The Millenium, Vancouver to Seward

[GeorgiaPeach51]

This was a very, very strange disembarkation--for a good reason. In the past we have gotten up, packed, left the room and entered the buffet area to see if we could find a spot to sit, knowing it would be a long hunt to find a spot.

 

We did our usual thing, which was to go to Cafe al Bacio for our first and last morning coffees of the final day. Then, with some trepidation, up to the buffet...we had late disembarkation due to staying in Seward. When we got to the buffet, it was about half full; no huge lines, no stressed passengers, your choice of areas to sit. We were so startled! NEVER have we seen this! We kept checking our watches to see if the time had changed or something! Apparently more than half of the passengers had bus transfers to somewhere or other and had already left the ship in the early morning hours.

 

While we were finishing our breakfast (one final eggs benedict--woe!) they called our group....we left the ship, walking straight off, found our luggage and headed out walking with our luggage to short distance to town. (My husband's idea, not mine). While walking, we were stopped by a nice man named Ken, who offered to give us a ride into town. Normally we would never take a ride from a stranger, but the next thing we knew he was dropping us off at the Seward Military Resort, where we were staying. He could not have been nicer! We ditched our luggage and went back into town to catch our Major Marine boat tour of the Kenai Fiords.

 

This was easy and zero hassle. We walked down to the dock and got in line for the short wait to board the vessel. Probably about 50 people I would guess. A nicely run operation, very organized. There is assigned seating both upstairs and down, The bathrooms are downstairs. There is a nice viewing deck on both levels in the back, and on the sides. They have a bar and a place to get snacks and other drinks. They also have a nice lunch; a nice salad, rice, prime rib, salmon, fruit, and dessert. Very efficient and the food was fine. They serve everyone first then invite one and all back for seconds so if you want more, you can have it.

 

I had some trouble with being queasy on this one; didn't take my Bonine soon enough. The boat fumes in the back didn't help. Eventually, the Bonine kicked in and the fresh air helped. There is a lot to see on this excursion and we felt it was well worth the money. Lots of whales, stellar sea lions, little seals, fantastic scenery, little sea otters, and lots of birds and puffins. There was a national parks ranger on board who provided commentary and took special time with the kids.

 

We came back about 5:30, so it was 6 hours. Most of the tables are for 4 people, so we were seated with two nice ladies; and we all spent the time going back and forth, going in and out, up and down. One negative was the lack of a good place to put coats, etc. Seats in the middle had storage, seats by the windows did not. We were assigned a window seat out of luck; I would think you could request where you would like to be if you booked early enough.

 

We went back to the military lodging and got ready for the next day. My husband went fishing early, early. I wished him luck and away he went to fish and I went back to bed. That morning I went to the Alaska Sea Life Center. I took a taxi for $5 plus tip to the railroad depot to drop off our two suitcases and two carry-ons. Then I caught the free shuttle at the depot to the center, which I really enjoyed. It was built, I believe, with money from the Exxon Valdez disaster, and they focus not only on educating us all on the marine ecology and creatures, but in rescuing and rehabilitating sea animals. It's well worth the trip.

 

There are individual tours you can do behind the scenes; if you use the search I'm sure you'll find more info.

 

I walked back to town to get some exercise; I would say it's about 1.5 miles? Guesstimate. I met my husband at the railway depot after his very unsuccessful fishing trip with Alaska Coastal Explorer; they caught a few odds and ends fish that were not good for eating and only one small halibut. He was the only paying customer; ultimately he felt the captain didn't want to spend the gas to do the searching for where the halibut were. We met plenty of people who returned that day with halibut...so he definitely would NOT suggest Alaska Coastal Explorer with Captain Spargo...for $275! He has fished a long time and knows it can be erratic, but due to the circumstances and seeing so many others come in with fish, he feels it was not a good trip.

 

So, that evening we were on the Alaska Raiload train to Anchorage. One of the highlights of the trip to me. We paid for the gold dome trip....which put you upstairs in a railroad car that was primarily all glass. There was beverage service, a narrator, a dining car. When the train saw something interesting it stopped so you could get photos. We saw glaciers, porcupines, beautiful scenery, two bears and a moose. I LOVED it. Something about riding a train...I would do that trip again and again.

 

Two of my little friends from the Sea Life Center:

 

 

The glacier we saw on the Kenai Fiords trip with Major Marine:

 

One of the views from the train:

 

And another:

[tawcat]

Georgiapeach51: Once again thanks for the great review. I can say that if one has the time, the Seward Sea Life Center is a must. A few years ago my DW and I drove to Anchorage. While there we made the trip to Seward. We did a few "behind the scenes" tours. Absolutely phenomenal.

 

We are cruising with friends that have never cruised before. I provided them the link to your review and told them to check back often as many comments and experiences will be shared.

 

I share your feelings about formal nights. In the past we used to pack formal wear and dressed to the nines! Now, not so much! I think the getting older has a lot to do with it. As does restrictions on baggage by airlines. I'm all for nice jeans and a button down shirt:)

 

Looking forward to August. BTW, I have that very same pic of the seal!!!!!!

Edited June 9, 2013 by tawcat

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Forgot to discuss boots. I had hemmed and hawed about them and finally said no, due to luggage. I was just fine with my sneakers until I got to Seward. My original intention was to go to Exit glacier and then to the Sea Life center. A nice young man on the free shuttle bus heard me mention it to the driver and asked me if those were the only shoes I had...when I answered in the affirmative, he shook his head and said he wouldn't go. Apparently, the glacier is a bit of a hike in; the snow was melting and there were places where it was very muddy and where you could sink in up to the tops of your shoes...if those were my only shoes I'd be cold and wet all day. So, I had to pass on Exit Glacier, to my disappointment. Still, I'm not sure it would have been worth it to lug my hiking boots around for that whole trip.

 

Once we got to Anchorage we got a cab to the Millenium Hotel, which we hated. Strong word, but true. We had read that the reviews on Trip Advisor were pretty good. Not so, from our perspective. The hotel was showing its' age; worn. We had requested a mountain view, which was on the second floor, looking out on the parking lot. We protested politely and they moved us to the 4th floor. A small improvement. Don't know, perhaps the lake view would be better. The room had definitely seen better days; the carpet was stained (ick, wore my bedroom slippers at all times), the fitted sheet on the bed was so ill-fitting that it popped off on both sides while we slept and we ended up having to both get up and remake our sides of the bed during the night. The bed was lumpy and just uncomfortable, the window a/c ran and clanked all night. It was, to us, like a Motel 6, but it cost $179, so buyer (booker) beware!

 

Then it was off to the airport on their free shuttle (one positive)...a really early start for a long day returning home (aren't they all?) Got home at about 8:30 Monday night. Back to work on Tuesday.

 

What would we do differently?

 

1. We would not have done the Icy Strait whale watching trip, only because we did two others.

2. Or the Ketchikan fishing

3. Or the Seward halibut fishing (keep in mind the time of year)

4. I would take fewer clothes...my goal someday in my life is to come home from a cruise having worn everything I put in my luggage.

5. We would definitely take our ipad again. My husband took our Canon Rebel T4i DSLR and we rented a 100 x 400 mm Canon telephoto lens, for $104 at aperture.com for 14 days. We got great photos and would do that again. It was a $1700 lens and polaroid filter to cut down glare and we insured it thru homeowners, which was prorated at $25 per year. If anyone knows how to help me get our photos from our ipad to photobucket without having to do them one at a time, I'll be able to post his great photos. he took 3,500 photos and whittled them down to about 720.

 

We loved this trip. LOVED it. Was it perfect? No. Did we have food we didn't love? Yes. Were there some things that went wrong, yes. But, as I said earlier we try not to get tangled up with the little details....and just enjoy the fact that we got to see Alaska, we had good weather, we got to spend quality time together, we got to see my husband's cousin...it was just grand. Have to think that God spent extra time on Alaska. :)

 

I'll be glad to answer any questions I can. This is the end of the review; but I'll still try to get the photos done.

 

Thanks for reading and for your comments; hope it is helpful to you, and thanks to the many who helped us on CC to make our trip so wonderful!

 

Peach

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Georgiapeach51: Once again thanks for the great review. I can say that if one has the time, the Seward Sea Life Center is a must. A few years ago my DW and I drove to Anchorage. While there we made the trip to Seward. We did a few "behind the scenes" tours. Absolutely phenomenal.

 

We are cruising with friends that have never cruised before. I provided them the link to your review and told them to check back often as many comments and experiences will be shared.

 

I share your feelings about formal nights. In the past we used to pack formal wear and dressed to the nines! Now, not so much! I think the getting older has a lot to do with it. As does restrictions on baggage by airlines. I'm all for nice jeans and a button down shirt:)

 

Looking forward to August. BTW, I have that very same pic of the seal!!!!!!

 

 

Tawcat, you're so welcome! I will be interested to see how different your August cruise is from ours in late May. I'll be glad to answer any questions for your friends...how exciting to be able to plan. We're big believers in trying to have that next carrot dangling out there so we have something to look forward to. The planning is one of the very best parts, don't you think!?

 

I loved that seal...every time he went by the glass he rolled his eye at me...pretty endearing!

[tawcat]

GP51: if you have a Mac, you can sync your photos and upload to PB via the mac.

 

Seems to me you can do it directly, I'll peek around a bit, if I find a solution, I'll pm you.

[tawcat]

GP51: i think you can download the Photobucket app for iPad and transfer that way.

 

I actually think I did that once to transfer some pics from my iPad. Hope this helps.

[ucfalli]

Thank you for posting about your trip! Love reading anything alaska I can!:D

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Hi, Tawcat, thanks for the input... when I tried that it, I could never get it to bulk upload.

 

Then I tried to upload to Facebook and it said I had to install Flashplayer but it wasn't supported...or something like that.

 

Now that the writing part is done I'll try to work on it this week. I'm determined to get them done!

[aussiecruzer]

Thank you so much, really enjoyed reading your review. We are just starting to think about an Alaskan cruise for 2014 and your insights are much appreciated.

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Thank you so much, really enjoyed reading your review. We are just starting to think about an Alaskan cruise for 2014 and your insights are much appreciated.

 

Hi, ausieccruzer, you're very welcome! We met lots of your wonderful fellow Aussie's while on the cruise. A very popular destination....and Australia/New Zealand is tops on our list but will have to wait till we retire...too long and involved with the vacation time we have!

[captbubba]

Thanks for the great review! Can you tell me which nights were formal nights?

[GeorgiaPeach51]

You're welcome! Formal nights were the first sea day (the day after boarding the ship, cruising the Inside Passage) and the next to last night (Hubbard Glacier day).

[dani negreanu]

Thank you, enjoyed everything, your sense of humor:) and philosophy of life - even more.

Dani[ela]

[olemissreb]

Thanks for the review! We are taking the train from Anchorage to Seward in Gold class. Would you recommend a specific side of the train to sit on? What were the drink prices like on the train? I think I read where all the seating for Gold class is forward facing. Is that true?

 

We are doing a behind the scenes at the Sea Life Center - Marine Mammal! I'm so excited. Someone else posted that they did that encounter and got to actually pet a seal! Sooooooooo can't wait! We're hoping we can drop our luggage at the ship prior to heading to the SeaLife Center. I know you went northbound, but could you tell if it is a long walk from the SeaLife Center to the ship?

 

Your husband has the same camera that mine does. We're not going to rent a big lens. We'll just try and make the best with the 2 lenses he has. Of course we'll probably get home and wish we had rented the bigger lens, but hey we'll know better for next time. And yes, I'm fully expecting there to be a next time!

[Aquahound]

Thank you so much for your review. I'm in flight now, heading up that way, and will be boarding the Millie for the southbound cruise. Can't wait, and your review has me even more excited! :)

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Thank you, enjoyed everything, your sense of humor:) and philosophy of life - even more.

Dani[ela]

 

Awww, thanks so much! Hope it was helpful to you. Thanks for the nice post!

 

Peach

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Thanks for the review! We are taking the train from Anchorage to Seward in Gold class. Would you recommend a specific side of the train to sit on? What were the drink prices like on the train? I think I read where all the seating for Gold class is forward facing. Is that true?

 

We are doing a behind the scenes at the Sea Life Center - Marine Mammal! I'm so excited. Someone else posted that they did that encounter and got to actually pet a seal! Sooooooooo can't wait! We're hoping we can drop our luggage at the ship prior to heading to the SeaLife Center. I know you went northbound, but could you tell if it is a long walk from the SeaLife Center to the ship?

 

Your husband has the same camera that mine does. We're not going to rent a big lens. We'll just try and make the best with the 2 lenses he has. Of course we'll probably get home and wish we had rented the bigger lens, but hey we'll know better for next time. And yes, I'm fully expecting there to be a next time!

 

Hi, Ole Miss, I think you'll love the train. Coffee, water, soft drinks are free in the Gold Car. My husband had a beer, and I just found the receipt--$6. We ate dinner in the dining car and it was nice. We both enjoyed it--had the same thing; chicken with a nice sauce, mashed potatoes and green beans. We both had dessert--he had a key lime pie thing and I had a turtle sundae thing. Both really yummy. Cost of the dinner was $50, approx.

 

The set-up for the gold car is seats for two face forward. Then they have seats for four that split the view...two forward and two backward. Seats were very comfy. I would say neither side is preferable, to be honest. The moose was on the left, the two bears were on the left. The beautiful icy chasm was on the right, as were the glacier views. One porcupine was on the left and the other on the right....You can get up easily and we all did, and can go outside to take photos or just move over into the aisle and lean so you can see. No one that I saw minded...we were all so excited to see what we were seeing and everyone pointed out to all whenever they saw something great.

 

As far as the walk from the SeaLife center to the ship, I would say 1.50-1.60 miles, not bad if the weather is cooperative.

 

I'll post some photos for you: this is the interior of the train; I took it looking backwards, so the people on the right are facing forward, and the man on the left is seated backwards. Our seats were assigned but if the train is not full you can move to anywhere you like. I would say our car was about 1/3 full. Not sure that will be the case later in the season...so perhaps if you have a preference you could ask when you book. We were seated in the very front right, and it had a little ledge to put stuff on. What it didn't have was footrests. The seats across from us had footrests, and I would think that if you are petite, that might be comfortable for you. We are both tall so it didn't matter to us. I think I wouldn't want to be back in the very back because that's where the nice young man is making drinks and rattling around with ice, etc.

 

One additional thing about the Gold car is that you go up the stairs. The steps are very small, and it was like a spiral staircase. I would think that if you have any mobility issues it might be a challenge, because there would be little space to put a walker or a cane or a crutch. There ARE handrails, though.

 

And this is what the train looks like from the outside. By the way, at the Seward Depot, when I dropped the bags off that morning the taxi driver just plopped them into a covered-tent area. I went inside to check if I needed to do anything else, tag them, something? and they said no....so away I went with a little trepidation that those bags might never cross my threshold again, but when we got to Anchorage, there they were, as heavy as ever! :D

 

 

[Leesie6351]

your review has been excellent although as I previously posted, my experiences on the ship were not as good. I agree totally about disembarkation being unusually easy-- we walked right off the ship in a very organized fashion at our designated time after enjoying a leisurely breakfast in the oceanView Café.

 

For some reason, I found the ship to be very quiet the entire cruise. Never any crowds, no problems finding tables in the OceanView Café or around the pool etc. To me, the atmosphere was odd-- very laid back, almost ghostlike. As I said previously, never saw the Captain or Ship's Officers or Cruise Director.

 

I will post more specifics especially about the pre-tour to the Canadian Rockies and Post-tour to Fairbanks and Denali because Georgia Peach has done a super fantastic job of reviewing the cruise so I have little to add.

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Thank you so much for your review. I'm in flight now, heading up that way, and will be boarding the Millie for the southbound cruise. Can't wait, and your review has me even more excited! :)

 

Aquahound/Paul! I'm so excited for you! Please, please, let us go with you! What a wonderful adventure you have ahead of you! Hope you can report back when you return. Travel blessings to you and your fellow travellers

 

Peach

[GeorgiaPeach51]

your review has been excellent although as I previously posted, my experiences on the ship were not as good. I agree totally about disembarkation being unusually easy-- we walked right off the ship in a very organized fashion at our designated time after enjoying a leisurely breakfast in the oceanView Café.

 

For some reason, I found the ship to be very quiet the entire cruise. Never any crowds, no problems finding tables in the OceanView Café or around the pool etc. To me, the atmosphere was odd-- very laid back, almost ghostlike. As I said previously, never saw the Captain or Ship's Officers or Cruise Director.

 

I will post more specifics especially about the pre-tour to the Canadian Rockies and Post-tour to Fairbanks and Denali because Georgia Peach has done a super fantastic job of reviewing the cruise so I have little to add.

 

Leesie, I, for one, would love to hear more of what you thought of the cruise--I love hearing what other people think--it's interesting! I'm excited to hear about your pre and post tour info...that's on our list for next time.

 

I'm not sure what you mean about ghostlike--we spent evenings in the Martini Bar; then to dinner; to the casino; dancing, so there was a lot going on that suited us. And, honestly, we were so tickled to be able to get away, just the two of us, that we were like two little kids. I've had the blessing to be married to the most wonderful man for 36 years and he is just so much fun to be with that we don't necessarily notice if a lot of people are around or not. If they are, we love to talk to them; if they're not, we're still happy campers.

 

Hope your hip is better. Looking forward to reading your information!

 

Peach

[GeorgiaPeach51]

These are from my husband's Canon with a telephoto lens used on many.

 

Orcas

 

 

Bear in Icy Strait

 

 

One of his best whale shots

 

 

Skagway

 

 

Hubbard Glacier

 

 

 

Kenai fiords

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Above: Kenai Fiords

 

Glacier in Kenai Fiords..Alyeska? Sorry, can't remember.

 

Another good whale photo

And another, taken during his fishing trip...so though he didn't catch fish he did catch this nice photo.

 

 

One of the views from the train.

 

 

 

Mr. Moose, startled, hustling away from the train. He was moving pretty fast! All train photos taken thru the glass, so it works well...no reflection issues.

Edited June 11, 2013 by GeorgiaPeach51

[GeorgiaPeach51]

 

They are so entertaining, and what a racket they make! Didn't want to leave them out!

[brazilgirl]

What beautiful photos!!!!

[GeorgiaPeach51]

I'll let my husband know! He sometimes even had his camera in the Martini Bar in case a whale popped up outside....which did happen one time!