Mendenhall Glacier
Alaska cruise on Island Princess South bound June 14th 2017.
I flew to Anchorage (Seward) the night of June 13th and stayed at the Residence Inn. The next day we toured downtown Anchorage and then back to the hotel to transfer to Whittier. I used a transfer company called Anchorage tours & transfers, much less than the cruise line transfers. It was an hour & half ride to the port. Check in was very smooth. Our balcony cabin was aft on deck 12, close to the Lotus Spa. We signed up for the week package using the steam, sauna and hot beds.
We were on anytime dining and ended up eating later than usual because it was so light out that we lost track of time. It was daylight still 11:30pm.
The next day we sailed by the Hubbard Glacier which is 75 miles long.
Enjoying our balcony cabin
The next day we sailed Glacier Bay which is 65 miles long. Glacier Bay was spectacular. We watched the glacier calve. It was bright and sunny. Weather was wonderful. We like having a balcony. It was nice to be able to stand outside our cabin and view the glaciers. The National Park Service Rangers came on board to give the passengers a presentation about the area.
Glacier Bay
Our first port was Skagway. We had booked a shore excursion going on the White Pass Train & Bus Tour to the Yukon Territories. Fraser border crossing is on the Klondike Highway, which connects the communities of Skagway and Carcross, Yukon on the Canada-US border. We saw bears on the side of the road and one with her cubs.
Whitepass train excursion, Skagway
Bear sighting
Then we went to the Cariboo Crossing Trading post for lunch. They have a wild life museum, petting zoo and iditarod dog sledding. It was a great excursion offered by Princess.
The next port was Juneau, Capital of Alaska. We bought an excursion when we got off the ship and went to the Mendenhall Glacier. The City of Juneau was very busy with lots of jewelry and tourist shops.
The last port we went to was Ketchikan. It is the salmon capital of the world. We took a tour around the town and out to the totem heritage center. After the tour we went to Dolly’s house. At the height of the Gold Rush, Ketchikan’s red light district. Dolly’s house tells the story of the rough, ready pioneering days.
Totems at Ketchikan
Back on board for our last days of the cruise. I thought the food was really good. Salmon was on the menu every day. They had lobster, king crab and offered a great selection of entrees daily.
The staff were very accommodating, especially our cabin steward. I would highly recommend taking an Alaska cruise and sign up for the shore excursions. The Scenery is breathtaking in Alaska.
Contact me for information on your next Alaska cruise!
Direct Line: 858.592.7540
Tags: Adventure, Alaska, All-inclusive, Cruise, Cuisine, Culture, Food, Glacier Bay, Island Princess, Juneau, Ketchikan, Mendenhall Glacier, Nature, Princess Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Skagway, Wildlife
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