every single sit down meal at various restaurants. Although majority of these "main dinning" restaurants will serve the same dinner, there are occasionally some differences. On princess you can only book 1 dinner at one restaurant. If you book 2, it will cancel the first one.


5) Worth it to park the vehicle for 10 days at Canada Place? Planning to just get my bro in law to drive us to the skytrain and we are planning to skytrain down to Canada place? Am I just being too cheap loool?

no, take an uber. WHen you return it's just like leaving YVR, its a set rate for certain taxi zones. to Burnaby I think its like 30 bucks or something.

6) Clothing, what are essentials that I must bring, what are some things that was like "if only I knew, or if only someone told me earlier"?

its around 10-15 degrees at the northern ports of call right now. bring a jacket. bring some rain gear as most of these places its rainy.

=========

random tips
- I booked a balcony room. highly recommended to get away from all the wackos on deck. plus you get a better view than whats on deck. Also for your room, the higher the floor the better. I was on floor 14 and not only do you get epic views, but you get this great canopy on top of the balcony so when it rains you can still enjoy your balcony space.
- I was on the Ruby Princess and its a nice vessel. Food was really really great. Not much for the kids to do though, although the shows were interesting and fun
- Casino downstairs is like all American casinos, you can smoke in them so its a bit much for my sensibilities
- buffet is better than you think
- they charge for water! so bring some bottles and go fill up water at the buffet everyday
- also don't forget to go to the restaurants for breakfast and lunch. You don't need to eat buffet breakfast/lunch
- at the ports of call, there is a ton of east indian jewelry places. i wouldn't trust any of those places. Even though they promise they sell certified rolexes, etc etc. Yah bullshit. if its not an authorized dealer, don't do it.
- Furs are decent in Juneau. I bought my wife an Arctic fox fur coat 5k USD, regular price for something like this is 15k USD. I saw a mink fur coat for 25k, not bad for something that's usually 50k
- also for juneau, there is the Mendenhall glacier. if you pay the regular excursion money its like 150usd per person to go take a "tour". total crock of shit, its basically a bus ride to the visitor center. You can do the same tour by taking an uber to the visitor center yourself and then look at the glacier across the bay https://maps.app.goo.gl/KbVrtKoUVYLZjdem6

- don't talk to the old fucks on the boat. THEY LOVE to tell you their life story. tell them to shut their face and to stop touching your kids.
- the railings on the top of the deck are kinda low. if you wanted to murder your wife and/or kids, have them run around the top deck when it's wet and when you're on the big ocean passage time and there is a high chance they'll go WOOOOPSIE right into "till-it-cums" mouth
- if you re in catch-a-can, go see the old timey whore house called DOLLY's https://maps.app.goo.gl/GZMJVcmu3Y4Pgquq7 its fun cuz she's an old prostitute who made good money giving out blows. fun for the whole family!

[Gumby]

Agree mostly with the comments made by those that have been on a cruise.

Drink packages, not worth it.

Wifi package, unless you/your kids must have internet, not worth it either (but if you get it, the connection is surprisingly fast and reliable compared to years ago)

I second badhobz’ recommendation and hope that you got a balcony stateroom especially for Alaska because the shoreline is beautiful (when you’re heading north or south I guess), the fresh air is amazing, and it’s a private extension of your personal space. In a worst case scenario, if you get sick, you may be required to stay in your room and you will thank yourself for getting a balcony.

Princess has 3 dining options in the Main Dining Rooms (MDR): set time (early and late seatings), reserved time, and anytime dining (i.e. walk-in). Note that eating at the MDR can take a long time, so unless you enjoy being served a multi-course meal, I suggest trying it once or twice, then going to eat in the World Fresh Marketplace buffet instead. There are tons of options and you can eat at your own pace. Much less formal. The specialty restaurants with cover charges are not worth it.

No need for cash on board as everything (including daily tips/gratuities) will be charged to your “onboard” account. However, you could, at any point, pay off your onboard account with cash. Otherwise it will just be charged to your credit card.

Shore excursions: the ones offered by the cruise line will be reasonably well run, but expensive. In this internet age, there are many reputable sites that list shore excursions offered by local companies for less. For example, check out Viator.com. Before internet was widely available, you couldn’t trust local operators and you were forced to get them from the cruise line directly. Do some research into your ports of call to see which ones have “must-sees” or “must-dos”, and which ports you can just walk around the port itself. For example, if you were a visitor to Vancouver, you can easily get off at Canada Place and walk around downtown. But when I was at Rome’s port, the port is actually 80km from Rome (imagine visiting Vancouver but actually docking at Tsawassen).

For Princes Cruises, each of you will be issued a small “medallion” the size of an Apple AirTag on a lanyard that acts as your “key” - you’ll use it to unlock your stateroom door and you can tap it to buy stuff onboard. While convenient, in reality the cruise line uses it to track your movements, spending, etc. but it’s also good for security purposes because they can see where you are and track when you get on/off the ship. You can use it to track where your family members are (so don’t tell your wife you’re going back to your room if you’re actually heading to the casino).

[Mikoyan]

Not much to add, as everyone here has put out some great advice.

I'm heading onto the Princess Ruby this week for 7 days.
Taking Skytrain down.
Wife took the wifi package for work reasons.
No drink package, as we're not drinkers, and as it's been pointed out, the math doesn't make sense unless you're drinking 24/7
We didn't book any excursions as they're pretty pricey, and we've got young kids, not worth it.
I purchased cheap air tag watch bands from Amazon, so I don't have to use the medallion on the supplied lanyard.
Travel agent friend gave me a tip to use magnetic hooks to use in your cabin to provide a few extra places to hang stuff.

[Badhobz]

Oh wow that’s the same boat as me !! It’s a good boat. The gym is fun cuz it was more or less empty

You can steal water in the spa next to the gym. It’s fruit infused water too !

The Medallion thing you can just keep in your pocket / man purse. I just looped the tether around one of my belt loops and the tag in my pocket. Almost never needed to take it out.


I would not suggest you guys eat at the port calls. Prices are ridiculously high and the food is crap. I bought my mom that 3lb of king crab for 280usd and instantly regretted it. It was salty, bland, and the meat wasn’t that sweet. Hell it was probably previously frozen or frozen at sea.

Just eat onboard. The food is fantastic on princess.

[Dragon-88]

One tip I have for communication with Family on board, when you connect to the Wifi, make sure it auto connnects(auto-join) to the Ships Wifi. Even though you're not on a package, the very minimal data it gives allows you to imessage around the ship. We found this convienient as there's really no other way to communicate with family unless your in a room or have purchased Wifi for all devices.

Drink packages are only worth it if you're really using it.. I find it sometimes very busy at the bars so sometimes you're waiting 10mins for a couple drinks. Bartenders are pretty good at serving, but they also have favorites that tip cash.. The boat will have a free juice (Ice tea/fruit drink), so bring a large bottle to fill that and then another water bottle for water. You can get away with drinking the free drinks all cruise, no hassle. I dont drink, but I got a pop package, and it wasnt worth it..


For the dinning, any high value restaurant will probably be fully booked when you arrive. You can line up on the first day and see whats available for reservations with their local reservation assisant, but depending on your party # it might be difficult.. The best ones are always booked up, unless you want like a 8pm dinner or something really off schedule. Buffet is usually open but has closing hours. so its no impossible to find food.

[Mikoyan]

Family friend gave us one of of those USB c charging portable personal blender things for Christmas. He said he uses it on cruises to make his own smoothies with the buffet fruits lol. I'll report back next week on how that goes.

The princess app has a chat feature built in, we'll see how well it works as most of the family are on Androids.

[Badhobz]

Family friend gave us one of of those USB c charging portable personal blender things for Christmas. He said he uses it on cruises to make his own smoothies with the buffet fruits lol. I'll report back next week on how that goes.

OMG THATS FRIGGIN BRIALLIANT!

so luckily i was on Deck 14. the buffet is on deck 15 and it was easy to bring a plate of fruit/breakfast down to the suite

if you are on the lower decks, you gotta fight those fat ass amercians to get on the elevator and its always a pain in the ass.

[Hondaracer]

lol that’s pretty ghetto.

What’s next, bring your own bbq on vacation? Lol

[EvoFire]

Just pay the $8 for the smoothie. You are on a vacation.

[Gumby]

One other stateroom tip: bring a small power strip without a surge protector for charging your devices. Often there aren’t enough plugs to charge stuff. Surge protected power strips may be confiscated as they are not supposed to be used in cruise ships for fire safety reasons.

[mikemhg]

Family friend gave us one of of those USB c charging portable personal blender things for Christmas. He said he uses it on cruises to make his own smoothies with the buffet fruits lol. I'll report back next week on how that goes.

The princess app has a chat feature built in, we'll see how well it works as most of the family are on Androids.

These things are awesome :lol

Was making Mai Tais on the boat using one last week.

Fancy cocktails on the beach.

[unit]

Just pay the $8 for the smoothie. You are on a vacation.

$8 doesnt seem bad. i was just in LA and went to Erewhon where their smoothies go up to $22USD.

[Dragon-88]

Another thing to note, if you're at a restaurant that has a menu, but its not one of the fine dining/pay extra restaurants, you can order literally as much as you want. They usually have the menu's posted before the meals so you can see what each location is offering, or ask for the next meals menu.

I'm a huge scallop fan so one day it was scallop day so I ordered like 6 plates. Server didnt blink an eye and brought them all. You could literally order 4 entrees in one meal if you wanted. No such thing as food waste or extra charges for not finishing your meals.

[bcrdukes]

$8 doesnt seem bad. i was just in LA and went to Erewhon where their smoothies go up to $22USD.

Oh man, Erewhon. :badpokerface:

[dark0821]

lool looks like we can bring a 12-pack of soda per person... man that's actually more than enough, i dont think we can go thru 48 cans of pop in 7 days loooooool

That's drinking solved + will bring refill bottles as suggested for water @ the buffets XD

Magnetic hooks + power strip (non surge protected kind)

Yea, we wont do drink packages or wifi, i am hella cheap loool

I did splurge on the Skagway White Pass Railroad Summit Excursion & Train Tour

[Badhobz]

p.s. dont tip the longshoremen who take your bags.... or anyone who isnt a "crew"

Those guys make a shit ton of money already and dont need additional tips from these sucker americans tourists

[EvoFire]

lool looks like we can bring a 12-pack of soda per person... man that's actually more than enough, i dont think we can go thru 48 cans of pop in 7 days loooooool

That's drinking solved + will bring refill bottles as suggested for water @ the buffets XD

Magnetic hooks + power strip (non surge protected kind)

Yea, we wont do drink packages or wifi, i am hella cheap loool

I did splurge on the Skagway White Pass Railroad Summit Excursion & Train Tour

Oh keep in mind the fridge in the room isn't really a fridge, it's just a cooler that's a few degrees less than ambient. If you bring your pop and think you'll have ice cold pop you'd be in a rude awakening. But you can always go to the buffet and ask for a cup of ice

[noclue]

You can also go next level cheapo and on the last night of the cruise you can ask the front desk to remove the auto gratuities and avoid the dirty looks you get from the crew members.

[Badhobz]

even i, the cheap hobo of chinatown, couldnt do it. The service onboard was excellent and those flips are some of the nicest people on earth.

couldnt do it...

food was too good, service was too good, and generally i know how hard these guys work (away from the family 8-9 months at a time, while being cooped up in a small stateroom with 4 other crew members)

[noclue]

Yeah when they make like $300usd a month working 12hr days every day it’s beyond scrooge to not tip. One time I was BSing with the crew and they were talking about the quality of Russian hookers at the brothel in the port of St Petersberg lmao.

[GS8]

All the weight you are hoping to lose is about to go down the drain.

Well there's still Noro :troll:

JK

[bcrdukes]

I remember some guy posting on the watch forums. Something along the lines of, "I don't go on a cruise to buy watches. I go on a cruise to catch Norovirus." :lol

[Eff-1]

even i, the cheap hobo of chinatown, couldnt do it. The service onboard was excellent and those flips are some of the nicest people on earth.

couldnt do it...

food was too good, service was too good, and generally i know how hard these guys work (away from the family 8-9 months at a time, while being cooped up in a small stateroom with 4 other crew members)

https://i.imgflip.com/907nzg.jpg

[unit]

when i was in my 20s one of my best friends worked on a cruise ship for a few years as an acupuncturist. she kept nagging me to come cruise with them but i never did for whatever reason. it was like dirt cheap as her guest, i think maybe like 75% or more off? also i could drink in the crew bar after hours for like $1. still kick myself for not taking advantage of that.

[Badhobz]

Oh plz. You just didn’t wanna bang her at her place of work.

That or you’re terrified of getting needled in the dick

[JackAss]

I just finished the Alaska Cruise with Princess Cruise few weeks ago for the first time. Here are some tips





1) All those upgrades/wifi/drink packages, are any of them worth it? The "per person per day" over 10 days really adds up quick~

We didn't get the WiFi/Drink package. My wife and I don't drink much and I don't want to let the kids use any internet during the family trip. As long as your phone plan have US-CAN you will be fine for data or call coverage. If you need to drink soft drinks. buy a few case and carry them onboard. The princess app which you will be using during the cruise can find where your kids are.

2) How much tips is the "norm" for the rooms/food/servers etc etc thru our the trip? Do I need to go exchange some "cash", like $300 USD in $5 bills, so I can just leave them whenever?

tips are included on your trip and will be pay at the end of your trip. We did however tip our regular server (clean your bed, restaurant server). you basically do everything with the "fob" they give you on the trip. no need cash unless you are buying stuff in the town.


3) The excursions looks hella expensive, but then again it's not like we will be going to a cruise every 2 years type thing, wanting to get the best experience, should I just splurge and be done with it?

We didn't do much excursions. only the train ride. word of advise. don't sit in the front of the train or you will be enjoying the exhaust for the whole train ride.


4) Specifically, if I don't book "dinners" now, I assume walk-in are extremely hard once you are already on the cruise

you can always walk in for the dinner. we booked our dinner everyday so we get the same server and the same table.


5) Worth it to park the vehicle for 10 days at Canada Place? Planning to just get my bro in law to drive us to the skytrain and we are planning to skytrain down to Canada place? Am I just being too cheap loool?

just skytrain. it is very close to the Canada Place.


6) Clothing, what are essentials that I must bring, what are some things that was like "if only I knew, or if only someone told me earlier"?


check the weather forecast. we brought rain gear, t-shirt and short pants. it won't be super cold. Bring a thicker jacket for the glacier view.

[EvoFire]

when i was in my 20s one of my best friends worked on a cruise ship for a few years as an acupuncturist. she kept nagging me to come cruise with them but i never did for whatever reason. it was like dirt cheap as her guest, i think maybe like 75% or more off? also i could drink in the crew bar after hours for like $1. still kick myself for not taking advantage of that.

Could have banged her and all her friends too

[unit]

just uber it to and from canada place if you're cheap? it's gonna be way cheaper than parking for 10 days unless you live hella far away.

[noclue]

Oh yeah, turn off data roaming until you are on land cause if your phone connects with the ship cell signal (some boats have their own cell tower) and you have data on.. $$$$$$$$

[dark0821]

I just finished the Alaska Cruise with Princess

3) The excursions looks hella expensive, but then again it's not like we will be going to a cruise every 2 years type thing, wanting to get the best experience, should I just splurge and be done with it?

We didn't do much excursions. only the train ride. word of advise. don't sit in the front of the train or you will be enjoying the exhaust for the whole train ride.





Thanks man! That just saved my ass, my only gripe is that I booked the train ride on my own, so I wont be able to board the train right at the pier, will need to walk into town....

The excursion was already sold out from the Princess website, but managed to snag tickets from the official White Pass Railroad website... only thing sketch is that there are no official tickets, need to show up 20min early and use the confirmation to get tickets on the spot...

It was cheaper than Princess website by like $80 USD though... lolol

[Badhobz]

How dare you pay less than me for the same train ride ?!?!!!!!! Arrrghhhj Chinese heart attack !!!

[Mikoyan]

Oh yeah, turn off data roaming until you are on land cause if your phone connects with the ship cell signal (some boats have their own cell tower) and you have data on.. $$$$$$$$

Some carriers have the ship satellite roaming blocked because it was a pain in the butt dealing with all the 'accidental' roaming even though you get a bazillion text warnings, "HEY YOU HAVE ROAMING ON AND IT WILL COST YOU MONEY"
"Oh I thought it was spam."
Friend who worked in customer service told me about someone who got annoyed by the warning messages/roaming bill limits and requested they be shut off.
Guess who called back in asking for credits on a $2k bill.

[GIZZ]

I've cruised princess a few times.

Big tip for Princess out of Vancouver is that when you have the medallion you can skip the huge line to get the medallion, have it in your hand and skip right to the exit. This will save you at least half an hour.

Pay the tip on your final bill, it's $16 per person per day. If you buy the drink package, when you order poolside or at a bar you don't tip. When eat in the dining rooms you don't tip. When you get specialty dining you don't tip. It's all included in the end.

Just be careful, assume everyone is sick and try and keep your distance. Princess, especially Ruby will do back to back sailings even if a major norovirus or covid outbreak. I went a few months back, on the first night they cancelled the theater performance and brought in the comedian, he kept coming back unscheduled because the show performers were sick. By day 5 the buffet and dining rooms were very quiet, in the evening maybe 2 people in the main pool and only me getting burgers poolside. Around the same time I wondered why everything tasted like salt.

Just be careful, check out the FB groups for that particular ships prior sailings to get a feel for how careful you need to be.

Check your email the days prior to sailing. If they offer you a 100% cruise credit and free future sailing that's code for there's a major outbreak on the ship and please rebook. They offer this to the cheaper rooms, or the rooms with more than 2 people when the 3-4th sail cheaper or free.

Watch for the bid to upgrade 90-100 days out. I bid on all the rooms and managed to get the huge balcony for $6 less than my bro paid for a normal balcony.

[GIZZ]

If you're in Van, Burnaby or Richmond, unless you live really close to skytrain just take an UBER.

[bcrdukes]

Seems like a split consensus on take Skytrain vs. take Uber/taxi.

Someone here should just give the guy a lift.

[Hondaracer]

Uber from Surrey to Sunset beach is like $65..

[bcrdukes]

Go donate, guys. Help dark0821 get to his cruise! www.gofundme.com/dark0821/uberfare_revscene

[Gumby]

Check your email the days prior to sailing. If they offer you a 100% cruise credit and free future sailing that's code for there's a major outbreak on the ship and please rebook. They offer this to the cheaper rooms, or the rooms with more than 2 people when the 3-4th sail cheaper or free.

Watch for the bid to upgrade 90-100 days out. I bid on all the rooms and managed to get the huge balcony for $6 less than my bro paid for a normal balcony.
Interesting! My coworker went on a Holland America cruise to Alaska a few months ago and she also got a really good balcony upgrade offer just a few days before her sailing. Good thing she accepted because she got Covid and had to stay in her room for most of the cruise…

[CRS]

1) All those upgrades/wifi/drink packages, are any of them worth it? The "per person per day" over 10 days really adds up quick~

I didn't read this whole thread so I'll tell you the trick I used for the WiFi. Pay for ONE device/person to get the WiFi then promptly set up a hotspot where everyone else can use it. It doesn't work when you are away from each other but chances are, you're going to be together the vast majority of the time when you're going to want to use WiFi.

2) How much tips is the "norm" for the rooms/food/servers etc etc thru our the trip? Do I need to go exchange some "cash", like $300 USD in $5 bills, so I can just leave them whenever?

On most cruise lines, you can already prepay your tips. Do this at the very start and you don't have to worry about tipping anyone more. However, I do tip the dining staff and the room cleaners more because these are folks I generally get more service from. Anything extra is great for them so feel free to tip an addition $20-50 for each person. I did this at the start and end of the cruise and received exceptional service.

3) The excursions looks hella expensive, but then again it's not like we will be going to a cruise every 2 years type thing, wanting to get the best experience, should I just splurge and be done with it?

I'm personally not an excursions kind of guy. However, if you do plan on doing any excursions make sure that you're doing through your ship. If, for whatever reason, the excursion runs late and it's not done through your ship, the ship will leave without you.

4) Specifically, if I don't book "dinners" now, I assume walk-in are extremely hard once you are already on the cruise

The regular sit down dining hall is great for all dinners. Specialty dinners are just that but I've never known them to sellout. Buffets for breakfast and lunch while the dining hall for dinner is great. The servers get to know you and reminder that you can order as much as you want aka two entrées or even the entire menu. I've ordered numerous items and have never had anyone refuse it. Make sure you reserve your time/slot so that you get the same people and seating.

5) Worth it to park the vehicle for 10 days at Canada Place? Planning to just get my bro in law to drive us to the skytrain and we are planning to skytrain down to Canada place? Am I just being too cheap loool?

I've done the limo, taxi, uber, and transit option. All are fine.

6) Clothing, what are essentials that I must bring, what are some things that was like "if only I knew, or if only someone told me earlier"?

It's basically going to Vancouver weather for the most part. Nothing that you need to pack that you wouldn't already pack for Vancouver. So have some raingear on you and you're good to go.

Alaska cruises are great for the scenery. Don't get caught up buying jewellery.

[6793026]

1) Did not get drink package, it just wasn't worth it.
I bought wifi, and because i'm using android, i'm able to also teather while using wifi, that was pretty good. Just bring a battery pack and it does drain ur battery.

2) Never tipped unless it was the fine dining night at the end.

3) did not do excursions. We did get off the boat to look at stuff nad explore the city, the whole dophins crap are not cheap... did it 1 yr for the kids but never again with the rest of hte family.

4) have to book asap. do it same time same restaurant. saved us so much time and we always did 1st seating.

5) 10 days at Canada Place.. screw that.. just take an uber. so much cheaper.
When you leave, don't wait for taxi, take the train, go to your closest station and then taxi home. this way 1) no traffic jam 2) no shady drivers and 3) so much easier as it's not busy = no rush rates for uber.

6) Always bring less than you need. I did bring 2 swim suits so it can dry in time.

[RabidRat]

portable personal blender things for Christmas. He said he uses it on cruises to make his own smoothies with the buffet fruits lol

That's amazing.

[GLOW]

Go donate, guys. Help dark0821 get to his cruise! www.gofundme.com/dark0821/uberfare_revscene

ngl, i clicked :lol

[dark0821]

Fook I already choose medallion pick up at the ship to save that $10USD shipping, can I still change that shit?

I don't mind waiting for 30 to 1 hr myself, but with 2 kids, the $10 USD will be worth not waiting loooool

[Mikoyan]

Fook I already choose medallion pick up at the ship to save that $10USD shipping, can I still change that shit?

I don't mind waiting for 30 to 1 hr myself, but with 2 kids, the $10 USD will be worth not waiting loooool

It's not that bad. We had a 9 and 7 yr old with us. We did blue line pick up for the medallion, from the time we got off the skytrain to eating lunch on the ship was just over an hour. You still have to do luggage drop off, clear security and US Customs as well. ID check and medallion pick up is just one step.
Chances are, the automated face scan will flag on the kids so you have to see the human customs agent. I noticed all the families with small kids were sent to see a customs agent. We were as well.
No Nexus line though. I remember a Nexus line 7 years ago, the last time we cruised from Vancouver.

[Badhobz]

Fook I already choose medallion pick up at the ship to save that $10USD shipping, can I still change that shit?

I don't mind waiting for 30 to 1 hr myself, but with 2 kids, the $10 USD will be worth not waiting loooool

there is no lineup if you go at 12 noon. trust me, you did yourself a favor by saving the 10 dollar shipping

[PeanutButter]

So is the plan to arrive at the cruise ship late? as the lines will be the lowest at that time?
I'm going to be with two young children, so if I don't have to wait in line, I rather go later.

[Badhobz]

No noon is early. I think darks boat sails at 4pm or something. Earliest you can embark is like 11am I believe

[GIZZ]

If you can handle the kids and all your baggage I prefer to walk on and at the end of the cruise walk off.

If you check your bags upon arrival at the port they may arrive at your room in an hour, if you're unlucky they show up after dinner. At the end walk off people get to disembark first. Since customs isn't really a thing I left the cabin and was home in 45 min.

[Badhobz]

^that depends on class as well. If you’re on the lower decks or have a lower class room then it’ll take a while. The suites and balcony people get their bags almost immediately.

Same when you disembark. You are assigned colors and the higher class people get off the vessel first

[PeanutButter]

Hmm. We have a Veranda room, but my son naps from 10:45pm-12pm, so I think I would rather him nap at our house then make our way down after his nap, so we'll get to the port around 1:30pm.

I'm pretty sure our ship sails at 4pm, so I'm thinking that might work out better than getting there for 11am.

[yray]

go at 4, guarantee no lines :lol

all dem murricans need to go to buffet for lunch

kinda miss working at the cruise terminal

[Gerbs]

Is there any Vancouver cruises catered for a younger crowd 20-30's? My friends just got back recently and said they were the only one's under 30 on the boat lol

[68style]

I don't think so, you have to do the Caribbean ones for a younger crowd

[6793026]

go at 4, guarantee no lines :lol

all dem murricans need to go to buffet for lunch

kinda miss working at the cruise terminal

so true... people 1st thing they do is run to buffet for food when they go onboard.

just go early, leave your stuff at the buffet and wait until room is ready.

[CivicBlues]

Is there any Vancouver cruises catered for a younger crowd 20-30's? My friends just got back recently and said they were the only one's under 30 on the boat lol

Just go backpacking in Europe/Asia/SAm or do those 18-35 tour groups like Contiki, G Adventures, Interpid if you want some structured debauchery. Cruises are for oldies. You're young once, don't waste it.

I still haven't been on one as an 40-sth adult even though I could literally walk to the cruise ship terminal. Have yet to visit Alaska too and should.

Question for Alaska Cruise folks, do any of the excursions let you climb on top of the glaciers or visit any ice caves? Or do they just drive you to a viewpoint?

[Gumby]

Is there any Vancouver cruises catered for a younger crowd 20-30's? My friends just got back recently and said they were the only one's under 30 on the boat lol
From Vancouver? Nope.

For younger crowds, you gotta go with cruises along the western Mexican coast or Caribbean. The cruise line also factors into this:

Carnival - young party crowd
Princess/Royal Caribbean/Celebrity - family
Holland America - old/seniors

[mikemhg]

Is there any Vancouver cruises catered for a younger crowd 20-30's? My friends just got back recently and said they were the only one's under 30 on the boat lol

Checkout the Virgin cruises, those tend to attract a younger demographic.

https://www.virginvoyages.com/

[Badhobz]

Question for Alaska Cruise folks, do any of the excursions let you climb on top of the glaciers or visit any ice caves? Or do they just drive you to a viewpoint?

anything is possible with money. There is quite a few one these airplane / helicopppahhh tours that land you on the glaciers

some do a kayak ice cave shit

most are just out the steal every red cent you have in your pocket.

[noclue]

I found the Alaska cruises boring compared to the Caribbean for the reasons above. If you hear the word “bright star” on the PA, means someone died lmao. You’ll hear it more frequently with the older demographics.

Anyone tried the ultra baller cruise line Regent/Silver Seas?

[Badhobz]

I think it’s the reverse because there is jack all to see in the Caribbean. The ocean passage is just that. Big ocean. You get nothing to see until you reach these little butt fuck islands and then they all look the same.

Plus it’s 35 degrees on deck so that means I’m like fuck this I’m staying inside.

Alaska is nice. The scenery is gorgeous and we don’t even need to fly. Vancouver to Vancouver is epic.

[mikemhg]

I mean we live in Vancouver, people fly from all over the world to come here and do an Alaska cruise. Might as well try it once, it's on our bucket list for sure, knowing full well we'd be some of the youngest on the cruise.

[Hondaracer]

I found the Alaska cruises boring compared to the Caribbean for the reasons above. If you hear the word “bright star” on the PA, means someone died lmao. You’ll hear it more frequently with the older demographics.

Anyone tried the ultra baller cruise line Regent/Silver Seas?

Those higher end ones just seem like they are for rich old people

There are very few scenarios I’d prefer a cruise over just saying local. Especially in Europe the tales of using the tenders sound like things of nightmares to me

[mikemhg]

Does anyone have a link to that website where they post cheap last minute cruise deals from Vancouver? I can't seem to find it.

[Hondaracer]

Travelbestbets.ca ?

[Gerbs]

Just go backpacking in Europe/Asia/SAm or do those 18-35 tour groups like Contiki, G Adventures, Interpid if you want some structured debauchery. Cruises are for oldies. You're young once, don't waste it.

I've done the backpack SEA for 4 months when I was 20. Definitely a must-do trip for early to mid 20's! Was supposed to do South America at 24, but covid hit.

It's probably even more lit nowadays with money.

[Gumby]

Checkout the Virgin cruises, those tend to attract a younger demographic.

https://www.virginvoyages.com/
Actually, Virgin Voyages is 100% adults only, no kids!

[Mikoyan]

I found the Alaska cruises boring compared to the Caribbean for the reasons above. If you hear the word “bright star” on the PA, means someone died lmao. You’ll hear it more frequently with the older demographics.

Anyone tried the ultra baller cruise line Regent/Silver Seas?

We got delayed leaving port in Alaska today. My parents said they saw someone hauling all their luggage off board along with someone being removed off the ship via ambulance.

[Mikoyan]

Well, they had another emergency overnight, they made a general call out on the PA at 3am for the med staff to attend to a specific stateroom. We diverted to Juneau to offload them before heading on. We're about 6 hrs behind sched.

Oh, and since it is Alaska, you've got a pretty good chance of seeing the Aurora at night. Got some ok pics last night, but tonight and tomorrow night are predicted to have higher Aurora activity.
Only challenge is the ship is lit up 24/7 on all decks.

[Badhobz]

Otherwise, how are you liking it bud? you guys enjoying the food on das boot?

[yray]

stiffy on board was the joke on shore

nothing like 7am ambulance waiting at Ballantyne pier with the sun coming up and ship pulling in

[mikemhg]

Holy fuck, how many old fuckers end up dying on these things?

I had no idea this was a regularity, why would you go on a cruise if you're damn near dead?

Bucket list before dying kinda thing?

[Mikoyan]

Otherwise, how are you liking it bud? you guys enjoying the food on das boot?
Late post, packing up from the cruise, Bellingham trip and work.

Good, we did the sit down dining every night, my 9y eyes lit up after he found out he could have steak every night. No more kids menu the rest of the trip lol.
We really only ate at the buffet for breakfast and lunch.

Holy fuck, how many old fuckers end up dying on these things?
I had no idea this was a regularity, why would you go on a cruise if you're damn near dead?
Bucket list before dying kinda thing?

Enough that cruise ships have a cold storage freezer they don't like to talk about.

Lots of folks on O2, scooters. Besides the perennial jokes that cruising is cheaper than long term care homes, it does make sense the mobility challenged would like to cruise. Essentially your home/hotel travels for you. Maximum mobility for minimal effort.

After cruising this time with kids (7y/9y) a couple of parent specific tips.

1) make sure your kids wear and don't take off the princess medallion. Older kids should be ok, but on day 2 we found a medallion on the floor in the elevator area. We turned it in to guest services. The things pop out of the included lanyard holder easy enough. I bought silicone airtag watchband holders for everyone in our group to use.

On day 6, a crying 3yr old came down the stairs where we were waiting for dinner, no medallion, and didn't know what room they were in. After dealing with bar staff (their english was marginal for the situation) my daughter and I walked the kid to guest services and ran into the frantic parents. My daughter managed to get the kid's name. Turns out the medallion we found day 2 was hers.
So make sure your kids have the medallion on them so you can track them if they wander off.

2) The bunk beds have a 2 foot gap between the 2 guard rails. My 7yr old fell out on night 5. I have lengths of paracord in all my bags, so an 8 foot length was just right to MacGyver a rope barrier for the last night.

[Qmx323]

Holy fuck, how many old fuckers end up dying on these things?

I had no idea this was a regularity, why would you go on a cruise if you're damn near dead?

Bucket list before dying kinda thing?

Yeah. I would too if they were cheaper than a good assisted living facility. It's estimated 200~ passengers die on board cruises per year.

Some lines do not report deaths as on board.

So you could pull a number out of thin air and say every day someone dies on a cruise.

[dark0821]

After cruising this time with kids (7y/9y) a couple of parent specific tips.

1) make sure your kids wear and don't take off the princess medallion. Older kids should be ok, but on day 2 we found a medallion on the floor in the elevator area. We turned it in to guest services. The things pop out of the included lanyard holder easy enough. I bought silicone airtag watchband holders for everyone in our group to use.

On day 6, a crying 3yr old came down the stairs where we were waiting for dinner, no medallion, and didn't know what room they were in. After dealing with bar staff (their english was marginal for the situation) my daughter and I walked the kid to guest services and ran into the frantic parents. My daughter managed to get the kid's name. Turns out the medallion we found day 2 was hers.
So make sure your kids have the medallion on them so you can track them if they wander off.

2) The bunk beds have a 2 foot gap between the 2 guard rails. My 7yr old fell out on night 5. I have lengths of paracord in all my bags, so an 8 foot length was just right to MacGyver a rope barrier for the last night.

Thanks for the heads up!

Hows the in-app chat, the thing is both my kids are using old hand me down phones with no sim in them (but i heard the princess app lets you chat with your group and we do tend to "separate" with the kids at some point during the trip (only on the ship) most 100% staying together if we are leaving the ship).

Otherwise our back up plan is to bring Walkie Talkies, but that is extra things to bring during the cruise and we are really trying to pack light, so far just 1 backpack each for the 4 of us and 1 large suitcase and 1 carry on.... and i think we are pretty much done...

[EvoFire]

The ship is all metal, I don't think your walkie talkie will be able to penetrate very fair unless you get the professional stuff, but the HAM radios get into gray areas of the law.

[Badhobz]

Just use the in app chat. It works. Walkie talkies will be lost within the day.

Also you gonna be one of those parents that leave their kids unattended so they can jump off the side of the boat ?

The pizza onboard is quite good.

[unit]

ive only been on one cruise ever when i was a kid and all i fondly remember was the arcade and the 24/7 pizza lol

[dark0821]

Just use the in app chat. It works. Walkie talkies will be lost within the day.

Also you gonna be one of those parents that leave their kids unattended so they can jump off the side of the boat ?

The pizza onboard is quite good.

100% My kids are old enough to know what to do and not to do, not that we will leave them hours on end, but yea, they can go do their own stuff if they want~

[GIZZ]

The princess in app chat works perfectly, the tracking of medallion through the app works too.

[Mikoyan]

Thanks for the heads up!

Hows the in-app chat, the thing is both my kids are using old hand me down phones with no sim in them (but i heard the princess app lets you chat with your group and we do tend to "separate" with the kids at some point during the trip (only on the ship) most 100% staying together if we are leaving the ship).

Otherwise our back up plan is to bring Walkie Talkies, but that is extra things to bring during the cruise and we are really trying to pack light, so far just 1 backpack each for the 4 of us and 1 large suitcase and 1 carry on.... and i think we are pretty much done...

Chat via the app worked ok, we used it with my parents, who didn't buy wifi access.

Walkie talkies won't work on board, ship's all metal so that'll kill the range between decks. It could be useful on the same deck or on shore if you split up, but the on shore times are short enough that we all stuck together. FRS/GMRS Radios 'technically' require a license in the USA from the FCC, but realistically, no one bothers.

Princess specifically restricts HAM equipment in it's terms of service. I checked as I have a few Baofeng radios from my airsoft days, they're programmed on the FRS/GMRS freqs. (which you're not supposed to use)
I wouldn't bother, as there's cell service at all the stops if you really need it.

There's a kids club with 3 diff age ranges, 3-7, 8-13, 13-18, and they have lots of activities, games, video games, skeeball etc, to keep the kids occupied during the at sea days. We pretty much only picked up the kids for lunch and dinner, after breakfast, they headed off for kids club at 9am. After dinner, kids club opened from 7p to 10p so you can go to the evening entertainment too.

Check the weather before you go, we packed 3 mid size checked luggage cases + 1 carry on size (for the 7yr old to use.) and backpacks. Dress shoes + runners + blundstones for iffy weather ate up a lot of space. Depending on the weather, you may have to pack more clothes. We packed a few sweaters and hoodies. You definitely want a shell and a insulating layer for the cooler nights/on deck.
Wife wanted to pack carry ons only, but since we're not flying, why compromise? I'd rather have a few more clothing options and space to pack and not smush my blazer and dress pants into a carry on.
We did do one load of laundry on board on day 5 ($3 usd for wash cycle and $3 to dry) so bring a tide pod to save the $1 for detergent if you want.

The medallion tracking was useful. "Where are Mom and Dad? We're seated for dinner already?" <opens princess app> "....Why are they still in their room?" =P

[dark0821]

I 100% recommend everyone to take a cruise... it was an experience....

coming from a back ground of doing alot of road trips... i love driving... but there is nothing like waking up when you like (kids learned to go to buffet on their own, or pizza with ice cream without waking my and wifey up real fast).... walk out on the deck... enjoy the sun shine...... check out the buffet.... walk back on to the deck.. order kids to go get ice cream.... and actually entertainment on the boat was decent, 7 days is just enough to check out all the different spots without getting boring...

It was so relaxing... that me and wife on like the 2nd day was like.. yo... cruise needs to be part of our lifes... maybe once every 3 years if our income allows... this is the shit... like real shit, it was the first vacation where i came back not tired.... thats crazy

[Traum]

And the all-important question that everybody on RS is dying to ask -- have you put yourself on a scale yet? :pokerface:

[EvoFire]

Did you get off the boat at all?

When we cruised with Royal Caribbean to San Diego, the port days were pretty good as we went out and saw things and did things, and our son was entertained. We were trapped on the boat in Astoria because it poured and that was a rough day.

There were also 2 sea days and those were rough. I think maybe it would be better if our kids were older, but imo the entertainment was limited on the boat. We don't gamble, we don't drink excessively, trivia during the day was boring, I don't like sun tanning and wife said she's too old for sun(sounding like a spy balloon we know). I did a whiskey tasting which was a thinly veiled attempt to sell JW. And even then the dumb thing was.... the one that everyone wanted to to get, they didn't have any stock of.

Crossing the border was hard as they made us disembark to cross in Seattle.

Getting off the boat was even harder.

My older one loved it, but he's still much too young and timid/shy to head to the buffet by himself.

I think I'm just not old enough to be really enjoying a cruise. I miss blitzing through cities hitting multiple viewpoints a day.

[dark0821]

And the all-important question that everybody on RS is dying to ask -- have you put yourself on a scale yet? :pokerface:

Check the weight loss thread... but yes I have.. i am now 191 LBs ... fook

[mikemhg]

I 100% recommend everyone to take a cruise... it was an experience....

coming from a back ground of doing alot of road trips... i love driving... but there is nothing like waking up when you like (kids learned to go to buffet on their own, or pizza with ice cream without waking my and wifey up real fast).... walk out on the deck... enjoy the sun shine...... check out the buffet.... walk back on to the deck.. order kids to go get ice cream.... and actually entertainment on the boat was decent, 7 days is just enough to check out all the different spots without getting boring...

It was so relaxing... that me and wife on like the 2nd day was like.. yo... cruise needs to be part of our lifes... maybe once every 3 years if our income allows... this is the shit... like real shit, it was the first vacation where i came back not tired.... thats crazy

10lbs in a week. Sounds like you were doing this portion a lot..

[MarkyMark]

Reading this thread just confirmed what I already thought about cruises being filled by a bunch of land whales just killing time before their next meal lol

[Mikoyan]

I only gained 2lbs, and it's gone already. That's with eating 1-2 appies and 1.5 mains at the sit down dinner each night.

[Badhobz]

Reading this thread just confirmed what I already thought about cruises being filled by a bunch of land whales just killing time before their next meal lol

Doesn’t that sound like fun ?!? The gym on the boat was deserted. Not a soul in sight for my trip.