Inaugural Alaska Cruise (May 18-26) Review

[tommytune42]

Just returned from the 8 day cruise to Alaska and wanted to share some thoughts. My apologies that there are no pictures but I unfortunately have hit the ground running upon my return home. I’m confident that there will be others who will post pics.

 

WHO AM I?

 

I'm the typical Alaskan cruiser--this was my 8th cruise, I turn 50 this year, and I was traveling with my DW, who also turns 50 this year. We live in Michigan and this was our first Alaskan Cruise. I have three married children and two grandchildren. As we discovered, we were traveling with people who were pretty much just like us.

 

PRE-CRUISE

 

We flew into Seattle a couple of days early to visit some friends, and we took the train (AMTRAK) to Vancouver. If you get the opportunity to do this—take it! The train ride was a great prelude to Alaska with lots of Eagles, fellow-cruisers, a decent bistro selection, and a low-stress travel experience. Customs in Vancouver was easy. We found a taxi right away and we were taken to the cruise terminal very efficiently. Total cab fare was only $10. There was a porter right there to meet us at the terminal and then we were on our way.

 

EMBARKATION

 

What a mess. This was, perhaps, the very worst embarkation I’ve ever been through, but I don’t know that it was anyone’s fault in particular—rather it was a chain of events that compounded upon one another to create a disaster. The Vancouver terminal was somewhat confusing, and every time we got around a corner hoping to see the light of day (or even someone who would give us our sign and sail cards) we only found more lines to stand in, chairs to sit in, and crowds of tired people. There were two ships going out that day and the Legend had been delayed in debarkation because of coming from Hawaii and having to clear customs. We were all excited to be going to Alaska, however, and people remained pretty upbeat through the waiting. On the good side—it took us so long to get on the ship that by the time we got to our cabin our luggage was already there.

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

 

This was our second cruise on the Legend, with the first one being four years ago. It seems as though she has aged, but for the most part is has been graceful. We had a balcony cabin on the 6th deck toward the front on the port side (6116). We love this location as we tend to exclusively use the stairs when we sail (gotta work off all that melting cake, right?). We also enjoy being up toward the front of the ship for its accessibility to the gym, the show lounge, and the hot tub. Because there were only 40 kids on this cruise, we only went to the Serenity area twice—both times were lovely. The Legend, as with most Spirit class ships, is very easy to navigate and we found that everything came back to us fairly quickly in terms of location of things we needed—entertainment in front, dining room in back, buffet up, shops on deck 3, casino on deck 2.

 

CABIN

 

Ours was a standard balcony cabin. If you’ve stayed in one before then you know exactly what it is. If not, we found that, as is typical, it was great with more room for storage than one would normally expect on a cruise ship. The bathroom is amply big enough for us to both be in at the same time, and, of course, we loved the balcony. The room was a bit warm for most of the cruise, and so many evenings we slept with the balcony door propped open to cool things down. Our cabin steward, Jhoni, was outstanding and was very attentive. He provided a bucket of ice the first night (upon request) and kept it filled throughout the cruise. He quickly learned our schedule and was very unobtrusive. He was also quite friendly and greeted us with a genuine smile whenever we saw him.

 

FOOD

 

I know this is subjective, but we had good experiences with the food. We ate at the steakhouse on the first night (to get my discounted bottle of wine), the sushi place (which was excellent!), and primarily in the MDR. Something I wish we had done differently was select Your Time Dining. We have traditionally done early dining, but on this sailing that was moved back to 5:30. Because of that we actually missed dinner a couple of nights due to excursions and other activities. People for the most part dressed nicely for the Cruise Elegant evenings, and the rest of the time it was very laid back. We did go to the MDR for both brunch on sea days as well as breakfast, and service and food were both good. One thing we noticed was that there were not many people eating in the MDR. Consequently, service was outstanding and we were in and out in under an hour every time. Our wait staff was one of the best we have ever had, and they made dinner quite enjoyable. The steakhouse was a bit of a disappointment service wise—but we will chalk that up to the particular server we had. We also did the CHEF’s TABLE. We had not had the new menu, but it is really outstanding. If you haven’t ever done it you really should—if you can pull yourself away from the scenery in Alaska to go!

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

Let’s face it—the reason you go to Alaska is to see Alaska, not shows/trivia/bands/etc. Because of this, I found the schedule to be a bit on the light side, but there was still plenty to do. The Playlist Productions Shows are what they are—you either like them or you don’t. I preferred them on the Legend to the ones we saw on the Sunshine because they don’t have the giant video screens, so they were actually more effective, imo. The live band was great and did some extra stuff—a live jazz set one afternoon and more jazz with the Cigars Under the Stars up on the Serenity Deck one evening. Troy is a great cruise director and his Love and Marriage Show, Welcome Aboard Show, and ports presentations were all excellent. He is out and about and very accessible and willing to chat with anyone who wants to talk. The naturalist, Michele, was also outstanding and not only did great presentations but was also a wonderful presence on the microphone, guiding us as we sailed to things that we could see from the ship.

 

EXCURSIONS

 

Tracy Arm Fjord—we did the ship’s excursion on the smaller boats. What an excellent experience this was! It’s pricey, but well-worth it. You get off the ship onto smaller boats that take you to both the north and south sides of Sawyer Glacier. It was a nearly 4 hour trip and we had a great time. The crew was friendly and knowledgeable and made it even better.

 

Juneau—we booked through Juneau Tours and did whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier. We paid $120/person, which was much cheaper than through the ship, and it was a great value. The crew was hilarious (there’s a lot of dry Alaskan humor), the boat was a catamaran that road quite smoothly over the water, and we got to see lots and lots of humpback whales. Mendenhall Glacier was very nice—we hiked back to the waterfall and back and also took in the visitor center. After we came back into town we scored some free wifi at a Gelato shop and then took the tram up to the top of Mount Roberts. We purchased those tickets on the ship—they were cheaper than buying them at the tram station and came with a money-back guarantee in the event we did not use them. After dinner I went out for a run. I got off the ship and turned right, away from town, and found it to be a very scenic place to run. There was plenty of shoulder and drivers were very courteous toward me.

 

Skagway—we took the combo mining train/bike ride adventure booked

through the ship. The train ride was lovely with beautiful scenery (I’m running out of superlatives!), and the bike ride down the mountain was a blast. It wasn’t a bike ride so much as it was controlled braking. The guides were outstanding and allowed us to go at a controlled pace. The only pedaling we had to do was when we got back into town and had to ride about ½ mile to the bike shop.

 

Ketchikan—we did not do any tours here. I did get up and run. If you run toward Saxman there is a wonderful biking/running trail that runs alongside the highway that provides some very scenic views. Running in town was more of a challenge because of all the shoppers/tourists coming in and out of stores. We did some shopping here for souvenirs and called it a day.

Glacier Bay—the ship goes right into Glacier Bay. There were park rangers who came on board and who provided narration of that part of the trip. They were well-informed and humorous and gave lots of great info. There were amazing picture opportunities here as well.

 

DEBARKATION

 

Wow—this may be the easiest and most smooth debarkation we have every experienced. We opted to carry our own luggage off the ship. We went to breakfast, then came back to get our luggage. We proceeded down to the lobby and literally walked off the ship, through the terminal, and outside. No joking—it was 7 minutes from the time we left our cabin until we were standing outside the terminal waiting for our ride.

 

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS/THINGS I WISH I HAD DONE DIFFERENTLY

 

I took too many clothes. Isn’t that the story of every cruise? Truly—I like to dress for dinner, but on this cruise there was no opportunity to do so and other than elegant night I ended up packing a lot of nicer clothes I didn’t really need/use.

 

I’ve already mentioned that if I had it to do over again I would most certainly book Your Time Dining rather than an assigned time. This is a cruise when you want the freedom to come and go and to see what you want to see without the pressure of having to be in the dining room at a certain time.

 

This was by far the most expensive cruise we have ever taken. Not only does the cruise itself cost more, but be prepared to spend big bucks for excursions. We did also spend extra on things on-board that we enjoy—steakhouse, sushi, Chef’s Table—and we were prepared for this. I’m not complaining—it was worth every penny—but I want people to be prepared for the kind of investment required in a cruise like this. Of course, your mileage may vary.

 

The overall “vibe” on this ship was very positive. This may be some of the best crew/staff we have ever seen, and we have seen plenty of great before. Everyone seemed anxious to help, the smiles were genuine, the crew seemed to enjoy visiting with the passengers, and the overall experience was very positive.

 

Some complained that there wasn’t as much of a “party” atmosphere as they have found on other ships. This is Alaska. Everyone was in their 50’s. Deal with it. There was plenty of live music. Alcohol was still being served. They still had a hairy-chest contest. It was all just dialed down just a bit. For me, it’s hard to get excited about doing the limbo when I look out and see nature at it’s very best everywhere I can see.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Everyone should do this cruise at least once. We will certainly do it again, and we won’t hesitate to do it with Carnival.

[springs741]

I have been lucky enough to cruise Alaska twice both times on the Miracle. I do plan on doing it again, hopefully in 2016. I agree about the different vibe of the cruisers. I think part of that on your cruise was the time. Our Summer Alaska cruise with lots of kids was very different from our April 28, 2014 start from Vancouver. Very few children on that cruise and yes a little bit more mature crowd.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write.

[kelkel2]

Thank you for your well rounded review. This is something that is definitely on my "bucket list" of cruises to do some day!

[tea4ular]

Alaska was by far the very best cruise splurge I have had the pleasure of. The excursions in total matched the cost of the cruise. People have asked me why I thought that was, and I say "because Alaska is in the US, and therefore there are insurances and taxes to be paid in addition to safety precautions" unlike some foreign ports of call. :eek:

 

When we went (May 2010) I considered it to (potentially) be a "once in a lifetime" trip (due to the cost), and I won't lie, I would LOVE to do it again. And again!

 

We didn't sail Carnival, we actually had the incredible luck of catching a one-off 12 night Los Angeles-Los Angeles (no flying for us as we are minutes from that port) on the Celebrity Mercury (no longer in operation). I have been looking for another trip like this since the day we got back!

[Frank12]

I completely agree with your conclusion. We plan to do Alaska again in 2 years when I retire.

[BenjiRodney]

Just returned from the 8 day cruise to Alaska and wanted to share some thoughts. My apologies that there are no pictures but I unfortunately have hit the ground running upon my return home. I’m confident that there will be others who will post pics.

 

WHO AM I?

 

I'm the typical Alaskan cruiser--this was my 8th cruise, I turn 50 this year, and I was traveling with my DW, who also turns 50 this year. We live in Michigan and this was our first Alaskan Cruise. I have three married children and two grandchildren. As we discovered, we were traveling with people who were pretty much just like us.

 

PRE-CRUISE

 

We flew into Seattle a couple of days early to visit some friends, and we took the train (AMTRAK) to Vancouver. If you get the opportunity to do this—take it! The train ride was a great prelude to Alaska with lots of Eagles, fellow-cruisers, a decent bistro selection, and a low-stress travel experience. Customs in Vancouver was easy. We found a taxi right away and we were taken to the cruise terminal very efficiently. Total cab fare was only $10. There was a porter right there to meet us at the terminal and then we were on our way.

 

EMBARKATION

 

What a mess. This was, perhaps, the very worst embarkation I’ve ever been through, but I don’t know that it was anyone’s fault in particular—rather it was a chain of events that compounded upon one another to create a disaster. The Vancouver terminal was somewhat confusing, and every time we got around a corner hoping to see the light of day (or even someone who would give us our sign and sail cards) we only found more lines to stand in, chairs to sit in, and crowds of tired people. There were two ships going out that day and the Legend had been delayed in debarkation because of coming from Hawaii and having to clear customs. We were all excited to be going to Alaska, however, and people remained pretty upbeat through the waiting. On the good side—it took us so long to get on the ship that by the time we got to our cabin our luggage was already there.

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

 

This was our second cruise on the Legend, with the first one being four years ago. It seems as though she has aged, but for the most part is has been graceful. We had a balcony cabin on the 6th deck toward the front on the port side (6116). We love this location as we tend to exclusively use the stairs when we sail (gotta work off all that melting cake, right?). We also enjoy being up toward the front of the ship for its accessibility to the gym, the show lounge, and the hot tub. Because there were only 40 kids on this cruise, we only went to the Serenity area twice—both times were lovely. The Legend, as with most Spirit class ships, is very easy to navigate and we found that everything came back to us fairly quickly in terms of location of things we needed—entertainment in front, dining room in back, buffet up, shops on deck 3, casino on deck 2.

 

CABIN

 

Ours was a standard balcony cabin. If you’ve stayed in one before then you know exactly what it is. If not, we found that, as is typical, it was great with more room for storage than one would normally expect on a cruise ship. The bathroom is amply big enough for us to both be in at the same time, and, of course, we loved the balcony. The room was a bit warm for most of the cruise, and so many evenings we slept with the balcony door propped open to cool things down. Our cabin steward, Jhoni, was outstanding and was very attentive. He provided a bucket of ice the first night (upon request) and kept it filled throughout the cruise. He quickly learned our schedule and was very unobtrusive. He was also quite friendly and greeted us with a genuine smile whenever we saw him.

 

FOOD

 

I know this is subjective, but we had good experiences with the food. We ate at the steakhouse on the first night (to get my discounted bottle of wine), the sushi place (which was excellent!), and primarily in the MDR. Something I wish we had done differently was select Your Time Dining. We have traditionally done early dining, but on this sailing that was moved back to 5:30. Because of that we actually missed dinner a couple of nights due to excursions and other activities. People for the most part dressed nicely for the Cruise Elegant evenings, and the rest of the time it was very laid back. We did go to the MDR for both brunch on sea days as well as breakfast, and service and food were both good. One thing we noticed was that there were not many people eating in the MDR. Consequently, service was outstanding and we were in and out in under an hour every time. Our wait staff was one of the best we have ever had, and they made dinner quite enjoyable. The steakhouse was a bit of a disappointment service wise—but we will chalk that up to the particular server we had. We also did the CHEF’s TABLE. We had not had the new menu, but it is really outstanding. If you haven’t ever done it you really should—if you can pull yourself away from the scenery in Alaska to go!

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

Let’s face it—the reason you go to Alaska is to see Alaska, not shows/trivia/bands/etc. Because of this, I found the schedule to be a bit on the light side, but there was still plenty to do. The Playlist Productions Shows are what they are—you either like them or you don’t. I preferred them on the Legend to the ones we saw on the Sunshine because they don’t have the giant video screens, so they were actually more effective, imo. The live band was great and did some extra stuff—a live jazz set one afternoon and more jazz with the Cigars Under the Stars up on the Serenity Deck one evening. Troy is a great cruise director and his Love and Marriage Show, Welcome Aboard Show, and ports presentations were all excellent. He is out and about and very accessible and willing to chat with anyone who wants to talk. The naturalist, Michele, was also outstanding and not only did great presentations but was also a wonderful presence on the microphone, guiding us as we sailed to things that we could see from the ship.

 

EXCURSIONS

 

Tracy Arm Fjord—we did the ship’s excursion on the smaller boats. What an excellent experience this was! It’s pricey, but well-worth it. You get off the ship onto smaller boats that take you to both the north and south sides of Sawyer Glacier. It was a nearly 4 hour trip and we had a great time. The crew was friendly and knowledgeable and made it even better.

 

Juneau—we booked through Juneau Tours and did whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier. We paid $120/person, which was much cheaper than through the ship, and it was a great value. The crew was hilarious (there’s a lot of dry Alaskan humor), the boat was a catamaran that road quite smoothly over the water, and we got to see lots and lots of humpback whales. Mendenhall Glacier was very nice—we hiked back to the waterfall and back and also took in the visitor center. After we came back into town we scored some free wifi at a Gelato shop and then took the tram up to the top of Mount Roberts. We purchased those tickets on the ship—they were cheaper than buying them at the tram station and came with a money-back guarantee in the event we did not use them. After dinner I went out for a run. I got off the ship and turned right, away from town, and found it to be a very scenic place to run. There was plenty of shoulder and drivers were very courteous toward me.

 

Skagway—we took the combo mining train/bike ride adventure booked

through the ship. The train ride was lovely with beautiful scenery (I’m running out of superlatives!), and the bike ride down the mountain was a blast. It wasn’t a bike ride so much as it was controlled braking. The guides were outstanding and allowed us to go at a controlled pace. The only pedaling we had to do was when we got back into town and had to ride about ½ mile to the bike shop.

 

Ketchikan—we did not do any tours here. I did get up and run. If you run toward Saxman there is a wonderful biking/running trail that runs alongside the highway that provides some very scenic views. Running in town was more of a challenge because of all the shoppers/tourists coming in and out of stores. We did some shopping here for souvenirs and called it a day.

Glacier Bay—the ship goes right into Glacier Bay. There were park rangers who came on board and who provided narration of that part of the trip. They were well-informed and humorous and gave lots of great info. There were amazing picture opportunities here as well.

 

DEBARKATION

 

Wow—this may be the easiest and most smooth debarkation we have every experienced. We opted to carry our own luggage off the ship. We went to breakfast, then came back to get our luggage. We proceeded down to the lobby and literally walked off the ship, through the terminal, and outside. No joking—it was 7 minutes from the time we left our cabin until we were standing outside the terminal waiting for our ride.

 

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS/THINGS I WISH I HAD DONE DIFFERENTLY

 

I took too many clothes. Isn’t that the story of every cruise? Truly—I like to dress for dinner, but on this cruise there was no opportunity to do so and other than elegant night I ended up packing a lot of nicer clothes I didn’t really need/use.

 

I’ve already mentioned that if I had it to do over again I would most certainly book Your Time Dining rather than an assigned time. This is a cruise when you want the freedom to come and go and to see what you want to see without the pressure of having to be in the dining room at a certain time.

 

This was by far the most expensive cruise we have ever taken. Not only does the cruise itself cost more, but be prepared to spend big bucks for excursions. We did also spend extra on things on-board that we enjoy—steakhouse, sushi, Chef’s Table—and we were prepared for this. I’m not complaining—it was worth every penny—but I want people to be prepared for the kind of investment required in a cruise like this. Of course, your mileage may vary.

 

The overall “vibe” on this ship was very positive. This may be some of the best crew/staff we have ever seen, and we have seen plenty of great before. Everyone seemed anxious to help, the smiles were genuine, the crew seemed to enjoy visiting with the passengers, and the overall experience was very positive.

 

Some complained that there wasn’t as much of a “party” atmosphere as they have found on other ships. This is Alaska. Everyone was in their 50’s. Deal with it. There was plenty of live music. Alcohol was still being served. They still had a hairy-chest contest. It was all just dialed down just a bit. For me, it’s hard to get excited about doing the limbo when I look out and see nature at it’s very best everywhere I can see.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Everyone should do this cruise at least once. We will certainly do it again, and we won’t hesitate to do it with Carnival.

 

We were on this cruise and loved it, this was our second Alaskan Cruise and looking forward to doing it again in a couple years. Southern Caribbean and South America are already booked so no Alaska next year.

[2Shoes2Go]

We were on this voyage, as well. The weather was incredibly beautiful. Michelle, the Naturalist, was very informative and approachable. We will definitely be coming back again soon! The bonus of having both Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm, made it one for the Bucket List. Vancouver was a great destination, as well, before the cruise. :)

[tamirpr]

There you guys are!!! Those of us with sailings coming up have been chomping at the bit waiting for a review and for y'all to come back.

 

We are booked July 14th and canNOT wait. Three generations going. Glad to hear a good review. This will be my parents' first time on Carnival and aren't partiers, so I'm glad to hear it's a bit scaled down compared to the Caribbean. We booked them in a two-room aft wrap, so we might have spoiled them.

 

We are also booked on the Tracy Arm excursion, so I'm happy to hear it was worth it.

 

But pictures, people!!! Where are the pictures???!!! :D

Edited May 29, 2015 by tamirpr

[navybaby1113]

Thanks for the great review. We'll be there in a few weeks. Glad to hear you were happy with the Tracy Arm Fjord excursion. We're booked on it and so excited!

 

I also want some pictures please!

[goduckies05]

I just put up a quick photo review as well

[Budget Queen]

I was on this sailing as well. The itinerary was the reason I selected it. I will also mention- this was only my second "perfect" weather cruise in Alaska (out of over 50) so very very fortunate, which I don't expect any repeating on my next 3 coming up. :)

 

For clarification, Not all the add on Tracy Arm boat tours do both the North and South Sawyer glaciers. Carnival also does the a different tour route than the ships that share this day with Juneau. This particular tour involves a one way transit from the beginning of Tracy Arm to unloading at Sawyer Glacier. In my opinion, it is "necessary" since it is so grossly superior to the cruise ship transit.

[Eeyore_Lover]

I was also on this cruise. I actually found embarkation in Vancouver to be pretty painless. Having to wait in the customs line was expected, but then I only waited 5 mins or so in the actual Carnival line. We had arrived at the terminal around 11. I thought I had read somewhere that Vancouver did not have a Priority line, so I was happily surprised to see one.

 

I also agree that debarkation was easy. We switched group 1 tags for group 14 so we could relax a little, and there was no line at all in the lobby when they called our number.

[Saintza]

Thanks for the great detailed review. My girlfriend and I will be doing this same cruise next year and are already really excited for it! It'll be our first cruise too, so I feel we've picked an amazing one for our first :D

Edited May 30, 2015 by Saintza

[flatpik6]

tommytune42, I just booked a similar trip and will also be flying to Seattle and taking the Amtrak to Vancouver. Can you please tell me about the timing of your train ride versus when you got on the ship? Did you take the train the morning of embarkation or the evening before? Trying to figure out how to time our arrival in Vancouver.

[BullDawg91]

Thanks for the review. You added some great details I hadn't thought of.

[Budget Queen]

tommytune42, I just booked a similar trip and will also be flying to Seattle and taking the Amtrak to Vancouver. Can you please tell me about the timing of your train ride versus when you got on the ship? Did you take the train the morning of embarkation or the evening before? Trying to figure out how to time our arrival in Vancouver.

 

I've taken Amtrak the same day as the cruise several times. I take the Light Rail, and generally am at Canada Place within an hour of the train's arrival. (before exiting the train).

 

I do suggest you be at King Station- an hour ahead. Keep a look out at the forming lines, if you go regular class so to get a water side seat assignment. (also take the light rail to the King Station)

[makeda]

thank you, hope to do this next season

[tommytune42]

tommytune42, I just booked a similar trip and will also be flying to Seattle and taking the Amtrak to Vancouver. Can you please tell me about the timing of your train ride versus when you got on the ship? Did you take the train the morning of embarkation or the evening before? Trying to figure out how to time our arrival in Vancouver.

 

The timing of the train going on the same day worked out really well. We got to the station in Seattle about an hour before the train left, and although we had a bit of a wait in line, we got seats on the "scenic" side of the train (on the left side facing the front) so that we had a great view of the water on our way up. We arrived in Vancouver in plenty of time, customs at the train station was easy, and there were lots of taxis waiting for us right out front of the station. It was a quick 10 minute ride to the terminal and we were there in plenty of time.

 

Hope that answers your question--and have a great trip!

[flatpik6]

The timing of the train going on the same day worked out really well. We got to the station in Seattle about an hour before the train left, and although we had a bit of a wait in line, we got seats on the "scenic" side of the train (on the left side facing the front) so that we had a great view of the water on our way up. We arrived in Vancouver in plenty of time, customs at the train station was easy, and there were lots of taxis waiting for us right out front of the station. It was a quick 10 minute ride to the terminal and we were there in plenty of time.

 

Hope that answers your question--and have a great trip!

 

Fantastic. Thanks very much.