Alaska 2026
Cruise Hub

📞If Someone Needs to Reach the Ship

For shore-side family (or if you’re separated from the group on land), Princess’ En Route Desk can relay a message to the ship:

800-545-0008 (US/Canada) · 661-284-4410 (international)

Staffed 5 a.m.–8 p.m. Pacific. Have ready: guest’s full name, the ship (Star Princess), and stateroom number. This is also the number to call if anyone misses the ship — see below.

Numbers from Princess’ official Keeping in Touch FAQ (princess.com). Confirm specifics on your own boarding documents.

🚢If You Miss the All-Aboard

The ship will leave without you. If it happens:

1. Call the En Route Desk (above) immediately to arrange joining at the next port.
2. You’re responsible for getting yourself to that next port at your own cost.
3. Bring your passport, Medallion, phone & a card ashore every port so this is survivable.

Our port departure & estimated all-aboard times (confirm on the daily Patter):

Princess’ standard all-aboard is ~1 hour before departure (not 30 min) — the Patter has the final word.

Especially relevant for the Skagway Yukon drive — the turnaround-by-noon rule exists precisely so a customs line doesn’t cost you the ship.

Departure times from your official itinerary; protocol & all-aboard policy from Princess’ FAQ.

🦺Muster Drill (Day 1)

A safety drill is required before sailing. On Princess’ Medallion ships it’s the streamlined eMuster: watch the safety video in the app or on your stateroom TV, then check in at your assigned muster station in person — your station letter is on your Medallion/boarding info. Do it early on embarkation day so it’s not hanging over the 6 PM scavenger hunt.

Each cabin has its own muster station — check everyone’s before you scatter.

📱Reaching Each Other Onboard

Wi-Fi is spotty and you may not all buy it. Best options without it:

Princess app chat: the MedallionClass app has free crew & guest messaging that works on the ship’s network without a Wi-Fi plan — set it up for all 8 of us before boarding. confirm everyone’s on it

Cabin-to-cabin: the stateroom phone can dial other cabins directly. Keep the cabin list (below) handy.

Old-school backup: agree on a default daily meet (e.g., Gelateria, Deck 7) & time in case tech fails.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Who’s Who — Cells & Cabins

Cabins are confirmed (from the planning doc). Add cell numbers so this is the one place to look. Leave blank what you don’t have.

This hub is for the Dan & Tammy family (first 3 cabins); the rest of the extended family is listed so you can reach anyone.

🧒Lost Kid / Separated on Land

With thirteen grandkids across the group, agree on this before the first port:

Onboard: any crew member can help reunite a lost child; teach kids to find a crew member in uniform. Note your cabin number on something the youngest kids carry.

Ashore: pick a rally point at each port (usually the ship’s gangway) & a meet time. If a child has a phone, the Princess app chat works onboard but not ashore without signal — so a physical rally point matters more on land.

🌊Seasickness — the Honest Version

The Inside Passage is protected water nearly the whole way — most of this cruise feels like a hotel that hums. The two places anyone might feel it: the open stretch near Vancouver Island on Sat afternoon (approaching Victoria) and, mildly, the first sea day.

If someone’s prone: patches go on 4+ hours before (behind the ear), Bonine the night before beats Dramamine in the moment, sea-bands are kid-friendly, and midship + lower decks move least. Green-around-the-gills protocol: horizon + fresh air + ginger ale, not the cabin.

Inside Passage routing & the Vancouver Island open-water stretch: Alaska cruising guides.

💳Cards & Money Summary

What hits which card and when (from your confirmations):

Cash & cards on the trip:

• Yukon (Skagway drive): you cross into Canada — Carcross shops/bakery may prefer Canadian dollars or charge card-FX fees. Carry a little CAD or a no-foreign-fee card.
• Victoria, BC: also Canada — same note; most places take cards/contactless.
• Onboard: the Medallion is your payment; crew appreciation is already included in Princess Plus. Extra tips are optional.
• Tell your bank/AMEX you’ll be in AK & Canada so cards don’t get flagged.

Card/charge details from your Turo confirmations. Calvin’s charge date wasn’t in the email — verify in the Turo app.

📅Put It on Your Calendar

Download every timed and all-day event above as a calendar file — it’s generated fresh from the itinerary the moment you tap, so it always matches what’s on this page.

Open the file and your phone offers to add the events. Times are “floating” local times — they show correctly as your phone changes time zones (Seattle → Alaska → back). Re-download after any itinerary update.

💡Cabin Tricks Worth Stealing

Cruise-cabin walls are steel — magnetic hooks turn them into hanging space. An over-door shoe organizer corrals 8 people’s small stuff. Zip-top bags handle wet swimsuits and Carcross Desert sand. And the Gelateria on Deck 7 forgives all packing mistakes.

✈️Flights (Delta)

From your flight itinerary screenshot.

🏨Where We’re Staying

Crowne Plaza Seattle – Downtown — 10 rooms total.

All 10 rooms accounted for. ✓

1113 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

Check-in 4:00 PM · valet-only parking ~$63/night (relevant if you still have the rental).

Hotel details (ihg.com)

🛏️Thursday Night (Jun 11)

Staying in Duvall, WA with the Dan Delorey family.

16015 271st Pl NE, Duvall, WA 98019

Duvall is ~30 mi NE of SeaTac / ~25 mi NE of downtown Seattle. Hotel (Crowne Plaza) check-in is for the Fri/Sat nights.

Address from you.

🚐Seattle Rental Car (Turo)

2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid (minivan) from host Rachelle.

Turo support via the app. 700 miles is plenty for in-city, but note it’s capped (unlike the Skagway car’s unlimited miles).

From your Turo reservation confirmation.

🌲Thursday Ideas — SEA → Duvall (with the car)

All free. Ordered roughly along the route. Pick what energy allows after the early flight.

• stop 1Kubota Garden — free 20-acre Japanese garden ~10 min from SEA, basically on the way. Easy post-flight leg-stretcher.
• stop 2Snoqualmie Falls — 270-ft waterfall (taller than Niagara), free viewing platforms, roaring with June snowmelt. ~25 min from Duvall.
• stop 3Snoqualmie Depot (5 min from falls) — historic railway depot & old train cars, free to browse.
• optionMarymoor Park, Redmond — huge free park: climbing rock, playgrounds, room to run.
• landDuvall — McCormick Park on the Snoqualmie River + the small main street before dinner with the Deloreys.

🚙Friday Ideas — Duvall → Downtown (car until 5p)

Strategy: use the car for car-needed spots today. Mix & match — the first four are free; MoPOP & Pike Place are the paid/busier options.

• late AMBallard Locks — watch boats raised/lowered, walk the lock gates, salmon-ladder viewing windows (sockeye start in June). Plan 1.5–2 hrs. Free.
• lunchGas Works Park — 10 min away; skyline view across Lake Union, kite hill, the old gasworks. Good picnic spot. Free.
• +5 minFremont Troll — 2-minute photo stop; a real VW Bug in the troll’s hand. Free.
• en routeKerry Park — classic Space Needle/skyline/Rainier viewpoint; quick stop heading downtown. Free.
• optionMoPOP (Museum of Pop Culture) — sci-fi, music & gaming exhibits in the wild Gehry building at Seattle Center; a hit with the teen/young-adult crew. Paid admission — book timed tickets online. Note: it’s next to the Space Needle, so you’ll be back here Saturday anyway.
• optionPike Place Market — fish throwing, the original Starbucks, the gum wall; free to wander. Driving warning: parking is the worst part — use the Public Market garage (1531 Western Ave) or save it for carless Saturday morning, it’s a 10-min walk from the hotel.
• 4:00pHotel check-in — drop people + bags.
• 5:00pTuro due back at SEA. Driver returns via Link light rail (SeaTac → Westlake, ~40 min, 3 blocks to hotel) or Uber.

🎡Saturday Group Event

• 2:45p Everyone meets at the Space Needle Family
• — Tour the Space Needle, then tour Chihuly Garden & Glass. Tickets already booked.

No car: it’s ~1 mile from the hotel — 20–25 min walk, monorail from Westlake Center, or rideshare. Chihuly opens 10a daily (last entry 7p); your booked timeslot is on the ticket.

From the family planning doc (“Tickets booked”). Exact entry timeslot not specified — see Reference → Open Items.

Space Needle: 400 Broad St, Seattle, WA 98109 · Chihuly Garden & Glass: 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109 (both at Seattle Center, adjacent)

⚓Boarding Day Game Plan — Sun Jun 14

• by 11:30a Everyone packed, t-shirts ON, one adult confirms all 8 are ready. Hotel checkout is 12:00p.
• ~12:30p Included transfer to Pier 91 (pickup time TBC). Arriving ~1:00–1:15p skips both the early crush and the late squeeze.
• ~1:15p Board. Cabins typically open around 1:00p — drop carry-ons.
• first eMuster immediately: safety video on the cabin TV or app (5 min), then walk to your muster station and check in. Done before 2:00, forgotten by 2:01.
• ~2:00p Late lunch — buffet calms down by 2:00, or the Piazza spots. (Hotel breakfast before checkout makes this painless.)
• 3:00p Sailaway! Top deck as Seattle slides past — first family photo op of the week.
• 6:00p Scavenger hunt · 7:30p first family dinner.

Each cabin checks its own muster station letter — they may differ. Don’t fully unpack until eMuster’s done.

Cabin/muster timing: Princess embarkation guides; schedule from the family plan.

🧳Luggage & Transfers

Port Valet (free, Port of Seattle): On disembarkation day your bags are checked through to your final airport — you won’t see them again until your home airport. Available to guests on participating airlines with flights that qualify. ✓ Delta is a participating airline, so your DL flight home should qualify.

Port Valet details (portseattle.org)

Airport transfer on Jun 21 is covered by J&J. The Sunday Hotel→Ship transfer is included on your booking — confirm pickup time/location with the group (see Reference → Open Items).

✓ Star Princess departs from Pier 91 (Smith Cove Cruise Terminal), 2001 W Garfield St, Seattle, WA 98119 — confirmed by Princess’ official announcement for the entire 2026 Seattle season.

🪓Ketchikan — Tue Jun 16

On land (per doc): 6:30a–3:00p · All aboard ~2:00p (departs 3:00p).

Family Excursion — Lumberjack Show Family
Showtime 9:15–10:45a (the doc notes ~1.25 hrs). Plan a 5–10 min walk off the ship; get off early to allow for the gangway line.

Venue/berth: alaskanlumberjackshow.com, ketchikan.gov port calendar, bucketlistguides.com. In-port times & showtime: family planning doc.

Lumberjack Show site

Downtown venue: 420 Spruce Mill Way, Ketchikan, AK 99901

❄️Glacier Morning Game Plan — Wed 5–9a

Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier is the moment of the cruise — and it happens before breakfast. How to win it:

• Be on deck by ~6:15–6:30a. Forward open decks fill 30+ minutes before the best stretch. The deepest part of the fjord and the glacier approach land roughly 6:30–8:00a.
• Don’t fight over a rail side — the captain rotates the ship at the glacier so both rails get the full view. Forward and high is what matters.
• Dress for it: it’s typically 15–20° colder near the ice than on open water. Beanies, gloves, layers — then shed them at breakfast.
• Warm backup: The Dome (glass-enclosed, climate-controlled, top of ship) if it’s pouring or someone’s freezing. But go outside for at least a few minutes — the sound of calving ice and waterfalls is half the experience.
• Watch for: harbor seals lounging on the ice floes, waterfalls off the 3,000-ft granite walls, and that surreal blue glacier ice (so compressed it absorbs every color but blue).
• Pro move: hang the room-service breakfast card the night before (free with Plus) — coffee and pastries arrive while you’re layering up.

Viewing strategy: Princess Endicott Arm guides & cruise forums (forward decks fill early; ship rotates at glacier; 15–20° colder). Official window: arrive 5:00a / depart 9:00a.

🧊Juneau — Wed Jun 17

• 5a–9a Scenic cruising: Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier (official itinerary). Great viewing time.
• 10:30a Outdoor family photo in cruise t-shirts, Alaskan backdrop Family place TBD — weather pending; canceled if raining. @Jeff: bring a travel tripod.
• 12:30p–9p On land (doc)
• 3:30–5:45p Excursion: Sled Dog Discovery & Musher’s Camp (depart 3:30p, return 5:45p) meet point
• ~8:15p All aboard (departs 9:15p)
• eve No planned family dinner

Likely meet point: Mt. Roberts Tram, 490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801

Scenic cruising confirmed as Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier (official itinerary, arrive 5:00a / depart 9:00a). Juneau arrive 12:30p / depart 9:15p (official). Family photo & on-land times from the planning doc. Berth: myperfectalaskacruise.com.

⛏️Skagway — Thu Jun 18 · The Yukon Drive

On land: 6:00a–5:00p · All aboard ~4:00p (departs 5:00p).

Big day: self-drive up the Klondike Highway into the Yukon in our own two RAV4s, following Scott & Nicole’s family itinerary as the guide for stops & timing. Family dinner 7:30p (casual unless noted).

Skagway section built from Scott & Nicole’s family itinerary (alaska-trip-1z1.pages.dev) and your Turo confirmations. Train details verified via White Pass & Yukon Route (wpyr.com). Dock: official Port of Skagway 2026 schedule.

🍁Victoria, BC — Sat Jun 20

• 11a–12p Meet on Sports Court: basketball / pickleball, life-size chess, family hangout, then optional group lunch Family
• 7:00p Ship arrives Victoria (official itinerary)
• ~11:00p All aboard (departs 11:59p)
• eve No planned family dinner

The Sports Court time (11a–12p) is an onboard activity earlier in the day. Victoria is a short evening call — arrive 7:00p, all aboard before the 11:59p departure. Canada: bring passports ashore; cards/contactless widely accepted.

Arrive/depart from your official itinerary; Sports Court & shore plan from the family planning doc. Ogden Point walk times & Butchart distance: Victoria port guides.

🔍Dan & Tammy — Scavenger Hunt

Plan & execute a family ship scavenger hunt (teams, clues, get to know the ship). Suggested ~1–2 hrs. You pick the time and tell everyone where to meet.

Doc pegs this to Sun Jun 14, ~6p, location TBD.

👕Scott & Nicole — Family T-Shirts

Design, gather sizes, order, and get shirts to the hotel. Coordinate Venmo payment from J&J (they pay). Hand out Saturday so everyone can wear them boarding Sunday.

🎬Jeff — 50th Anniversary Video

J&J 50th anniversary video tribute. Bring any tech needed & arrange the room reservation, coordinating with Robert & Tessa.

Doc also asks Jeff to bring a travel tripod for the Wed Jun 17 outdoor photo.

🎲Bobbo & Tessa — 50 Facts / Trivia + Game Time

50 fun J&J facts / trivia / game-show tribute (e.g., a fact per year of marriage). Done in the private room with Jeff’s video; help coordinate that room. Also run family board/game time — bring games. Timeframe TBD pending room reservation (could move to a lobby).

💍50th Anniversary Playbook

Small moves that make J&J’s milestone feel celebrated all week:

• Day 1, Guest Services: tell them cabin 16621 is celebrating a 50th anniversary. Princess flags it — expect a cabin note, often bubbly, sometimes a dessert surprise. Free, takes 2 minutes.
• Day 1, Cruise Director’s office: Jeff locks the private room for Friday’s tribute here. Ask about screen/AV; bring the video on a USB stick and a phone copy, and test it early in the week.
• Mon formal night: quietly tell the dining-room captain — they’ll do a table moment (announcement + special dessert) with J&J dressed their best. A $5–10 thank-you to the server keeps the magic flowing.
• The Wed photo (t-shirts, Alaskan backdrop) is the milestone shot — J&J front and center, everyone else fanned around. Print and frame it when you’re home; that’s the 50th-anniversary artifact.
• Thu evening, post-Skagway: a casual Piazza toast when everyone’s back aboard — low effort, high memory.

Princess celebration practice (Guest Services milestone flagging, dining-room recognition) from cruise-line planning guides.

🛏️Cabins & Booking Confirmations

From the family planning doc.

🎟️Our Booking Details

Confirmed from the official itinerary. Gavin & Jackson’s booking is representative of our family’s (same structure).

Booked excursions (per person):

From your official itinerary (Booking 1, Gavin & Jackson Cramer, cabin 16423).

🎫Captain’s Circle Numbers

Tammy’s number is 9 digits in the source (others are 10) — verify before relying on it.

From the family planning doc.

➕Princess Plus — What’s Included

How to actually get your money’s worth:

• Glacier morning: hang the room-service breakfast card Tuesday night — it’s free and beats the 6am buffet scramble.
• Casual meals (2/sailing): save them for port days when you’re back late and don’t want the dining room.
• Desserts reset daily (2/person/day) — that’s up to 112 desserts a day across the 8 of us. The Gelateria thanks you for your service.
• Wine bottles are 25% off — one bottle at a formal dinner beats three by-the-glass orders.
• OceanNow delivery is free — order water bottles & snacks to the cabin before port days instead of carrying them from the buffet.

From the family planning doc’s Princess Plus summary; usage tips from Princess benefit guides.

📱OceanReady & Medallions

OceanReady is Princess’ pre-arrival check-in for an expedited port experience. Your Medallion is your room key + onboard payment.

Mail-home deadline: complete the process 14 days before embarkation (i.e., by ~May 31, 2026) to get Medallions mailed; otherwise pick up at the port.

OceanReady checklist flyer (PDF)

14-day rule & flyer link from the family planning doc. (May 31 is the 14-days-before date for a Jun 14 sailing.)