Being a veteran of nearly 40 cruise holidays my husband talked me into going to Alaska for a cruise. Being in our mid 30's with a couple of kids the idea of being on a ship looking at scenery for a week did not appeal. After much badgering from my husband I relented and went on the Mercury in mid May.All I can now say is WOW.
After a little searching around my husband came up with a deal from http://www.adorecruises.co.uk/ For 2 nights in Vancouver and the cruise including flights came up at an amazing £799pp. In all my years of cruising I have never seen a deal as cheap as this. Personal experience is the cheapest I have seen is £999 with NCL so to get such a good ship was a bonus.
Now to the holiday. As mentioned above looking at scenery was not/is not for me but after my little one got me up at 5am on the first morning I was in the captains club looking for whales. There was an intense buzz of the other people in there as the fantastic naturist Brent Dixon ( The US equivalent of Steve Irwin) was chatting from the bridge looking out for whales and other wildlife.
The site of the first whale created a huge buzz, everyone run to one side on the first sighting. Seeing a spout of water into the air and then the huge arc of a tail come over was truly magnificent. This was the first sighting of many but each and everyone was special in its own way.
Things to do at the places you visit.
Ports of Call and Excursions
The three main ports that you will be stopping at are Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. At each of them Celebrity will offer you an abundance of tours ranging in price from $30 to $500 per person. You can book Whale Watching, Helicopter Tours and Float Planes departing from all ports. There are also tours and places of interest specific to each destination.
Juneau
Juneau is the capital of Alaska and is completely land-locked. The main attraction is the Meldenhall Glacier. Celebrity charge around $50-60 pp. for a small tour and trip to the glacier, but this can be done more cheaply independently. You should make your way to pier D (opposite the Alaska T shirt company) where you will find an abundance of Tour sellers. You can organise your own excursions and typically a 45 minute tour of Juneau and a trip to the Glacier is $25 pp. If you don’t want the tour but only a trip to the glacier this is only $12 pp.
Skagway
Skagway is an historic Gold mining town and is the furthest north of the ports. The town has tried to maintain its roots and the atmosphere is of the old Wild West. The main attraction in Skagway is the White Pass railway. This is a train ride and replicates the route used for transportation during the gold rush. This tour, even if booked independently, is the same price as Celebrity at $112pp for the 3½ hour tour. There is an alternative road trip called “To the Summit” which costs only $38 pp. This follows the same route as the train, with stops so you can take photos, and is considerably cheaper. There is always good feed-back about the train trip as being well worth the money, but if you are looking for an alternative we can highly endorse the coach trip.
Ketchikan
Normally the last port of call is Ketchikan. This is the smallest port and is the gateway to the Misty Fjords. Whilst on the cruise and you plan to take one large tour during your cruise i.e. Whale Watching, Float Plane, Helicopter ride rather than a number of smaller ones, this is the place we would recommend. The town is quite small, and you can cover it in around an hour. We can recommend the Lumberjack show for an hour of fun and entertainment. We have also received good feed-back on the float plane to the Misty fjords which is reported to be spectacular.
If you don’t want to book your excursions on the ship, there is a large building outside on the pier where you can purchase all your excursions from local operators. They are normally slightly cheaper but availability cannot be guaranteed.
Other must do's
In the package we booked we extended our stay in Vancouver and was offered a Rocky Rail tour to Whistler. If you think Alaska was good this is just as amazing and ranks for me as good as the cruise experience. Whatever you do if you can afford it book the Glacier Dome (Gold Leaf)). This is, in effect, a first class service all the way through. The main differences being considerably larger windows (nearly double the size of the standard Coast Classic); bigger seats; more leg room; better food and complimentary bar service. The cost to upgrade is in the region of £50-60pp.
The Whistler experience begins when you are picked up in Vancouver. Do not worry if you have not booked a Rocky Mountaineer pick-up hotel as the city is very condensed and one of the pick up points would generally be within a 5 minute walk.
When you arrive at Whistler village you will have free time of just over 2 hours. You do have enough time to go up in the Gondola and have some breath taking sights of the Village.
Whistler
Whistler is the premier ski resort in the whole of North America and is hosting the 2010 winter Olympics. During the summer it hosts numerous mountain activity events. If you are adventurous and sports minded and want to stay somewhere other than Vancouver, then this is the place. Activities range from summer skiing/boarding on the glacier; mountain biking; river rafting; zip lining; trekking and bear hunting.
Vancouver
There are many highlights but I would like to give you my own recommendations to enhance your holiday experience.
Take one of the bus tours i.e. Gray Line or the Big Bus. The cost is approximately $35pp which is valid for two consecutive days. If you ask they will allow you to split them up if you have a rocky mountaineer trip in the middle. These buses follow a loop and are hop-on hop-off. They also provide a full narration of all the places of interest. They cover all the major tourist areas of Stanley Park, Gas Town, Robson Street and China Town. For you own safety I recommend that you do not get off in China Town as it only one block away from Hastings which is the least desirable area of Vancouver. Also Chinatown is not like those in London, New York or San Francisco and is very disappointing.
Other major highlights in Vancouver are the Capillano suspension bridge and Grouse Mountain. These are located in North Vancouver, reached by taxi, or the Sea Bus which is located right next to the cruise pier and a much cheaper option. You then need to take a number 8 bus which is included in your Sea Bus ticket (purchase all Zones). This goes up to Grouse Mountain via the Capillano suspension bridge and returns via there as well so iIt is up to you in what order you do them both.
Grouse Mountain offers views over Vancouver and you get a cable car to the top. At the top there are two cinema shows, a bird of flight live show and also a Lumberjack show including in the cost. If you have not already seen any bears during your trip, they do have a bear enclosure where they keep their two residents.
I can also endorse the restaurant at the top of the mountain for good food. If it is a hot day we advise you to request a table outside as it will be cooler than eating inside. If you get a chance say hi to the manager, Starr.
Capillano Suspension Bridge
The Capillano suspension bridge spans a gorge with a 250 drop either side. It is a little rickety and I would advise anyone with walking difficulties not to attempt the crossing. (If you are registered disabled, do take your badges they will let you in free-of-charge).
Once you have crossed the bridge you find numerous activities where the highlight is a treetop canopy where you actually walk in the trees.
What is the weather going to be like?
All my friends who have now booked to go on this cruise keep askign the question.
Packing for this holiday is one of the hardest parts especially if you are staying in Vancouver before or after your cruise. Vancouver weather during the summer can be very similar to the U.K.. One day raining the next day 80 degrees. You will need layers, and a waterproof.
Alaska weather can be wet; if you are cruising with Celebrity they do provide umbrellas in the stateroom. Even though misty and damp it is not very cold from May onwards but if you are going up on the Glaciers, warmer layers will be required. If you have forgotten anything, Celebrity has a wide range of clothes which you can buy on-board.
Whistler is generally 5 degrees warmer than Vancouver. If so it is hot and sunny in Vancouver it will most probably be even hotter in Whistler.
Summary
If you are in two minds of doing this cruise just do it. It will be not like you expect but will surpass all of your expectations. Dont worry about it being boring, as you never know what is round the next corner
No comments:
Post a Comment