North to Alaska with Crown Princess

This review is dedicated to "Flying Cruiser" whose lengthy review of his Norwegian cruise to Alaska provided us with a lot of useful information during the planning stages of this holiday.

It is fairly lengthy, too long to fit into the "reviews" section, so I will post it in instalments here and, hopefully, add a few pictures if I can figure out how to do that.

So, as Alice said, "let's start at the beginning."

We are a recently retired Western Australian couple and this was our first experience of cruising, also our first visit to the U.S. and Canada. The flight is a lllooonnnggg one - 8 hours from Perth to Hong Kong then 13 hours across the Pacific. Top marks to Cathay Pacific. This is one fine airline and the cabin crew looked as sharp and attentive at the finish as they did at the start. Lord only knows how they do it.

We flew into Los Angeles then on to Las Vegas and spent a week there with a side-trip to the Grand Canyon which gave us time to get over the jet-lag well ahead of our cruise. We then made our way to Vancouver the day before sailing.

Friday 13: Boarding and Sailaway.

The cruise ship terminal is fairly close to Times Square Hotel where we stayed so we packed our bags and I headed downstairs to check out and organise a taxi. Luckily, reception knew the drill for boarding cruise ships better than we did and advised us to go earlier than the 12 noon boarding time listed on our itinerary. This was very sound advice as boarding 3,500 people was an efficient but lengthy procedure.

We arrived at the terminal at 10AM or so and joined the line but within half an hour there were a couple of hundred people behind us as the coaches started arriving. There were a couple of dozen staff checking paperwork and issuing boarding passes and cards and the line moved quickly. Our heavy bags were taken away for delivery to our cabins after boarding (and screening, probably) and our carry-on bags and passports were inspected by stern-faced U.S. border control officials. Geez, I wish these guys would be a little less uptight.

We had to be identified by camera first, them thumbprints and handprints were taken by pressing our hands onto a scanner. After that we were shepherded through a maze which led to a gangway and finally, onto the ship. We later learned that it had taken some later arrivals three hours to get on board so we raised a glass to our hotel staff for the tip-off.

By this time it was mid-day so we found the upper deck buffet and had lunch. There was a long line but it moved quickly and there was a great selection of hot and cold food to choose from. Memo to self: watch the waistline. After lunch we explored the boat and found our life jackets and muster station ready for the compulsory lifeboat drill which finally got underway at 4.30pm. This is something the cruise line takes very seriously and there was another drill the next day for those who missed the first. I guess if things do go pear-shaped it is good to know that everyone knows where to go and what to do.

Sailaway at around 6.30pm was so smooth we did not realise the ship was underway until we looked out the window and saw that we were moving. We stood out on our balcony and watched as the Princess glided out under the Lionsgate bridge leaving Vancouver behind. We were a bit late leaving so once clear of the harbour the Captain put the hammer down and we picked up speed to make up time.

After finishing our unpacking and sorting ourselves out we put on some decent rags and had dinner in the Michelangelo dining room. This is a quite fancy place and the food is superb even if the serves are a bit small. We enjoyed a glass of Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc which, surprise, came from new Zealand. There was a show we wanted to catch at the theatre so we skipped sweets and headed forward. The show was a lively song and dance affair called "Motortown" with a couple of very talented singers and some lively dance moves. The theatre is quite large but with good sight lines from practically all the seats and the sound is clear without being overly loud.

After the show we headed to the Horizon Court buffet for sweets then turned in.

Our balcony cabin was clean and well appointed with a comfortable Queen bed, fridge, writing desk and a T.V. mounted over the fridge. The desk also had a 'phone and plenty of power points for charging gadgets. The balcony was great. Accessed via French doors it had a table and two chairs and, being on deck 12, it was not overlooked by other balconies.

The bathroom was compact and functional with a useful selection of soaps, shampoos etc and the usual linen. Special note about the toilet - when flushed it sounded like a jet aircraft revving up - a bit startling the first time.

The bathroom is separated from the living area by a full-width wardrobe with a long shelf above for suitcases and life jackets, a hanging rail and, at one end, a cupboard with multiple shelves and an electronic safe.

Special mention to our steward, Ismael, a young Filipino. He was the perfect "invisible" helper keeping everything clean and tidy without being intrusive. When we discovered a tear in one of our suitcases he quickly hunted up a cardboard carton so I could make a temporary repair.

Pictures below:

Rosemary and I dressed up or dinner

The Atrium on the Princess

Sailing past Lionsgate Bridge with Stanley Park of the port side.

Enjoying your review!

By this time it was mid-day so we found the upper deck buffet and had lunch. There was a long line but it moved quickly and there was a great selection of hot and cold food to choose from.

Helpful handy hint: when you board before 1:30, go to the MDR for lunch (open from 12:00 - 1:30). Not as crowded. Less to choose from...for protecting that waistline.

We just got back from a B2B on the Ruby also in Alaska, but round trip out of Seattle. I'm enjoying your review. :) Our next cruise leaves out of Vancouver. How much was the taxi ride to the pier? I understand they have set rates. :rolleyes:

I was on the Crown out of Seattle??? :confused: Oh, I see this cruise was in May. Did it reposition down to Seattle?

We just got back from a B2B on the Ruby also in Alaska, but round trip out of Seattle. I'm enjoying your review. :) Our next cruise leaves out of Vancouver. How much was the taxi ride to the pier? I understand they have set rates. :rolleyes:

I can't remember the exact price but I think it was around $CAD25 including a tip. Times square is in Robson street only one block back from the water and near Stanley Park so an energetic person could walk it easily if he/she wasn't carrying suitcases.

The taxis have to approach the cruise ship terminal from a particular direction so the route is a bit round and about and with the queue inside the terminal it takes longer than you would expect.

Murphy - yes, I think this cruise picked up passengers from both Seattle and Vancouver for this cruise.

Nice following your review.

I was on the Crown out of Seattle??? :confused: Oh, I see this cruise was in May. Did it reposition down to Seattle?

I had the same confusion :D especially because I sailed on the Crown out of Seattle on Saturday the 13th...of August!

Saturday 14 May. Sea Day and Formal Night

I woke early (as usual) and popped out onto our balcony to see what the new day offered. There was a translucent blanket of fog hiding the shore and I could only just make out the wing of the ship’s bridge as she groped slowly forward relying on the electronic “eyes” of her radar. The sea was mirror-calm and the wake raised only tiny ripples but despite our slow speed there was a real icy bite in the air and I quickly headed inside for some clothes.

We had breakfast at the Horizon Court on the upper deck and by the time we got there seats, especially window seats, were at a premium. The buffet offered a great selection of Asian and Western hot and cold food plus the usual offerings of orange juice, yogurt etc but here we hit our first gripe:

Coffee!!

I don’t know what the black stuff in those fancy brass taps was but it was like nothing I associate with coffee beans. Even a hot water tap and a jar of instant coffee would have been better than this slop. Fortunately we had bought a premium coffee card and handed this to a passing steward to get something drinkable. This card and a free one we were given with it became our caffeine lifeline on board. This was the only area where the catering let us down but it is a biggie and for what a cruise costs and given the high standard of everything else on board it is hard to understand why it is so.

The highlight today was a lecture by Michael Modzelewski, a Canadian naturalist, author and keen environmentalist. His topic was a year he spent living alone on an island in the inside passage. He was one of the most engaging and charismatic speakers I have had the pleasure of listening to and after the show I bought one of his books. I also picked his brain about our proposed drive along the Yukon Highway to Emerald Lake. He gave a second lecture that afternoon on the subject of wild animals with an emphasis on the dos and don’ts of dealing with bears. Apparently, singing to them sometimes works.

If you do this cruise and Michael is on board as a speaker do not miss him.

This lecture was followed by a video “Heart of Alaska” produced by Princess’ video team which was more of a travel promo than a documentary and not really that interesting.

After that it was time to dress up for the first of two formal nights in the dining room. We don’t mind getting all dressed up for a night out but because of weight considerations had to pack light which ruled out a formal suit for me. I wore a semi-formal blue blazer with button-up shirt and tie and navy pants and black shoes. Rosemary wore a floral patterned evening dress and some bling and we headed out. Dressing was a bit slow because of the sideshow staged outside by a pod of dolphins and a lone orca. There were also sea otters and, possibly a whale but it is hard to identify these creatures at a distance if you are not familiar with them.

The “formal” clothing on display in the Michelangelo Dining Room covered the full spectrum from high formal to borderline scruffy. Generally, the ladies outdid the men, some even having their hair elaborately done and almost all wore something you would class as formal. The men’s attire ranged from Tuxes, compete with bow tie, through to jeans and polo shirts. I was wearing the only tie at our table but, you know what? It didn’t in any way detract from our enjoyment of the meal as we shared a table with a friendly and engaging group of Canadians and Americans. There was a lot of lively discussion on the relative dangers of U.S. and Canadian bears and Australia’s famous hoop snakes and drop bears. I have included a photo of the dining room but not of our dinners as I am not a millennial and hate waving cameras and 'phones around at the table.

I had smoked a duck breast entrée, beef medallions for mains and a sinful chocolate confection for dessert. Rosemary had soup, chicken breast and a superb crème brulee. There was free champagne and I followed that up with a local cider but it was 500mls instead of the 375mm we get back home. Oops :o Michelangelo became our go-to dining room for the rest of our trip as the food and service were right up there with Perth’s best restaurants.

 

Coffee!!

 

I don’t know what the black stuff in those fancy brass taps was Coffee syrup...DH thinks it tastes like Taster's Choice.

 

 

There was free champagne

FREE champagne??? 18 cruises, never seen it in the MDR. Or did you mean out at the atrium for the "party"?

First formal night, I'm sure he meant the Champagne Waterfall.

Thanks for the review!

First formal night, I'm sure he meant the Champagne Waterfall.

 

Thanks for the review!

Nope, we each had one free glass of bubbles at the formal dinner. There was a champagne waterfall in the atrium, possibly the same day, but we didn't go to that.

Wonderful review of your cruise on the Crown!

I have marked this to follow up on. We are going on the Crown on Oct. 5th to Hawaii so I will be interested to read what a new cruiser sees. :)

Please continue...

 

Nope, we each had one free glass of bubbles at the formal dinner. There was a champagne waterfall in the atrium, possibly the same day, but we didn't go to that.

Cool! That's a first!

Wonderful review of your cruise on the Crown!

 

I have marked this to follow up on. We are going on the Crown on Oct. 5th to Hawaii so I will be interested to read what a new cruiser sees. :)

 

Please continue...

Teresa, we were just off the Crown and you will have much the same staff/crew. You are in for a real treat!!!!

So they are now giving free champagne at dinner?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

So they are now giving free champagne at dinner?

The OP said there was a champagne waterfall at the atrium at that time.

Probably, the MDR waiters were kind enough to serve them glasses being distributed at the atrium.

Just a guess though.

Enjoying your review. Lots more to read; so keep it coming

O.K, moving on.......

Sunday 15th Glacier Bay:

We woke to a glassy sea broken only by the ripples of the ship’s wake at low speed and headed out onto the balcony. We were in the strait leading to Glacier Bay with snow-capped mountains which seemed close enough to touch on either side. Remember, we are from Western Australia where sunstroke is more common than frostbite so this was a real novelty for us.

The sky was clear and the air had that icy bite which was becoming familiar. We also witnessed a strange phenomenon which Michael Modzelewski had mentioned the previous day – the air is so clear that judging distances is tricky and faraway objects seem closer than they really are. Were those whale tails orcas fairly close in or humpbacks at a greater distance? The shape and lack of any white markings said humpback but the size said they must have been at least a couple of miles away.

We headed to the Horizon Court and found a window seat for breakfast, not wanting to miss anything. Afterwards we sat out on our balcony with binoculars and cameras at the ready. We saw several sea otters and sea lions as well as some whales and a variety of birds. A local Park Ranger gave a lecture in the theatre about the history and geology of the area then we returned to viewing the magnificent scenery and looking for wildlife.

By 9.30 we were in Glacier Bay itself and put on our beanies, rain pants and jackets over pullovers and headed for the top decks to take it all in. With all that ice around the wind had a real edge but on the pool deck sheltered from the wind people were lounging in shorts with a few even swimming. Quite bizarre.

A tip for anyone considering this trip - buy, beg or steal a pair of nylon rain pants. They are not particularly elegant but they keep the wind out like nothing else and we wore them a lot on this trip.

The Marjorie and Stanley glaciers were stunning. Wide, icy rivers broken up into crazy jagged icy towers called seracs.

My camera worked overtime as the ship spun in a slow circle to give everyone a good look. The upper decks had high railings and it was sometimes hard to get a clear shot but everyone was quite considerate about sharing the good spots.

For this part of the trip the ship was just crawling along at a walking pace so there was plenty of time for photography and, more importantly, for looking around. Photographs can show the scenery but this is only a small part of the experience and it is vital to just stand and look and lose yourself in the experience to fully appreciate it.

The sea was an icy blue-green dotted with floating chunks of ice ranging from ping-pong ball size up to car-sized and the sky was picture postcard blue with a few wisps of cirrus clouds adding interest. The temperature was around zero and the wind off the ice was cold, cold, cold but the air was clear and the weather could not have been better.

Finally, the ship completed her turn and we headed back up the aptly named Icy Strait towards Juneau.

Photos:

Panorama on approach

Snow-capped mountains

Marjorie glacier

The pool deck - it was less than zero where I was standing.

Icefall on Marjorie glacier

Sunday 15 May Juneau:

We entered the harbour at around 6pm and decided to have dinner in the Michelangelo dining room before going ashore. This was another great meal with fettuccini Alfredo for me while Rosemary chose the beef. We both had tiramisu for sweets and, like everything else; it was superb with a good strong coffee flavour with a dusting of slightly bitter chocolate powder on the top. I may have said it before but this dining room is superb - like eating out in a first-class restaurant back home. Dinners in this dining room were one of the highlights of the trip.

This far North it does not get too dark for photographs until nearly 9pm so after dinner we headed ashore for a quick look around the capital of Alaska. Most of the shops near the wharf are tourist traps offering expensive jewellery with Tanzanite prominently displayed everywhere. I had never heard of this stone but it was a very pretty dark blue and also very expensive. I suspect it could be bought a lot cheaper elsewhere. The sales people are very keen, almost to the point of being aggressive and as cruise ship patrons we were entitled to a free gift – a tiny semi-precious stone (woo hoo!!). The Russian shop nearby was more laid-back and had an eye-catching display of Russian art and craftwork at much more reasonable prices. According to the staff there Alaska was regularly visited by Russian sealers and traders in the early days and could easily have ended up as a Russian colony.

Photos:

Entering Juneau Harbour

Main Street on a rainy evening

The Russian Shop

The famous Fish Shack

Sunday 16 May Juneau Glacier Gardens and Meldenhall Glacier:

This was a big day with two tours so I will post it in two installments

Today was our first shore tour – the Glacier Gardens and Meldenhall Glacier bus tour. It didn’t start until 11AM which gave us another chance to explore the city centre.

First stop was the Red Dog Saloon which is set up like a traditional Wild Western saloon with the traditional sawdust on the floor and serving girls in old-style saloon-gal dresses. The walls are covered with a wildly broad collection of memorabilia from the saloon’s glory days as a waterhole for thirsty gold-miners and wannabe miners. There are antique firearms, including one allegedly checked in by Wyatt Earp and never reclaimed, bear and wolf traps, saws, axes – you name it. We had an orange juice (which was more ice than juice) and soaked up the atmosphere for a while and checked out the menu. The prices were quite reasonable so we made a mental note to return for lunch after our tour.

Glacier Gardens and Meldenhall Glacier Tour:

This was one of the tours we had pre-booked through Princess before departing.

It was a cold day with a fair bit of drizzle but the bus leaves from a more or less sheltered stop right near the pier and (surprise) there is a gift shop nearby. We had taken the precaution of wearing our rain pants and were very glad of them. They are not the most elegant garments but they are waterproof and, more importantly, windproof.

Our driver was a young looking and bubbly blonde girl called Brooke Hatch and once aboard the bus she launched into an informative and entertaining history of the town and a description of the sights we were about to see. Some of the stories stretched the boundaries of probability and may well have been folklore.

Glacier Gardens in about 45 minute’s drive from the town centre and would be best described as an arboretum containing a wide range of local trees, mosses, flowers and other greenery in as near to a natural setting as you could get. The circular walk took around half an hour then the owners gave us a rundown on the local First Nations culture and history while we enjoyed a snack of herbal tea and a large biscuit. My only gripe, a minor one, was that I would have liked a bit more time here.

Back on the bus it was another short ride to the glacier, arriving close to 1pm. Temperature was around 12C with a cold wind blowing off the glacier and low clouds partly hiding the mountains. Once again our rain pants proved their worth in keeping the wind out. The glacier is clearly visible from the carpark and a well signposted track leads to the glacier face and the spectacular Nugget Falls which tumble 377 feet down the mountainside.

We watched a short movie about the glacier in the visitor centre and browsed through their collection of photos and exhibits before heading for the falls. Fortunately, by this time the rain had stopped and the clouds had lifted. The track is about a mile long, well defined and easy travelling for wheelchairs, prams etc. It was spring and we were struck by the bright greenery of the spruce, alder and mosses which are like nothing like we are used to in Australia. The base of the falls is as close as you can get to the glacier face but it is clearly visible and easily photographed with only a modest zoom. There are other, longer hiking trails here but stepping onto the glacier itself is only allowed with a trained guide for obvious safety reasons.

After taking a few photos it was time to head back to the bus. Again, I would have liked to spend a bit more time here but an hour and a half allowed us to see enough and left time to explore Juneau a bit and visit the Mt Roberts Tramway.

Photos:

Rocking the sexy rain pants outside the Red Dog Salon

Pathway - Glacier Gardens

Meldenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls

Reflections in Meldenhall Glacier Lake

Meldenhall Glacier from the carpark.

I am very much enjoying your reports, Colin. Thank you.

Twice, now, you have reported seeing otters from the ship. I don't know if that is lucky or I have been unlucky, but I have never seen otters from the ship. I did see some on a "nature excursion" out of Sitka once.

I'm looking forward to reading more.

Yes, we were very lucky with our wildlife sightings. Most of the otters we saw were in Icy Strait leading to glacier bay and at first we thought they were seals as we had no idea how big sea otters are. It was only when I put the binoculars on one that I recognised it.

There was no way of getting any decent photos though - they were too far away for my camera's limited zoom.

Enjoying following your review. Thanks

Sunday 16 May Juneau - Mt Roberts Tramway:

We had planned to return to the Red Dog Saloon for lunch but when we arrived there at around 3.30pm the place was packed. Hardly surprising with three cruise ships in town. It was obvious service would be slow and we wanted to see the tramway so we hit the streets looking for something quicker. A charming little restaurant down a side street provided burgers and a good cup of coffee and, refuelled, we headed for the tramway.

A word to the wise on food: On our morning trip we were provided with a "snack" which was only a large biscuit ( O.K., a "cookie" if you must:rolleyes: ) so we were glad we had eaten a substantial breakfast before leaving the ship. If you are in the habit of "grazing" it would be a good idea to buy some nibbles ahead of an excursion. It is forbidden to take food ashore due to quarantine regulations but there are plenty of shops quite close to the pier.

On our walk along the main street we saw the "ladder" streets climbing up the hillside and it struck us that, for such a cold climate, most of the buildings seems rather flimsy with weatherboard the most common cladding. I would guess that transporting bricks in would be extremely expensive?

The tramway is a very efficient operation and we were glad of that as it was 4.30pm when we arrived with sailaway at 8pm. The cars carry around 20 people on each trip and ushers marshal passengers so that there is always just one carfull waiting on the boarding platform when the tram arrives. Those on board our car left from one side then our group boarded from the other and away we went. The trip up the hill is impressive and, thoughtfully, there is a gap between the windows so you can take photographs without the glass getting in the way. We saw a pair of bald eagles roosting in the top of a spruce tree halfway up and I took a picture but didn’t have quite enough zoom for a good one.

The visitor centre at the top is impressive and there are a few miles of walking trails to explore but, in a recurring theme on this stop, time limited us to only a short walk. Despite that, the scenery was impressive and with the visitor centre 1800ft above the town, quite different as this was a true subalpine zone. After our walk we saw a film about the Tlingit people who were the original native tribe then a local group “Alaskan String Band” performed for an hour or so. They are a family group and their music would best be described as “folk” with a few Tlingit numbers mixed in. They have a lot of videos on You-Tube if anyone cares to have listen. Abigail, the youngest daughter has the voice of an angel and a face to match.

By this time it was 7.pm and the rain was starting again so we headed back to the tram for the return journey. Fortunately the tramway is only a short walk from the cruise ship pier and after a quick tidy up in our cabin we headed to the Horizon Court Buffet for a late dinner. It does not get properly dark until 9pm this far North so we were able to find a window seat and watch the ship leave the harbour from the dining room.

Photos:

Stairway street

Mt Roberts Tramway

Princess from the tram

Harbour from the tram (no wonder the Red Dog was full!)

Harbour on the way down