Ice road truckers !!!

[Ashland]

The Discovery and History Channel some of the best advertising for Alaska.....What a cruisetour this would be....Deadliest Catch then Ice Road Truckers..now that's Alaska entertainment :eek::eek::D

[CowPrincess]

Interestingly, in Puerto Cortes Honduras, our non-English-speaking cab driver could say 4 English words: Vancouver, and Ice Road Truckers (accompanied by a big grin and "bueno" from him!)

[PennyAgain]

The Ice Road Truckers are the 3rd of 4th generation of hearty people to make oil exploration in Alaska possible with their driving skills. All the way back to the creation of the Dalton Hightway (usually called the Haul Road by old timers) men have been challenging that road.

 

And long before that, men of the US Military cut through the Al-CAn highway which opened up the first land route to Alaska from the Lower 48.

 

We owe an awful lot to many of those folks.

[alpal1993]

The Discovery and History Channel some of the best advertising for Alaska.....What a cruisetour this would be....Deadliest Catch then Ice Road Truckers..now that's Alaska entertainment :eek::eek::D

 

Actually there is a tour in Anchorage that has a simulator of the Ice Road Truckers and the Deadliest Catch Bering Sea Crab Fishermans Tour in Ketchikan and then you could go to The Time Bandit Booth on the Homer Spit.You could do it all on the 14 Night Amsterdam cruise.

[SeattleCruiselover]

The Ice Road Truckers are the 3rd of 4th generation of hearty people to make oil exploration in Alaska possible with their driving skills. All the way back to the creation of the Dalton Hightway (usually called the Haul Road by old timers) men have been challenging that road.

 

And long before that, men of the US Military cut through the Al-CAn highway which opened up the first land route to Alaska from the Lower 48.

 

We owe an awful lot to many of those folks.

 

My late father in law was one of the Ft. Lewis Corps of Engineers heavy equipment operators that put that road in, as well as building some of the fortifications on Unalaska (Dutch Harbor) during WW II. His stories about it were very interesting, to say the least.

[Debbie&Chaz]

I wish the History Channel would do like CSI. There could be an "Ice Road Truckers - Canada" and an "Ice Road Truckers - Alaska." That way we could have two series of Ice Road Truckers each season!

[stessie]

Hi alpal. I am interested in the Ice Road Truckers simulator in Anchorage. I did a search on line for it and could not find anything. Do you have any details about this?

I'll be in Anchorage in July and would find this very interesting.

Thanks for any information.

[PennyAgain]

My late father in law was one of the Ft. Lewis Corps of Engineers heavy equipment operators that put that road in, as well as building some of the fortifications on Unalaska (Dutch Harbor) during WW II. His stories about it were very interesting, to say the least.

 

I hope you did an oral history with him but if you didn't please make notes now.

 

One of my late Dad's best friends was an Army pay master on the project. A very popular man. My Dad's job in the Army was driving heavy trucks and tanks in rotten cold weather. He loved rotten cold weather.

 

I miss those old guys and their stories.

[alpal1993]

Hi alpal. I am interested in the Ice Road Truckers simulator in Anchorage. I did a search on line for it and could not find anything. Do you have any details about this?

I'll be in Anchorage in July and would find this very interesting.

Thanks for any information.

 

Hi It is offered by Salmonberry tours and is right at the Port

[greatam]

Hi It is offered by Salmonberry tours and is right at the Port

 

I'm in Homer now working. Will be leaving Saturday, so I have to see this. I read the description and almost spit my ice tea all over the computer. "State of the art sleeper truck"?? If it is one of Carlisle's trucks, while nice equipment, hardly state of the art.

 

THESE are state of the art:

 

http://legacysleepers.com/pdf/brochures/ARI_Freightliner_Brochure.pdf

 

http://www.truckersnews.com/home-suite-home

 

THIS truck just came off the road in March. I know the couple who owned it. This is truly state of the art even though the truck is 15 years old-washer, dryer, shower, frig, microwave, generator. Only truck I have ever seen with a washer and dryer.

http://www.chooseyouritem.com/equipment/files/8703500/8703557-2.1994.Peterbilt.379.EXHD.html

 

And a "simulator"??? What is it-like a video game? Swift Transportation has driving simulators to test your reactions to various scenarios. FAR from the real thing. Experienced drivers out drive the simulators all the time.

 

North American Van Lines has a true "simulator" in Indianna with real skid pads (you can get an 80,000 pound loaded semi sliding on ice/rain road surface). They also have a wind tunnel so you know how to handle a semi during almost tornado/hurricane force winds.

 

I am going to try to go on the tour before I leave. For $99, it better be good.

[PennyAgain]

GreatAm, will you be in Homer when the Amsterdam makes a port call? I'm curious about all the complaining being posted here about Homer and am interested in your point of view.

[Ashland]

GreatAm, will you be in Homer when the Amsterdam makes a port call? I'm curious about all the complaining being posted here about Homer and am interested in your point of view.

What cruiseline is the Amsterdam and what other cruiselines go to these ports ? What are the complaints about Homer ?

[greatam]

GreatAm, will you be in Homer when the Amsterdam makes a port call? I'm curious about all the complaining being posted here about Homer and am interested in your point of view.

 

I've talked to quite a few in town. In fact, I think the ship is here today (someone mentioned it this morning). After I get done working, I may wander "uptown" and see what is going on if the traffic isn't too bad.

 

From what most have told me, people are upset because the Amsterdam had to dock at the cargo dock. Yes, it is quite a distance if you had to walk. The original plans were to dock the ship at the Ferry dock but some of the port dates crossed with the ferry dockings so that plan was nixed by the Ferry company.

 

Small road out there to the cargo dock. And of course, congested traffic on the Spit (always). So the best the town could come up with was to have a limited amount of buses traveling on freight road and on the Spit. As you know, the $15.00pp shuttle fee seems to be causing an immense amount of "pain" to some people.

 

A couple of the store owners told me they had a big increase in business (the stores selling inexpensive souvenirs on the Spit and the book store) while the one of a kind, true arty type stores said not much increase in business. The Salty Dog did a heck of a business (to be expected), but most of the other restaurants didn't other than the Fish and Chips guy (I was in there last night).

 

All in all, I think the Homer port stops are a combination of good and bad. Pax are complaining about the $15.00. Some business owners are happy, while quite a few are not. The unhappy ones said the port stop just wasn't long enough to benefit and be able to really show off Homer. I personally don't see the need to rush other than the tides possibly. It's not very far to Kodiak-heck the ferry doesn't leave until late at night for Kodiak.

 

With summer being light for a long time, people could have done a true excursion in the morning, then maybe a town tour, then dinner or wandering the Spit into the evening. But evidently, from what the owner of Fish and Chips told me, almost everyone was out of the area by about 4:30-5.

 

Only time will tell what REALLY is happening.

[lazarru]

Does anyone have a link for the simulator, I'm not seeing it on the Salmonberry site

 

Thanks

[alpal1993]

Greatam.we will be on the next cruise going out June 14.In Homer we have booked A Taste of Homer Tour It sonded like a lot of fun to sample Beer Wine and Mead.That will be @1pm so we are planning on taking in a museum in am and then a walk down the Spit with Stops at the Time Bandit Booth and cap off our stay with a drink at The Salty Dawg.I wish we had had some more time to take in a fishing adventure,maybe next time.

[PennyAgain]

GreatAm, thanks. Some people have posted that they hated Homer (see the HAL thread on CC). Why bother etc. and It had to be a fill in port. That sort of nonsense.

 

The ships have short port stays because docks cost $.

[alpal1993]

What cruiseline is the Amsterdam and what other cruiselines go to these ports ? What are the complaints about Homer ?

 

Holland America.I think the first cruise of the season is pretty much the least expensive time to cruise and several people were just interested in walking and shopping and didn't intend to spend any money exploring the outskirts of these wonderful fishing towns.

15pp for an on off bus is very reasonable.The use of school busses that day to transport students to school as a make up snow day cut the # of busses that could be used to shuttle passengers numbering over 1300 is alot to enter a small town all at once

[CowPrincess]

shuttle passengers numbering over 1300 is alot to enter a small town all at once

 

Remember, now, not all of those 1300 actually took the shuttle. At least 4 stayed on the ship to protest the "outrageous" cost of the shuttle :rolleyes: :)

[greatam]

Does anyone have a link for the simulator, I'm not seeing it on the Salmonberry site

 

Thanks

 

It's there-a separate little box under "BIG RIG".

[greatam]

 

The ships have short port stays because docks cost $.

 

I'm not going for this. The cargo dock doesn't get used that much, so a discount could probably be negotiated for additional hours bringing docking fees to par with someplace like Juneau which often has 10-12 hours in port. I will go ask Bryan the HarborMaster what the docking fees are. I would guess it is pretty inexpensive compared to other Alaska ports.

[alpal1993]

Remember, now, not all of those 1300 actually took the shuttle. At least 4 stayed on the ship to protest the "outrageous" cost of the shuttle :rolleyes: :)

 

Now thats funny! I cut back on our cabin to enjoy all the tours and extras we want to consume.I will go home with a life time of memories.Never feel like I missed out on anything

[CowPrincess]

Now thats funny! I cut back on our cabin to enjoy all the tours and extras we want to consume.I will go home with a life time of memories.Never feel like I missed out on anything

 

:D We do the same -- stay at the cheapest safe hotel we can find for the night pre-cruise (preferably with a shuttle and complimentary breakfast :) ), take the cheapest cabin we can tolerate (usually the cheapest oceanview available), drink the "wine by the glass" on HAL's wine card, and do WHATEVER WE WANT for shore excursions, regardless of cost. We live in Canada, airfare anywhere is outrageous and is usually as much as or more than a 7-day cruise costs. So we cut back everywhere we can in order to (a) afford to cruise and (b) do everything we want to experience where we are visiting.

[Ashland]

Holland America.I think the first cruise of the season is pretty much the least expensive time to cruise and several people were just interested in walking and shopping and didn't intend to spend any money exploring the outskirts of these wonderful fishing towns.

15pp for an on off bus is very reasonable.The use of school busses that day to transport students to school as a make up snow day cut the # of busses that could be used to shuttle passengers numbering over 1300 is alot to enter a small town all at once

Only Holland America !! Darn..would love to see RCI do some different ports in Alaska..mix thinks up a little for those of us that want to see something else..Maybe Sig on the Northwestern or Andy on the Time Bandit would like to take some passengers during their off season....:eek::D

[alpal1993]

Only Holland America !! Darn..would love to see RCI do some different ports in Alaska..mix thinks up a little for those of us that want to see something else..Maybe Sig on the Northwestern or Andy on the Time Bandit would like to take some passengers during their off season....:eek::D

 

We are so excited to be meeting the crew from Season 2 on the Allutian Ballard The ship has been retofitted and made into a tour boat Bering Sea Crab Fishermans Tour out of Ketchikan.My friend just went on it yeasterday and had nothing but raves for the tour.We will be on the Tour a week from today.

We like RCCL (Platinum) first time we have sailed on Hal.The staff in Seattle are Clueless,but Amsterdam gets very good reviews and the itinerary is too good to pass up