As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
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There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
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Moving on with the current of the years.
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It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
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If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Ask away! I am loading up picks and getting everything reading for my report on my little blog. We stayed in Seattle for a few days before at the Sheraton. We took the light rail into town. Took a cab to the pier.
Stayed Ocean view didn't bother to spend the extra $$ to upgrade and it never bothered us. Actually the whole ship was so cold including our room at times we were grateful for no door lol. I guess it depends on the time of year but it was very cold warmest was high 50s. We had great weather aside from Ketchikan, but it is always rainy there. We had Palo tea, brunch and dinner. Went to the spa for working out, am stretch, and rain forest. Did quite a few events and most pm shows and acts.
Our tours:
Skagway- shopped in the am because it was the only time we had to, in the afternoon we did the Whitepass rail.
Juneau- Adults only whale watching, Mendenhall & salmon bake
Ketchikan-Rainforest island adventure (my favorite..we took a small band speed boat to a rainforest island) we did the naturalist hike saw eagles, amazing nature and on the way back orals came right up to the boat. If we want to we could touch them...ok i will put it in the review but even the guide and driver were flipping because it was the first time that ever happened! It was so cool!
Lots of the float plane tours did not go out and they were all cancelled and many people were stuck without tours or on the duck tours, they said this happens frequently so fyi.
Victoria- we weren't going to do anything, but we ate dinner and not much was going on so we jumped on a shuttle and just did a quick tour of the town on our own. It was a beautiful town, glad I saw it.
So if you have any questions in the meantime, ask away, I will try and answer if I can.
Yikes, it was cold in the rooms, too? Guess I'll pack some warm jammies. I'm sure I'll come up with more questions, but for now-- about Victoria. How long was the process of getting off the ship, clearing customs and getting back on again. I'm just trying to figure out how much actual time I'd have to spend in port. Sounds like it didn't take too long, if you had time for dinner and a bit of a tour.
Yikes, it was cold in the rooms, too? Guess I'll pack some warm jammies. I'm sure I'll come up with more questions, but for now-- about Victoria. How long was the process of getting off the ship, clearing customs and getting back on again. I'm just trying to figure out how much actual time I'd have to spend in port. Sounds like it didn't take too long, if you had time for dinner and a bit of a tour.
It was cold on the ship. I had heard from others on past cruises that the ship was warm so I didn't pack too much in way of sweats and such. I had to buy a pair, I guess it depends on your tolerance. I was prepared for the excursions but not the ship! We turned the room temp all the way to warm, but like I said the day of Tracy Arm it was 45 degrees and every other day it was mid to high 50s and windy. I assume later in the season it may be a bit warmer so it might be ok. They said just the week before it was even colder and raining all week longSo it varies and that effects the inside of the ship as well. I would say there will never be a time on this cruise when it will be toasty hot except the Rainforest room in the spa lol!
Victoria- easy breezy. We scanned or cards and didn't go through customs????I guess it is all cleared before. There were 2 customs officers at the gate as we came off the ship but the just waved as we passed. I guess they are there more so for security. It's just like the Caribbean/med/Bahamian ports if you have done those.
We did wait about 10 minutes for one of the free shuttles to downtown, but that is because everyone got off at the same time (after the first seating dinner when they announced we were cleared). The shuttle only took like 5-10 mins to get to downtown and then we didn't even have to wait for one to take us back around 8:30pm they had them lined up. We thought is was more then enough time but we just shopped, and there were still a few thing oped. We walked the harbor, and visited the Empress Hotel. If you wanted to "do" something it's tight. I might book with the ship for peace of mind.
Thanks, Mary. I'll re-think the packing list, then. Like you, I was only thinking of layers and warm clothes for the excursions. You've also convinced me to go for the length-of-cruise Rainforest pass!
I'm glad to hear that the procedure in Victoria is so easy. My nephew lives there and I'm hoping to get off the ship to have dinner with him.
I, too, am planning on shopping in Skagway as it's the only long day in port.
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I think having dinner with your nephew sounds wonderful and possible. We ate first, then got off. They announced the clearing right at dinner so you could skip it and maximize your time with him!
I would spring for the rainforest, I personally love it and I have never enjoyed it more then on this cruise. Now with packing, I think you smart to do layers because with Alaska , I think you just never know!
Boarding in Seattle was a breeze. We arrived around 11am but had to check baggage to waited in that small line. We recieved boarding # 3 and we were on the ship by 12:30. We had a nice lunch at Parrot Cay and it was not too busy at all. People were steadly coming on throughout the day. There were many first time cruisers so that might have effected that
Thanks! I'm glad to know I can plan dinner with my nephew. It would feel strange to finally be in Victoria and not see him at all! And I see many naps on the stone loungers in my future!
Which port was your new signature photo taken at? Beautiful!
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yes, BUYER BEWARE, most of the tours that require flying get cancelled more than they go out on the panhandle... you're better to do those more inland than on the coast... and we've been pretty rainy this yearr.
If a cruise line excursion is cancelled, there's no charge for the excursion, so it's not a money issue. The question is whether to book an excursion that you really want to do and risk a cancellation, or just forget about it because it might be cancelled.
Cruisers on this itinerary have no viable option to fly from "inland." You run out of road pretty fast in Ketchikan and Juneau, and while you can drive up into the Yukon from Skagway, it seems the closest flightseeing operator is in Whitehorse, about 110 miles as the road twists.
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Good to know about the possibility of the rooms being chilly. (I will pack good PJs) You are one of many that has mentioned sweats. When I mentioned this to my husband he looked at me like I was crazy! "Sweats? On a cruise? When would we wear them?" LOL
Would you please elaborate? LOL I am not a huge fan of just wearing jeans all the time and tend to be a yoga pants/tee shirt girl around the house so I think sweats while relaxing in Alaska sounds pretty nice : )
Mary, do you remember which night was the Taste of Alaska? I think last year it was the night they were in Skagway (Day 4?). I have Palo on Day 6 and just want to make sure that isn't Taste of Alaska night.
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So it varies and that effects the inside of the ship as well. I would say there will never be a time on this cruise when it will be toasty hot except the Rainforest room in the spa lol!
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