Seattle to Alaska Via Star Princess Not Quite Live Review

[Teacher_91]

I'm one of those people who enjoy sharing my trips with others. I will write a shorter more succinct review for the review section, but thought that others dreaming about their upcoming Alaskan cruise on the STAR might enjoy my 'almost' live day to day version. :)

 

 

 

Seattle to Alaska via STAR Princess: The LONG version

July 1 – 8, 2012

 

Who: The Mr. & I both 50. This was his first cruise and my 3rd. My previous experiences were in the early 90’s with my ex via Carnival to the Bahamas.

 

You can read about our pre-cruise stay in Seattle here:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60878-i74-k5596978-Trip_Report_June_29th_30th-Seattle_Washington.html

 

 

Day 1

Sunday, July 1st

 

We were assigned to the Lido Deck (14) so our staggered boarding time was 10:30 – 12:30. We arrived at about 10:45 via cab from our downtown Seattle hotel. Check in was handled quickly and we soon found ourselves in a ‘holding area’ with about 75 other passengers. We were glad we arrived early, because while we weren’t able to board until noon, there were many, many others that came behind us. Once the line started moving it wasn’t long until we were having our ‘welcome aboard’ picture taken and finding our way to our cabin.

 

We had opted for a ‘cheapie’ inside cabin (L225) and while it wasn’t the best room we’ve ever stayed in, it certainly wasn’t the worse! Rolando our cabin steward took excellent care of us and the cabin, so we have nothing but praise for this hard working gentleman! We liked the location of the cabin and found it easily accessible to all our favorite ‘spots’ on the ship. I remembered the ‘tip’ I picked up here on Cruise Critic and we headed to the Portofino Dining Room for our first meal on the ship. The Mr. had salmon and I had the beef filets. Like most of the meals on board we found it to be ‘okay’ to ‘good’.

 

We decided to participate in the ship’s scavenger hut and enjoyed going from deck to deck getting our cards stamped at the various locations dictated on the card(s). This was a great way to get to know the ship.

 

Following the muster drill, we headed to the top deck (14) for the sail away. I ordered one of my four cocktails of the trip while we watched Seattle disappear in the horizon. We took lots of pictures and enjoyed the live music. Sadly, our happy moments were short lived. Right after the sail away, the Mr. had an attack of the big “D”. Looking back it had to be the two slices of pizza (one was originally intended for me) that we picked up at the pizza place on deck while we were getting our cards stamped. While in the ‘welcome aboard show’ he became progressively more ill and had to return to the cabin, which left me solo for dinner. Boo! After months of planning our trip, I couldn’t believe this was happening. Of all the scenarios I had envisioned, dining alone in the Horizon Court on our first night on board, was not part of my mental pictures! I really didn’t find much to my liking other than the prime rib which was pretty good. After that I wandered around the ship a little, but soon headed back to the cabin to check on the Mr. and call it a night. I read until I got bleary eyed, then fell asleep.

 

 

 

Next: Day 2 - SEA DAY!

[jaive]

Can't wait to hear more!

[Eaglecw]

We are waiting for Day 2

[Teacher_91]

Day 2

July 2nd – SEA DAY!

When we got up the next morning the Mr. seemed to be feeling a little better. Per the advice I had read here on CC, I had gone through our Patters and zeroed in on a few activities that I thought we might enjoy throughout the day. I was also excited about our CC Meet & Greet schedule that day in the Skywalkers Lounge from 1:00 to 2:00. :D We were treated to a surprise when we realized Rolando had decorated our door with a “Happy Birthday” sign and balloons in honor of the Mr.’s 50th birthday which had been June 2nd. Since his son graduated from high school that same weekend we had not properly celebrated the event. I was glad to see that Princess helped me rectify the ‘slight’!

After getting dressed we headed to the Portofino Dining Room for a nice sit down breakfast. We opted for pancakes, etc. I liked the ‘cake batter’ flavor, but the Mr. didn’t seem to care for his. I was a little leery about ordering coffee after all I’d read about the ‘syrup based’ coffee they serve in the dining room. I’ve only recently started drinking coffee so I’m not much of an expert. I found it to be fine with my usual sweetener and cream. After breakfast we wandered around for a bit and found our way to the Vista Lounge. Frenchie was leading a line dance class that looked like fun. Our intention was to play Bingo that morning, but the Mr. started feeling bad again, so we headed to our cabin. He hit the bathroom :( and I grabbed my Nook since it appeared I’d be spending some more time alone! I went back to the Vista Lounge and purchased my Bingo cards and dobber ($32.00) and watched another member of the entertainment staff lead a Zumba class. It looked like tons of fun, not to mention an opportunity to burn off those pancakes I’d indulged in at breakfast, so I was sorry I was not appropriately dressed and couldn’t join in! I ordered a Diet Coke and passed the time between Zumba and the start of Bingo, by reading my Nook and chatting with a nice lady from Hawaii. I wasn’t a winner, nor did I even come close, but I did enjoy the game!

After that I hit the International Café for a cup of soup for the Mr. and a tuna sandwich for myself. Everything I had read about the International Café was spot on and throughout the cruise we loved stopping in for a tasty morsel or two. Everything we tried, (and we tried a lot), was delicious! When I got to the room I found the Mr. gone. Unbeknownst to me he’d decided to try to get ‘out and about’ for a bit. He left me a sweet note and apologized for being sick. Not knowing when he’d return, I ate his soup, (it was delicious), grabbed my camera, headed back to the Vista Lounge to take part in a photography @ sea class. I had purchased our camera a few months before, but still didn’t quite understand all its capabilities. The class was informative and I picked up a tip or two. Then it was time to find the Skywalker’s Lounge for our CC Meet & Greet! What a treat to connect face to face with the people I had been ‘talking’ to on our Roll Call for so long!

After the M&G I headed back to the cabin and since the Mr. was up and feeling a little better we decided we’d do some laundry since it was the only day (besides Friday) that the laundry room would be open. Even though it was our second day of the cruise portion of our vacation, we were on our 5th day of living out of a suitcase. One thing I haven’t mentioned before now, is the weather. This particular day was wet & cold. As much research as I had done, I didn’t bring enough of the right clothes. I had way too many sandal type shoes, cutesy tops, and not enough ‘basic’ casual clothes. I ended up wearing yoga pants or jeans paired with either a sweatshirt I had bought in Seattle or my ‘exercise’ t-shirt paired with my tennis shoes on several different occasions. I don’t suppose it mattered since I had my fleece jacket on over it a lot of the time, but I can’t help but wish I had packed more wisely! For those who are interested in doing laundry, the laundry room we used was located on deck 12 and cost $2.00 per load (wash or dry.) One young lady depleted the whole change machine with one transaction, so be sure and bring your own quarters if possible. While we waited for our two loads to wash, than dry, I enjoyed visiting with the other people who popped in and out. There were three ironing boards in the laundry room that saw a lot of action while we were in there since our first formal was that same night.

After doing laundry, we both took a ‘power nap’ and then started getting ready for the Captain’s Welcome Aboard party in the Piazza. We had been looking forward to dressing up since we never get the opportunity in our normal day to day lives. The Mr. had rented a tux (which was waiting for us when we boarded on Sunday) and I had purchased a couple of cocktail/formal dresses. Next time, I’ll plan on arriving at the party sooner! It was fun to see so many people all dressed up. We stood in line for a couple of the posed pictures ops. They took both couple and individual poses. The Mr.’s picture by himself came out great and I later purchased a sheet for $19.99. We laughed and said it will be one of the shots we put in the slide show at his funeral when his time comes. I wish we had also got in line to do the champagne waterfall, but somehow we missed out. Next time! After that we headed to our late seating dinner where we were seated alone at a table set for four. Since we had missed dinner the night before it was our first meeting with Graciano and Saytosh. Both worked very hard to make sure we enjoyed our dinner. I wish I could remember what we ate, but I don’t. In our opinion all of our meals in the Portofino dining room were ‘good’ but nothing stands out as memorable on this particular night except dessert. They surprised us with a birthday cake and song for the Mr. Again, thank you Princess for making the Mr.’s belated birthday celebration special! :) I really wanted to see British Invasion in the Princess Theater, but since the Mr. still wasn’t a 100% and we had our first excursion in Ketchikan the next day, we decided to call it a night. Since it was also showing the following night, we decided we'd see it then. Before going to bed we remembered to set our clocks back one hour per the advice listed in the Patter.

Coming up… Ketchikan and our amazing floatplane ride to the Misty Fjord’s Monument!

[Teacher_91]

Day 3

July 3rd

Ketchikan Alaska

We were excited so we woke up early (about 5:00 a.m.!) and decided to head out on the deck and watch Ketchikan come into view! It was a cold and somewhat drizzly, but we weren’t the only ones up and out so early. After that we headed back to the room and got dressed. I made sure our camera battery was well charged and we had an extra memory disc. We decided to get breakfast at the International Café (an “Egg McMuffin” type sandwich that was good and a pastry) and I purchased a specialty coffee at the same time. The Mr. had one of the Ultimate Kid’s drink packages so he opted for Diet Coke from the bar next to the International Café. We sat in that same bar area by the window and watched the port come into view. BTW… this is a great place sit and while-a-way a few minutes… or hours. I often sat her with a snack from the International Café, picked up a Diet Coke from the bar, and either watched the scenery or read my Nook.

We left the ship about 7:30. We were supposed to meet Shona from Island Wings by the ‘rain gauge’ at 8:15. I used the opportunity to turn my phone on, check messages, and make some calls back home. We were also mesmerized by the breath-taking beauty of Ketchikan and I began snapping pics immediately. When Shona met us we were advised that our start time was being pushed back to 9:30 because of the hazy skies. She assured us that it was expected to burn off and she was right. We experienced spectacular weather in this port! Because we had some time to ‘kill’ we took the opportunity to stroll the streets of Ketchikan and take some pictures. Creek Street has to be the prettiest shopping street in the USA! We walked along the Married Man’s Trail and looked for salmon. Later we learned that the salmon weren’t yet running because of some weather issues several years before. Promptly at 9:30, Shona picked us up along with a mother/daughter duo from England and a couple of sisters from Baltimore. She drove us to the Island Wing office and when we saw the floatplane for the first time we were so excited! After a little discussion it was decided the Mr. would ride in the co-pilot’s seat for the first half of the excursion. However I don’t think there was a bad seat in the plane. Michelle our pilot was excellent! She not only piloted the plane but provided information about the Tongass National Forest. Alaska is unspoiled and amazingly beautiful. If it’s not already on your bucket list, I urge everyone reading this review to visit our “Last Frontier”. The highlight of the trip was when Michelle landed the plane on a lake and allowed us to disembark for a 20 minute photo op. God’s handiwork was evident everywhere we looked and for once I was rendered absolutely speechless by the pure beauty of the moment. On the way back we spotted a homestead. Michelle said that it was ‘grandfathered in’ and even though it was a National Forest the owners were allowed to continue to live there. All I can say is if you choose to live there, you must enjoy solitude. As beautiful as it was, I don’t think I could live in such an isolated place. The cost of this excursion was $239.00 a person and I booked it independently. Michelle required half at the time of booking with the balance due the day of the excursion. She took a personal check for both payments. If you opt to take this excursion be sure and bring plenty of photo memory!

After we arrived back from our adventure we decided to do a little shopping. While the Mr. was feeling MUCH better he still had a few “issues’ so we decided to pick up some Imodium at a local drugstore. We also further helped the Ketchikan economy by buying a few other mementos for ourselves and family members. We were a little hungry so we picked up a bag of kettle corn and a couple of diet drinks for lunch. After that we decided to see a Totem Park. We asked a nice gentleman in the visitor’s center (located by the ‘rain gauge’) where to go and he advised us to go to Saxman’s Village via bus. While waiting we met a wonderful lady named Meridith and her sweet Mama. There was also another family waiting for the same bus. After about 30 minutes we realized we were going to run out of time and someone suggested we try to grab a cab and share the cost. We hightailed it back to the visitor’s center and flagged down a cab. The cab couldn’t take all of us, so we split up. Meridith and her mother were with us and the family grabbed another cab. Our driver talked us out of the Saxman Village and instead offered to take us (and wait for us) to the Totem Bight State Historic Park for $60.00. He thought we’d have a better experience because the totem poles were authentic, there was a clan house we could tour, and its beach setting was pretty. Along the way he shared his ‘life story’ and I changed out my memory disc since I’d used the last of it on our floatplane ride. I don’t know what I did to this day, but somehow I set some kind of delay timer on my camera and every time I tried to take pictures it started making a ‘beeping’ noise and I had to count to ten before it would actually snap the picture. Annoying! Later I visited the photo gallery and found a staff photographer who managed to restore my camera to its regular condition, but I don’t know how she did it! Anyway, we only had about 20 minutes to check out Totem Bight Park, but the cabbie was right. It was a beautiful, peaceful spot and we enjoyed our short time walking around the park, taking pictures (delayed as they were!) and examining the totem poles. After that we requested that the cabbie drop us back at the ship while Meredith and her mother opted to go back into Ketchikan in search of some fudge. FYI… we later ran into the family who as planned went to Saxman’s Village. According to their description, we had the better experience!

We were on deck when we sailed away and enjoyed listening to the Naturalist talk about the area. He was able to point out a bald eagle and shared other interesting facts. Once the Naturalist mentioned the possibility of seeing whales that evening I knew I wouldn’t be seeing British Invasion! We had 6:00 p.m. reservations for dinner at the Crown Grill. We both wore pressed dark jeans and nice tops, but felt a little under dressed. We were seated at the window and enjoyed looking at the fabulous view as we dined. Overall this was the best meal we had on board. We had black & blue soup, steak, lobster, scallops, a variety of sides, and a yummy dessert sampler. We left absolutely stuffed and headed up on deck with our camera hoping to see whales. It was freezing and crowded up there! I left the Mr. in charge of the camera (he’s a lot taller then me!) and went to change back into my sweatshirt, yoga pants, and tennis shoes. We ended up seeing two or three whales, which was just so exciting.! We thought about watching a movie on MUTS but it was just too cold for me, so we went back to our room and watched Hunger Games on T.V. We didn’t see the end though, because we were soon fast asleep. It was just as well. The next day was going to be action packed!

Next up: The Princess Glacier Explorer excursion via Allen Marine to Tracy Arm Fjord and Sawyer Glacier followed by a very wet Juneau!

[highheel girl]

Excellent!

[LucyDiamond]

I'm really enjoying your review and am looking forward to the next installment!

 

Paula

[LaLoca1958]

Great trip report!

 

Cheers,

Kat

[Terrafreaky]

Thank you, thank you!! SO Excited!!!!! :D

[akeasley]

I was on this cruise! Thanks for posting the first few days...looking forward to the rest and reliving the wonderful cruise to Alaska :)

[Teacher_91]

Thanks for reading everyone! :) Akeasley, I would love to read about your experiences. Did you write a review? The cool thing about cruising is no two people probably have the exact same 'trip'! :D

 

Day 4

July 4th

Tracy Arm Fjords & Juneau

This was by far our busiest day. We had booked the Princess Glacier Explorer and we had to meet our group in the Princess Theater by 8:00 a.m. The excursion was from 8:00 to 2:00 so we made sure we had a big breakfast in the Portofino dining room to fuel up for the day. The excursion was with Allen Marine Tours out of Juneau and was extremely well done. I’m sure when the majority of the STAR’s passengers saw us slip away and go further into the Fjord they were super sad they weren’t along for the ride. The boat had comfortable inside seating but also areas along the deck that you could stand upon and get ‘up close’ and personal with the glacier. I don’t know if it was excitement or the fact that we were buffeted on both sides by the mountains thus shielding us from the wind, but despite the off and on drizzly rain, I wasn’t cold and I’m always cold! The captain was able to slowly and skillfully maneuver his way close enough to the glacier that we were able to SEE and HEAR it calve! It never occurred to me what a magnificent experience that would be! I loved the sea lions that lounged on little ‘islands’ of ice like my cats lounge on our rugs. Kelly a videotographer from our ship was along to capture the moments for the Reflections DVD sold at the end of the cruise. Kelly took video of us waving and smiling in front of the glacier. Naturally we purchased a copy for $39.00 plus tax. How could we resist? HA! This also included an extra DVD of scenic Alaska. After that we also visited Sawyer Glacier where we saw lots of calving activity as well. At first I tried to capture the moments on film, but after a while I just wanted to enjoy the moment without a camera stuck to my eye. It was so spectacular of a sight, we were ‘oohing & aahing’ in unison like we were witnessing fireworks. I don’t think I’ve ever had a more memorable ‘show’ on July 4th. Along the way we were also treated to several whale sightings, some mountain goats, and a photo op at a beautiful waterfall. The captain was good about spinning the boat so that no matter what side you were standing or sitting on, you could get the same view.

The only ‘downside’ (and it was minor) to the trip was the length of the excursion. For my taste it was about two hours too long, but I’m sure it was because of the distance we had to cover. The concession stand offered free coffee and hot chocolate and sold microwave sandwiches, chips, soda, and candy. The Mr. & I had opted not to eat anything on board because we planned a late lunch in Juneau at Tracy’s Crab Shack (more on that later) and we hadn’t brought any cash with us. It didn’t occur to us that their debit machine might not work so far out. DUH! At any rate, I could have done with a small snack and a soda. At 2:00ish we rendezvoused with the STAR in Juneau. Several people had booked other excursions so they were allowed to disembark first. I had considered booking a whale watch in Juneau but was glad we didn’t. I’m not sure I could have lasted through another structured activity even though I did enjoy the experience with Allen Marine Tours immensely! Cost of this fabulous excursion was $198.00 each.

After boarding the STAR, we made a trip to our cabin to freshen up and then disembarked in Juneau. It was cold and rainy. Boo! We purchased tickets for the bus into town. I can’t remember the exact cost, but I think it was $7.00 each for unlimited rides. The bus did its ‘drop-off’s and ‘pick-ups’ at the Robert’s Tram Terminal. Our first order of business was to find Tracy’s Crab Shack. I had read wonderful things about this little ‘shack’ on both YELP and Trip Advisor. Several years ago the Mr. & I had visited Boston. One of our most memorable meals was lobster rolls at Neptune’s Oyster, so we were hoping to relive the yummy experience with a crab roll. After just a short walk we located Tracy’s and ordered two crab rolls, 2 Diet Cokes, and a large seafood bisque to share. The bisque was brought out first with delicious homemade rolls for dipping. It was so good and we were so hungry we quickly gobbled it up! After that the crab rolls came and they were so full of crab and coleslaw that it was impossible to pick it up and eat it as a sandwich! The meal was definitely worth the wait and the $50.00 price tag.

On the same road as Tracy’s Crab Shack was a wonderful little shop that sold soaps and lotions made out of glacier silt. We enjoyed chatting with the owners who were transplanted Texans. I bought three bottles of the silky feeling lotion for gifts for my girlfriend’s back home.

After that we just browsed in and out of several shops in Juneau including a fudge shop where we indulged in a piece of fudge with nuts (good stuff!) and the historic Red Dog Saloon. Mainly we were cold and wet in Juneau. We kept debating should we go up Robert’s Tram or not? We wanted the aerial views, but wondered if it would be worth it since the day was rainy? We asked a few people who came down and they all seemed positive about the experience. Despite what we thought was a steep price of admission - $30.00 each, we decided if we didn’t go we would probably regret it later. In retrospect, I’m glad we went, but truthfully we didn’t enjoy it $60.00 worth. It was probably because by now my pants were soaked on the bottom and I was starting to feel cold and miserable. I’m sure on a sunny day we’d have enjoyed exploring the area and taking one of the guided nature walks. We did enjoy seeing and hearing the story of Lady Baltimore a rescued bald eagle. We even donated $5.00 to her cause, but we weren’t there very long when we were boarding the tram for the return to the ground level. FYI… we later met a couple who hiked up the trial to the lookout. They had a couple of drinks and some (according to them) great crab nachos in the restaurant. Because they spent X number of dollars in the restaurant, they got a free ride back down. On a nicer day that might have been the way to go!

Once we got back to the tram terminal we were eager to get on the bus and head back to the STAR. Tonight the theme meal in the dining room was “Alaskan Night” but we just didn’t feel like getting dressed for dinner, so we opted for soup, sandwiches, and dessert from the International Café. It was a simple, but delicious meal. We sat in the Piazza and listened to the live music that was often played in that area. After that we headed to the Vista Lounge and listened to Libby Riddles speak. Ms. Riddles is not only the first woman to win the grueling Iditarod, she’s an author, and quite a character. We enjoyed her story and I bought one of her books for my classroom. Women have to empower other women right? :D

After roaming around a bit, we found ourselves in the Princess Lounge where a comedian was performing. He was pretty funny so we enjoyed a laugh or two.

After that we were ready to call it a night. We’d had a long eventful, fun-filled day, and we had another one ahead of us in Skagway, so off to bed we went!

Next up: Skagway and a ride along the Yukon Highway!

[caribill]

Day 4

July 4th

Tracy Arm Fjords & Juneau

 

Kelly a videotographer from our ship was along to capture the moments for the Reflections DVD sold at the end of the cruise. Kelly took video of us waving and smiling in front of the glacier. Naturally we purchased a copy for $39.00 plus tax.

Tax???

 

We purchased tickets for the bus into town. I can’t remember the exact cost, but I think it was $7.00 each for unlimited rides. Once we got back to the tram terminal we were eager to get on the bus and head back to the STAR. How far from the tram terminal was the ship docked?

 

Thanks for your continued reports.

[Countrygirl44]

How exciting and interesting! When we return from the July 29 sailing, my review will not be anyway as thorough and interesting as yours. I have heard Libby before...she is an outstanding speaker!

I saw some of your pictures on fb. I was wondering if you are going to stream them into your review? Real anxious to see what you wore when the Mr. wore the tux (LOL).

I worked on packing some more today. I think I have everything out that will be packed and what will not go has been put back into the closet. I need to look my list over and to make sure I have not missed anything important.

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

Caribill,

 

It depends on where the ship is docked. When I was there on June 21 or 22, we were the furthest from tram you could possibly get. It is way too far to walk to town/tram. Lots of people were complaining about the price of the shuttle, and I really wanted to tell them "lighten up...it's a vacation". Other times I have been, the ship docked right by the tram or one spot away. I guess it is just the luck of the draw.

 

Grace

[caribill]

I guess it is just the luck of the draw.

 

 

I think it is based on arrival time. First to arrive is closest to the tram.

[JWJs]

I'm enjoying reading your excellent "almost live" review! Your description of the Alaska wilderness is spot on--It is spectacular...and truly the "last frontier" for the US. Your port excursions sounded so fun and exciting! Nice job selecting them!

I'm looking forward to reading more. We can't even think about taking a cruise right now due to my mother's health issues. Reading your excellent review with in-depth detail is helping me get through my current and necessary stay at home situation.:) I'm absolutely longing to go on a cruise.:)

[IECalCruiser]

I think it is based on arrival time. First to arrive is closest to the tram.

It'a not first to arrive is closest to the tram. Dock spaces are scheduled for the entire year. Princess ships usually dock at the Franklin Street Dock which is the fourth and furthest permanent dock. They use this dock because they can connect to shore power there. The Star is in port at the same time as the Sapphire/Diamond. They get the Franklin Street Dock this year and the Star is docking at the even farther "floating" AJ Dock which creates the need for the shuttle bus.

[TracieABD]

Nice, and very detailed, review!

[Teacher_91]

A BIG thanks to everyone who is reading along and the nice comments some of you have made. As for the distance between the ship and the actual town of Juneau, it wouldn't have been a very pleasant walk. It was somewhat industrial in that area. Plus it was raining! I'm a 'walker' but I wouldn't have wanted to make the trek. The bus fee was worth it to us, especially when we were ready to go back to the ship! :)

 

Day 5

June 5th

Skagway & Carcross Canda

Once again we had an early day so we were up, dressed, and off the ship by 7:30. Again we ate breakfast from the goodie case at the International Café and I added a ‘for a fee’ coffee while the Mr. used his UKP to get a Diet Coke.

We were meeting “Dyea Dave” for a trip into Canada along the Yukon Highway. Dave gets excellent reviews on both Yelp and Trip Advisor so I was really looking forward to this privately booked excursion. Dave arrived in a mini, 16 passenger bus, but we were a group of 14. He was funny, informative, and articulate. We loved his easy, breezy style, and the fact we were able to stop many, many times for photo ops along the way. We started out following the path that the White Pass Railroad follows. We had debated taking the train for part of the trip. Dave offers the option of taking his tour part of the way and the train the other part, but after thinking about it, I realized I would appreciate the photo ops and narration more, so we elected to allow Dave to take us all the way! As we rode along we were on the lookout for ‘fuzzy creatures’ in the hopes we’d find some. Dave wasn’t sure because the salmon weren’t running yet and the bear’s alternate choice of dandelions were beginning to die out. Eventually, someone did spot a bear and we pulled off the side of the rode, opened the windows and stuck our camera lenses out hoping for a good shot. I wasn’t very successful and just managed to get half of the ‘back end’ of the bear, but I think others were luckier then I.

We made a stop in Frazer on the Canadian border for a bathroom break and to have our passports stamped. We stopped in Carcross for lunch at a quaint little café that served tasty homemade sandwiches (on homemade bread!), soups, and various home baked desserts. The Mr. had a BLT and I had a chicken salad sandwich. We both had seafood bisque and shared a berry scone (our first ever scone!) The soup and sandwich combo was $11.75 each not including a drink. The scone was four something. While I’ve read some reviews that thought the place was pricey we both enjoyed our lunch. That bread was to die for! While in Carcross we stopped at the visitor’s center for another bathroom break and to get our passports stamped again. We enjoyed walking around the town, snapping pictures of the gorgeous scenery, and visiting the historic Matthew Watson General Store for a few ‘doodads’.

Our next stop was Caribou Crossing where I purchased a cute t-shirt and we saw another bear! It was some distance away on the mountain but with binoculars we were able to admire his activity! Along the way we to Emerald Lake we saw a desert and more breath-taking scenery. I simply do not have the words to describe the beauty that we saw!! I wish I could take my Dad and sons fishing on Emerald Lake. It was so pristine and according to Dave full of fish! Again we were struck by how unspoiled and unpopulated this area was. I don’t live in a large city by any means, but it’s hard to imagine that such untouched places still exist in our over crowded world!

Once we arrived back in Skagway, Dave made a drop off at the ship and then took a few of us back in town to shop and take a few pictures before returning us to the ship. We only had about 30 minutes to poke around Skagway but at least I can say we did! I also blessed the port with a little of our money. Ha! We were required to be back on the ship by 4:00 and we arrived at 3:30ish. At the other two ports we were always back well before the ‘all aboard time’ but this time we definitely pushed it. Again, I can’t stress enough how amazing this excursion was. If you want to see Emerald Lake and all the points in between Dave is a great way to go. He’s reasonable too, only $79.00 a person! We did add a $20.00 tip because we enjoyed the day so much, but it wasn’t like he was ‘hinting or ‘asking’ for one like some of the drivers do on the big tour buses! Also, I can’t imagine that the big tour buses are able to stop and allow their passengers off for photo ops like we did. Okay, commercial over! :D

We had planned to get into our swim suits and spend some time in the hot tub with some delicious wine we had purchased in Seattle, but somehow we never made it. I used the time to make some last phone calls home prior to sail away. We were careful to make sure our phones were in ‘airplane’ mode whenever the ship was moving. The last thing we wanted was some outrageous data charges when we got our next bill. :/ We then enjoyed watching Skagway disappear into the horizon while the Naturalists shared his knowledge of the area. At this point we felt quite satisfied with our trip. We’d see more beautiful places then we could count, bears, whales, mountain goats, eagles, and seen and heard a glacier calve multiple times. Were we lucky or what?!?

After that we went and got dressed for dinner. Our intention was to participate in the Chef’s Table tonight. However since the Mr. had been sick (we are guessing it was more of a food poisoning then a viral thing), we didn’t feel like we could sign the ‘oath’ saying we hadn’t been sick or in contact with anyone who had been sick in the last 48 hours. It made me sad to have to forego the opportunity because I’d been looking forward to it for so long. We sat in the bar area near the International Café and watched the water. There is something so peaceful and tranquil about watching the water slide by. At 7:00 we attended the production show “Stardust”. Sadly, other then the ‘Welcome Aboard Show’ (when the Mr. was so sick) we hadn’t seen any other shows. We found the singers and dancers to be talented. We liked their costumes. However, their song selections were lacking in our opinion. These were supposed to be songs to ‘take you back’ to yester-year. We are 50 years old and there wasn’t too many that brought back any memories for us. I couldn’t help but think you have had to been pretty ‘old’ to have enjoyed that show. Just sayin’. After that we headed to Portofino and had a nice dinner. Again, nothing ‘wow-ed’ us, but it was good. Strangely we did notice our waiter and his helper were trying to sell us on a wine tasting scheduled for the following day. Maybe they get ‘points’ or a ‘commission’ if they do?

You’ve probably guessed by now, we aren’t ‘party’ or ‘night owl’ kind of people, so shortly after dinner we headed to our cabin and called it a night.

Next up: Sea day and formal #2!

[Teacher_91]

P.S.

 

Carbill you are correct! There wasn't any tax on the photos or the DVD's we purchased. Duh! :o Thanks for pointing that error out!

[sportsmum]

Hey teacher, thank you SO much!

 

I don't know why but I thought the Tracy Arm tour wasn't on the Star. I just booked it and am so excited. I really was disappointed that we wouldn't have it but you've made my day (and trip since we'd find out on the ship that it was available and then probably too late) and I cannot thank you enough.

 

Do you know if they still have the twice baked goat cheese souffle on the menu?

[LaLoca1958]

Hey Teacher! Thanks for the great report! We saw you guys! We were on the Golden and passed by your excursion boat and also the Star (she was passing out of Tracy Arm as we were entering!) Small world! Our Capt. got us closer than he'd ever been, as it was his last Alaska cruise. After our trip, he was going on a 3 month vacation, then a couple more months to retirement. He also turned the boat in a full 360 degree turn, so no matter where you were on the boat, everyone got a great view of Sawyer Glacier.

 

Cheers,

Kat

[Teacher_91]

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to this. I was out of town for the weekend!

 

Hey Sportsmum! I didn’t see the twice baked goat cheese soufflé on the menu, but I didn’t ‘look’ for it either. Hopefully it will be there when you cruise!

I’m so glad you booked this excursion. It was definitely a trip highlight and in my opinion a ‘must do’ for everyone! Please let me know about your experience when you return!

 

Hello LaLoca, I remember thinking it was odd that ‘that ship’ (I didn’t realize it was the Golden) seemed to be following us. I just assumed since it was a different ship it was a different itinerary. I’m glad you had the opportunity to go further into Tracy Arm Fjords & Sawyer Glacier. It sounds like you had a cool captain!

 

 

After three days of getting up early and ‘go, go, go’ we decided to sleep in today. Even so, we were up and out by 9:30. We headed to the Portofino dining room for a sit down breakfast, but were surprised to find it already closed. The same thing happened when we tried the Capri, so it was the Horizon Court for us. Later we realized the time had changed again - this time to Seattle time and therefore it was actually 10:30. The Horizon Court was fine and I actually found some ham that I enjoyed. I wish the waiters would give you a bigger glass of juice or at least leave you two. Oh well!

We spent the day ‘poking around the ship’. Lunch was in the International Café. That night was the 2nd formal night so the Mr. put his tux back on and I wore an ankle length black dress. We visited several of the photo areas set up around the ship. This time around we actually took a picture together that we liked enough to buy the next day. This particular ‘package’ cost $34.99. I thought that was outrageous for a 5 X 7 and 4 wallets, especially since the pose I had purchased of the Mr. was only $19.99 and included a 5 X 7, 3 X 5, and a wallet. Not sure what made our ‘package’ together so ‘special’! It’s probably the first time ever I was glad to not be photogenic! I can just imagine what my bill would have been if I’d LIKED the other poses! LOL! While waiting for the Portofino dining room to open for the ‘late seating’ we decided to hit the duty free shop that sold cosmetics, cologne, and perfume. I ended up buying two primers by Smashbox for $32.00 each. We don’t have a Smashbox in our area so I’m not sure if that was a good price or not, but since I’m pleased with the product, I guess I won’t complain!

We enjoyed our last sit down dinner in the Portofino dining room. Tonight happened to be the “Baked Alaska Parade” so we enjoyed applauding for those who worked so hard to make our dining experiences pleasant. Once dinner was over we rushed to the Explorer’s Lounge so we could find a seat for the “Marriage Match Gameshow”. We were glad we went when we did because it soon became a ‘standing room only’ show. Frenchie and Mark were the emcees for this event. Anyone interested in playing could sign up and in the end they chose a couple who had been married 5 years, one who had 29 years and one who had 60 years of marriage. The couple who had 60 years was Don James (the legendary coach of the Washington Huskies) and his lovely bride. My Mr. was beside himself with excitement since he adores College Football! This game was hilarious. The couples all ‘got into the spirit’ of the occasion and shared lots of ‘interesting tidbits’ with us. Frenchie & Mark did an outstanding job of keeping things rolling and asking ‘just the right’ questions to make it fun! We were sorry when it ended. People around us started leaving but we decided to wait and see what would happen next. We were pleased when Meridith and her Mom sat in the seats next to us. The Mr. went back to the room and retrieved a bottle of wine out of our fridge and a wine glass. I had brought two bottles on board and was running out of time to finish them. Yes! I’m a ‘lightweight’ when it comes to drinking! It turned out the Princess Pop Star Heat 3 was next on the itinerary in the Explorer’s Lounge and we enjoyed listening to those who participated and chatting with Meridith and her Mom. We were sorry we hadn’t attended the first two heat challenges. There was definitely some great singers on board.

Once it was over, we headed back to our cabin and called it a night.

Next up: A lazy morning/day at sea, Victoria, and the sad reality that our cruise was coming to an end!

 

[Teacher_91]

Addendum to Friday, July 6th:

I failed to mention a very cool thing. After the Mr. & I took our pictures we were just roaming around waiting for dinner time. He was starting to sweat in his tux, so I suggested we step outside. While cooling off, we spotted a whale! It was totally random and unexpected and one of those things that make cruising unlike any other vacation we’ve ever taken!

[TM]

We boarded the Star on the 8th of July, yes they still have the Goatcheese Souffle. It is the best!!!