So excited! First Cruise for us all, Feedback/Suggestions?

[4olivers]

I do like the idea of splitting up some but I am thinking that on our Seadays, Sunday, Monday and Friday we will all probably scatter and have some separation. Nana is looking very forward to experiencing all of these sites and adventures with all four of her grandsons so we have all decided to do these excursions together, so definitely hoping for no family squabbles [emoji12]

 

 

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Edited May 7, 2016 by 4olivers

[RNGALNG]

What is roll call?

 

 

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You can go to the section called 'roll calls.' Go to the princess page then your ship. Once on that page, you can find your voyage listed. That's where you can meet others on your cruise ahead of time! Groups will plan excursions together, maybe meet at sail away, and on a day at sea. Always fun to meet others you will be vacationing with! Maybe some new friends for the kids too?

[shredie]

Good call on the Lumberjack Show. Kids love that! You can easily do that and something else in the same day.

[cruisequeen4ever]

Dinner in Anchorage- Glacier Brewhouse

You can actually call now to reserve the private dining room for your group of 9. There's no cost to reserve it as long as you spend a certain amount total on dinner. I think it's $150 but could be wrong. You'd easily achieve that with 9 people.

Have fun!

 

 

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[4cats4me]

My main suggestion would be...you're trying to pack too much into your day. I got exhausted just reading it!!

Maybe cut back to one excursion per day. You need some time to just be.

It's a vacation. Relax.

 

If the excursions while on the cruise are private excursions, i.e. not through the ship. Make sure there's enough time to get back to the ship. They will leave without you, if you're not back on time.

 

 

 

I agree. Although it sounds like an ambitious plan, it sounds like a recipe for exhaustion and contrary to a true "cruising" experience

Since it is the OP's first cruise, I think one excursion per port might be

Better. Maybe it's just me

I get that OP wants to pack as much in as possible. That's what we did in Europe. In retrospect, it would have been better to pull back the reins.....

 

Well, after I posted the above paragraph I actually went back and read all replies from op and sounds like it is a done deal with two excursions per port

 

Our favorite excursions from Alaska over the five trips have been

Whale watching in Juneau AND the bus trip into the Yukon which included pretty scenery,

the buffet lunch and seeing the Siberian huskies and Emerald Lake.

We are from a region that has whales and the Alaska shake watching was THE best, even better than Hawaii whale watching

Edited May 7, 2016 by 4cats4me

[4olivers]

I'm sure like everyone, we will live and learn from our first experience! As I mentioned before we are an "on the go all the time" family and I'm thankful we have 3 sea days to look forward to some R&R! [emoji39]

 

I have noticed several other itineraries for repeat Alaska travelers and also young 40 somethings like us with older kids/teens who also have a couple of planned excursions/tours for port days as well; my guess is if they are repeating this it must not be too rough. Our 68 year old mom is the one all in for it, so we are following her lead, I guess we do need to think about a vacay after this one for rest!

 

 

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Edited May 7, 2016 by 4olivers

[Jools.s]

However you do it you'll have a fabulous time. Alaska is one of the great wonders of the world. Enjoy.

[reedprincess]

I'll second, or is it third?, the Glacier Brewhouse in Anchorage. Great food, nice casual atmosphere, etc. We found it comparable in prices to places in any other city in the US.

I also thing your excursion schedule is fine, especially as you say you're all fit and healthy and energetic. You have sea days to relax and just chill out, and lots of time on the buses and trains between lodges on the land portion to sleep, relax, enjoy the scenery, talk away, etc.. As long as you have enoigh time between each excursion, you're good to go.

Have a wonderful time - you'll definitely be getting a great view and experience of Alaska.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I would tend to agree with those who feel two excursions for each port is a little much. One thing to think about is that if these are several hours long and there's a little bit of bad weather, you might not get back in time for the second excursion. And these towns are interesting enough on their own to do one excursion and then spend some time checking out the historic areas of each town.

 

Sometimes new cruisers feel they need to cram an activity into every second of every day. But just as you don't need to stuff yourself at every meal, you can do plenty on the ship and in port without overdoing it.

 

And even though your TA has already booked your excursions, I think you can still cancel any up to a certain time (not sure about if you have already prepaid them...we've never have prepaid excursions).

[moki'smommy]

Zip line in Victoria is good.

[GUT2407]

My main suggestion would be...you're trying to pack too much into your day. I got exhausted just reading it!!

Maybe cut back to one excursion per day. You need some time to just be.

It's a vacation. Relax.

 

If the excursions while on the cruise are private excursions, i.e. not through the ship. Make sure there's enough time to get back to the ship. They will leave without you, if you're not back on time.

 

Agree, the big mistake,,,,, we must squeeze in everything.

[4olivers]

Thanks everyone!

 

 

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[Thermy]

Obviously I don't know you or your family and how you will cope with your planned schedule but I know I have always jammed as much as I possible can into my port days. I've never been to Alaska (I'm going in August!) but my cruises of South America, New Zealand and the Pacific all involved multiple tours per day if time permitted. I would usually then spend my sea days relaxing, going to a few lectures and reading with a nice drink.

 

Then again that's obviously personal preference and other people like a more relaxed vacation. When I used to cruise with my mother she used to like spending time in ports going at her own pace exploring the 'town' and doing some shopping with the occasional shorter tour. Whereas I'd go on a couple of excursions if I could (often quite active excursions) and would spend maybe an hour 'in town'. We both used to meet up for dinner and have a great time discussing our days.

 

You're the only one who can judge how your boys will cope but I work with kids and in my experience anything that tires them out is a good idea. ;)

[texasgirl29]

We went on a land-sea cruise on the Island Princess A few years ago when our daughters were about 12 and 14. Looking at the ages of your sons, I think they'll do fine. I thought Alaska was beautiful but pretty leisurely. Your boys will probably want more action. Just be aware of arriving in Anchorage you will all be really tired and the time difference is significant. I'd plan on a quick dinner and settle in. BTW my husband and father did Segway tours in Anchorage and loved them.

 

 

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[shukapaw]

Wow, I worked up a sweat just reading your itinerary! :D

 

You are definitely packing in a lot of activity. There is not necessarily anything wrong with this if everybody is able to keep up. You didn't mention how your group was traveling from Anchorage to Denali and back. Are you on a tour or doing this on your own? Bus? Train? Car?

 

Some things to keep in mind....

 

Your river raft trip is not like anything you've encountered in the lower 48. The water is COLD! You will all be outfitted in dry suits in the event you take the plunge. It is a lot of fun!

 

A lot of people don't realize that you cannot see "the mountain" from the main part of the park. You'd mentioned taking some sort of tour but I'm unsure how far you are traveling into the park. The road is 90-ish miles long and you must drive a long way to get a glimpse of the mountain (weather permitting) Even if you drive all the way in, you have a better chance of seeing a bear than of seeing Denali (elusive critter). There are a few place between Anchorage and the Park entrance where you can see the mountain if the weather cooperates and you know where to look. (The last couple years have been dry and there have been a number of wildfires. The smokey conditions have cut down on mountain-sighting opportunities)

 

The Glacier Brewhouse is a good call. One of the more consistent, nicer places in town. It is right downtown and within walking distance of many hotels. Not a "tourist trap" .... there will be many locals there. Assuming your plane is on time and you claim your bags in a reasonable amount of time, it'll be 8 PM or so when you get to your hotel. (Don't worry, sunset on the 12th is at 11:22 PM and it'll still be light after that.) My point is, when you get to your hotel it will be the equivalent of midnight at your home. You may be dog-tired. (I've never let being tired keep me from a good meal) If you are taking the train to Denali Park, you will depart at 8:15 the next morning.

 

In any case, you'll have a great time. I'm sure you've been told many times, "layers are your friend". This is good advice.

 

Have a great trip

 

~Brian

[2BeOnaBoat]

What is roll call?

 

The roll call on this site is a place where people on YOUR SPECIFIC cruise can post and share ideas that are specific to your cruise. They will set up a Meet and Greet and I'd recommend that as you can meet other passengers as well as some ship's officers; though the kids may not enjoy the M&G as much.

 

Go to the main page and look for the roll calls section. Then find your line (Princess), your ship and your date.

 

 

Ketchikan is a photogenic town. Skagway very small and walkable - think Northern Exposure if you ever watched that show. Alaska is the most demanding cruise I've taken from a "pictures" perspective. Batteries and memory cards oh my! But keep in mind the scale and try to capture things in your pics to relate that scale. A couple "how to"s on google before you leave is a good idea even if just as a refresher.

Edited May 8, 2016 by 2BeOnaBoat

[4olivers]

Wow, I worked up a sweat just reading your itinerary! :D

 

You are definitely packing in a lot of activity. There is not necessarily anything wrong with this if everybody is able to keep up. You didn't mention how your group was traveling from Anchorage to Denali and back. Are you on a tour or doing this on your own? Bus? Train? Car?

 

Some things to keep in mind....

 

Your river raft trip is not like anything you've encountered in the lower 48. The water is COLD! You will all be outfitted in dry suits in the event you take the plunge. It is a lot of fun!

 

A lot of people don't realize that you cannot see "the mountain" from the main part of the park. You'd mentioned taking some sort of tour but I'm unsure how far you are traveling into the park. The road is 90-ish miles long and you must drive a long way to get a glimpse of the mountain (weather permitting) Even if you drive all the way in, you have a better chance of seeing a bear than of seeing Denali (elusive critter). There are a few place between Anchorage and the Park entrance where you can see the mountain if the weather cooperates and you know where to look. (The last couple years have been dry and there have been a number of wildfires. The smokey conditions have cut down on mountain-sighting opportunities)

 

The Glacier Brewhouse is a good call. One of the more consistent, nicer places in town. It is right downtown and within walking distance of many hotels. Not a "tourist trap" .... there will be many locals there. Assuming your plane is on time and you claim your bags in a reasonable amount of time, it'll be 8 PM or so when you get to your hotel. (Don't worry, sunset on the 12th is at 11:22 PM and it'll still be light after that.) My point is, when you get to your hotel it will be the equivalent of midnight at your home. You may be dog-tired. (I've never let being tired keep me from a good meal) If you are taking the train to Denali Park, you will depart at 8:15 the next morning.

 

In any case, you'll have a great time. I'm sure you've been told many times, "layers are your friend". This is good advice.

 

Have a great trip

 

~Brian

 

*** dinner on arrival day...we have 2 T1 diabetics traveling with us (insulin dependent) and our teenagers are generally hungry ALL the time. It is very likely we may order a pizza and call it a day but being the planners we all are, we wanted a solid suggestion for dinner should we all or some of us be running on pure adrenaline and wish or need to have a full meal upon arrival. The Glacier Brewhouse recommendation seems most popular! If we make it there, I'm sure we won't be disappointed!

 

 

*** we fly into Anchorage, stay the night then depart for McKinley where we will stay at the Princess Wilderness Lodge....we depart via motor coach on Wednesday morning and it's a 3 hour ride - we will have about 3 hours to eat lunch, rest, etc prior to the "supposedly" mild and peaceful 4 hr raft ride to Talkeetna where we will have time for dinner, a motorcoach gets us back to the lodge around 9pm

 

***we have all morning to sleep in Thursday have breakfast and a late lunch before our 2 hr ride into Denali, check in, chill out a couple hours and then we do our ATV excursion which is right across the street from our lodge.

 

***Friday....nothing "paid for" planned other than check out the scenery, sleep in, laundry? We have the option to participate in a guided natural history tour right from our lodge...no biggie if we do or don't do it.

 

This is the description:

 

Departs between:

6:00 am– 9:00 am

 

(5 hours)

 

Natural History Tour

 

Learn about the history, culture and wildlife of Denali National Park. A morning Natural History Tour introduces you to the park's wonders with a stop at the Visitor Center, Savage Cabin, and Primrose Ridge (mile 17). The tour is approximately 5 hours in duration and includes a beverage and light snack. The school buses do not have restrooms; however, rest stops are made approximately every 90 minutes. Check your Welcome Envelope upon arrival for your exact departure time and tour number. Departure times are between 6:00 am and 9:00 am. Exact departure time is not guaranteed.

 

Glimpse the epic sweep of Denali National Park on this guided tour that travels 17 miles into Denali National Park and Preserve. Hear about the history and culture that surrounds you at a Living History presentation while visiting Savage Cabin. Find out about the local native culture and their stories at Primrose Ridge. The tour also stops at the Wilderness Access Center for a viewing of "Across Time & Tundra"-an award winning presentation on the building of the park road.

 

 

We may very well choose to do nothing that day!

 

Saturday AM we take the train to Whittier to our ship. We have the next 2 days at sea to relax, rest up, store up energy for the next 3 days visiting ports.

 

Our cruise ends in Vancouver after another sea day so there is no "getting back" to Anchorage as we will be flying home out of Vancouver.

 

 

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Edited May 8, 2016 by 4olivers

[shukapaw]

*** we fly into Anchorage, stay the night then depart for McKinley where we will stay at the Princess Wilderness Lodge....we depart via motor coach on Wednesday morning and it's a 3 hour ride - we will have about 3 hours to eat lunch, rest, etc prior to the "supposedly" mild and peaceful 4 hr raft ride to Talkeetna where we will have time for dinner, a motorcoach gets us back to the lodge around 9pm

 

Based on the quoted driving time of 3 hours and a visit to Talkeetna, I'd say you're spending Wed night at the McKinley Wilderness Lodge (see map below) I've circled Talkeetna and Anchorage for reference. As you can see the actual entrance to the National Park is about 100 miles further north and that is apparently where your Natural History tour takes place. It looks like they will drive you 17 miles into the park as part of that tour.

 

There a a few mountain-viewing opportunities near Talkeetna and not far from your Lodge as well.

 

[NC&KY]

A few suggestions from a fellow Tar Heel. First, when you board the ship, take EVERYONE and walk the ship from top to bottom, bow to stern. You need to know where the bars and restaurants are, where the pools are, where the kids' area is, where you can go and escape the crowds when you need some "me time." We do it every cruise, every time, even if we've sailed on the ship before.;)

 

Second, you've heard the advice that you have too many excursions planned. I agree, and I hear that your mom planned them and you can't undo what she did. BUT, it appears that they are all excursions through the ship, which can be cancelled without penalty 24 hours in advance. So, after you've done Mom's schedule for a day or two, and you're all EXHAUSTED, call the Destinations Desk and cancel some of the later excursions. :p

 

Finally, the best excursion my wife and I did in Alaska was a dog sled tour. Expensive but oh so memorable. The whole family will love it. So, if it's not too late, you might look into substituting that for one of your previously-booked excursions. Have fun and try to relax.:cool:

[4olivers]

A few suggestions from a fellow Tar Heel. First, when you board the ship, take EVERYONE and walk the ship from top to bottom, bow to stern. You need to know where the bars and restaurants are, where the pools are, where the kids' area is, where you can go and escape the crowds when you need some "me time." We do it every cruise, every time, even if we've sailed on the ship before.;)

 

Second, you've heard the advice that you have too many excursions planned. I agree, and I hear that your mom planned them and you can't undo what she did. BUT, it appears that they are all excursions through the ship, which can be cancelled without penalty 24 hours in advance. So, after you've done Mom's schedule for a day or two, and you're all EXHAUSTED, call the Destinations Desk and cancel some of the later excursions. :p

 

Finally, the best excursion my wife and I did in Alaska was a dog sled tour. Expensive but oh so memorable. The whole family will love it. So, if it's not too late, you might look into substituting that for one of your previously-booked excursions. Have fun and try to relax.:cool:

 

 

Thanks!! Actually the day we do the white pass train ride we are doing the dog sled tour later in the day [emoji1] really looking forward to that day!!!we are looking forward to everyday! But you are right, we will have the option to scale back however I'm not sure anyone wants to give up the seaplane or whale watching the next day in Juneau! [emoji12]

 

 

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[muggo11]

George's Inlet All you can eat crab feast in Ketchikan is my favorite excursion ever. Fun for all

 

Also, river rafting in Denali is a blast and freezing, freezing cold. Be prepared!

 

 

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