PittsburghNative

I wanted to give an update on what I used to help others in the same situation. I used my iPhone XR, and to make sure it didn’t fly away, I bought this product on Amazon...

30 minutes ago, cruises42 said:

Great pictures! What iPhone do you have? Did you just point and shoot or did you do some sort of editing?

Thank you! I have the iPhone XR. The only editing I did is I used an app to make the photos more vibrant in color. I’m pasting the app I used...I highly recommend it! Also, you can upgrade to “Pro Editor” in the app, or use “Classic Editor” for free, which is what I used for these photos.

On 6/6/2019 at 4:02 PM, Unibok said:

We were in Juneau last week and did whale watching with Gastineau Guides. I highly recommend them! Part of the fun was identifying individual whales by their flukes.

We went with them in May and they were AWESOME! I believe they are the #1 rated tour in Juneau according to TripAdvisor.

Thanks for those that gave awesome tips in response to my question! My Alaskan cruise was one month ago and the only time I wished I had a camera other than my iPhone was when I did a whale watching excursion. I would have loved to get a closer shot of the whales’ flukes. Also, I used my iPhone to video the ZipRider excursion in ISP and it came out great! I did buy a product on amazon to wrap my iPhone around my wrist to ensure it wouldn’t fall. Here are some photos I took on my iPhone to show it really can act as your sole camera if you wish to not bring an actual camera...

3 hours ago, dmdiver said:

According to a friend, the dog sled just goes in a circle.  Because of this, one of the members of our group doesn't feel it will be a worthwhile excursion.  However, I've not seen any negative reviews other than people wishing they had more time.  I think our travel companion was thinking it was dogsledding through trees and such.  However, I would not think that would be possible if you're wanting to be on snow vs dirt.  So, if you are just sledding on a flat surface, what is it like?  Is it a circle the size of a football field?  Is it more like the size of a horse racetrack?

Here is a photo to give you an idea (part of the track is cut off but it’s a large track)

Supposedly Uber isn’t allowed in Alaska (at least that’s what a taxi guy told me). We had to do everything through the local cab service all throughout Alaska, which added up very quickly.

15 minutes ago, cruisingnewtoit said:

Thank you for answering.my questions I appreciate it. I think my DH & I will have fun.

 

You’re welcome! 😊 I’m sure you both will have a great time.

53 minutes ago, cruisingnewtoit said:

Thank You for all the wonderful info!

 

😚 Sorry I meant to type dogs (huskies) not kids. I wanted to know if the dogs were well taken of by the camp owners. 

 

 

The dogs were very content. They are bred for this sport. From what I was told, the dogs are owned by those who participate in the Iditarod. They stay on the glacier during the off season to train. While waiting for the helicopter to take us back, once they heard the sound of the incoming helicopter with the next participants, they began to bark like crazy as they know they were about to have fun. When we were waiting for the “go” signal while on the sled, the dogs would try and run, so every time we stopped, the musher would have to put a stake in the ground to prevent them from running. I’m a huge animal activist and did not get a bad vibe from the camp at all. 

2 hours ago, cruisingnewtoit said:

TY for the feedback! X had a sale on excursions last week so I saved $114 on the tour so I really paid the "real price"

 

Did you think there were to many people on the excursion or that not enough time was spent sledding?

 

I found another tour that sleds of Heubert & it's a little more expensive (because it's not discounted)) but by write you spend more time sledding. It's more than 25 min. 

 

Did you think the kids were well cared for? 

 

Thank you for any info!

There were two helicopters, including mine, that carried 5-6 people each to the camp. When we got there, they divided everyone into 3 groups.  They divided people by singles and those traveling together. It never felt crowded.

Once in those groups, those people were asked to either stand on the second sled at the back, sit down in front of the person standing, or sit in the first sled behind the dogs in front of the musher. Everyone took turns switching places to get the chance of mushing (which was super cool!). I felt they gave us plenty of time dogsledding.

There weren’t any kids at the time I went, but I couldn’t imagine how they wouldn’t be cared for. The staff on the glacier were so kind toward everyone participating. Kids will absolutely love this excursion! The only bummer (and it’s minuscule) is when I went, there were no small puppies. The puppies they had were about 6 months old. However, that’s nothing to fret about.

I booked direct with TEMSCO and saved $100. I just did the tour two weeks ago. The staff are FANTASTIC! The tour was a once in a lifetime experience and I highly recommend it!

1 hour ago, phillychick said:

Thanks for this info. It really helps.  Was is as exciting as it looks?  

It was AMAZING. I will say I was slightly terrified before being released. You don’t grasp how high you are until you’re right there, but it’s totally worth the $ !!!

I just did this tour last week. There was no climb, however, the trail getting to the ZipRider is pretty steep going downhill. It’s maybe a 2-3 minute walk depending on your pace.

26 minutes ago, vermonter16 said:

We just arrived home from this trip!!!!  Best Alaskan trip ever!  Glad you had such a good time.  You were right - the weather was amazing and the staff and crew were exceptional as well.

Same to you!!! We lucked out! This was our first Alaska sailing. How about you?

On 5/12/2019 at 1:34 PM, Koslm said:

Hello! Is the cruise everything you hoped? Very interested to hear your thoughts on the ship and the ports. Thank you for sharing. 

YES! The ship was amazing, the crew treated us like royalty, the ports had fantastic weather...it really was a trip of a lifetime! I’ll be finishing my trip report by the end of the month 😊

Well, today was disembarkation. The cruise was AMAZING and there are not enough words to describe the beauty of Alaska. By the end of the month, I’ll finish my trip report with in-depth information. For now, here are some sneak peak photos from the cruise...

We are currently on the Celebrity Eclipse and noticed that our original whale watching tour in Juneau has a 90% chance of rain that day. The rain, plus low 40s for a high, made us cancel and rebook the tour in ISP with Glacier Wind. Has anyone done their whale watching tour? How does ISP compare to Juneau in regards to which is better to see whales?

15 minutes ago, martincath said:

So YOU are to blame for all of our excessive sun and humidity today! You must have dragged the Miami weather with you... Please take it with you up to Alaska so I can go back to nice, cool, cloudy days 😉

Crossing fingers that it does follow me! 😉

10 hours ago, kimberlydrzymala said:

Following along on your report. We are on the Eclipse August 25th and this will be our first trip to Alaska. Thanks for posting!

 

 

You’re welcome! I’ll be posting photos after the cruise as well, along with port information 😊

7 hours ago, Kelli0927 said:

Following along.  Hope your flights went well and you are enjoying your day in Vancouver.  We are looking forward to visiting the Capilano bridge and Granville Island while we are there.  48 days til we are in Vancouver and 50 days til we board the ship!

I will admit there was a nightmare situation with my flights. As my flight was getting ready to leave Miami yesterday, it was delayed right before take-off for 3.5 hours, as my connection in Houston had horrible weather conditions. Well, that made me miss my connection to Vancouver, so I had to stay overnight in Houston. I finally arrived into Vancouver at 1pm today. It’s all good though! My mom and I just came back from Granville Island and walking around the city. It’s absolutely gorgeous today!

4 hours ago, SempreMare said:

So excited for you @PittsburghNative !  

Aw thanks! I can’t believe it’s almost here!

Lastly is Victoria. Most wont be able to enjoy many restaurants, as Alaska cruises tend to only stay a few hours in Victoria, not a full day. I at least wanted to give some ideas of where to dine:

Q at the Empress

https://www.qattheempress.com 

IL Terrazzo

https://www.ilterrazzo.com 

Ithaka Greek Restaurant

http://www.ithakagreek.ca 

Blighty’s Bistro

http://www.blightysbistro.com 

Blue Fox Cafe

http://www.thebluefoxcafe.com 

Fishhook

http://fishhookvic.com 

OLO Restaurant

https://www.olorestaurant.com 

Little Jumbo Restaurant and Bar

http://www.littlejumbo.ca 

Next is Icy Strait Point (aka Hoonah). Since this port is privately owned, any restaurant in town has been getting great reviews.

Juneau is the next port. Again, there are many highly rated restaurants in Alaska’s capital:

Hangar on the Wharf

https://www.hangaronthewharf.com 

Deckhand Daves

http://www.deckhanddaves.com 

Alaskan Crepe Escape

https://alaskancrepeescape.com 

Tracy’s King Crab Shack

https://www.kingcrabshack.com 

Zerelda’s Bistro

https://www.zereldasbistro.com 

Twisted Fish Company Alaskan Grill

https://www.twistedfishcompany.com 

Red Dog Saloon

https://www.reddogsaloon.com 

Devil’s Club Brewing Company

http://www.devilsclubbrewing.com 

The stores I’ll be stopping at:

House of Russia 

Trove

Glacier Smoothie Soaps

Alaska Shirt Company

Caribou Crossings

Alaska Knifeworks

Tripp’s Mt. Juneau Trading Post

19 minutes ago, tampagirl2 said:

I would contact TEMSCO. We booked directly with them for Mendenhall. I think Coastal does a different glacier, not Mendenhall. 

Im flying with TEMSCO on 5/13 in Skagway and this is what was on my confirmation:

“Due to weight limitations, as well as to ensure passenger safety and comfort, passengers weighing 250.0 lbs. or more (fully clothed) will be charged an additional $100.00. If this applies to anyone in your party, please inform us in advance so that we may reserve additional space in the helicopter.”

1 hour ago, Anita Latte said:

 

Electrical extension cords are on the "What Not to Pack" list for Celebrity. If you replace this with a different purchase, don't be surprised if it is confiscated.

I decided after reading more of the reviews to not bring it...I’m actually returning it because it doesn’t look like it’s a reliable product. I don’t know why they advertise it and say that it’s good to bring on cruise ships 🧐

1 hour ago, masterdrago said:

I'm packing a 3 way outlet like

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-3-Outlet-Power-Hub-Adapter-36005/305186003

and a multi USB charger like

https://www.anker.com/products/variant/powerport-speed-5-ports/A2054111

The power cord detaches so not one of the surge protected strip models.

The 3 way will accommodate my two camera battery chargers and still have an outlet remaining to plug in the charger for all the USB devices - phones, GoPro battery charger, Power bricks (banks), and HDD backup. It can get crazy.

Thanks for the links!

2 minutes ago, PittsburghNative said:

 

I know, but certain power strips/charging stations are approved to take onboard. The one I got was highly recommended by cruisers.

 

 

Shoot. After reading more reviews I don’t think this is a great product. At least you made me go back and look at the reviews again...I’m returning it 😂

6 hours ago, TwinMamainMN said:

 

Just an FYI, power strips are often confiscated as they can be a fire hazard. 😬

 

"Surge protectors, when used on ships, even when brand new, and operating 100% correctly, can fail and cause a fire, due to something completely out of your control, that happens at the other end of the ship." (That quote is from chengkp75 here on CC, who is a ship engineer.)

 

RCI has banned all power strips, just to ensure compliance with no surge protectors. Since Celebrity and RCL are owned by the same company, I would assume the rules are the same.

I know, but certain power strips/charging stations are approved to take onboard. The one I got was highly recommended by cruisers.