Alaskan Princess Coral Cruisetour Long Review 6/14-26

[fsugator]

First off, we had an amazing time celebrating our 10 year anniversary. We are very active and in are mid 30's. We loved Alaska very much. Such a beautiful state. Princess did an amazing job with the cruise and tour.

 

We flew into Vancouver a day before our cruise and stayed at Sutton Place Hotel. Love the location downtown, close to restaurants, shops, and local landmarks. We ate at Kingston's Tap-house and Grill. Excellent! The salmon sandwich was the best I ever had (then again I'm from the south). DH loved his steak. The service was great and the manager was very welcoming and down to earth. He treated us to the best dessert which was the chocolate lava cake. We highly recommend this local pub. Hotel was nice but noisy at night and early morning due to the location downtown. My husband took this day to explore Stanley Park by foot and loved every step.

 

Embarkation - We left the hotel and 11:15 and we were in our room by 11:45. No lines, very smooth process. Cab fair was about 13 Canadian dollars. We checkout out our cabin (D314) and went to the Horizon court. Not busy. Then went to our room and sat on the balcony watching the people on the pier watching us, enjoying the view, and the watching sea planes landing and taking off. We left port late due to a late bus arrival, around 5:15pm. Had dinner at the buffet, nothing spectacular, but not horrible either. Went to bed early.

 

Sea Day 1 - I was up at 3:30, ran 5 miles on the promenade deck enjoying the beautiful scenery and the fact that only 1 other person was on the deck. (I did this every morning but as the week went on the time got later, I'm used to being up at 7:30 in Florida with my kids, this is also why I went to be at 8:30-9:00 in Alaska). We at at the Horizon court every morning about 5:30 when they opened. This was nice because it wasn't very busy and we got to sit at the front of the ship and watch as we went into port. The rest of the day we sat on the balcony and relaxed. I also went to the gym later on in the day. It was pretty crowded but I was able to get some exercise in. We went to the Anytime dining room for formal night and sat at a table of eight. The food and conversation were great. Went to bed, didn't go to any shows.

 

Ketchikan Day 2 - Same morning routine. Left boat as soon as we were allowed (about 6:30). If your active and can handle uphill hikes, and don't care for any of the excursions offered you can hike through creek street, do married mans trail, then up to deer mountain trail. We did this very early and it was beautiful. There were waterfalls, streams, the forest was still misty, and we saw only one other person coming off the trail. Warning: the sidewalk to get to this trail head is steep! But you get to really see the city neighborhoods. We even passed a house with a little farm with donkeys, miniature horses and goats :) Got back to the ship, enjoyed the pool and hot tub, sat on the balcony as we left port. Ate at the Horizon Court for lunch and dinner.

 

Juneau Day 3 - We had the Bike and Brew excursion planned around 9:15. Wish they could have offered it earlier because I had been up since 4:00 and it just felt like we were waiting around forever. But that's my problem not theirs. The tour guides were young but very knowledgeable about the town and wildlife. They provided gear, water and a short lesson on the brakes and rules. We thoroughly enjoyed the bike ride, it wasn't grueling but it was good exercise. The 3 sites we stopped at were breathtaking. At the 2nd stop they provided hot drinks (instant coffee, hot chocolate, and tea) and snacks (granola bars, breakfast bars, natural gummies). The last stop was Mendenhall Glacier. Amazing! We had plenty of time to enjoy it and take pictures before our transport to Alaskan Brewing company. We did not have enough time to hike any of the trails which was a little disappointing but we got our fix throughout the trip. The brewing company was small but DH loved it. I accidentally took the glass with me. Ooops! We ate at Sabatinis that night to celebrate our anniversary. Very good, tons of high quality food and worth the price. We had reservations for 6:30 when they opened. They offered me seconds on the brie when I asked.

 

Skagway Day 3 - We left the ship as soon as possible to explore and find a good trail head. We went to the rangers station as soon as they opened and retrieved a map. We hiked up to Little Dewey Lake. Terrain was a little steep and rocky. Hiking sticks were of good use. There were breathtaking views of the little city all along the trail. Mosquitoes were vicious around the lake (deet along with long clothing was helpful). Once we finished that trail we decided to veer off onto another one toward lower lake/ice straight. About a 1/4 mile in we saw little bear tracks in the mud along with big bear tracks. Took pictures of them and turned around. Since it was only the 2 of us we knew it would not be safe. Went back to the ranger station and showed him the pictures for verification. He agreed and said we did the right thing. I went back to the ship and DH went on the White Pass Train. He loved it. We ate at the Buffet for dinner, no shows.

 

Glacier Bay Day 4 - Beautiful day! Narrator was great. Saw an orca, a pod of 3 humpback whales, sea otters, bald eagles, puffins, and seals. Also the calving at one the glaciers was active, loud, and thunderous. We were very lucky to catch on our video camera. They had a buffet on the deck which was good. DH liked the fish and crab cakes. Also, DH bought the scenic guide on the first day and he read it everyday. He said it was very helpful.

Sea Day 5 - It was a little overcast and misty throughout the day. A very relaxing day over all. Not much to say about the day. A great day to enjoy the ship. We utilized the jacuzzi early in the morning and sat on the covered deck to enjoy a book and the scenery. The formal night was very busy at the anytime dining. We waited about 1 hour to have a table for two. This was also the lobster night. Our waiter gave my husband another order of lobster. He offered one to me but I declined.

 

College Fjord Day 6 - More rainy and overcast. We still enjoyed the narration of the glaciers and wildlife. It may have been on this day we saw the humpbacks. They were beautiful and very close to the ship. I was on the covered deck at the time and my husband was on our balcony catching them on video to show our kids upon return. There was a pastry extravaganza on the lido deck. It was raining but they had it under the covered section. Packing occurred throughout the day. Luggage was out before dinner. We ate at the buffet.

 

Cruise Tour Day 1 - Disembarktation was a breeze for us since we were boarding the train. We waited in the dining room after eating in the buffet when they opened. I actually had some things from room service I ordered the morning prior and put in the fridge (yogurt, fruit, and cereal). I did however go up and get some eggs. There was a covered breezeway for most of the way to the entrance of the train. The ride was 5 hours to Talkeetna and we had a great tour guide on the train. We saw a moose and some doll sheep. When we got into the small town of Talkeetna we went straight to Mountain High Pizza Pie and got a few slices of the Reindeer pizza. It was pricey but very good. Then we went to the shop across the street and got a few of their famous raspberry cinnamon rolls to eat later. The McKinley lodge was beautiful. I was up running the little paved roads both mornings around 4:15. Then I would go to the coffee shop and get coffee and a banana. We very seldom would eat breakfast at these lodges. We brought some cliff bars and nuts to snack on. I did splurge on the fresh fruit. $1.50 for a banana, orange, or apple!

 

Land Tour Day 2 - Still at McKinley Lodge. The mountain did not come out this day either. It was still overcast and raining. We had a Day Hike excursion planned (Denali Wilderness Hike). It was fun, but wet, muddy and cold. They provided as much gear as you needed. Along with a substantial lunch and snacks. The group we were with ranged from 30 to early 60. Everyone had a great pace and the views were spectacular. We hiked to a certain place with a great surrounding view and ate our lunch. They we hiked back down. We ate at the Lodge Bar that evening. The salmon salad was yummy.

 

Land Tour Day 3 - We had a coach to Denali Lodge. He was nice and told us the great story of the local trail dredger and Summit climber Dan (?). Very entertaining story and I'm going to buy the book for my dad for his birthday. When we got to Denali Lodge we went to our room (it wasn't cleaned yet because we had arrived a little early but they did it immediately). While waiting for them to clean the room we went across the street to the restaurant Salmon Bake. Great place, very good and the service is great. We highly recommend at least one trip to this restaurant. Our room was ready and we had a great view of the mountains and river. After we put our bags in our room DH took the bus over to the National Park and saw the sled dog demo. He also walked around the visitor center which he enjoyed. We opted out of the History tour about a month prior without reimbursement because I couldn't stand the though of being on a school bus for 5 hours after already being on a 2 hour bus ride. Also we heard the only wildlife they saw as a squirrel :( After the rain started to subside I did a little exploring for the next mornings jog. I asked some employees and locals if they knew of a good trail, they were helpful. I took the lodge trail to the road the goes to the entrance of the National park. There are some marked trail-heads about 1/4 mile before you get to that road. The paved trail from behind the hotel to the road has breathtaking scenery. I highly recommend you take this stroll. You can also follow a branch of it down underneath the second bridge to the river beach. There was still un-melted snow under the bridge and you can get some great pictures here.

 

Land Tour Day 3 - DH went to the Music Theater at Denali Lodge for their buffet breakfast and presentation. He loved this. The buffet was only $14 and the food was great. He talked to the local who presented a slide-show and tidbits from his life when he climbed the Denali summit a few times. He also recommended that we go to the National Park and climb the Mt. Healy Overlook trail to get a glimpse of the Denali summit since the mountain was covered while we were at McKinley Lodge. So that's what we did before we had to board our train at the Park entrance train station at 3:15. This was our favorite hike of the trip. It was free and beautiful. However it was very strenuous! We had to stop a few times to catch our breath and rest but every time we stopped we were snapping pictures of our surrounding. On our way up we only saw one other couple as they were coming down. Once we got to the top we did see the Summit! It was far away but because it was such a clear day she was out and shimmering. I bet McKinley lodge that day was in AWE! The climb down at first was very difficult because there were many rocks and steep descents but as we got further down it got much easier. We had lunch at the onsite cafe. While DH went back to the lodge to get his checked backpack I sat at the coffee shop, drank coffee, had a scone and read a book. Then we boarded the train and headed to Fairbanks. We sat with the same couple on this train too. When we got to Fairbanks it was a 15 minute ride to the Lodge. We were surprised with a king suite the had 3 large windows overlooking the river. Hotel was nice and roomy. It was late so DH got a hamburger from downstairs and I went to bed.

 

Last Day We had nothing planned this day so we stayed at the hotel until 11 checkout. Oh and the fruit at this hotel 2$ for a banana! DH checked his backpack and we walked 3 miles to the movie theatre. (silly me wore flip-flops! What was I thinking?) We watched a movie then walked back 3 miles. It was great because we really got to see the town. A little observation. We saw at least 5 drunks (12 pm) during our walk. One I saw passed out a few times while standing in line at the concession stand at the theatre, they had to call 911. That was a little interesting. We heard that Alaska has one of the highest rates of alcoholism but didn't really think about it until that day. We went back to the hotel, had an early dinner at the pub restaurant and waited for our transfer to the airport at 6pm. Our plane left at 8:45pm. Long trip back to Orlando.

 

Long review but I hope it's helpful. Any questions just ask. We are planning to take a kids in a few years when they are old enough to appreciate it's beauty.

[JNCRUISEBUMS]

First off, we had an amazing time celebrating our 10 year anniversary. We are very active and in are mid 30's. We loved Alaska very much. Such a beautiful state. Princess did an amazing job with the cruise and tour.

 

We flew into Vancouver a day before our cruise and stayed at Sutton Place Hotel. Love the location downtown, close to restaurants, shops, and local landmarks. We ate at Kingston's Tap-house and Grill. Excellent! The salmon sandwich was the best I ever had (then again I'm from the south). DH loved his steak. The service was great and the manager was very welcoming and down to earth. He treated us to the best dessert which was the chocolate lava cake. We highly recommend this local pub. Hotel was nice but noisy at night and early morning due to the location downtown. My husband took this day to explore Stanley Park by foot and loved every step.

 

Embarkation - We left the hotel and 11:15 and we were in our room by 11:45. No lines, very smooth process. Cab fair was about 13 Canadian dollars. We checkout out our cabin (D314) and went to the Horizon court. Not busy. Then went to our room and sat on the balcony watching the people on the pier watching us, enjoying the view, and the watching sea planes landing and taking off. We left port late due to a late bus arrival, around 5:15pm. Had dinner at the buffet, nothing spectacular, but not horrible either. Went to bed early.

 

Sea Day 1 - I was up at 3:30, ran 5 miles on the promenade deck enjoying the beautiful scenery and the fact that only 1 other person was on the deck. (I did this every morning but as the week went on the time got later, I'm used to being up at 7:30 in Florida with my kids, this is also why I went to be at 8:30-9:00 in Alaska). We at at the Horizon court every morning about 5:30 when they opened. This was nice because it wasn't very busy and we got to sit at the front of the ship and watch as we went into port. The rest of the day we sat on the balcony and relaxed. I also went to the gym later on in the day. It was pretty crowded but I was able to get some exercise in. We went to the Anytime dining room for formal night and sat at a table of eight. The food and conversation were great. Went to bed, didn't go to any shows.

 

Ketchikan Day 2 - Same morning routine. Left boat as soon as we were allowed (about 6:30). If your active and can handle uphill hikes, and don't care for any of the excursions offered you can hike through creek street, do married mans trail, then up to deer mountain trail. We did this very early and it was beautiful. There were waterfalls, streams, the forest was still misty, and we saw only one other person coming off the trail. Warning: the sidewalk to get to this trail head is steep! But you get to really see the city neighborhoods. We even passed a house with a little farm with donkeys, miniature horses and goats :) Got back to the ship, enjoyed the pool and hot tub, sat on the balcony as we left port. Ate at the Horizon Court for lunch and dinner.

 

Juneau Day 3 - We had the Bike and Brew excursion planned around 9:15. Wish they could have offered it earlier because I had been up since 4:00 and it just felt like we were waiting around forever. But that's my problem not theirs. The tour guides were young but very knowledgeable about the town and wildlife. They provided gear, water and a short lesson on the brakes and rules. We thoroughly enjoyed the bike ride, it wasn't grueling but it was good exercise. The 3 sites we stopped at were breathtaking. At the 2nd stop they provided hot drinks (instant coffee, hot chocolate, and tea) and snacks (granola bars, breakfast bars, natural gummies). The last stop was Mendenhall Glacier. Amazing! We had plenty of time to enjoy it and take pictures before our transport to Alaskan Brewing company. We did not have enough time to hike any of the trails which was a little disappointing but we got our fix throughout the trip. The brewing company was small but DH loved it. I accidentally took the glass with me. Ooops! We ate at Sabatinis that night to celebrate our anniversary. Very good, tons of high quality food and worth the price. We had reservations for 6:30 when they opened. They offered me seconds on the brie when I asked.

 

Skagway Day 3 - We left the ship as soon as possible to explore and find a good trail head. We went to the rangers station as soon as they opened and retrieved a map. We hiked up to Little Dewey Lake. Terrain was a little steep and rocky. Hiking sticks were of good use. There were breathtaking views of the little city all along the trail. Mosquitoes were vicious around the lake (deet along with long clothing was helpful). Once we finished that trail we decided to veer off onto another one toward lower lake/ice straight. About a 1/4 mile in we saw little bear tracks in the mud along with big bear tracks. Took pictures of them and turned around. Since it was only the 2 of us we knew it would not be safe. Went back to the ranger station and showed him the pictures for verification. He agreed and said we did the right thing. I went back to the ship and DH went on the White Pass Train. He loved it. We ate at the Buffet for dinner, no shows.

 

Glacier Bay Day 4 - Beautiful day! Narrator was great. Saw an orca, a pod of 3 humpback whales, sea otters, bald eagles, puffins, and seals. Also the calving at one the glaciers was active, loud, and thunderous. We were very lucky to catch on our video camera. They had a buffet on the deck which was good. DH liked the fish and crab cakes. Also, DH bought the scenic guide on the first day and he read it everyday. He said it was very helpful.

 

Sea Day 5 - It was a little overcast and misty throughout the day. A very relaxing day over all. Not much to say about the day. A great day to enjoy the ship. We utilized the jacuzzi early in the morning and sat on the covered deck to enjoy a book and the scenery. The formal night was very busy at the anytime dining. We waited about 1 hour to have a table for two. This was also the lobster night. Our waiter gave my husband another order of lobster. He offered one to me but I declined.

 

College Fjord Day 6 - More rainy and overcast. We still enjoyed the narration of the glaciers and wildlife. It may have been on this day we saw the humpbacks. They were beautiful and very close to the ship. I was on the covered deck at the time and my husband was on our balcony catching them on video to show our kids upon return. There was a pastry extravaganza on the lido deck. It was raining but they had it under the covered section. Packing occurred throughout the day. Luggage was out before dinner. We ate at the buffet.

 

Cruise Tour Day 1 - Disembarktation was a breeze for us since we were boarding the train. We waited in the dining room after eating in the buffet when they opened. I actually had some things from room service I ordered the morning prior and put in the fridge (yogurt, fruit, and cereal). I did however go up and get some eggs. There was a covered breezeway for most of the way to the entrance of the train. The ride was 5 hours to Talkeetna and we had a great tour guide on the train. We saw a moose and some doll sheep. When we got into the small town of Talkeetna we went straight to Mountain High Pizza Pie and got a few slices of the Reindeer pizza. It was pricey but very good. Then we went to the shop across the street and got a few of their famous raspberry cinnamon rolls to eat later. The McKinley lodge was beautiful. I was up running the little paved roads both mornings around 4:15. Then I would go to the coffee shop and get coffee and a banana. We very seldom would eat breakfast at these lodges. We brought some cliff bars and nuts to snack on. I did splurge on the fresh fruit. $1.50 for a banana, orange, or apple!

 

Land Tour Day 2 - Still at McKinley Lodge. The mountain did not come out this day either. It was still overcast and raining. We had a Day Hike excursion planned (Denali Wilderness Hike). It was fun, but wet, muddy and cold. They provided as much gear as you needed. Along with a substantial lunch and snacks. The group we were with ranged from 30 to early 60. Everyone had a great pace and the views were spectacular. We hiked to a certain place with a great surrounding view and ate our lunch. They we hiked back down. We ate at the Lodge Bar that evening. The salmon salad was yummy.

 

Land Tour Day 3 - We had a coach to Denali Lodge. He was nice and told us the great story of the local trail dredger and Summit climber Dan (?). Very entertaining story and I'm going to buy the book for my dad for his birthday. When we got to Denali Lodge we went to our room (it wasn't cleaned yet because we had arrived a little early but they did it immediately). While waiting for them to clean the room we went across the street to the restaurant Salmon Bake. Great place, very good and the service is great. We highly recommend at least one trip to this restaurant. Our room was ready and we had a great view of the mountains and river. After we put our bags in our room DH took the bus over to the National Park and saw the sled dog demo. He also walked around the visitor center which he enjoyed. We opted out of the History tour about a month prior without reimbursement because I couldn't stand the though of being on a school bus for 5 hours after already being on a 2 hour bus ride. Also we heard the only wildlife they saw as a squirrel :( After the rain started to subside I did a little exploring for the next mornings jog. I asked some employees and locals if they knew of a good trail, they were helpful. I took the lodge trail to the road the goes to the entrance of the National park. There are some marked trail-heads about 1/4 mile before you get to that road. The paved trail from behind the hotel to the road has breathtaking scenery. I highly recommend you take this stroll. You can also follow a branch of it down underneath the second bridge to the river beach. There was still un-melted snow under the bridge and you can get some great pictures here.

 

Land Tour Day 3 - DH went to the Music Theater at Denali Lodge for their buffet breakfast and presentation. He loved this. The buffet was only $14 and the food was great. He talked to the local who presented a slide-show and tidbits from his life when he climbed the Denali summit a few times. He also recommended that we go to the National Park and climb the Mt. Healy Overlook trail to get a glimpse of the Denali summit since the mountain was covered while we were at McKinley Lodge. So that's what we did before we had to board our train at the Park entrance train station at 3:15. This was our favorite hike of the trip. It was free and beautiful. However it was very strenuous! We had to stop a few times to catch our breath and rest but every time we stopped we were snapping pictures of our surrounding. On our way up we only saw one other couple as they were coming down. Once we got to the top we did see the Summit! It was far away but because it was such a clear day she was out and shimmering. I bet McKinley lodge that day was in AWE! The climb down at first was very difficult because there were many rocks and steep descents but as we got further down it got much easier. We had lunch at the onsite cafe. While DH went back to the lodge to get his checked backpack I sat at the coffee shop, drank coffee, had a scone and read a book. Then we boarded the train and headed to Fairbanks. We sat with the same couple on this train too. When we got to Fairbanks it was a 15 minute ride to the Lodge. We were surprised with a king suite the had 3 large windows overlooking the river. Hotel was nice and roomy. It was late so DH got a hamburger from downstairs and I went to bed.

 

Last Day We had nothing planned this day so we stayed at the hotel until 11 checkout. Oh and the fruit at this hotel 2$ for a banana! DH checked his backpack and we walked 3 miles to the movie theatre. (silly me wore flip-flops! What was I thinking?) We watched a movie then walked back 3 miles. It was great because we really got to see the town. A little observation. We saw at least 5 drunks (12 pm) during our walk. One I saw passed out a few times while standing in line at the concession stand at the theatre, they had to call 911. That was a little interesting. We heard that Alaska has one of the highest rates of alcoholism but didn't really think about it until that day. We went back to the hotel, had an early dinner at the pub restaurant and waited for our transfer to the airport at 6pm. Our plane left at 8:45pm. Long trip back to Orlando.

 

Long review but I hope it's helpful. Any questions just ask. We are planning to take a kids in a few years when they are old enough to appreciate it's beauty.

Thanks for your great review! We are also staying at the Sutton Place Hotel, is it far from Gastown and Chinatown and any other recomendations for us??? Thanks so much! Nancie

[fsugator]

Nancie,

 

Entrance to Stanley - 1 mile - about 15 min. walk.

Gastown - by pier (Canada Place) -opposite direction of Stanley Park, about 20 min. walk.

Chinatown - about a 10 minute walk past Gastown.

 

My husband enjoyed Gastown as well. He said he did not go to China town. He was gone from about 4:30-9:00. He walked everywhere, including all around Stanley Park Road (about 6 miles), then down to the pier and Gastown. He said it was great since he had been sitting on a plane all day. It does not get dark until late (11:00pm) so it was safe and beautiful.

 

There is a small "fresh market" store a few blocks from Sutton Place. You can buy your breakfast for the morning (fresh fruit, pastries, etc) if you don't want to eat at the expensive restaraunt on site. We did this because we knew we were going to go to the ship early and eat lunch around noonish when we embarked.

 

Sutton place has a little coffee shop downstairs to the left of the check in counter. They serve specialty coffess, pastries, fresh fruit, snacks and as well as "things you forget" items. ie. travel size medications, lotions, shampoo, toothpast etc. and magazines, newspapers. They also have a small but completely equipped gym. I didn't use the indoor pool or laundry room but I know they have them within the hotel.

 

There are so many restaraunts in that area, my advice would be to do a little research before you go and find local restaraunts close to the hotel that get good reviews. I brought about 4 address' of different types of restaraunts so we would have a choice. I also found some breakfast places on line that got good reviews. However we did not use them. I used trip advisor restaurant review because it gives you the map as well.

 

Hope this helps, have a great time.

[robert32asp]

In Sept Dear W and I will be starting in Fairbanks on a similar Princess Cruise/Tour. I was hoping you would share a few ideas

 

We would like to do some "gentle" hiking near both the Denali and Mt McKinley Princess lodges. Would prefer to not go with a guide. By gentle, I mean no extreme elevation gains and no rock or scree scrambling; prefer earth path along say a river or ridge without bare-log river crossings or huge drop-offs next to trail (wife is afraid of heights). I was hoping for a hike near the entrance to the Denali Park and a couple of 2 to 3 hour round trip hikes when at the Mt McKinley Princess lodges, where we have the most free time.

 

Any suggestions or suggestions as to how to find such hikes? Park Rangers, hotel front desk, or hotel staff?

 

Thanks

[fsugator]

Denali National park (by Denali Lodge) has many trails with different levels of difficulty. Take the hotel free shuttle to the visitor center and ask for a trail map at the desk. The park rangers there are very helpful. You will love the National park. There is certainley a few trails perfect for you two.

 

At the Mc kinley Lodge you will need to visit the park ranger desk across from the check in/ registration desk. The lodge is closer to the Denali State park but you will need some form of transportation. The lodge itself has short trails surrounding it's lodge but they are at the longest 1/2 mile. My husband said the rangers were very informative at both hotels.

 

Hope this helps. Have a great time and don't wear bear bells when you hike. They actually attract them. If it's just you and your wife and in the morning just sing out loud before you turn corners or make lots of noise. Ask the rangers. They can give you great tips when it comes to moose and bear.

[robert32asp]

Thank you that is exactly what I needed to know.

[LoriPhil]

Re Sutton Place - we really enjoyed our stay two years ago - lovely hotel and very nice staff. Ask for a room distant from the elevators or you may be serenaded by swooshes through the night.

[psyfi]

What "scenic guide" did you purchase that you liked?