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Alaska Photojournal – Coral Princess + DIY Land Tour May 28 – June 9, 2014


AryMay
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We arrived home last night...exhausted from an overnight flight from Anchorage...but full of great memories of our first trip to Alaska!

 

I have always done reviews on Cruise Critic following our past cruises, but as I scan the boards it seems like there are quite a few Alaska reviews done in the last couple of weeks. I took a few photos (approximately 3500!) and would love to share some if there is any interest. I do realize that many of my photos look just like some that have already been posted however.

 

Our trip included a couple of days in Vancouver prior to our northbound cruise and also a few more days at the end in Seward. The majority of my photos will be wildlife and the beautiful scenery...very little will be included about the ship.

 

So...should I continue? Anyone interested? Be honest!!

 

Here is one photo from our Glacier Bay day. Let me know if you want more!! :)

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of course people want more ! Some folks are planning for next year and some folks are excited about their cruise this summer, so any and all information is helpful and photos whet the appetite !

I think excursion info is what people want to learn about ... "did I make a good choice? " And photos taken during an excursion are especially helpful.

Thanks.

Great photo of Glacier Bay !

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Would LOVE to hear and see anything about the Coral. We just booked our first cruise ever, on the Coral, in Alaska next year. So any pics of the ship would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

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Would LOVE to hear and see anything about the Coral. We just booked our first cruise ever, on the Coral, in Alaska next year. So any pics of the ship would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

 

Unfortunately I don't have very many ship photos. :( Hopefully the info on ports, etc. will be helpful as well.

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OK…it sounds like there are a few of you who might take time to read this review! Please keep your comments coming…it is so much easier to write when you know the effort is being appreciated! I wanted to get this done soon so it might be helpful to those cruising this summer…but getting my photos organized and edited WILL take time…please be patient, OK?

 

I will be honest…Alaska wasn’t a destination that was very high on my bucket list. My husband and I love the Caribbean and over the last 12 years we have visited many of the islands. To me it’s not a vacation without palm trees and blue water. However our good friends and travel companions, Kent & Laurel, really wanted to go to Alaska. They had been good sports and agreed to go on a 10-day Southern Caribbean cruise with us last December on the Emerald Princess so it seemed only fair that we should reciprocate and go with them to Alaska.

 

The cruise was booked last September during Princess’ “Three for Free” promotion. (Free cabin upgrades, $50 excursion credit and complimentary dinner in one of the specialty restaurants onboard.) Not long after we booked I also noticed a price drop and got the difference refunded.

 

Once booked, Laurel and I became obsessive with our planning. My husband, Bob, and I live in Minnesota and Kent and Laurel live in Illinois so there were many hour+ long phone calls made back and forth as we ironed out the details. My research was done on Cruise Critic and Laurel concentrated on Trip Advisor. I do believe that between the two of us, we read every Alaska-related post and review online!! The guys offered opinions occasionally, but Laurel and I were the head travel planners.

 

We agonized over each and every decision and in hindsight…we did pretty darn good! The following are OUR opinions. You can disagree…but be NICE. ;)

 

Northbound or southbound cruise? There are pros and cons to both. We chose to sail north knowing that each day the views would become more and more spectacular…and we were right. The downside was that at the end of our wonderful trip we had to face the long flight home from Anchorage in the middle of the night…such a crummy way to end.

 

Port or starboard balcony? Originally we booked side-by-side balcony cabins on the port side based on what we were reading. It made sense…you would be able to see land as you sailed up the coastline. Then I read JimmyVWine's review from last summer and it changed our mind. (Thanks, Jimmy!!) We called our Princess Vacation Planner and had her switch our cabins to the other side of the ship. I worried and worried about that decision…but now that we are home, I would advise anyone else to do the same!

 

Our cabins were B232 and B234…category BE. With the ongoing promotion, we could have had a free upgrade to any balcony category. Common sense says it would be better to take a more expensive cabin for the lower price, but we had our reasons for booking where we did.

 

Unfortunately we had a minor glitch in this decision. I wanted to be close to the forward outside viewing area on the Baja deck…knowing that the guys would probably want to be somewhere that they could view BOTH sides of the ship. For some unknown reason, the doors to this area on the Baja deck were closed all week…and based on other reviews they had been closed for the previous weeks as well. We were located right near the forward stairway so instead we would run down the steps to the Caribe deck to get out to the front.

Channel 41 on the stateroom TV showed the forward webcam. If we noticed something interesting in front of the ship on TV then we would run to this “secret deck” to check it out. For the most part we just stayed on our balcony.

 

The location also was very convenient to the Horizon Court buffet…just 2 decks up the stairs and we were there. This came in very handy since we ate more meals than usual at the buffet. A few times we just grabbed our food and took it back to our cabin and ate on our balcony.

 

I don’t feel like we missed anything by being on the port side and it was a definite plus on Glacier Bay day (more about that later.) The naturalist would announce whenever wildlife was spotted and it may have been my imagination, but it seemed like it was on the port side most of the time!

 

When to go? After looking at precipitation records, May and June were the dryer months in Alaska. Also the earlier months were better for seeing snow-covered mountains. In the end it was MONEY that made the decision…cruise prices are lower in May. Also we had a pretty hefty credit with SW Airlines that had to be used before June…which also meant we were going to fly into Seattle instead of Vancouver. The logistics of that turned out to be a little more complicated…but turned out to be fun and part of our adventure.

 

Which ship? Glacier Bay was a priority which narrowed down our choices. Princess has a pretty good reputation for Alaska and since we had enjoyed our first Princess cruise in December it was our pick. I liked that the Coral had the forward and aft viewing areas on several decks. The Island is a sister ship, but hasn’t been through some of the upgrades that the Coral has had.

 

Once the cruise had been booked, then we began our diligent research on what to do in each port…and before and after the cruise. Here is the quick version…I’ll try and cover everything in detail as I go along.

 

May 28 – Fly from Minneapolis to Seattle

May 29 – Train from Seattle to Vancouver

May 30 – Tour Vancouver

May 31 – Board Coral Princess

June 1 – Sea day

June 2 – Misty Fjords flightseeing in Ketchikan

June 3 – Whale watch cruise, Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau with rental car

June 4 – Drive to Yukon with rental car

June 5 – Glacier Bay

June 6 – College Fjords

June 7 – Disembark in Whittier, shuttle to Anchorage, rent car & drive to Seward

June 8 – Wildlife cruise

June 9 – Sealife Center, Exit Glacier, drive to Anchorage for flight home

Our friends had spent time in Vancouver last summer so they opted out of the days there before the cruise. Also they chose to add on more days at the end and head up to Denali after we flew home. (They are there now…I am looking forward to hearing all about what they see and do!)

 

I am going to do my best to just briefly narrate this review and let my photos tell the story. I am more than happy to TRY and answer questions that you might have. I have gained so much from reading trip reports that I would like to pay it forward! I do have the Princess Patters from the cruise, but for us this cruise was all about Alaska…not about the ship. We took part in very few activities and even missed eating in the MDR several nights…something we NEVER have done on cruises before!

 

 

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Wednesday, May 28

 

Our trip started out smoothly at MSP...the place was deserted so we breezed through check-in and security!

 

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We each had almost $100 credit with Southwest from a price drop on our flights from last December when we did our Southern Caribbean cruise. It would have been much easier to fly directly to Vancouver...but the difference in price was way more than enough to cover a night in a Seattle hotel and train fare to Vancouver.

 

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The weird thing about our flight from Minneapolis to Seattle was that we were routed through Phoenix! Doesn't seem efficient to me...but we did it.

 

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Snow covered mountains somewhere between Phoenix and Seattle...a foretaste of what was to come!!

 

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Coming into Seattle we got a glimpse of the Space Needle. Originally my plan was to spend our extra days at the beginning of the trip touring the city...but the more I read I decided we would do Vancouver instead. Seattle will have to wait until another time...

 

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All through the SeaTac airport are bronze fish embedded into the floor.

 

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Our flight arrived in Seattle at 7:30 pm (9:30 our time). Dinner was a quick sandwich at the airport and then we took the shuttle to our hotel for the night...Super 8. It wasn't fancy, but it was clean and very, very close.

Edited by AryMay
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I'm interested in hearing how this works out. We are thinking of taking Southwest to Seattle & taking the train into Vancouver. I'm curious to hear if it's a good way to go...or if it's easier to just go into Vancouver.

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Thursday, May 29 – Vancouver

 

I had reserved a car through Eastside for Hire to pick us up at 6 am the next morning and take us to the train station downtown. The girl working at the hotel desk tried to convince us to save some money and take the hotel shuttle back to the airport and catch the light rail instead, but that was more hassle than I wanted to deal with early in the morning…and with my HEAVY luggage.

 

The hotel had a better than average breakfast buffet that started at 5 am …including hot waffles that were pretty tasty! While we were eating, Eastside for Hire texted me at 5:45 am saying our car had been dispatched. The driver arrived a few minutes before 6 am and we were on our way! The taxi rate is based on zip codes and I was surprised at how many different zip codes…and how many different rates there were for just the “airport hotels.” Our rate was $33 for the trip downtown. I’m pretty sure a metered taxi would have cost more.

 

Our destination was the King Street Station to catch the 7:40 am Amtrak Cascades train to Vancouver. Compared to airline travel, taking the train felt a little like stepping back in time. There was no security…we just handed over our larger bags to be checked and carried on the smaller bags. With its wooden benches and ornate ceiling, the station even looked like it might have 100 years ago!

 

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Doesn’t this guy look like the stereotypical train engineer?

 

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I was one of the first in line and requested seats on the left hand side to get a good view of the coastline. The windows on the train are large, but every other row of seats falls in between two windows…and that’s where we ended up. The person next to the window could see by leaning forward, but the aisle seat did not have a great view.

 

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The overhead storage area was as large or larger than on a plane…and the coach seats were definitely more comfortable. Lots of legroom…an electrical outlet…and free wi-fi. I was glad we hadn’t spent more to get business class seating.

 

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Overhead monitors showed different GPS maps so you could keep track of the train’s progress. It also helped to see when the train would go inland…or be close to the shore. (I had my camera ready the whole time!)

 

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You could walk freely from one car to the next…and there was a restroom located at the end of each car. The bistro offered breakfast items and sandwiches…surprisingly not all that expensive!

 

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I tried my best to get some good photos through the windows, but the speed of the train and the glare of the glass was working against me. A guy sitting in our car had a DSLR camera with a very long lens and when I saw some of the shots he was getting, mine paled in comparison. (I gave him my email address hoping he will email me the photo of the eagle flying alongside the train with a fish in its mouth!)

 

Some of the sites along the route…

 

Farmland

 

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Logging operations

 

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The coastline

 

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...and the aircraft carrier U.S. Nimitz

 

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People walking along the shore at low tide…

 

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The photos aren’t the greatest, but we had fun trying to spot eagles and other birds. This picture is really blurry but I was excited to catch FOUR eagles all at the same time!

 

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A golden eagle

 

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Beautiful picture!! Can you please tell me what you did in Seward - we have from 7 am til the 6:00pm train - anything you would suggest? Welcome home!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

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As we got close to Vancouver, we were given forms to fill out to go through customs.

 

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Pulling into the city we went under a bridge. I got all excited thinking it was the Lion’s Gate Bridge…but then realized how stupid I was to think that! (Even redheads can have blonde moments.)

 

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When we pulled into the Pacific Central Station in Vancouver we were dismissed one car at a time to line up to go through customs. By the time our car was called, the line had gotten very long. The line was much longer than the covered walkway so we stood in line…in the rain…for some time.

 

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Oh…and they were also kind enough to immediately unload our luggage and set it on the sidewalk next to the train…also in the rain. :mad:

 

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The customs agent we had was very thorough in his questioning. I felt a bit intimidated…but then I am a serious “rule follower” and wanted to make sure we didn't do or say anything wrong. :rolleyes:

 

Outside the train station we waited in a short line for a cab to our hotel…the Best Western Plus Downtown Vancouver. The fare was $12.80 before tip. (I always like reviews that give prices…it helps me plan my budget.)

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Beautiful picture!! Can you please tell me what you did in Seward - we have from 7 am til the 6:00pm train - anything you would suggest? Welcome home!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

I will give you the quick version now...and then post much more info and photos later, OK?

 

We did a National Park cruise that we booked through Kenai Fjords Tours...probably my favorite tour of the whole trip. Our cruise left at 10 am and included a prime rib/salmon buffet on Fox Island and returned at 5:30 pm. Those times wouldn't work for you, but they also have earlier and shorter cruises available.

 

On our second day we visited the Sea Life Center (about 2 hours) and then hiked at Exit Glacier which is about 8 miles out of town. I believe you can get a shuttle there if you were interested.

 

Our friends did a tour with Seavey's Iditaride where they got to see the sled dogs and ride in a cart (instead of a sled.) It is also located near the Exit Glacier so you would have to have transportation of some sort.

 

Seward is a beautiful little town...I wished that our cruise would have ended there instead of Whittier.

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As we got close to Vancouver, we were given forms to fill out to go through customs.

 

IMG_0957.JPG

 

Pulling into the city we went under a bridge. I got all excited thinking it was the Lion’s Gate Bridge…but then realized how stupid I was to think that! (Even redheads can have blonde moments.)

 

IMG_1047.JPG

 

When we pulled into the Pacific Central Station in Vancouver we were dismissed one car at a time to line up to go through customs. By the time our car was called, the line had gotten very long. The line was much longer than the covered walkway so we stood in line…in the rain…for some time.

 

IMG_0336.JPG

 

Oh…and they were also kind enough to immediately unload our luggage and set it on the sidewalk next to the train…also in the rain. :mad:

 

IMG_0334.JPG

 

The customs agent we had was very thorough in his questioning. I felt a bit intimidated…but then I am a serious “rule follower” and wanted to make sure we didn't do or say anything wrong. :rolleyes:

 

Outside the train station we waited in a short line for a cab to our hotel…the Best Western Plus Downtown Vancouver. The fare was $12.80 before tip. (I always like reviews that give prices…it helps me plan my budget.)

 

I like price quotes too! Even though we are a year out. Your review, thus far, has already helped us out a lot. Thanks for so much info!!

Edited by LoveDMB
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I was also on the Coral (with a landtour) the week before you and am reliving my experience through you, so please continue. You are good - I just transferred the photos from my husband's camera to my computer last night so I could start looking at them again.

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I am loving your review. Thank you for posting. We are sailing on the Coral next July. I also went back and forth about doing the cruise first then tour or touring first and then the cruise. I did decide I didn't want that long flight home from Alaska. it is funny you said you didn't like that at the end so I am glad I picked the tour first. I woudl love to have seen Vancouver some before but we are going to fly in a few days early to see more of Anchorage which will be nice. I can't wait for this trip. I know you said you liked your room as well and I think we are just a few down from where you stayed. I like being two floors down from the buffett. We sailed on the Coral in March and we looked around to see what would be a good room to have. Thanks again for taking the time to write this. Your pictures are wonderful !!!!

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Our hotel (Best Western Plus Downtown Vancouver) was located on the corner of Drake Street and Granville Street…not far from False Creek and Granville Island.

 

For those looking for prices...the hotel was booked through one of the large online travel sites for $130 per night before taxes. Originally I had booked at $135/night but when I saw the lower price I was able to cancel and re-book with no penalty.

 

Our room was located on the 7th floor and had a good view of the city. There was also a roof top deck with tables with an even better view.

 

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Looking south at the bridge leading to Granville Island.

 

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Looking north on Granville Street.

 

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And a night view of the same...

 

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My camera is just a point & shoot, but has an incredible zoom. They are a long ways away, but we could see the house boats anchored at the island.

 

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I just thought of some info I wanted to add to a previous post…

 

The taxi we took from the train station to the hotel was a Black Top & Checker Cab and I was slightly off on the price…it was $12.20. I wanted to include that we paid by credit card. I was worried we would run into trouble by not having Canadian currency, but we were able to get by with US dollars and mainly our credit card. Prior to the cruise we had gotten a new credit card from Capitol One that does not charge any foreign transaction fees and were able to use it. A couple of times we made small purchases at places that did not accept credit cards, but they were more than happy to take our U.S. currency. I know we lost a little in those transactions, but it was far less than if I had paid the ATM fees to get Canadian money.

 

The train had gotten in a little late so by the time we got to the hotel it was 12:30 or a little later. Luck was with us and we were able to check in right away. We let the front desk know that our friends would be arriving the next night and they said they would do their best to put them into the room next to ours.

 

After dropping off our bags in the room, we started walking up Granville Street looking for a place to eat. There was no trouble finding a place…just the hard decision of which restaurant to pick…so many choices. (Lots of sushi place BTW...) We settled on “Donair Dude”…sort of like a Greek version of Subway. You had a choice of meats in a pita and then could pick any or all of the toppings to add. The pita was then grilled. It was a huge sandwich...very reasonably priced (I checked my credit card bill and the lunch special was $11.63 USD total for 2 sandwiches + 2 pops)...and so good.

 

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We chose seats at the bar in the window and enjoyed people watching as we ate. We also happened to notice the clinic offering medicinal marijuana across the street. Over the next couple of days we realized that there were several of these clinics located in the area around our hotel…and they did seem to be quite busy!

 

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Edited by AryMay
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