| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 12.1 | It will probably be chilly. | HPSRAD::SPEAKE | Luck is the residue of design. | Mon Aug 15 1988 23:37 | 52 |
| Maureen,
We went on a 7-day Alaska cruise in September, 1984 on the Noordam.
We loved it.
For clothing-
(I am going to assume that early in the season will be comparable to late
in the season.)
Take early spring weight clothes and a set of warmer clothes for your day
in Glacier Bay. Also take rainwear. You will get there in time for the
Sitka Rain Festival, which, according to local signs, runs from the first
of January to the 31st of December.
There will be two formal nights. One when the captain welcomes you on
board (usually second night out) and one when he bids you farewell
(usually last night out, maybe the night before). The first night out
will probably be casual and the rest informal.
Here are Holland America's definitions-
Formal - Jacket and tie required.
Informal - Jacket and tie requested, jacket required.
Casual - Jacket requested.
As with most dress recommendations, these are written for the men and the
ladies are left to infer what to wear.
I wear a tux on formal nights and a suit and tie the rest of the time. I
never feel over-dressed or under-dressed.
FWIW, I have never seen anyone refused admittance to the dining room for
lack of proper attire. This is probably for two reasons - 1)The staff
tries to be flexible because you are paying for the trip and, 2)I have
never seen anyone come to dinner dressed in a tee shirt and cutoffs.
Comments on the itinerary-
In Juneau, I recommend the Salmon Bake. When we went, it took place in a
valley just outside of town that is the site of an old gold mine. It is
quite an experience to sit in a valley surrounded by sub-tropical rain
forest eating salmon that was caught, at most, 3 hours earlier.
Glacier Bay is a unique and unforgettable experience.
My wife was paricularly interested in Sitka because she is Russian Orthodox
and the oldest Russian Orthodox church in North America is in Sitka.
Tom Speake
BTW, the Westerdam is what Holland America named the Homeric when they
bought it.
|
| 12.2 | same for Rotterdam? | BOOKIE::EPPES | Make 'em laugh | Thu Jan 19 1989 10:50 | 4 |
| We're going on a 7-day Alaskan cruise in July on the SS Rotterdam. Can I
assume that the info given in .1 pretty much applies to that ship?
-- Nina
|
| 12.3 | RE: .2 | BCSE::FAMULARO | Joe, ZKO3-2T43, DTN381-2565 | Mon Jan 23 1989 09:13 | 198 |
| Note entered by moderator for WR2FOR::MCROBERDO "Don McRoberts":
I have just found this note file and it certainly brought back some
great memories of a cruise taken in August of 1985 to Alaska via
Holland America Lines Ms Noordam. To say the least it was one of the
most memorable vacations my wife and I have ever taken.
Since several of you are about to embark on a cruise to Alaska I'll try
to give some of the highlights we experienced and also a few
recommendations for things take with you and to do along the way. I
hope this doesn't bore anyone......
First of all, everyone seems to be asking what kind of clothes should a
person take on a cruise to Alaska.... Well, to be truthful, IT IS NOT
LIKE GOING TO THE CARIBBEAN! It does get cold and it rains too! So,
be prepared for some cold and wet weather BUT DON'T LET THAT SCARE YOU
AWAY! It is well worth any discomfort just to see the beauty of the
waterways and landscapes you will be seeing. Basically, I would
recommend that you take clothing that you can layer and then remove as
you go through the day. An umbrella and/or raincoat would be wise as
would some gloves in case you decide to visit some of the glacier
areas. As far as dress for the cruise festivities on-board, note 12.1
pretty well sums it up. I didn't take a tuxedo but did wear a dark
suit with tie. There were many others similarly dressed. Do whatever
feels comfortable for you, after-all it is your money so why not enjoy
it!
The meals were fantastic! You are catered with just about anything and
everything you could possibly want. I would recommend requesting the
second seating for dinner which for us was at 8p.m. each evening.
This allows you more time for afternoon activities without feeling
rushed to get to dinner. There was a show every night including one
that the passengers participated in. We all had a great time.
As to room accommodations. They obviously have a broad range for just
about any pocketbook. I would recommend getting an outside cabin.
Unlike most other cruises, as I mentioned above, you are close to land
most of the time. You can therefore see something other than just
water from your window (port hole?) most of the time. We had an inside
cabin but would have spent the extra $100 or so to get an outside cabin
had we known what it would be like.
Now some hints on things to take with you:
- Beg, borrow, or buy a Video Camera! I didn't and have regretted it
ever since. Guess I'll just have to go back again! If you do take a
video camera with you, don't forget to take lots of tape with you as
well as backup batteries or rechargable nicad packs. You can buy
them on-board or when you go ashore but the prices are likely to be a
bit higher than at your local hometown store.
- Take a good camera also, if at all possible, with a variety of zoom
lenses. A wide angle zoom such as 24mm or 35-80mm lens for some of
the scenery along the way as well as in Glacier Bay and a telephoto
zoom of 70-200mm would be ideal. I brought a Minolta Maxxum 7000
with a 35-70mm and 70-210mm and they worked perfectly for all
conditions. One thing though, if you have a Minolta Maxxum 5000,
7000, 9000, etc let the camera do the work of calculating the
exposures EVEN FOR THE ICE IN GLACIER BAY or in Juneau. I followed
the recommendations of the US Park Service Guide that came on board
in Glacier Bay and increased exposure by a 1 f stop and they all came
out overexposed. As with the videotape - take lots of film. I went
through almost twenty rolls of 36 exposure in the seven days! Also
take extra batteries AND CARRY THEM WITH YOU.
Cruise Itinerary
I am going to assume that all Holland America 7-day Cruises to Alaska
follow the same itinerary. The times indicated were according to our
itinerary.
We left Vancouver the evening of Tuesday, August 6, 1985 at 6p.m.
sailing out of the harbor under the Lion's Gate bridge into the
Strait of Georgia. As the name implies, when sailing the "Inside
Passage" you will have land on both sides of you (and very close at
times.....less than 100 yards from shore) for most of the trip. This
is what differentiates this cruise from those to the Caribbean. You
are in sight of land just about the entire time. The landscape
throughout the cruise is something to behold. I just can't describe
it and do it any justice. Be prepared for any kind of wildlife from
Eagles (especially in the Juneau area and south of Ketchikan) to elk,
moose, bear, and deer along the shoreline. Find the top observation
deck (outside) in the front of the ship. On the Ms Noordam it was
above the bridge and had a tremendous view. It was particularly free
of obstructions so you have about a 330 degree view. Not many people
found it so it was rarely crowded. Ask the crew to help you.
The first night and next day are solid sailing which gives you a good
chance to explore the ship and all of the on-board shops or just to
relax at watch the shoreline glide by smoothly and quietly.... Early
mornings you will find the ship gliding through wisps of fog banks
which impart a special feeling of serenity and beauty. You will also
see lots of other ships and boats in the Inside Passage. The cruise
ships all signal to each other with their big horns and the
passengers wave back and forth. You will probably even see people
along the shore waving, some of them even come out in their canoes
and small boats to greet the cruise ships.
Our first port of call was Ketchikan. We arrived around 7a.m..
However, since the Noordam is too large to dock we had to anchor out
in the harbor and use the ships motor launch to get in to shore. In
fact, we did this at all of the ports of call. You can come and go
whenever you wish as the launch runs throughout the entire stay in
port. In Ketchikan we took the tour of the Totem Heritage Center and
Rain Forest. (we weren't disappointed, it rained just abut the whole
time we were there) A tour of the local salmon fishery is included in
the tour. They even have a rain gauge in the center of town which is
huge! Take the time to walk down Creek Street, an old part of town
that has been restored. Lot's of cute stories about it!
Leaving Ketchikan in the afternoon we sailed northward to Juneau
arriving the following morning around 8a.m. There are tons of things
to do in Juneau but I would highly recommend at least the following
two excursions. The Gold Creek Salmon Bake, as mentioned in reply
12.1, is a MUST! I am a salmon lover but have never had anything
like this salmon! Rain or shine you can have a great meal cooked
over the alderwood fire with a special secret basting. The bus ride
was an experience in itself also! The second thing we did was to
take the helicopter flight to Mendenhall Glacier. You actually fly
over the face of the glacier and follow its route upstream
(upglacier?) to an area where they land and you get out and walk
around on the glacier. It is an experience that can't be described.
Don't worry about clothing as they fully outfit you with iceboots,
gloves, and parkas. Take lots of film (and batteries) as there are a
lot of things to get pictures of from the helicopter and on the
glacier itself. You may even be lucky enough to see an avalanche as
we did! There are many other tours available during the Juneau stop
over but you just don't have enough time to do it all. We didn't
leave Juneau until 12 midnight so you have an opportunity to see the
ship sitting in the harbor from shore. It is quite pretty with all
of its lights on.
Once leaving Juneau we headed for Glacier Bay arriving around 7a.m.
the following morning. Several US Park Service Rangers board the
ship when you enter Glacier Bay and give a running commentary the
rest of the day over the ships public address system. They also had
a counter set up where you could purchase a variety of things
representative of the Glacier Bay area (i.e., maps, souvenirs, etc).
Watching the glaciers break off (it's called calving) is rather
awe-inspiring. You first hear a crack like a rifle shot and then see
the face of the glacier give away and fall into the bay with a roar
and huge splash. This is the part that a video camera really comes
in handy. Still pictures just don't do justice for the activity. As
we sat watching Margerie glacier, the ships hotel crew walked around
serving hot cider and passed out wool blankets to keep you warm.
Leaving Glacier Bay around dinner time we headed out to the open
Pacific. This is the first time we did not have land on both sides
of us. We sailed southwards towards Sitka harbor and arrived around
1a.m. the next morning. Launch service to the port began around
7a.m.. Sitka was our favorite port of call. There is so much
history here and it is just a beautiful little seaport. St.
Michael's Cathedral the oldest Russian Orthodox church in North
America is here also and worth a tour. We didn't have too much time
there but I would love to return and spend a few days to see it all.
As Sitka was the last port of call, the remainder of the trip was
spent enjoying ship-board activities (i.e., volleyball, shuffle
board, skeet shooting, the jacuzzi and pools, or even in the health
club working off those newly gained pounds!) and unfortunately
getting ready to end your cruise back in Vancouver.
As you can probably tell we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise to Alaska
and are looking forward to the day we embark on another one! I would
highly recommend a cruise to Alaska for anyone. The age group for
Alaskan cruises is older than the Caribbean or Mexico cruises but
there are lots of things to do for all ages.
Yes, Holland America Lines has been bought out by Carnival Lines but
in correspondence we have had recently they are keeping the Holland
America ships the same with the same crews and with the same
luxuries. In fact, it is described as the luxury portion of Carnival
Lines. One nice touch was the TV in each room. Not to watch normal
TV as such, although some limited programming was available, but to
see from your room what was going on outside. They had a tv camera
in the bridge that showed the view from there.
I hope you enjoy your cruise and have a great time! Let us hear
about your experience when you return. Feel free to ask any
questions before-hand.
Sorry for being so long winded.............
Oh one more thing....in answer to 12.2....
The SS Rotterdam is the flagship of the Holland America Lines. She
is the oldest of the fleet. I believe there are three other ships,
the Ms Noordam, Ms Neuamsterdam, (spelling may not be correct), and
now the Ms Westerdam. The Noordam and Neuamsterdam are sister ships
differing only in interior decorations. I do not know anything about
the Westerdam except that it is the newest of the fleet. I suspect
that amenities and schedules are similar on all of the four ships.
Don McRoberts
San Jose, CA
|
| 12.4 | trip report? | BOOKIE::EPPES | Of a fictitious nature | Wed May 31 1989 14:23 | 6 |
| RE .0 - How was your cruise?
-- Nina
(whose Alaskan
cruise begins
in about 5 weeks!)
|
| 12.5 | Didn't make it to Alaska, BUT | MPGS::ANDERSONM | Are we having fun yet?? | Tue Jun 13 1989 11:14 | 54 |
|
> RE .0 - How was your cruise?
>
> -- Nina
> (whose Alaskan
> cruise begins
> in about 5 weeks!)
>
Hi Nina (and the rest of you)
I am sorry to report but I was not able to go on the cruise that
I had originally mentioned in .0. (I know, I was very disappointed
too) BUT I did go on a cruise, in fact, I just got back yesterday!
I went to the Easter Carribbean instead. I went to St Maartin,
St. John, St. Thomas and Puerta Plata. A little disappointing but
on the whole a lot of fun. I still haven't gotton my land legs yet!
We (my daughter and I) cruised the newest Dolphin Line ship, the
SS Seabreeze. It was a very small ship (800 passengers) but didn't
seem too crowded too often. We needed to wait in line for most
things on board (buffet, shows etc) but all turned out fine.
The port of Puerta Plata was VERY disgusting! This is a very
depressed/poor part of the Dominican Republic. Come to find out,
this was the last time that this cruise line was going to be stopping
because of the depressed state of this country. When we got off the
ship, there were at least 100 locals wanting to take us somewhere,
anywhere for money. There were tons of soldiers walking around with
rifles on their shoulders, and hardly anyone spoke English. Out of
the 5 hours allotted there (although we really on got 4 because we
were late arriving) we spend less than 1 hour on land. My daughter
was very scared and the shops were very high!
We also had roaches in our cabin. There were 4 of us in a tiny
cabin which we didn't mind because we all had expected it in the first
place, but when we had to share with our little "buddies" this became
too much. We were moved to a lesser category and a small cabin.
But other than that, I'm glad I went. I look forward to another
cruise but NOT on the Dolphin Cruise line!
Nina, I'm sure you will have a ball in Alaska. I was really
disappointed that I was unable to go, but someday I will. Please
post your trip results here when you get back and let us all know
how you did. Are you planning any excursions? Like white water
rafting or glacier climbing etc? I was looking more forward to those
than the cruise itself!
Happy cruising, Nina, and lets us know when you get back.
Maureen
|
| 12.6 | can't wait! | BOOKIE::EPPES | Of a fictitious nature | Tue Jun 13 1989 19:10 | 13 |
| RE .5 -- Oh, Maureen, I'm so sorry you didn't get to go to Alaska!
But I'm glad you had a (mostly) good time on your other cruise.
We are definitely planning to go on some excursions, though we don't
yet know which ones. "Flight-seeing" over a glacier or two is high
on the list.
I will certainly post a trip report when we get back. We're really
getting psyched...!
-- Nina
T minus 3 weeks
and counting!
|
| 12.7 | trip report - we had a blast! | BOOKIE::EPPES | Of a fictitious nature | Wed Aug 02 1989 18:28 | 134 |
| I went on an Alaskan cruise from July 9-16, 1989. I went with my
Significant Other and two other couples. We sailed north to south,
from Seward, Alaska, to Vancouver, BC, on the ss Rotterdam (Holland
America Line). We stopped at Valdez, Sitka, Juneau, and Ketchikan.
We also saw quite a few glaciers, with the main ones being the Columbia
glacier, the glaciers in College Fjord, and the Hubbard glacier. Our
itinerary did not include Glacier Bay.
This was my first cruise ever, so I can't compare it to any others. I was
quite impressed with the Rotterdam. It's 30 years old this year, but
clean and well-maintained. The decor had charm in a late 50's-early 60's
"Old World" sort of way (a lot of wood accents). It's also a good-sized
ship (around 1100 passengers, I think) with a theatre, several lounges, a
casino, two swimming pools (1 outdoor, 1 indoor, both quite small), a few
shops, and so on. My S.O. and I had an outside cabin on the Lower
Promenade deck; it wasn't exactly spacious (!), but it served well.
Unlike the Noordam (I think) mentioned in a previous reply, we didn't
have TVs in our cabins. We managed to survive somehow. :-)
The food on the Rotterdam was very good, though not five-star gourmet.
They did quite well, considering the number of people they had to serve!
There were two formal nights, one on the second night of the cruise
(Tuesday) and one on the second-to-last night of the cruise (Friday), not
the last night as we'd expected. We were fortunate to have the ship's
doctor at our table on these occasions. He was interesting to talk to (he
also bought us wine, which apparently is traditional when a crew member is
at your table). I think he enjoyed being at a table of relatively young
people (we're all in the thirty-something age range), although he himself
was retired from general practice. There was a majority of, ahem, "older"
folks on the cruise, but there were also more younger people than I
expected, and even several children (though the Rotterdam is not
necessarily the most interesting ship for kids, I think, catering as it
does to an older crowd).
We had amazingly good weather for just about the entire cruise. The major
problem was fog; our sail to the College Fjord was a little behind
schedule due to running into heavy fog (thus slowing the ship down);
luckily, it cleared by the time we got to the fjord. We did have
some rain at the end of our day in Juneau. In Ketchikan, where it rains
an average of 300 days a year, we had mostly sunny conditions!
I didn't see any oil at or near Valdez, and in fact I saw several seals
basking in the sun on some small rocky islands there, which I thought
was encouraging. We were docked near where a lot of cleanup equipment
was set up, and there were helicopters flying everywhere, presumably
on cleanup missions of one sort or another.
We never saw any really spectacular glacier calvings, though we did
catch some that were more like avalanches than pieces of ice breaking
off. We saw quite a few seals and sea otters, though none really close
enough to get good pictures of. I myself never saw any whales, though
there were reported sightings a couple of times. I did see some dorsal
fins of probably porpoises and, when we were at the Hubbard Glacier,
what I could've sworn were killer whales, but again, they were too far
to see clearly, even with binoculars.
We saw many bald eagles in Juneau and Ketchikan; other than those and
the above-mentioned seals and sea otters, we didn't see any major
wildlife on the cruise. (We did go on a land tour before the cruise,
including a trip to Denali National Park, and we did see quite a bit
of wildlife on that part of our trip.)
In Juneau, we went on a shore excursion of a helicopter flight to the
Mendenhall Glacier, where you actually land on the glacier and walk
around on it for a bit. That was pretty impressive...!
RECOMMENDATIONS
I second the suggestion in a previous reply that you bring a video
camera if you go on one of these cruises. In addition to getting
videos of the spectacular scenery, we were fortunate enough to film
a bald eagle swooping down out of the sky and grabbing a salmon out
of the water in Ketchikan (right in the harbor, about only 20 or 30
feet from where we stood on the pier). Still photographs or slides
just don't do justice to that kind of event - but DO bring cameras,
of course! :-)
As for clothes, as I mentioned above, we had amazingly good weather,
so didn't really need raingear, although we'd brought some just in
case. We were there in July, so it was warmish (60s and 70s). We
were able to walk around the towns without jackets or with light
jackets. On the ship, you want a heavier jacket because it gets
windy. Some light gloves are nice, too - when you're outside staring
at glaciers, your fingers can get pretty cold, especially if you're
holding a camera. A tux or dark suit is fine for the men for the formal
dinner nights, and more casual suits or sportjackets for the informal
nights. Women wore dresses or dressy slacks for the formal and informal
nights; some had fancy evening wear but they weren't in the majority by
any means. If you have nice evening wear, bring it, but you don't need
to rush out and buy an evening gown for your cruise if you don't own one.
For the shore excursions, and for just bopping around on the ship during
the day, jeans and other casual clothes, plus comfortable walking shoes,
are fine.
Speaking of dinner, we asked for and received the second seating at 8:00
(the first one was at 6) because we didn't want to have to rush back from
the shore excursions to get ready for dinner. That was fine; however,
as a result, we were never hungry when time came for the midnight buffet
(11:00-12:00), which was probably just as well, since it's not a great
idea to eat a lot just before you go to bed... :-)
I had brought some Dramamine (actually, the CVS brand equivalent), but
the ship also had some motion sickness tablets (Meclizine) available
for the asking. Although we were close to land much of the time, there
were times when we were out in more open sea, and the ship's movement
was noticeable. The Meclizine pills were good for 12 hours and they
were quite effective. I made use of them throughout the week (mostly
for insurance, though I do have a bit of a tendency toward motion
sickness) and I never had a problem.
As I mentioned above, we had an outside cabin. We opted for one because
we figured that (a) we'd be cruising by land most of the time, so there'd
almost always be something to see, and (b) it would be light late, so
there'd be more time to see whatever was outside. We didn't spend tons
of time in the cabin, but when were were there, I was glad we had the
portholes (although they didn't open, somewhat to our disappointment).
It was also nice to wake up in the morning and be able to look out and
see what the weather was like (mostly fog, which would then clear up).
I got my best view of sea otters when some drifted by on small icebergs
when I happened to be looking out the cabin portholes.
Also as I mentioned above, we traveled north to south, which resulted
in the most spectacular scenery and also our glacier-viewing (except
for the Mendenhall) occuring in the first few days of the cruise.
The Inside Passage (southeast Alaska and the British Columbia coast)
is certainly nice, but not quite as scenic as the points further north.
If you like to save the best for last, you might prefer sailing south
to north, but overall I personally don't think it makes that much
difference.
I could go on in ever more boring detail, but I'll stop here. If
you have any questions, just ask.
-- Nina
|
| 12.8 | ALASKA conference | BOOKIE::EPPES | Of a fictitious nature | Fri Aug 04 1989 18:52 | 4 |
| By the way, I just found out that there's a conference on Alaska. Sure
wish I'd found it before! It's at SUSHI::ALASKA (press SELECT or KP7
to add it to your notebook).
-- Nina
|
| 12.9 | 14 days worth | VINO::FLEMMING | Is it VAX yet? | Tue Sep 12 1989 04:36 | 90 |
| I just returned from an Alaskan cruise which was to say the least, different.
My first remarks when I got on board were "Boy, I hope Alaska is neat because
this ship sure doesn't have much to offer. Its more like camping out than
cruising." I've never been so wrong in my life. What follows is a brief
description of what cruising Alaska on the S.S. Universe was like.
First encounter was as always the stateroom and while it was "big enough",
instead of closets, there were gym lockers. As always, first impressions, etc.
In fact, the cruise director at the orientation talk said he knew there were
several groups on the cruise, AARP, and at least one religious group because
everyone was walking into their staterooms (cabins really is a more operative
word in this case) and exclaiming "Oh, Lord". Also, since it was a steam ship
and quite old for that matter (built around 63 I think), pipes expanding and
making awful noises (like radiators) were also quite common so we were warned
not to be concerned about this. Now if we heard dogs barking and horns honking,
that was another thing.
If a cruise without a Disco or a Casino would be incomplete, don't consider
the Universe. If you require 24 hour a day room service (or any room service
for that matter), look elsewhere. If you don't like classical music, then the
Universe isn't for you. If one of the highlights of your past cruises or
something you were looking forward to was a midnight buffet which you take
pictures of rather than eat at, sail on some other line. However, if you
get hungry around 22:45 (that's when the "midnight buffet" started), and just
want something to eat, then this might be the first plus for the Universe.
Also, coffee, tea, decaf, and milk were available 24 hours a day on deck.
If you like sun on your cruise (and believe me, I do), don't take any cruise
to Alaska in late August or early September. We had 4 days of sun out of 14.
One of the entrants in the talent contest had composed a song - "I'm sailing
in the Rain" and sadly, it got a standing ovation. If you like to eat dinner
with a piano soloist, or a harp soloist, or a chamber music quartet providing
entertainment, maybe its getting closer. If you'd like to attend informative
lectures (for college credit if you want), given by current professors at
well know universities (e.g., Oregon, USC, etc.) on the Biology, History,
Geology, and Anthropology of Alaska, (each gave 4 or 5 lectures), then you
probably can't get this anywhere other than the Universe. BTW, during the rest
of the year, the Universe becomes an extension of the University of Pittsburg
with a program called semester at sea which provides exactly that for about
550 students whilst sailing around the world. This is probably the reason
for the gym lockers rather than closets.
If you are looking for a 14 day Alaskan cruise (this is the only one
available), which stops all day at 8 ports of call (Sitka, Ketchikan, Valdez -
we didn't see any sign of the oil spill but there were people apoligizing and
explaining how it could never happen again all over, Seward - for Anchorage,
Skagway - with a side trip to Haines possible, Juneau, Wrangell, and Victoria),
a whole day at Glacier Bay, and several hours at Columbia Glacier, consider
the Universe. If you want to sail on a ship where the captain happens to spot
a whale at the head of Glacier Bay and brings the ship to a full stop until we
spot more (10 or 12 at least before the day was out) and also have a biologist
on the bridge pointing out every aspect of what you are viewing, I don't
recommend Princess cruise lines.
If you want great shore excursions (as good as any available on any cruise
I've been on), a very young and thus very enthusiastic cruise and shore
excursion staff (ever get off the ship and wonder where your tour was? Never
happened on the Universe), very comprehensive printed instructions and maps
for each port of call so if you wanted to do it on your own, it didn't have
to be based on what the cruise director told you was available in port three
days ago, again, consider the Universe.
If you require Broadway reviews or star talent every night for entertainment
(although, the did have Shirley Jones - of the Partridge Family and Oklahoma
fame, and Robert Preston of Music Man fame on board last year), sail with
someone else. But if you enjoy Classical Music concerts mixed with some lighter
fare then the Universe was great.
If you don't like to put on a suit for dinner after trekking around a glacier
for eight hours then this is another plus for the Universe. The cruise director
made it quite clear that an open collar was never frowned on upon the Universe.
On the other hand, if you like to dress, many people did every night for the
entire cruise. However, if you're like me and like just a little of the formal
stuff, they had the usual welcome aboard and going away cocktail parties for
which dressing up made excellent sense and most people did.
Finally, the other things you expect on a cruise were about the same as usual.
The food was great, the staff (dining room and cabin stewards) were warm,
helpful, and courteous. I guess most of all, the price was right. We had three
pre-cruise days in Vancouver with sightseeing provided, the 14 day cruise and
a tipping policy which could only be beat by the line (I don't remember which
at the moment) which has a no tipping policy for a price which rivaled other
lines 7 day cruise only prices.
I guess the only other downer was we had to arrange our own flights as they
didn't really have a fly/sail setup but then, I believe I wound doing better
on my own than I usually do with the specials included in fly/sail programs.
All in all, if you want to cruise Alaska, I'd highly recommend the Universe but
look hard for the brochures and book early. The word is getting around.
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| 12.10 | | BOOKIE::EPPES | Of a fictitious nature | Tue Sep 12 1989 19:14 | 12 |
| RE .9 - I think we passed the Universe heading north as we headed
south on our Alaskan cruise in July (see my report in .7).
It looked like a nice ship. How many passengers does it hold?
Although I had a great time on my cruise, the one you described sounds
like something I'd enjoy as well. Next time I plan an Alaskan cruise,
I'll definitely consider the Universe!
-- Nina
P.S. The line with the no tipping policy is Holland America (although
of course we ended up tipping, anyway, since the service was so good).
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| 12.11 | Intimate | VINO::FLEMMING | Is it VAX yet? | Wed Sep 13 1989 03:08 | 2 |
| The Universe carries 550 passengers. Nice and cozy.
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| 12.12 | | DASXPS::DLONG | | Tue Oct 03 1989 10:16 | 8 |
|
This is probably a crude question, but can you tell me the
approximate cost of some of these cruises. Its the detrmining
factor as to if we go or not.
Thanks,
Debbie
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| 12.13 | Cost info | CAMLOT::FAMULARO | Joe, ZKO3-2T43, DTN381-2565 | Tue Oct 03 1989 11:03 | 10 |
| The cost can range anywhere from approx. $1500 to as high as $11,000
per person depending on the line, length of cruise, airfare ... etc.
Your best bet Deb is to check with some of the agents mentioned in
other notes within this conference. They have up to the minute
pricing. Also stop by a travel agent and pick yourself up some
brochures. That will give you a good idea of the cost.
Joe
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| 12.14 | pricing | ATSE::FLAHERTY | Nothing is by chance! | Tue Oct 03 1989 12:49 | 6 |
| Many of the cruises I've been on were less than that, under $1,000
(not counting 'shopping' money). Having four in the cabin reduces the
price significantly also. Bargains can be found...good luck!
Ro
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