acry-artist
June 23rd, 2010, 10:54 PM
My husband and I just completed the May 31 Tour 20, Statendam Cruise. We thought this report would be good for all of you still trying to decide which cruise/tour to take and/or what to expect on your upcoming cruise.
Arrival: We arrived in Fairbanks after a long flight(s) from Florida. HAL was there waiting for us. Everything was well organized, with baggage handlers waiting for our bags. Easy exit to coach and we were on our way for a short ride to the Westmark Fairbanks. When we arrived at the hotel we were so happy to find our luggage already in our room. It didn't take us long to get to bed in preparation for our McKinley Explorer ride the next a.m.
Tour:
We talked all through the land tour portion about how organized HAL was with baggage, instructions and help. Our guide, Jenna, was an excellent resource. You always had written information of what to expect, when to put your luggage out and when/where to meet. She was consistent in providing enthusiastic help to all of us.
We left for the train depot at 7:15 am. Again, everything organized...even your seat numbers. The train cars are just like the pictures and are very comfortable and clean. The dining car is under the observation car. It was easy to find your way down and eat. The food was very tasty and cost was in-line with other Alaska food costs. They stagger the eating and we had no wait or problems with seating. The guide was pleasant and gave interesting information all along the four hour trip. It took awhile before the scenery became impressive. There were lots of trees and then you realized you were going higher and higher, especially when you saw the front of the train go around a mountain! You then began to see how the glacier runoffs affect the river and the scenery gets better and better.
Arrived in Denali and was taken by coach to the McKinley Chalet Resort. Our luggage preceded us and was in our room. The only food resources in the resort are vending machines. Unfortunately, when we arrived and went for a much needed drink we found that all vending machines were out of order, and in fact had been out of order for nearly three weeks. We thought that was unacceptable. If you owned that property and had that many guests coming in from a long trip you would have ensured cold drinks would be available...even if you had to buy a cooler and fill it with ice and drinks. We rested a bit and then took to exploring. The Chalet is serviced by a shuttle that takes you to the main building. Unless you are a real hiker, you do not want to walk up the hill to the main building. We really didn't see many people doing that. They have several shuttles and they run often so we had no problems with that. The main building is very attractive with a large gift shop and eating places. Across from the main building is a little hill that you can walk up to the main road where there are shops and restaurants. The first night we walked up there and ate fried halibut and chips and enjoyed a locally operated souvenier shop. In fact, it was the most reasonably priced souvenier shop we visited on the trip.
The next day we took the Denali Wilderness Tour. It was a fantastic experience. We were very fortunate in that we saw caribou, a grizzly and her cubs, a moose and her calves, Dall sheep, fox, eagle and small critters. The day was beautiful and the scenery spectacular. The sun created so many different light patterns on the mountains. We were able to see a glimpse of Mt. McKinley. We were on the road for nearly eight hours and we were tired when we were through. Our driver was taking long range pictures of the animals, which you could see on screens in the coach. We were happy to find you could order a DVD of your specific tour and the animals you saw for $29.95. We have already received it and feel it is worth the money to get some pictures that we weren't able to get on our own. Here is something that is very important for you to know...if you have a National Park Golden Age Pass you will get a refund for $10 per person on the tour. We used the refund to have a nice dinner in the main lodge that evening.
The next day we boarded the McKinley Explorer at 11:30 am for an eight hour journey to Anchorage. We didn't have any excursions booked for Denali and we were tired, so we didn't do anything in the am. The park has sled dog demonstrations at 10:00 am. People who went to that really liked it and I wished we would have made the effort to go. Again, the train ride and guide were good. We dined on their fish chowder at lunch and it was delicious. By the way, they do have a bar on the train and a hostess brings you mixed drinks if you would like them. Of course, there is a charge for that, but she will bring you coffee for no charge. The train even went through the famous town of Wasilla! We arrived in Anchorage in the early evening and checked into the Westmark Anchorage. We took a short walk to Humpy's Great Alaskan Ale House and had good halibut sandwiches and listened to some Alaskan country music. We were very impressed with Anchorage. If we were to go back, I think we would chose a tour that had more time in that city. It is very pretty and clean. Wide boulevards and flowers in front of many of the buildings and hanging flower baskets. There is a shopping center close to the hotel that has a Nordstroms. Also, there are galleries close to the hotel. In the morning we walked to a terrific place for breakfast, called The Snow City Cafe. It apparently is a favorite of the locals and is busy. Everything is fresh and made to order. The service is quick and friendly. If you like French Toast, I had stuffed french toast that had an orange cream sauce inside. It was absolutely delicious.
Leaving Anchorage we took a coach to Girdwood for a two night stay at the Hotel Alyeska Ski Resort, stopping for a very interesting one-hour cruise to Portage Glacier. The welcome center is very educational. The cruise was good and the captain and park naturalist were excellent. You get very close to the Glacier. Aleyski is a four diamond property and it is really first rate. The grounds are beautiful and the inside has beautiful woods, fireplaces, and very nice rooms. It also has some really good looking stuffed bears and other animals. There is a tram inside the hotel that takes you to the top of the mountain. We had made reservations ahead of time to eat at the Seven Glaciers Restaurant which is on the top of the mountain. If you are eating there, the tram ride is free (usually $18 per person). It is a four diamond restaurant and it is all glass so you can see the glaciers and clouds from your table. The food and its presentation was exceptional. If you are interested, you can take a look at its menu on line. You can look from there down to the resort and the resort looks like you are seeing it from an airplane. They have a spa in the resort, but we didn't utilize it. We had researched and planned to go into the town of Girdwood but my husband didn't feel well so we didn't go.
After two nights at Alyeski we took a coach to Seward. Again, all these different stops were well organized, with our guide Jenna making sure we were prepared and our luggage always awaiting us. It is a beautiful drive. This is the embarkation point for the ship and we were ready to cruise!
Ship:
After all the things I had read about the MS Statendam after being in dry dock I was apprehensive about what we would find. The first thing we found was we had been upgraded to a full deluxe suite, very close to the Neptune Lounge. It was my husband's birthday and that surely was a nice present! We didn't find any problems of foul odors or know of any plumbing problems. As usual, the ship was kept very clean and there are sanitation stations everywhere. They emphasize keeping your hands clean. The suite became very important to us because my husband became ill. His problem was due to an illness he had over the holidays and he was unable to enjoy the cruise fully because of that. As always, we enjoyed our efficient, professional and happy room stewards. Also, the concierges, Kevin and Leich, in the Neptune were very helpful.
In regards to the remodeling...the ship retains the usual layout but the bar areas are definitely more open and inviting. It seems to me that the Showroom's redesign seems to result in less seating area. I was only there once because of my husand not being well and it was so packed that people were standing. We had anytime dining and there was no problem with seating. The food was well prepared and we had a nice variety from which to choose.
Overall it appears that HAL, like everyone, is suffering from the economic climate. You could see it in little things, but the most obvious to us was the service in The Lido. They are not staffing it as much as they used to do. The "no tray" thing didn't seem to be a problem, but you hardly saw the waiters. Dirty dishes set on tables for a long time and passengers were pushing dirty dishes onto other tables, etc. In the past we always had someone coming around and greeting you and asking if you'd like more coffee, etc. but the only person who came through was selling Statendam coffee mugs. It also seemed as though they were short of some foods and desserts if you didn't get there early. Sometimes it was even difficult to get coffee.
Cruise:
Cruising the fjords and Glacier Bay was beautiful. All our weather was perfect with temperatures in the 70s and no rain. We enjoyed the wildness of the scenery. We had researched and planned different activities and restaurants for our ports, but my husband's illness prevented us from enjoying them as planned. In Haines we did a bit of walking around and we ate the best seafood chowder ever and some wonderful halibut at The Bamboo Room. In Juneau we did take the whale watching trip with Orca Enterprises. Their boat is 42' long with a 12' beam. It has big windows and large seats and you can be inside or outside. You have plenty of room to move around. We saw many whales, seals and sea otters. Captain Larry was interesting to watch as he spotted the whales. I think he was better than sonar! I did a quick walk around in Juneau and found a place called Two Birds Grill right in the port area where I had a good halibut sandwich in flatbread. The highlight of our trip was to be our float plane trip wih Island Wings Air Service in Ketchikan; however, my husband got worse and we had to cancel that. They were very considerate about the cancellation. I did get off the ship in Ketchikan and enjoyed several good galleries and looking at real native art.
Summary:
Every time we talked about Alaska, people who had been there urged us to take the land tour in addition to the cruise. We were very happy we did. We also think it is best to take it first and then use the cruise to relax after you have had to pack and unpack several times. We are sorry we weren't able to do everything we wanted to do but we are thankful we did get to experience being in such a vast wilderness and coming close to so many animals. The scenery is so fantastic. I am hoping to upload some pictures in the next few days.
So, we are back from the mountains of Alaska to the shores of Florida. My husband is getting good treatment and feeling some better and it is always good to get home.
We hope you will enjoy your Alaska Cruise/Tour.
Arrival: We arrived in Fairbanks after a long flight(s) from Florida. HAL was there waiting for us. Everything was well organized, with baggage handlers waiting for our bags. Easy exit to coach and we were on our way for a short ride to the Westmark Fairbanks. When we arrived at the hotel we were so happy to find our luggage already in our room. It didn't take us long to get to bed in preparation for our McKinley Explorer ride the next a.m.
Tour:
We talked all through the land tour portion about how organized HAL was with baggage, instructions and help. Our guide, Jenna, was an excellent resource. You always had written information of what to expect, when to put your luggage out and when/where to meet. She was consistent in providing enthusiastic help to all of us.
We left for the train depot at 7:15 am. Again, everything organized...even your seat numbers. The train cars are just like the pictures and are very comfortable and clean. The dining car is under the observation car. It was easy to find your way down and eat. The food was very tasty and cost was in-line with other Alaska food costs. They stagger the eating and we had no wait or problems with seating. The guide was pleasant and gave interesting information all along the four hour trip. It took awhile before the scenery became impressive. There were lots of trees and then you realized you were going higher and higher, especially when you saw the front of the train go around a mountain! You then began to see how the glacier runoffs affect the river and the scenery gets better and better.
Arrived in Denali and was taken by coach to the McKinley Chalet Resort. Our luggage preceded us and was in our room. The only food resources in the resort are vending machines. Unfortunately, when we arrived and went for a much needed drink we found that all vending machines were out of order, and in fact had been out of order for nearly three weeks. We thought that was unacceptable. If you owned that property and had that many guests coming in from a long trip you would have ensured cold drinks would be available...even if you had to buy a cooler and fill it with ice and drinks. We rested a bit and then took to exploring. The Chalet is serviced by a shuttle that takes you to the main building. Unless you are a real hiker, you do not want to walk up the hill to the main building. We really didn't see many people doing that. They have several shuttles and they run often so we had no problems with that. The main building is very attractive with a large gift shop and eating places. Across from the main building is a little hill that you can walk up to the main road where there are shops and restaurants. The first night we walked up there and ate fried halibut and chips and enjoyed a locally operated souvenier shop. In fact, it was the most reasonably priced souvenier shop we visited on the trip.
The next day we took the Denali Wilderness Tour. It was a fantastic experience. We were very fortunate in that we saw caribou, a grizzly and her cubs, a moose and her calves, Dall sheep, fox, eagle and small critters. The day was beautiful and the scenery spectacular. The sun created so many different light patterns on the mountains. We were able to see a glimpse of Mt. McKinley. We were on the road for nearly eight hours and we were tired when we were through. Our driver was taking long range pictures of the animals, which you could see on screens in the coach. We were happy to find you could order a DVD of your specific tour and the animals you saw for $29.95. We have already received it and feel it is worth the money to get some pictures that we weren't able to get on our own. Here is something that is very important for you to know...if you have a National Park Golden Age Pass you will get a refund for $10 per person on the tour. We used the refund to have a nice dinner in the main lodge that evening.
The next day we boarded the McKinley Explorer at 11:30 am for an eight hour journey to Anchorage. We didn't have any excursions booked for Denali and we were tired, so we didn't do anything in the am. The park has sled dog demonstrations at 10:00 am. People who went to that really liked it and I wished we would have made the effort to go. Again, the train ride and guide were good. We dined on their fish chowder at lunch and it was delicious. By the way, they do have a bar on the train and a hostess brings you mixed drinks if you would like them. Of course, there is a charge for that, but she will bring you coffee for no charge. The train even went through the famous town of Wasilla! We arrived in Anchorage in the early evening and checked into the Westmark Anchorage. We took a short walk to Humpy's Great Alaskan Ale House and had good halibut sandwiches and listened to some Alaskan country music. We were very impressed with Anchorage. If we were to go back, I think we would chose a tour that had more time in that city. It is very pretty and clean. Wide boulevards and flowers in front of many of the buildings and hanging flower baskets. There is a shopping center close to the hotel that has a Nordstroms. Also, there are galleries close to the hotel. In the morning we walked to a terrific place for breakfast, called The Snow City Cafe. It apparently is a favorite of the locals and is busy. Everything is fresh and made to order. The service is quick and friendly. If you like French Toast, I had stuffed french toast that had an orange cream sauce inside. It was absolutely delicious.
Leaving Anchorage we took a coach to Girdwood for a two night stay at the Hotel Alyeska Ski Resort, stopping for a very interesting one-hour cruise to Portage Glacier. The welcome center is very educational. The cruise was good and the captain and park naturalist were excellent. You get very close to the Glacier. Aleyski is a four diamond property and it is really first rate. The grounds are beautiful and the inside has beautiful woods, fireplaces, and very nice rooms. It also has some really good looking stuffed bears and other animals. There is a tram inside the hotel that takes you to the top of the mountain. We had made reservations ahead of time to eat at the Seven Glaciers Restaurant which is on the top of the mountain. If you are eating there, the tram ride is free (usually $18 per person). It is a four diamond restaurant and it is all glass so you can see the glaciers and clouds from your table. The food and its presentation was exceptional. If you are interested, you can take a look at its menu on line. You can look from there down to the resort and the resort looks like you are seeing it from an airplane. They have a spa in the resort, but we didn't utilize it. We had researched and planned to go into the town of Girdwood but my husband didn't feel well so we didn't go.
After two nights at Alyeski we took a coach to Seward. Again, all these different stops were well organized, with our guide Jenna making sure we were prepared and our luggage always awaiting us. It is a beautiful drive. This is the embarkation point for the ship and we were ready to cruise!
Ship:
After all the things I had read about the MS Statendam after being in dry dock I was apprehensive about what we would find. The first thing we found was we had been upgraded to a full deluxe suite, very close to the Neptune Lounge. It was my husband's birthday and that surely was a nice present! We didn't find any problems of foul odors or know of any plumbing problems. As usual, the ship was kept very clean and there are sanitation stations everywhere. They emphasize keeping your hands clean. The suite became very important to us because my husband became ill. His problem was due to an illness he had over the holidays and he was unable to enjoy the cruise fully because of that. As always, we enjoyed our efficient, professional and happy room stewards. Also, the concierges, Kevin and Leich, in the Neptune were very helpful.
In regards to the remodeling...the ship retains the usual layout but the bar areas are definitely more open and inviting. It seems to me that the Showroom's redesign seems to result in less seating area. I was only there once because of my husand not being well and it was so packed that people were standing. We had anytime dining and there was no problem with seating. The food was well prepared and we had a nice variety from which to choose.
Overall it appears that HAL, like everyone, is suffering from the economic climate. You could see it in little things, but the most obvious to us was the service in The Lido. They are not staffing it as much as they used to do. The "no tray" thing didn't seem to be a problem, but you hardly saw the waiters. Dirty dishes set on tables for a long time and passengers were pushing dirty dishes onto other tables, etc. In the past we always had someone coming around and greeting you and asking if you'd like more coffee, etc. but the only person who came through was selling Statendam coffee mugs. It also seemed as though they were short of some foods and desserts if you didn't get there early. Sometimes it was even difficult to get coffee.
Cruise:
Cruising the fjords and Glacier Bay was beautiful. All our weather was perfect with temperatures in the 70s and no rain. We enjoyed the wildness of the scenery. We had researched and planned different activities and restaurants for our ports, but my husband's illness prevented us from enjoying them as planned. In Haines we did a bit of walking around and we ate the best seafood chowder ever and some wonderful halibut at The Bamboo Room. In Juneau we did take the whale watching trip with Orca Enterprises. Their boat is 42' long with a 12' beam. It has big windows and large seats and you can be inside or outside. You have plenty of room to move around. We saw many whales, seals and sea otters. Captain Larry was interesting to watch as he spotted the whales. I think he was better than sonar! I did a quick walk around in Juneau and found a place called Two Birds Grill right in the port area where I had a good halibut sandwich in flatbread. The highlight of our trip was to be our float plane trip wih Island Wings Air Service in Ketchikan; however, my husband got worse and we had to cancel that. They were very considerate about the cancellation. I did get off the ship in Ketchikan and enjoyed several good galleries and looking at real native art.
Summary:
Every time we talked about Alaska, people who had been there urged us to take the land tour in addition to the cruise. We were very happy we did. We also think it is best to take it first and then use the cruise to relax after you have had to pack and unpack several times. We are sorry we weren't able to do everything we wanted to do but we are thankful we did get to experience being in such a vast wilderness and coming close to so many animals. The scenery is so fantastic. I am hoping to upload some pictures in the next few days.
So, we are back from the mountains of Alaska to the shores of Florida. My husband is getting good treatment and feeling some better and it is always good to get home.
We hope you will enjoy your Alaska Cruise/Tour.