My Thoughts About My Princess Alaska Cruise

 

I’ve done a CI Living TV segment, three stories, and nine blogs on my Princess cruise and there are a few more articles to come, but I wanted to put together a summary for all of those thinking about going on a cruise to Alaska.


Here’s a breakdown of my opinions:

The Ship

I have always preferred small ships and my previous two cruises on American Cruise Lines and Seabourn were just that. Alaska didn’t work out with those, and I was anxious to give Princess a try. A mega ship was out of the question, but the Royal Princess, a mid-sized ship with about 3,500 guests, seemed doable.

It turned out to be just that. The ship was spread out enough that I never felt crowded, and we didn’t really wait for much (except at the Gelato Shop where there was always a big line). The only times I wished I was on a smaller boat was when we were waiting a long time for an elevator.

The embarkation and debarkation went better than any of the other large ships I have been on.


The Cabin

We had cabin D302, and it was an accessible balcony cabin. It was much bigger than I expected, with plenty of room for me to get around it my scooter. The bathroom was also fully accessible. I did not get to tour any of the other cabins so I can’t compare.

My only complaint is a common one: a huge shortage of outlets. There is nothing to use in the bathroom and only two outlets (one European) by the desk. There are no outlets by the beds. I had brought a power strip (without surge protection) so that helped. (See more of my tips on what to bring here.)


The Food

We only went to the buffet once and found the cold food warm and the warm food cold. In my opinion, they had way too many options to keep up with all the food. We didn’t go back and there was no need to because food in every other dining option was great.

Most of our meals were in the main dining room, though we loved the International Café for a quick morning breakfast. We ate at Sabatini’s once and everything was absolutely fantastic. We also loved Alfredo’s and ate there twice. We were lucky enough to be invited to the Chef’s Table and that is an experience you must do if you can get in.

The Nightlife

I can’t tell you much about the nightlife because we didn’t get to experience much. This cruise had us up very early in the mornings and we were just too worn out to go to any shows.


The Itinerary

If you are going to Alaska for the first time, I highly recommend the Inside Passage itinerary. It gave us a nice sampling of the state. The biggest draw for me was the day sailing around Glacier Bay National Park.

My only issue with the itinerary was that we didn’t get into Victoria, Canada, until 9:00 pm and were only there until just before midnight. I know there was an issue with slowing down after Ketchikan because of the whales, but I hope Princess is able to adjust the cruise for more time in this beautiful British Columbia city.

Wheelchair accessibility

I did not have any issues with accessibility on the Royal Princess. They could use some more automatic doors—the ones they had worked well---but opening some doors was the only issue. I loved the Medallion app to use the bracelet to open my cabin door and to be able to order room service anywhere on the ship.

There was an area in the main dining room to put scooters and wheelchairs if you wanted to sit in a chair (I was able to at the time), and tables were accommodated for those who pulled their chairs in. I saw a good selection of handicapped bathrooms. There were also accessible tours at every port.

 

 

Final Thoughts

Would I do this cruise again? Probably not for a few years, but I would certainly do another itinerary on the Royal Princess.

 

Blogs on my trip on the Royal Princess to Alaska

(from first day to last)

 

Visiting Seattle Before Going Aboard My First Princess Cruise

 

All Aboard the Royal Princess to Alaska

 

A Day on the Pacific Ocean with Royal Princess

 

Finally in Alaska: A Day in Juneau

 

Discovering Skagway with Princess Cruises

 

Royal Princess Sails Through Glacier Bay National Park

 

Exploring Ketchikan, Alaska

 

Victoria is the Last Stop on the Royal Princess

 

Leaving Our Princess Cruise and Back in Seattle

 

A big thank you to Princess Cruises for hosting us on this adventure.

Brittany and I had an unforgettable time.

Victoria is the Last Port Stop on Royal Princess

Our cruise on the Royal Princess was coming near the end, but we still had one stop left and it was one of my favorite cities—Victoria, Canada. I had been three times prior and looked forward to this trip.

When I first found out we were doing this cruise I immediately thought about Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Empress hotel. It was something I had never gotten around to doing in Victoria. Unfortunately, the ship wasn’t getting into the British Columbia city until nighttime so that wasn’t going to work.

I was intrigued when the public relations rep for The Empress told me, since there were so many cruise ships coming in later, the hotel had added a Sunset Sips program for those who had wanted Afternoon Tea. I agreed that we would come try it.

We had many hours to go before our scheduled 9:00 pm arrival in Victoria. I wanted to take it easy, so I didn’t overdo it during the day.

The International Café became the standard for our breakfast, and we didn’t change that on this last sea day. We loved the specialty coffees and, since we were on the ship for the day, a few little quiches and pastries were more than enough to begin the day.

After breakfast we went to play bingo. As far as we knew, it was the only bingo offered on the cruise. It was fun. We didn’t win anything, though.

 We headed to the Concerto dining room for the English Pub lunch after Bingo. While the menu wasn’t one of my favorites on the cruise, Brittany enjoyed the Bangers and Mash.

 We skipped dessert with lunch because we wanted to go to the Gelato Shop for one last premium dessert. Those were hard to give up! They are so good.

After a little time in The Enclave thermal suite in the Lotus Spa, it was then back to the cabin for a nap and some packing. It was the night we had to leave our luggage outside to be picked up for the morning debarkation.

 We showered and got ready for the Farewell Dinner in the dining room. Although the waiters didn’t carry the Baked Alaska as I had seen on nearly every other cruise, they did sing a farewell song to us while we ate. 

Brittany started with the Alaskan Cocktail with shrimp, scallop and cod in a citrus mayonnaise. For a main course she had the Slow Roasted Prime Rib.

I did the Spinach Ricotta Ravioli and Princess Love Boat Dream (layered chocolate-raspberry and vanilla-raspberry cream on a shortbread cookie cut into a heart) for dessert. I also had a latte to keep me awake for the night out

As dinner was ending, there was a magnificent sunset we could see from the table. I moved closer to get a better look. Sunsets had become the time I was winding down from the exhaustion of the day. This time it was our day that was restful preparing for the night.

We went up to the cabin to get jackets and see the end of the sunset. The announcement came shortly after we had docked in Victoria, and we could get off.

The entrance into the country of Canada was quick. Outside there were buses waiting to take us downtown. The lines were long by the time we got down there, but the wait wasn’t too long.

 The bus was accessible and there was a spot just behind the driver for me to park my scooter in. I had to wait for the rest of the bus to get on and off before me so he could get me hooked in and taken out, but we weren’t in a major rush.

 

The first stop was right in front of the Fairmont Empress hotel. It looked even more spectacular in the dark night than the daytime I had previously seen it in. It was just the beginning as the inside was just as opulent.

We made our way to the Lobby Bar. They had our reservation and welcomed us to our seats by the window, where we could see the city lit up. We checked out the menu and it was quite unusual, but everything sounded like it would be good.

To pay homage to their famous Afternoon Tea, the cocktails in the Sunset Sip menu are poured from a teapot at the table. They are referred to as “Teapot Temptations Secret Libations.” Most of them also have a tea connection

I had the Lady Whistledown, with Botanist Gin, cucumber, chamomile tea syrup, and prosecco. Brittany ordered the Daisy Ricky, a concoction of citrus punch, tea infused Bacardi Rum, Coconut Ciroc vodka, lime, mint, and simple syrup.

The food was also served afternoon tea style in tiered trays. There was an assortment of sweet and savory. We decided to go with mostly the food, with a little dessert because we needed a variety. They were all delicious and large enough to share:

Warm White Cheddar & Chive Biscuit

Vegan Mushroom Pâté

Prime Rib Stuff Yorkshire Pudding

Grilled Avocado & Tomato Tartine

Chocolate Profiterole

 We had to be back on the ship by midnight, so we left soon after we finished eating to take a short walk around Victoria and pick up some souvenirs. Then we got back on the bus and onto the ship. It was a too short trip to Canada.

  As tired as we were, it was hard to fall asleep after all the excitement and a little bit of sadness that we’d be leaving our first Princess Cruise early in the morning. >

I was hosted on this trip, but opinions are my own.  

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History, Food and Kayaks in Sault Ste Marie

After a good night’s sleep in our spacious suite at the Superior Place in Sault Ste. Marie, Brittany, Jamie, and I got ready for our morning breakfast meeting.

We were getting together with Linda Hoath, Executive Director of the Sault Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

She had graciously put together this trip for us last minute after one in a nearby area did not work out.

We met Linda at the Lock View Restaurant downtown. It was right across the street from the Soo Locks and you could see both the American and Canadian sides from the building.

Everything on the menu looked great, but our host recommended the pancakes and I went for the chocolate chip ones.

They were as good as she said.

The other ladies had eggs and we were all quite full as we learned more about the area and the plans about other activities on our list.

After we finished eating, we walked around town and looked through some more shops.

Linda pointed out the Michigan Made store and we went inside to pick up some souvenirs. (I bought some Michigan maple syrup and made a note to stop at Cherry Republic later in the week.)

From there, we all went across the street to see the Soo Locks again from the Visitors Center.

The Soo Locks Visitors Center, which is a National Historic Landmark, is overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

It was expanded in 1995 and provides an excellent lesson into the history of this important waterway.

We had gone through the Locks on a boat tour the previous day, but you can see the boats go through from an observation deck (which locks more like a stadium) behind the Visitors Center.

Both the deck and the center are free of entry fees, but be sure to bring your ID because you must show it to get in.

We left the center and drove down the road to the Tower of History. This 210-foot sculpture was finished in 1968.

There is an elevator to the top, where the view is spectacular.

We were lucky to have a clear day and were able to look from various angles – inside and outside on the balcony – at Sault Ste Marie in the U.S. and its namesake in Canada.

Before we got back into our car, we also saw a beautiful rainbow in the middle of the tower.

The River of History Museum was our next stop. This museum pays tribute to the Native Americans, who were the first to live in this land.

Here you can also look at the history of the land and the water, including the glacier from 8,000 years ago that eventually formed the St. Mary’s River.

We had learned a lot about the area’s history, it was then time to have a little fun on it.

Linda took us to Birds Eye Outfitters, a conglomerate of fun under one building that includes a bar, coffee shop, restaurant, and a place to buy and rent bikes and other outdoor equipment.

Our purpose was to get kayak equipment and a guide, but first we indulged at the Superior Café there. 

The menu was quite varied, and we filled our table with a ham sandwich, pulled pork and shells with cheese and Cheetos, and a quesadilla. There was also smoothies and lattes.

Lake Superior was the major body of water we had visited and talked about while in Sault Ste Marie. 

Our next one was the St. Mary’s River, where our guides set us up to kayak.

We were an interesting group: Brittany, who had done it a few times before; Jamie, trying it for the first time; and me, who had kayaked quite a few times, but was no longer able to physically do much of it.

The guides were patient with all of us. I didn’t want to hold anyone back, so I decided to just do a short jaunt across the lake to Voyageur Island Park.

The park is a small island which is not a government property. It is funded by donations and taken care of by volunteers.

I found a quiet spot and enjoyed the scenery, peace, and quiet, with the exception of a few colorful birds. I also followed Jamie and Brittany with the camera as they passed around the island.

We headed back to the Superior Place after the kayaking to shower and get changed for dinner at Karl’s Cuisine.

This restaurant has its own beer and wine selection and we all really liked the White Cranberry Pinot Grigio.

I was able to enjoy the Whitefish Dip since I was assured it came directly from the lake, which has no seafood.

In addition to the food, we were able to see a beautiful sunset from the deck of the restaurant.

We finished up and enjoyed the sunset a bit longer as we walked to the car. It would be our last view of the Soo Locks of Lake Superior.

After a few hours more in the area, we’d be heading down from the Upper Peninsula to the Petoskey area the next day.

Photos and videos on this page were taken by Marcia Frost and Brittany Lambright 

Visiting the Sault

It took us all day to drive up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, but Brittany, Jamie, and I were excited about the trip ahead of us over the Mackinac Bridge.

The trip to Sault Ste Marie was a first for all of us. This city on the Lake (Superior) is filled with history and fun and we were ready to experience it.

The Sault Ste Marie tourism board arranged for a large suite for us at Superior Place.

It is in a good location and quite comfortable, with a pool and gym for use at the Best Western across the parking lot.

We got an early start in the morning and headed downtown to find someplace for breakfast. Oh, Crepe immediately caught our eyes and we decided to go in.

They have a menu with a little something for everyone. I went for the sweet (Nutella and banana), while the girls did more savory crepes, with bacon, sausage, and eggs.

This year celebrates the 350^th anniversary of Sault Ste Marie, the oldest city in the state of Michigan.

Sault Ste Marie has another attribute you won’t find in another Michigan (or Midwest) city: its name is duplicated across Lake Superior in Sault Ste Marie, Canada.

The first thing on our agenda was to see the Soo Locks, where billions of dollars’ worth of iron pass through on freighters.

The best way for us to see this was on a boat, so we headed to the dock to board the Soo Locks Boat Tour.

From the boat, we could see the whole operation and even got to experience the locks taking the boat down, over, and back up again.

The only time I had previously been through locks was on a Viking River Cruise on the Danube. Brittany and Jamie had never done it before.

The other part of the ride that we found to be unique was that we went out along the U.S. side and came back through Canadian Waters.

The International Bridge, just passed the locks, separates the two countries.

Although you can be “in” Canada with Soo Lock Boat Tours along the lake, you need a passport to get from one country to the next through the bridge.  

After the boat ride, we went down the road to Museum Ship Valley Camp.

This unique site is especially popular with kids as the museum is inside an actual boat used in the Soo Locks.

The Valley Camp consisted of three freighters that were launched from Ohio three weeks apart, during World War I, landing in Sault Ste Marie.

There is plenty to explore at Valley Camp, while you read about the various freighters that came through here, the Eastland Disaster of 1915, and even the fish (perch and whitefish) that are typically found in this Great Lake.

We were really hungry by the time we finished touring the boat and decided to go straight to dinner before heading back to the hotel.

The Palace Saloon was the perfect choice for authentic Mexican food.

We started out with a few of their fruity margaritas, as well as the house made queso they are famous for. 

I also wanted to try their fresh guacamole.

For our dinner, we had shrimp skewers, a burrito, and a chimichanga. Everything was delicious.

We were all exhausted when we got back to the Superior Place and settled in for the night.

We had another full day of fun ahead of us in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.

A Full Final Day in Nova Scotia

It had been an exciting trip to Nova Scotia, a place I hadn’t visited in many years. 

My daughter, Sam, and I would be heading back to the States, but first we had a lot to see and do with our group at Fox Harb’r Resort.

We packed up our things and said goodbye to our one-bedroom suite. The view would definitely be missed.

The group convened in the Cape Cliff dining room for another delicious breakfast.

After we ate, Executive Chef and Food & Beverage Director Shane Robilliard met with us to talk more about the cuisine of Fox Harb’r.

Chef Robilliard talked about how much he loves the opportunity at Fox Harb'r to work with the ingredients available to him, including the greenhouse, where nearly all his fruits, vegetables, and herbs come from.

He’s also proud that the resort uses sustainably harvested seafoods and local meats.

Our group then divided up for our last two activities at the resort. The first for us was fly fishing.

Sam always loved to fish so she was ready to try it.

It was a lot of fun, even if she didn’t catch anything. Fox Harb’r provides instruction to its guests (see video).

After the fishing, we went to the resort’s Sporting Lodge for clay shooting. I’m not a supporter of guns and didn’t want to partake, but those who did were given full instructions and really enjoyed it.

We all climbed into the van and headed to Jost Winery, who partners with Fox Harb’r, currently to provide wine and in the future to produce the wine from the resort’s new vineyard.

The wine pairing lunch showed off the selection at Jost, as well as their culinary offerings, including more Nova Scotia fish.

One of the wines that I especially loved was the Jost Tidal Bay.

Tidal Bay is a grape produced in Nova Scotia. It’s a bit of a cross between sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio – white, light, and fruity.

Immediately following lunch, Sam and I had to head to Halifax airport to catch our flights.

It was again another exhausting experience with Air Canada, but it certainly didn’t make us forget a wonderful trip to NovaScotia with Fox Harb’r Resort. 


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