On the Road

Take a look at Alaska license plates through the years.

Centennial of the Alaska Purchase (1967)












1970s - Note the "U.S.A." designation!












U.S. Bicentennial with bear (note 76 in upper right corner)











Gold Rush Centennial (1998) - depicts miners going over the trail from Skagway to the Yukon











Statehood 50 years

Splashy Event

If only we were going to Alaska over Labor Day (and of course visiting the western Coast) we could experience a unique Alaska event: The Great Bathtub Race!












The Great Bathtub Race - Nome

An annual event held each Labor Day, the race involves a 5-person team, four of whom push a bathtub (and the fifth member) on wheels about 100 yards down Nome's main street to the finish. The rules for The Great Bathtub Race are simple (though not so serious) in some respects, but all wet in others:

1--All entrants must be 18 years of age or older or have a signed parental release.

2--Each team entering The Great Bathtub Race must have five members (no more, no less). Four members must wear larger brimmed hats and have appropriately displayed suspenders. The standard bathtub can be no smaller than four feet long and two and one-half feet wide and use wheels no bigger than 30 inches in diameter, mounted on axles no more than 44 inches wide.

3--One member will have to carry one large bar of soap, one must carry a wash cloth, one must carry a bath towel, and one a very definitive bath mat. Soap bubbles must be very apparent in the bathwater, if not overflowing the tub.

4--One member of the five-member team must be situated in the bathtub, with the appearance of taking a bath from the start of the race all the way through to the official finish of the race.
















5--The bathtub must be full of water for the official start of the race and have no less than ten gallons of water left in the tub at the finish line for the judge to examine. Violation of this rule will constitute a lifetime ban from taking a bath on Front Street anytime.

Winner receives possession of the "Miss Piggy & Kermit taking a bath" trophy until the next year's competition.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

Well if Mary had lived in Alaska, she might well have some champion vegetables!

Alaska - Land of Giant Vegetables
The first American farmers to settle in Alaska in the 1930s soon discovered the vegetables they grew were reaching sizes unheard of in other parts of America. With less than two hours of darkness in late June, they were getting flooded with natural light at their critical growing period.





Cabbage - 85 lbs.






So the farmers decided to stage competitions at the fair. The first weigh-off, in 1941, was won with a 23lb cabbage. The present record is 105lb. It is not just cabbages. The section devoted to the giants is among the most popular at the fair.








Carrot - 19 lbs.












Alaska State Fair Records
Cabbage: 105.60 pounds -- Barb Everingham, Wasilla, 2000
Watermelon: 168.60 pounds -- Scott Robb, Palmer, 2005
Root beet: 42.75 pounds (world record) -- John Evans, Palmer, 1999
Longest bean: 22.75 inches -- Dave Iles, North Pole, 2005
Tallest corn: 23 feet 3.5 inches -- David Iles, North Pole, 2006



Zucchini - 59 lbs.

Countdown!

ONE WEEK!

I am hoping for something a tad fresher for lunch come this time next week.

Guess Who's Older than We Are?

Last year Alaska had a big celebration. Why? They turned 50 as a state!

Apparently there were a bunch of events, and some of the cruise lines even had special programs commemorating the 50 years of statehood.












Here's a look at some of the equally exciting times when Alaska was voted in as the 49th state.





















































Here is a short video (circa 1959) about the statehood.

http://www.videojug.com/film/49th-star-alaska-statehood-new-flag-official-5th-january-1959

National Parks in AK

Alaska contains 20 sites that are administered by the National Park Service (National Monuments, National Historic Sites, National Preserves, etc.)

Included in that number are 8 sites with the highest designation, that of National Park.
While this is pretty amazing in and of itself, consider the following:

• Alaska contains the U.S.’s largest national park, Wrangell-St. Elias, with more than 8 million acres
  

• Alaska also contains 7 of the 10 largest national parks in the nation

• The largest national park in the lower 48, Death Valley in California, only ranks #5 on the list

• Yellowstone ranks #8 – behind 6 Alaska parks; Wrangell-St. Elias is nearly 4 times the size of Yellowstone!

Wrangell-St. Elias


Greatest AND Least!
On the other end of the spectrum, Alaska also contains the least visited national park, Kobuk Valley. Accessible only by foot, dogsled, snowmobile, and chartered air taxis, it received only 847 visitors in 2007.

Not surprisingly, Alaska has 5 of the 10 least visited national parks. Also on the list are Lake Clark (#2 with 5500 visitors); Gates of the Arctic (#4 with 11,000 visitors); Wrangell-St. Elias (#8 with 61,000 visitors) and Katmai (#10 with 83,000 visitors).






Katmai








Note: National Park units we expect to visit on our expedition are Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (in Skagway) and Glacier Bay National Park.

Alaska on TV

Many folks remember the days of "Northern Exposure," the tv drama of the 1990s set in a fictional Alaska town (but actually filmed in the lower 48).
















However, currently a number of "reality" shows now feature Alaska instead.

These include:

Deadliest Catch, Discovery Channel

The series documents the events aboard fishing boats in the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab and Opilio crab fishing seasons.













The Aleutian Islands port of Dutch Harbor is the base of operations for the fishing fleet. The show's name derives from the inherent high risk of injury or death the crews face due to the hazardous work environment and nature of the work itself. The show is currently airs in 150 countries.

Ice Road Truckers, History Channel

Although originally set in Canada, seasons 3 and 4 feature truckers on the Dalton Highway in Alaska.












Alaska State Troopers, National Geographic
This blogger's personal favorite, the show follows the activities of troopers throughout the vast state.













Law enforcement activities portrayed include troopers secluded near the Arctic Circle, snowmobile rallies, wildlife/hunting enforcement, and typical urban crime in populated areas.

Tougher in Alaska, History Channel
Described as a "Dirty Jobs" type show set in Alaska, the series stars long-time Alaska resident Geo Beach. The program explores the dangerous and extraordinary efforts put forth by Alaskans to perform jobs and provide services (that the rest of the United States would normally take for granted). E.g. firefighting in winter in the far north, telephone tower repairs on a remote mountain.

North to Alaska with Larry Csonka, Versus
A fishing show hosted by former football star Larry Csonka, the show features a different fishing lodge (in a different part of Alaska) in each episode.












Note: JHAWK has only watched bits of the first two shows mentioned, but has seen entire episodes of the last three!

Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle is the invisible circle of latitude on the earth's surface at 66°33' north, marking the southern limit of the area where the sun does not rise on the winter solstice or set on the summer solstice - a geographic ring crowning the globe. It is approximately 1,650 miles from the North Pole. In Alaska, the Arctic Circle is approximately 125 miles north of Fairbanks (and there are tours to take you there, so you can say that you crossed the line!).
















Midnight Sun
The Arctic Circle marks the southern extremity of the polar day (24-hour sunlit day, often referred to as the "midnight sun") and polar night (24-hour sunless night). North of the Arctic Circle, the sun is above the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year and below the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year. On the Arctic Circle those events occur, in principle, exactly once per year, at the June and December solstices, respectively. Continuous day or night ranges from one day at the Arctic Circle to six months at the North Pole.

Locations such as Fairbanks have a special "festival" on the summer solstices (June 21) to celebrate 24 hours of daylight

• "Celebrating the longest day of the year with music, shopping, crafts, special entertainment, and a downtown street fair. Many stores stay open until midnight. "

• " One of the most popular solstice activities on June 21 is the Midnight Sun Baseball Game played by Fairbanks own semi-pro team, the Goldpanners. Beginning at 10:30 p.m. with no artificial lights, the game is a long-standing tradition from the gold-rush days. In 93 years, the game has never been postponed or delayed due to darkness. It draws the largest crowd of the season as fans cheer on their team well past midnight."

Geography

The Arctic Circle passes through the Arctic Ocean, the Scandinavian Peninsula, North Asia, Northern America and Greenland.

One third of Alaska is north of the Arctic Circle!




















Relatively few people live north of the Arctic Circle due to the Arctic climate. The three largest communities above the Arctic Circle are situated in Russia: Murmansk (population 325,100), Norilsk (135,000), and Vorkuta (85,000). In contrast, the largest North American community north of the circle, Barrow, Alaska, has approximately 4,000 inhabitants.

Arctic Weather
Many people believe that the Arctic is so cold nothing can survive there, but explorers and scientists have discovered that, except for Greenland, nine tenths of all arctic lands have little snow and ice during the summer. Trees may be missing, but berries, flowers, and even vegetables, grow there. While the sun doesn't shine much during the winter, it shines on the entire region for part of the day from March to September.

There is more snowfall in the lower 49 states than there is in the Arctic Regions. The reason is that the air is very dry and that there isn't enough moisture for there to be much snow.

It has been said that if Alaska did not have snow, it would be a desert!

Trans-Alaska Pipeline

You have likely heard of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

But this is no ORDINARY pipeline, running 800 miles across arctic terrain, and with a diameter of 48 inches!










Constructed between 1974 and 1977, the pipeline was begun after the 1973 oil crisis caused the U.S. to look harder at domestic sources of oil. Oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay (on Alaska's north slope on the Arctic Ocean) but the pipeline would make it feasible to use the oil found there.

The pipeline crosses three mountain ranges and over 800 rivers and streams on its way south to Valdez, where the oil is loaded into tanker ships.












The task of building the pipeline had to address a wide range of difficulties, stemming mainly from the extreme cold and the difficult, isolated terrain. The construction of the pipeline was one of the first large-scale projects to deal with problems caused by permafrost, and special construction techniques had to be developed to cope with the frozen ground.









The builders also had to deal with impacts to wildlife and other legal challenges. The design includes more than 500 "animal crossing" areas where the pipeline is elevated to a height of at least 10 feet to allow wildlife to pass beneath it.














During peak construction, more than 28,000 workers were employed, creating construction boom towns along the route.

Today over a million barrels of oil move through the pipeline each day. The oil moves at about 5.5 miles per hour and requires just under six days to travel from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez.

Guess Who Else went North to A?

In May of 1984, President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II met together with U.S. and Vatican officials in the Fairbanks International Airport terminal. This marked the first time a U.S. president and pope met outside of the White House or Vatican.

















They were both conveniently "stopping over" in Alaska: Reagan was returning from China, while the Pope was on his way TO Asian locations.














The Pope's arrival in Fairbanks

Alaska State Fish

Not every state has an official fish, but it is understandable why Alaska designated one: fishing and canneries were historically big business in the early 20th century, and fishing (combined with fishing tourism) continues to be a major industry today.

Alaska State Fish: King salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

King salmon weighing up to 100 lb. have been caught in Alaska. The king salmon is also known as the chinook salmon and is a popular sport fish. It became the state fish in 1962.















World-record 97 lb. king salmon caught in 1985

King is the largest of five species of wild salmon. Salmon varieties found in Alaska are:

• King (Chinook)
• Red (Sockeye)
• Silver (Coho)
• Chum (Keta)
• Pink (Humpie)

Fishing guides, fishing charters, and even fishing lodges are big business as well.

Iditarod - "The Last Great Race on Earth"

Few things are as uniquely Alaska as the Iditarod.

The Iditarod is a sled dog race of 1,000+ miles from Anchorage to Nome.
















The Iditarod is run each year to commemorate the 1925 emergency delivery diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska by dogsled over the Iditarod Trail.


After a diptheria outbreak in Nome, 300,000 units of serum were located at a hospital in Anchorage. It was decided to transport the serum by train from Anchorage to Nenana, a town on the Tanana River 220 miles north of Anchorage, and then by a relay of dog teams over the 674 miles between Nenana and Nome. This epic relay was carried out by diverse group of 20 mushers: Eskimo, Russian-Eskimo, Norwegian, Irish and Indians. These men had stamina and toughness in common, and all shared the special understanding and working partnership with their sled dogs that would be the key to the success of the venture.













Iditarod route map

Held annually since 1973, winning times over the last 25 years range from 18 days to 8 days.

The 2010 Iditarod attracted approximately 70 entrants, with 55 finishing the race. Racers must start with at least 12 (but not more than 16) dogs, and must finish with at least 6 dogs.















The champions include one 5-time winner and five 4-time winners. Libby Riddles was the first woman to win, in 1985. (Mary Shields, whom I met on my previous Alaska trip, was the first woman to finish, in 1974). Susan Butcher (4-time winner) had just won for the 4th time in 5 years on my last visit; I bought one of the then-popular shirts inscribed with, "Alaska - Where Men are Men, and Women Win the Iditarod."

State Flag

The Alaska state flag has one of the most interesting (and famous) stories behind its creation of all our states.

The Flag of the State of Alaska consists of eight gold stars, forming the Big Dipper and the North Star, on a dark blue field.














It was designed in 1927 by Benny Benson, a 13-year-old Alaska Native residing at an orphanage in Seward, for a contest to create a flag for the then-Alaska Territory. Up to that time, Alaskans had flown only the U.S. flag since the territory was purchased from Russia in 1867. Benson's design was chosen over roughly 700 other submissions from schoolchildren territory-wide in grades 7–12. Most other entries featured variations on the territorial seal, the midnight sun, the northern lights, polar bears, and/or gold pans.

To celebrate his achievement, Benson was awarded $1,000 and an engraved watch. Benny looked to the sky for the symbols he included in his design, and he submitted this description with it:

"The blue field is for the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not, an Alaskan flower. The North Star is for the future state of Alaska, the most northerly in the union. The Dipper is for the Great Bear—symbolizing strength."

The Alaska Legislature adopted Benson's design as the official flag for the Territory of Alaska on May 2, 1927. It was retained as the state flag upon statehood in 1959.

The North Star design also works nicely with Alaska's state motto: "North to the Future."

This memorial to Benny Benson was erected in Seward.

State Seal

In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the United States, and for nearly fifty years the region was known as the District of Alaska. While Alaska was still a district, the first governor designated a seal of the district. This seal featured icebergs, northern lights, igloos and an Eskimo ice fishing.

In 1910, this seal was replaced with a design more representative of the state's industrial and natural wealth. Today, this seal, created by an "unnamed draftsman," is the state seal of Alaska.

The rays above the mountains represent the famous Alaskan northern lights. The smelter symbolizes mining, the train stands for Alaska's railroads, and ships denote transportation by sea. The trees pictured in the seal symbolize Alaska's wealth of timber, and the farmer, his horse, and the three shocks of wheat stand for Alaskan agriculture. The fish and the seals signify the importance of fishing and seal rookeries to Alaska's economy.

History of the Alaska Cruise Industry

In 2009, 1 million cruise ship passengers visited Alaska, a giant increase from the 22,800 passengers recorded in 1970. The roots of the industry trace to 1946, when the Alaska Steamship Company began offering passenger services from Seattle to Alaska.
















Early Potential
In 1954, Alaska Steamship ended passenger services due to labor problems and increased competition from air carriers. In the 1960s, a former bush pilot named Chuck West revived the notion of cruising in Alaska and started Westours, connecting Vancouver and Glacier Bay. Awed passengers returned with reports of seeing glaciers calving icebergs, herds of moose and soaring bald eagles.












Forerunners
In the late 1960s, P&O and Princess began offering Alaska cruises. By 1970, West had over-expanded and had to sell his company to the Holland America line. In 1975, Holland America launched its first cruise, on the Inside Passage. By 1996, Holland America had expanded its Alaska fleet to six ships.















Expansion
"The Alaska cruise business grew tenfold from 1970 to 1985," note economists John M. Monro and Warren G. Gill. Cunard, Royal Viking, Norwegian, Celebrity, Crystal and others joined the game. The number of ships grew from 20 in 1990 to 32 in 2006, operated by 12 cruise lines, leading to environmental concerns.

Economic Impact
The cruise ship industry generates an estimated $1.35 billion in direct and indirect purchases and wages, according to a 2007 study.
Video:
This video shows Alaska touring from 1954, “When cruise ships were smaller, intimate…[and not] floating Vegas condos.”

http://cruiselinehistory.com/?p=982

Packing Questions

From NCL's Forum


Q: We are departing on July 19th. Will we need winter coats or just dress in layers?

A: We were there last week and the temps were on the warmer side. Juneau was mid-80s, Skagway mid-70s, and Victoria and Ketchikan were in the 60s and we had no rain at all. The coldest weather was in Glacier Bay or at sea when strong winds gusted. Given the wide range of temps I would recommend layers. If you need a heavier jacket and don't pack one, you can buy them in the Alaskan ports for about $20.

A: It will all depend on your tolerance of cold. I being from Northern Ontario can take the weather. I would pack layers as it can be just a beautiful and nice and warm in Alaska and it can in most of north america. I would however pack good sweaters and warm pants and the evenings tend to get chilly.

A: Dress in layers, and take a medium-to-light jacket. No winter coats will be needed. You might want to take some light raingear.














A: I'd recommend taking a hooded sweatshirt or a fleece jacket. You will want to layer depending on how much time you spend on the deck. On the day we spent cruising Glacier Bay, I was thankful for the winter hat, gloves, and scarf I packed. Also, if you are taking outdoor excursions such as whale watching, etc. you will encounter some cold winds on the outside deck.

A: You probably won't run into any really COLD weather, but you may very likely see a bit of rain. Take some light-weight raingear.

A: Be prepared for all kinds of weather. You go to Alaska for the jewelry and the sites not necessarily the weather. I don't know your tolerance for cold weather but a nice jacket will be handy in the ports, it could be raining, overcast, or nice and sunny you just never know.
My wife and I are normally just fine with t-shirts maybe a sweatshirt or long sleeves on the ship.

A: When we cruise to Alaska in mid-July we are fine with sweatshirts and thin ski or athletic jackets....Nothing too heavy. Temperature should be 50's - 60's. You are going to have a fantastic time.


A: Yes (pack a coat). Think layers. It may be warm, it may rain. It's breezy on deck.













A: Going on our second Alaskan cruise tomorrow - weather is supposed to be in the 60's....cloudy and rainy most days. BUT - We went on an Alaskan cruise about the same time you are going a few years ago and except for one rainy day in Ketchikan and a cool day into glacier bay, all others were sunny and in the high 60's to low - mid 70's. Although it was said by some of the guides in Skagway that the sunny day we had there was pretty rare. It does cool down at night. Be prepared for rain, rather than cold weather. The pools were open and were used by many people.

A: Light gloves, maybe, to wear if you are out on deck in the rain.. Take a light jacket. Take light raingear. You probably WILL get a little wet. You don't need to take arctic wear, but take stuff you can wear in light layers -- and something to keep you dry. Don't take an umbrella -- the wind will play havoc with it. A poncho is good. Maybe raingear with a zip-out liner.

Superlatives

True or False: Alaska is the most northern, eastern, and western state.

It probably comes as no surprise that Alaska boasts the northernmost (Point Barrow) and westernmost (Amatignak Island in the Aleutians) points in the United States, but the easternmost? Well, it depends on your criteria, but if you are looking at it longitudinally, the Aleutian Islands cross the International Date Line, which makes Pochnoi Point on Semisopochnoi Island the easternmost point in the entire U.S. territory.

Cruise Timeline, Part 2

One Week Out

Communication Plans
At least a week before departure, tell your friends and relatives how to get in touch with you. Your cruise document package likely includes information about how to reach you on the ship by phone or fax.

Just remember to tell your loved ones that if they call you, it can be expensive. You might end up with phone charges of up to $11.95 per minute on both ends, a rude awakening for people who like to chat.

So designate one person as the prime point of contact. That person should know your ship, room number, booking number, ship phone, ship fax number and the best times to reach you (take time zone changes into account). Tell the rest of your friends and family to use this person as the point of contact in any emergency.

For non-emergencies, use e-mail. Internet cafes are readily available on today's ships. You can use your own email address, or the lines will assign you a free email if you don't have one. You'll still pay for usage charges. Often the Internet is a better and less expensive communications tool than a telephone.

That said, many ships have recently added cell phone service at sea. Ask your travel agent or cruise line. Roaming charges apply, but it can be less pricey than calling from your room. In port, many cell phones will work just fine; call your carrier a week before departure to see if your phone is international in nature and whether you can send and receive calls from specific ports.

Keys and Other Tasks:
Don't forget to give a key to your home or business to a trusted neighbor or friend. Ask them to put it in a locked or secure place - not just in open sight where anyone who enters their home might have access to it.

Arrange for that person to stop by your home to check on things, water your plants, or see that all is well with your pets (if they're being cared for by a pet-sitting service). If this is an “off-site” friend, not a neighbor, tell your neighbors whom to call in case they need to talk to someone about an issue with your property or home.

Also, make arrangements with your security alarm company to designate a temporary “call person” in case your alarm goes off. Someone should also know the code to shut off the alarm in your absence. (Just remember to change the code when you return).

Finalize Your Suitcase:
Now it's time to finalize your packing. You've been looking at your suitcase for several weeks, so again re-consider all clothing and shoes. Pare the piles down. Match colors and accessories. Eliminate one-time use items. Take things away one at a time. Visualize yourself hauling the bag through terminals (in case no skycap or porter is available) and in and out of any parking garage. That may give you an incentive to pack less.

Do not pack cruise documents, airline tickets, film, cameras, jewelry, medication or valuables in checked luggage. (Ever try to get a bag back from an airline after it's checked? The same problems occur with cruise lines.) If you accidentally check the bag and then remember your camera or medication is in it, you likely won't see it for several hours after embarkation. Worse yet, the luggage could be lost.

Stock Up on Video, Film or Digital Media:
Buy tape, film or digital cards for your camera or other electronic equipment before you leave. Photographic supplies are widely available at cruise destinations, but they can be exorbitantly expensive. Last fall on a port call to Charleston, S.C., I bought a new digital card in the downtown tourist area because I couldn't offload my digital images to a computer. It cost $89.99. The same card sold for $39 at stores in my area, but I neglected to buy it before I went.
Pack all film, videotape, batteries and digital cards in your carry on. Take plenty of batteries for your camera or video equipment as well. And don't forget to pack the battery charger!

The Day before Departure

Finalize Your Luggage:
Attach cruise line luggage tags to your bags. Have proper identification inside and out,and include a copy of your itinerary inside all bags.

The night before departure, close up your suitcases and finalize your carry-on bag. Place passports, cruise documents, air tickets or e-ticket confirmations, medication, camera and film supplies, and any other important information like medical records in your carry-on.

Take Enough Cash
Always take cash (especially small bills for tips to porters, skycaps, motorcoach drivers and tour guides). Never rely solely on travelers' checks or credit cards.

Many places won't take travelers' checks, and if you arrive on a weekend or a bank holiday in your port of call, you may have no options for cashing them. Banks often won't cash travelers' checks without a passport, and some cruise lines hold your passport until the end of the cruise, complicating things. Besides, you might not have time while on a tour to go to a bank and cash travelers' checks.

Cruise lines won't cash personal checks in most cases. ATMs are not yet on all ships, and at times, they're out of cash. Yes, ATMs at ports of call are usually easy to find. But if you've booked a tour that picks you up at the pier, you might not have access to one.

So take enough cash. I recently took a Peter Deilmann cruise through an off-the-beaten path region of Germany. Stores in many ports did not accept credit cards. One wealthy guest on my cruise had lots of money but no cash; his wife was upset they couldn't charge local art or jewelry purchases. I had several hundred dollars in cash but by the last day I was down to my last 30 euros, barely enough for the tip to the private limo driver en route to the airport.

Get Your House in Order
Run your dishwasher. Set your automatic thermostat to the most advantageous, energy-saving temperature. Set indoor light timers. Water your plants. Make sure pets - even if a pet sitter is coming in daily - have plenty of water or food. Do any last minute laundry. Pay any last-minute bills or mail payments. Dispose of refrigerator food that might spoil while you're gone.

Reconfirm Arrangements
Reconfirm any limo arrangements, pet care or child care services or assistance you've secured from friends and neighbors. It never hurts to remind people what you previously discussed. Reconfirm airline flight times (schedules do change).


Day of Departure

House Tasks
Pull shades or drapes so no one can look in your home and see that no one is home. Turn off the water if it's winter and there is any danger of frozen pipes. Put keys in your carry-on luggage. Be sure doors and windows are locked. Set your security alarm.

Check and Check Again
Be a stickler for perfection. It can save a lot of heartbreak later. Just before you enter your car or limo, put down the carry-on bag and check yet again whether you have tickets, cruise docs, photo ID, passports and credit cards. It's too easy to checking these items the night before, only to leave them on a counter or coffee table.

Time it Right
Leave enough time to arrive at the airport at least three hours prior to departure for international flights, at least two hours for domestic flights. Add in time for any potential traffic jams. Add in more time to compensate for lines at the airline's check-in facilities or at security checkpoints.

Then sit back, relax and enjoy your cruise!

Cruise Timeline, Part 1

CruiseMates suggests the following timeline as you prepare for your cruise.

Six Weeks to Three Months Out

Shore Excursions:
Book shore excursions- usually online -- as soon as possible if you plan to take any of the line's shore trips.

First, booking in advance means your shore tickets will be waiting in your stateroom upon arrival. Second, by pre-reserving shore trips, you'll have a good shot at getting the ones you want. (We have this covered!)

Airline Tickets
Travel agents often re-check their clients' air tickets (if purchased at the agency) to assure the tickets are correct. But if you bought your ticket directly or redeemed frequent traveler miles for a free ticket, you need to do this yourself.

Is the flight schedule correct? Is your name correct? The airline might refuse to board you if the ticket name doesn't match what's on your ID. Are you ticketed to fly on the right dates and at the right times?

It's not uncommon for tickets to be incorrect or for people to have mistakenly booked their flights on the wrong date or in the evening instead of morning. While you may incur a charge to correct the tickets, it's better to find out now rather than at the airport on your day of departure.

Credit Card Planning
If your cruise documents have arrived, you're probably feeling great about having paid for the cruise in full. But start evaluating the credit you'll need on your trip. You'll need one credit card with a sufficient credit line, because the cruise line will ask for a credit card upon embarkation to cover the cost of your on-board expenses. At check-in, they'll run off a "credit card authorization" for a certain amount of money. Depending on the line's policy, length of cruise and type of journey (luxury, premium or contemporary), the line might get authorization for $50 to $200 in daily charges.








Why? Sometimes the cost of on-board incidentals might rival the price of the cruise itself. It's possible to run up over a thousand dollars in onboard charges for shore trips, alcoholic beverages, special onboard programs, casino play, spa treatments and onboard shopping.

That doesn't mean you'll be billed on your credit card for more than you actually spend. If you spent only $80 for the week, that's what you'll pay when you get off the ship. But that preliminary credit authorization will apply to your card until it expires. For example, if you have a $2,500 credit card limit, the card already had a $1,500 balance prior to your cruise, and the line runs off $800 in "authorized" charges as a security deposit, you might be left with little usable credit on that card, at least temporarily.

So never go on a cruise with only $100 or $200 credit on a credit card. I've seen people incredulous at the purser's desk when their card is declined, saying, "but it had at least $200 on it." In reality, that isn't enough.

Also, the "hold charges" placed on your credit card onboard might interfere with your ability to use that card for purchases ashore. Savvy cruisers take along two credit cards - one for incidentals onboard, another for purchases ashore.

Two to Four Weeks Out

Pre-Packing:
Find a good spot in your home to open up the suitcase(s) you plan to take on the trip. Aim for one medium-size suitcase and one roomy carry-on bag. Travel agents say most cruisers tend to over-pack, and usually regret it later.

Put everything you might possibly want to take along in piles next to the luggage. Over the next few weeks, evaluate what you have and start to take away this or that. Don't procrastinate and pack the night before your cruise, as you'll probably throw everything in "just in case."

Susan Helfrich, director of Cruise Events in Richboro, Pa., notes that cruise cabins are usually smaller than most hotel rooms. "Some people pack a month's worth of clothes for a one-week vacation and thus the closets feel tight," Helfrich says. She says cruisers should read the dress code information the cruise line sends. The days of dressing up in formal attire every night are over. Usually no more than two nights on a one-week cruise are classified as formal. Resort casual has become much more the norm these days.

Helfrich says if you haven't worn something in years, you likely won't wear it onboard. Try on any clothes you plan to take, as styles, weight and preferences change. Yesterday's treasures may look awful today. Also, have your kids try on their clothes. It's amazing how fast they grow out of clothing.

One secret Helfrich shares is putting clothes on hangers as they go into the suitcase. "Hangers allow you to take clothes directly from your suitcase and hang them in the closet within minutes," she stresses.

Packing efficiently can improve the quality of your cruise. Remember, if overstuffed checked bags are hand-searched by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at the airport, items may fall out, get lost or not fit back in the bag, causing a luggage delay. By packing efficiently, you also won't waste time in your stateroom unpacking unnecessary items and cramming them into closets.

You'll also have room in your suitcase to bring souvenirs home without having to pay fees for excess baggage at the airport. Helfrich has seen her clients opening bags on the airport floor and hastily transferring clothes between them to avoid a $50 excess baggage fee. "This is not a comfortable way to begin or end a trip," she emphasizes.

Medicines and Toiletries
Many people take prescription medications. If you do, don't wait until it's time to depart to discover you need refills. Take care of this at least two weeks out. If you need a new prescription, there's time to handle the situation with your doctor.

And take along plenty of medicine. A good rule of thumb is one week's extra supply, just in case there's a flight delay, winter storm or some reason why you can't get home on time.

If you get seasick or carsick easily, talk to your physician about remedies or use of "the patch." Also, you might want to buy sea bands -- small, elasticized bands that cover both wrists and have proven helpful in preventing nausea. You'll find these in most drugstores.

Arrange for Airport Transfers
On a long cruise, you may want to book an airport shuttle transfer (leave plenty of time if you are booked with others - it could take an extra 60-90 minutes if the shuttle stops to pick up multiple people) or a limo ride.

If you're booking a car pick-up with a local limo company, do so at least two weeks in advance. Book even further out if your required transport falls during a major event period like prom season, Mardi Gras or Super Bowl.