Just Off The Island Princess

[Retired 07]

Hi everybody! We recently returned from our first cruise, and our first time in Alaska. Since I received so much good information from these boards, I thought I'd note a few observations from a first time cruiser with nothing to compare.

 

I read a lot of negatives on the boards, which made me kind of nervous before we left, so I'll focus on those.

 

THERE WEREN'T ANY NEGATIVES!

 

We did the land portion of our cruisetour first, and I must say that Princess has this down. From the time we were met at Fairbanks airport, to embarking at Whittier, they handled our luggage, transfers, and land tours perfectly.

 

The train ride from Denali to Whittier was very pleasant, (but long). We were about an hour and a half late, and boarded the ship at about 7:00 p.m.

 

The ship, and our minisuite towards the rear of the dolphin deck (covered balcony) were fantastic.The service of our stateroom steward, and EVERYBODY else on the ship was exemplory! We really felt like they were there to make us happy. There were plenty of sockets in our stateroom, and we didn't need the extension cord that we were advised to take.

 

The food was excellent, the coffee was fine, the pizza was some of the best we ever had. We had the personal choice, anytime dining, and NEVER

had to wait for a table for two. I really don't see how our service could have been any better with traditional seating. People say that in traditional, your waitstaff gets to know your likes and dislikes. Well, all we had to do was ask for anything, and it was there in a minute, with a smile! We had a few breakfasts and lunches, and one dinner in the Horizon Court buffet, and they were also very good. Many great selections. Most people were using the hand sanitizers, and we never heard a mention of norovirus, or any other illness.

 

All areas of the ship were spotlessly clean.

 

We won a spa treatment on board (the Newlywed Game), and it was wonderful. And not once did the spa staff ask us to purchase any of their products! I was really surprised about that after reading about the 'hard sell' on these boards.

 

Speaking of 'hard sell', nobody ever tried to sell us a coffee card, a soft drink card, or a photo. The photographers weren't constantly in our faces, and most times, we didn't even know they were there!

 

The entertainment was very good. The comedians, and comedy juggler were excellent, and the production show was ok.(maybe a little hokey)

 

Disembarkation was a snap. We were scheduled to be off the ship at 8:05 a.m., and we WERE off the ship at 8:05.

 

As I said before, this was our first cruise, and we have nothing to compare it to, but if our next cruise, (and there WILL be a next cruise) is as perfect as this one, we will be extremely happy!

 

If anybody has any questions I will be happy to try and answer them.

[Colo Cruiser]

Love the Island and the Coral.

 

Thanks for review. :)

[LisaH]

Hi everybody! We recently returned from our first cruise, and our first time in Alaska. Since I received so much good information from these boards, I thought I'd note a few observations from a first time cruiser with nothing to compare.

 

I read a lot of negatives on the boards, which made me kind of nervous before we left, so I'll focus on those.

 

THERE WEREN'T ANY NEGATIVES!

 

We did the land portion of our cruisetour first, and I must say that Princess has this down. From the time we were met at Fairbanks airport, to embarking at Whittier, they handled our luggage, transfers, and land tours perfectly.

 

The train ride from Denali to Whittier was very pleasant, (but long). We were about an hour and a half late, and boarded the ship at about 7:00 p.m.

 

The ship, and our minisuite towards the rear of the dolphin deck (covered balcony) were fantastic.The service of our stateroom steward, and EVERYBODY else on the ship was exemplory! We really felt like they were there to make us happy. There were plenty of sockets in our stateroom, and we didn't need the extension cord that we were advised to take.

 

The food was excellent, the coffee was fine, the pizza was some of the best we ever had. We had the personal choice, anytime dining, and NEVER

had to wait for a table for two. I really don't see how our service could have been any better with traditional seating. People say that in traditional, your waitstaff gets to know your likes and dislikes. Well, all we had to do was ask for anything, and it was there in a minute, with a smile! We had a few breakfasts and lunches, and one dinner in the Horizon Court buffet, and they were also very good. Many great selections. Most people were using the hand sanitizers, and we never heard a mention of norovirus, or any other illness.

 

All areas of the ship were spotlessly clean.

 

We won a spa treatment on board (the Newlywed Game), and it was wonderful. And not once did the spa staff ask us to purchase any of their products! I was really surprised about that after reading about the 'hard sell' on these boards.

 

Speaking of 'hard sell', nobody ever tried to sell us a coffee card, a soft drink card, or a photo. The photographers weren't constantly in our faces, and most times, we didn't even know they were there!

 

The entertainment was very good. The comedians, and comedy juggler were excellent, and the production show was ok.(maybe a little hokey)

 

Disembarkation was a snap. We were scheduled to be off the ship at 8:05 a.m., and we WERE off the ship at 8:05.

 

As I said before, this was our first cruise, and we have nothing to compare it to, but if our next cruise, (and there WILL be a next cruise) is as perfect as this one, we will be extremely happy!

 

If anybody has any questions I will be happy to try and answer them.

 

 

We are going on the Island Princess in mid-July. We are doing the 3 day land excursion first and then SB cruise. We will be in B503 - can't wait for a bump out cabin. Was the 9 hours on the train really long? I know if we are late I will be disappointed missing the first night of dinner at our table but oh well. We just always like our dinners and meeting our table mates. I imagine this is quite common for the first night on this cruise.

 

Thanks for your info.

[Retired 07]

We are going on the Island Princess in mid-July. We are doing the 3 day land excursion first and then SB cruise. We will be in B503 - can't wait for a bump out cabin. Was the 9 hours on the train really long? I know if we are late I will be disappointed missing the first night of dinner at our table but oh well. We just always like our dinners and meeting our table mates. I imagine this is quite common for the first night on this cruise.

 

Thanks for your info.

 

 

Hi Lisa! The train ride was supposed to be 9 hrs, and ended up being 10 1/2. But, the scenery was so great, and the passengers so happy to be getting to the ship, that you won't even notice the length of the trip. We also took the time to go have lunch in the dining car downstairs. (try the reindeer chili!).

 

When we boarded the ship, we were handed a card for open seating in the dining room. I believe this was for everybody on that first night, so you'll meet your tablemates on night #2.

[MichTraveler]

We just got off last Monday, so we probably sailed with you. We had such great weather. We were also delayed on the way to the ship due to a power outage in the Whittier tunnel, but if that's that worst of it, life is good! Have you booked again yet? That usually happens for first time cruisers to Alaska -- that "trip of a lifetime" is just the beginning!

[Retired 07]

We just got off last Monday, so we probably sailed with you. We had such great weather. We were also delayed on the way to the ship due to a power outage in the Whittier tunnel, but if that's that worst of it, life is good! Have you booked again yet? That usually happens for first time cruisers to Alaska -- that "trip of a lifetime" is just the beginning!

 

 

Yes, you were on the ship with us....We haven't booked yet, but we DID put down a deposit in the "future booking office" We're thinking about Canada/New England in the fall.(this year or next) That is our favorite part of the country!

[coiran]

Welcome to the "Princess Cheerleaders Club"

Ron

[Minybear]

We are also sailong on the Island in September and cannot wait to experiece our A503 bump out cabin (Hi Lisa).

 

Retired what excursions did you take? Have any suggestions on excursions?

 

The specialty restaurants. Which one or ones did you do?

 

94 days and counting until our cruise til or cruise on the Island.:)

[bdjam]

Welcome to the "Princess Cheerleaders Club"

 

Ron

;) ;) And glad to hear Island Princess is as excellent as she was in May...

[Retired 07]

We are also sailong on the Island in September and cannot wait to experiece our A503 bump out cabin (Hi Lisa).

 

Retired what excursions did you take? Have any suggestions on excursions?

 

The specialty restaurants. Which one or ones did you do?

 

94 days and counting until our cruise til or cruise on the Island.:)

 

 

At Skagway we did the train/van ride to Emerald Lake. We booked it through Chilkoot Charters.

 

At Juneau we did whale watching with Harv & Marv,

 

The highlight for me was kayaking at Ketchikan...It was about a 20 minute boat ride to the secluded Orca's cove. Just my wife, me and the guide. It was so serene, and quiet. Lots of eagles overhead. That was with Southeast Sea kayaks.

 

We didn't eat in either of the 2 specialty restaurants.

[Fuzzzy]

It sounds like a beautiful and fantastic trip. Congratulations on winning the newlywed game.

 

Did they have the "Not so Newlywed" game too? It is always great fun. They ask couples questions, like "what color are her eyes". Or, "where was your first date". It is hilarious.

 

I hope to go on the Island or Coral some day. Thanks for your post.

[jessinphilly]

Does anyone recall if there are electrical sockets at the seats on the train to/from Denali? My dd would like to be able to use her computer part of the time since the trip is so long, and we definitely do not have battery coverage for the that long of a trip!

[Retired 07]

Does anyone recall if there are electrical sockets at the seats on the train to/from Denali? My dd would like to be able to use her computer part of the time since the trip is so long, and we definitely do not have battery coverage for the that long of a trip!

 

 

Sorry, I do not recall if there were sockets by the seats. I did see a few people using their laptops, though. The scenery is marvelous, and the time passes quickly. I did a little reading, a little napping, and a little eating.

[dunbawn]

We were on the same cruise with you. A bird flew into a transformer and all the power was out in Whittier no just the tunnel. Princess did offer wine to everyone on board just because. We had planned on getting a rental car and going into Girdwood but didn't. We went on the 26 glacier cruise and it was wonderful. We were told that there was a chance that the tunnel wouldn't be opened that night. We wondered just what was going to happen to everyone if they couldn't get through. Anyway it was a great cruise and it was just as wonderful as you described it.

 

Eileen

[Twomalamutes]

We are also in a mini-suite on the dolphin deck in August; do you happen to have any pictures of the room? It is hard to tell from the floorplan in the catalog just how much room there is. We are getting married on the cruise, and will have a group of people so we wondered if there would be room for say 6 to 8 people to hang out on the balcony and in the "sitting area" with the sofa, etc. We have other members of our party next to us, but it looks like the solid walls between balconies will preclude much interaction between the people on adjacent balconies.

 

What was the name for the Harv and Marv excursion? We only have the Princess excursion catalog, and they don't give info pertaining to the actual tour operators, just descriptive names for each tour.

[Retired 07]

We are also in a mini-suite on the dolphin deck in August; do you happen to have any pictures of the room? It is hard to tell from the floorplan in the catalog just how much room there is. We are getting married on the cruise, and will have a group of people so we wondered if there would be room for say 6 to 8 people to hang out on the balcony and in the "sitting area" with the sofa, etc. We have other members of our party next to us, but it looks like the solid walls between balconies will preclude much interaction between the people on adjacent balconies.

 

What was the name for the Harv and Marv excursion? We only have the Princess excursion catalog, and they don't give info pertaining to the actual tour operators, just descriptive names for each tour.

 

 

Look up harvandmarvs.com...They're not avaliable in any of the excursion catalogues.

[Retired 07]

We are also in a mini-suite on the dolphin deck in August; do you happen to have any pictures of the room? It is hard to tell from the floorplan in the catalog just how much room there is. We are getting married on the cruise, and will have a group of people so we wondered if there would be room for say 6 to 8 people to hang out on the balcony and in the "sitting area" with the sofa, etc. We have other members of our party next to us, but it looks like the solid walls between balconies will preclude much interaction between the people on adjacent balconies.

 

What was the name for the Harv and Marv excursion? We only have the Princess excursion catalog, and they don't give info pertaining to the actual tour operators, just descriptive names for each tour.

 

 

Sorry, the first part of my answer got lost somehow. I don't have any pictures of the room, but six people on the balcony would be very tight. We had 4 chairs and a table out there, but I'm sure the steward could remove 2 of the chairs. The sitting area inside the mini would be good for about 4 people...(sofa and chair). I also believe that the connecting balconies can be opened.

[nextelcup]

What was the name for the Harv and Marv excursion? We only have the Princess excursion catalog, and they don't give info pertaining to the actual tour operators, just descriptive names for each tour.

There is a TON of information about independent whale watching excursions on the Alaska Board. If you put "whale watching" in the "Search" feature, you should have access to everything you would want to know. Hope this helps.

[Fuzzzy]

You may not know the answer to this. But were their any scuba diving adventures offered? I heard that you can dive in Alaska.

[AAAAmerican]

Yes you may dive there. Also in the YT (Yukon Territory) has a lot of wonderful spots. Early fall actually is best there.

 

You may not know the answer to this. But were their any scuba diving adventures offered? I heard that you can dive in Alaska.

[Hornet]

We were also on the 5/21 cruise and agree that it was great. This was our third time on the Island and we still love her. We had C504 bump out mini and it was perfect for this trip. The balcony is smaller than others we've had, but it was great for viewing.

 

We did Whale Watching with Ocra - Captain Larry and had a wonderful excursion. His boat is beautiful with many areas for viewing - inside or outside aft or top. The boat can hold about 40, but we just had 10 plus the three crew. They served snacks and drinks too. Saw plenty of whales and enjoyed the mama and baby whale show - the baby breached for us.

 

We also flew with Island Wings in Ketchikan and had a perfect flight with Michelle. Her plane is beautiful and very well kept up. We landed on the water and walked out to the land for more viewing.

 

Yes, our train ride was long to get to the ship, but we did enjoy our day. It helped that we were traveling with friends. I was impressed how Princess adjusted the dinner and muster schedule to accommodate all the late arrivals due to the tunnel problem.

 

A highlight of the land trip was the tundra tour with Princess. It was an amazing day filled with all the major animal sitings and a top notch guide.

 

And to those that will sail this summer............enjoy.

[Rock712]

I'll second and third everyones opinion of the Island. We were on the same 05/21 SB as everyone else and had a great time. I thought Princess was great. We did the land tour first also and everything went off without one single glitch. All tours ran on time , our luggage was in the right spot every time. The train ride was a little long due to the problem with the tunnel , but certainly not a bad time.

We did the TWT and loved it.Our guide was great.

We did Harv and Marv in Juneau and had a wonderful time.

We were in a bumpout mini -A416 and loved the extra room,especially in the bathroom. I do have some pictures of the room. Six may be a little crowded in the sitting area. There is a couch that will comfortably sit three and one sitting chair. however , there is a chair at the desk and more room on the balcony , so I dont think you'll be overcrowded with six people in the room at the same time.

[MichTraveler]

We were on the same cruise with you. A bird flew into a transformer and all the power was out in Whittier no just the tunnel. Princess did offer wine to everyone on board just because. ... We were told that there was a chance that the tunnel wouldn't be opened that night. We wondered just what was going to happen to everyone if they couldn't get through.

Ours was the first bus waiting to go thru. We were supposed to get thru at 2:30pm but got delayed. A couple had taken a taxi from ANC to Whittier and got stuck. The cab meter kept ticking. He begged the Princess bus driver for assistance but we were full. So he found a couple in a one-way rental car headed for the ship, got them to give them a ride, and the bus driver allowed them to put their luggage in the bus as there was not room for all 4's luggage in the little car. He was so thankful. He had planned on a taxi fee of $125 tops, but it got to $200 before he found the alternatives and sent the taxi back to ANC. I seldom use Princess transfers but was so glad we did this time!

[Kruznut]

I enjoyed your review. I'm glad you had a wonderful cruise. I must say the Island Princess is one of our favorite ships to date and i'm looking forward to sailing on her again.