Alaska Airlines PFD Sale

Hey everyone!  I have been researching (as usual) and have heard about the Alaska Airlines PFD sale.  First, PFD stands for Permanent Fund Dividend.  This is a stipend for Alaska residents that have been living in Alaska for at least a year and can attest that they will be staying there.  It is a benefit provided by the earnings from the Transalaskan Pipeline royalties.

Anyway...

Aparently it is the time of year for residents to get their PFD stipend so Alaska Airlines always runs a sale around the Septeber-October timeframe and anyone can take advantage of it (even non-Alaska residents).  Supposedly the residents should be finding out about the PFD amount they will be getting tomorrow.  So I will be watching cruise critic to see if people start posting about flights.

The seats that are offered at a discount are limited and once they are gone, they are gone.  So apparently we would need to act fast!

Trip Insurance - minor expense that could save you big $$$

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!  I have been thinking about cruise insurance.  For a trip of this length and expense, it is really a good thing to consider.  You can buy trip insurance directly through Royal Caribbean.  They offer insurance through CruiseCare. 

The last time we cruised, we used Travel Guard (www.travelguard.com).

You can also go to www.insuremytrip.com and enter your information and get quotes from several different companies.

This is a small additional cost that could save you alot of money in case of trip cancellation or a medical emergency or missed flight connection, etc.  Let us know if you decide to get insurance and what you get.  John and I will be discussing soon as well and will keep you informed.

Alaska Airlines credit card

Hey everyone!  I have been reading online and at least for our cruise next year, you might want to consider getting the Alaska Airlines credit card.  Apparently by using the credit card to book your fare, you can purchase a companion fare for only $110 more.  Here is the link to learn a little more about this credit card:

http://www.alaskaair.com/content/deals/mileage-plan/visa-signature-promo.aspx

I will be talking to John about this tonight.  Let me know what you all decide to do!

What other ships will be in port when we are?

I don't know if anyone is nterested.  However, I thought I would post this link.  This website tracks the cruise ports and which ships will be in dock on certain days. This is a good thing to consider when doing your planning so you will know how many other people to expect in each port and what the crowd levels may be!

Here is the schedule for the days and times that we will be docked:

Seward, Alaska - 8/16 leaving at 8:00 p.m. (docked)
Juneau, Alaska - 8/18 from 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. (docked)
Skagway, Alaska - 8/19 from 7:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. (docked)
Icy Strait Pointe, Alaska - 8/20 from 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (tendered)
Ketchikan, Alaska - 8/21 from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (docked)
Vancouver, British Columbia - 8/23 - arriving at 7:00 a.m.

and here is the website:

www.cruisett.com/ports.php

Just thought I would let you know. Enjoy

Diner's, Drive-ins and Dives in Alaska

John and I are avid viewers of the popular Food Network show Diner's, Drive in and Dives.  Here is a list of the restaurants that have been featured on that show.  I posted on Cruise Critic about them and got a little feedback from a local.

Big Daddy's BBQ and Banquet in Fairbanks - has a fan club in the area but the poster is not a BBQ fan so she didn;t ahve much to say

Hot Licks in Fairbanks - great made-in-Fairbanks gourmet ice cream. Think of a northern version of Ben & Jerry's. You can find Hot Licks ice cream in the local grocery stores. When their stand opens on College Road we know that summer has arrived in Fairbanks.

The Cookie Jar in Fairbanks - When the schedule for the show was published in the local paper there were a number of comments on all of the places, and the general comment about the Cookie Jar was "you've got to be kidding." Years ago they were quite nice for a casual dining option, but the service has become very sloppy the last decade. We haven't been back in at least five years after it took slightly over sixty minutes between placing the order and receiving the cold food (some of it should have been hot), while the owner (the husband of the married couple) was walking around oblivious to the number of people who were upset and leaving. The waitresses were so upset they were buying cookies out of their own money to apologize to the customers.

Country Cafe in North Pole - the person commenting did not live near there so could not comment on the food

Elf's Den Restaurant Lounge in North Pole - has been in business since early 1980s but the poster does not live near there so could not comment on the food

Pagoda Restaurant in North Pole - person commenting had stopped at the Pagoda while on their way down to Harding Lake. It was fine, but at the time was not the best oriental in the area.

Silver Gulch in Fox - the person responding posted the following:  We have been to the Silver Gulch a number of times. Since they are a brewery (the beer is great) many of the dishes have beer as an ingredient. It is a fairly casual place with at best OK service. We were there with a group several weeks ago and I thought that the food had definitely improved during the last few months.

John and I will most likely try at least one of the places since we like to try to go where Guy Fieri has been.  We hope you join us!

Skyscraper Tours, Inc.

Well, it is official everyone!  Our reservations have officially been transferred to Skyscraper Tours, Inc and Lori Cunningham is the Travel Agent.  Her contact information is lori@skyscrapertours.com and 1-877-442-5659 if you need to contact her for anything.

Remember that by doing this that she has agreed to pay for our gratuities and also give us an additional $300 in onboard spending money.  So, I think this was a win-win for us and her!  I will be forwarding you the new invoices that list her company as the travel agent.

Your MyCruise Account

Hey everyone!  Be sure to go out and sign up or your "My Cruise" account on www.royalcaribbean.com!  Then once that is created, you can pull in your reservation and start entering your SetSail information (address, birth date, passport #, etc.).  Glenda, because of how we had to book rooms, you are currently in my room and therefore on my "My Cruise" account.  Bob is with John and so you can open a "My Cruise" account for that room and when we get to the boat, we will plan to switch Bob to your room and me to John's room.  This is just how we had to set things up originally so that we could take advantage of both of John and mine Next Cruise certificates).

Please set up your accounts right away and let me know if you have any questions!

Where do I find all of my information?

In case you were wondering...

I frequent a website, www.cruisecritic.com, to get a lot of my information.  It is a discussion forum for people that cruise.  Basically a lot of people post about their experiences and then I research from there.  We have gotten some really great suggestions from there in the past.

You can lurk around on there or get your own login.  I am kycruisefan and post under that name.  Look me up if you decide to get your own login.  It is free!

Juneau - whale excursion companies

While researching I have come across some excursion companies that are being talked about a lot online.  They are:

Orca Enterprises - http://www.orcaenterprises.com/

Harv and Marv's - http://www.harvandmarvs.com/

Alaska Galore

Juneau Whale Watch - http://www.juneauwhalewatch.com/

The first two that I listed get the most reviews.  Harv and Marv have smaller boats so it is a more intimate experience.  Orca Enterprises boats seat about 20 - 24 people.

I cannot seem to get to a website for Alaska Galore but I will keep trying.

The prices seem to be pretty similar on the websites that I listed above.  There are also excursions that the cruise line offers and we can look at those as well since we will have some on board credit to use up. However, John and I are big fans of independent excursions as you seem to be able to get better deals.

Feel free to look over the information on the websites and see what you think.  When John and I vacation with a group, we always say that everyone should book what they would like and what suits them best.  But, if we could do at least one excursion on this trip as a group, I think it would be a lot of fun.

Waterproof jacket and pants

Good evening everyone!  I am reading again tonight and several people have mentioned that getting a waterproof jacket and possibly waterproof pants is a good idea for the cruise.  It rains often in Alaska so why not be prepared?

Sierra Trading Post, LL Bean, sporting stores, etc. sell them.  Get waterPROOF and not just water resistant.  Also, when shopping, get a jacket that has a liner that zips in and out so you can remove the liner if it is warmer outside.

As for the pants, a lot of times the pants that I have seen will fold up unto a little bag for you to carry if it stops raining.  Jeans can hold dampness a long time once they are wet, so the pants might save you from a very uncomfortable situation on a long excursion if they keep you dry!

While in Alaska, think like an onion!

I am speaking of course when it comes time to dress for the day.  You want to dress in layers.  Your bottom layer should be something light in case we luck out and have a day in the 60's or 70's.  Most days however will be cool.  So start light and then add a shirt, sweatshirt and always have either a raincoat or rain poncho handy.  A toboggan and mittens are optional.  I am always a little colder, so I will probably have mittens and a hat but you know yourself better than anyone else!

I would rather dress for cooler weather and rain and then be pleasantly surprised when we luck out and get some sunshine and nicer temps!  This is not a Caribbean cruise but it will be beautiful nonetheless and packed with adventures!

Who farted?

While in Alaska we will need to be sure to sample the state drink - a Duck Fart.  You can drink this concoction of Kahlua, Bailey's Irish Cream, and Crown Royal as a shot or a larger version served in a rocks glass.  Enjoy!