Review of our Alaska Adventure

[Krazy Kruizers]

It has been a busy week or so :eek: and I haven't had the time to continue my review. I hope to get back to it in the next few days.

 

That's all right.

We are all patient.

Jobs and real life come first.

[mommybearx2]

Thank you for taking the time to post the details of your trip. I had been looking forward to reading your review and was finally able to do that. (Have been so busy trying to schedule our trip) I have enjoyed your review very much and appreciate the reminder to have PLAN B. Will look forward to your future posts.

[Silvertrees]

After a late night enjoying the evening and having drinks with some of the fantastic people we had met during our cruise our last day on the ship was a planned slow start.:) We woke to sunshine and calm seas and enjoyed coffee and breakfast on our balcony. We could see a couple of other ships also heading towards Vancouver and it was magic just watching the ocean and the occasional whale in the distance.

 

We spent the day enjoying the sunshine and the ships facilities with a trip to the gym and a swim in the pool a great way to pass the time. We were putting off the packing up of our cabin as this would signal the end of our cruise and we were having so much fun and didn’t want it to end yet. We enjoyed lunch in the windjammer taking our food out to the best place on the ship (learnt here on CC) the deck at the rear of the ship through the Mexican restaurant. Here we enjoyed a slow lunch and a couple of drinks and we had the place to ourselves.

 

As we entered the inside passage we headed to the bow of the ship to take in the scenery and get a few pictures. We spent a while up here and then had to head to our cabin to start the packing process. While packing we spent a large amount of time on the balcony and when we heard a number of shouts from outside we headed out to see a number of whales approaching the ship. We were spell bound as we watched a large pod of Killer Whales cruise past the ship. It was an amazing experience and a real high to end the last day of our first cruise.

 

With the packing well underway it was time to head to the main dinning room for our last dinner. We were welcomed with the usual warmth by the staff and had a short wait for our preferred table. It was another great meal with Pelly & Frank not only ensuring our every need was taken care of, but also entertaining us for the entire meal. Even though we had pre paid our gratuities we gave them both a little extra because the service they provided made every meal we had with them an amazing experience.

 

We finished dinner and headed back to our cabin to finish packing and get our bags out before the 11pm cut off time. Then up to the Bar for some dancing and drinks for our last night at sea.:):)

[Keith1010]

Continuing to enjoy your review and photos.

 

Keith

[Silvertrees]

Thanks Keith, its good to be back and finishing it off, apologies again for the delay :)

[tommycha]

Hi Silvertrees,

 

Nice review!

 

We are writing our Alaska review too on our blog. :)

 

We did the North Bound route followed by a land tour, opp direction to yours :)

 

We enjoyed our trip very much! :)

 

Tanks for sharing too!

[volunteer cruiser]

Silvertrees, how wonderful to see Orcas from the ship on your last day. I reread your review and got some info I seemed to have skipped the first time. Perhaps I had been multitasking and the info didn't sink in. I have booked Harv and Marv and Chilkoot tours for my family of 8 and your review has helped with all the timing. Thank you

[Silvertrees]

We woke to the sounds of forklifts and other equipment as we were moored to the wharf in Vancouver. I went out on the balcony to have a coffee and watch the action below. The weather was again sunny and as we had been allocated a 09:30hrs disembarking time, there was really no rush. We took our time getting ready to leave the ship and packed the small number of things we had with us into our carry off luggage ready for our departure. We did a final sweep of the cabin before heading to our appointed assembly point to await our time to get off the ship. While it was a sad morning as it marked the end of our first cruise it was also exciting as it marked the start of the next phase of our Adventure. We sat in the theatre waiting for a RC representative to advise us to head down the gangway. After a short time it was evident that there was significant delays in getting off the ship and we were going to be here for a while.

 

We waited patiently and chatted to some of the people that were in our group. They were all heading home to various places in the US and were keen to hear about our plans and give advice as to the best routes and things to see during the rest of our time in the US. We were sightseeing around Vancouver once we got off the ship then after staying the night we had tickets for the early train from Vancouver to Seattle. From here we had a hire car booked and planned a road trip from Seattle to LA via interstate 5, HWY 1 & HWY 101. We planned to take in the redwood forests, the coast road, San Francisco, Hearst Castle and Universal Studio’s. We discussed the options with our fellow travellers while we continued to wait to get off the ship. After what seemed like forever we were advised that we could head off the ship and proceed through immigration and border security, picking up our luggage on the way. We planned to grab a cab to our hotel and while we weren’t able to check in until the early afternoon I had confirmed when booking that they would allow us to leave our luggage there while we explored the city. This was the plan however the delays experienced already this morning were nothing to those we experienced lined up in the terminal waiting for a taxi. After at least 3 hours of queuing in a sea of people we were in a taxi and on our way to the hotel. On arrival it was so late that we were able to check in so after dropping our bags in our room and a quick freshen up we headed out to explore Vancouver.

 

We jumped on the Hop on Hop off bus tour and cruised around looking at the main attractions. We then jumped onto a free shuttle to Grouse Mountain and the Suspension Bridge. We took the cable car ride to the main landing and then the chairlift to the summit. The views were fantastic and after a short time watching the Para gliders we took the short walk to the Wind Turbine and after paying a little extra took the short elevator ride to the top. We then headed down the mountain and upon finding the free shuttle full and a long wait predicted we took public transport to the Suspension bridge. Where we enjoyed a leisurely walk amongst the tree’s and along the cliff edge. After our walk we again jumped on the public transport to get back to the city. This involved a bus ride and a ferry crossing back to the main station.

 

Here we walked the street looking for something to eat. While walking along we bumped into a group of fellow cruise passengers. After a quick chat about the delays experienced that morning and how we all got to our hotels we headed our separate ways again. We found a great little restaurant on the waterfront and enjoyed a meal while watching the sun set and our ship sail out of port with a new bunch of passenger’s starting their own adventure.

[tommycha]

Nice!

 

We wanted to go to Grouse Mountain and the Suspension Bridge on the free shuttle too, but did not due to time constraints.

 

We went to nearby gastown, which was quite a cosy small town :)

[Silvertrees]

While our US Adventure continues as we board the early train from Vancouver to Seattle our cruise leg is now officially completed and we can now call ourselves “cruisers”. While I could continue the review for the next leg I am not going to, instead I am going say thankyou and good-bye until next time.:)

 

I finish my review with the disclaimer that we are in no way experts and don’t in anyway want people reading this to think we are or even worse “think that we think we are”. The comments, highlights and tips are just from the experience of our first cruise. Of course there is room for improvement and if given the opportunity we would do a few things differently, but as it is we are happy with our holiday and the things we would change aren’t major. We are very happy with the experience and believe that the holiday was a true adventure. We saw some breathtaking locations, met amazing people and local characters. The memories and pictures will last a life time and as many have said words can’t describe the beauty so go and see it for yourself, you won’t be disappointed. :D

 

When we started planning for this adventure, I read with interest the pro’s & con’s of the cruise tour V’s DIY and as you would know from reading our review we chose to go it ourselves. We were able to set our own priorities, travel at our pace, stop and look at whatever we wanted and most importantly I am sure we saved money. I found it very easy to organise after reading the posts on CC and would like to believe that we did a pretty good job. I recommend to anyone thinking about it, to have a go and enjoy the experience. Planning our trip was so enjoyable it became part of the holiday and added to our experience.

 

Before I go, we would like to thank all the people that post on these boards with an extra special thankyou to the regulars and location experts that put in so much time answering questions from those of us trying to ensure we get the most out of our holiday. Without your comments and these boards we would not have had any idea where to start let alone undertake this amazing adventure. We loved Alaska and hope to return there again in the future to continue our adventure and see more of that amazing wilderness.

 

We really enjoyed our first cruise and will be back again soon to see some more of the world that this mode of travel offers. “We Are Hooked”

 

Stay Safe and remember, “Tomorrow is Promised to No One”

[volunteer cruiser]

Silvertrees, thank you for your review. I got alot of good information for my Alaskan adventure next June/July 2013.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Silvertrees

Somehow I missed the last posts.

So glad you came back and finished your review.

I really enjoyed it and your lovely pictures.

Thank you.

[Jdfireman]

Awsome

[tommycha]

First time to Alaska will always remain in the memories of one in the years to come... We are still missing our Alaska cruise trip and have been trying to write them in posts in our blog so that first time visitors can use the info as well as providing ourselves with memories next time! :)

[Silvertrees]

Thankyou to all those that commented on my review. I really enjoyed the process of typing it up. It gave us an opportunity to go back and enjoy our time in Alaska all over again. :)

 

While I sit in Australia with the temperature pushing 40 degrees Celsius (100+ Fahrenheit) I am a world away from our Alaskan Cruise. We have been fighting fires where I live and floods in other parts of the country over recent weeks . After a hard day at work looking back at the pictures and memories of our Adventure is a great privilege.

 

I wish we were returning in a few months but unfortunately that is not possible. We will return one day but until then I will continue to look at the pictures we have, reflex on the memories and remember the experiences and amazing people we met.

[tommycha]

Hi silvertrees,

 

We dream of returning to Alaska again too...

 

Thanks for sharing your story! :)

[Kycruisefan]

What a great review! This is the same cruise we are taking in August of this year. I have a few questions...

 

1. You mention a tour saver coupon book. Where did you get that?

 

2. The combo of the Harv and Marv tour with the ERA helicopter tour makes for a pricey day but your pics were so great. I am pretty much sold on Harv and Marv's but not sure about the helicopter tour. Do you think it was worth the $290 per person price for a 2 hour tour?

 

Thanks!

[Kycruisefan]

What a great review! This is the same cruise we are taking in August of this year. I have a few questions...

 

1. You mention a tour saver coupon book. Where did you get that?

 

Thanks!

 

Never mind. I found the website for this tour book.

[UPGrandma]

Thankyou to all those that commented on my review. I really enjoyed the process of typing it up. It gave us an opportunity to go back and enjoy our time in Alaska all over again. :)

 

While I sit in Australia with the temperature pushing 40 degrees Celsius (100+ Fahrenheit) I am a world away from our Alaskan Cruise. We have been fighting fires where I live and floods in other parts of the country over recent weeks . After a hard day at work looking back at the pictures and memories of our Adventure is a great privilege.

 

I wish we were returning in a few months but unfortunately that is not possible. We will return one day but until then I will continue to look at the pictures we have, reflex on the memories and remember the experiences and amazing people we met.

 

Wonderful post, Thank you. You are right, the pictures do not do Denali or the glaciers, but they are wonderful memories all the same..... thanks for sharing with everyone. We visited Australia for 10 days in 2003 and found the pictures did not always do justice to what we saw. :( when we heard about all the fires.

[Silvertrees]

Hi Kycruisefan,

 

Sorry for the delay in my response, but glad to see you foound the cruise tour discount book. We found this very good and used it throughout our trip. A number of the companies even allowed us to us the vouchers after they had expired. I just asked when making initial enquiry regarding my date of booking and the fact that I had the book which in some cases expired a couple of weeks before we were there.

 

In relation to Juneau, Harv & Marv were fantastic from first contact right through to after our trip. Callie was more than helpful when we were booking and the crew on the day were amazing. We used the voucher for the Helicopter tour and thought that it was a great day. While it was quiet $$$$ we thought that it was good value and an excellent experience. We would do it again next time we visit :) I am currently putting together a Coffee Table Book (photo book) of our trip and looking back at the pictures from this day has been a real joy.:D

 

I would highly recommend these tours at this location. I would suggest that you advise both companies of what you are planning when booking so it all works in together. I found them both very helpful with scheduling to allow this to happen.

 

Enjoy the planning and your Adventure, We did :):):D:cool:

[Kycruisefan]

Sorry. I have one more question. So you had a voucher for the helicopter ride? Hmmm... I was looking on the toursaver website last night and saw a coupon for Denali flight seeing you but not one out of anywhere else with ERA. Maybe the coupon book changed for 2013?

[Shazzah]

Just read your entire review and wanted to say Thank You! It was a pleasure to read and also to view your photos. You did a wonderful job planning the trip. And even though your flight seeing trips were cancelled due to weather, you seemed to make the best of it.

 

I do have a major complaint ... I was sorry to see you did not continue your review to include your drive down the California Coast. It would have been very interesting to get your take on the experience. (Please note, I'm kidding about the complaint part - I know it's a lot of work to do reports, and you've provided such a nice amount of information to the community already. I just enjoy your reporting style )

[Silvertrees]

No worries happy to answer as many questions as I can - I have to say I am in no way an expert and I can only speak from my experience. :)

 

We definately used a toursaver voucher for the Glacier landing and helicopter flight with ERA helicopters. In the 2012 book they had a number of offers and I do believe that they change them every year so unfortunately it doesn't appear to be offered this year :( Having said that we would have done the tour without it as we travelled such a long way so in the scheme of things the amount the excursion costs is small when looked at as a percentage of the entire Adventure. After veiwing a number of glaciers, we really enjoyed the chance to get another perspective and then land and walk on one.

 

Shazzah, thankyou for your kind words. I was going to continue my review but thought that I would be going against the rules of the board as we had left Alaska. If people are interested, as i get some time of the next few weeks, will add a few more posts to cover the rest of our trip. As I stated a number of times I really enjoyed writing the review:D It gave me a chance to reflect on our trip and enjoy it all over again and if others can benifit from our experience that is a bonus. Additionally I can show off some of my other halfs pictures :)

[Kycruisefan]

Thanks so much for answering my last question. And thanks again for he review! It only got me more excited for our upcoming cruise!!!!! :-)

[Silvertrees]

I have had a request to finish off my review with the rest of our trip. So I will give a quick overview of our travels from Vancouver to Hawaii and some of the sights and adventures we had on the way. I apologise if anyone is offended as it’s not technically Alaska but I suppose it is still part of our post cruise land tour. Please let me know (politely) if this is not welcome and I can cease the review at anytime. We had not spent the time organising this chapter of our holiday as we had with Alaska instead have a relatively flexible schedule over the next few days as we head south.