My hasbund and I recently cruised the coast of Alaska on the Holland
America Line. The week-long cruise with our own balcony, wraparound
decks, and easy access to delicious food and entertainment gave us a
chance to relax and have fun, while viewing Alaska's glaciers, wildlife
and scenery. This cruise was on my wife's bucket list and I was along
for the ride, come turbulence or bliss. (There was no turbulence.)
As I walked up the gangplank, I started to realize what all my friends who travel to faraway places knew: the Alaskan cruise is a blast. And it can be exciting and fun for you too, if you keep these suggestions in mind. These suggestions can make any extended cruise better.Bear in mind some of these were learned at the door of Hard Knox. You don't want any sudden events--such as being booked on different connection planes in different cities--rain on your parade. (That almost happened to us because our last flight of the evening was cancelled.)
1. Don't over-pack. Pack the essentials. You want to look hip, poised, and polished, but one of the biggest regrets you might make is to have packed too much. When one piece of luggage alone weighs almost 50 pounds, your significant other or spouse won't be happy about hauling 50 pounds of luggage in one arm and more luggage with another arm. You're both better off keeping your luggage simple in size and easy to spot on the conveyor belt. (Our luggage was colored burgundy and lime, but the big one weighed 49.25 pounds.)
2. Put your passport, cell phone, reservation papers, and credit cards in a very safe spot that is easy to access. Keep the same spots for the whole trip. This will help you worry less about where important things are. You can also count the number of important things that have to stay with you from place to place, especially if you have some day trips on land. We had seven items to be concerned about, and one was a cane.
3. If you wear glasses, pack a second pair just in case the lense pops out and breaks. Have you ever sat on your glasses and broke them? I have. And my wife broke her frame. No problem you say, just go to a drugstore and buy a cheap pair of reading glasses. There are no drugstores on the cruise boat, and in a relatively big city, a drug store that is open might be challenging to find, particularly on a Sunday.
4. Avoid carrying a purse that could also hold a 16-pound bowling ball. Less is more-that is, more fun and easier. Don't forget your medical insurance card and your medicines. (Be sure to pack motion sickness pills, and take one the day before you board the ship.) These items are essential and should not be included in your luggage for the plane. You don't want them to accidentally arrive in a different city. So carry them onboard in a secure place.
5. When you book your flight, be sure to book your spouse on the same flight sheet. What might happen is that your connection flight might be booked on another airlines! This is what happened to us! It wasn't easy straightening it out to make the correct connection flight. We wouldn't have made that flight, except when we went through security we passed up over a hundred passengers by yelling "We have a three o'clock flight!... Thank you! Thank you!" The passengers waiting on line all responded graciously to our problem by moving aside.
6. Pack a small alarm clock with your luggage so that you have a back-up to waking up in time for a good breakfast and a good start of the day. Yes, you can also use your cell phone to wake you up. Time flies when you're having fun. So it's advisable to wear an inexpensive watch and check the time periodically. Then you won't have to dig to find your cell phone to see the time. The time check will always be available at the end of your arm. If something is easy to do, you're more likely to do it.
7. Most of all: be sure to enjoy yourself. You spent your hard-earned money for this trip. You can expect to expect to eat well, sleep well, make new friends, see new places, learn interesting facts, see some fantastic shows and wildlife in their natural environment. Pace yourself. Don't sign up for any eight-hour bus touring trips, especially if they have no lavatory. Let the staff on the ship serve you. If they want to carry your plate to your table, let them. If they want to pamper you, let them.
Don't worry about the ship malfunctioning. Contrary to popular newscast, you're more likely to get hit by lightning than having problems at sea. When you're out and about do you worry about lightning? I hope not. Near the end of our trip, I knew that I was going to write this article, and I asked a waiter "What do you think is the most important thing for passengers to remember?"
As I walked up the gangplank, I started to realize what all my friends who travel to faraway places knew: the Alaskan cruise is a blast. And it can be exciting and fun for you too, if you keep these suggestions in mind. These suggestions can make any extended cruise better.Bear in mind some of these were learned at the door of Hard Knox. You don't want any sudden events--such as being booked on different connection planes in different cities--rain on your parade. (That almost happened to us because our last flight of the evening was cancelled.)
1. Don't over-pack. Pack the essentials. You want to look hip, poised, and polished, but one of the biggest regrets you might make is to have packed too much. When one piece of luggage alone weighs almost 50 pounds, your significant other or spouse won't be happy about hauling 50 pounds of luggage in one arm and more luggage with another arm. You're both better off keeping your luggage simple in size and easy to spot on the conveyor belt. (Our luggage was colored burgundy and lime, but the big one weighed 49.25 pounds.)
2. Put your passport, cell phone, reservation papers, and credit cards in a very safe spot that is easy to access. Keep the same spots for the whole trip. This will help you worry less about where important things are. You can also count the number of important things that have to stay with you from place to place, especially if you have some day trips on land. We had seven items to be concerned about, and one was a cane.
3. If you wear glasses, pack a second pair just in case the lense pops out and breaks. Have you ever sat on your glasses and broke them? I have. And my wife broke her frame. No problem you say, just go to a drugstore and buy a cheap pair of reading glasses. There are no drugstores on the cruise boat, and in a relatively big city, a drug store that is open might be challenging to find, particularly on a Sunday.
4. Avoid carrying a purse that could also hold a 16-pound bowling ball. Less is more-that is, more fun and easier. Don't forget your medical insurance card and your medicines. (Be sure to pack motion sickness pills, and take one the day before you board the ship.) These items are essential and should not be included in your luggage for the plane. You don't want them to accidentally arrive in a different city. So carry them onboard in a secure place.
5. When you book your flight, be sure to book your spouse on the same flight sheet. What might happen is that your connection flight might be booked on another airlines! This is what happened to us! It wasn't easy straightening it out to make the correct connection flight. We wouldn't have made that flight, except when we went through security we passed up over a hundred passengers by yelling "We have a three o'clock flight!... Thank you! Thank you!" The passengers waiting on line all responded graciously to our problem by moving aside.
6. Pack a small alarm clock with your luggage so that you have a back-up to waking up in time for a good breakfast and a good start of the day. Yes, you can also use your cell phone to wake you up. Time flies when you're having fun. So it's advisable to wear an inexpensive watch and check the time periodically. Then you won't have to dig to find your cell phone to see the time. The time check will always be available at the end of your arm. If something is easy to do, you're more likely to do it.
7. Most of all: be sure to enjoy yourself. You spent your hard-earned money for this trip. You can expect to expect to eat well, sleep well, make new friends, see new places, learn interesting facts, see some fantastic shows and wildlife in their natural environment. Pace yourself. Don't sign up for any eight-hour bus touring trips, especially if they have no lavatory. Let the staff on the ship serve you. If they want to carry your plate to your table, let them. If they want to pamper you, let them.
Don't worry about the ship malfunctioning. Contrary to popular newscast, you're more likely to get hit by lightning than having problems at sea. When you're out and about do you worry about lightning? I hope not. Near the end of our trip, I knew that I was going to write this article, and I asked a waiter "What do you think is the most important thing for passengers to remember?"
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