Crown Princess/Alaska/ Aug 20-27

[Murphey]

This was a lovely cruise overall. We have been to Alaska several times and chose this for 3 reasons.....a BD gift (DH hates shopping!), we can drive to the port, and we never get tired of the scenery. 3 very good incentives! A fourth reason is that 18 months ago I received a rather shocking medical diagnosis so we are ramping up our travel as we can.

 

We drove up on Saturday morning with no problems and arrived at the port at 1:00. Parked at the armory lot for $21/day, quick and easy shuttle service. We were on board before 2.

 

Cabin....this was a rather last minute decision to go, so we decided to go on the "cheap" and just do an inside. A word of caution, "cheap" and "Alaska" do not go together, as we paid more for this little interior cabin than we have for mini's! Oh well, we were on board. We had a forward Baja deck home for the week, which had us going the wrong direction all week as we always book aft cabins. Cabin was typical, had plenty of storage, but only one desk chair, so we did a lot of sitting on the bed. In hindsight, we really missed having a balcony, but this might have been alleviated if I had done a better job of choosing a cabin. I did a gty and we would have been better off to choose an inside that had better access to open/viewing decks. My fault. I think in the back of my mind I thought maybe we'd get an upsell. And, actually we did, but I was too late when I called asap.

 

Now here comes the interesting part. We had just spent 28 lovely days on the Royal in June. "She's too big", I muttered to myself the whole time. Was anxious to get back to a reasonably sized ship, knowing full and well that the Crown, up to the point of the new R&R was the largest Princess ship. So what was my first impression when I got on the Crown (which I have sailed on before)? "She's so small"! Are you laughing at me now? Even at the time I could see how ridiculous I sounded to myself! It took a little readjustment, but we quickly felt at home again on the Crown. To have a proper "Wheelhouse Bar", "Skywalkers" and "Adagio's" back was wonderful. I quickly realized that while the R&R are gorgeous inside, the outside elements leave a lot to be desired. The Crown (Emerald and Ruby) are so much better with open decks, viewing areas, pools, etc., and this is important for a "scenic viewing" itinerary.

 

We had booked traditional first seating and much to our chagrin, the assigned time was 5:00. A bit too early for us...we met with the Maître D and he set us up with a lovely table in Da Vinci for 7:15. Our routine was to hit the S/E/P bar at 6:15 then mosey down to dinner. We enjoyed some of the Alaskan specialties and appreciated having a change from the regular menus. I think Princess did a great job of focusing on Alaskan fare. Our wait staff was superb and to us truly makes a difference in our enjoyment of a cruise. There was no wine package available for a 7 day cruise, so we just ordered nightly. A side note about the food. On one day the Trident Grill had halibut burgers (I just had the halibut w/o the bun) and on another it was salmon tacos. Both were great.

 

more to come....

Edited August 29, 2016 by Murphey

[shredie]

Did you get pictures of the menus, perchance? I'm interested in knowing what the regional dishes were in the MDR.

[Murphey]

The itinerary: Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan and Victoria is a normal route for a 7 day out of Seattle. We were fortunate with the weather. Folks, don't try to decide when is the best time to go to Alaska....it's all a crap shoot and you just have to be lucky. Any weather when it's not raining sideways is a good day.

 

In Juneau our plan was to take the tram as the mountain looked clear. When we got there, the line was a mile long so we decided to walk a bit and go later in the afternoon when the crowds had thinned. I should mention that in every port there were at least 3 ships in, sometimes 4....makes for a lot of peeps in these small towns. So we walked and somehow ended up at the Red Dog. We absolutely had no intention of going in as we had "been there, done that" several times. But as we walked by, the music was playing and there was NO LINE...In we go, settled into a table right in front of the piano player (those who have been there know he is quite an entertaining chap!) and proceeded to imbibe. After we properly supported the local economy, we wandered back to the tram a couple of hours later. Guess what, the line was longer. One look between us and we just kept walking back to the ship! Best laid plans and all that plus a dose of being lazy.

 

Skagway. Hmmmmm, I had a wild hair about doing something on the water so I had booked the ocean raft trip. Now we have done our fair share of white water rafting...the real deal, so I thought it sounded like fun. And, it was. Even though we have probably aged ourselves out of such antics, we did it anyway. They made a big deal about what you are getting yourselves into and you have to sign a waiver. As soon as I saw the "seats" we knew to survive we'd have to ride "horseback" (let your legs absorb the shock). And that is the one hint they didn't pass on. We donned survival suits (looked like a bunch of astronauts way past their prime), loaded up and off we went after we were warned, we were about to get soaked, they did not lie. After the first pass out into the open water past the ships we slowed to catch some wildlife.

 

Well a woman, who clearly wasn't expecting the hard bounces had hurt herself, bad. We limped back to the shore to get her off....I felt so sorry for her, it took a full 15 min to just get her off the raft. I'm afraid her vacation was over and ended up in the hospital. After that and a word from our sponsors that if this wasn't going to be our cup o' tea, this was a good time to bail. None of the rest of us did, although a gentleman behind us should have, he kept complaining that the Captain should slow down....hmmm, that wasn't the deal. You've got to be responsible for yourself, and we were well warned what to expect. We survived, saw lots of eagles, a cool eagle's nest, tons of harbor seals and gorgeous scenery and waterfalls. Fun day, but once was probably enough for us! :D

[Murphey]

Did you get pictures of the menus, perchance? I'm interested in knowing what the regional dishes were in the MDR.

 

Sorry no pictures, but one night they had crab legs and another they had halibut.

[ar1950]

Thanks for the review. Looking forward to the rest.

 

Nice that the Maitre D' was able to accommodate the time change for your dinning.

 

" Even though we have probably aged ourselves out of such antics,"

LOL, we know the feeling.

Edited August 30, 2016 by ar1950

[Astro Flyer]

Murphey...after a combined 6 weeks on the Royal & Regal we had the same reaction. Walking into the Crown's atrium we looked at each other & said it's so small. If they're laughing at you then they're also laughing at me. ;)

 

Thanks for sharing your experiences & we've enjoyed two CA Coastals in the past year of the Crown. May you fully recover from your medical diagnosis so you can enjoy many more days at sea! :)

Edited August 30, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[Murphey]

Did you get pictures of the menus, perchance? I'm interested in knowing what the regional dishes were in the MDR.

 

Also forgot to mention the Copper River Salmon that was on the always available side.....interesting prep and very good.

[Murphey]

Glacier Bay: Woke up to fog so thick you couldn't see your hand in front of your face....BUT, as the day went on, the weather got better and better. The viewing area on Lido above the bridge was great.....not even crowded. We eventually got some sun and everyone started to shed. Spent a lot of time there, no matter where you were, you could get all the viewing you wanted.

 

Ketchikan: We were berthed at #4..the furthest away. They provided shuttles, but we decided we needed the exercise. It was windy just off the ship but realized shortly that we had way over dressed. Our coats came off immediately and I wish we had been in shorts. Complain? Nope, just happy to have such glorious weather. We walked to the fish ladders. It was the most salmon we had ever seen there.....our previous trips were mostly in May and Sept. Was worth the walk, it is well marked and an easy stroll. Spent a long time there, it was just very interesting to us. After we walked through town and did the obligatory smoked salmon tasting and bought gifts for home.

 

Victoria: Had every intention to go into town after dinner, but had a lingering meal said our goodbyes it was too late so spent the evening in Crooners for a last cocktail. This stop needs more time.

 

More comments to come.....

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[Murphey]

More thoughts...

 

This cruise was full of newbies. Fun to see the ones who were wide-eyed and in wonder. Lots of kids, but not a bother, it's a great itinerary for the kids. Princess does a great job. But there were the gumps out there...geesh...I'm not even going down that road.:p

 

The first day it seemed incredibly crowded on board but to be expected with everyone inside and exploring there new surroundings. In the area of you can't please everyone: In the elevator after I asked a woman if was enjoying herself she went off about how awful the beds were. So, noticing she had a blue card, I offered that she could ask her cabin steward for an egg crate...she had no idea what I was talking about, so I explained it...."Are you kidding" she wailed, the beds are way too SOFT!! I need an egg crate, she needed a board. So, when you have a ship with 3,200 peeps, you are no way going to please everyone.

 

Speaking of 3,200 passengers, the Captain's Circle party was small. One party for all. It was stunning that I think under 150 days made the Most Traveled Party and more stunning was that we were the most traveled passengers. What a hoot. We had our nano-second of fame. Unfortunately we had decided to dress down a bit for this cruise and felt bad that we were a little under dressed. I had only a plain black dress for myself and a sport coat/tie for DH. I felt that we should have represented the Princess dress code better under the circumstance. No matter, I'm sure no one noticed but us. I will say it's a bit embarrassing to see your picture in the patter!

 

The staff and crew were all wonderful, Captain Lawes ran a tight but fun ship.

 

That's it for now. I'm sure I've forgotten something I intended to share. :)Will be happy to answer any questions....Happy Cruising friends!!

Edited August 30, 2016 by Murphey

[donswife]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I was on the previous sailing and had a similar experience. We had a wonderful time on that trip, and found the food good, the ship clean and mostly spacious (except when trying to see Carlos Oscar in the Explorer lounge!), and most of the crew and staff warm and friendly yet professional. I read some reports in the review section, and found myself wondering how they could possibly have been on the same ship!

Edited August 30, 2016 by donswife
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[easyboy]

Thanks for sharing.

[Lucky TGO]

Thanks for the review.

Tony

[Murphey]

Wildlife I forgot to mention: On the afternoon headed to Victoria we ran into at least 50 humpback whales. It was incredible. Lots of whales early going into Glacier Bay and eagles everywhere throughout the trip. No bear sightings :(

[Murphey]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I was on the previous sailing and had a similar experience. We had a wonderful time on that trip, and found the food good, the ship clean and mostly spacious (except when trying to see Carlos Oscar in the Explorer lounge!), and most of the crew and staff warm and friendly yet professional. I read some reports in the review section, and found myself wondering how they could possibly have been on the same ship!

 

Yes, reviews were all over the place.

[Lucky TGO]

Wildlife I forgot to mention: On the afternoon headed to Victoria we ran into at least 50 humpback whales. It was incredible. Lots of whales early going into Glacier Bay and eagles everywhere throughout the trip. No bear sightings :(

 

This is why you should take your kids to Alaska. They may never see that in a lifetime. Thank You, Murphey for sharing

Tony

[shredie]

Wildlife I forgot to mention: On the afternoon headed to Victoria we ran into at least 50 humpback whales. It was incredible. Lots of whales early going into Glacier Bay and eagles everywhere throughout the trip. No bear sightings :(

 

Oh, I hope we see that!

[Sandi07054]

Love your review.

I am thinking of going on a cruise next year for my husband's 65th birthday. We have never been to Alaska before. Which cruise would you recommend for first timers and where should we start and end our cruise. I see there are one ways etc. Very confusing for a first timer.

thank you.

[Stumptowngal]

Love your review.

I am thinking of going on a cruise next year for my husband's 65th birthday. We have never been to Alaska before. Which cruise would you recommend for first timers and where should we start and end our cruise. I see there are one ways etc. Very confusing for a first timer.

thank you.

 

I will be celebrating my 65th birthday next year and my husband and I booked a May 20, 2017 sailing one-way from Anchorage (whittier) to Vancouver B.C.

 

I spent a lot of fun time investigating all the options. It seems like some of the best scenery is available on the one-way cruise going south. Plus the Coral Princess gets great reviews. Of course, you don't have the roundtrip airfare into and out of one city that way; but we are on the west coast and the air cost is quite reasonable.

 

If you don't do a one-way, the roundtrip from Vancouver BC and back seems liked by a lot of people.

[Sandi07054]

I will be celebrating my 65th birthday next year and my husband and I booked a May 20, 2017 sailing one-way from Anchorage (whittier) to Vancouver B.C.

 

I spent a lot of fun time investigating all the options. It seems like some of the best scenery is available on the one-way cruise going south. Plus the Coral Princess gets great reviews. Of course, you don't have the roundtrip airfare into and out of one city that way; but we are on the west coast and the air cost is quite reasonable.

 

If you don't do a one-way, the roundtrip from Vancouver BC and back seems liked by a lot of people.

 

Thank you I will look into gat cruise

[Clarea]

Really appreciate the review.

[Murphey]

A lot depends on your time available and budget. A RT from Vancouver requires a b2b which we have done and is great. One way out of, or to Vancouver with the land tour is the best, however also the most expensive. Even w/o the land tour, you have a fly in/fly out of different airport can be expensive. The RT's out of Seattle can be the most convenient (for US travelers), and a pretty good bang for your buck. You can see a lot doing the Seattle trip, especially if you take the itinerary that includes Glacier Bay, but Tracy Arm is nice too. My first sentence here really says it all. We have done all of the options, so am glad to offer any info.

[czrunner]

I loved reading your excellent review, Murphey. We were on the same cruise and enjoyed it very much, despite participating in completely different activities. This was only our second ocean cruise and first visit of Alaska. Princess does a great job in accommodating various interests, and the design of the ship is such that despite the large number of passengers, we never felt like being in a big crowd. With a little flexibility, we were able to avoid any long lines. We had any time dining and usually eat around 8 p.m. and attended the late shows. We also went to several presentations by the naturalist, a photo lecture, a magic show and a couple of behind the scene shows (cooking and entertainment). There was so much to do in the ports, as well as on the ship! We spent very little time in our cabin.

 

In Juneau, we took an express bus to Mendenhall Glacier, spent some time in the visitors center, and walked to the waterfall and along Steep Trail to see the salmon. We were probably lucky with the timing of the tram ride later in the afternoon when there was no line at all, and from the tram station we hiked almost to the top of Mt. Roberts. In Skagway, we rented a car and drove along Klondike Highway to Robinson Roadhouse, a little pass Emerald Lake and after return, walked around the town. In Ketchikan we took the local bus to Totem Bight Park and later walked along Creek Street and around the East side of town, stopping at the museum. In Victoria we walked from the ship to Fisherman's Wharf and the market and wondered around the Legislative Building, the Empress Hotel and thru the Old Town.

 

There was something for everybody on the cruise, and the activities really depend on each person's interests and physical condition. I found the information here on the Cruise Critic forums very helpful.

 

BTW, Murphey, was that you and your husband prominently featured as the most traveled passengers on the first page of the last Princess Patter? Great picture!

 

Marie

[CruzinNoony]

Great review, Murphey. Thank you for sharing. We were on a B2B on the Ruby at the same time. The first week we were #3 most traveled and on the second week we were #1. We were disappointed that we just had the cocktail party and not the luncheon. I filled out the email questionnaire and mentioned this. Congratulations on being #1 also. Did you have a cocktail party or the luncheon? Did you see Carlos Oscar? He is so-o-o funny!:)

[Murphey]

I loved reading your excellent review, Murphey. We were on the same cruise and enjoyed it very much, despite participating in completely different activities. This was only our second ocean cruise and first visit of Alaska. Princess does a great job in accommodating various interests, and the design of the ship is such that despite the large number of passengers, we never felt like being in a big crowd. With a little flexibility, we were able to avoid any long lines. We had any time dining and usually eat around 8 p.m. and attended the late shows. We also went to several presentations by the naturalist, a photo lecture, a magic show and a couple of behind the scene shows (cooking and entertainment). There was so much to do in the ports, as well as on the ship! We spent very little time in our cabin.

 

In Juneau, we took an express bus to Mendenhall Glacier, spent some time in the visitors center, and walked to the waterfall and along Steep Trail to see the salmon. We were probably lucky with the timing of the tram ride later in the afternoon when there was no line at all, and from the tram station we hiked almost to the top of Mt. Roberts. In Skagway, we rented a car and drove along Klondike Highway to Robinson Roadhouse, a little pass Emerald Lake and after return, walked around the town. In Ketchikan we took the local bus to Totem Bight Park and later walked along Creek Street and around the East side of town, stopping at the museum. In Victoria we walked from the ship to Fisherman's Wharf and the market and wondered around the Legislative Building, the Empress Hotel and thru the Old Town.

 

There was something for everybody on the cruise, and the activities really depend on each person's interests and physical condition. I found the information here on the Cruise Critic forums very helpful.

 

BTW, Murphey, was that you and your husband prominently featured as the most traveled passengers on the first page of the last Princess Patter? Great picture!

 

Marie

 

Ha Ha! Yes, Marie, that was us.... As normal, we both looked at it and said "that's so NOT what we look like" :D So glad you had a great cruise, I think Princess really does Alaska right!