Blue Card Aboard Pacific Princess-Alaska

[SteelMagnolia9]

Here's my mini-review of my Alaska land tour/cruise:

 

About Me: Middle-age female traveling with middle-age female friend. This was my first time to Alaska and my first time on a Princess ship.

 

Arrival Date: July 1, 2015 at 10:30 p.m. in Anchorage and was met by the Princess representative at baggage claim. We were transferred to the Hotel Captain Cook via coach and were presented with a welcome packet and our room keys by another Princess representative. Excited to be in Alaska!

 

July 2nd: We had booked an extra night at the Hotel Captain Cook to sightsee in Anchorage for a full day. My restaurant recommendations in Anchorage: Breakfast - The Red Chair Café, 337 E. 4th Avenue and Dinner - The Rustic Goat, 2800 Turnagain Street (transportation to the restaurant required as not close to hotel and reservations are recommended to avoid a long wait).

 

July 3rd-6th: We were booked on the DIY tour. We spent one night at Mt. McKinley Lodge and two nights at the Denali lodge. Magnificent lodges! The food prices at the lodges were reasonable and the food was good. We went on the Sun Dog Kennel excursion in Talkeetna which also included an independent dinner or lunch at a local restaurant (entrée and beverage). We also went on the Tundra Wilderness Tour, an 8 hour excursion into Denali National Park. Both excursions were enjoyable and I would recommend them.

 

July 6th - 13th: Aboard the Pacific Princess!

 

Embarkation was brief and efficient. Our coach arrived from Denali around 4:00 p.m.and the boarding process took approximately 20 minutes as the only individuals boarding at that time were those of us on the tour.

 

The ship was lovely and when I stepped on board, I knew I was going to feel 'at home' on this ship.

 

Cabin: We were in 7007. It is a Premium Oceanview stateroom. It had two twin beds, a very large porthole window that allowed in alot of natural light, a small refrigerator and adequate storage. There was also a sitting area with a sofa, table and desk. We were very comfortable for the week and it fit our budget. Our cabin steward was excellent.

 

Dining: There is one dining room and traditional seating due to the small size of the ship. Seatings were at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. We had reserved the first seating and were at a table for 6. The food and service in the main dining room were excellent and we did not dine at either of the two specialty restaurants.

 

Entertainment: The nightly entertainment was in the Cabaret Lounge. The entertainment was good. I went every evening except the first one. There were a few production shows, a comedian, instrumentalist and a comedian/juggler. There was also a musician/singer, "Yukon Jerry", who performed in some smaller venues on the ship and was popular with the passengers. There was a Klondike Party and a 50's-60's party in the Pacific Lounge on Deck 10 during the week which were lots of fun.

 

Enrichment: The naturalist on board was outstanding. His commentary made the difference between just watching the scenery going by and really understanding Alaska. Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the Iditarod, came aboard in Juneau and Jeff Schultz, the official Iditarod photographer, also gave a presentation. The National Park Service was with us throughout Glacier Bay National Park.

 

Ports/Excursions: Skagway - White Pass & Yukon Railroad Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier, Salmon Hatchery and Salmon Bake

Ketchikan - Totem Bight State Park and Lumberjack Show

 

I really enjoyed my excursions in port. There was plenty of time to explore each port. I had wanted to visit the state capitol, but it was closed to the public due to renovations. The Alaska State Museum is also closed until May 2016 and I wasn't able to see it.

 

Disembarkation: We were provided colored and numbered tags to attach to our luggage. We were assigned to the Cabaret Lounge and the cruise staff called our color and number and we left the ship.

 

July 13th-14th - We had a post-cruise package for Vancouver and Victoria for 2 nights, with an included tour to Victoria on the 14th. We stayed at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver. The tour went to Butchart Gardens and then there was free time in Victoria from 3:45 p.m.-5:30 p.m. We made a reservation for high tea at The Empress in Victoria at 4:00 p.m. and had plenty of time for tea. The coach dropped us off right in front of The Empress and picked us up across the street.

 

July 15th - Homeward bound!

 

Final Thoughts: I had a five star experience on my trip. Alaska - wow! This trip was all about the destination and I soaked up as much as I could! The service provided by Princess staff both on my land portions and cruise was outstanding. I came home with wonderful memories.

[shredie]

Alaska and the Pacific Princess. A winning combination. Glad you had a good time!

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for your review. :)

[SteelMagnolia9]

I received a thank you email from Princess this morning for sailing with the cruise line. They offered up to $60 OBC if I booked another cruise within 90 days and sailed by December 31, 2016.

 

I'll likely not be booking another cruise within the next 90 days, but I thought it was a nice touch as the other cruise lines I've sailed with have not sent me any incentive post-cruise.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Thanks for the review, and glad that you enjoyed both Alaska and Princess!

[DougH]

Glad you had a great time. I was aboard for the first couple of cruises this year and we had perfect weather. I just love the smaller ships. Is Sammi back as cruise director? I love her and her assistant Jason is also very nice.

[paul929207]

Thanks for the comments.