Alaska0799

I have an 11 year old who is into birds. Can you recommend your favorite bird books for Alaska? There are several on Amazon.

 

We will be in Vancouver, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Juneau.

 

Thanks

Love hearing of young people who are interested in birding! Suggestions:

Robert Armstrong's "Guide to the Birds of Alaska" is hard to beat.

Sibley's app is a handy reference for identifying birds--set the location to Alaska and it gets you there pretty quickly.

The Birds page on FirstAlaskaCruise.com contains great photos and information:

http://www.firstalaskacruise.com/birds.html

The Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game website's page on birds is also helpful:

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=birdviewing.main

"Alaska Cruise Wildlife Watch," published by Stray Feather Press out of Canada, is a wonderful pocket-size quick reference guide to help you identify birds and marine mammals you're likely to see from a cruise ship. It's the best thing like it I've ever seen and have used it for years. Bought it on a ship years ago but I think you can purchase directly from:

http://www.strayfeathers.ca/

Happy Alaska birding!

A few years ago we took the west Glacier Bay flight (departed from Skagway) and thoroughly enjoyed it. We had total confidence in Paul and the equipment. (At the time, he was the only certified airplane mechanic in the area.) Recommend taking a well-labeled map of Glacier Bay with you--really enhanced our enjoyment of the trip. Although Paul certainly pointed out every named peak and glacier, the map helped put everything in perspective and gave added meaning to our visit to Glacier Bay on the cruise ship the next day!

Check out the reviews on Trip Advisor.

Great suggestions for researching/planning a visit to my favorite place on earth!

You might also browse through http://www.firstalaskacruise.com for ideas on things to do in the various ports. Lots of interesting information on Alaska from history to port activities to wildlife!

You might browse through http://www.firstalaskacruise.com for ideas on things to do in the various ports. Lots of interesting information on Alaska from history to port activities to wildlife!

You might browse through http://www.firstalaskacruise.com for ideas on things to do in the various ports. Lots of interesting information on Alaska from history to port activities to wildlife!

For an economical excursion in Ketchikan, a couple of years ago we booked Ketchikan Taxi Cab (mini-van) for a few hours and watched black bears feeding at Herring Cove and bald eagles galore! He dropped us off at Creek Street then we strolled through town on the way back to the ship. Great value for the $$!

Didn't think we could look forward to our June 29 Voyage of the Glaciers on the Island any more than we already are, but the idea of enjoying Alfredo's pizza again enhances the anticipation!

We loved Alfredo's Pizzeria on the Sapphire a few years ago but apparently only a few of the ships offer it. We recently read that sometimes Sabatini's on the Coral and Island will open a section of the restaurant and offer Alfredo's pizza at lunchtime. We'll be on the Island in July and would love to know if it will be offered! (When I called Princess, they could not answer that question.)

Any insight offered will be greatly appreciated!

I just saw a comment to the effect that Sabatini's offers Alfredo's Pizza for lunch on the Coral and Island Princess. If someone who has been on either ship this year can confirm that, my hubby will be ecstatic!

Oh, to see Alaska with the wonder and fresh perspective of John Muir, who exclaimed (after "discovering" Glacier Bay):

"One learns that the world, though made, is yet being made. That this is still the morning of creation. That mountains, long conceived, are now being born, brought to light by the glaciers, channels traced for coming rivers, basins hollowed for lakes." John Muir (1838-1914)

The journals and writings of the early explorers provide a glimpse of the wildness, majesty and indescribable essence of Alaska. Reading their first recorded impressions is fascinating to me. John Muir's "Travels in Alaska" (1915) can transport you.

Pointyhead, I truly hope your caring act of sacrifice for your wife is greatly rewarded with countless "AH HA!" moments along your journey through Alaska, The Last Frontier!

 

 

 

 

 

Don, I too agree with your thinking. I also do not want my "time" spent on a meal and not "distance" seeing wildlife. I have ate at Fox Island and the food is good. But, reason I went there- was a good coupon 2 for 1 deal a few years ago. I also go out more than once every time I am there. For a first timer, single trip- having a wildlife priority, not a good choice.

 

 

 

While we've cruised Alaska 8 times, we've never had the opportunity to do a Kenai Fjords cruise, so it is now one of our priorities! Researching both operators, we see there are several tour options. If we have a whole day, which option offers the greatest potential for wildlife viewing, including birds? (Food is not a consideration for us!)

 

 

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Do you know the approximate cost of this?

Their rate is $74.00 per hour, regardless of number of people. Based on our experience with Alaska excursions, that is reasonable. To be able to design your own tour and have the flexibility to adjust as you go along was a real plus for us!

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We wholeheartedly recommend Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tours (http://www.ketchikantaxicabtours.com, 907.254.7286). On our 3-hour trip with Dave on July 10th, we saw areas of Ketchikan we didn't know existed (this was our 8th visit), a black bear sow with two cubs at Herring Cove, probably 40-50 bald eagles in the Herring Cove/Herring Bay area, starfish, jellyfish, salmon fishermen, and walked through a section of rain forest before returning to the ship. Dave and Kat can put together a plan--with flexibility to adjust during the tour--based on your interests and time requirements. We will book them again on our next visit!

Oh, dear. It would be a shame to no longer have access to that wonderful resource! It appears the author has not posted since October 2013.

Great idea...maybe wildlife photography could be a second career for me! ;) A postcard costs about 25 cents so if everyone sends me that much per photo...wait...just give me a minute while I get that totaled up, OK?

 

Please make checks out to: AryMay's Next Cruise Foundation :)

 

Just kidding...so glad you are enjoying the review. Writing it gives me a good excuse to look at my photos...and avoid housework.

Postcards would sell. How about calendars? Even better!

Thanks for the compliment...but if you want a technical answer...maybe you can find out online. ;) In my opinion it seems to take awhile to recover. Using the sport setting where the camera would do rapid shots in succession was where I got the most frustrated...and especially taking whale photos.

 

I would start shooting too soon, and then just about the time the whale would flip his tale, my camera would stop to write to the card and then take FOREVER before it was ready to go again. I missed some really good shots that way. It didn't seem to be such a big factor if I was just taking one shot at a time.

 

It is actually a little humorous to me to be giving ANY type of camera or photography advice. I am illiterate when it comes to photography and 99% of my shots were taken using the AUTO setting. The camera does the focusing and all I do is aim and push the button. I just took thousands of photos...kept the good ones and deleted the bad.

 

I probably should take a class or something, but I don't want to concentrate so much on getting a photo that I miss enjoying the moment. My photos are my souvenirs...heavens knows there wasn't room to bring back much else in my overloaded luggage! :eek:

First, I want to tell you how much we are enjoying your photo-journal, AryMay. (We've cruised on the Coral, on the southbound itinerary, and would love to repeat that trip!) Absolutely the best review we've ever enjoyed. You completely captured the FEEL of the experience. SO grateful for the time you've spent preparing the entries and the generosity of spirit that motivated you to share it all with us!

Wanted you to know your approach to photographing the wildlife and scenery precisely mirrors that of a professional, freelance wildlife photographer we know. His explanation for the awesome photographs he is able to shoot (and have published) is that he takes hundreds if not thousands of shots of his subjects. And he makes a living doing that! So, there you go!

While the safe is small I have been able to put my old mini-notebook computer in it, see photos. I have attached three photos of the safe on one of our cruise on the CB. The first picture has a 12 inch ruler in front of the safe to help show the size of the safe. The second picture shows the mini-notebook in the back of the safe. The third shows various things including a camcorder.

Wow, I think we might be related, WWCJR! My hubby gives me a hard time for detailed documentation like that--but I'll bet your foresight has paid off for you many times. And this time it benefited others, too! Thanks for sharing. :D

Thank you, everyone, for the helpful input! :)

Be aware that the safes in the cabins are small - enough room for passports, wallets and some jewelry, but that's about it.

I was about to ask if anyone has the inside dimensions of the safes, as I thought I'd read comments in a discussion thread on onboard thefts regarding placing iPads and cameras inside the safes.

In the past, luggage picked up at the airport was transferred directly to the ship. I would suggest double tagging your bags when you pick them up at baggage claim before, turning them over prior to the transfer. I would be CERTAIN to pick up my bags at Seatac, and not just leave them for the transfer to claim them. Verify they are being transferred. If they become missing- they will be a lot easier to track.

Thank you! I remember we wait till claiming bags to attach our Princess tags. Will be sure to ask Princess shuttle personnel to verify we don't have to take bags through security at ship terminal. Less than two weeks before launch!

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We're using the Princess transfer from SEA-TAC to the pier for the first time in July. Curious how the luggage is handled. When taking the train from Anchorage to Whittier for the southbound cruise, once we checked in our luggage at the train station, we never touched it again till it was delivered to our stateroom. Is that how the luggage is handled with the Princess transfer in Seattle?

My husband and I are seriously considering an Alaskan cruise for next summer. I have been on one cruise (Carnival Magic, Mexico and Jamaica, Nov 2011) and will be going on my second in a few days (Carnival Magic, Bahamas). The first with best friend and her family, second one with my mom. Hubby isn't interested.. he's got a tiny problem with not being able to see land. LOL

 

But he's willing to get on the boat for an Alaskan Cruise. My question is, which month? Is there one that is less likely to be rainy? I'm not a big fan of cold, but know it will be on this trip, but as warm as possible would be nice.

 

Also, I'm a teacher, so it's gotta be from mid June to mid August... any suggestions or advice? We haven't picked a ship or line yet, but from what I have read, I'm leaning towards Princess.

As others have already shared, the weather is unpredictable. Best suggestion is to be prepared for anything so the weather doesn't keep you from enjoying being outside on the ship or in port!

For your first Alaska cruise, I highly recommend an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay. Also, a northbound or southbound itinerary will generally have you cruising closer to land for more of the cruise (compared, for instance, to the RT Seattle itinerary). Princess is our preferred cruise line--July 5th we'll board the Golden Princess for our 8th Alaska cruise (it's become an addiction of which we hope never to be cured!).

Whenever you go and whatever itinerary you choose, I hope you and your hubby enjoy glorious Alaska as much as my hubby and I do!

They will be the same 7 day menus for any Princess cruise. They are not different for Alaska or for different ships.

 

 

 

I posted these in 2011:

 

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=29543536&postcount=7

 

 

 

There have been minor changes since then. You could find more current copies on the Princess board. Look for the thread entitled Food, Food and More Food or something like that. They give menus for 10 or 14 days, but if you find the ones that match closely with the ones I posted, those will be the correct updated menus.

Thanks so much! Will search now.

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You should ask this on the Princess board.

Thank you for the suggestion. Actually, I posted it there first but since it's generated no response, I decided to post it on the Alaska board, thinking perhaps that was the appropriate board for the discussion. :confused:

Does anyone have dinner menus from a RT Seattle cruise on the Golden this season? We try to plan our dinners based on when we'll be in good whale watching waters! :)

Does anyone have dinner menus from a RT Seattle cruise on the Golden this season? We try to plan our dinners based on when we'll be in good whale watching waters! :)