Trip Report-HAL Nieuw Amsterdam & Royal Princess (6/12/19-7/7/19)

[Italy52]

Pictures of some of the beautiful flowers in bloom.

 

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Glacier Bay:  The night prior to our transit into Glacier Bay we received in our cabin a map that provided details of our journey.  Our “Princess Patters” provided ETAs for arrival times at various glaciers.  The day of the transit, national park rangers boarded the ship;  one provided commentary over the PA system about Glacier Bay while the other park rangers roamed the ship answering questions and pointing out marine life. 

If we could, we would visit Glacier Bay on every trip to Alaska.  Unfortunately, itineraries that include Glacier Bay often preclude some of our favorite ports.   With the right weather conditions, cruising through Glacier Bay is stunning.  May is one of our favorite transit times as there is usually lots of snow on the mountains. 

As mentioned before, we managed to find a semi-ideal location for taking pictures of Glacier Bay.  Not wanting to risk someone else staking their claim on our location, we arrived early and braved the wind.  It was a long day but well worth the time spent viewing the magnificent landscape.

 

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Here are a couple of pictures of my husband and I braving the wind to protect our "spot."

 

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By the end of the day, we were tired of being on our feet so my husband decided to take a well-deserved rest.

 

[cabland]

Great write-up on a unique trip!  What are your thoughts comparing the two ships?  We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam last Summer (same itinerary) and I really loved it, BUT it was our first cruise so have no basis of comparison (of course I researched it for about 3.2 million hours and picked that boat on that route pretty deliberately).

[geoherb]

I'm enjoying your review. I sailed back to back (June 19-July 3) on the Island Princess during your cruises. We had great weather except for a little drizzle in Juneau on my northbound cruise.

[Italy52]

18 hours ago, cabland said:

Great write-up on a unique trip!  What are your thoughts comparing the two ships?  We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam last Summer (same itinerary) and I really loved it, BUT it was our first cruise so have no basis of comparison (of course I researched it for about 3.2 million hours and picked that boat on that route pretty deliberately).

Thank you for your kind words, I appreciate them.  I will try to give you my thoughts about the two ships as soon as I finish the trip report -- hope that is OK.

[Italy52]

16 hours ago, geoherb said:

I'm enjoying your review. I sailed back to back (June 19-July 3) on the Island Princess during your cruises. We had great weather except for a little drizzle in Juneau on my northbound cruise.

Thank you for your kind words, I appreciate them.  We lucked out with the weather, didn't we!  I hope your enjoyed your cruise. 

[Italy52]

College Fjord:  As we continued with our voyage of the glaciers itinerary we cruised into our next location, College Fjord.  I have attached a link from the Princes website that describes the history of this scenic passage.    https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/alaska-cruise-tips/learn-about-alaska/the-glaciers-of-college-fjord-alaska.html.  Again, we were blessed with nice weather and beautiful memories.

 

 

[Italy52]

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Whittier:  Today, was disembarkation day for those cruisers who elected not to continue with the southbound itinerary.  Since the Royal Princess was not leaving port until 8:30 PM, we decided that we would take advantage of the free time and book an excursion.  After looking at all our options, I was certain that I would book an independent vendor rather than go through the ship’s excursions.  By booking independently I was able to save $73.80 total for two of us after using a AAA discount.  Having taken Phillips 26 Glacier Cruises before I knew we would be happy with our choice.  I have attached the Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise link should you want to look at what they have to offer.

https://www.phillipscruises.com/cruises/26-glacier-cruise.php.

Visitors to Whittier will find that the town has very little to offer in the way of sightseeing and lodging.  So do your research ahead of time so you won’t be disappointed --- explore all options (ship’s tours, car rental, Phillips 26 Glacier Tour, etc.)

We were a little “antsy” just sitting on the ship, so we made our way down the gangway around 10 AM. Immediately after exiting the ship we could smell smoke and noticed a distinct haze in the sky – didn’t look good.  We talked with some of the dock workers and they said that there was a fire burning approximately 100 miles away. 

Around 10:30 AM we went to Phillips Cruises to check in for our tour as per our email instructions.  However, we when we did, we were given different instructions:  go to the back of the building at 11 AM to secure boarding tickets. No biggie.  We got our tickets and joined other fellow passengers who were lined up near the benches.  FYI, should you need them, there are restrooms near the check-in location. 

Boarding was fast and efficient.  Tables are pre-assigned and easy to find.  There are plenty of restrooms and viewing spaces on board.  Crew is efficient, courteous and friendly.  Once underway, a brief mandatory safety talk is given followed by service of the complimentary meal.  After eating, some made their way outside while others chose to view the sights from their assigned seats.

The weather was nice; it was a great day to be outside to enjoy the view.  Here are some of the pictures we took during the excursion.

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The Royal Princess docked in Whittier.

 

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Double calving.

 

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[415wcl]

Thanks for the write up and sharing your pictures! 

 

I think we were on the same Holland Cruise but I remember it starting the 8th not the 12th.