Our 2024 Alaska Adventure--including planning!

[Suzanne123]

Just read the whole thread and thought I might throw in a couple ideas for those of you who will have a car and are planning to tour the Kenai Peninsula prior to your cruise. Next May will be my 22nd cruise to Alaska, and I am just as excited as the first time.

 

Check Costco Travel for rental cars.  No credit card needed to reserve and includes a second driver for free. 

They don’t usually open reservations until January or so, but you can stay at the Kenai Princess Lodge in Cooper Landing even if you aren’t doing the land tour with them.  They have availability on the days that cruise tours do not stay there.

https://www.princesslodges.com/princess-alaska-lodges/kenai-lodge/?utm_source=gbp&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=local-pack&utm_term=princess-kenai

if you have time, stop at the Mt. Alyeska Lodge on the way from Anchorage to Seward in Girdwood.  The tram is great, and you can spend the day hiking one of the trails behind the lodge. There are also several restaurants in the lodge and at the top of the tram.

https://www.alyeskaresort.com/alyeska-aerial-tram/

If you are lucky enough to be in Girdwood at breakfast, for sure stop at the Bake Shop for those cinnamon buns.

https://www.thebakeshop.com

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is right down the road.

https://alaskawildlife.org

If you are sailing out of Whittier, check out the 26 Glacier Cruise.  Absolutely no sea sickness and you see a lot of otters, sea lions, and kittiwakes along with the 26 glaciers. It’s a beautiful trip.

https://phillipscruises.com

if you have some extra time, Homer seems to always have better weather than Seward, and their kayak trips are really fun.

https://homerkayaking.com

Someone asked about seasickness and the Kenai Fjords tour.  Just an FYI, if they tell you at check-in that they are offering a refund if you don’t want to go out that day, take the refund. 😊 Go out with the Exit Glacier Guides instead.

https://www.exitglacierguides.com

I sailed with Princess, Holland America and Celebrity.  They were all wonderful.

You’re going to have a great time.

[no1racefan1]

15 hours ago, Suzanne123 said:

 

Someone asked about seasickness and the Kenai Fjords tour.  Just an FYI, if they tell you at check-in that they are offering a refund if you don’t want to go out that day, take the refund. 😊 Go out with the Exit Glacier Guides instead.

 

Ooooh, this is solid advice, thank you!

 

PSA, if anybody uses the ibotta app, right now they have some cruise favorites on there such as Bonine, Tide pens, and Downy wrinkle release!

[shebas]

I’m enjoying this thread of such organized travellers! We’re considering Alaska in 2024 for a second time. I’m starting to take notes from this thread for sure! 

When we travel, we check Costco for their discount deals on both cruises and car rentals. Always get excellent prices especially on car rentals. Also, if you pay to be a Costco premium member, you get cash back for travel you book with them. 
As well, we’ve used Cruise Compete.  You state the cruise you want, and larger travel agencies offer their best prices and perks. We’ve saved hundreds of dollars that way. 

[no1racefan1]

I booked a Resurrection Bay kayaking tour with Adventure60North https://adventure60.com/ for our last morning in Seward; their 2024 prices are slightly higher than 2023 prices. That's something I've noticed a couple of times, so make sure to factor that in to your budgets!

 

[cmmaxwell03]

We arrived back home last night from our 10 day AK cruise through Viking.  I will not review the cruise line here but I do have some other random stuff to share that might help with your planning 🙂

 

@no1racefan1 SO SORRY I could not manage to do a 'live' report.  I really wanted to but the wifi was terrible.  We had several days without any decent connection.  I was able to post some quick updates/pics to Instagram while we were in port and not on an excursion.  If you are interested in seeing those, my name/handle is life_the_cmax_way  

 

Our flight from Seattle to Anchorage was uneventful.  If you fly during daylight hours, the scenery is beautiful when not in the clouds.   So many amazing mountains!

 

Anchorage airport is lovely.  Dare I say, I wish we had walked around it longer than we did but I was ready to get the vacay started, haha.  We decided to take a taxi from the airport so that we did not need to figure out where the uber stand was located.

 

We stayed at the downtown Marriott.  I thought Anchorage would look like a major city with lots of high rise builds, but that's not the case.  The blocks are smaller than you would expect.  Most buildings are only a few floors high.  And taller builders seem to be limited.  The hotel was very nice.  I booked using points, so our room selection was limited.  We were surprised to have a view of the bay once we arrived in our room.  It was very nice to look out over a portion of the city and see the water.

 

From our hotel, everything we wanted to do was within walking distance.  We walked to the train station so that we could determine if we could do it with our luggage or if we should take a taxi.  Then we stopped into 49th State Brewing for a snack and beverage.  We split their soft pretzel (it was massive) and each had a beer sampler.  It was before dinner so there were a few tables available, but WOW, that place filled up quickly during the 1-2 hrs we were there.  We went back to the hotel for a little bit and then headed to dinner at Glacier Brewhouse.  We had reservations for 7pm and were seated quickly.  The menu is large enough that you can choose between seafood/no seafood, budget friendly/splurge.  We found the restaurant to be extremely warm.  I had on a long sleeve shirt and instantly regretted it.  The place was also packed to the gills.  It felt as though there were 50-75 tables and each were full.  While the food was tasty, I wished we had skipped it.  Or had a mid day snack there and went to 49th for dinner.

 

For our full day in Anchorage, I planned breakfast at the Snow City Cafe and a Helicopter tour that took us to a dog sled camp.  We arrived at the cafe around 8am and had a short wait.  We were a little surprised by the prices but the portions were pretty large.  I ordered the Kodiak Benedict (eggs beny w/ a crap cake) and DH got the french toast.  We shared both and had almost a 2 pieces of french toast leftover.  Both items were very tasty.  

 

After breakfast we were contacted by our tour company, Alaska Helicopter tours.  We found out the tour had been canceled due to the weather at the camp being fairly poor.  Too much mud for the dogs and tourists.  I was bummed but they offered us a tour that went to the Knik Glacier and had a glacier landing.  It was a little cheaper than our original trip so we went ahead and did it (plus we didn't have any other plans for the rest of the day).  I should have held onto my socks because they blew them off!!  I HIGHLY recommend this company!!!!!!!!  They picked us up at our hotel and shuttled us to a resort in Palmer where their helicopters are stationed.  They were friendly and professional.  The lodge was clean and inviting.  We have never been in a helicopter so this we exciting (and really freaking scary!).  We had a safety briefing and then were escorted to our helicopter where we met our pilot, Shad. With a name like that you knew he was either young and beautiful or a fish...I'll let you choose, haha.  There were 7 of us in the helicopter; two other couples and the pilot.  It was a tight fit but everyone had a great view.  During the flight, Shad spotted a bear and flew really close (a safe distance, haha).  The bear took one look at us and said, NOPE!  Then ran away.  I think the flight out was 20-30 minutes long.  Very scenic around the green portions of the mountains.  Then we started flying over the glacier.  It was amazing.  I did not think flying over/to the glacier would interest me but I was so wrong.  It scary, beautiful, breathtaking...all the words!  Then the pilot chose a place and landed on the glacier.  We walked around for about 20-30 minutes while he snapped photos of the group.  We each had water bottles and were encouraged to taste the glacier water.  It was nice and cold.  For our flight back, I felt like we were in Top Gun.  We flew through a ravine (I think that's what it is called) and went along with the curves of the landscape.  If you cannot tell....this was awesome!  We landed safely back at the lodge and were shuttled back to the hotel.

 

We had 7pm dinner reservations at the Crow's Next.  This is a fancy place on top of the Captain Cook hotel.  Everything we delicious and properly cooked.  Nice sized portions. No complaints.  We would absolutely eat here again.  The rest of our evening was uneventful.  We packed up, watched some Friends on tv and fell asleep.

 

The following information only applies to those that book directly with the train line and NOT through your cruise line.  Anchorage to Seward via the Alaska Railroad (ARR):  We booked our train tickets directly with ARR 8 months before the trip.  We opted for the Goldstar class (includes breakfast and seats you on the top leave w/ the glass dome).  We decided to take a taxi from the hotel due to our luggage.  It would have been a lot to carry the 0.7 miles.  The taxi cost around $5.  When we arrived at the train station, there was a large white tent to the side.  This is where you drop off luggage other than your carry on bags.  ONLY THEN should you proceed inside to get your boarding pass.  We saw many people wait in line only to find out they could not get a ticket until they had dropped their bags outside. The train station isn't very big but people kept cramming in there.  We felt a bit like sardines and once we had our ticket and some coffee, we opted to wait out front away from the crowds.  Our 'checked' bags were trucked to Seward and we did not see them again until onboard the cruise.  We had Air Tags in them and checked many times.  They were definitely not on the train and went via the Seward high way.  

 

Boarding started around 615am and we were seated by 620am.  The ride was nice and the weather cooperated.  I enjoyed the glass dome but tbh, if it wasn't in our budget, I think the regular seats in Adventure Class would have been fine.  I rarely found myself looking up through the glass.  Instead most things were out the side of the train car.  We treated this as our first excursion of the trip.  We befriended 2 couples there were sailing on a Celebrity cruise out of Seward the next day.  The ride from Anchorage to Seward is about 4.5 hrs long.  We arrived around 1115am and took the short walk from the train to the cruise port.  BTW, the signage can be confusing.  One sign says "cruise port this way" and then there was a sign stating "no pedestrian traffic".  That sign is specifically talking about an business with a very active parking lot/drive way.  Once we left the station, we walked to the road and took a left.  Follow that for just under 0.5 miles and then you turn right toward the ships.  It was an easy walk since our weather was good.  Some ships had shuttles that picked you up at the port but ours did not.

 

Embarkation in Seward was SO easy!!  It is a large tan metal building.  There are restrooms, vending machines and the processing places for the cruise.  Since we arrived fairly early, there were only a few couples ahead of us in line.  I estimate that from the time we walked into this build until we placed foot on the ship, it was 15-20 minutes.  We had read on another post that you should use the restroom here because when you board they will take you to a safety briefing right away and it could be up to 30 mins before you have a chance to excuse yourself.  They were right!  I might have had champagne in my hand but it was a good 20 minutes before we were left to wonder on our own.  

 

Excursions:

 

Resurrection Bay Wildlife Tour by Major Marine (Seward)

Purchased through our cruise line

5 hour duration

It was a lovely catamaran tour for about 160ish people. The boat was clean, had restrooms and a snack bar.  Sandwiches, chips, a granola bar and non-alcoholic beverage were included.  There were 3 levels of seating (2 inside, 1 outside).  Please note this is labeled as a "wildlife" tour and not a whale watching tour.  We saw seals, otters, puffins and a bunch of other birds.  They cruise around Resurrection Bay at a very slow pace.  For the first 3.5 hours, I admit, I was a little bored.  With so many people on the tour, we fought for window space unless you wanted to go up top and hang out in the wind and rain (which we eventually did and enjoyed it).  We were on the last 1.5 hours of our trip and all the sudden the captain turned the boat away from our normal path and sped up quite a bit.  He did mention briefly that we were deviating from our normal path but did not state a reason.  We thought it was due to the rough-ish seas.  However, we were wrong.  We pulled up near several other tour boats and he explained there were Orcas in the area.  For at least an hour, we floated along and watched the Orcas swim through the water.  No joke...there had to be 20-30 of them and they were on all side of the boat.  At one point, we stood in amazement as 3 breached one after another.  Even the crew on the ship were in awe.  I felt as though all passenger gasp and then cheered.  The whales must have known we were at the end of the tour because the either swam away or were less active.  At that point, we sailed back to Seward to take the short 5 minute shuttle bus ride back to the cruise port.  I do wonder, if we had cruised earlier in the year, would we have seen more whales....I'll never know 🙂

 

Valdez On Our Own (Valdez)

"Tour" booked through the cruise line

We were really excited to visit Valdez due to some friends that had lived there while being in the Coast Guard.  Our cruise line offered a free shuttle to some of the locations in town.  If you wanted to skip the shuttle you can also walk from the port into town.  It's small and easily walkable.  We walked for about 1.5 hours and then headed to Valdez Brewing Company.  We love to support local breweries when we have the chance.  DH tried a unique beer that was a Strawberry Milkshake IPA.  I know...I was shaking my head too and thinking how gross it could be.  BUT....it was tasty!  It looked like a regular beer but had flavors of a creamy strawberry shake.  I don't know what kind of magic they are preforming in the back but I'm sold!  Next was a food stop we were so excited to try: The Nat Shack.  After the short walk from the brewery to the food truck, we were shocked to find it was not open.  I looked on their website and it did not suggest they would be closed.  DH pulled up their FB page and it said they closed on 9/5...we were there on 9/9.  Booo!!!  I get it, I get it...but I was still bummed.  We didn't want to wait for the shuttle so we walked back to the port and ended up at the ship's buffet for lunch.

 

Taku Lodge Feast & 5 Glacier Seaplane Discovery (Juneau)

Booked on our own through Wings Airways

3ish hours

The building for Wings Airways is located right on the pier.  It was a quick 5 minute walk from the ship.  We checked in, were given a ticket and waited about 10 minutes before boarding our seaplane.  Each plane holds 10 passengers and the pilot.  Before board, the pilot asks for 2 volunteers that would like to sit up front with him (1 each way).  We flew over the cruise port and several glaciers before landing at the lodge.  The lodge is adorable!!  The staff members live on the remote island for 5-7 months out of the year.  They make most food items from scratch daily.  We were served fresh salmon cooked over an alderwood fire, beans, slaw, biscuits, bread, cookies.  Tea, coffee, water, lemonade were however a can of beer was $8 and a glass of wine was $14 (yikes!!  $$$).  We had time on our own before and after the meal to walk around the property.  We found a waterfall and fresh berries (blueberries and highbush cranberries).  Once our time at the lodge was up, we boarded the seaplane again and had a 15 minute return flight to the port.  It was a fun trip!  

 

RIB/Zodiac Excursion & Fin Island Lodge (Sitka)

Booked through the cruise line

Unfortunately, we had heavy rain and gusty winds.  The tour canceled and we were refunded within a day or two.  Btw, at this point we were on day 8 of the cruise and I was feeling exhausted.  So we stayed onboard and napped most of the day.  It was lovely, haha.

 

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour (Ketchikan)

Booked through the cruise line due to short time in port but you can purchase tickets online

3.5 hours

I have to admit that I nerded out a little bit.  I'm a big fan of the show, The Deadliest Catch, so this was a tour I was really excited to attend.  The weather was not great but didn't stop the tour (YAY!!).  I thought it was more authentic due to the wind and rain.  We ended up on the top deck which is not sheltered well from the wind and rain but we were prepared in rain suits and water proof shoes.  The fishermen on this tour are experienced and knowledgable.  They do not take you out into the rough ocean seas that the show on the TV show.  However, we did have some waves due to wind but nothing dangerous.  I think I smiled the whole time.  We were shown live crabs, an large octopus, star fish, shrimp, sea urchins, an eagle, and at the end during one of the stories being told, some yelled out "WHALE!!".  There was a single large humpback whale off the starboard side of the boat.  It dove down after showing us a little tail and just when we thought it was gone, it came up and did a quick bubble feeding!!  Woot!!  Quick trip back to the port where the captain impressed us with his navigating skills.  Their berth is behind a cruise ship so the sailed their boat between 2 cruise ships very carefully and then parked in the busy harbor.  Well done!!

 

Overall/General notes:

• Waiters on our cruise mentioned that this specific sailing had more rain and rough seas that any other they had this season in AK.  If I went again, I might select an earlier trip however, our anniversary was during this trip and that's why we selected the dates.
• We did not go overboard with our spending when it came to wet weather gear.  We purchased water PROOF jackets and pants from REI.  They were store brand and worked just as well as the fancy name brand items.  We both needed to replace our hiking shoes so we kept an eye out at REI for sales on waterproof hiking shoes.  We found some about a month before our trip and wore them inside the house to break them in.  On a whim, 2 weeks before leaving we were back at REI for something random and found a better brand marked down much less than our original purchase.  REI has an amazing return policy.  We were gentle on the original pairs and had not worn them outside so they were like new when returned.
• Ensure you have water PROOF and not water RESISTANT.  We had rain almost everyday of the cruise.  Sometimes it was a light rain that didn't really affect you and other days it was heavy.  We saw many people that either didn't pack rain gear or purchase water resistant...they were soaked.  The resistant gear will protect you for a while from a light rain and then it will start to absorb the water.
• Footwear...dude, I get it.  People love Crocs, sandals, etc but you should still pack for bad weather just in case.  The rain was cold and with the added wind....I'm willing to be some people were miserable with their wet socks/feet.
• Dress in layers.  I knew this was important but didn't think I needed to do it everywhere.  Our first dinner in Anchorage I was so warm in the restaurant and didn't have on anything appropriate under my long sleeve shirt.  During our Bering Sea Fisherman's tour, I wish I had brought an extra sweatshirt since we were up top and exposed to some weather.

 

Whew...that was a LOT.  I'm sure there is more I could share but I'm not sure where to start.  LMK if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer.  I hope we can travel to Alaska again.  There are still so many things we want see or experience there. 

 

[no1racefan1]

34 minutes ago, cmmaxwell03 said:

We arrived back home last night from our 10 day AK cruise through Viking.  I will not review the cruise line here but I do have some other random stuff to share that might help with your planning 🙂

 

@no1racefan1 SO SORRY I could not manage to do a 'live' report.  I really wanted to but the wifi was terrible.  We had several days without any decent connection.  I was able to post some quick updates/pics to Instagram while we were in port and not on an excursion.  If you are interested in seeing those, my name/handle is life_the_cmax_way  

 

Our flight from Seattle to Anchorage was uneventful.  If you fly during daylight hours, the scenery is beautiful when not in the clouds.   So many amazing mountains!

 

Anchorage airport is lovely.  Dare I say, I wish we had walked around it longer than we did but I was ready to get the vacay started, haha.  We decided to take a taxi from the airport so that we did not need to figure out where the uber stand was located.

 

We stayed at the downtown Marriott.  I thought Anchorage would look like a major city with lots of high rise builds, but that's not the case.  The blocks are smaller than you would expect.  Most buildings are only a few floors high.  And taller builders seem to be limited.  The hotel was very nice.  I booked using points, so our room selection was limited.  We were surprised to have a view of the bay once we arrived in our room.  It was very nice to look out over a portion of the city and see the water.

 

From our hotel, everything we wanted to do was within walking distance.  We walked to the train station so that we could determine if we could do it with our luggage or if we should take a taxi.  Then we stopped into 49th State Brewing for a snack and beverage.  We split their soft pretzel (it was massive) and each had a beer sampler.  It was before dinner so there were a few tables available, but WOW, that place filled up quickly during the 1-2 hrs we were there.  We went back to the hotel for a little bit and then headed to dinner at Glacier Brewhouse.  We had reservations for 7pm and were seated quickly.  The menu is large enough that you can choose between seafood/no seafood, budget friendly/splurge.  We found the restaurant to be extremely warm.  I had on a long sleeve shirt and instantly regretted it.  The place was also packed to the gills.  It felt as though there were 50-75 tables and each were full.  While the food was tasty, I wished we had skipped it.  Or had a mid day snack there and went to 49th for dinner.

 

For our full day in Anchorage, I planned breakfast at the Snow City Cafe and a Helicopter tour that took us to a dog sled camp.  We arrived at the cafe around 8am and had a short wait.  We were a little surprised by the prices but the portions were pretty large.  I ordered the Kodiak Benedict (eggs beny w/ a crap cake) and DH got the french toast.  We shared both and had almost a 2 pieces of french toast leftover.  Both items were very tasty.  

 

After breakfast we were contacted by our tour company, Alaska Helicopter tours.  We found out the tour had been canceled due to the weather at the camp being fairly poor.  Too much mud for the dogs and tourists.  I was bummed but they offered us a tour that went to the Knik Glacier and had a glacier landing.  It was a little cheaper than our original trip so we went ahead and did it (plus we didn't have any other plans for the rest of the day).  I should have held onto my socks because they blew them off!!  I HIGHLY recommend this company!!!!!!!!  They picked us up at our hotel and shuttled us to a resort in Palmer where their helicopters are stationed.  They were friendly and professional.  The lodge was clean and inviting.  We have never been in a helicopter so this we exciting (and really freaking scary!).  We had a safety briefing and then were escorted to our helicopter where we met our pilot, Shad. With a name like that you knew he was either young and beautiful or a fish...I'll let you choose, haha.  There were 7 of us in the helicopter; two other couples and the pilot.  It was a tight fit but everyone had a great view.  During the flight, Shad spotted a bear and flew really close (a safe distance, haha).  The bear took one look at us and said, NOPE!  Then ran away.  I think the flight out was 20-30 minutes long.  Very scenic around the green portions of the mountains.  Then we started flying over the glacier.  It was amazing.  I did not think flying over/to the glacier would interest me but I was so wrong.  It scary, beautiful, breathtaking...all the words!  Then the pilot chose a place and landed on the glacier.  We walked around for about 20-30 minutes while he snapped photos of the group.  We each had water bottles and were encouraged to taste the glacier water.  It was nice and cold.  For our flight back, I felt like we were in Top Gun.  We flew through a ravine (I think that's what it is called) and went along with the curves of the landscape.  If you cannot tell....this was awesome!  We landed safely back at the lodge and were shuttled back to the hotel.

 

We had 7pm dinner reservations at the Crow's Next.  This is a fancy place on top of the Captain Cook hotel.  Everything we delicious and properly cooked.  Nice sized portions. No complaints.  We would absolutely eat here again.  The rest of our evening was uneventful.  We packed up, watched some Friends on tv and fell asleep.

 

The following information only applies to those that book directly with the train line and NOT through your cruise line.  Anchorage to Seward via the Alaska Railroad (ARR):  We booked our train tickets directly with ARR 8 months before the trip.  We opted for the Goldstar class (includes breakfast and seats you on the top leave w/ the glass dome).  We decided to take a taxi from the hotel due to our luggage.  It would have been a lot to carry the 0.7 miles.  The taxi cost around $5.  When we arrived at the train station, there was a large white tent to the side.  This is where you drop off luggage other than your carry on bags.  ONLY THEN should you proceed inside to get your boarding pass.  We saw many people wait in line only to find out they could not get a ticket until they had dropped their bags outside. The train station isn't very big but people kept cramming in there.  We felt a bit like sardines and once we had our ticket and some coffee, we opted to wait out front away from the crowds.  Our 'checked' bags were trucked to Seward and we did not see them again until onboard the cruise.  We had Air Tags in them and checked many times.  They were definitely not on the train and went via the Seward high way.  

 

Boarding started around 615am and we were seated by 620am.  The ride was nice and the weather cooperated.  I enjoyed the glass dome but tbh, if it wasn't in our budget, I think the regular seats in Adventure Class would have been fine.  I rarely found myself looking up through the glass.  Instead most things were out the side of the train car.  We treated this as our first excursion of the trip.  We befriended 2 couples there were sailing on a Celebrity cruise out of Seward the next day.  The ride from Anchorage to Seward is about 4.5 hrs long.  We arrived around 1115am and took the short walk from the train to the cruise port.  BTW, the signage can be confusing.  One sign says "cruise port this way" and then there was a sign stating "no pedestrian traffic".  That sign is specifically talking about an business with a very active parking lot/drive way.  Once we left the station, we walked to the road and took a left.  Follow that for just under 0.5 miles and then you turn right toward the ships.  It was an easy walk since our weather was good.  Some ships had shuttles that picked you up at the port but ours did not.

 

Embarkation in Seward was SO easy!!  It is a large tan metal building.  There are restrooms, vending machines and the processing places for the cruise.  Since we arrived fairly early, there were only a few couples ahead of us in line.  I estimate that from the time we walked into this build until we placed foot on the ship, it was 15-20 minutes.  We had read on another post that you should use the restroom here because when you board they will take you to a safety briefing right away and it could be up to 30 mins before you have a chance to excuse yourself.  They were right!  I might have had champagne in my hand but it was a good 20 minutes before we were left to wonder on our own.  

 

Excursions:

 

Resurrection Bay Wildlife Tour by Major Marine (Seward)

Purchased through our cruise line

5 hour duration

It was a lovely catamaran tour for about 160ish people. The boat was clean, had restrooms and a snack bar.  Sandwiches, chips, a granola bar and non-alcoholic beverage were included.  There were 3 levels of seating (2 inside, 1 outside).  Please note this is labeled as a "wildlife" tour and not a whale watching tour.  We saw seals, otters, puffins and a bunch of other birds.  They cruise around Resurrection Bay at a very slow pace.  For the first 3.5 hours, I admit, I was a little bored.  With so many people on the tour, we fought for window space unless you wanted to go up top and hang out in the wind and rain (which we eventually did and enjoyed it).  We were on the last 1.5 hours of our trip and all the sudden the captain turned the boat away from our normal path and sped up quite a bit.  He did mention briefly that we were deviating from our normal path but did not state a reason.  We thought it was due to the rough-ish seas.  However, we were wrong.  We pulled up near several other tour boats and he explained there were Orcas in the area.  For at least an hour, we floated along and watched the Orcas swim through the water.  No joke...there had to be 20-30 of them and they were on all side of the boat.  At one point, we stood in amazement as 3 breached one after another.  Even the crew on the ship were in awe.  I felt as though all passenger gasp and then cheered.  The whales must have known we were at the end of the tour because the either swam away or were less active.  At that point, we sailed back to Seward to take the short 5 minute shuttle bus ride back to the cruise port.  I do wonder, if we had cruised earlier in the year, would we have seen more whales....I'll never know 🙂

 

Valdez On Our Own (Valdez)

"Tour" booked through the cruise line

We were really excited to visit Valdez due to some friends that had lived there while being in the Coast Guard.  Our cruise line offered a free shuttle to some of the locations in town.  If you wanted to skip the shuttle you can also walk from the port into town.  It's small and easily walkable.  We walked for about 1.5 hours and then headed to Valdez Brewing Company.  We love to support local breweries when we have the chance.  DH tried a unique beer that was a Strawberry Milkshake IPA.  I know...I was shaking my head too and thinking how gross it could be.  BUT....it was tasty!  It looked like a regular beer but had flavors of a creamy strawberry shake.  I don't know what kind of magic they are preforming in the back but I'm sold!  Next was a food stop we were so excited to try: The Nat Shack.  After the short walk from the brewery to the food truck, we were shocked to find it was not open.  I looked on their website and it did not suggest they would be closed.  DH pulled up their FB page and it said they closed on 9/5...we were there on 9/9.  Booo!!!  I get it, I get it...but I was still bummed.  We didn't want to wait for the shuttle so we walked back to the port and ended up at the ship's buffet for lunch.

 

Taku Lodge Feast & 5 Glacier Seaplane Discovery (Juneau)

Booked on our own through Wings Airways

3ish hours

The building for Wings Airways is located right on the pier.  It was a quick 5 minute walk from the ship.  We checked in, were given a ticket and waited about 10 minutes before boarding our seaplane.  Each plane holds 10 passengers and the pilot.  Before board, the pilot asks for 2 volunteers that would like to sit up front with him (1 each way).  We flew over the cruise port and several glaciers before landing at the lodge.  The lodge is adorable!!  The staff members live on the remote island for 5-7 months out of the year.  They make most food items from scratch daily.  We were served fresh salmon cooked over an alderwood fire, beans, slaw, biscuits, bread, cookies.  Tea, coffee, water, lemonade were however a can of beer was $8 and a glass of wine was $14 (yikes!!  $$$).  We had time on our own before and after the meal to walk around the property.  We found a waterfall and fresh berries (blueberries and highbush cranberries).  Once our time at the lodge was up, we boarded the seaplane again and had a 15 minute return flight to the port.  It was a fun trip!  

 

RIB/Zodiac Excursion & Fin Island Lodge (Sitka)

Booked through the cruise line

Unfortunately, we had heavy rain and gusty winds.  The tour canceled and we were refunded within a day or two.  Btw, at this point we were on day 8 of the cruise and I was feeling exhausted.  So we stayed onboard and napped most of the day.  It was lovely, haha.

 

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour (Ketchikan)

Booked through the cruise line due to short time in port but you can purchase tickets online

3.5 hours

I have to admit that I nerded out a little bit.  I'm a big fan of the show, The Deadliest Catch, so this was a tour I was really excited to attend.  The weather was not great but didn't stop the tour (YAY!!).  I thought it was more authentic due to the wind and rain.  We ended up on the top deck which is not sheltered well from the wind and rain but we were prepared in rain suits and water proof shoes.  The fishermen on this tour are experienced and knowledgable.  They do not take you out into the rough ocean seas that the show on the TV show.  However, we did have some waves due to wind but nothing dangerous.  I think I smiled the whole time.  We were shown live crabs, an large octopus, star fish, shrimp, sea urchins, an eagle, and at the end during one of the stories being told, some yelled out "WHALE!!".  There was a single large humpback whale off the starboard side of the boat.  It dove down after showing us a little tail and just when we thought it was gone, it came up and did a quick bubble feeding!!  Woot!!  Quick trip back to the port where the captain impressed us with his navigating skills.  Their berth is behind a cruise ship so the sailed their boat between 2 cruise ships very carefully and then parked in the busy harbor.  Well done!!

 

Overall/General notes:

• Waiters on our cruise mentioned that this specific sailing had more rain and rough seas that any other they had this season in AK.  If I went again, I might select an earlier trip however, our anniversary was during this trip and that's why we selected the dates.
• We did not go overboard with our spending when it came to wet weather gear.  We purchased water PROOF jackets and pants from REI.  They were store brand and worked just as well as the fancy name brand items.  We both needed to replace our hiking shoes so we kept an eye out at REI for sales on waterproof hiking shoes.  We found some about a month before our trip and wore them inside the house to break them in.  On a whim, 2 weeks before leaving we were back at REI for something random and found a better brand marked down much less than our original purchase.  REI has an amazing return policy.  We were gentle on the original pairs and had not worn them outside so they were like new when returned.
• Ensure you have water PROOF and not water RESISTANT.  We had rain almost everyday of the cruise.  Sometimes it was a light rain that didn't really affect you and other days it was heavy.  We saw many people that either didn't pack rain gear or purchase water resistant...they were soaked.  The resistant gear will protect you for a while from a light rain and then it will start to absorb the water.
• Footwear...dude, I get it.  People love Crocs, sandals, etc but you should still pack for bad weather just in case.  The rain was cold and with the added wind....I'm willing to be some people were miserable with their wet socks/feet.
• Dress in layers.  I knew this was important but didn't think I needed to do it everywhere.  Our first dinner in Anchorage I was so warm in the restaurant and didn't have on anything appropriate under my long sleeve shirt.  During our Bering Sea Fisherman's tour, I wish I had brought an extra sweatshirt since we were up top and exposed to some weather.

 

Whew...that was a LOT.  I'm sure there is more I could share but I'm not sure where to start.  LMK if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer.  I hope we can travel to Alaska again.  There are still so many things we want see or experience there. 

 

oh.my.goodness!! I am so glad you had an amazing time, thank you for sharing! I may or may not have stalked your profile the last couple of weeks to see if you were posting in Viking, haha....

 

I really appreciate the detail, especially the information about the restaurants! Also this confirms you were able to check your bags on the railroad directly to the cruise ship even though you didn't book through the cruiseline. Awesomeness!!

Edited September 18, 2023 by no1racefan1
spelling

[GTJ]

8 hours ago, cmmaxwell03 said:

When we arrived at the train station, there was a large white tent to the side.  This is where you drop off luggage other than your carry on bags. ONLY THEN should you proceed inside to get your boarding pass. We saw many people wait in line only to find out they could not get a ticket until they had dropped their bags outside.

It may be that the Alaska Railroad does it this way, but it is backwards. If a person wants to buy a ticket, to first check baggage, before going inside the station to ascertain if there are any remaining tickets to purchase, means that--if there are no remaining tickets for sale--the person then has to return outside to reclaim baggage for the aborted trip.

 

8 hours ago, cmmaxwell03 said:

I enjoyed the [GoldStar service] glass dome but tbh, if it wasn't in our budget, I think the regular seats in Adventure Class would have been fine. I rarely found myself looking up through the glass.  Instead most things were out the side of the train car.

Yup. The Alaska Railroad marketing department does a good job promoting that aspect more so than actuality. And that non-view means no overhead baggage racks. The only time when that view is really worthwhile is on clear nights, when there can be a marvelous star show. But the Alaska Railroad has no overnight trains. The better view, in my opinion, is from the Vista-Dome car, available to all coach (Adventure) class passengers. Did you get a chance to ride this car? It is as if you're in a bubble, and the view not only to the side but forward and back as well. The only true benefits of GoldStar service are the open observation deck (though a very close substitute is riding the dutch door in coach (Adventure) class) and the "free" meal included. I don't think that GoldStar service is worthwhile.

[cmmaxwell03]

36 minutes ago, GTJ said:

It may be that the Alaska Railroad does it this way, but it is backwards. If a person wants to buy a ticket, to first check baggage, before going inside the station to ascertain if there are any remaining tickets to purchase, means that--if there are no remaining tickets for sale--the person then has to return outside to reclaim baggage for the aborted trip.

 

Yup. The Alaska Railroad marketing department does a good job promoting that aspect more so than actuality. And that non-view means no overhead baggage racks. The only time when that view is really worthwhile is on clear nights, when there can be a marvelous star show. But the Alaska Railroad has no overnight trains. The better view, in my opinion, is from the Vista-Dome car, available to all coach (Adventure) class passengers. Did you get a chance to ride this car? It is as if you're in a bubble, and the view not only to the side but forward and back as well. The only true benefits of GoldStar service are the open observation deck (though a very close substitute is riding the dutch door in coach (Adventure) class) and the "free" meal included. I don't think that GoldStar service is worthwhile.

I agree with everything you said.  Good point that people with their luggage, that do not have a ticket, should go inside first 🙂 I had not thought about that (obviously!).  The "included" breakfast is so-so.  It filled our bellies but didn't leave us wanting more.  Although, I have to say it was a nice to try reindeer sausage.

 

[Coral]

Thanks for the review! Next time sail in May (least amount of rain historically) with Sept and Oct having the most during tourist season.

[no1racefan1]

Information for those of us planning to travel to Whittier by train in May. I had reached out because the Glacier Discovery train is not available to book online yet. This makes it sound like you will only be able to book round trip, but I did clarify that one way bookings will be available.

 

Thank you for your interest in traveling with the Alaska Railroad!

 

We are currently having issues with our system and being able to book for our 2024 summer season, we are hoping to have this resolved within the next few weeks but there is no set date at this time.

 

As for the Glacier Discovery, we are scheduled to have it operate roundtrip only from Anchorage to Whitter on May 11^th, 15^th, 18^th, and 19^th. From May 25^th to 31^st we will have roundtrip service from Anchorage to Whittier and Spencer. Starting June 1^st we will have our full service.

Please let us know if there are any further questions!

[torybruno]

On 9/18/2023 at 3:15 PM, cmmaxwell03 said:

We arrived back home last night from our 10 day AK cruise through Viking.  I will not review the cruise line here but I do have some other random stuff to share that might help with your planning 🙂

 

@no1racefan1 SO SORRY I could not manage to do a 'live' report.  I really wanted to but the wifi was terrible.  We had several days without any decent connection.  I was able to post some quick updates/pics to Instagram while we were in port and not on an excursion.  If you are interested in seeing those, my name/handle is life_the_cmax_way  

 

Our flight from Seattle to Anchorage was uneventful.  If you fly during daylight hours, the scenery is beautiful when not in the clouds.   So many amazing mountains!

 

Anchorage airport is lovely.  Dare I say, I wish we had walked around it longer than we did but I was ready to get the vacay started, haha.  We decided to take a taxi from the airport so that we did not need to figure out where the uber stand was located.

 

We stayed at the downtown Marriott.  I thought Anchorage would look like a major city with lots of high rise builds, but that's not the case.  The blocks are smaller than you would expect.  Most buildings are only a few floors high.  And taller builders seem to be limited.  The hotel was very nice.  I booked using points, so our room selection was limited.  We were surprised to have a view of the bay once we arrived in our room.  It was very nice to look out over a portion of the city and see the water.

 

From our hotel, everything we wanted to do was within walking distance.  We walked to the train station so that we could determine if we could do it with our luggage or if we should take a taxi.  Then we stopped into 49th State Brewing for a snack and beverage.  We split their soft pretzel (it was massive) and each had a beer sampler.  It was before dinner so there were a few tables available, but WOW, that place filled up quickly during the 1-2 hrs we were there.  We went back to the hotel for a little bit and then headed to dinner at Glacier Brewhouse.  We had reservations for 7pm and were seated quickly.  The menu is large enough that you can choose between seafood/no seafood, budget friendly/splurge.  We found the restaurant to be extremely warm.  I had on a long sleeve shirt and instantly regretted it.  The place was also packed to the gills.  It felt as though there were 50-75 tables and each were full.  While the food was tasty, I wished we had skipped it.  Or had a mid day snack there and went to 49th for dinner.

 

For our full day in Anchorage, I planned breakfast at the Snow City Cafe and a Helicopter tour that took us to a dog sled camp.  We arrived at the cafe around 8am and had a short wait.  We were a little surprised by the prices but the portions were pretty large.  I ordered the Kodiak Benedict (eggs beny w/ a crap cake) and DH got the french toast.  We shared both and had almost a 2 pieces of french toast leftover.  Both items were very tasty.  

 

After breakfast we were contacted by our tour company, Alaska Helicopter tours.  We found out the tour had been canceled due to the weather at the camp being fairly poor.  Too much mud for the dogs and tourists.  I was bummed but they offered us a tour that went to the Knik Glacier and had a glacier landing.  It was a little cheaper than our original trip so we went ahead and did it (plus we didn't have any other plans for the rest of the day).  I should have held onto my socks because they blew them off!!  I HIGHLY recommend this company!!!!!!!!  They picked us up at our hotel and shuttled us to a resort in Palmer where their helicopters are stationed.  They were friendly and professional.  The lodge was clean and inviting.  We have never been in a helicopter so this we exciting (and really freaking scary!).  We had a safety briefing and then were escorted to our helicopter where we met our pilot, Shad. With a name like that you knew he was either young and beautiful or a fish...I'll let you choose, haha.  There were 7 of us in the helicopter; two other couples and the pilot.  It was a tight fit but everyone had a great view.  During the flight, Shad spotted a bear and flew really close (a safe distance, haha).  The bear took one look at us and said, NOPE!  Then ran away.  I think the flight out was 20-30 minutes long.  Very scenic around the green portions of the mountains.  Then we started flying over the glacier.  It was amazing.  I did not think flying over/to the glacier would interest me but I was so wrong.  It scary, beautiful, breathtaking...all the words!  Then the pilot chose a place and landed on the glacier.  We walked around for about 20-30 minutes while he snapped photos of the group.  We each had water bottles and were encouraged to taste the glacier water.  It was nice and cold.  For our flight back, I felt like we were in Top Gun.  We flew through a ravine (I think that's what it is called) and went along with the curves of the landscape.  If you cannot tell....this was awesome!  We landed safely back at the lodge and were shuttled back to the hotel.

 

We had 7pm dinner reservations at the Crow's Next.  This is a fancy place on top of the Captain Cook hotel.  Everything we delicious and properly cooked.  Nice sized portions. No complaints.  We would absolutely eat here again.  The rest of our evening was uneventful.  We packed up, watched some Friends on tv and fell asleep.

 

The following information only applies to those that book directly with the train line and NOT through your cruise line.  Anchorage to Seward via the Alaska Railroad (ARR):  We booked our train tickets directly with ARR 8 months before the trip.  We opted for the Goldstar class (includes breakfast and seats you on the top leave w/ the glass dome).  We decided to take a taxi from the hotel due to our luggage.  It would have been a lot to carry the 0.7 miles.  The taxi cost around $5.  When we arrived at the train station, there was a large white tent to the side.  This is where you drop off luggage other than your carry on bags.  ONLY THEN should you proceed inside to get your boarding pass.  We saw many people wait in line only to find out they could not get a ticket until they had dropped their bags outside. The train station isn't very big but people kept cramming in there.  We felt a bit like sardines and once we had our ticket and some coffee, we opted to wait out front away from the crowds.  Our 'checked' bags were trucked to Seward and we did not see them again until onboard the cruise.  We had Air Tags in them and checked many times.  They were definitely not on the train and went via the Seward high way.  

 

Boarding started around 615am and we were seated by 620am.  The ride was nice and the weather cooperated.  I enjoyed the glass dome but tbh, if it wasn't in our budget, I think the regular seats in Adventure Class would have been fine.  I rarely found myself looking up through the glass.  Instead most things were out the side of the train car.  We treated this as our first excursion of the trip.  We befriended 2 couples there were sailing on a Celebrity cruise out of Seward the next day.  The ride from Anchorage to Seward is about 4.5 hrs long.  We arrived around 1115am and took the short walk from the train to the cruise port.  BTW, the signage can be confusing.  One sign says "cruise port this way" and then there was a sign stating "no pedestrian traffic".  That sign is specifically talking about an business with a very active parking lot/drive way.  Once we left the station, we walked to the road and took a left.  Follow that for just under 0.5 miles and then you turn right toward the ships.  It was an easy walk since our weather was good.  Some ships had shuttles that picked you up at the port but ours did not.

 

Embarkation in Seward was SO easy!!  It is a large tan metal building.  There are restrooms, vending machines and the processing places for the cruise.  Since we arrived fairly early, there were only a few couples ahead of us in line.  I estimate that from the time we walked into this build until we placed foot on the ship, it was 15-20 minutes.  We had read on another post that you should use the restroom here because when you board they will take you to a safety briefing right away and it could be up to 30 mins before you have a chance to excuse yourself.  They were right!  I might have had champagne in my hand but it was a good 20 minutes before we were left to wonder on our own.  

 

Excursions:

 

Resurrection Bay Wildlife Tour by Major Marine (Seward)

Purchased through our cruise line

5 hour duration

It was a lovely catamaran tour for about 160ish people. The boat was clean, had restrooms and a snack bar.  Sandwiches, chips, a granola bar and non-alcoholic beverage were included.  There were 3 levels of seating (2 inside, 1 outside).  Please note this is labeled as a "wildlife" tour and not a whale watching tour.  We saw seals, otters, puffins and a bunch of other birds.  They cruise around Resurrection Bay at a very slow pace.  For the first 3.5 hours, I admit, I was a little bored.  With so many people on the tour, we fought for window space unless you wanted to go up top and hang out in the wind and rain (which we eventually did and enjoyed it).  We were on the last 1.5 hours of our trip and all the sudden the captain turned the boat away from our normal path and sped up quite a bit.  He did mention briefly that we were deviating from our normal path but did not state a reason.  We thought it was due to the rough-ish seas.  However, we were wrong.  We pulled up near several other tour boats and he explained there were Orcas in the area.  For at least an hour, we floated along and watched the Orcas swim through the water.  No joke...there had to be 20-30 of them and they were on all side of the boat.  At one point, we stood in amazement as 3 breached one after another.  Even the crew on the ship were in awe.  I felt as though all passenger gasp and then cheered.  The whales must have known we were at the end of the tour because the either swam away or were less active.  At that point, we sailed back to Seward to take the short 5 minute shuttle bus ride back to the cruise port.  I do wonder, if we had cruised earlier in the year, would we have seen more whales....I'll never know 🙂

 

Valdez On Our Own (Valdez)

"Tour" booked through the cruise line

We were really excited to visit Valdez due to some friends that had lived there while being in the Coast Guard.  Our cruise line offered a free shuttle to some of the locations in town.  If you wanted to skip the shuttle you can also walk from the port into town.  It's small and easily walkable.  We walked for about 1.5 hours and then headed to Valdez Brewing Company.  We love to support local breweries when we have the chance.  DH tried a unique beer that was a Strawberry Milkshake IPA.  I know...I was shaking my head too and thinking how gross it could be.  BUT....it was tasty!  It looked like a regular beer but had flavors of a creamy strawberry shake.  I don't know what kind of magic they are preforming in the back but I'm sold!  Next was a food stop we were so excited to try: The Nat Shack.  After the short walk from the brewery to the food truck, we were shocked to find it was not open.  I looked on their website and it did not suggest they would be closed.  DH pulled up their FB page and it said they closed on 9/5...we were there on 9/9.  Booo!!!  I get it, I get it...but I was still bummed.  We didn't want to wait for the shuttle so we walked back to the port and ended up at the ship's buffet for lunch.

 

Taku Lodge Feast & 5 Glacier Seaplane Discovery (Juneau)

Booked on our own through Wings Airways

3ish hours

The building for Wings Airways is located right on the pier.  It was a quick 5 minute walk from the ship.  We checked in, were given a ticket and waited about 10 minutes before boarding our seaplane.  Each plane holds 10 passengers and the pilot.  Before board, the pilot asks for 2 volunteers that would like to sit up front with him (1 each way).  We flew over the cruise port and several glaciers before landing at the lodge.  The lodge is adorable!!  The staff members live on the remote island for 5-7 months out of the year.  They make most food items from scratch daily.  We were served fresh salmon cooked over an alderwood fire, beans, slaw, biscuits, bread, cookies.  Tea, coffee, water, lemonade were however a can of beer was $8 and a glass of wine was $14 (yikes!!  $$$).  We had time on our own before and after the meal to walk around the property.  We found a waterfall and fresh berries (blueberries and highbush cranberries).  Once our time at the lodge was up, we boarded the seaplane again and had a 15 minute return flight to the port.  It was a fun trip!  

 

RIB/Zodiac Excursion & Fin Island Lodge (Sitka)

Booked through the cruise line

Unfortunately, we had heavy rain and gusty winds.  The tour canceled and we were refunded within a day or two.  Btw, at this point we were on day 8 of the cruise and I was feeling exhausted.  So we stayed onboard and napped most of the day.  It was lovely, haha.

 

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour (Ketchikan)

Booked through the cruise line due to short time in port but you can purchase tickets online

3.5 hours

I have to admit that I nerded out a little bit.  I'm a big fan of the show, The Deadliest Catch, so this was a tour I was really excited to attend.  The weather was not great but didn't stop the tour (YAY!!).  I thought it was more authentic due to the wind and rain.  We ended up on the top deck which is not sheltered well from the wind and rain but we were prepared in rain suits and water proof shoes.  The fishermen on this tour are experienced and knowledgable.  They do not take you out into the rough ocean seas that the show on the TV show.  However, we did have some waves due to wind but nothing dangerous.  I think I smiled the whole time.  We were shown live crabs, an large octopus, star fish, shrimp, sea urchins, an eagle, and at the end during one of the stories being told, some yelled out "WHALE!!".  There was a single large humpback whale off the starboard side of the boat.  It dove down after showing us a little tail and just when we thought it was gone, it came up and did a quick bubble feeding!!  Woot!!  Quick trip back to the port where the captain impressed us with his navigating skills.  Their berth is behind a cruise ship so the sailed their boat between 2 cruise ships very carefully and then parked in the busy harbor.  Well done!!

 

Overall/General notes:

• Waiters on our cruise mentioned that this specific sailing had more rain and rough seas that any other they had this season in AK.  If I went again, I might select an earlier trip however, our anniversary was during this trip and that's why we selected the dates.
• We did not go overboard with our spending when it came to wet weather gear.  We purchased water PROOF jackets and pants from REI.  They were store brand and worked just as well as the fancy name brand items.  We both needed to replace our hiking shoes so we kept an eye out at REI for sales on waterproof hiking shoes.  We found some about a month before our trip and wore them inside the house to break them in.  On a whim, 2 weeks before leaving we were back at REI for something random and found a better brand marked down much less than our original purchase.  REI has an amazing return policy.  We were gentle on the original pairs and had not worn them outside so they were like new when returned.
• Ensure you have water PROOF and not water RESISTANT.  We had rain almost everyday of the cruise.  Sometimes it was a light rain that didn't really affect you and other days it was heavy.  We saw many people that either didn't pack rain gear or purchase water resistant...they were soaked.  The resistant gear will protect you for a while from a light rain and then it will start to absorb the water.
• Footwear...dude, I get it.  People love Crocs, sandals, etc but you should still pack for bad weather just in case.  The rain was cold and with the added wind....I'm willing to be some people were miserable with their wet socks/feet.
• Dress in layers.  I knew this was important but didn't think I needed to do it everywhere.  Our first dinner in Anchorage I was so warm in the restaurant and didn't have on anything appropriate under my long sleeve shirt.  During our Bering Sea Fisherman's tour, I wish I had brought an extra sweatshirt since we were up top and exposed to some weather.

 

Whew...that was a LOT.  I'm sure there is more I could share but I'm not sure where to start.  LMK if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer.  I hope we can travel to Alaska again.  There are still so many things we want see or experience there. 

 

Loved your trip report, thank you for taking the time!  FYI… I have a friend on Carnival Luminosa right now on a 30 day cruise, and they missed the whole Alaska beginning of their cruise due to weather (three ports and Glacier sailing!)

[cmmaxwell03]

4 hours ago, torybruno said:

Loved your trip report, thank you for taking the time!  FYI… I have a friend on Carnival Luminosa right now on a 30 day cruise, and they missed the whole Alaska beginning of their cruise due to weather (three ports and Glacier sailing!)

I heard about Carnival skipping that part.  I watch Cruise Radio on Youtube.  He presents current news on the cruise industry.  I think he said they will have 5 sea days in a row to make up for missing those ports.

[no1racefan1]

8 minutes ago, cmmaxwell03 said:

I heard about Carnival skipping that part.  I watch Cruise Radio on Youtube.  He presents current news on the cruise industry.  I think he said they will have 5 sea days in a row to make up for missing those ports.

Eww! I would hate to have 5 sea days in a row. Obviously safety first though!

[cmmaxwell03]

Just now, no1racefan1 said:

Eww! I would hate to have 5 sea days in a row. Obviously safety first though!

 

True...but it's on Carnival so I'm sure they added activities and things to keep people entertained.  

 

I follow a Youtube channel called ParoDeeJay.  They have sailed on Carnival Luminosa a few times.  The Alaska sailing on Carnival looks fun....not as fancy/classy as other ships, but an overall good time.

[no1racefan1]

2 minutes ago, cmmaxwell03 said:

 

True...but it's on Carnival so I'm sure they added activities and things to keep people entertained.  

 

I follow a Youtube channel called ParoDeeJay.  They have sailed on Carnival Luminosa a few times.  The Alaska sailing on Carnival looks fun....not as fancy/classy as other ships, but an overall good time.

I've really enjoyed the Carnival cruises we've been on. I probably would have looked at them for Alaska but Princess had the itinerary I wanted.

[Tippyton]

On 9/18/2023 at 10:41 PM, GTJ said:

It may be that the Alaska Railroad does it this way, but it is backwards. If a person wants to buy a ticket, to first check baggage, before going inside the station to ascertain if there are any remaining tickets to purchase, means that--if there are no remaining tickets for sale--the person then has to return outside to reclaim baggage for the aborted trip.

 

Yup. The Alaska Railroad marketing department does a good job promoting that aspect more so than actuality. And that non-view means no overhead baggage racks. The only time when that view is really worthwhile is on clear nights, when there can be a marvelous star show. But the Alaska Railroad has no overnight trains. The better view, in my opinion, is from the Vista-Dome car, available to all coach (Adventure) class passengers. Did you get a chance to ride this car? It is as if you're in a bubble, and the view not only to the side but forward and back as well. The only true benefits of GoldStar service are the open observation deck (though a very close substitute is riding the dutch door in coach (Adventure) class) and the "free" meal included. I don't think that GoldStar service is worthwhile.

We did the Gold Star from Fairbanks to Anchorage via Denali several years ago.  Absolutely worth it because you are up higher and see more.  I rode the open deck almost the entire time.  

[no1racefan1]

I posted this in a thread on the Princess forum, but wanted to share here for my fellow Princess cruisers. I'm not looking for help, I'm just sharing my advice on documenting EVERY move you make.

 

Update on my situation--I have received the $49.95 refund to my credit card I was owed. However, I still have not got the $89.90 back in OBC. I have spoken to four Princess agents. Some of the questions and conversations are seriously laughable because of how nonsensical they are. Like you, it seemed they can't see any kind of excursion booking history. I've had to tell them what dates I booked, what excursions I booked, what forms of payment I used, when they were cancelled... and then they say they show no history of any of it. 

 

My advice for future cruisers:

 

If you apply for shareholder OBC, take a screenshot as soon as you see it applied to your account summary. You will probably NOT receive an email stating you have it. Actually, do this for any type of OBC. The agents I've spoken to say there is no history that I ever had OBC. Unfortunately for me, I didn't screenshot it when it was there and I've since sold my CCL shares, so I can't re-request it.

 

Take a screenshot of anything, especially excursions, that you book using OBC. You will NOT get email confirmation of these excursions. I only received email confirmation for excursions I paid for with my credit card.

 

Take screenshots if you have to cancel excursions. You will NOT get emails confirming that you cancelled excursions.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm not getting my shareholder OBC back, but maybe this will help other people in the future. I can't even express how ridiculous I think it is that we have to keep such detailed accounting of all of our actions because Princess doesn't seem to be able to do so. I don't think I've ever done business with such a big company that can't seem to look at any kind of account or payment history.

 

At this point I'm probably going to give up trying to get the OBC back since at least it's not out of pocket...maybe that's what they want, who knows. I just don't want this to continue putting a downer on my trip planning. 233 days to go until Alaska!!

[Coral]

34 minutes ago, no1racefan1 said:

Unfortunately for me, I didn't screenshot it when it was there and I've since sold my CCL shares, so I can't re-request it.

 

 

I'm pretty sure I'm not getting my shareholder OBC back, but maybe this will help other people in the future. I can't even express how ridiculous I think it is that we have to keep such detailed accounting of all of our actions because Princess doesn't seem to be able to do so.

Not to point out the obvious but if you have sold your CCL shares, you really should not be receiving it anyway on your cruise.

Edited September 23, 2023 by Coral

[no1racefan1]

**Excursion update!**

Things have really been moving and shaking in the excursion world for our cruise.

 

Hubbard Glacier excursion still shows at least 20 spots available. Interestingly, the excursion time changed from 3:30-5:30 to 4:30-5:30. While $299.95 was already pretty expensive for a two-hour excursion (which I've ready is totally worth it by the way, but not for us since we'll have lots of opportunities to see glaciers on other tours) it seems really outrageous for a one-hour excursion. I hope for those people's sakes, it ends up being longer than one hour.

 

Several Skagway excursion times have now moved to starting around 11am or later--I think this will make a lot of people happy as I've seen concerns regarding excursions starting at 7:30am. Most of the smaller excursions seem like they are about half full now. I definitely think that speaks to what other people have said about booking your Alaska excursions early! Half full, and we're still eight months out.

 

Juneau--looks like most of the whale excursions are full or almost full! One of them had 1 spot left and 1 of them is already taking a waitlist. If you're reading this and want to see whales in Juneau next year, BOOK SOMETHING NOW! Maybe they will open up more spots...but I wouldn't count on that when planning! Like Skagway, most of the other smaller excursions in Juneau seem to be about half full. I haven't noticed any time changes for Juneau yet--everything still starting at 7am.

 

Ketchikan--the Lighthouse, Totems & Eagles excursion is the first I've seen at any port that is now offering multiple time slots! Most excursions in Ketchikan are still starting at 10:30 (half hour after arrival) although DH's fishing excursion has been moved to 12:15. He's also still the only person booked on it. It seems like Ketchikan excursions are not filling up as fast, so if you're trying to spread out your excursion purchases, I'd wait and do Ketchikan last (unless you find something you really, really want that looks like it's filling up).

 

 

[Arkiepig]

Thanks for the reminder!   What about bike rentals— we are planning on renting bikes in 2 different pre-cruise towns  we are visiting?    Part of me doesn’t want to pay the money this far in advance (August 2024)in case they were to close or go out of business.  But, I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity.    Thoughts?

[karatemom2]

On 9/23/2023 at 12:18 PM, no1racefan1 said:

I posted this in a thread on the Princess forum, but wanted to share here for my fellow Princess cruisers. I'm not looking for help, I'm just sharing my advice on documenting EVERY move you make.

 

Update on my situation--I have received the $49.95 refund to my credit card I was owed. However, I still have not got the $89.90 back in OBC. I have spoken to four Princess agents. Some of the questions and conversations are seriously laughable because of how nonsensical they are. Like you, it seemed they can't see any kind of excursion booking history. I've had to tell them what dates I booked, what excursions I booked, what forms of payment I used, when they were cancelled... and then they say they show no history of any of it. 

 

My advice for future cruisers:

 

If you apply for shareholder OBC, take a screenshot as soon as you see it applied to your account summary. You will probably NOT receive an email stating you have it. Actually, do this for any type of OBC. The agents I've spoken to say there is no history that I ever had OBC. Unfortunately for me, I didn't screenshot it when it was there and I've since sold my CCL shares, so I can't re-request it.

 

Take a screenshot of anything, especially excursions, that you book using OBC. You will NOT get email confirmation of these excursions. I only received email confirmation for excursions I paid for with my credit card.

 

Take screenshots if you have to cancel excursions. You will NOT get emails confirming that you cancelled excursions.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm not getting my shareholder OBC back, but maybe this will help other people in the future. I can't even express how ridiculous I think it is that we have to keep such detailed accounting of all of our actions because Princess doesn't seem to be able to do so. I don't think I've ever done business with such a big company that can't seem to look at any kind of account or payment history.

 

At this point I'm probably going to give up trying to get the OBC back since at least it's not out of pocket...maybe that's what they want, who knows. I just don't want this to continue putting a downer on my trip planning. 233 days to go until Alaska!!

 

It says right on the Shareholder Credit Application form - "Shares certificate and brokerage statement should be dated no earlier than 3 months prior to cruise departure date." 

 

Are you sure they even ever applied the credit? If they did, maybe somebody realized it was far too early. They have this rule in place so people have to demonstrate recent ownership before the cruise. You submitted far too early which is likely why it was never really applied or applied and removed. Too bad you didn't hold on to your stock. 

[no1racefan1]

2 hours ago, Arkiepig said:

Thanks for the reminder!   What about bike rentals— we are planning on renting bikes in 2 different pre-cruise towns  we are visiting?    Part of me doesn’t want to pay the money this far in advance (August 2024)in case they were to close or go out of business.  But, I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity.    Thoughts?

I'm not sure when bike rentals fill up but my instinct says we can wait. I'm planning to rent from Pablo's Bike Rentals in Anchorage. When I did a mock booking last month, it was still available to book just a few days in advance.

[no1racefan1]

34 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

 

It says right on the Shareholder Credit Application form - "Shares certificate and brokerage statement should be dated no earlier than 3 months prior to cruise departure date." 

 

Are you sure they even ever applied the credit? If they did, maybe somebody realized it was far too early. They have this rule in place so people have to demonstrate recent ownership before the cruise. You submitted far too early which is likely why it was never really applied or applied and removed. Too bad you didn't hold on to your stock. 

Yep, I'm sure. It's fine. I mostly wanted to remind people to take screenshots of EVERYTHING related to your cruise and don't rely on Princess to send you emails or documentation, because they won't.

[Coral]

14 hours ago, karatemom2 said:

 

It says right on the Shareholder Credit Application form - "Shares certificate and brokerage statement should be dated no earlier than 3 months prior to cruise departure date." 

 

Are you sure they even ever applied the credit? If they did, maybe somebody realized it was far too early. They have this rule in place so people have to demonstrate recent ownership before the cruise. You submitted far too early which is likely why it was never really applied or applied and removed. Too bad you didn't hold on to your stock. 

They will apply it early. Though if there is any change in your booking, it often drops off and you have to re-apply. I had a reduction in far and it dropped off and I had to re-apply to have it put back.

 

Though to the OP - if you sold it, you really are not entitled to it anyway on your sailing. If it had dropped off, they would suggest you resend it your information which you no longer own. I really don't think you should get this credit anyway anymore.

[GTJ]

22 hours ago, karatemom2 said:

It says right on the Shareholder Credit Application form - "Shares certificate and brokerage statement should be dated no earlier than 3 months prior to cruise departure date." * * * They have this rule in place so people have to demonstrate recent ownership before the cruise.

The information that Carnival provides to its shareholders, attached, is not particularly clear as to what constitutes the date of record for the application of shareholder benefits. The information is more clear with respect to attendance at the annual meeting, most recently held on April 21, 2023, and for which the date of record was February 21, 2023. Thus, if one sold all their shares after February 21, 2023, and before April 21, 2023, that person was still be entitled to attend the annual meeting. But there's nothing indicating what date applies for shareholder benefit. Is it the date of application for the benefit? Is it the date of sailing? Is it the entire duration of the sailing? A few people have opined on what they think should be the date of record, but those opinions do not control. It would helpful if there were some reliable indicator of the date of record for use of shareholder benefits.

ShareholderBenefit2023-2024.pdf