Assateague Island Princes

It's called the Explorer. You will find it on the end of your bed along w/chocolates and a message of 'sweet dreams' from the captain and crew, during turndown by the cabin steward.

Every cabin category on HAL gets robes for your voyage. They will be hanging from hooks on the wall inside the cabin upon boarding. If, for some reason, they aren't there - just ask!

Enjoy your sail!

For the Girdwood area, we'd recommend the Hidden Creek B&B. It is a lovely private home - with the guest rooms (only three, I think) being on the ground floor with a comfortable common area (fire place, sofa, chairs, Alaskan memorabilia/library) along with a pantry/microwave/mini fridge stocked with a Kuerig machine and a selection of coffes/teas, microwave popcorn, snacks, etc. There is also a laundry room for guest use, and a patio with a hot tub set in a forested area. The individual guest rooms are luxorious, with thick, fluffy robes and slippers for your use, heated floors, comfortable beds, a seating area, table and chairs, internet access, large closets, and a spa-like bathroom to die for. Breakfast is upstairs in the host's private quarters with printed menus that have a large selection of your made-to-order breakfast items. The hosts are personable and friendly, while being unobtrusive. Over breakfast, where they waited on us hand and food, they shared their stories of life in Alaska, and we enjoyed spending time with their sweet dog, as we were mising our own furry daughter by this point in the trip.

We are not normally B&B people, we prefer renting cabins for our stays when in Alaska. But we really enjoyed this place for the privacy it offered, and a bit of luxury in the midst of our busy travels from the Denali and Matsu area on our way to Homer where we had rented a cabin for a week. This B&B provided a nice one night respite from the hustle bustle and we felt the price was fair.

Welcome 'home' Fann1sh - you have been missed! And SO happy to see you are headed back to my heart home - beautiful Alaska! So pleased for you, and happy that Dad is on the mend and ready to conquer the world again! You go, girl!;)

Thanx AKStafford - you give me hope! We've been diligently watching the forecasts and have signed up for Aurora Alerts, so hopefully the trend will continue and our wish to experience the dancing lights will come true.

Northern Aurora - keep those good wishes coming. I'm hoping that last night's skies indeed remained clear and that there was a nice display of the Aurora. No, we've not yet met Mary Shields but our email correspondence with her has been delightful. So looking forward to our time with her and her four-legged family members. She sounds so interesting and her love for Alaska shines thru in all the information she has shared with us to date.

Alaska - here we come:p!

:D....til we bagin our adventure back to the Great Land! Woo-hoo! We fly out of Phila. tomorrow evening and will spend the night in Seattle, then bright and early on Thursday, 9/3, we board our flight to Fairbanks for 9 glorious days in Alaska! Even though this is my 7th visit, it never gets old! I'm just as excited as I was for our first trip back in 2006!

Thurs. morning, we'll be picking up our rental car, driving up to Healy to check into Healy Heights cabin for two nights, with an Eielson shuttle booked for Friday. So excited to see DNP in all its autumnal glory - quite a change of scenery, I'm sure, from the visit we'd previously done in the early Spring timeframe in 2013.

On Saturday, we head back to the Fairbanks/North Pole area where we've rented a cabin for the week - hoping against hope to see the Northern Lights - fingers crossed. Adventures down the Richardson Highway, kayaking, fishing, a visit to Mary Shields kennel, and of course exploring all that Fairbanks itself has to offer are on our agenda. CAN. NOT. WAIT.:)

Northern Aurora, leave the light on for us, would ya?;)

I fail to see why the sale of H&M has anything to do whatsoever with these folks wanting to go whale watching with them:rolleyes:? Huh??!!??

The OP stated in their first post that they wanted the small boat experience - which H&M offers. It should be noted that both the original 'Harv' and 'Marv' DO occassionally captain the boats as their schedules and willingness to do so permit. I've experienced that myself with Jay as our captain in recent years - while booking, we simply specifically asked if Captain Jay was available our day in port, and our request was granted. That being said, the other captains all provide excellent guiding service and a fun, informative, and more personalized whale watching experience; due in part to the 6 pack boats or even the 12-18 passenger boat.

So rjm11, the answer is no, the sale of H&M has not, to my knowledge, resulted in a decline of service or any negative reviews of their small boat whale watching experience. They remain a very well-respected, well- run whale watching provider in the Juneau community.

I do hope the OP can work out a suitable arrangement to go w/one of H&M's offered times for their excursion. I'm confident if they do, they won't be disappointed - whether or not they are lucky enough to get one of the original owners as their captain.

And no, I am not affiliated in any way, shape or form with H&M - just a long time satisfied customer:D.

Northern Aurora - thanx ever so much for those recommendations for dining in Fairbanks. We'll be touching down in your 'fair' city (pun intended;)) in a little over a week and it is a great help to get a local's take on some casual dining restaurants.

We'll be renting a car and driving up to Healy to spend two nights in a rental cabin so we can visit DNP again (to see the park in all its autumnal glory this time!), then we head back to Fairbanks area, where we've rented the Moose Walk Cabin (off Carrie Lynn Drive near North Pole ,do you know it?) for a glorious week! Woo-hoo! Hoping and praying for a chance to see the Northern Lights (so if you have ANY pull with the weather gods, would you mind putting in a request for clear, dark skies starting Sept. 2nd? Thanks:D!)

While we'll be preparing many of our meals at the cabin, we hope to try some local restaurants for lunch or dinner occassionally, so your post is very timely. Appreciate the advice!

Sorry OP, for the thread drift - back to your regular programming....

I've done this fabulous 14 day itinerary three times - albeit on the Amsterdam - and have enjoyed it immensely each time! It is important to note that the first year HAL offered this itinerary (2010), it included Glacier Bay (instead of Tracy Arm), Skagway (instead of ISP), longer times in ports of Homer, Sitka, and Kodiak, AND it sailed on the east side of Vancouver Island on the northbound portion - truly spectacular! Not to say it still isn't a great itinerary, because it is :D hence my 3 times sailing on it. We lparticularly love the fact that there are no repeat ports, and that it goes to those little visited ports like Homer, Kodiak, and Anchorage, that other itineraries miss.

I think it is a wonderful first time AK cruise for someone to get an even more indepth view of Alaska - and trust me, it will whet your appetite to see even more. Since those 3 cruises on this itinerary (as well as two 7-day AK cruises prior to them), did a DIY land only trip that included a week's stay in beautiful Homer, after spending three nights visiting Denali National Park. And - in just 8 days (10 hours and 32 odd minutes - but who's counting:rolleyes:), we'll be embarking on another DIY land only trip spending two nights in DNP, and then a week in a rental cabin just south of Fairbanks. Woo-hoo!:p To say that Alaska has captured our hearts is an understatement. I hope if you choose to take this cruise, the same will happen for you. Enjoy!

To the OP and S7S - the name of the company we had seafood shipped from is Wild Salmon Seafood Market at the Fisherman's Terminal in Ballard. We had rented a car for the day, specifically to go to the Fisherman's Terminal and spent a lovely morning walking the pier, visiting the Fisherman's Memorial, talking to the crew of several fishing vessels, and had a delicious lunch on the pier overlooking the water. We then ordered the crab and halibut to be shipped home to arrive when we had returned from our trip. The fish and crab were delicious - brought back memories from our many trips to Alaska. I believe their website is wildsalmonseafood.com if you want to check them out from home rather than going there while in Seattle.

Also note that you can order crab and other seafood, like their yummy crab chowder, to be shipped to your home from Tracy's Crab Shack in Juneau. Google it, and click on their link for their seafood shipping service.

We shipped crab and halibut from a little place on Fisherman's Wharf in Seattle. Sorry, don't recall the name of the place, but it is right in front of the Fisherman's Memorial and the harbormaster's office. Very reasonable cost. I'll check my info from that Alaska trip in 2013 and see if I can find a name of the company. They had a huge selection and we could tell them when we wanted it shipped so we'd be sure to be home to accept it.

I've sailed on this wonderful 14 day itinerary three times - it is truly spectacular! You've made an excellent choice for your first cruise!

Since your DH is interested in breweries, be sure he checks out the Kodiak Brewery and also the Homer Brewery when in those ports. (And if you enjoy Chai tea, be sure to accompany him to the Homer Brewery - they have THE best Chai tea ever - free samples, and you can also purchase a bottle to bring home with you!)

Hi Seabreeze, I sure do remember you - us PA folks have to stick together;)! We sure had a great trip, didn't we???

Wow - that is interesting. I for one adore ISP, so I'd be disappointed with the change, as much as I like Glacier Bay. ISP has incredible whale watching opportunities, and it is a real Alaskan town, not much of the touristy stuff you'll find in other ports like Ketchikan and Juneau. I'd be curious to know why the change? And why at this late date. Since permits are required for GB, and they are usually booked solid by HAL, Princess and NCL for specific days and time periods, it makes me wonder if there was an itinerary change on another ship? Or perhaps something changed w/ISP, where usually only one ship tenders there at a time....If you do hear anything more, please let us know, I'd be interested to see the reason.

Yes, www.krooozcams.com (note the three 'o's) works very well.

Oh, I'm so happy you booked Walk-About Cabin! You won't be disappointed! It is truly a special place that you will never want to leave! Hope you do a review when you get back so I can read about your adventures. Have a spectacular time!:D

We stayed at "Walk-About Cabin" (Google it) about 10 miles out East End Road for our week stay in 2013. It could not have been more perfect for us! Found it using "Homeaway.com" website. The views of Kachemak Bay from our two decks could not be beat. Secluded and quiet, we had daily visits from a curious porcupine and several moose. Check out Nancy's website on Homeaway, the photos don't even do this place justice. We loved the freedom of being out of town and away from it all. The 10 mile drive back to town was not an aggravation, but rather a pleasure - the views along East End Road are not to be missed. Drove into town every day - to pick up fresh seafood from the Co-op on the Spit and cooked on the grill each day. Stopped at the Fritz Creek General Store/Post Office often for terrific food and to chat w/the locals. Would highly recommend Walk-About Cabin - a true gem!

We rented from John Thompson of Hertz at hertzgo@alaska.net in 2011. The cost was $66.60 plus tax, and they were indeed located at the airport. We called John when we disembarked, and we met him at the Fisherman's Memorial, he then drove us to the airport to complete our paperwork (took a matter of minutes). From there, we were off. When we were done touring for the day, we went back to the airport, and John drove us back to the ship. Very easy and economical for our day in Homer. However, as AKStafford and Mapleleaves noted, there are several other car rental places to take advantae of, as long as they bring the car to you on the Spit, I wouldn't anticipate any difficulties with any of the car rental agencies.

Have done HAL's 14 day itinerary three times and have some recommendations for those ports you requested:

Homer: Rent a car, drive out East End Road and visit Dr. Linda Chamberlain's Mushing Kennel (www.howlinghuskyhomestead.com). Wonderful inside look at recreational dog mushing in Alaska - very informative and personalized. On the way back to town, stop at Fritz Creek General Store/Post Office for some great and unsual lunch offerings. Their homemade pizza is delicious!

Do you enjoy the tv show "Deadliest Catch"? If so, be sure to scope out the deep water harbor on the Spit - the Time Bandit homeports there, and we've seen her there each time, as well as the Saga, the Ramblin' Rose, and the Cape Caution at various times.

Take the ferry to Seldovia - wonderful little town with great beaches for finding beach glass, have lunch on the outside pier of one of the waterside restaurants, enjoy the sail to and from Homer - exquisite scenery, amazing sealife/bird life, and stunning views.

Visit the lovely Pratt Museum in town - just fantastic for such a small town museum. Have lunch at Capt. Pattie's on the Spit - delicious fish and chips or Kachemak Bay oysters fresh from the sea. Walk out to the end of the Spit, stopping at the mariner's memorial along the way, watch for sea otters frolicking in the surf, and eagles catching their meals close to the shore. The views from the Land's End Resort at the end of the Spit are just lovely. Stroll the boardwalk of shops on the Spit, wonderful little shops w/handcrafted items that just scream Alaska - far better than some old tee-shirt or coffee mug that you'll forget about in time.

Kodiak: Highly recommend a tour with Dake from Memorymakers. A six passenger van with personalized tour of the island - out to Ft. Abercrombie with hikes thru the forest (and w/any kind of luck, the salmonberries will be ripe and ready for the picking), up to Pillar Mt. where the wind turbines are located for excellent vies of the harbor, and a drive out the road to the various rivers and streams where you may catch a glimpse of some bears fishing for their dinner.

Take the HAL shuttle into town, visit the local museums, walk the waterfront, take a cab over to the deep water harbor to seek more Deadliest Catch boats and to see the sealion haulout with the massive beasts loudly making their presence known. Take a cab to Cy's Sporting Goods new out of town location for terrific souveniers, be sure to pet their resident yellow Lab and ask to see the photographs of all the massive Kodiak brown bears that have been bagged on the island. Visit the craft market downtown and talk to the locals, while admiring their beautifully handcrafted jewelry, woodworking, and fresh jams/jellies.

Icy Strait Point - Take a whale watch and/or bear search (if the fish run timing is right) - we highly recommend Misty Bay Lodge for both (small 6 passenger boats). Excellent excursions! Stop at Misty Bay Lodge for some of their delicious salmonberry ice cream, halibut pizza, seafood chowder or sandwiches to go.

Walk along the path from the cruise ship dock area to the lovely town of Hoonah, visit the totem carving shed and engage in conversation with the local carvers whose unique and detailed work is right in front of you for inspection. Look for the eagles nest near the post office. Watch for whales right from the shore - we saw plenty! Walk out to the end of the zipline, grab an Alaskan brew at the restaurant at the bottom of the zipline while watching the crazy fools who have paid a fortune to fly down the side of the mountain in 90 seconds flat:D! Tour the cannery museum at the cruise ship pier, visit the shops inside, grab a cup of crab chowder from the little stand on the pier, enjoy the serenity of that quaint little Alaskan town.

Hope you enjoy your cruise to the Great Land as much as we've enjoyed all our trips there. Smooth sailing to you.

There are great trails at the top of the Mt. Robert's Tramway - we hiked up to the cross and back, the views were spectacular and the trails had interesting 'decorated' trees along the way

Hi Clipper - hope you and Mum are doing well! I totally agree w/Solocanadian's recommendation - take a look at them. Those are two of the cabins similar to those on the aft of the Amsterdam - ocean views w/windows looking out over that 'secret' aft deck. Just one flight up to the Lido, and literally five steps out your cabin door to that aft deck, which tends to be used very little, if at all. We loved that location on the Amsterdam (stayed in 7056, while Michelle and her cabin mate stayed in 7055 next door). I believe of the two, 7086 has the least obstructed view on the Zaandam - I think 7083 has the staircase up to the Lido in front of it. Best bang for the buck without getting a balcony cabin.

Question for the OP - Just curious - If Celebrity is your line of choice, why pick HAL and 'waste' your $$$$ on a ship and experience you obviously dislike so greatly?

There are no cab lines at Mendenhall, so please be well prepared with phone numbers of Juneau taxi services if you happen to miss the last shuttle back to town. Have a wonderful time in one of the most beautiful places on earth - Alaska!:D

I'm a beach girl from way back - nothing finer than sun, sand and surf.....well, until 2006 when a group of friends sailing to Alaska drug me kicking and screaming onto the HAL Oosterdam for my very first cruise. Wow! That first trip all those years ago was all it took. All told, I've taken two 7-day cruises, three 14 day cruises, and one 17 day land only trip to Alaska, with a 12 day land only trip to AK planned for this September. I have NO desire to cruise anywhere else. Alaska has become my 'heart home' - it captured my soul from the first moment I laid eyes on the majestic scenery. Love it so much, that we're hoping to retire to the Homer area one day;).

Sure, I'm still a big fan of sun, sand and surf - we visit Assateague Island, MD for our vacations and many long weekend trips every year, and that will always continue - our family grew up camping in that area and we DO love it.....but, there is no interest in cruising to warm weather destinations. Nope, I lost my heart to Alaska and I'll keep going back to 'search for it' every chance I get:D.

Regarding the request for pickle juice, my sweet Dad's home remedy for leg cramps was drinking pickle juice. He swore by it. Go figure...:rolleyes:

The excursion is being offered by Allen Marine - a very well respected Juneau (and other AK ports) tour operator. These are the same folks (one of 2 operators for the TA trip, along w/a company called Adventure Bound) that run the Tracy Arm excursion in Juneau. I'm sure it will be a well run operation, and after reading the highlights in the Juneau Visitor's Bureau article, it sounds like fun! But yes, 2015 IS the first year it is being offered, so OP may get few if any reviews of it this early in the AK cruise season.