My Alaskan Adventure! - Part 2 - Ketchikan

DESTINATION ALASKA - KETCHIKAN

Ketchikan is known as the Salmon Capital of the world! I bought some lovely locally smoked Salmon when I was there and it was beautiful, I even took some home it was that good!
There are Totem Poles scattered all around the town and there is a heritage museum to tell all about the history of them which is very interesting.

Fun fact: Ketchikan has the highest amount of standing Totem Poles in the world

The town of Ketchikan gets its name from Ketchikan Creek which runs through the middle of it. You can see the creek on some my pictures below. 'Creek Street', as it is known, is very pretty and has bars, restaurants and shops on the stilts running alongside. I really enjoyed strolling around for the day it is very picturesque and quaint.

Other popular things to do in Ketchikan are as follows;

• Outdoor Adventures
• Totem Bight State Park
• Saxman Native Village
• Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary
• Misty Fjords National Monument
• Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show
• George Inlet Lodge

View from the ship of the dock area

Another view of the dock area

Ketchikan Creek

Another Ketchikan Creek pic

And another one!

Stay tuned for my adventures to Skagway, Juneau and Vancouver! COMING SOON!
 

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My Alaskan Adventure! - Part 1 - Coral Princess and Glacier Bay

DESTINATION ALASKA - ONBOARD CORAL PRINCESS

Coral Princess in Whittier

I was lucky enough to experience Alaska with Princess Cruises on a 7 night Inside Passage cruise from Whittier, Alaska sailing through to Vancouver, Canada.

Well what can I say.... just amazing! The views of the glaciers and mountains whilst sailing on a ship of this size was awesome in every sense of the word. There was an eerie silence sailing through Glacier Bay and every now and again you would hear the glaciers creak and sometimes a big crash from the ice falling in to the water beneath! Spectacular! I even saw a guy in a canoe just underneath one of the glaciers shortly before the ice fell down, crazy if you ask me, but he was not hurt luckily.

Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay



Canoe Guy was under this Glacier!

Glacier Bay

As it was a very early arrival in Glacier Bay, around 5am, Princess Cruises provided teas, coffee, hot chocolate and liqueur coffees on deck so as not to miss any of the scenery which I thought was a great touch.

Top tip: Take some binoculars! They will come in very handy to spot the Dolphins, Whales, Eagles, Seals and various other wildlife that are sometimes hard to see in the distance with the naked eye.




Sailing in Glacier Bay

I was in Alaska at the start of the season which is the end of May and as you can see from my pictures the weather was beautiful most of the time, still with the snow covered mountains, and not too cold at all, I was very surprised. I even saw people sun bathing on deck which I never thought I would see on an Alaskan cruise! My best suggestion would be to take layers of clothing so you can add or take off as needed.

Coral Princess was a great ship to do Alaska on board. She is a relatively large ship so you still have all the facilities you would expect such as; Casino, Pools, Bars/lounges, Theatre, Spa and Gym, numerous speciality restaurants along with the main restaurant and casual buffet.
I do love Princess Cruises anyway, this was my first experience with them and have since sailed a further 3 times with them around the Caribbean. There was a huge deck buffet one evening in Alaska featuring lots of local delicacies such as smoked salmon and huge Alaskan crabs amongst other things!

The ship tended to be very quiet in the evenings I guess everyone was getting early nights ready for a full day of sightseeing the next day. I found the daylight hours very intriguing as the sun only sets for a few hours a night so even at midnight it is still bright sunshine! I have never experienced anything like it before.

I would highly recommend having a balcony cabin when sailing around Alaska. The decks do get very busy during the scenic cruising and having your own personal balcony where you are free to enjoy the scenery without the crowd is a bonus.

Some pictures of Coral Princess are below to get an idea of what it is like on board.



Atrium

One of the Pools



Explorers Lounge

Sabatini's Restaurant



Library

Wheelhouse Bar

 

 

Obstructed Ocean View

Stay tuned for my adventures to Skagway, Ketchikan, Juneau and Vancouver! COMING SOON!

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Oceania completes $50 million fleetwide refurbishment

REGATTA RE-JOINS THE FLEET

 

 

 



Regatta is the final Oceania ship to complete the extensive dry dock refurbishment costing $50 million!! She will re-join, also recently renovated, sister ships Insignia and Nautica. The refurbishment took place over 6 weeks and has seen some new features and design elements on all the ships.

 

Changes include; 

ALL cabins on board having updated décor with the owners and vista suites bathrooms incorporating new marble and granite materials. The penthouse suite has had all new furnishings.

 

The Terrace Café, the lines casual dining restaurant, has had all new furnishings introduced, including new flooring, and enhanced lighting to complement the floor to ceiling windows. The cook to order station will feature items such as chops, steaks and lobster tails! Yummy! 

  

Debuting on Regatta is the Baristas Coffee Bar, serving complimentary espressos and cappuccinos.

 

The Sports deck, located on top of the ship, has new putting greens, shuffleboard and various other deck games. The main pool area has had mosaic tiles fitted.

 

Canyon Ranch SpaClub has also had a refurbishment with new changing areas, featuring a mosaic tile design, and steam rooms introduced.

 

All of the ships main lounges have been enhanced. Horizons Bar and Martinis have had new furnishings with Regatta Lounge benefitting from new carpeting, chairs and upholstery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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MSC Announce 2 new additions to their fleet

MSC ANNOUNCE PROJECT 'SEASIDE'


These 2 new ships on order from Italian ship yard Fincantieri will be the largest cruise ships they have ever built.

The ships will be 154,000 tons and will cost around 700 million euros each! The first ship is scheduled for delivery in November 2017 and the second in May 2018.

Project 'Seaside'

MSC have described the new design as 'Revolutionary' and are hoping to inspire a new generation of ship. New features will be a sea level wrap around promenade with outdoor spaces, dining venues and shops. This sounds lovely and if anything like the Norwegian Getaway that I was recently on board I imagine will be a very popular addition.

The ships will have 2070 cabins and can hold up to 5,300 passengers at full occupancy plus 1,413 crew.
There will be a huge 468,000 square foot of passenger spaces including a terraced balcony, theatre and panoramic sea view lifts.

Comments courtesy of  Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises;

"From the moment we started talking with Fincantieri, we had in mind to design and build two completely new ships, revolutionary in their structure, unlike anything that exists on the market today"

"Seaside is a futuristic prototype because of its structure, shape and versatility. It will be a real revolution in the world's cruise market, an excellent product for its unique and innovative architectural features and cutting-edge technology.”

I'm sure these ships will prove very popular for MSC and I can't wait to find out more information!

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River Cruising with CMV Signature

CMV Signature River Cruising

This is a great new product for 2014 offering 7 and 14 night Premium Plus River Cruises on the scenic Danube and Rhine on board the stylish Vienna 1.

Vienna 1

Vienna 1 - Bar

Vienna 1 - Lobby

The prices include;
Flights from Manchester or Gatwick
Overseas transfers
Complimentary house wine, beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner
Complimentary tea and coffee
Full board
Half day tours at selected ports of call
Evening entertainment


River cruising is becoming increasingly more popular and there hasn't really been a value product for those on a strict budget. This fits the bill perfectly in my opinion, a lovely looking ship travelling to some interesting destination with great opening deals to be taken advantage of, what's not to like!

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Celebrity Cruises Suite Class - Coming soon!

Celebrity Cruises Introduce Suite Class

Sky Suite

From 1st April 2015 Celebrity Cruises are enhancing what is included when you book a suite.
Not only will you receive the normal extras associated with booking a suite with Celebrity you get all these extras;

Sky Suites and upwards will have a dedicated private restaurant, located on the second floor of the main restaurant. This will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and has its own executive chef producing an exclusive menu, featuring local dishes and ingredients of the destinations you are visiting on your cruise.
Over 450 wines will be available with the head sommelier on hand to offer advice on pairings.

A VIP Lounge will be set up in Michaels Club for all but Sky Suite guests. Opening hours are to be confirmed but this is thought to be available for a few hours in the afternoon and evening. A concierge service will be on hand to answer any questions or to take care of any arrangements you may need. Complimentary drinks and a unique menu, served tapas style, will also be available in the evening.

Now for the fantastic news...


If you stay in a Reflection, Penthouse or Royal suite you will receive; Unlimited Internet, Unlimited Speciality dining, mini bar stocked and replenished with beer, water and sodas AND a premium beverage package ( non alcoholic for any children )

Penthouse Suite

Royal Suite

Reflection Suite

This is taking Celebrity Cruises 'Modern Luxury' to an elevated level and is fantastic news for suite lovers out there!

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Lets get packing!

Probably one of the most frequently asked questions I am asked is .........

'HELP, WHAT DO I PACK??!!'

This will depend on the cruise line you are travelling with, your chosen destination and the season in your destination.
Obviously, if you are going on an Alaskan cruise with Princess Cruises you are going to need completely different clothes to the Caribbean with NCL!

The best tip has to be, research the weather in your destination! You can never guarantee weather reports will be correct but it does give you a great idea on what to expect, or have a look at on line forums as you can find some great tips.
If you are still really unsure, I would advise layers! A great example of this was when I went to Alaska at the end of May, a few years ago, which is the beginning of the cruising season out there. I was expecting cold weather and did not expect on 2 of the days to be walking around in shorts and a vest top so I was glad I packed a small sun lotion and one pair of shorts with the thinking 'just in case'.
I am a great fan of packing for 'just in case' and I always take an umbrella everywhere, even in the Caribbean!

The evening dress code on board your chosen ship will vary and you can find information such as the amount of formal, smart casual and casual nights on the cruise lines website. This will help you plan your evening wear and pack savvy, remember on a fly cruise you have a maximum weight allowance!



I have seen and picked up some great ideas on what to take on board to make life a little easier!

1) Miniature toiletries - Huge space saving for us ladies leaving extra room for all those shoes!
2) Overnight bag - By packing a small overnight bag means you can leave those essentials out for the next morning, after your suitcase has been left outside your cabin the night before. Once you have collected your luggage just pop it in the top, job done.
3) Magnets - This may sound strange but the walls in your cabin are magnetic! If you want to pin up your daily newsletters or shore excursion vouchers, so as not to lose them, this is the perfect way to know where they are.
4) Motion sickness wrist bands - You never know if you might need these! The medical centre is always on hand to issue tablets ( for a fee of course ) if things get really unbearable.
5) Ear plugs - Obvious uses, you never know what your cabin buddies either side of you might be like! I always find the cabin doors slamming early in a morning, unintentionally I'm sure as they are quite heavy, quite a pain especially if I want a lovely holiday lie in.
6) Waterproof money pouch - I am not sure the exact name for these but you can buy them in the shop on most ships. You can keep your cash,cards, keys and small personal items in these if you are going to the beach or just around the pool. Swim safe in the knowledge your valuables are not going to go walkies!
7) Plastic shoe hangers - If you have a family sharing a bathroom and have lots of different toiletries these can clutter the bathroom area. By hanging one of these on the hook on the back of the door it keeps them all together and tidy and is a great space saver.
8) Lint roller - Suits and dresses can attract bits from anywhere, so to save the cost of laundry on board take one of these to look dapper and fluff free on formal nights!
9) Lanyard - An easy way to carry your cruise card when you have no pockets or hand bag.
10) Alarm clock and adapters - A simple thing but a small travel alarm can be handy if you wake in the night and want to know the time or just need to be up early one morning for an excursion. Don't forget your travel adapters either to convert your plugs!

Finally my top tip on packing your suitcase.....

Pack your clothes on a beach towel! - Yes, you are provided these on board but I find it so handy to just lift out  to get easy access to shoes, toiletries etc. at the bottom of your case if you are checking you have everything or need to get at something quickly.

Happy packing everyone!

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