Alaskan Juneau to Juneau June 14-24 2021

[MSEm]

Arrived very late Saturday night, 10:35 pm.  Quickly got luggage and went to "taxi Pickup".  Seems as though Juneau has 4 taxis.  Baranhof Best Western does NOT have a shuttle, therefore we had to get a taxi.  No Uber available. After about a 20 minute wait we got a taxi van that we shared with another couple to the Baranhof hotel. Cost was $12 per person CASH ONLY. No credit cards.

Staff at Baranhof were helpful.  Had breakfast this AM. cost $18.95 + tax per person at the buffet.  Serviced 6:30 am to 10 AM. If you want a hot breakfast, be there at 6:30 am. We arrived at 8:30 am.  Eggs with cheese were very dried out. It looked like nothing had been replenished since it was put out at 6:30 am.  Scrambled eggs with cheese, plain scrabbled eggs, bacon, 2 types of sausage and fried potatoes.  Also had 2 types of bread to toast, 1 danish, and pound cake. Front desk said breakfast NOT INCLUDED with the ACL booking.  I will not pay $18.95 plus tax for breakfast again.  Several other breakfast places within 1 block of hotel.  Ice not available on 3rd floor, told to check for ice machine on 4th floor, if not there then try the 6th or maybe on the 7th floor.

I would not stay in the hotel again. 

Walked down to the Hanger on the Wharf for lunch.  Great Tempura fried Halibut with home fries. We split 1 order of the halibut with fries.  We also order a side of coleslaw.   Lots of local brewed beers on tap.

After asking at the front desk, I was given a pack from ACL containing emergency contact forms and health forms.  Covid testing will be between 6 AM and 9 AM, a 15 minute process.  No location was given for the testing and front desk does not know anything about ACL plans.

 

 

 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I am very interested in reading of your experiences as I am on the last sailing of the Constellation Juneau down to Seattle in early September. Thank you for the info on the taxis and the Baranoff. I will be sure to go "out" for breakfast. 

 

Hope your sailing goes well.  Please write comments when you can. They will be much appreciated. Hope the Baranoff and ACL  get their act together during the season.

 

I love the Hangar on the Wharf. Glad you had a good lunch there.

[jebhoward3]

Thank you for the information.  We follow you getting on when you get off.  Your cruise is the first one of the year round-trip Juneau so hopefully the staff at the Baranoff will know more by the second cruise.

 

What decaff Keurig coffee do they have?  Trying to decide if I should pack some.

 

Any information you post will be greatly appreciated.

[jebhoward3]

Is there a laundry on board?

[DaveinCharlotte]

22 hours ago, jebhoward3 said:

Is there a laundry on board?

Yes, there is.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Hope to hear from OP at end of cruise as to how it all turned out.

[Izena]

MS  thanks for the lodging information. Want to do Alaskan cruise just trying to decide between Norwegian cl and ACL.

[Izena]

Where is the Constellation docked in Juneau?  There are several marinas in the downtown area. 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

For my cruise, the Constellation docks at Seal Dock Auke Bay which is about 13 miles  from downtown Juneau. 

[MSEm]

Got home from ACL Constellation late June 24.

CHECK you hotel bill before leaving.  Baranhof charged us for our 1 night stay on Saturday and then for the ACL pre-night on Sunday and collected the ACL voucher for Sunday night. (It did get corrected after we left.  I contact ACL Person at the hotel before we got on bus to the ship.  She contacted ACL headquarters. We were the 2nd couple with the overcharge problem. Many did not check their "bills" before leaving the hotel.

1.  No internet on most of the cruise.  Did have a connection in Juneau and 1 other port.

2.  No TV on Board the Constellation in Alaska.  There is a built in DVD player in the TV and DVD at the office on Deck 1.  I was able to receive and send phone  text messages while in port. 

3.  There is a laundry on Deck 5 nest to the exercise room  2 washers and 2 dryers.  Tide laundry pods and dryer sheets were available. Press Power button, then make selections for type of wash and water temp. Then push START button.  Washer controls on left and dryer controls on right.

4.  We were lucky in the weather.  Usually cloudy in the mornings, then sunshine in afternoons. Rain on only 1 day.  Our hiking rain pants kept the rain away.

5.  Day temps in low 60's.

 

6.  AIRPORT: We departed the ship on a tour bus about 3 PM  (actually it was 3:20 AM Thursday morning. ACL personnel collected luggage from the hallways and out to the bus. Arrived at airport at 3:50 AM.  Driver unloaded all the luggage with help from some passengers. NO porters at the airport the handle luggage.  You will need to move your luggage from the bus stop to the check in counter.

 

More later.  post a question and I will try to answer.

[MSEm]

Between NCL and ACL.  One of the biggest differences will be SIZE.  the ACL Constellation has a maxium of 190 guest. Lots of storage in our cabin (306 on 3rd Deck). ACL can go into ports that NCL ship cannot dock.

ACL  no buffets but you can order omelets at breakfast. Also a fresh fruit cup and waffles, pancakes and/or French Toast.

ACL Wine and beer included at lunch and dinner. Several white and red wines. Only alternate entree at lunch or dinner was a hamburger. No grilled chicken or steak. 

[MSEm]

decaff Keurig coffee  There were Keurig Deaf pods in the room.  Also French Roast regular.

The lounge on Deck 3 has coffee reg and decaf and a hot water dispenser on the coffee pot.  A very nice selection of teas.  Coffee creamer, regular and French vanilla, and variety of sweeteners.

[jklc123]

Thanks for your posts. What are the dining room table arrangements? Many tables for four? DH wears hearing aides and has trouble following conversations in large groups.

[lsb48154]

Were any sort of breakfast items offered before the very early trip to the airport?

[DaveinCharlotte]

On 6/26/2021 at 11:22 AM, MSEm said:

6.  AIRPORT: We departed the ship on a tour bus about 3 PM  (actually it was 3:20 AM Thursday morning. ACL personnel collected luggage from the hallways and out to the bus. Arrived at airport at 3:50 AM.

Can you clarify - are these Pacific daylight times?  For our next trip on the Constellation, trying to figure out when the bus will actually leave the ship and go to the airport.  On our last Constellation cruise, bus left about 8:00 AM local time.

[MSEm]

These were local ship's time. The tour bus was full.  Delta flight departed at 5:10 am and the American flight at 5:30 AM.