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I generally order the same, but try a few new items each trip. I am not a prime rib fan, but ordered it last three cruises on my wife's recommendation. Last cruise the meat was rare instead of medium rare, so I won't order it again. Some entrees, as stated, aren't great, like lasagna or spaghetti, but they are ok. Ok with a nice dessert and a glass or two of wine works for me. Lunch in MDR can surprise you; the lamb pita was outstanding a week ago.

And weather is a factor. Aside from sunny Vancouver, we had light or heavy rain in all ports. The Sitka town bus line was short when we arrived about noon. I won't go to Alaska in May again.

To your point, we've booked two River cruises since Royal's Med itineraries aren't appealing.

Just got back from Sitka, and I had posed the same question before our cruise. Our excursion group met in the theater, walked off the ship, and arrived at our own bus. The email is for folks without excursions who want to go into town. Our excursion included otter/whale watching, and we returned by boat next to the Serenade.

I have snorkeled several times off the beach at Coco Cay, but with my own equipment. Agree with Matt and others that a teen would not enjoy at first time. First snorkeling experience needs to be a guided excursion at a good spot. Choppy waves can foul snorkel and cause a novice to panic. And jelly fish can be present.

The free shuttle at Sitka will take you into town or downtown Juneau. Plenty of Mendenhall transportation. PS. The otters, Raptors and bears is good, but don't pay more than 250 at Sitka. If you do just a single stop, I recommend Raptor Center over bears.

The 5 pm on Serenade became 445 pm this week. Too early!

At Sitka and Juneau our excursions met in theater and operator provided bus transport; didn't use shuttle that walk offs needed to get to town. Recommend Sea otters, Raptors, and Bears excursion at Sitka. Did see whale, sea lions, eagles and otters. Rained in Juneau but Royal put umbrellas in room. Tracy Arm Fjord fantastic, but you need to get up at 6 am on our itinerary. Mendenhall glacier crowded. Skip visitor center and walk to Nugget Falls.

In Vancouver now and everyone uses CC. But I have Canadian dollars just in case. Bank ATM is a good resource. We leave cash for housekeeper and shuttle bus drivers. I agree with Matt that it's not a major issue.

+1

Passport, in case you fly home from wherever. Murphys Law, etc.

In Vancouver now and nice weather! Loved the immigration kiosks at airport. Easy Uber ride to hotel. Won't try to sail Memorial Day weekend again due to high hotel prices, though. Plenty of eateries downtown. Cheers!

An old post, but to your point, many folks plan for travel insurance and sensible packing as preventive measures. We also take our own luggage off at disembarkation. Lost luggage is always going to be frustrating. I think the days of taking expensive clothing and jewelry on cruises are gone except for what fits in your carryon.

Sorry for the unsympathetic and even sarcastic comments you received. The show you experienced seems to have been poorly run. But as others have stated, it's not for everyone. We avoid the Quest and all adult comedians, having tried once. There are so many other entertainment options on Royal, and some should appeal to you. We always have fun.

Haven't snorkeled there, but saw lots of coral washed ashore. Try 3rd party operators or resort day pass that features snorkeling.

Whichever ship has the best pastry chefs!

I'm guessing that hurts staff more than RCL management. Just a thought.

I don't think it is unrealistic to expect an adult to act like an adult in a venue that is, well adult-like. So whatever you choose to do, be respectful. We've dressed in casual clothes absent our suitcases, so I understand there are many factors involved as well as cultural differences. But please don't jump all over OP for expressing an observation. You are entitled to yours as well. PS. I wasn't going to say anything until you used the word "wrong".

If you don't buy right after booking, say within 2 weeks, you lose coverage for preexisting medical conditions. That may or may not be important to you. And premium can go up if you wait too long. Edit. Allianz allows you to adjust dates of travel if your travel plans change after purchase.

Yes, there are always those who, for whatever reason, don't follow instructions. But getting too worked up about it doesn't help your cruise experience. I have given up trying to change others' behavior in such matters as it doesn't really hurt anyone. But I do notice. Still, we have more serious problems to address...

Correct.

My pet peeve is slow response to emails about hotel and air arrangements. Everything else is great, but I may switch to someone who replies in a day with "I'm still looking for best arrangements".

When I dug deeper, I realized our meeting time was soon after arrival at the pier. That is consistent with what Ryan79 shared. No worries.

We enjoyed Giovanni's Table on Brilliance. Great food and service. They even let us in early.

Just received Royal's email to reserve shuttle seats at Sitka. However, we have an excursion. Are we already guaranteed seats, as in tendering, or must we book seats? Excursion description is silent on meeting place. Any early Alaska travelers who can confirm?