2018 Trip Reports Alaska

i will start. We went on Radiance of the Seas 5/18/2018. I will be doing a complete review over the next few weeks. The weather was so so but the trip was fantastic anyway. For anyone with questions I am sure there are lots of people looking at this post that would be glad to answer questions . We did float plane tour with Southeast Aviation in Ketchikan and trail. Great. Whale watch with Glacier Wind, Great. Adventure Bound Tracy Arm tour in Juneau. our favorite. Rental car in Skagway to Emerald Lake and back. Great. Marine Tours to Fjords in Seward. Great. The ship was wonderful too. I can only tell you that whatever you do, there will be other things you wish you had time for, but there is only so much time. Get out there and enjoy!

Yeah! First trip report!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

Thanks for posting. Looking forward to your full review!

I sail on June 15. Looking forward to hearing about your experiences.

Thank you! I've been waiting for some new trip reports! I sail on Tuesday!

We aren't too far from you ...we live in Maryland. And, we will be on Radiance to Alaska next year, and I cannot wait to read your review!!!

i will start. We went on Radiance of the Seas 5/18/2018. I will be doing a complete review over the next few weeks. The weather was so so but the trip was fantastic anyway. For anyone with questions I am sure there are lots of people looking at this post that would be glad to answer questions . We did float plane tour with Southeast Aviation in Ketchikan and trail. Great. Whale watch with Glacier Wind, Great. Adventure Bound Tracy Arm tour in Juneau. our favorite. Rental car in Skagway to Emerald Lake and back. Great. Marine Tours to Fjords in Seward. Great. The ship was wonderful too. I can only tell you that whatever you do, there will be other things you wish you had time for, but there is only so much time. Get out there and enjoy!

Day one we flew from Pittsburgh to Vancouver. We came in on Thursday because I am not a gambler, and do not want to take a chance on missing a cruise that I had been planning for over a year. Security on Thursday was minimal at 2:30 in the afternoon, so some of the nightmares described at Vancouver airport did not happen to us. We were through within 10 minutes and on our way to find the Sky Train. It was easy to navigate and we made our way to the YWCA for an overnight there. Directions were a little hard for us to follow from their website, but with a little help from people we eventually located the place. It was small but sufficient for our needs. We did do a little exploring around the area but not much. We were both tired from traveling so elected to eat dinner, walk around the area and return to our lodging relatively early for the evening.

May 18 : Hurray our cruise is here, We were up early because of the travel and early bed time so we searched around for a breakfast place near by the YWCA. That was not easy to find at 7 in the morning even on a work day as most places did not open that early. We eventually found a McDonalds open some blocks away and I figured since we would be enjoying cruise ship food soon that would be okay . It was , and after we ate we checked to find some wine stores around so we could take our two bottles on the ship. Neither my husband nor I had cell phone service while we were in Vancouver, so if that is important to you , check with your carrier about what your options are before going. Navigating without them and relying on old time maps and directions was a challenge for us as we have become somewhat dependent on technology like most people now adays. We went back to the YWCA, showered and prepared to think about getting to the ship. Although it is not a far walk to Canada Place, after getting lost with our luggage haul the day before my husband wanted to catch a cab. It was ten dollars to go to the pier and well worth it for us. We probably were there around 10:30 and were going to drop the luggage and do a little touring by the water per the luggage peoples suggestions. We sent our wine bottles in the luggage and that ended up being OKAY. On another cruise on Grandeur out of Baltimore we had to go down to security to claim our luggage with wine bottles in it. So each harbor or boat must be different But then we were sent in a serpentine line to go out and somehow we ended up at check in seating area. The recommendation from that employee area was to wait to check in and then go back out. We did sit a long time and with the Gold group and the Platinum group. The newbies were in another group. When check in finally started we kept getting bumped by Platinum walk ups, but then newbies started to bumb us too. It seems like there is no logic to it ,but I am sure that there is a reason it was that way. By the time we did board my husband was not interested in going back out as he did not want to have to navigate security again. So we began to explore the ship. More to come later.

So after hitting the Windjammer and exploring we decided the ship was going to be plenty big for us. We have yet to go on one of the largest ships, but enjoy this class of ship. Sail away the weather was a pleasant 58 or so degrees. If you decide you are going to write a review , keep notes. I already forget some details. We did anytime dining, so meandered down to a dinner around 6:45 pm or so. They offered us to sit with others, but we prefer a table for two. We perhaps waited 5 minutes or so. They do suggest reservations for anytime dining, but it is not required. The longest we ever waited was a half hour for a table. That was on dress up night and we ended up with a lovely window table that evening. May 19th was northbound day at sea sailing beginning of the inside passage. I can say that the weather was cloudy and cold, and visibility was limited. I am sure it would have been quite beautiful to see the mountains better, but the mood on the ship was upbeat and we all knew that it would be what it would be. We did not swing for a balcony due to wanting to spend it on excursions, but I am sure I would have liked coffee in the morning there, but thought our inside cabin(4035) was great. There was plenty of storage and our steward was excellent . The shower was super hot and with a heavy flow which is just how I like it.

So today was Ketchikan and we took a Misty Fjords tour with Kevin from Southeast Aviation. It looked to be suspect weather wise but we were scheduled for 8 am so made our way off the Radiance to the vendor area. It ended up being a beautiful day to fly on a floatplane and Kevin was a pilot who conveyed to us his love of the Fjords. There were only four of us going, so we took the smaller plane. Our tour lasted about an hour and a half and we landed on a lake that had just thawed from winter. We sat out on the floats and although others have described the quiet, we were surrounded by waterfalls so it was visually beautiful but not total silence. Sitting out on the floats was not as scary as I thought it would be and being submerged in nature is a must do in Alaska. So it’s highly recommended.

Picture on lake

Here we are sitting on the lake.

Ok so question about the car rental in Skagway.

My DH and I are doing our 1st Alaskan cruise end of July and we stop in Skagway from 7am - 8pm. I have heard others rent a car but....

How much did it cost? Is the rental place close? Did you book in advance?

Is there a map?

Is the route marked where to stop/look etc?

Did this route take you to Canada?

I am debating on doing something like this on our own or booking through Chilkoot tours for $45. They drive up and back but not as far as Emerald Lake.

Thanks!

Jen

Ok so question about the car rental in Skagway.

My DH and I are doing our 1st Alaskan cruise end of July and we stop in Skagway from 7am - 8pm. I have heard others rent a car but....

How much did it cost? Is the rental place close? Did you book in advance?

Is there a map?

Is the route marked where to stop/look etc?

Did this route take you to Canada?

 

I am debating on doing something like this on our own or booking through Chilkoot tours for $45. They drive up and back but not as far as Emerald Lake.

 

Thanks!

Jen

So the car was $154.00 for all day rental through Avis. They do have a monopoly on the area as far as I could find out.You could go much further than we did with an all day rental.we did go as far as Emerald Lake and we enjoyed being on our own schedule and stopping at pull offs, getting out and enjoying the beauty The place was very close to the pier. I want to say less than 1/2 mile if that. We walked and had no problems finding it based on info provided by Avis. I did book a year in advance, but in early May it looked like there were enough cars for anyone that would have wanted them. People recommended Milepost as a good guide but we did not use it. We may have missed some key places because of it, but we did have a good time just doing what we wanted. Yes you go into Canada around 30 miles in and need your passports. We saw a mama bear and 2 cubs right on the side of the road. If cars are stopped ahead there is probably wildlife to view.

After we returned the car the man at the rental place directed us to the Lake Dewey trail which is pretty much right behind Avis. We started to go but we were limited on time so elected to quit, but some hikers said that they were very nice hikes if you are into that at all. Whatever you elect to do there are other things you will wish you had time for.

Emerald Lake

The scenery was wonderful. I wish I could post more than one pic at a time but for some reason it’s not letting me.

Ok so question about the car rental in Skagway.

My DH and I are doing our 1st Alaskan cruise end of July and we stop in Skagway from 7am - 8pm. I have heard others rent a car but....

How much did it cost? Is the rental place close? Did you book in advance?

Is there a map?

Is the route marked where to stop/look etc?

Did this route take you to Canada?

 

I am debating on doing something like this on our own or booking through Chilkoot tours for $45. They drive up and back but not as far as Emerald Lake.

 

Thanks!

Jen

Jen, we will be cruising to Alaska in July as well!! We will also be renting a car in Skagway so we can take our time exploring the Klondike Highway. I found what appears to be a great guide for the trip - it takes you from Skagway past Emerald Lake (about 73 miles from Skagway), and then another 15 miles or so. It breaks out interesting stops by mile marker, shows where bathrooms, restaurants and shopping are along the way and lists several hiking trails as well. Best part is it was only 5 bucks!!! It's called Murray's Guide to the South Klondike Highway. Google it if it sounds interesting.

There are audio tours available too. Have fun deciding what will work for you.

After we completed our floatplane tour in Ketchikan we did a little shopping and then decided to take the shuttle up to Totem Heritage Center to do the Deer Mountain Trail. You walk on a paved road to the beginning of the trail. It is quite a long walk uphill to reach the trailhead and then the Deer Mountain trail itself is quite an uphill hike. The whole trail would take all day to navigate, but to reach the first lookout takes around an hour. I am glad we did it, but it was not easy for us and it was the first time we took a few layers of clothes off.

Some serious hikers that we passed going down enjoyed the further hike, but had started out much earlier than us. If you are a serious hiker you might consider this trail as it is accessible from the ship. The last thing we did was check out a few local bars before returning to the ship. One was Sourdough and the other escapes my memory. Both places the locals were anxious to talk to us. It seems that at least early in the season they are ready for company. It was a fun first day off the ship.

Day 3 Whale watch with Shawn from Glacier Wind. First of all There were 6 of us with Shawn on his boat. It was a very grey day with temperatures in the low forties when we started out. To us , Shawn was that guy that makes you feel comfortable to be around. He navigated the Icy Strait waters quite well and was in communication with other whale tours to locate viewing areas. He educated us on watching for the blows and gulls. We probably saw 25 whales at least and bubble feeding. I unfortunately am not adept at whale photography so have the memories more than any good pictures. If you go on a whale watch, my suggestion is at some point live in the moment because the joy of seeing these fabulous creatures lives on in my brain. DH enjoyed it more than I thought he would. Also on a side note, Shawn provided me with extra gloves when I couldn’t get my own on because my hands were too cold and swollen.

This is Shawn pointing out the sires