Live from Coral Princess Northbound 8/28 - 9/4 with landtour

I will be doing a "Live From" that sails tomorrow from Vancouver. Tonight I will be staying at the Sheraton Wall Centre and boarding the ship tomorrow. Currently I am sitting in the airport waiting to catch my first of two flights.

Just a little about me; I am a solo cruiser and this is an early 50th Birthday Present to myself. I recenntly finished 33 rounds of raditation for breast cancer so this is a double gift. I've been on a couple of roll calls, one here on CC and one on "The One that Shall Not be Named". I was elected to organize the Meet & Greet and that will be taking place on Thursday.

I will do my best to log on here everyday to let you all know what is going on. I should let you know that I will not be taking any wine on board so I really won't be payint attention to that at checkin. If I do happen to notce something, I will let you know.

Looking forward to your reports.

Congrats on your recovery.

Looking forward to your review. Which land tour will you be doing? I am currently looking into an Alaska cruise/land tour for May '14. Congratulations on your recovery, and a early happy birthday! You deserve a much needed vacation.

Andy

Looking forward to a Coral Alaska live review.

We'll be doing the southbound one next year at this time.

Happy Birthday and blessings to you for your recovery!

Congrats on your recovery and happy early birthday! What a great gift to give yourself.

We will be on the Coral next March so I am anxious to read your review.

Enjoy the cruise!!

Happy birthday and congrats on your recovery. Looking forward to your review. I'm on the Coral southbound in May.

Enjoy...look forward to your Live as we are on the Coral for 14 nights on our Alaskan cruise. Last of the season.

Looking forward to your review. Which land tour will you be doing? I am currently looking into an Alaska cruise/land tour for May '14. Congratulations on your recovery, and a early happy birthday! You deserve a much needed vacation.

 

Andy

I'm doing BA3. It's only one night at each lodge. I would have done another one that had more nights in Denali but can't take that much time off from work.

I am also ready to head to cruise ship. Gloomy here today, but who cares! ;)

I couldn't believe how easy the whole process was today. I arrived at the pier at about 11:15 and walked right in. Got into a line that you had to show your boarding pass and your passport. Then moved to a line to go through the metal detectors. From there you got in a line to get your key card. From there you are asked to sit in a row of chairs. They announced that we would be going on board very shortly. It wasn't even noon yet! Once on board you took the obligatory "Welcome Aboard" photo and then got in a short line to have your picture taken for your cruise card. From there, I went straight to my cabin. I was literally pinching myself that I was finally here. After a year of planning, I was in my cabin.

Since my suitcase wasn't here yet, I decided to explore the ship. I went to find Crooners Lounge as this was where our Meet & Greet was taking place tomorrow. When I got there a couple of people from our roll call were there, then some more people came by. Some went to Horizon Court to eat, I went exploring. I found the Ice Cream Stand and that was all I had for lunch. I had had a big breakfast at the hotel.

I went back to my cabin and my cabin steward had put my bag in my room, so I decided to unpack. It was getting close to the Muster Drill so I got my life jacket and headed to Bayou Grill. Muster Drill took about 45 minutes. Dropped off my life jacket in the room and went out on my balcony to enjoy my complimentary champagne and chocolate covered strawberries sent to me by my travel agent. I then went on deck and enjoyed the rest of the sail-a-way with the rest of the ship.

On Mutts today was the Croods. Eh, not for me. Had dinner in Horizon Court with one of my other Solo Cruisers from the roll call and I am now sitting on my balcony, writing this, watching a Holland America ship keep pace with us.

Tomorrow is a sea day and the Meet & Greet. More later.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'll be posting once a day and usually in the evening.

Day Two - Sea Day

Woke up early to walk the deck and hopefully see some whales or dolphins. Lucked out and saw dolphins. They were in a group all jumping out of the water. I thought I got a picture but I didn't. As I was walking to breakfast, the officer of the deck announced that there was a whale off the starboard side but I missed it.

Weather is pretty gloomy today but at least it's what I packed for.

The captain announced that our speed was going to be dropping quite a bit so they could do a routine propulsion testing. Once word you really don't want to hear on a cruise is anything to do with propulsion. However, I'm sitting here in the library typing this and I can see by the swirling water that it appears to be working. Phew!

The Meet and Greet that I was the arranger for will be in about an hour.

M&G went very well. No one from the ship showed up but that was okay. We had people who had been talking via both roll calls able to see each other face to face.

Propulsion test is over and we are back to speed. Starting to feel a little motion but not bad. 1:00pm is the Naturalist, Dr. Ryan in the Princess Theater. It is The Glaciers - Grandeur of Mother Nature.

Tonight is formal night and the Champagne waterfall. This will be the only formal night I'll attend.

I will have to wait until I get into port before I can post photos.

Thanks for posting a live from thread! We just did a 14 day b2b on the Island and had great weather-wishing that for you the rest of your cruise!

Last night was formal night and the Champagne waterfall. Since 4 of us had Anytime dining, we decided to go at 5:30. This was the only formal night I was doing. We were put at a table of 10. There were two couples from Canada and I'm not sure where the other one was from. I had gone to afternoon tea at 3:30 so I tried not to eat too much at dinner. Fortunately the portions are small so I got a shrimp cocktail and fettuccine Alfredo that was served in a parmesan basket/bowl and for dessert was chocolate peanut butter pie. Since we had dinner early, we watched the Champagne waterfall and went and saw the early show in the Princess Theater called Motor City. Not bad. It was only 30 minutes long. I was exhausted and knew I was getting up early the next morning so I headed to bed. This time I made sure the alarm was set for AM not PM.

Ketchikan

We arrived right on schedule at 6am to pouring down rain. I was planning on rain for kayaking so I dressed accordingly. My tour was to start on the the dock at 7:20am so I got up early, ordered room service the night before. I was dressed long before the room service was scheduled to arrive so I went down to the International Cafe and got my morning Milk and White Chocolate Mocha and watched as they docked the boat.

When I got off the ship and met the tour rep, I found out there was only 4 of us for the first of the morning tour. Myself, Gary from Colorado and Tomas and Jolie from Panama.

It was about a 30 minute drive to the location and it was a nice ride. There were 4 of us in a 50 pax bus. Once there, they gave us an orientation gave us a dry bag for our cameras, a drip skirt and a life vest. Gary and I were in the one boat and he had the duty of steering with the rudder. Once we were out there, it was absolutely beautiful. The rain had stopped. It wasn't too cold or to hot. I asked if I should take my sunglasses but our guide said he wasn't expecting any sun so to leave them behind. Big mistake; the sun came out and it was even more beautiful and incredibly quiet. We saw salmon jumping out of the water, eagles and eagles nests, starfish and even a curious seal came near us. He would just pop his head up out of the water, look at us for a bit, and go back down under.

We were out on the water for almost two hours. It's incredible what the sound of water lapping on the side of a kayak can do to one's bladder. Both Jolie and I really had to go and every once in a while there would be a big wake from a boat that kept getting too close to us and that only inspired us to get back to the dock faster. Sorry TMI. I had an incredible time. My arms are sore but it was so worth it. I came back on the ship, went up to the grill, had a cheeseburger and then went back off to a souvenir shop for some goodies to take home.

Yesterday afternoon, a group of us went to listen to the Naturalist that is on board to talk about the glaciers. When we leave today, he is going to be talking over the loud speaker and pointing out wildlife. I was given a book by my travel agent they is called The Alaska Cruise Companion. Inside are maps that point out waypoints where whales (orcas & humpbacks) seals, otters, etc., are known to be at. I'm not sure if I'll watch from my balcony or go up on deck.

Damn, I just looked at the Patter and I missed the Pub lunch that everyone always talks about. Hopefully it will be again later in the trip.

More tomorrow after whale watching with Harv and Marv.

Friday afternoon, I kind of wandered around the ship. I was exhausted from kayaking so I tried to take a nap but that didn't work. The naturalist came over the speaker and said that in about 3 hours we should be out on deck for possible whale sightings. I found a space out front on the top deck and just parked myself there. More people started marking their spots too and we waited. And we waited. There were quite a few white caps so it was hard to spot a spout but 2-1/2 hours later (for me), we finally spotted some. Their spouts were easy to spot and then they would surface for just a bit. There was this one that appeared to be on his head and just flopping his fluke back and forth. Dr. Ryan, the naturalist, said this was something he had never seen. It was more like something you would see at Sea World.

The wind started to pick up and I hadn't had dinner yet, so I decided to head to Horizon Court. Well, apparently so did everyone else. The place was packed. I really didn't find anything I liked so I had a small salad and decided to head to the International Cafe. There I had the Waldorf Chicken Salad and a caprece panini. Both were excellent. It was getting late so I decided to go back to my cabin and get ready for bed.

Juneau

We arrived a head of schedule in Juneau by about 30 minutes. We arrived to rain. I grabbed a quick breakfast in Horizon Court (because my alarm didn't go off) and headed to the gangway to go on Harv & Marv's whale watching. The bus picked us up at the dock, we pick up a group at the Carnival Miracle boat and headed out. It was cold. We went out with Captain Shawn and let's just say, they didn't disappoint. There were 12 of us on the boat and the seats were fixed with hydraulics so you didn't feel the shock so much when you hit the waves. I've come to realize that the Bonine I'm taking to prevent sea sickness is making me groggy. I quickly woke up when we arrived at the area where whales are spotted. Before long we were seeing spouts and flukes and whales galore. I took pictures and video but my camera doesn't take great distance shots.

We left the area for awhile and went to see some Stellar Sea Lions. There were a bunch of them on a beach. They were mostly sleeping or making obnoxious noises so we headed back to see more whales. At one point there were 5 together, one being a calf. We lost them for a few minutes and realized they had gone under the boat and came up really close in the back. That scared quite a few people who were out there. The boats have to stay 100 yards from the whales but apparently the whales can be as close as they want.

We came back to shore, and the bus took us to Mendenhall Glacier. Because of the bad weather, we didn't stay for long. Some went into town, I went to the ship to get lunch and drop off my large fanny pack. It is still raining and cold and were here in Juneau until 8:30 pm. I'm going to go walk around in a bit and find some free wifi spots. Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the Iditarod, is speaking here on the ship later and I may go see her.

Tomorrow is Skagway. I received notice that my Glacier Safari tomorrow at 7:20 am was cancelled so they re-booked me for the 1:20. At least I'll get to sleep in a bit.

Time to go find some Juneau souvenirs.

Yesterday afternoon I took a nice long nap and then went down to International Cafe to grab a little something for dinner. Horizon Court didn't have much for me so I had another Waldorf Chicken Salad and Caprece panini. I met up with my fellow cruisers Deborah, Rich and Laurie and we hung out there for a while.

Skagway

I woke up this morning and found we had already docked in Skagway. Since my tour had changed from 7:20 to 1:20 I took my time getting dressed and went up to breakfast. Since most of the boat was out on excursions, I decided to do a load of laundry. I was the first one in there and figured out how to us the machines and then proceeded to teach all the other passengers that came in. Since I had an abundance of Tide Pods and quarters, I was able to sell my remaining quantities and even make a buck or two. Who knew?

I walked into town in the pouring rain to get a souvenir t-shirt from Skagway and wandered back. When it came time to my tour, I headed back to the dock and waited for the guide. We were taken down to the dock and got on a boat. The seas were very rough and I was afraid I would get sick because I didn't take any Bonine today since it was making me so sleepy. I was okay. We made it to Glacier Point and got on a bus to a remote area. They gave us sandwiches and then we put on boots and rain gear and hiked down to the canoes. From here on it was absolutely fantastic. We canoed up to Davidson Glacier and little did I know, we actually got to walk on the glacier. It was incredible. Parts of the glacier were floating in the lake. I got some nice pictures. We came back to the beach and got on the boat. Going back was much smoother. The the captain stopped the boat and we had a pod of Dall's porpoises swimming and jumping around the boat. There was a point where the salt water and fresh water met and put a line in the water. The porpoises stopped like they hit a wall and went back to the salt water. We just stayed there for a while and watched them swim and jump around us. We could't have ended the day any better. The guide on the boat said this was the first time this season they have seen them. Because we stopped, we were the last 21 people to get on the boat before it left. I was bummed because I wasn't able to meet up with my fellow ship mates in the specialty restaurant but I had a feeling I was going to be late so I told them not to wait for me.

Tomorrow we arrive in Glacier Bay. I hope we get to see some orcas.

Last night I had a wonderful dinner with David and Jacki in Sabatini's. All the food was wonderful.

I woke up at 4:30 but not by choice. The ship was rocking really bad. We heard there was going to be 12' swells but this was ridiculous. I immediately took a Bonine.

Today is basically a sea day as we don't reach College Fjord until 5pm.

The seas have continued to be very rough. You can't even look outside your window. All I wanted to eat for breakfast this morning was toast and corn flakes. I picked up a green apple because I heard it helps with sea sickness should I get it.

I did another small load of laundry along with everyone else and watched an episode of The Love Boat. The funny thing about watching these episodes is that I still remember them as if I just watched them and some of them are almost 30 years old.

Tonight we have to have our bags outside our room before we go to bed. I'm basically already packed. I had to make sure everything I bought would fit in my suitcase. I also have to decide what I'm going to put in my carryon since I don't see my suitcase again until I get to The McKinley Lodge and were not allowed to bring too much on the train.

It's kind of sad that after tomorrow that I will no longer be on the ship. I will also not have as much food around me because starting tomorrow I have to pay for everything. I'm glad I decided to do the cruisetour after the ship otherwise this trip would be over too soon. I have to be in the dining room by 6am tomorrow, and then we climb onto the train.

My minutes are winding down so I will posting again tomorrow once I reach the lodge and I have free internet.

Glacier Bay

I set the alarm to wake up at 5am this morning because they say the best time to see wildlife on the way to Glacier Bay is very early in the morning. I went up had some breakfast and as I was heading to my seat, some people by the window spotted some whales. I missed them. I quietly ate my breakfast and headed down to the International Cafe for my morning coffee and headed back to my room. I was soo cold walking on the deck to the Horizon Court that I decided to bundle up some more. The new lined jacket I bought was perfect. As I was in my room glancing out the balcony window, out of no where 3 Orcas surfaced. I grabbed my camera but unfortunately they were too far away to get a good shot. I grabbed the binoculars and just stood out there and waited. Then more came up. I could hear the other people on their balconies making comments too.

The rangers were brought on board the ship around 6am and we should be in Glacier Bay by 9am. It is very foggy out so I hope we get to see the Glaciers and here's hoping for a calving, otherwise known as "white thunder".

Well, we didn't get to see any calving but I couldn't believe how the sun came out yet again and it was beautiful in Glacier Bay. There wasn't any wildlife except birds and the orcas on the way into the bay. Right now we're sailing out of Glacier Bay and I saw another whale. No sea lions, seals or otters.

Tonight I was invited to join my British friends in Sabatini's since I missed out last night.

Tomorrow is College Fjord then it's off at Whittier and on to Denali.

I am due to be onboard in 2 weeks for the final alaska voyage of the year and have been watching the bridge cam for like the last month or so. Weather has been steadly getting worse, I just hope it holds up for a couple more weeks. Anyways, I just wanted to know if you could give a run down of what's playing on MUTS right now? Are they reshowing them during the day or in your stateroom in case it's too cold to be outside? Anyplace that's a must do, or a dinner entre that is a must have?

Did you get to see and hear Libby speak? She is a good friend, and a great speaker....and a wonderful person...Something you should not miss when you are in Juneau.

Whittier

This morning I woke up at 4:30 am. Both the alarm on the iPad and wake up call both worked. We had arrived in Whittier at 12:30am. One of the bright orange lights on the dock shone right into my cabin. Once I had gathered everything up, I headed to International Cafe for a muffin and coffee and then headed to Bordeaux Dining room to wait to disembark to the train.

I headed to car 2, table 18 and made myself comfortable for the next 5-1/2 hours. Weather hasn't been too nice. Rain is falling. I'm hoping things clear up as we continue north.

The train ride was a nice 5-1/2 hours. Once a couple moved out it was just myself and one other lady from Calgary. The wife asked the other lady if she would mind moving so she could sit next to her husband. Well that meant giving up the window seat. We both said no. They should have got there earlier like we did.

On the way up we saw Beluga whales hunting salmon. Other than that no other wildlife.

Here at the lodge, a mother black bear and her 2 twin cubs have been spotted walking around the grounds. The lodge is made up buildings that have two stories and rooms inside. I'm pretty far from the main lodge and that is the only place where they have free internet.

I go horseback riding at 5pm for a couple of hours, have dinner with the girls and then head to bed. I have to have my suitcase outside my room by 7:30 tomorrow morning and catch the bus to the Denali lodge at 9am. For tonight, I have put my name on the call list for the Northern Lights should they appear. The chance of seeing them or Mt. McKinley here is slim to none as it's very cloudy and raining off and on. Right now it's 54 degrees. I hear at home it is extremely hot. Not looking forward to going home to that this weekend.

More tomorrow from Denali then on to Fairbanks.

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I am due to be onboard in 2 weeks for the final alaska voyage of the year and have been watching the bridge cam for like the last month or so. Weather has been steadly getting worse, I just hope it holds up for a couple more weeks. Anyways, I just wanted to know if you could give a run down of what's playing on MUTS right now? Are they reshowing them during the day or in your stateroom in case it's too cold to be outside? Anyplace that's a must do, or a dinner entre that is a must have?

I will answer some of these for you. For MUTS, it was Devil Wears Prada, Obilivion. No, they do not repeat them on the TV in your room. There they were showing, Parental Guidance, Guilt Trip, some kids recent animation films and the recent Gerard Butler movie about a Dad as a soccer coach. Sorry, don't remember the name. They show them during the day and at night but because it was raining or too cold at night I don't think there was anyone out there.

I only had dinner in the dining room twice; once on the first formal night and again last night. Otherwise I had dinner in Sabatini's one night or up in Horizon Court. I'm a solo and did a lot of excursions, so I was either tired or didn't feel like getting dressed up to eat in the dining room.

Juneau, I would recommend the Harv and Marv whale watching as that is who I used. Others used the the excursion through the ship and said it was just as good.

For Skagway, I did the Glacier Point Wilderness Experience through the ship and it was incredible.

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Did you get to see and hear Libby speak? She is a good friend, and a great speaker....and a wonderful person...Something you should not miss when you are in Juneau.

No I didn't hear her speak when she was on the ship. I had been on an excursion and went back to my cabin to take a nap. They did replay her presentation the next day on the TV but I was out again.

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Congrats on the recovery! And Happy Birthday, of course! And great trip report so far, I'm looking forward to your photos when you have time and the inclination to post.

Was your kayak shore excursion through Princess or an independent company? The reason I ask is I keep a word document with ideas for future trips, and that sounds like it was fantastic (as well as the Harv and Marv whale watching and the Princess glacier excursion)

Juneau, I would recommend the Harv and Marv whale watching as that is who I used. Others used the the excursion through the ship and said it was just as good.

 

H&M usually limit the number of passengers on their boats to six. Thus everybody gets to see everything.

Hard to believe that a ship's excursion has that few people on it.

H&M usually limit the number of passengers on their boats to six. Thus everybody gets to see everything.

 

Hard to believe that a ship's excursion has that few people on it.

H&M's boat that I was on actually had 12 people on it. It's a fairly new boat that was captained by Shawn.

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