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Just wanted to let you know what a great Princess Cruisetour we enjoyed in Alaska this month. We flew to Seattle and visited family for three days and then to Fairbanks and more visiting while sightseeing. We went to the University of Alaska's beautiful Museum there and to Creamer's Field Sanctuary where the Sandhill Cranes were migrating by the hundreds(August 28). We saw both Fort Wainright and Eilsson Air Force Base and 1 moose by the road. We shopped at the Bowl Factory and the Knotty Shop as well as Santa Claus House in North Pole.

Downtown Fairbanks had some gorgeous flowers and parks along the Chena River. We did the Riverboat Discovery ride and learned a lot about the native Athabascan Indians. Weather was warm and somewhat cloudy but not bad in Fairbanks. One highlight was the Visitor center at the Pipeline north of town.

Finally we checked into the Fairbanks Princess Lodge which was very nice and right on the river. If this had been our only night in Fairbanks as the the Tour had scheduled, I would have been disappointed as we had to be up and out of there by 7AM. ( editor's note: Always schedule 2 days in Fairbanks for this very reason ) There were people who did not get in till 11 PM and had to deal with the time change, too.

All our luggage handling by Princess on the whole trip was superb, as was the scheduling for bus and train connections. From Fairbanks we took the train to Denali. We had eaten at the hotel so we did not need to waste time doing that instead of watching the scenery from the domed cars and from the open back landing. Our hosts on the train pointed out Dall sheep and other sights. Weather was cloudy when we arrived at the Denali Lodge but we explored the gorgeous property, shopped nearby and took the free shuttle to the Park Visitor Center which was very nice. We ate at the Pizza Place at the Hotel - nothing special but good service and good food. Our friends went in the outdoor Hot Tubs by our room which was overlooking the Nenana River.

At 6 AM the next day we were on the Natural History Bus Tour of Denali Park which was part of our Tour (no extra charge). It was a grey morning about 45 degrees but the sun came out eventually and the tour was fine but left you wanting more as it only went about 25 miles into the Park. We had time to take more photos before leaving Denali Lodge about 1 pm having not caught any glimpse of Mt. McKinley yet.

Finally on the bus to Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge, the clouds parted and the view was gorgeous with the fall foliage in the foreground and the Alaska Range in the distance. Soon we saw most of the big mountain and when we arrived at the Lodge it was completely out! We ate chicken strips at the lodge bar and sat on the open deck in the 60 degree sunshine admiring the view. We were thankful to have two days here and would highly recommend it if you are going in to Talkeetna at all which is a 1-hour shuttle ride.

Once we saw how nice the weather was, we signed up for a jet-boat tour at noon the next day, took the early shuttle in and had breakfast in town and bought a print by a local artist before boarding the boat and flying up the Susitna River. There were eagles and some salmon but we did not see any bears or other wildlife. The view of the mountains from the boat was fantastic and our driver said it was one of the best days of the year!

We enjoyed the deck/bar at the lodge again for dinner and saw a nice Photosymphony show. Next morning we hiked the two short trails at the lodge and took more pictures before our 1PM Shuttle to the Train which took us to Whittier. That was a long and not too picturesque ride. We did enjoy the Turnagain Arm section just before reaching the ship. Some people saw Beluga whales from the beautiful train cars.

Finally about 7 PM we arrived at the ship and got into our room for the duration. Our balcony cabin was just as we had expected although our stateroom was pretty remote from most ship activities! Our steward was great and we always enjoyed spending time at the room. The bathroom was small but adequate and there was plenty of closet space for our stuff. We had definitely over packed as we had only been on Caribbean cruises before and this was not as formal. Nice slacks and a few different tops would have been fine for all but the two Formal Dinner nights and some people didn't bother with those! Food at the 24-hour Horizon Court was terrific. We did all our lunches there enjoying the views and the company of other guests. Dinner food was also excellent and we learned to enjoy meeting new friends every night as we tried Anytime dining. We had been on the waiting list for first seating and would have preferred it. At least we were able to dine early every night so that we could get seats at the early shows which were always crowded and were always very good. Princess performers are the best!

As for the scenery of the Inside Passage, we had to skip College Fiord - too rough seas; we spent a grey day in Glacier Bay but still had good views; Skagway was misty until we got to the top of the Pass on the Railway, an excellent tour; Juneau was also rainy - all we did was go shopping; and, even though Ketchikan was grey, we enjoyed the Lighthouse Totem Tour by boat where we learned a lot from our crew and saw lots of eagles and their nests; we even saw a nuclear Sub which was coming into the base near there. There were a couple of times when we saw the tails and spray of Orka whales near the ship, this and the glacier were the best times for having our own balcony. The rest of the time I would not say it was as necessary as on a Caribbean Cruise - we never just sat out there as it was cool and the scenery was just grey.

When we arrived in beautiful Vancouver, the sun finally came out for good and we had a nice day of sightseeing with our family from Seattle who drove us back for our flight the next day. All in all we had a wonderful time and were thoroughly pleased with the arrangements you made for us. The $363.00 we saved over our local agency's quote paid for some of our great shore excursions. Everything went smoothly and I will definitely contact you for our next Cruise. Let me know if there is anything else you would like to know about our experiences on this trip of a lifetime!

Thanks,

                     - Peggy and Ed Koenig

                       Coral Princess

                       Alaska Cruisetour



Hi Marty, Just got back from our cruisetour to Alaska on Princess. Everything was excellent. The hotels and the ship was rated tops by all in our party. The help with the 8 month old was fantastic and the excursions were great. Thanks for all of your help. We are looking forward to another cruise next year, possibly the Mediterrean and working with you. Thanks again.

                       -Richard & Dolores Duarte

                        Sapphire Princess

Just a note to thank you for your help in booking the ( Alaska ) Princess Cruise tour for next year. I have been doing some internet searching of info regarding the cruise tour and the ship and it becomes increasingly obvious to me that you have taken excellent care of us. Your knowledge of the advantage of a Port side room for the southern trip and your ability to get us in the midships bump out area for our cabins looks to be great. I was not knowledgeable regarding the bump outs on the Coral Princess until reviewing some cruise review sites and the reviews I have read regarding being in the bump out area and on the A and B decks makes you look brilliant and makes us look lucky to have dealt with you. I found you guys pretty much by the luck of the draw on a Goggle search. At the time of my first e-mail I had no idea who you were, where you were located, how legitimate you were or what your level of expertise may be. Let me say that at this point I am very happy I found you and appreciate how well you have served us.

                           -Ken Wager
                            Coral Princess

Excellent Alaskan Cruisetour

Here is an Alaska cruisetour review found at this link. http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=44140
Though not a guest of ours, we thought you would enjoy reading it.
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Absolutely a trip of a lifetime. Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas really made our dream vacation a reality. This was our first ever cruise, which I booked myself online. Was lucky enough to snag room 1100, the Junior Suite on the aft of the ship. It was a HUGE room with a spectacular view and spacious balcony. When we came into port, we had a full view of the town since we usually tied up on the "port side". Also, any rooms on the aft give you a full view of both sides of the inside passage at the same time. We didn't hear the engines at all if you were wondering. We arrived in Vancouver the night before and had Royal Caribbean book us into the Downtown Sheraton Wall Centre. The room was huge and well appointed. FOOD was EXPENSIVE at the hotel. Breakfast was ridiculous. An simple egg omelet was priced at $14.00 and 2 cups of coffee was $6.00. We ate dinner that night at a local restaurant called A KETTLE OF FISH, which was about 6 blocks away. We had a very good meal there.
The next day, we boarded the bus for the short ride to the ship. We were given priority boarding and it took less than 20 minutes to go through security and get onto the ship. The ship itself was absolutely beautiful and bright. Glass everywhere and spotless. We found a seat in one of the lounges to wait for the room to be ready. When it was, our luggage was waiting for us.

Our room was magnificent. Comfortable and spotless. We had plenty of room to hang our clothes and store our luggage. Granted it was a long walk from the elevators all the way aft, but it was a nice stroll after dinner. We never heard our next door neighbor either. We had one minor incident with a toilet that wouldn't flush, but one call to maintenance and they had it fixed within 1 hour. Room service was quick too, although they wouldn't bring up a pitcher of Iced Tea. You had to order it by the glass. We were worried about "formal night" as we just don't do formal. On our 13 night cruise ( they list it as cruisetour #17), FORMAL NIGHTS were on Saturday and Wednesday. Well, guess what, not very many people dressed up. What a relief. There were people in tuxedo's and full length gowns and others in a nice pair of slacks and a shirt or top. The fold was fabulous, and our waiters were excellent. We asked for and were allowed a table for two. We don't like group activities or eating with strangers, and Royal Caribbean accommodated us.

As for ports and activities, we did something at every port. Book well in advance for the popular tours, as the go fast.

KETCHIKAN was our first port of call and we went on the Wilderness Excursion and Dungeness Crab Feast...... took a small boat ride to the crab ground and saw how they caught crabs in the pots and then we all went to the restaurant for fresh, all you care to eat crab lunch. The town is really cute. Be sure to walk down to the back of town, where all the buildings are on stilts, and the river runs in between them. We got a photo of the Ketchikan Harley Davidson Dealership.

JUNEAU., my husband went on a 4 hour salt water salmon fishing charter and I went on a helicopter tour & landing on a glacier. When I got back, I decided to take a bus ride out to Mendenhall Glacier for $6.00. My hubby's boat caught 19 salmon which we were able to have ours smoked and shipped home. My helicopter flight was.......well..... unbelievable. Words just cant describe it. It was well worth the price. I have breathtaking photos. Even spotted a rare black wolf from the air. Be sure to visit the RED DOG SALOON and the TAKU SMOKERIES for wonderful canned smoked salmon, which they will ship back home for you.

SKAGWAY..... was next on our trip and we did the White Pass Railway trip into Canada, with a bus ride back to the USA. Then we stopped at Liarsville gold mining camp for an excellent lunch and finished up with a tour of Downtown Skagway and the Red Onion Saloon and the Chilkoot Pass Harley Davidson shop. We really enjoyed the train ride. If you take it, grab a window seat on the LEFT side of the train to get the best views. That night happened to be July 4th, 2007 and Skagway put on a heck of a fireworks show in the harbor....which we were able to view from the ship.

Next came ICY STRAIT POINT. A quaint fishing village. Here you can pick several excursions....from bear and whale viewing trips to the worlds longest zip line ride. We opted for the Zip line only to be disappointed because they cancelled it due to high winds. Royal Caribbean refunded the cost of the ride in full immediately.

HUBBARD GLACIER.... WOW is all I could say. The captain spent a long time there, and we were able to get very close. There was an earthquake there the night before, so there were chunks of ice all over. Saw a lot and heard quite a bit of "calving" of the glacier. Take your video. Again, having a aft cabin, when we left the glacier, we had full view leaving the area.

SEWARD/ANCHORAGE. Our cruise ended in Seward but we were just starting our second week in Alaska. A beautiful, new, clean and spacious bus was waiting for us when we got off the ship. Our luggage was transferred for us from the ship and onto the bus and we headed to Anchorage. The city of Anchorage is a real jewel. We had lots of time to wander downtown Anchorage and take plenty of photos. We also had a tour and was entertained by native Alaskans at Culture Center. We overnighted at the Downtown Marriott in smoke free room. Royal Caribbean will make sure you get assigned to Non smoking rooms if you ask for it. The room was spacious, clean and the beds were to die for. It had heavy curtains to block out the sun, which never really sets. That night, we ate a the Top of the Captain Cook Hotel.....in THE CROW'S NEST. What a view of Downtown Anchorage and the gourmet meal was one of the highlights of our trip.

TALKEETNA.... a tiny, one road town, but if you get lucky, you can see Mt McKinley from the TALKEETNA ALASKAN LODGE. We were assigned to a lovely room apart from the lodge itself. Kinda like little pond. The Lodge was beautiful and the meals were excellent. We were able to get great photos of Mt. McKinley's snow capped peaks. What a sight. Our side trip was the Devils Canyon Jet Boat tour. What an adventure. We saw a moose with her 2 calves and a Black Bear and her two cubs. As we got up into class 4 rapids, the rudder broke off the craft and we found ourselves in a very serious situation. We were pinned against the shear walls of the canyon by the rapids. We had no cell phone service and the walkie talkie couldn't get a signal to the base station. If we couldn't fix the rudder, we could have all been killed... and that's not an exaggeration. The boat would have capsized and we could not have survived the ice cold water, rapids and rock canyon walls. Anyway, a group of passengers found some first aid tape, life jacket belts and a wrench and hoped the "fix" would work. Most of the passengers had no idea just how bad it was. We gave the jet boat operator a good sized tip when we got back.....and it's something we'll always remember.

TALKEETNA TO DENALI....via the WILDERNESS EXPRESS GLASS DOMED TRAIN. What a terrific way to travel. Cocktails, a Dinner Car, leather recliner huge seats and glass surrounding you for great photo taking. We arrived at the Denali Train Station and took a bus to the Grand Denali Lodge. What vista's looking out of our room. The room wasn't as nice as some others we stayed at, but the lodge was nice. It had a dining room and bar area with views you cant get over. We decided to do another helicopter flight to see the real Denali. My Husband said it was the highlight of his trip. Saw Dahl sheep standing on shear cliffs. The next day, we went on the Denali Natural History tour of the park.

DENALI TO FAIRBANKS......via the WILDERNESS EXPRESS GLASS DOMED TRAIN. Again, a real treat. That's the way to really see the interior of Alaska. We arrived late that evening and were transported to PIKES WATERFRONT LODGE. I should mention that we never had to "check in" to any of these hotels or fool with luggage. Our Tour guide had our room keys and passed them to us on the bus before we arrived, and the luggage had all been sent on ahead and were placed outside our rooms waiting for us. We never touched a single piece of luggage from the time we left Vancouver until the time we had to board the plane in Fairbanks for home. Anyway, in Fairbanks we toured the El Dorado Gold mines and panned for gold (and we got some too) and went for a steamboat ride to an eskimo village and an Iditarod dog training camp run by Susan Butchers husband.

FAIRBANKS HOME...... Our Tour guide made sure out luggage was loaded onto the bus that took us to Fairbanks airport. The airport was undergoing much needed expansion at the time we were there. It's a small airport. The lines were LONG getting through security....so be sure you have all your ID, TICKETS AND PASSPORTS ready before you get there.

All I can say, is that we had PERFECT WEATHER on a PERFECT once in a lifetime trip to Alaska, and we have Royal Caribbean to thank. I would recommend this cruise to everyone. We selected to start our Alaskan trip from Vancouver because on the way back from Alaska, by flying out of Fairbanks we wouldn't have to go through the hassle of Customs on our 5 hour flight back home. Had we left from Vancouver, we would have. Just something to keep in mind. Lastly, about luggage. Most of the time we only needed a light jacket or sweatshirt in the evenings. We mostly wore blue jeans and tennis shoes on the land tours, and classic casual on the ship. Leave plenty of room for souvenirs and when you can, have purchases directly mailed to your home. HAVE A GREAT CRUISE........WE SURE DID AND WOULD DO IT AGAIN IN A HEART BEAT........I hear Royal Caribbean has a cruisetour of Australia and New Zealand!!! Time to start planning.

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