Alaska July 11 - 18 2009

Just returned from a fabulous cruise onboard the Serenade of the Seas to Alaska. It was really spectacular!

The following is my review with pictures and tips.

Cast of characters: Me, DH, DD (21) and DS (17)

Friday July 10th

Flew AirCanada from Boston to Vancouver with a connecting flight in Toronto.

AirCanada was terrible. On the first leg of the flight, they sold the same seat to two different passengers which created a delay of over an hour and resulted in us missing our connecting flight in Toronto. The connecting flight was also delayed over an hour due to a mechanical issue -- they needed a filter but didn't have one. Which brings us to TIP #1...

TIP #1: A: If at all possible, fly in a day early to avoid risking missing the ship due to flight delays.

TIP #1: B: DO NOT fly AirCanada. The staff was incompetent and unhelpful.

We arrived in Vancouver to beautiful weather that was a welcome change after suffering through a month of rain in Boston.

Grabbed a limo from LimoJet Gold -- now called Highliner --- at the airport for $41 CAD. They provided excellent service. We stayed at Carmana Plaza where we had a great 2 bedroom suite with two full baths for less than the costs of two rooms at the local hotels.

We then headed out on foot to Gastown. Had a beer at Steamworks Brewing Co. -- great -- saw the Steam Clock -- fun -- and then met my sister and her hubby at the Old Spaghetti factory for dinner -- great, reasonable restaurant for families.

TIP #2: Try to be at the clock on the hour/half/quarter hour as it plays a little tune which is fun.

Next up: Boarding the Serenade!!!

Test

Having problems posting next day

Saturday July 11th

Onboard the Serenade!!!

My sister drove from Idaho to Vancouver so they picked us up and took us to Ballentyne Pier.

After dropping us and the luggage off, the husbands left the truck at CruisePark (about $130 CAD) and took the free shuttle back to the pier (about 30 - 45 min).

Embarkment was the ususal waiting. We were onboard by 1 pm.

We had connecting cabins on Deck 7. These are the cabins with the lifeboat covers right outside the balconies which wasn't really an issue until glacier day when it was hard to see some of the icebergs. But I would book them again as that was the only issue. I spent a good chunk of time out on the balcony throughout the cruise.

After MusterDrill, we grabbed a Drink of the Day (Anchors Aweigh $5.95 US -- just ok) and said Farewell to Vancouver.

There were people waving from the Lions Gate bridge which brings us to TIP #3.

TIP #3: Be on deck when the ship goes under the Lions Gate bridge. It's an awe inspiring sight and is a great way to start your cruise!

Sunday July 12th

Sea Day

Cruising the Inside Passage

Beautiful sunset picture from Day 1 I will share since we didn't get any pictures on Day 2.

Woke up to gray skies, chilly temps and slightly rough seas. A drastic change from Day 1 but don't worry -- this wouldn't last. The fog was thick. As a matter of fact, the ship's fog horn is what woke me at 6 am. Since we really couldn't see the scenery, we used the day to relax and explore the ship.

We attended the ship's Naturalist Lecture on Alaska bears which was informative but left me confused as the lecturer was scheduled to give talks on Financial Planning and then Relationship Communication later in the week. She was a Naturalist/Financial Planner/Therapist all rolled into one!

We attended the Meet and Mingle at 1pm which was fun! I had never attended one before and my family was ready to bolt at any minute but we had a good turnout, Marianna of the cruise staff was great at getting things rolling and answered all of our questions. It was nice to meet my fellow Roll Call members (who we would run into only once or twice for the rest of the week!) and my family ended up staying for the entire meet. I would definitely attend again.

Which brings us to TIP #4...

TIP #4 Attend the M&M. There is a crew member there that you can ask all those silly questions you have but were too afraid to ask, you'll meet some nice people, it takes less than an hour. You'll be glad you did. Trust me.

Rest of the day was spent relaxing in the hot tub, napping on a lounge chair in the Solarium, and playing pool on the nifty self-righting pools tables. We used the pool tables a lot on this cruise. Drink of the Day = Northern Lights -- just ok.

In the evening, we spotted a rare Alaskan elephant on Deck 7.

Monday July 13th

Icy Strait Point

I was really looking forward to this day!! We had a private whale watch excursion with FISHES planned for 11 am. The sun was shining, the sky was clear and it was actually warm enough for shorts.

Since this is a tender port, you should give yourself extra time to get off ship as the lines can get long. However, even this didn't keep us from almost missing our excursion.

My daughter and I were turned away from the tender b/c RCI had replaced our SeaPass but never informed us. The rest of my family went ashore but we had to race to Guest relations to get a new SeaPass then try to get back onto a tender.

When we finally made it across, Floyd of FISHES was waiting in the parking lot with another family who were eager to scoop up our spot had we not shown up (and then lost our deposit). But we made it just a few minutes late and Floyd drove us to his boat in Hoonah where he also lives.

We were enjoying Floyd so much that we barely remembered to take pictures but we did see a Grizzly on shore, sea lions, eagles, salmon and hump back whales. Floyd has a hydrophone that picks up whale noises and is incredible!! When we weren't watching whales, we were listening to them. They can be very noisy!!

We had Floyd drop us off at The Office where we hoped to get some lunch but it was packed so we walked the mile to ISP.

Still walking to ISP...

We ate at the little snack bar at ISP where they have surprisingly good burgers and a great pitcher of Alaskan beer. Went to toss a woodchip into the bonfire but it had gone out and the attendant was gone. Watched the zipline riders come to a frightening stop at the end of the zip line. Then caught one of the last tenders back to ship. Not much else happening in ISP except some shopping which brings us to TIP #5.

TIP #5: Plan an excursion for Icy Strait Point. There is not much to do here and seeing it will take less than an hour. There is a shuttle to Hoonah where there is even less to do. ISP is prime whale watch country so you would be wise to do your whale watching here.

Sunday July 12th

 

In the evening, we spotted a rare Alaskan elephant on Deck 7.

 

Very, very, cute!!

Tuesday July 14th

Endicott Arm Ford

Our itinerary was to go to Tracy Arm Ford but I think the ice has been slow to melt this year due to a harsh winter so we went to Endicott Arm Ford instead.

Endicott Arm Ford was amazing!! The day was bright and sunny. The sun was blaring hot on our balcony where we stayed for the entire time b/c we really had a great view and it was so relaxing just sitting there seeing the incredible sights.

We grabbed some cocoa w/ Baileys and settled in for things we had never seen before and might never see again...

Slowly as you enter the ford, you begin to see chunks of ice floating beside the ship.

Then the ship is surrounded by ice

And the Glacier is in view!

The Captain turned the ship so all sides had great viewing

We got much closer than I thought we could/would. Much closer than these pictures make it seem. We saw one medium sized calving and about 3-4 small calvings. Even though these weren't large, you could still hear the "white thunder" that they caused.

The ice bergs in the ford were now quite large

They had a beautiful blue tint to them due to the refraction of the light

And there were a lot of seals resting on the larger pieces

REally enjoying your review. So, did you see alot of whales in ISP? We couldn't get in with Floyd but are going with Teckk Outfitters which is also supposed to be good.

Could you see anything of the inside passage on your first day out of Vancouver or was it totally fogged in so you couldn't even see the shoreline?

I'm really enjoying reading this...I'll be on the Serenade September 5, can't wait!

Endicott Arm Ford cont.

Several crew members where lowered into a rescue boat to retrieve a chunk of ice which was to be made into an ice sculpture but turned out to be too brittle so it was left on the pool deck for passengers to touch.

Several teens had an impromptu contest to see who could keep their hand on the ice the longest. It was pretty funny to watch.

We spent the rest of the day in the hot tub with a Drink of the Day (Iceberg Cocktail -- just ok).

That night we saw one of the funniest comedians I have ever seen -- Jonathan Clark, a vocal impressionist who had me laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. The kids didn't always know the celebrity he was impersonating but they got enough to think he was very very funny. (I knew them all which apparently makes me "old".)

Which brings us to TIP # 6

TIP # 6

Go see Jonathan Clark.

REally enjoying your review. So, did you see alot of whales in ISP? We couldn't get in with Floyd but are going with Teckk Outfitters which is also supposed to be good.

 

Could you see anything of the inside passage on your first day out of Vancouver or was it totally fogged in so you couldn't even see the shoreline?

Hi poolwife, We saw a pod of about 15 whales including a baby who was very noisy w/ Floyd. I wish we got better pictures, some of them came very close to the boat, but we were so enamored that we forgot to take pictures! It was a large pod -- larger than usual. We didn't see any breaching or bubble feeding, though. Maybe next time.

All of the whale watching excursions from ISP are in communication w/ each other so it doesn't really matter which one you are on. Floyd was constantly radioing Sean of Glacier Winds to report bear sightings and to say which way the whales were headed. Once one boat finds whales, they all know where to go -- even the cruiseline excursion.

The fog was really thick through the Inside passage. You could barely make out the shore line and pics would have just been gray cloudy forms so we didn't bother. You may have better luck though.

What a great review...looking forward to the rest of it. Appreciate the tips too:D

I'm really enjoying reading this...I'll be on the Serenade September 5, can't wait!

NWWanderer -- you'll love the Serenade. She's a beautiful ship with so much to do. We were never bored.

Wednesday July 15th

Skagway

The day was mild and only slightly cloudy -- most of the clouds were way way up in the mountains. Down below in Skagway it was only partly cloudy. Perfect.

The plan: roam around Skagway until our 11:45 Helo/Dog Sled excursion then eat lunch and ride train @ 4:00.

What really happened....

We got off ship around 9 am and wandered around Skagway which wasn't too crowded at that hour but got progressively more crowded as time went by. There were 3 ships in port that day, I believe. There is a shuttle to town which you should take as it's a lot of walking for one day.

Skagway is mostly shopping which we are not really into but we did find a great bakery run by a local woman -- the Lemon Rose -- which had chocolate chips cookies straight from the oven and were delicious. We bought a bunch.

Skagway Post Office Skagway Inn Local signpost

You've already seen the usual sights in Skagway in other reports so I won't post them here.

Now it was really crowded in town.

We headed to the excursion meeting place.

But the Helo/Dog Sled was cancelled due the heavy cloud cover!!!!!

What now?

The excursion staff were excellent and saved the day!!!!

They offered us a Helo/Glacier tour instead but it was leaving at 4:15pm -- when we were scheduled to be on the train. No problem!!! They switched our train time to 12:45 and booked us on the 4:15 Helo/Glacier tour. Our vacation was saved!!!

So we got in what we thought was the line for the train but were promptly told by the many many other passengers that this was the beginning of the line not the end. So we went to the other end of the line and were told this was not the end but the beginning. ????? A kind staffer informed us that they were all wrong, there is no line just a length of people waiting to board per car. So we hopped into an empty section. When then allowed boarding, it was mayhem -- people pushing, shoving. The train was very crowded -- several families couldn't sit together even on the same car!

The train ride began and once everyone settled down, it was enjoyable. The sights were really something. But the platform was never empty and often crowded.

Would I do it again? Probably not. I fell alseep on the way back.

So ...

TIP # 7

Take the last train ride of the day. Yes, it gets back around 7 pm and you may have to eat at the buffet but the late train was much much less crowded and you'll enjoy it more. Especially if you are a train nut like DH and wanted to get those amazing pictures. Really.

Skagway cont.

Immediatley after disembarking the train we had to run over to the excrusion meeting place for our Glacier tour. This turned out to be fantastic!!

After brief instrustions and donning some very ugly boots that go over your sneakers, we headed out to the helicopters. (By the way, they do this all by weight so be prepared to to fess up ;)).

What an amazing flight!!! We flew over glaciers, waterfalls, mountains and lakes. Simply amazing.

This alone was worth the fare but there was more to come!

Up ahead ---- Glacier Camp!

Skagway and Glacier Tour cont...

That's it up ahead. See it?

They looked like tiny dots from the air.

Once we landed, the Tour Guide, Jason, herded us into a safe spot and gave out general safety instructions. Two cameras had fallen down crevasses that day so make sure you keep the strap around your neck!

Jason was excellent -- funny, informative and handled a 5 year boy who was bent on either destruction and/or injury with grace and ease.

We drank a bit of glacier water -- very cold -- saw many crevasses and many many bolders which surprised me.

It was a bit more than chilly on the glacier. We had sweatshirts, hats and gloves and were fine except for our cheeks. I am sure on a colder day you would need more than a sweatshirt.

And now TIP # 8

TIP # 8: Always have an alternative plan especially for excursions and especially for excursions that get cancelled a lot like the Dog Sled excursion. We ended up having a great time with the arrangements that the staff provided but I am sure that it's not always that easy to rearrange these things and you should have an idea of what you would be willing to do instead if you excursion gets cancelled.

Thursday July 16th

Juneau

Juneau dawned just like yesterday only a bit more cloudy and slightly cooler. Still great weather for Alaska, though.

We had an early excursion then planned to tour Juneau.

Today we are doing the Alaskan Canopy Zipline !! Fun !!

A tour bus took us to the boat where fishermen were getting ice.

We rode across the channel

We landed at the meeting place (yes, it lands on the rocks, not a dock and you hop down from the boat)

After instructions and getting suited up in our gear (again by weight -- yikes!) we ride up the mountain a ways in the Jurassic Park type of vehicle. I think they called it a Mog.

Then you hike about 5 min up a very steep incline to the first platform.

Juneau cont.

The idea is to get up to this...

Okay... so.. here we go.

Right hand brakes, left hand steers

Wow!!! What fun! It was easy once you got the hang of it. We even made it across the suspension bridge! Our guides Kyle and Lynn were awesome! They trained us well and put us at ease! Plus they were very entertaining. Lynn had a grizzly break in through her kitchen window and eat her mother's pie, then he came back a few days later through the back door!! Needles to say, that bear will be relocated.

Back to the lodge to drop off equipment and then back to Juneau.

I'll have to finish tomorrow since it's getting so late.

next up -- Downtown Juneau.

A wonderful review can't wait for more.... Karon:)

WONDERFUL review and pictures!!!! :D We will be on the Serenade in a few weeks and I am LOVING this!

I would respectfully request, if you can, that you post this ALSO on the Royal Caribbean board, I know there are plenty of people there who would be interested as well.

Looking forward to more!:)

Loving your review!! I'm so glad I booked the 4:30 train in Skagway and paid the extra for a special car!! :D

Thanks for sharing your review and photos. I enjoyed reading the review and looking at your photos. I can understand being in awe and not taking photos. I've been in your shoes while in Alaska!

Loving your review!! I'm so glad I booked the 4:30 train in Skagway and paid the extra for a special car!! :D

Me too! :D

is there any way to get bigger pictures...the ones in the post are tiny and you can't click on them to expand. Do you have an album somewhere else?