ArcticKitty Tackles Alaska - Carnival Splendor 02-10 May 2022- Trip Planning, Trip Report, & Mehhhhbe Some LIVE

[arctickitty]

Trip Planning: Seattle

 

I’ve been to Seattle many times over the years but have always had the hotel covered by work, an airline, or points, so I hadn’t realized that lodging could cost more than the cruise!  I turned Seattle planning over to Special Someone and he found an AirBNB suite in Ballard that looks great.  We got really excited when we noticed a Scandinavian market nearby, which turned out to set a theme for our time in Seattle.  Instead of me moping about my favorite coffee shop having just closed, we will explore all things Scandinavian (plus maybe eat some Cubanos and Ice Cream).  
 

 

The market also has a cafe:

 

 

For daytime adventures:

 

 

 

And night:

 

 

Aspirations include an aquavit flight and all the food sampler platters we can manage so that I can try All the Things.

 

For the morning after, we’re aiming for a healthy walk to:

 

 

More to come…

Edited March 27, 2022 by arctickitty
Typo

[arctickitty]

Trip Planning: Seattle Ideas Part 2

1100 people love these cubanos enough to post on Yelp:

 

 

The second best ice cream of my life was olive oil ice cream at the original Salt & Straw in Portland, made from Oregon-grown arbequina olives.  I’m thrilled that business is doing well enough that they e expanded north and that arbequina is still on the menu.

 

 

And if time allows:

 

 

I’m so excited that my sense of our time in Seattle has transformed from a necessary inconvenience to a fun second vacation!

 

[arctickitty]

Trip Planning: Tracy Arm
 

 

Some of the first Carnival excursions to open up for this sailing were for Tracy Arm, which is just a fancy sea day IMHO. I sailed this area on Norwegian and enjoyed the scenery from the deck, learning my lesson to dress more warmly for the deck than I would have guessed.  This was my first time hearing about getting off the ship and only a smaller vessel to travel closer to the glaciers.  These excursions seem to have nearly universal rave reviews and it sounds intriguing to swap big and little.  But I live in Alaska year-round and have lived and traveled all over the state, so I wasn’t sure the high price of these trips would be worth it to me.  I mean I can’t see Russia or glaciers from my back yard, but I’ve walked inside glaciers and I know people who’ve been to the one spot in Alaska where you can see Russia, so I wasn’t sure.  I found some advice online that when trying to decide about an excursion, look for a YouTube video taken by average people going on the trip.  Eg, not a tourism company or marketing, just every day people posting their vacation vids.  I happen to be the rare millennial who doesn’t use YouTube like my personal encyclopedia/assistant/knowledge bank/professor so I really had to get over my aversion and try it out.

 

And I’m so glad it did.  Because the videos looked so boring.  To me.  (Getting ready for the hate, it’s all good, here’s a glacier pic).

 

 

My traveling companion, Special Someone, was out of cell range when Tracy Arm was posted, and we are very different people so I tried to consider it from his view: would he want to go?  Would he like it?  Was it a splurge he’d like?  Was it something we should try for his sake?  I was going around in circles in my head until it hit me:

 

He spent 12 days on a glacier in May of last year.  He doesn’t need us to spend more $ than our cruise fare on a boat ride to look at some.

 

Carnival friends, rest assured than when Special Someone came back into cell phone range, I reviewed this with him and he confirmed he does not need a glacier catamaran ride.  We’ve got binoculars, spotting scope, and our pack-tiny puffy jackets on our packing list instead.  Oh and our thermoses.  I saw advice here on CC that a favorite thermos is worth the suitcase space to keep your coffee and tea warm on deck.  
 

Because that’s where we plan to be.

[HolySpearit]

Cat pictures and a cruise?! I AM IN. 

[arctickitty]

Carnival friends,

 

I am excited about the sea days, or somewhat sea days we have in store.  (If we don’t get to Victoria until 8pm, isn’t that more like a sea day?). Anyway, I have learned to explore a ship and enjoy as much as I can.  One thing I like about cruising is how easy it is to stay physically active, between the walking in ports, the walking up and down the long hallways, the walking up and down the stairs, the gym, the jogging track, and the fun physical activities like mini golf and maybe even dancing.  
 

I might be almost 40 but I’m a late bloomer and entered my first running race, a dog-themed 5K (I dressed as a cat), one year ago.  Since then I’ve completed two more 5Ks, a mini triathlon (which is shorter than a sprint triathlon, but still nuts), and won my first race prize, the Red Lantern award at a 10K.  This winter I completed both the Fairbanks NorthStar Borough Winter Trails Challenge (find signs on 10+ local trails) and the Virtual Race Across Alaska (walk, snowshoe, ski, biked 260 miles).  
 

 

Spot this hat on deck and you’ll have found Arctic Kitty or Special Someone.

 

After I completed the mini triathlon last summer, I set a goal of completing a sprint triathlon this spring and an Olympic triathlon this summer.  I’ve made even more leaps and bounds forward with my movement abilities, but I also experienced some setbacks, including giving myself a second degree burn while winter camping in Wrangell St Elias National Park, on a leg with too many pre-existing conditions for someone my age.  So I wasn’t even really thinking I was still aiming for triathlons this spring and summer when it was one of the first things that Special Someone brought up on his return home.  So last weekend, instead of trip planning, I spent nearly a whole day race planning.  
 

I already knew that my follow-up to the Virtual Race Across Alaska would be the Spring Duathlon (300 miles on foot or bike in 60 days) https://runsignup.com/Race/AK/ANYWHERE/SpringDuathlonChallenge?raceRefCode=uVPReMdk&utm_source=RunSignUp&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=uVPReMdk

 

and that in the summer there will be the Fairbanks North Star Borough Summer Trails Challenge, but I started to wonder if maybe I am actually closer to ready for a “real” triathlon than I think I am.  Every time so far that I’ve signed up for a race or challenge, it has seemed insurmountable, but I’ve gone and done it.

 

I had a feeling our cruise is during the spring triathlon, and it is.  Spring in Alaska is called “Break Up” because of how the ice breaks up.  I’ll be missing the Break Up Triathlon on May 8th so there’s only one logical solution!

 

Give up!

 

Just kidding!

 

I will complete a sprint triathlon on board the Carnival Splendor.  This means a 500 yd swim, 13.1 mile cycle, and a 3.1 mile run.  I haven’t set any rules yet as to if I have to do them all at once or over the course of the sailing.  What do you all think?

 

Friends, please help!  I can cycle in the gym and run on the jogging track, but how will I know how long a pool is onboard so that I know how many gazillion laps to swim?

 

Given that the Spring Duathlon runs from 15 April to 15 June, I will need to spend some good hours on board collecting walking, running, and cycling miles as well.

 

And also training for my first Olympic distance triathlon.  Special Someone and I registered for the North Pole triathlon as a team, “Dinner Winners,” because no matter what, we are going to win dinner.  I will need to swim 1500 meters in an Alaskan lake (in a suit), he will need to cycle 26 miles, and then I will need to run a 10K.

 

Here is my life outside of cats and cruising:

 

 

When I’m not training, I’ll be eating (already have a list of foods to try…it’s long…thank goodness my metabolism has increased), journaling (with stickers) and trying lots of new things on board.

 

(Parts of) food wish lists:

 

Trip Journals (and stickers) are ready to roll:

 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by arctickitty
Typo

[arctickitty]

23 minutes ago, HolySpearit said:

Cat pictures and a cruise?! I AM IN. 

 

My audience while working on trip planning.  

[arctickitty]

Trip Planning: Time On Board Carnival Splendor

 

Besides all the working out and eating (a great pairing of hobbies, truly), I’m aiming to do a little bit of drinking, but, sorry friends, truly just a little.  I’m not a light person but I sure am a lightweight.  One mimosa gets me what we call ArcticKitty drunk.  These shooter combos caught my eye because I can share with Special Someone and (drumroll please!) TRY ALL THE THINGS.

 

 

I may have been a math teacher (I’ve been a lot of things), but the math that is challenging me is how you get a sampler of 4 shooters but each menu only has 3 types.  Can I make up a fourth?  Ask the bartender to make up a fourth?  Clearly, complicated problems here.

 

I didn’t watch a single production show or comedian my first cruise, but I’ve since branched out and I’m willing to give shows a try if it doesn’t involve extensive, competitive, pre-show seat stalking & hogging.  I’m hoping I find some pleasant surprises!  Live music or any kind will also be a treat!  Even though I live on the mainland now, it’s not something I encounter very often.  Moose scat is what I encounter.

 

Mornings!  I love mornings on board a ship!  I like both ordering coffee and tea via the room service card or going out and getting it myself.  I like the morning colors and air and less people around.  This presents a challenge with trying out more evening activities…sleep on the flight home, eh?

 

Special Someone startled me with the idea of really, really dressing up on the elegant nights.  Given that we’ve only known each other IN Alaska, the most I’ve seen him dressed up was wearing a nice sweater on his birthday.  I’d figured I’d look at my wash & wear dresses and pick the “fanciest” one and call it an outfit but he has other ideas…

 

This really threw me for a loop, so Carnival friends, please help.  He seems to think that he can book me something at the spa where they will do my hair and face all fancy.  I have never worn makeup outside of stage makeup for childhood dance performances and teenage experimentation with very, very dark colors.  There is a reason I live in Alaska!

 

Is it true that one can get made up in the spa?  Is it worth while?  The closest thing I could find was this:

 

[arctickitty]

First, some gratuitous cat pictures:

 

 

 

Two of my girls enjoying solar gain while I did trip planning.  

Next up, ideas for the ports… 

Edited March 27, 2022 by arctickitty

[arctickitty]

Libby, the app for online library access, had this book:

 

 

I checked it out since it was free and quickly read it.  I can’t say I’d recommend it as it only contains somewhat old and shallow information.  CC is a better resource.

[kennystwin]

Arctickitty,

 

Thanks for posting and I look forward to following your journey. I lived in Alaska (Girdwood) a few years decades ago, fell in love with it, and go back every chance I get. I was up for the Iditarod start a few weeks ago and will be on the Miracle in May out of San Francisco with a similar itinerary (sans Ketchikan). Your preparations, from an Alaskan perspective, brings back lots of memories. 

 

A few comments:

 

Regarding extra vegetables when dining, be sure and let your waiter know what you want and they should take care of you. The best waiter I ever had was on Carnival pre-pandemic. When I mentioned I liked Indian food (he was from India as well as most of the cooks), his face lit up and he went back to the kitchen and returned with a huge sampler. It wasn't just the Indian Vegetarian dish that is on the menu, I think some of it came from the crew mess.

 

"Gala night attire" I understand Alaskan attire is all about function, not fashion. As a single man living there, I loved going Outside (to the lower 48 in Alaskan slang for those following

) to see women wearing dresses. On Carnival, anything goes on gala night, so wear want you want. You can even make a statement and go "Alaskan Formal" by wearing your Xtratufs 😊

 

Tracy Fjord: I cruised up there last year and stayed on the ship, but am taking the excursion this time. Living there, I've seen dozens of glaciers (I could actually see 3 hanging glaciers from my bathroom in Girdwood and routinely would grab a sandwich for an impromptu picnic at Portage Glacier). Cruising the Fjord was great, but seeing a glacier through binoculars left me a little empty. Looking forward to being up close and personal as it should be.

ISP: One of my favorite ports. Unlike other ports dominated by cruise line stores and seasonal workers who don't know squat about Alaska, ISP was built by the local Native Corporation for the benefit of its members. I consider Hoonah to be "real Alaska" and am looking forward to walking along the beach to town (saw lots of whales on that walk last time), eating some fresh seafood, and talking with the locals. Over the pandemic, they added a second dock, some nature trails, and a new Mountain Top Gondola that I want to check out. Details on the gondola have been sketchy. You will be there before me, so let us know what you can find out. 

 

Looking forward following your trip!

Edited March 28, 2022 by kennystwin

[arctickitty]

4 hours ago, kennystwin said:

Arctickitty,

 

Thanks for posting and I look forward to following your journey. I lived in Alaska (Girdwood) a few years decades ago, fell in love with it, and go back every chance I get. I was up for the Iditarod start a few weeks ago and will be on the Miracle in May out of San Francisco with a similar itinerary (sans Ketchikan). Your preparations, from an Alaskan perspective, brings back lots of memories. 

 

A few comments:

 

Regarding extra vegetables when dining, be sure and let your waiter know what you want and they should take care of you. The best waiter I ever had was on Carnival pre-pandemic. When I mentioned I liked Indian food (he was from India as well as most of the cooks), his face lit up and he went back to the kitchen and returned with a huge sampler. It wasn't just the Indian Vegetarian dish that is on the menu, I think some of it came from the crew mess.

 

"Gala night attire" I understand Alaskan attire is all about function, not fashion. As a single man living there, I loved going Outside (to the lower 48 in Alaskan slang for those following

) to see women wearing dresses. On Carnival, anything goes on gala night, so wear want you want. You can even make a statement and go "Alaskan Formal" by wearing your Xtratufs 😊

 

Tracy Fjord: I cruised up there last year and stayed on the ship, but am taking the excursion this time. Living there, I've seen dozens of glaciers (I could actually see 3 hanging glaciers from my bathroom in Girdwood and routinely would grab a sandwich for an impromptu picnic at Portage Glacier). Cruising the Fjord was great, but seeing a glacier through binoculars left me a little empty. Looking forward to being up close and personal as it should be.

ISP: One of my favorite ports. Unlike other ports dominated by cruise line stores and seasonal workers who don't know squat about Alaska, ISP was built by the local Native Corporation for the benefit of its members. I consider Hoonah to be "real Alaska" and am looking forward to walking along the beach to town (saw lots of whales on that walk last time), eating some fresh seafood, and talking with the locals. Over the pandemic, they added a second dock, some nature trails, and a new Mountain Top Gondola that I want to check out. Details on the gondola have been sketchy. You will be there before me, so let us know what you can find out. 

 

Looking forward following your trip!

Hi Kennystwin,

 

Welcome aboard!  I have spent a fair amount of time in Girdwood.  Don’t know if it was when you lived there, but it has some of the best ice cream in the state.  In January 2020, we took the kids from the island to Anchorage for a week and one night we wound up eating ice cream for dinner in Girdwood.  
 

That’s good to know about the Indian food!  I noticed the placeholder for it on the nightly menu and previously enjoyed it on other ships.  It’s hard to get up here, so I will check it out on board.

 

As for elegant night plans, things have completely changed on my end as once I realized that Special Someone wants to play dress up just for fun, I realized it could be a fun game to play along.  I wasn’t up for my usual activity level yesterday but I was up for shopping, which I never do, and we had way too much fun at a thrift store.  They don’t have a changing room so you have to try everything on right in the aisles and it was me and the teenagers with green hair all battling for the same dresses.  Some of it looked insane.  Some of it looked trashy on the hanger but surprised me once I had it on.  I even tried on a wedding dress and it fit perfectly.  We had a good chuckle about how far we would take the “playing dress up” theme…it even had a ridiculous train. (I put it back).  I found some great shoes with broken buckets but Special Someone is a mechanic, so he can fix it, and scarves and a small purse thing I think is called a clutch and some bling.  I have some boots that are cousins of Xtratuffs that I definitely wore to the bar out on the island as a fashion statement in the past, but they have steel toes are are so heavy, I figured it wasn’t worth packing them.  But maybe!

 

I agree with you on Icy Strait!  That’s exactly why I jumped on an ISP itinerary in the past and a reason I went for this one this time.  I’m curious to see how it’s changed.  I’m hoping to try the new ropes courses, which I haven’t seen any reviews of, so I think they haven’t been open before.  I also hope we are allowed to walk into Hoonah, but if not, I respect their choice.  
 

I know I’m on one of the first sailings of the season, so I’ll definitely let everyone know how it goes!

[mom22frogs]

9 hours ago, arctickitty said:

the Indian food!

Hi Arctic Kitty. 🙂 The Splendor has Masala Tiger, so that may satisfy your indian food cravings. Also the lunch buffet should have both salads you can make yourself and some nice (if we're lucky) fancy salads too. 

My trick for getting in veges is to eat them at breakfast. It won't be a full salad bar but there's usually at least tomatoes, cucumber, etc. And in the MDR you can order their amazing Mediterranean Salad for sea day brunch. So, so good, way better than the menu makes it sound. And since it's kale+romaine, you're totally powerhousing there!

Yes the spa can do your hair, etc. That sounds like a really fun idea. :) 

[arctickitty]

14 hours ago, mom22frogs said:

Hi Arctic Kitty. 🙂 The Splendor has Masala Tiger, so that may satisfy your indian food cravings. Also the lunch buffet should have both salads you can make yourself and some nice (if we're lucky) fancy salads too. 

My trick for getting in veges is to eat them at breakfast. It won't be a full salad bar but there's usually at least tomatoes, cucumber, etc. And in the MDR you can order their amazing Mediterranean Salad for sea day brunch. So, so good, way better than the menu makes it sound. And since it's kale+romaine, you're totally powerhousing there!

Yes the spa can do your hair, etc. That sounds like a really fun idea. 🙂

Thanks Mom22frogs!

 

breakfast veg is a great idea!  I tend to use buffets more for snacks than meals anyway, and it’s a good idea to pick up some veggie sticks or whatever they have with coffee or water or tea.  The Mediterranean salad is definitely on my to-eat wish list!

 

We are guessing the first elegant night will be on the second night, which is also the only true sea day on the itinerary (the following day is Tracy Arm), so Special Someone was thinking of booking me a hairdo thingie for the first sea day.  We had fun trying on all my new thrift store dresses and figured out which two will be for the elegant nights and which two are just for fun.  One dress I tried on as a joke turns out to look kind of Scandinavian so that’s for the Viking bar we plan to go to in Seattle, plus I can wear it to a regular dinner on board.  The turquoise heels I picked out are surprisingly comfortable and I walked around the house in them, including stairs, without issues.  He just has to build a buckle for one of them.  They’re almost like clog heels, feel pretty stable.  
 

Do you have frogs for pets?  Or are the frog human children or seals?

[arctickitty]

 

Moving on to ideas for ports…

 

 

This will be my second visit to Skagway.  My first was a little unusual because I connected with a friend from the website Couchsurfing.  A few years prior when I lived in the Arctic, I hosted a pair of strangers, half of whom was from Skagway.  I felt silly admitting to a couch surfer that I was going on a cruise but my friend had no bones about it…life & economy in Skagway depend on it so rather than being shameful, it’s just a way of life.  (A lot of Alaskans look down on cruising but that’s a different topic).  As per my usual, I was one of the first off the ship and I enjoyed walking the historic district before it got crowded.  I enjoyed the National Park Service tour I went on as well.  I met up with my parents, and my friend borrowed his grampa’s car and took us for a drive.  My friend is a unique local because he’s Tlingit on one side and fourth generation settler on the other.  You don’t get roots deeper than that!  The highlight was quietly visiting Dyea.  I don’t know why visiting the lack of a town was so moving to me.  Another highlight was my dad giving me his credit card to buy my friend an early dinner wherever he wanted and we had halibut with locally made habanero hot sauce.  I remember going on some short hikes/nature walks, too.  I also remember that downtown was less pleasant packed with people in the afternoon.  

 

When I first started thinking about cruising this season, I thought about trying to zip line in every port.  I’ve been trying to do things I’m afraid of, and went on my first zip at the end of last summer.  I went on the one in Glacierview (2-3 hours east of Anchorage) which has two of the long ride style zips, one with a tower you climb and one you drive up to.  It was super scary and I had to work hard to keep my stuff together but I could see how it was a confidence boost to make myself do it.  So I have a soft goal with no time limit to eventually ride every zip line in Alaska.  Skagway has one.  So that’s an option.

 

Horseback riding is also on the list of things I’m afraid of that I want to try.  Skagway also has that.  At first the reviews seemed really great; a lot of people said it’s good for beginners and they’ll pair you with an appropriate horse.  But digging a little deeper, people mentioned that a lot of the ride is on public roads and maybe isn’t that great.  There’s also plenty of horseback riding options available closer to home.

 

What I think I want to do most is use the long port hours as a good opportunity to do a really good day hike.  The National Park Service has a ton of information on their website.

 

https://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/shorterdayhikes.htm
 

and

 

https://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/moderate-hikes.htm
 

We could still walk around the historic district early in the morning before going hiking.  Depending on when we finish, we could add some of the short & quick nature trails right in town.

 

I haven’t seen a coffee or tea or snack shop in Skagway that has caught my eye yet.  I don’t mind supporting small businesses if anyone has any ideas.

 

The other thing I haven’t seen info on yet is if Carnival will open the MDR breakfast early for the early ports.  Princess did this and it was nice to have the plated, composed breakfast most days.  Does anyone know?

[Saint Greg]

13 minutes ago, arctickitty said:

The other thing I haven’t seen info on yet is if Carnival will open the MDR breakfast early for the early ports.  Princess did this and it was nice to have the plated, composed breakfast most days.  Does anyone know?

It’s been pretty consistent at 7:30 on the ships I’ve been on. That’s Mardi Gras, Panorama, Vista, and Glory since the restart.

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by Saint Greg

[mom22frogs]

8 hours ago, arctickitty said:

Do you have frogs for pets?  Or are the frog human children or seals?

Human children. 😄 

Your plans sound lovely! You should be able to *move* your hair appointment if you get on the ship and realize it's the wrong day. That way you've locked in a better price. 

[mom22frogs]

8 hours ago, arctickitty said:

What I think I want to do most is use the long port hours as a good opportunity to do a really good day hike. 

Ok, fwiw this is my first time there. We did Alaska by RV 11 years ago and only now am I getting back on a cruise. 😄 But since you asked and since I've done some of the things you're saying you want to try (albeit in other places), I'll offer my two cents. 

 

One, riding a horse when you don't know what you're doing sucks. It's hard, bumpy, not that interesting. If you can do it inexpensively locally, it might be just as good. I just did it in Amber Cove with my ds (he's 13, he wanted to) and I did it on the coast in Oregon years ago. It's fine but it's just not worth blowing your wad.

 

Ziplines, I'm gonna throw you this link. http://southshorezipline.com/  This is not in Alaska, but you seem like a dreamer. 😄 If you *saved* all that money you'd spend doing 49 different ziplines in AK (all of which are kinda scenic but small), you could go on a cruise in the caribbean and zipline in Roatan or San Juan and blow your mind. 🙂 Think about it. 

 

You can see videos on youtube of people hiking to Upper Dewey Lake. It's the one you can do for free (saving money for that caribbean trip with your Special Someone) and it's on *my* hitlist. Me, I'm doing the Ocean Rafting ($$) and the Chilkoot Hike/Float (also $$). My ds wanted them so that's what we're doing. But me, I'd be just as happy with the Upper Dewey Lake hike for zero dollars and just a snagged lunch. 

 

Have you seen the tip about lunches? Someone mentioned this on another group. Take a little lunch bag with you and order your lunch via room service to be delivered before you depart. That's your free picnic lunch for your hike!!!

 

If you want an amazing splurge and like to hike, the Laughton Glacier hike would get you the train ride and just be amazing. The other middle of the road option would be a bus/rail, but that seems kinda passive for your tastes. If you have time, you could borrow your friend's vehicle again and drive up into the Yukon and do the sled dogs at Tutshi Sled Dogs. That too is on my hit list. 

If you do the Upper Dewey Lake hike, it seems like people are spending 4-6 hours generally (based on Tripadvisor and of course your level of athleticism and whether you walk around the lake, go up to the Punchbowl, etc.). You could eat after that and do a brothel tour (not me with a 13 yo, haha). There's this Thai restaurant that looks to be the most interesting food in town.

For your early morning walk, you could go out to Smuggler's Cove, etc. There's a loop over by the airport. But I would think you'd want to save your energy for Upper Dewey Lake if that's your plan. There's definitely a lot of great stuff to do in Skagway. 🙂

[mom22frogs]

Icy Strait Point has a ziprider that is worthy. 😄 You can see the videos on youtube. You might wait and see if they're offering it for less without the bus tour. They *just* completed the mountain top gondola, which means you should no longer need the bus tour. I would think that means you could buy the gondola to ziprider for less. We'll see. They aren't even selling the gondola passes through Carnival yet even though ISP is saying that's how they'll be sold. 

You want to walk there or watch whales or?? 

 

Ketchikan we're snorkeling. There's good hiking there btw and totem stuff. The snorkeling is the odd ball thing, in case you've never done it. 😄 

 

Juneau, you have friends to loan you a car? I would think the glacier is unmissable. You can do almost anything there in Juneau. The whale watching is supposed to be really good, and there's stuff not listed with Carnival like the gold mine tour. (Not the thing at the Creek but an actual mine you tour.) We're doing a paddle/trek to the glacier, but a shuttle to the nature center and hiking to Nugget Falls would be lovely. There is a really cool Gold Flume Creek that I'm lamenting we probably won't get to do. Cost would be a taxi or your hoof power. There's an eccentric pelmeni shop I'm hoping to hit https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g31020-d787469-Reviews-Pel_Meni_s-Juneau_Alaska.html There's a salmon stand with salmon burgers also on the walk back toward the ships. 

Edited March 30, 2022 by mom22frogs

[mom22frogs]

If you want splurges, there's this glacier view seaplane and dinner at Taku Lodge that I think sounds lovely. Also they say the Misty Fjords seaplane is peaceful. Might be old hat to you. 

 

https://www.oceanraftalaska.com/

[mom22frogs]

The gold mine tour. I was told it has changed owners but that they're planning to run tours. https://www.ajgastineauminetour.com/

[arctickitty]

On 3/29/2022 at 1:07 PM, Saint Greg said:

It’s been pretty consistent at 7:30 on the ships I’ve been on. That’s Mardi Gras, Panorama, Vista, and Glory since the restart.

 

thanks.  Looking through recent past fun times for different Carnival ships it seems that CCL doesn’t start breakfast options as early as I remember Princess doing, so I’m glad to know to adjust my expectations a bit.  I’m not opposed to a downtown walk first and then breakfast onboard before a longer day ashore in Skagway or Juneau where there’s such a long stop.

[arctickitty]

19 hours ago, mom22frogs said:

Ok, fwiw this is my first time there. We did Alaska by RV 11 years ago and only now am I getting back on a cruise. 😄 But since you asked and since I've done some of the things you're saying you want to try (albeit in other places), I'll offer my two cents. 

 

One, riding a horse when you don't know what you're doing sucks. It's hard, bumpy, not that interesting. If you can do it inexpensively locally, it might be just as good. I just did it in Amber Cove with my ds (he's 13, he wanted to) and I did it on the coast in Oregon years ago. It's fine but it's just not worth blowing your wad.

 

Ziplines, I'm gonna throw you this link. http://southshorezipline.com/  This is not in Alaska, but you seem like a dreamer. 😄 If you *saved* all that money you'd spend doing 49 different ziplines in AK (all of which are kinda scenic but small), you could go on a cruise in the caribbean and zipline in Roatan or San Juan and blow your mind. 🙂 Think about it. 

 

You can see videos on youtube of people hiking to Upper Dewey Lake. It's the one you can do for free (saving money for that caribbean trip with your Special Someone) and it's on *my* hitlist. Me, I'm doing the Ocean Rafting ($$) and the Chilkoot Hike/Float (also $$). My ds wanted them so that's what we're doing. But me, I'd be just as happy with the Upper Dewey Lake hike for zero dollars and just a snagged lunch. 

 

Have you seen the tip about lunches? Someone mentioned this on another group. Take a little lunch bag with you and order your lunch via room service to be delivered before you depart. That's your free picnic lunch for your hike!!!

 

If you want an amazing splurge and like to hike, the Laughton Glacier hike would get you the train ride and just be amazing. The other middle of the road option would be a bus/rail, but that seems kinda passive for your tastes. If you have time, you could borrow your friend's vehicle again and drive up into the Yukon and do the sled dogs at Tutshi Sled Dogs. That too is on my hit list. 

If you do the Upper Dewey Lake hike, it seems like people are spending 4-6 hours generally (based on Tripadvisor and of course your level of athleticism and whether you walk around the lake, go up to the Punchbowl, etc.). You could eat after that and do a brothel tour (not me with a 13 yo, haha). There's this Thai restaurant that looks to be the most interesting food in town.

For your early morning walk, you could go out to Smuggler's Cove, etc. There's a loop over by the airport. But I would think you'd want to save your energy for Upper Dewey Lake if that's your plan. There's definitely a lot of great stuff to do in Skagway. 🙂

 

 @mom22frogs thanks for hopping aboard!  Thanks for your perspective on horseback riding and zip lining in general.  The raft, hike, and float sounds like a lot of fun and a way to try a lot of different things.  I am definitely *that person* who goes on an Alaskan cruise and still plans to be frugal, because it’s my big, giant home, not a bucket list or once in a life time opportunity for me.  I love that you’ve shared your plans & ideas, too!  Others have said that it’s fascinating to see how much pepper can go on the same and have so many different experiences & I agree.

[arctickitty]

21 hours ago, mom22frogs said:

Icy Strait Point has a ziprider that is worthy. 😄 You can see the videos on youtube. You might wait and see if they're offering it for less without the bus tour. They *just* completed the mountain top gondola, which means you should no longer need the bus tour. I would think that means you could buy the gondola to ziprider for less. We'll see. They aren't even selling the gondola passes through Carnival yet even though ISP is saying that's how they'll be sold. 

You want to walk there or watch whales or?? 

 

Ketchikan we're snorkeling. There's good hiking there btw and totem stuff. The snorkeling is the odd ball thing, in case you've never done it. 😄 

 

Juneau, you have friends to loan you a car? I would think the glacier is unmissable. You can do almost anything there in Juneau. The whale watching is supposed to be really good, and there's stuff not listed with Carnival like the gold mine tour. (Not the thing at the Creek but an actual mine you tour.) We're doing a paddle/trek to the glacier, but a shuttle to the nature center and hiking to Nugget Falls would be lovely. There is a really cool Gold Flume Creek that I'm lamenting we probably won't get to do. Cost would be a taxi or your hoof power. There's an eccentric pelmeni shop I'm hoping to hit https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g31020-d787469-Reviews-Pel_Meni_s-Juneau_Alaska.html There's a salmon stand with salmon burgers also on the walk back toward the ships. 

I’ll post more about my other port ideas as I have time, but I appreciate your ideas an enthusiasm @mom22frogs !

 

I’ve definitely heard of the pelmeni place in Juneau and it’s had great press across the state.

 

Juneau will probably still be full of local politicians etc as our state legislature has trouble agreeing on how much money to give us citizens during their regular session so they’re expected to extend up for eh constitutional limit.

[kennystwin]

I did the Chilkoot trail hike and raft excursion a couple of years ago and had a great time. I've long been fascinated by the Gold Rush so retracing the steps of the original miners was something of a bucket list thing.(Read some Robert Service to set the mood!) I don't see it on my Carnival excursions - I bought it directly from the operator when I went. Besides a great time, we had a double bonus: a rock slide had cancelled the White Pass railroad for the day so thousands of people (4 ships in town that day) were stuck in town that day - a real zoo. Our van of 11 got to get out of town and enjoy the solace of Alaska.

[mom22frogs]

22 hours ago, kennystwin said:

(Read some Robert Service to set the mood!)

Thank you, that looks perfect!