So on the fourth day at sea (or is it the ocean?) on the family Alaska cruise vacation, it was a sailing day. Not much happened that day. We just vegged out. I think after all the excitement of the last few days and all the exercise from walking (we just explored every nook and cranny of each Alaskan port of call!) I was just tired. So far me, it was sleep. I know that sounds really boring but it wasn't like what you see on the Love Boat. Going outside was cold! You can't swim in the outdoor pool for the same reason. People did go into the heated jacuzzis but mostly at night.
I really didn't do the spa thing or any of that stuff. I think the entertainment on the cruise was good. They had the Star Princess singers and dancers and I thought their production numbers were great. They had a Motown night and also a Movie theme night. Not bad at all.
The special guests they brought on were also good. Some of the entertainment they tailor it to an older retired crowd. However, apart from the lounge singer and this banjo player, which wasn't my thing, it was okay. I thought this magician they had on was really good and his comedy magic set was actually better than another comedian which I guess was the "star performer" of the cruise. I won't out him but the comedian that was on board I actually saw on the Late Show! So that speaks to the quality of the magician if his schtick was actually better entertainment than the pro comedian.
In any case, it always brings to mind what Simon Cowell from American Idol says about cruise entertainers. There is a cheesy factor about it but hey, it works! I think the deal is to entertain people so you put on this happy go lucky performance. I didn't see any of my shipmates complaining on this Alaska cruise tour.
Juneau, Alaska Port of Call
So back to my story on my family Alaska cruise tour. Next stop was Juneau which is the capital of Alaska. I was very much looking to getting to Juneau because this was the only Alaska port of call that we had officially signed up to go on excursion. We had already decided we would save money on our own exploring but this one we couldn't pass up. We had signed up for a photo safari in Juneau. I mean, after all, you can read all you want in tour books about the history and where to go, but here was a professional photographer that will take you out to give you advice on the where to take the best shots. But much to our disappointment, it got canceled due to the weather. Who knew that Juneau was part of a rain forest?!
In any case, a packaged tour to go to the Mendenhall Glacier and the Macaulay Hatchery was still on so we went to that instead. I think we saved over 150 dollars per person but that's not the point. It's the experience of a life time to see all the nature Juneau had to offer so that was really disappointing. It was cloudy and damp so the glacier wasn't that spectacular as you see in pictures when it's spring in full bloom. Still, it's one of those things where you say, I was there.
After the Mendenhall Glacier, it was off to the Macaulay Hatchery. It was a nice salmon hatchery because they had this circular tank which was impressive. I also bought some salmon jerky from the gift shop... Some things you just shouldn't make into jerky and I'll leave it at that.
After the tour ended, it was still raining and our other tour mates went back to the ship. However, my family and I went all over the place exploring Juneau. We must have taken pictures of every significant landmark of Juneau even on such a cold and dreary day.
So despite the fact that we didn't get to see Juneau like we wanted, at least we made the best of our family Alaska cruise vacation!
In any case, a packaged tour to go to the Mendenhall Glacier and the Macaulay Hatchery was still on so we went to that instead. I think we saved over 150 dollars per person but that's not the point. It's the experience of a life time to see all the nature Juneau had to offer so that was really disappointing. It was cloudy and damp so the glacier wasn't that spectacular as you see in pictures when it's spring in full bloom. Still, it's one of those things where you say, I was there.
After the Mendenhall Glacier, it was off to the Macaulay Hatchery. It was a nice salmon hatchery because they had this circular tank which was impressive. I also bought some salmon jerky from the gift shop... Some things you just shouldn't make into jerky and I'll leave it at that.
After the tour ended, it was still raining and our other tour mates went back to the ship. However, my family and I went all over the place exploring Juneau. We must have taken pictures of every significant landmark of Juneau even on such a cold and dreary day.
So despite the fact that we didn't get to see Juneau like we wanted, at least we made the best of our family Alaska cruise vacation!
Ketchikan Salmon Fishing
Ketchikan was our first port of call in our Alaska cruise tour. The Ketchikan sports fishing is a big industry for the small little town. Since I didn't do much research when I went, I didn't know what on shore excursions they had to offer. But if I had to do it again, I'd definitely go on a Kethickan salmon fishing expedition as Ketchikan is known as the "Salmon Capital of the World". I'd also try an Alaskan Salmon Bake or a get a ticket to an Alaskan Chef's table where you can have a treat of all the seafood Alaska has to offer including Dungeness crab. I guess there's always next time!
What I did do was tour Ketchikan with my family. What I found amazing was that for a such a small town, there were like a bazillion diamond stores! I think I heard that the cruise ships own them so they shuttle diamonds to and from Alaska to the Carribeans in their different tourist seasons.
So anyways, we toured Ketchikan and we went to see the Totem Heritage Center. Ketchikan has the largest collection of standing totem poles. It was nice to see Native Art but sad as the same time that this culture is being eroded.
After the Totem Center, it was just a few steps to the Deer Mountain Salmon Hatchery and Eagle Center. We saw a pair of captive female bald eagles that will never be released again because they were hurt by humans :( I think the bald eagle population is okay in Alaska but they are endangered elsewhere. In anycase, captive or not, they are still a sight to behold.
So continuing onto the hatchery part of the center, I learned about salmon. I never knew they needed to "smell" the water in order to come back to Ketchikan to spawn. It was still too early in the salmon season for any to return so I think next time going back to Ketchikan, we'll pick later into salmon season. Definitely, we'd take advantage of all the salmon fishing Ketchikan has to offer!
What I did do was tour Ketchikan with my family. What I found amazing was that for a such a small town, there were like a bazillion diamond stores! I think I heard that the cruise ships own them so they shuttle diamonds to and from Alaska to the Carribeans in their different tourist seasons.
So anyways, we toured Ketchikan and we went to see the Totem Heritage Center. Ketchikan has the largest collection of standing totem poles. It was nice to see Native Art but sad as the same time that this culture is being eroded.
After the Totem Center, it was just a few steps to the Deer Mountain Salmon Hatchery and Eagle Center. We saw a pair of captive female bald eagles that will never be released again because they were hurt by humans :( I think the bald eagle population is okay in Alaska but they are endangered elsewhere. In anycase, captive or not, they are still a sight to behold.
So continuing onto the hatchery part of the center, I learned about salmon. I never knew they needed to "smell" the water in order to come back to Ketchikan to spawn. It was still too early in the salmon season for any to return so I think next time going back to Ketchikan, we'll pick later into salmon season. Definitely, we'd take advantage of all the salmon fishing Ketchikan has to offer!
First day on the Alaska cruise tour
My Alaska cruise tour began on a Sunday in May. We left for the Alaska cruise from Seattle on the Star Princess Cruise Ship. There was a lot to do prior to boarding the Princess cruise. There was a HUGE line up. I think the capacity of the Star Princess is 2600 passengers. The screening process to get onboard the Star Princess Ship involved a precheck of your travel documents. Then you had to check your luggage in. Then you had to go to the counter where they check your travel documents again before getting your room keycard (more about that later). You shuffle onto the gang plank where inside the Star Princess Ship you're greeted again with a security checkpoint complete with x-ray and metal detector. You also check in officially with your pass card. I never knew that security is so tight for these cruises. I guess they clamped down on skies, then by ground and now by sea. I guess these are a sign of the times despite it was only an Alaska cruise tour.
The keycard is kind of cool. It serves exactly as a hotel keycard but also has the ability to charge on the card as well. So while you're on board the cruise you're cashless. It's kind of handy. But I noticed that my card was blue while other cards were gold and other different colors. That is because the Princess Cruise lines give you a bonus rewards program. I think you get upgrades to your stateroom, and other amenities if you cruise with Princess a few times. I thought it was a good idea.
Well, after I finally got onboard the Star Princess for our Alaska cruise tour, it was time to find my stateroom. Since I get motion sickness easily, I had specifically asked for a room that would have the least turbulence. My stateroom was right in the middle of the Star Princess so I won't feel any swaying. That's a tip for others who suffer motion sickness as well. And by the way, for those who say you don't feel it because the boat is so big. That's bull. You feel the waves. The question is if you get sick or not. I took medication throughout the cruise so I was okay.
Well, after I got my stateroom it was time to walk about. My family who was more familiar with cruising than I told me to check out the Princess Patter. It was the newsletter of the Star Princess which gives you news on the on-ship activities throughout the day. Well, apparently there was a tour of the cruise so I went. Might as well to get familiar with the ship.
After the tour of the ship was over, there was a security drill to make sure passengers knew their muster station to go to. By the time it was over, I was starving. It was lucky that we were assigned early traditional dining. They do that because they can't accommodate all the diners at the same time although you can always go to the anytime buffet or call for room service. But early dining was fine with me. I didn't have to worry about saving my stomach for a late dinner or anything. Might as well get dinner over with and onto other activities the Star Princess Cruise Ship had to offer.
The food on the Star Princess was pretty good. I mean, I wouldn't call it gourmet as my newly acquainted table shipmates proclaimed but it was very good.
After the meal, it was entertainment time at the Princess Theater. They had a comedian on that I had previously seen on the Late Show. He was quite good. After his bit, was the welcome message from the Cruise Entertainment Director on stage. He introduced his staff and each station in which they were responsible for.
By that time, the first day of our Alaska cruise tour was over for me and I was tired due to all the excitement. It was great to be finally on our way to the Alaska cruise tour on the Star Princess Cruise Ship!
So the first day of our Alaska cruise tour was spent on the Star on our way to Ketchikan.
The keycard is kind of cool. It serves exactly as a hotel keycard but also has the ability to charge on the card as well. So while you're on board the cruise you're cashless. It's kind of handy. But I noticed that my card was blue while other cards were gold and other different colors. That is because the Princess Cruise lines give you a bonus rewards program. I think you get upgrades to your stateroom, and other amenities if you cruise with Princess a few times. I thought it was a good idea.
Well, after I finally got onboard the Star Princess for our Alaska cruise tour, it was time to find my stateroom. Since I get motion sickness easily, I had specifically asked for a room that would have the least turbulence. My stateroom was right in the middle of the Star Princess so I won't feel any swaying. That's a tip for others who suffer motion sickness as well. And by the way, for those who say you don't feel it because the boat is so big. That's bull. You feel the waves. The question is if you get sick or not. I took medication throughout the cruise so I was okay.
Well, after I got my stateroom it was time to walk about. My family who was more familiar with cruising than I told me to check out the Princess Patter. It was the newsletter of the Star Princess which gives you news on the on-ship activities throughout the day. Well, apparently there was a tour of the cruise so I went. Might as well to get familiar with the ship.
After the tour of the ship was over, there was a security drill to make sure passengers knew their muster station to go to. By the time it was over, I was starving. It was lucky that we were assigned early traditional dining. They do that because they can't accommodate all the diners at the same time although you can always go to the anytime buffet or call for room service. But early dining was fine with me. I didn't have to worry about saving my stomach for a late dinner or anything. Might as well get dinner over with and onto other activities the Star Princess Cruise Ship had to offer.
The food on the Star Princess was pretty good. I mean, I wouldn't call it gourmet as my newly acquainted table shipmates proclaimed but it was very good.
After the meal, it was entertainment time at the Princess Theater. They had a comedian on that I had previously seen on the Late Show. He was quite good. After his bit, was the welcome message from the Cruise Entertainment Director on stage. He introduced his staff and each station in which they were responsible for.
By that time, the first day of our Alaska cruise tour was over for me and I was tired due to all the excitement. It was great to be finally on our way to the Alaska cruise tour on the Star Princess Cruise Ship!
So the first day of our Alaska cruise tour was spent on the Star on our way to Ketchikan.
My Family Alaska Cruise Vacation!
Well, I'm back from my cruise to Alaska! If you're on the fence about crusing to Alaska, I'd definitely go! The Alaska tourism season started in May and it ends in September. We went at the beginning of May as that's when we got our super cheap tickets for the Alaska cruise. The salmon season just started and the king salmon just started to swim up stream so we didn't have any fresh Alaskan salmon bake :( Still, it was a wonderful family Alaska cruise vacation.
I'll speak generally of the places we went to and then I'll go into more detail of each Alaskan port of call. We left for our Alaska cruise from Seattle on the Star Princess to go up the Inner Passage to Alaska. The length of the Alaskan cruise was 7 days. The first day was just a sailing day getting acquainted with the ship. The second day we reached Ketchikan, the third day we stopped at Juneau. The fourth day was another sailing day. The fifth day we got to see the fjords in Tracy Arm and then continued into Skagway. The sixth day we turned back to Victoria. And on the seventh day we reached Seattle again.
That was my itinerary for my Star Princess cruise to Alaska and I'll be talking more about my cruise in future posts. Stay tuned for my Alaskan cruise adventures!
I'll speak generally of the places we went to and then I'll go into more detail of each Alaskan port of call. We left for our Alaska cruise from Seattle on the Star Princess to go up the Inner Passage to Alaska. The length of the Alaskan cruise was 7 days. The first day was just a sailing day getting acquainted with the ship. The second day we reached Ketchikan, the third day we stopped at Juneau. The fourth day was another sailing day. The fifth day we got to see the fjords in Tracy Arm and then continued into Skagway. The sixth day we turned back to Victoria. And on the seventh day we reached Seattle again.
That was my itinerary for my Star Princess cruise to Alaska and I'll be talking more about my cruise in future posts. Stay tuned for my Alaskan cruise adventures!
Preparing for Alaska cruise vacation
It has been a hectic and busy time for me recently. So much so that I haven't even prepared for a cruise to Alaska that's in 2 days time.
I know I should be excited but I'm the type of person that goes with the flow. And frankly, I've had too much going on personally and with work to pay attention. The details of the Alaska cruise vacation were handled by my family as it's a family bonding thing. I just have to show up.
But what exactly does one pack for a cruise to Alaska? What exactly is the weather like in Alaska in May? Will it be spring in Alaska? This isn't exactly the same type of trip that you can pack a few pairs of jeans and some t-shirts to buy cheap local wear along the way to supplement your wardrobe. I mean, this is ALASKA. Brrr.
Frankly, I'm having a bit of mixed emotions going on this trip. I have to admit that I get motion sickness very easily. I get sea sick on paddle boats! And I've upchucked while canoeing as well. Will I get sea sick on a cruise ship? Will they provide medical attention? Should I get travel insurance? Normally, I wouldn't think about these things but this will be my first time on a cruise and to Alaska no less. It's a lot of unknowns.
To top it all off, I don't even know what type of ship activities to expect while sailing to Alaska. Is everything free on board to participate or will I have to pay? Do you tip while on a cruise? I do know that some of my family members who are more on the ball signed up for Alaska cruise excursions for us to see glaciers. I don't know if that was included in the Alaska cruise package or if it was paid seperately.
Our Alaska cruise from Seattle as the point of origin will be a great meet up place for the family. I think we booked a game to see the Seattle Mariners. I'm not into baseball but it would still be fun to see. The only other thing I know about Seattle is the Space Needle so I want to go see that. I'm sure there are other Seattle tourist attractions and I'll probably read up on it during the plane.
I'll probably have a lot more enjoyment on the trip if I know what I'm getting into so I'll try to read up on it as I go. This will document my family Alaska cruise vacation for prosperity!
I know I should be excited but I'm the type of person that goes with the flow. And frankly, I've had too much going on personally and with work to pay attention. The details of the Alaska cruise vacation were handled by my family as it's a family bonding thing. I just have to show up.
But what exactly does one pack for a cruise to Alaska? What exactly is the weather like in Alaska in May? Will it be spring in Alaska? This isn't exactly the same type of trip that you can pack a few pairs of jeans and some t-shirts to buy cheap local wear along the way to supplement your wardrobe. I mean, this is ALASKA. Brrr.
Frankly, I'm having a bit of mixed emotions going on this trip. I have to admit that I get motion sickness very easily. I get sea sick on paddle boats! And I've upchucked while canoeing as well. Will I get sea sick on a cruise ship? Will they provide medical attention? Should I get travel insurance? Normally, I wouldn't think about these things but this will be my first time on a cruise and to Alaska no less. It's a lot of unknowns.
To top it all off, I don't even know what type of ship activities to expect while sailing to Alaska. Is everything free on board to participate or will I have to pay? Do you tip while on a cruise? I do know that some of my family members who are more on the ball signed up for Alaska cruise excursions for us to see glaciers. I don't know if that was included in the Alaska cruise package or if it was paid seperately.
Our Alaska cruise from Seattle as the point of origin will be a great meet up place for the family. I think we booked a game to see the Seattle Mariners. I'm not into baseball but it would still be fun to see. The only other thing I know about Seattle is the Space Needle so I want to go see that. I'm sure there are other Seattle tourist attractions and I'll probably read up on it during the plane.
I'll probably have a lot more enjoyment on the trip if I know what I'm getting into so I'll try to read up on it as I go. This will document my family Alaska cruise vacation for prosperity!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)