Terri Bettany In Alaska!!!

I have just returned from my first contract as the Future Cruise Consultant onboard the beautiful Star Princess.

The Star Princess was cruising the Alaskan Inside Passage roundtrip from Seattle on 7 day voyages. There is so much to see and do in Alaska that after 4 months there were still things I hadn't managed to do.

There are activities for those who like adventure and I seemed to have donned a crash helmut more than once, first on an ATV (all terrain vehicle) adventure, then ziplining high above the rainforest canopy and a very hungry bear in Ketchikan. I was also lucky enough to have my first helicopter experience to Denver Glacier from Skagway and learn how to mush the amazing huskies.

On the days that I wasn't helmut clad I became a train spotter on the white pass and yukon railway in Skagway, wandered the shops or marvelled at the Whales on an evening whale watch quest in Juneau.

Then there was the food!!!! Thankfully I didn't discover Ketchikandies until the final weeks - if you like Mint Slices then the dark chocolate coated mint oreos there are 1000 times better! I highly recommend the Skagway Fish Co just a stones throw from the pier - the Mermaid (Halibut) burger was fantastic. For a lunch with a view then Cape Fox Lodge in Ketchikan has a wonderful blackened Halibut burger as well. Any wonder I had to spend time in the gym and hiking to Lower Dewey Lake in Skagway. 
   Take it easy Terri!!

A common question with Alaskan cruising is when is the best time to travel - well each time has it's advantages. Early in the season the scenery is spectacular with the melting snow but later in the season (very late July and August) the Salmon start to run and as well as this magnifcent site this also means the bears are out and hungry so the bear sightings are more common. The weather is changeable all season and it's best to take layers and definitely some waterproof clothing as it's only so beautiful and green because of all the snow. For shoppers the very last cruises in Alaska mean big discounts on all the Alaska merchandise as well. 

So, you may wonder if there was any work involved and there certainly was - we have a lot of first time passengers in Alaska eager to learn about the future cruise programme offered and on the Star Princess Australians were also able to simply register for this programme and this entitles you to a lower deposit (paid when you book) and then shipboard spending money as long as you book your next Princess Cruise within 4 years (this applies to all Princess ships that operate in US$). We also have the growing Captains Circle membership and as the avid cruisers know Princess do now have this set up for Aussie passengers.

My next venture will be off to the Caribbean on the Emerald Princess on her 10 day Southern and Eastern Caribbean Itineraries before finishing off in Europe after her first Baltic Cruise. As soon as I have caught up on my sleep I will be counting down the days till I can again Escape Completely with Princess.
 

     What a cutie!!  The puppy's pretty cute too!!!!





Alaska Tips from Terri B

General
Alaskan weather is unpredictable and in the 2008 season there was probably one really great weather week each month from May to September.
Early in the season the scenery is spectacular as the snow has just started to melt and everything is white. As it warms up during the summer and towards the end of July and into August the salmon start to spawn and this brings out the bears so definitely more wildlife viewing at this time.
Remember to bring your wet weather gear as some of the highest rainfall in the USA is experienced in both Juneau and Ketchikan.
It is a wonderful destination with lots to do, rain, hail or shine! When it shines it is truly glorious.

Ketchikan
Places to Eat
Ketchikandies is the place to go if you have a sweet tooth!! All wonderful homemade sweets and chocolates. My favourite the Dark chocolate covered mint oreo.
Annabelles is just on the Front Street and has wonderful Alaskan Fare and plenty of seafood. Free Wireless is offered here as in a number of the restaurants and bars. The Arctic Bar also offers free wireless just don’t dare ask for coffee!! It’s a bar and you will be told just that! You can however order takeaway from Burger Queen across the road and they will deliver. Fabulous Burgers.
For something a little more scenic you can try the Cape Fox Lodge – take the funicular up or walk (it’s really not too far). The Cajun halibut burger here is to die for and the views are great.
Ketchikan Coffee in a little hut on the main pier is the best coffee.
Places to Shop
It’s not hard to miss the shops here in Ketchikan – no matter where you are berthed they are all there ready and waiting with jewellery, totem poles and Alaskan souvenirs.
Places to visit!
A short walk from the pier is Creek Street with the historical buildings including Dolly’s House (a former house of ill repute). Creek Street is also where all the salmon come to spawn so it’s commonly know as Stinky Fish creek come late August! This is where you go to also get on the Funicular to Cape Fox lodge.
If you fancy doing something more adventurous then there is plenty on offer in Ketchikan. I went on an ATV adventure through some back mountain tracks to a beautiful waterfall, then on a cruise aboard the “Aleutian Ballad” made famous during the series “World’s Deadliest Catch” where they tell many a Fishing tale and introduce you to many types of crab including King Crab and some rather scary looking eels and octopus. Come bear season you don’t have to pick a specific bear viewing tour – whilst not guaranteed it’s quite common to see bears whilst ziplining (like a flying fox) over the canopy of trees.
If you are a fisherman then the Exclusive Fishing Tour is a must – after your fishing trip there is a stop for lunch where your catch is turned into a wonderful warming seafood bouillabaisse by campfire. It doesn’t get any better than this – especially with the homemade garlic bread!

Skagway
Places to Eat
So many times I didn’t make it far from the pier before stopping to eat as the Skagway Fish Company has a fantastic Mermaid (Halibut) Burger. It’s cheap and cheerful and if you can’t get a table there is plenty of seats around the bar. The best coffee is also found at the pier at the Yukon and White Pass Railway hut.
If you have forgotten to bring any vegemite there is also an International store in Skagway that caters to the many nationalities onboard each cruise ship – so it’s not cheap but when you need vegemite!!!
There is also a great pizza place off the beaten track just opposite the only grocery store in town.
Places to Shop
Lots of shopping options here as well in the beautiful restored gold fever town of Skagway. As in all of the towns at the end of the season everything is reduced so it’s another plus to the final cruises of summer.
Places to visit!
From Skagway you can take a helicopter up to Denver Glacier for a sightseeing trip or as I did you can learn how to mush with the Huskies! This is a fantastic experience and if the budget allows then go for it. These tours are weather dependent.
From Skagway you can also follow the path (via train rather than mule or walking) of the gold prospectors of 1898 on the famous White Pass Scenic Railway. There are lots of tours that offer a chance to experience this railway – some tours also head up into Canada.
The Glacier Point Wilderness Safari is another fabulous tour where you head out via Jetboat passed Haines and on to Glacier point where you take a brief bus (read refurbished school bus turned 4WD) to where you get kitted out into wet weather gear and into your canoes for the trip to Davidson Glacier. It’s a short non strenuous paddle to the glacier and you really do get up close and personal.
It’s a short walk into town for a look around and you can also take some great hikes here around Lower and Upper Dewey lake – very scenic but take your insect repellent as the national bird of Alaska is the mosquito!

Juneau
Places to Eat
There are some great places to eat and drink in Juneau – I will confess to trying out the McDonalds here but just up from there is a great Asian restaurant that also has Sushi and up the street from McD’ is a Mongolian BBQ that is cheap and cheerful. I visited “The Hangar” restaurant on a super busy night and so was not the best (complete with running bolt to the ship afterwards). I also really liked the Twisted Fish.
Places to Shop
The best shoe shop I found was here in Juneau – Shoe Fly is just near McD’s and is great – I wonder if Sarah Palin shops here!!! There are also some funky dress shops and your ususal jewellery and souvenir shops. Be prepared before you go – jewellery shops have become all the rage.
There is also the big US department stores here – Walmart, Fred Meyers and Costco. They are a little way out of town but serviced by taxi’s and some shuttles from the ship.
Places to visit!
Juneau has a glacier quite literally just out of town. The Mendenhall glacier is easily accessed for viewing as you are driving towards Auke Bay and the Safeway supermarket there must have the best view of any Safeway! There are plenty of Glacier tours although you can’t actually walk on the glacier. You can do a float raft trip, canoe or helicopter! There is also plenty of whale watching options here if you haven’t managed to already spot some from the ship. I was lucky enough to have an after dinner treat one night when a whale breached right in front of me cruising through Snow Pass.
You will also see the Governors mansion as you drive on your way out of town. Another quick and easy thing to do in Juneau is journey up Mount Roberts via the Tramway – a great view from the top and you will sometimes need more than 1 hand to count all the cruise ships in port!!

Victoria, BC
Places to Eat
Wow! Where do I start – 4 months were not enough Saturday nights to experience all that Victoria had to offer. This is a fabulous town on Vancouver Island with a real old English feel. The beautiful Empress Hotel is a must see and eat! You can have an old fashioned afternoon tea here, dine formally or a wonderful Indian Buffet at the Bengal Lounge. There are many other fabulous more casual options such as the Cactus Bar and Nautical Nellies.

Places to Shop
A short trolley or taxi ride (about 25 minute walk) into town is the main heart of the city sprawling up from the Empress around cobble stone streets there are souvenir shops here selling all sorts of maple goodies as well as your regular brand name stores. There is also a store at the pier for nick nacks and a cash exchange if you have forgotten your Canadian Dollars.
Places to visit!
As well as the Empress Hotel and the harbour in Victoria the main highlight is the beautiful Butchart Gardens set on 55 acres the beautiful gardens complete with Asian Garden and Totem Poles is a must see even if you are not a garden lover.
This is the place to go Orca watching – if you have only found humpback whales before this is where you got to see the Orca (or Killer Whale).

Seattle, Washington, USA
Places to Visit & Shop
Seattle has two very famous attractions straight off – the Pike Place Markets home of the famous fish throwing and featured in Sleepless in Seattle as well as the Space Needle.
You could spend hours walking around the markets there is plenty on offer here from bric a brac to fresh food, fish and flowers. My favourite is the pasta shop where you can find pasta like dark chocolate linguine. What a shame I couldn’t take it all home!
The Space Needle has a fantastic 360 degree view of Seattle and the surrounding area. You can book brunch here and eat in the revolving restaurant and beat the queue to go up to the tower (that is until you get in the queue’s at the gift shop). It was a wonderful way to see Seattle and we had a lovely sunny day.
Contrary to the stories we didn’t see as much rain in Seattle as in Alaska and it’s a really beautiful city to sail away from......

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