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Anchorage to Seward transfers?


lem_100
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56 minutes ago, lem_100 said:

It seems SS are using multiple transport options as I had documentation through yesterday confirming our transfers by coach and saying to check in with the SS rep at the Anchorage hotel in the morning.  I’m sure it’ll all become clear once we get there.

 

Ah, good to know, lem_100. May I ask what hotel SS is using in Anchorage?

 

Just in case my arrangements don't pan out, I'd show up at the hotel as a back-up plan. (Can you tell I'm having trust issues with my new guy? There's nothing wrong with him ... we just haven't built that relationship yet, so I feel the need for back-up plans.)

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26 minutes ago, Unibok said:

May I ask what hotel SS is using in Anchorage?

 

We will be spending one night at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska, as a part of our Silversea program after our cruise and in going up to Denali.   This Captain Cook Hotel is fairly large (20-story, 546-room hotel) and is used by a number of cruise lines in Anchorage.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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2 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

 

We will be spending one night at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska, as a part of our Silversea program after our cruise and in going up to Denali.   This Captain Cook Hotel is fairly large (20-story, 546-room hotel) and is used by a number of cruise lines in Anchorage.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

 

Yes, it’s the Captain Cook Hotel.

 

Fully understand the need for a back-up plan, I’m a nervous wreck until I actually get on-board!

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1 hour ago, lem_100 said:

Fully understand the need for a back-up plan, I’m a nervous wreck until I actually get on-board!

 

Don't worry too, too much!!  It will all come together.  Both in Alaska and with the cruise lines operating there, they have done these "things", over-and-over, for many, many years.  Keep asking good questions!  Part of fun for me is research and planning ahead.  Great sharing on this thread. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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On 3/28/2019 at 9:27 PM, Unibok said:

Will do, worldtraveller99.

Looking forward to your posting details.

Taking Silversea pre cruise Denali tour & then Anchorage to Vancouver with different logistics.  Cruise boards Anchorage 15 August.  Reservations open up in 5 days.  Cruising with travel friends.  All vets of Silver Spirit pre stretch.  So many choices.

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As an update for our upcoming July 25 Silver Muse sailing from Vancouver to Steward/Anchorage, I have obtained some background information that might be of interest.  This is for our sailing and might or might not apply to other Muse sailings during this summer period.  

 

1. Our Cruise Director will be Jimmy Kovel.  We first met Jimmy early in his Silversea career in doing a July 2010, 15-day, Silver Cloud sailing up and down the Norway coast.  Jimmy was super excellent and has apparently done so well as he was promoted up, UP to be on the Muse.  Below are a couple visuals of Jimmy.  

 

2. Our seven-day cruise will NOT have a formal night.  From our perspective and given our busy, intense schedules both before and after this cruise, this makes our packing and logistics much easier.  

 

3. Our ship speaker for our seven-day cruise will be Dr. Edward Larson, a history and legal scholar.  He won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for History for his book “Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion.”   He gained his law degree from Harvard and his Ph.D. in history from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.  Originally from Ohio near where we live, he also has written books on George Washington,  "An Empire of Ice" and the Galapagos Islands.  He should be interesting and informative on a number of topics.   

 

Each cruise does tend to have a different speaker for each sailing, but there is a decent chance that Jimmy will be CD for many of these Alaska cruises and that formal nights will be on a limited basis on most of these shorter, seven-day Muse cruises.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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Below are a couple pictures of Jimmy Kovel from our 2010 sailing with him along with the Norway coast.  First shows him when we were above the Arctic Circle and it was taken near midnight during a period when the sun never went down.:

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1 hour ago, jpalbny said:

Nice to see Jimmy, but even nicer to see the ever-cheerful and lovely gentleman maitre d'hotel, Jorge. And he is Portuguese, so his name is pronounced differently. 

 

Jorge was totally awesome during our 2010 Silver Cloud sailing.  During a 15-day cruise on such a small ship, you get to know some key staff very well and he was so smooth, savvy and skilled.  Watching him work was a fun experience.  Plus, he was and is so nice and wise.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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Here are a couple more visuals of Jorge during our Norway cruise.  As I re-call Silversea does not do these types of big lunch buffets these days.  Health folks get concerned about such wide-open food spreads.  Right?  The second picture shows Jorge with our Executive Chef as we were sailing up, inside an amazing Norway fjord.:

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22 hours ago, philw1776 said:

Looking at excursions it seems that Ketchikan has all the best tours.  15 August Seward to Vancouver.   Hope we don't have a formal night either as pre cruise Denali will mean full suitcases.

 

YES, Ketchikan has a wide variety of options to consider.  Ketchikan will be our first Alaska port stop as we are heading up, UP north to Steward/Anchorage.  Plus, a wide range of ship and private options are available for what we will do at Juneau, Skagway and Sitka.  

 

We are planning to do the ship's Misty Fjords & Wilderness Explorer Cruise (KTN-S), 4.5 hours, 8 am-12:30 pm.  That will give us, hopefully, an initial, "up-close" sampling of wildlife, coastal life, etc.  For our long day in Juneau, we will do some morning exploring in and around Mendenhall Glacier, its nearby gardens, etc.  Maybe go up the Mt. Roberts Tramway.  Then at 3, we are booked for the Taku Lodge Feast & 5-Glacier Seaplane tour.  The President of www.wingsairways.com is from Central Ohio and we have a family/friend connection with her. Our close friends who were there three years ago totally loved that flight, etc.   At Skagway, we are planning to rent a car and go up into the Yukon Territory.  For Sitka, we have a private tour/boat lined up to see whales, sea otters, seals, sea lion, puffins and and hopefully many other sea birds.  

 

For those planning on being on the Silver Muse earlier, we look forward to your sharing of your activities and experiences in these areas of Alaska.  I plan on posting a live/blog with many visuals from our sailing in late July and early August. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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We will be sailing on the August 15 Alaska trip with Phil (hi, Phil!).  I have a question for TLC Ohio...How do you know who your lecturer and cruise director will be, and that there will be no formal night?  This is just our second Silversea cruise (and only our 3rd cruise in all), so I don't know how to find that information.

Dining/excursion/spa reservations just opened up last night.  

Thanks!

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2 hours ago, pasca said:

...and that there will be no formal night?

 

All 7-day Alaska voyages are formal night optional, meaning you will have a formal night, but are not required to dress accordingly in the normal formal venues.  Odd, yes, I know.

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On 4/14/2019 at 3:13 PM, TLCOhio said:

For Sitka, we have a private tour/boat lined up to see whales, sea otters, seals, sea lion, puffins and and hopefully many other sea birds.  

 

 

Glad to see you're going to get out onto beautiful Sitka Sound and the amazing wildlife there. Are you going with Captain Paul Davis of Gallant Adventures? Our day with him last June was the highlight of our entire Alaska trip. Have a great time!

 

 

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13 hours ago, pasca said:

We will be sailing on the August 15 Alaska trip with Phil (hi, Phil!).  I have a question for TLC Ohio...How do you know who your lecturer and cruise director will be, and that there will be no formal night?  This is just our second Silversea cruise (and only our 3rd cruise in all), so I don't know how to find that information.  Dining/excursion/spa reservations just opened up last night.  Thanks!

 

For the name of our lecturer, here is the email address for the Special Services folks at Silversea that I contacted: 

specialservices@silversea.com

 

I wrote them earlier this month about the need for making sure that I would have distilled water for my CPAP machine, plus an electric plug-in.  Also, wanted to know the know the name of our guest speaker for our July 25 Silver Muse cruise from Vancouver up to Alaska.  Wrote them in the morning and heard back promptly later in the afternoon.  Quick and responsive!!!  

 

Our skilled Travel Agent asked a contact at SS for the name of our Cruise Director on this sailing and if there would be a formal night on this seven-night cruise.  Not all requests for a certain, specific beers or liquors can be satisfied.  BUT, ask!!  If possible, Silversea has been good in trying to set-up for your requests, within reasonable potentials and possibilities. 

 

Appreciate from Stumblefoot saying: "All 7-day Alaska voyages are formal night optional, meaning you will have a formal night, but are not required to dress accordingly in the normal formal venues.  Odd, yes, I know."  This added background and perspective is very helpful.  For this likely "formal night optional", we should be in the La Terazza dining venue.  Will have a dark blue sport coat along, but not planning to bring a dark suit, tie, etc.  Good luck to pasca in making your reservations.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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8 hours ago, JohnGinPBG said:

Glad to see you're going to get out onto beautiful Sitka Sound and the amazing wildlife there. Are you going with Captain Paul Davis of Gallant Adventures? Our day with him last June was the highlight of our entire Alaska trip. Have a great time!

 

YES!!!   On Tuesday, July 30, at 9:30 am, we will be going out with Captain Paul Davis of Gallant Adventures for three hours exploring these nearby scenic areas, looking for wildlife, birds, nature, coastal sites, etc., etc.  Appreciate so much the various visuals and details from JohnGinPBG as to what you experienced during your excursion with Captain Paul.  Great sharing by JohnGinPBG.   Our excitement level is rising.  Higher and higher!!   We'll hope for good weather and positive luck to maximize our sights on that day near Sitka.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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34 minutes ago, TLCOhio said:

 

YES!!!   On Tuesday, July 30, at 9:30 am, we will be going out with Captain Paul Davis of Gallant Adventures for three hours exploring these nearby scenic areas, looking for wildlife, birds, nature, coastal sites, etc., etc.  

 

That's great, Terry! Paul is great and very knowledgable about the wildlife and geology of the area and, with his small boat, he can take you into areas where the big boats can't go (he took us into a small cave). I hope he takes you to St. Lazaria island - tons of birds and amazing scenery.

 

I'm sure you'll have a great time! I'll be with you vicariously.

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56 minutes ago, JohnGinPBG said:

That's great, Terry! Paul is great and very knowledgable about the wildlife and geology of the area and, with his small boat, he can take you into areas where the big boats can't go (he took us into a small cave). I hope he takes you to St. Lazaria island - tons of birds and amazing scenery.  I'm sure you'll have a great time! I'll be with you vicariously.

 

Agree 100% as to our hopes and plans to explore in and around Saint Lazaria Island.  As you properly note, being on a smaller boat allows more flexibility to get closer to the "action". But, much during our time in Alaska, will depend on the weather!!  We'll hope for the best.   In July 2010, when at the top of Norway and Europe above the Arctic Circle during a Silversea Silver Cloud trip as detailed/linked below, we did a similar type of smaller craft that went out to an incredible "bird island" that was such an amazing experience.  There, in Norway, we saw tens of thousands of puffins!!  Plus, so much more.  It was totally amazing!!!

 

My notes/summary

Saint Lazaria Island is a nesting bird colony located twenty miles west of Sitka and a part of Alaska’s Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Its direct exposure to the Pacific Ocean makes it ideal for birds to inhabit. Most likely the island is remnants of an old and eroded volcano.  This would make St. Lazaria an older volcanic cousin to the adjacent Mount Edgecumbe (3,201 feet in height) on Kruzof Island.
Saint Lazaria itself is low with broken terrain due to its volcanic origins. Its highest point is 160 feet above sea level. There are many cliffs that can get up to 90 feet tall and shoot strait into the ocean as well as sea-level caves that can be explored on a calm day by thrill-seeking individuals in small craft.  Just about all the wildlife on St. Lazaria is birds. On the island, per Wikipedia, there are:
250,000 breeding pairs of fork-tailed storm-petrels and Leach's storm-petrels.
4-5,000 common and thick-billed murres.
1,500-2,000 breeding pairs of tufted puffins.
1,000 breeding pairs of rhinoceros auklets.
Other less populous species include: pigeon guillemots, glaucous-winged gulls, ancient murrelets, Cassin's auklets, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and black oystercatchers.
In nesting areas on the island, the bird density can reach 7000 birds per acre.  The only trees on the island are Sitka Spruce which are located at the highest points of elevation.
Saint Lazaria Island is just south of the much larger Kruzof Island, named after a Russian Admiral and a size of a 23 miles by eight miles

 

Glad to know you will be traveling along "vicariously" with us during this adventure.  I plan to do a live/blog as we travel during this upcoming late July trip.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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30 minutes ago, TLCOhio said:

 

Agree 100% as to our hopes and plans to explore in and around Saint Lazaria Island.  As you properly note, being on a smaller boat allows more flexibility to get closer to the "action". But, much during our time in Alaska, will depend on the weather!!  We'll hope for the best.   In July 2010, when at the top of Norway and Europe above the Arctic Circle during a Silversea Silver Cloud trip as detailed/linked below, we did a similar type of smaller craft that went out to an incredible "bird island" that was such an amazing experience.  There, in Norway, we saw tens of thousands of puffins!!  Plus, so much more.  It was totally amazing!!!
 

 

Saint Lazaria is eerily beautiful. It reminded me of King Kong's Skull Island. Amazingly, there were whales very close to shore in shallow water. One surfaced right next to the boat and sprayed my wife! Below are a few more shots to whet your appetite.

 

Some encouraging news from our trip - in 12 days in Alaska we had about two hours of rain total, which we hiked through on Mt. Roberts in Juneau. I wish you the same!

 

Love your comprehensive research! I'm the same way and believe the more you know about your destinations in advance, the more you'll enjoy actually being there. I'm currently researching our 2020 expedition cruise on SS from Dublin to Reykjavik with many stops along the way on sparsely-inhabited or uninhabited islands except, of course for thousands of birds.

 

Have fun over the next few months anticipating your Alaska adventure!

 

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Thanks JohnGinPBG for the great endorsement of Captain Paul Davis!   Our cruise in June has us in Sitka on the 20th and I just emailed Captain Davis for his availability.   Quick question ... how was the ride during your tour?  My bride is a little sensitive to motion and I want to make sure it's a great day.    Appreciate it!

 

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19 hours ago, pasca said:

We will be sailing on the August 15 Alaska trip with Phil (hi, Phil!).  I have a question for TLC Ohio...How do you know who your lecturer and cruise director will be, and that there will be no formal night?  This is just our second Silversea cruise (and only our 3rd cruise in all), so I don't know how to find that information.

Dining/excursion/spa reservations just opened up last night.  

Thanks!

Hi!
It's our 2nd cruise with Silversea.  Did Istanbul circuit with Silver Spirit before it was expanded.  Cruise Director was Moss.  Great cruise; fine ship.  Done a couple small ship ocean cruises and half a dozen river cruises.  For Alaska where we'll need to pack more footwear and outerwear, I'm glad to only have to pack a sports jacket.  Excited about the excursions and checking out the ship.  Wife vetoed my zipline excursion.

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35 minutes ago, Fortunate2 said:

Thanks JohnGinPBG for the great endorsement of Captain Paul Davis!   Our cruise in June has us in Sitka on the 20th and I just emailed Captain Davis for his availability.   Quick question ... how was the ride during your tour?  My bride is a little sensitive to motion and I want to make sure it's a great day.    Appreciate it!

 

 

Since this is a smaller boat, he zips around pretty quickly and there is minimal movement of the kind I imagine would cause any queasiness. That said, there was some minor chop in Sitka Sound and we experiences a few jolts along the way. Nothing that took away from our enjoyment of the trip, however. It all depends on the day, I suppose. 

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Thanks, Terry, for that information.  

Our cruise (August 15) doesn't list a formal night; I called Silversea and the rep said that Alaska cruises are a bit more informal.  He said that normally the formal night would be the second night, but not to worry about attire-- a sport coat and dress shirt would be sufficient for all nights on that cruise.  Very happy to hear that, personally, as it will lighten the luggage a bit (already bound to be heavy with parkas, binoculars, hiking poles, etc).

Terry, you seem to have lots of experience with Silversea, so I have one other question.  We will be going it alone in a couple of ports (Ketchikan and Sitka), with sightseeing and day hikes.  Do you know if Silversea will pack lunches for us, if we don't want to return to the ship to eat?  (On our previous cruise with Silversea, in Turkey and Greece, eating lunch in local restaurants was a real treat...but, in Alaska, I think I'd generally prefer a bag lunch on a trail somewhere.)

Phil, this is our second Silversea cruise-- our first was also Istanbul to Istanbul, on the Wind.  Fantastic, especially since we are very interested in ancient history-- so many fabulous archeological sites and museums!  Our only other cruise was on Stella Australis, a small expedition ship run by a small Chilean line-- four days in the Tierra Del Fuego, complete spectacular wilderness.  Highly recommended (not luxury though).

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2 hours ago, pasca said:

 We will be going it alone in a couple of ports (Ketchikan and Sitka), with sightseeing and day hikes.  Do you know if Silversea will pack lunches for us, if we don't want to return to the ship to eat?  

 I don't think the ship wii pack lunches for you. we were told that no food was allowed off the ship  -- although we might have sneaked off a few snacks (promise not to tell).

 

If you're hikers, we had a great and very inexpensive day in Juneau. Took the tram to Mt. Roberts and hiked the surprisingly challenging bit very rewarding loop trail up there. (in the rain). Then went back to the ship for a nice lunch and, in the afternoon went on a city bus to Mendenhall glacier and did an easy hike along the beach to the glacier and Nugget falls.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

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