Rare Murt22 Posted July 16, 2023 #126 Share Posted July 16, 2023 What excursion did you do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlerRob Posted July 16, 2023 #127 Share Posted July 16, 2023 3 hours ago, Jim Avery said: It was great. And even better, I missed the yellow snow...😳 Good to follow Frank Z's advice ...🍺🥌 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmmaxwell03 Posted July 16, 2023 #128 Share Posted July 16, 2023 I know we only have a couple of AK sailing left this year but I am thankful we are keeping this thread alive 🙂 Any feedback on the excursion offered through Viking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeabodyMa Posted July 16, 2023 #129 Share Posted July 16, 2023 @CILCIANRQTS: Thank you very much for the detailed update on Skagway port. I appreciate you posting info. Enjoy the rest of the cruise! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare FetaCheese Posted July 16, 2023 #130 Share Posted July 16, 2023 Also useful for pax to Alaska on other cruise lines. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach bunnie Posted July 26, 2023 #131 Share Posted July 26, 2023 Were there any free shuttle buses in the Alaska ports? I understand most of these ports are close to areas of interest. But is there maybe a bus to areas a little further away (like Exit glacier) offered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmmaxwell03 Posted August 6, 2023 #132 Share Posted August 6, 2023 Hey there fellow Alaskan travelers 🙂 I was wondering if you can share which Chef's Table menus were rotating through your time on the Orion for the 2023 AK season? Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Murt22 Posted August 6, 2023 #133 Share Posted August 6, 2023 I'll try to inform you of the champagne situation and the Chef's Table menus when we board on the 18th. We are on the pre-extension and leaving a week from today - woo hoo. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Murt22 Posted August 6, 2023 #134 Share Posted August 6, 2023 Just reading about the Mendenhall River flooding - not sure how long this will affect the area. Just a taste of the future with climate issues. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmmaxwell03 Posted August 14, 2023 #135 Share Posted August 14, 2023 @Murt22 I saw on your Roll Call that you were delayed. Did you make it into Anchorage at a decent time? Excited for your trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Murt22 Posted August 14, 2023 #136 Share Posted August 14, 2023 We had prior notice that our first leg would be 2 hours late and it was about 2 3/4 hours late but we had a big layover anyway, so that was OK. Our ANC flight was also delayed a bit, but when we got to ANC had to sit on tarmac awhile, then they took forever to get the skybridge connected. We ended up about 45 minutes late so that wasn't bad. The biggest frustration came when we had a hard time finding the Viking rep and another couple from another flight had the same issue - but eventually we found her. She didn't really say much to us, just put us on a bus with 2 couples from another cruise ship. They were going to the Marriott, but our paperwork said the Hilton, so he dropped us off at the Hilton - which is a pit by the way - and they didn't have our reservations. We were supposed to be at the Marriott and no one told us - we had to Uber over there. The Hilton is very shady. Apparently the travelers who came earlier in the day were told at the airport that the hotel had been changed. We landed after 9:30pm and didn't end up in our rooms until at least 11:30pm. We do the Denali train tomorrow, so hope that is worth the extension. Today's Anchorage day was kinda meh. We'll see how dinner is tonight. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmmaxwell03 Posted August 14, 2023 #137 Share Posted August 14, 2023 2 minutes ago, Murt22 said: We had prior notice that our first leg would be 2 hours late and it was about 2 3/4 hours late but we had a big layover anyway, so that was OK. Our ANC flight was also delayed a bit, but when we got to ANC had to sit on tarmac awhile, then they took forever to get the skybridge connected. We ended up about 45 minutes late so that wasn't bad. The biggest frustration came when we had a hard time finding the Viking rep and another couple from another flight had the same issue - but eventually we found her. She didn't really say much to us, just put us on a bus with 2 couples from another cruise ship. They were going to the Marriott, but our paperwork said the Hilton, so he dropped us off at the Hilton - which is a pit by the way - and they didn't have our reservations. We were supposed to be at the Marriott and no one told us - we had to Uber over there. The Hilton is very shady. Apparently the travelers who came earlier in the day were told at the airport that the hotel had been changed. We landed after 9:30pm and didn't end up in our rooms until at least 11:30pm. We do the Denali train tomorrow, so hope that is worth the extension. Today's Anchorage day was kinda meh. We'll see how dinner is tonight. We booked the Marriott on our own. All extensions were sold out but that’s okay. Gives us a chance to do what we want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Murt22 Posted August 14, 2023 #138 Share Posted August 14, 2023 I found this forum too late. We have cancelled our pre-excursion in Athens for next year and also our Viking air as we are going to come earlier on our own and want to make the choices of airlines, etc. We are meeting some of our fellow cruisers and just getting on the bus instead of wondering how to get somewhere is the positive side of it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmmaxwell03 Posted August 15, 2023 #139 Share Posted August 15, 2023 Looks like the Orion is having a beautiful day at Hubbard Glacier today (based on the boat cam) https://viking.panomax.com/orion# 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzookiemookiw Posted August 15, 2023 #140 Share Posted August 15, 2023 20 hours ago, cmmaxwell03 said: We booked the Marriott on our own. All extensions were sold out but that’s okay. Gives us a chance to do what we want. How many days are you spending in Anchorage? We spend one night in Seattle because Viking couldn't get us a flight to Anchorage on the 6th. Hopefully all will go smoothly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmmaxwell03 Posted August 15, 2023 #141 Share Posted August 15, 2023 1 hour ago, zzookiemookiw said: How many days are you spending in Anchorage? We spend one night in Seattle because Viking couldn't get us a flight to Anchorage on the 6th. Hopefully all will go smoothly. We arrive in Anchorage on the afternoon of the 5th. Seattle isn't too bad. We live about an hour south of there 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzookiemookiw Posted August 15, 2023 #142 Share Posted August 15, 2023 27 minutes ago, cmmaxwell03 said: We arrive in Anchorage on the afternoon of the 5th. Seattle isn't too bad. We live about an hour south of there 🙂 Hopefully we will be on the ship on the 7th. We fly from Seattle to Anchorage & then are bussed to Seward. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Murt22 Posted August 20, 2023 #143 Share Posted August 20, 2023 (edited) Quick note- boarded Friday, less than 10 min wait. On board w champagne, went to room, met steward then off to Explorers lounge to try that “fancy” champagne. Jacquard Brut but apparently not many bottles left so switching to something else. Got my SS back in no time. Husband is a Bud man and they were out in EL but he supposedly got it in WC. Chefs table menus are: Le Route de Indes. Asian Panorama, Lotus and Xiang. Weather awesome, Kenai Fjords cruise was awesome including super pod of orcas and breaching humpback. Internet sucks. Edited August 20, 2023 by Murt22 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmmaxwell03 Posted August 20, 2023 #144 Share Posted August 20, 2023 1 minute ago, Murt22 said: Quick note- boarded Friday, less than 10 min wait. On board w champagne, went to room, met steward then off to Explorers lounge to try that “fancy” champagne. Jacquard’s Brut but apparently not many bottles left so switching to something else. Got my SS back in no time. Husband is a Bud man and they were out in EL but he supposedly got it in WC. Chefs table menus are: Le Route de Indes. Asian Panorama, Lotus and Xiang. Weather awesome, Kenai Fjords cruise was awesome including super pod of orcas and breaching humpback. Internet sucks. Thanks for the update! I have been keeping an eye on the ship's camera and the weather has looked great! We are 17 days out 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzookiemookiw Posted August 20, 2023 #145 Share Posted August 20, 2023 I want these 17 days to hurry by! It's 103 degrees today and will be similar all week. 🥵☀️ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dd57 Posted August 20, 2023 #146 Share Posted August 20, 2023 We had done the Kenai Fjords cruise before, so yesterday we did the Resurrection bay cruise. It was great too. Porpoises followed our bow wave for over 5 minutes; a pod of humpback got close to us and deep dived, raising their tails; saw puffins, stellar sea lions, seals, and countless birds. The boat maneuvered very very close to cliffs until you felt you could touch them. Today we did Highlights of Valdez. I had thought from the description that we would go higher up in the mountains but didn't. But the salmon are running now so the stop at the fish hatchery was amazing to see the masses of salmon and black bears feeding. Our guide Betty was made the trip with her humor, stories of living in Valdez, and living thru the 1964 earthquake. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmmaxwell03 Posted August 20, 2023 #147 Share Posted August 20, 2023 12 minutes ago, dd57 said: We had done the Kenai Fjords cruise before, so yesterday we did the Resurrection bay cruise. It was great too. Porpoises followed our bow wave for over 5 minutes; a pod of humpback got close to us and deep dived, raising their tails; saw puffins, stellar sea lions, seals, and countless birds. The boat maneuvered very very close to cliffs until you felt you could touch them. Today we did Highlights of Valdez. I had thought from the description that we would go higher up in the mountains but didn't. But the salmon are running now so the stop at the fish hatchery was amazing to see the masses of salmon and black bears feeding. Our guide Betty was made the trip with her humor, stories of living in Valdez, and living thru the 1964 earthquake. Thanks for the info. We are also signed up for the Resurrection Bay Cruise. What is the size of the group on the excursion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dd57 Posted August 20, 2023 #148 Share Posted August 20, 2023 Viking chartered the whole boat. Although there were 4 bus loads, the boat was only about half full. The crew was fantastic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dd57 Posted August 20, 2023 #149 Share Posted August 20, 2023 (edited) 4 Viking bus loads, which are never full. I would guess maybe 160 people. The bus ride was maybe 5 minutes to the dock and was mainly to get us out of the commercial harbor and around the corner to the small boat harbor. Edited August 20, 2023 by dd57 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmmaxwell03 Posted August 20, 2023 #150 Share Posted August 20, 2023 11 minutes ago, dd57 said: 4 Viking bus loads, which are never full. I would guess maybe 160 people. The bus ride was maybe 5 minutes to the dock and was mainly to get us out of the commercial harbor and around the corner to the small boat harbor. That's awesome that they charter the whole boat! I did not realize the excursion included a bus ride and I'm relieved to hear it's a short one. I promised my DH we would not be on any lengthy bus rides LOL. Thank you again for the information 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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