arctickitty

If you want budget nature, but at the same time, beautiful nature, head to the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Its gorgeous along there.

If you rent a car, I would do either of the following

1) Head north to Hatcher's Pass

2) Head south to the Girdwood area

I'm the oddball that likes to walk around ports. If you want to just walk, the Creek Street area has lots of historical markers. Keep walking past the crowds and the historical markers and signs will continue. I enjoyed visiting the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center (a multi-agency visitor center, $5 donation). I also enjoyed Totem Bight State Park. There is a free guide available on the state park's website that provides more details. A friend drove me, but many folks took the city bus there. My parents visited some of the museums on a later trip & enjoyed them--not crowded. Those are some low-key things to do. The other folks on the board will give you more advice about sea planes and helicopters and whatnot!

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I like hiking, "[/quote]

Icy Strait Point has a short "Nature Walk" right near the dock. There is also beach walking right there. There is also a lovely sidewalk all the way to town, right along the water. It's not "hiking" but its great walking. Once you get to town, there are some parks, and there's hardly any traffic off the main roads. You can go up in the hills via side roads or even steps. If you kept walking toward the edge of town you get to some information panels about forests and then later about the early homesteaders. I remember lots of big, beautiful trees. I got an app for my iphone that had maps of Hoonah on it and also picked up a town map somewhere along the way.

I have eaten in several Princess dining rooms in Fairbanks and Denali over several years. Princess hires a lot of seasonal staff, ranging from college students to folks on work visas from whatever country sends folks that year) so it was always funny that the servers were impressed to be serving a real Alaskan--they had so many questions about what it is like to live in Alaska. So don't expect to have a "locals" experience at Princess at all. Denali has a lot of staff from Brigham Young University. One year in Fairbanks a lot of the staff were from Bulgaria. Not the next year. Food has ranged from just above average to well below average. I found the food of lower quality than the Princess cruise I went on. Service in Fairbanks several different years was very slow. Some items are repeated at the different locations. A good value I remember was crab nachos--it was huge. A poor value was scallops in Fairbanks--they were tiny and overcooked. You can get lemonade with Alaskan-made berry vodkas. Some of the seafood will be Alaskan. But that's as Alaskan as it gets.

On the Natural History bus tour you get a little cardboard box of a couple of snacks. Many passengers leave them behind without opening so many frugal park staff have large stashes of leftover snacks!

I enjoyed the tender ride...

no cell service on the ship, but I got it once I walked a few feet towards town (and all through town).

Wonder if having a cruise-up dock will affect cell service for the locals on ship days?

Alaska is much calmer and less crowded during the shoulder seasons.

Travel in Alaska takes a lot of time and is subject to all sorts of delays and surprises. If I had 6 days before a cruise I would go 1 or 2 places, and be on the mainland where my cruise was starting at least 2 days ahead. I would not visit any of the ports ahead of time--yes there are lots of excursion options at each port, but I would use the time do visit a part of Alaska that won't be on the cruise. Denali is a very common and very safe, easy to plan choice, and you can see bears from the park shuttle bus, go flight seeing, ride a helicopter, etc. With fly-in bear viewing you have to be very careful with the weather--you never know when it will fog over and you can get stuck for days, so I wouldn't recommend doing that on your own before the cruise.

thanks for posting the link to this review

thank you for your detailed review!

thanks for your reply

Thank you to the OP for compiling this information and to others for updating.

Thank you for your detailed review.

Thank you for sharing your very detailed review. Having it in pdf format was handy for offline reading while on an exercise machine!

Thank you for your informative review.

I too very much enjoyed my time on the Sapphire, especially Alfredo's, the Promenade deck, and the various games to play (giant chess, shuffle board, bocce, croquet, mini golf).

Thank you for your review.

Shaver outlets have isolating transformers not voltage reduction transformers and are intended to reduce shock hazard around plumbing. They are low amperage not low voltage and therefore can accept any 110v device that does not draw much power.

Thank you for this. I found it informative.

thanks to you both for replying. looking forward to other responses as well.

If I only had a day, I would visit the Anchorage Museum, downtown, which can be reached via taxi (about $20 each way) or the #7a bus. The museum has Alaskan art, a children's science area that is fun for grown ups who like to play, Alaskan history, a Smithsonian Alaska Native area, many rotating exhibits, and much more. I feel that the quality of the exhibits in the past few years has been very good, and there has always been something interesting when I've been through town.

That said, I feel that the Alaska Native Heritage Center is the top site in Anchorage. They have a shuttle from downtown. If you like to go through sites quickly, you could do the combo pass to both, or take the shuttle out the the center, but if you prefer to take your time with cultural and historical sites, you'd have more time with just the museum.

As far as there being nothing in walking distance from the airport...for most people, there isn't. However, I did once walk to Costco while on a layover. But that was because I had a coupon that was going to expire. And it was a tight squeeze to fast-walk there and back.

Some cruise lines have ships that go later than that...

Depends on if you are a person who tends to "run cold" or not. To Alaskans, September is not cold, but to someone from the Southern US, it would probably feel cold.

You have probably heard advice to dress in layers in Alaska, and that would be even more important this time of year.

I cruised with my parents last September south from Whittier and we had sun at least part of the day in all of our ports.

When I first moved to Alaska I was told that you go out and do things in the rain just like if it wasn't raining. It was good advice. I've since moved on to even colder and wetter parts of the state and the perspective is now if its 40 below still go outside or if the winds are 40mph still go out for a walk. So it depends on your perspective.

I agree to expect to pay twice what you would elsewhere in the lower 48. Alaskan Seafood is brand-name and expensive. Cooked well, it is delicious, but many places over cook it and turn it to rubber. This is one of many reasons many Alaskans eat seafood at home and not at restaurants!

Lots of places near tourist sites sell bland sandwiches for crazy money—those are the places I’d avoid by taking along a packed lunch or snacks.

It is true that the food court at Costco is cheap, and it sells the same food Costcos all over the country sell. If you want something regional, look for salmon strips in the deli area and boxes of smoked salmon. Those are both good for picnics.

Happy Hour is trendy in Anchorage and you can get some great deals if you are able to eat at odd hours (3-5pm, 4-6pm, it varies). Brunch is also a good deal—you can eat at a restaurant that charges $30 for an entrée for $12-15.

In downtown Anchorage, several of my favorite places include:

-Muse (in the Anchorage Museum). Lunch is about $15. The menu sounds simple but everything is “kicked up a notch,” high quality, and carefully prepared. Most of their appetizers are deeply discounted during their happy hour.

-Fat Ptarmigan. Artfully crafted thin-crust pizza with creative (or plain) toppings. $15pp. Has a happy hour, too.

-KillJoy. Has fondue! Of both the cheese and chocolate varieties! And other small bites.

-Bubbly Mermaid Champagne & Oyster Bar. Although not cheap if you spend too much time in here, it is a unique spot for Anchorage and can be part of a nice evening if you pop just one $3 oyster.

-Crush. Has house made charcuterie and other small plates, great for sharing. $12 wine flights.

-Whale’s Tail (inside the Captain Cook). Automated wine bar with interesting plates good for sharing.

-Crow’s Nest (top of the Captain Cook) This can be affordable if you just eat appetizers. I’ve done it and the waiter was still fantastic. Got to enjoy the views and experience without shelling $40 for entrees.

-Simon & Seaforts. Their first seating deal is a good deal (expect to get a limited choice for a 3 course meal for the price of an entrée at a similar restaurant). Only the first hour they’re open. You can also pick up a gift card at Costco that is a good deal.

My favorite place in Midtown Anchorage is Aladdin’s. Family owned, they have a consistent high quality product with food from all over the Mediterranean.

Girdwood

Chair 5 is known for its deep-dish pizza. I have fond memories of it for different reasons over the years.

Palmer

Vagabond Blues. A café I would drive all the way from Anchorage for… simple food but always delicious. Might cause sticker shock to someone from the Lower 48 though. Maybe $10-12 for a sandwich and side. Their tea is loose leaf.

hooray!

I'm curious about the types of enrichment activities that might be offered on board the Royal Princess during the Spanish Passage Transatlantic April 2016. By "enrichment activities" I mean classes, workshops, lectures, and other (at least minimally) educational activities not including the various types of sales pitches or the main shows. Reviews frequently mention the big acts, but I'm looking for information on smaller-scale activities that you found added to your experience (or detracted).

What I can gather from reading other posts is that some cruises have extra staff who run special programs, eg on Hawaiian and Polynesian cruises they might have ukelele lessons, hula dance classes, and lei making craft work shops. On a Caribbean itinerary they have steel drums. Sailing to Mexico, they have a Mariachi band. So what would be the parallel for a Transatlantic?

Thanks for sharing your memories, details, & opinions.

~Carrie aka ArcticKitty

Oh my, you do live in a remote area. I have been on a land trip to AK three times and twice by ship. However the most remote places we visited was on the ship. Nothing compared to where you live.

 

Would say where I live is too remote for a cruise ship, but we actually get one most years...small French ship. Hangs out nearby and the passengers come ashore in zodiacs...they only get a couple of hours. Which is a shame when we're so far from anything else.

 

And folks, believe me I will be getting fruit every which way...like to try everything. Fruit bowl via order card, breakfast card, room service, horizon court, and let's not forget the MDR.

I stayed with my parents in an inside cabin (as an adult). I learned to travel with earplugs because of the snoring & TV. My parents sleep a lot less than I do, so I had a hard time getting enough sleep. We felt like we had enough space for our stuff. I got my dad into turning on the ship's webcam as our "window." I agree with having a conversation between the 3 pax about expectations. As the "child" even though I was an adult, I had no say in my experience.