Star Princess – Alaska Cruise – Stunning Glaciers and Evening Light
We had to drop by Vancouver so before that, we decided to make the trip worthwhile and go on an Alaska cruise. Our itinerary was:
- Anchorage (Whittier), Alaska
- Hubbard Glacier, Alaska (Cruising)
- Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska (Cruising)
- Skagway, Alaska
- Juneau, Alaska
- Ketchican, Alaska
- Sea Day
- Vancouver, BC
We had to make arrangements to get from Anchorage to Whittier, the port of call specific for Princess Cruises. It was about a 50 minute drive, but other than the drive was the wait to get in through the one-lane tunnel that leads to Whittier. So at the beginning of the hour for 30 minutes, the traffic goes one way and then from 30-59 minutes on the hour, the traffic goes the other way. Our bus driver knew we would be waiting so he pulled over to a nice area where we could get off, stretch our legs and take some pictures of the lake and mountains. It was a rainy day so a quick step out and in was pretty much all we could do.
Whittier is a small town to say the least. The only way in or out of it by car is through the tunnel as there is no way out the other way. There is one taller building in which all the residents (300 population) live. So needless-to-say, you really get to know your neighbours!
We checked in (the person getting our information and cruise card was super slow) but got onto the ship and put our carry-ons away. We walked around the ship and like other Princess ships, the layout was familiar. At 109,000 tons and built in 2002, refurbished in 2017, it is a bit older and smaller than most cruises we’ve been on.
Since it was still May, we knew that it wasn’t going to be a warm cruise so we decided to take a tour through the Lotus Spa and see if it was something we needed to do. Indeed it was, as the package would include unlimited use of the warm beds, 3 steam rooms (with different aromatherapy scents), sauna and hot tub. We met another couple by the name of Tom and Linda from Pittsburg. They were the nicest couple and we met them throughout the cruise many times. They were two of the most memorable people we have ever met on all our travels, just so down to earth and friendly. In fact, we met their other family members travelling with them and they were all so nice. Linda, if you happen to read this, we hope your knee has healed up!
The first couple of days on the cruise we were stuck on board viewing different glaciers. It was a pretty amazing site seeing these glaciers hundreds of feet above sea level. You could hear a cracking sound (called calving) and then see the ice start to peel off and fall into the sea creating small waves which becomes ripples by the time it reaches the ship. Being up on deck 17 you’re almost eye level with the glacier. When looking further back along the glacier you can see where it slides down from between mountain ranges, it’s hard to fathom that this huge mass of ice is moving at around 5 feet per hour!
The next day we were in Glacier Bay National Park, the stunning calmness of the sea coupled with the majestic views of the mountains and whispy clouds above made for a picturesque scene. One of our most favourite pictures was taken here, but being here and seeing it in person the imagery is burned into my brain, it was that beautiful.
When not visiting the ports, the cruise arranged to have Husky puppies that are being raised to be future Iditarod racers. It was so cute to see four of them, for the first hour they were so energetic running around in the playpen and taking pictures. After an hour, they were all pooped out and falling asleep right on the floor.
One night while traversing the waters after Skagway, we happened to go up on deck. Zipped up in our Canada Goose Hybridge Light jackets, we were sailing down with mountain ranges on both sides. Behind us Northward, we could still see sunlight in the sky and shining off the water below.
In terms of the entertainment on the ship, we got our first taste of a comedian by the name of Phil Tag. He’s been on late night shows with Jay Leno and others and was a pretty funny guy. Seeing him later up on deck, he was just a regular guy and the comedian in him never stops. We ran into him again on another Princess cruise in the Caribbean.
The Princess in-house entertainment was good, nothing fantastic but not bad either. Our food on the ship was also decent, but no dish was outstanding and memorable. My better half ordered fish almost every night and she didn’t really enjoy any of them. All the dinners we had were OK, not great, some were not good either so we weren’t overwhelmed with the quality of food on this cruise. The one thing that does always taste great is the signature dessert of the Princess Chocolate Journey. Now that is a dessert to die for. For lunch, I did have a couple of good Princess Burgers which I get to add cheese and bacon on without having to pay extra!
We do have to say, one entertainer that sings and plays the piano was fantastic. He was such a joy to listen to and it always seemed that when he played, he would draw a crowd. People would get into it and sing along with him and he would yell out “Cheers!” and the crowd would yell back. A true entertainer with a personality to make everyone smile and remind people that they are on vacation. We stayed and listened to him until midnight on the last night and wished he would keep on singing.
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