Radiance OTS Alaskan Cruise Review, 5/27/16-6/3/16

[island lady]

It will pass quickly! We began with over 400 days.

 

 

 

 

We hope to do B2B when we are retired. My job can't spare me for more than 2 weeks, and we have to have at least a few days on land. [emoji846]

 

I hear ya! We could only do a round trip Seattle before we retired.

 

Once the work schedule was out of the way at retirement we enjoyed a second

Alaska tour with a one week land tour on our own, followed by the one way Radiance southbound.

 

This time two week ship tour. Looking forward to it. Nice corner aft cabin for

to view both sides of the inland passage for both legs. :)

Edited June 7, 2016 by island lady

[barbeyg]

Juneau

 

 

We didn't have anything planned for the morning in Juneau, but did have the Taku Lodge flight/salmon feast scheduled for the afternoon. So, as any good parents will do, we dragged our son around that morning to the state buildings. City Hall is under renovation and wrapped up similar to the US Capitol building right now. After being to DC and seeing that regal and opulent beauty, our son was impressed with how small and unpretentious the AK state capital buildings are.

 

After planting him back at the ship, we headed out for our flight to Taku Lodge. We checked in with the lady holding the sign up for our tour, and opted to walk over to Wings office from there (about 150 yards). There are 5 planes, transporting 12 people each. Every group in a plane is assigned an animal name. We were the Eagles. These planes seemed spacious in comparison to the 6 passenger plane earlier in the week. Like the other plane, we each had a window. We flew over glaciers, rivers and lakes in a quick flight to the Taku Lodge, where we landed near the dock. As we were circling around to land on the lake there, we saw the previous guests waving eagerly to us, as they waited to board the planes for their return to Juneau. Little did we know, but the waving was to ward away the swarming mosquitos. As long as we used the Deep Woods Off, they didn't bite, but boy did they swarm! I'm sure the windless day had something to do with it. That and the fact that we were inland.

 

We observed, along with one of the resident bears, as the salmon was grilled. The female bear is 14 years old and has been coming to the lodge regularly. There are 8 bears that show up at least weekly to eat the drippings off of the sand after the salmon is cooked.

 

We had a wonderful buffet meal, and were entertained by the staff with the great story of Taku Lodge. After lunch, we braved the skeeters and walked the loop trail nearby. It wasn't long after when WE were standing near the dock enthusiastically waving in the air as the next group of visitors arrived.

 

Even with the mosquitos, I recommend this trip. I'm a mosquito magnet, and wasn't bitten once. It is beautiful around the Lodge, truly a great sight to see. I would suggest wearing a light jacket or long sleeves though, as protection against the bugs. We had ours on, and were glad we did.

 

The sun came out on our way back to Juneau, making the water the beautiful blue-green you see in the last pics.

 

Next time, we would like to try one of the whale watching tours in Juneau, and hike Mendenhall Glacier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[island lady]

Once again, great photos! :)

 

We are scheduled for the Taku lodge excursion again this August. Was definitely

our favorite excursion then, and can't wait to do it again.

 

Did not have the mosquitoes that time, but did have our repellent wipes just in case.

Thanks for reminding me to take them again! :eek:

 

When we were there, the new dock was not in yet. It was a very small little side dock

that was a foot wetter if you were not careful. The new one looks great...and huge!

Edited June 8, 2016 by island lady

[mimmy52]

I'm really enjoying your trip report and look forward to more. Great pictures.

[barbeyg]

Once again, great photos! :)

 

We are scheduled for the Taku lodge excursion again this August. Was definitely

our favorite excursion then, and can't wait to do it again.

 

Did not have the mosquitoes that time, but did have our repellent wipes just in case.

Thanks for reminding me to take them again! :eek:

 

When we were there, the new dock was not in yet. It was a very small little side dock

that was a foot wetter if you were not careful. The new one looks great...and huge!

 

 

Yes, it is a nice sized dock. Plenty of room to move around.

 

I'm really enjoying your trip report and look forward to more. Great pictures.

 

 

Thank you. [emoji846]

 

 

 

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[barbeyg]

Next up was Skagway. We loved the town, but we really loved, loved, loved the drive over to Emerald Lake. Wow!!!

 

We had booked a car thru Avis, and walked over from the ship to the office. It isn't a long walk, but if you use a cane, or have difficulty balancing, you may want to wait near the ship while someone else in your party picks up the car. You can alternately ask if Avis does pick up there. I didn't ask, so we don't have the answer to that. We drove out of town on Hwy 2, and the entire journey was filled with beauty. We first climbed and crossed the beautiful mountain pass, then came down into what can only be described as a moonscape. It was quite beautiful. Large and unique rocks all over the terrain.

 

As we ventured further into the wilderness, we began to see beautiful lakes, and in one area filled with windflowers, drove right past a black bear that was grazing! We stopped and rolled back a bit to take some pics without disturbing it, then drove on a couple more miles, only to happen upon a mother black bear and her two yearlings, also nibbling on the side of the road. We stayed for a bit, keeping our distance, and took numerous pics of the family.

 

Along the way, we were entertained with the sight of other animals, including mountain goats and chipmunks, but never saw the prize we were hoping for in Alaska, the moose. I guess this means we will have to return, doesn't it?

 

We arrived at Carcross, and saw a sign pointing toward the town square that promised a sourdough bakery.

 

http://www.chilkootbakery.com

 

As we were now all a bit hungry, we followed the signs and discovered the bakery with doors wide open and the aroma of something really yummy inside. We saw these HUGE pecan cinnamon rolls in their display case and Ken and I decided to share one (while our son consumed one on his own). They were warm and delicious, and we even had a small bit left over to share with the dog that was sprawled in the front door. After enjoying our cinnamon rolls, we left and returned to our route, stopping off at the 'desert', then at Emerald Lake, taking more pics along the way.

 

We turned around at Emerald Lake and drove back into Skagway. Following directions to an overlook, we took some pics of the Radiance and the Explorer from above the town. We topped off the car at one of the few gas stations in town, and returned it to Avis before walking around for a while.

 

This was truly one of the highlights of our trip. We loved this day, and will drive into the Yukon again from Skagway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[barbeyg]

More of the trip to the Yukon, beginning with our Pecan Cinnamon Roll. [emoji1]

 

 

 

Emerald Lake (next 2):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[barbeyg]

And a few more of the Yukon trip. Since we sometimes do things backwards and out of order, our pic at the "Welcome to Yukon" was when we were headed out of the Yukon. [emoji4]

 

 

 

 

And back in Skagway:

 

 

That is the Explorer behind us.

 

 

 

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[Gordo]

We plan to book an Alaskan cruise for May 2018 (wondering when those sailing dates will be released) and so greatly appreciate all the information and pictures you are sharing.

[barbeyg]

We plan to book an Alaskan cruise for May 2018 (wondering when those sailing dates will be released) and so greatly appreciate all the information and pictures you are sharing.

 

 

Gordo, we booked the day ours went on sale. I just checked back and it was March 26, 2015. And I remember others were saying the year before was late March as well. So watch for them to go on sale next March 2017. [emoji846] Book quickly to get the cabin you want if that matters to you.

 

 

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[Gordo]

Gordo, we booked the day ours went on sale. I just checked back and it was March 26, 2015. And I remember others were saying the year before was late March as well. So watch for them to go on sale next March 2017. [emoji846] Book quickly to get the cabin you want if that matters to you.

 

 

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Thank you for sharing the booking information. I have it on my calendar so it is on our radar for booking in March 2017.

[island lady]

Thank you for sharing the booking information. I have it on my calendar so it is on our radar for booking in March 2017.

 

Once again, absolutely beautiful pictures! Wow!

 

How long did it take you to get to Emerald lake? That is one place we have not

been to yet, and looks like a wonderful alternative to the train trip (but we usually

just walk around Skagway). Looking for something different, and I think you

had the perfect idea!

[barbeyg]

Once again, absolutely beautiful pictures! Wow!

 

 

 

How long did it take you to get to Emerald lake? That is one place we have not

 

been to yet, and looks like a wonderful alternative to the train trip (but we usually

 

just walk around Skagway). Looking for something different, and I think you

 

had the perfect idea!

 

 

We took six hours round trip, with multiple stops including a couple of souvenir shops, the bakery, and lots if stops for pics, including the one overlooking the city, AND for fuel. It is 72 miles one way.

 

It can be done in less time if needed, but we also had time to shop a bit in town too.

 

This is a must do for us the next time. I was just thinking about the drive (and that yummy roll) again this morning. [emoji4]

[island lady]

We took six hours round trip, with multiple stops including a couple of souvenir shops, the bakery, and lots if stops for pics, including the one overlooking the city, AND for fuel. It is 72 miles one way.

 

It can be done in less time if needed, but we also had time to shop a bit in town too.

 

This is a must do for us the next time. I was just thinking about the drive (and that yummy roll) again this morning. [emoji4]

 

Thanks for the info! :)

 

Oh yeah, no calories in that delicious looking roll! :eek: :p Yummies!

[barbeyg]

Icy Strait Point, near the one street town of Hoonah.

 

The new floating dock is finished at Icy Strait, and it is very nice. The 'receiving' building is complete, and was busy with activity while we were there. Icy Strait is a complex of buildings and shops near the tiny town of Hoonah. As you walk off the ship, look in the tree tops to your left, and you will probably find eagles nesting there. In the afternoon, just before sailing, I counted 4 just across from the Windjammer outside dining area.

 

We walked around the complex and strolled thru the short forest trail (think Jurassic Park look), while waiting for our whale-watching tour with Glacier Winds. We give Theresa and Shawn with Glacier Winds HUGE thumbs ups (our entire family), even though the whales were being lazy and we didn't see a large breach. After all, we were in the wild and we had no expectations. What made the trip special is that Shawn is an excellent source of information on the area. He is quite congenial and taught us how to spot the blows of a whale, and where to look next after we have seen one. He regaled us with funny stories as he brought us over to an island where there had been whale activity earlier in the day, and sure enough, we watched two, then four, whales surfacing several times each, blowing every time they surfaced, then seeing their tails when they went back down.

 

I don't have pics of the creatures we saw there. I was too mesmerized watching, and I know I'm just not fast enough to capture quick moments. Besides that, I didn't want everything I saw to be through the lens of a camera, so forgive me for not having pics of all the wildlife we saw off the coast of Hoonah.

 

In all the other ports, nothing else compared to the abundant sea life we saw in Hoonah. There were dozens of porpoises playfully jumping over and over out of the water; sea otters floating around on their backs, looking comically perturbed at us for disturbing them as we went by; sea lions lounging around together. We spotted over a dozen whales that day, but none of them were willing to really show off for us. That's okay, though, because we all had a really wonderful time just experiencing them surfacing so close by. Even our 17 year old said that was the best day ever. And this was before Theresa brought him fresh baked cookies as a 'thank you' for checking on something for her when we arrived.

 

We WILL sail with Glacier Winds again, the next time we go to Alaska.

 

After the excursion was over, we were dropped back at the complex by Theresa, and since we were about 46 minutes from sailing, we headed back to the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[maggieq]

beautiful pictures and review. It's on our bucket list of cruises to do.

[barbeyg]

beautiful pictures and review. It's on our bucket list of cruises to do.

 

 

It is the most beautiful place we have cruised so far. We already want to go back. [emoji846]

 

 

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[island lady]

Once again beautiful pictures! You sure are getting me anxious for our turn! :D

In one of the pictures I could see our cabin, we have corner aft cabin #9256 again.

Our favorite!

 

Nice to see the new dock there, will be so much easier now than having to

deal with the tenders. :)

 

On our last cruise there, we had bad weather in the morning, which caused

our whale watching tour to cancel. But cleared up later, and gave us a chance

to walk the along the water front into town (about a mile). On the way in, we

passed a restaurant with a woman out front steaming fresh dungenous crabs.

She cheerily called out "Welcome to Hoonah". Of course we had to stop in and

enjoy one of those fresh crabs with a couple of local drafts. Delicious! It is called

"The Office Bar" in case you ever go back and were looking for a great place for

fresh crabs right on the waterfront.

 

Finished off the day with the walk you showed on the pictures and tour of the

cannery museum at the dock. Wonderful! Can't wait to go back in a couple

of months! :)

[dividedsky]

Thank you for sharing your pics. Looking forward to doing Alaska in 2019 :)

[cruiseguy1016]

We plan to book an Alaskan cruise for May 2018 (wondering when those sailing dates will be released) and so greatly appreciate all the information and pictures you are sharing.

 

Just sharing our experience. We booked our 2017 cruise on March 8th of this year. I think the sailings opened on the 4th this year.

[barbeyg]

Just sharing our experience. We booked our 2017 cruise on March 8th of this year. I think the sailings opened on the 4th this year.

 

 

Thanks for the heads up! [emoji846]

 

We hope to return in a few years ourselves. Will have to put the beginning of March on our calendar.

[island lady]

Thanks for the heads up! [emoji846]

 

We hope to return in a few years ourselves. Will have to put the beginning of March on our calendar.

 

I can't believe it has been four years since we were last there! :eek: Really looking

forward to our return trip aboard Radiance in Alaska also. :)

[barbeyg]

Thank you for sharing your pics. Looking forward to doing Alaska in 2019 :)

 

 

Who knows, we may see each other there. [emoji4]

 

 

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[barbeyg]

Ketchikan

 

This was the one port we struggled with deciding what to do. Not that there wasn't a lot to do. We were drawn to taking a flight to the Misty Fjords, but we already had two other Flightseeing events scheduled, and didn't want to turn that into 3. So, we chose to wander around town on our own, and if the weather allowed, to walk around Totem Bight Park.

 

Alas, it wasn't to be. The day was overcast when we arrived, and there was a 70% chance of rain, so we pulled out the trusty rain jackets, opting to skip Totem Bight this time. It is a good thing we had the rain jackets because we got caught outside in several downpours. We wandered the town, discovered the Totem Heritage Center, observed a fisherman catching a large salmon...then losing it as the salmon danced all over the water in a fight to the death (or the break of the line, as happened), tasted and bought some excellent smoked salmon, wandered Creek Street and found the Married Man's Trail, a section of stairs and boardwalk that led to the Cape Fox Lodge.

 

After walking for several miles in the on-again off-again rain, we moseyed back downtown and had excellent sandwiches at the Sweet Mermaids. We bought some souvenirs and headed to the ship when our bags were full. As we were leaving a couple hours later, we were blessed with observing 6 eagles gliding together over the island just across from Dock 3 (yes, the one Celebrity Infinity crashed into later in the week). It was thrilling to see their strength and majesty as they danced on the wind together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[barbeyg]

Inside Passage

 

The next day was a sea day, and we cruised the Inside Passage in the early evening. The weather was again mild, like it had been most days. Ken and I spent a lazy day at sea, awaiting our arrival at the Inside Passage. We had a light breakfast in the Windjammer, then went up to our favorite observation point, the Starquest Disco. We had lunch in the dining room, then went back to get a bag packed (we didn't want to have to stay up really late packing, or miss activities we wanted to see to pack), and mid afternoon went out on deck, toward the front of the ship. We stayed for several hours before we regretfully had to leave for a reservation. Next time, no reservations on Inside Passage day! [emoji846]

 

Once again, we got to see porpoises and whales. A very nice way to end our cruise. Once again, I don't have pics of the critters. [emoji846]. I know my camera photos of this portion of the trip are so much better. Some day, when I retrieve those, I will post some here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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