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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Lisa Pellmann
Email: laplpn@yahoo.com
Age: 37
Occupation: nurse
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: May 15, 1999
Itinerary: 7 night Voyage of the Glaciers
Cabin: P239 Category M
FoodDiningRoom: 96
CruiseDirector: 91
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 91
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 89
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 94
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 96
DeckService: 92
ShoreExcValue: 88
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 94
TenderService: 94
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 98
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 96
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 91
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 97
MedicalFacilities: 95
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 96
DiscoNightclubs: 93
DeckSpace: 97
Stabilization: 97
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 94
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Aug 1999
Time: 14:20:52
Remote Name: 169.207.147.35
Remote User:
Comments
This was only the second cruise I have ever taken, the first one being on Carnival's
Fantasy back in 1992 which
left me with a real dislike of cruising. I decided to give cruising one more chance and I
am now a convert for life. I
went on the 7 day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise from Vancouver to Anchorage on May 15,
1999. It was the Sea
Princess' first ever cruise to Alaska. The only trouble I had with this cruise was on em-
barkation when the ship
was late getting into port in Vancouver because of really bad weather off the California
coast during it's trip from
LA to Vancouver. I was very late getting on board ship, but then so was everyone else.
Once past that, the cruise
was everything I had imagined a cruise could be.
The waiters, assistant waiters, head waiters and the maitre'd were all fantastic - they
bent over backwards to
please you and the food and service were excellent. The cabin steward was extremely neat
and efficient. The
activities on board were varied, but at times, especially when in Glacier Bay or College
Fjord they were held at
times when most people were on deck viewing the glaciers. The naturalist who was on board
was very informative
and outgoing. I personally learned a lot about the wildlife and ecology of Alaska . Also,
the amount of wildlife I saw
was amazing - humpback whales, porpoises, sea otters, sea lions, eagles, and especially
the bears.
Overall, the cruise was worth every penny I spent on it and I am looking forward to going
to Alaska again on
Princess in the next few years as there were a lot of things I didn't get a chance to do
the first time around.
Name: Margie Herbert
Email: margie@virtualglobe.net
Age: 68
Occupation: retired actress
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 07/17/99
Itinerary: Seward to Vancouver
Cabin: Caribe DD
FoodDiningRoom: 97
CruiseDirector: 97
CabinComfort: 97
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 97
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 97
FoodMidnightBuffets: 97
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService: 97
ShoreExcValue: 96
GoodForHoneymoon: 98
CasinoStaff: 97
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 98
LoungeService: 97
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 98
BeautySalonStaff: 97
EntertainmentLounges: 97
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 97
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon: 97
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 97
Casino: 97
AirSeaProgram: 97
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 97
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 97
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 97
SpaceRatio: 97
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 Aug 1999
Time: 11:50:19
Remote Name: usr11-dialup288.mix1.irving.cw.net
Remote User:
Comments
There were 3 of us ages 13, 44, & 68. The 68 had had neck surgery, so the 44 came
alone to take the 13 on the
land excursions. I was primed to fully enjoy everything because the 1st Crown cruise 3 yrs
earlier was so splendid.
We spent 1 1/2 days on our own in Seward prior to embarkation. Thus, we checked in
outselves. It went very
quickly and efficiently with a very nice, lively lady. The picture taken upon entering was
a nice touch. Our cabins
were lovely. We each received a bouquet. I learned upon my return home that another
bouquet had been sent to
me from a florist recommended by Princess which I never got. The closet room and the
number of hangers
seemed nicer than before. Our experience with staff, from Steward to Jr. Waiter was
excellent. I particularly like to
find out about the staff in lounges, shops, etc. because they are so interesting. The teen
program is very good.
That's one of the reasons I choose Princess. The room service food was very disappointing.
There was an error
made on a hot dog ordered plain, which came with relish, and the correct one came without
the chips. My turkey
sandwich was tiny, dry and the wrong bread was included. The elevators seemed to be a
problem for many
people. There was a long wait consistently, and of course, when they came many were filled
to capacity. The Lido
deck buffet was fine, however it was usually tough to find a place to sit during peak
hours, which seemed to be
from early to almost mid-morning. There are notices around to keep people from reserving
tables. All in all, I'm
sure there are other wonderful cruise lines, but I have no desire to find them. The care,
attention to detail and to
my comfort, the itinerary and the attitude of all concerned has made me a Princess fan. I
am anxious to go again.
Name: Barbara Couture
Email: bjcouture@aol.com
Age: 53
Occupation: Administrative Assistant
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 8/28/99
Itinerary: Alaska
Cabin: A501
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 98
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 98
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Sep 1999
Time: 00:05:55
Remote Name: spider-th081.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was the first cruise for my husband and myself. TA helped us plan it all. Every
aspect was well organized and
carried out, from the itinerary to the moving of luggage and personnel. We took a land
tour first. Kenai facilities were
terrific. Beautiful weather every day, no rain. The domed train rides were a plus. There
was plenty of room at the
tables to sit comfortable for hours. While in Fairbanks, the Riverboat Cruise encompassed
so many interesting
features, and the service/hospitality was superb. On our flight back to Anchorage, our
pilot did a complete circle
around Mt. McKinley so both sides of the plane could get a perfect view. Again no rain and
the views were spectacular.
Definitely take the cruise second and relax and enjoy the views. We had an outside
balcony, midship, Aloha, deck 11,
perfct for viewing the sights, and having a cocktail. Everything was perfect. The seas
were smooth, I even went on
deck swimming, & enjoyed the comfort of the afternoon sun while reading. Truly
relaxing and very enjoyable. The
dining room food was so, so. The appetizers and soups were great. Fresh lobster and crab
were good. Some desserts
were served frozen and they were not ice cream...creme brulee. The breakfasts in the
dining room were ok, I liked
being seated and served, not buffet and hunting for a table. Room service for coffee and
juice every morning was just
what I needed to get started. Our room steward could not have been more attentive. We
appreciated having our land
tours prebooked and arranged, but, yes some were definitely cheaper if purchased on shore.
My husband went on
three fishing expeditions. I joined him on one an went on the helicoptor to the Mendenhall
Glacier while he was on
another. My helicoptor trip was very smooth, but, alas too short for the money. Again
weather was great. The railroad
trip in Skagway was a beautiful sight to behold, but, I wish we would have taken the bus
back down from what others
were saying. The Glaciers were breathtaking!!We enjoyed a seaweed wrap in the spa. The
Sing and Dance review
was very enjoyable. The casino slots were 'very tight' the blackjack dealers were fun. All
in all...Great trip, can't wait for
another!
Name: Barry Reid
Email: b4r@flash.net
Age: 49
Occupation: Quality Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: 08/20/99
Itinerary: Alaska LandCruise
Cabin: A720 BA
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 98
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 20 Sep 1999
Time: 11:48:46
Remote Name: 198.172.79.101
Remote User:
Comments
We were thoroughly impressed with the way Princess handled our complete package. Everyone
was very helpful,
friendly, and it was very organized. We did not have to think, they had everything
arranged for us.
The land part of our package was organized so well, we did not have to worry about
anything. Princess had all our
hotels ready for us, room keys when we arrived, and a list of our schedule for each day
mapped out for us. Before we
got to each location, a Princess guide would climb aboard our bus (very comfortable buses)
and tell us what to do and
what to expect. They were very friendly and helpful, and very funny.
The ship was immaculate, comfortable, and easy to figure out. The room service was prompt,
but the food was not
fresh tasting. As if they prepared it during the night and brought it to us 5 hours later.
Recommendation: don't use
room service for food. Dining room food and buffet superb. Good selection. No midnight
buffet, though, only the pizza
parlor is open 24 hours (who wants pizza at 2 am?).
The shore excursions were excellent. Princess makes sure that you have plenty of time to
get to your excursion and
that you get back. There was no rush feeling. And disembarking was very organized. They
took into account whether
you had an early morning flight, or where you were going. Thus, people who needed to get
off first were scheduled
that way. Very nice.
We would definitely use Princess again for our next cruise.
Name: Bill & Lu Schwartz
Email: schwartz@GlobalEyes.net
Age: 50
Occupation: Judge
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sea
SailingDate: September 11, 1999
Itinerary: Princess LandTour 13 Southbound
Cabin: B620
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 990
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 92
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 96
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 88
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 92
OverallCruiseValue: 94
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Nov 1999
Time: 22:20:39
Remote Name: proxy2.globaleyes.net
Remote User:
Comments
ALASKA - North to South
Introduction
My wife and I are 50 years old. This was my fourth cruise. It was my wife's second cruise.
All of our prior cruises have been
on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (see our review of the Monarch from 1997). It is difficult
to compare one ship to another
ship because of personnel (which always change) and itinerary. It is even more difficult
to compare one cruise line to
another cruise line because of the myriad number of differences involved in such a
comparison. Nevertheless, it is our
experience that Princess is far superior to Royal Caribbean when general comparisons are
made concerning friendliness
of staff, quality of food, scheduling of excursions and satisfaction from the experience.
We were pleasantly surprised at
how courteous, polite, pleasant and helpful all of the Princess employees were especially
at the end of a long season. I
doubt that we encountered even a half dozen grumps employed by Princess during the whole
trip. This review concerns
Princess CruiseTour 13 with the added excursion to Kotzebue and Nome. The CruiseTour began
on September 3, 1999,
and ended on September 18, 1999. The land portion was taken at the beginning and the
cruise at the end. I wouldn't do it
any other way since it involved 1 ship, 2 other boats, 3 trains, 11 airplanes and 27 motor
coaches! During the first three
days we were on 5 airplanes and 6 motor coaches. During the first 8 nights we only slept
in the same bed 2 nights in a
row. It was definitely not relaxing, however, it was throughly enjoyable. I would
certainly advise taking the land portion
before the cruise.
Fall Travel - We had initially planned to take this trip in July but for a variety of
reasons we put it back to September. We
were very happy to have delayed the trip. Ours was the next to last cruise. The families
on vacation were minimal which
translate into smaller crowds and fewer children. The weather was fine. No rain and very
little cloud cover during the land
portion. Rain and overcast during the cruise portion. Generally speaking, 50's during the
day and lower 40's at night. No
mosquitoes. The colors were changing at the higher elevations and the animals were moving
getting ready for winter.
Finally, there is a better price for the package.
Luggage - I think this is the appropriate time to mention luggage handling. Princess was
absolutely fantastic handling our
luggage! All of our luggage initially arrived at the Anchorage Hilton. Princess does not
do a very good job of describing in
advance how your luggage is handled for the pre-cruise portion of the trip. As you move
from place to place they do a
very good job of describing your options with respect to luggage handling. We returned to
the Anchorage Hilton after each
segment of our touring except the final leg. I suspect the same is true for those staying
in other hotels (Captain Cook and
the Anchorage Sheraton). This allows you to store the luggage you do not need for that leg
of the tour at the hotel. You
designate what luggage you want to be transported on each leg of the tour and Princess
will take it from your hotel room
to that location. You can designate the luggage you do not want to take on that leg for
storage and it will return to your
hotel room when you return. You can also designate the luggage you want to be taken
directly to the ship and Princess
will take care of that. Consequently, we had luggage going directly to the ship; we had
luggage stored at the hotel; we had
luggage moving with us; and, we had luggage hopscotching to the next destination. Believe
it or not it all arrived at the
correct place on time. It was amazing! The only word of caution is that luggage handling
in Seattle is notably bad
according to the luggage handlers with whom I spoke. This statement was verified when on
the trip home TWA misplaced
a piece of luggage on the non-stop flight from Seattle to St. Louis. It arrived four days
latter.
Excursions - This year Princess changed the process for booking excursions. Ignore all of
the complaining you read about
booking excursions on prior Alaska Princess cruise reviews. About four weeks before the
cruise, Princess sends an
excursion list for booking excursions. You can book your excursions at that time and the
tickets will be waiting in your ship
cabin room when you embark. Many cruisers talk about booking excursions independently. At
every stop there are tour
operators available to book excursions right on the pier or immediately off the pier. We
decided to go with the Princess
excursions for two reasons: they have lined up the most popular excursions and, if
something goes wrong, Princess will
work it out. A glacier helicopter excursion in Juneau off the Crown Princess immediate
prior to our arrival developed
problems and everyone had to spend the night on the glacier with a survival team brought
in to take care of them. If you
had booked that excursion independently getting back on the ship would have been your
responsibility and Princess
would not have had any responsibility for assisting. We felt the added cost was worth it
for the more adventurous
excursions.
Food - Food is not included in the land portion of the package even when staying in the
Princess facilities. Dinner meals
run about $25.00 per person for the entree. At each Princess facility you can sign up to
have a credit card cover your
expenses, just like on the ship, but it has to be done at each separate Princess location.
Kotzebue and Nome
The added excursion to Kotzebue and Nome is actually provided by Alaska Airlines and is
their Arctic Adventure. The
transition at Anchorage airport from Princess to Alaska Airlines could have been smoother.
We had no idea that we were
going to be turned over from Princess to Alaska Airlines. There was a bit of uncertainty
at the Alaska Airlines counter and
no Princess person was present to smooth the way. After we became knowledgeable about what
was transpiring
everything went fine until we returned to Anchorage and there was no one from Princess to
meet us. We were directed
onto a Princess motor coach that took us to our hotel. Since we were hand carrying our
luggage and kept our itinerary
handy there was not a problem but it was disconcerting.
Kotzebue is an Eskimo community of about 3500 located north of the Arctic Circle. For the
most part the community
practices a modified subsistence life style. It is not a pretty place. It is a good place
to learn about the life style of Native
Alaskans first hand. The presentations by the children at the Living Museum of the Arctic
were very good. My wife thought
Kotzebue was depressing because of the subsistence nature of living. I do not disagree
with her but I was glad we visited
and experienced the Native Alaskan style of life.
Late in the afternoon we flew from Kotzebue to Nome and had a quick tour of the city
before being checked into the Nome
Nugget Inn. One family runs the show for the Nome excursion. They own the tour company,
the Nome Nugget Inn and the
Little Creek Station which is a tourist stop where we panned for gold. Nome was a gold
rush town and the history of the
gold rush still permeates the town. It still looks and feels like a frontier town.
The Nome Nugget Inn is a cute little place with an eclectic assortment of memorabilia
decorating the premises. The rooms
are small and clean with twin beds. The restaurants in Nome leave a lot to be desired both
in quality and in service. The
next day we witnessed a sled dog demonstration and visited with the driver. He explained
sled dog racing, the Iditarod,
and his kennel. We then toured the town and the area before winding up at the Little Creek
Station for a video
presentation and gold panning. We then flew back to Anchorage.
Anchorage
Anchorage has some fine restaurants. Two that we particularly enjoyed were the Marx
Brothers Café and Simon &
Seafords. I would rank these restaurants with the better restaurants in Chicago or St.
Louis. If you eat before 7:00 p.m.
getting a table didn't seem to be a problem. Anytime after 7:00 and you definitely need a
reservation. If you like Caesar's
salad, don't miss it at Marx Brothers Café!
On the way to the Kenai Princess Lodge, the motor coach conducted a city tour of Anchorage
. The tour included the new
Alaska Native Heritage Center, Earthquake Park, Lake Hood seaplane base and sights in the
city. We stopped at Portage
Glacier for lunch and sightseeing. Unfortunately, we arrived at the Kenai Princess Lodge
so late that tours available that
evening had been sold out and the tours for the following day were somewhat limited.
Kenai Princess Lodge
The lodge sits in a remote setting up above the Kenai River. It is a relaxing, pleasant
setting. There is a main lodge
building, the mandatory souvenir shop and long buildings containing four to six cabins in
each building. The cabins are
comfortable and attractive. They have a bedroom area, bath and living room area with a
porch. Each cabin has a wood
burning stove. The restaurant is rustic with good views and a very good menu selection.
The meals were very good.
I went fishing on the Kenai River while my wife relaxed. If you are expecting a secluded
fishing trip in the wilderness, the
Kenai River is not the place to find it. This is not a river to attempt to fish without a
guide. It is fast and it is deep enough to
get a wader into serious trouble. The manner of fly fishing was different due to the swift
current of the river. Kip Pfortmiller
of Alaska Troutfitters was excellent in providing me with a superb day of fishing with the
high point being a trophy class
Dolly Varden in the 8 to 10 lb. range.
On the trip back to Anchorage the bus stopped at the Big Game Park for an up close
experience with Alaskan big game
being rehabilitated or transitioned back to the wild. We stopped at the Alyeska Resort for
a tram ride and lunch at the top
of the mountain. There were awesome views on the bright, clear day when we visited.
Denali Princess Lodge
The next day we boarded the Midnight Sun Express, the rail cars which are owned by
Princess, for the trip to Denali
National Park. The upper level of the cars is divided into booths. Four people are
assigned to each booth. The only
storage is under the seat. You are told to take a carry-on bag for your stay at the Denali
Princess Lodge (I am not sure
about the luggage arrangements with respect to the Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge). My wife
and I each took a small
carry-on bag and they both fit under the seat. However, any of the larger carry-on bags
you normally see on airplanes
probably would not fit if you tried to put more than the single bag under the seat.
There is a bar on the upper level of each car. Princess has a bartender and a host or
hostess on the upper level of each
car. They both work the tables and provide information on points of interest during the
trip. The lower level contains
restrooms, an observation deck, the mandatory souvenir shop (one per four cars), and the
dining area. It was reported to
us that breakfast was very good. Our lunch was very good. The dinners ranged from good to
terrible. The quality of the
dinner on the train was definitely below the quality we experienced at all of the other
Princess facilities. The dining area is
nicely appointed with china and linen. You are assigned the shift during which you will be
called to eat. If you receive the
last call, you might be quite rushed as the dining room attendants want to have their work
done before they arrive at the
next station.
The main seating area of the train has windows that curve up and over the top of the
train. This makes photography
relatively easy. A bright, sunny day can also cause the brightness to be uncomfortable.
The regulation of temperature did
not seem to be a problem but I wonder if air conditioning might be a problem on very warm
days with all of the glass up
above.
The train moves very slowly. The scenery varied from boring to spectacular. We had hoped
to see some wildlife but we did
not see any wildlife during the train ride. The train stopped at Talkeetna just long
enough to exchange passengers. Those
passengers staying at the Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge get off at Talkeetna. The Mt.
McKinley Princess Lodge is suppose
to have a spectacular view of Mt. McKinley. In fact, the main lodge was designed so that
its massive windows frame Mt.
McKinley. There is a list of excursions available at the Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge,
however, the lodge is over 100 miles
from the entrance to Denali National Park. We wanted to tour Denali National Park so we
stayed at the Denali Princess
Lodge. The railroad stop after Talkeetna is Denali.
Denali Princess Lodge is a rustic facility built of logs with several buildings. There is
a dinner theater type of building, the
main lodge, several restaurants, and many buildings containing the rooms. The rooms are
standard motel fare. The draw
to the area is not the lodge but rather Denali National Park.
Denali National Park has a single road that runs into the park. Generally speaking,
private vehicles are not allowed on the
road. Only buses are allowed on the road. Princess offered an excursion into the park
which was 8 hours in length. At the
time it was listed as Tour "J". However, getting Tour "J" was a
problem. The excursions from both Mt. McKinley and Denali
Princess Lodges are handled on the train. Tour "J" was not listed and the train
tour director was of no help. After we
arrived at the Denali Princess Lodge, the tour office said there was no problem in
arranging the tour through them and
they booked us for the tour the next morning.
It was clear and beautiful when we arrived at the lodge so we decided to take a flight
seeing tour of Mt. McKinley after we
arrived. We arranged this through the Princess tour desk. Denali Air provided the tour and
it was the most outstanding
excursion we took on the entire trip! You cannot see Mt. McKinley from the Denali Princess
Lodge or from anywhere at the
entrance to Denali National Park. The only way to see the mountain is to take a bus trip
back into the park or take a flight
seeing excursion. Phil from Denali Air was fantastic. He positioned the plane for maximum
photographic advantage. He
narrated the trip in an excellent manner. And he took us to within 150 feet of Denali! It
was awesome!
The next day we took the 8 hour excursion into Denali National Park. On the way to pick up
the tour, the van almost hit a
young moose crossing the road. The buses used in the park are school buses with seats that
have been made slightly
more comfortable. The trip was fantastic. The scenery was spectacular and we saw all of
the large animals: brown bear at
a great distance, lots of Dall sheep, caribou, moose both bull and cow, fox and even a
couple of wolves! The bus makes
several rest stops with facilities available. A box lunch was included.
After the excursion we boarded the train for the trip to Fairbanks.
Fairbanks
We arrived late in Fairbanks but took the hotel shuttle to see the town. Fairbanks is a
boom or bust town. From my
observation the main town is currently in a downward cycle. The next morning we took the
"Discovery" riverboat trip. A
sternwheel paddle boat cruises down the Chena and Tanana Rivers. A professional narrator
makes the trip very
enjoyable. A representative rural Alaskan village has been recreated on the shore of the
Chena river. The riverboat stops
at the village for about an hour during which time interpretive tours are given in the
village. We enjoyed the riverboat and
the tour of Chena Village.
Upon completing the riverboat tour, we boarded a motorcoach for the trip to the airport
and the flight to Anchorage. We
had a chartered flight on Reid Aleutian Airlines. The pilot received clearance to fly us
around Mt. McKinley which was a
pleasant little extra on the flight. In Anchorage you board another motorcoach for the
trip to Seward. Unfortunately, our
motorcoach driver was so slow that we had no time to explore Seward upon our arrival.
Sea Princess
Embarkation was smooth in Seward. The personnel were friendly and efficient. However, the
port facility was much more
primitive than any port facility we have previously encountered.
The Sea Princess is a wonderful ship! It was practically new having only been in operation
for 10 months. The staff was
friendly, efficient, and first class. The passenger load is 2270 with 800 crew. If the
ship was full it certainly did not seem
like it. This is as about as big a ship as we care to cruise on because it is our
experience that when you get much bigger
you lose virtually all personal service. The ship has been tastefully appointed with an
understated elegance. Generally
speaking the ship is well designed. My only reservation is that it is somewhat difficult
to get to the Horizon Court without
going outside. The Horizon Court is the alternative dining room which has 24 hour service.
It is located on the top at the
front of the ship and it seemed that we almost always wound up outside when trying to get
to it.
I found the Sea Princess to be amazingly stable. The Gulf of Alaska was extremely rough.
It was so rough that the shows
were canceled one evening because they did not want the entertainers to get hurt. During
that night the winds reached 84
knots which border on hurricane force and the sea had 20 to 30 foot waves! You would think
that it would be almost
impossible to walk with sea conditions that rough but it was not. You certainly reached
for a stable object on occasion and
moved in directions that you did not plan at times but you were able to do just about
anything you wanted which I found to
be amazing.
Room - We opted to pay the additional amount for a balcony. Unfortunately, the weather was
too bad to fully enjoy the
balcony. Likewise, I demanded the port side on the southbound cruise and refused an
upgrade to stay on the port side. I
do not believe the port side was as important as I had thought it would be. It appeared as
if the scenery was similar on
both sides of the ship. The balcony would have been very nice for viewing purposes had the
weather been better.
Considering the cost of a balcony room, if I booked this trip again I might book an upper
outside room and hope for an
upgrade rather than pay extra for a balcony.
The room was very nice. Plenty of room under the bed for 4 very large suitcases. A full
length closet, two half length
closets, a swing-out shelving unit, plus shelves and a safe provide more than adequate
storage. The bathroom was
adequate with a shower that was larger than I had expected. The placement of the commode
was a bit uncomfortable.
Dining Room - There are 2 dining rooms that are nicely designed with a mix of 4, 6 & 8
person tables. Each waiter and
assistant waiter have responsible for 18 persons. Unlike Royal Caribbean, the head waiter
is actively involved in the
dinner. He made dessert for his tables on two evenings and prepared a pasta dish on
another evening. The food was far
superior to the food served on our last Royal Caribbean cruise. I would describe the food
as ranging from very good to
excellent. I do not believe we had any dinner serving that I would describe as average.
Princess has done away with the midnight buffet. The alternative is the 24 hour
restaurant. In addition to the dining rooms
and the Horizon Court, the ship has a pizzeria, a grill, an ice cream sundae bar and room
service. The rich heritage of
eating while cruising has not been diminished by the loss of the midnight buffet.
Entertainment - The evening shows was pretty good. We did not get to all of the shows
because of the cancellations one
night with schedule rearranging the following nights, second seating and an affinity for
the casino. What we did see was
certainly entertaining.
The cruise director was constantly on the go. He always seemed to be moving from one
activity to another. His manner of
calling the horse races was hilarious and almost made you believe you were at a live race!
I found the art auction and selling to be pushy. The Park West art folks on the Royal
Caribbean line were so much better
than what is presented by Princess. As Royal Caribbean was subtle, informational and low
key, Princess was pushy,
hawkish and in-your-face. Park West seemed to have a much better handle on the audience in
terms of their interests,
taste, price and the manner of selling to them. The Princess people seemed much more
interested in making a score than
in addressing the interests of their audience.
A naturalist came on board for the trip through College Fjord and Park Rangers come on
board for the trip through
Glacier Bay. I found the naturalist to be nauseating. She was more interested in
expounding spirituality of the event than
in describing what we were observing. The Park Rangers were not a whole lot better. Their
problem was that they were
flat. It takes a certain mix of personality, showmanship and unique knowledge to be a good
narrator.
The casino was never really crowded. Perhaps it was the age of the passengers or there
were fewer than normal
passengers gambling. Whatever the reason, it made for a more enjoyable trip for those of
us who frequented the casino.
The casino was comfortable with good personnel working the tables. Typical of cruise
ships, the slots were very tight.
Skagway
Skagway is a really small town. There are only 700 year round residents. The town has one
main street that is about 5
blocks in length. It is a cute little place but I can't begin to imagine what it must be
like if there are more than 2 cruise ships
in port!
We took the Yukon Expedition & White Pass Scenic Railway excursion. It was too long by
at least 1 hour! You start with a
motor coach tour that takes you into Yukon Territory, Canada. The tour goes through
Carcross and stops outside of town
for lunch at Frontierland which is a neat little place with a museum of taxidermy
representing the local large animals. The
scenery is interesting. You then travel back to Fraser, Canada and get on the White Pass
railroad for the ride back to
Skagway. The problem is that the motorcoach stops way too many times for photo
opportunities allowing everyone to get
off the bus. Getting the people back on the bus gets to be aggravating. I am a train
junkie so I enjoyed the train ride.
There was rain and fog ruining the sightseeing during the train ride. Even at that I
enjoyed the ride. If you are not a train
junkie or a history buff, I would suggest avoiding this excursion.
Juneau
Juneau is a real city with a real downtown. It was rainy and foggy while we were in Juneau
so we did not go on the Mt.
Roberts Tram. The main downtown area is easily done on foot. There is a wide variety of
activities available in Juneau.
We booked the Wildlife Sightseeing Tour and we were not disappointed. The tour is aboard a
medium sized sightseeing
vessel. The crew was excellent in describing the sights, locating the wildlife, and trying
to make sure everyone has an
opportunity to observe. We were able to observe Bald Eagles, Stellar Sea lions, Harbor
Seals, and lots of breeching
humpback whales. My wife and I thought this excursions was really worth the price.
Ketchikan
Ketchikan is really a neat tourist city. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to
really explore it as we took 2 tours at
this port of call. Ketchikan is the one of the wettest places on the North American
continent. They get something like 170
inches of rain a year. We had really nice weather while visiting. No fog and no rain.
The first excursion we took was Alaska Bear Watching. It was really great! The bear
watching takes place at a salmon
hatchery. The bear work the stream next to the hatchery. There were about 9 bear moving in
and out of the forest while
we were there. The people running the hatchery and conducting the tours say they have
never had a problem with the
bears and the tourists. This is pretty amazing as the bear and the tourists can be
virtually next to one another! In fact,
there was a bear not much more than 30 feet away from us. At no time did we feel as if we
were in danger. It was really
exciting to watch the bear fish in their natural environment.
The second excursion we took was Misty Fjords Wilderness & Flight. What a
disappointment. The scenery was very pretty
but we had a heck of a time seeing it because of the incompetence of the pilot. We could
have been on a commercial
flight for all of the consideration the pilot gave to his passengers: no narration, no
positioning of the plane for
photographs, no turning of the plane for both sides to see the sights. I am sure the
excursion would be much more
enjoyable if you had a pilot such as Phil from Denali Air. Without consideration from the
pilot, you are paying a lot of
money for very little enjoyment. I would avoid this excursion.
We disembarked in Vancouver. Debarkation went very smoothly. We were booked on Air Canada
to Seattle. Air Canada
had only 2 counter attendants on duty for all of the buses that were bringing passengers
to the Air Canada counter. The
backup was horrendous. If you have not been through Vancouver get a cart even if you have
wheeled luggage. You have
to move your luggage from the bus to the counter; from the counter to the Customs post;
and, from the Customs post to
the luggage center. You will receive no assistance. Trying to manage 4 wheeled pieces of
luggage is really more difficult
than you imagine. The carts are free and they eliminate a major hassle.
Alaska is big, beautiful and rugged. For touring, Princess is definitely the company to
use. This was our first trip to Alaska
and our first cruise on Princess. It will not be our last visit to Alaska and our next
cruise will definitely be on Princess. We
would be happy to answer any questions. Just drop us an E-mail.
Bill & Lu Schwartz schwartz@GlobalEyes.net
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