Adventures in Alaska- Photo Review of a Northbound Cruise on the Coral - May 17

[Bimmer09]

Love Ketchikan, love Misty Fjords, love the Coral. Thanks for all the great pics and commentary.

 

Norris

[sjmbruce]

Thanks for that preview of Misty Fjords. We will be flying into there next week.:)

 

The flight alone was a great experience, but to fly into Misty Fjords was amazing. Have a good time!

[sjmbruce]

Thanks for sharing. Keep the pictures coming :)

 

Thanks! The pictures from Juneau are uploading right now, I am impatiently waiting so I can use them :)

[Once Upon A Time]

Sorry for so many questions...I am getting excitied!

 

I just saw another post from someone who is currently on the Coral this week. She mentioned that the viewing area at the bow of deck 11 was blocked off this week. Did you happen to see if it was open on your cruise?

 

We specifically booked cabins at the front of deck 11 to have access to this space and it will be disappointing if it isn't open. She did mention that deck 10 was open.

 

Just a quick note: When we were on the Coral (got off on May 17th) the forward viewing area on Deck 11 was closed on the Port side and open on the Starboard side. Many people didn't check both.. I think there was a issue with the Port side door. We were able to go out and use the whole area.. Be sure to check.

[sjmbruce]

The next day, we woke up to rain in Juneau. We had booked a morning whale watch with Harv and Marv, so I said a little no rain chant and hoped for the best. The security line was so long (and slowed down immensely by a moose and whale wanting to take a picture with everyone) we called Harv & Marv to let them know it would take us a bit longer to get to the meeting place. Once we were finally off the Coral, it was easy to find the representative and we were placed on a bus with many others, including a driver and a narrator. On our way to the boat, the skies cleared and it stopped raining. Once of the bus, we met the four others we would be sharing the boat with as well as our captain. We have been whale watching before, but never on this small of a vessel.

So, I understand that this is rare, but we saw several orcas on this voyage!

When looking for humpbacks, we came upon this - eagle on top, sea lions on the bottom - picture perfect!

Just as we had started to give up hope - we saw a humpback. The whale was a juvenile and we only saw the tail - but I was satisfied.

Edited May 30, 2014 by sjmbruce
added pictures

[sjmbruce]

After the whale watch, our bus headed to Mendenhall Glacier. Those wanting to be brought back to downtown Juneau had to be back on the bus in 15 minutes. We opted to stay behind and go for a walk. We followed the trail to stand next to Nugget Falls and get as close to the glacier as we would be able to this trip. The trail alone was nice and there was far more vegetation than I had expected. The glacier was so beautiful and if the water wasn't almost frozen I might have swam through it to get closer. Nugget Falls was so powerful and its mist coated everyone.

We also did the boardwalk. No bears, but my first wild porcupine.

[sjmbruce]

I thought I had thoroughly researched transportation back to the downtown area and had come to believe that we could hop on the blue or white bus at the glacier and pay the fare. The first bus to pull up was white. Everyone else waiting at the stop had a return ticket. When we asked the driver about going downtown, he seemed really confused about how we could have possibly gotten to the glacier without taking a blue or white bus there. Getting past that, he reluctantly told us that he could take us downtown but he would have to charge us, which we already expected. In the end we were able to ride the white bus downtown, but it didn't seem as easy as I had imagined it.

With a couple of hours before our scheduled helicopter ride and glacier walk, we strolled around the downtown area and went back to the Coral for a quick lunch at the IC. This is when it began pouring. Non stop rain with thick, low hanging clouds. With heavy hearts we met the Coastal Helicopters representative outside. He told us to hang tight, and after a few phone calls he came back with the bad news. Our flight had been cancelled due to the weather. I was so disappointed. What made it even more frustrating was that throughout the evening we saw several helicopters from other companies flying back and forth. It took a lot of convincing, but my husband finally persuaded me that safety was most important and the glacier walk wasn't worth the risk. Some other day, glacier walk.

[sjmbruce]

I apologize for the lack of pictures in the last post, but they would have just been of my sad, frowny face :o . To console me, my husband bought us tickets for the tram up Mount Roberts. At $32 per person, we had initially thought it was too pricey for what it was, but it was nice enough to take my mind off the helicopter letdown. At the top, there was an area with an injured eagle that had been rescued and was close enough to really examine visually. Inside, there were restrooms, a restaurant and a lot of pictures of the people native to Alaska. There was also some hiking trails. The trails were steep and slippery in some parts but led to some nice views. It was no helicopter ride, but a decent distraction.

[sjmbruce]

Our last port was Skagway. The Coral docked and we started the half a mile walk to Avis to pick up our rental car. They open at 8 and I am so glad we arrived at 8:05. There was already a line of three people or so, and it took at least 20 minutes until it was our turn. By the time we left with the keys, the line had grown to more than 15.

We had purchased Murray's Guide online and had highlighted everything we wanted to see. It was a great guide. The only issue was the mileage - once you went down another road and back, the mileage on the odometer was off, and while the U.S. had a lot of mile markers, Canada did not.

Our first stop was the Gold Rush Cemetery. Most of the gravestones were not original but a few were, and the history of it was so interesting.

A short but kind of steep hike brings hikers to Reid's Falls - absolutely worth the walk.

The great part about renting a car was getting to a stop in between the tour busses and having the place all to ourselves.

[fathercop]

Thanks so much for the pictures. I loved my Alaskan cruises and I am ready to go back. Alaska was my first cruise destination and it still is my favorite place to visit. Thanks, again.

 

Good luck to you and enjoy your cruise.

[sjmbruce]

We continued on the South Klondike Highway. There was just so much beauty that I struggle to put the pictures in a chronological or meaningful order. We took Dyea road, which turns into gravel and dirt, but is in better condition than the country roads in Michigan. As long as your car rental company allows it, the quick detour is worth it for the views.

We crossed the border into Canada, kept going into the Yukon,

and stopped in Carcross for lunch at the Chilkoot Trail Authentic Sourdough Bakery. It was $30 for two sandwiches, two soups, a water and a pastry. It was nice to have a warm stomach and everything was homemade. The town was small but interesting to walk around and take pictures. There is a beach at the far side of town near the train bridge that has some good views.

We stopped at the Carcross Desert.

[sjmbruce]

Emerald Lake was our turn around point. I think the whole drive, including stops, took eight hours. I was so glad that the lake was no longer frozen. A picture I saw here on CC of the brilliant green was my inspiration to do a road trip through Alaska and Canada.

Up next, I'll share some additional pictures from our drive and then move on to our two scenic cruising days.

Edited May 30, 2014 by sjmbruce

[Psychedout]

Welcome home Michigan, great pictures :D

 

Hugh :cool:

[Momma Mojito]

When we go back I think that we may rent a car, sounds like you can see so muh more!!!

[Momma Mojito]

When we go back I think that we may rent a car, sounds like you can see so muh more plus I really don't enjoy being on group tours.

[seamanfs]

I am loving this review! Thanks again for the great pics and info.

[seamanfs]

Thanks to the OP here is a link to the review I did back in February (I believe). Please don't comment on that thread as it is now back on page 40 or 50 or something, where outdated reviews belong. Should you post on it then that would bring it back to page 1. I believe page 1 should be for what is current not something 5 or 6 months old.

 

But there are photos so view away and I hope you enjoy it. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1977367

 

Thanks OP and I can't wait to see your photos and bring back some memories.

 

Thanks! Got the photos of Coral saved to our Favorites and we will go back to look at the pics soon!!

[Bucky3]

Oh, what wonderful pictures. We especially loved those of Emerald Lake. How lucky you were to get those colors in your pictures. Makes us want to go back! Thank you so much for sharing your adventures.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Bucky3

[hllwdcruiser]

This review is beyond excellent - your photos are amazing! Thank you again - this really serves as a great preview as to what to expect and what to plan for when we go next year. What was the top highlight of your trip and was there anything you did that you would not recommend?

[sjmbruce]

When we go back I think that we may rent a car, sounds like you can see so muh more!!!

 

You really do get to see a lot. Most importantly, you can stop anywhere you want and for however long you wish. With insurance, the car rental was $150....cheaper than a lot of excursions.

[sjmbruce]

I am loving this review! Thanks again for the great pics and info.

 

thank you!

[sjmbruce]

Oh, what wonderful pictures. We especially loved those of Emerald Lake. How lucky you were to get those colors in your pictures. Makes us want to go back! Thank you so much for sharing your adventures.

 

We were so grateful for the colors! I almost cried when I saw that the lake wasn't frozen. Definitely a sight worth going back for.

[sjmbruce]

This review is beyond excellent - your photos are amazing! Thank you again - this really serves as a great preview as to what to expect and what to plan for when we go next year. What was the top highlight of your trip and was there anything you did that you would not recommend?

 

Thank you! The top highlight is so hard..... a classic road trip through Alaska and Canada out of Skagway was so fun. I haven't covered Glacier Bay yet, but the beauty was beyond my words. In Anchorage, we stopped at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. They have bears, moose, caribou, bison and musk ox. It's not a zoo - they rescue injured and orphaned animals and have a bison reintroduction program. The black bears have 16 acres. I could have spent all day there.

Overall, I'd have to say that hiking to see Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls was my favorite.

 

Edited to add: If you're not doing much else, the Tram in Juneau is worth it for the views and the exposure to the outdoors. If you're doing a lot of other adventurous activities, I wouldn't recommend it. It saved the night for me because of how disappointed I was about the helicopter, and it was enjoyable, but I don't know if I would do it next time.

Edited May 31, 2014 by sjmbruce

[sjmbruce]

I'll share just a few more pictures of our drive in case you need some more convincing ;)

[sjmbruce]

Skagway was a cute, touristy little town. Unless you're really into shopping, you only need an hour (or less) to walk down the main street. We stopped in a few shops and were elated to find Huckleberry ice cream. It was $4 a scoop, but totally worth it. We didn't do it, but there's some hiking in the Dewey Lake trail system right near the dock. My husband wanted me to add that he enjoyed a flight of beer at the Skagway Brewing Company and recommends it if you're thirsty.

Edited May 31, 2014 by sjmbruce