Alaska Cruisetour Review 8/8 (Long)

[ROCruiser]

2100 Alaska Cruisetour Review—Diamond Princess Southbound

Our vacation started with a week visiting my sister in Seattle. After a week with her and her family we flew to Fairbanks via Anchorage. We took the UB5 12 Night Classic Alaska cruisetour with 5-day land tour before boarding the Diamond Princess. Princess representatives were waiting for us at the Fairbanks airport, took us to baggage claim, and guided us to the coach. Before getting on the coach, they handed us our first envelop with our room key, luggage tags, and itinerary for the next day. Everything was well-organized and self-explanatory. They gave us envelop at every stop with all the information we needed on a daily basis, like which coach/train to take, time to put baggage out, etc.

The coach stopped at Princess Lodge near the airport first and then to Bear Lodge at the other end of town where we were to stay for two nights. I don’t know whether we were the ‘overflow’ guests or because our whole tour group was placed there for convenient. I was actually looking forward to our stay there. I have checked out the Bear Lodge on line and liked what I saw. It’s part of the Wedgewood Resort which encompassed a huge campus. The room was very spacious with two queen beds, flat screen TV, a balcony, air-conditioning, coffee maker, and wi-fi access (need to get code from front desk). After cleaning up a bit we went downstairs to the restaurant for dinner. We knew that the prices for food would be more expensive in Alaska but our first dinner turned out to be quite OK for the price. After dinner we explored the grounds of the resort. It was too late to get into the Antique Auto Museum so we just went on the trail to Wander Lake. Visited the outdoor museum and had a very pleasant chat with the gentleman working there.

First Day--The coach took us first to the Alaska pipeline, then El Dorado Gold Mine, and the Sternwheeler River Boat ride. Enjoyed them all! It was raining on and off but we still had a great time. Panning gold was a lot of fun but the delicious free cookies and hot coffee/cocoa melted us on a cold wet day. I thought it was quite considerate of them to give each of us a poncho for the rain.

It was a little chaotic to get on the boat after a good beef stew lunch which was family style in a big dining hall at the landing. There were two boats so you really have to line-up at the right time and the right place. There were many different tour groups so it was very confusing with the different color boarding passes. It rained really hard in the beginning of the boat ride then it cleared up. We watched the float plane demonstration and the Susan Butcher’s Iditarod sled dog team on the boat. Then we got off and spent about an hour ashore at the Athabascan village where we experienced traditional Native lifestyles. We also helped ourselves to the free donuts and coffee while on the Discovery.

After we got back to the lodge, we took the free shuttle to Pioneer Park for the salmon bake. I really think that was a good deal for an all-you-can-eat meal of prime rib, grilled salmon, fried cod, salad, sides, and beverages. We thought the quality was very good. The park itself was quiet maybe because we were there kind of late. Too bad we didn’t have time to explore it more because we wanted to catch the shuttle back to the hotel. After we got back to the hotel, DS wanted to go back to Wander Lake and take more pictures, so DH went with him. I had to get our bags ready for the next day. I had to decide what to put in the “Meet me Tonight” bags, or the “See you Onboard” bag tonight.

On the second day, we took a short ride to the train depot in the morning. Our group was on the McKinley Explorer car, which was one car in front of the Princess’. All the seats faced forward instead of having a table in between so no one would have to sit backward. It was a wonderful train ride in the domed car with comfortable seats. Plug in your own headphones to listen to the music on board. Breakfast was served downstairs for those who wanted to be scheduled. For about $10 a decent breakfast was served. My only complain was that food was not hot enough for me. By the time we got to Denali Princess Lodge it was about 12:30. We quickly went across the street to the Subway, got ourselves some sandwiches and then caught the free shuttle to the Wilderness Access Center at Denali Park. We booked the park shuttle to Toklat which cost $24pp but we were charge $34 online with the park entrance fee. They had no problem to refund the $10 back to us once we showed them the Princess itinerary that we would be on the NHT the next day. Our green shuttle bus departed the WAC at 3:00pm and about 10 miles in we saw a bear! Then we saw dull sheep, a wolf, a lynx, a few caribou, a few moose, and then another bear. There were no TV monitors on the bus so you really have to look for wildlife. It was a long 6-hour ride with a couple of stops but very pleasant. We came back to the WAC around 9:15. The princess shuttles stopped services by 7:30 so we used the courtesy phone on the wall to called Salmon Bake to pick us up. They provide free shuttle services if you have dinner at their restaurant. Dinner was great at Salmon Bake. I had a huge cobb salad which was loaded with scallop, shrimp, crab meat, avocado, etc. etc. Our room at Denali Princess was on the second floor of a 500 building. More like a motel room and a bit outdated.

We started our third day with the all-you-can-eat breakfast at the dinner theater building. Good value for the money ($14pp), Alaska standard. We enjoyed the movies about Alaska while having breakfast there. We got to walk around the lodge a bit before getting on the NHT bus. The NHT was about 4-hour long and went about 18 miles into the park. It was shorter but still enjoyable. The tour started with a movie at the Wilderness Access Center. Our driver/guide was Jennifer who gave us a lot of information and insights about the park. We saw moose, caribou, and sheep. We also listened to a couple of presentations at the Savage Cabin and Primrose Ridge. After we got back from the NHT, we had pizza at the Lynx Creek right at the Princess Lodge. $9.95 special for a 12-inch pepperoni pizza, long wait because they made it fresh but delicious! After lunch we got on our coach for the 2-hour long ride to McKinley Princess Lodge. On the way the bus driver stopped for us to take pictures of Mt. McKinley which was in full view on a sunny day. We were very lucky to have two sunny days to see Mt. McKinley. I really liked the McKinley Princess Lodge with its beautifully landscaped grounds and bigger, newer rooms. We decided to stay, explore the grounds, and enjoy a relaxing afternoon there instead of going to Talkeenta. Wi-Fi was available at the main lodge and can be access even out on the deck if you have your own laptop. How cool is that to have Mt. McKinley right in front of you while surfing on the internet? Dinner was at the Bear Bar which served pub food and we enjoyed the same great view of the mountains as the more expensive restaurants.

We got up early on the fourth day. Put our bags outside our door before taking the first shuttle to Talkeetna at 7:30. I was surprised that the bus was full that early in the morning. I believe most people got up early for their excursions because the town was actually very quiet. We headed right to the Roadhouse for breakfast after we got off the bus. It was for the experience and well worth it. We ordered the half breakfasts and they were huge in size. After breakfast we walked to the riverbank and had the most spectacular views of the three rivers and the majestic Mt. McKinley. What a sight! After exploring the town we went back to Roadhouse and bought some pasties (hand-held pies with meat and vegetables inside) and clam chowder to-go for lunch. We took the shuttle back to the lodge and enjoyed our pasties on the deck of the main lodge. At around 2pm we got on the coach for the ride to Anchorage. The only stop that we had was the ice-cream shop where all the buses stopped. Long lines but they moved quickly. We had the Huckleberry ice cream in a waffle cone, yummy! At around 5pm we arrived at our hotel—Captain Cook Hotel in downtown Anchorage. We were on the 5th floor of building 2. It was a spacious modern room with free wi-fi and coffee maker. After a little walk to the river, which was 3 blocks away, dinner was at the Teriyaki Box across the street from Captain Cook. Food was OK and a little expensive for California standard. We walked a little around downtown until it started to rain and then headed back to the hotel for the night.

Day five--we took the coach to Whittier to be on the Diamond Princess. Our driver was a lot of fun. She is actually a school bus driver who was doing the tour buses during summer vacation. I found that the drivers on this trip were all good tour guides, not just bus drivers. They provided excellent information and personal stories along the way which made the trip much more interesting. The stop at the Wildlife Conservation Center was fun, especially if you did not see enough wildlife on the previous days. She also stopped at a place where we could see the salmon run. The scenery was amazing throughout the trip to Whittier. When we came out of the long tunnel the sight of the Diamond Princess was right in front of us. Checking in was painless except the line for security was a little long. Lunch was at Horizon Court because we were too late for lunch in the main dining room. The ship was unusually quiet because many people would be arriving late in the afternoon and evening on the trains. We spent the afternoon exploring the ship and then had an early dinner at the Pacific Moon. After dinner it was time for the muster drill. Our station was in Club Fusion. They kept telling us not to put the safety vest on until the demonstration is over but many people were not listening. It was a long assembly but at least we had the comfort of sitting down. Some people were so tired from traveling long distance that day that it was difficult for them to stay awake during the drill. For some reason, our ship was delayed in sailing out. We attended the Welcome Onboard show which was fun because of the guest comedian.

Diamond Princess:

We had an inside cabin on the Caribe deck this time because we realized that we would be spending much money on the land tour part. We were happy with the cabin. It was spacious enough for the three of us, especially with the separated closet space. Being in the inside cabin forced us to go out to other parts of the ship instead of just staying in. Our room steward was OK, cabin was cleaned on time and adequately. Ice bucket was filled everyday. Fresh fruits provided as requested. No towel animals but chocolate on the pillow every evening.

Diamond Princess is a beautiful ship with a lot of places to relax and enjoy. We liked being in the Skywalker which was usually quiet except everyday at around 4 or 5pm part of it was corded off for suite guests and VIP for their afternoon snacks. DS liked to be out and about, like the Conservatory, outside deck 7, and up the stairs to the bow for great photo opportunities.

We had meals 2 times at the Pacific Moon, twice at the Savoy, twice at Vivaldi and once at Santa Fe. If there is a wait at Pacific Moon, they will give you a pager, but not at Santa Fe. They will give you a time and you will have to go back at that certain time. Services varied even in the same restaurant. One night we had a great timely dinner at the Vivaldi and then another night at the same restaurant the service was very slow. I think dining early or late would avoid the wait. The two times that we had to wait for 30 minutes or more were around 7pm. Food was excellent. I didn’t have to use their always available menu and was happy with the daily choices. Horizon court was OK sometimes hard to find a table. We liked to be at the aft of Horizon Court where they use as Sterling Steakhouse in the evening. It’s quieter there.

We only attended a couple of shows—the welcome aboard show and the crew talent show. We also went to the guest comedian Gary Delena show at the Explorer Lounge. He was funny! I have to comment on the Interdenominational Sunday service which was lead by Romeo, the assistant cruise director. It was one of the best services that I had experienced on board a ship. It was well-organized and with substance.

Ports:

The first two days we cruised to Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay. We were not able to get close to Hubbard Glacier because of the weather and the icy condition. It was a little disappointing. The next day when we were in Glacier Bay we got right up close to Mergerie Glacier. It was beautiful!

On the 3rd day we visited Skagway. This was our second time to Skagway so we decided to just explore the town. We had the most amazing beer chili from the Skagway Brewery. The place was actually pretty crowded so we just ordered the chili to-go. The hot flavorful chili was great on a cold, wet day. After walking around town and a visit to the public library to use their wi-fi, we went back to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon we went on a hike up Dewey Lake. DH and I only went half way and DS went all the way up. He said it was beautiful up there but it wasn’t an easy hike.

Juneau—We had been here three times before. Originally we wanted to take the tram up Mt. Roberts but it was cloudy and rainy so we changed our minds. Instead we walked up the hill to visit the Orthodox church and also took a free guided tour of the state capital. Then we went to the library to use the wi-fi but it didn’t work on our laptops. We found the King Crab Shack that was recommended and shared a combination of crab legs, crab bisque, crab cakes, and a roll. It was delicious but expensive!

Ketchikan—We took the city blue bus to the Totem Bight Park north of the city in the morning. For $2 we got the all-day pass and it was a beautiful 30-minute ride. I like this park better than the Saxman village. They also have a Firearm Museum nearby and the park is free to visit. After spending an hour there we went back to the ship for lunch. Then we walked around town in the afternoon. We had a very nice sunny afternoon here but the whole town seemed to be very quiet. Business seemed to be very slow throughout.

Disembarkation was a little chaotic. First, our scheduled time was delayed for some reason. Then they called our color and number to disembark but when we went down they said they did not call our color. After we got off the ship everything was fine. Our transfer to the airport was included in the package so we didn’t have to pick up our luggage until we got to the airport.

All in all we had a great trip both on the land part and on the cruise. We had done the Alaska cruise 3 times before but this was our first cruise tour. I was amazed at how everything is organized and ran smoothly throughout the trip. Well done, Princess!

[WeBeGone]

Thank you for this well written and detailed review.

We love Alaska too and I always feel sorry for those that only see it from a cruise and never go overland.

[ROCruiser]

Part of the outdoor museum at Bear Lodge, Wedgewood Resort, Fairbanks, Alaska.

 

 

All-you-can-eat dinner at Pioneer Park, Fairbanks, Alaska. Grilled salmon, prime-rib, fried cod, salads, sides, desserts, and beverages.

 

 

Huge cobb salad at the Salmon Bake Restaurant (across from Princess Lodge) Denali, Alaska.

 

 

Pancake that's hanging over the plate, Roadhouse, Talkeetna, Alaska.

 

 

Beer chili from Skagway Brewery. You get 2 cups like this for a to-go order.

 

 

Thank you, WeBeGone, for the kind comment. We had such a memorable land tour that I am ready to go back again any moment.