Alaska & Eurodam Advice

Hello Dear Cruisers!

I'm taking my first cruise to Alaska, and first cruise on the M.S. Eurodam next Saturday I'd love to read your top favorite Alaska and/or Eurodam cruise:

1. Sight

2. Experience

3. Taste

Thanks in advance!

Hello Dear Cruisers!

 

I'm taking my first cruise to Alaska, and first cruise on the M.S. Eurodam next Saturday I'd love to read your top favorite Alaska and/or Eurodam cruise:

1. Sight Whales breeching on Juneau whale watching excursion -- they have a money-back guarantee that you'll see whales and probably will not even be booking if the whales have left for Hawaii. Second place: glaciers calving in Glacier Bay. Third place: the rickety-looking trestle bridges of the White Pass Railway (excursion from Skagway).

 

2. Experience See above for Alaska; all the sights are experiences! For the Eurodam (any HAL ship) -- my DH and I enjoy listening to Adagio, the rest of my family preferred the Jazz (?) trio; check Daily for times and places.

 

3. Taste Alaska: The Alaskan Fish House in Ketchikan -- choice of varieties of fish, not a one-size-fits-all fish-n-chips. Beer on tap. On the Eurodam -- lucky you, lunch in Tamarind (fixed menu but cheaper and easier to book than dinner). On any HAL ship: dinner at Canaletto. Yes I know it's just a wing of the Lido and it's Italian... My mom treated the family (it's quite reasonable), and dr'spin and I really liked it -- and we don't eat pasta! Well, maybe a gnocchi or two!

 

Thanks in advance!

We did this itinerary on the smaller Volendam last year, with a total of eight from my family. They were to a one, blown away by Alaska, and enjoyed cruising on HAL (four were first-timers).

Whale watching and wildlife for sight seeing.

Salmon is a must to taste.

Eurodam -- cocktails in the Silk Den and dinner in the Tamarind -- also dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. These are pay-for specialty restaurants but well worth it. The Canaletto -- we don't care for it.

Glacier Bay day -- you want to be out on the decks -- move around so that you see everything. Usually around 10 AM Dutch Pea Soup is served on the outer decks as well as in the Crow's Nest.

We did this itinerary on the smaller Volendam last year, with a total of eight from my family. They were to a one, blown away by Alaska, and enjoyed cruising on HAL (four were first-timers).

When did the Tamarind resume having lunch there?

We just got off the E-dam this past weekend

Sights - Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacer in Juneau. GLACIER BAY!!

Taste - definitely Tamarind!!

Tamarind doesn't serve lunch, though - Pinnacle Grill does. And our onboard naturalist during the whale watching tour said that whales rarely breach in Auke Bay. We did see a couple do while sailing Victoria in open ocean, though.

Helicopter to a glacier out of Skagway! Got to walk around on the glacier, very slippery but they outfitted us in jackets, boots and gloves. Being on the glacier was a very different feel than just seeing one from afar; I really felt like I was on a river of ice hearing the water tinkling through the holes in the ice, hearing the crunching of the rock underneath, seeing the dark blue ice in the holes... it was the most amazing shore excursion ever. I purchased it on the pier from the local vendors so I would have a better feel for the weather. The helicopter ride was short but fun, but the glacier was the star of the show. m--

When did the Tamarind resume having lunch there?

Oh, my bad, I didn't know they had stopped. We had lunch on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 2015 and I was going on that.

We just got off the E-dam this past weekend

 

our onboard naturalist during the whale watching tour said that whales rarely breach in Auke Bay. We did see a couple do while sailing Victoria in open ocean, though.

The whales in Auke Bay breach like crazy in June; I have read somewhere that is a cyclic thing? with them newly arrived (and hungry!)and the babies small, they may breach alot -- not so much late in the season? This makes me wonder about the excursion in August 2018 -- should we book??? What *did* you see?

The whales in Auke Bay breach like crazy in June; I have read somewhere that is a cyclic thing? with them newly arrived (and hungry!)and the babies small, they may breach alot -- not so much late in the season? This makes me wonder about the excursion in August 2018 -- should we book??? What *did* you see?

Huh - wondering if we are talking about he same thing! We were told that "breaching" is when the humpback drives most its body out of the water and slams it back into the surface. Our naturalist is a whale expert that follows this particular pod back and forth between Hawaii and Auke Bay and said that while they breach in Hawaii they don't tend to perform that behavior in the bay. They don't know exactly why they do it but suspect it could be for fun, as a mating ritual or to try and remove parasites off its skin.

We saw the whales surface and do its blow hole thing, slap the water with their tails (he called them "peduncles" due to the peduncle or main tail muscle) - actually saw double peduncles where two whales did it side by side which he had never seen done in the 8-years he's been coming to Alaska and plenty of whale tails.

I guess if you say that breaching is simply breaking the surface, than we saw a ton of those! Probably a matter of semantics, then.

I did see a couple of whales do the breach - driving its full body out of the water, as we sailed to Victoria

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Besides the wonderful Tamarind and Pinnacle Grill, the best burgers and fries are at the Dive In. mmmmm

Sometimes you just want a good burger!

Besides the wonderful Tamarind and Pinnacle Grill, the best burgers and fries are at the Dive In. mmmmm

 

Sometimes you just want a good burger!

Even better - there is no charge for Dive In!

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Besides the wonderful Tamarind and Pinnacle Grill, the best burgers and fries are at the Dive In. mmmmm

Sometimes you just want a good burger!

I totally agree :) Those are the stuff dreams are made of..... I literally daydream about a burger from the Dive In sometimes!

OP -- experience. For me it was being out on a wildlife watch, and a humpback surfacing to "blow", about 30 feet from where I was standing on the lowest back deck. Amazing!

As for "sight", I'd say the sun not setting until really really late at night, but you are going much later in the season that I did. My 2nd choice sight would be the full moon reflected on absolutely still water in the Inside Passage.

As for taste, I'd say Dungeness crab if available.

Huh - wondering if we are talking about he same thing! We were told that "breaching" is when the humpback drives most its body out of the water and slams it back into the surface.

Yup that's what we saw a lot of in June at Juneau! Can't explain why our experience conflicts with the expert's say-so. Only know what we saw. Our narrator explained they turn in the air to come down on their sides because otherwise, landing on their bellies or "fronts" would hurt their internal organs.

Also babies rolling on their sides and "waving" (looks like nothing else!) at us.

I'm loving all of your input. Big thanks to everyone who has shared!!!

Dear CC's... We are sailing on Eurodam's first Alaska cruise of the 2018 season - May 12.

What can you tell us about a May experience? Thanks, sure seems like forever away!

Besides the wonderful Tamarind and Pinnacle Grill, the best burgers and fries are at the Dive In. mmmmm

Sometimes you just want a good burger!

Couldn’t agree more about Dive Inn! Really, really popular.

Regarding whales not breaching in Auke Bay, I am wondering if the naturalist meant IN Auke Bay itself as opposed to the more open water you go through during this excursion. The excursion ventures outside of Auke Bay.

I ask because I have personally experienced breaching on this excursion.....(whales fully jumping out of the water.)

Whale watching and wildlife for sight seeing.

Salmon is a must to taste.

Eurodam -- cocktails in the Silk Den and dinner in the Tamarind -- also dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. These are pay-for specialty restaurants but well worth it. The Canaletto -- we don't care for it.

Glacier Bay day -- you want to be out on the decks -- move around so that you see everything. Usually around 10 AM Dutch Pea Soup is served on the outer decks as well as in the Crow's Nest.

Regarding whales not breaching in Auke Bay, I am wondering if the naturalist meant IN Auke Bay itself as opposed to the more open water you go through during this excursion. The excursion ventures outside of Auke Bay.

 

I ask because I have personally experienced breaching on this excursion.....(whales fully jumping out of the water.)

He did say in Auke Bay - another excursioner had asked if they breached in the bay

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He did say in Auke Bay - another excursioner had asked if they breached in the bay

 

 

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That makes sense. Seems like they do go quite a distance from the bay sometimes, but I think it all depends on where the whale sightings are happening. If there is a lot of action in the bay, no point in going further out. I do remember seeing some awesome bubble net feeding within the bay where the waters were calmer.

Dear CC's... We are sailing on Eurodam's first Alaska cruise of the 2018 season - May 12.

 

What can you tell us about a May experience? Thanks, sure seems like forever away!

Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic train to Seward, May 2012.

Have a fun May cruise!

We have always cruised in early May and have had wonderful weather. Of course, you can't count on it, but May is known to be one of the driest months in Alaska. You will see a lot of snow on the mountains and even on the ground in some places.

 

 

Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic train to Seward, May 2012.

 

Have a fun May cruise!

I have had similar luck in May, but also early June. Off topic a bit, but I am shocked at how much prices have gone up for my June 9th Eurodam cruise! Good thing I booked when I did.

I'm glad weather in early June has been good for you also. Our next cruise is in early June. I'm not sure whether our fare has increased, but it wouldn't surprise me. We booked back in December.

Yeah....right now it is $3300 pp for a basic balcony! I paid less than that for both of us in June!

We have always cruised in early May and have had wonderful weather. Of course, you can't count on it, but May is known to be one of the driest months in Alaska. You will see a lot of snow on the mountains and even on the ground in some places.

 

 

Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic train to Seward, May 2012.

 

Have a fun May cruise!

Thanks! Sounds heavenly, a bit of snow, and "maybe" good weather! I know we should pack in layers, with caps & gloves. I suspect Glacier Bay Day will require a lot of warmth while on deck?