poolwife

Love, love, love your review and pictures. Please keep up your way of writing even if you take longer than you would like to finish this review. We will all just keep tuning back in for your updates.

Looking forward to the next chapter............

Yes, I sure do agree with LEtue from yesterday at 5:35 pm.

Your pictures are awesome and it is really the best Alaska review I have ever read and being an Alaska fanatic I have read quite a few. There was another review written by a girl who was about 21 who went last year with her family that was good also. I think her name was Beach______. I can't quite remember.

I was really interested in reading your story/review as we did a 7 day independent tour of the Kenai Peninsula ourselves June 14 - 22, then started our cruise out of Seward on Celebrity's Millenium. I, like you, wrote a similar review in July but I have not to date finished it. I got in the first week up until we left Anchorage on the train to go to Seward. My review doesn't compare to yours. It was my first time putting pictures on cruise critic and they turned out all different sizes. You did really cool things like your bear trips. Ours was more laid back.

Also, when I was on the trip, I had not planned on writing the review so there was a lot of things I wish I had taken pictures of because of doing the review. I have been away on several trips since returning from Alaska on June 29 so I hope to be able to get back to it and finish writing. It was fun for me to write it anyways.

I so look forward to the rest of your review. It is a most enjoyable and captivating reading. I love the way you write. Keep up the great work.

miched:

Thanks for making me feel better about it. That was the conclusion that I had come to also.

I wanted to change from CC to Aqua class but it was going to be $1,000 more for our cabin to do so and our CC cabin is on port side which is where I wanted to be for our southbound Alaska cruise on June 22. The only available Aqua Class were on starboard side so that made the decision for me. Didn't think eating in Blu was worth $1,000 more.

Yes, Kathy at Chilkoot Charters said the regular 7.5 hour tour with train/bus runs every day. It is only the 9 hour trip to Lake Bennett that doesn't run on Sunday and Monday. Have a good trip!

We were disappointed when we figured out that our ship was going to be in Skagway on Monday and the Lake Bennett train does not run on Sunday or Monday because I had also heard it was so scenic on that run.

Well, guess I will just have to go back again and not be in Skagway on Sunday or Monday.

FYI - The 9 hour train trip to Lake Bennett does not run on Sunday or Monday.

I agree with poster #3. We rented a car and drove the Klondike hwy. in 2009 and really enjoyed doing "our" own thing. We even stopped and saw the husky puppies. I think that was at Caribou Crossing. Someone will correct me if I am wrong. I also like being more in control. So this June will be interesting to see how I like the difference of taking the train.

This June we are trying the train up and a shuttle back down through Chilkoot Charters. Want to hear the narration and see what the train sees on its journey since so many people recommend it.

Can't wait for you to show us more pix and the rest of your trip. I already read Jen's review and saw her pictures also. Loved her wit and love your review also.

We hope to return to Alaska next year. You are giving me some great tips even though we have been there 4 times before. Always something new to see or that we didn't try last time.

jtt - Just a note regarding the now infamous roast beef sandwich from the Park Cafe. It must change from time to time as my husband and I were on the "Allure of the Seas" this past January and we loved it. The meat was so tender it was almost "melt in your mouth" yummy. We ate them several times.

We liked eating in the Park Cafe for quick breakfasts also. They made a yummy McDonald's type breakfast sandwich. it was much better cause they grilled it. And the bagel bar was good also with multiple kinds of bagels and cream cheese spreads. I enjoyed the apricot spread real well.

BrianAlt: Well, it has been said. Your review was outstanding. Thanks so much for doing all this work and posting it for us. Most unfortunately, I just found it and missed it for my Allure trip but it does help for our upcoming Oasis cruise in November. My husband tends to like to eat in the MDR cause he can't see why he should spend more $$$. The only specialty restaurant that we have had a good meal in so far is Portofino's. The one on Celebrity's Constellation left my husband with a bad taste for specialty restaurants on ships. Hopefully, he will try again to give us some variety.

Thanks for the tip about breakfast at johnny rockets. Wouldn't have thought of doing that.

The T-Pool on HAL is part of the thermal suite package that costs for a 7 day cruise $150.00 per person or $250.0 for 2 that signed up together. The T-pool is like a huge jacuzzi with round stainless steel bars you can lay against and get bubbled and bubbled. It is really awesome and relaxing. You also get the heat loungers, steams rooms of different scents. It is a very relaxing experience.

Just make sure you check the actual times for each day including the last day of the cruise. We presumed it was open and available till 10 p.m. like on every other day and it wasn't. It closed early and we didn't know that and were bummed.

We really enjoyed the thermal suite.

If you get the fast ferry tickets and that works out for you, you can always rent a car from Avis and take the drive all the way to Emerald Lake. Every one on these boards that has done it writes how beautiful it is and it is past carcross.

You can buy "Murray's" guide for $5.00 online and he tells you what all the sites are along the way at every mile.

Hope that gives you an option.

Our first cruise was on Carnival's "Holiday" in Nov., 1986. My husband won the trip on the game show, "Let's Make a Deal". It was a brand new ship at the time and they put us in one of the 10 top rooms which were called verandah suites and let us bring our 2 girls who were then 6 1/2 and 9. They also threw in several days at Disney World. It was a great trip.

Unfortunately, with raising kids and all, we never cruised again until May, 2001 on HAL's Ryndam southbound to Alaska and as my signature shows we are now "Hooked" and I am really addicted and addicted to reading as much as I can on cruise critic. Alaska has been my favorite place to cruise. The scenery in Alaska is so picturesque and peaceful to the psyche.

If I am not researching information for an upcoming cruise I feel like something is missing. Really bad! My husband doesn't care much where he cruises just as long as he is cruising.

You know the saying, "cruising is always better than not".

Our first cruise was on Carnival's "Holiday" in Nov., 1986. My husband won the trip on the game show, "Let's Make a Deal". It was a brand new ship at the time and they put us in one of the 10 top rooms which were called verandah suites and let us bring our 2 girls who were then 6 1/2 and 9. They also threw in several days at Disney World. It was a great trip.

Unfortunately, with raising kids and all, we never cruised again until May, 2001 on HAL's Ryndam southbound to Alaska and as my signature shows we are now "Hooked" and I am really addicted and addicted to reading as much as I can on cruise critic. Alaska has been my favorite place to cruise. The scenery in Alaska is so picturesque and peaceful to the psyche.

If I am not researching information for an upcoming cruise I feel like something is missing. Really bad! My husband doesn't care much where he cruises just as long as he is cruising.

You know the saying, "cruising is always better than not".

This was a great bunch of pictures and review. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE IT WITH US.