Pearl to Alaska review

[jamminlion]

After planning for a year, it's hard to believe that it's all over and we've been home a few days. We had a great, great time. So, here goes:

 

 

We arrived into Seattle on Saturday 6/9. We used a car service to the hotel - Springhill Suites on Yale Ave. Service was fabulous, and we had a quick check in. Then we were off in the hotel shuttle to the Westlake Center, then a short walk to Pike Place Market. We tired ourselves out, and headed back to the hotel. Quick snack and we were in bed 'early'. As our bodies were 2 hours ahead, and we'd been up since about 3 a.m. our time, we were beat.

 

Embarkation:

Sunday we used the same car service to the pier. We arrived about 11:25. We waited in a moderate line for about 15 minutes to get through security, and then we were off to check in. The Latitudes check in line had 1 other family in it, then it was our turn. Check in was quick, key cards issued, and we then waited less than 5 minutes for our boarding group to be called. Got our pics taken and then we were on the gangway. (*note - do not wear a green shirt on embarkation day. My husband did, and when the photos were printed, his shirt appeared to be part of the green screen, so the ship's image was printed across his body).

 

Our Cabin:

We had a mini suite (cat. MB) on deck 11. We found the storage ample and the cabin quite comfortable. Unless the sofa bed was open - then the little coffee table got in the way, but we managed. It was all about picking up after ourselves and things going in their place instead of strew about. I did find that a couple of the draws no longer had the track rails on them, so they didn't open or close very easily, and the closet door had a broken hinge, so it banged around a little when it was open. Overall it was quite a nice cabin. And our room steweard was fabulous. We didn't ask for much, but what we did ask for we got within a couple of hours. He even left towel animals for us each night.

 

We did have problems with having NO hotwater on 4 mornings though. Each time, we called the reception desk who sent maintenance, a plumber, and engineer, and it became very frustrating. Especially on the mornings we wanted an early start, we were delayed not being able to have a shower until the water situation was fixed for the day. The second day, we went to the reception desk to talk about it, got an apology and reassurance the problem was repaired. For our trouble, they sent us chocolate covered strawberries. The third day - I was very upset. It was Glacier Bay and I wanted an early start, to get a good seat in the Spinnaker. I was slightly delayed, but managed to get a seat, so I put the water problem aside and enjoyed my day. On Friday, we had our 4th day of no hot water for showering. After the plumber came again, and said he had to go 2 decks down to fix something did we have hot water. i was so upset about it that before we went ashore, I contacted Prem, the hotel director via his "Dear Prem" box at reception. I wanted to issue repaired once and for all. When we arrived back onboard that afternoon, there was a note in our cabin from Prem and the Service Manager Jocel, asking us to please contact the reception desk. So, down I went - and while I didn't get to speak with Prem or Jocel, I spoke with Jocel's assistant, Neda, in her office. She apologized profusely, explained that there had been a water supply issue in our cabin on the previous sailing, and that each time maintenance came, they were thinking it was a water supply issue, when it turned out to be a faucet issue. The faucet had been replaced, and there should be no further trouble with having hot water (which was true, we did not have any further issues). For our inconvenience, she gave us $200 OBC and dinner at any specialty restaurant we chose. I was floored! I thought they were very generous, and I never asked for anything other than for the issue to be repaired. We enjoyed a dinner at Cagney's (they threw in a bottle of wine as well) that night. I thought they did a great job with their customer service - and having the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation went a long way in helping me feel better about the whole situation.

 

Food:

It was average I'd say. We ate in Garden Cafe alot - for several reasons. It was right upstairs. It was food my girls would eat - I swear they ate 200 pounds of fresh fruit each, and it was food we didn't have to wait for. Plus, the views were nice, too! We also enjoyed Summer Palace, Indigo, and Blue Lagoon. Oh, and Cagney's which was divine. The one night we ate in Indigo, service was very slow, incredibly slow, and my 7 year old asked why the staff was chasing each other around....it appeared that several of them were flirting with each other - it looked like a Saturday night at the mall in there.

 

The Ship:

Pearl is beautiful, and she is well laid out. We enjoyed her very much. She is showing signs of age though - but I understand that she is due for refurbishment this year, right? We found the curvy blue/green couches in the Spinnaker to be quite comfortable. Especially with the beautiful scenery.

 

We had a rather bumpy ride from Ketchikan to Victoria. High winds, and 12+ ft. seas. The Captain made an annoucement that one of the engines was having a problem, and we would be delayed getting into Victoria because of it. I don't know the nature of the issue, and perhaps he had just slowed down a little because of the seas. I passed Bonine around to my family, and we were fine, but we did notice seasickness bags strategically placed throughout the ship - notably in the public restrooms and neat the elevators. Hopefully not alot of people were sick.

 

next up: ports.

[jamminlion]

Ports:

 

Juneau:

 

We booked privately through Orca Enterprises to go whale watching. We had a fabulous time. Capt. Larry and his crew are a true class act. We found a whale in one area, then moved to another and saw a second. We saw both of them repeatedly, and got some incredible shots of them. We also went to one of the buoys and saw the sea lions lounding on them, and others playing in the water. The boat was comfortable, not over crowded in the least, and everyone had access to windows or outside. There is a top observation deck that they limit to 12 people at a time. They also offer everyone a snack of cheese and/or peanut butter and crackers, some smoked salmon, and drinks (tea, hot chocolate, capri suns). If you want soda, bring you own. It was a great trip. When we got back into town, the driver, Brent, offered to drop us anywhere from the Red Dog Saloon to the pier. We got off at the Red Dog. In honor of Capt. Phil Harris from Deadliest Catch, I had a Duck Fart in the Red Dog. (Kahlua, Baileys and Crown Royal - in a shot. YUM!). We finished up our evening shipping and had dinner on the ship. Was a very exciting day to see the whales so up close. Capt. Larry said he never ever gets tired of seeing them. He is very knowledgeable about the waters there, and where whales tend to be. They also used their cell phones to contact other tour companies to share information about where the whales were. Yet the water was not overcrowded at all with boats watching the same whale at the same time.

 

Skagway:

This is my favorite of all the towns on the Alaska itineraries. I love the small town! We were off relatively early, walked into town, and hit up the local shops for some shopping. We headed back to the ship with our purchases, grabbed some lunch in the Garden Cafe, and back off to our privately booked Chilkoot Charters tour - White Pass to the summit, and bus back down. Our driver was Mike, and he was just great! He grew up in Skagway, and knows all the ins and outs. We had a quick, impromptu tour of town (our group was only 10 people), and then headed to the train. Boarded, and enjoyed our trip up to the summit. The vistas are more beautiful than I remember from 10 years ago. The trek of the gold prospectors is amazing to me. Once we got to Fraser, we cleared customs, and were off to the bus to head back down. Mike told us stories, and gave us an insiders guide to the area. We were thrilled that there was still a good amount of snow remaining. It probably won't last long, but we were happy to see it. Mike was very accommodating in making stops along the way, and taking pictures for each family. We hit the Welcome to Alaska sign, and bridal veil falls, and on the way down, there was a black bear along the side of the road feasting on dandelions. Mike pulled up right beside the bear, and we watched it from about 10-15 feet away for 5-7 minutes. Then other tours came along, and we shared the wildlife with them. It was the highlight of our trip to see a bear that closely for that long. There was a lady who pulled up behind us, and got out of her car to take pics of this bear - like 25 feet away. We thought for sure she was going to be bear's lunch, but he was happy with his dandelions thankfully. Once back near town, we went to the overlook for some pics, and then back into town. We had an additional behind the scenes, residential tour of Skagway, and Mike gave us some insight on life there. Gas was $4.85/gallon. Milk: $6.50. What appeared to be a run down apartment building charged $1200 a month for rent, with minimum 1 year leases. Most of the tour companies buy houses and let their seasonal employees live there for a discounted rate, or for free. Otherwise, there are 8 or 10 people sharing a small house through the summer. A shack goes for about $200,000 to buy. The high price of living in Skagway! Mike dropped us off at the Skagway Brewing Company (though offered to take everyone back as far as the pier). We had a bite to eat, and some local root beer, and I had another Duck Fart. Phil was right - they are delicious! We finished our shopping and bid Skagway farewell. I love that little town.

 

Glacier Bay:

There are few words to desribe the beauty. Despite the lack of hot water, I managed to get to the Spinnaker about 7 a.m., and still managed a decent seat with a great view. There was a family that appeared to have slept in the blue/green couches at the front of the lounge because they had bed pillows and duvets there. And they stayed there until we exited Glacier Bay. Anyway, the Rangers boarded, and were a wealth of information. The bring aboard with them some books and things that you can buy, along with a stamp for your National Parks Passport. They gave periodic commentary about what we were seeing, and once announced a bear on the starboard side of the ship. Since we had seen a bear up close the day before, we didn't run to the other side of the ship like everyone else did. No sooner did everyone go to try to see the bear, than Margerie Glacier calved. YEA! And then everyone ran back to see the calving. THEN the rangers announced that instead of a bear, it was 3 black wolves along the beach - so everyone ran back to the starboard side, and the glacier calved AGAIN! Those of us who stayed put got a good laugh out of that. The Glaciers are breathtaking, and were another big highlight of our trip.

 

There are some drink specials on Glacier Bay Day. You'll get a menu the evening before. You can have hot drinks brought to your cabin, just designate a time. You also get to keep the insulated mug. We didn't do it, but lots of people did.

 

Ketchikan:

 

I love Ketchikan, too. Docked along side us was the Aleutian Ballad that was previously a crab boat in the Bering Sea, but is now retrofitted to a tour boat and the home of the Deadlist Catch Crab Fishermans tour or whatever it's called. We didn't do that tour, but thought the boat looked pretty small to be crabbing on the Bering Sea! Anyway, we took the city bus to Saxman Native Village (red line, catch it right by the big Eagle Totem). Was $1 each (kids free) to get there, and $5 each to walk around the grounds. We very much enjoyed the totem poles, and even saw a couple of guys painting some. We were not permitted in the Clan House or the Carvers Shed, but we could hear the singing from outside the Clan House, and could watch the Master Carver working through the windows to the carving building. What an artform! We were there an hour, and headed back to town on the bus. We got off at Creek Street, walked around there, and town, and finished up our shopping and back on board. It was a great day in Ketchikan - NO RAIN! I will say that if you even think you will need something pharmacy related, just go ahead and bring it. My daughter got a stuffy/runny nose, and I paid $5 for Little Noses spray for her in Ketchikan. I saw (and took a picture of) a regular tube of Neosporin for $12.99 - yes! Do yourself a favor, and do a little first aid kit for yourself. You will not regret it. Bug spray on the ship was $10.99. Nail clippers were $1.99 - which I didn't think was marked up too badly.

 

Victoria:

We were slightly delayed (about 45 minutes) getting into Victoria. I heard that some excursions were cancelled, but not all. Not sure how many upset people there were about that. We didn't get off the ship. We chose instead to use the time to pack up, to enjoy the ship without the crowds, and have a quiet evening.

 

Next up: other tips

[jamminlion]

Other tips:

 

Dress up or Not night is Monday (sea day). We used the half price laundry pressing deal offered on the first night. Our clothes were returned just before dinner on Monday.

 

This was also the night of pictures in the Grand Atrium (though I believe there were pictures taken there every night), and pictures with the Captain.

 

The other laundry deal - fill the bag for $25 arrived on Tuesday, with a return time of Thursday evening (we actually got ours back Thursday mid afternoon). I managed to get alot in that bag - and had some room to spare. We had a small mix up - getting someone else's pants back, and one of my daughter's nightgowns missing, but a quick conversation with our room steward, and we got the night gown back by bed time. Was totally worth it.

 

Thanks to everyone here, I was able to impress a half dozen people who were lost by telling them that the fish on the carpet always swim forward. ha ha.

 

On embarkation day, we did the spa tour - which was actually a continuous sales pitch for various services - wraps, accupuncture, detox, etc. I found it tedious by the end, though you 'get a raffle ticket to try to win free services' - except you have to be present at 6:30 or whenever in order to win. We were not, as we got busy doing other things. No idea who won or what they won. I did have a massage - that was very nice. I did add the 'please no upsells' on my intake form. At the end, when I wouldn't commit to a second service, and I didn't increase the 18% auto tip, I got a big brush off by the therapist. My husband had a hot stone massage, and enjoyed that very much also.

 

Constant selling:

We did not play bingo. $39, $59 or $69 to play. That is robbery to me. We did play Deal or No Deal twice. My girls enjoyed that very much. We won an instant win strip - which yielded nothing, but was fun nonetheless. Much more reasonably priced at $19.95 for 2 games.

 

Always bar staff around to sell drinks. I had a Pina Colada that wasn't good at all. It was watery and not at all flavorful. If we politely said no, staff went on about their work. No pressure there.

 

Shops had constant 'sales' - though I didn't think the quality of the merchandise nor the cost warranted buying anything in the shops. Lots of people were though.

 

Disembarkation was easy! We chose 9:30 so we wouldn't have to get up super early, and could enjoy a bit of breakfast before leaving. There was a slight line to get through Customs, but it was mostly a Passport check and collect your form and you're through. We found our luggage in under 3 minutes, got a porter, and were on the curb in no time. Our car service arrived promptly, and then we were on our way to the hotel.

 

Overall, we had a fabulous trip - even despite the hot water issue in the cabin. We earned Silver Latitudes Rewards Status, so now I am itching to book another cruise to take advantage of those benefits, and then earn Gold. Ho hum.........we'll see.

[raylene5]

Thanks for the review! I've already paid for the White Pass summit train excursion through NCL but I'm thinking of switching to the Chilkoot train/bus tour. Having the more personal, informative, up-close experience on the way back on the bus sounds great! The problem is, I can't find their prices on their website anywhere. Do you know by chance? And does it include meals and if so, do you know what the vegetarian option is?

 

Also, what port had the best shopping, in your opinion? Looking for Alaskan-made gifts for our 4 young kids who will not be on the trip with us and some other family members.

 

Thanks for your help!

[Carolina Daisy]

We're going on the Pearl to Alaska in 7 weeks and it was great to read your review. It's sounds you had a wonderful time with your family. I do have one question - how many people were in your mini-suite? There's 4 of us and I'm trying to decide if I should upgrade from a family balcony to a mini-suite.

 

Thanks!

[Linda the Book Lover]

I loved your review, as it gave a "fixed the issue with a positive solution" and told some good short stories about the ports. Duck fart it is for me! Thanks for sharing.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for the review you posted. Glad you had a good time.

[jamminlion]

Thanks for the review! I've already paid for the White Pass summit train excursion through NCL but I'm thinking of switching to the Chilkoot train/bus tour. Having the more personal, informative, up-close experience on the way back on the bus sounds great! The problem is, I can't find their prices on their website anywhere. Do you know by chance? And does it include meals and if so, do you know what the vegetarian option is?

 

Also, what port had the best shopping, in your opinion? Looking for Alaskan-made gifts for our 4 young kids who will not be on the trip with us and some other family members.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

If you email them, they will give you a quote. We did the 3.5 hour tour to the summit and back. They did not have food available. There is water on the train. So, if you need a snack, bring one. They also offer much longer trips further into Yukon Territory. I believe lunch is included, but I am not 100% on that. I forgot to mention that a Passport was required for this excursion. Mike checked before we even got on the bus.

 

I will also add that we had previously done a similar trip through NCL and were stuck on a bus with 65 other people. This trip was far more enjoyable with only 10 of us.

 

As far as shopping, when you are in Seattle at the terminal, as you enter the line for security, there are coupon booklet you can pick up. They will give you an idea of some of the shopping. I will say that we had the most luck buying authentic Alaskan made items in Skagway. Many of the more mainstream or larger shops are actually owned and run by the cruiselines, that is why they are so heavily recommended if you go to the shopping presentations on board.

[jamminlion]

We're going on the Pearl to Alaska in 7 weeks and it was great to read your review. It's sounds you had a wonderful time with your family. I do have one question - how many people were in your mini-suite? There's 4 of us and I'm trying to decide if I should upgrade from a family balcony to a mini-suite.

 

Thanks!

 

We had our two girls with us, 7 and 5. They slept on the sofa bed. It worked out better for them to sleep widthwise for more room to roll around. One of them actually fell out of bed one night - though they are both used to sleeping alone in a double bed.

 

We had a balcony on the Star before, and this cabin definitely had a little more room than that one. Honestly though, we did not spend a lot of time in the cabin. Sleeping and getting ready for the day or for dinner mostly. Good luck with your decision!

[spacepotatoes]

Thanks for the review! I"m glad to hear you had such a good experience with Chilkoot Charters. We're booked with them next month.