Candian Rockies--Alaskan Cruise--Post Seattle Cruise

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Before our trip I looked high and low for reviews of the Canadian Rockies tour and could find hardly anything. I promised myself that I would try to put something together to share with others on our trip when I returned. This is it.

 

We used Princess on this entire trip and they did an awesome job. The trip started out with a pre-cruise hotel in Calgary, the tour through the Canadian Rockies, an Alaskan Cruise and a post-cruise hotel in Seattle. Myself, my husband and another couple (our good friends) went on this tour. We had it planned for over a year. Even though I wrote this review, my friend (KatPaul) did all the editing and adding of all the information I forgot.

 

If you are thinking about doing this trip, go for it. It was fabulous and the Canadian Rockies really “WOWed” me. I can’t say enough nice things about how this was handled by Princess. They did an awesome job and we hope to take another tour with them in the future.

 

If you have any questions feel free to ask and we will do our best to answer.

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Princess Cruise/Tour --Canadian Rockies and Alaska--Days 1, 2 and 3--Calgary to Banff

 

We started out flying from BWI to Dallas then changed planes to Calgary. Seemed the long way around but the best prices we could find. We had enough frequent flyer miles to upgrade to first class. What a treat. This was a trip with my husband and another couple that are very good friends. We have traveled together numerous times before and thoroughly enjoy each others company. We flew into Calgary 1 day ahead of the tour. The tour was 6 days in the Canadian Rockies, a 7-day Alaskan Inside Passage Cruise and 3 days in Seattle. Even after a lot of research on the web there was not much to do in Calgary. We did not find so much as a city tour. The first day we checked into the Fairmont Palliser Hotel and went to the Calgary tower which we could get to without going outside. It was a beautiful view; you could see the mountains on the horizon. Afterwards we went to dinner at a restaurant called the Saltlik which was only about a block from the hotel. The food was okay, some of our group liked it better than others. There is a cool statue of a horse out front made from a variety of materials.

 

We awoke the next morning and went across the street to the Marriott for a buffet breakfast. It was mediocre to say the least. The food selection left a lot to be desired and the service was slow. We went back to the hotel after breakfast and got directions for taking the subway and bus to get to a place called Heritage Park which was a re-creation of an old western town complete with Paddleboat, train and wagon rides. In addition, there were other rides like you would find at a carnival. There were old reconstructed buildings, places to eat and shops. You could go in and pay one price for entrance and rides or purchase the rides individually. You need to ride at least three things to make it worth while purchasing the all inclusive price. We paid for the all inclusive and did get in three rides. We had lunch and walked around a little. We spent about 2-3 hours there then noticed a storm coming up. Since we had to catch a bus and subway we decided to start back to the hotel. Luckily we got the bus and subway and got back to the hotel and missed the rain. We had an early dinner at Milestones ( which was good) because we had to meet our tour group at 7 p.m. for a cocktail party.

 

I need to note that we were told in our documents that the hotel would give us a welcome letter letting us know when and where to meet the tour group for the cocktail party. They had no information the day we checked in nor the morning of the next day. We checked back later in the afternoon and they finally had some information but I had to ask (more like insist) for a copy. Finally, we got the information prior to dinner. Since they do this every week you would think they would have this information available.

 

We had tried over and over to get information on this tour and only found one other person that was taking this tour and that was about a month or so prior to our tour. She was nice enough to send us information when she returned but we found that the tour she did was somewhat different from ours. Evidently we knew of 3 Canadian Rockies tours offered. The first was the entire tour on a motor coach. The second tour was a motor coach from Calgary to Jasper then the “red leaf” service on the Rocky Mountaineer train. Finally, the motor coach from Calgary to Jasper and the “gold leaf” service on the Rocky Mountaineer. The last one is the one we did. Initially, we signed up for just the motor coach but when our friends decided to come along they wanted to do the train. Since we were going to change to the train we decided to splurge and go for the “gold leaf” service. Evidently there are numerous other tours (marketed only in the UK) which do not include the Fairmont Hotels or food. We had breakfast and dinner each and every day and lunches while on the train. The breakfasts were buffets and ran about $25 pp. Our dinners were normally just under $300 for the four of us. It was first class all the way. We paid for our own alcohol. We also found that we were 4 of only 6 Americans on this tour. The rest of the people were from the UK. Evidently they market the Canadian Rockies tour more in the UK then in the USA. What a shame because it was really fabulous and more American’s should be aware of this tour as it is definitely one that should not be missed.

 

We met our tour guide Steph and the other members of our group. They had beer, wine, sodas and water along with some food. Among other things, they had a home made dip from the hotel on each table that was really good. Steph gave us information we needed for the trip as well as tags for our luggage. We were able to have as much luggage we needed. If we had a bag that was packed for the cruise they would put that on the bus and hold it till we got to the last hotel. We also did not have a full bus (about 32 out of a possible 40 some seats on the bus). Therefore, we had room for large carryon bags on the bus with us. We were also told that we could have a buffet breakfast the next morning in the hotel and what time to have our luggage ready in our rooms (for pick up) and what time to meet in the lobby to board the bus. We did not have to rush in the morning as we did not have far to go to Banff . We met in front of the hotel and departed at 10:30.

 

As we drove out of the city Steph gave us a tour and we got closer and closer to the mountains. We couldn’t stop taking pictures as the mountains began to surround us. Steph told us all about the area as we drove along. Around lunch we stopped in the town of Banff. It was a real cute town with lots of shopping and places to eat. We were on our own for lunch and grabbed a quick bite and started to walk around the area. We had about 2 hours in the town and it seemed to be just the right amount of time. From there we drove to the hotel with a quick stop for picture taking of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Wow, it was beautiful and looked like a castle. We also stopped at the Bow River Falls for more pictures. We arrived at the hotel around 4 p.m. On the way there Steph arranged our times for dinner. When we arrived at the hotel we waited about 5 minutes on the bus and Steph came back with our room keys. She handed them to us as we got off the bus. There was no waiting for check in; she handled it. So we got our keys and went directly to our room figuring we would have to wait a while for our luggage but we were pleasantly surprised to find that all the luggage was already in the room. Greg, our bus driver, must have taken it to the hotel while we shopped in Banff. We found this great service happened every day of the trip, arriving at the hotel and finding our luggage already there. It was so fabulous not to have to wait or worry about checking in. All we had to do was show up at the restaurant for our reservation. Princess did an excellent job with this arrangement. I guess it didn’t hurt to have a first class tour director and bus driver. So after checking out our room we decided to walk around and check out this fabulous hotel. All I can say is WOW. It was my favorite one of the entire cruise. They actually left us a map of the hotel in our room so we wouldn’t get lost. Our dinner consisted of cocktails (which we paid for on our own), an appetizer, entrée, dessert and coffee. The bill was just shy of $300 not including tip. All we had to do was sign the bill and leave. It was all covered. As a matter of fact all the tipping was covered except for the tour director and bus driver. After dinner we walked around a little more, checked out the gift shops and looked at the wonderful views. We were also amazed that at 10 p.m. at night it was still light out. As a matter of fact throughout the entire trip through Canada and Alaska we never saw dark. It was light when we went to bed and light when we got up. It was a fabulous day but we were ready to head to our rooms and get a good night’s sleep so we would be rested and ready for the next day.

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I enjoyed reading your review. Can't wait for the next part.

[Host Caroline]

Canadian Rockies are one of my favorite land vacations.. thank you so much for posting this ... so glad you enjoyed it:) .. and you are right, there are too few posts about this even tho it's very popular!

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Princess Cruise/Tour --Canadian Rockies and Alaska--Days 4 and 5

Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper

 

We did not have to rush today as the ride from Banff to Lake Louise was not very far. Before leaving the hotel we had breakfast and we met for a group photo. We left Banff around 10:30 and drove for about an hour to an area for lunch and an optional gondola ride. The gondola cost $20 per person and the view alone was worth it. You had a choice of a closed in gondola or a ski lift that easily held four. Since it was a beautiful sunny day we chose the ski lift. It was a very enjoyable ride (about 15 minutes) up the mountain. Once we got there we were treated to an awesome view of our next hotel, Fairmont's Chateau Lake Louise. Again we couldn't stop taking pictures. After about ½ hour on the mountain we came back down and got a quick lunch and met the group to continue on our trip. We also stopped at a few other locations on the way and arrived at Lake Louise around 4 p.m. Again Steph set up our dining arrangements at the hotel and again our luggage beat us to the room. We were greeted in our room with a welcome note from the hotel staff, cookies, and Maple tea. This was becoming very relaxing and we were becoming very spoiled. We explored the hotel and walked around outside taking many more pictures. The four of us met for dinner and had another wonderful meal. Again the bill ran close to $300 for the four of us. We walked around a little more after dinner checking out the shops and still amazed at how light it was late into the evening. Since it was the 4th of July, they had a cake in the lobby to be shared by everyone and all were joining in on singing patriot songs. It was quite touching. We parted company with our friends and went to our room to relax and go to sleep. The next morning we had to meet the group a little earlier to cover the miles and do all that was planned..

 

After another buffet breakfast we all met at the appointed time to get on the bus and get going. Today we had a little bit more miles to cover before our next hotel. This was also the day to do our snow coach ride on a glacier. Steph had reminded us the day before to wear warmer clothes. She also suggested bringing our shorts for later in the day. We followed her directions and dressed for the glacier. We arrived after an hour's ride and had time for the restroom and gift shops and were told where to meet for boarding our bus to the snow coach. We got off the bus and boarded the snow coach which actually looked like a bus with huge wheels. We were told there were only 24 of them in the world. There were 23 snow coaches located right there and the 24th one was in the Antarctic. The snow coach took us down a steep hill and then up on the ice riding right on the glacier. We were told the ice is 1000 feet thich. Wow, it was really cool. Steph gave each of us a plastic cup and we were able to get off the snow coach and walk on the glacier. They told us to stay within the roped off portion because they knew that part was safe. They wanted to make sure we did not fall into a crevice and never be seen again. Steph led us to a melting stream on the glacier and we were able to fill our cups with the melting water and drink. Steph was standing there with a bottle of scotch for anyone who wanted a scotch and water. The glacier water was so clear and very cold. We were glad to have warmer clothes as it was quite cool up on the glacier. After about 15-20 minutes we re-boarded the snow coach which took us back to the bus for our return to the visitor center. It was a neat experience.

 

From the glacier we went on to another stop for lunch and shopping. We used the restrooms and changed into shorts as it was getting quite warm. This afternoon was an optional white water rafting trip. None of our group had ever done this before and figured what the heck and signed up. It cost $40 per person and it was a level 1 river with level 2 rapids so it sounded like it would not be too scary. Anyone not wanting to do this trip was taken directly to the Fairmont Jasper Lodge. When we got to the boarding spot for the raft trip we were offered raincoats but no one took them as it was very warm and the plastic coat would have been very warm. We got on the rubber boat and were given instructions. I must admit I was somewhat apprehensive. Everything turned out great and it was a fabulous trip. Everyone on the raft got wet and the water was cold but it was a warm day and it actually felt good. It was about an hour ride and I think we all enjoyed it.

 

After the raft trip Greg (our bus driver) met us, offered us some Bailey's and took us to the hotel. Again we were already checked in and they handed us our keys as we got off the bus. This time it was a little different as the cabins were not connected to the main lobby of the hotel. We were taken to our cabin in a golf cart. You could call for this golf cart to be taken back and forth to the lodge. This was another lovely place to say but there was one major problem--NO AIR CONDITIONING. And, to make matters worse it was hot. There was a ceiling fan and a portable fan but it just did not do the job. My husband got a quick shower then we went to dinner. The dinner in this restaurant took about 3 hours. It was a little long since we were all tired after a long day. I actually left my husband and friends after dinner (while they waited for dessert) and went back to the room for my shower. After I finished I went back and they were just finishing dessert. My friend and I left the guys and went to shop around the hotel and when we were done went back to find our husbands.still waiting to take care of the bill. for our cocktails. We had a wonderful day but thought that the restaurant was extremely slow and I was tired. Looking forward to a warm room did not thrill me or my friend. We went back to our room to get ready for bed as we had a very early call for the next morning. We had the ceiling fan on high and the portable fan pointed directly on us and it was still hot. We really missed the air conditioning. Finally we fell asleep and sometime during the night it actually cooled down.

 

The alarm went off early as we needed to get to the train station. As we left the cabin and started to walk up to the main lodge we were surprised that right in front of us was a herd of Elk. Wow, what a cool site as they were only about 20 feet away.. We snapped numerous pictures and ran into our friends. We told them about the Elk and they said they saw them the night before as they went back to their cabin.

 

We went back to our room got our carry on luggage and boarded the bus to head for the train. This would be our last day with our wonderful bus driver, Greg so we made sure we had his tip money to hand to him as we got off the bus at the train station. He was very good, had a great personality and was always on time. He also had a lot of luggage to handle.

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Princess Cruise/Tour --Canadian Rockies and Alaska--Days 6, 7 and 8

Kamloops, Vancouver , and Seattle

 

We were up bright and early for our train trip on the Rocky Mountaineer. We had to put luggage tags on our carry on luggage as it was too big for carrying on the train. I packed a smaller bag to hold important stuff like jewelry, medicines, binoculars, passports, etc. and took it with me. We arrived at the train station and waited for the time to board the train. We were all given welcome letters and little gold leaf pins to wear on the train. Right before boarding they literally rolled out the red carpet. We walked up the red carpet and boarded the train. The train was two levels tall. The top level had very comfortable, reclining, plush seats. This was the viewing level were you could look out the large windows or the dome roof. The seats were assigned and were one row in front of our friends. Luckily another couple offered to switch with us and we were right next to them. This made it very nice for conversation. We were given blankets and pillows and they came around and poured orange juice and champagne for everyone so we could toast our trip.

 

We did not originally choose to take the train when we first booked the cruise. We thought we would see more if we took the bus the entire way since the train did not stop along the way. When our friends decided to join us they wanted to do the train so we agreed and changed the reservation. We also decided to do the “gold leaf” tour versus the “red leaf” tour. The gold leaf was an upgrade with hot gourmet meals and open bar. We were allowed to have all our luggage with us in the hotel in Kamloops while the red leaf group needed to take an over night bag with them. I am not sure what else was available to us over the red leaf group but I can tell you our trip was fabulous.

 

The train pulled out and we were on our way. The scenery was beautiful. Many mountains, lakes, rivers and lots of nature. We even saw our first bald eagle. The train car held about 50 people and we were divided into two groups for meals. We were the first group and were called down to breakfast. There were about 14 tables for four. We were seated and served rolls and coffee. We were handed a menu and they came around with orange juice. The menu consisted of 4-5 items including scrambled eggs and pancakes. The tables were set with linen table clothes and china dishes. It was very classy including fresh flowers on the tables. There was commentary throughout the trip keeping us aware of all points of interest. While we were at breakfast the other group (still) upstairs were served muffins and coffee while they waited. After breakfast we wondered back upstairs or went out on the back open viewing platform of the train. Once they were set back up in the dining area, the next group was called for breakfast. The trip was not only interesting, but also very relaxing. I know I took a couple small naps. They came around every so often and asked if there was anything they could get us. They had a magazine on the train with souvenirs you can order. You placed the order the first day and the souvenirs were on your seat when you boarded the second day. Of course, we each found something we could not live with out and placed our order.

 

It was now time for lunch and group one was called again. We went down and had another wonderful meal. It consisted of soup, salad, entrée and a dessert plate with numerous items for each couple. While we had lunch the second group was served wine and cheese. As we finished we wandered back up stairs and once they cleaned up and re-set up the second group was called. After lunch they came around and offered cocktails. As we neared the end of the day they came around for a final time with freshly baked warm oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies. As the train pulled into Kamloops we were called to get off and board our bus for the hotel. This is the only hotel that was not part of Fairmont group. It was called the Canadian Coast Inn and the best part was it was air conditioned. As always Steph had our dinner reservations all set up and our luggage greeted us in the room when we arrived. There was a small box of chocolates in our room compliments of the Rocky Mountaineer train. There wasn’t much to see in Kamloops but we took a walk anyway. We came back, had a very good dinner and went to bed somewhat early as we had another early call for the train in the morning.

 

We got up and had our luggage ready for pickup and met our bus. We were on our way to day two on the train. The red carpet was rolled out and we had the same seats as the day before. Our souvenirs we ordered were waiting for us on the seats. The trip on the second day was just as wonderful as the first. This time the two groups switched and group 2 went to breakfast first and we sat upstairs waiting and were served coffee and muffins. The sights were again beautiful. We even saw an area were a large forest fire went through miles and miles a few years ago. It was very interesting. Lunchtime came and the second group went first and we were served wine and cheese. Lunch today was very interesting as when they brought around dessert it consisted of a chocolate train pulling two cars filled with moose. There was cheesecake and brownies sitting up representing mountains and vanilla sauce and raspberry sauce representing the rivers. The presentation was really cool and we snapped many pictures. After lunch we were offered cocktails again. At the end of the day we received a DVD of the Rocky Mountaineer and a thank you note signed by all the attendants on the train. This trip was first class all the way.

 

We exited the train and took a bus to our Fairmont hotel in Vancouver. On the way we had a brief tour of Vancouver. through Gastown and Chinatown. We all were to meet tonight for our farewell cocktail party/dinner. This was the first place where our luggage was not already in the room. It was, however, on the same bus as we were. When we got off we grabbed our carryon luggage and went to the room. Our room overlooked the harbor. It was a lovely room and was right next door to our friends. This was a first for the entire trip. We walked around and explored a little then went back to get ready for dinner. We met our friends and wandered to the room where they held the party. Steph greeted us and gave us a packaged that consisted of our pictures from day one taken at Banff, and a list ofeveryone’s names and addresses and E-mail so we can all keep in touch. A few poems that Steph read on our trip and a picture book of many of the places we visited and saw on our trip were also included. The dinner was open bar and we had a choice of Salmon or Steak. It was very good and everyone enjoyed sitting around and talking. We all agreed it was a wonderful tour and we had a wonderful tour guide. We gave Steph an envelope with our tip in it and told her we were going to miss being with her.

 

This is where our group was broken up. Many people were leaving on their cruise the next day out of Vancouver, some were staying an extra night and then leaving on their cruise on Sunday. We were leaving the next day and they were sending us by bus us to Seattle for our cruise on the Dawn Princess. We had another early morning as they wanted to make sure we got through customs early the next day before it got busy. We had our last breakfast buffet before we met our bus. We were the only four going on this cruise from our original group but were joining others from other tour groups for the ride to Seattle. We also had a tour director with us on the way down. Steph was up bright and early and made sure we got off okay. She was fabulous and we will miss her. Once everyone was on the bus we left and had another brief tour of Vancouver through Stanley Park. We drove for about an hour to make it to the US customs. Luckily it was very uneventful and we made it through in about 40 minutes which wasn’t bad since we had to get off the bus and individually go through with all our carry on luggage. Back on the bus we had another hour’s ride to get to Seattle. As we drove through the city we were treated to a beautiful view of Mount Rainier as it was a lovely, clear and sunny day.

 

The tour of the Canadian Rockies was awesome. We enjoyed it so much and were sorry to see it end. The only part of the trip that I did not enjoy (other than the hotel in Jasper without air conditioning) was that we only stayed one night in each hotel and it was a pain to find things and have to unpack and re-pack every day. Princess really did the tour up right. It was a first class, six star tour. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone. We would really recommend the train. We talked to other people that did not take the train and basically all they did was sit on the bus all day long as they had many miles to cover. They did have a few stops but it was mostly for restrooms and lunch. Looks like taking the train was not only an awesome experience but we did not miss anything on the bus.

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Dawn Princess--Alaska Cruise--Day 1--Seattle

 

We arrived at the ship and again our luggage was taken care of for us. There was a line for people dropping off luggage and we were able to by pass that line and go on in for check in. Our check in was quick and painless but there was a line for boarding the ship as they needed to take the security pictures as you entered the ship. Personally, I think

it would have gone much faster if they did that at check in. Once on board we went directly to our room and unpacked our carry on bag. We then went to the buffet for lunch. After lunch we walked around for a while and kept checking back for our luggage. Finally all arrived but one of ours and one of our friends. We unpacked and then it was time for the mustering. After mustering we were to meet the only two people that talked to us on Cruise Critics. We were able to meet up with them and enjoyed drinks and sail away with our new friends. One of them (Scotty2) and I had been talking for over a year and it was wonderful to met her and her husband. During sail away our last pieces of luggage finally arrived. We decided to go to dinner and ate our first meal with the

other cruise critic couple (Ilovesanibel). Scotty2 did not join us as they were on first seating and we were on "anytime" dining. We had a wonderful seat at dinner right next to the window. One of the interesting things we saw as we left Seattle was a submarine in the water. This was a first for all of us so again everyone was taking pictures. After dinner we went to the show and donated a few bucks in the casino and went to bed.

 

Dawn Princess--Alaska Cruise--Day 2--At Sea

 

This was a sea day and we really needed it. We had been going strong all week in the Canadian Rockies. We went to hear the Naturalist that they had on board. This was his first talk. It lasted a full hour and he was quite entertaining. We pretty much took it easy the rest of the day. This was formal night. We opted for "anytime dining" and thoroughly

enjoyed it. We ate with our two new cruise critic friends (Ilovesanibel and scotty2).

 

Dawn Princess--Alaska Cruise--Day 3--Juneau

 

We did not arrive in Juneau until 1 p.m. so we had plenty of time to sleep in and take it easy. As we came into Juneau there were whales everywhere. It was so cool you could see the water coming from their blowhole and also see their tails as they dove down. We also saw a few eagles. Once docked we exited the ship and walked over to the Mount

Roberts Tramway. It was a beautiful day and the temps were in the upper 70's. We did not book this through the ship as it is the same price regardless of whether you booked at the tram or on the ship. By booking at the tram we knew it was a beautiful and sunny day and was worth the trip. If you booked on the ship and it was cloudy, foggy and rainy you

might not want to bother going up. They really pack you in on the tram car. Once up top you are treated to a beautiful view of Juneau and your ship. We walked around and saw many eagles. When we came back down we walked into town and went to the Red Dog Saloon. We each got a drink and stayed for a few songs and then hit their gift shop. We walked all through town and shopped and then went back to the ship in time to shower and have dinner.

Dawn Princess--Alaska Cruise--Day 4--Skagway

 

We arrived in Skagway early and had a tour. So we got up and got ready and met on the pier. It looked like another beautiful day but a little cooler than the day before. I would guess the temps were in the mid to low 70's. We went to Liarsville which is a reconstructed tent city and panned for gold. We each found a few flakes and my friend and I found a small vial in the gift shop that held our gold and could be used as a

necklace. Don't know if I will wear it but it is a really nice souvenir. From Liarsville we crossed the boarder into Canada and went up the Klondike trail area. The scenery was lovely. After the tour we went back to the ship and had lunch. Right after lunch we went back out and went into town. There was a shuttle for a minimal charge or you could walk.

We stopped by the Red Onion, paid our $5 and were treated to 15 minutes upstairs with the madam as well as a red garter. It was worth the money and a very fun and informative tour. Skagway was a nice town to walk around and shop.

 

Dawn Princess--Alaska Cruise--Day 5--Tracy's Arm

 

We woke this morning to see icebergs floating in the water. What a cool site! As we cruised toward the glacier there were more and more icebergs. Many had that blue color in them. We even saw one iceberg with a seal floating on it. The Naturalist was talking and you could put his narrative on the TV, open the balcony door and watch and listen. The more I heard him the more he sounded like a Crocodile Hunter want-to-be. It was just the way he talked. He tried to make it sound like there was a big iceberg and he wasn't sure what the captain would do (turn back or try and go around it). Seemed like he was trying to sensationalize the trip and that was when he lost my interest. It was just so hokey (the iceberg wasn't that big, believe me). This was the only day of the trip I actually used my coat. All the other days the most I wore was a sweatshirt jacket. Today I had on a sweater, a sweatshirt, my fleece jacket, gloves and a scarf. It was chilly but it was even worse because the ship was moving. We finally made it to the glacier but could not get

extremely close do to the large number of icebergs. It was very interesting but not as good as the one in the Canadian Rockies we got to ride and walk on. Once we got as close as we could the captain turned the ship around and we went back and got to see the other side from our balcony. On the way in to the glacier we passed the Sun Princess coming

out. It was kind of neat because it was the Dawn Princess' sister ship. So our pictures looked like our own ship among the beautiful scenery. The ships blew their horns at each other as they passed. We started our journey to the glacier around 9 a.m. and came back out around 1 p.m. The rest of the day was at sea. We started to meet each evening for drinks and then had dinner with our cruise critic friends.

 

Dawn Princess--Alaska Cruise--Day 6--Ketchikan

 

This was a very early port. We arrived around 5:30 a.m. and left around 12 noon. We did not book an excursion as we had so little time in this town. We went ashore around 7:30 a.m. as the shops opened early. This is the only port where we needed to tender.and was also the town with the worse weather. It was rainy, cool and foggy. We walked around town with raincoats and umbrellas. We visited Dolly's for a self guided tour. Seems like we did not miss any of the bordellos in Alaska. Dolly's had something very interesting. Evidently back in it's day the condoms were made out of silk and in colors. Unfortunately, they did not work very well so Dolly took them and sewed them together and put them on the shower curtain in her bathroom. They looked like flowers. It was quite funny. Back were Dolly's was located was an area called Creek Street. This is where the best shops are located. We enjoyed walking around that area. We walked back into town and did some more shopping then got a tender back to the ship. The line for the tender was huge as it was pouring down rain. It wasn't very pleasant waiting. We got back on the ship and had lunch. I am not sure what we did the rest of the day but we did meet again for drinks and dinner.

 

Dawn Princess--Alaska Cruise--Day 7--Victoria

 

We were not scheduled to arrive in Victoria until 7:30 p.m. so this was basically another day at sea. We spent a good portion of the day packing. We figure they only stop in Victoria for the obligatory foreign city. We had an early dinner to make sure we were ready for our tour. Unfortunately, we did not get into Victoria on time. We ended up being an hour late. I have read other people saying that they also did not make it to Victoria on time so this may be happening often. Because of being late our tour was cancelled and money refunded to our shipboard account. It was a little disappointing as we planned on visiting Enchanting Butchart Gardens. Since we had so little time we took the shuttle they had at the dock into town. Wow, it was really a nice looking town. The shuttle dropped us at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. Wow another beautiful Fairmont Hotel. We walked around the water front and went in and out of many of the shops. After a while we wondered into the hotel just to look around. It definitely looked like some where I would like to visit again. We came out and grabbed the shuttle back to the ship.

 

Dawn Princess--Alaska Cruise--Day 8--Seattle

 

It was so hard to imagine that our cruise was over. It had been two weeks since leaving home and it had gone by so quickly. We really had a wonderful time. Princess did a great job with both the tour and the cruise. We were staying 3 days in Seattle so we were looking forward to some more fun before leaving for home.

[margord]

Seattle Post Cruise--Days 1

 

We booked the Westin Seattle through the cruise line and knew we would not be able to check in till much later. Therefore, we booked a tour of Seattle. Basically it was a drive to the Space Needle with sites pointed out on the way. Once we got to the Space Needle we were able to go up. We walked around the top for a while then came down and visited the gift shop. They had the neatest jewelry; it was a beautiful green color stone that was supposedly made from Mt. Saint Helen ash. I bought a necklace. We left the Space Needle and were dropped at the hotel. We gave them our baggage to hold and talked to the Princess Representative about our transfers to the airport. She gave us vouchers for two cabs and said to call down to the bellman about 10 minutes before we wanted the leave. We got the vouchers for the cabs instead of the normal shuttle because our flights were so early. They were at 7 a.m. so we needed to get to the airport around 5 a.m. Evidently the Princess Representative had a desk in the lobby and was there most all day and into the evening. It was very convenient in case you had a question. I highly recommend booking the hotel through Princess. The cost was the same as I could get booking on my own. The Princess Representative was an added bonus.

 

After dropping off our luggage we got directions and bought tickets for the hop on hop off trolley. We took it down to the waterfront and had lunch at Red Robin. After lunch we caught another trolley and went back to the hotel. It was around 2:30-3 p.m. and our rooms were ready. We went to our room, unpacked and freshened up, then met back in the lobby. This time we grabbed a taxi because we had an appointment in front of

the Curiosity Shoppe at the waterfront area. We had a "Spooked in Seattle" tour set up. It was a 2 hour walking tour and was very enjoyable. No one else joined so we basically had a private tour--just our guide and the four of us.. We walked around different areas near the water and around the market. One of the stories he told us was about the seamstresses in Seattle. Seattle was one of the last towns in the US before heading north to the Gold Rush. Therefore, there were many men frequenting the town. The prostitutes at the time were referred to as seamstresses. Evidently one of the politicians got wind of all these

seamstresses and decided to start taxing sewing machines. They sent people in to take a count and evidently never found one sewing machine. Do you see a pattern yet? Seems like we visited every bordello in Alaska so it is only fitting to continue to discuss prostitution here in Seattle.

 

After the tour was completed we walked back to the waterfront and had dinner at Ivar's Acres of Clams. The dinner was very good. Their clam chowder was fabulous. After dinner we were tired so we grabbed a taxi and went back to the hotel.

 

Seattle Post Cruise--Days 2

 

We were up bright and early the next day and grabbed the trolley (it was a special, buy one day and get one day for free) to go to the Seattle Underground Tour. We had a great guide and we heard many tales of the underground. This is another interesting tour to take. It also included some interesting stories of the Seattle seamstresses. From here we

visited the Klondike Gold Rush National Park. This is free and located about a block from the Underground Tour. Once done, we walked down to Pike's Market. On the way we stopped in Johnny Rockets for lunch. To my surprise Ivar's clam chowder was on the menu. I ordered it and it was just as wonderful as it was the night before. We finished lunch and continued on to the market. We found the stand where they throw fish. We

stood there and watched them. It is really cool how they throw the fish and can catch those slippery devils every time. This is something I have heard about, read about, and saw a movie about in one of my Management Training Programs so it was really nice to be able to see it first hand. We walked around the market and looked at all the beautiful fruits and vegetables. My friend found a polish pottery shop and spent about an hour in there. We then went over to the first Starbucks and got a frozen coffee. It was starting to get late so we decided to go back to the hotel. We felt like we saw so much but really wanted to go to Ballard Locks and see the salmon swim up the ladders. We checked at the hotel and they set us up the next day for a tour that went to the locks. We freshened up and headed back out to the waterfront for dinner. Someone had suggested Elliotts for dinner. We went in and put our name in and sat and got a drink. While waiting I went over to look at a menu. Wow! The prices were about 25 percent higher than what we paid at Ivars the night before. We decided not to stay. We finished out drinks, told the

hostess to take our name off the list and left. We went down the block and found a little restaurant call the Crab Pot. They told us it would be about a half an hour but it was just a few minutes before they called us. They set us outside and it was very nice and the view was lovely. We got to watch the ferry come and go. As the evening wore on we started to

get chilly. We mentioned it to the waitress and she put on the heat lamps. They were quite cool and really did the job. After a great seafood dinner we got an ice cream and caught a taxi back to the hotel. Another busy day and we were tired.

 

Seattle Post Cruise--Days 3

 

Up early again and ready to go. We ate in the coffee shop this morning. Around 10 a.m. we were in the lobby waiting for the tour. They came in picked us up and drove us to the bus. We were the last ones on so the bus took off immediately. We toured through the city a little but went to areas we did not see before. Then they took us around outside the city and finally our to the Ballard lock. We could have stayed there for an hour or more. It was so interesting. They had a place you could go and look through glass to see the salmon under the ladders and you could also stand above and watch them throw their selves up the ladders. It was such a neat site to see.

 

After the tour they offered to drop us off at the market, waterfront, or our hotel. We opted for the waterfront and were able to get on a ferry and head over to Bainbridge. It was a quick and interesting ride, about 20 minutes or so. It only cost $6.50 per person round trip. When we got to Bainbridge we walked around for about an hour or so and took the

ferry back. Another wonderful day and again we were tired. We decided to stay at the waterfront and have dinner. We chose another great restaurant, Anthony's, and another wonderful seafood dinner on the lower level of the restaurant. We left and went back to the hotel as we had to pack up and be ready to leave early in the morning.

 

Seattle Post Cruise--Days 4

 

We were up very early (what where we thinking making reservations on such early flights). We left the hotel around 4:30 a.m. Got to the airport and checked in. We found breakfast at the airport and were ready for our flights home. We had such a wonderful trip. The flights home were thankfully uneventful and we arrived in Maryland around 5 p.m. Now for the fun of getting back to the real world and all the unpacking.

[Brewscruise]

:D Thank you so much for your review. We have booked to do the same Land/Train tour next August and will print and keep your review to read and re-read, you included lots of things we wanted to know about, it sounds absolutely wonderful! :D

[BM64]

Marilee, what an awesome review and it sounds like you guys had an amazing time!! I would love to do a trip to the Canadian Rockies, maybe next summer? So, I guess it will be us meeting for drinks on the Grand before dinner.

 

Brigitte

[margord]

Host Caroline, thanks and I agree. There is not enough information on this subject.

Brewscruise, you will not be sorry, this is an aswsome trip.

Hey Brigitte, it will be us toasting our cruise in just a few more months.

 

Thanks for the comments.

 

Marilee

[suron]

Well done Marilee on your review and am glad the information we gave you prior to your trip proved helpful. The Rockies Land Tour combined with an Alaskan cruise is certainly the way to go but like you and several others who have posted reviews or comments on these boards, Princess really need to get their act together in the port of Victoria. I have yet to read of anyone who has got the full time there. We were over two hours late docking which completely spoiled everything for us as regards our tour.

 

If anyone is interested I have posted reviews and these can be found at

 

http://messages.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=360451 for the Rockies review and

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=19049

 

This is a super trip and you will have memories to last a lifetime.

 

Suron in Bristol, England

[margord]

Thanks Suron,

 

You are correct this was a super awesome trip.

 

Marilee

[Chat Noir]

What a wonderful review! I've never visited the Canadian Rockies in conjunction with a cruise, but we have on our own. DH and I were just a young married couple with a 1 year old and 1 on the way when we last visited, and it was all I could do to get him to part with a few dollars to take the icefield tour. He enjoyed it even more than I did, and has never regretted the cost since. We've discussed going back numerous times. Perhaps we'll follow in your footsteps, begin there, cruise, and end in Seattle. Thanks so much for posting this.

 

Also, Tracy Arm is one of my favorite places in Alaska... I've never seen icebergs like those anywhere else in Alaska... and that was my main disappointment with Glacier Bay and College Fjords. Although those glacial areas are fabulous, their icebergs have nothing on Sawyer Glacier icebergs!

[margord]

Sym1966,

 

Thanks so much for your kind words. It was a great trip. It is nice to know that we did a good thing going with the Tracy Arm and did not miss a lot from the other locations (Glacier Bay, etc.)

 

Marilee

[traveller123]

Marilee, thanks for posting such an interesting review...hopefully lots of people will read it and book the same tour. I'm sorry you didn't have an extra day in Banff and Jasper... so much to see and do there that 1 day in each town hardly does it justice. I don't know if you saw the old pictures of the Columbia Glacier at the Icefields, but in the '60s it was all the way across the road to where the information centre is now and in the '20s it was all the way across the valley! You had to travel over a horse trail in the mountains to the east to get through the valley. Good example of the ending of the last ice age and of global warming. I'm still shocked everytime I see a picture of the Glacier and how much it has receded in the past 40 years.

[margord]

Traveller123,

Thanks for the kind words. I hope people read my review also as I was so thirsty for information and could not find too much. Wow, interesting information on the ice fields. It was definiately a highlight of our trip.

 

Marilee