Crown to Alaska 6/13-20, 3015

[Working 2 Cruise]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this!

[kayred]

Loving the review. Thank you!

[rpcv77]

Skagway- We arrive very early, perhaps 5:30am. Our balcony is shoreside and very close to the rocky hillside where various ship's crews have been painting the rocks to commemorate their arrival in Alaska. The earliest one, that I could read,,was dated 1929. These are the kind of things that fascinate me (much more so than shopping). We disembarked at 7:00 to meet our tour at 7:15. We did the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari. I booked directly with Skagway Shore Excursions, but it is the same tour that the ship offers. I had booked months in advance, so feel like I got a great price. We boarded a small boat and enjoyed a great 1 hour ride. Beautiful scenery, waterfalls everywhere and just as we approached the beach where we got out, there was a pod of orcas. There was a naturalist on board who was very knowledgeable and pointed out everything to us. Once off the boat we took an school bus over dirt roads to the area where we were outfitted with rubber boots and life jackets. There were warm jackets and rainwear if needed, as well as insect repellent. I should mention that from the time you leave the dock for the small boat trip, the only facilities are outhouses at the place you get your boots. From there it's about a 1/4 mile hike to the canoes on a clear but rocky path. Then we got in to the canoes, which also had motors. After some paddling, some motoring, we arrived at the glacier, beached the canoes and walked around. We crossed small streams created by glacial melt, checked out the rocks and just took in all of the great beauty. Each canoe had a guide (they live in a camp out there during the season). They were great and loved showing us around and were quite funny to boot. By the time we walked back to the canoes, the streams had changed course and we had a lot more water to wade through, but it made it even more fun. Paddled back to the base camp, got our shoes on and took the same bus back. Before boarding the boat, we had a picnic lunch in a nice meadow. The weather was perfect again and the setting was idyllic. Our canoe guide brought us some wild strawberries that were tiny but delicious. Another hour back to Skagway. This time the naturalist got us very close to a sea lion rookery. All together, the whole excursion was about 6.5 hours. Not super strenuous, but not for anyone with mobility issues or for those who can't bear the the thought of outhouses. We loved it and would recommend it to anyone who wants a nice outdoor experience. Back in Skagway, we waked into town. There is a shuttle, I believe, but it's a pleasant, easy walk and a good way to burn off the yummy Princess desserts. Lest you think I'm anti-shopping, I did buy a few things in town. Found good prices on Alaskan made ulu knives in a hardware store. Many of the cheaper ulus are made in China, so be sure to check and if you are flying home, pack them in your checked luggage. It sprinkled once or twice, but hardly enough to notice, Back to the ship for naps and relaxing on the balcony. We slept very well that night!

[krys091]

Love your review! We leave on 6/27 so excited!

[rpcv77]

Sorry for slacking off on the review. I worked a bit this week, celebrated older daughter's birthday and slipped back in to non-cruise mode.

 

Glacier Bay- We entered the area early in the morning. This is when I really appreciated our upgrade, as I threw a jacket over my pajamas to enjoy the scenery from my balcony. Eventually, got showered and dressed and went up on deck. I had to jockey a bit for space, but kept moving for good and varied views. The weather was mild, cool and sunny. Some people were bundled up as if the weather was sub-zero, but I had on a light shirt, lightweight fleece, wind proof shell (which I never zipped up) and a hat. I may have worn my gloves for a short time but they stayed, mostly in my pocket. Due to the clear, sunny weather, the glacier viewing was incredible, kind of like high def TV! Saw calving several times and was amazed by the thunderous sounds. Not many ice chunks floating in the water. I was hoping to see more, but Mother Nature has her own plans. The park ranger narration was good. All in all, a great day and very relaxing as well.

As I write this, I am saddened and shaken by the news of the float plane crash that took the lives of passengers from the Westerdam. These passengers would have started their cruise on the day we disembarked and the Westerdam uses Pier 91 as well. My dd and I made it a bit of a game to see who got to and departed each port first, as the Westerdam seemed to be playing tag with the Crown. May they rest in peace and condolences to their loved ones.

[RickEk]

We slept in a bit. Went to the IC for my breakfast sandwich and a tall latte which I enjoyed on my balcony. Cool and sunny weather, clear as a bell. I know some prefer to be closer to the coast to view scenery, but I am always awed and humbled by the vast open ocean. I attended a lecture by the naturalist, Michael Modzewleski. I appreciate his great knowledge of Alaska, but (no flaming, just my opinion) was turned off by him. He came across, to me, as a cross between a self realization guru and smarmy sideshow huckster. Probably has something to do with his late '70's style, but I just couldn't get into him. Again, I know he is loved by many, so please realize this is just my opinion.

 

I agree with you about Mr. Modzewleski... overly dramatic. Very knowledgeable, but wow, he makes melting ice seem like the second coming. :)

[rpcv77]

A tiny rant...

Not that this ruined my cruise in any way, but it was the first time I experienced this on a cruise; the selfie stick.

Ugh is all I can say. There were a few pax who were using these and it pretty much sends them into a universe where only they, or their party, exist. The problem, as I saw it, was that due to the length of the stick, there is an area in front, or back of the person , that takes up a lot of space and makes the user of such a stick oblivious to anyone else's need of space. There was one woman on my cruise who was using hers whenever I saw her, literally. On board, in the dining room, in port, she had the selfie stick raised in front of her, creating about an extra 2-3 feet of "personal space" just for her. I understand that these selfish sticks have been banned at Disney parks. Wish they'd be banned on ships too. Not the fault of the stick, I realize, just the fault of the user. Rant over, didn't ruin my cruise 😎

[Colo Cruiser]

Sounds like a great cruise and upgrade.

[Orangefan]

We are sailing on the Crown on July 4. One quick question, if you don't mind. I found an old Patter for Alaska on line and it said that there was no self serve laundry. It got me thinking that maybe they don't allow it in the coastal waters? Can you tell me if there is self serve laundry? Thanks

 

Karen

 

Karen- I was on the Crown May 30-June 6. I always do a laundry on the Princess ships and the Crown was no different. Not only do you have laundry machines, but 2 ironing boards and a tv. By the way it was a great trip. The naturalist lectures were great and helpful. We lucked out in the weather department. We had warm sunny days and only needed layers at Glacier Bay. But weather isn't predictable and I wanted to see Alaska and was prepared for if it rained a lot also. If you have binoculars bring them. The naturalist told us to look at the trees by the side(starboard) of the ship when docking in Juneau.( You are very close to the trees. Look for white golf balls in the trees. Except they aren't golf balls but are eagle heads. Sure enough when I used the binoculars , I saw 13 EAGLES. Then I got to see I few take off and fly away. At looked like a 7 foot wing span. Very exciting. In the Glacier Bay area, I kept on seeing with my binoculars what looked like a head and 2 feet sticking up in the water. I had an idea and it was confirmed when the naturalist said where to see the sea otter. I actually saw quite a few of them.

Enjoy the cruise !!!

Sali

[Colo Cruiser]

We are sailing on the Crown on July 4. One quick question, if you don't mind. I found an old Patter for Alaska on line and it said that there was no self serve laundry. It got me thinking that maybe they don't allow it in the coastal waters? Can you tell me if there is self serve laundry? Thanks

 

Karen

 

 

 

This is true, sometimes in Alaska they are closed.

[kclvt]

We are on Crown on July 12th. Awaiting the rest of your review. Thanks!

[rpcv77]

I have been quite a slacker, so will try to finish this review today!

Ketchikan- We planned no excursions here. This seemed like a small, walkable port and we are not given to filling every moment with organized activities. It was not cold, but overcast and a tiny bit drizzly (not even enough for my hood). Though we are not big shoppers, we always bring back little gifts for family. My dd bought an "Alaska" hoodie for herself. We also bought matching moose print pj's for my granddaughter and my older dd (her mom). More shot glasses for SIL and teriyaki salmon jerky for all. As mentioned, I bought two Ulu knife sets (bowl, knife, knife rest) in an Ace Hardware store in Skagway. They were Alaska made by the Ulu factory and the price was better than any tourist shop. Back to Ketchikan, I bough two sets of Russian made matroyshka dolls and a children's book called The Littlest Matroyshka. One doll set was for my granddaughter. The other, and the book, were for me. I am a teacher and the book will accompany the dolls, which I'll use to teach comparatives and superlatives. As with the Ulu's, lots of cheap ones from China are available, so make sure to check it's Russian made (if that's important to you). We checked out Creek St., salmon ladder (no salmon yet), some totem poles and then strolled back to the ship for a quiet lunch before departure. Oh, there is also a nice independent book store, Parnassus, if you are interested in books on Alaska. Great store with nice employees. After lunch, there was a sing along "Sound of Music" showing in the Princess theater. I went, but it was not well attended and no one sang! It was also freezing in there so I only made through to the wedding scene. Formal night that evening. The lobster was actually very good, moist and a decent size. The chocolate pistachio dome was incredible as were all the chocolate journeys desserts.

Dd and I had both been working very hard in the weeks leading up to the cruise. We lazed about the next day, packed and got ready for arrival in Victoria. We went to the MDR for an early dinner (it was open seating) and got off the ship shortly after it docked. It was sunny and very comfortable, temperature wise. We had pre-purchased tickets for the shuttle to downtown. It was $10. Round trip pp. Not any cheaper to purchase in advance, but we didn't have to wait in line to buy a ticket. We hopped on to the upper level of a double decker bus and the driver did a nice narration and dropped us off in front of the Empress Hotel (stunning). We walked around the inner harbor and Government Street. There was a small open air market at the harbor so we had some fun "window" shopping. Everything was beautifully landscaped and just watching boats in the harbor was lovely. Before we knew it, it was time to go back to the ship. I would have loved more time in Victoria. When we got back to the pier, it was dark and very windy, so a snack and hot tea from the IC hit the spot. We went back to our cabin, finished packing, set our bags out, and let out a sigh as the inevitable was upon us. Got up the next morning and had breakfast in one of the MDR's so as to avoid the mayhem in the buffet. Still,had some time before disembarkation, so hung around, caught up on emails etc. Disembarkation was fairly smooth, but it seemed we walked through half the ship before we actually exited. We stored our luggage at the pier ($6.00) and set off for the Pike's Place Market. More to come...

Edited June 28, 2015 by rpcv77
Errors

[rpcv77]

I hadn't been to Pike's Place Market for some 30 years. Let's just say I don't remember it being so crowded. It was wall to wall people, but still enjoyable. My dd and I love places like this so happily braved the crowds. We found a fish monger who was selling poke so we got some salmon and tuna poke. It was incredibly fresh and dressed with a perfectly spicy sesame oil dressing. We took it outside and ate near the water. It was the best poke I ever ate. We walked around a bit more and were highly amused by the long lines waiting to enter the original Starbucks. I love strong coffee, but couldn't see the appeal. We walked around a bit more and found a coffee shop and relaxed with dessert and coffee just as good as Starbucks. Took a cab back to Pier 91 to collect our luggage and then off to the airport. Flight home was on time and uneventful.

 

I forgot to mention that while on the ship, we tried Vines for the first time. I had a lovely Viognier. The sushi was quite mediocre. The fish was good but the rice was awful(I can make better sushi rice). Still, it was a nice before dinner venue. We loved the Crown as it was in great shape, had great service, good food and didn't seem horribly crowded as we had been told it would be. I wouldn't hesitate to sail her again or recommend her to others.

Edited July 3, 2015 by rpcv77
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[Colin B]

Just a question on the matter of swimming:

 

We have booked a cruise from Vancouver to Glacier Bay and back to Vancouver starting mid-May next year and were going to leave the bathers at home but now we are having second thoughts, especially if hot tubs are available.

 

I usually wear racing bathers ("budgie smugglers") as I hate board shorts with all that fabric wrapping itself around my shins when I am swimming. So, what is customary on board and would my budgie smugglers be out of place?

[rpcv77]

Just a question on the matter of swimming:

 

We have booked a cruise from Vancouver to Glacier Bay and back to Vancouver starting mid-May next year and were going to leave the bathers at home but now we are having second thoughts, especially if hot tubs are available.

 

I usually wear racing bathers ("budgie smugglers") as I hate board shorts with all that fabric wrapping itself around my shins when I am swimming. So, what is customary on board and would my budgie smugglers be out of place?

 

Colin,

Ah, what we, in the States, call a banana hammock. Overall, this is not a popular style of swim wear in the U.S., unless you are a competitive swimmer or have an exceptionally good body. That being said, if that is what you are comfortable wearing, wear it!

[Colin B]

[I][quote name='rpcv77']Colin,
Ah, what we, in the States, call a banana hammock. Overall, this is not a popular style of swim wear in the U.S., unless you are a competitive swimmer or have an exceptionally good body. That being said, if that is what you are comfortable wearing, wear it![/quote][/I]

Banana Hammock - love it - You Americans have a great way with words and thanks for the tip.

O.K. I will find something a bit more discreet as I don't to have to fight off all the wild ladies every time I hit the pool:D