Just back from Alaska on the Golden Princess

[WAshgirl]

Just returned today from our 7 night Alaskan cruise on the Golden. We had an awesome trip! I want to tell y'all about our experience while its still fresh so here goes! Feel free to ask questions!

1) Embarkation- was around an hour. Considering the cruise was full, they seemed to do a good job of getting LOTS of people onto the ship. We used the Seattle Cruise Park for our car. It saved us $$ and it was a short shuttle ride to Pier 91.

2)Impressions of the ship-The ship is obviously not brand new but was still lovely. It is elegant and understated with soft colors rather than flashy like other lines we looked at. We enjoyed the Skywalkers club and the Explorers lounge. Did not use the pools/hot tub but many people did. Looking at the Golden in port next to the Holland ship, we felt the Golden just looked nicer.

3) Cabin-We stayed on the Caribe level in a mid-ship inside cabin room C537. It was perfect for a couple, nice and quiet, little motion, and the bed was very comfortable. It was so nice and dark with the lights out, I got spoiled for naps during the day. There was plenty of closet place and the bathroom was adequate. The shower is very small but had great water pressure. Ariel was our room steward. He was polite and was like a fairy god-father. Our room was spotless twice a day. No complaints whatsoever about room cleanliness or comfort.

4) Food-We ate at Sabatinis on our 2nd night. Wow! It was soo worth the extra $50. We were stuffed with lobster, steak, pasta, etc and the napoleon dessert was to die for! We ate at Crown Grill on our 5th night. It was also a great meal but we really loved the food and atmosphere at Sabatinis. We did eat lunch and dinner in two of the dining rooms and found the food to be quite good. Service was also excellent. We ate at the buffet several times, mostly for breakfast. Nothing out of the ordinary but it met our needs. We really liked the International Cafe for great coffee and treats. They had a croissant donut that was so good! I did purchase the coffee card and used all 15 punches. We had pizza and burgers at the Trident grill and found them to be good. DH loves his beer so we ended up purchasing the $49/day drink pkg. It ultimately saved us $$. We tried the Tapas/sushi at Vines. It was a nice treat with the wine we had.

5)Juneau-Beautiful weather! we did the ultimate zipline excursion. It was very fun and the guides were super nice. I was a little scared but got the hang of it pretty quick. We wanted to have Alaskan crab so we ate at Tracy's crab. It was yummy but expensive. I don' think I could afford to get full at this place:) The shopping is typical. Nothing I really wanted there. Lots of jewelry shops!

6)Skagway-Beautiful weather! we did the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari. It was top notch!! We took a boat out the the glacier, seeing porpoises, mountain goats,and sea lions along the way. From there we canoed out to the glacier and actually got to walk on it! Word to the wise, pack mosquito spray. Collected some beautiful rocks for our daughter and got lots of great photos. We were served a picnic lunch right next to the bay and got to pick/eat wild strawberries. Our guides Lee, Nate, Joe & Jake were great and we even learned some Native American words on the way back! In town, we went to the Skagway brewing company. Had good halibut fish & chips and beer. Got some yummy fudge. Did not shop here as much of the same as Juneau

7)Glacier Bay-It was cloudy. We got to see glacier calving and whales from a distance. I was bummed we didn't see more wildlife but that's luck. We did a couples massage and it was great!

8)Ketchikan-Beautiful weather! Again! How lucky! We did the Misty fjords plane tour. it was worth every penny. Our pilot was Chris who was very nice. He landed the plane during the tour so we could take photos. I got a little queasy on flight but otherwise it was a one of kind experience. We had great chowder at Annabelle's. Yum! Did my shopping here. Got souvenirs for selves and kiddos. I heard there are good deals on jewelry but we broke the bank on excursions:D

9)Victoria-yes, we did stop here. I had heard others did not get to go there on prior trips. We did the Butchart Gardens excursion. It is breathtaking. We did not feel we had enough time to truly experience it. It was quite a long bus ride round trip. Great gift shop where i spent the most on souvenirs. Sure wish we had gotten there earlier in the day.

10)Disembarkation-we had an 8:40am depart time. We were off the boat a little after 9:00. Got our luggage and went through customs within 30 minutes. No issues.

 

In conclusion, we had an awesome trip! I really want us to take the Princess Cruisetour to Alaska in a few years. I can understand what draws people to see this pristine part of our country. I feel fortunate to have had this wonderful vacation with my DH. It felt like a 2nd honeymoon! I would not hesitate to cruise with Princess again.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for your review.

 

Yes Tracy's is ridiculous. Had the crab roll (small hot dog size) in June $19 :eek:. Was not worth it. So now I know. :(

[upgradeluvr]

I was on the same sailing as you. Great weather in Juneau and Skagway!! We should compare notes.

[jsiegel]

Thanks for the review. I'll be doing this cruise in about a month. I was wondering what might be fun to do in Skagway since we're there for so long so glad to hear you enjoyed the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari. I watched the Princess short video of this excursion and it looked like the canoes have outboard motors in case they have a bunch of people like me with no upper body strength. Did you get splashed much?

 

Jackie

[Arlened236]

Thanks for your review, we leave Saturday for the Golden. Now I am even more excited. Family cruise, 25 of us, should be fun.

Arlene

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the review. I'll be doing this cruise in about a month. I was wondering what might be fun to do in Skagway since we're there for so long so glad to hear you enjoyed the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari. I watched the Princess short video of this excursion and it looked like the canoes have outboard motors in case they have a bunch of people like me with no upper body strength. Did you get splashed much?

 

Jackie

 

 

Rent a car and drive into Canada.

About an hour and half each way.

[Marieze]

I really appreciate your review! Like Arlene above (Hi Arlene) my 17 yr. old son and I leave on the Golden this Saturday. We live in Portland and will be driving up Friday and spending the night in Bellevue. I do have a few questions if you don't mind.

 

What time did you arrive at the cruise park (that's where we are parking) and at the terminal. I would like to get there around 10:30 (at the terminal) but understand they don't board until noon. Was that your experience? I'd like to have lunch in the MDR if possible. What were the MUNS movies if you remember? Did you have anytime dining and if so, was it as smooth as the traditional? Last but not least, did they have the crab shack, and if so, what night was it offered?

 

Thank you in advance for your answers!

 

Marieze

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[upgradeluvr]

Hi Marieze - I was on the same cruise as WAshgirl. We had great weather, most of the time. Juneau was sunny and warm (mid 70s), Skagway the same, but in the upper 60s and WINDY that afternoon! Glacier bay was cloudy and drizzly, but I think the lighting was better this way, since the glare from the sun would bounce off the glaciers. Wonderful excursions with the family....in Skagway, we took the White Pass train excursion which takes you into Canada briefly. I would recommend this excursion! Mendenhall Glacier excursion in Juneau was great too!

 

As to your questions:

We didn't have a car, so I cannot speak of travel times to and from the lot to the terminal...however, I would suggest you arrive at the terminal by 11:00AM. Yes, boarding starts at noon, but this is reserved for Suite passengers and Elite/Platinum passengers. Your boarding pass will indicate what your actual boarding time will be..but you don't want to stand around, after you've been checked in. The lines were quite long....fortunately we were traveling with a Platinum, we were able to board at noon.

 

Yes, I agree with your lunch in the MDR decision for embarkation day. That's exactly what we did. There is a welcome aboard lunch in the Donatello dining room. It is open from noon-1:30pm, so try to get there ASAP! It's a limited menu, but remember, the ship is still in port. This was one of the best meals we had all week and the service was great, due to the lack of patrons aboard at that time.

 

Menu was a choice of appetizer followed by main course:

Cold smoked salmon with crayfish tails

or

Fettuccine Alfredo

---

Trout Almandine

Chateaubriand of beef tenderloin

----

Chocolate souffle was the dessert.

 

When we finished our lunch is was 1:30pm, and many people were still just then boarding. So unfortunately, not everyone gets the chance to eat in the MDR for lunch on embarkation day.

 

This was the best decision we made, since the mass hoards of hungry folk end up at the Horizon buffet, which gets overcrowded....we avoided the buffet all cruise. Horizon court just didn't look appealing and lines of people there were massive. Good luck finding a table there too. If the MDR closes before you board, I would suggest going to the International cafe for lunch. They have lots of soups, sandwiches/panini, salads, quiche and desserts. The IC is a great place for a quick snack.

 

Anytime dining was what we selected. It was perfectly fine, though I will say it does get crowded and they give you a beeper and ask that you wait 15 minutes or so until they have room. The Bernini dining room was the most crowded, since it opens earliest. We had good service, but sometimes was rushed.

 

Crab Shack was offered most nights. They set it up in the Horizon Court buffet....they close off one part of the buffet to use for the Crab Shack. We never tried it, I've read mixed reviews on CrCr. On the day we arrived in Victoria, the Crab Shack was set up in the Crown Grill from 11:30am-1:30pm. The boat docked at 7:00pm in Victoria and most passengers got off.

 

I would suggest the Crown Grill. You have to pay $25 pp, but it's worth it. Great food, excellent service. Sabatini's wasn't as good, but the menu changed this past week, so maybe your experience will be an improvement over mine? If you like fish n' chips, you'll want to try the pub lunch, which was held in the Crown Grill on sea days. There is no charge for this, except for the beer/ale. We ate there twice for lunch. It's British pub-style food (bangers and mash, fish n' chips, shrimp and chips, steak & Kidney pie) etc..

 

As for Movies under the Stars, they showed:

Frozen - sing a long

Divergent

Captain America - the winter soldier

Jack Ryan - Shadow recruit

Nonstop (Liam Neeson)

Mamma Mia

 

I suggest purchasing a beverage package or coffee card. We purchased the all inclusive beverage package, we saved a ton with it!!

 

In all, we enjoyed ourselves. There were some minor complaints, for instance, the long, slow-moving lines at the International cafe for espresso drinks (cappuccinos or lattes)....ugh!! They need more espresso machines. We had most breakfasts at the IC. Great pastries/donuts. The Croissant donut was to die for!! The apple danish was good too.

 

Let us know how your trip was!!

Edited July 28, 2014 by upgradeluvr

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report! Glad you enjoyed it.

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

Thank you for the review. I was supposed to be on your cruise, but after Princess called with a move over offer and my mom's declining health, I cancelled. Glad you had a wonderful cruise. Alaska is truly breath-taking and no words can describe it. I don't have any regrets about not going but it has been good to,live vicariously through the reviews.

[Keith1010]

Glad you enjoyed the cruise.

Keith

[Colo Cruiser]

Hi Marieze - I was on the same cruise as WAshgirl. We had great weather, most of the time. Juneau was sunny and warm (mid 70s), Skagway the same, but in the upper 60s and WINDY that afternoon! Glacier bay was cloudy and drizzly, but I think the lighting was better this way, since the glare from the sun would bounce off the glaciers. Wonderful excursions with the family....in Skagway, we took the White Pass train excursion which takes you into Canada briefly. I would recommend this excursion! Mendenhall Glacier excursion in Juneau was great too!

 

As to your questions:

We didn't have a car, so I cannot speak of travel times to and from the lot to the terminal...however, I would suggest you arrive at the terminal by 11:00AM. Yes, boarding starts at noon, but this is reserved for Suite passengers and Elite/Platinum passengers. Your boarding pass will indicate what your actual boarding time will be..but you don't want to stand around, after you've been checked in. The lines were quite long....fortunately we were traveling with a Platinum, we were able to board at noon.

 

Yes, I agree with your lunch in the MDR decision for embarkation day. That's exactly what we did. There is a welcome aboard lunch in the Donatello dining room. It is open from noon-1:30pm, so try to get there ASAP! It's a limited menu, but remember, the ship is still in port. This was one of the best meals we had all week and the service was great, due to the lack of patrons aboard at that time.

 

Menu was a choice of appetizer followed by main course:

Cold smoked salmon with crayfish tails

or

Fettuccine Alfredo

---

Trout Almandine

Chateaubriand of beef tenderloin

----

Chocolate souffle was the dessert.

 

When we finished our lunch is was 1:30pm, and many people were still just then boarding. So unfortunately, not everyone gets the chance to eat in the MDR for lunch on embarkation day.

 

This was the best decision we made, since the mass hoards of hungry folk end up at the Horizon buffet, which gets overcrowded....we avoided the buffet all cruise. Horizon court just didn't look appealing and lines of people there were massive. Good luck finding a table there too. If the MDR closes before you board, I would suggest going to the International cafe for lunch. They have lots of soups, sandwiches/panini, salads, quiche and desserts. The IC is a great place for a quick snack.

 

Anytime dining was what we selected. It was perfectly fine, though I will say it does get crowded and they give you a beeper and ask that you wait 15 minutes or so until they have room. The Bernini dining room was the most crowded, since it opens earliest. We had good service, but sometimes was rushed.

 

Crab Shack was offered most nights. They set it up in the Horizon Court buffet....they close off one part of the buffet to use for the Crab Shack. We never tried it, I've read mixed reviews on CrCr. On the day we arrived in Victoria, the Crab Shack was set up in the Crown Grill from 11:30am-1:30pm. The boat docked at 7:00pm in Victoria and most passengers got off.

 

I would suggest the Crown Grill. You have to pay $25 pp, but it's worth it. Great food, excellent service. Sabatini's wasn't as good, but the menu changed this past week, so maybe your experience will be an improvement over mine? If you like fish n' chips, you'll want to try the pub lunch, which was held in the Crown Grill on sea days. There is no charge for this, except for the beer/ale. We ate there twice for lunch. It's British pub-style food (bangers and mash, fish n' chips, shrimp and chips, steak & Kidney pie) etc..

 

As for Movies under the Stars, they showed:

Frozen - sing a long

Divergent

Captain America - the winter soldier

Jack Ryan - Shadow recruit

Nonstop (Liam Neeson)

Mamma Mia

 

I suggest purchasing a beverage package or coffee card. We purchased the all inclusive beverage package, we saved a ton with it!!

 

In all, we enjoyed ourselves. There were some minor complaints, for instance, the long, slow-moving lines at the International cafe for espresso drinks (cappuccinos or lattes)....ugh!! They need more espresso machines. We had most breakfasts at the IC. Great pastries/donuts. The Croissant donut was to die for!! The apple danish was good too.

 

Let us know how your trip was!!

 

Thanks for your comments. ;)

[Meyer2]

Love reading the reviews/info! We will be on the Golden in a few weeks!!! Can't wait!!!

[Woobstr112G]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. Glad you enjoyed your cruise......:):):)

 

Bob