cmmaxwell03

6 hours ago, no1racefan1 said:

Good morning! When we arrived at the lodge last night there was a note that said they have a Bayview suite available for tonight if we want to upgrade. I texted the owner to ask about the cost to upgrade, and they said free!! So we're switching rooms today because who would turn that down? This place is gorgeous and I thank whomever it was that suggested Resurrection Lodge on the Bay.

Also includes a hot cooked breakfast and we were able to grab some apples and peanut butter to take on our Orca Quest cruise today. Which it's supposed to start raining just in time for our cruise 🫠

view from breakfast:

So excited to hear about your trip.  So far your luck has been amazing.  Reading this makes me want to go back to Alaska.  Enjoy and watch all your hard work and planning pay off 🙂 ❤️  

9 hours ago, ljandiernp said:

Thanks for your reply. I think I may splurge on an add on boat trip to Kenai Fjords over the Gold Star seats as I haven't found an appealing thing to do in town. The big attraction there seems to be the aquarium, and I'd prefer to chance seeing wildlife in the wild. What did you enjoy doing in Seward? Laurie 

We went on the Resurrection Bay tour. The waters are more calm than the other tours. I saw several people talking about how rough the Fjords tour can be so we opted for calmer waters. We saw lots of orcas. It went from boring to very interesting I’m just a few minutes. 

2 hours ago, ljandiernp said:

I'm interested in whether or not anyone has an opinion about the Gold Star vs Adventure class seats? Since an Adventure class passenger can chose to purchase a dining room meal and an adult beverage if they want to, the only real difference seems to be access to the high-up dome seating. Even the Adventure class information refers to some seats that sound like they are large-paned, just not up at a height. Having viewed the videos on You-tube, I think that there may be advantages in either location. If an animal were at a distance, up high would be good. If it were close to the tracks, lower might be better. Laurie

We traveled using the Gold Star service last September. We enjoyed the experience and considered it to be the first excursion of our trip.  We enjoyed being under the glass roof the whole time.  Even thought it was raining, we always enjoyed the viewed.  I felt there were fewer people in the Gold Star section.  The bar was very accessible in each of the Gold Star cars and rarely had a wait.  If you can splurge on the price, I think it's worth it.  But the Adventure class is still good.  You will have a glass roof car and open air car that is shared.  If you do not drink or want a meal, it could be the more affordable option. 

On 3/8/2024 at 10:16 AM, no1racefan1 said:

I agree, I decided it wasn't worth it even if we got it for $20pp. I'm going to keep an eye on the upgrade offers to see if anything changes.

 

We are 66 days out from our trip and I already have major vacation short-timer syndrome. I can't stop thinking about it!! It has been so long since we've been on a real trip!

OMG I'm so excited for you!  I have been reading your plans and I wish we were going again.  You are going to have so much fun.

Just now, no1racefan1 said:

Eww! I would hate to have 5 sea days in a row. Obviously safety first though!

True...but it's on Carnival so I'm sure they added activities and things to keep people entertained.  

I follow a Youtube channel called ParoDeeJay.  They have sailed on Carnival Luminosa a few times.  The Alaska sailing on Carnival looks fun....not as fancy/classy as other ships, but an overall good time.

On 9/20/2023 at 4:37 PM, puzzums said:

Hello everyone.  I’m looking to hear from folks who have done an Alaskan cruise in September.  Research has indicated Sept can often be VERY rainy with a greater chance of some excursions being cancelled due to rain.  Also, wildlife sightings in general can be fewer, and bears may already be heading to hibernation sites.  So, how did you find your Sept sailings?  I am all about wildlife and being able to see the beautiful scenery on a clear day, not through a veil of rain.  I am aware one can experience rainy days in any month - it’s Alaska, after all - but just need to know if Sept is taking too big of a chance with the weather gods.

 

Thanks everyone!

HI Puzzums 🙂 We just got back from a southbound sailing from Seward to Vancouver, Sept 7th-17th.  To be honest, if early Sept was the only time I could take off work, I would still go again.  Even though we had rain most days and some rough seas at times, it was still a great trip.  I gave a detailed description on the thread below, post #230.  LMK if you have any other questions about the trip.  

4 hours ago, torybruno said:

Loved your trip report, thank you for taking the time!  FYI… I have a friend on Carnival Luminosa right now on a 30 day cruise, and they missed the whole Alaska beginning of their cruise due to weather (three ports and Glacier sailing!)

I heard about Carnival skipping that part.  I watch Cruise Radio on Youtube.  He presents current news on the cruise industry.  I think he said they will have 5 sea days in a row to make up for missing those ports.

36 minutes ago, GTJ said:

It may be that the Alaska Railroad does it this way, but it is backwards. If a person wants to buy a ticket, to first check baggage, before going inside the station to ascertain if there are any remaining tickets to purchase, means that--if there are no remaining tickets for sale--the person then has to return outside to reclaim baggage for the aborted trip.

 

Yup. The Alaska Railroad marketing department does a good job promoting that aspect more so than actuality. And that non-view means no overhead baggage racks. The only time when that view is really worthwhile is on clear nights, when there can be a marvelous star show. But the Alaska Railroad has no overnight trains. The better view, in my opinion, is from the Vista-Dome car, available to all coach (Adventure) class passengers. Did you get a chance to ride this car? It is as if you're in a bubble, and the view not only to the side but forward and back as well. The only true benefits of GoldStar service are the open observation deck (though a very close substitute is riding the dutch door in coach (Adventure) class) and the "free" meal included. I don't think that GoldStar service is worthwhile.

I agree with everything you said.  Good point that people with their luggage, that do not have a ticket, should go inside first 🙂 I had not thought about that (obviously!).  The "included" breakfast is so-so.  It filled our bellies but didn't leave us wanting more.  Although, I have to say it was a nice to try reindeer sausage.

We arrived back home last night from our 10 day AK cruise through Viking.  I will not review the cruise line here but I do have some other random stuff to share that might help with your planning 🙂

@no1racefan1 SO SORRY I could not manage to do a 'live' report.  I really wanted to but the wifi was terrible.  We had several days without any decent connection.  I was able to post some quick updates/pics to Instagram while we were in port and not on an excursion.  If you are interested in seeing those, my name/handle is life_the_cmax_way  

Our flight from Seattle to Anchorage was uneventful.  If you fly during daylight hours, the scenery is beautiful when not in the clouds.   So many amazing mountains!

Anchorage airport is lovely.  Dare I say, I wish we had walked around it longer than we did but I was ready to get the vacay started, haha.  We decided to take a taxi from the airport so that we did not need to figure out where the uber stand was located.

We stayed at the downtown Marriott.  I thought Anchorage would look like a major city with lots of high rise builds, but that's not the case.  The blocks are smaller than you would expect.  Most buildings are only a few floors high.  And taller builders seem to be limited.  The hotel was very nice.  I booked using points, so our room selection was limited.  We were surprised to have a view of the bay once we arrived in our room.  It was very nice to look out over a portion of the city and see the water.

From our hotel, everything we wanted to do was within walking distance.  We walked to the train station so that we could determine if we could do it with our luggage or if we should take a taxi.  Then we stopped into 49th State Brewing for a snack and beverage.  We split their soft pretzel (it was massive) and each had a beer sampler.  It was before dinner so there were a few tables available, but WOW, that place filled up quickly during the 1-2 hrs we were there.  We went back to the hotel for a little bit and then headed to dinner at Glacier Brewhouse.  We had reservations for 7pm and were seated quickly.  The menu is large enough that you can choose between seafood/no seafood, budget friendly/splurge.  We found the restaurant to be extremely warm.  I had on a long sleeve shirt and instantly regretted it.  The place was also packed to the gills.  It felt as though there were 50-75 tables and each were full.  While the food was tasty, I wished we had skipped it.  Or had a mid day snack there and went to 49th for dinner.

For our full day in Anchorage, I planned breakfast at the Snow City Cafe and a Helicopter tour that took us to a dog sled camp.  We arrived at the cafe around 8am and had a short wait.  We were a little surprised by the prices but the portions were pretty large.  I ordered the Kodiak Benedict (eggs beny w/ a crap cake) and DH got the french toast.  We shared both and had almost a 2 pieces of french toast leftover.  Both items were very tasty.  

After breakfast we were contacted by our tour company, Alaska Helicopter tours.  We found out the tour had been canceled due to the weather at the camp being fairly poor.  Too much mud for the dogs and tourists.  I was bummed but they offered us a tour that went to the Knik Glacier and had a glacier landing.  It was a little cheaper than our original trip so we went ahead and did it (plus we didn't have any other plans for the rest of the day).  I should have held onto my socks because they blew them off!!  I HIGHLY recommend this company!!!!!!!!  They picked us up at our hotel and shuttled us to a resort in Palmer where their helicopters are stationed.  They were friendly and professional.  The lodge was clean and inviting.  We have never been in a helicopter so this we exciting (and really freaking scary!).  We had a safety briefing and then were escorted to our helicopter where we met our pilot, Shad. With a name like that you knew he was either young and beautiful or a fish...I'll let you choose, haha.  There were 7 of us in the helicopter; two other couples and the pilot.  It was a tight fit but everyone had a great view.  During the flight, Shad spotted a bear and flew really close (a safe distance, haha).  The bear took one look at us and said, NOPE!  Then ran away.  I think the flight out was 20-30 minutes long.  Very scenic around the green portions of the mountains.  Then we started flying over the glacier.  It was amazing.  I did not think flying over/to the glacier would interest me but I was so wrong.  It scary, beautiful, breathtaking...all the words!  Then the pilot chose a place and landed on the glacier.  We walked around for about 20-30 minutes while he snapped photos of the group.  We each had water bottles and were encouraged to taste the glacier water.  It was nice and cold.  For our flight back, I felt like we were in Top Gun.  We flew through a ravine (I think that's what it is called) and went along with the curves of the landscape.  If you cannot tell....this was awesome!  We landed safely back at the lodge and were shuttled back to the hotel.

We had 7pm dinner reservations at the Crow's Next.  This is a fancy place on top of the Captain Cook hotel.  Everything we delicious and properly cooked.  Nice sized portions. No complaints.  We would absolutely eat here again.  The rest of our evening was uneventful.  We packed up, watched some Friends on tv and fell asleep.

The following information only applies to those that book directly with the train line and NOT through your cruise line.  Anchorage to Seward via the Alaska Railroad (ARR):  We booked our train tickets directly with ARR 8 months before the trip.  We opted for the Goldstar class (includes breakfast and seats you on the top leave w/ the glass dome).  We decided to take a taxi from the hotel due to our luggage.  It would have been a lot to carry the 0.7 miles.  The taxi cost around $5.  When we arrived at the train station, there was a large white tent to the side.  This is where you drop off luggage other than your carry on bags.  ONLY THEN should you proceed inside to get your boarding pass.  We saw many people wait in line only to find out they could not get a ticket until they had dropped their bags outside. The train station isn't very big but people kept cramming in there.  We felt a bit like sardines and once we had our ticket and some coffee, we opted to wait out front away from the crowds.  Our 'checked' bags were trucked to Seward and we did not see them again until onboard the cruise.  We had Air Tags in them and checked many times.  They were definitely not on the train and went via the Seward high way.  

Boarding started around 615am and we were seated by 620am.  The ride was nice and the weather cooperated.  I enjoyed the glass dome but tbh, if it wasn't in our budget, I think the regular seats in Adventure Class would have been fine.  I rarely found myself looking up through the glass.  Instead most things were out the side of the train car.  We treated this as our first excursion of the trip.  We befriended 2 couples there were sailing on a Celebrity cruise out of Seward the next day.  The ride from Anchorage to Seward is about 4.5 hrs long.  We arrived around 1115am and took the short walk from the train to the cruise port.  BTW, the signage can be confusing.  One sign says "cruise port this way" and then there was a sign stating "no pedestrian traffic".  That sign is specifically talking about an business with a very active parking lot/drive way.  Once we left the station, we walked to the road and took a left.  Follow that for just under 0.5 miles and then you turn right toward the ships.  It was an easy walk since our weather was good.  Some ships had shuttles that picked you up at the port but ours did not.

Embarkation in Seward was SO easy!!  It is a large tan metal building.  There are restrooms, vending machines and the processing places for the cruise.  Since we arrived fairly early, there were only a few couples ahead of us in line.  I estimate that from the time we walked into this build until we placed foot on the ship, it was 15-20 minutes.  We had read on another post that you should use the restroom here because when you board they will take you to a safety briefing right away and it could be up to 30 mins before you have a chance to excuse yourself.  They were right!  I might have had champagne in my hand but it was a good 20 minutes before we were left to wonder on our own.  

Excursions:

Resurrection Bay Wildlife Tour by Major Marine (Seward)

Purchased through our cruise line

5 hour duration

It was a lovely catamaran tour for about 160ish people. The boat was clean, had restrooms and a snack bar.  Sandwiches, chips, a granola bar and non-alcoholic beverage were included.  There were 3 levels of seating (2 inside, 1 outside).  Please note this is labeled as a "wildlife" tour and not a whale watching tour.  We saw seals, otters, puffins and a bunch of other birds.  They cruise around Resurrection Bay at a very slow pace.  For the first 3.5 hours, I admit, I was a little bored.  With so many people on the tour, we fought for window space unless you wanted to go up top and hang out in the wind and rain (which we eventually did and enjoyed it).  We were on the last 1.5 hours of our trip and all the sudden the captain turned the boat away from our normal path and sped up quite a bit.  He did mention briefly that we were deviating from our normal path but did not state a reason.  We thought it was due to the rough-ish seas.  However, we were wrong.  We pulled up near several other tour boats and he explained there were Orcas in the area.  For at least an hour, we floated along and watched the Orcas swim through the water.  No joke...there had to be 20-30 of them and they were on all side of the boat.  At one point, we stood in amazement as 3 breached one after another.  Even the crew on the ship were in awe.  I felt as though all passenger gasp and then cheered.  The whales must have known we were at the end of the tour because the either swam away or were less active.  At that point, we sailed back to Seward to take the short 5 minute shuttle bus ride back to the cruise port.  I do wonder, if we had cruised earlier in the year, would we have seen more whales....I'll never know 🙂

Valdez On Our Own (Valdez)

"Tour" booked through the cruise line

We were really excited to visit Valdez due to some friends that had lived there while being in the Coast Guard.  Our cruise line offered a free shuttle to some of the locations in town.  If you wanted to skip the shuttle you can also walk from the port into town.  It's small and easily walkable.  We walked for about 1.5 hours and then headed to Valdez Brewing Company.  We love to support local breweries when we have the chance.  DH tried a unique beer that was a Strawberry Milkshake IPA.  I know...I was shaking my head too and thinking how gross it could be.  BUT....it was tasty!  It looked like a regular beer but had flavors of a creamy strawberry shake.  I don't know what kind of magic they are preforming in the back but I'm sold!  Next was a food stop we were so excited to try: The Nat Shack.  After the short walk from the brewery to the food truck, we were shocked to find it was not open.  I looked on their website and it did not suggest they would be closed.  DH pulled up their FB page and it said they closed on 9/5...we were there on 9/9.  Booo!!!  I get it, I get it...but I was still bummed.  We didn't want to wait for the shuttle so we walked back to the port and ended up at the ship's buffet for lunch.

Taku Lodge Feast & 5 Glacier Seaplane Discovery (Juneau)

Booked on our own through Wings Airways

3ish hours

The building for Wings Airways is located right on the pier.  It was a quick 5 minute walk from the ship.  We checked in, were given a ticket and waited about 10 minutes before boarding our seaplane.  Each plane holds 10 passengers and the pilot.  Before board, the pilot asks for 2 volunteers that would like to sit up front with him (1 each way).  We flew over the cruise port and several glaciers before landing at the lodge.  The lodge is adorable!!  The staff members live on the remote island for 5-7 months out of the year.  They make most food items from scratch daily.  We were served fresh salmon cooked over an alderwood fire, beans, slaw, biscuits, bread, cookies.  Tea, coffee, water, lemonade were however a can of beer was $8 and a glass of wine was $14 (yikes!!  $$$).  We had time on our own before and after the meal to walk around the property.  We found a waterfall and fresh berries (blueberries and highbush cranberries).  Once our time at the lodge was up, we boarded the seaplane again and had a 15 minute return flight to the port.  It was a fun trip!  

RIB/Zodiac Excursion & Fin Island Lodge (Sitka)

Booked through the cruise line

Unfortunately, we had heavy rain and gusty winds.  The tour canceled and we were refunded within a day or two.  Btw, at this point we were on day 8 of the cruise and I was feeling exhausted.  So we stayed onboard and napped most of the day.  It was lovely, haha.

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour (Ketchikan)

Booked through the cruise line due to short time in port but you can purchase tickets online

3.5 hours

I have to admit that I nerded out a little bit.  I'm a big fan of the show, The Deadliest Catch, so this was a tour I was really excited to attend.  The weather was not great but didn't stop the tour (YAY!!).  I thought it was more authentic due to the wind and rain.  We ended up on the top deck which is not sheltered well from the wind and rain but we were prepared in rain suits and water proof shoes.  The fishermen on this tour are experienced and knowledgable.  They do not take you out into the rough ocean seas that the show on the TV show.  However, we did have some waves due to wind but nothing dangerous.  I think I smiled the whole time.  We were shown live crabs, an large octopus, star fish, shrimp, sea urchins, an eagle, and at the end during one of the stories being told, some yelled out "WHALE!!".  There was a single large humpback whale off the starboard side of the boat.  It dove down after showing us a little tail and just when we thought it was gone, it came up and did a quick bubble feeding!!  Woot!!  Quick trip back to the port where the captain impressed us with his navigating skills.  Their berth is behind a cruise ship so the sailed their boat between 2 cruise ships very carefully and then parked in the busy harbor.  Well done!!

Overall/General notes:

• Waiters on our cruise mentioned that this specific sailing had more rain and rough seas that any other they had this season in AK.  If I went again, I might select an earlier trip however, our anniversary was during this trip and that's why we selected the dates.
• We did not go overboard with our spending when it came to wet weather gear.  We purchased water PROOF jackets and pants from REI.  They were store brand and worked just as well as the fancy name brand items.  We both needed to replace our hiking shoes so we kept an eye out at REI for sales on waterproof hiking shoes.  We found some about a month before our trip and wore them inside the house to break them in.  On a whim, 2 weeks before leaving we were back at REI for something random and found a better brand marked down much less than our original purchase.  REI has an amazing return policy.  We were gentle on the original pairs and had not worn them outside so they were like new when returned.
• Ensure you have water PROOF and not water RESISTANT.  We had rain almost everyday of the cruise.  Sometimes it was a light rain that didn't really affect you and other days it was heavy.  We saw many people that either didn't pack rain gear or purchase water resistant...they were soaked.  The resistant gear will protect you for a while from a light rain and then it will start to absorb the water.
• Footwear...dude, I get it.  People love Crocs, sandals, etc but you should still pack for bad weather just in case.  The rain was cold and with the added wind....I'm willing to be some people were miserable with their wet socks/feet.
• Dress in layers.  I knew this was important but didn't think I needed to do it everywhere.  Our first dinner in Anchorage I was so warm in the restaurant and didn't have on anything appropriate under my long sleeve shirt.  During our Bering Sea Fisherman's tour, I wish I had brought an extra sweatshirt since we were up top and exposed to some weather.

Whew...that was a LOT.  I'm sure there is more I could share but I'm not sure where to start.  LMK if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer.  I hope we can travel to Alaska again.  There are still so many things we want see or experience there. 

I tried to contact them to purchase the VIP ticket.  I called several times and no one answered.  I left a detailed message...no reply.  I ended up booking my cruise line because they charged the same price that was offered by the vendor.

We board our flights from Seattle to Anchorage in 24 hrs.  Most of our packing is completed.  It's hard to I'm finding it hard to stay focused.  I'm starting one task and then quickly becoming distracted by something else. 

3 hours ago, marylovestotravel said:

Hi,

 

I've just heard that in Vancouver we will be tendering onto the Orion for the beginning of our Alaska cruise. 

 

Has anyone had any experience of this? What about our luggage??

 

Thanks,

 

Mia

Hi Mia, 

When do you cruise to Alaska?  We board the Orion in Seward on 9/7 and when we get to Vancouver on 9/17 we are disembarking by tender.  Viking told us about it a week ago via email.  They outlined that we will have to leave our luggage out the night before and then we will pick it up at a hotel that we will be shuttled to once leaving the Orion.

2 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

7

Oh.My.Lord....I would move.  Or pass some stinky gas to encourage her to move. 🤣

15 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

 

m

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you have to wait long to get on/off the tram?  By chance, do you know what time the bar opens up top?  We have a tradition of going to mountain tops and having a beer 🙂 

@no1racefan1 The pressure is ON!  We fly to Anchorage Tuesday morning.  Then start the cruise on Thursday.  My 'to-do' lists are a bit lengthy.  I read back over your packing list and realized I had forgotten to add binoculars to my packing list.  DOH!

3 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

Catching up.

 

 

I'm impressed you are still standing!  That's a fair amount 🙂

Did you book the train through your cruise line or directly with ARR?

Thanks @Murt22  Your feedback is great.  We board the Orion in one week.

Hello my fellow experienced travelers.  This cruise is our first with a CPAP.  We are thrilled to learn that Viking provides distilled water.  However, we are wondering if you have any tips or tricks for cleaning your CPAP during at 11 day cruise?  At home, we have a SoClean machine for daily cleaning but we do not plan on traveling with it since it is heavy.  Thanks in advance!

57 minutes ago, cruisingbandmom said:

We did this last June.  We booked directly with George Inlet Lodge.  They picked us up and returned us to the ship.  The patrons on the cruise ship tour were all in a room and it was about 150 people.  We had just 12 people that booked directly with them at our table and had our own room.  So you can imagine that refills on crab and drinks came much sooner.  I was full and started to crack the crab for my husband.  He was very satisfied with this meal.  It is not unlimited alcohol, it is one drink.  You have unlimited tea and soda.  The blueberry cheesecake was amazing and just the right end for a delicious meal.

That's awesome!  Thank you for sharing.  I thought this was limited to only cruise ship bookings.  

There was an excellent review from High Seas Paul & Cindy on Youtube.  They booked through the cruise line and were shocked when it really wasn't 'all you can eat and unlimited drinks'.

Here's the link to the video: 

2 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

The streets are empty but this place is packed. People are waiting inside for tables. People are waiting outside for tables.

 

Would you mind sharing what time you showed up?  We are hoping to have breakfast there when we cruise in Sept. 

40 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

I got the flagship but seasonal sounds interesting

 

 

Thanks for posting about this place.  We will be in Alaska the first week of September and made dinner reservations there. 

To be safe, I went ahead and made reservations but will keep their number handy in case we have any flight delays.  Thanks @dd57

39 minutes ago, dd57 said:

Our cruiseline, the same one you are on, used Major Marine for the Resurrection Bay cruise.

 

We decided to eat at Glacier Brewhouse the morning after our arrival in Anchorage.  The only reservations available for that day were 4:30 or before, or after 8:30.   Boo.  Then we realized that we hadn't adjusted to the time change yet, and 4:30 in Alaska was our normal dinner time at home.  We were seated at 4:30, and were glad we got there when we did as a large tour group of around 30 people was taken to a back room, which I'm sure impacted the kitchen for later diners.  The food was great as was the beer selection.

Argh...I didn't realize we would need a reservation for the Brewhouse.  We were planning on having dinner there the night we arrived.  I was not going to make a reservation since our flight could be delayed.  Oye...