Review and Journal: Sapphire Northbound Voyage of the Glaciers 8/10/2013

[JimmyVWine]

Gotta go back!!

 

I feel the same way, in reverse. I'd love to go back in May and see it all cloaked in a blanket of snow.

[oncruisecontrol]

Your photos are amazing.

[Simply Sam]

My husband has been after me to consider an Alaskan cruise....your wonderful account and pictures has be convinced we should put it on our wish list! Thank you so much for taking the time to share!

[Cruisedreamer1]

Did you investigate whether or not there are non Princess shuttles from Seattle to Vancouver? If so, cost?

 

Which car rental agency did you use? I imagine you reserved it on line?

 

You used mileage for part of your fares, but with the hotel costs, food and car rental fees might it have been less expensive to fly into Vancouver directly id one does not have mileage to use?

 

Did you feel it was worth hauling your own wine and paying the $15 corkage instead of purchasing wine on board. My husband and I go round and round on this matter.

 

Thanks for the review so far.

[JimmyVWine]

See below

Did you investigate whether or not there are non Princess shuttles from Seattle to Vancouver? If so, cost? I did investigate, and there is an independent company. But with three people, a one day car rental was always going to be cheaper and afford the freedom that we wanted to go grocery shopping and visit with our friends whom we were meeting in Vancouver.

 

Which car rental agency did you use? I imagine you reserved it on line? We reserved on line with National. They have a downtown Vancouver office in the Sandman Hotel so we were able to return the car without ever having to go to the Vancouver airport.

 

You used mileage for part of your fares, but with the hotel costs, food and car rental fees might it have been less expensive to fly into Vancouver directly id one does not have mileage to use? There was no way to make flights work to Vancouver using miles, so if we had flown to Vancouver, it would have been three fares. Flying to Seattle allowed me to get two free tickets and only pay for one fare. I used "points plus cash" for the night in Seattle, so that only cost me $40. The car was $52 plus half a tank of gas. The hotel in Vancouver was free using points. So my total "extra" expenses by flying to Seattle was around $125. Paying for two more airfares to Vancouver would have cost 10x that.

 

Did you feel it was worth hauling your own wine and paying the $15 corkage instead of purchasing wine on board. My husband and I go round and round on this matter.All of the wine that we brought was from our wine cellar, so to us, it was "free", having been paid for years ago. The retail value of the bottles we brought (in today's dollars, meaning the cost to replace or buy them today) ranged from $100-$500. So had we not brought wine from home and tried to buy similar bottles in Seattle or Vancouver, first of all, we wouldn't have found aged wines like we brought. We would have been able to find the most recent vintages of other, perhaps similar wines. But it would have been tough shopping for these quality of wines, and even if we were successful, the total cost would have run in the thousands of dollars. The other options would have been to buy lesser, less expensive wines that would have been of the most recent vintage, or buy wines on board. Unfortunately, the ship is more or less constrained to carry recent vintages of mass-produced wines. That really isn't what we enjoy drinking on vacation. And while there are some pretty nice wines on board, seven bottles of wine from their list that would have most closely approximated what we brought would have cost well over $1000.

 

While our cellar is not completely stocked with wines the likes of which we brought with us, we do have a fair number of wines that we save for "special occasions". For us, a cruise is such a special occasion. So I don't mind the effort at all. I have an 8 bottle "WineCruzer" that holds the bottles safely and securely and we take it along on most of our vacations. It is now as common for us as taking our clothes.

 

Thanks for the review so far.

Edited September 15, 2013 by JimmyVWine

[jsfromsc]

Your pictures are breathtaking! Thank you so much for sharing. I'm considering an Alaskan cruise and checking all the lines. Thanks for providing so much information.

[AryMay]

First, let’s address the age old question. “Where should I go to best enjoy Glacier Bay?” Well, in some respects, this question ties directly in to the other age old question: “Which side of the ship should I book?” Up until now, I have been giving a running commentary explaining which side saw what, and, in my opinion, which side was superior. And I will again. And pardon me if this is controversial and starts a flame war. But port blew starboard out of the water here. And irrespective if you take a Northbound or Southbound cruise, there is only one way in to Glacier Bay and one way out. So as long as you arrive in the morning, it is no contest. Port was far, far superior. (Even our Naturalist, Sandra, had said this in her lecture way back on our Channel Day. She advised everyone to get to the port side as we got to Glacier Bay.)

 

I have read and then re-read your review! Thanks so much for the great narrative and absolutely spectacular photos!

 

As much as I have enjoyed the review, it has made me start worrying and obsessing about just booking a starboard balcony for a Northbound cruise on the Coral next summer. In fact we booked sooner than we had planned just because I didn't want to take a chance of not getting a starboard cabin!

 

Every point you made about being on the port side has made sense...and when I started doing Google searches...I am getting the same opinions from many others. I understand that being out on an open deck is best...no argument there. BUT...I totally relate to your wife and daughter and realize that at 6:00 am I am not going to want to be ready and out of the cabin to fight for a spot at the railing on Glacier Bay day. Also knowing that the narration from the naturalist will be matching up with the port side view makes it even more attractive to have a cabin on that side of the ship.

 

I also started thinking about sunrises and sunsets. When we are going, the sunrise is around 4 am...no way do I plan to get up for that. But on the other hand...sunsets will be around 9:30 to 10:00 depending on where we are and it would be so lovely to sit on our deck and enjoy.

 

We are traveling with another couple so I am hoping that we will be able to get the divider opened on the balcony to make a larger space. I am from Minnesota so can tolerate cold...but not wet. Having a covered balcony is something that I won't compromise on.

 

So...a decision must be made. I feel like I am being so anal about this whole thing when it may really not make that much of a difference...but I am the cruise planner of the bunch and want to choose wisely. Until I find some definitive reason to stay in a starboard cabin...I'm pretty sure I will be looking to switch.

Edited September 17, 2013 by AryMay

[JimmyVWine]

I have read and then re-read your review! Thanks so much for the great narrative and absolutely spectacular photos!

 

Thanks for that! :)

 

So...a decision must be made. I feel like I am being so anal about this whole thing when it may really not make that much of a difference...but I am the cruise planner of the bunch and want to choose wisely. Until I find some definitive reason to stay in a starboard cabin...I'm pretty sure I will be looking to switch.

 

I wouldn't concede the point just yet. Remember that my summaries were based in large part due to where Sapphire was going to tie up. For whatever reason, the berths used by Sapphire were very predictable, as was the direction the ship would be facing when it tied up. For example, in Skagway, I was pretty sure that Sapphire was going to front in to the Railroad Dock. And it did. The result was a far superior view (and the evening sun) on the port side. As I sit here right now, I couldn't tell you if the Coral will berth in the same spot, or in the same direction. Perhaps others can clue you in. If you look at my photo of the three other ships in port on our Ketchikan day, you will see that Coral actually tied up stern-to-stern with us, meaning that their starboard side had the same view as our port side. So any perceived benefit that the port side on Saphire had would have been shared by the starboard side of the Coral. So if the ship's alignment while in port is a consideration, keep in mind that the Coral may not replicate what our itinerary brought us.

 

However, once under way, your voyage would mirror ours. There is no doubt that the sun will rise from the east, and on the east side of the Inside Passage there are hills and mountains which will cast the starboard side in shadows until the sun is high enough to illuminate the eastern shore. The west side of the Passage will get a morning glow of sun, as well as the sunset. There is no denying that. And at Glacier Bay, you will want to be on the port side from 6:00 a.m. until around 10:30 or so. But that can be done from either your own balcony, or up on deck. The former permits you to be a bit more leisurely with the start of your day, and ensures you a spot on the rail, or under the cover of your balcony (if you booked a covered balcony). Being up on deck requires a bit more motivation, and will expose you to the elements if your day is less than perfect. In the end, this is all like choosing an ice cream flavor. There is no "wrong".

[AryMay]

I wouldn't even try to choose between port or starboard based on where and how the ship is going to dock. I know this can change from week to week and mostly because I don't plan to be on the ship much on port days. So for me...not an issue.

 

The biggie for me is Glacier Bay...and it sounds like port is the way to go for that.

 

Let me ask you this...since the usual consensus is to choose a starboard cabin for a northbound Alaskan cruise...do YOU feel like there was anything you missed out on by being on the opposite side? Just trying to weigh the pros and cons...

 

And finally...do you think there is any advantage to doing a northbound cruise over a southbound...or vice versa? I went back and forth trying to decide and finally chose north because I wanted to save the "best for last" rather than seeing Glacier Bay at the beginning of the week.

[JimmyVWine]

There were times when the starboard side seemed a bit more interesting, (like sailing out of Ketchikan in the afternoon). But all of these instances were when we were already out and about, and we enjoyed the view from the Promenade or Skywalkers. But for the most part, leaving docked time out of the equation, the port side won out. Especially in Glacier Bay.

 

As for choosing between NB and SB, we didn't overthink this one. I had originally thought that we would do a SB, starting with some independent land days in AK to kick off the trip. But our travel window was short and the prices of the SB trips never budged. The NB cruise was deeply discounted. We paid around $1400 per person for the first two passengers for our Mini-Suite. The fare for the SB cruises that departed around the same time were running around $2100 per person. So finances won out over any intangible that we could have considered. I think that NB cruises are less popular and thus cheaper. Also, airfare and our ability to use frequent flier miles was working out much better doing it the way we did. Now, having taken the trip, I do sort of like the crescendo effect of starting in Vancouver and building up the excitement of Skagway and then Glacier Bay. But I don't feel so strongly about that to make me pay over $1000 more for the trip.

[MVPinBoynton]

Jimmy,

Thank you for an absolutely wonderful and informative review with great photos. As a result of your review, I just changed my cabin to the port side. I will be on the upper deck taking thousands of pics during the cruise; but I want my wife to be able to thoroughly enjoy Glacier Bay from our balcony.

[Rtamminga]

Jimmy, we thank you so much for your review. My bother in law and I have just booked that cruise for next June for our families. I am in need of a new camera since my Nikon of old went Kaput! I'm reading reviews online, magazines and all over but your photos convinced two families to go on this cruise.

 

Will you please tell me what camera set up you're using?

Edited February 7, 2014 by Rtamminga

[JimmyVWine]

Jimmy, we thank you so much for your review. My bother in law and I have just booked that cruise for next June for our families. I am in need of a new camera since my Nikon of old went Kaput! I'm reading reviews online, magazines and all over but your photos convinced two families to go on this cruise.

 

Will you please tell me what camera set up you're using?

 

Sorry for not getting back to you on this. I was on a (non-cruise) vacation when you posted, and the question drifted off to Never Never Land before I got back. I posted the camera and lens information at post 47 of this thread. Canon T3i, a "consumer" 18-55 lens for some close in shots and a rented Canon "L" series 100-400 lens for the scenery shots. That's one of those beastly large white lenses that you see at sporting events and such. Heavy. But worth the expense (to rent). Can't convince my wife that I need to buy one.

[Colo Cruiser]

Sorry for not getting back to you on this. I was on a (non-cruise) vacation when you posted, and the question drifted off to Never Never Land before I got back. I posted the camera and lens information at post 47 of this thread. Canon T3i, a "consumer" 18-55 lens for some close in shots and a rented Canon "L" series 100-400 lens for the scenery shots. That's one of those beastly large white lenses that you see at sporting events and such. Heavy. But worth the expense (to rent). Can't convince my wife that I need to buy one.

 

Yes what a great lens! :D

[Bimmer09]

Jimmy I am glad this review popped up on page 1 yesterday. It has given me an excuse to revisit it. A great read with stunning photos is always welcome.

 

When is you next cruise?

 

Norris

norrisadair.blogspot.com

[JimmyVWine]

Jimmy I am glad this review popped up on page 1 yesterday. It has given me an excuse to revisit it. A great read with stunning photos is always welcome.

 

When is you next cruise?

 

Norris

norrisadair.blogspot.com

 

Still working on that. My daughter really wants to do a Greece/Turkey cruise (and so do I). I need to save up for that, and I am hoping to give her the cruise as a high school graduation present which would be the Summer of 2016. Based on last year's and this year's offerings, I was thinking that we would have to choose a different cruise line. The sailings in and out of Barcelona are of no interest to us. Those itineraries spend half of their time in France and Italy, which we have already done. But I see that a few of the 2015 itineraries are back to the good old days of Venice to Athens or Istanbul. So if 2016 has those cruises in the summer, we will try for that. The 2015 sialings (limited as they are) sold out of Mini Suites in a day or so, so I need to mark my calendar for next March to see if I can grab one. But it will be at "rack rate", which requires some advance saving. In the meantime, I keep my eyes open for Last Minute sales out of FLL. I would have done one leaving on 4/12 or 4/13 to the Caribbean, but we made prior plans to visit friends in Vermont and I didn't want to cancel on them. There are 80 gallons of maple sap waiting for us and we will be doing a boil to make syrup. An annual tradition.

Edited April 11, 2014 by JimmyVWine

[MGnut]

Jimmy I am glad this review popped up on page 1 yesterday. It has given me an excuse to revisit it. A great read with stunning photos is always welcome.

 

When is you next cruise?

 

Norris

norrisadair.blogspot.com

 

JimmyVWine, I agree with Bimmer09 (another favorite reviewer of mine), this review popping up now is very timely. I think this is my third time reading it. It's the perfect review right now, since we will be doing a southbound (mind if I don't shorthand that?) on the Island next month after a 6-day cruisetour. We had to settle for a starboard balcony cabin, but we did get upgraded to a Caribe mini-suite :) when they couldn't give us a nice price reduction (new bookings only :().

 

We can only hope that our weather turns out to be a great as yours.

 

Thanks, again, for your wonderful review and photos.

 

Howard

[Working 2 Cruise]

JimmyVWine, I agree with Bimmer09 (another favorite reviewer of mine), this review popping up now is very timely. I think this is my third time reading it. It's the perfect review right now, since we will be doing a southbound (mind if I don't shorthand that?) on the Island next month after a 6-day cruisetour. We had to settle for a starboard balcony cabin, but we did get upgraded to a Caribe mini-suite :) when they couldn't give us a nice price reduction (new bookings only :().

 

We can only hope that our weather turns out to be a great as yours.

 

Thanks, again, for your wonderful review and photos.

 

Howard

 

I hope you realize there is no such thing as a Caribe mini-suite, just balconies... granted, the balcony is bigger but still is no minit-shirt... just a balcony cabin. Nice standard upgrade. Enjoy!

Edited April 12, 2014 by Working 2 Cruise

[MGnut]

I hope you realize there is no such thing as a Caribe mini-suite, just balconies... granted, the balcony is bigger but still is no minit-shirt... just a balcony cabin. Nice standard upgrade. Enjoy!

 

Hi Working 2 Cruise. On the Island Princess (and the Coral) there are lots of minisuites on the Caribe deck - forward and aft. Check out cabin C219 on the deck plans. These two ships are considerably different from the Grand-class ships.

 

Howard

[Bimmer09]

Hi Working 2 Cruise. On the Island Princess (and the Coral) there are lots of minisuites on the Caribe deck - forward and aft. Check out cabin C219 on the deck plans. These two ships are considerably different from the Grand-class ships.

 

Howard

 

My first Princess cruise was on the Coral in a mini- Caribe 210. Since then it has been Caribe aft suites and in 5 cruises I have yet to stay on another deck.

 

Great balconies on those Caribe minis!

 

Norris

norrisadair.blogspot.com

[MGnut]

My first Princess cruise was on the Coral in a mini- Caribe 210. Since then it has been Caribe aft suites and in 5 cruises I have yet to stay on another deck.

 

Great balconies on those Caribe minis!

 

Norris

norrisadair.blogspot.com

 

I'm looking forward to it! Almost as much as I look forward to your "live"s and your blog! :D

 

Howard

[MilliesMom]

Enjoyed your review .... loved the photos.

[JimmyVWine]

Enjoyed your review .... loved the photos.

Thanks for the kind words. Hopefully this will prove to be useful to others who are planning cruises to Alaska.

[Bimmer09]

Thanks for the kind words. Hopefully this will prove to be useful to others who are planning cruises to Alaska.

 

Jimmy I am glad to see your review pop back onto page 1 again. Now I can go back and read it again. It's a great read and the photos are top-notch.

 

Norris

[MilliesMom]

Thanks for the kind words. Hopefully this will prove to be useful to others who are planning cruises to Alaska.

 

We've been to Alaska 3 times before and have thousands of photos we have taken too. HOWEVER, I still love going through reviews of others to see the photos they have taken and also to hear what they have done on their cruise. I seem to always be in "research" mode and enjoying every minute of it.

 

My Alaska review on the Grand Princess unfortunately lost all of its posted photos as they were stored on a website that no longer exists. While the details of what we did are there to share with others, the photos are missing. Makes me a it sad ... but luckily I still have our photos stored here on the computer.