Alaska on Crown Princess June 2, 2023

[Coral]

1 hour ago, PurpleTraveller said:

 

Sadly just the one bear, way in the distance. Fortunately the scenery was lovely and we enjoyed being in the nature.

I saw 3 the day I was there. I had a private tour with just me. It worked out great.

[PurpleTraveller]

35 minutes ago, Coral said:

I saw 3 the day I was there. I had a private tour with just me. It worked out great.

 

Were the bears close? I was just glad we saw one as there are no guarantees to see any wildlife. Glad you enjoyed your tour.

[Coral]

23 minutes ago, PurpleTraveller said:

 

Were the bears close? I was just glad we saw one as there are no guarantees to see any wildlife. Glad you enjoyed your tour.

1 was across a lake (near Long Island?). We then drove by 1 and stopped quite a distance away and watched it - my guide thought he was 1 year old and his Mom would be nearby but we didn't see the Mom. We sat and watched him for quite awhile. We then got in the van and saw a whale. When I was back looking at my pictures - I saw the Mom in the pics.

 

We kept enough distance that we left the gun in the van.

[PurpleTraveller]

Friday June 9 - Sea Day

 

We had not purchased any type of package for this cruise so on this sea day I decided to buy one day of internet just to check on emails and family. It cost USD10.00 with my 50% Platinum discount which I thought was reasonable. I went to the Internet Cafe and it took just a couple of minutes to set up.

 

We did very little throughout the day other than relaxing, reading and eating.

 

Since I didn't do much I'll show you some more photos of the ship that I took in Vancouver.

 

Movies Under the Stars

 

 

Star Deck

 

 

 

 

 

Skywalkers

 

 

 

Sabatinis 

 

 

Adagio Bar

 

 

And a couple from around the ship.

 

 

 

That evening we used our free specialty dinner that we had got through a promo when booking the cruise. We chose to go to Sabatinis and had a lovely meal and ate far too much of the lovely food.

 

The Captain's Circle Cocktail Party was on at Club Fusion at 7.00pm but we were unable to go as we were at Sabatinis.

 

Edited July 18, 2023 by PurpleTraveller

[gottagoacruzn]

Way to go Purple traveller, thanks for the photos. Can't wait, 50 more days to go.

 

virginia

[Cairns Cruisers]

Thanks for the detailed review.

We are basically doing the same ports as you in Sept 2024 on Sapphire out of Vancouver.

Certainly whet's the appetite seeing your photo's.

 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

3 hours ago, gottagoacruzn said:

Way to go Purple traveller, thanks for the photos. Can't wait, 50 more days to go.

 

virginia

 

Thanks for reading. Hope you have a great cruise! 🛳️

[PurpleTraveller]

1 hour ago, Cairns Cruisers said:

Thanks for the detailed review.

We are basically doing the same ports as you in Sept 2024 on Sapphire out of Vancouver.

Certainly whet's the appetite seeing your photo's.

 

 

 

Thank you! Sapphire is my favourite Princess ship so you should have a wonderful cruise. Pleased that you like the photos. 😊

[PurpleTraveller]

Saturday June 10 - Ketchikan

 

Weather Forecast - Clear, High 63°F/17°C, Low 52°F/11°C

 

We sailed into Ketchikan at 7.00am and docked at dock number 3. At 7.30 the captain announced that we were able to get off the ship. In port with us was Silver Whisper and Disney Wonder joined us later in the day. The views from the ship were beautiful.

 

 

 

 

Ketchikan looked lovely in the morning sunshine.

 

 

At 9.00am we left the ship and walked to Creek Street where we walked past Dolly's House and the colourful buildings to the Yeltatzie Salmon sculpture. It was a beautiful day and the colours of the buildings were bright in the sunshine. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked up to the Salmon Ladder and then continued walking along the

river. 

 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

Saturday June 10 - Ketchikan Part 2

 

Our destination was the Deer Mountain Trailhead which is on Ketchikan Lakes Road on the right just past the intersection of Nordstrom Drive. The walk up Ketchikan Lakes Road from Deermount Street (where the Totem Heritage Center is) was quite steep but we were on a paved footpath. The car park for the trailhead was easy to find.

 

We got to the trailhead at 10.30am and started making our way upwards. I had read that the trail was well maintained but if this trail is well maintained I would hate to see a poorly maintained trail. The trail started off fine but soon the trail was pretty rough with washouts, trees had fallen and taken part of the trail away and generally in poor shape. In some places we had to scramble and climb up where the trail stairs were missing.

 

 

 

 

 

However the forest was beautiful with ferns lining the trail and magnificent trees.

 

 

 

 

 

We found it interesting that the huge trees that had fallen over had very shallow root systems for the size of the trees. 

 

 

A short time after we had started walking two young men passed us, one with a snow board and one with skis, attached to their backpacks. When we asked what they were going to do they told us that it was their one day off work and they were going to walk up the trail for two and a half hours and then go skiing and snowboarding in the snow at the top of the trail before walking for two hours back. Oh, the joy of being young and energetic!

 

After a fairly strenuous (for us) walk of one and a half hours, with plenty of photo taking, we got to the Mile One viewpoint at 12.00pm. We had walked one mile and gained 1500 feet in elevation. The view was stunning!

 

 

 

 

 

We took photos and then sat down for a snack and to enjoy the view. A short time later we were joined by a couple who were also from Crown Princess. Another couple on their way down the trail told us that it was possible to get to the next viewpoint but from there on the trail was under snow.

 

We decided not to go any further as we still wanted to walk around Ketchikan and to be honest we were a bit tired from the walk up. It took an hour and ten minutes to walk down and we had to be very careful where we placed our feet, making sure to not twist an ankle.

 

 

 

We only saw about twenty people on the trail and the younger ones were much quicker than us going up and down but I don't think we did too bad for an "older" couple. 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

Saturday June 10 - Ketchikan Part 3

 

Once we had made our way back into town we made sure to see the "Ketchikan" sign over Mission Street. 

 

 

We visited a number of shops and did a little souvenir shopping. After the retail therapy we walked along the boardwalk past Crown Princess and along the waterfront and enjoyed the sunshine and views of Ketchikan.

 

 

 

We were back on the ship at 3.15pm and after dropping our gear in the cabin went up to the Sun Deck to make the most of the beautiful weather. Ketchikan was sparkling in the bright sunshine.

 

 

 

 

 

We departed Ketchikan at 5.00pm and we had a very scenic sailaway.

 

 

 

 

 

The scenery was gorgeous as we sailed in the late afternoon sunshine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner was in the Michaelangelo Dining Room and we still had lovely views while eating our dinner.

 

 

Clocks were put forward one hour that night.

 

[Amy G]

Wow, what a gorgeous day in Ketchikan!

[PurpleTraveller]

6 minutes ago, Amy G said:

Wow, what a gorgeous day in Ketchikan!

 

We were so lucky! It was also quite warm and we had a fantastic day.

[gottagoacruzn]

That looks so beautiful, can't wait til I'm there, hey but it might rain, but I don't mind that if it does.

[gottagoacruzn]

They day we pull out of Ketchikan, will be watchin the scenery.

[PurpleTraveller]

23 minutes ago, gottagoacruzn said:

That looks so beautiful, can't wait til I'm there, hey but it might rain, but I don't mind that if it does.

 

21 minutes ago, gottagoacruzn said:

They day we pull out of Ketchikan, will be watchin the scenery.

 

We had amazing weather in Ketchikan but the scenery will still be beautiful no matter what the weather is like. I hope you have a great time in Ketchikan!

[gottagoacruzn]

Thanks, have been there before!!

[PurpleTraveller]

Sunday June 11 - Sea Day

 

Today we had been looking forward to sailing southbound through the Inside Passage on the eastern side of Vancouver Island. On the itinerary map shown when we booked the cruise it had shown the cruise sailing both north and southbound on the eastern side of Vancouver Island.

 

 

We were very disappointed to see that we were sailing at sea and as the day progressed it was obvious that we weren't going to be sailing on the eastern side of Vancouver Island as we were on the western side of Vancouver Island out at sea.

 

 

When I went to Guest Services and asked why we were at sea instead of on the eastern side of Vancouver Island I was told that the itinerary had been changed a few cruises ago and all itineraries would now be sailing from Ketchikan to Victoria on the western side of Vancouver Island. Everyone I met throughout the day was very disappointed by the change in itinerary as all, including myself, had expected a day of scenic cruising. I did mention this change of itinerary in my post cruise survey and I thought it was very poor that Princess had changed the itinerary but not had the courtesy of informing their passengers either before the cruise or even during the cruise. I wonder if Princess thought that no-one would notice the change.

 

This is where we ended up sailing.

 

 

 

Since we had planned to be on deck all day enjoying the scenery, we ended up not doing much but reading, relaxing and eating.

 

It was formal night and we ate in the Michaelangelo Dining Room.

 

That evening when we went to bed we turned out the light to find that our cabin was still very light. Very confused we tried to work out why. Upon investigation we discovered that the blockout lining had been removed from our curtains and the lights from the Promenade were shining through the thin curtains! After having difficulty in getting to sleep because it was so light, we were then woken up at 5.00am with the bright sunshine shining through the curtains. It was so bright that we didn't need to turn a light on to see our way around the cabin! 

 

When we spoke to our steward the next day about what was going on with our curtains, he told us that his supervisor had asked him to check for any marks on the blockout lining and to remove the lining for cleaning. We told him how very bright the cabin was without the blockout lining and could we please have the lining replaced as we had been up late and woken early because of the light. He apologised and said he would speak to his supervisor. We were very glad to see upon our return from our day out in Victoria that the blockout lining was back in place!

 

Also I forgot to post the Senior Officers previously so here they are.

 

 

Edited July 19, 2023 by PurpleTraveller

[gottagoacruzn]

Thats terrible to change the sailing, an there I was all excited about seein the scenery!!!

[sunviking90]

18 minutes ago, PurpleTraveller said:

Sunday June 11 - Sea Day

 

Today we had been looking forward to sailing southbound through the Inside Passage on the eastern side of Vancouver Island. On the itinerary map shown when we booked the cruise it had shown the cruise sailing both north and southbound on the eastern side of Vancouver Island.

 

 

We were very disappointed to see that we were sailing at sea and as the day progressed it was obvious that we weren't going to be sailing on the eastern side of Vancouver Island as we were on the western side of Vancouver Island out at sea.

 

 

When I went to Guest Services and asked why we were at sea instead of on the eastern side of Vancouver Island I was told that the itinerary had been changed a few cruises ago and all itineraries would now be sailing from Ketchikan to Victoria on the western side of Vancouver Island. Everyone I met throughout the day was very disappointed by the change in itinerary as all, including myself, had expected a day of scenic cruising. I did mention this change of itinerary in my post cruise survey and I thought it was very poor that Princess had changed the itinerary but not had the courtesy of informing their passengers either before the cruise or even during the cruise. I wonder if Princess thought that no-one would notice the change.

 

This is where we ended up sailing.

 

 

 

Since we had planned to be on deck all day enjoying the scenery, we ended up not doing much but reading, relaxing and eating.

 

It was formal night and we ate in the Michaelangelo Dining Room.

 

That evening when we went to bed we turned out the light to find that our cabin was still very light. Very confused we tried to work out why. Upon investigation we discovered that the blockout lining had been removed from our curtains and the lights from the Promenade were shining through the thin curtains! After having difficulty in getting to sleep because it was so light, we were then woken up at 5.00am with the bright sunshine shining through the curtains. It was so bright that we didn't need to turn a light on to see our way around the cabin! 

 

When we spoke to our steward the next day about what was going on with our curtains, he told us that his supervisor had asked him to check for any marks on the blockout lining and to remove the lining for cleaning. We told him how very bright the cabin was without the blockout lining and could we please have the lining replaced as we had been up late and woken early because of the light. He apologised and said he would speak to his supervisor. We were very glad to see upon our return from our day out in Victoria that the blockout lining was back in place!

 

Also I forgot to post the Senior Officers previously so here they are.

 

 

We were on the June 23 sailing and heard they no longer had a hotel manager. Our Captain was Captain Lye. His daily talks were very informative and I learned a few things I didn’t know even living in this area all my life!

We also sailed on the outside of Vancouver Island on the way back. It was disappointing as we love sailing back on the other side through Seymour narrows. Fortunately we’ve done it before, but unfortunate for those doing the Alaska cruise for the first time. I was very sceptical that we would sail as mapped though because we were stopping in Victoria rather than direct to Vancouver. Whenever we've had a cruise stop in Victoria it has been reached after sailing outside of Vancouver Island. 
It looks like you had much nicer weather throughout than we did. Very happy for you in that regard!

[PurpleTraveller]

9 minutes ago, gottagoacruzn said:

Thats terrible to change the sailing, an there I was all excited about seein the scenery!!!

 

Yes, that's what we thought. One of the selling points of this itinerary is that it goes both north and southbound through the Inside Passage on the eastern side of Vancouver Island. To remove the southbound portion without any notification is very poor in my opinion.

[PurpleTraveller]

1 minute ago, sunviking90 said:

We were on the June 23 sailing and heard they no longer had a hotel manager. Our Captain was Captain Lye. His daily talks were very informative and I learned a few things I didn’t know even living in this area all my life!

We also sailed on the outside of Vancouver Island on the way back. It was disappointing as we love sailing back on the other side through Seymour narrows. Fortunately we’ve done it before, but unfortunate for those doing the Alaska cruise for the first time. I was very sceptical that we would sail as mapped though because we were stopping in Victoria rather than direct to Vancouver. Whenever we've had a cruise stop in Victoria it has been reached after sailing outside of Vancouver Island. 
It looks like you had much nicer weather throughout than we did. Very happy for you in that regard!

 

Thanks for letting me know about your experience. It's always great to learn new things.

 

I was told that all sailings southbound will now be on the western side of Vancouver Island. It was very disappointing for us as this was our first Alaskan cruise and one of the reasons that we chose this itinerary was because it was supposed to sail both ways on the eastern side of Vancouver Island. When Princess changed the itinerary they should have informed their passengers. 

 

Interesting that it is usual to sail to Victoria on the western side of Vancouver island so I wonder why Princess showed the itinerary otherwise.

 

Thanks! We were very pleasantly surprised by the great weather we got, particularly in Juneau, Ketchikan and Victoria.

 

[latebuyer]

I’m sorry to hear you didn’t go through inside passage on way back, and yes they should have told you. On my brilliance of the seas cruise i couldn’t even see the scenery as it was so foggy on day 2. On the way back we had lovely beautiful skies and the scenery was beautiful. So it does pay to have the 2 days. Its interesting to hear about the weather on various dates. June 25 sailing only inside passage and ketchikan were sunny, sitka was ok and hubbard and juneau it was foggy and raining. Interesting to hear from dockman that weather on may 23 cruise wasn’t good either, that was the date i was considering going on the crown. I would think an advantage of the longer cruise is you have a better chance of some better days.

[AZjohn]

1 hour ago, PurpleTraveller said:

 

Yes, that's what we thought. One of the selling points of this itinerary is that it goes both north and southbound through the Inside Passage on the eastern side of Vancouver Island. To remove the southbound portion without any notification is very poor in my opinion.

That would have been really disappointing to us (not sailing back through the inside passage). Going north starts the magnificent beginning of the cruise and then coming back south is the perfect finale to a wonderful exploration IMHO.
 

Wonder why they made the change a couple of cruises ago? I understand the reason Princess did not want to tell anyone, especially to those new that wouldn’t understand what they were missing 😤. 
 

It’s honestly been my favorite part of any cruise we have taken☹️

Edited July 19, 2023 by AZjohn

[PurpleTraveller]

1 hour ago, latebuyer said:

I’m sorry to hear you didn’t go through inside passage on way back, and yes they should have told you. On my brilliance of the seas cruise i couldn’t even see the scenery as it was so foggy on day 2. On the way back we had lovely beautiful skies and the scenery was beautiful. So it does pay to have the 2 days. Its interesting to hear about the weather on various dates. June 25 sailing only inside passage and ketchikan were sunny, sitka was ok and hubbard and juneau it was foggy and raining. Interesting to hear from dockman that weather on may 23 cruise wasn’t good either, that was the date i was considering going on the crown. I would think an advantage of the longer cruise is you have a better chance of some better days.

 

Thanks, it was a big disappointment to us and many others on the cruise and compounded by the fact that Princess did not think it was important to notify their passengers of the change. 

 

I'm pleased that you had a great southbound day in the Inside Passage. After having a few not so great weather days you must have really enjoyed your day.

 

Sometimes it's pure luck as to what sort of weather you get. We were very fortunate to have no rain at any port and a few glorious days.