Cruise Review: Wet & Wild Alaska - Diamond Princess - May 10-17, 2008

[Teeara]

Here's my review of Diamond Princess's first Alaska cruise of the season:

The Wet and Wild Alaska cruise wasn’t as titillating as the title may appear. I took the northbound Diamond Princess cruise (May 10-17) with my mother, my roommate and her mother and each of us was over forty. This was the first cruise together for all of us and only my roommate had never cruised before. This was my second Princess cruise and sixth cruise overall. I consider myself an experienced cruiser (with much thanks to Cruise Critic for making me so) and have cruised with Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Princess in the past.

My roommate and I flew to Vancouver from Boston with minimal discomfort and actually lucked out in not having anyone sit between us on the last five hour leg of our trip from Dallas to Vancouver. We met my mother at the Vancouver airport just before entering the line for customs. Please note that if you have multiple people flying into Vancouver, arrange to meet at the foot of the escalators before the line begins for customs or at baggage claim. Even though my mother flew into Vancouver and arrived fifteen minutes before we did, as you disembark your plane there is no way to move to a different gate. You are even separated from the people who are going to be boarding your plane for their flight. Clear partitions separate disembarking passengers from embarking passengers. So as we left the plane we had nowhere to go except where the partitions led and that was straight to customs. We met my mother at the foot of the elevator and got in line. The customs line moves very quickly and when you leave the main line and break off into separate lines for the booths, keep your entire group together. I was in a separate line from my mother and my roommate and when my mother got to the customs officer before me the customs officer asked how many people were in her party. She indicated my roommate and me and the customs officer beckoned me out of my line to join my mother. Sweet! It took all of thirty seconds after that and we were through. We then went to baggage claim and gathered up our luggage. Do yourself a favor and get a cart. They are free to use at Vancouver. Vancouver airport is also nice in that they have many people at designated areas who stand by ready to answer all of your questions. After you have all of your luggage you go through another checkpoint where you finally hand over your customs card (if I remember correctly) and then you have to walk through a set of doors and into the waiting area where residents are waiting for friends and family to arrive. You are roped off from them but it makes you feel like a Hollywood movie star on the red carpet! Once past the roped off area you go straight ahead and out the doors to catch your bus or cab. We used Limojet (www.limojetgold.com) to take us to our hotel. You can reserve online but it isn’t necessary. There is a kiosk just outside the airport doors and the gal there simply walked us across the street to a waiting limousine. Our limo was a stretch which was a good thing since we had nine pieces of luggage and assorted carryons. The cost was $45 to downtown Vancouver.

We flew in two days before the cruise and stayed at the Landis Hotel and Suites (www.landissuitesvancouver.com) and I cannot recommend this hotel enough. It was spectacular. For $265 a night we had a two bedroom, 1000 square foot suite. The master bedroom had a king size bed with side tables, dresser and a chair. The master bath had a huge tub with a separate stall shower. The second bedroom was small by comparison with two twin beds and a desk with chair. The second bath had a tub/shower combination. My one complaint about the hotel was that there was no hair dryer in the second bathroom, but there was a wall mounted one in the master bathroom. The kitchen was “U” shaped and had a stove, refrigerator and microwave. There was an electric kettle in one of the cupboards which we used to make hot water for tea (it was fast, too!) and the shelves and drawers had silverware, cups, saucers, glasses and plates for four people. The only thing missing was napkins and/or paper towels. But you can run across the street to 7-11 for those items. There is also a round dining room table with four chairs in the dining area and two of those walls are floor to ceiling glass giving you a wonderful view of Vancouver. We were on the 9th floor and overlooked the intersection of Davie and Hornby Streets. The living room has a sofa, easy chair and a TV. Rounding out the living area is an enclosed patio with two straight backed chairs and a small round table. Again, the patio area is floor to ceiling glass and has louvered blinds to cut the glare, but the windows open allowing you to hear the city street action below. The hotel serves a full continental breakfast on the 2nd floor in a room dedicated to breakfast. There was a variety of cereal, breads, danish, bagels, fruit, juices and coffee offered. One of the best spreads I’ve ever been offered at a hotel. There are many restaurants within walking distance down Davie Street and about four blocks from the hotel on Davie there is a fully stocked drug store in case you need to pick up anything before you board the ship. There is an ATM in the 7-11 which dispenses Canadian cash.

Since we arrived a few days early we took the Hop On Hop Off trolley tour the next day and it was a pleasant way to see the city. I will only say this much about it: take the earliest one you can (you catch it next door in front of the Residences by Marriott—look for the trolley sign on the street post and make sure you wave the trolley down as it nears otherwise the driver might think you are just waiting for a cab like our driver did) and stay on the trolley for at least one full circuit to get the full tour. We caught a later tour and before we got to Stanley Park our trolley was full. When we got to Stanley Park some of the people who had been on the earlier tours wanted to board but the driver wouldn’t let them board because we were full up. At one of the further stops we had a couple who wanted to board who said they had been waiting for an hour for an empty trolley, so stay at least until Granville Island. The tour was nice and we got off in Gastown to go to Old Spaghetti Factory for an inexpensive lunch then walked over to Canada Place to scope out the lay of the land before we boarded the ship the next day.

Another great perk for staying at the Landis Hotel is that they provide a free shuttle to take you to Canada Place. You must call the front desk at 7am to make your reservation for the shuttle. The first shuttle is at 10:30 and that is the one we took. Our driver took us directly to the drop off point where the baggage handlers load your luggage and they were very careful to make sure we had our boarding passes and passports with us and that our luggage was properly labeled. Then we simply entered the cavernous embarkation area and walked over to where the line began for security. I’m glad we got there when we did. There were about 50 people in line ahead of us. Within ten minutes a huge group of people arrived and there were several hundred people behind us. Please note that ALL passengers boarding ALL cruise ships sailing out of Canada Place go through this area. There were only two ships docked that day; Diamond Princess and HAL Statendam, but the day before there had been three. All passengers go through the same security checkpoint and customs and from what I heard later that day and the next few days it was nightmarish for many people. ARRIVE EARLY! Having warned you, here is what I experienced. The first people allowed through security was a wedding party (no great surprise). At 11am they started letting us go through security. Be prepared to have your cell phones out and not in your baggage. That was one thing that surprised me, but they were most insistent on having your cell phones out to go through security. After security we went through customs in another room. They were checking passports prior to entering the next room so it seemed like they were letting Americans go directly through customs and shuttling other nationalities to another large room. I heard later on that the other room was crazy busy all day long. After going through customs we were separated by ship. We then went down another corridor and into another room where we checked in with Princess. Since you now do everything online, you simply present them with your printout, hand over your credit card and passport and wait for the agent to scan your printout, run your credit card and then give you your Seapass. We were then directed to rows of chairs and told to wait until our ROW was called. We sat until about 11:45 and then they started boarding. We were in the first row of seats and they tell people to stay in their seats until their row is called. It was extremely organized and moved quickly. We walked down a long hallway where we had our group photo taken then went to another checking place where we showed our Seapass then we were allowed on the gangway. There were two gangways: one fore and one aft. We boarded at the front of the ship and as we set foot on the ship we had our photo taken for the Seapass. You then are at the front bank of elevators and can go directly to your cabin.

We booked an interior cabin for our cruise. This is the first interior I have ever had and it will also be the last. I didn’t like not having a balcony and I have had an oceanview in the past as well and my preference is for a balcony. We didn’t book balconies simply because we were all tight for money on this cruise. We were midship on Deck 10 (Caribe) and we had cabins C518 and C522. The cabins were small, but there was plenty of room for everything. Our cabin steward was Jun and he was excellent. Since our rooms were available we simply dropped off our carryons and then took the elevators up to the Horizon Court for lunch.

As I think I stated in my review of the Star Princess for my 2006 cruise, I think Princess has a horrible buffet. It is so incredibly tiny and the selections are minimal compared to Carnival or Royal Caribbean (my personal favorite cruiseline). The food was less than inspiring. After lunch we explored the ship. I’m not going to do an in depth review of the ship but will simply say that the Diamond is in excellent shape and I have no complaints about worn carpet or anything of that nature. She was beautiful.

During our exploration of the ship we made our way to the Lotus Spa. I had been hearing on the CC board about a special couples pass you can get to use a more private area of the spa and once they showed it to us I decided to get that for me and my mom. We were sailing during Mother’s Day and it was my gift to her. She loved it. My roommate also got it for her and her mom, so the four of us would spend several days at the spa enjoying the warmth and relaxation. The stone beds were yummily warm and very relaxing. I liked the semi-circular room with the curved tile seats and fountain. It was just warm enough. The rain forest shower was too intense for my taste and I couldn’t do the steam room since it is an aromatherapy with eucalyptus and I’m allergic to eucalyptus. Just standing in the doorway while my roommate went in there was enough for me to notice my lungs closing down. If you want to use the dry sauna you have to go to the men’s or women’s changing rooms to use them. We also enjoyed the hot tub next to the Lap Pool outside. We used that a couple of times and at one time in the rain at Skagway. It wasn’t as hot as most hot tubs and that was a little bothersome, but the jets on the bottom of your feet after several hours of sightseeing was heaven indeed.

We had traditional dining at 5:45 in the Vivaldi Dining Room. We sat at a semi-circular booth with two chairs. The moms sat in the chairs while my roommate and I sat in the booth. It was most comfy. Our waiter and assistant waiter were perfect. Good senses of humor and very knowledgeable about the menu. We bought two bottles of wine during our cruise and they had them ready for us every night. I had also bought the coffee card earlier in the day and used that every night for my cappuccino with dessert. The food was okay. Nothing spectacular although the Nebraska prime rib was fantastic as was the filet the next night. Since my roommate and her mom are from Nebraska they know beef and they both said it was superb. The Horizon Court for breakfast was a downright yawn every single day. They always had ham and cheese omelettes listed for breakfast, but although I took an omelette out of the pan there was never any ham or cheese in it. Most disappointing. The best thing they ever had (and it was only offered on the second day of sailing) was the reindeer sausage. So yummy! Do try it if you see it offered. I will also say that I was extremely dissatisfied with the service in the buffet area. If you want milk for your breakfast you can get it in the coffee area or in the cereal area. That’s it and even then it is hard to find sometimes. Also, on an Alaska cruise forget about chair hogs out on deck. They are all sitting at empty window tables devoid of food. Good luck in finding a place to eat your breakfast. On more than one occasion we had to take our breakfast trays (and even lunch trays) to our cabin in order to eat. Extremely vexing to say the least. And the afternoon tea was disappointing on the Diamond. My mother and I were seated at a table for four which included an elderly gentleman who didn’t say a word and a woman I had met at the scrapbooking class. The tea was Lipton (an insult in my book) and the service was harried and hurried. On the Star we had Lipton too, but they left the tea on the table. The male waiters were much better (and nicer) than the females. The food selections were okay, but nothing out of the ordinary. I will say that I enjoyed the meringues which surprised me. Not bland but had a nice flavor to them. I should also mention that 400 new staff members boarded in Vancouver so maybe that explains the service problems we experienced on the ship during our cruise.

The more I cruise the less I participate in shipboard activities, especially on Princess. I did take a watercolor class, but I was disappointed with the instructor. He wasn’t entirely clear at times and the class was either rushed or slow. I didn’t stay for the scrapbooking class once the instructor said we were to use “machines”. No thank you. The woman I had tea with who had sat with me during the scrapbooking class said it had been a waste of time. I also don’t go to the shows since the theaters are at the front of the ship and the motion up there is too much for the inner ear problems I have. I enjoyed listening to the music on the ship, especially the jazz groups. But for this cruise I just couldn’t get in rhythm (pardon the pun).

I did three organized shore excursions on this cruise. In Juneau I did the Photo Safari and in Skagway I did the White Pass Scenic Railway in the morning and the Skagway & Dangerous Days of ’98 in the afternoon. The Photo Safari was the single best excursion I have ever taken on any cruise. It was everything I had hoped for and more. Our guide was Cam and he was a delight and excellent photography coach as well. We saw three humpback whales, a male orca, several sea lions and eagles. If you have an interest in photography I heartily endorse this excursion. The pictures I took were worth every penny (one photo alone was worth the entire cruise). The White Pass Scenic Railway excursion was very enjoyable and I thank every person here on the board who said to sit on the left side going up the hill. It was dead-on best advice. Nearly all of the views are on the left side going up the hill PLUS the train travels much slower going up the hill than going down so you will get steadier photos at that time. My only added recommendation would be that you sit either at the front of the train or the back so you can get the full train shots on the mountain curves. It also started snowing just as we reached the top of the loop on the summit so those who were on the right side who would’ve had the views going down the hill couldn’t see anything because of the snow and the fogged up train windows. The last excursion I took was the Skagway & Dangerous Days of ’98. The Skagway tour portion was a waste of time and money. There really isn’t much to see in Skagway. We drove around a few neighborhoods, stopped off at the museum (nice museum and you are better off visiting it on your own) but were only allowed 15 minutes there, then taken up to an overlook of Skagway. After that we returned to town and went to the Dangerous Days of ’98 which is a theater show. That was a lot of fun and I do recommend it. You learn a bit about Skagway’s history, can buy a bag of popcorn and enjoy the show. We had a lot of laughs there.

Do your shopping in Ketchikan. It had the best selections and also the most unique selections as well. Juneau and Skagway shopping didn’t inspire us in the least. Same old touristy stuff. Ride the Funicular in Ketchikan. It was fun and inexpensive (I think it was $2 per person). There is a nice little coffee shop and hotel at the top with a small museum area. Do the Mount Roberts Tram in Juneau and go up to the nature center. There is a wall mounted eagle span on the side of the building that lets you compare your “wingspan” to an eagle’s. Great photo opportunity!

I named our cruise “Wet and Wild Alaska” because it rained nearly every day of our cruise and because I saw lots of wildlife. Neither my mother, roommate or her mom saw as much as I did simply because most of what wildlife I did see was on the Photo Safari. You can’t control the weather, but we came prepared with raincoats and umbrellas. Alaska can be cold in shoulder season so dress in layers especially if you are going in May or September. The glaciers and fjords are also cold and remember the chair hogs. If you want a view you might find yourself standing outside on a cold deck for awhile.

When we arrived in Whittier I will say that we had the easiest and most pleasant disembarkation I have ever had on a cruise. The night before disembarkation we received our information detailing where and when we were to meet. We were to meet in the Vivaldi Dining Room at 8:00 a.m. and our group was Aqua 1. We were given luggage tags the night before and were told to keep the detachable portion of the luggage tags because we would have to show those as we were disembarking from the ship and in order to claim our luggage. We had purchased the Princess motorcoach transfer prior to sailing and I endorse this if you are not taking the train on to Denali or doing a shore excursion in Whittier. When our color and number were called we simple disembarked the ship and boarded the motorcoach. You have to go through a 2.5 mile long tunnel through a mountain to leave Whittier and the road out of Whittier is only open from the hour to the half hour. The half hour to the hour it is open only for traffic traveling into Whittier. The train goes through first and then the rest of the traffic. The drive to Anchorage from Whittier takes about an hour and I will say this much: sit on the LEFT side of the bus. Just like the White Pass Railway, the best views are on the left side of the bus going into Anchorage. If you are going into Whittier from Anchorage, then sit on the RIGHT side of the bus. This is the bay side and there is much to see such as keeping a sharp eye peeled for Beluga whales or seeing the damage from the ’64 earthquake. We did see some Dall Sheep on the right side of the bus going in to Anchorage, but that was about it. Going in to Anchorage they let us off at the Hospitality Center on 4th Street. Your luggage will be waiting inside. Again, you will need to show your luggage tag and your passport in order to claim your luggage. If you are flying out later that day you can keep your luggage there until 6pm and explore Anchorage before boarding a shuttle to the airport. If you are staying overnight in Anchorage such as we did, then claim your luggage and the Princess people will call a cab company to come and pick you up. This is what we did.

We stayed at the Downtown Anchorage Marriott on 8th Street and had a lovely room on the 12th floor overlooking downtown Anchorage. It was within walking distance of the shopping areas and restaurants. We ate at Humpy’s for lunch and at the Snow Goose Restaurant for dinner. Good food at both places. Our favorite shopping was at Cabin Fever.

If you do stay overnight in Anchorage and need transportation to the airport then I would suggest taking the free shuttle to Wildberry Farm and the Sourdough Mining Company. They will store your luggage in the back of the bus and no one is allowed back there except the luggage owners. They take full responsibility for your luggage. We were picked up at 3:30 and went to Wildberry Farm where we saw the chocolate waterfall (makes you want to dive in like Augustus Gloop in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”!), visited the reindeer, took a few photos and then walked across the parking lot to the Sourdough Mining Company for a dinner of ribs, “korn” fritters (to die for), sourdough bread (like I haven’t had since I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area where I grew up) and the all-you-can-eat Sundae bar. The food was very good. After your meal simply board the bus and they will take you directly to the airport. For free. (I like that word “free” especially AFTER a cruise!) If you have a late flight be prepared to check your luggage in storage downstairs. My mother’s flight didn’t leave until 1am and they wouldn’t let her check her luggage with Alaskan Airlines until 6 hours before the flight departed. We were there at 5:30 since my flight left at 8pm and we didn’t want to pay for a second day at the hotel just to stay a few extra hours. Also note that once you go through security and to your gate there are NO places to eat. So make sure you eat BEFORE you go to the airport.

In summary let me say that I loved Alaska. Even though the weather wasn’t the best, it was interesting to experience it at a time of year when so much is in flux. The streets weren’t that crowded since it was the beginning of the season and our busiest day had only four ships in port (Juneau, I think) whereas in the summer there can be up to seven ships in port. The Diamond Princess was a lovely ship, but I really don’t want to cruise with Princess in the future. There simply isn’t enough to do on the ship. My preference is for Royal Caribbean and the Voyager-class ships (and larger). I like the myriad of options the larger ships offer. I also prefer the food on RCCL. I have been less than impressed with the food offered on Princess. Definitely do most of your shopping in Ketchikan. Be prepared for all kinds of weather and dress in layers. Above all, bring lots of film or memory cards. I took 1300 pictures on this cruise. The memories will last forever. If you want to see them you can simply search my name, click on the link in my signature and it will take you to my Webshots page where you can click on the Alaska album to see them. FYI, I probably won’t be finished processing them until the end of June 2008. Enjoy!

 

Theresa

[dsharple]

Thanks for posting Theresa. I'm going for 14 days on Radiance on 8/15.

[NancyIL]

Thanks for your nicely detailed review, and welcome back!

[krogerlady]

Please post a link for your pics!! I did a search for your name, and did not find just Theresa..there are numbers with each name. Really excited to see yoru photo safari pics because I was planning on taking that tour, and sort of thought there would be opportunities not available to any other tour, picture wise...thanks for the info...now the pics.....please!!

[vbmom87]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your review. Thank you so much for explaining what to expect at the airport and at boarding time. That was very useful information.

[cynt]

What is this - Ride the Funicular in Ketchikan?

[Teeara]

Please post a link for your pics!! I did a search for your name, and did not find just Theresa..there are numbers with each name. Really excited to see yoru photo safari pics because I was planning on taking that tour, and sort of thought there would be opportunities not available to any other tour, picture wise...thanks for the info...now the pics.....please!!

 

Click on the link in my signature (at the very bottom of this post). That takes you directly to my photos. I should mention that my username on Webshots is Probot. The album is entitled Alaska and the first shot of the humpback whale's tail is the one photo I mentioned in my review about the Photo Safari that I felt was worth the price of the entire cruise. He (or she) was not that close--between 1/4 and 1/2 mile away.

 

Photo Safari pix are not ready yet. I have finished through Inside Passage and am working on Ketchikan right now. Photo Safari should be ready in a week or so. I took over 300 photos on it so it will take time to process. I shoot RAW, so I have to process each shot individually.

 

Theresa

[Teeara]

What is this - Ride the Funicular in Ketchikan?

 

The Funicular is like a sky tram only it is on train tracks going up the side of the mountain. It is behind the shops on Creek Street and will take you to the top of the mountain above Ketchikan. They have them in Europe and I know Rick Steves has shown them on occasion during his travel shows.

[Cruising Carol]

I like the "Days of '98" show also. No need to take an excursion. Just walk up Broadway to the theatre and buy a ticket. They have several shows each day.

[krogerlady]

Theresa, thank you. I looked at all 162. How much memory did you use altogether? Just wondering. I haven't done much in raw. Seems like a lot of trouble, and I like what I get in jpg. I do know the difference, just don't have the experience to see which is which. I do know your pics are really awesome. How did you get all of them with no people?

[msmoger]

I took over 300 photos on it so it will take time to process. I shoot RAW, so I have to process each shot individually.

 

Theresa

 

Could someone provide a brief explanation of RAW versus....not RAW (I guess) :confused: :confused:

 

Thanks,

[7seven7]

Thanks Theresa

 

I enjoyed your review and your pictures. They were very good.

 

Janet

[krogerlady]

Jpg is a compressed format. It actually takes some of the pixels out of the picture in order to store it on the memory card and save space. You really don't notice what is missing, but not all of the options in manipulation programs, such as Photoshop, can be used to their best advantage if you don't have all the pixels. If you shoot in the RAW format, the pictures are much bigger, 5-1o mgs per pic, rather than maybe 500k, depending on your camera, and of course, RAW pictures will take up oodles of space on your memory cards. Theresa's pictures are really fantastic, and she worked very hard to have all the color, sharpness, etc, available to the viewers, us, BUT, RAW format does not work with the internet, as far as posting pictures. So you make all your adjustments, then save it in jpg. anyway.

 

Theresa, feel free to do a better job on a description....I think you probably know it better, but i thought i would jump in and try.

[msmoger]

Could someone provide a brief explanation of RAW versus....not RAW (I guess) :confused: :confused:

 

Thanks,

 

Jpg is a compressed format. It actually takes some of the pixels out of the picture in order to store it on the memory card and save space. You really don't notice what is missing, but not all of the options in manipulation programs, such as Photoshop, can be used to their best advantage if you don't have all the pixels. If you shoot in the RAW format, the pictures are much bigger, 5-1o mgs per pic, rather than maybe 500k, depending on your camera, and of course, RAW pictures will take up oodles of space on your memory cards. Theresa's pictures are really fantastic, and she worked very hard to have all the color, sharpness, etc, available to the viewers, us, BUT, RAW format does not work with the internet, as far as posting pictures. So you make all your adjustments, then save it in jpg. anyway.

 

Theresa, feel free to do a better job on a description....I think you probably know it better, but i thought i would jump in and try.

 

Thanks!! That was very informative.

[krogerlady]

I really should have added, to be more correct, you save a copy of the corrected photo as a jpg. Photographers who shoot in RAW always save their originals, untouched. Sometimes RAW is referred to as the photographic "negative", although the images aren't truly negative.

[Teeara]

Theresa, thank you. I looked at all 162. How much memory did you use altogether? Just wondering. I haven't done much in raw. Seems like a lot of trouble, and I like what I get in jpg. I do know the difference, just don't have the experience to see which is which. I do know your pics are really awesome. How did you get all of them with no people?

 

I brought along 4 memory cards: 2 2G and 2 1G for a total of 6G, but I also brought my laptop from home and downloaded my pix every night and kept a journal on it as well. It is a bit of a hassle, but I prefer having more control over my photos by shooting RAW than by shooting JPEG. I took a total of over 1300 shots, so I have done only a tenth of my shots so far. I took over 300 shots on the Photo Safari, but I won't be processing all of them since many of the shots are at weird angles due to the rocking of the boat! I will only process the best ones and post them.

 

Thanks for the compliments on my photos. I have been teaching myself over the last few years to take better ones and Cam on the Photo Safari was very helpful in suggesting other ways to improve my shots.

 

How do I get my photos without other people in them? I'm very patient! And I also try to position myself (and my camera) in such a way as to not have people in them. It can be a bit tricky. The most difficult time I have ever had with that was when we were at Tulum on the Explorer cruise. There were hundreds of people swarming over the area, but I was able to get some shots without people by watching the "traffic" movement and preparing for the gaps. I also line up my shots in advance with people in the shot so that when that gap appears I simply have to click and get the shot. It is more difficult to do when you are part of a tour group yourself, but it can be done. As for the cruiseship photos, I am always among the first to board and first to eat so that also makes me the first to explore the ship and usually I get great shots with no people because everyone is still upstairs eating or boarding! Food for thought...;)

 

Theresa

[Teeara]

Jpg is a compressed format. It actually takes some of the pixels out of the picture in order to store it on the memory card and save space. You really don't notice what is missing, but not all of the options in manipulation programs, such as Photoshop, can be used to their best advantage if you don't have all the pixels. If you shoot in the RAW format, the pictures are much bigger, 5-1o mgs per pic, rather than maybe 500k, depending on your camera, and of course, RAW pictures will take up oodles of space on your memory cards. Theresa's pictures are really fantastic, and she worked very hard to have all the color, sharpness, etc, available to the viewers, us, BUT, RAW format does not work with the internet, as far as posting pictures. So you make all your adjustments, then save it in jpg. anyway.

 

Theresa, feel free to do a better job on a description....I think you probably know it better, but i thought i would jump in and try.

 

I think your explanation was just fine. I will confirm the bit about the space issues. They are huge. On a 1G memory card you might be able to get several hundred shots when shooting JPEG. Shooting RAW I only get about 100. On a 2G card I only get about 205 shots. That is why when I travel I lug around my computer so I can download every night. But that also allows me to see what I have shot and if I am in the same location and something didn't turn out the way I wanted it to I can then go back and reshoot the shot.

 

I will also say that I am a bit disappointed with Webshots. My photos actually look 10X better on Shutterfly than on Webshots, but you have to personally invite people to view pix on Shutterfly, whereas I can simply post a link to them with Webshots.

 

Theresa

[SweetpeaOne]

Wow, that was a great review. Thanks for sharing.

[sarbah77]

I think your explanation was just fine. I will confirm the bit about the space issues. They are huge. On a 1G memory card you might be able to get several hundred shots when shooting JPEG. Shooting RAW I only get about 100. On a 2G card I only get about 205 shots. That is why when I travel I lug around my computer so I can download every night. But that also allows me to see what I have shot and if I am in the same location and something didn't turn out the way I wanted it to I can then go back and reshoot the shot.

 

I will also say that I am a bit disappointed with Webshots. My photos actually look 10X better on Shutterfly than on Webshots, but you have to personally invite people to view pix on Shutterfly, whereas I can simply post a link to them with Webshots.

 

Theresa

 

Have you tried Flickr? I find it much easier to use and it does a decent job at capture the detail in my photos.

[Teeara]

Have you tried Flickr? I find it much easier to use and it does a decent job at capture the detail in my photos.

 

Shutterfly does that for me. I only use Webshots for general public viewing.

[P.A.]

Here's my review of Diamond Princess's first Alaska cruise of the season:

We used Limojet (www.limojetgold.com) to take us to our hotel. You can reserve online but it isn’t necessary. There is a kiosk just outside the airport doors and the gal there simply walked us across the street to a waiting limousine. Our limo was a stretch which was a good thing since we had nine pieces of luggage and assorted carryons. The cost was $45 to downtown Vancouver.

Theresa

 

Theresa~I saw your post about using Limojet and I am interested in finding out more info on that. We are sailing next Sat on the Serenade of the Seas and was interested in maybe using Limojet, however, there are 4 adults and approx 10 pieces of luggage. I was told by Limojet that they only allow 6 suitcases in the trunk and only carryon inside. Did you see a problem with this since you had 10? If we can't do Limojet, then we will probably have to seperate and take two vehicles to our hotel which I don't want to do.

 

If we are able to take them, you don't thInk it necessary to make a reservation? Just find them at the airport?

 

Your thoughts?

 

Thanks in advance! :)

[MilliesMom]

Thank you so much for your details especially about flying into Vancouver. This will be our first time there (flying in), always before have left from Seattle.

 

Were restrooms readily available once you got off the plane? We have a small child in the group and know that will be important to know. Hope they are not AFTER you get thru the first customs line.

 

Have heard lots of positives about the limo service too. We will be leaving from Ballentyne Pier not Canada Place. Luckily that day we are the only cruise line in port so shouldn't have the crowds like many experience on days with 3 or more ships in port.

 

At the hotel in Vancouver, were you within walking distance of Stanley Park?

 

Great photos ... thanks for posting. Alaska has such beauty, we can't wait to be back there.

 

thank you for your help.

[Teeara]

Theresa~I saw your post about using Limojet and I am interested in finding out more info on that. We are sailing next Sat on the Serenade of the Seas and was interested in maybe using Limojet, however, there are 4 adults and approx 10 pieces of luggage. I was told by Limojet that they only allow 6 suitcases in the trunk and only carryon inside. Did you see a problem with this since you had 10? If we can't do Limojet, then we will probably have to seperate and take two vehicles to our hotel which I don't want to do.

 

If we are able to take them, you don't thInk it necessary to make a reservation? Just find them at the airport?

 

Your thoughts?

 

Thanks in advance! :)

 

I don't think it will be a problem. You will have to use a stretch limo which is what we had. There were 3 of us in the limo and there would've been no problem seating a 4th. We put our carryons on the back seat (where you enter) and there was still room. There is only room for about 6 pieces of bigger luggage in the trunk of the limo. That is why they say only 6 in the trunk. But again, there is plenty of room inside the limo and you can put it on the back seat. There is a seat directly behind the driver which seats 2, one along the length of the limo which seats 3 and then the back seat which seats 2, but you will need that for luggage.

 

You don't have to make a reservation, but if it will make you more comfortable then do so. Just make sure you ask for a stretch and not a sedan. There is no way 4 adults will be able to get 10 pieces of luggage in a sedan. We were charged $45 total to the Landis Hotel. Great rate when you consider most shuttle services charge $15 to $20 per person.

 

So I have no hesitation in recommending Limojet for you. Have a wonderful cruise!

 

Theresa

[Teeara]

Were restrooms readily available once you got off the plane? We have a small child in the group and know that will be important to know. Hope they are not AFTER you get thru the first customs line.

 

At the hotel in Vancouver, were you within walking distance of Stanley Park?

 

I don't recall whether restrooms were available after disembarking from the plane, but I'm sure they are before customs. Just keep your eyes posted for them.

 

We were NOT within walking distance of Stanley Park and you have to understand that it is HUGE. You will need to either take the trolley tour, rent a car, catch a cab or take the bus to get there. Vancouver is a bit spread out and I think they said that Stanley Park is the 3rd largest municipal park in North America after NY Central Park and San Francisco's Golden Gate Park (if someone knows otherwise please feel free to correct me).

 

Have a great time! Vancouver is hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics and they already have lots of merchandise for sale. There is a bit of construction going on in preparation for it, too.

 

Theresa

[jameybano]

Thanks for posting this great review--would love to see the photo that made your trip memorable!