Live, Terry/Ohio, Silver Muse: Alaska, Canada/Rockies, Pix’s

[TLCOhio]

Alaska vs. Norway Fjords/sights?:

 

In the past on these Cruise Critic boards, we have read questions as to . . . which is better . . . Alaska or Norway??  As per the live/blog connected below, we super enjoyed and loved our July 2010, 15-day sailing, also with Silversea, up and down the entire western coast of Norway.  That 2010 adventure was a wonderfully great trip in so many different ways, both on the cruise ship, plus what we saw and did in and around these spectacularly scenic parts of Norway.

 

Here is my quick summary to that Norway vs. Alaska question: they are very, very different with strong pluses in varied ways that are difficult to compare precisely.  Adding to the challenge in comparing was the fact that our Norway cruise lasted 15-days, while we only had seven days on the Alaska cruise ship.  That makes for a bit of an apples versus oranges comparison.

 

Long, Narrow Fjords?:  Norway is the winner with longer, more narrow fjords having incredible “drama” in doing such scenic sailings.  Very steep sides in Norway.   In Alaska, you do not get quite as close and much is more at a distance for viewing.  As noted by one person about Norway: “Sometimes it felt like I could almost touch the cliffs as we cruised along!”

 

Glaciers?: We saw and experienced much more for glaciers in Alaska.  Some of the glaciers in Alaska are shrinking, others growing (such as at Hubbard Glacier). There are glaciers in Norway, but they were not for us as easily seen and accessed.   

 

Different Historic Backgrounds?:  Both areas have historic sites.  But, in some ways, Alaska was a little more interesting given that earlier Russian history and then all of the aspects related to the various gold rush activities.  Both had towns with unique architecture and period buildings.      

 

Wildlife?:  That is always a challenge.  Nothing is certain and 100% predictable in either location.  But, we had some great stops in Norway at the “bird island” at the top of Europe and at Sitka in Alaska.  It can happen, but it takes patience and some good luck to connect with the birds and animals.  Whales are much more common and likely in Alaska versus what you see in Norway.   

 

Excursions?:  Both areas offer a number of options.  Some good.  Certain ones worked out excellent for us.  Doing that research in advance and being creative in your planning is so super vital.  In both areas, it is important to get a little “off the beaten track”.  In Norway, that might mean going “upcountry” or in Alaska for taking an airplane to fly over five glacier and reach a distant camp for a salmon fest.  For Alaska, it was especially beneficial to have that view from a higher location to put these sights in better perspective.  In both cases, we chartered a small but powerful boat to get closer to nature, wildlife, etc.  Each excursion was a super winner and one of the top highlights during our trips.  Both of these excursion had local guides who were so knowledge and skilled in sharing these “up close and personal” sights.  Big boats are OK at times, but those ships are not great for getting more involved to experience nature in an ideal manner.

 

Added/Misc.?:  We have also done and seen some of the fjords in New Zealand’s South Island.  Fun and interesting there, too!!  Now, we need to do Chile and Argentina for those South American sights.  Norway is much more costly for shore food and drinks.  One person summarized fairly well earlier on these Cruise Critic boards by saying “Norway is more serine/pristine.  Alaska is more rugged/wild.”  Another CC person said: “Alaska was very blue and Norway is very green.”

 

Bottom Line?:  We really enjoyed both!!  We feel very fortunate to have experienced each of these world treasures.

 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Wonderful scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 237,284 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[QueSeraSera]

Hi Terry,

We are indeed on the Muse, and it is correct that departure was delayed by a day due to a malfunctioning stabilizer.  While DW & I, and the majority of folks on board, are fine with it I think, we have heard some complaints.  An understandable complaint was from someone who had already spent several days in Vancouver and was ready to go elsewhere.  SilverSea offered some free excursions to Vancouver and 15% credit on a future cruise as compensation to all passengers.

So, I heard myself say out loud today that I am having a great cruise and the ship hasn't even moved yet!  Maybe goofy, but a fair summary of my present status.  Living the good life.  Sailing out of Vancouver this afternoon was beautiful.  The ship is clean and very comfortable. Food is outstanding!

 

[worldtraveller99]

Have they got it all fixed QueSeraSera? Please keep giving us a day by day update with your cruise, thank you so much!

[QueSeraSera]

I believe so worldtraveller and you're welcome!

[TLCOhio]

6 hours ago, QueSeraSera said:

Hi Terry,  We are indeed on the Muse, and it is correct that departure was delayed by a day due to a malfunctioning stabilizer.  While DW & I, and the majority of folks on board, are fine with it I think, we have heard some complaints.  An understandable complaint was from someone who had already spent several days in Vancouver and was ready to go elsewhere.  SilverSea offered some free excursions to Vancouver and 15% credit on a future cruise as compensation to all passengers.  So, I heard myself say out loud today that I am having a great cruise and the ship hasn't even moved yet!  Maybe goofy, but a fair summary of my present status.  Living the good life.  Sailing out of Vancouver this afternoon was beautiful.  The ship is clean and very comfortable. Food is outstanding!

 

Great above update and details from our Richmond, Virginia, friend.   Looking forward to hearing more and learning any additional specifics to confirm that ALL continues to be going well during this sailing.  Good luck for great weather and excellent experiences during the rest of this cruise in Alaska.  Keep it coming.  Love the nice sharing. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 224,358 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

[TLCOhio]

On these Cruise Critic boards over time, many questions have come up on travel agents, their need/value, the future (if any) for that profession, etc.

 

We cannot name or suggest here any specific agent on the CC boards. BUT, I just wanted to offer a shout-out for the value and worth of really good travel agents!!! Yes, like with attorneys, doctors, teachers, etc., these professionals are not all of equal and perfect skills.  Some are better than average.  Some not as much.  Realistically, some travel agents are just "order-takers" at the end of an 800 number. That's OK if your travel locations are fairly easy and somewhat simple. Those type of agents are good enough!! YES, things, in many travel cases today, are very easy to just do it yourself via the Internet and/or on the phone.

 

But, there can be, however,"value-added" by working with a person at a higher skill level than just being an order-taker. Most of those kind of less experienced agents have never visited these more exotic parts of the distant world, nor been on certain of these types of luxury/speciality ships, etc. Sadly, a few such agents cannot even can find Mozambique or Phnom Penh on a map, etc. Sorry to be so blunt, but it is true that not all so-called "travel agents” have equal skills, background and experiences!!

 

We have worked with our travel agent since 2006 and she is so important because of her vast personal travel experiences around the world, being honest, blunt and candid for options being considered, etc. Five years ago for our Australia-NZ adventure, she had been there 25+ times and had so many, many keen insights that were very, very valuable. Personally, I like to do lots of reading and research myself. I do not, however, do everything she suggests. BUT, it is all part of the "total information picture" in planning, preparing and evaluating your many options/potentials.

 

The best circumstance is . . . an excellent/knowing agent . . . AND . . . an involved, interested customer. Ideally, you have the benefits of BOTH!!   In many cases, if you book it yourself and/or go through a cruise line staffer, you are going to be paying the same amount for the cruise. Why not, if possible, have a smart and savvy travel agent, enjoy those extra benefits AND gain so much more for the needed insights about where you are visiting, destination options, etc.??  Finally, when or if you have a "problem" and challenge during the pre-travel period, it is good to have a strong advocate to push and argue on your behalf. That happened with us and a major travel company many months ahead of our trip. We had booked our air tickets and the company made some major changes to their original, booked schedule. Our agent went to bat for us, pushed for some good cost "adjustments", etc. Of course, getting an excellent travel agent is not always that easy. There are some added secrets that I can suggest, later, if it is of added interest.

 

For certain locations and places such as Africa or Southeast Asia, it is important to have, also, a specialized travel supplier or packager. In Africa, we needed a firm used to working with and having a "relationship" with the smaller camps in areas such as Botswana to make the schedules, do the logistics between camps, fit and work all of the pieces together, etc. In some parts of the world such as Botswana, you are dealing with an area where there are NOT large Marriott hotels with 200+ rooms available. Most of these Botswana camps have only 10-14 rooms there at each location. And, you need to be flown in smaller, single-engine planes between the various camps that cannot be reached by roads during certain periods of the year. You need "help" from people who know these unique areas and how things actually work, connect, etc. There were more options with well-established hotel operators in Southeast Asia, but there is still need to have it "ALL" put together and be able to make the overall flow work smoothly. If you have not been there, you do not even know the right and/or best questions to ask for considering the large number of varied options in Africa, for parts of Asia, doing the Middle East, etc. Things in some parts of Africa and Asia are different in their structure compared to what we might be used to doing in certain parts of the USA and/or Europe.

 

The bottom line is that there might be a high value to be working with an experienced, skilled agent who knows personally the territory, plus suppliers with reliable, proven "connections" for this locations on the ground. That expertise helps in planning so that your trip flows properly and works with the right pace for your personal needs/travel style. Plus, having contacts in this areas if any problems or questions pop up. Or, as an example, certain expertise and/or advance research/planning is vital to provide basic help to navigate a massive/confusing airports such as Johannesburg, Hong Kong, Bangkok, etc., help getting our extra luggage storage challenge solved, finding the ATM machines, etc.

 

As another example, we debated the pro's and con's for how much time to be in Hong Kong. For us, the three net days worked perfect there. If you only had one day in Hong Kong, it would have been too short and not allowed enough time/cushion after nearly two days to fly from the USA to that part of Asia.  These “details” are important to consider and plan in advance.

 

For our most recent trips to the Middle East and Alaska/Western Canada, there were certain challenges, but it was not as complex and unique as what was done with SE Asia, Africa and Australia/NZ.  Still, you have many options to consider and “getting it right” makes a huge positive difference.

 

Sorry this is so long and detailed, but hopefully this background is of value.  Let me know any questions, reactions, your travel agent experiences, etc.

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 64,460 views:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

[worldtraveller99]

Wow Terry you went to Botswana. Is there one of your ace blogs for that somewhere? It is my bucket list destination. 

 

For SE Asia I found an inbound travel agent for Borneo (on Trip Advisor), and booked nice chain hotels - Fairmont, Shangri-La, and BA & Malaysian Airlines flights myself on all their websites. Worked really well - I think the trip report is on Trip Advisor.

[TLCOhio]

20 hours ago, worldtraveller99 said:

Wow Terry you went to Botswana. Is there one of your ace blogs for that somewhere? It is my bucket list destination. For SE Asia I found an inbound travel agent for Borneo (on Trip Advisor), and booked nice chain hotels - Fairmont, Shangri-La, and BA & Malaysian Airlines flights myself on all their websites. Worked really well - I think the trip report is on Trip Advisor.

 

YES!! is my response to worldtraveller99.  Appreciate your other sharing and details listed.  Below is the link to the many pictures and details for what we did and super enjoyed from visiting  Botswana, South Africa, etc.  It was a hyper excellent adventure that ranks at the top for our "Best of the Best" experiences.  So much to see and love in Africa.  Need to go back there.  

 

From the CNBC cable news source earlier this week, they had this headline: “best countries for tourists to visit in 2019” with Canada being one of the top, best locations cited by the World Economic Forum.  

 

Here are some of the story highlights: “The WEF gave Canada the top scores in the Americas for safety and security, environmental sustainability and air transport infrastructure.  In August, data from Statistics Canada showed the number of American visitors to Canada during the first six months of 2019 was the highest it had been for that period since 2007.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/04/these-are-the-best-countries-for-tourists-to-visit-in-2019-wef-says.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 46,850 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

 

Here is one of the pictures featured by CNBC in this news article to highlight Western Canada.  This colorful picture is from Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

[worldtraveller99]

Thank you so much Terry for your link to your fabulous Southern Africa cruise and Belmond Botswana stays. Your photos are a challenge to see if we can create anything vaguely similar! Unless you really were nose to nose with that lion?

 

But first we need to take our sea otter, bald eagle and whale shots next July! Thank you again - love all your cruises!

[QueSeraSera]

Just now close to docking in Juneau, beautiful water falls cascading down spruce covered mountains on the way in, blue skies and cool but comfortable weather. Excited to go on whale watching excursion in about an hour!

[TLCOhio]

41 minutes ago, QueSeraSera said:

Just now close to docking in Juneau, beautiful water falls cascading down spruce covered mountains on the way in, blue skies and cool but comfortable weather. Excited to go on whale watching excursion in about an hour!

 

Great to read this excellent update and this nice follow-up.  Keep it coming!!   Blue skies in Juneau seems wonderful given how much rain they normally received.  Look forward to reading more.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Athens & Greece: Many visuals, details from two visits in a city with great history, culture and architecture.  Now at 32,151 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

[TLCOhio]

4 hours ago, worldtraveller99 said:

Thank you so much Terry for your link to your fabulous Southern Africa cruise and Belmond Botswana stays. Your photos are a challenge to see if we can create anything vaguely similar! Unless you really were nose to nose with that lion?   But first we need to take our sea otter, bald eagle and whale shots next July! Thank you again - love all your cruises!

 

No!  No!!  Not "nose to nose" with that male lion in Botswana.  Maybe 15-18' away.  What's the "rest of the story"??   There were two older lions that our skilled guide in Botswana discovered out in the wild.  They were sleeping during a lazy afternoon.  We were parked in our vehicle somewhat close, but not too near to them.  Then after a number of minutes, this one "veteran" lion with lots of scars, etc., awoke, raised his head up . . . and then magically opened his compelling eyes.  My camera went snap-snap-snap.  Loved the facial look, especially with his eyes looking right into the camera.  You've got to be ready when opportunity happens.  Does this background help?  Any questions?

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast.  Now at 29,603 views.  Many interesting pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

 

 

Here is that lion face looking into my camera during our 2016 adventure in Botswana.  Second is a wider-angle, male lion view that gives some sense for how large and strong are their front legs/paws.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

Here are two other favorite Botswana visuals.  First, a unique-look hornbill bird.  Second a leopard where we were about 19' away for over a half hour as that animal was considering going after a young warthog being watched/guarded by an older male warthog. Fascinating nature experiences.  More on the Africa live/blog.:

 

 

[Stumblefoot]

Incredible shots Terry.  It’s amazing to think you’re only about 20’ away.

[worldtraveller99]

Beautiful, thank you!

[QueSeraSera]

Docked at Skagway and our good luck with the weather continues.  Great time yesterday in Juneau, whale watching was great with majestic scenery all around.  The Muse is spotless in spite of us 300 or so first time cruisers aboard. Trail hike with river float on schedule for today.  Had a very pleasant meet with @noworneverin Panorama yesterday. We are enjoying this cruise tremendously!

 

 

[TLCOhio]

20 hours ago, QueSeraSera said:

Docked at Skagway and our good luck with the weather continues.  Great time yesterday in Juneau, whale watching was great with majestic scenery all around.  The Muse is spotless in spite of us 300 or so first time cruisers aboard. Trail hike with river float on schedule for today.  Had a very pleasant meet with @noworneverin Panorama yesterday. We are enjoying this cruise tremendously!

 

Great above updating from our Richmond, Va., friend as to your adventures in Alaska.  Keep it coming!!  Great sharing.  Also appreciate the nice comments and follow-ups from Stumblefoot and worldtraveller99.  Fun!!

 

This live/blog is now over 10,000 views.  Glad that so many have dropped by, made comments, posted added info, etc.  Don't be shy!! Happy to answer any questions, posted additional background, etc.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal.  Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 27,795 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

 

 

[QueSeraSera]

Just arriving in Sitka.  Trail hike and raft float in Skagway were fun, a bit challenging but tour description was accurate.  Food on board is excellent.  I've a weakness for Danishes & think I will have tried them all by cruise end.  I also think salt water air may be shrinking my clothes a bit....

[TLCOhio]

6 hours ago, QueSeraSera said:

Just arriving in Sitka.  Trail hike and raft float in Skagway were fun, a bit challenging but tour description was accurate.  Food on board is excellent.  I've a weakness for Danishes & think I will have tried them all by cruise end.  I also think salt water air may be shrinking my clothes a bit....

 

Oh, that's the first time I had heard about the results of "salt water air" causing the shrinking of your clothes.  BUT, it is better having a "weak excuse" of blaming it on us as passengers eating too much of the ship's good food.  My view is that we were and are "victims" of Silversea serving dining delights that are too tasty and excellent.

 

Great details and update about Skagway.  Keep it coming!!  Is your weather continuing to be very good and nice?

 

From the Travel Section of the Sydney Morning Herald and other Fairfax newspapers in Australia five days ago, they had this headline: “What you need to know about going on a cruise in Alaska” with these highlights: “Everything about Alaska is big. At three times as big as France, it's the largest state in the US. It has nearly 55,000 kilometres of coastline. Even its famous wildlife is supersized – Alaska is home to the nation's largest bald eagle population, its polar bears and brown bears compete for the world's biggest bear title, Alaskan moose top the global scales and among the eight or nine whale species that cruise the region, the endangered blue whale – yes, you guessed it, the biggest in the world – has been spotted in Alaskan waters.  And now Alaska has just experienced its biggest-ever cruise season, while 2020 looks like it will outdo even that.  A record-breaking 1.2 million passengers sailed on a plethora of ships”

 

Here is another key story summary point: "Juneau, Alaska's capital, offers such a vast choice of adventurous trips it is hard to pick one without suffering a severe case of FOMO. Choppering out to land on Mendenhall Glacier for a trek on the ice or a thrilling dog-sledding ride? Canoeing to the face of the glacier? A floatplane trip to Taku Glacier Lodge? Then there are foodie and brewery tours, gold-panning treks and twilight whale-watching cruises … but if the budget allows, you can't go past the full helicopter and dog-sledding experience."

 

Full story at:

https://www.traveller.com.au/cruise-alaska-the-bigger-picture-h1hokh

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

 

From late 2018, you can see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 15,561 views.  Connect at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

[Stumblefoot]

22 hours ago, QueSeraSera said:

I also think salt water air may be shrinking my clothes a bit....

I have the exact same issue!  And, the really unfortunate thing is once the clothes have shrunk they don’t magically return to their original state once removed from said salty air upon one’s arrival at home.

[worldtraveller99]

Though hopefully they do after a few months working on it in city air!?

[QueSeraSera]

Thank for confirming this observation Stumblefoot and hopefully Richmond's humidity can reduce that restoration time to just a month or two worldtraveller 😊.  With just a day to go on this cruise, I will continue with this assumption.  Hubbard glacier was stunning this morning, and we loved Sitka yesterday. Time on cruise has flown by.

[gator50]

TERRY,  CAN YOU TELL ME THE NAME OF THE HOTEL YOU STAYED IN AT DUBAI - AND WAS IT IN A GOOD LOCATION FOR SIGHTSEEING.  THANKS SO MUCH

[TLCOhio]

1 hour ago, gator50 said:

TERRY,  CAN YOU TELL ME THE NAME OF THE HOTEL YOU STAYED IN AT DUBAI - AND WAS IT IN A GOOD LOCATION FOR SIGHTSEEING.  THANKS SO MUCH

 

Great news that Hubbard Glacier worked so well for our Richmond, Va., friend.  Keep up the wonderful updating and details. Are you doing the post-cruise trip to Denali.   Nice, added "FUN!!" from worldtraveller99 and Stumblefoot about the sea air, shrinking clothes, etc.  

 

Above for Paula in Arizona, appreciate your good questions.  In Dubai, we stayed the Habtoor Grand Resort, a part of the Autograph Collection connected with Marriott, at Al Falea Street, Jumeirah Beach, Dubai.  As to your question as to whether it is in "a GOOD LOCATION for sightseeing", that response would mandate a fairly subjective judgement.  Dubai is big and sprawled out!!  There is not one location in Dubai that has it "ALL", close and handy.  

 

Our hotel and location worked very, very well in many ways.  It offered a number of nice facilities and options, including its own beach and resort areas.  Sights around here were interesting as some of my pictures on the live/blog documented. BUT, it was not right next to a giant shopping mall, nor at the old market areas, nor at the world's tallest building.  BUT, it was relatively handy and worked super well for our interests and needs.  With our private guide and those tours, it all worked well and reasonably handy.  

 

For our private guide for Dubai and Abu Dhabi, we worked with Ute Kostle at  www.konzept-arabia.com/en.  She was super good, very knowledgeable, excellent English, etc., etc., etc.  Loved having "conversations" with her and learning so much about this area, its people, rulers, growth, etc.   Her email is:  ute@konzept-arabia.com

 

If you need more, just post any and all added questions on the live/blog for that trip last fall.     

 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

From late 2018, you can see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 15,561 views.  Connect at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

 

[QueSeraSera]

No extension to Denali this time, enjoyed our stay at Hotel Captain Cook booked through SS last night & walking around Anchorage yesterday afternoon.  Disembarked smoothly, all transfers were prompt & courteous.  Silversea handled all details flawlessly, including airport this morning. It's going to be a long night though, first stop Denver.

[Stumblefoot]

4 hours ago, QueSeraSera said:

It's going to be a long night though, first stop Denver.

We’re waving at you from the mountains.