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VANCOUVER – Disney has become the most recent entrant within the popular Vancouver-to-Alaska cruise route, offering cruises along the Inside Passage.

The business’s 2,400-passenger Disney Wonder set sail Tuesday from Vancouver to begin its first Alaska cruise season after being re-deployed from LA. Disney joins other cruise companies concentrating on the same itineraries, including Oceania, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess and Royal Caribbean.

Read the full story here http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5i9b0-WTppUPes9B6_o6WQqADHgXA?docId=6756248

Technorati Tags: Alaska, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wonder, Holland America Line, Inside Passage, Seattle, The Walt Disney Company, Vancouver

A study launched through the Alaska Health Department states ships in Alaska and elsewhere they are under-reporting shipboard ailments. The report reported good examples of flu breakouts on Alaska cruise ships using the worst instance as being a h1n1 virus outbreak last year.

Shahrokh Roohi using the CDC, who assisted writing the report, states cruise ship confirming has started to improve.

Read the full story here http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/94ed29205b7c4feebe29edb4e428d233/AK–Ship-Illnesses/

I’m going on a Princess cruise to Alaska and All my cousins are coming. So we all are pretty much teens and we all want to know what the dating game in the teen’s club is.

Well, we played the dating game in our French class a few times, and I’m not sure if this is exactly what it is, but I think that it is when there are two rows filled with people that are facing each other, and one of these rows will be the "listener" and the other row with be the "answerer." Someone will make up a question that the "answerer," will have to answer, talking to the person in front of them in the other row. These will be random, sometimes personal questions so that other people will know who you are. After one question has been answered, everyone in one row will move to the right one spot, and another question will be asked, which they will then answer to the new person/"listener" in front of them. This game was created so that people will get to know each other better; perhaps an opening portal for meeting other teens on the ship and maybe even beginning relationships. lol
HAVE FUN ON YOUR PRINCESS CRUISE! You’re soo lucky…

We are leaving from Vancuver Canada and going to Alaska on a 7 day cruise. Will verizon wireless cell phones work in that area? Will you have to pay extra charges? I know, I need to call the phone company to be certain, but just wonder if anyone has had this experience…

you have to check the frequencies of the phone (can be found in the manual that came with the phone),you can call your provider to find out,or go to your providers website and pull up info about your phone,or you can actually check from your phone it should be under "phone settings" or "phone info" depending on the type of phone you have. there are four frequencies starting with 1800 if it operates on all four then you know that youre good. if not you will have to call your provider to ask which frequencies are used in alaska. if you tell me the make and model # of your phone i can tell you which frequencies it opperates on

and about the extra charges it depends what type of plan you have….is it national or local? if local,you are likely to have some roaming charges and possibly long distacne as well. if national there will be no long distance charges and roaming im not sure of every companies different on that one

Which cruise lines do you recommend? Any other helpful advice would be greatly appreciated! THANKS!

First of all, I think that you should contact a cruise specialist/travel agent to help you with this booking. If you have never cruised they will give you all the information you will need and help you plan the best possible trip. There is just too much risk involved if you don’t book with an agent, and it could end up ruining your honeymoon.

Second, Alaska is a great place to go and the cruises are amazing. I recommend doing the inner passage that will stop at the major ports. Some lines even offer tours at each port, which is great.

Holland America and Princess have the best cruises to Alaska in my opinion, they are wonderful. But they are going to be a little more pricey. Also, Holland tends to attract more seniors, not sure of what age group you would want onboard.

Most cruise lines that go to Alaska have a very nice cruise. It mostly depends on what you are looking for as far as crowds, entertainment, price, length, etc.

What I would recommend doing is going to http://cruisecritic.com/ This is a great resource. It has lots of information on different destinations, as well as member reviews of cruise ships. You can go in and read about cruises to Alaska, cruises for honeymoons, romance, etc. You can find a lot of information here. So what I would do is read the site and get some information. Find the cruise/cruises that interests you the most, then find a good travel agent that specializes in cruises. They can price your different options and help you to pick the best lines and help you with all the planning.

In my experience I prefer Royal Caribbean over Carnival for familes. The service is much better, and it is a lot cleaner. However, food on Carnival is less expensive, the food is somewhat better and rooms are a little larger. The shows on RCL are a little better, especially for kids, Carnival is more Las Vegas style shows. Carnival is known as the party boat, which in my opinion isn’t always good for kids. On RCL you have a lot more choices as to what you want to do for entertainment. Also with Carnival, you may pay a lower cost up front, but often times when you get on board you will find a lot things aren’t included and you may end up spending more.

I suggest looking over the activities for both cruise lines and pick the one you think suits your kids best. You know aht they like, so it will be easier for you to decide. Both are pretty nice cruises, it also depends what boat you are taking. In my opinion, Royal Caribbean is a better cruise line, Carnival is more budget friendly and has more activities for kids.

Princess and Holland America are both well known for their Alaska cruises. However, these may not be as age appropriate for your kids, it tends to be older couples.

If you think that your kids would like the Activities on Royal Caribbean I would try that line. Overall, I have had much better experience with them over Carnival. But your kids will probably find more to do on Carnival. Again, they are both great ships, but it just depends on what you think your kids will enjoy most.

I’ve also included some links for the activites for kids on Royal Caribbean and Carnival.

Hope this helps!

My family is planning on going on one in the summer or something. We don’t want to go on one that is bad quality or cheezy. And we don’t wan’t a cruise to Alaska! THANKS!

Royal Caribbean! They have tons of activities. (ice skating, rock climbing, miniature golf, just to name a few) The service is good. I love cruising with our family. We can do things together, and when the kids get sick of us they can go do there own thing. Most all of the cruise lines have kids clubs. These clubs offer many age appropriate activities. I suggest any part of the Caribbean for a cruise! Happy Sailing!

I’m planning on going on an alaskan cruise for my honeymoon. Ive heard that there are a lot of older people on these cruises. If you have been what did you think of the cruise. I’m especailly interested in hearing from people under 40

Princess has several ships cruising to Alaska from May through September (before and after that it’s too cold and icy there).

Princess is a premium cruise line, fairly luxurious and ALL about romance, especially if you’re able to book a cabin with a balcony (although in Alaska, depending on the month, it may be too chilly or rainy to be on the balcony for long!). The balcony, however, would provide a good vantage point for wildlife and scenery viewing.

Alaska is such a popular cruising destination in the summer there will be a good mix of passengers of all ages.

Congratulations and have a great honeymoon!

Looking for one for next summer

I’ve been on a carnival cruise line before and was very satisfied
Anything as good or better?
I would also like a cruise with activities for teenagers and young adults

My family and I went to Alaska last year. We went on Holland America. We have been on Carnival to the bahamas and Carnival is nothing compared to Holland America. The room was great, the food was fantastic, the shows were fun to go to, and the service was just unbeatable.

I am considering taking a cruise trip to Alaska and what I have in mind is: "7 Day Alaska Cruise, Roundtrip from Vancouver aboard ms Volendam"

Someone said Volendam is a pretty old ship and should avoid. Is that true? Or there is no big difference between Volendam and a newer ship?
Thansk for your advice.

Shan, the MS Volendam is a great ship. You will enjoy a cruise on her. She does not have some of the newer things that you will find on some cruise ships, like climbing walls, etc. The food will be wonderful as will the service. My wife and I are going on the MS Veendam this October, and have been on the Volendam, too.

Regards,
Dan

Most of us think that cruise lines are way out of our price range. We envision formal dining and entertainment, rich couples drinking expensive champagne and handsomely appointed staterooms that cost thousands of dollars a night. And while there are expensive luxuries offered on cruise voyages, finding a cheap cruise adventure is well within reach of most people. To find a cheap cruise adventure, the first thing that you need to do is shop around. Important considerations such as departure and destination points need to be considered as well.

The best places to start gathering research for a cheap cruise adventure are on the Internet. Check out traveling websites such as Travelocity and Orbitz and the like and start printing out information. Where do you want to go? Alaska or Hawaii? Somewhere more exotic, like South America, or Australia or the Far East? First decide where you want to go and then start pricing different cruise lines. Cruise lines are in the business of taking passengers to wonderful locations, and if they weren’t affordable, they’d soon go out of business. Passengers can find luxurious shipboard appointments if they have a bottomless wallet, but so can the average tourist on a budget.

Take, for example a cruise line in the United States. Carnival and Pacific cruise lines offer passenger accommodations at around $200 a night for three to four day journeys to the Bahamas, Baja California and the Caribbean. This ‘cheap cruise’ fare is not cheap in the sense that you won’t be able to access the perks that other passengers are receiving. Far from it. This price includes just as many amenities and perks as any other passenger enjoys. Of course, the longer the journey, the more expensive it can get, but also keep in mind that most passenger voyage tickets include everything from room and board, dining, onboard entertainment, use of fitness rooms, swimming pools and any other activities provided while on board, and even may include tickets to any sightseeing venues off the ship while in certain ports of call. When looking for a cheap cruise ticket, make sure that you know what is included and what isn’t in the price of a per person ticket.

No matter which kind of a cheap cruise line ticket you’re looking for, remember to read the fine print. Many cruise lines require double occupancy for the prices quoted. Some also require that anyone under the age of 21 must share a room with someone who is at least 21 years of age. Comparison shopping for a cheap cruise line ticket won’t take very long, and you’ll more than likely be surprised at the number of good deals you can find. Just remember that a cheap cruise doesn’t mean that you’ll be bunking down in the boiler room. Do be advised however, that the cheaper your ticket, the lower in the ship your room will be located, so keep that in mind when booking rooms. A cheap cruise find is a rewarding payoff to a little homework.

Chonticha Marijne
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/how-to-find-your-cheap-cruise-adventure-105844.html