Alaska - on board

[Roxburgh]

Unless something big has changed in the last two years, there isn't a dock in Hoonah, only at Icy Strait Point (which is where the old cannery building is, close to the zip line , etc. - basically built for the cruise industry). Hoonah is the actual original non-touristy town down the road a bit and the harbor there is for small local boats - it's walkable but usually there's a shuttle of some kind.

 

Disappointing to hear you found the Klemtu cultural experience wasn't too interesting. What time of day was that and about how long did it last? Wondering if there's time to book one of the kayak or zodiac trips AND visit the Big House?

 

As always, thanks!

 

Yes, it was at the old cannery where we docked. They have done a nice job of restoring the buildings. We drove through Hoonah which seemed pretty close to the cannery but I have no idea if there was a shuttle.

 

For Klemtu, we were split into groups and my group left at 1pm. Seabourn had set up a barbecue around the Big House. They did a pretty good job IMHO.

[cwn]

Barb

 

We went out on the catamaran at the Aialik Glacier and at the Dawes Glacier.

 

The tender was pretty quick into Ketchikan. Cannot remember exactly where we landed but you are probably only 5 mins away from your guide.

 

We actually docked at Hoonah so no shuttle was needed. There was a 'people mover' for those not so mobile to move around the various buildings.

 

Klemtu was interesting and Seabourn did a very good job in a challenging environment. The Big House was quite spectacular. However, I found the cultural experience to be not so interesting.

 

Thank you ,thank you, great information! It is answering my questions before I can ask them.

 

About Klemtu...I see there are two adventure tours, but based your comment above, is Seabourn tendering passengers to Klemtu to see the Big House and a program? Is there a charge. Nothing like that is listed in the shore excursion booklet.

 

 

Thanks,

Carolyn

[Chairsin]

Carolyn

I am unable to put the link here but if you Google "Seabourn Klemtu Experience" you will find a description of what Seabourn is providing as a new signature Seabourn Experience at no extra charge. Of course you can also do the paid Ventures kayak and zodiacs excursions as well.

 

 

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[Roxburgh]

Thank you ,thank you, great information! It is answering my questions before I can ask them.

 

About Klemtu...I see there are two adventure tours, but based your comment above, is Seabourn tendering passengers to Klemtu to see the Big House and a program? Is there a charge. Nothing like that is listed in the shore excursion booklet.

 

 

Thanks,

Carolyn

 

There was no charge for Klemtu. Seabourn set up an on-shore lunch next to the Big House. There were then several cultural performances as everyone didn't come ashore at the same time. That was probably to avoid swamping the community but also because it was a 25-35 minute tender ride so hard to transport everyone at once.

 

Let me add ... it was a 300 or 400 yard walk over a dirt/gravel road to the Big House. Not easy for those with mobility challenges.

[cwn]

Chairsin, Thank you. I found it. I have some mobility issues. Can't do the Kayaks, but may still be able to do a Zodiac adventure. That is the reason I was hoping to wait until on board to book excursions.

 

Nice to know that there is another option to get off the ship. Thanks again.

 

Roxburgh, thanks for the details...sounds like a nice chance to see something new!

 

My "to do/see" list is getting longer......the number of days until we leave are getting shorter, perfect

 

Thanks,

Carolyn

Edited June 28, 2017 by cwn

[Phillygirl3]

For Cruzaround's questions regarding Alaskan cruise: it was never on our bucket list but we are so glad that we did it--spectacular scenery, fresh seafood and we lucked out with perfect, sunny weather each day. Did it get boring--not really, but when I see that some people have taken 7 cruises to Alaska, I ask myself, "Why?" You can only look at so many glaciers and see so many tourist shops. I guess that can be said for a lot of places and I will just assume that people who return again and again to Alaska are truly nature lovers. My husband and I enjoy seeing historical places, cities, museums, etc. But even when visiting these places, there are not many that I would say would be worth paying to see again. Some places are "one and done," other I would visit again, but only if it was a place the was combined with many other different ones. To each his own as they say, travel is a personal experience where not everyone will agree. Enjoy Alaska for its beauty, you won't be disaippointed.

[marazul]

Phillygirl-

I second your comments to Cruzaround. That first cruise was great in terms of weather, wild life, etc. We enjoyed every day on board and our trip to Denali afterwards. But after almost three weeks, we had "enough nature." I do recommend the cruise. I would not have done it except on Seabourn.

[Chairsin]

And now for the other side of the coin. We have been here in Alaska (at the Alyeska Resort about an hour outside of Anchorage) for a couple of days and I can certainly understand why people would want to come back time and again. And we haven't even gotten on the ship yet! We outdoor people and nature lovers and for us the past few days the biggest dilemma we have had is choosing between wonderful hikes.

 

We arrived at 10 PM and the drive to Gridwood along the Trunagain Arm in the eerie twilight the scenery of the waters receding in the inlet, the conifer lush hills , low clouds and snow capped mountains made us immediately fall in love with Alaska.

 

The first we found a little cafe where we fueled up on sourdough toast and coffee before heading out. We hiked half the day in Portage Valley, spent time visiting the rescued animals at the Wildlife Conservation Center (and were lucky enough to be there at feeding time for the bears, porcupine, musk oxen and moose) and then hiked the Winner Creek right outside the back door of our hotel.And speaking of which when we returned and were relaxing on the rear deck of the hotel we spotted a black bear and her three very tiny cubs feeding and playing a short way off. Amazing! That night we had a great dinner at a nearby restaurant of very fresh halibut and salmon followed by a shared portion of bread pudding with local berry compote.

 

Yesterday after sourdough pancakes ( so good!) we had a beautiful morning drive on the Kenai Peninsula to Coopers Landing where we hiked the Russian Trail to the falls. Here we watched thousands of huge salmon attempting to jump up the falls. What a sight and incredible feat. After dinner ((including some delicious local microbrew ) last night we took a drive along the very scenic Cook inlet hoping to spot the beluga whales who hang out here (no luck) . But as I was about to drive out of a pullout we looked across the road up the very steep cliff and spotted a group of Dahl sheep including a small lamb. Watching them defy gravity and navigate this sheer face was highly entertaining.

 

Today many more choices but we will finally take the tram that goes directly from our hotel up the mountain. At the top is a deli and bar and the very well regarded 7 Glaciers restaurant. Maybe after a morning hike elsewhere we will have lunch up there and hike down.

 

The bottom line will have barely scratched the surface of things to do in this part of Alaska and will have many reasons to return. For us definitely not once and done!

 

 

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[zelker]

Chairsin - you've already figured out that once Alaska gets under your skin you WILL come back for more! Excellent!

 

Thanks for sharing your first few days' experiences - I can picture all of it just as you describe it. And don't feel bad - we've never had luck seeing the belugas either but who knows, maybe we'll get lucky this trip. (yn)

 

Now you've got me really excited ... we'll be landing in Anchorage just 4 short weeks from today!!

 

Enjoy!!

 

Barb

[marazul]

Chairsin -

Have you seen the bore tide in Turnagain Arm?

And yes, you are definitely a little more outdoorsy than us. ;)

[galeforce9]

Chairsin

 

You describe it so beautifully. It sounds like a wonderful place to stay and makes me think we should go too. A reason to return and I haven't had one visit yet!

 

 

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[Chairsin]

Barb,

Yes, good way to put it -- Alsaks is definitely getting under my skin. Can't really justify why it has taken us so long to get here except maybe we we waiting for Seabourn to return.i am happy to rough it during the day but at night I do like my creature comforts of a hot bath, warm bed and a glass of wine. Hope you enjoy your return here as much as we are our maiden trip.

 

Marazul,

Thanks for mentioning it. Bore tide is on the "schedule" for today and definitely high on my must see list. We have been waiting because the closer (5 days or less prior) you get to a full moon (July 9) the more dramatic the tide. So we will keep fingers (and toers) crossed for today and if not maybe tomorrow on our way to Anchorage where we will head for two nights to meet up with friends and go dogsledding in the snow. But if we miss it it will just be another reason to return!

 

 

 

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[Capri73]

How has the weather been?

[Roxburgh]

Our Alaska "experience" - both the cruise and the pre-cruise up in Talkeetna and Denali - is right up there with our best vacations/cruises. To call it outstanding is an understatement. It completely and totally exceeded our expectations.

[Chairsin]

Capri,

For much of the first three days here we never saw our shadows. The daytime temps were in the low 60's with overcast skies, low clouds and an occasional sprinkle. It was actually very comfortable hiking weather.This morning it looks as though the sun is out and we will enjoy our first sunny day as we head back to Anchorage.

 

Yesterday after a light breakfast here at the resort we took it relatively easy (husband nixed the idea of hiking down the very steep path from the top of Mt. Alyeska) and just walked 5 miles of the fairly level trail out of Bird Point. Then we returned to the lookout there at the appointed hour hoping to see the Bore Tide. When it started rolling up the Turnagain Arm it was initially quite subtle but then seemed to gain in strength. We then drove down to two other lookout points off the highway toward Girdwood to watch its progress (it moves at about 8 miles per hour). It really is a pretty unique and fascinating phenomenon. I can only imagine what it would be like to watch it the day of a full moon when it is at its peak.

 

As some of the clouds had lifted (we swore the sun was trying to peak through) we returned to our hotel and took the Resorts own tram up to the top of Mt. Alyeska. We wandered around for a bit then went into the deli/bar where we had a late lunch/early dinner as we sat by a window looking down with a panoramic view not only into the valley below and but encompassing much of the Turnagain Arm as well.. BTW, this would also make for an interesting vantage point from which to watch the Bore Tide.

 

 

 

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[Capri73]

Thanks so much.We have been dealing with very high temps her in Az so that weather might be refreshing.

[Chairsin]

Yes -- as a fellow Arizonan it has been a nice change.

 

 

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[red1head]

Capri,

For much of the first three days here we never saw our shadows. The daytime temps were in the low 60's with overcast skies, low clouds and an occasional sprinkle. It was actually very comfortable hiking weather.This morning it looks as though the sun is out and we will enjoy our first sunny day as we head back to Anchorage.

 

Yesterday after a light breakfast here at the resort we took it relatively easy (husband nixed the idea of hiking down the very steep path from the top of Mt. Alyeska) and just walked 5 miles of the fairly level trail out of Bird Point. Then we returned to the lookout there at the appointed hour hoping to see the Bore Tide. When it started rolling up the Turnagain Arm it was initially quite subtle but then seemed to gain in strength. We then drove down to two other lookout points off the highway toward Girdwood to watch its progress (it moves at about 8 miles per hour). It really is a pretty unique and fascinating phenomenon. I can only imagine what it would be like to watch it the day of a full moon when it is at its peak.

 

As some of the clouds had lifted (we swore the sun was trying to peak through) we returned to our hotel and took the Resorts own tram up to the top of Mt. Alyeska. We wandered around for a bit then went into the deli/bar where we had a late lunch/early dinner as we sat by a window looking down with a panoramic view not only into the valley below and but encompassing much of the Turnagain Arm as well.. BTW, this would also make for an interesting vantage point from which to watch the Bore Tide.

 

 

 

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Chairsin,

 

Thank you for sharing your experiences at the Alyeska Resort and especially the Turnagain Arm tide watching. We will be spending a few days there starting on July 23 ahead of a 7-day Abercrombie & Kent tour of the upper Kenai Penninsula and Denali before boarding the Sojourn on Aug. 1 for a 14-day cruise.

 

We will be at the resort during the new moon on July 23. We are hoping the new moon has the same effect on the tides (comparable to the new moon) that we experience in our inlet on the Gulf coast of Florida.

 

Sharon

[maggie.1008]

We are to be at 119 degree temps today in LaQuinta ( near Palm Springs ) Cool Alaska weather will be great. Looking forward to hearing more when you board the Sojourn today. Cheers, Heather

[zelker]

Seabourn did a wonderful Antarctica logo that was available on, among other things, a magnet and a coffee cup. For anyone who's already done Alaska, did you notice if they did the same for this itinerary?

 

Also, they gifted us several great books about the area during the course of the Antarctica cruise - did they do that in Alaska?

 

Thanks!

[bspill]

Thinking of booking August 26th Alaska cruise but disappointed to hear the zodiac tours have been cancelled. For those who have taken previous Alaskan cruises and taken one of the Seabourn Alaskan cruises this year, did this cruise stand out compared to previous Alaskan cruises? The itinerary appears to be quite different than the typical Alaskan cruise.

[frantic36]

I am onboard at the moment having left Seward on the 7th July. Yesterday we were in Ailik Bay and Holgate Bay. The kayaks went out yesterday, including our trip in the afternoon and it was wonderful. We actually got within 300metres of the main glacier shoreline. We saw two other glaciers tucked around the corner which we couldn't see from the main ship. We saw three small calvings but they occurred so quickly I missed the photo but the memory will remain.

 

Bspill it is disappointing about the zodiacs in Alaskan waters but all the Canadian zodiac tours are still going out. We even had a Venture kayak excursion cancelled in Wrangell, Alaska as there are two local kayak/canoe operators in Wrangell that I guess didn't want the competition. I decided to just take myself for a stroll and a hike along the beach.

 

Today is a sea day so a chance to relax. We have a few more kayak excursions booked and after yesterday's experience are looking forward to them. I will attempt to download some photos to post but I may have to wait until I am off the ship.

 

 

Zelker I will check re magnets etc. They do have some bald eagle soft toys for $5 and polar bears for $20. Lots of Seabourn logo puffer jackets etc. As well as the usual Seabourn ports of call booklet from Seabourn we have been given an "Alaska by Cruise Ship" by Anne Vipond book and a special edition glossy photo pamphlet with various birds and animals indigenous to the area. The jackets are nice and are a generous fit so my husband and I had to swap them out for the next size down. The swap on the first morning of the cruise was handled well.

 

 

Julie

[galeforce9]

Thanks for posting Julie. I hope your pre cruise trips were enjoyable. Which kayak did you go on yesterday (I think there were possibly more than one). Did a catamaran go out yesterday too? If you hear any reports about that trip I'd be interested. Hope the food is tasty so far. Thanks.

 

 

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[frantic36]

Thanks for posting Julie. I hope your pre cruise trips were enjoyable. Which kayak did you go on yesterday (I think there were possibly more than one). Did a catamaran go out yesterday too? If you hear any reports about that trip I'd be interested. Hope the food is tasty so far. Thanks.

 

 

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We did the 2pm kayak. There were two trips in the morning. On the initial itinerary we were supposed to cruise Holgate in the morning and then Ailik in the afternoon but this was swapped around for some reason so we ended up kayaking in Holgate. Which was fine they were both interesting.

 

The catamaran did went out both morning and afternoon. As far as I heard most people really enjoyed the catamaran. One of our friends wasn't keen but she likes only very small groups normally so that didn't surprise me.

 

We had a great time pre-cruise. Napa Valley with friends was wonderful. I have to say the 4th July fireworks put on by Saint Helena were very impressive.

 

In Anchorage we did a helicopter flight from Knik River lodge up to a snow camp where we did dog sledding. It was quite an amazing experience as we went from blue skies and sunshine to a light fog had come in as we landed at the dog camp area. So our sledding occurred in an icy fog but this gave us a feel for the Iditarod experience. When we flew back out to the Lodge we returned to blue skies and sunshine. Apparently the dog camp area had been in sunshine but the weather can change so quickly and the fog had started coming in just after our helicopter had already taken off from Knik Lodge.

 

Julie

[zelker]

Julie -

 

Thanks for checking in! Kayaking sounded great yesterday ... hope they're all that good! That said, really sorry to hear that more Ventures were cancelled. You'd think that all of this would have been ironed out when Seabourn first proposed to return to Alaska but alas ..... (insert heavy sigh here)

 

Anne Vipond's book is a wealth of information and I look forward to getting the latest edition since mine is from 2005, bought before our very first Alaskan cruise. Also glad they are giving out a wildlife guide - suspect it's quite similar to the one we got in Antarctica (different critters, of course) which we found really useful to help identify what we were seeing when we weren't quite sure.

 

Enjoy!

 

Barb