Sun Cruise to Alaska - Review with Photos (I hope)

[Cruise_More_Often]

deladypilot, you are doing a wonderful job with your review, and your photos are amazing. We didn't do the Harv and Marv tour (someday we will), but we did do a photo safari, and I also got photos of the sea lions on the buoy and the lighthouse/buildings on that little spit. All my lighthouse pics came out crooked, no matter how many I took. Those little boats do bounce around out there.

 

Keep up the great work!!! I am looking forward to more.

Edited June 24, 2013 by Cruise_More_Often

[BritChickBN1]

Loving this review!

[Pee-ah]

Great Review!

Thank you for taking the time to do it!

[deladypilot]

Thanks everyone for your very thoughtful comments. It is fun to relive your cruise with people that appreciate it.

 

Thanks Keith for the info. I had read a couple of times where people said they had trouble putting more than 3 photos in one post, so I figured why fight it, just go with the flow.

 

Anyway... The horseback ride was lovely and I got the biggest kick out of the women behind me who was so scared that a bear was going to jump out of the woods and get us. She kept asking why the guide did not have a gun. He kept trying to explain that 7 horses were a lot bigger than 1 bear and that a bear would go after something easier to eat and that if he shot a gun the horses would freak and some of us would be on the ground, giving the bear exactly what it might like to have for lunch. US. She spent the entire trip worried about bears.

 

After we spent a little time in the gorge area we headed back to base camp where they had hot drinks and snacks for us. We visited with the young people working there and everyone was wonderful.

 

My overall impression of the excursion was nice but as someone that has ridden all their lives it was a bit on the slow slide. I had the giant urge to let that horse just run wild.

 

Here are a few photos of the ranch area.

 

Stables

 

Restrooms

 

Kyle the manager of the ranch and his dog who sings very pretty songs and can play cowboy real well

 

My husband trying to see if he could sing as well as the dog (psssst.. He couldn't)

 

After something warm to drink and a few nibbles from their snack area, we loaded back on the bus and were offered the chance to be dropped off in town or to go back to the ship. We opted for town. We were hungry by this time.

 

We stopped to eat at the Skagway brewing company. This is at the very end of town on the main drag. They brew their own bear but offer some great food such as burgers, fish, chicken etc. When we finished we pretty much just walked around town. As we had been here 2 years previous most of the real popular buildings I already had photos of so I did not take more, but here are a few

 

[deladypilot]

More Skagway

 

 

City Hall

 

 

Although our ship was not due to depart until 8pm between the horseback riding and the walking my husbands back was not doing well so we headed back to the ship.

 

Later in the evening we headed back to the Casino to have some fun with our new found friends. Hubby didn't win big at the table but he did win a bottle of wine which we gladly took off their hands.

 

The next 2 days were sail days. Both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier. I had so much anticipated the Glaciers even though I had been to Mendehall twice now. They did not disappoint.

 

As usual I woke up early and watched the sun come over the mountains. We were just entering Glacier Bay area and I watched as the Park Service personnel's boat came in to drop the Rangers off. I wish I would have been on the other side of the ship to watch them climb the ropes up but I was not running out in my PJs to the other side of the ship. So I enjoyed my coffee on my balcony and waited for hubby to wake up.

 

At 7:30 we headed to the Observation Lounge where the Ranger would be giving a talk about the Glaciers and the Wild life that lives in the area. We had a wonderful seat right along side our new friend Stacy & Rich. The talk was wonderful and we saw a few bears and a couple of mountain goats on our way in. They were far enough away that they were hard to catch on camera with the lenses I had

 

Entering Glacier Bay

 

 

 

[sue402001]

About 1/2 the photos were taken with a Cannon EOS Rebel STi and the other 1/2 were taken with a simple Kodak Easy Share camera. All the zoomed in wildlife shots were the Cannon.

 

Thank you!

[PathfinderEss]

Nice review, love your pictures.:)

[deladypilot]

Hubbard Glacier Day - Last Day of the Cruise

 

Of course I woke up real early again so it was coffee on the balcony time. I so love this time for the peace and quiet it offers along with the most spectacular views you could ever imagine.

 

The Fog was real bad this morning so viewing was a little bit tough. As we entered the protected area headed toward Hubbard Glacier you could not see a thing. The Captain had the horn blowing every minute or so. I thought for sure we would not be seeing the Glacier but after a while and as we entered the basin the sky opened up and there she was. We had stayed in our room and decided to view it from our balcony.

 

 

 

 

 

When the Captain turned us around an announcement came over the TV station and in the hallways. That due to the fact that we had to come in so slowly because of fog, we would not be staying as long. So back through the fog we went.

 

As this was our last day we both noticed that feeling of...Oh man, its almost over, I don't want to go home. So we decided to try to make the best of it and try not to remind ourselves.

 

We did attend the crew show and as usual it was fun and entertaining. I believe it was held around 3pm. We also went to see what the bingo thing was all about. Once I found out how much the cards were to play, we decided against it.

 

When dinner time came around we decided to eat at the Four Seasons Main Dining Room. We showed up around 5:30 and were seated right away. Service was great and the food was too. I was impressed by our waiter as he had a table of 18 seated right next to us but he never failed to make sure we were doing ok and get our food out promptly.

 

As the evening was drawing closer to an end we decided to go say goodbye to some of the crew we had really come to enjoy. The waitress in the bar began to cry as we said goodbye. Reached over and hugged my husband and said. I will miss you both so much. Then a hug for me.

 

Afterward we went to our room to pack. Oh such a sad moment that is. So wish I could have stowed away for the return trip.

 

My husband found our room steward Parmon and gave him an envelope with an extra tip. He was fantastic. Afterward it was time for sleep. Our luggage tags matched up with a 6:30am departure.

[deladypilot]

Disembarkation Day - June 10th

 

As usual, I was up before anyone else. So I enjoyed my last cup of coffee on my balcony and watched as we came into port. Beautiful

 

4am

 

 

First sites of the town

 

 

 

By 6 am we were downstairs waiting to see if the Java Café would open up so we could grab a quick snack and a cup of coffee for the road. The coffee was ready but the pastry was not by the time we had to leave.

 

So we walked off the ship and up a very long gangway into the terminal. Things moved swiftly as we were one of the first off the ship. No customs to worry about here just a few people making sure you get to the right bus or transport area. Everyone was very friendly. We loaded up on the bus and as she pulled out we said goodbye to the Sun

 

[deladypilot]

We had arranged our transfer through NCL. It cost us $55.00 each. There are several other companies that offer transfers with tours for about the same amount but this just seemed the easiest. Our driver was wonderful and she gave a great talk about the area as we drove. The drive from Whittier to the Anchorage airport was just over an hour. They do offer to drop you at a Visitors Center if you wish so you can lock up your luggage and go see the town. We had a rent car waiting at the airport so we went there.

 

To get to Anchorage from Whittier, you have to go through a 1 way only tunnel. This tunnel goes one direction for 1/2 hr and then the other for the next 1/2 hr. It was originally built as a train tunnel and is still used today as such. When the train comes through they stop traffic on both sides. I am told during peak season (fishing) the lines can get quite long to go through the tunnel.

 

 

The drive was beautiful and is listed as one of American Scenic Highways. My pictures are all from a moving bus so can not say they are the best

 

 

 

 

Next stop - Airport

 

We arrived early. We had not expected to be there that soon. We had booked our rental car for 11 am but arrived by 9. So we headed to Enterprise desk and asked. Not a problem they said but told us they did not have a midsize car as we had reserved. They ended up giving us a minivan instead. Great. More leg room and room for luggage.

 

Our plan for the day was to head to the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla which is about 55 miles north of Anchorage. My husband is a big time Iditarod fan and watches it closely each March. The drive out was amazing

 

 

[deladypilot]

Of course more moving vehicle pictures

 

 

We made a quick stop at the Harley Shop in Wasilla for a T-shirt for our son. He collects them from all over

 

 

Then a few more miles and we were there.

 

 

 

Who could resist having their picture taken with Balto statue.

 

[deladypilot]

We walked through the museum and then headed over to see the dogs. They have a team of sled dogs set up with a wheeled cart that you can take a ride on for $10.00. Almost immediately my husband recognized the man who was giving the rides as Rayme Redington. Raymes father Joe founded the race and both he and his father ran many years. Now Raymes 2 sons race. My husband asked where and how were the boys and stuck up a short conversation with the couple there.

 

As we began to walk away the women chased us down and asked my husband if anyone had ever told him he looked like Travis Tritt. (He has been but neither of us see it). Anyway, they wanted to have a picture taken with my husband so he said yes.

 

 

We ended up staying and chatting with them for another hour or so. Such a lovely couple If you ever get a chance go by and visit with them. So down to earth

 

 

Next up was a driver further north to Willow, Ak. This is where the official start of the Iditarod begins. Of course when it starts the lake is frozen over.

 

 

 

When we left there we headed back southeast and went to the town of Palmer. There was a reindeer farm there and I wanted to see. While it was kind of neat, it really was not worth the time or the money.

 

 

 

We headed out after a few minutes and decided to head back to Anchorage to get something to eat. A quick stop at a local grocery store to see what kind of prices they had. Curious as to how expensive things were there. For the most part, it was not to bad.

 

On the way down we stopped at a local diner that someone had suggest. It was good and we were able to relax a bit before heading to the airport for the long flight back to the east coast.

[deladypilot]

So my views on the cruise & the Sun - Wonderful

 

The Sun is a older and smaller ship but her charm is fantastic. Her crew was wonderful and we had a terrific Anniversary trip.

 

The buffet area seems to be a bit stagnate as they seem to offer the same foods every day. The food was good but could use a little more variety. Still we did not go hungry and nothing was bad.

 

She can be a little bit more difficult to learn your way around but you will get the hang of it.

 

The Observation Lounge is perfect for an Alaskan Cruise.

 

The bed was comfy and cozy and I slept great. Wish I would have looked under the sheets to see what kind of bed it was.

 

What I did notice and this is not bad thing, just a notation for anyone else that has sever back issues. In the Mini-Suite you get a tub/shower combination. Wonderful soaking tub if you enjoy that. The tub sides are very high and it made it difficult to get in and out of for my husband.

 

Would I do this vacation again on this ship? YOU BET, tomorrow if I could

 

Thanks everyone for being patient with me as I did my first review. I really do hope it helps some of you out. It was fun for me to do as I could relive my vacation and dream of the next one. Thanks too for all of you who post here on a regular basis answering questions and writing reviews. I have learned a lot and have become a better cruiser because of it

[SnorkelBabe]

Thank you for a great review. We leave in just under 3 weeks on the same cruise so I really enjoyed reading it, looking at your beautiful pictures and anticipating our own trip. Thanks!

[NLH Arizona]

Thanks for your review, made me feel like I was actually there.

[jdvmd]

Thanks for sharing!

[Lovex4]

Thanks so much for taking time to write your review. We sail on the Sun on October and enjoy seeing photos!

[gcdogwalker]

Alaska is on my bucket list and your review made it sound even more wonderful than I thought it was! Thank you so much for taking the time to post all of those beautiful pictures, they made me feel like I was traveling right along side of you. A great review! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[sue402001]

I loved your review deladypilot, you did a awesome job on your first one.

[shipfriend_max]

Hi deladypilot,

 

thank you very much for the review!!!! :)

We consider an Alaska cruise for 2015, on NCL, Celebrity or RCI, depending on what the different lines offer.

 

Your review is a big help!

[Sue Do'nym]

Great review and great pictures. Headed on the same cruise next year. Am going to try to find that Russian deli!

[pajammatam]

awesome review......I really enjoyed your pictures, and all the little details that some overlook......and the 4am pix sounds like something I would do:)

[Dawn1004]

Loved the review too, we're on NCL Pearl Vancouver to Seattle in May 2015, can't wait.

 

Had a little giggle when you said about your hubby collecting the HD shirts - so does mine.... We were in Alaska in 2012, and he still wears the HD shirts and singlets he purchased then religiously.

 

If we were to drive from Ancorage to Denali do we go past that Harley Davidson store in Wasila?

 

Currently reading all the Alaska posts, as the cruises for 2014 have commenced (know yours was 2013).

 

Your photos were fantastic.

[jeep lady]

Thanks for sharing a great review, doing the Sun Alaska cruise 2015

[Levanah]

Wonderful review - thank you!

 

We did the Alaska cruise twice - once on the Spirit and once on the Star. Your review brought back many great memories. I noticed your review primarily since it mentioned the Sun. We are on the Sun in just a few short days up the West coast. Can't wait to experience this ship!