The Glade 4.0

Anyone been on an Alaskan cruise? I have not been on any cruise before, but I heard that Alaskan cruises are better than other (ie Caribbean) cruises. I imagine Caribbean cruises are hot (shorts, sandals, tshirts, etc), but how are the northern ones? If I go in May, will I be wearing jackets the entire time?

If Alaskan cruises aren't the way to go, how about Bahamas cruises? What destinations would you recommend?

And, off topic of which cruise to take, does it really matter which cabin/stateroom I book? One friend tells me that the room doesn't really matter because I'll be spending most of my time on deck. On the other hand, some of these rooms have really nice features.

Just trying to do some early planning.

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My boss took a Disney Cruise in Alaska. She LOVED it.

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I've never been on one, despite living near the port they most commonly leave from.

I've heard they are a lot of fun. The only negative that I can think of is the potential for some nasty virus to ruin the trip. The cruises here (and maybe everywhere) were plauged by this problem at some point. Not sure if they've taken measures to prevent it or not.

I have been on 3 cruises, all to the Caribbean, all on Carnival Cruise line. I have had interior cabins and ones with a balcony. I liked the balcony the best, it was nice to get up in the morning and order room service and have breakfast on the balcony. Otherwise you eat at the buffet, which gets old. I liked the ports on my last cruise, Roatan, Cozumel and Belize. You don't get a lot of time in the ports, it's more of a quick visit. I went at the end of June and the weather was hot, but not bad. Rainy season starts in June for Caribbean.

I think a cruise depends on what you like. If you want to lay by the pool and drink and be involved in all the things happening on the ship, inside cabin is it. If you like some alone time, maybe a balconly would work.

Check out some of the cruise web sites, Cruisecritics.com is one. They can give you lots of ideas and suggestions from people that cruise constantly.

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Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

Can't help ya I'm afraid. Never been on a cruise, and really have no intention to unless its paid for. I don't like the idea of being on a boat and stuck somewhere >_>

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In May, you will probably be wearing short sleeves. One of the advantages to the Alaskan Cruises is they are usually cooler than the Caribbean and give you more scenery to look at as you pass by the magnificent Alaskan Inside Passage. It also isn't as touristy as the more populated and exploited Caribbean.

It really depends on what you want out of your (Honeymoon?) Cruise. Alaska, more than twice the size of Texas has only around half a million people total, and most of them are in Anchorage. You would probably get to spend some time in the least populated Capital City in the Union.

The food is equivalent, the on-board attractions are the same, the tourist opportunities are entirely different and the ocean water is a lot cooler. No snorkeling on the Inside Passage. Then again, you don't get the opportunity to see glaciers on the Caribbean Cruises.

Figure out if you want a hot tropical vacation or a cool scenic one.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

I would imagine it really depends on what you are expecting from the cruise. None of the cabin/stateroom's are going to be large, but I know having access to the outside is a big plus for me.
I'd say that the views on an Alaskan cruise are much better than a Caribbean cruise. The ports in the Caribbean are going to be chock full of touristy stuff and shops to peruse.

Michael, I don't think an Alaskan cruise will take him to Vermont.

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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko

Alaskan cruises sail up the inside passage, which is really just western Canada. Lots of seabirds, maybe some eagles and whales.. lots of trees and small islands maybe a calving glacier if you take the right route...

Something like this

Everything Kirra just said is the same for me. (Except it was two cruises ago when I stopped in Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan. And that cruise also stopped in Grand Cayman.)

Ports i have stopped at:
Nassau, Bahamas
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
Saint Thomas, USVI
Cozumel, Mexico (twice)
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (twice)
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Saint Maarten/Saint Martin (Netherlands/France)
Martinique, France
Barbados
Belize
Roatan, Honduras
Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos
La Romana, Dominican Republic
Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles

No Alaska yet. I don't really want to do Alaska. I take cruises to escape the snowy north.

Of all of those stops, Curaçao has been by far my favorite.

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Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherezade had a thousand tales
But master you in luck 'cause up your sleeves you got a brand of magic never fails...
...Mister Aladdin, sir, What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order, Jot it down -You ain't never had a friend like me
█ ♣ █

In May, in Alaska, you'll probably be wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt, maybe a sweatshirt or pullover. That what I wore up there last June.

Bear in mind that it is very wet up there, so you'll be wearing a light rain jacket a lot.

Alaska is AWESOME. I have not been on a cruise up there, but have been to the Caribbean. My aunt, as a last trip sort of thing, took an Alaska cruise with my two sisters, and they all had a lot of fun (she passed away on the trip).

I highly recommend this idea. Bear in mind, though, that cruise ships are fairly crowded, so just expect that. On the ship, you can get away from crowds easy, but in town and getting on and off the boat will be very crowded.

This struck me as odd.

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Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherezade had a thousand tales
But master you in luck 'cause up your sleeves you got a brand of magic never fails...
...Mister Aladdin, sir, What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order, Jot it down -You ain't never had a friend like me
█ ♣ █

Well, it's not really a selling point. "Take an Alaskan Cruise! So good, you'll just die!"

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I've done the alaskan cruise. You really are not going to be spending much time in your cabin (unless this a honeymoon or you get seasick) so I wouldn't bother with the cabin. Having a window can reduce seasickness though. (fix your eyes on the horizon)
Do the shore excursions. (If you're doing Alaska, I highly recommend reading Call of the Wild--most the shore excursions are at places mentioned in that novel. )


Oh. And eat the salmon.

I was stationed in Alaska for three years when I was on Active Duty. If I could find decent work in my field in the Anchorage area, I would move in a heartbeat.

I loved it.

I don't think I'd want to live in the Interior.. too cold in winter, too hot in summer.. but the Anchorage area was great.

Of course I haven't been there since 1999-2000, so it may have changed...

I should go back :p

Yes, Tom is crazy. That should clear everything up.

#waitthatsnotwhatweretalkingabout?

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Alaska is by far the most beautiful place I've ever experienced, and while I'm not a major globe trotter, I'm one of the most-traveled amongst my circle of friends.

Go see Alaska.

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

The fun occurred prior to this event....

I gathered. Although with all the Irish influence in my life, I did like to imagine they had one hell of a wake aboard the ship...

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Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherezade had a thousand tales
But master you in luck 'cause up your sleeves you got a brand of magic never fails...
...Mister Aladdin, sir, What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order, Jot it down -You ain't never had a friend like me
█ ♣ █

No. Two young ladies with no experience (none at all) with death. Somewhat traumatized, sad, don't know what to do, etc. Actually, the fact that it occurred on a massive ship was a blessing. They knew exactly what to do, and were extremely helpful. Shipped the body for free, etc.

Note: Talya lives where it is cold a fair bit of the time. She chooses to vacation where she can be be warm to hot. You live where it is hot a lot of the time. Do you want to go somewhere that it is also hot, or would you prefer going somewhere cooler and you can see icebergs?

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

We've decided to go on an Alaskan cruise for our honeymoon. Thanks for the advice.

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YAY! Take lots of pics.

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Raell Kromwell

Heh, but watch out for calving glaciers. I imagine you'll be on a slightly larger ship, however. Have fun.

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This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge