La Salle Explorers

[hedge]

The worst thing about cruises, aside from the cattle call nature of the whole enterprise mentioned above, is the shore leaves, which is just another huge cattle call. They pull into port, then everyone vomits forth into the "town", which has mostly been set up sell junk and shitty food to the thousands of cruisers who mill around like zombies for a few hours until they must rush back to the ship en mass. Or else the cruisers buy a day pass for some stretch of beach that has been set up solely for that purpose so they can sit on the beach for a couple of hours. Then the cruisers go back home and rave about all the places they've been as if they were some kind of seasoned world travelers, when in reality they haven't been anywhere but some cartoonish villages set up entirely for them and their accursed kind without ever really seeing the places they claim to have been. In other words, the perfect "vacation" for IB and his ilk...

[eCat]

My situation is converse. I do very little household chores, practically zero. I also hate cruises because I disdain being stuck on a boat with thousands of others waiting in line to get to dinner, etc. Being herded through destinations where you see very little of the place because you are herded back on the boat after a few hours. My in-laws are taking my wife and kids on a cruise next month and I kindly declined. I will enjoy staying uptown after work dining and hanging out at cool places. Having the rest of my family gone is MY ideal vacation.

I've been on 4 cruises now - the first was when I like 26 or so. It was a full 7 days with stops at multiple ports - we were able to do some stuff but you're right - on a package tour, the whole thing is rushed because they know if you're late they'll be fined out the ass by the cruise ship. I didn't mind the 7 day cruise, I was young and it was just me and my wife, no kids. Pretty high dollar trip on a ship called something Norwegianian.

The next 2 cruises were Disney, and Disney is a glorified babysitting experience. Get the kids on the boat, hand them off to the cruise people and they do stuff all day - meanwhile you sit at the adult pool and have $9 boat drinks all day. Pick the kids back up for dinner, go to a show and then drop them off again. The kids loved it because Disney doesn't really scrimp on anything - they made a TV show with sound effects on a studio set, played a game show, saw a movie that was still in theaters at home, etc
One shore excursion is on a private island which is nice and we were there from 9am - 5pm - more time than I spend at a beach anyways, and then our second shore excursion was at Atlantis in the Bahamas (SUCKED). But those Disney cruises, after everything is said and done will run you about $1K a day not including travel.

The last cruise I went on was at Xmas of this year. Took my 77 year old mother on a budget Carnival cruise. I knew what to expect and I hated every single minute of it. It was a 5 day cruise and by day 3 I was crawling up the walls. It was the Wal-Mart of cruises. The only good part was there was a bar about 7 rooms down from our room and my mom, my wife's mom and her husband were on board and we dropped the kids off with them. The shore excursion was dune buggies on Cozumel which was kinda fun but was roughly $125 an hour for a group of 4 with a lunch that consisted of chicken nachos and salad.

I'm tempted to take an Alaska cruise but I've talked to some people that have done the interior trek by train , car and ferry and they tell me its much better to see the real Alaska that way. I'd love to see Calgary/British Columbia anyways so I'm tempted to drive up there and make it a 10 day trip.

Another trip I keep trying to do is the Chicago to Glacier National Park by Amtrak. A sleeper car will run you about $2500 round trip which is cost prohibitive to me - unless you want to make the train trip your entire vacation. My sister did it last year just riding coach and she loved it. She said the seats recline and you have a 110v outlet for electronics. Throw in Wifi and its tolerable I guess. Not sure how I'd respond go 22+ hours on a train with a wife and 2 teenagers in coach.

[sardis]

The nice thing about living in Charlotte is that you have a direct flight (about two hours) to most carribean islands. Each year we go on a four day weekend to one of them, rent a car, and see some pretty cool restaurants and beaches that have hardly anyone there. Last year found this gorgeous beach on St. Johns with no one but me and the Mrs.....The only way you can get a 45 yr. old mother of three to disrobe in public...

[sardis]

One of my dreams is to drive to Alaska. Due to the time, will probably have to wait until I retire.

[hedge]

The Disney ships are noticeably nicer than the rest. I could see doing something like that if I had little kids for the reasons you mention. Basically a vacation with the kids, but also a vacation from the kids...

You should definitely try to get to Glacier by whatever means necessary. I have been camping there several times and it is one awesome place. Not nearly as crowed as many of the more well-known national parks (more of a chore getting there for most folks), and the geography is amazing...

[hedge]

We talked about renting a dune buggy when we were in Cozumel last month (my favorite Caribbean destination) but we didn't get around to it. Going to Grand Cayman in July, I hear there's not a whole lot going on on the island, but the diving is supposed to be great...

[Owlman]

I'm tempted to take an Alaska cruise but I've talked to some people that have done the interior trek by train , car and ferry and they tell me its much better to see the real Alaska that way. I'd love to see Calgary/British Columbia anyways so I'm tempted to drive up there and make it a 10 day trip.

Any idea how much that train trip costs? My parents loved the cruise to Alaska (one way, flew back). Does the food on the train live up to standards? I have visited all states but Alaska, Nebraska, South and North Dakota, and Montana. So, the trip to Alaska is high on my list.

[Owlman]

most people are sodomist. Sodomy is any oral or anal sex between people of the same sex or different sex.

[hedge]

That may be technically correct, but that's not the common current usage...

[Saint]

IB's never had a blow job

[Saint]

but apparently he's given them, per his response

[eCat]

Alaska By Train

Alaska offers some of the world’s most spectacular rail journeys. Two railroads operate in the state, the Alaska Railroad and the White Pass & Yukon Route. The White Pass & Yukon Route travels from Skagway to Fraser, B.C., and is a scenic rail line with over 100 years of experience taking expectant travelers across rugged terrain. The Alaska Railroad is a modern railroad with track stretching from Seward and Whittier in Southcentral Alaska, through Anchorage and Denali National Park to its terminus in Fairbanks. The Alaska Railroad is well known for its glass-domed rail cars and excellent service. Alaska is not accessible from the Continental U.S. or Canada by rail.



Taste of Alaska 5 Days, 5 Nights
Available May 21 - Sep 6, 2013

You can check off your list of Alaska must-see sights on this five-day tour. See the stunning marine life and coastal mountains of Seward and the surrounding waters of Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park, ride a dog sled and take the Exit Glacier Tour.

By air you fly around Mt McKinley, North America’s tallest peak, a trip some travel writers called the best flightseeing they’ve ever experienced. The Devil’s Gorge jetboat tour should satisfy your thirst for hardy adventure on this ultimate Alaskan river experience.
June 1- Aug 31 2013
Adventure Class: $1,689, $899 child
GoldStar Service: $2,069, $1009 child

Save in May & September!
May 21-31 & Sep 1-6 2013
Adventure Class: $1,649, $879 child
GoldStar Service: $2,029, $$989 child
Prices based on per person, double-occupancy and are subject to change without notice.

Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage. Overnight at Comfort Inn.

Day 2: Coastal Classic Train - Anchorage to Seward, 6:45 am – 11:05 am. Kenai Fjords National Park cruise, 11:30 am – 5:30 pm. Overnight Seward Windsong Lodge.

Day 3: The Real Alaska Tour, includes dog sled ride, lunch at an Alaskan roadhouse and Exit Glacier Tour, 11:15 am to 5:15 pm. Coastal Classic Train – Seward to Anchorage, 6:00 pm to 10:15 pm. Stay overnight in Anchorage at Comfort Inn.

Day 4: Denali Star Train - Anchorage to Talkeetna, 8:15 am – 11:20 am. Flightseeing around Mt. Mckinley. Overnight at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge.

Day 5: Devil’s Canyon Tour – Travel 130 miles roundtrip through Denali State Park and into the National Wild River of “Devil’s Gorge” where only a few have ventured. Includes lunch. Denali Star Train - Talkeetna to Anchorage, 4:55 pm – 8 pm. Overnight in Anchorage at Comfort Inn.

Call Reservations to book this package: 800-544-0552

Download the Brochure

http://www.alaskarailroad.com/LinkClick ... &tabid=155

[Owlman]

thanks

[eCat]

you'd have to go find some travel forum to hear first hand experiences

or go to tripadvisor.com and see if they have anything on it.

[innocentbystander]

The Disney ships are noticeably nicer than the rest. I could see doing something like that if I had little kids for the reasons you mention. Basically a vacation with the kids, but also a vacation from the kids...

You should definitely try to get to Glacier by whatever means necessary. I have been camping there several times and it is one awesome place. Not nearly as crowed as many of the more well-known national parks (more of a chore getting there for most folks), and the geography is amazing...

Hedge is right. Sardis, get to Alaska any way you can, great vacation.

[hedge]

I was talking about Glacier national park in Montana, not Alaska. I've never been to Alaska (or North Dakota), but I would like to. That rail trip plus the flight around Denali sounds great. But this:

"Save in May & September!"

Save $40?? WTF??

[AugustWest]

Been to glacier once years ago. Beautiful place. After drinking with those bus drivers there was no way I was going to take that "tour to the sun".

[crashcourse]

yeah only 1 week in may and september
tells me they stay pretty booked up I imagine

I've never been on a cruise either --sardis plan sounds good to me --have to wiat til net year though. this year disneyworld with the grandsons

[AlabamAlum]

I've been on a cruise. It was okay. Need a room with a balcony to make it enjoyable. Casino, bars, all-inclusive food, shows. It's not that bad.

[innocentbystander]

I've been on a cruise. It was okay. Need a room with a balcony to make it enjoyable. Casino, bars, all-inclusive food, shows. It's not that bad.

we almost took the cruise out of Mobile, AL

wound up on th eCarnival Dream out of Pt Canavral instead