Frequently Asked Questions / Tipping & General Questions
Frequently Asked Questions / Passports
Frequently Asked Questions / Health Tips Afloat
Will it be DAYLIGHT for 24 hours in this 'land of the midnight sun?'
Not unless your vessel cruises north of the Arctic Circle - which most cruiseships do not. But, even in the southernmost waters of the state the sun will not set until around 11 p.m. or so at the summer solstice, and it will rise again in a very few hours. Even after “sundown,” it is usually more “dusk” then “dark.” Longest day of the year is June 20/21; after that the days slowly grow shorter, but only by a few minutes each day. You’ll hardly notice the difference until the latter days of August.
I'm concerned about TIPPING on my cruise. Are shipboard tips Included in most fares quoted by the lines serving Alaska?
Quick answer: Only one that we know of is luxury line Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
It's confusing, but tipping practices vary among the other cruiselines serving Alaska just as they do elsewhere. Some large ship cruiselines suggest that passengers present tips directly to waiters, assistant waiters, the head waiter, and cabin attendant the night before disembarkation. Others include a "service fee" which can be paid at any time.
On many of the smaller ships in the Alaska trade tips are pooled and divided among the crew. For these cruises it's all pretty simple and forthright. Usually, on the night before disembarkation, your cruise director will announce a suggested dollar amount based on the cost of your cabin or the number of days of the cruise. You're welcome to give more or give less than this amount. Usually, you can pay by credit card and the amount will be added to your running "tab" for other shipboard expenses.
On the larger ships it often gets confusing as a voyage nears its end. Frequently a major subject of conversation over dinner is, "How much do we tip the waiter? What about the maitre d'? How much should our stateroom attendant receive?" Confusion often reigns and many a passenger has disembarked wondering if he or she should have tipped more.
To the rescue comes Theron P. Keller and his marvelous free Cruise Tip Calculator. Even before you leave home you can, in a matter of minutes, (1) access his calculator site on the web at http://www.cruisetip.tpkeller.com/, (2) select your cruiseline from the list of nine major cruislines listed, (3) fill in the number of adult and child passengers in your stateroom, and (voila!) (4) see an immediate display of tip suggestions appropriate for the cruiseline you've chosen. Mr. Keller's wonder-site will also tell you how many currency bills ($50s, $20s, $10s, $5s, and $1s) it will take to place the appropriate tips in the several envelopes you can obtain for that purpose.
How should I dress for an Alaska cruise?
In layers, definitely. Pack a couple of short-sleeved shirts, or tee shirts, likewise long-sleeved shirts (or blouses), a warm sweater for strolling on deck when the ship is under way or when you’re cruising a glacial fjord or bay) a light raincoat which can double as a windbreaker, easily removable gloves (for deck wear when you’re taking pictures), casual pants or jeans, and - if you’re on a ship that has one or more “formal nights”- you’ll need a dark suit or tux for the gentleman or a “dressy” dress or formal for m’lady. Few if any of the smaller cruiseships require other than casual attire. If you are traveling on one of the larger vessels your pre-sailing cruiseship documents will offer more specific instructions. You’ll also want headware of some kind. The “Tilley” brand is quite popular (and practical,with it’s chin strap to anchor it on your noggin if the Alaska weather turns windy). And/or you may want to wait until your first port of call and buy a souvenir Alaska baseball-style cap. Having said all that, try to pack as light as you can. “Large” for a stateroom or cabin is not the same as “large” for a bedroom in your home. Storage and closet space is often at a premium, especially on smaller vessels.
HOW long might an Alaska cruise last?
This report defines a cruise as being a scheduled overnight journey available to the general public aboard a vessel that accommodates at least 10 passengers. (One exception: the elegant nine-passenger sailing schooner Maple Leaf.) For 2009 the longest cruise runs 25 days/24 nights; shortest is four days/three nights.
When is the BEST TIME to visit Alaska?
It depends on what you mean by “best.” For lowest prices, early May/early June and late August/September) generally offer the lowest fares. May is generally the most rain-free month, though it can rain in coastal Alaska anytime. The fall months are usually the ones with most precipitation, though during many years the southeast panhandle experiences a rain-free “Indian summer” period that lasts a couple of weeks or more.
Do I need a PASSPORT?
Short answer: Yes, unless you are embarking and disembarking your vessel within Alaska and are not calling on any foreign ports nor taking any cruisetour that visits Canada or any other nation.
Sadly, in these post 9-11 days, a passport has become a highly recommended document to carry with you, especially when you leave the U.S. even briefly. Since many cruises and some Alaska trips embark from, disembark from, or make port calls in Canadian cities you need to carry a passport on these sailings.
Here is an announcement issued in May, 2009 by the Department of Transportation/Alaska Marine Highway System regarding ferry travel to and within Alaska. It applies as well to cruiseship travelers:
Alaska Department of Transportation officials are reminding travelers intending to enter Alaska from Canada that beginning June 1, 2009 all U.S. and Canadian travelers must show proof of identity and proof of citizenship.
Necessary identification will be required for motorists entering the state at various border
crossings on the road system as well as passengers boarding Alaska Marine Highway System
ferries in Prince Rupert.
U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry must have a passport,
passport card, or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security. U.S.
citizen children under the age of 16 will be able to present the original or copy of their birth
certificate, or other proof of U.S. citizenship such as a naturalization certificate or citizenship
card.
U.S. citizen children ages 16 through 18, when traveling with a school or religious group, social
organization, or sports team, will be able to enter under adult supervision with originals or copies
of their birth certificates or other proof of citizenship.
How do I get a passport?
The following information is from the U.S. State Department:
United States citizens can visit the State Department’s travel website www.travel.state.gov, or call the U.S. National Passport Information Center: 1-888-874-7793. You should allow yourself a sufficient amount of time to apply and receive your passport in advance of travel. Please allow 6 weeks for processing of your passport application if you apply from inside the U.S. If you need to travel urgently and require a passport sooner, please visit http://www.travel.state.gov for additional information. Overseas passport processing times vary; you should contact the closest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for specific information.
Peak domestic passport processing is between January and July. For faster service, we recommend applying between August and December.
Foreign nationals should contact their respective governments to obtain passports
HEALTH AFLOAT - the Subject No One Talks About; Should I Be Concerned?
First of all, your health should be a concern whether you’re at home watching TV, camping in Colorado, gaming in Vegas, or cruising the Inside Passage in Alaska. The same general health rules apply: Eat sensibly. Drink moderately. Take all your usual meds and vitamins. And exercise at least as much as you do at home. Here’s an Alaska exercise bonus: jogging ‘round the deck or working out in a window-rimmed shipboard fitness center is a lot more fun afloat – as you watch Alaska's ever-changing wilderness roll by – than it ever is on the same old runs and gyms at home.
That said, some passengers are particularly concerned about cruising anywhere, since they will be at sea a portion of the time and not readily accessible to the medical services they are used to.
That’s where cruising in Alaska has something of an advantage. In addition to medical services on board ship, passengers are seldom more than a day’s travel away from first class American or Canadian medical facilities. The regional hospitals at Juneau, and Anchorage are well staffed and equipped with modern, state-of-the-art treatment facilities; smaller community hospitals and medical clinics elsewhere likewise rank high in standards of care.
Aboard ship, staffing and treatment capabilities vary. The smaller ships in the Alaska trade will not have doctors aboard.
Larger vessels will generally have one or two physicians aboard plus nurses and medical orderlies. There are no international requirements on the books but ships registered under the laws of England or Norway are required to have both hospital facilities and at least one registered physician aboard. Vessels registered elsewhere generally do so as well. Doctors are, for the most part, general practitioners and they may be either employees of the cruiseline or on contract. You may be charged for medical services as well as for prescriptions.
At the back of almost all cruiseline brochures, medical staffing and practices are discussed. Make sure the facilities and staffing levels meet your expectations. During your booking process you will probably be asked about any existing medical problems you are aware of. Answer such questions fully and factually.
From time to time you read or view news reports of illness outbreaks aboard a ship. Usually these stories concern Norovirus outbreaks, affecting dozens of passengers on a single cruise (sometimes well more than a hundred). The virus (also called “Norwalk” or “Norwalk-like” after the Ohio city where a school outbreak occurred in 1968) is a particularly nasty actor. It causes nausea, diarrhea, and stomach pain and lasts at least a couple of days. It is not, however, considered a fatal illness and once recovered a patient usually suffers no more symptoms.
Norovirus outbreaks occur on ships when one or more previously infected passengers come aboard and make physical contact with common objects such as deck and stair railings, chairs, tables, door handles, poker chips, and other such locations. The next passenger to touch the object may easily pick up the bug and eventually transfer it to his or her mouth. (Sometimes you may see a ship’s employee aggressively spraying and “polishing” an elevator button. He’s not trying to make the button shine. He’s making it sterile.)
The virus, incidentally, is not exclusive to cruiseships. In fact only about 10 percent of outbreaks occur in vacation settings of any kind. It shows up in hotels, restaurants, nursing homes, schools, meeting places, senior centers, offices, in fact anywhere that numbers of people are likely to gather. One year it even broke out along the frozen trail of Alaska’s famed winter classic, the Iditarod sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome. No sissy, this bug; it can thrive (and infect) in freezing temperatures or in heat as high as 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
You do see more headlines and stories about this illness in connection with cruising than with other activities or locations, perhaps because cruiselines are required to report outbreaks to the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC). CDC, in turn, reports these outbreaks to the public. There is no similar requirement to report land-based norovirus occurrences to federal agencies.
Is there a shot or a drug you can take to protect yourself? Unfortunately no. But there is something you can do that substantially reduces the likelihood of infection. Practice what your mamma always told you: Wash your hands! Wash your hands! Wash your hands! Frequently. Thoroughly. Preferably in warm water and soap, rubbing hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds (about as long as it takes you to sing “Happy Birthday to You” two times). Second choice, carry and use alcohol-based hand cleaners. Make it a project never to let let your hands come in contact with your mouth, nose, or eyes.
For additional important hands-hygiene tips, visit the CDC website at: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/pub/Handwashing/HandwashingTips.htm.
For general information about norovirus occurrences visit CDC’s http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/pub/Norovirus/Norovirus.htm.
What can a cruiser do about SEASICKNESS?
For one thing, don’t worry yourself into a dither. Remember, you’re on an Alaska cruise, which means that during much of your journey you will travel in the island-protected waters of the Inside Passage and you will likely be in port a great deal of the time.
More good news: It has been calculated that only about three percent of passengers get seasick these days, thanks to extremely efficient stabilizers installed on mid-size to larger ships.
But the bad news is, the malady has been around since Noah took his famous 40-day cruise in Biblical times and will probably never be eliminated completely. You do have, however, a number of helpful options:
To start with, at the first sign of feeling queasy breathe some real air. Not the mechanical air-conditioned variety inside the ship; inhale the real stuff outside on deck. Preferably at a spot where you can feel brisk ocean breezes on your face. If it’s raining or blowing too hard to venture outdoors, go somewhere you can look out and see the horizon. But avoid high levels on the ship.
Eat sparingly. Go extra easy on the wine and booze.
If you’ve been told that stormy seas are in store, you may consider taking Dramamine, preferably starting an hour or so before anticipated rough sailing occurs. The product is available over the counter without a prescription at almost any drug store. Most ships also will have it available, either complimentary or at a small charge.
If you look carefully you may spot a few fellow passengers wearing skin-colored patches behind their ears. These patches may be heavy-duty seasick remedies. Note, however, they may be purchased only with a doctor’s prescription and be aware there are possible side effects. It is imperative that patches be used only as directed.
Many cruisers – the author of this website and his wife included – feel that “Sea Bands” sold in many drug stores offer an effective drug-free alternative. You wear these gently elastic cloth bands, smaller than most watchbands, on each wrist. A small button on the inside of each one gently presses a particular pressure point on your wrist. Somehow, for many travelers, this pressure helps take the “mal” out of “mal de mar.” The bands may be worn while you sleep and/or throughout the day, whenever you feel you may be at risk.
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