Coral Princess Southbound June 26-July 3 Blog (long, with pictures)

We arrived in Anchorage on Thursday June 20 after agita because, first Delta wouldn’t let us bring on our carry-ons [free checking to Anchorage, but we had planned on using some of that stuff en route!]; then they decided that our plane was too heavy [maybe I shouldn't have had that second muffin at breakfast...] and asked 6-8 pax to deplane for a $400 future credit; then we were still too heavy so we sat on the runway burning off 500 lbs. of fuel [another poor air-quality day in NYC – wonder why?]. We finally took off almost a hour late which meant we would miss our connection, but somehow we made it to Minneapolis just about on time. We rushed through the airport [easy with no carry-ons…], but had plenty of time because our second flight was a little late leaving. [That flight also arrived on time – the new schedules are obviously designed to prevent those dreaded FAA lateness statistics…] So all in all everything worked out ok, but we could have done without the drama.The Anchorage Hilton is a wonderful hotel, and we were able to get a very nice dinner despite the late hour at Fletcher's restaurant at the Captain Cook Hotel [spectacular Haddock].

Jazzbeau in Alaska

Friday morning we had Enterprise pick us up. We took one look at the Kia something they claimed is a "full-size" car [i pointed out an old Bonneville cruising by – that is a real full-size car!] and realized no way our luggage was going to fit. They very nicely let us upgrade to a GMC Acadia with 154 total miles on the OD – cost a lot more, but I think we kept the Costco discount off list. The car was very nice, and our luggage filled the rear completely [take that, Rick Steves!].

We stopped at the Iditarod Trail Headquarters in Wasilla to get the background on this famous race and the dogs that lead them to the finish line. The museum was smaller than I expected, but the video is very interesting. There was no real chance to interact with the dogs on premises – we hoped to fix that at the Denali NP kennel.

We made really good time driving from Anchorage to Talkeetna, except for one long construction zone – more agita there, but in the end it only cost us 10 minutes.

We got to Talkeetna Air Taxi (TAT) a little ahead of our scheduled check-in time for the Grand Denali flight. They said “The Mountain” had been great early am but then closed in at mid-day, so they weren’t sure if we would fly at all or if we could land on the glacier. Luckily by the time of our 3pm flight the fog was gone. There were the three of us, another party of six fellows, and the pilot Paul on this small plane (de Havilland Otter). Paul took us across the river and tundra landscape into the mountains, up the Ruth Glacier (like a frozen river), all the way around Denali, and gave us views of the other big peaks – Hunter and Foraker – as well. It was amazing! It only got better when we touched down on a pristine snow-covered glacier and got out to walk around. Our friend made a small snow person, and two of the guys lay down and made snow angels. It was a mystical experience! We were there for a half hour. Then Paul seemed to head straight for a rock face as he took off, before easily turning the plane for our exit above the frozen river. We returned to Talkeetna after two hours. A real highlight to start the trip!

I sat on the right side of the plane, but Paul tried to make sure that both sides got good views. I also tended to get disoriented among all the peaks, and they look different close up than in the postcard views. So I’m not sure if the mountain peak shown below is Denali itself – but it looks even less like Hunter or Foraker so I hope it is. In any case, all the views on this flight were breathtaking.

We had a nice dinner in Talkeetna at the Wildflower Cafe – great seafood and an amazing beer selection – and then headed home to Denali Fireside Cottages just outside downtown (which means one block away from the one block…). Denali Fireside has one large building with four rooms plus some separate cabins. They are very spacious and very well appointed and maintained. I definitely recommend them for a stop in Talkeetna. No food service on premises, because “everybody wants to have breakfast at the Roadhouse” – so who were we to differ?

Ruth Glacier

Denali

Glacier Landing

Saturday we had a hearty breakfast at the Roadside Cafe and chatted with people at our table. [Meals are served at large tables, where you find some open seats and join the party in progress.] We ate with a guy who lives in Anchorage and has a cabin near Talkeetna and his daughter, who is doing a legal internship in Anchorage as she earns her law degree from Ohio State (where her husband is getting a PhD in physics).

We had planned to hike the Little Coal Creek Trail, which has fine views of Denali, until we discovered that the trailhead is about 80 miles from Talkeetna. So instead we took the three mile Talkeetna Lakes Quest hike around lakes X, Y and Z [that’s their real names, although there seems to be some confusion as to which is X and which is Y; perhaps they need Abbott and Costello to straighten them out…]. We covered ourselves in DEET and mosquito netting. [see picture below, then destroy it…] Those buggers are numerous and fierce up here – DW even had to put OFF on her ears that night to get to sleep! It was a very nice hike and helped us work off the stiffness of several days of sitting on planes and in cars.

After our hike we returned to town to visit the outdoor crafts fair [where the prices were very reasonable and you were buying from the actual Alaskan craftsperson], and the Talkeetna Ranger Station [with a good video and other exhibits about climbing Denali], and to treat ourselves to something special. I went to the Denali Brewing Company beer garden for a flight of beers (Mother Ale [i guess somebody’s mother is a blonde], Kentucky Sour, Twister Creek IPA, and Chuli Stout – all were good examples of type and I had a very enjoyable time sitting in the shade [no mosquitoes in town, just a blizzard of cottonwood pollen]. DW and our friend headed to the Wildflower Cafe for cake with whipped cream, which they liked equally well.

We returned to Denali Fireside for showers. Our friend and I did fine, but when DW got into the tub there was no water pressure! The problem seemed to be widespread, but was fixed by the time we got back from dinner. [We sat with her anyway…]

We went to the West Rib Cafe for an unimpressive dinner (undercooked Caribou steaks) followed by homemade coconut ice cream at the food truck across the street. The ice cream was delicious!

Denali from Fireside Cabins

Mosquito Nets

Sunday morning we went to the 9am Mass at St. Bernard’s in Talkeetna. They don't have their own priest so one usually drives up over 100 miles from Anchorage – 2 1/2 hours if traffic is decent.

We then checked out of Denali Fireside and got breakfast at the Roadhouse, again eating family style with strangers at our table. One meets some interesting people that way. This time out we had a flower child from the 60s who had relocated to Alaska from Connecticut and was shocked to hear us say we could never think of living up here. She was rabid in her conviction that this was the only place one could be happy. We noticed this trait frequently among the Alaska transplants.

Talkeetna is a really fun(ky) town. I recommend a visit both for the access to Denali (flightseeing and the Ranger Station) and for the town itself. The long days of summer up here are wonderful [especially as we were there for the summer Solstice], but I can't imagine paying the price when winter comes and there are only 4 hours of daylight!

DW then drove north to Denali National Park, stopping at several viewpoints because The Mountain was out again. We arrived at the park’s Sled Dog Kennels just in time for the last show of the day. What a treat! These are marvelous animals who live to pull and run. Their strength and energy seems unlimited. The young female park rangers seem equally strong and determined and handle them with authority and love.

We stopped at the Denali Visitor Center for the video and exhibits, and then drove another ten miles to find our lodging – the Denali Dome Home B&B in Healy. Wow! What a B&B! It’s a giant dome building with seven bedrooms with private baths, plus a large great room built onto the side with nice views of the extensive property (and occasional wildlife visitors). We stayed there two nights and had a great time. The owners are very helpful, and even though it was full we felt like we had the run of the place to ourselves. Terry cooks breakfast to order, and he also dispenses advice about sightseeing and dining. Highly recommended.

Restaurants are limited in Healy and Glitter Gulch didn’t appeal, so we dined at the Black Diamond Grill at the local golf course both evenings and had good meals. One night we tried Bison! [And no, it doesn’t taste like chicken – it tastes like a lean steak.]

Denali from Parks Highway Viewpoint

Sled Dogs

Sled Dog Puppy

Monday we took the shuttle bus into Denali NP. We had hoped to see lots of wildlife but were disappointed in spotting only a handful of caribou and The Mountain was completely obscured by clouds, so we didn’t proceed on to Wonder Lake but spent some time at Eielson Visitor Center and then took another bus back. To add insult to injury, the driver of that bus was reviewing all the wildlife they had seen on their way in, but again we saw very little on the way out. But the terrain was amazing and the school bus was more comfortable than we expected. It was a worthwhile experience. We did spot a moose on the road outside the park – at this time of year they are very mangy looking as they shed their winter coats.

Shuttle Bus

View from Teklanika Rest Stop

Caribou

Moose

Tuesday we drove the 5 hours back to Anchorage where we stopped at Wal-Mart for bottles of water, returned our rental car, and checked back in to the Anchorage Hilton. [The first time DW and I had a nice corner room, but this time my Hilton Gold status got us upgraded to a full suite – how sweet it was!]. Anchorage is a very well designed city, easy to navigate on foot or in a car (not only are the streets laid out in a grid pattern, they are also named logically and buildings are numbered by block). We visited the Oomingmak Musk-Ox Producers Coop – musk ox wool is incredibly soft and warm (even more so than cashmere), but the products didn’t appeal so we escaped without damage to the wallet. At the Downtown Visitor Info Center we were advised to take the free shuttle to the Ulu Knife factory as a quick way to get to Ship Creek to view the salmon run. We visited the factory but DW didn’t think these knives would work for her, so we escaped unscathed again. We couldn’t see any salmon in the creek or on the fish ladders, but what do we know: during our delicious salmon dinner at The Bridge restaurant we saw lots of local fishermen standing in Ship Creek – catching salmon!

Denali from Lake on Parks Highway

Wednesday we were up early to take the train to Whittier. There is a tent outside the Alaska Railroad station where you can check your luggage with Princess, and they take it in a truck right to the ship while you enjoy your day. [This worked smoothly for us, but we heard that on a recent cruise one of the Princess trucks got held up by an accident in the tunnel and some passengers didn’t get their luggage until the next port – three days later in Skagway! Worse yet, some of the passengers were trying to drive to Whittier so they missed the ship altogether. We were very glad we had taken the early train.] The 2 1/2 hour train ride was smooth and scenic [and, I must admit, restful…], and then we popped out of the tunnel and saw Coral Princess awaiting us!

But first, we took Major Marine’s 4 1/2 hour Blackstone Glacier cruise on Kenai Star. The three of us had an assigned table for 4, but the boat wasn’t full so everybody could move around as they liked. DW was afraid that it might be somewhat boring, but we all enjoyed it thoroughly. We visited three huge glaciers and stayed at each for a long period of time so that we might experience the glacier calving, i.e., smaller sections of ice breaking off and falling into the sea. We saw all kinds of wildlife: black bear, harbor seals, bald eagle, kittiwakes, jellyfish and our favorite – sea otters [DW just fell in love with them! Good thing there aren’t pups for sale that can be bought and shipped home…].

The cruise included a very delicious lunch of prime rib, salmon, rice/beans, salad, sourdough bread [all very good], and desserts including tropical fruit salad, chocolate/walnut brownie, cheesecake [none very good]. DW had hot chocolate to help warm her on deck, but the weather was clear and much warmer than we had feared. The crew and the National Forest Ranger were helpful and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this tour, because the little Kenai Star can get much closer to the glaciers than a big ship like Coral Princess [we were allowed to approach to 1/4 mile, and the captain had extra controls on the side that gave him a good view as he maneuvered right up to icebergs and a waterfall.

View from Alaska Railroad

Whittier [everybody lives in the tall building in center]

Blackstone and Beloit Glaciers

Beloit Glacier

Blackstone Glacier [note boat for perspective]

Blackstone Close-up [we hoped this would calve, but no luck…]

Wildlife on the Blackstone Glacier Cruise:

Bear [halfway up cliff face]

Seals on Ice

Kittiwake Rookery [everybody lives in one place, just like Whittier…]

Sea Otters [ain’t they the cutest things???]

Upon our return at 5:15pm we boarded Coral Princess and found that our luggage had been brought to our very nicely designed and appointed cabin. We were in Baja 433, an inside cabin right near the midship elevators; the location was excellent and the cabin was very quiet, although in future I think I would prefer a lower deck to be more centrally located between the Atrium and the top decks [need to take the stairs to work off dinner, but let’s not overdo it!]. This is the nicest inside cabin we have seen [the bathroom on Norwegian Dawn was larger, but that space was stolen from the cabin which made it very cramped.] We were amazed at the amount of storage space – even with our record over-packing we didn’t fill up all the shelves!

The muster drill took longer than expected to get started and DW and I both dozed off while waiting [a crew member awakened us in time so we didn’t have to stay after school...].

Afterwards the three of us ate in the Bordeaux anytime dining room with a couple who were doing a back-to-back. Our friend had Pork Loin and DW and I ordered Grilled Beef Filet Medallions from the Always Available portion of the menu (this night served with Green Peppercorn Sauce). They were closer to medium than medium-rare, but with thin medallions it doesn’t take much to overdo it and this was the MDR not a specialty steakhouse. We were surprised that the wine list had a good selection and reasonable prices. I had Warm Passion Fruit Soufflé for dessert, which was very nice.

We then poked around the shops a bit before retiring for the night. [We didn’t attend any of the shows, so you don’t need to parse this review looking for them…]

Coral Princess [almost as cute as the sea otters…]

Thursday morning we had breakfast in Horizon Court [this was true every day of the cruise] and then to the Cruise Critic meet-and-greet that I had organized. We were originally scheduled for the Wheelhouse Bar, but a few days before the cruise I got an email that it was moved to Crooners. This was actually a better location, but it was too late to get the news out to the Roll Call so I was worried that this would cut attendance; Princess put up a sign at the entrance to the Wheelhouse and the staff there knew where to send folks, so it all worked out and we had 22 attend. It was great to put real faces to fake names, and it was nice to run into familiar faces throughout the cruise.

We then went to the Bayou for the British-Style Pub Lunch. We all ordered the Ploughman’s lunch and were shocked to see the cold plate that came with a few slices of deli ham [the basic stuff that’s always on sale], a small wedge of American cheese [not the “aged cheddar” promised] and some paté. Hardly the hearty sandwich we expected! DW and I shared a bread-and-butter pudding, which was really nice. [Maybe this is authentic British-Style cuisine. We remember from a trip to London several decades ago that the dinner meat and veg items were overcooked, but it turned into a benefit because we had more room for the wonderful desserts covered with heavy cream!]

Next we headed to Naturalist Ann Burgess’ presentation “Otters, Orcas & Humpback Whales.” She was excellent, and the Princess Theater was packed. Her later talks were just as good, but the house was practically empty [perhaps because people learned you could watch them later on TV in your cabin].

DW and our friend went for dance lessons – salsa, cha cha and gangnam – while I had a nap. [We later learned in the Trivia game that you burn more calories sleeping than watching TV, so I count this as my exercise!]

We had had great weather every day since arriving in Alaska, but unfortunately heavy fog and floating ice prevented our entering Yakutat Bay so we missed out on the vibrant blue colors of Hubbard Glacier. Since we had such a rewarding excursion on Wednesday we were not too disappointed.

We went to Provence for afternoon tea – scones with strawberry jam and whipped cream. There were also sandwiches and sweets available but we refrained. [i made afternoon tea a priority and managed to get there most days. I l-u-v-e cream tea!] Then it was off to Afternoon Trivia; we didn’t win but we had lots of laughs. [The winners looked like one of the “professional” trivia teams I had read about, so we didn’t bother going back to lose to them again…]

DW finally had to bite the bullet and do laundry. Her timing was perfect, as no one else was there. She violated her principles and put all the colors and textures together in one load, and everything came out fine!

Dinner was at Sabatini’s. Service here was excellent compared to sometimes indifferent wait staff elsewhere on the Coral. We all had salads and shared calamari (the best ever!), artichoke soufflé and mushroom tart. There was also an amuse bouche of prosciutto and olives, and the bread basket had an interesting selection. We were stuffed and the entrees hadn’t even arrived! Our friend had sliced breast of duck, which was lovely. DW and I shared the salt-encrusted branzino for two, which took a long time to prepare. It wasn’t worth the wait: the whole fish is encased in a thick layer of salt, but the waiter carefully removed that along with the skin; as a result the fish wasn’t salty, but it was just bland. I guess it was a good choice after all the appetizers, since it was light, and left room for espresso crème brûlée for dessert. [That English thing about saving room again…]. DW got a raspberry frangipane to go, which came wrapped in an aluminum foil peacock! We immediately planned to return to Sabatini’s – but not to eat branzino.

This was the first Formal night, and since we were in Sabatini’s I can’t open up that hornet’s nest… A waiter told us later than it had been French night in the main dining rooms.

This was also No Smoking Night in the Casino – a great idea that other cruise lines should copy – but we were too tired from doing nothing all day so we turned in early.

[no pictures – fog!]

Friday morning was very foggy as we entered Glacier Bay, and we were afraid it would be another bust. But the fog cleared during breakfast, and DW and friend were treated to seals, sea otters and at least 20 Humpback whales from their window seat! [i slept in. You snooze, you lose. But I saw plenty of wildlife at the Taste of Alaska Buffet –

on my plate…]

We all went to the Glacier Bay Park Ranger’s Presentation, which was a good introduction to what we were going to see.

Glacier Bay was magnificent! We headed north to Margerie Glacier where we stayed for almost an hour. I moved around between the “secret balcony” at the front of deck 11 and the Promenade on deck 7, and got a ton of good pictures of the beautiful colors and textures, and of several calvings. Next to it was Grand Pacific Glacier, which is huge but nowhere near as beautiful because it is entirely covered in dirt and no longer reaches the water (so no calving). The ship then stopped at Lamplugh Glacier, another blue beauty, on the way out of Glacier Bay. No calvings here, but the peace and quiet were mystical.

We saw many more whales as we exited Glacier Bay. What a treat! After we thought we had passed the hot spot for whales, DW stayed out for her daily walk and was rewarded with whales fluking and spouting, and pods of whales traveling near the Coral Princess! She was very impressed.

We enjoyed a good dinner in Bordeaux (scallops and shrimp in light cream sauce; beef pot roast braised in Barolo wine; veal scaloppini with marsala sauce). We knew we had to be up early for the next day’s outing from Skagway, so it was off to bed.

Entering Glacier Bay

Ice in Glacier Bay [would it keep us out? No!]

Margerie Glacier

Margerie Glacier crevasses

Margerie Glacier showing folding

Margerie Glacier calving

Grand Pacific and Lamplugh Glaciers:

Grand Pacific Glacier

Lamplugh Glacier

Lamplugh Glacier close-up

Whales in Glacier Bay:

Humpback Whale spouting

Humpback Whale diving

Humpback Whale fluke

Leaving Glacier Bay

On Saturday we disembarked just after 7 AM to meet Chilkoot Charters for our privately arranged Bennett Scenic Journey on the White Pass & Yukon Route railroad, which took us over the summit and well into Canada’s Yukon Territory to Bennett (for a delicious lunch of Mulligan Stew) and along the length of Lake Bennett to Carcross. There we were met with a van for a quicker trip back to Skagway. The guide on the railroad and the van driver were both very informative, and the driver would stop wherever we wanted for photo ops. A most enjoyable tour! I definitely recommend booking this independently, as our train was less than 1/4 full (they only used 2 of the 4 coaches and we could spread out all over them) and we saw more for less cost than the ship’s tour.

The van driver let us off in town (per request), and we went straight to Dennis Corrington’s Ivory Museum in the back of his shop at Broadway and 5th. The ivory and scrimshaw he has collected is just amazing! Also lots of interesting articles and memorabilia about Skagway and Alaska. [We stayed in the museum until they were closing the store, so once again the wallet was spared…]

We dined in the Bayou Grill and had a good meal with great service. Our friend had giant prawns on dirty rice; DW and I each had a porterhouse steak which was ok but would have been better if they had cooked it double-thick for two.

On the way out of the restaurant we heard Brad Stevens in Crooners Lounge. I hate to say nasty things about a performer, so I won’t say anything…

DW’s post-prandial walk rewarded her with more whale sightings. [i should get out more…]

View from White Pass & Yukon Route train

Old RR Trestle [no longer in use, thank God!]

Lake Bennett, Yukon Territory

Skagway

Arctic Brotherhood Hall [covered with driftwood]

Snowplow

Sunday brought us to Juneau for a short port day. [i’m told the ship arrived at 6:30 am, but I was getting my beauty rest; so sailing at 4 pm made it a short day for me...] DW and I attended Mass at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is the smallest cathedral in North America. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Burns; great liturgy, good preaching and upbeat music. We wish there were more Bishops like him.

Then the three of us took a cab to Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure. Our timing was great: a loaded bus was leaving as we arrived, so we had our own private golf cart and guide taking us up hundreds of feet to the observation deck. We were intrigued by flowers growing in upside down trees and huge plants in hanging baskets. It was very beautiful, and we were (very pleasantly) surprised not to be bothered by mosquitoes.

The second naturalist talk, “Bears, Bears, Bears,” was scheduled at sail away, and we were part of the select few who attended. Another informative talk.

We dined in Bordeaux. We were not disappointed. Our friend enjoyed lobster and prawns. DW and I opted for Beef Wellington, which was very good. It was formal night, so here come the hornets! I wore navy dress pants and a light blue silk sport coat over a solid golf shirt (collared but not button-front, and no tie) and fell well within the range of male couture. We saw some men in tuxedos going to the fixed seatings in Provence or getting their formal portraits, but did not notice any in our Anytime Dining venue. The range we saw went from suits to golf shirts without any jacket. No jeans, shorts or bathing suits. The range for women was similar.

DW and friend popped in for the end of the show “Motor City” (Motown hits), which they said was just ok. There was a lovely sunset [which meant we were getting far enough South that the sun was actually setting].

Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Russian Orthodox Church

Glacier Gardens “Upside-Down Trees”

View from Glacier Gardens

Monday was our final port stop, Ketchikan. We all did a little window shopping and sightseeing in town [there are some good quality jewelry and craft stores hidden among the tourist traps], and then I walked around town talking photos while the girls grabbed a bite to eat onboard.

Just before 1pm we met the van from Island Wings for our Misty Fjords Flightseeing Tour. We thought the de Haviland Otter in Talkeetna was small, but this de Haviland Beaver made it look big! No matter – Michelle flew it like a 737. These planes haven’t been made for almost 50 years, but both of them were in like-new condition – Michelle said she spends $70-90K per year on maintenance, including a new engine two weeks ago! We enjoyed beautiful scenery, great weather and even a touchdown in Rudyard Bay where we walked ashore and hung out for awhile taking pictures and enjoying our environs. On the flight back Michelle pointed out bald eagles, seals, and a black bear below.

We all enjoyed dinner once more in Sabatini’s and were pleased to have Adrian from Romania as our waiter again. Our friend and I had the duck breast; DW had veal chop in Barolo wine sauce, which was her favorite meal on the cruise. [We bumped into our maître d’ from Bayou who asked us about our going to Mass at the Cathedral. He seemed happy to know he had this option when in Juneau, so DW later gave him a card with the address and time.]

We had missed the presentation by Libby Riddles about winning the Iditarod, so I went back to the cabin and watched it on TV. It was very good and translated well to the small screen. [she mentioned the t-shirt “Alaska, where Men are Men – and Women win the Iditarod!”, which she prefers to the one that says “Nome, home of beautiful dogs and fast women”…]

Ketchikan

The Rock, Ketchikan

Creek Street

“Rose” soliciting business at Dolly’s House, Creek Street

Michelle of Island Wings

Misty Fjords Flightseeing pictures:

Taking Off

Taking Off, with Coral Princess

Entering Misty Fjords

Waterfall from Mountain Lake

Ice Cave at Rudyard Bay

Rudyard Bay

Tuesday, our final cruise day, was the Inside Passage. The great weather continued. DW and friend spent the morning with shopping and dance lessons (line, swing and waltz), while I attended the final naturalist program “Wings Above Alaska.” Then we all tried out several spots for viewing the passing scenery and wildlife, DW and I didn’t observe any whales but our friend saw a couple of spouts and a bald eagle. DW and I finally explored the uppermost deck, where there are shuffleboard and basketball courts and a giant chess board [and apparently a golf putting course that we missed].

We dined in Horizons at the buffet so we could have window seats for our cruise through the turns and narrow passages of Johnstone Strait and Seymour Narrows. It was very scenic, but we never saw anything as narrow as the books describe. The food was very good, although there were quite a few raised eyebrows as we walked in with a bottle of Amarone from Sabatini’s to celebrate our farewell dinner in style! We made our own three-course dinner by sharing a selection of cheese and crackers; then getting our “entrée” plates; and finally choosing dessert. Thanks to the scenery this dinner stretched out as long as anything at Sabatini’s!

Then it was time to pack. [This is a sad time, but thankfully it goes much easier than the initial packing at home. No decisions – take everything that doesn’t have a Princess logo on it – and you know it will fit because it did on the way out…]

Entering Johnstone Strait

Leaving Inside Passage

We disembarked Wednesday, July 3 and spent a good bit of the day exploring Vancouver via the Hop-on/Hop-off bus that we booked through Princess (with luggage transfer direct to YVR for our red-eye home). We particularly enjoyed our time in Stanley Park (larger than NYC's Central Park) where we spent a couple of hours at the aquarium so that DW could see the sea otters that she had fallen in love with earlier. We had lunch at a Stanley’s Grille in the park before heading back on the bus into the Gastown section of Vancouver. We were extremely tired by late afternoon, so we all just plopped on a bench and watched the world go by.

Vancouver from Stanley Park

Totem Poles in Stanley Park

We took the Canada Line train to the airport (tickets included with the Princess package) to claim our luggage. It took us a while to find the luggage office, but once we did our bags were already loaded on free airport carts. Then we discovered we had to wait for Delta to open its service desk before we could check our bags and head through security and Canadian customs. We were able to take advantage of one of the special airport lounges [thank you Amex Platinum!] and enjoyed comfortable chairs, free food and beverages, and immaculate rest rooms before heading to our 10:30 pm flight.

Everything started smoothly and we pulled away from the gate and started taxiing to the runway on time. But a passenger started acting very strangely and they decided to remove him and his family from the plane, which started a chain of delays – including having the rear toilets emptied several times so they could search for evidence [hopefully of an illegal lifestyle, rather than something incendiary…] that ultimately led to the flight being cancelled after two hours. It took another two hours to claim our luggage, get processed back into Canada [i wasn’t aware that we had left…], and get new boarding passes for our rescheduled flight at 11 am.

Delta put us up at the very nice airport Fairmont hotel, but we didn’t get into our rooms until 3 am and the vouchers covered less than half the cost of the breakfast buffet. Still, it was great to get a few hours sleep in an actual bed and have a hot shower and a nice breakfast. [since we had all our bags with us, we were even able to find some clean clothes…]

The second try was as smooth as silk. We had to recheck our bags, go through Security and Canadian customs again – also US customs was now open so we were able to preclear that before boarding, which paid off at JFK – and finally get on the plane [the same plane, I should note, which we hope the RCMP had spent the night going over with a fine-tooth comb!] and we arrived at JFK a little after 7pm on Thursday, July 4.

After reading a lot of vendor-bashing on the River Cruises forum, I want to say that Delta handled this pretty well. The pilot made some obviously false announcements, which were designed to prevent panic and buy time while the authorities conducted their investigation. It took Delta a while to confirm the rescheduling, but I assume they had to get the new flight cleared with Canadian and US authorities – which can’t be easy in the middle of the night. We were heading straight home so we were happy to stay with the rescheduled flight, but Delta worked with each passenger who had connections to try to work out something to save their trips. They also gave us vouchers for $100 and a free drink on a future Delta flight, free snacks and booze onboard this one – and I just got an email apologizing for the whole experience and saying that I’ll get an extra 5,000 miles in my frequent flyer account. All in all I’d say Delta did it right.

It was a vacation to remember in many ways. We were blessed with beautiful weather throughout our time in Alaska. This is the first good summer they have had in over 5 years! No rain! Sun! 70s!

So we are members of the McKinley “30 Percent Club,” that small percentage of tourists who have actually seen The Mountain. It is usually too cloudy to see this magnificent snow-covered peak, but we had the good fortune to see it clearly four out of five days!

We also had good weather throughout the cruise – no rain, only the one day of fog in Yakutat Bay. No shore excursions were cancelled, and just as importantly none were regretted.

The Ship – Coral Princess is the best-designed ship we have sailed or seen. There are extensive public areas at the bow and stern, which on newer ships have been cut off for high-priced cabins. There is a complete promenade deck that only requires 3 laps for a mile and is protected at the bow from wind and rain when the ship is at speed. The central atrium is an open airy space that provides easy access to a number of functions without carrying loud music into areas that should remain quiet. And there are relatively few cut-off pathways in getting from here to there. I became comfortable finding my around much more quickly and easily than on previous cruises. The ship never felt crowded, even during the glacier-viewing periods – the “secret” balconies were even advertised by the naturalist but still did not attract crowds, and the promenade deck always had some rail space available.

The ship is in great condition. It had a major dry dock last fall. I didn’t notice any wear and tear on carpets or upholstery, and only the most minimal rust [and they keep up on that, as we smelled fresh paint on deck throughout our cruise].

Our cabin, Baja 433 (Inside category IA) was right near the midship elevators; the location was excellent and the cabin was very quiet, although in future I think I would prefer a lower deck to be more centrally located between the Atrium and the top decks. This is the nicest inside cabin we have seen [the bathroom on Norwegian Dawn was larger, but that space was stolen from the cabin which made it very cramped]. We were amazed at the amount of storage space – even with our record over-packing we didn’t fill up all the shelves! The mattress was just ok – both hard and somewhat concave – but we didn’t bother asking for a topper. The pillows were way too soft, but I only thought of it when getting into bed so never got around to asking for another.

The restaurants are attractively decorated and noise levels are low. Separating traditional dining from anytime seems to work, and may minimize complaints about the dress code as the most likely offenders are going to choose anytime while the most staunch defenders seem to choose fixed.

Food was good to very good. Steaks tended to be cooked 1/2 category more well-done than ordered, but this was consistent so you could adapt. Most of the dinner menu was different each night, plus there was the always-available section to fall back on [and that had slight adaptations such as the sauce on the steak]. Sabatini’s is excellent, although the menu would get same-old after two visits. The Bayou is less successful, IMHO – neither authentic New Orleans nor a good steakhouse. I wish they had converted it to a Sterling Steakhouse during the dry-dock, but they may have wanted to keep the more informal décor for things like the pub lunch.

Coffee has been the subject of many threads, so I was worried that the syrup-based stuff would be swill. [before I go on, I must note that coffee is a very personal taste. Starbucks is sprouting on every corner, but I detest the stuff (except in ice cream). On the other hand I also detest instant coffee, and I spend more than Starbucks prices to buy a mocha-java blend made from Yemen Mocha Mattari and Java Mountain Supreme – so I know my coffee, although my taste may vary from yours.] Celebrity serves syrup-based coffee, and it was truly swill. But the Princess product was drinkable. Not something I looked forward to with eager anticipation, but good enough to get my day started without the hassle of ordering fresh brewed.

The wine list has a very interesting selection and all the wines are well-priced. As an example, the Bolla Amarone was $66, vs. $50 at my low-price NY wine store [this was the most expensive wine we had and is way more than I typically spend at home, but it shows that Princess is not taking restaurant markups – note that the price difference is almost exactly the corkage fee for bottles brought on board]. Over the course of the cruise we had Amarone Classico Bolla (twice), Barolo Stefano Farina, Brunello Di Montalcino d.oc.g. Palazzo, Chateauneuf-du-pape, Kenwood Yalupa Old Vine Zinfandel, and Seghesio Zinfandel. All the wines were in good condition and we enjoyed every drop!

Casino – we don’t gamble, so a casino can only be a negative for us (if the ship is laid out so that you have to walk through it, and especially if it’s smoky). I remember seeing it once or twice, which tells me it is out of the way.

Speaking of smoking – the only time we noticed it was when walking by Churchill’s cigar lounge. That skunky odor wafts out whenever the door opens and lingers in the hallway. [Of course, with an Inside Cabin we didn’t have to worry about smokers on balconies…]

Shows – DW and friend caught the end of “Music City,” which they thought was just ok. We had really liked the aerialists on Norwegian Down, but the Coral Princess cast didn’t include this specialty so we didn’t rush our dining to make the show times.

Enrichment – I don’t know how Princess does on other itineraries, but this Alaskan cruise was top-notch. Ann Burgess did three talks, on sea animals, bears, and birds in Alaska, and was on the bridge for the Inside Passage; Libby Riddles did a talk on the Iditarod race and sled dogs in general; and rangers were on board for Glacier Bay.

Other activities – DW always likes the dance classes, and she felt that Coral Princess measured up fine. We enjoyed the first Trivia presentation, but there was a “professional” trivia team so we didn’t go again. We were invited to a special art preview and were surprised to be offered champagne immediately [after dying of thirst on Norwegian, but that wasn’t a VIP event]; the art was also of better quality and better displayed than on NCL, but we still didn’t buy any.

Movies Under The Stars was invented by Princess, but it’s not my cup of tea – and now they play movies all day too. During the day it was hard to see the screen except from the center but the sound dominated a much larger area, so this changed the normal vibe of hanging out by the pool. There is a separate covered Lotus pool area which was quiet, and on this cruise the added warmth from the glass roof made it much more appealing.

Staff and crew – this was the weak point of the Coral Princess. Everybody did their job just fine, but we missed the friendly and open interaction that we have experienced on other cruise lines. We didn’t expect the Oceania level of knowing our names and carrying our plates, but I do expect empty-handed buffet personnel to get out of my way when I’m carrying a cup of coffee to my table (as I do for them). Our cabin attendant always greeted us in the hallway, but not by name, and most other staff never offered any greeting at all; this made the ship feel cold.

Passengers – We had been told that Princess attracts an older clientele and that Alaskan cruises attract an older crowd on all lines, but our fellow cruisers did not seem to be particularly old or decrepit [we are 65 and active]. Very few scooters or wheelchairs, some canes – but the halls and elevators were not clogged. We noticed some families and teens at various times, but they were always well-behaved and generally invisible – there must be a good children’s program and as noted before there are so many public areas that the ship never feels crowded.

Packing – Rick Steves says you should pack everything in one small backpack, but I think he cheats and has the camera crew schlep for him. We bring everything we think we might need, and every time we try to leave something out sure enough we have to go buy that thing along the way. So DW and I brought 4 large bags (one of which was a duffle with a case of water), 2 large carry-ons, and 2 personal carry-ons. We still had to do laundry after the land portion, and we used everything we had brought except the rain gear [no complaints about not needing that!]. We followed the advice about dressing in layers, which worked out well with the range from sunny warm days on land to the cool glacier viewing. I did not pack a suit because we read that Alaskan cruises are more informal, and that proved correct.

Conclusion – We enjoyed our Alaskan trip very much. But despite the excellent weather we aren’t planning to return – perhaps because of the good weather: we were able to see and do everything we had planned, and while it was all enjoyable we weren’t so wowed that Alaska eclipses the other interesting places around the world.

Coral Princess, on the other hand, is a treasure and we have already booked another cruise on her: the round-trip Panama Canal itinerary out of Fort Lauderdale in January.

Thank you so much for a wonderful review. Looking forward to my turn on the Coral.

What a great review and I loved your photos, thank you for sharing.

Awesome, awesome review and beautiful pictures! Thanks so much for posting.

Cathy

Excellent review and I loved your pictures! Thank you. We leave on the Coral 8/28 and I can't wait. :)