Trip Report: 6 day DIY, Island Princess Southbound, 6/29-7/11/18, Patters & Menus

cltcruzer · July 23, 2018

I plan to do a similar 7 day self pre cruise tour similar to yours. I wonder if it was worth doing both the Seward day cruise and the Whittier day cruise. Were they fairly the same or unique experiences? If you only were to pick one, which did you prefer?

Since the Island Princess didn't depart from Whittier until 8PM, we enjoyed being able to make the most of the day with the 26 Glacier Cruise before getting on board. Some people prefer to use Princess to transfer from Anchorage to Whittier, and embark earlier to get lunch, explore the ship, etc. It was our first cruise so I have nothing to compare it to, but I really like what we did and felt we made the best use of our time.

The Kenai Fjords cruise we did out of Seward, the 6-hour Major Marine cruise, was a highlight of our trip and absolutely amazing. We spent some time at a glacier and got to see some great calving, and we saw humpbacks, orcas, otters, seals, puffins, and sea lions. The scenery along the way was also beautiful.

If I had to only pick one, I'd definitely pick Seward/Kenai Fjords. No matter where my cruise departs from, cruising Kenai Fjords will be at the top of my list to do again if I'm able to return to Alaska some day. They were somewhat similar because we saw glaciers and wildlife and beautiful scenery on both cruises, but the focus for Kenai Fjords was wildlife and for the Whittier cruise it was glaciers. Not sure how to explain exactly how but the scenery is definitely different too. Having said that, with the way our itinerary worked out, I really enjoyed the Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise from Whittier, and I'm glad we were able to do both.

hopestotravelmore · July 23, 2018

thank you for a wonderful review and your photos were stunning. I am planning a trip almost like yours for next May along with a tour of the Rockie Mountains.

I have been tossing up between both the cruises out of Whittier and Seward and was glad to read what you have said about the difference between each.

cltcruzer · July 23, 2018

Here are the dinner menus. First one is the menu that was available every night. I've also included the menu for the crab shack and the pub lunch.

Every Night Dinner Menu.pdf

Midwestoalaska · July 24, 2018

CltCruzer, Cannot thank you enough for posting everything from your Island Princess Cruisetour!!!! Now I will be able to relax knowing all the information you have given us. We will be arriving late to the ship as we leave Talkeetna at 1:30 on the train to Whittier as part of the Cruisetour. Thanks again!!

cltcruzer · July 26, 2018

Forgot to post the dessert menus. Apparently I forgot to take a picture of the dessert menu on the last night (Baked Alaska night). Also including a few pictures of the desserts