ABC Tips-How To Maximize Your Alaskan Flight Seeing Trip

Questions to Ask When Choosing Your Tour Operator:.

  • Is the business a large multi-planed operation, or a one plane, one owner type company?
  • How many years and/or hours of flying experience does the pilot have?
  • Does the pilot regularly fly in this territory? (Many pilots are hired seasonally and come from the lower 48 states).
  • What type of plane will you be flying in? Most flight seeing planes seat 4, 6 or 10 passengers
  • Will all passengers have a window?
  • What are the cancellation policies for: weather, expected turbulence, number of passengers, or generally?
  • What type of tour is this? Some tours are specifically for whale or bear watching, others focus on scenery.
  • How many water landings are included in the tour?
  • Will you be allowed to step onto land, or will you only be exiting onto the pontoon or docks?
  • Will there be communication with the pilots and other passengers or is this a narrated tour?
  • Are tickets purchased through the cruise line, at the Visitor’s Center or directly from a website?
  • Are there additional discounts for early booking, AAA members, military, children or senior citizens?
  • What is the total air time?

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“C” Is For “Champagne Celebrations”-Cruising

Copy (2) ofDSC_0568                                                                             Champagne Celebrations

 

Twice in my life I have had the opportunity to stand at the top of a champagne fountain. The tall tower is stacked pyramid style, with 650 precisely balanced glasses. This Italian celebration is usually done at weddings.  Alan and I have been fortunate to have had calm seas, for the Princess Cruise line tradition to take place in the middle of the atrium. Mostly this event is another formal night, photo opportunity for the cruise lines, but I enjoy the excitement of pouring the bubbly. Besides, this is a free drink event, so of course we will always attend! Continue reading

“A” Is For “Altered States”-Cruising

 

Cruising Through The Alphabet-A Is For Altered States

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In our real world, Alan and I don’t drink much alcohol.  Usually we’ll have a glass of wine at Christmas and a Mimosa on New Year’s Eve.  We might indulge in the odd wine cooler or a glass of wine with friends.  On average, we probably have 8-10 drinks of alcohol, per year.  Take us on a cruise though and we become different people, usually enjoying at least one drink a day, sometimes a lot more!  Maybe it is the freedom from driving, kids and work that we feel.  But I think there is more to it than that.  What is it about this change of environment that makes us alter our behavior so radically?

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“B” Is For Balcony-Cruising

B is For Balcony

On our first cruise, in 1994, we had an interior room.  At the time, we didn’t know any better and we couldn’t afford more.  Like many first time cruisers, we started and ended our day with activities, using our room for little more than falling into bed, exhausted.  This is the number one reason we hear for not upgrading the room and if you have nothing to compare it to, then price alone can be a compelling argument.  After twenty years of cruising, and a few lessons, we have come to understand the difference that this little extension of the room makes.

Copy (1) ofDSC_0899I remember the first time we had a balcony, there were things to learn.  Lulled by the soft breeze and setting sun, we fell asleep with the curtains open.  Forgetting that it is a continually changing landscape outside that window,  we woke the next morning in port,  docked next to another ship, looking directly onto their balcony rooms…and they into ours!    Still, that ever changing, floor to ceiling view is just one of several reasons to have a balcony room.  This is especially true when cruising very scenic locations such as Alaska.  While most passengers are on deck fighting for that perfect picture of the glaciers, you can simply return to your room and enjoy the passing scenery in quiet serenity.

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“A” is for Atriums-Cruising

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While cruising, we challenged our fellow travelers to document their time on board the ship.  The goal was to find something to photograph, which began with the letter “A”.  We chose atrium.

On a cruise, the atrium is usually one of the first places that a passenger will see on embarkation day.  Similar to a hotel lobby, it is the heart of the ship.  In this location, you will also find the customer service desk, the shore excursion office, the purser’s desk and the cruise consultant.

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Around the Ship-An ABC Cruising List

Cruising is so unique that I thought it deserved an ABC list of its own!  Use this list to discover your ship.  Highlighted items will link to other stories within the blog and/or you may use the search feature.

Alcohol

Art Auction

Art Gallery

Atrium

At Sea

Balcony

Bars

Beauty Salon

Bridge Tour

Buffet

Cabin

Cabin Steward

Captain

Casino

Centrum (see also atrium)

Champagne Tower

Chocolate Buffet

Cigar Room

Classes

Cocktails

Coffee/Tea

Comedian

Dining

Disembarkation

Embarkation

Entertainment

Excursion Desk

Excursions

Fitness Center

Formal Night

Free Dining

Future Cruise Sales

Galley Tour

Games

Golf

Grill

Guest Services

Hidden decks

Hot tubs

Ice cream

Internet at Sea

J

Karaoke

Laundry

Learn Something New

Lectures

Library

Lifeboats

Lingo

Lounges

Maitre d

Magician

Massages

Medical Center

Movies Under the Stars

Music

Muster Drill

Nap

Open Ocean

Organizing a Cabin

Passenger Services

Photographers

Photos/Video Gallery

Pools

Quiz

Room Service

Sail Away Party

Sanctuary

Sauna

Shops/Shopping

Shore Excursion Desk

Shows

Solarium

Spa

Splash Pool

Sunsets/Sunrises

Tea/coffee

Teen Center

Towel Art

U

Vow Renewal

Walk a Mile

Wine Tasting

Xbox

eXcursion Desk

Yoga

Zen