Suggestions for taking Sapphire Princess to Alaska

[bbgran190]

We have friends who are going to Alaska on the Sapphire Princess and it will be their first cruise. Their cruise will leave out of Seattle. We wrote up some suggestions for them and thought they may be of interest to other people in the same boat (pun intended).

 

Seattle - Fly in the day/night before. Don’t plan on overly adjusting to the time changes. Washington State is a three hour time difference and Alaska is a four hour time difference from East Coast Time. Go to bed when you are tired, wake up when you wake up.

Hotel Options

Option 1 Staying near an airport hotel – cheaper room charges and you only incur one taxi fare to pier. Shuttles usually are available for free to hotels located near the airport. Useful if you are flying in late the night before the cruise.

Option 2 Staying downtown – more expensive hotel and no free shuttle from the airport to a downtown hotel. Advantages of a downtown hotel – site seeing. If you get in relatively early there’s lots to see downtown. Even if you get in late, you would have the morning to go site seeing. You can take the light rail from the airport to downtown. Cost is only $2.50 per person one way. Make sure your hotel is near one of the rail stops. Seattle has an extremely hilly downtown and you will not probably want to walk more than a couple of blocks.

Expect to bring one large piece of luggage per person as well as a carry on. I bring a daypack as my carry on. We bring all of our electronics, medicines and the items we need for that evening and next day in our carry-ons. Our goal is not to get into our big suitcases until on board the ship.

Things to See or Do

 

Day Before Cruise – Pioneer Square Area – Take the Underground Tour - $15 per person, Hours 10:00 am – 7:00 pm – hourly tours. This ninety minute tour is a silly tour that really gives a fun look at Seattle’s history.

BainbridgeIsland Ferry - $7.10 per person round trip – You pay for the round trip at the Seattle Terminal. It is a magnificent 35 minute ride through Puget Sound. After getting to Bainbridge Island we took a walk to the downtown area and had dinner. If you want to just take the ferry, you must disembark the ferry when you get to Bainbridge Island then go back on the ferry for the return 35 minute ride. We timed our trip to leave in daylight - great views of Puget Sound and Mt. Rainier. Our return trip was at night and we got to enjoy the city lights.

Morning of the Cruise - Pike’s Place Market Just walk around this Market. Watch the vendors throw fish at the seafood market. Sites, smells and sounds are incredible.

Other Ideas – Space Needle – going up towers is not our thing – cannot give you a lot of info. There is free bus service in the downtown zone

 

The Ship

Boarding the Ship – We prefer to get on the ship earlier rather than later – makes for a more relaxed day. At the cruise terminal – the staff will funnel you through the process – pretty painless. You will be asked to fill out a medical form saying whether or not you are currently experiencing a contagious disease – flu like symptoms, etc. You will be issued your room key/ID card. You must have this card with you whenever you get on or off the ship.

Photographs You will be greeted by a photographer either in the terminal or just after boarding. Pose for the picture – you are under no obligation to buy. Throughout the trip, the ship’s photographers will ask to take your pictures. It is fun to go to the photo gallery and find your photos. Pictures are on the expensive side but at least one of them becomes a souvenir each trip.

Upon Boarding the Ship – You should be able to go right to your room and drop your carryon luggage off. Each stateroom has a small safe in the room – we always put our passports and any other items in the safe immediately. On ship – you pretty much just need your room key. We unpack our carry-ons – rest of your luggage will be delivered in the next few hours. Then go to the Lido Deck (14th Floor) for lunch – Suggest the Pizza Prego or Trident Grill (Hamburgers and Hot Dogs) or the Horizon Court (the ship’s 24 hour buffet). If you are on the ship early enough you can participate in some of the following activities.

· There usually is a ship’s tour to familiarize you with the layout of the ship.

· Scavenger Hunt – helps you familiarize you with the ship’s layout and public rooms

· National Park Service Ranger talk in the Explorer’s Lounge on Seattle & the Gold Rush

All of these items will be in your “Princess Patter” - a daily ship’s paper, delivered to your room each day, with a listing of all activities that are going on the ship.

Prior to Sail-Away – everyone must participate in an evacuation drill.

During Sail-Away be on the 14th Floor or higher for fantastic views as your cruise begins. Caution: if you are offered something to drink while on deck for the sail-away – it is not free.

Extra Expenses The ship is a cashless environment. Your room key is your ship’s charge card. Things such as souvenirs purchased on the ship, photographs, bingo cards, spa services, casino, pop/soda, alcohol, brewed coffee are extras. You could buy a “soda” card on the first day. You have to drink a lot of pop to make it worthwhile. If you can live on tea, lemonade, water, ice tea, milk and/or fruit juices and wait for being on shore for a pop, we would not get a soda card.

One suggestion is to bring quarters for the Laundromat. There is are self-service laundry rooms on the ship. We usually do a load of laundry mid-way through the trip. This helps in limiting what we bring. Besides, you will be in a rain forest for most of the trip – expect rain. Once or twice we’ve needed to use the dryers. We bring the 3-1 laundry sheets in a zip lock bag to do our laundry.

Dining – You will need to decide on Traditional or Anytime Dining. Traditional Dining means you sit at the same table at the same time with the same people for each meal. Your waiter gets to know you and hopefully you get to meet new friends. Anytime Dining allows youuse two to three different dining rooms (the menu is the same in each dining room with the exception of one “house specialty” per dining room). We prefer Anytime Dining – so we can go when we want, depending on the activities of the day. We also prefer to have a table for two and not share the table. You still sit close enough to other tables that you usually exchange pleasantries to the other individuals. Anytime Dining may require a short waiting period. We have never found this inconvenient.

You can go to the Buffet anytime of the day or night. Breakfast and/or lunch are also served in one of the dining rooms – we think it is the traditional dining room, if you would prefer. You can order room service from a limited menu. Suggest you tip the waiter $2 for room service. No cash tipping for any other waiter service – it is part of the auto tip that you pay at the end of your trip - $11 or $12 per person per day.

There are other food options – the ice cream stand, cookies and milk at 3:00 pm, afternoon tea.

In addition, you can do some upgraded dining – there is an Italian Restaurant and a Steakhouse on board that costs additional money. In our opinion, the food in the dining rooms is so much more fancy than we normally eat we have never bothered with the specialty restaurants. You can also order the Ultimate Ship’s Breakfast or Ultimate’s Ship’s Dinner delivered to your room for an added charge.

Here is our Food Critic two cents. Never take a platter in the buffet use a round plate – otherwise you will fill the whole platter. The cake desserts look very pretty in the buffet but aren’t very good. Desserts in the dining rooms are good. If you like chocolate, highly recommend the Princess Love Boat Dream Dessert. In the dining room, you can ask for seconds or two entries, two appetizers, etc. You’ll find the portions smaller than a normal restaurant but by the time you eat all the courses you will be full and won’t really need to order an additional entry.

On Board Ship Activities

Too many to count – multiple pools, hot tubs, the library, naturalist lectures, movies, production shows, magicians, comedians, trivia contests, outdoor chess sets, shuffleboard, whale watching, demonstrations in the atrium, stroll around the promenade deck, people watch, work out in the gym, take a nap. Activities will be listed daily in the Princess Patter.

Ultimate Ship Tour – Here is an expensive tour but a once in a lifetime activity. Get a behind the scenes tour of the ship on your last full sea day. Approximately 12 participants go behind the scenes at the theatre, medical faculties, printing room, laundry room, engineering room, galley, and on the bridge. Each of the heads of each department will give a talk. Before you leave the ship delivered to your room is over $100 worth of souvenirs – bathrobe, chef’s jacket, stationery, photos of your tour. You are fed desserts in the gallery and on the bridge. We did this once – got to admit it was pretty cool seeing whales from the bridge. It is a 3-4 hour tour. Cost is $150 per person. If interested, you must go to the passenger service desk immediately upon boarding the ship and sign up for the tour. If too many people sign up, there will be a lottery to see who gets to go.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do dress in layers – fleece jackets and raincoats. You are in a rainforest. Plan on getting wet. You will not see a lot of umbrellas – raincoats work the best. Bring ear muffs or a stocking cap and gloves/mittens for viewing glaciers from the ship. A set of long johns for the glaciers would come in handy. Alaska is pretty casual dress. “Dockers”and golf shirt or dress shirt are appropriate for eating dinner in the main dining room. Slacks and a sweater would be fine for women. On formal night, a dark suit and a fancier wedding outfit would work fine. You will see men in tuxes but it is not necessary. I’ve got one so darn it I’m going to wear it. On our last trip, we noticed later in the evening the fancier people dressed up. If you do not want to participate in formal night you can go to the buffet or one of the specialty restaurants.

Don’t go to any of the sales presentations. There will be a lot of them at the beginning of the cruise. There are art auctions on board the ship in the Explorer’s Lounge – don’t go. When in port walk a couple of blocks into town to get away from the “jewelry stores” - many of them are owned by the cruise lines and have nothing to do with Alaska

Don’t use the internet on board the ship – very expensive not great service. You can go to the public library in Juneau and use their internet if needed.

Do get trip insurance – if for some reason you need to cancel at the last minute or you get sick on ship – a must.

Don’t be late embarking on the ship in port. They won’t wait for you.

Do go to the Promenade Deck to watch the people run to get back on board the ship before they sail away.

Do use the hand sanitizers located throughout the ship.

Do take a moment to write up cruise staff members who helped make your trip enjoyable.

Do check well in advance of your cruise that your passport is valid.

Do have fun – it is like two vacations in one – Alaska and a cruise.

Shore Excursions The Princess Websites offers shore excursions that you can sign up for on the ship. They are usually more expensive than what you can book on your own but you are paying for the convenience and there is no stress involved. They’ll pick you up right on the dock and guarantee you the ship will not leave without you. You can sign up for the ship’s shore excursions before you leave on the trip, guaranteeing the time you want to take the trip. You can also sign up for excursions on the ship. You’ll be charged for these side trips at the end of your cruise.

Here are some suggestions for first time visitors to Alaska.

Ketchikan

It is unusual to have a full day in Ketchikan. Usually it is just a half day. Ketchikan is a fishing community and very rich in Native Indian culture. It usually gets 155 of inches of year so make sure you have a rain jacket with you. This town is very small and is a very easy walk. Here are two options for the Native Indian Culture of the area. Highly recommend either one. We’ve done both. Start your day with Totem Bight State Park or Saxman Village; spend the rest of the day walking around town.

TotemBightState Park – State Park showcasing totem poles, includes a clan house. One half hour bus ride from downtown Ketchikan. $2 per person – round trip. At the park office get a map for a self-guided tour ($1 donation suggested). We lucked out and ended up following another cruise line’s guided tour – no one seemed to care.

To catch the bus – walk off the ship to the end of the dock – there is a visitor’s center at the end of the dock if you need an exact location. Basically the bus stop is on Front Street (main street of downtown) across the street from the tunnel. Take the Blue Line. It leaves Ketchikan at 45 minutes past the hour (7:45 am, 8:45 am, etc). Bus leaves Totem Bight at 15 minutes past the hour (9:15 am, 10:15 am, etc). $39 per person if taken through the ship – 2.5 hour tour.

Saxman Village – we can recommend this ship’s tour. You will tour a Native cultural center, see Native dancing, view a totem carving demonstration and get a tour of Ketchikan. The native crafts available here are really good. $49 per person – 2.5 hour tour.

Walking Tour of Ketchikan – Get a Walking Tour Map from the Visitor’s Center – make sure you go up to Creek Street and Whale Park. You may also want to take the Funicular (tram) to the Cape Fox Lodge (just a dollar or two). See the city from a higher location & more totem poles.

Shopping - at the end of the Dock near the visitor’s center is the Tongass Trading Store. It is probably the best spot for souvenirs in Alaska. From cheap to more quality items. It is also where the locals go to shop. Upstairs has a lot of outfitter type items. Tongass owns quite a few building/stores in the city but the one you want to visit will be the one closet to the docks.

Dining – if you decide you don’t want to go back on the ship for lunch. We can suggest Burger Queen – a four table restaurant located on the other side of the tunnel. It is a little white building with blue trim. Look for it when the ship is docking. This tunnel thing will make sense when you are in Ketchikan. It is where the locals eat and many of the ship’s crew eats. Their portions are huge and are known for the halibut sandwiches and milk shakes. You may want to share one order. Warning – everything is expensive in Alaska. So expect prices to be higher than at home.

Tracy Arm Fjord or Glacier BayNational Park

Should be the highlight of your trip. Suggest you attend the Naturalist lecture the day before.

The amount of ice flow that day will influence how close you get to the glacier. Dress in layers – it will be cold. The more overcast the day, the bluer the glaciers will appear. Scenic cruising begins at 6:00 am. This is one reason you do not want to overly adjust to Alaska time. Although you will be entering the Fjord area at 6:00 am – it will be 10:00 am East Coast time.

Juneau, Alaska

The State Capitol and home to the Mendenhall Glacier. First and foremost we would go to Mendenhall Glacier. Mendenhall Glacier is 14 miles from downtown.

Mendenhall Glacier – Walk to the end of the dock – you will see the Glacier Express Blue Bus. Cost is $16 per person round trip. The buses run every 30 minutes between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm. $3 admission to go inside the visitor’s center. Ship’s tour is $39 per person for 2.5 hour tour including 90 minutes at the glacier – admission to visitor’s center included in price.

Whale Watching – is very popular and expensive. We did it through a ship’s tour. Would not recommend this route. Keep in mind – most whales in Alaska are not the type that breach the water like you see when Shamu performs at Seaworld. Their tails do not come far out of the water. You tend to see more the water spouts and the top of the whales. You do have chances to see whales at anytime from your ship. As a matter of fact when we did take a whale watching excursion, I ended up seeing more whales from our cruise ship than on the whale watching trip. If you really want to take a whale watching excursion go on to the Internet and search for the several highly recommended vendors.

AlaskaStateMuseum – 395 Whittier Street, Juneau. Open to 5:30 pm – Admission $5. If you enjoy museums, we can recommend this museum. You can walk from the cruise ship to the museum. 15-20 minute walk

Mt.Roberts Tram – can’t miss it. It is right downtown. We’ve never done it. You supposedly get fantastic views from the top. Rather expensive at $27 per person. If it is not a perfectly clear day don’t bother.

Dining – Once again, if you want a break from the ship’s cuisine we can recommend the Hangar. It is located downtown – ask any local for directions – close to the ship. You probably will go for the views more than anything. Enjoy something to eat and/or drink as you watch the float planes take off and land right outside your window. Popular with locals and tourists alike.

Juneau Public Library – 292 Marine Way, Juneau, - opened to 8:00 pm – very close to the cruise ship. Internet access available at the library.

Libby Riddles – the first woman to win the Iditarod Dog Sled Race. Libby gives a lecture in the Princess Theatre on the cruise ship. Check your Princess Patter for times. We met her outside of the ship with a couple of her dogs and sled prior to her lecture. She cannot bring the dogs on board.

Skagway

It’s all about the Gold Rush. The majority of the downtown area is a National Park. Begin your day by taking the ten minute walk to downtown Skagway. Stop at the National Park Office located right next to the train station.

SkagwayNational Park Tour – The National Park Service gives free one hour tours of Skagway. Tours beginning at 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm. First come first served. Limited to 30 persons per tour.

Walking Tour of Skagway – go to www.skagway.com/walkingtour.html and download a walking tour map of your own. Town’s not big.

White Pass and Yukon Railroad here’s a ship’s tour we would recommend. The White Pass Scenic Railway is a 3.5 hour tour – cost $119 per person. Consider by some to be one of the top ten train trips in the world. Suggest if you take this trip take it in the afternoon so all of the morning fog has burned off. Try to sit on the left side of the train on the way up. Whatever side you sit on you will switch seats on the way down so everyone can see the scenery on both sides of the train. The train picks you up right outside of the cruise ship – not at the train station. Don’t be surprised if your eyelids close on the way back down due to the gentle movement of the train.

Steve Hite – is a folk musician who gives a short concert, 30-45 minutes, in the Explorer’s Lounge on the cruise ship. His songs are about Alaska and the Gold Rush. Check your Princess Patter for time.

Victoria, British Columbia

The reason for this stop is all the cruise ships must make a stop in a foreign port of call. Victoria fits the bill.

There are shuttle buses that will take you to downtown Victoria for $7.50 per person. All of the government buildings are lit up with white Christmas lights for a very pretty setting. The Fairmont Empress Hotel is a beautiful building to walk around. During the summer months, there are many outdoor vendors and buskers performing. Shore excursions are offered through the ship. You can also rent a pedi-cab right where you board the shuttle buses.

Since you do not have to pre-register for the shuttle bus, you could decide that day whether you want to go into town or not. There is nothing to see near the docks. You may also decide just to have a relaxing night on the ship.

Disembarking

A day or two before the end of your cruise, you will receive instructions for disembarking the ship. Normally, the ship will ask you to pack everything but your carry-on items and leave them in the hallway early evening on your last night on board. You will also be given instructions on what time and where you need to assemble for disembarking. After leaving the ship, you will reclaim your bags and get transportation to the airport – more than likely a taxi.

Couple of other options – the ship has a program called EZ-Check. For $25 per piece of luggage, the cruise line will take your luggage and the next time you see it will be when you land back home. We haven’t tried this option yet. There are rules – flight times, which airline, etc.

Another option is self-disembarking. Using this option you do not leave your luggage outside your room the night before. However, you are responsible for getting your luggage off the ship. The crew will not help you. We’ve done this once. It worked well for us. Comes in handy if you have a flight before noon.

[Assateague Island Princes]

Thanx for this comprehensive list, bbgran. I've been to AK three times and will be going back again this Aug. 5th, but I've only ever sailed HAL. By chance, my brother, his girlfriend and her kids are booked on the Sapphire leaving next weekend. I've been helping them all I can, giving them general tips, hints, what to do in port, etc. but I'm clueless when it comes to Princess. They've got their excursions booked on my recommendations, and they're well prepared with what to pack, etc. But all this info about the ship they are sailing on will be invaluable! So I'm printing this out for them - it will be perfect! Thank you again, and I'm sure my loved ones will thank you as well.

[tennisqueen]

Thanks, bbgran, this is a huge help. My family will be sailing on the Sapphire on August 14 so all of your tips/insights is well-timed and greatly appreciated.

[Keith1010]

Great writeup.

 

Keith

[bbgran190]

Glad to know you found something of value. If you have any questions, we'll be happy to share any other details we have.

[tennisqueen]

you mention you prefer to get onboard earlier rather than later -- what time do they allow you to board?

[bbgran190]

Various cruisers will have differing answers to your question. On your boarding pass Princess will provide you with a suggested time. We seem to remember that they suggest after 12:30 or 1pm. Another cruiser with a current trip may correct this. Some have posted to the boards that they try to get in line for embarkation extremely early (11am or so). Cannot tell you how this works out.

 

Twice before, due to various reasons, our arrival was delayed until just about as late as you could board the ship. It wasn't a crisis but it is disconcerting to see the port staff closing down the rope lines behind you. Now we try to arrange getting to the port around noon and it has worked well for us. We just don't like feeling rushed - we're on vacation.

[Smokeyham]

Thanks SO MUCH for doing this great write up, with very specific hints. This is one of the ships I am considering for an Alaska cruise, and this really helps

[VegasMark]

Thanks, bbgran, this is a huge help. My family will be sailing on the Sapphire on August 14 so all of your tips/insights is well-timed and greatly appreciated.

 

Have you joined our roll call yet? If not, please come!

[emmtee]

Copied and Pasted. Good info. Thanks for posting.:)

[BridgeMates]

Thank you. We just booked the Sapphire a few days ago and are still trying to figure out what we want to do with our son and wife who have never been to Alaska. You've made planning a lot easier. Will get off in each port with your write-up in hand!

[bbgran190]

We sure hope you get something of value out of the information. We wrote it up specifically for friends and highlighted our favorites and those things that fit our personalities.

 

If you can stand to do the research, we encourage you to search these forums, and the web in general, for the specific ports. We've found that this can be a really fun lead up to the trip itself. With planning you can cherry pick guided activities with plenty of "on our own" adventures. That said, always be ready to take advantage of the unexpected.

 

If you are a reader, Princess had a book written by mapmaker, fisherman and Alaskan Joe Upton called Alaska Cruise Companion: A mile by Mile Guide. It gave great insight into the history, culture and nautical aspect of the inside passage. I loved reading it before the cruise. It is available new and used from various online retailers and on the ship itself.

 

Inside Passage Walking Tours: Exploring Major Ports of Call in Southeast Alaska by Julianne Chase is an out of print book available through online booksellers that was a good read to orient to the cities we went to as they are all walkable. Its out of print for over ten years so some of the dining information is obsolete but the bulk of the information is still good.

 

Enjoy planning.

[JaniceB]

Thanks for sharing all your information. I had a friend do this for us when we visted St. Maarten and it was really helpful.

[Me2]

Thank you! I'm on the Sapphire on July 31, with a few days in Seattle pre-cruise. Your suggestions are definitely helpful. Have you ever taken one of the longer ship-tours in Skagway that included the White Pass railway (like the Yukon & White Pass, or the White Pass Bennet Lake)?

 

So many wonderful tours to choose from!

 

Many thanks,

 

Sue

[bbgran190]

No we have not taken advantage of any of the longer train trips so cannot provide you with any additional information. If you end up taking one of them would like to know your opinion of the trip.

We split our day in Skagway into two parts. The White Pass Scenic Railway takes the main part of an afternoon or morning.

In the morning we try to get to downtown Skagway as early as possible to avoid the crowds. On various visits, we’ve toured the city; I’ve gone rock climbing; my wife went to the quilt stores. We are not opposed to getting a refreshment at a local establishment.

Last trip we walked trails to Yakutania Point and Gold Rush Cemetery and Lower Reid Falls. Both are rated as easy trails. No crowds and you fee like you have the whole place to yourself. If going to the Gold Rush Cemetery make sure you know the story of Soapy Smith and Frank Reid. It’ll make you visit more meaningful. You can to the National Park Service’s website for more information on the trails: http://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/shorterdayhikes.htm

 

It is hard to narrow down the choices. Best advice is to fit the trip to your interests.

[bbgran190]

No we have not taken advantage of any of the longer train trips so cannot provide you with any additional information. If you end up taking one of them would like to know your opinion of the trip.

 

We split our day in Skagway into two parts. The White Pass Scenic Railway takes the main part of an afternoon or morning.

 

In the morning we try to get to downtown Skagway as early as possible to avoid the crowds. On various visits, we’ve toured the city; I’ve gone rock climbing; my wife went to the quilt stores. We are not opposed to getting a refreshment at a local establishment.

 

Last trip we walked trails to Yakutania Point and GoldRushCemetery and LowerReidFalls. Both are rated as easy trails. No crowds and you fee like you have the whole place to yourself. If going to the GoldRushCemetery make sure you know the story of Soapy Smith and Frank Reid. It’ll make you visit more meaningful. You can to the National Park Service’s website for more information on the trails: http://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/shorterdayhikes.htm

 

It is hard to narrow down the choices. Best advice is to fit the trip to your interests.