Adventures in Alaska- Photo Review of a Northbound Cruise on the Coral - May 17

[sjmbruce]

Welcome home Michigan, great pictures :D

 

Hugh :cool:

 

Thanks! We were grateful to come home to 80 degree weather. A big change from a week of cruising in temperatures mostly in the 40's!

[Bizziecruzer]

Thanks so much for your review - it was excellent. We are on the Coral in May next year and are even more excited now having read your review.

[RNGALNG]

We took the tour to the Yukon as you did with your rental. We saw folks swimming at the railroad crossing! The tour was a fantastic day. Well worth it!!! Thanks of bringing the memories back! We are going again at the end of summer and don't know what tours we want to take yet! I'm reading everything I can on everyone who is going now to find out.

 

Thank you so much for your photos and review! I have enjoyed it all!

[Grammyluvs]

Alaska is my favorite place on the planet. We have done a cruise and land tour and also did a 61 day land tour in our RV. I read and watch everything I can get my hands on about Alaska. Thanks so much for your great review, it brings back so many memories. I am longing to get back there someday.

[sjmbruce]

Glacier Bay was our next "stop". A scenic cruising day that lasted into the afternoon granted us immense beauty outdoors and a second formal night on the Coral.

Glacier Bay day starts early in the morning. Getting up at dawn and going outside is an option and there are chances of wildlife sightings and of course scenery. In my opinion, unless you need to be outside every daylight hour, you can sleep in a bit. The glaciers are a little while later in the day.

There aren't many tips to be given or planning to be done for Glacier Bay. Get outside, move around the ship, bring your binoculars and a good lens for your camera.

Once the glaciers are in the wake and it is time to leave the bay, there are more opportunities for not glacier sightings but wildlife sightings. We saw whales off in the distance, but more closely spotted sea lions and a sea otter. I was really excited about the otter :D

Bottom line, the glaciers were amazing and beautiful and beyond words. Even the icebergs and ice chunks were gorgeous. I think I spent too much time looking at ice and eventually choose a favorite piece. Marjorie even calved for us. The cracking and popping sounded like fireworks, and the wake could be felt even on our large ship. Some pictures of the wonderful Glacier Bay:

[sjmbruce]

The largest calving we witnessed:

[sjmbruce]

On our way out:

Edited June 1, 2014 by sjmbruce

[sjmbruce]

Our day at glacier bay was gorgeous. Sunny skies all day and warmer temperatures. All of the ports were around 45 degrees or so, while glacier bay was in the 50's with nonstop sunshine. It was windy by the time we left, so my windbreaker really came in handy.

This was also the second formal night. I don't have any pictures at all from this night.... I think my index finger and camera were too worn out from all of the glacier pictures I took. We also went to the "welcome back" party as this was our second cruise. It was held in the Universe Lounge. We ordered our free drinks and enjoyed the short gathering. The most traveled passengers were there, a coupe that has cruised over 1,000 days with Princess. This was especially impressive considering they have only been cruising with this line since 2006. The husband gave a speech, with heartwarming memories and jokes about his first cruise ever being on the "ark princess" with some horrible, rainy weather. After the party, we kept our drinks and our seats and waited around for the comedian.

We ended the day in the indoor hot tub until we got kicked out at 10. I really wish they were open later, especially if they're being used. Tomorrow would be the first day we could sleep in, as we wouldn't be in college fjord until the afternoon.

Edited June 2, 2014 by sjmbruce

[JimmyVWine]

Thanks so much for the great review and photos. Brings back memories. I want to go baaaaaacccck!!!

[wilfros]

This is a wonderful review. Thanks so much for the photos.

 

I have always thought Alaska was too cold given the winters we are all experiencing but your review has me rethinking this whole thing. The scenery is outstanding.

[Tweedy]

Emerald Lake was our turn around point. I think the whole drive, including stops, took eight hours. I was so glad that the lake was no longer frozen. A picture I saw here on CC of the brilliant green was my inspiration to do a road trip through Alaska and Canada.

Up next, I'll share some additional pictures from our drive and then move on to our two scenic cruising days.

 

 

 

It just doesn't look real... nice capture!!

[DavyJoneses]

Great photos...thanks.

[RNGALNG]

This is a wonderful review. Thanks so much for the photos.

 

I have always thought Alaska was too cold given the winters we are all experiencing but your review has me rethinking this whole thing. The scenery is outstanding.

 

I hate cold and winter! But I am going back for a second look this summer. After some warm summer, having a week of fall type weather sounds good!

 

Come on in. . .the water is cold!

[sjmbruce]

Great photos...thanks.

 

thank you!

 

Thanks so much for the great review and photos. Brings back memories. I want to go baaaaaacccck!!!

 

thanks! I want to go back too.....this fall would be great :)

[sjmbruce]

This is a wonderful review. Thanks so much for the photos.

 

I have always thought Alaska was too cold given the winters we are all experiencing but your review has me rethinking this whole thing. The scenery is outstanding.

 

Thank you! I was worried about the cold too.... after a long, harsh winter I thought we were crazy to go to Alaska just as it started to warm up at home. The port days definitely weren't sunny and tshirt weather, but they weren't freezing or miserable either. The coldest I ever got was on our whale watch - but we were moving pretty fast and in open water. Our last two days on the Coral were warm and sunny - definitely tshirt weather. Anchorage was 60 degrees and sunny with a light wind. I was comfortable in a lightweight long sleeve zip up sweater. The scenery was just non stop beauty.

[sjmbruce]

It just doesn't look real... nice capture!!

 

Thanks! It didn't even register as real when we were there, and now that I look back on the pictures I can't believe just how gorgeous the colors are.

[sjmbruce]

College Fjord was a perfect day. We were able to sleep in and have a late breakfast. After eating at the HC, we changed into our swimsuits and went to the outdoor pool. It was sunny with a few wispy white clouds and zero wind. After my crazy husband jumped into the cold pool, we lounged in the outdoor hot tub. That is the life..... basking in the sunlight while sitting in a hot tub with the scenery of Alaska passing by. At some point that became too much heat, so we claimed two loungers right by the pool to sunbathe. We grabbed pizza from right behind us and some soft serve ice cream and spent the rest of the afternoon there. I actually got a slight sunburn. A sunburn in Alaska! We were barely able to peel ourselves off the loungers, but we did so in order to change for College Fjord.

Glacier bay was definitely more impressive, but the fjord was still pretty. Apparently the glaciers had been calving all day so there was a good amount of ice in the water that stopped us from getting to close to the glaciers.

[sjmbruce]

a few more of the fjord and its many glaciers:

[sjmbruce]

I just wanted to drop in and apologize for the gap in time - I haven't forgotten about this review! I'll finish up with Anchorage this weekend.

[RNGALNG]

I just wanted to drop in and apologize for the gap in time - I haven't forgotten about this review! I'll finish up with Anchorage this weekend.

 

Life happens. We know you wouldn't leave us hanging. Hope all is well. It gives us all something to look forward to this weekend! Take care!

[Working 2 Cruise]

This is fantastic, thank you! My husband hates the cold and hates the thought of going to Alaska, but we're definitely going next year!

[Mustangsally58]

Loving your posts and photos.

 

We are actually sailing on the Crown Princess on 30th August, but I imagine the ship isn't that different. I couldn't believe your photos of the ship ...... With no one in them. It looked deserted.

 

Can't wait until our trip. It's our first cruise to Alaska.

 

We have done 4 throughout south east Asia which of course is our closest neighbour from Perth.

 

Thanks once again.

 

Sally

[Baatman]

Wonderful photos...almost made me want to sail to Alaska....almost.:)

[Working 2 Cruise]

Loving your posts and photos.

 

We are actually sailing on the Crown Princess on 30th August, but I imagine the ship isn't that different. I couldn't believe your photos of the ship ...... With no one in them. It looked deserted.

 

Can't wait until our trip. It's our first cruise to Alaska.

 

We have done 4 throughout south east Asia which of course is our closest neighbour from Perth.

 

Thanks once again.

 

Sally

 

Actually, the Crown is a much bigger ship!

[trinaM]

I am sitting (well, lying) at the airport in Anchorage Alaska, exhausted after a seven day cruise on the Coral. I have around 1200 pictures!

 

 

My question is about the amount of your pictures. Do you have

1.lots and lots of memory cards

2.download your pictures on a computer during your cruise

or ??

3.Pay princess to put your pictures onto CDs?

 

How do you handle all of these?

thanks in advance.