Back from Alaska - Golden Princess 5/17 - 5/24

[TampaJules]

TJ, I was going to stay on board in Victoria because it docks in the evening, but the Ghost Walk sounds cool. Was it like Whooooh scary or just interesting? Is it a HAL excursion or independent?

 

It wasn't scary. My mom has told more scary ghost stories. He just talks about how Victoria is very haunted and tells stories about ghosts he has seen or heard about. It was interesting and a different way to view a city. I booked independently - http://www.discoverthepast.com/discvr/gwalks.htm - $12 per person. Actually I didn't book it, I just walked up and paid. The shuttle bus takes you across the street from where you meet up. And its only 90 minutes, so you could be back on the ship by 9:30 or so (its from 7:30 - 9). You will walk a bit (stopping every so often and usually there is somewhere to sit), so wear comfy shoes. Apparently Princess had offered a ghost tour but it was on a bus from the dock and it was like $40 PP. Not sure how that was...

[TampaJules]

You can go to this site http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

and download a very small program called image resizer ....

 

Awesome! Something I think my BF actually doesn't know about. I'll let him know. :)

[TampaJules]

You didn't mention the floatplane excursion in your review. How was that? And thanks for your review!

 

It was awesome. I had a weird quesy feeling so I was kind of out of the grandeur of it all. Not motion sick, just unsettled or something (I've been in small planes and I've never had a problem). Anyway it was gorgeous and the same says it all - Misty Fjords. There are lots of fjords and there is a fog\mist hanging across the tops. Granite cliffs, tons of streams and waterfalls. Most of it seems untouched, like no one has been there before.

 

We went with Misty Fjords Air & Outfitting. Never been with any other so I can't compare. They were fine, well run, a small group with three planes.

[TampaJules]

Tampa Jules,

 

thanks for the excellent review (and for sparing us the details of where you ate breakfast each morning!) I got a couple of great hints from you - especially about bringing a couple of CD's with us for the drive up to Emerald Lake.

 

We leave June 9 on the Coral and it sounds as if we've planned identical acitivities - Harv & Marv, Island Wings, and renting a car in Skagway.

 

Cheers

 

Robin

 

You'll love it. I hope you have good weather too. I wish I was going again! Most times after I go on a trip, I feel like (afterward) that should have done this or that and this differently, but this time, it was perfect. I wouldn't have changed a thing! I just want to do it all again!

[TampaJules]

We hope to take a 1 way cruise and then rent an RV to see the interior when we retire.

 

That would be awesome. That is one thing I would like - to see more cities and go farther north into Anchorage, Fairbanks, Denali, etc. I can dream...

[SeattleCruiselover]

Hmm. I didn't really get that vibe before going but I had already booked the ship before reading these boards - solely based on dates, plane tix costs, and the fact that we don't have passports.

 

The seas were pretty heavy Thursday night heading from Ketchikan back down to Victoria. I have to admit I was scared and it was hard to fall asleep. It wasn't as bad on the trip up (Saturday night). But wouldn't you get the same on a Vancouver round trip?? I assume this is what you were referring to about it being least desired. Heck, I was going to Alaska, I was happy!

 

Nope, the waters are generally far more peaceful if you do the Inside Passage from YVR than when leaving from/returning here. Glad you enjoyed our fair city, though.

[RaeVynn]

We're taking "the same trip" in September :p

We are residents of the Pacific Northwest, so some of the excursions aren't that compelling... but the tidbits about shopping on Ketchikan, that is!

 

Thanks!

[wlfarm]

Thanks for the info. Tampa. DW and I go on this same trip NEXT SATURDAY for our 10th anniversary!! We are very excited and enjoy reading reviews.

[SeattleCruiselover]

Thanks for the information on Seattle, and how long it took to deplane and get baggage. I was going to go to Pikes Mkt. after we arrived at 7pm. It was great that you had warm weather in May so you could enjoy being on deck.

 

The market closes at 6 during the week and at 5 on Sunday.

[SeattleCruiselover]

Thanks so much for the great review--I really appreciated your style of writing and unbiased comments. I too chose Seattle r/t because I liked the itinerary and the fact that you didn't need to go thru customs either coming or going on the trip ( I've been thru Vancouver at least ten times visiting B.C and I have waited for over 1.5 hours on that customs line in both directions)

 

Thanks again for the great review--I really am not that concerned about the food because someone else will cook it and clean up the dishes for me. What I wanted to know was the ambiance of the cruise

 

Whoever told you that you don't have to go through Customs fibbed to you. You do here, on the way back, because you've been to Canada, though it does not usually take long unless they select you for search or you have a problem with declaration.

[SeattleCruiselover]

Our RT Seattle-Alaska trip is coming up in 1 1/2 weeks. I booked it back in January, and really didn't do my homework as far as reading about rough seas on this itinerary. My husband gets really motion sick, and I am so worried about him. His doctor has prescribed a patch for him. Did you use anything? And why were you scared? Did it feel like something bad was going to happen?:eek:

 

I'm guessing, knowing the Grand Class ships as I do. They are rather flat bottomed and shallow drafted (like a ferry boat), and they tend to "wallow" in crossing seas, even with the stabilizers out. If you are midships both horizontally and vertically, it is better than anywhere else.

[TampaJules]

Whoever told you that you don't have to go through Customs fibbed to you. You do here, on the way back, because you've been to Canada, though it does not usually take long unless they select you for search or you have a problem with declaration.

 

Yeah, customs. I guess they have things down pat in Seattle because we didn't even wait in a line. One guy briefly glanced at our birth certificates as we walked by and then we handed the blue customs form to another lady as we went out the door with our bags. Not stopping. It was way faster than the line we were in at Port Canaveral in FL (return from Bahamas). Maybe it was just a fluke that day and we got lucky?

 

I'm glad everyone liked my review. I hope it gave good info to lots of my fellow "Alaska-wanna-be's"! :)

[jbbnb]

Great info! A couple of questions

Did you see any wildlife on the Misty Fjords seaplane trip?

Does Princess do anything for Cruise Critic passengers? On the Oosterdam they had a nice little reception for us and we even got wine in out room from the Hotel Manager.

How much was the taxi trip to the ship from the airport?

Thanks for all your help!

Beth

[cascole]

Thanks for the info. Tampa. DW and I go on this same trip NEXT SATURDAY for our 10th anniversary!! We are very excited and enjoy reading reviews.

 

 

Oh I wanna go, too!

 

.... oh wait... I AM!!! :D We happen to be on the same sailing! Come say Hi on the roll call!

[robinsegg]

What I've seen (not first hand yet) is that if someone from your roll call contacts the cruise director, they will organize a place for you and provide snacks, but no drinks on the house. Regular "pay as you play" bar.

 

That's what our group is doing (Coral Princess June 9). A couple of our roll call members have coordinated everything. I've seen similar info from other postings about CC get togethers on Princess cruises.

 

Robin

[TampaJules]

[quote name='jbbnb']Great info! A couple of questions
Did you see any wildlife on the Misty Fjords seaplane trip?
Does Princess do anything for Cruise Critic passengers? On the Oosterdam they had a nice little reception for us and we even got wine in out room from the Hotel Manager.
How much was the taxi trip to the ship from the airport?
Thanks for all your help!
Beth[/quote]

On the seaplane, no I did not see anything other than a couple bald eagles. The pilot said that occasionally you see bears or dall sheep.

We had only a few people on our roll call and we just set up an informal meeting on the ship. We did not ask Princess for anything.

We took a Princess transfer from the ship to the airport and it was $18 pp I believe. A taxi would have been about the same ($36 total) I think. It was about that from the airport to the hotel.

[traic73]

Hey Jules - do you know what Princess calls the "Harv & Marv" tour in their excursion outline?
Thanks for the review, sounds like you had a great time.

[TampaJules]

There were several whale watching trips you can book through Princess, but I heard they are much larger boats with about 60 people on boat. I'm not sure what Princess called it. I booked independently with Harv & Marv after reading the reviews on here. I wanted a smaller boat (6 people) and a more personal experience.

[cruizluver]

We are leaving for the same cruise that you were on and read your review. Sounds like you had a great time!! We were on the Alaska cruise about 12 years ago and NEED to go again!! We looked at the Harv and Marv whale watching tour but wondered if it would be too rough. One of our group of 4 has a problem with motion sickness and wouldn't want her to be ill--maybe a larger boat would be better?
Also wonder if the soda card is still available on Golden? When we sailed her a few years ago, we bought a soda card for $25 which gave us a Coke glass that we could re-fill anytime as many times as we wanted.
How as the entertainment? We loved the food the last time we were on the Golden (especially the desserts!!!)
Thanks for any info you can share!!!

[themerle]

[B]Enjoyed your review! Glad you had good weather and a wonderful cruise. Do you want to go back?:) [/B]