REVIEW Coral Princess May 28 Southbound and Independent Land

[4_THE_HALIBUT]

As I don’t want to make a new record for a review length, I am splitting my reviews into Land (Part 1) and Cruise (Part 2).

Thanks to everyone for the wealth of information. I never planned for a trip as much as I did for this one, but I encountered zero surprises. Also, going the week before Memorial Day got us incredible rates. Everything was going up in price the next week. I personally think having the snow on the mountains made for incredible scenery. My group consisted of three couples between the ages of 47 and 60, but age is really irrelevant with us, as we can occasionally act like 20 year olds.

Part 1 – Land: Trip started out in St. Louis with brief layover in Seattle and onto Anchorage. Zero visibility from Seattle to Anchorage. Light rain in Anchorage, but I’m not complaining. Had an Expedition reserved with Budget. None available when we got there. For a slightly higher fee, got a passenger van which was better, as 12 plus pieces of luggage never would have fit in the Expedition ($729 complete for 5 days, 2 extra drivers). Stayed one night at the Microtel by the airport ($69), which was clean, had large rooms and a decent continental breakfast. Hauled out my collapsible cooler, visited the ice machine, then it was off to Carr’s to get my customer card (discounts!!) and various beverages. Had halibut and a local beer downtown at Humpy’s. My trip was off to a great start.

Day two headed to Denali. Sun is shining and I’m in a good mood. Stopped for lunch at the Roadhouse in Talkeetna for pretty good soup and sandwich. Really can’t call it a town and don’t have much choice regarding where to eat. Definitely is a starting point for the McKinley hikers. We encountered our first Alaska $$ shock at this stop. Make sure you fill up your gas tank at the Talkeetna turn-off on the main highway. Costs 50 cents more a gallon closer to Denali. Misting lightly, which did not help my opinion of the “town”. Oh well, good place to stretch the legs.

Spend two nights in Healy at Nord Haven ($100 total) per night. Very nice place. Did not offer continental breakfast until the following week. Stayed in the annex which was very nice. My friends had rooms facing the parking lot which got the afternoon sun. The rooms were HOT. No air conditioning, but they were able to obtain a box fan. My room was facing the woods and it was refreshingly cool. Grabbed breakfast and lunch stuff at the local trailer/grocery/liquor store. Way expensive. My friends wouldn’t listen to me when I told them to stop in Wasilla and load up!!! Took the Toklat 8:00am shuttle. Shuttle was going further into the park the following week, even though the road was open. A moose was waiting for us in the parking lot. Great driver who shared his knowledge, more so if you asked him questions. Saw all wildlife (including giant mosquitos) that was offered. Not a cloud in the sky and McKinley was waiting to have her picture taken. Was way too hot in a sweatshirt. Drove back into the park later in the evening to relax by the Savage River and do a little rock climbing, since there are no snakes in Alaska. Stopped and played in the snow with a couple of kids from Singapore on the way back out. Fun to watch them in the snow for the first time. Ate at the Salmon Bake which was okay. Second night ate at the Crow’s Nest, which was their opening night. Service was not streamlined yet, but has a really good burger, with half-pound burgers (many types) and fries for $10. For Alaska standards, I considered that pretty good. Town was created totally for tourists. Just seemed out of place in Alaska.

Next day headed down to Seward. Rained some on the way. The drive along Turnagain Arm was very pretty. Keep your eyes out for sheep on the mountains. Stayed at the Breeze Inn ($100). If you stay here, I highly recommend you ask for the Annex. It is a separate building on the main drag that faces the small boat harbor. The major part of the motel is behind the annex and looks like the typical Motel 6. There is also quite a bit of construction, as they are adding on. Very hard finding a place to park. We loved our room in the Annex. We had a corner room on the 3rd floor with windows on both sides. This turned into a major gathering area for my group for the sightseeing alone. We all loved Seward. Visited Exit Glacier. I actually thought I would be able to get closer to the glacier, but they had a lot of ropes up. I guess that’s due to someone getting hit by falling ice last year. Bought a wonderful waterproof/fleece lined jacket at the Breeze Inn shop for $25. Best investment in Alaska. Wore it a lot. My husband surf fished for early salmon at Lowell’s point. After seeing him put on his waders, vest, net and add the tackle box, I finally figured out why his suitcase weighted 48 pounds! Unfortunately, no takers for the early salmon. Charter halibut fished on the Perseverance through the Fish House. All seventeen people got their limit of two halibut. The three largest went about 60 pounds apiece. Good thing I took my Dramamine. Was a three-hour boat ride out and back. Had fish shipped home, but took some of it to Apollo’s restaurant. This is a Mediterranean/Italian (yeah, sounds weird) restaurant. They sautéed the fish in Mediterranean spices and served in with a huge platter of fettuccini alfredo. I have to admit, this was our best meal of the entire trip, including the meals on the cruise. It was very cold and windy in Seward. Our last stop was at Safeway, where we bought a six-pack of wine (used the Carr’s customer card to save big $$$). Six bottles, including 3 liter bottles, cost $60. No one blinked an eye when we carried it on the ship. Also had my collapsible cooler full of soda and beer.

Back to Anchorage airport to turn in the van. Could not get a one-way rental on a van or Expedition. Had Limousine of Alaska pick us up at the airport in the limo-style conversion van with an enclosed trailer on the back for luggage ($360), then we were off to Whittier for phase 2 of our vacation. By this time we were really sleep deprived. In addition to a three hour time change, it’s just not normal to go to bed when the sun is still shining. Keep an eye out for Part 2 – my Coral Princess cruise review. Feel free to ask questions, as I did my share of asking over the past year.

[cjnky]

Anxiously awaiting "Part 2" :D

[4_THE_HALIBUT]

Cruise Review – We arrived at Whittier around 4:00pm. Embarkation was a breeze. Showed our passport, given our cruise card, went through security, had our picture taken, then on the ship we went. We were given the famous Alaska coupon book in the terminal. Upon entering the ship, we were given a ticket for the 5:30 dinner seating for this day only. This is determined by what time you arrive on the ship. No need the dress up, it’s come as you are. Found our room, Emerald 235. This was a covered balcony on the starboard side, about 1/3 of the way down from the front of the ship. We had three rooms together and were able to open the adjoining balcony doors. This was so nice, and we spent tons of time on the balcony. I am spoiled and will accept nothing else in the future. I have read on many posts about bringing a bungee cord for the balcony door and now I understood why. This is not for your sliding door, but for the connecting balcony doors! In the meantime, just used a rock we picked up in Denali to add to our rock garden to keep it open. Our room guy, who did his job and nothing else, asked that we close it when not in use to cut down on the wind. We loved the starboard side. We seemed to always have the afternoon sun. We were supposed to leave at 9:30pm, but were delayed about an hour. They took an older man off the ship on a stretcher and brought in a helicopter to transport him out. The Coral is just beautiful. We never felt it was crowded and I would recommend her to anyone. The only issues we had was the hard bed and pancake pillows, including the feather pillows we asked for. Also, during the last couple of days, the cabin hallway and the cabins had a sewer odor.

 

Day 2 was College Fjord. Can honestly say I did not wake up until we were through it, so I can’t tell you anything about it. The rest of the day was rough sailing-15 foot waves. Ship and dinner was pretty empty all day. Went to the late comedy show. Comedian was not good at all. At the end, he was heckled by someone in the audience, which I found totally unnecessary. Never saw his name on the show schedule again.

 

Day 3 was Glacier Bay. Just beautiful. Plan on spending the entire day outside i.e. wear long underwear. Ranger came aboard in the morning and gave a slide show in the theatre. Is also shown real-time on the television. Thanks to CC, spent time on the “secret” Caribe Deck. Pretty much had it to ourselves until we were close to the Marjorie Glacier. Then more people showed up. When the ship turned, we went back to our balcony as we had the perfect view. The ship stayed there for quite awhile and we were able to see calving three times. We spend the entire evening on our balcony with our binoculars. Loved the Zen-Rays. Only problem was getting them back from everyone who borrowed them “for just a minute”! Saw many whales, seals and even a bear with her two cubs on the shore. When we talked with others, they didn’t know what we were talking about. All you need to do is keep looking for the spray from the whale! They are out there. Seemed to be closer to shore, though, and definitely needed binoculars. Just an awesome day.

 

Day 4 was Skagway. Rented an SUV from Avis and drove to Emerald Lake (THANKS, MURRAY!! – wish my husband would have set the trip odometer!!). Words cannot describe the scenery. When people ask me what my favorite part of the trip was, this majesty always comes to my mind first. When you add in the history, it’s indescribable. The weather was beautiful and sunny. Wore a sweatshirt and added a vest going up the mountains. The town is definitely for tourists, but still is cute. My friends took the train and also enjoyed in immensely.

 

Day 5 was Juneau. Scheduled to take a helicopter glacier landing and was worried about the weather, but not a cloud in the sky. It was a T-shirt kind of day. Amazing when you look at the size of the town and think that everything has to be brought in by ship or plane. Went with Coastal and was very pleased. Landed on Taku Glacier. One of our friends was 8 pounds over the limit (probably should have done this before the cruise!) and had to pay an extra $100, even though there was an open seat on the helicopter. I always wanted to fly in a helicopter and thought this was my best chance. Great experience, but I doubt I would repeat it. Bummed around town the rest of day. Beautiful waterfront boardwalk. Went into a free-standing glacier soap store. Told the young lady I heard so much about their soap. She stated “let me guess – from Cruise Critic?”. I reminded her that word of mouth was the best advertising around.

 

Day 5 was Ketchikan. Another hot, sunny day, not that I’m complaining. My husband went fishing with Ken from Northern Lights. Had a blast. Caught a bunch of flounder, one halibut, and some rockfish. Had it shipped home. I am not a shopper, but spent the day bumming around. I loved the shops and scenery on Creek Street, especially Soho Coho. I always visit the galleries and buy from the locals. Plus you get the bonus of having some nice conversations, as the people working in the stores usually have a vested interest in making their customers happy. If you have the room and are interested in buying liquor, there is a duty free shop here is really, really cheap. Also, in the harbor, there is boat from the Discovery Channels series “Deadliest Catch”. Very interesting tour given by the actual captain. Friends rode the public bus for $1 from one end of the town to other. Even stopped at Saxman Village for awhile.

 

Day 6 was cruising through the narrows. Nothing special. Swam, played shuffleboard. Packed and hauled our bags up to the gym to weight. Did a little rearranging to keep them under 50 pounds and we were good to go.

 

Day 7 and time to head back to reality. Had an 11:00am flight. Was very disappointed we could not use US Direct. Our group was called at 7:45am, handing in our customs form in the terminal, boarded the bus, and was at the airport by 8:45. No problems finding our luggage. Got boarding passes, weighted suitcases, then it was on to Customs, where we proceeded to wait in line for over one hour. Keep in mind, we were the only ship in Canada Place that morning!! Breezed through security where we handed over our bags, and also the bottle of Alaskan beer that my husband failed to inform me he put in my backpack. Arrived at the gate (felt like a 3 mile walk) at 10:20am. We arrived home safe and sound. Our luggage decided to stay another day and was delivered to our home on Tuesday.

 

One of the most profound things that stick with me was a quote the park ranger gave. I don’t know who she was quoting, but it was along the lines “don’t go to Alaska until you are older, as all other trips will fail in comparison”. This is so true. Even though we spent almost two weeks in Alaska, we never felt we saw the same thing over and over. Everyplace was beautiful in it’s unique kind of way.

Observations: I loved going in May due to still having snow. Felt this added to the overall beauty of the scenery. Beside, you are in Alaska and it should be cold! When you are in port, buy soda from the soda machines. So much cheaper that the convenience stores and tourist shops. No issues taking beverages (in quantity) on board. Hard liquor was placed in soda or water bottles, depending on the color. Was charged a corkage fee for each bottle of wine in the dining room, but still cheaper than buying on the ship. I would definitely choose anytime dining in the future, as we could not pull ourselves away from the balcony and binoculars in the evening. We ended up eating in the dining room only three times. All other times was the buffet. I felt the food was okay, but nothing exceptional. Did have a great german buffet the night they served continental in the dining room. Enjoyed the burgers and hotdogs from the grill. With the exception of my room steward, the staff was outstanding. And I have to give major kudos to the dining room maitre de’ who graciously had our lobster dinners delivered to our room so we could eat on the balcony, watch for wildlife and not dress up for formal night.

 

Again, thanks to everyone for sharing all your experiences. I was concerned that I had learned too much from the boards and would dampen my anticipation of the unknown, but you can never anticipate what mother nature has in store for you.

[LarryF]

Great Review! I have my own review going on the board from our Sapphire Princess Cruise and land tour as well.

 

I cannot agree with you more about the drive to Emeral Lake! Wasn't the scenery the most beautiful thing you've ever seen! I wonder if it's as beautiful when all the snow melts and the ice melts on the rivers?

 

Sorry you missed College Fjord as the scenery by Harvard and Yale Glaciers was phenonminal and maybe more beautiful than Glacier Bay!

 

Glad you had such great weather in the three ports. We had wonderful weather as well.

 

Larry

[qiangf2]

It is one of the best reviews I have ever seen.. so much detailed information. Now I am getting really greedy, what about pictures? :) ;). Thank you so much

[nextelcup]

"When you are in port, buy soda from the soda machines. So much cheaper that the convenience stores and tourist shops."

 

Thanks for this tip...we leave tomorrow a.m. for 3 day land, then 7 day cruise on the Coral. Question for you regarding the soda machines....where are they usually located in the ports? THX!

Your review was EXCELLENT....easy to read and organized, a lot of things future cruisers would want to know. (I even picked up a few more tips to add to my notes before leaving tomorrow!)

[cjnky]

I have to give major kudos to the dining room maitre de’ who graciously had our lobster dinners delivered to our room so we could eat on the balcony, watch for wildlife and not dress up for formal night.

 

Can you share how you managed to do that? That sounds like my kind of livin'!! :D

[krish2]

Really enjoyed your review! So glad you mentioned that you toured the "Deadliest Catch" boat in Ketchikan. I've been trying to find out if the SeaStar had arrived in Ketchikan. How much did the tour cost? Was there a gift shop on board? Where is it located? And last but not least, is it walking distance from cruise ship docks (for relatively fit people...)

Thank you for posting your review!

[4_THE_HALIBUT]

Have to admit, I took my time in writing my review on a word document, then copied and pasted on the forum. Here are my replies:

 

Pictures - I took two 1 gig cards, an Advantix panoramix and a second waterproof camera for my the fishing trips. So far I have view the digitals on the television and I just dropped off my film. They make great memories, but there's no way they can give you the full image of how wonderful things are. And with the recent picture posted (especially the glacier and eagle!), mine look like an amateur.

 

Soda machines - are all over the ports. Cost was between $1.25 and $1.50. In the T-shirt shops and convenience stores, they were between $2.00 and $2.50 :eek: .

 

Lobster :D - took alot of begging on my husbands part (whining was probably more like it, we're old, we're tired, etc.) and a $30 tip (after agreeing to provide-only $10 bucks a couple-would have paid more if I needed to). He was a real nice guy. Hope I don't start a trend!

 

SeaStar - great deal. Didn't cost a penny. I think they were just about getting ready to open. Captain took us aboard and gave a personal tour, gratis. Yes, they do have a gift shop. I love the show, but have a totally new appreciation for the crew after hearing the stories. Captain looked very weathered, even though he was a relatively young guy. You soon find out why. On the boardwalk in Juneau, right by the salmon smokery (sp?), there is a memorial to those lost at sea. Very frightening how young they were. Where we were docked (just right of the new dock under construction), there is a harbor on your right. You can see the boat from the ship. You'll also see a bunch of rental john-boats. I really stumbled upon it when I was taking pictures of the harbor and had no idea it was there. I'm sure it will become the newest "thing to see". I would have gladly paid for the tour.

[qiangf2]

"When you are in port, buy soda from the soda machines. So much cheaper that the convenience stores and tourist shops."

 

Thanks for this tip...we leave tomorrow a.m. for 3 day land, then 7 day cruise on the Coral. Question for you regarding the soda machines....where are they usually located in the ports? THX!

 

Your review was EXCELLENT....easy to read and organized, a lot of things future cruisers would want to know. (I even picked up a few more tips to add to my notes before leaving tomorrow!)

 

nextelcup, have a great trip! we cannot wait to see your trip report..

[laurachr]

i was interested in your land touring. i tried counting up, did you have 4 or 5 nights in AK before boarding? and was that enough time? we are planning a similar trip for next year. i want to go to Denali and Kenai. can it be done in 4 nights?

[umma]

laurachr,

Let me start by telling you that we did the Denali to Copper River tour before boarding the Coral Princess. We arrived Anchorage from Michigan via Houston, a total of about 14 hours on planes and sitting in airports our first day. We got about 4 hours of sleep the first night. Had to be at the train station by 7:30 for a 8 hr. ride to Denali. By the time we arrived Denali, we were ready to just relax. The next day we had to be up and ready for our NHT tour by 7:30 also. The following day was a 9 hour ride to Copper River by bus, on the Denali Highway, which is a dirt road. The bathroom on the bus couldn't keep water in it so we were forced to either use the facility as is, (smelled terrible) or wait for a rest stop, which were few and far between. After 9 hours on the bus, we arrived Copper River and didn't feel like doing much of anything. The next day was an excursion. The following day, on a bus again to Valdez to catch our catarmaran to Whittier to board the Coral. I would suggest that you talk to Princess about the amount of time involved in your trip from Denali to Kenai. I would think that 4 nights is not enough for what you want.

[cruisin2alaska]

Really enjoyed your review! So glad you mentioned that you toured the "Deadliest Catch" boat in Ketchikan. I've been trying to find out if the SeaStar had arrived in Ketchikan. How much did the tour cost? Was there a gift shop on board? Where is it located? And last but not least, is it walking distance from cruise ship docks (for relatively fit people...)

Thank you for posting your review!

 

Love that show! Here's the link you're looking for:

 

http://www.seastartours.com/

 

I've heard the tour costs around $20 dollars.

[krish2]

Thank you 4-The_Halibut for your response. And thank you cruisin2alaska. I have checked the SeaStar website but it's seems incomplete and was not specific about when the ship would actually arrive in Ketchikan. Now that I know it's there I will definitely be checking it out on Wednesday. I can't wait!!

[qiangf2]

Have to admit, I took my time in writing my review on a word document, then copied and pasted on the forum. Here are my replies:

 

That's something I learnt in a hard way too... Spent hours typying up some reviews, then the CC boards acted up and none of the post ever showed up.. After that, I use word processor to typed up first. BTW, great review, I printed it out as a reference too..

[calbob]

Halibut, the passenger van you rented, how many passengers did it hold, 6 or 8. As we are thinking of renting a van and driving but can't find one big enough for 8 to 10 passengers depending on our group and who goes...

 

Thanks

CALBOB

[4_THE_HALIBUT]

There were 6 of us, but with the "limo" style seating, it can accommodate eight. Just make sure they attach the trailer. There is also room under the seats for fragile items (i.e. refreshments) and purses.

[ecpc1302]

Great review. Thank you for sharing, we are leaving in 5 more weeks, can hardly wait.

Elsie:cool:

[qiangf2]

Day 3 was Glacier Bay. Just beautiful. Plan on spending the entire day outside i.e. wear long underwear. Ranger came aboard in the morning and gave a slide show in the theatre. Is also shown real-time on the television. Thanks to CC, spent time on the “secret” Caribe Deck. Pretty much had it to ourselves until we were close to the Marjorie Glacier. Then more people showed up. When the ship turned, we went back to our balcony as we had the perfect view. The ship stayed there for quite awhile and we were able to see calving three times. We spend the entire evening on our balcony with our binoculars. Loved the Zen-Rays. Only problem was getting them back from everyone who borrowed them “for just a minute”! Saw many whales, seals and even a bear with her two cubs on the shore. When we talked with others, they didn’t know what we were talking about. All you need to do is keep looking for the spray from the whale! They are out there. Seemed to be closer to shore, though, and definitely needed binoculars. Just an awesome day.

 

Day 4 was Skagway. Rented an SUV from Avis and drove to Emerald Lake (THANKS, MURRAY!! – wish my husband would have set the trip odometer!!). Words cannot describe the scenery. When people ask me what my favorite part of the trip was, this majesty always comes to my mind first. When you add in the history, it’s indescribable. The weather was beautiful and sunny. Wore a sweatshirt and added a vest going up the mountains. The town is definitely for tourists, but still is cute. My friends took the train and also enjoyed in immensely.

 

 

Does Avis in Skagway have any mini van available while you were there?Last there, they don't have any and we have to rent from another company. thanks!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wonderful review!! Thanks for taking the time to write it.

[Budget Queen]

Nice review.

 

For information, Ketchikan Tongass store at the dock has 6 packs of soda for $3. So this is cheaper than most machines. Walmart was cheaper still, but have to pick up the dock shuttle or take the city bus.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Thanks for posting your review--really enjoyed it.

 

Jayne

[noobiecruiser]

Thanks for the review! I'm getting ants in my pants waiting for my turn on the Coral.

[dhmom99]

Day 3 was Glacier Bay. Just beautiful. Plan on spending the entire day outside i.e. wear long underwear. Ranger came aboard in the morning and gave a slide show in the theatre. Is also shown real-time on the television. Thanks to CC, spent time on the “secret” Caribe Deck. Pretty much had it to ourselves until we were close to the Marjorie Glacier. Then more people showed up. When the ship turned, we went back to our balcony as we had the perfect view. The ship stayed there for quite awhile and we were able to see calving three times. We spend the entire evening on our balcony with our binoculars. Loved the Zen-Rays. Only problem was getting them back from everyone who borrowed them “for just a minute”! Saw many whales, seals and even a bear with her two cubs on the shore. When we talked with others, they didn’t know what we were talking about. All you need to do is keep looking for the spray from the whale! They are out there. Seemed to be closer to shore, though, and definitely needed binoculars. Just an awesome day.

 

I am going to Hubbard glacier's. Now I am wondering how close can ship get to the glaicers. Is Glacier bay a better choice?