Trip report Island Princess Aug 21-28 plus land tour- LOOONG!

[dawnskers]

It took a while, but I finally got around to getting it on the computer... Tried to be fair, honest and thorough- hope it's of help to others, because reading CC made the difference between a good and a great trip! THANKS to all who share on this site!

Arrived at airport 6:30 am for 8:30 flight on Alaska Air. Flight was delayed for 2 hrs. because birds flew into engine turbine. Missed connection in Seattle, then Alaska Air booked my husband and I into the same seat for flight to Vancouver- we had to wait another 2 ½ hours to be able to fly together. Long story short, we were supposed to arrive in Vancouver at 1:30 pm and didn’t actually arrive at our hotel until after 6. Glad we didn’t expect to cruise on the same day we flew in or we’d have missed the boat! Had a quick bite at Pacific Palisades Zin restaurant… pricey but good. Hotel has a great location, but our room was run down- would have been very disappointed had we paid full price. NOT a 4 star property, in my opinion, although Priceline considers it so. Lots of street noise, as we were on 1st floor- glad we brought a sound machine. Missed our dinner reservation for Vistas at the Renaissance Hotel. L It was a looong day with time difference between FL and Vancouver!

Next morning we walked to Stanley Park and saw the Aquarium (really nice! If all you want to see is the beluga whales and sea lions, check the rear gate- it was open the day we were there) then caught the Big Red Bus tour. It’s a hop-on-and-off type tour that hits most of the top attractions- we stopped in China Town and saw the garden there. It’s quite small, but very beautiful. Heard a guide telling a group it’s especially pretty in the rain- it’s designed to showcase raindrops dripping from tiles, making it appear to be curtains of beaded fringe around the edges of the roof, so don’t automatically count it out on a rainy day!

Met with friends we had made on vacation in St. Maarten a year ago who live in BC, and they took us to the Capilano suspension bridge on the north shore. Quite a busy place, even in the early evening. Once crossing the bridge, there is a treetop experience of walkways that traverse across smaller suspension bridges in the tall pines. We didn’t really visit the touristy “theme park” area we passed thru before the bridge. Later we went on a long hike to a beautiful view near the water’s edge and surprised a group of skinny dippers… BBbrrrrr! Way too cold for we Floridians! Took the tram up Grouse Mountain and ate at their fancy restaurant- I had halibut, husband had steak. Both excellent; it’s an expensive dinner, but the view is gorgeous, and the tram ride is gratis with the meal.

Picked up the Big Red Bus tour again the next morning (ticket is good for 2 days) to see the areas we’d missed before. Walked to the state liquor store close by our hotel and bought a couple of bottles of BC wine to bring on board, then hailed a cab to take us to the Island Princess. FYI- be careful not to pack your ID in your checked luggage- I just managed to grab the carryon I’d decided to check at the last minute before it was put on the conveyor belt… YIKES! Doesn’t pay to rush. We were able to board shortly after noon, and go right to our cabin- WOW! A suite is just beyond luxurious- 2 sliding glass doors out onto a long balcony with 2 lounge chairs and a table with 3 chairs. Queen size bed, sitting room with wet bar, 2 TVs, large walk in closet, bathroom with separate area for commode and sink/Jacuzzi tub and glass enclosed shower. Marble floor, teak wood doors; just gorgeous- we are spoiled forever now! Canapés were delivered to our room each evening- the chocolate covered strawberries were my favorite; they look like they are wearing little tuxedoes! Only negative I can think of was the refrigerator didn’t keep things very cold at all. Seems to be the norm on cruise ships.

We had anytime dining and generally called DINE in the morning for a reservation at 5:30 pm in the Bordeaux dining room; table 94 for two by a window on the port side. Really loved our wait staff; Woody and Wara, who were both from Thailand. We heard conflicting info regarding making a standing reservation- one person told us they had asked to do that and were told they needed to call each day. This worked out fine for us except the day we were in Glacier Bay- we lost track of the time and called too late for our usual table and time. The waiter we had that evening seemed to be ill- he actually looked a bit green, and told us he didn’t feel well, so we caught him on an off night. Spoke to the head waiter on our way out of the dining room to request our usual reservation for the next evening and were denied. Called early the next morning and were told it was already taken?! I put up quite a fuss with the reservation staff member when I discovered others had been allowed to make their reservations the night before; don’t know how she did it, but she managed to work things out for us, although initially we were told there was nothing they could do. I felt that overall the food was very good, but not substantially better than what I’ve had on Carnival cruises. (Lobster night was outstanding, though!) We didn’t try the specialty restaurants, but heard they were phenomenal, and well worth the added expense.

About 11 am our first day at sea I looked out our window to see what had to have been hundreds of dall porpoise playing off the port side of the ship; jumping and diving everywhere as far as the eye could see! A truly awe-inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime experience!

I had tried to arrange via our roll call thread for anyone interested in meeting other CC members to have lunch together on Tuesday- there were 20 of us who’d responded, and all but 4 showed up. (We missed you, Aug21!) It was fun to see each other off and on throughout the cruise and compare experiences with one another.

I visited the thermal spa almost every day- it was a great way to unwind on the heated tile beds and in the aromatherapy steam rooms. It is co-ed with separate changing rooms, but I seldom saw any men on my visits.

We flew with Michelle of Island Wings to Traitor’s Cove out of Ketchikan for a bear-watching excursion (booked independently via the internet). I can’t recommend her highly enough- a very professional outfit. Saw at LEAST 7 bear, maybe more and we were at the bear watching location almost 2 hours, even moving to a 2nd stream where we saw several more bear and had a better view of the salmon spawning. Other groups came and went, staying approximately 20-25 minutes max- Island Wings provided superior value, in my opinion.

I enjoyed the entertainment on board- particularly liked the Broadway-style song and dance productions (took the backstage tour, too, which was very interesting) and the comedian that performed toward the end of the cruise. There was also an illusionist who was very good, but his attempts at humor seemed to fall flat with the audience. Really thought Libby Riddles presentation was outstanding as well- if you are a dog person, don’t miss it!

Didn’t venture out on our day in port at Juneau- it was very rainy and overcast and I was sick- didn’t want to catch pneumonia and ruin the rest of my vacation! Heard the people who went whale watching saw lots of wildlife, but it was a very cold, wet boat ride.

Took the 8 am White Pass rail excursion (booked thru Princess) and really enjoyed it. We passed in and out of foggy areas, but still saw lots of beautiful scenery and both my husband and I were glad we went. Walked around town a bit and stopped in a little tavern for a beer- the bartender told us how lucky we were to be the only ship in town that day, as it is usually much more crowded with several ships in port.

Awoke the next morning fairly early, hoping to see wildlife on the way into Glacier Bay- the naturalist told us seals and otters tend to stay closer to the mouth of the bay to avoid being trapped by Orcas. Glacier Bay is really gorgeous, and it was so nice to relax in the comfort of your room and watch it go by. I did, however, make it up to the “secret” viewing area on the Caribe deck at the bow of the ship, and it is fantastic to have a secluded panoramic view- it’s open to passengers both in Glacier Bay and College Fjord, but few seem to know about it. (Yay!)

As much as I enjoyed Glacier Bay, I think I preferred College Fjord- there’s more contrast with the forested areas, and you get a better perspective of how tall those glaciers really are when you see them next to trees. We were really blessed with good weather for our cruise- we’d heard that it had been very rainy and foggy for the previous three weeks, so we felt very fortunate.

It was sad to say goodbye to the Island Princess on Monday, but I was glad we’d decided to extend our stay in Alaska and looking forward to our next leg of the trip. Debarkation was uneventful- we were able to leave the ship by 8 am and found our luggage with no problem. We were picked up by Scott with PJ’s Taxi (arranged via the net) for transport to Seward, which was a very scenic 1 ½ hour drive, and dropped off our luggage at the Alaska Saltwater Lodge before heading back into town to explore. The lodge is right on the water, with a gorgeous view- the bed was a bit rickety, and the faucet in the bathroom wouldn’t turn off, but that view makes up for a LOT! Renee of PJ’s Taxi picked us up that evening and showed us around the area, then dropped us off at Exit Glacier (I think- all those glacier names are running together right now!) for an evening hike. Also booked a tour of the Kenai Fjords National Park thru Jim and Kathleen Barkley, the owners of the Lodge- HIGHLY recommended! It’s a smaller vessel- with a much more personal approach to the tour. We only had 12 passengers on board and two crewmembers, Rachel and Tonya. It was a picture-perfect sunny day the next morning, and we saw humpback whales, sea lions, harbor seals, otters, puffins, eagles (one with a freshly killed cormorant in his talons!) and dall porpoise, along with stunning scenery. Have to say it was a highlight of the trip. We caught the train north from Seward to Anchorage at 6 and arrived at around 10:30 that evening, and stayed at the Wildflower Inn. Really cozy place, right downtown, and includes breakfast, which for us was Finnish pancakes with fresh blueberries and reindeer sausage… YUM!

Rented a car from Avis the next morning- they didn’t have the size car we’d reserved, but we eventually got on the road and headed north towards Talkeetna after stopping for a short visit at the Anchorage Museum. We stopped along the way at one dog sled place around the Wasilla-Willow area and were met by a very rude woman who told us we’d missed her last tour for the day, and NO we couldn’t look at the puppies, before I’d even finished asking the question! I think the name of her outfit was Kettner’s Dog Kennel. If you’re interested, keep driving and go to Vern Halter’s place called Dream a Dream Dog Farm. Great guy, wonderful tour- we heard all about what it’s like to run the Iditarod and all you have to do to prepare for it. Also got to walk his puppies out in the woods with him- he invited us into his home and was more than hospitable. www.vernhalter.com

A great stop between Anchorage and Talkeetna. A flight seeing trip with Talkeetna Air Taxi that evening was another highlight of the trip- words cannot come close to describing the experience. The flight was spectacular, and then to top it off we landed on a glacier! If you want to say you’ve seen Alaska, you gotta do it in a small plane…

Had some soup and homemade bread at the Roadhouse and took some pie to go, then headed up the road to the McKinley Princess Lodge- we ate breakfast at their more casual restaurant twice, but did not do dinner there. Rooms were nice, but nothing spectacular- close to a Holiday Inn in my opinion. We listened to the ranger talk at 10 am the next morning and really enjoyed him (Robin)- he had some interesting stories to tell, and also answered questions about hiking in the area. We ran into Bonnie and Bobbie who’d been on the bear-watching excursion with us, and decided to head out into Denali State Park for some hiking. Took one trail that had many bear tracks along it- some workmen told us they’d seen a brown bear at the trail head earlier that morning. We never saw one, but we could sure smell ‘em! (Sorta like wet dog, but worse…) Glad there were four of us! Also drove a little farther and hiked up into an alpine area which was just gorgeous before heading back to the Lodge so they could catch their bus to Anchorage. We didn’t make the drive up to the main entrance of Denali National Park- seemed like too many hours of driving to face before heading home the next day. We spent some time in the hot tub, had some wine and then drove to a little place just north of the Talkeetna turnoff called the Pizza Pub for beer and pizza- if you’ve got a rental car and can get there, it’s GREAT!

Got up the next morning and finally got to see Mount McKinley peek out as we were leaving the restaurant after breakfast- David just barely had time to sprint back to the room and grab a camera for a few quick shots before she hid behind the clouds again. I went to watch the Photo Symphony at the Princess Theater (cost $6 pp)- it was really beautiful, but kind of felt like it should have been included in the cost of the stay. After being on the cruise, it’s strange to be nickel and dimed on the land portion. Just my two cents worth… We headed back to Anchorage and had time to stop briefly at the Native American Heritage Museum- wish we could have stayed longer. There are demonstrations that happen throughout the day; we didn’t have time to see most of them, but did walk around the village and caught some of the dancing.

Overall, I’d say our trip to Alaska was the trip of a lifetime- we loved the land and it’s friendly people. Pictures, no matter how beautiful, just don’t do it justice. You have to experience Alaska for yourself- GO!

If you have any specific questions, go ahead and ask- I'll try to answer as best I can...:D

[NancyIL]

Great review...thanks! Where did you stay in Vancouver? You mentioned a restaurant at the Renaissance - but couldn't tell if that's also where you stayed.

[dawnskers]

We stayed at Pacific Palisades- it sort of ran into the comment about eating dinner there the first night. (Boy, it's better to make notes as you are on your trip, cuz your brain gets confused about details when you try to remember it all after you get home!):confused:

[dizbuster]

Thanks for the detailed review! How long did the ship stay in College Fjord?

[tapia]

GREAT GREAT REVIEW. THANK YOU!!!!

 

A couple questions if you don't mind. (You're doing a lot of similar things that I'm planning for next year.)

 

I see you didn't use toursaver--is that right?

 

What kind of food did you have at the Saltwater Lodge for breakfast?

 

Where did you have dinner?? Any tips while you're there?

 

What made you decide on the White Pass rail excursion over renting a car?

 

What kinds of things did you see at the Native American Heritage Museum??

[NancyIL]

We stayed at Pacific Palisades- it sort of ran into the comment about eating dinner there the first night. (Boy, it's better to make notes as you are on your trip, cuz your brain gets confused about details when you try to remember it all after you get home!):confused:

 

Thanks for clarifying. I didn't recognize "Pacific Palisades" as the name of a hotel.

[dawnskers]

Thanks for the detailed review! How long did the ship stay in College Fjord?

 

You're welcome! If I'm remembering correctly, we were only there a few hours. I think we arrived around 4:30 pm and left 9:30, maybe 10 or so. The trip there is really gorgeous too- I remember being surrounded by mountains while up on deck for lunch.

[dawnskers]

GREAT GREAT REVIEW. THANK YOU!!!!

 

A couple questions if you don't mind. (You're doing a lot of similar things that I'm planning for next year.)

 

I see you didn't use toursaver--is that right?

 

What kind of food did you have at the Saltwater Lodge for breakfast?

 

Where did you have dinner?? Any tips while you're there?

 

What made you decide on the White Pass rail excursion over renting a car?

 

What kinds of things did you see at the Native American Heritage Museum??

 

I did use Toursaver, but only a few coupons. We thought we might use the one for the Glacier Gardens in Juneau, but the weather was really rainy and overcast, and I wasn't feeling well, so we never left the ship. I used a coupon for the flightseeing trip with Talkeetna Air Taxi and also the stay at McKinley Princess Lodge. I was going to use one for the Kenai Fjords trip, but the Barkley's at Saltwater Lodge were nice enough to give me the 2-4-1 deal on THEIR trip, which I preferred to the cattleboat experience of the larger commercial venues. I also thought I would use a coupon for the Avis rental car, but heard via this message board that it was a big hassle, and used an Entertainment discount code instead.

Breakfast was what I would call expanded Continental- there were lots of bagels, breads, instant oatmeals, teas, coffee, etc; plus Kathleen cut up fresh fruit as well. No eggs or bacon, though.

We ate at a little dive on main street in Seward, just because we were tired of walking and were hungry at the time. If I had it to do over, I would have waited and gone to Rays- GlacierLady can give you some other great ideas for dinner there; just post a question for her. We really enjoyed our trip to the Glacier- go at sunset; there are way fewer people, and the light is really pretty that time of day.

As far as the train trip- I just have really always enjoyed traveling by train since I was a little girl. My grandpa used to work on the Lackawana (sp?) railroad, and I just think train trips are romantic... plus it's nice to look at the scenery without having to worry about driving off the road! :D

At the Heritage Center there were lots of stations around a pond with different Native buildings represented, and someone there to tell you about their customs, games and way of life from the area represented.

I learned a lot just in the short time I was there! For instance, the Aleuts had a fabulous knowledge of the human body, and did complex surgery and also mummified important members of their tribes!

Hope I answered your questions- feel free to e-mail me if you need any more info; res05aal@verizon.net

Here's a link to pics from our trip:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=6r3gfzo9.6odkr5qt&x=0&y=-lmamey

[tapia]

How's you get the 2-4-1 deal on the Saltwater trip? Is it because you were staying there or b/c it was last minute?

 

Thank you so much for all the helpful information.

[irisheileen]

Dawn-

Your photos are magnificent! I especially loved your Kenai Fjords photos! That's were we're planning to go next summer. I just can't wait!

Your weather seemed to be much better tha ours.

Eileen

[tapia]

Wow, great pictures.

 

Where is Capilano Suspension Bridge?

 

Look at that bear!!!!!

 

What kind of camera do you have??????

 

Were any of the pictures the view from Saltwater?

 

The Puffin is so cute--did you do a tour at the Alaska Sealife Center?

 

Awesome--thanks!

[dawnskers]

How's you get the 2-4-1 deal on the Saltwater trip? Is it because you were staying there or b/c it was last minute?

 

Thank you so much for all the helpful information.

 

I think the fact that we stayed there probably was why they offered us the 2-4-1 deal, but when I made the reservation, I mentioned to them I had the Toursaver coupon book. I told them I would prefer to take their more personal tour and asked if they might either honor the coupon or give some kind of discount... it never hurts to ask! ;) Yes, one of those photos was our view from the room we stayed in- I think they called it the View Suite.

Their website is www.alaskasaltwaterlodge.com We wished we had more time to spend here- it was lovely!

[dawnskers]

Wow, great pictures.

 

Where is Capilano Suspension Bridge?

 

Look at that bear!!!!!

 

What kind of camera do you have??????

 

Were any of the pictures the view from Saltwater?

 

The Puffin is so cute--did you do a tour at the Alaska Sealife Center?

 

Awesome--thanks!

 

The suspension bridge is on the north shore close to Vancouver, BC

 

I used a Kodak EasyShare Z740, and it was on the auto setting most of the time. I really love it- I thought it took pretty good pictures, myself. It has 5.0 megapixels, and a 10Xzoom, plus 5Xdigital zoom, too.

 

We visited the Alaska Sealife Center, but did not do one of their specialized tours. Wish we'd had the time... I would have loved it!

[tapia]

Thanks for the info. I already have my reservations at the Saltwater Lodge & am very excited.

 

Your pics do look great.

 

I will call & ask them about the Kenai Fjords tour, although I am still considering a few other options. Did you have to give them the toursaver ticket?

 

When did you bid for the Vancouver hotel?

 

If you only had a day & 1/2 (the day you got to Vancouver from the ship (I'm backwards compared to you) and the morning you fly out) what would you do?

[dawnskers]

No, they did not ask for the Toursaver coupon, but I had it available if they did. Ck out their website if you haven't already- there are some great pics and testimonials from people who'd taken their tours- it's what sold me!

If I only had a short time in Vancouver, I think I would take one of the doubledecker bus tours, just to get an overview of the area, and then decide what appealed to me after getting the "lay of the land". A lot would depend on the weather- we had a beautiful, sunny stay. Stanley Park was a high point, and we didn't even see it all... Gas Town was fun to walk around in, and had many little shops and places to eat or have a drink... The suspension bridge was fun, but it didn't beat Stanley Park, in my opinion. Have fun, and don't forget to come back to CC and write about your adventures! :)

[tapia]

Thank you--I really appreciate the info!!!!!!!!

 

Stanley Park does sound like a must see for me. I guess I'll see otherwise what we'll do. Thanks! Of course I'll write all about it when I get back :-)

[bnajeff]

what was the weather/temp like for your cruise

[dawnskers]

We had highs in the upper 70's in Vancouver, but generally between 40's and 60's in Alaska. The day in Seward probably got into the 70's also, but I never looked at a thermometer. I did get a slight sun (or possibly wind) burn that day, out on the boat! We were really fortunate- I heard from many people that the previous 3 weeks were very rainy and foggy, and that is traditionally the better weather, so you just never know in Alaska!

[tapia]

Sorry, I'm asking lots of questions! I really really appreciate your input!

 

About Exit Glacier: Can you tell us a little more? You said Renee picked you up & showed you around & then dropped you off at Exit Glacier. How far is Exit Glacier from Saltwater? Did you do this after dinner? I know you said something around sunset--but, I'm not sure what you started out or did.

(reason I'm asking is b/c I'm thinking of doing the same thing)

 

Did you really "hike" or just look around? Did she pick you up to come back?

 

I'm between going to Exit Glacier or the Sealife Center or possibly both.

[dawnskers]

We got dropped off around 8 pm and Renee picked us up again around 9:30 pm. It was still light out- we did hike; there are several well-marked trails around the base of the glacier. They are not difficult hikes (my husband did them in flip flops...) Not sure about the hours at the Sealife Center- we went in the afternoon. The below info is from Saltwater Inn's website regarding hikes close to the lodge, as well as the distance to Exit Glacier.

I don't mind answering your questions- you remind me of ME! I started researching at least 9 mos. before we took our trip and spent hours on these boards. Doing your homework will pay off- I got kidded about all the time I spent online, but now my husband admits it was the trip of a lifetime... Ask away!

 

 

In addition to our guided activities, there are many things to do on your own. You can fish from the beach in front of the lodge, or go hiking on one of the nearby trails. The Caines Head Coastal Trail begins a short walk from the lodge and offers hikers a chance to experience the lush coastal rainforest and take in spectacular views of the bay. When you get to Tonsina Creek there is an opportunity to see hundreds of returning salmon. The portion of the trail that follows the shoreline promises sightings of sea otters, sea lions, and bald eagles.

 

A short drive from Seward (about 11 miles) can take you to Exit Glacier (the only road access to Kenai Fjords National Park, and pictured at left) where visitors can hike the easy trails around the base of the glacier or spend the day hiking up the Harding Icefield Trail. Guests interested in learning more about Alaska's marine life will enjoy a trip to the new Alaska Sealife Center.

[tapia]

Thank you so much for the info! You also said Renee showed you around first. What did you see? What time were you picked up from the hotel? Do you think it would be too much to do Kenai Fjords and Exit Glacier in 1 day?

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

 

It sounds great!

[dawnskers]

Hey again-

She just drove us around the town and told us a little about the history, showed us some restaurants she likes. It didn't take long- we went looking for moose, but were unsuccessful! She told us there is one that hangs out in a local neighborhood, but she was elsewhere that day. :(

You could do both in a day, but it would be a full one! We were on the water from 8 to 4:30 with the tour we took.

[tapia]

Thank you so much for all the info! I really appreciate it!