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Alaska 2014 reviews please

blueshine

By blueshine,
in Alaska

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funcruiser1234

funcruiser1234

Posted
Posted

I'm sure as the season continues there will be some that appear here.

 

I know this isn't exactly what you wanted, but here are two reviews from the 2013 season that stood out to me:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1866551

and

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1843443

 

Hope this helps a little!

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JimAOk1945

JimAOk1945

Posted
Posted (edited)
Anyone who has cruised to Alaska this year? How did it go?

It could be a little to early to see reviews about Alaska cruises for this year. I think the first Carnival cruise is May 13th if I'm not mistaken.

Edited by JimAOk1945
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springs741

springs741

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We sailed out of Vancouver on Monday the 28th. Good weather. Tuesday rained. All you could see was gray. Tuesday night we had 60 MPH wind. This was my 7th cruise in the last 2 1/2 years and I never get sea sick. I was feeling queasy that night. Woke up on Wednesday to the most glorious weather. The rest of the cruise was bright sunshine and blue skies! Temps varied most days were in the mid 60's and mid 40's at night. Juneau was warmer and we changed into shorts for the afternoon. Remember that on the water it feels much cooler and the breeze also adds a chill. We dressed in layers so we could peel off during the day. Backpacks helped to have a place to stash clothing.

 

Excursions! We did "Adventure Karts" in Ketchikan. I can't begin to tell you how much fun they were. Well run operation with good equipment and unbelievable sights to see.

 

Since we were in Alaska last July we were looking for a more relaxing cruise so the other two adventures were more sedentary. This trip we did the "to the summit" in Skagway. You basically ride a small tour bus to the US/Canada border. They stop several places along the way for photos and give you the history. Last year we took the train to the summit and then did the gold panning on the return trip. Almost did it again this year when we saw how beautiful the weather was. We had fog last year.

 

Juneau was the Mendenhall Glacier. Tour bus out and self walking tour. Please be aware you don't get to walk on the Glacier. I think the only way that happens is if you fly to the Glacier and that was out of budget. Last year we did the whale watching tour with Carnival. I have heard hear on CC over and over to book with Harv and Marv as they take out small craft and get much closer to the wildlife.

 

I would like to recommend you look into the Tracy Arm Fiord Excursion. You board a small boat from the cruise ship and get an up-close view of the scenery. I saw people transferring last year and made up my mind to do it this trip but it was not offered on our cruise as we did Glacier Bay not Tracy Arm.

 

What ever you choose to do I know you will have a wonderful and memorable trip. Thanks for letting me share with you.

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plattwear

plattwear

Posted
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I was on the May 3 to 10th Golden Princess sailing from Seattle R/T to the Inside Passage. I plan to write a review soon with photos and will be happy to let you know when it is posted. We enjoyed our first trip to Alaska and our trip to Seattle as well.

 

Our weather in Juneau was fabulous and unseasonably warm that day. The top 2 layers came off for sure as you can see with my avatar photo in front of Mendenhall Glacier. Our biggest disappointment being the first sailing of the year to Alaska for the GOLDEN Princess...was being late by 1 hour to 3 ports (Juneau, Ketchikan and Victoria). This was a big problem in Victoria as we had scheduled a Whale Watching and Sealife Exploration tour that was cancelled. We ended up riding the Horse Drawn Trolly instead.(the only excursion that did not get cancelled). We had a good time on this excursion.

 

In Juneau, we went to the Juneau Rainforest Garden (not worth it yet this time of year as nothing was blooming however, the free muffins and tea were very good and the lady who owns this place is very friendly), Mendenhall Glacier and the Mt Roberts Tramway. We enjoyed the Glacier and the Tram very much.

 

In Skagway, we took the White Pass & Yukon route train ride/bus back combo through our cruise ship that included a stop at Caribou Crossing. The scenery on the train ride was amazing as we saw plenty of snow this early in the year however, the lakes were still frozen over on the trip back and no new husky puppies yet at Caribou Crossing. (though we were told a liter was expected any day). We enjoyed petting the retired sled dogs and 1 year old puppies. Wonderful weather all day here. It was a bit foggy early on the train ride but, I found it to be absolutely beautiful all the same.

 

In Ketchikan, we purchased a $2 day pass for the public bus and rode out to Totem Bight Park. We had rain on and off all day but, not a big down-pour. We still enjoyed the beautiful rainforest and totem poles. We walked through Creek Street as fast as we could because we only had 4 hours in Ketchikan. It is a shame because my mom said this was her favorite port. She loved the Creek Street area. No Salmon in the Creek yet, however the creek area is very beautiful. :D

 

I will be happy to assist with any other questions you have as well.

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cruises42

cruises42

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Posted
I was on the May 3 to 10th Golden Princess sailing from Seattle R/T to the Inside Passage. I plan to write a review soon with photos and will be happy to let you know when it is posted. We enjoyed our first trip to Alaska and our trip to Seattle as well.

 

Our weather in Juneau was fabulous and unseasonably warm that day. The top 2 layers came off for sure as you can see with my avatar photo in front of Mendenhall Glacier. Our biggest disappointment being the first sailing of the year to Alaska for the GOLDEN Princess...was being late by 1 hour to 3 ports (Juneau, Ketchikan and Victoria). This was a big problem in Victoria as we had scheduled a Whale Watching and Sealife Exploration tour that was cancelled. We ended up riding the Horse Drawn Trolly instead.(the only excursion that did not get cancelled). We had a good time on this excursion.

 

In Juneau, we went to the Juneau Rainforest Garden (not worth it yet this time of year as nothing was blooming however, the free muffins and tea were very good and the lady who owns this place is very friendly), Mendenhall Glacier and the Mt Roberts Tramway. We enjoyed the Glacier and the Tram very much.

 

In Skagway, we took the White Pass & Yukon route train ride/bus back combo through our cruise ship that included a stop at Caribou Crossing. The scenery on the train ride was amazing as we saw plenty of snow this early in the year however, the lakes were still frozen over on the trip back and no new husky puppies yet at Caribou Crossing. (though we were told a liter was expected any day). We enjoyed petting the retired sled dogs and 1 year old puppies. Wonderful weather all day here. It was a bit foggy early on the train ride but, I found it to be absolutely beautiful all the same.

 

In Ketchikan, we purchased a $2 day pass for the public bus and rode out to Totem Bight Park. We had rain on and off all day but, not a big down-pour. We still enjoyed the beautiful rainforest and totem poles. We walked through Creek Street as fast as we could because we only had 4 hours in Ketchikan. It is a shame because my mom said this was her favorite port. She loved the Creek Street area. No Salmon in the Creek yet, however the creek area is very beautiful. :D

 

I will be happy to assist with any other questions you have as well.

 

Would you recommend the White Pass & Yukon route train ride/bus back comb? Any more info about it would be appreciated.

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plattwear

plattwear

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Posted
Would you recommend the White Pass & Yukon route train ride/bus back comb? Any more info about it would be appreciated.

 

Yes, I highly recommend it. We booked this excursion through our cruise line (Princess). We rode the train first and our excursion was the early one that started at 7:30 am. I do believe our group was able to pick between two train cars. Our car was not full and we were able to move from left to right depending on the view at our leisure. I also walked to the back of the car and stood outside to take photos as well. The train provided bottled water, a Skagway newspaper and a booklet with information about the train & the historic markers on the way etc., We also had a narrator on the intercom that would point out where to look for these historic sights as we approached them. When the train ride was over our bus driver picked us up. I read that people like to book outside of the cruise line so they get on a smaller van instead of a big bus etc. I did not mind the bus at all and we loved our driver named Vanessa. She gave us all kinds of fun informational facts about the area. She stopped at a very scenic area on our way to Caribou Crossing for photos. Then our next stop was Caribou Crossing for lunch which was BBQ chicken quarter, cole slaw, half a baked potato, rolls and donuts. We enjoyed the lunch, it was different than what we were eating on the ship. (and we are from Texas...so typical southern kind of meal for us). We shopped in the gift shop, pet the goats & the sled dogs. You can pay extra to ride the sled dog cart if you would like while you are there. We did not go into the museum. After we boarded the bus our next stop was Carcross. When we got to Carcross no one wanted to get out as most of the town looked closed (to early in the season I guess), so she drove on to the next stop. Then she stopped at the Welcome to Yukon sign, Welcome to Alaska sign, and a lake. I do not know which lake it was however, it was frozen over. It was beautiful however, I wanted to see Emerald Lake and all the pretty green & blue colors. Mom saw an eagle on our bus ride but, I missed it. We did see some mountain goats way up high on the mountain as well. (but they were far away). Our bus driver told us she was going to give us some quiet time to nap if we wanted on the way back as well. I thought this was really nice as we were tired as it is an 8 hour excursion. She dropped us off downtown so we could go shopping.

 

:D Hope this helps.

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cruizinator

cruizinator

Posted
Posted
Anyone who has cruised to Alaska this year? How did it go?

 

Went on 10 day to Glacier Bay on NCL Pearl 5/8-5/18. Wonderful cruise, nice weather! 3rd cruise to Alaska..1st on NCL. Loved the itinerary..started in Vancouver..ended in Seattle. Already making plans for 10day next May on either NCL Pearl or Sun.

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cruises42

cruises42

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Yes, I highly recommend it. We booked this excursion through our cruise line (Princess). We rode the train first and our excursion was the early one that started at 7:30 am. I do believe our group was able to pick between two train cars. Our car was not full and we were able to move from left to right depending on the view at our leisure. I also walked to the back of the car and stood outside to take photos as well. The train provided bottled water, a Skagway newspaper and a booklet with information about the train & the historic markers on the way etc., We also had a narrator on the intercom that would point out where to look for these historic sights as we approached them. When the train ride was over our bus driver picked us up. I read that people like to book outside of the cruise line so they get on a smaller van instead of a big bus etc. I did not mind the bus at all and we loved our driver named Vanessa. She gave us all kinds of fun informational facts about the area. She stopped at a very scenic area on our way to Caribou Crossing for photos. Then our next stop was Caribou Crossing for lunch which was BBQ chicken quarter, cole slaw, half a baked potato, rolls and donuts. We enjoyed the lunch, it was different than what we were eating on the ship. (and we are from Texas...so typical southern kind of meal for us). We shopped in the gift shop, pet the goats & the sled dogs. You can pay extra to ride the sled dog cart if you would like while you are there. We did not go into the museum. After we boarded the bus our next stop was Carcross. When we got to Carcross no one wanted to get out as most of the town looked closed (to early in the season I guess), so she drove on to the next stop. Then she stopped at the Welcome to Yukon sign, Welcome to Alaska sign, and a lake. I do not know which lake it was however, it was frozen over. It was beautiful however, I wanted to see Emerald Lake and all the pretty green & blue colors. Mom saw an eagle on our bus ride but, I missed it. We did see some mountain goats way up high on the mountain as well. (but they were far away). Our bus driver told us she was going to give us some quiet time to nap if we wanted on the way back as well. I thought this was really nice as we were tired as it is an 8 hour excursion. She dropped us off downtown so we could go shopping.

 

:D Hope this helps.

 

Thanks so much! We booked this excursion tonight (through the ship). :)

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4cats,1dog

4cats,1dog

Posted
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Did you go to hubbard glacier? Were you able to see it?

 

Did first northbound Radiance OTS 5/16- 5/27 ( with cruise tour.

Yes, we got pretty close to Hubbard. We arrived at 8:00am earlier than expected. Captain turned around twice. Small boat went out to get glacier chunk for ice carving. Fog rolled in as we left the bay. Great weather!

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mytime53

mytime53

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Posted (edited)

DH and I just returned from our cruise yesterday...Island Princess Voyage of the Glaciers northbound. I don't intend to write a review, but I'll be happy to answer questions. A little about us: I'm a 3rd generation Alaska, and my husband moved up here over 40 years ago. What we wanted/expected is different than what most on the cruise are looking for. I've seen parts of S.E. Alaska, but DH hasn't been south of Yakutat in Alaska, so I wanted him to see it...it's a different environment than southcentral Alaska where we live. And I wanted to see Glacier Bay N.P. Here's a synopsis of our trip:

 

I started in Victoria, where I had planned to be with a friend before we even booked the cruise (and I again thank those who posted to reassure me that getting from Victoria to Vancouver in my time frame was possible, thus giving me the peace of mind to book the cruise). After reading bus and ferry schedules for days, I figured out my route and told DH I would meet him on the corner of Howe and Cordova at noon. I was a couple of minutes late because I turned the wrong way coming out of the waterfront station. Considering I'd been traveling for nearly 5 hours, I didn't think that was bad. Walked to the cruise terminal, dropped the 1 piece of luggage, and boarded immediately. DH didn't know I'd upgraded us from a balcony to a mini-suite...pointed comments (look, a tub! look how big this room is! Look, 2 tvs) didn't help him figure it out, so I had to tell him.

 

By sailaway we had unpacked, bought the unlimited drink package, planned the evening from the Patter, and were back on the balcony with a drink on hand.

 

Day 2...cloudy rainy socked in...couldn't see anything. Feared rest of cruise would be like that.

 

Day 3...Ketchikan...took our time getting off, as we only planned to walk around. Went to the Totem Heritage Center, which provided a nice walk around town.

 

Day 4...Juneau...had no plans...son was supposed to be in Juneau that day to show us around (he works there every other week), but he had to leave the night before. We decided to take the tram up Mt. Roberts and hike (DH's choice) and then the bus to Mendenhall and walk to Nugget Falls (my choice). We enjoyed both and took lots of photos. Great info from the shuttle driver on the way to the glacier. Went back to the ship, had a really late lunch, then back out to get some coasters from Red Dog Saloon (coasters and magnets are our main souvenirs from our travels) and take the tram up once more, just because we could. It was great...only 3 of us on the tram that time!

 

Day 5...Skagway...just walked around...favorite place was the free museum in Corrington's (my choice)--and we almost didn't go in! Another great thing was the National Historical Park's film on the Goodtime Girls (I think that's what they called it--DH's choice). Both of us really enjoyed each other's choices, just like the day before. DH's knee was really bothering him so we went back to the ship for a relaxing time. Interesting cliff side that we faced on the starboard side....the mountainside is covered with Captain's names with the cruise ships they've captained.

 

Day 6 ...Glacier Bay...honestly, it's the first national park we've visited where we've been underwhelmed. It was a beautiful day though, and we ate both breakfast and lunch on our balcony. DH spotted 2 grizzly bears (separate, not together), so all those on balconies around us with binoculars enjoyed watching them for over an hour. This is where binoculars come in. The person in the cabin next to us had a camera with a 270 power zoom. After about 30 minutes he relented to my insistence that he just borrow my binoculars long enough to figure out where the bear was so he could find it in his camera and get pictures.

 

Day 7...we'd had wonderful weather for days 3-6, so couldn't complain about the mostly rainy weather that we'd known would be on day 7. I can't fathom why there isn't more attention given to College Fjord. The glaciers were beautiful, there were sea otters all over, and there is no mention at all of the kittiwake rookery that is passed right before pulling into Whittier itself.

 

To anyone on this cruise who is doing independent travel arrangements post cruise...if you don't like the time given you to disembark (we were told the afternoon of day 6 when our time would be), go immediately to the purser's desk to ask for a new time. If you wait until you're told to go...well, let's just say you couldn't even walk through the area it was so crowded. So many people were there that we went and asked why they were in line...thought maybe we were missing something we needed/wanted. For example, we were being picked up by a shuttle service at 8:45 for the 9 am tunnel opening. Our scheduled disembarkation was originally 8:30, so we got it changed to 7:30 (there were no 8 am slots). So did everyone else on our bus except for one couple. They got on the bus just in time for us to go through the tunnel. If all of us had waited until the 8:30 time, we could not have all boarded the bus and made the tunnel. People would have been left behind or we would have had to wait for an hour for the next tunnel opening.

Edited by mytime53
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