TimeRacer

There are plenty of people who don't go all dressy for the formal nights. I've never seen any negativity towards those who opt out; it's just something fun that some folks do and others don't. Heck, even within my own family my husband and I take it way more seriously than our pre-teen and teenage children.

I've never seen that particular error. I can only guess that while the reservations are linked, you aren't listed as the "owner" of their reservation? I had to have the 2nd stateroom we booked for our kids specially linked to be able to book them into stuff with us. It was an easy phone call to customer service.

I talked myself out of getting one last year when we sailed on Ovation, but I definitely think I'm getting one this year on Oasis. It just seems like it would be good for me.

There is a free shuttle from the cruise port to downtown Sitka, and we just explored the city when we were there. The national park is an easy walk, and the totem trail is both beautiful and interesting. Juneau's cruise port is already in the middle of downtown, and there is plenty to explore without an excursion. We had a Mendenhall Glacier excursion, and when we got back from that we still had a ton of time to roam along the boardwalk. Like others have said, in Juneau there are 3rd party excursions right at the dock, and they aren't pushy hawker-style sales folks.

It helps to remember that SEATAC is quite a distance south of Downtown, and the cruise terminal is quite a bit north of downtown. When we went last year, we flew in the day before, and stayed in a hotel that split the difference in distance. We used the 1 Line (public transit train) to get to our hotel, and then the next morning used a rideshare to get to the cruise terminal. That was the most cost effective and efficient for us. 

I've never heard of such polite bed bugs, waiting until the end of the cruise to be a pain.

Seriously, though, I've never seen bed bug bites that look like the ones OP shared.

Considering the popularity for guests, and the money maker it is for RCI, I'm guessing it's probably just a routine maintenance shutdown. Do some upkeep, maybe do some trainings for the on-island staff, that sort of thing that is just easier to achieve without the public running around.

I am. The August 9th sailing to the southern Caribbean. 

I haven't had any problem with rideshares before. Both Tampa and Seattle have designated areas for rideshares to be able to pop in and grab folks pretty quick. Although I do travel with a family, so we're having to order LyftXL so there's an SUV for all four of us and our suitcases.

Sitka, we didn't bother with an excursion. We walked over to the National Park, and hiked around. Then explored town itself. Juneau we did the Mendenhall Glacier/Salmon Hatchery, and while we were there in May (too early for the spawning) it was still really interesting and fun for us.

Cabo Rojo is part of our August 2025 cruise, so I'm gonna need you all to come back and share your experiences there. Google Maps makes it looks like it's in the middle of nowhere, but if there is a beach I can walk to, I'll be happy.

We stayed closer to the airport at the Hampton Inn Westshore and then took a Lyft to the cruise port. Tampa has the pick up/Drop Off route down pat, so it's nice and easy no matter how you arrive. The airport and cruise port are reasonably close, so whichever you choose to stay closer to, you're in good shape.

Our family was really divided on Wonderland on Ovation earlier this year. I loved it, but I'm also a weirdo who will eat almost anything once. My husband liked the flavors, but was weirded out by it in general. Our kids liked their food, and thought it was interesting, but I doubt they'd enjoy it a second time.

That said, I have a cruise booked on Oasis for next year (well past the drydock) and there is no mention of Wonderland anywhere in the cruise planner. I'm pretty sure this dry dock is just the general maintenance/tune up type.

When I was looking into doing our first cruise, this was the one piece of advice that I took extremely seriously, even though it was a direct 2 hour flight that I'd made plenty of times before. It was worth the extra hotel cost to have my anxiety-ridden oldest child be chill the day the cruise started. 

10 hours ago, Cruisin and Boozin said:

FLL less expensive

That's what I'm hoping. I also think I can get directs easier from my home airport to FLL.

If you sail out of Ft. Lauderdale and have to fly in, do you fly into FLL or into MIA?

Well, crap. I went and booked a cruise almost a year away.

Oasis, August 9 2025.

I just got off an Alaskan cruise, and they asked for ID at every port to get back on the ship. 

I was just on Ovation, and the MTD rooms are the ones on deck 4. They have the same check-in area, so you just walk up to the podium and they take care of you from there.  If you get Surachai as your waiter, he is fantastic and has great stories!

I just did my check-in for Ovation in May out of Seattle, and snagged the 10:30am slot. And yes, I was the crazy one who got up at 3am to check in.

This is the highest one I can find on my cruise planner right now for my May Alaska cruise.

Noon is the earliest I'd be comfortable with, simply because security at TPA can take a while. Then, you'll have time to get off the ship, grab an uber/lyft/cab, and be able to have a cushion for peak security waiting. 

On our Alaska cruise in May, we decided to try out Wonderland. On our first cruise we skipped all specialty dining, so we thought it would be fun. We went for quirky, since that's usually our style. I pulled videos for my picky children so they know kinda what to expect.

My weird question is this: are the portions enough that my high-metabolism, huge appetite hubby will be fine, or am I gonna have to direct him straight to Sorento's after dinner so he isn't whiny all night?

2 hours ago, Cactus527 said:

If you don't already, you could consider using compression packing cubes - it will save you space in your suitcase and allow you to bring more!

I just ordered a set that my best friend's wife swears made their Iceland cruise a breeze. I test packed some of the extra layers I want to take, and I think they are going to be a true gift from the travel gods!

I opted for Southwest instead of Alaska Airlines for our Alaskan cruise in May, partially because the extra cost of the checked bags annoyed me. That said, my family flies carry-on only for trips of 5 days or shorter; longer than that, we bite the bullet and check the bags. With having to do layers for Alaska, we're absolutely checking bags.