sled dog visits on Princess ship in port??

[helpmesailaway]

We will be on Coral Princess in July 2018. Do any past Princess cruisers have any info about which port might get a visit with the Sled dogs on the ship:)

 

Skagway is a Saturday, Juneau - Sunday, and Ketchikan - Monday.

 

I remember reading a trip report about this activity but can't find it now.

 

Thank you

[Suzanne123]

The “puppies in the piazza” happened in Juneau, about 3:00 PM. You have to stand in line to hold the pups, and the ship’s photographers will be there for souvenir photos.

[helpmesailaway]

Thank you so much Suzanne for the info.

 

We would love to see the Puppies :hearteyes: and will have returned from Taku lodge by mid day

 

Our ship is scheduled to leave at 4 pm so it might be earlier but at least we know it's Juneau

[GloriaF]

We did a Princess Alaska cruise several years ago, and there was a program in the Princess Theatre with Libby ___, from the Iditarod. She brought a few dogs and they were on deck. It was a nice enrichment type show, similar to the hula school performance in Hawaii, the Irish tenor and the Irish dancers in Ireland, the Canadian Mounted Police in Quebec City, etc. I really appreciated these appearances/performances. I hope Princess still does this!

[capriccio]

We did a Princess Alaska cruise several years ago, and there was a program in the Princess Theatre with Libby Riddles, from the Iditarod. She brought a few dogs and they were on deck. It was a nice enrichment type show, similar to the hula school performance in Hawaii, the Irish tenor and the Irish dancers in Ireland, the Canadian Mounted Police in Quebec City, etc. I really appreciated these appearances/performances. I hope Princess still does this!

 

Filled in Libby's last name. Check out the Princess Alaska Cruise Activities 2018 pages on their website: https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/onboard-experience/. Make sure to click on the "Meet Real Alaskans" link too. That includes descriptions of Libby Riddles, Steve Hites (who we look forward to seeing again in Skagway this summer), plus a number of authors and artists.

[capriccio]

The “puppies in the piazza” happened in Juneau, about 3:00 PM. You have to stand in line to hold the pups, and the ship’s photographers will be there for souvenir photos.

 

Looks like the puppies are coming on board in Skagway this summer: https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/onboard-experience/

[helpmesailaway]

Thank you Gloria F and Capriccio for more info.

 

Capriccio - that is a great link to Princess Alaskan activities - and I want to fit it as many as possible!:)

[capriccio]

Thank you Gloria F and Capriccio for more info.

 

Capriccio - that is a great link to Princess Alaskan activities - and I want to fit it as many as possible!:)

 

I hope you can. Cruising Alaska on Princess is a wonderful experience. We'll be doing it for the 3rd time this summer and taking our 2 kids, their spouses and our 3 1/2 year old grandchild. I can't wait to see her reaction to the puppies in the piazza!

[mytime53]

2 years ago when I had my 12 year old granddaughter on the cruise, we were sitting in the piazza when we saw the puppies being brought in. They went into a room right off the piazza, so my granddaughter followed and asked if she could come in and help with the puppies. She was told yes and she ended up being on the cruise video because the Redington (I think it was Robert, who is in the Iditarod this year) who brought the puppies on was being interviewed for the video at that time. I doubt that happens every cruise (we were on one of the first ones of the season), but I was so glad we got the chance for her to see the pups that way, because the line was super long by the time the puppies were brought out. I live only 1 mile from the Iditarod headquarters, where Raymie Redington gives cart rides every summer. 3 months after the cruise I took the grandkids over there and they got to see the litter mates to the "cruise pups."

[PandaBear62]

Are there extra activities and speakers something Princess typically has on Alaskan cruises? I am asking because we are booking for 2019 and this will definitely sway me towards their line.

 

 

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[mytime53]

Are there extra activities and speakers something Princess typically has on Alaskan cruises? I am asking because we are booking for 2019 and this will definitely sway me towards their line.

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Yes. I didn't pay attention/remember if Libby Riddles came on board our ship 2 years ago because my granddaughter would have been bored with it. And I don't recall if the puppies were on board 4 years ago because DH and I aren't interested in holding puppies. Taking 2 grandkids in May. Will pay attention and let you know.

[Coral]

Are there extra activities and speakers something Princess typically has on Alaskan cruises? I am asking because we are booking for 2019 and this will definitely sway me towards their line.

 

 

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Yes - they do a ton of enrichment programs (and always have). Many lines do minimal or none at all.

[capriccio]

Are there extra activities and speakers something Princess typically has on Alaskan cruises? I am asking because we are booking for 2019 and this will definitely sway me towards their line.

 

 

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Check out the link in my post (#5) above for the extra activities. Princess ships have a naturalist on board for the entire cruise plus on Glacier Bay Day National Park Service Rangers come on board for the day.

[wolfie11]

Are there extra activities and speakers something Princess typically has on Alaskan cruises? I am asking because we are booking for 2019 and this will definitely sway me towards their line.

 

In addition to the naturalist, who gives talks, commentary from the bridge, and has desk hours, there are a variety of Alaska "guest" speakers on board. There is almost always a Native Tlingit who will talk about their culture and have a show and tell of native artifacts. They seem to have either a lumberjack from the show in Ketchikan or someone from the Deadliest Catch. Libby Riddles gets on in Juneau for a presentation and Steve Hites, a former conductor on the White Pass railroad and Alaska ballad singer gives a great performance in Skagway of songs about Alaska. They also have a couple of authors that come onboard to talk. I saw Nick Jens who gave a really interesting talk about Romeo, a black wolf that roamed Mendenhall Glacier and befriended the local dogs.

 

Most of the naturalists are from Alaska. There is one, Sharon (can't remember last name) who writes and /or illustrates children's books about Alaska.

[GloriaF]

Filled in Libby's last name. Check out the Princess Alaska Cruise Activities 2018 pages on their website: https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/onboard-experience/. Make sure to click on the "Meet Real Alaskans" link too. That includes descriptions of Libby Riddles, Steve Hites (who we look forward to seeing again in Skagway this summer), plus a number of authors and artists.

 

Thanks. I appreciate the link. I'll study it carefully. I was thinking Libby's last name was Riddles, but wasn't sure.

[new2cruise]

Looks like the puppies are coming on board in Skagway this summer: https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/onboard-experience/

 

I'm confused. The link you included says "Skagway's newest dogs" come on board, but if you click the link at the bottom, "Learn about more real Alaskans On Board"

 

https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/onboard-experience/

 

 

it still says they come on board in Juneau.

[mytime53]

I'm confused. The link you included says "Skagway's newest dogs" come on board, but if you click the link at the bottom, "Learn about more real Alaskans On Board"

 

https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/onboard-experience/

 

 

it still says they come on board in Juneau.

 

I don't see that it says that. Are you thinking that it's Libby Riddles who brings the puppies onboard? It isn't. She does come on in Juneau. But it definitely says that the puppies come on in Skagway.

[centralcalicruzer]

I don't see that it says that. Are you thinking that it's Libby Riddles who brings the puppies onboard? It isn't. She does come on in Juneau. But it definitely says that the puppies come on in Skagway.

But it also says puppies come aboard on every Alaska sailing. And not all sailings visit Skagway. So it IS kind of confusing! And I think Libby Riddles does bring a sled dog on board with her, just not multiple puppies. We missed her on our last Alaska cruise since we were on an excursion during the time she came aboard. And we visited Icy Strait Point instead of Skagway, although I'm not sure puppies were being brought on board in 2013. The two sailings we are looking at for this summer visit Haines rather than Skagway. Hopefully puppies will come on somewhere!