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Golden Princess Review Alaska RT Seattle Inside Passage 5-3-14 to 5-10-14

plattwear

By plattwear,
in Alaska

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plattwear

plattwear

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Skagway Day 4

 

The next morning we had an early excursion

SGY-180 (Yukon Expedition & White Pass Scenic

Railway) at 7:30am in Skagway. Thankfully the

ship arrived on time. After grabbing a quick

breakfast at the International Cafe, we noticed our

favorite waiter Arthur was working in the Plaza area.

It was great to see him again.

 

Once we were able to leave the ship we met our

bus driver Vanessa outside the ship. She

drove us to the train station. We boarded our

train car for the trip to the Yukon. Our car was

not full and we were able to move from left

to right freely for the best view. Several times

I went outside to take a few photos. It was

cold outside. The scenery on the train ride was

just amazing as the snow is still on the ground.

We did not see any wild life of any kind. The

train did pass by the Gold Rush cemetery and

several other historic markers. Bottled water

was complimentary on the train ride along with

a guide booklet and a Skagway newspaper (with

coupons, ads, and interesting information about

Skagway) A commentator on a loud speaker also

pointed out historic markers before we passed by.

The weather was great the entire day in

Skagway. It was a bit foggy on the train however,

the scenery was beautiful.

 

After the train ride Vanessa picked us up on the bus

and took us to a lake that was still frozen over.

Living in Texas, I have never seen a frozen lake. We enjoyed

but, I was looking forward to seeing

the lake with the amazing blue green colors. (it

was frozen over too) Mom did see an eagle sitting

on a post or pole however, I missed it. Vanessa gave us

very interesting information about Bears and the sights

on our bus ride. She made the trip very interesting.

She dropped us off at Caribou Crossing for lunch

around 11 or 11:30. Two ladies from Ohio that

we met earlier in the week at dinner were also

on our bus. They joined us at our table for lunch.

The BBQ Chicken lunch was pretty good.

The homemade donuts for dessert were a treat.

We enjoyed shopping in the gift shop which offered

Canadian souvenirs. I collect magnets from all

of the places I travel. I added 11 new magnets

on this Cruise Vacation. Some of my friends and

family collect shot glasses as well. I found a

nice Canada shot glass in the gift shop for one

of them. Mom and I passed by the goats on

our way to see the sled dogs. They are not

mountain goats but, regular farm goats as I call

them. The sled dogs were hooked up to a cart

and ready to take a group on a ride. It was

too early for new puppies, one of the dogs had

a liter due any day. Mom and I did interact with

the two 1 year old puppies and some of the other

dogs that are unable to pull a sled. Since we have

four dogs between the two of us at home that

we were missing, petting the dogs and giving

them treats was fun for us. They seem to enjoy

our visit too.

 

Once we boarded the bus again

for the drive back to Skagway, Vanessa told us

that our next stop would be Carcross. It was

a cute little town and I took photos from the

bus. Nothing really seem to be open so when

she parked the bus no one got up to get off.

She was really surprised but happy. We stopped

on our way back at the Yukon sign and Vanessa took

our photos with our cameras. She pointed out

some mountain goats way up in the mountain.

They looked like white spots however, they

moved so we knew they were alive. Another stop

was the Welcome to Alaska sign. Mom did not want

to get off the bus at that stop. After this stop

Vanessa told us so would give us some quiet time

to take a nap.

 

Once we arrived back in Skagway

Vanessa dropped us off in town. Mom and I

enjoyed shopping in Skagway. We shopped at

Skagway Mining Company, Richters, Skagway

Outlet Store & Alaska Shirt Company. I wanted

to find Dedman’s Photo Shop & Art Gallery to

purchase the Glacier Smoothie Soap. They had

just received their shipment that day. These soaps

smell so good. The bag that I brought them

home in still smells like the soap. The other

shop that we were told carries the soap was

Dejon Delights. We did not make it to this

store unfortunately. While we were in Juneau

and Skagway we stopped by DI to get charms

for our bracelets. I also collect crushed pennies.

I found crushed penny machines in Seattle, Juneau,

Skagway and Ketchikan. There is alot of

interesting photo opportunities in Skagway.

The rock mountain side next to the cruise port was

once used as a ship registry and the names of

the vessels are painted on the side of rocks.

 

Mom was getting tired after all of that shopping

so we headed back to the ship. The promotion

that I booked our cruise under offered one

night in a specialty restaurant for free for both

of us. Once we arrive at our stateroom

we receive our reservation for Sabatini's

for Thursday night. I was a bit disappointed as

we really wanted to try the Crown Grill.

 

After resting we went to the dining room for dinner.

We were seated at a large table with five other people. One of

those people was Emmasoma, another one of our

roll call members from Cruise Critics. It was

nice to meet another CC member. On this evening

the drink special was a Limoncello for $3 including

the shot glass as a souvenir. I rarely ever drink

but I wanted the shot glass. It was Italian night in

the dining room and they were making a special pasta.

They brought us a small bowl of the pasta which was

quite good. Mom and I ordered the eggplant appetizer,

which was excellent. I ordered a salad as well. For

an entree mom ordered the burger with the

bacon wrapped shrimp. She shared one of her

shrimp with me, it was very tasty. My entree

choice was Gratinated Sea Scallops & Shrimp.

It was different from anything I have ever tried

but it tasted good. For dessert we both enjoyed

the gelato.

 

Philomena was showing on the tv

in our state room and mom really wanted to see

it. She want back to the room to watch it. I

went out on deck to watch the ship leave port.

I was unable to stay out on deck for too long

because I forgot my coat. After the movie we

crashed, it had been a long day.

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mapleleaves

mapleleaves

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It's very interesting to see the difference in scenery between your trip in early May and trips a month later. Lots of snow and ice in your photos.

 

20 hours of dayliight melts a lot of snow and brings all the greenery back to life!

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plattwear

plattwear

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You are very welcome Havin'Fun! I hope you enjoy your trip.

 

MapleLeaves... we did enjoy seeing the snow so much. It makes for

beautiful scenery. Being from Texas we do not see snow very often

and we do not have snow capped mountains for sure :-D

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plattwear

plattwear

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We slept in until about 8 am on Wednesday

(Glacier Bay Day). We enjoyed a late breakfast

in the Horizon court buffet. We made it out

on deck (I chose Deck six for viewing near

the casino). It was cold but the scenery was

fantastic. The reflection of the mountains

on the motionless water was simply stunning to

me. The Glacier was beautiful as well. We

heard and viewed the (calving) a few times.

Just the sound it makes when it is calving to

me is amazing as well as watching it. When mom

would get too cold she would go inside

the casino (which was closed) and sit by the

window to look out. Snow seals were sitting on

the ice but, again they were so far away they

looked like little specs to me. High powered

binoculars are the best investment for this

trip. I could actually see that the specs were

in fact seals through the binoculars we bought

however, that was it. We did see a lot of birds

and some were sitting on the floating ice. I would

walk to the other side of the boat occasionally

to see if we were missing anything on that side.

Unfortunately, one of those times 3 Orca's passed

by right in front of where mom was sitting not

too far from the ship and she saw their heads come

out of the water. I walked back just in time

to see their dorsal fins. I love whales and

sea life, that was one of the exciting things

about this trip for me, the potential to see

whales and sea life in the wild.

 

After the ship passed through the area with the

Glaciers, we went back to the Horizon court for

a late lunch. We missed the reindeer chili.

Just about the time we finished our lunch the ship

was passing through the area where the humpback

whales are frequently seen. I went to the upper deck

above the pool area to view them with a lot of the

other passengers and mom stayed down on a lower deck.

I did see humpback, again they were very far from the ship.

It was a treat to see them come out of the water and dive back in.

I could see their tales as they dove back in. I also could see

them blow air and water out of their air holes.

 

On our way back to our stateroom we passed through

the Piazza as the activity staff were getting

ready to play Sixty Second Frenzy. Seadeck2

and another lady Youlanda that I met earlier

in the week were signed up already and talked

me into playing. The first challenge was

bouncing ping pong balls off the table into a cup

in sixty seconds. To my surprise I got them

all in about 39 seconds. I was going straight

down the line with out a miss until I got to the

next to the last one and then the balls did not

want to bounce. I qualified to move on the next round

where it all fell apart. The next challenge was keeping

two balloons in the air. My first one hit the ground in about

9 seconds. I was out. This was a lot of fun.

The wait staff passed out cookies and milk while

this was going on. After the game was over,

Mom wanted to go back to the room for awhile.

World War Z was on tv and she decided to watch it

while I took a nap. (I had seen it already).

 

It was soon time to get ready for our

7 pm dinner reservation at Sabatini's. The olives

and ham on bread they bring out to start you

with were really good. For an appetizer I ordered the

asparagus souffle as I had read it was amazing.

I was not disappointed, it was very delicious.

Mom ordered the mushroom and eggplant appetizer

which she also enjoyed. Mom wanted to order the Salt

Crusted Sea Bass for two but, I was not real confident

as the fish I had on the first night was not all

that great. I talked her into ordering the Lobster

3 ways. Hindsight... I should have let her order

what she wanted. Neither of us was impressed

with the Lobster due to the sauce. The special pasta

dish had short ribs in it. It was much better. For dessert

mom ordered the Almond, Hazelnut, & Pecan Florentine Napoleon

which was light, airy and quite good. I was disappointed

in my selection however, the White chocolate

mousse with limoncello cream. I love white

chocolate however, all I tasted was sour lemon. Our

waiter at Sabatini's did his job fine but, e

was not overly friendly. It is more of a romantic

couples atmosphere in my opinion. Again we wish

would have been able to try the Crown Grill

instead but, for free we were not complaining.

We did not leave hungry that was for sure.

 

Since we had an early morning in Ketchikan ahead

mom wanted to go back to the room to get ready for

bed. I went out on deck for a short while to

see if I could see any whales or sea life. I kept

trying to look out the window while we were

having dinner as I was afraid I might miss

something. I did not have any luck though. Just

the beautiful ocean, which I also find peaceful

to watch.

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plattwear

plattwear

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Thursday morning we set the alarm early so that

we could enjoy as much of Ketchikan as we could

in the short time we where at port. It was announced

that we would be arriving in Ketchikan and hour

late. Instead of 7-12 we now had 4 hours, 8am

to 12 pm to see Ketchikan. This really rocked my

world because we had not scheduled a tour and

had plan to see Ketchikan on our own. We grabbed

a quick breakfast at International Cafe again.

Once we were able to leave the ship we walked

toward downtown to find the pick up stop for the

bus to Totem Bight Park. The bus is $2 round

trip per person. While we waited for the bus

we shopped at Tongass Trading Company Inside

Passage Curios & Gifts. We used our coupons

from one of the coupon books here to get a

2015 Alaska Calender for .15 cents, an Alaskan

mug for .99 cents and the Wooden Salad Claws

(or Paws) for $1.99. We both got a free tote

bag here as well with purchase (with coupon)

Great souvenirs and gifts. I love bargains.

I wanted to purchase some Salmonberry jam

for my grandmother but, I did not like the

small bottles or the price. I decided to

to purchase a gift pack with honey and jam.

 

It was raining of course in Ketchikan but, it

was light rain. We had our umbrellas and rain

ponchos with us. We boarded the bus to Totem

Bight Park and we arrived shortly after a tour

bus full of people. As we walked the trail we ended

up behind a group with a guide. We went around them

as we wanted to see the park in a timely manner

and catch the bus back to town. Despite

the rain the totem pools were very interesting

and the rain forest was beautiful. I walked down

to the shore area to get closer to Alaskan ocean

water. After walking through the park and taking

lots of photos we caught the bus back to town.

 

We got off the bus near Creek Street and walked the

rest of the way there. I took more photos in

this area as it so beautiful & scenic. Mom told me later

that Ketchikan was her favorite port. The only

money we spent on an excursion here was $2 for

the bus ride compared to the $199 for the

train/bus combo in Skagway. I wish we would

have been able to spend more time here but, we

had an hour to shop and get back to the ship.

I had planned for us to ride the funicular but,

there was not enough time. We did

go into one shop in the Creek Street area called

Sam McGee's Taste of Alaska. The jams and jellies

here were a $1 cheaper than the other stores.

The sales clerk offered me a sample taste of the

Salmonberry jam. I purchased another jar for a

gift. This store sold a different brand of Glacier

Stilt soap. I purchased a bar that smelled amazing.

Next we rushed over to Great Alaskan Souvenir

and Gifts to use more coupons from our coupon

book. (mainly the $5 for $5 Alaskan candy

bars and the 5 for $5 Black Diamond (Hematite)

necklaces with whale, whale tale, bear etc

charms on them.) I picked up 10 of these for gifts.

I ended up ordering 10 more once I got back

home. Three of the charms broke during shipping

so I recommend that you get them while you are

there. Mom forgot she was suppose to use her

coupon to buy some too, we were in a rush. We

also checked out the Ketchikan Mining company

shop. Losing that hour really hurt as we did not

have time pick up our charms at DI or shop at

the Christmas in Alaska store or the Outlet store.

I did order our Ketchikan charms from the DI

website after I got back home.

 

While waiting in the long line to board the ship

mom stayed in line and I ran back over to get a

crushed penny. The machine was across the street

from the port in front of one of the shops. The

Holland ship was boarding its passengers at the

same time time. That was one really good thing

about this trip. Only one other ship at two of our

ports and no other ship at one port.

 

After boarding the ship it was time for lunch at

the Horizon court buffet and then back to our

room to rest a bit.

 

One thing I have always

wanted to do on a cruise is get a facial. Before

the cruise I purchased OBC for mom to get a facial.

We made an appointment for 3 pm.

The lady that gave mom her facial was not pushy

and let mom chose which facial she wanted. I was

not so lucky. The the lady who gave me my facial was

pushy so, I ended up getting one that was more than

what I really wanted to spend. It was worth it.

it. Our faces looked so fresh and bright. It was

a nice relaxing time for mom too. They told us

not to put make up on again for the evening.

 

After our facials we saw Ginny Ray (from our CC roll call)

and her husband. They were headed

to the Explorer lounge for trivia. Mom and I

decided to join them. Neither one of us did very

well but, it was fun.

 

After trivia it was time to go back to our stateroom

to rest and get ready for our second formal night.

We decided that if we were going to see a show

this was our last chance. We headed to the

dining room for an early dinner. There was a line

so they handed us a pager but we did not have to

wait very long. They seated us at a large table

with other passengers. I ordered

Tian of Crab, Scallop and Shrimp appetizer

and Belgian Endive, Boston Lettuce & Tomato Salad.

Both were very good however, I scrapped the

we saw Ginny Ray and her

husband from our roll call and they were headed

to the Explorer lounge for trivia. Mom and I

decided to join them. Neither one of us did very

well but, it was fun.

 

After trivia it was time to go back to our stateroom

to rest and get ready for our second formal night.

We decided that if we were going to see a show

this was our last chance.

 

Once we arrived at the dining room for an early dinner,

there was a line. We were handed a pager but

we did not have to wait very long. They seated us at a

large table with other passengers. I ordered

Tian of Crab, Scallop and Shrimp appetizer

and Belgian Endive, Boston Lettuce & Tomato Salad.

Both were very good and however, I scrapped the

cavier from the top of the Tian as

I did not like it at all. Mom ordered

the Goat Cheese & Apple Soup with Grape Tempura

which she really liked. For an entree I ordered

the Broiled Lobster Tail and King Prawns, which

were delicious. One of my favorite meals all week.

Mom ordered the Beef Wellington. She seemed

to like. I do not know if she had ever tried it

before. The dessert feature was Baked Alaskan.

We skipped dessert to make it to the 8:15 pm

show on time.

 

British Invasion was the Production show in the

Princess theater on this night. Mom and I managed

to get a seat closer to the front. The costumes

were very colorful. We both enjoyed the music

and dancing a lot.

 

On the way back to our stateroom we picked

up desserts at the IC. Mom chose the peanut

butter cup (like a mousse). My choice was a

yummy white chocolate/milk chocolate type mousse.

The desserts and breakfast offerings at the IC

are really great! I did not try the salad or

sandwhiches.

After watching tv, we called it a night.

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3happykids!

3happykids!

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hi Plattwear

 

i will be going to alaska this weekend and i enjoy reading your review. you are so sweet to do this for your mom. i'm looking forward to the rest of it. did you experience alot of motion on the ship and what about the brutal wind that i've been reading about while on the ship? thanks!

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plattwear

plattwear

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hi Plattwear

 

i will be going to alaska this weekend and i enjoy reading your review. you are so sweet to do this for your mom. i'm looking forward to the rest of it. did you experience alot of motion on the ship and what about the brutal wind that i've been reading about while on the ship? thanks!

 

3HappyKids! I hope you have a fantastic time on your trip to Alaska. I wish we were going again. We did experience a lot of motion on the ship the first day. It was worse than any cruise I have ever been on. I am guessing it is because all of my previous cruises were to the Caribbean out of New Orleans or Texas. The ship did not really travel that far and was able to go slower. From Seattle way up to Juneau, AK.. we were going through more open water and travelling faster. If you are not on a round trip, it might not effect you as much. I took motion sickness medicine and that worked fine for me. My mom developed major motion sickness and required a shot from the nurse

to recover quickly on the first full sea day.

 

We did not experience brutal winds in May when we were on the ship or in port,.

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