Princess Alaska Expert Cruisers

[AF-1]

We are going in July on Emerald. We have Helicopter tour booked for Juneau; go to glacier and land, then go to dog sled camp. Ketchikan going ziplining and rock climbing. Skagway, going on boat whale watching

[NavyVeteran]

Another vote for Harv and Marv whale watching in Juneau. In Skagway, the White Pass railway excursion that includes Emerald Lake with Chilkoot (reserve online). From the McKinley Lodge we took one of our best excursions ever - we flew over the summit of Denali on a clear day in a small plane complete with oxygen masks. That excursion was through Princess with K2.

 

You were lucky to have a clear day. The problem with a flight excursion is that you can't cancel it if the day is not clear. You may have an amazing view or maybe not so good.

[AtlFolks]

Okay then, I will locate Harv and Marv. Sounds fun!

 

 

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[AtlFolks]

Princess gave us a dinner so we are gonna try the Italian place. Is there one night that is better than others to skip the MDR?

 

 

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[Elizabeth K.]

Thanks for this great thread. I'm following too :)

[AtlFolks]

Let's talk attire. I say it's going to be chilly in August an DW says of should be warm. I'm thinking this is not a shorts and tee shirt trip, and hiking shoes and a jacket should probably be packed. What do you veterans say?

 

 

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[RSF Cruiser]

It will likely be chilly and warm. I always take at least one t-shirt and a pair of shorts, along with a rain jacket and fleece. I've stopped taking rain pants and instead wear quick dry pants when it's raining. I also hike in most ports. Although it's a personal decision, I take my hiking poles for the climbs and my boots because it's more comfortable for me to hike with boots than anything else. Are boots and poles necessary? No. Do they help make a hike easier and more enjoyable? Yes. The hiking in Alaska is wonderful!!!

 

 

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[Lucky TGO]

Let's talk attire. I say it's going to be chilly in August an DW says of should be warm. I'm thinking this is not a shorts and tee shirt trip, and hiking shoes and a jacket should probably be packed. What do you veterans say?

 

 

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We went to Alaska in the month of August. It was 80 to 85 everyday in the afternoon. I would go out in the morning with jogging pants and a thin jacket. By the afternoon I had to go back to the ship just to change it was so hot. Maybe we were just lucky with the weather being so hot. Good Luck!! I hope you get the same weather as we did. Alaska is beautiful!! Have a time.

Tony

[TomCon]

You don't get as far into the park on twt. I like going on the shuttle to see more. :)

I thougt the TWT went deep into Denal and we saw al of the animals upclose and personal

[AtlFolks]

We went to Alaska in the month of August. It was 80 to 85 everyday in the afternoon. I would go out in the morning with jogging pants and a thin jacket. By the afternoon I had to go back to the ship just to change it was so hot. Maybe we were just lucky with the weather being so hot. Good Luck!! I hope you get the same weather as we did. Alaska is beautiful!! Have a time.

 

Tony

 

 

 

Thanks - sounds like it's a possible layering kind of thing?

 

 

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[AtlFolks]

Alaska Dining - 5:30, 6:00, or 8:15? Or Anytime Dining? Any advantage considering deck viewing hours, entertainment, etc?

 

 

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[Vineyard View]

I am curious - there are no recommendations from experienced Alaska cruisers to take a one way cruise and take time to DIY in Alaska....exploring parks on your own time, using their train network to travel some and maybe car rental some, etc rather than on busloads of people with very scheduled timeframes. That is what we would like to do next time, so I am wondering if I am missing something other than the comfort level of organized tours?

[RSF Cruiser]

We did a one way cruise from Vancouver to Seward and the land portion pre- and post-cruise was a DIY. We flew into Victoria BC where we stayed a few nights, and then took the ferry to Vancouver (although it's called a ferry, it was a bus ride from Victoria to the ferry station, and after the ferry ride to Vancouver the bus took us to a bus station in Vancouver. We then took a taxi to our hotel). We stayed a few days in Vancouver, boarded our cruise, which took us to Seward. We took bus transportation to Anchorage that stopped at Portage Glacier on the way. We stayed in Anchorage over night and then took the train to Denali for a few days, and the train to Fairbanks for a few days. We flew from Fairbanks back to Anchorage and then home. It was a wonderful trip and I always DIY. We rode in Princess train cars, although we were independent travelers. It takes a lot more work to pull together a multiple stop land tour, but I enjoy the planning, and much prefer DIY to being herded from place to place. Search these boards - there are quite a few reports of DIY land tours.

 

We've also flown into Juneau and then toured all over Alaska on our own with no cruise. That was our best trip ever, but it, too, took a lot of planning and was fairly expensive because of all of the flights, trains, car rentals, and ferry rides. I think it was well worth the effort, but then again, I enjoy the planning phase. With the Internet, resources for planning are readily available!

[Vineyard View]

Thanks RSF - we always DIY when possible or private tour. I enjoy the planning process as well - really glad to hear that it is a good path we are considering.

[SewMuch]

I am curious - there are no recommendations from experienced Alaska cruisers to take a one way cruise and take time to DIY in Alaska....exploring parks on your own time, using their train network to travel some and maybe car rental some, etc rather than on busloads of people with very scheduled timeframes. That is what we would like to do next time, so I am wondering if I am missing something other than the comfort level of organized tours?

If you look at the Alaska section on the Ports of Call board you will find several cruisers that strongly advocate DIY in Alaska, and give examples. Check out the posts by Budget Queen. She hates cruise line land tours and is big on booking your own.

[peety3]

Alaska Dining - 5:30, 6:00, or 8:15? Or Anytime Dining? Any advantage considering deck viewing hours, entertainment, etc?

5:30 and 6:00 are a misnomer - they're most likely both at 5:30, but represent two different dining rooms, so if you and friends both book (and get confirmed in) a particular dining time, you'll be in the same room. If you link your bookings, you should get the same table. Traditional is great if you can tolerate the same tablemates all cruise long (or can scare them off easily...), but all of us expect you to do the right thing and go to your table every night, or at least tell your tablemates when you won't be there (and don't go to Anytime Dining either). Anytime is OK if you don't expect unlimited resources at your beckon call: on most ships, ATD is very capacity-limited until 7:30-8:00, so your best bet is to arrive when the doors open or after 7:30, or at least not expect to waltz right in to a table of any size at 6:30.

 

As such, dining times most likely (somewhat) align with show times. Be aware that on days the ship is in port well into the evening, dining rooms will likely be 100% Anytime Dining all night long, so there's zero expectation that you join your tablemates at your assigned time (verify in your Patter to be sure).

 

We prefer traditional if we can get a small table, otherwise we prefer anytime to get fresh perspectives every night.

[Vineyard View]

If you look at the Alaska section on the Ports of Call board you will find several cruisers that strongly advocate DIY in Alaska, and give examples. Check out the posts by Budget Queen. She hates cruise line land tours and is big on booking your own.

 

Thank you very much! I will check her out!

[AtlFolks]

So, we are back! For anyone new who checks this thread, here is a quick synopsis, which I hope is helpful.

 

The Star Princess

 

It's a nice ship, although she seems ready for a good dry dock as improvements are needed in carpet, seating for the cafe, stateroom TV's, and overall stateroom technology. Although dinner in the MDR was really good, we found other meals, along with the Horizons buffet, substandard regarding both selection and quality - also worth mentioning in contrast is a superb dining experience in Sabatini's. Entertainment in the evenings was plentiful in various venues around the ship with quality musicians. My wife and I are 50, and we were amongst the youngest pair save for a few honeymooners and families with kids.

 

Princess Lodges

 

Princess has this part down to a science. Baggage services and transportation is solid and efficient - our luggage preceded us to every lodge and venue post cruise. Lodges are very comfortable and have many quality food options. Activities, although a bit pricey so everyone gets their cut, are varied and usually available.

 

For those who like comfort and services, Princess will deliver. I can see some folks wanting a smaller and more personalized experience, and thus might want to book smaller independent lodges with the understanding that there are not restaurants, services, or other conveniences that are associated with a higher level of service.

 

Happy cruising and enjoy Alaska A it's a magical place!

 

 

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