In June of 2010, went on a press trip to Alaska hosted by Princess Cruises.
Here is the series of blog posts we made, in order, that tell the story of our journey
We made it to Alaska-whew!
In #FollowMeAtSea, Alaska, Planning, Twitter Press Trip on June 15, 2010 at 9:57 am
Traveling to Alaska is pretty much an all day thing no matter how you do it.
Flying from Orlando to Fairbanks, we started the day at 6AM and wound up in Fairbanks, the starting place for our 12-day Princess Cruisetour at about 6PM Alaska time which is four hours earlier. That added up to a grueling 16 hour travel day.
Alaska Cruisetour tip #1- Don't skimp on the airfare.
We had pretty short notice on this Alaska Cruisetour but if I had o do it over again I would have tried to get a more direct flight. Not so much to shave off some time but to limit the connections.
Our flight itinerary took us from Orlando to Detroit then Minneapolis and on to Fairbanks. I have to say, that flight was one of the most bizarre I have been on. To call it "grueling and bizarre" would be accurate. Especially the last leg, a 5+ hour flight from Minneapolis to Fairbank. It was as though we had entered the Twilight Zone as we crossed the great state of Alaska and travel-weary passengers began to wander around the aircraft. The mostly my age and older group was tired of sitting and wanted to stretch their legs I suppose. It started with a few gathering around the restrooms to chat then meandering through the isles. Sort of like the movie Night of the Living Dead, the zombie-like passengers moved about until the Captain ordered them back to their seats, a command that had no effect on their alien-like behavior.
I chose to display my own zombie-like behavior from the comfort of a luxurious exit row seat, snatched up at the last minute prior to boarding proving the #1 rule of flying: Sit close to the gate and pay attention!
About the same time, the reliable wireless internet connection that had served so well on the first two flights disappeared. A cabin attendant said "Yeah it kind of comes and goes, no one knows why". I wondered if we had wandered into Soviet airspace and been jammed by some fighter aircraft in the area.
Eventually though, hours out of Minneapolis, we approached Fairbanks with the Captain noting Glaciers to the right and Mt McKinley to the left emerging from a seemingly endless blanket of clouds.
It was about then that I felt the real allure of what we were about to experience.
On the ground in Fairbanks, we were solidly on Princess turf as we were greeted by a helpful Princess representative, waited a few minutes for luggage then took a short bus ride to the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. At the lodge, luggage was delivered to our room in a matter of minutes then off to the Riverside Deck for dinner.
Time passed quickly with a sun brighter and stronger (by far) than the Florida sun that never did go down. Talking to people who knew about all this, there is a lot more to Alaska than I had imagined.
Stay tuned as we explore a great deal of it
Alaska sneaks up on us
In #FollowMeAtSea, Alaska, Princess Cruises, Twitter Press Trip on June 17, 2010 at 9:12 am
We have seen some pretty amazing things in Alaska. Simply comprehending the sheer size of the state began before we got off the plane in Fairbanks. Flying over vast areas of unspoiled wilderness began confirmation of what we had heard. "Everywhere you turn you want to take a picture" our fellow Floridian friend Pat had told us. On the ground, people that live here had affirmed the simple beauty we would see. But nothing quite compared us to what we would see today.
We woke early to another crisp Alaska morning, moving quickly from Princess Fairbanks Riverside Hotel, staging area for the incoming members of our Twitter Press Trip, to the Alaska Railroad station. A brief 15 minute ride by motorcoach, rail cars were already loading when we arrived.
The Alaska Railroad pulls cars for all the cruise lines. Princess, Holland America, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean all had cars on this train for the four-hour ride to Denali. Each car had their own dining facilities and breakfast was served on board. As an escorted group we dined first, moving from our reserved place in the high domed rail car to the dining area below. I tried to remember the last time I had been on a train as we were enjoying breakfast.
As best I could remember, that last train ride would have been when I was a small child, going from Kansas City to Omaha to visit family with my mother. The gentle rocking of the rail cars was a familiar sensation, one you don't forget and one of those things that brings back unsolicited memories without warning. These were good memories of a time and way of travel that had passed. Here, today, we were making new memories, the kind you just know will endure time.
The four-hour train ride took us into increasingly beautiful parts of the state and higher elevations. We passed mostly unspoiled wilderness dotted by occasional attempts of man to tame a part of it. Guests moved about in the luxury liner cars, stopped by the onboard gift shop, watched from an open-air outside platform, or simply sat and watched in appreciation of the unspoiled beauty that passed by. Knowledgeable Princess staff onboard would chime in from time to time noting upcoming highlights not to be missed.
Our arrival at the Princess Denali Lodge was easy with welcome packets passed out on the train. We received vouchers for included meals and booked tours, room keys and more prior to arrival so no "check-in" was necessary.
After a quick lunch at the King Salmon Restaurant, we waited briefly in the main lodge to be called for our tour of the day, a Mt McKinley Summit Flight Tour. Six others joined us for a short drive to the small air strip where we found an assortment of small aircraft. One just like my dad had when I was a boy, a Cessna 172 high-wing model was there and the first I saw. Others of various sizes, shapes and colors dotted the tarmac.
The two-hour tour was to take us from Denali to Mt McKinley for a fly-around. Our pilot Trent explained how it would go, how to use the oxygen we would need at that altitude and more. After a short wait we took off, climbing higher and higher with Trent choosing to fly in a figure 8 pattern as he ascended, giving both sides of the aircraft equal viewing time of the mountains and staying away from the South side which was cloudy, making visibility limited.
I thought I was totally prepared for the experience, having flown in a small plane before, back home in Kansas.
But we did not have 23,000 foot mountains in Kansas.
As we climbed higher and higher, Trent kept us posted on how far we were from the top, tipping the low wings down from time to time to allow good access for photos. It was when we were about five miles from the top that I realized what it was we were seeing.
This was it.
This was one of the crown jewels of natural wonders on the planet, staring me right in the face.
While so much of what we had seen up to that point had made the trip worthwhile and memorable, being so close to Mt McKinley and it's grandeur was simply overwhelming. I think the train ride might have opened the emotion door a little bit, seeing the unspoiled wilderness might have pushed it open a bit more, but up close and personal with a 20,000 foot mountain has an effect that can't be denied.
Alaska is an experience to be reckoned with and one that will endure time.
Alaska did not just happen
In #FollowMeAtSea, Alaska, Planning, Princess Cruises on June 18, 2010 at 10:54 am
The star of the show in Alaska is, well, Alaska. The mountains are pretty big and hard to miss, natural wonders abound and all that is pretty obvious. But you don't have to spend a whole lot of time here to find another natural phenomenon slapping you in the face.
We had two big events planned for today, a Natural History tour of Denali National Park and a glacier landing by plane. The day was to end with the Music of Denali dinner theater. As sometimes happens Mother Nature overruled our plans, cancelling the glacier landing due to high winds. Kind of like if a hurricane threat would alter a cruise itinerary, we had no problem with that.
It happens.
We were looking forward to the experience, described by others as along the lines of what we had experienced on our Mt McKinley summit flight tour. But the unexpected gain of time in our busy schedule allowed a moment of pause to reflect on our experience.
The Natural History tour of Denali National Park was one I thought might be pretty darn boring. 4 hours by school bus through a national park with the highlight being IF we saw a bear was kind of sketchy but hey, we were along for the ride and it had been a really good one so far.
Funny how what we imagine might happen and reality are often so very different.
This was probably not a tour I would have picked on my own, but one that would set a tone for the day. That tone would lead to the discovery of one of Alaska's most treasured wonders.
We didn't see any bears so the bus driver's lesson on what to do if we found ourselves face to face with one went unused. I'm not sure if we really saw any wildlife at all even though we paused and some tiny dots far in the distance were called Caribou.
Again, it happens.
While children on the bus grew restless and challenged their parents like kids do out of boredom, the tour continued through vast expanses of unspoiled wilderness. Stopping from time to time for our comfort, members of the group had time to wander off a bit and consider their role and place on the planet. It wasn't like everyone stood around marveling at the experience having life-changing moments, but the stage was set for one of those moments to happen. The whole Alaska experience is really good at that.
Without distractions found in everyday life and after enough time with those vast expanses of unspoiled wilderness to get over the awe factor, there was really nothing left to do but appreciate the moment.
And most did
The day ended with the Music of Denali Dinner Theater, what I imagined would be a Branson-like production/buffet earning about a C grade and mediocre review.
It was right about here that I arrived in Alaska
It took three days and a campy dinner show to knock me over the head and demand that I open my eyes to a natural wonder so pristine, pure and sadly lacking in so many parts of the world.
The sense of community.
Frankly, I was not looking for it. I was just here for a few days in advance of a cruise. Maybe yesterday's inspiring flight to the top of a mountain set a stage that was completed by the dinner theater. Maybe what I thought were incidental information items of the last few days opened the door.
I'd been told of how our hotel had burned down a while back, rebuilt by a community that joined together to get it open in time for the arrival of booked guests. I'd seen friendly people of all walks of life, some natives and some relocated here, different ages, races and backgrounds interacting in a way reminiscent of the way the world was half a century ago but not stuck in the past.
The intense sense of community here may have begun and endured out of simple need to survive an often brutal environment and the people here are quick to point that out. It's a safe topic to discuss, history is.
But it did not just happen.
We sure can't take the mountains, wildlife or people back with us when we leave this place. But along with photos, souvenirs and memories we surely can take back this experience of community
Good bye Alaska, Hello Alaska
In Alaska, Booking, Cruise tips, Group Cruises, Princess Cruises, Twitter Press Trip on June 19, 2010 at 7:43 am
Today we take the Alaska Railroad from the Princess Mt McKinley Lodge to meet Coral Princess for our 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise. That marks the end of the land portion of our Princess Cruisetour. But we're far from done with today also marking the beginning of what promises to be a fabulous cruise. Before we embark on the next part of our journey though, I have some clear observations and solid recommendations for you.
Princess land hotels are an excellent, consistent choice
We stayed at three. In Fairbanks, Denali and Mt McKinley, we found the facilities appropriate, clean, safe and easy to navigate. Those factors are important when planning your first vacation to Alaska, a destination that is far away from pretty much everybody. Are they 4-star hotels? Yes, no and yes. They offer a level of service consistently caring throughout all properties. They don't offer room service, a concierge to plan a night on the town or fine china in a number of dining venues. But that's not what Alaska is all about. What they have done is carve nice, comfortable hotels out of barren wilderness. That's good stuff. When I forgot the key to my room when leaving one morning, locking myself out. They came running, literally running, up the hill to our building to let me in. I write this at 2am as the sun comes up (or goes down, not really sure) from a brief daily rest drinking a cup of coffee front desk worker Barbara went out of her way to go find for me. They do stuff like that all the time. That's my Princess there.
Do the Cruisetour, not just a cruise
I was pretty sure I would never be able to say "just a cruise" in any way, shape or form about Princess before this started. But the way this has gone, there is no way I could honestly recommend a cruise-only visit to Alaska. The cruise portion we start later today will take us up close and personal with glaciers and other natural wonders. The land portion took us up close and personal with the people who make this a great land. I'd go so far as to say skip it and wait if you can't swing at least a few days pre cruise. We have indeed seen a lot of seniors, as anticipated. As a whole, that group has the time to vacation more than 7 days like younger families might. We've seen multi-generational families too though so to say this is an "old folks cruise" is quite inaccurate. Lisa and I are the oldest couple with our group and technically "seniors" but like so many others I have met, these are not old people who have no business being out of the home.
Do the land part first
The ship itineraries run 7-day round trip or 7-day North or South. I spoke with several guests who had done both. All agreed Southbound was the way to go. It made sense to me before and makes even more sense now. As noted above, the hotels do a great job and create a great land experience. With a dozen sailings with Princess I know first-hand the job they do pampering us, seeing to our every need and needs we didn't know we had. It's a different experience and that's how you need to look at it. If you have cruised before but not visited Alaska and do the cruise part first, I think there would be tendency to feel let down when you got to the land part. It might take a while to figure it all out and that could lead to an inaccurate disappointment.
Select the escorted version
On Cruisetours there are two choices, hosted or escorted. Hosted land tours take up 90% of the catalog of choices from Princess. Escorted land tour itineraries are quite similar but include most meals, the best rooms at all the hotels and other easily measurable benefits that make the higher price our best value. Remember, Value is what it is all about in any cruise vacation and the Escorted product from Princess delivers. Another factor that comes into play here is the host who travels along with you. That, to me, is the bonus value that makes choosing the Escorted version the clear and easy choice, especially on your first visit to Alaska, a destination that is at it's best different and can often be a confusing place to go.
Fly in a day early
Regardless of where you come from it's usually a very long travel day to get here. Coming from Orlando we had a grueling 15-hour travel day and crossed four time zones. If I had it to do over again I would add a day on the front end just for rest and relaxation to get our heads in the right place and adjust to Alaska's never ending day. I'd also start hoarding frequent flyer miles and be sure I had enough to upgrade to comfy first-class too. I can't imagine flying that far then starting a 7-day cruise, another point in favor of a Cruisetour with at least a few days on land first, before the cruise part. Frequent cruisers know that embarkation day on any cruise, any line, is often a very long day.
We need to change our mindset about Alaska
It's so easy to say "Hey, I love to cruise, let's do Alaska". To go with that thought would be a mistake because Alaska is way different from any other cruise destination. The sheer size of the state and all that is offered deep inside are reasons enough to take time to get your head in the right place. This one needs to be planned at least 6 months in advance. I recommend 12 months or more, maybe even before it is possible to pick an itinerary because sailings have not been opened for sale yet. As noted above they need to be done as a Cruisetour with careful consideration given to land and shore excursions which, frankly, can make or break the experience. I would only recommend buying a last-minute Alaska cruise if you have done it before.
So now it's on to the familiar cruise part of our vacation. Still, we're not going to be seeing anything like we've seen on more than 50 sailings on a half-dozen cruise lines. This is not about sandy beaches, Margaritaville or pool time in the blazing Caribbean sun. The really cool part is that from the very beginning I thought I would miss that. After experiencing Alaska, up close and personal on this land part, I'm really excited about putting the cruise product I know so well with what can only be seen on a Princess Voyage of the Glaciers, the core offering for all their cruise products.
So hang on because here we go: Hello Alaska!
Coral Princess cascading express embarkation
In #FollowMeAtSea, Alaska, Days At Sea, Planning on June 20, 2010 at 10:40 am
Our focus has been dominated lately by the new mega-ships with new features that include everything from zip lines across the deck to roller-coasters that hang out over the ocean. This week we spend some time aboard Princess Cruises newly refurbished Coral Princess, a smaller ship by today's standards
We will get in to all the details of what makes this ship a popular choice among long-time Princess fans and see just what she has to offer as the week progresses. With several behind-the-scenes events scheduled, you'll have a front-row seat to exclusive access on many topics you ask about frequently.
Today though, let's run through the conversion from the land portion of our Alaska Cruisetour and what it took to get on the ship.
If you have followed along on Twitter or Facebook you know that embarkation in Alaska is different than, say, a Caribbean cruise from Florida or some other mainland port, what the people here call "the lower 48".
The process is similar and seemed familiar on security checks, lining up to get on the ship and scanning our way actually on board. A couple notable exceptions made the process smoother, resulted in a quick embarkation and sent us off on this next part of our Cruisetour in record time.
The "Whittier Express" train as it is called stopped about an hour from the embarkation point to let on Princess Embarkation staff. On the way to the pier, they completed the check-in process and all we had to do was a quick security check.
Or so it seemed.
Here, as close as I can remember, is the sequence of events upon embarkation.
Arriving about 7:00 p.m we got on board, went to our stateroom, luggage already there
C725 aft, started unpacking, met the cabin steward Raymond, 10 minutes later had a lifeboat drill, came back to the stateroom, missed the 8:30 dinner time, sent off laundry to the cleaners (we're "Elite" so it's complementary), unpacked, settled in ninja style, popped bottle of Champagne, got internet hooked up, remembered we had balcony and looked out side for quick "awe" moment, blogged, tweeted, sorted huge volume of info in stateroom, looked outside for another "awe" moment, turned on dual TV's (for cock-eyed guests?), decided on room service dinner (fabulous and quick), forgot we were in Alaska since bright light illuminated fabulous vistas of ocean and land, finished champagne and went to sleep
It sounds like we were rushing around, doesn't it? Not really, it was just a quick sequence of events in an extremely well-organized Princess system. We got what we normally would start doing around Noon on a Caribbean embarkation done in a fraction of the time. If there was any rushing around to be done it was us trying to adapt our engrained embarkation routine into something it would not fit in.
In other words, we forgot we were in Alaska which plays by different rules. Princess did not forget though. So in the blink of an eye we made the flip from our escorted land vacation to life at sea.
These people seriously have this system down pat. They are rock-solid pros at every step of the way. I have been impressed in the past but nothing like this.
This is going to be good.
Confidently going behind the scenes
In #FollowMeAtSea, Alaska, Princess Cruises, Twitter Press Trip on June 20, 2010 at 8:17 pm
The Ultimate Ship's Tour offered by Princess Cruises offers an unprecedented full-access behind-the-scenes tour of a modern cruise ship. But what is offered goes far beyond a simple list of areas visited during the tour.
While the exact number of departments and ship's personnel encountered may vary from tour to tour, Princess invites guests (willing to pay $150 per person) into areas otherwise off-limits. From backstage at the Princess Theater, the ship's main show venue to a look inside the very heart of the ship, it's main control room, Princess offers access that should prove to be the stuff dreams are made of for hard core cruise lovers.
This is not a simple matter of throwing all caution to the wind and letting just anyone willing to pay the price have access to areas constantly under a high-security watch. This program says "We have the systems in place to transport you, protect you, care for you and feed you well because of the confidence we have in our crew members"
They know that the high skill-level of each individual person they employ is what makes them the stand-alone leader in guest satisfaction. From shore-side tour escorts like we saw earlier on the land portion of this Voyage of the Glaciers Cruisetour to the guy in the print shop aboard Coral Princess who we met during the Ultimate Ship's Tour, the same high level of commitment and ownership of their part in all of it, makes the difference.
Princess helps protect the wonders of Alaska
In #FollowMeAtSea, Alaska, Princess Cruises, Twitter Press Trip on June 21, 2010 at 9:18 am
In a way, scenic cruising aboard Coral Princess reminds me of our transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2. To get the most out of the experience, we needed to refocus our attention. On a traditional Caribbean or Bahamas cruise on about any cruise line from any Florida port, what to do on days at sea and days in port is easily defined. With scenic cruising, as with transatlantic days at sea, the focus is different.
During scenic cruising in Alaska, experts from the United States Park Service are seen on stateroom televisions and in person on the ship. They offer a knowledgeable, unbiased and qualified commentary on what we are seeing, environmental efforts and requirements for cruise lines and more. Literature is readily available to guests as are other sources of information for those that really want to get into it.
On transatlantic sailings the focus is inward, with guests often seen about the ship reading, playing card games or just talking. I saw that here too on Coral Princess as guests relaxed while viewing the beautiful scenery in most directions.
When planning an Alaska cruise or Cruisetour that includes scenic cruising (most do) it's worth some time to consider the refocus necessary to get the most out of the experience. And why not? We may never pass this way again and fully immersing ourselves in the experience sure makes sense.
If not for personal reasons then just for practical reality, fully considering the magnitude of what is actually happening during scenic cruising is a good idea. Ships activities are limited in an attempt to focus attention to the ocean, mountains, glaciers and wildlife we might see along the way. It would be really easy to be bored without a game plan for what to do during scenic cruising.
At points, the ship stops and thrusters are used to gently spin it round so all aboard can get a good view. With the ship's speed reduced to a mere mosey through the Alaskan waters negative environmental impact is kept at a minimum. That's a big issue, as it should be, for both the cruise line and environmental groups charged with protecting a pristine area for future generations.
I was impressed with those environmental efforts onboard during an "Ultimate
Ship's Tour" I took yesterday. The full-access, no-questions-barred, tour covered areas critical to the operation of systems with a potential for negative environmental impact.
We saw how although guidelines and regulations permit discharge of waste materials at certain distances from shore, that Princess Cruises does not discharge at all, "zero discharge", we were told by the ship's environmental officer. Aluminum cans are compacted and donated to Alaska Boy Scouts for fundraising, byproducts of photo printing are captured and taken off the ship for recycling. In the ship's engine room we learned that the ships plug in to clean electric power when docking in Alaska, eliminating completely any discharge from the burning of fuel.
Appropriately, concerned groups ranging from caring guests aboard the ship to environmental advocates continue positions ranging from a watch-dog stance to being big fans of the natural beauty offered in Alaska and what we are privileged to see during scenic cruising. Let's hope efforts continue to protect and defend these marvelous wilderness areas and that all groups can join together with Alaska itself gaining from the synergistic alliance that could be formed.
Alaska Dominates, as it should
In #FollowMeAtSea, Alaska, Princess Cruises, Twitter Press Trip on June 22, 2010 at 8:33 am
Today we are in Skagway, Alaska where we have a Sled dog and Musher's Camp shore excursion planned. I'm going to owe you a review on Sabatini's, the fine Italian dining experience, a signature venue for Princess Cruises (short version: it was good), a review of our couples mud bath/steam spa treatment (also good) and a few other things. Right now I need to pass along some critical tips as some of you are doing this cruise as early as next week.
Yesterday we were in Glacier Bay, one of, if not the biggest attraction on this "Voyage of the Glaciers" Princess Cruisetour on the Coral Princess.
Use the Sanctuary
At the back of the ship is a wonderful area set aside for adults only called the Sanctuary. We spent a good part of yesterday there marveling at the wonders of Glacier Bay. A day pass for $10 gets you personal food and beverage service in a private spa-like area of the ship on lounge chairs I'm trying to figure out how to smuggle into my backpack to take home.
Or plan on roaming
Coral Princess entered Glacier Bay embarking Park Rangers at Bartlett cove. With Rangers onboard the ship heads towards spectacular glaciers passing amazing view after amazing view. Frankly, I thought by now I would have become complacent with the whole natural wonders thing "Yeah, Yeah another fabulous glacier" I imagined myself saying. The problem is that this is so unique and beautiful that we continue to see wonder after wonder in every direction. I found myself roaming the open decks with a near-dizzying euphoria and sense of peace.
If there is a God's country, this is it.
Now park and don't move
You can play around in your stateroom, enjoy a spa treatment, dive into a generous Alaska seafood buffet and more before the ship comes up upon the Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers but once there, find a place to sit or stand in direct view of them. The "calving" of glaciers (when big hunks fall into the ocean) is a sight described as the thunderous phenomenon that occurs when salt water melts the glaciers snout and huge pieces of ice crack off the face. You have to be looking right at them to catch it happen because by the time you hear the explosive sound (sort of like a shotgun or blast of some kind) it's over.
Get out there
A Park Ranger narrates what we are seeing as we come upon it over the ship's loudspeaker system. I don't know if it's the same person every time but I sure hope so. The pleasantly calm Ranger voice comes on from the bridge where it notes wildlife to look for here and there and relays the answers to common questions. The ship's bridge-cam is fixed straight ahead which offers a nice view from your stateroom but not nearly as good as you will see on deck.
Practice flexibility
Alaska is a big and mighty place. Simply put, the state will have it's way with you should it decide to do so. Flightseeing is a must if at all possible. Just like adding some land days either before or after sailing is a good idea, getting up in the air to fully experience and appreciate the magnitude and sheer beauty of it all is something you want to do. Unlike so many other itineraries though, just booking flightseeing in enough time to lock in on it (up to 120 days in advance sometimes, 90 for sure) is not enough. You'll need mother nature on your side for that and up here she can be much harder to get along with. Flights, by airplane or helicopter, are often cancelled due to weather but can be cancelled, usually up to 24 hours in advance, without penalty. Book one early in the cruise and later if possible, hoping one of them does not get cancelled. If cancellation does occur, go directly to the shore excursion desk to see what else is available. They will know which ones they can get you on right away. Score one for doing ship excursions rather than an independent vendor.
Throw out your normal vacation routine and roles
This has been one of the most difficult parts of this whole trip for us. With a bunch of cruises under our belts we have a standard way of doing things aboard ship that simply does not apply to an Alaskan sailing. Realize that this is not going to be a relaxing cruise through the Caribbean. Duh; you know that. But not really. As hard as I try I just can't see how it would be possible to apply much of our standard cruise routine to an Alaska cruise. Initially I thought that was because we had never done a Cruisetour before.
I think (and it's not over yet so don't hold me to this) that the big difference, the difference that makes an Alaska Cruisetour so unique is that we really don't have a lot of control over where we focus our attention.
Alaska decides where our attention will go.
We can try to be in control. We can be organized as far as packing, documentation and the like are concerned and need to be. But the fact is that you simply can't do something else when a gigantic glacier is calving, whales are spotted off the port bow and American bald eagles soar across the deck of the ship.
The fact is, you simply should not try to deny yourself this experience. Rather, you should jump in with both feet and completely surround yourself with it. I know that might sound hard to do sitting at home in Orlando reading this, but there's no sense in fighting it: Alaska dominates.
Eat your way through Alaska
In #FollowMeAtSea, Alaska, Princess Cruises, Twitter Press Trip on June 24, 2010 at 7:42 am
Today we visit Ketchikan, often noted as Salmon capital of the world and with over 150 inches of annual rain, the Rain Capital of the world too. After being washed out on a flightseeing adventure yesterday in Juneau, we're not going to think about that a whole lot. Instead, let's take a look at a topic readers have been asking about a lot; food and dining. Sure, the topic is always really subjective; something you think is wonderful, I might not feed to the dog. The trick to providing useful information then is to look for themes, commonalties and general information that applies to everyone.
You don't have to look to far to figure out that Alaska and seafood go together very well. Alaskan King Crab and Salmon are featured on just about every menu, in every venue, at every meal both on land and at sea and come up in a lot of conversations Even the most veracious seafood lover will indeed have ample opportunity to sample everything the state has to offer. With that in mind; Seafood Lovers, Pace Yourselves. You will have plenty of opportunities to satisfy your passion for fresh seafood many call "unlike no other" all along the way. As our Cruisetour comes to an end I've also heard a few "I'm tired of seafood" comments.
If you're planning far enough in advance and can do an escorted Cruisetour that features some included meals on the land portion, do that. Seafood may be abundant but they don't give it away and having your choice of anything on the menu makes sampling the best Alaska has to offer truly a matter of unbridled choice.
In previous posts we talked about an Ultimate Ship's Tour where a limited number of guests can go behind the scenes to see some of the inner workings of the ship. That's a good one to do early in your voyage. Sign up for that on day one if possible. Another one to do in addition to the Ultimate Ship's tour is the Chef's Dinner. This is a night in the dining room where less than a dozen of the thousands on board get a personal, upscale dining experience not otherwise offered on the ship.
The experience starts outside the dining room where participants are fitted with a chef's coat and paraded without fanfare (but with a number of turned heads) through the dining room and into the kitchen. After appetizers, free-flowing champagne and a photo with the chef and head Maitre ?d in the ship's galley just steps away from the action, you'll move to a special reserved table in the dining room. A special menu just for you and your co-diners has been written (you'll get a copy later) and prepared by the ship's Executive Chef and his culinary staff. This is the culinary and dining team putting their absolutely best foot forward.
On your ship, this is the best they have to offer and it won't get better than this. It's a celebration of food not to be missed, with the Executive Chef narrating each course all along the way. To do this one you'll need to be one of the first to board the ship and request it as this one will sell out by mid-day on the first day for sure. On our cruise, odds are we would not have been able to sign up since we boarded late.
Graduates of Schmoozing 101 will see a huge opportunity to shore up their onboard dining experience here by paying equal if not more attention to the ever-present Maitre ?d who can actually do you some good down the line. Always a good idea to have a nice relationship with the guy who runs the show in the dining room, putting your best foot forward at the Chef's Dinner sure can't hurt anything.
Another dining opportunity on board is Princess Cruises signature Italian venue,Sabatinis called "where the real Italian food is" by a number of waiters on this and other Princess ships we've sailed and "closer" to Italian by this ship's Captain and Hotel Manager. What could be a daunting menu is made easy for groups or fans of Chef Boy-R-Dee by having the head waiter make selections for you, what they seem to prefer to do although special requests (had to have their version of famed Princess Fettuccini Alfredo) Heavy on appetizers, the progression through more than a dozen tasting "courses" is snappy. While abundant, this is not a "put on the feed bag" sort of experience as reputation would have it.
Sabatini's is a great option to celebrate a special occasion on the ship. With ample wait staff dedicated to servicing your table, the honored one in your party could not help but feel special in this venue. After our day in Ketchikan tonight we'll try the ship's other signature eatery, Bayou Steakhouse. So stay tuned for information on that one as well.
Mystic Alaska says good bye
In #FollowMeAtSea, Alaska, Princess Cruises, Twitter Press Trip on June 25, 2010 at 9:04 am
Chris is on board Coral Princess on a press trip hosted and paid for by Princess Cruises, allowing him to share the experience with readers and followers on Twitter and Facebook.
Ketchikan was a great port to be our last contact with Alaska. Today is a day at sea before we briefly pass through Vancouver on our way back to Florida. Having experienced just a small part of this huge state on our Princess Cruises Cruisetour, I don't have a lot to compare to but Ketchikan was pretty typical of what we've seen here. The great people we met along the way aside, the state itself has so much to offer that the notion of this being a "once-in-a-lifetime" visit is probably not very realistic.
Misty Fjords, a magical area we all agreed could have been where they shot the Twilight movies, is typical of this enchanted land of the Midnight Sun. A short seaplane flight from Ketchikan, our 2-hour excursion took us deep into the area, landing in a pristine and remote area for a brief pause to consider the majestic beauty that completely surrounded us.
Alaska is a lot like that regardless of where we have been. Princess likes to use the tag line "Escape Completely". If you can't do that here, in their care, it's not going to happen.
While the topography, feel and flavor of each area of the state we have visited, from Anchorage on land to this last day, a day at sea, Princess has set a high bar in every aspect of the experience. In Ketchikan, those who saw American Bald Eagles saw dozens of them. Going to Misty Fjords, some went there by boat and back by plane and some went round-trip like we did. The weather favored us there in the place least likely to do so. It was as though the state wanted to make that last impression endure time. And I believe it will.
We still have this last day at sea and have a couple's spa treatment to do, a lot of packing and a great ship to enjoy. Special Note-
We'll end the day with an awards reception and dinner with our Twitter team of writers and bloggers. But before then, I have a lot of questions from you to answer. I'll do that separately towards the end of the day so if you still have topics you're wondering about, now is the time to ask. Send your questions to me at Chris@YourCruiseDream.comnow, while I am here on the ship with people I can get the answers from, and I'll include them in a post later today.
Your questions about Alaska and one last thought
In #FollowMeAtSea, Alaska, Planning, Princess Cruises, Twitter Press Trip on June 25, 2010 at 9:19 pm
We're coming down to the end of our Alaska Cruisetour sponsored by Princess Cruises. Before I get to the last word on this experience, here are the answers to some questions I don't think we quite covered along the way.
What kind of shoes should I bring for my Glacier Landing excursion?
The tour operators suggest "non-skid" shoes but that can be anything really. It does rain a lot here so water repellant shoes might be a good idea. I wore the gym shoes I wear every day that have good traction and are comfortable and they worked just fine. Cowboy boots would be slippery as would high heels. Cowboy boots would look cool though while high heels would just look silly.
Ok so, now that you did it, how warm do the clothes need to be that we bring along with us?
If I had it to do over at the same time of the year I would bring one light weight, zippered waterproof, lightly-lined fleece jacket. That is exactly what Guy, our escort for the land portion of our Princess Cruisetour wore every day, rain or shine, and it was perfect. What you wear from the waist down is not nearly as important unless you get caught in some odd monsoon-style rain which does not appear to happen all that much. It does rain here, a lot, but its more of a "I'll be hanging around to bug you for a while" rain as opposed to a Florida momentary gusher that goes away quickly.
I read all about it, every day, hanging on your every word (kind of) so let me ask you this: If you had it to do over, what would you do differently?
Add more days on the land part and add one day at the end. If you've got the time, the land part, escorted, is just really nice. Our sampler itinerary took us to three hotels in five days. It was good to sample them and be able to report back on each but made for a lot of moving. I could have easily used an extra day at each property without any fear at all of being bored. Also, with the cruise part ending in Vancouver, I would have liked some time there for exploring the city. We've never been there and with the Olympics having been held there recently and all, a half-day would have been good.
On the other hand, we're ready to get back home. Two weeks is a long time to be away from paradise and while we have loved this Cruisetour and the whole Cruisetour concept, we're ready to be back in our own bed, with our dog and pool and tivo.
How about Coral Princess? How did it stack up to other Princess ships you've been on?
Pretty good I'd say. Our favorite Princess ship is Caribbean Princess followed closely by Ruby, then Star and Golden Princess but this one was good. I missed Skywalkers that neither Coral or Island have but probably would not have danced the night away anyway for a couple reasons. First, we were so busy on the land part that we needed to rest or we would die by the time we got to the ship. Then there's the part about me being a horrible dancer too. I know there are some frequent guests that love this ship like it's family and I can sure see why. The smaller size of the ship is unique to the fleet. I think the ship has most all the features that the bigger ones have but you just don't have to walk as far to get to them.
I should add that the itinerary does effect the on-board experience in a number of ways. Most noticeably, offerings in the gift shop are Alaska-oriented like plush Alaskan Husky dogs, tons of jackets, wind-breakers and the like for sale and things like that. The menu is influenced too and personally I think they could back off that Alaskaish flavor in the dining room, at least towards the end of the cruise. If you did your land part first, by about the third or fourth day of the cruise even Charlie the Tuna is tired of seafood. That "Oh boy, King Crab Legs!!" turns to "Oh NO, more king crab legs"
What's cool though is that you don't get tired of the state itself. Alaska is a first-class act and has amazing stuff to see everywhere you look. That surprised me.
In Alaska, are there any special rules you have to follow being a cruise passenger that you might not have to follow in, say, the Caribbean?
Not really, it's about the same procedure getting on and off the ship, going to ports and all that. No steel drum band at sailaway. If your cruise ends in Vancouver that's not the US so there's a bit different form to fill out and the procedure is a little different but not much.
Was there anything you thought would happen that did not happen?
I thought I would see more wild animals. We saw a couple moose, some eagles and lots of sled dogs which really don't count. I think if I was here a day or so longer in any one of the places we visited I probably would have found some local who looked like they were responsible and said "Do you know where there are bears in the wild that you could take me to see? " If they did and it wouldn't take too long to get there I'd do that. That is horrible advice that I should never give anyone but that is kind of the way we roll on things like that. The best advice would be to do way more research than we did, book the excursions that come as close to doing what you want to do as possible then once on the ground, get with someone that knows what is going on and change if you need to. That would be one huge point in favor of doing an escorted Cruisetour. I'd bet you money that our escort, Guy, would know exactly which tour to take for that or would make one up that did.
I also thought that the land part would just be something to get through before we got to the cruise where the fun would be. I was totally wrong about that. The cruise was good, don't get me wrong, but the land part was better. Princesss preaches over and over about their "direct to the wilderness" capability, how much more you can see on a Cruisetour than just a cruise and that is spot on correct. A 7-day round trip cruise would give a taste of what Alaska is all about but the Cruisetour really makes the experience. Personally, I think I would skip it if I just had 7 days unless I had been here before.
What was the most surprising thing about the whole experience to you?
Oh that's an easy one. I thought on this "press trip" that there would be a number of recognized writers and bloggers who would turn out to be icky people we would not like. I knew that some travel agents were coming along and I know they can be really abrasive, to put it nicely. I thought that the people from Princess would be encouraging us to write and tweet nice stuff about the whole thing for sure and was fully prepared to do so. This would have had to be really bad for me to write negative stuff since I am paying nothing for this, a trip that Lisa and I would surely not have gone on for years, if ever and a huge Princess fan based on actual excellent experiences of the past.
What I found was a diverse group of really nice people with totally different backgrounds that appreciated what we were seeing for what it was: magnificent. There was no coaching on what we wrote. What we saw pretty much wrote itself, we were just privileged enough to be along and record it for you to experience (hopefully) through our writing. I still don't know the criteria for how each of us was picked but however Princess did it, they did it well.
I have a few experiences from my life so far that are standards for how things should go in certain situations. This one sets the bar for a group of people who experience something magnificent, appreciate it, and have the ability to spread the word to others.
After living with these people for almost two weeks, I highly recommend keeping tabs on what they're doing because each one has an honest, frank opinion of their field of expertise and they are all very good at what they do. So let's run that list down with their names and Twitter handles. Later on I'll tell you more about each one
JD Andrews
Does some fine photo work, has a charming wife and is a dead ringer for Mel Gibson if you look at him just right
Beth Blair
Writes wickedly cool articles for many major publications and has a mom that's just out of this world
Catherine Brody
Writes for a premier source of travel information, lives in Alaska and is a lot of fun with a fun mom too
Emlyn Boecher
Sister to site founder and a real travel pro who travels the globe
Debra Corbell and Dave Bouskill
A really cool couple that travels the world for us
Carrie Finley-Bajak
A trusted luxury travel expert and mom who knows her stuff
Rick Griffin
Living his dream and lucky to have a great wife to put up with him
Liz Wright
This intense little girl fits more meat into a paragraph than anyone I've ever seen.
Bookmark this one gang, we'll be referring back to these people in the future, I just know it
Finally, a hearty thanks to Princess Cruises for including me on this trip.
I'm still not exactly sure how I made the cut but sure am glad I did. Karen and Guy on the land part and Nicole and Brian on the cruise part gave us a once-in-a-lifetime look at Princess' Alaska. One of the coolest things about this whole trip was when Guy, Karen, Nicole or Brian would do their "Ok here comes something really cool that is going to blow your socks off" nod and they were right every single time. I think that the passion they have for what they do is absolutely intoxicating and I can't imagine any way this could have been a better experience.
Thank you @PrincessCruises for leading us to Escape Completely.once again!
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