Review and Photos of Denali May 18-19 and Carnival Spirit Cruise SB, May 20-27, 2009

[bimmermom]

 

 

 

 

 

Can you spot the 2 wolves sleeping far below?

 

 

[bimmermom]

There was one last stop left on our tour - riding a water taxi (called a SeaBus) across the waterfront back to Canada Place. We had been seeing these taxi catamarans speeding back and forth all day. Darcy drove us to the North Shore water taxi station, parked the bus and accompanied us through the market that adjoins the station.

 

Wow! It was closing time at the market (around 7:00 pm) - otherwise this would have been a wonderful place to look around. There were lots of booths and exhibits, with every imaginable fresh food, from spices and fruits and veggies to gourmet international and local delicacies. The bakeries smelled wonderful. There were also booths with exotic fabrics and handmade jewelry. Restaurants and even a hotel are located within the market. Oh, well, just one more place I have to return to on my next visit.

 

After just a few minutes' wait, the taxi arrived and we boarded the low-lying boat that can easily hold a few hundred people. Looking out the windows toward Canada Place, we saw the Carnival Spirit pulling away from her berth. Talk about perfect timing!

 

We managed to snap one last photo of her as she made her turn for the Lion's Gate Bridge, leaving the same way that she had arrived with us onboard just 12 short hours ago. Sigh...

 

 

 

 

The Spirit has left the building

 

[bimmermom]

And off she goes, northbound and back to Alaska!

 

 

The SeaBus dropped us off and we proceeded to go to the doors that Darcy had instructed us to find. Outside the doors was another Landsea shuttle bus with a different driver. They had transferred our luggage to this new bus. The driver planned to take us to the Richmond Radisson Airport Hotel, where I had made reservations to spend our last night before boarding a 7:45 am flight back home in the morning.

 

During the approximately 1/2 hour drive to the hotel, our driver told us all about Granville Island (another place I need to see someday) and pointed out fine neighborhoods all along the route. He told us that Richmond, where our hotel and the airport is located, has a heavy Chinese population. They settled in this part of town in particular because the area is shaped like the head of a dragon and the Chinese believe that the dragon brings good luck and fortune.

 

Well, was our final night on vacation ok or did something finally go wrong?

 

I had read mixed reviews after making reservations at the Radisson Airport Hotel, so was just a little nervous about what to expect. But after being dropped off at the newly renovated Radisson, check-in was smooth and the room turned out to be large, quiet and comfortable. We scheduled their free hotel shuttle to take us to the nearby airport at 5:00 in the morning. The $120 it had cost to stay here was well worth the money. And after a good night's sleep (zzzzzzzzzzzzzz), the 3 of us made it to the airport as scheduled.

 

On the plane trip home, I jotted down more notes and kept going over the details of the trip in my mind. And while typing this review and sharing this trip with ya'll, I keep thinking about how lucky we had been. Mt. Redoubt had kept quiet, the rock slide to Whittier had been cleared just in time, Mt. McKinley had been out in full force both days we were there, we had seen a whole bunch of different critters, glaciers had been calving, it had only rained one day and we had ended up making new friends. The list went on and on.

 

I hope that all of you reading this "novel" will have the same good fun and fortune during your future vacations as we did on this one. Maybe we will even end up on the same roll call for a future cruise!

 

In the meantime, if you have any further questions, just fire away. And thanks for following along with me on the southbound Carnival Spirit.

 

This review is now complete - so as the saying goes - "Just stick a fork in me, cuz I'm done!"

 

Smiles, :D:D:D:D

Bimmermom (Hilda)

[Purplehaze21]

I have enjoyed every minute of this review! Thank You for sharing your wonderful trip with us. Makes me wish mine was now!

[Lovharvey]

Say it ain't so! LOL. I have enjoyed your review and pictures so much. I have looked for new posts from you every day and would check several times a day, even at work. :):)

[vegs1]

Well...I said it once and I'll say it again....what a fabulous review. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy life to post it so that it could excite us future Alaska travellers even more than we already are.

 

I can't wait to start my vacation...hopefully it will go as well as yours. What memories!

 

One quick question...how did you find the shopping on board the ship in terms of items and cost compared to onland?

 

Thanks again....I'm sure I'll be rereading the whole thing before we leave just in case I missed something :)

[BayStateguppy]

Wow! Amazing!

Thank you, Thank you for doing this.

Your pictures are fabulous and I enjoyed every minute of your review.

[Traveler353]

Without doubt this is the best review ever posted. Thank you. Wonderful photos.

The trip that you took is my dream cruise, complete with the land trip. One of these days, maybe next year. Of course I say that every year.

[bimmermom]

It was my pleasure, Vegs1, BayStateguppy and Traveler! I'm so glad you liked the review.

 

***Veg1*** I thought the Spirit had some really nice items, a wider variety than the other ships I've sailed on. The prices for liquor in the duty free shop were really great, in some cases, almost half what you pay back home. I also enjoyed looking at the $10 items in that little shop. Of course, you'll find your best deals on the last sea day, as I described in the review, especially for watches, costume jewelry sets and perfumes. I also thought there was great selection and pricing of fine jewelry on the ship.

 

That said, I think shopping in the many shops, stores, and galleries in Ketchikan was far superior to what the ship had to offer. Of course, Ketchikan was about the only port where I had any time to go shopping, since our other port days were filled with excursions. But I have heard other folks say that they preferred shopping for almost anything in Ketchikan to the other cruise stops. Maybe someone else can chime in here to help us out.

 

***Traveler 353*** Don't wait, just go! I have also ALWAYS wanted to cruise Alaska, but never thought I would really do it. If at all possible, just make yourself go and I'm sure you won't regret it. Treat yourself to that dream vacation.

[Deloresgardella]

Thank you so much for the great review and pictures. We will be boarding the Spirit in September although we will be going to Hawaii instead of Alaska I really enjoyed the pictures. I have been to Alaska once from San Francisco. Your pictures make me want to go back again soon, maybe next year.

Delores

[happylady]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to share with us. We'll be on the Spirit in a short 334 days. Can't hardly wait.

[unadillasc]

Thank you so much for posting. I so much enjoyed your story and the pictures are absolutely fabulous! Now if I can only convince my husband and daughter to go. Maybe if I just get them to look at the pictures and read a little.....

Again, thanks and you did a great job!

[atlasali]

Wow! Wow! Wow!

 

thank you!

[sjcruiser]

Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I just sitting here in amazement with the wonderful pictures of all the scenery and wildlife.

 

Thanks for posting such a detailed review with pictures.

[woowoochick]

Thanks again for posting all the pictures and the fabulous review. It has really helped me out with the planning for our trip on the Spirit in August. We also have an aft cabin with the wrap around balcony - but on the 7th floor, right under your cabin (7347). After seeing your pictures of the cabin and balcony, I'm so happy we booked that aft cabin.

 

One question for you. Your pictures are just so amazing. You mentioned you used the Nikon D60. How much experience do you have with a DSLR camera? Your pictures look like they were taken by a professional photographer. You have a great eye for taking that perfect picture. We just bought a DSLR camera for the first time. I plan on practicing a lot before August, but fear I will never get nearly as good as you with the camera.

 

Now that you have completed your review, what will I do every day without my daily bimmermom "fix"?

[Rosieo]

Great review. I am up now because my plane leaves tomorrow afternoon and I am so excited I can't stand it. I was on the Alaska board and stumbled on this review. Now I am even more excited. I will never be able to sleep tonight, so maybe during the 7 hour plane ride tomorrow I can sleep. Bimmermom I hope my pictures turn out half as good as yours! They are amazing!!!!!

[bimmermom]

:) Thanks so very much, everybody, for your kudos! And for reading all my ramblings....I had so much fun reliving it all.

 

WooWoo -- you are starting to make me blush :o I was disappointed in many of the photos (esp in Denali) but I think it's because nothing can compare to the real things you see and do in Alaska, where everything is larger-than-life. But to answer your questions:

 

Yes, I used to take a lot of pictures and even a photography course for fun many years ago when 35mm reigned. I guess you could say it was my favorite hobby. Back then, my camera was a Nikon N2000 and I read lots of books and magazines on general photography. I had a basic understanding of aperture and shutter priority and how to use handheld light meters for manual settings.

 

The basics of photography like that really do still apply today with digital photography. And honestly, if you read your DSLR owners' manual and practice, you should be fine. DSLR cameras these days make it easy on us, ie, continuous shooting so you don't have that camera lag in between shots (good for wildlife and sports). Also helpful are all those dummy-proof settings such as adjusting your camera dial to the kid on the bike icon for sports; the mountains for scenery; the moon icon for night shots, etc. Those little icons vary from camera brand to camera brand, but basically all do the same things.

 

So, I guess I would suggest you get a book or 2 on general and/or digital photography and read your owner's manual cover to cover. Plus do a search on google for photography discussion boards (I like dpreview dot com, for example). I've learned a lot on photography boards, just like I have here on CC when it comes to cruising! :)

 

And if you don't already have one, you might want to look into getting a 300 mm (or longer) telephoto lens with image stabilization. That, plus creative cropping later, can really help with the wildlife photos.

 

Don't worry about your Bimmermom fix, I'm hooked on the CC boards now and it's me who needs her fix from you and everybody else. So if you have anything you wanna post about and I can help, here I am! Or when you come back from Alaska, please fill me in on your adventures.

 

Thanks again!

Hilda

[bimmermom]

Have a fantastic trip, Rosieo! I'll be waiting on you to come back with lots of photos. Take a whole bunch of them and enjoy every moment. Bon Voyage!

[woowoochick]

Thanks again bimmermom!! Once again you have been very helpful. I plan on doing all those things you mentioned in order to try to improve my photography. Like Rosieo, I will hope my pictures come out half as good as yours.

[Minoushka]

Hilda

 

Your review was TOP KNOTCH .We will be going to Vancouver July 5th to board Spirit July 8th CANNOT WAIT What was the weather like in Vancouver ..I'm thinking warm like Montreal in summer therefore shorts ,capris tops and rainwear ..RIGHT?????

What market did you see in Vancouver ?Do we go by seabus?WHich one ?

Does your tour company do a tour and drop off at Airport ..I would like the mountain and bridge for our late pm flight so we don't mind starting early ..ADVICE????

Was it cold at night on board ship ...Will I be Ok with summer clothes ..Were people super casual or a little fancy ?I don;t want to shlep my son's suit so he has nice slacks shirts.ties and nice sweater is that OK ????

How cold was the cabin .Will I be Ok with Pjs?

I REALLY look forward to all towns we will be going to

I think I'm packing too much ...ADVICE???We are doing BTB.... Are there laundromats ????

 

I hope I get as good pictures as you ..i hope to paint when I get back ...sceneries are my favorite subjects

Waiting for your reply

 

Michele

[lucyddr]

My mother and I have really enjoyed reading your trip report! She's been to Alaska and says your report just reminds her of all the places she would like to see again and the ones that she never got around to seeing. As for me, let's just say our "dream trip" is now 2 weeks and totalling $15,000...we'll just have to see when that will be in the cards!

[cpristash]

Loved your review....just a couple of questions here!

We willbe ddoing the Princess Cruisetour and staying at Denali for 2 nights and the McKinley Princess....by any chance did you notice any restaurants within walking distance to those lodges? As much as I love the lodges, I would like to explore the area albeit by foot!

Thanks for the "heads up" on the brewhouse....we might just have to do that one as well!!!!

[bimmermom]

Hi, Michele! You are so lucky to have extra time pre-cruise to spend in Vancouver. Only having 1 day, we had to pass up so many other things, like the city tour that includes Gasport, China Town, Granville Island, Stanley Park, etc. But we chose the North Shore Tour for our afternoon/evening and don't regret a minute of it, as I'm sure you could tell :D

 

-- Anyway, yes your choice of clothing sounds perfect

 

--The North Short market where we caught the SeaBus is called Lonsdale Quay. They even have a web site at www dot lonsdalequay dot com. You can catch the SeaBus from the terminal located close to Canada Place and take it directly over to Lonsdale Quay; I think the ride was only about 15 minutes or so. If you go there, please let me know if it was as wonderful as it looked.

 

--The tour company we used, LandSea Tours, will work with your needs as far as pick-up and drop-off locations. Yes, they will take you to the airport for dropoff. Give them a call or send an e-mail (www dot vancouvertours dot com) and tell them what you would like to do. I spoke with Danielle and she was very helpful.

 

-- I never felt cold inside the ship; in fact, our suite would often get a just bit too warm and I would turn the thermostat down, especially at night. You will be fine with the same PJs you would wear at home. No need to dress in layers or bulk on the ship at all! The dress code was very casual, you will see a lot of jeans and capris, etc. Summer clothes are fine on the ship. And, no I wouldn't take your son's suit at all. My hubby didn't take his suit either and he normally does for Caribbean cruises. The clothing you've got listed for you son sounds just fine, just don't take too much! That's the key.

 

-- I've read on this board (you should probably do a search here on the Alaska Board) that there are laundromats in the towns, ie Ketchikan, Juneau, where you can do some wash if you have the time and desire. I don't think I would want to waste my precious time in port doing wash, tho. There are washers/dryers/ironing board /iron on the Spirit that you can use (I'm not sure which decks they are located on, but again, a search will find more info). I only did a few hand washings in the bathroom sink for some of our delicate stuff and that got us through the trip just fine.

 

WOW! A BTB sounds wonderful. You are gonna have so much fun. I wish I could turn around and go with you. I don't think I could ever get tired of exploring Alaska.

 

Oh, and how cool that you will be painting landscapes from your own photos! Do you use oils or watercolors or some other medium? My mom was an artist, painting mainly with oils.

 

Take care and here's hoping July 5th gets here soon for you. :)

[bimmermom]

***lucyddr***i'm glad you and your mom enjoyed my trip :) Oh, and I know what you mean about spending all that moola. The excursions and all the extras do mount up fast. I hope you have a great time!

 

***cpristash***the McKinley Princess Lodge looked like a wonderful place to stay overnight. We were only there for a short visit and photo ops, and the view from the decks toward Mt. McKinley and the Alaska Range was breathtaking. I hope the mountain will be "out" for you when you are staying there.

 

I do not recall seeing any restaurants or other buildings for many miles around that part of the Highway -- McKinley Lodge seemed pretty isolated. But there were several folks out on the trails around the lodge, which sits up high on a hill.

 

I believe there is a free shuttle service from the McKinley Princess Lodge to Talkeetna, so you might want to do that to check out the cafes and pubs. Again, I recommend the Talkeetna Roadhouse, plus you could probably do some hiking around the town. Very cute place!

[Minoushka]

Hi, Michele! You are so lucky to have extra time pre-cruise to spend in Vancouver. Only having 1 day, we had to pass up so many other things, like the city tour that includes Gasport, China Town, Granville Island, Stanley Park, etc. But we chose the North Shore Tour for our afternoon/evening and don't regret a minute of it, as I'm sure you could tell :D

 

-- Anyway, yes your choice of clothing sounds perfect

 

--The North Short market where we caught the SeaBus is called Lonsdale Quay. They even have a web site at www dot lonsdalequay dot com. You can catch the SeaBus from the terminal located close to Canada Place and take it directly over to Lonsdale Quay; I think the ride was only about 15 minutes or so. If you go there, please let me know if it was as wonderful as it looked.

 

--The tour company we used, LandSea Tours, will work with your needs as far as pick-up and drop-off locations. Yes, they will take you to the airport for dropoff. Give them a call or send an e-mail (www dot vancouvertours dot com) and tell them what you would like to do. I spoke with Danielle and she was very helpful.

 

-- I never felt cold inside the ship; in fact, our suite would often get a just bit too warm and I would turn the thermostat down, especially at night. You will be fine with the same PJs you would wear at home. No need to dress in layers or bulk on the ship at all! The dress code was very casual, you will see a lot of jeans and capris, etc. Summer clothes are fine on the ship. And, no I wouldn't take your son's suit at all. My hubby didn't take his suit either and he normally does for Caribbean cruises. The clothing you've got listed for you son sounds just fine, just don't take too much! That's the key.

 

-- I've read on this board (you should probably do a search here on the Alaska Board) that there are laundromats in the towns, ie Ketchikan, Juneau, where you can do some wash if you have the time and desire. I don't think I would want to waste my precious time in port doing wash, tho. There are washers/dryers/ironing board /iron on the Spirit that you can use (I'm not sure which decks they are located on, but again, a search will find more info). I only did a few hand washings in the bathroom sink for some of our delicate stuff and that got us through the trip just fine.

 

WOW! A BTB sounds wonderful. You are gonna have so much fun. I wish I could turn around and go with you. I don't think I could ever get tired of exploring Alaska.

 

Oh, and how cool that you will be painting landscapes from your own photos! Do you use oils or watercolors or some other medium? My mom was an artist, painting mainly with oils.

 

Take care and here's hoping July 5th gets here soon for you. :)

 

My specialty is acrylic paint on canvas . I do loads of fall/ Winter Canadian landscapes and I'm sureI will find great inspiration in Alaska and on BC coast . My walls are full of my paintings.My style is similar to the Group Of Seven ...lots of bright colours ..If I knew how to upload I would show you here ...I am NOT too computer savvy

I have not painted in quite a while but hope to seriously get into it when we come back ...I've already warned my hubby ..Eventually I would like to sell some although I truly love them all!!!One day perhaps I will have my own gallery for local artists

 

Thanks for all your info .I will post a review when I get back ..Thru your pics I feel like I know Alaska already

I will book with Major Marine to get 20% discount for me in CND $$$ that's a lot of MOOLA

I hope weather will be OK and have a great time

Thanks for your help

 

Michele