Coral Princess Alaska 6/24-7/1 (plus pre and post-cruise shenanigans)

[Beachiekeen]

Skagway

Today we decided to try breakfast in the MDR. I had granola but it wasn’t as good as the granola in the buffet, juice,tea, and a Danish. Service was verygood. One thing I loved about Princessis that the orange juice is real juice everywhere, even at the buffet. It’s the little things I guess!

Today was our Chilkoot Yukon Rail and Bus excursion booked through Chilkoot Charters. This was another highly recommended excursion here on CC and once again, it was great. We did the bus up and the train back (sat on the right both ways). Our driver James was so great—everyone was hugging him and taking pictures with him at the end. He even stayed and watched us until the train left. We loved James!

Some of the many, many photos I took!

 

 

 

[Beachiekeen]

 

 

 

 

 

[Beachiekeen]

This excursion took us on the bus as far as Emerald Lake which was my must-see. It was gorgeous and hubby took my favorite picture of the trip!

James was always happy to take our pictures as well so we didn’t have to take selfies.

[Beachiekeen]

Then we had lunch at Caribou Crossing (BBQ chicken, yummy), saw the sled dogs and pet the puppies.

 

 

 

 

[Beachiekeen]

Then we took the train from Fraser back to Skagway.

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t say enough about how great the excursion was and how much we loved our driver. Chilkoot is a great company and I would highly recommend it.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Beachiekeen

[FishinChris]

Somehow the subject of where to find the best lobster roll in Seattle came up. I consulted Google and found a place called Bar Harbor near Lake Union. So I suggested we go there and then walk over to Lake Union Park to see the seaplanes. We decided to walk all the way from the market--I'm not sure what we were thinking when we did this as it was a long walk! Hubby was stoked to find a local beer he had always wanted to try on the beer menu as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Must have been the elusive Pliny the Elder beer. Thanks for the review and pics.

 

 

 

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Edited July 9, 2017 by FishinChris

[Colo Cruiser]

Great photos! :)

[Beachiekeen]

Afterwards,we had a late lunch at Skagway Brewing which was pretty good also and hubby got to try a local beer which he enjoys doing on vacation. I had a hamburger but didn’t take pictures of it.

 

 

We visited the Red Onion Saloon because hubby wanted to try a beer there too (but he didn’t like that one!)

 

Skagway was the cutest little town and we enjoyed our walk back to the ship.

 

 

 

[Beachiekeen]

Back on the ship hubby and I got a Frozen Grizzly Bear and a glass of wine to take back to the balcony for sailaway.

 

 

I sat on the deck awhile hoping I would get some kind of sunset.

 

 

 

[Beachiekeen]

Scenic cruising days

 

Although I thought we would spend most of our time out on our balconies, we ended up spending these days out on the open decks. We stayed on the Promenade deck, Deck 7 the whole time since it was partially covered and you had shelter from the wind and any rain.

 

Waiting for the glaciers!

 

 

Hubby got a hot an Irish coffee.

 

John Hopkins Glacier

At Margerie glacier, the boat came to a complete stop and was completely quiet so you could hear the calving. I really thought Princess did a great job in Glacier Bay.

 

[Beachiekeen]

I thought College Fjord would be a letdown after Glacier Bay but it was really beautiful too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Beachiekeen]

We really only stayed out on our balcony at the end of College Fjord day—we thought we were done viewing and went to our room to see the glacier RIGHT THERE!

 

 

 

On Friday, College Fjord day, I ordered tea in our suite and the ILs came over and enjoyed it with us. We only ordered scones so it wouldn’t be so much this time!

 

[Beachiekeen]

When we weren’t glacier viewing, we relaxed, had tea, napped, and went to the thermal suite. I actually drug myself to a spin class on Friday morning. The ILs went to a few of the Ranger presentations and talks. I would consult my cruise companion to see what would be going to see the next day. And of course, we enjoyed the scenery from our balcony and watched for wildlife.

 

 

 

 

[Beachiekeen]

We had dinner again at the Bayou Café on Glacier Bay night (which was the second formal night). I got the lobster this time. I am not a huge fan of lobster in general really but it was good. Hubby ordered the steak only but the waiter insisted that he get “surf and turf!”

 

 

This was the day that the ship hit the open waters in the gulf of Alaska and ther ewas quite a bit of movement. I felt like a drunk person trying to walk everywhere.

 

After dinner, we all saw the show Motor City and enjoyed it. This was a show of Motown music and the ILs really enjoyed it.

 

After the show, hubby and I checked out the Wheelhouse bar which we had not been to yet. I got a toasted almond and it was yummy!

 

 

On Friday we made do with pizza and salad and then snacks in the Elite lounge for food. It was just us and the same group again! Then we saw the Voice of the Ocean finale and it was really fun—probably my favorite show I’ve ever seen on a cruise. Then hubby and I had our last drink at Crooners of the trip and it was hard to believe the cruise was almost over. It was a wonderful cruise that exceeded our expectations. And it was nice knowing that we still had three more nights in Alaska to look forward to.

[Beachiekeen]

Disembarking

 

On Saturday, we were in the last group since we did not have a flight or train to catch. We waited in the Wheelhouse Bar and were called to get off the ship around 9:15. We had arranged the Princess transfer to take us to Anchorage so we could get our car for our 3 nights in Seward. (We decided to make the scenic drive from Anchorage as part of our trip, thus why we didn’t get the car in Whittier). Everything went off without a hitch and we found our luggage easily in Anchorage.

 

I wrote a trip review of our 3 nights in Seward and Anchorage on the Trip Advisor board if you’re interested. I have a link to my Flickr album there too with more pictures.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g28923-i349-k10643735-Trip_Report_Cruise_and_3_night_DIY_June_24_July_4-Alaska.html

 

We truly had the trip of a lifetime! Thanks for reading.

[CruzinNoony]

I really enjoyed your review and your photos are awesome. You and DH are a very attractive couple. Thank you so much for taking the time to do such a great job! Meredith:)

[parentsof5]

Thanks so much for a great report. A few questions:

1. Full Breakfast Room Service available because you had a suite?

2. Same question only about Afternoon Tea?

3. Do they have lap blankets for your ready in your room for the balcony?

[Woobstr112G]

OP;

Thanks for taking the time to report on your recent cruise......:):):)

 

Bob

[Beachiekeen]

Thanks so much for a great report. A few questions:

1. Full Breakfast Room Service available because you had a suite?

2. Same question only about Afternoon Tea?

3. Do they have lap blankets for your ready in your room for the balcony?

 

We just ordered off the regular room service menu. Only suite guests can order off the MDR menus (but we never did that). Also only suite guests can have afternoon tea in the room. Our blankets were outside on our balcony loungers when we got to our room.

[Beachiekeen]

I really enjoyed your review and your photos are awesome. You and DH are a very attractive couple. Thank you so much for taking the time to do such a great job! Meredith:)

 

Aww thanks! Hubby and I have a lot of fun together and we love reliving our trips. :)

[Belle]

Elites can have afternoon tea in their rooms.

 

Thanks for the review and pictures.

[tracid]

Great review, can't wait to read more. Counting down to August 26th!

 

 

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[ahwahoo2006]

Thanks for the review! You guys are adorable. I'll be on Coral in September and your post made me even more excited (if thats even possible)

[Beachiekeen]

Thanks for the review! You guys are adorable. I'll be on Coral in September and your post made me even more excited (if thats even possible)

 

Aww thanks. You will love it! I am still missing it every day!

[floridafamilyof5]

THANK YOU! Was excited before about our upcoming Coral Princess Alaska cruise, but your review really has me anxious to go now! Great pictures and we are doing the seaplane excursion too in Juneau. Have to do some research on Emerald Lake as I'm not sure its included in our Skagway train excursion : ( Ordering rain pants now too

quote=Beachiekeen;53462025]Before I get started with the review, I'll preview what I will cover in case you want to skip some of it and come back later. This will be a long one.

 

Two nights in Seattle at the Maxwell Hotel

One night in Vancouver at the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront and our visit to Stanley Park

Ketchikan: Misty Fjords Wilderness Cruise

Juneau: Shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier and Taku Lodge

Skagway: Chilkoot Yukon Rail and Bus

Glacier Bay and College Fjord

Disembarking in Whittier, drive Turnagain Arm, and two nights in Seward at the Bell in the Woods B&B (Kenai Fjords 6-hour boat tour, Exit Glacier, Byron Glacier)

 

I kept the Patters but will not post them as another reviewer posted them previously. I am happy to answer any questions though.

 

Also I am going to start here with the things I bought for the cruise, what I packed, what was useful and what wasn't, etc. since I know all these questions are asked a lot by first-time Alaska cruisers and were the same questions I had myself.

 

In Dallas, we run the AC from about April to October. And we are inside for most of those months. I have a winter coat I might wear twice each year, some gloves I wear even less, and a pair of Nikes. Since we vacation mostly in Hawaii and the Caribbean, my vacation clothing consists of shorts, bathing suits, flowy sundresses and flip flops. So I felt I needed to get Alaska-ready and that meant buying some new stuff.

 

While I am not advocating outfitting yourself with a new wardrobe for what may very well be a one-time trip, some purchases can be useful and definitely money well spent. During our visit, temps were in the mid-50's in port and 40's by the glaciers, some days there was wind and misting or a light rain, but it never poured.

 

Rain gear: I bought a cheap $20 pair of Magellan rain pants and a not-so-cheap Marmot rain jacket (which I justified by planning to use in Seattle if needed and I can wear on future vacations also). Both were great and worn many times. I swear once I didn't even know it was raining. So rain gear: Yes, bring it.

 

We did see the Alaska rain jackets in Ketchikan for $20. I bought one for my dad. They had heavier ones too on sale for $23 which was an awesome deal.

 

North Face water repellant hiking pants: Bought on sale and I wore them several times usually with a pair of leggings underneath.

 

North Face Mossbud reversible jacket: I tried this on at Academy and knew I had to have it. This jacket was like magic. When I was cold, it kept me warm yet I could also wear it on just a slightly cool day without getting too warm. I got a pink one on Amazon and the matching hat. I got it specifically for glacier viewing but wore them both at almost every port.

 

Hubby got a heavy jacket/rain jacket combo. He was ok with this but sometimes when it was raining, the heavy jacket was too heavy. I had tried to talk him into a cheap rain jacket also and still maintain this would have been a good idea. He also brought a knit hat and wore it almost every day.

 

We also brought gloves which we wore several times. So heavy jacket, gloves and a hat: yes, bring them.

 

Hiking shoes: I bought a pair of Keens on sale for $50 and it was money well spent. I wore them everywhere, they were comfortable, and they kept my feet warm which tennis shoes do not (my husband even wore two pairs of socks one day). I didn't care if they got muddy or wet, they were great. The other great thing about hiking shoes is they provide good ankle support which I need since I'm somewhat of an ankle roller. My husband wore his Vans and was miserable so switched to his Nikes that are specifically for walking and was fine. Hiking shoes: worth the investment if you will do a lot of walking but you can get by with tennis shoes.

 

Binoculars: We decided to skimp here and bought $12 Taskos. They were serviceable and that's about it. We had a better pair on the Misty Fjords cruise and saw the difference. I wouldn't spend hundreds but would definitely up your binocular game a little.

 

Heavy sweatshirt: I bought an Alaska Chicks sweatshirt online. I would wear this with a pair of leggings to sit out on the balcony and I also wore it in Seward. I also brought a lighter sweatshirt that I wore once.

 

Thermal undershirts and leggings: brought several and wore them every day underneath long sleeved shirts and pants. I also brought one pair of jeans and wore those twice.

 

I brought two long-sleeved shirts and bought one on the ship at the gift shop. I wore all 3 several times.

 

Hubby wore jeans and long sleeved shirts most days. He is very warm-natured so occasionally got by with a T-shirt and a hoodie.

 

What I packed and did not use: T-shirts, the one pair of shorts I brought, short workout pants (I worked out once on the ship--I did wear long workout pants in Skagway though), hiking sandals, short dress with cardigan, second formal dress.

 

For dinner in the dining room, I dressed the first formal night and the rest of the time wore leggings with a knit shirt and cardigan. I brought several I could mix and match. The second formal night, we ate at Bayou Café. This was my third cruise and for the third time, I was too tired to dress up the second formal night. One formal night is all I have in me I guess.

 

I hope this helps others with their Alaska packing list! Now on to the review!

Thank you - this was very helpful! leaving in a couple weeks on the Coral Princess

Edited July 12, 2017 by floridafamilyof5