Live From the Grand Princess, 22-Day Alaska B2B, Apr 30 - May 22

[abbydancer2003]

31 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

BTW the potential for seeing the Northern Lights just after we arrive at Whittier, Alaska around midnight tomorrow night is looking pretty good!

 

 
The sky around Whittier is also currently forecasted to be free of clouds tomorrow evening, especially to the east!

 

 
And with the Whittier sunset around 10:32, hopefully we’ll have quite the light show to watch after we dock around midnight! 🤞
 

 

 

I'm so jealous.  8 Alaska cruises so far and no lights ever for me.  Enjoy!

[Ken the cruiser]

Day 15 - May 14 - College Fjord (Cruise Only)

 

 
And hopefully for the first time this entire cruise, there won’t be a cloud in the sky! 😁
 

 

 

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

7 minutes ago, abbydancer2003 said:

I'm so jealous.  8 Alaska cruises so far and no lights ever for me.  Enjoy!

We’ve done 3 Alaska cruises before this, and the other night was the first for us too! We just got super lucky this time around plus the fact we’ll be cruising around up here for 22 days in early May also helped increase our odds. There is no way we could even dream about seeing them in the summer when the sun just dips below the horizon and then pops back up! 

[davy jones]

On 5/1/2024 at 2:30 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

For those interested there are 2700 guests and 1100 crew onboard this 8-day cruise. With a double-occupancy capacity of 2600 guests, I’d say the Grand is a pretty full ship! 😂

 

Does the ship feel crowded?

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, davy jones said:

Does the ship feel crowded?

Yes, especially when we’re trying to get from the theater to the Vista Lounge after the early show. But you get used to it. But at the same time, we spend a lot of time on the balcony or in our cabin during our downtimes while at sea. Now, if you liked to be out and about around people and sit in the public areas, then you might have to develop a strategy because the seating in those areas fills up rather fast from what I can tell.

[memoak]

22 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Yes, especially when we’re trying to get from the theater to the Vista Lounge after the early show. But you get used to it. But at the same time, we spend a lot of time on the balcony or in our cabin during our downtimes while at sea. Now, if you liked to be out and about around people and sit in the public areas, then you might have to develop a strategy because the seating in those areas fills up rather fast from what I can tell.

It seems that on every ship I am on these days the Piazza area is full of people from 10 am to 4 pm especially if the weather is not conducive to sitting by the pool

[Ken the cruiser]

Good morning from somewhere in the Pacific Ocean around 9 am

 

 
as we head towards College Fjord for a scheduled 6 pm arrival,

 

  
which is just north of Whittier, Alaska (our turnaround port tomorrow),

 

 

and the “cloud” forecast is still projecting clear skies for both our arrival

 

 
and the potential for a “clear sky” viewing of the Northern Lights later on around midnight! 🤞🤞

 

[Ken the cruiser]

We had an awesome time at the Culinary Demonstration this morning in the theater, and as usual couldn’t stop laughing. But if you plan to come to one of these, definitely come 10-20 minutes early if you want to get a good seat.
  

 

But I have to say the Director of Restaurant Operations Jean Paul Musiu and the Executive Chef Johan Antes had to be the funniest combination we’ve seen at one of these Culinary Demonstrations

  

 

Then the bakery chef came out and Jean Paul and the head Bakery Chef decided to have a competition to see who could make the best Black Forest Cake!

 

 
Then they closed with a crew member singing Sweet Caroline and one other song before much of the audience headed off to the galley tour, which we passed on as we’ve seen it many times before.

 

 
When we got back to the cabin, we saw mountains again!

 

 
And the sun was starting to break through. 😁

 

 
So I took another peak at Cruise Master to see where we were

 

 
Based on our current location, I guess I’ll be sitting on the balcony this afternoon until 3:30 pm absorbing what there is to see once we enter Prince William Sound until it’s time to watch a matinee production show.

[Ken the cruiser]

I actually sat on the balcony with the temperature around 45f for most of the afternoon, as it was so beautiful looking at the snow covered mountains, until it was time to get ready for dinner. Along the way, I saw a couple of Dahl’s porpoises, a couple of dolphins, and a Bald Eagle fly by, but all too far away to take a good photo of.

  

 

 

 

 

  
After dinner we plan on heading back to the cabin as we should be entering College Fjord around 6 pm.

 

 
A few more pictures before heading to dinner. 
 

 

 

Edited May 15 by Ken the cruiser

[Ken the cruiser]

Here are some photos from our cruise through the College Fjord. First are some of the smaller glaciers we passed on our way back to the larger Harvard and Downer Glaciers and the end.

Amherst Glacier

 

 
Vassar Glacier

 

 
Smith Glacier

 

 
Byrn Mawr Glacier

 

 
At the end was the Harvard (on the left) and Downer (on the right) Glaciers.

  

 

 

 
On the way out we saw the Yale Glacier dumping into a small bay off the main waterway.

 

 

 
Plus we saw some pretty scenery too!

 

 

  

This was the view out the aft as we were exiting the College Fjord.

 

 

Fun times, especially with that awesome super clear sky above us the whole time!! Right now we're scheduled to dock at Whittier at 12:30 am, around the same time the Northern Lights hopefully will start making their presence known! 🤞🤞

[Ken the cruiser]

Day 16 - May 15 - Whittier, Alaska 

 

 

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

Our excursion tomorrow while docked in Whittier.

 

[aussielozzie18]

2 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Here are some photos from our cruise through the College Fjord. First are some of the smaller glaciers we passed on our way back to the larger Harvard and Downer Glaciers and the end.

Amherst Glacier

 

 
Vassar Glacier

 

 
Smith Glacier

 

 
Byrn Mawr Glacier

 

 
At the end was the Harvard (on the left) and Downer (on the right) Glaciers.

  

 

 

 
On the way out we saw the Yale Glacier dumping into a small bay off the main waterway.

 

 

 
Plus we saw some pretty scenery too!

 

 

  

This was the view out the aft as we were exiting the College Fjord.

 

 

Fun times, especially with that awesome super clear sky above us the whole time!! Right now we're scheduled to dock at Whittier at 12:30 am, around the same time the Northern Lights hopefully will start making their presence known! 🤞🤞

Beautiful photos!

[aussielozzie18]

2 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Our excursion tomorrow while docked in Whittier.

 

Ooh, we had planned a land tour Alaska back in 2020.  This was on our agenda.  Looking forward to your photos & hope you see the NL tonight 

[Ken the cruiser]

No luck with seeing the NL early this morning. But the glow from the sun before a 5:08 am sunrise this morning was pretty. I took this at 3:45 am! 😂

 

 
We woke up at 7 am and it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day in Whittier, Alaska!

  

 

 

 
Except it might be a little chilly on our 5 hour excursion cruising around this afternoon. 🥶

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

Wow! What a difference the time of day can make! We went to the College Fjord first, where the glaciers we saw when the Grand cruised there yesterday evening looked totally different! For one, there were pretty much no shadows as the sun was high in the sky! For another, there were a lot more harbor seals hanging out on icebergs and otters swimming around on their backs! 😁

 

This was our vessel which left the port about an hour late waiting on some guests coming from Anchorage on the train. This delay turned our tour into a 6+ hour adventure getting us back to the ship around 6:45 pm. But we had fun and that’s the main thing! 😁

 

 
First we headed back over to College Fjord.

 

 

 
Pelagic Cormorant  

 

 

 
A few harbor seals just hanging out on a pretty day soaking in the rays!

 

 

  

 

 

 

 
A lone harbor seal simply enjoying the moment! 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Now it’s time to start making our way back through the ice field that definitely grew in bulk since last night!

 

 
More harbor seals hanging out on an iceberg.

 

 

 
This was a raft of otters that we passed by as we were leaving College Fjord and heading towards Blackstone Bay where more glaciers can be found.

 

 

 
These glaciers and surrounding scenery are what we saw in Blackstone Bay. 

 

 
We didn’t see any pigeons while we were in Whittier, but did notice this rock in Blackstone Bay that reminded me of one! 😂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Then it was time to head to the bird rookery we were to visit at the end of our tour. And as advertised, there were a bunch of Kittiwakes there!!

 

 
with more arriving every moment! 😁

 

 
Then it was time to head across the bay from where the rookery was back to Whittier.

 

 
As we started to head that way, a Bald Eagle came along side the vessel to guide us in! 😂

 

 
Fun times and we would definitely recommend it if you were thinking about booking in on your next cruise to Whittier. I only suggest if booking it through Princess, book it early as the price jumped over $100 per person from when we booked it early on!

[Ken the cruiser]

And we’re off. Next stop Hubbard Glacier!

 

 

Day 17 - May 16 - Yakutat Bay (Hubbard Glacier)

 

 

 

[arizonaperson]

@Ken the cruiserbeautiful photos of your excursion in Whittier. I am enjoying your postings.

[milogurd]

12 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Wow! What a difference the time of day can make! We went to the College Fjord first, where the glaciers we saw when the Grand cruised there yesterday evening looked totally different! For one, there were pretty much no shadows as the sun was high in the sky! For another, there were a lot more harbor seals hanging out on icebergs and otters swimming around on their backs! 😁

 

This was our vessel which left the port about an hour late waiting on some guests coming from Anchorage on the train. This delay turned our tour into a 6+ hour adventure getting us back to the ship around 6:45 pm. But we had fun and that’s the main thing! 😁

 

 
First we headed back over to College Fjord.

 

 

 
Pelagic Cormorant  

 

 

 
A few harbor seals just hanging out on a pretty day soaking in the rays!

 

 

  

 

 

 

 
A lone harbor seal simply enjoying the moment! 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Now it’s time to start making our way back through the ice field that definitely grew in bulk since last night!

 

 
More harbor seals hanging out on an iceberg.

 

 

 
This was a raft of otters that we passed by as we were leaving College Fjord and heading towards Blackstone Bay where more glaciers can be found.

 

 

 
These glaciers and surrounding scenery are what we saw in Blackstone Bay. 

 

 
We didn’t see any pigeons while we were in Whittier, but did notice this rock in Blackstone Bay that reminded me of one! 😂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Then it was time to head to the bird rookery we were to visit at the end of our tour. And as advertised, there were a bunch of Kittiwakes there!!

 

 
with more arriving every moment! 😁

 

 
Then it was time to head across the bay from where the rookery was back to Whittier.

 

 
As we started to head that way, a Bald Eagle came along side the vessel to guide us in! 😂

 

 
Fun times and we would definitely recommend it if you were thinking about booking in on your next cruise to Whittier. I only suggest if booking it through Princess, book it early as the price jumped over $100 per person from when we booked it early on!

26 Glacier Tour can also be booked via phone call or at the pier in Whittier. Two adults for $390.00 which includes a 15% AAA discount.

[Ken the cruiser]

9 minutes ago, milogurd said:

26 Glacier Tour can also be booked via phone call or at the pier in Whittier. Two adults for $390.00 which includes a 15% AAA discount.

Very true, as the tour was definitely open to all forms of booking. That’s why we were delayed about an hour waiting for the train from Anchorage with 14 passengers to get to Whittier.

[TM]

I know many will say that they prefer to see the glaciers on an overcast day.  But as evidenced by your pictures, and a similar day when I did College Fjord, it takes a clear day to really see the immensity and ruggedness of the surrounding area.  We were fortunate to get a similar day a few years ago, and quite literally it took my breath away the first time when we were at the end of the fjord and saw 4 glaciers right in front of us.  Absolutely spectacular.

[Ken the cruiser]

We made it to Yakutat Bay around 3 pm just as the clouds were starting to roll in from the west, but was able to get bits of blue sky in some of the photos. 😁

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Then off in the distance near the glaciers, we saw around 100 harbor seals hanging around on some rocks.

 

Malaspina Glacier

 

 
Hubbard Glacier

 

 
And we’re off! Next stop Glacier Bay National Park tomorrow morning.

 

 

 
But as we were getting ready to leave, we had a visitor. A lonely Alaskan fly just looking for its next meal. Unfortunately, there was nothing tasty on our balcony, so off it went! And yes, our railing needs a little varnish! 😂

 

Edited May 17 by Ken the cruiser

[Ken the cruiser]

Day 18 - May 17 - Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

 

 

 

 

 

As far as the clouds go, hopefully they will be light with some blue sky popping in and out at times! 🤞

 

 
But it’s still going to be chilly with a little breeze. 🥶  

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

Here is some information we learned today from folks posting to the Solar Eclipse thread on the Princess Forum. Did you know anyone that has cruised with Princess before can now log on to their Princess account and book cruises up to a week prior to a cruise becoming officially available for booking? We sure didn’t until today!

 

For example, we were waiting to book 4 cabins on the August 2026 Solar Eclipse cruise, which officially opens for booking on May 23, with Elite being able to book a day earlier. Or so we thought. Then we read today on the Solar Eclipse thread that people were booking them today, a week prior to the official release date. When we notified our TA, she contacted her PCL rep and was told May 23 was still the official date, and we couldn’t book any cabins at this time. To make a long story short, we logged on to my Elite account this morning and booked a cabin on both the August 2026 Solar Eclipse cruise as well as the Northern Lights cruise later in October.
 

Here’s the really weird part. This morning after we read this, our son logged on to his non-Elite account and was unable to book their Eclipse cabin. Makes sense, until I read a little farther down in the Solar Eclipse thread that someone’s PVP told them anyone that has cruised with Princess before can now book a week prior to the official release as well. So he tried again after lunch and guess what, he along with our 2 non-Elite daughters were able to book their Solar Eclipse cabins as well as a cabin on the Northern Lights cruise! 😱

 

But just so you know if you’re not logged in, the summer and fall 2026 itineraries are still showing “Currently Not Available”. Just thought I’d pass this little tidbit along if you hadn’t heard the news yet.

 

Edited May 17 by Ken the cruiser

[SECdawg]

So having been to Hubbard, Glacier Bay, College Fjords, and Blackstone Bay, do you have a favorite glacier?