Minicruiser

We just finished this cruise and stayed in Seward an extra day at the Harbor 360 hotel, lovely. We booked our own excursions and our own hotel. We booked helicopter dog sledding (a must with our kids) through Seward Helicopter Tours. Very fun and if you aren’t into the dog sledding, their helicopter tours alone would be beautiful. The scenery around Seward was unbelievable.
On our second day we booked our own Kenai excursion through Seward Ocean excursions. (4 kids in tow we needed a little more flexibility) We had a great experience. We saw orca, humpback, seals, sea lions, and got up close to a calving Glacier, fantastic!! Since it was private, we got to choose what our priorities were which meant hanging with the Orcas a little while longer.
We took the 6pm train on Sunday from Seward to Anchorage in a golden dome car. It was narrated and beautiful!! We booked it ourselves by calling the number on the Alaska train website. It connected us to Alaska Tour and travel who were very helpful. They actually booked the hotel for us too. 800-208-0200.  The hotel even sent our luggage over to the train station for us, which was really helpful since we were heading out on our excursion for most of the day.  In our downtime, we walked around downtown Seward and visited the Sea Life center. Seward was a great little town. Definitely worth staying the extra day.  
We didn’t have much time in Anchorage, but we did go to a fun little market that is there on weekend mornings with local artisans. Very nice. Have a great trip!

We just finished this cruise and stayed in Seward an extra day at the Harbor 360 hotel, lovely. We booked our own excursions and our own hotel. We booked helicopter dog sledding (a must with our kids) through Seward Helicopter Tours. Very fun and if you aren’t into the dog sledding, their helicopter tours alone would be beautiful. The scenery around Seward was unbelievable.
On our second day we booked our own Kenai excursion through Seward Ocean excursions. (4 kids in tow we needed a little more flexibility) We had a great experience. We saw orca, humpback, seals, sea lions, and got up close to a calving Glacier, fantastic!! Since it was private, we got to choose what our priorities were which meant hanging with the Orcas a little while longer.
We took the 6pm train on Sunday from Seward to Anchorage in a golden dome car. It was narrated and beautiful!! We booked it ourselves by calling the number on the Alaska train website. It connected us to Alaska Tour and travel who were very helpful. They actually booked the hotel for us too. 800-208-0200.  The hotel even sent our luggage over to the train station for us, which was really helpful since we were heading out on our excursion for most of the day.  In our downtime, we walked around downtown Seward and visited the Sea Life center. Seward was a great little town. Definitely worth staying the extra day.  
We didn’t have much time in Anchorage, but we did go to a fun little market that is there on weekend mornings with local artisans. Very nice. Have a great trip!

My pleasure. Good luck

That is exactly what I did for my B2B Anthem cruises for Feb 2020.  I booked them last year at the regular price just to hold them and then once 1 April came around, I used my casino comp offers to reprice those cruises....only I ended up not doing that...but that's another story.
So yes.  If you want to book a 2 BR ATS for October 2020, book it now at the going rate and then reprice them using your casino comp offers after 1 April 2020.  Just realize that you will not be price protected.  They will reprice the room based on whatever the going rate is when you reprice and the most you are likely to get off (unless things change between now and then) will be 30% but 30% off is sure better than full price !!  Also, be prepared to sacrifice $100 per person in case it does not work out the way you think it will (which is my scenario for the Anthem cruises I booked).
Once I started booking casino comps I have never gone back to Next Cruise.  The benefits of Next Cruise and the Casino are mutually exclusive and the casino will always win out - even with a miserable 30% off.

Not trying to give away a Star Class secret here, but of all of the Star Class rooms the 2BR Aqua theater suite is the least expensive in my experience, even the 2BR spacious ATS is reasonable, you just have to go out and book them early, start by looking at the Oasis and Allure for the Jan-Apr cruises that are announced already in 2021. You look at Harmony, Symphony and Anthem they start getting more expensive.
I have the 2BR ATS on Oasis booked for just my wife and I and it was very reasonable, just remember when pricing it up everything is included in the price, dinning and drink package, voom and gratuities, etc..

Nothing about Royal's "point system" makes much sense lol but, thank you for the tip. I am going to try this and see if it helps me gain points.. Really I just want to make sure I get another 2,500 points to keep my status and after that I don't care as much. 

I spoke with one of the hosts on my cruise to try to figure out the system. I was earning points quickly at blackjack but my husband was lagging behind, similar average bet. The difference between us was the side bet. Host said that the new points system gives tons of points for the sidebet. Sure enough once he started throwing $5 on the side bet, his points rose quickly.  We got more points for the side bet than we did high average bet per hand. Definitely a weird system and not Vegas-like at all.

Yes, you have to be a dedicated gambler BUT it does pay off...if you early the free certificates and are rated at least at the Prime level (a free cruise every year that you are eligible).
As Traveler said, it's pretty straight forward for slots player but a little more difficult to quantify for table players (like we are).  You just put your butt in a chair at a table and stay there for hours on end.  Pretty easy !  LOL

I've taken teens on helicopter rides before in different tourist destinations.  Mine loved it.  
What I like about the helicopter visit and walk on the glacier is the totally different perspective you get.  When you look at a glacier from a distance you see the black streaks that run down them.  When you walk on a glacier up close you see the boulders and large pieces of rock that are those black streaks.  You can imagine the massive forces at work as a glacier slides down a valley breaking those large chunks of rock off.  You see the surface and streams of water flowing across the surface.  We even got to sample the glacier water runoff.  
Years later I still remember that today when I see a glacier from a distance.  With each glacier we sailed past or saw way off in the distance it meant more to me having walked on a glacier and seeing it up close.
Mendenhall Glacier when viewed from the visitors center is impressive but walking on it is something else all together.   I paid $350 per person in 2017.  Last year the best price I saw was $339.  
My turn at this excursion was documented in this live blog post:
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/5211-alaska-recap-celebrity-millennium-june-2017/&do=findComment&comment=51839
 

Cool! Thanks!

No, thats in addition to the free yearly prime cruise. 

We like the big ships too and planned our last trip around being on Symphony. But....I’m hoping Alaska is different....more about the destination and less about the ship. We have long port excursions every day except two, which is quite different from our symphony trip. Fingers crossed that my kids don’t get bored!!!

It will still be great!  I am just a big ship girl ?

Quantum class' VIA / Royal Esplanade area looks even more like an indoor mall than the Royal Promenade on Voyager / Freedom class, with very little in the way of views outside until you get aft / over by Two70 Lounge. Unfortunately it's something of a required aspect of being a cold-weather ship -- not nearly as much glass in the public spaces, with the very notable exception of the Solarium. That space is fantastic for the outside view of the water as you're lounging in a hot tub or one of the many waterfall-style shallow pools, or enjoying a lounger at the very front of the space, or sitting at the bar enjoying a beverage. Two70 Lounge and CK also have lots of big windows for great views and water connection, and the MDR might have that as well (haven't been so can't say). But the other big public areas like Music Hall, Seaplex, Schooner Bar, Boleros, etc. have no windows or only a few smaller-size ones.

Radiance class ships are gorgeous. The glass everywhere is incredible - it doesn't hide you away from the ocean.  I haven't been on Oasis/Quantum class ships yet, but I do like Radiance  class much more than Voyageur class ships (they just look like shopping malls to me).

? She likes... big... SHIPS!!! And she cannot lie!! O-asis really catches her eye! ?

Glad to hear that Alina was good to you and your kiddos and that you had a great time!

@Minicruiser glad to hear that you had a great time and that Alina was awesome!  From what I know, she is newer, and it is comforting to know that there are good ones replacing the wonderful genies that have been leaving lately. 
So Radiance huh?  I can't go there....?

Hi all! I just wanted to jump back on and say thanks to all of those that answered my Star class questions and a special thanks again for this awesome live blog @Lovetocruise2002! Our Symphony Cruise was amazing. Our genie, Alina, was phenomenal and made everything extra special for the kids. I have no idea how you manage to live blog your cruise because I barely had time to take pictures we were having so much fun! Lol.  We’ve already booked again for June on Radiance (alas, no genie) to celebrate my oldest son’s high school graduation. Thanks again for all of the advice! We were nervous but it was all amazing just as you said it would be!

Hi all! I just wanted to jump back on and say thanks to all of those that answered my Star class questions and a special thanks again for this awesome live blog @Lovetocruise2002! Our Symphony Cruise was amazing. Our genie, Alina, was phenomenal and made everything extra special for the kids. I have no idea how you manage to live blog your cruise because I barely had time to take pictures we were having so much fun! Lol.  We’ve already booked again for June on Radiance (alas, no genie) to celebrate my oldest son’s high school graduation. Thanks again for all of the advice! We were nervous but it was all amazing just as you said it would be!

I will leave you all with one last post. This completes the collection. My heart is full. ?❤️

Next goal?  Glass block on an OA class ship ?

The Genie scheduled our time with the photographer for one of the formal evenings, it is only done in the Studio, very professional, the sitting is free, he took probably 40 pictures, some just continuous, trying to get a genuine reaction photo instead of a pose. My wife just told me the only choice are black and white. We scheduled a preview for one of the sea days.
We then went through all of the photos and we picked out 8 or 10 I can't remember, he then touches these up in Photoshop I think, he gives you an example while you are sitting there so you know what to expect.
So 8-10 photos for the 2 of us was $500, if you buy the whole digital package they are supposed to throw in all the photo's including the untouched up photos.
Something happened on ours and we got the 8-10 touched up and the 8-10 untouched, we didn't get the other 20-30 other untouched, either we were never supposed to or we misunderstood what we thought we agreed to.
With that said, I was hesitant going in because I had heard horror stories of peoples packages being in the $1200 range, maybe it depends on how many people are in the sitting? The person that posted this was a Grandmother and it was a whole family cruise, so I assume a whole family photo sitting.
They are really good photos, I'm glad we did them, my Wife and I had not sit down for photo's in probably 20 years, so it was a good thing for us to do.
Let me know if you have any other questions. I keep referring to the photographer as a he, because our was. They are also very serious about focusing on you, they lock the door and even if people are knocking they will not stop and answer the door.
 

No package included. If you are Diamond and above, you can still get your one free photo per adult.
Also, if you are interested, the Genie can arrange a private photography session for you but you would pay for the pictures. @tiny260 might have some more info on that.

Well, walk off was a breeze. Araceli came to pick us up in our cabin at 8:30 am. We were at the curb waiting for Lyft by 8:45 am. There is no wait time with the SC departure. She bypassed all lines and elevators.  No drama from any other guests, and since we had LV, there was nothing to pick up either.
Last sad sight...

FLL is another story, it is packed here. So far everything is good at the gate and our flight home is on time.
Happy to answer any other questions if there are any. If not, thank you all for following along with us. It has been a wonderful week and I have loved sharing the experience with all of you. ?

Cruising without the kids is just as important! Enjoy that!
I have way too many booked already ?
I would be happy if they just gave triple points for SC sailings
Nonsense, I have only learned from the best. ?
That is the beauty of a live blog. Great interaction and lots to learn from each other. For example, I now know how to warm cookies for my next cruise ?
Thank you Mindy for everything ?