Travel Tips

JUNEAU has it all

2011-07-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

The Beautiful Stained Glass Window at the Juneau Public Libary

By Carol watts Alaska Expert

If you have been reading this column for the past several years, you know that Alaska is one of our favorite destinations. Also that cruising is our preferred method of travel. And while cruising is one of the best ways to see Alaska's scenery, I understand that it might not be everyone's cup of tea.

So if you are thinking of going to Alaska and doing an independent vacation, Juneau has it all. By that I mean that everything people go to Alaska to see can be found in and around Juneau. Of course, that means flying, since there are no roads connecting Juneau to the “outside”, the word used by native Alaskans to mean any place other than their state.

Most travelers want to go to Alaska to see 3 things: mountains, wildlife, and glaciers. Juneau provides opportunities to see all these, and much more. Juneau is Alaska's largest city land wise, with an area of 2,716.7 sq. miles, and an elevation of just 5 ft. Jet service from Seattle, Anchorage, and many other southeast Alaska towns is available from Alaska Airlines. Or you can arrive via the Alaska Marine Highway System, the ferry. A word of warning about the weather. Torrential rain may result in canceled flights and rotten visibility. A relaxed attitude, flexible itinerary, and trip-cancellation insurance are recommended.

As Alaska's capital city, Juneau offers museums, fine dining, and shopping, in addition to sightseeing and activities. Juneau is the gateway for small board cruises of Glacier Bay National Park, and is also close to Tracy Arm Fjord and its Sawyer Glaciers. Mendenhall Glacier is only 12 miles from downtown. Juneau's ice field is an expanse of mountains and glaciers, and the source of 38 glaciers within a 1,500 sq. mile radius. While most tourists are content with a helicopter trip to a glacier to trek, climb, walk around, or dog sled, some have chosen to be married on a glacier! Remember, anything is possible in the travel business; it's all a matter of how much you are willing to pay for your desires.

If you are not into helicopters, you can visit a musher's camp for a dog sled ride on a trail. But what about other wildlife? The calm waters of the Gastineau Channel are perfect for whale watching excursions. Humpback whales feed, play, and socialize here from mid April to October. Other marine wildlife such as sea otters and seals can be seen on any boat trip. Bears fishing for salmon can be seen on nearby Admiralty Island, at the Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area. You might even encounter a bear in the city streets of Juneau. Eagles abound in the summer months. But alas, there are no moose in Juneau. Sportfishing tours are plentiful, and you can see salmon and more at the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery in the saltwater aquarium. You can also enjoy eating salmon at several bakes and back country lodges.

There's gold in them there hills, and once there were 32 gold mines in the area. You can visit the original gold strike made in 1880 by Richard Harris and Joe Juneau at Gold Creek. Juneau also has what was once the world's largest gold producing mill, the Alaska Gastineau Mill constructed in 1913. You can also go into a 360 foot long tunnel in the mine, where once 6,000 tons of rock per day were mined, and learn about the techniques and equipment. You can pan for gold here too, paydirt is guaranteed, and you can keep all you find.

Other outdoor activities include Mendenhall River raft float trips, sea kayaking, ziplines and rainforest hiking. Hiking trails abound around Juneau. You can take the Mt. Roberts Tramway up to the visitors center at its 1,750 foot elevation and hike the 2 ½ miles back to downtown. Of interest at the center is a film about the native Tlingit culture, shops featuring native artisans at work, and a bald eagle enclosure. She lost one eye in a hunting accident, and can no longer survive in the wild.

Museums include the Alaska State Museum, with its native clan house, Lincoln totem pole, and natural history display with a two story tall eagle nesting tree. The Juneau-Douglas City Museum has history and culture exhibits, and walking tour maps and historic trail information. There's also the Last Chance Mining Museum at Gold Creek. Glacier Gardens lets you experience the rain forest trails from a small motorized golf cart, as well as horticultural exhibits in their greenhouses and formal gardens. St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church is the oldest original church in Southeast Alaska. (St. Michael's Cathedral in Sitka is older, but burned to the ground in 1966.) Sunday services are open to the public, but be prepared to stand for over 2 hours. And last but not least, you can tour the award winning Alaska Brewing Company.

With so much to see and do in Juneau, it would be easy to spend a week there. . We can save you hours of searching on the internet, with our connections to tour providers. Please keep in mind that tours, with the exception of flightseeing and helicopter tours, will proceed as scheduled no matter what the weather. When we were in Juneau in June, it was raining all day, but the excursion companies were still soliciting business on the dock.

Check out this beautiful video from the Alaska Travel Industry Association at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-hhTq1R2co&feature=BFa&list=PLB528C2E57BAD8396&index=1. For more Alaska articles, and travel articles in general, visit the Blog Spot It's not too early to think about Alaska cruises and cruise tours for 2012. Remember the land portion of the cruise tours sell out fast, because of the space limitations on the railroad dome cars.

Online Travel Agencies vs. Real Travel Agents

2011-07-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

Bears in Sitka at Fortress Of The Bear

By Carol Watts Travel Planner EXPERIENCED CRUISER

If you watch TV at all, you’ve seen commercials for online travel agencies, hereafter known as OTA. You know, the little gnome or the space ship captain. There are OTA for all kinds of travel, or hotels and cruises specifically.

While you might be tempted by their low prices, remember that value does not always equal price. You may get a really cheap vacation that doesn’t suit your life style at all. For example, Carnival usually has the least expensive cruises, but unless you like to party until dawn and have many raucous young people as travel companions, a cruise with them might not be enjoyable for us older persons.

How would you feel if you called one of the OTA and the call center employee said, “Oh, the Amsterdam to Alaska. I was just on that cruise last month.” Well you would be a very lucky caller indeed, because most of these call center employees don’t cruise. And if you call a particular cruise line directly, the representative might have been on a particular itinerary, but they can’t compare that sailing with those of another cruise line. You need an agency that actively cruises to get first hand, been there done that experience. This is the value of certified travel agencies. We not only cruise, we take webinars and courses to stay current on changes within the cruise lines and itineraries.

So if you see a great price from an OTA, just call and ask if we can meet that price. Our experience in the past has been that we can sometimes even get a better price by moving the date of travel a few weeks. If we can’t match the price, we’ll be honest and tell you so.

Let me just say right now that all the cruise lines have a no discount policy. That means no provider or agent can sell a cruise for less than the price offered by the cruise line. So how do some of these OTA get such “discounts”? They either are promoting last minute discounts, which are available directly from the cruise line or from any certified travel agent. Or they have a group on a particular itinerary, and can offer the reduced cabin prices and amenities (like on board credit) that are available from the cruise line for groups. As an individual agency, we are limited to the number of groups that we can create in a calendar quarter. This in one reason that we affiliated with Avoya Travel. As a country wide agency with a huge booking volume, they can create many more groups.

Now for some current specials:

Princess Cruises is offering “Sun Drenched Deals” on specific itineraries and fall sailings for 7 night eastern Caribbean, 10 day Panama Canal round trip Ft. Lauderdale sailings, and their 14 night Hawaii round trip Los Angeles.

Apple is offering great deals on Mexico resorts for summer travel.

Did you know that there is only one all inclusive resort in the US, West Palm Beach specifically, and it is through Club Med. If you are hesitant to travel to Mexico or the Caribbean because of reported violence, this might just be the all inclusive for you.

Trafalgar is offering savings of up to $600 per couple on their 2012 USA, Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica vacations if booked by August 31.

Several of the river cruise providers are offering 2 for 1 savings or huge discounts for early bookings for 2012 cruises and last minute fall 2011 river cruises.

Also important if you are a smoker. Holland America and Princess Cruises have just changed their smoking policy effective Jan 15, 2012. Don’t expect an OTA to advise you of that little inconvenience.

We actively cruise, and can advise you not only on the differences between the various cruise lines and their itineraries, but also what to see in various ports of call. Is it better to book shore excursions through the cruise line or wait and get a better deal on the dock from a local tour company. That depends, and we can tell you why. Do you really need trip insurance? Not if you can afford to lose the cost of your trip if you can’t go for some reason. Did you know that when on any cruise, Medicare does not cover you for sickness or accidents? The one exception of NCL’s Pride of America, which is registered in the USA. Medicare considers you to be in a foreign country, even if the ship you are on is docked in an American port of call!

The Denali Road Lottery

2011-06-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

Picture Courtesy of the National Park Service

By Carol Watts Alaska Expert

Every year 1600 lucky people 努inthe Denali Road lottery sponsored by the National Park Service, allowing them to drive their private vehicles into the park. During the regular park season, private vehicles are forbidden after mile 15, and only Park Service buses go further into the park. The length of their route varies depending on which tour is purchased. Applications for the Denali Road Lottery are accepted from June 1 30. For four days after the close of the regular park season, September 16 19 this year, four hundred vehicles per day have the opportunity to drive all the way to Wonder Lake, or 82 miles, weather permitting. That last phrase is important in Alaska. On some years early snows have closed the road after only 30 miles. Considering that parts of the road are only 1 and 1/2 lanes wide and have a steep drop off without guard rails, closing the road in inclement weather seems like a good thing.

Entries are limited to one per person and cost $10. There is an additional $25 road permit fee and a $20 vehicle pass unless you already have a National Park pass. Last year the park service received 9,720 applications. So why would almost ten thousand people spend $35 to $55 for this privilege at odds of one in six? The answer is a chance to see the parks wildlife at their own pace. In mid September the moose are in rut, and you might see bulls charging each other. The Dall sheep are descending from the hills to the low country. And the bears are foraging in earnest, trying to fatten up as much as possible in the shorter daylight hours.

Lottery winners usually spend the night before their drive in lodges or motels in Glitter Gulch, as the highway between Cantwell and Healy near the park entrance is known. . Some hardier types chose to camp in the park, but be forewarned that temperatures at night are below freezing. The park road runs in a general east-west direction, and crosses 4 mountain passes with elevations just under 4,000 feet. Climbing from the park entrance, fur trees give way to willows, a moose's favorite food. Moose can be seen anywhere from mile 3 to Tolkat River. Foxes can also be seen in this section of roadway. In winter the park is closed to vehicles after this point; only dog sled mushers and cross country skiers are allowed past mile 3. If the weather permits, you can catch a glimpse of Mt. McKinley at mile 9, seventy five miles away. Savage River campground is located at mile 12.8, and this is where the lottery winners line up at the permit checkpoint. Savage River is at mile 14, and this is as far as you can drive your car during the normal park season. This is also as far as the road is paved. Beyond here dust is everywhere in a dry autumn. Along a 3 mile long hiking loop here you may spot Dall sheep, marmots, or ptarmigan. The next 5 miles might provide you with a second look at Mt. McKinley.

There is a campground at mile 29, Teklanika, but for the last 3 years tents have not been allowed here because of wolf conflicts. Teklanika Bridge at mile 31 marks the entrance to Igloo Forest. Be on the lookout for lynx and of course moose. Igloo Canyon, at mile 33, is where wildlife viewing begins in earnest. Trees are gone, and bears can be seen anywhere from the road to stream beds. Igloo Campground, mile 34, remains closed due to its proximity to a wolf den. From mile 37 to 43 the road climbs to Sable Pass, prime grizzly country. No hiking is allowed in the tundra here. And if you look at the wooden Sable Pass sign, you can see where bears have chewed on it. Berries at both sides of the road attract bears at different times of the year. Mt. McKinley might be visible again, 55 miles away.

Mile 43 to 46 marks Polychrome Pass. It is a two and one half hour bus ride to this point. To the south of the road you have a 5 mile wide view of the Plains of Murie, stretching to the Alaska Range on the horizon. Mt. McKinley might make another appearance here. This pass is where the road narrows to 1 and ｽ lanes. The pass itself is carved out of the side of the mountain, and no place for those afraid of heights. Mile 53 is the Tolkat River and Tolkat Bridge. Tolkat River is a braided river, whose channels constantly change depending on the amount of glacial melt water that runs down to it. The river never fills from bank to bank. Bears, caribou and wolves often wander the river bed. At mile 66 is the Eielson Visitors Center. On lottery weekend the parking lot is crowded with tailgate parties. This is the turn around point for the faint hearted. Beyond Eielson the road narrows to one lane in spots as it clings to the side of the mountain with no guardrails and blind curves. Mt. McKinley is only 33 miles away, and is visible all the way to Wonder Lake at mile 82. This is one of the few places you can see beaver.

Wonder Lake has a campsite for tents only. Swarms of mosquitoes in mid summer make this inhospitable without a mosquito head net and lots of bug spray. Spring and late summer are more tolerable. This is where the iconic postcard photos of Mt. McKinley with Wonder Lake in the foreground are taken. This is also the turn around point for the lottery winners. The visitors center at Eielson and the campgrounds mentioned can all be reached during the summer by the park shuttle buses.

Because of the unpredictable weather and chance of early snows closing the road, most road lottery entrants are Alaska residents. The weather also dictates whether Mt. McKinley is visible or not. Roughly 25 to 30 percent of visitors to Denali get to see the 敵reat One But if the weather is favorable, the view is heart stopping.

It costs nothing to use the services of a certified travel agent. We can help you save hours of frustration searching online. Our personal visits to Alaska provide you with experienced help in choosing the perfect vacation and best value for your budget.

Cruising to Alaska

2011-05-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

Moose grazing as seen on the National Park Tour in Denali.

By Carol watts Alaska Specialist.

I had decided to write this article a while ago, but then got a call about Alaska cruises, and decided some basic travel opportunity education was in order. There are more ways to see Alaska than there are days in a year. You have your basic cruise to Southeast Alaska, also known as the Inside Passage. You have longer cruises that go to ports of call not on the Inside Passage itineraries. You have 6 mainstream cruise lines that sail to Alaska, in addition to small ship and expedition cruises, and a few luxury cruise lines. You have “cruise tours” which are land tours to the interior of Alaska that can be added before or after the 7 day north/south cruise. You have escorted bus tours that cover the interior, to which a cruise can be added. And lastly, you have independent travel. How do you know which is the best for you? This is where the help of a certified travel agent can save you money, time, and frustration.

Take for example just one cruise line, Holland America. They offer 5 different seven day cruises and one extended 14 day cruise. Some are round trip from either Seattle or Vancouver, and some are one way north or south. These one way cruises are the ones to which a “cruisetour” can be added. Cruisetours can vary from 4 to 13 nights, depending on which areas of the interior you wish to see, and how long you want to stay at places like Denali National Park. Holland America cruises offers 31 different cruisetours. Now multiply that by the 5 other mainstream cruises lines, and you get an idea of the variety of cruises and cruisetours that are available.

Let's look at some of the options available for cruises with Holland America. The 7 day Inside Passage sails round trip from Vancouver and passes through the Inside Passage at the beginning and end of the trip in addition to scenic cruising in Glacier Bay National Park and Tracy Arm Fjord. Posts of call are Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. There are 2 different 7 day round trip Seattle itineraries, depending on whether you want to see Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay National Park. Neither of these cruises pass through the Inside Passage, but sail to the west of Vancouver Island both coming and going from Seattle. Ports of Call are Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Victoria. The 7 day one way north or south cruises both sail through the Inside Passage either coming or going to Vancouver and both spend a day cruising Glacier Bay National Park. The northbound cruise stops at Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, while the southbound cruise substitutes Haines for Skagway. The 14 day round trip Seattle cruise visits the major southeast ports of call in addition to Kodiak, Anchorage, and Homer. So if you know, for example, that you really want to see Victoria, or Sitka, or the Inside Passage, or Hubbard Glacier, some of the above itineraries can be eliminated. Of course, itineraries with Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Princess, NCL or Carnival can be completely different. You can spend hours on the internet cruise sites researching this info yourself, or you can visit a certified travel agent at no additional cost. (Booking with a local agent keeps part of the commission in Payson, whereas booking directly with the cruise line gives them 100% of the commission.)

Cruisetours are even more differentiated, depending on which cities they visit, and how long they stay. The shortest cruisetours usually start at either Fairbanks or Anchorage. That means after flying all day to get to Alaska, you spend the night in either of these cities before starting your tour. If you actually want to see something in Anchorage or Fairbanks, you need to schedule a tour that spends at least a day there. Most all go to Denali National Park and Mt. McKinley. Additions to the basic cruisetour include additional days at Denali or Fairbanks, Alyeska, Dawson City, Cooper Landing, Whitehorse, Coldfoot and even Prudhoe Bay. Keep in mind that cruisetours that transport you to Denali via the Alaska Railroad are limited to approximately 160 passengers, because that is the maximum that 2 dome observation railroad cars can carry. For this reason the various cruisetours sell out quickly. There are no cruisetours available for this summer as of this date. There are still a few cabins available for 7 day cruises, however.

All the major escorted land tour companies, Mayflower, Trafalger, Globus, Collette, etc. have at least one tour in Alaska. You can add a cruise to some of these tours to extend your vacation experience. We represent several companies like the Alaska Railroad, Gray Line of Alaska, Knightly Tours, and Alaska Denali Tours that offer tours that are not escorted, and even some self drive tours. Or we can construct a completely independent tour to suit your particular needs. Keep in mind, that if you travel independently, you will not be able to take advantage of the reduced hotel group rates that an escorted tour offers.

Many people think they want to sail to Alaska using the state ferry system, then either rent a motor home or bring their own to drive around the state. One of the most common misconceptions about Alaska is its size. People are often surprised to learn how long it takes to drive from one city or area to another. Also, the state ferry is not cheap. The ferry timetable, like a train timetable, often has you arriving or departing a city in the middle of the night. Cabins to sleep in are at an additional charge on the ferry. Some enterprising travelers have been known to pitch a tent on deck to save some money. A cafeteria is available for food service. Remember that it is not possible to drive to Ketchikan, Juneau, or Sitka, Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier. A cruise is the best way to visit these areas.

Remember that anything is possible in the travel business. It all depends on how much you are willing to spend. And as I mentioned, it does not cost you any more to book with an agent than to book with the cruise line directly online. We may even be able to get you a better price and extra amenities by booking you into an existing promotional group.

DISNEY CRUISE LINES

2011-04-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

The Disney Magic

By Carol Watts, Travel Planner

It seems as if I can't pick up a trade publication without seeing an article on the new Disney cruise ship, the Dream. This ship's inaugural voyage was in Jan. 2011. It joins 11 and 12 year old Disney Wonder and Disney Magic, sailing the Caribbean, Alaska Mexico and Europe. Unlike most other cruise lines, Disney ships were designed and built as family cruise lines; they do not have casinos or libraries. Cabins are larger, able to accommodate families of 4 – 5. Cabins feature a split bath with tub for children.

Unique features of all Disney ships are fireworks at sea and the ships horns; the Wonder and Magic play the opening 7 note theme song “When you wish upon a star” whenever they pass another ship at sea. All Disney ships were built to resemble ocean liners from the 20's, with elongated hulls, twin red funnels, and elaborate gold insignias. The ships' ambiance is casually elegant. Disney dining features a unique rotation through several dining venues, keeping the same waiter and table mates.

Disney ships feature adults only areas, including a coffee bar, pool, piano bar, sports pub, dance club, and boutique restaurant. But by far the main attraction is the childrens program, with daily Disney character visits. There is a toddler pool and a kids pool. The nursery for children under 3 years has shorter hours, but older childrens facilities are open from 9 am to 1 am. Oceaneer Club for children 3 – 7 is a supervised program split into 2 age groups. Oceaneer Lab for 8 – 12 year olds offers high-tech interactive programs ship wide with treasure hunts and hands-on science experiments. Teens have their own area in one of the funnels, complete with video games, MP3 stations, board games, and a soda and smoothies bar. Of course there is the Walt Disney theater offering nightly shows, Disney films, and Studio Sea, which offers G rated floor shows.

While most cruisers are families or multi-generational reunions, some honeymooners and couples without children sail because of the oversized staterooms and adults-only areas.

So you're probably wondering what itineraries are available. Currently the Wonder does 3 and 4 day Bahamas sailings which include a day at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. Here there are both family and adults only beaches. These short cruises can be combined with a Disneyworld vacation. In the late spring the Wonder will sail through the Panama Canal and remain on the west coast alternating sailings to Alaska in summer and the Mexican Riviera in winter. The newest ship, Disney Dream, will take over the short Bahamian cruises. The Disney Magic will do 7 day Caribbean sailings alternating east and west, before heading to the Mediterranean for the summer. Another new ship, Disney Fantasy, is due to set sail in 2012.

While both the Wonder and Magic offer a 200 ft. Mickey water slide, the new Disney Dream goes above and beyond, literally, with the Aquaduck “watercoaster”. An industry first, part roller coaster, part water slide, the Aquaduck consists of a clear acrylic tube that totals 2 and ½ football fields in length. But it's not straight; it winds around the top deck, up and down, through a stretch of river rapids and even extends over the side of the ship, 150 ft. above the water. A two person raft is pushed forward at 20 feet per second by water pressure. The ride is free, and if children do not meet the 48 inch tall requirement, there's always the tamer kids-only water slide.

New stage shows are featured on the Dream, as well as a “Pirates IN the Caribbean” costume party and expanded fireworks set to music. The Dream's horn plays the second line, “makes no difference who you are.” So now if two Disney ships pass each other at sea, the Dream answers the first line of “When you wish upon a star.”

Disney's rotational dining continues with three newly designed dining rooms, Animator's Palate, Royal Palace, and Enchanted Garden. The Garden's paintings and flowers magically transform day into night. This restaurant is also the site of the nightly grand chocolate buffet. In addition to the adults-only restaurant Palo, the Dream also features a specialty French adults-only restaurant named Remy, after the little chef in “Ratatouille.” Of course there's the lido buffet, Cabanas, and a pool side snack option for burgers, pizza, wraps, and salads.

Public spaces feature “Enchanted Art”, where framed screens have guest-activated animation; for example a butterfly flying across a scene from “Bambi.” Another industry first is available for interior cabins only. Virtual portholes show actual footage from cameras fore and aft on the ship onto flat screen “portholes”. The seascapes can be turned off is you wish, but you might miss Mickey in a pirate ship or the starfish from Finding Nemo swim by.

In addition to the many childrens programs, the Dream offers a spa for teens ages 13 – 17. Adults have their own play area on deck 4 with bars and clubs, including a “Sky Bar” whose faux windows (actually seven 65 inch LCD screens) feature cityscapes from London to Tokyo. The locales change every day, and feature real time day to night transitioning. Of course, the main spa remains an adults-only area.

Alaska's Good Friday earthquake, March 27, 1964

2011-04-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

Portage Alaska Ghost City

By Carol Watts Alaska Expert

The strongest earthquake in North America's history, recalculated at 9.2, occurred in Alaska in 1964. Alaska and it's Alleutian Islands sit on the edge of the circum-Pacific seismic belt. More earthquakes occur in Alaska than in the rest of the 49 states combined, as many as 4,000 quakes per year. On March 28th of this year, 48 earthquakes were recorded in Alaska. The epicenter of the Good Friday earthquake was in Prince William Sound. The area of major destruction covered more than 100,000 square miles, while the quake was felt in an area of over 500,000 square miles. The shock wave lasted about 3 minutes in downtown Anchorage and the adjacent residential area of Turnigan Arm. This is where the most severe structural damage occurred, 75 miles northwest of the epicenter. Over 30 blocks of commercial buildings and residences were destroyed, leaving over 2,000 homeless in the Anchorage area. Two hundred miles southwest of Anchorage, some areas on Kodiak Island were raised by 30 feet, while southeast of Anchorage, near Portage and Girdwood, the land dropped as much as 8 feet in elevation. Seward highway which runs between Seward and Anchorage required not only reconstruction but fill to raise it above the new high tide levels.

In his extremely readable history book, Alaska, Saga of a Bold Land, Walter Borneman puts faces to the earthquake story. He writes of Anchorage taxi driver Joe Kramer who thought the other drivers had gone berserk when their vehicles fishtailed towards him like amusement park bumper cars. 的t was when they started bouncing two feet off the ground that I knew it was more than just the drivers.Anchorage resembled a was zone. As darkness fell, residents spent the night without electricity, heat, and running water as temperatures dropped into the teens. Of the 55,000 Anchorage population, only 9 deaths were recorded. Fortunately, because of the timing of the quake, 5:36 p.m. on a holiday, schools and most of the office buildings were empty.

For towns along the coastline of Prince William Sound the death tolls were much higher. Underwater landslides caused water displacement and waves traveling at 500 miles per hour. A 70 foot tall wave roared into the little village of Chenega killing 23 of its 68 residents. The nearby port of Valdez just about disappeared when the tsunami swept over the harbor docks and tidal flats, killing 30 people. Fuel tanks ruptured and soon the harbor area was aflame.

Similarly in Seward, the bulk storage tanks of Standard Oil fell from sight, only to be replaced with a huge fireball. Waves lifted the wall of fire 8 blocks inland and set many homes and shops on fire. Flames lit the sky all night long. Pilings from the exploded docks burned like candles in Resurrection Bay, their waterlogged ends submerged while the other oil soaked ends flamed above water. The Alaska Railroad lines north of Seward were a twisted mess.

Kodiak is located further away from the epicenter. Here successive waves displaced boats from the harbor 2 to 3 blocks inland. Kodiak itself fell about 5 feet. The islands famous bears were awakened from their hibernation, and rather than wandering around as usual, their tracks showed a direct flight towards the mountains.

Damage from the quake and tsunami was estimated between $380 - $500 million; that's 1964 dollars. As federal relief poured into the state, the resulting building boom turned the earthquake into an economic benefit for many Alaskans. The state of Alaska recovered, mostly, as salmon beds that had been covered with silt returned to prolific breeding grounds. Where forests had been leveled, new growth developed. And wetlands that had been covered with salt water soon returned to nesting grounds for both native and migratory birds. But at the eastern edge of Turnigan Arm, along the highway from Anchorage to Seward, there stands a forest of dead trees. This was once the town of Portage, where the Alaska Railroad splits, with one line running south to Seward, and the other tunneling through the mountain to Whittier. The name Portage is now mainly associated with the tourist attraction Portage Glacier. The town itself sank 6 feet during the earthquake, making it below sea level. There remains in Portage only a few ruined buildings and a forest of skeleton trees that died after the water table of their roots was covered with salt water. Unlike Valdez, Seward, and Kodiak, the town of Portage was never rebuilt.

Our first hand cruise experience means valuable inside information on Alaska cruises and cruisetours.

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Coastal Cruises

2011-02-24T09:15:00.000-08:00

Alcatraz, visit but don't stay.

By Carol Watts Travel Planner

What do cruise ships do when, because of weather, the season in Alaska has ended but the season in Mexico has not yet begun? The cruise lines can’t just have a ship sitting in the water and not generating income.

The answer is a coastal cruise. On Holland America these consist of 1 - 5 day long cruises that leave Vancouver and sail to San Diego, or sail around Puget Sound for 3 or 5days, round trip Vancouver. There’s even a 1 day cruise from Vancouver to Seattle. If you have never sailed before, these short coastal cruises are a great way to see what cruising is all about. But the air fare to Vancouver can be expensive, and there’s no indication that air prices will not continue to rise in the future.

I think Princess Cruises has a good solution with their two 7 day coastal cruises that are round trip Los Angeles. Air fare to LAX is not cost prohibitive, or you can drive. The dates for this fall’s coastal cruises are Sept 24th and Oct 11th. You can think of them as wine cruises, since winery tours are available in every port of call: Santa Barbara, San Francisco, San Diego, and Ensenada, Mexico. Unfortunately, because of the Jones Act, foreign flagged ships sailing to and from an American city must make a port of call in a foreign country, hence Mexico or Canada. Therefore passports are require. If the threat of violence in Mexico scares you, then just stay on the ship that day. (We’ve done that frequently on Mexican Riviera cruises, since they are the least expensive cruise, and we just go to relax and enjoy the ship, not for the destination.) Prices for these coastal cruises are just slightly higher than the 7 day Mexican Riviera cruises.

And, you guessed it, we have group space reserved on both dates, that gives you a reduced cabin rate and on board credit. Now I realize that a great portion of Payson residents moved here from California, and therefore a cruise that visits mainly California ports may not be a big draw. But even if wineries are not your thing, there’s still plenty to see in each of the ports of call. And this cruise is a great way to visit several California cities without having to drive, since you wake up every day in a different port after sailing overnight. Ahhh, there’s nothing like the motion of the ocean to rock you to sleep.

In addition to several winery tours, the shore excursions available for Santa Barbara include whale watching for grays, blues, or humpbacks, a city tour by trolley, or a tour of the Danish town of Solvang.

San Francisco offers numerous shore excursions: winery tours in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, a visit to Alcatraz, free time to explore Muir Woods and the Coastal Redwoods, Sausalito and Fisherman’s Wharf, and a city tour that includes the Golden Gate Bridge with numerous photo opportunities.

San Diego, you could spend a week here. In addition to the zoo, there’s Sea World, Wild Animal Park, a city tour that includes Old Town, Coronado Island, and La Jolla, a harbor cruise, the Maritime Museum, a visit to the 100 year old Bernardo vineyard, and Balboa Park, the jewel in San Diego’s crown. Here you will see not only horticulture and Spanish architecture, but have your choice of 13 museums to visit, offering displays of art, model trains, dinosaur fossils, mummies, folk art, photography, sports memorabilia, rare aircraft, vintage automobiles, science and space exhibits, and an IMAX theater. Travel to Balboa Park includes a trolley tour of the Gaslamp District and Seaport Village.

Ensenada, Mexico shore excursions include a city tour and drive along the Baja countryside to Punta Banda and its famous blowhole, and two different winery tours, combined with a city tour.

Of course, you can easily step off the ship and schedule an independent tour or shopping excursion. In these California ports of call there’s no language barrier, no foreign money, and no threat of drug cartel violence. With growing global unrest and hatred of Americans, you’ve got to admit that cruises to US cities, whether Alaska, Hawaii, or California are becoming more appealing.

Warm Weather Cruises

2011-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

Diamondhead at Sunrise

By Carol Watts Travel Planner

This latest cold snap has gotten me thinking about a cruise to a warm and sunny location. Most people think of the Caribbean, and there is no shortage of cruise itineraries going there. You have a choice of leaving from Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Galveston, New Orleans, Charleston, Baltimore, New York, or San Juan. The downside is the long air flight to get to the port of embarkation. Often times that requires flying a day early and staying overnight. But with the sales and deals, a Caribbean cruise is a cost effective vacation when compared with a resort on one Caribbean island. Being stuck in one location, no matter how beautiful, can not compare in my book with visiting several different ports of call on a ship where meals and entertainment are included at no additional cost.

Cruises go to the Eastern, the Western, or the Southern Caribbean. Or you can book a back to back cruise that visits both the Eastern and Western. If you have “been there, done” that, there is a 7 day cruise that visit’s the two southern islands of Curacao and Aruba, as well as the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas. Because of the distance traveled, there are 3 sea days to relax and enjoy all that the cruise ship has to offer on this itinerary. We have group space reserved on the December 3rd sailing that provides you with a discounted cabin rate and on-board credit.

Likewise the choice of cruise lines and ships that visit the Caribbean is almost endless. From the mega ships from Royal Caribbean that have over 5,400 passengers to smaller ships that have less than 1,400 guests, we can find a cruise ship that suits your preferences.

Another warm weather itinerary is the Panama Canal. Here you have the choice of a 10 day itinerary round trip from Ft. Lauderdale that goes through one set of locks on the Caribbean side before returning to Florida. Or you can do the full canal transit that takes 14 to 15 days departing from either Los Angeles or San Diego to Florida, or vice versa. If you take the east bound itinerary, you have only one long flight from Florida back to Arizona, and there is no overnight motel stay required, because the time change is working in your favor.

Of course you knew I was going to mention Hawaii as a favorite warm weather cruise destination. There’s no threat of violence in our 50th state, like there has been on some of the Caribbean islands. The 14 day round trip from either Los Angeles or San Diego is the least expensive way to cruise to Hawaii. We have several group sailings reserved, again offering reduced cabin rates and on-board credit. There is one additional tropical cruise that I would dearly love to go on, and that is the 28 day round trip sailing from Los Angeles that visits Hawaii, Samoa, and Tahiti. If you want to see Tahiti without the long air flight, this is definitely the way to go. And yes, we have group space reserved with the benefit of discounted rates and amenities for the October sailing. If only I could take a month off from work.

In the February issue of “Conde Nast Traveler,” there is the Reader’s Poll of the top cruise ships. This is a rating of cruise ships by their passengers, not agents or travel writers. Looking at the large and mega ship categories together, we see that many major cruise lines have a large percentage of their ships listed: Holland America has 8, Royal Caribbean has 8, Princess has 9, Celebrity has 4, Disney is 2 for 2, and the luxury lines of Crystal, Regent, Oceania, and Cunard have 2-3 each. This is no surprise to us because of the feedback we get from our customers and our own personal experience. Noteworthy is the complete absence from the list of several domestic and foreign cruise lines.

Just because cruising is our preferred way to travel, don’t think that we do not do land and resort vacations to tropical climates. The Caribbean Islands, Costa Rico, Belize, Guatemala, Panama, and of course Mexico are available from many different providers; some have trips of up to ten days from $995 per person, including meals. Air fare is additional.

Remember that it does not cost more to use the services of an accredited travel agency. Our commission is paid by the cruise line or resort, not by you. Bring us an internet rate, and we will do our best to match it. Sometimes we have found that moving a trip by one or two weeks can results in significant savings. We’re here to help you get the best value for your vacation dollar. Depending on your preferences, that just may not be the enticing internet lead-in price you are seeing.

Hubbard Glacier - not to be missed

2011-01-25T10:35:00.000-08:00

Holland American Lines Oosterdam at Hubbard Glacier

By Carol Watts Alaska Expert

We were privileged to see Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in North America, on our first cruise to Alaska. Since not all cruise itineraries include Hubbard, pick your cruise carefully is you want to see it. And this summer may be your last chance. More on that later.

Hubbard Glacier is an advancing tidewater glacier, just one of several in Alaska. Its sheer size boggles the mind. Its source is Mt. Logan in the Yukon Territory, the highest mountain in Canada. From there it travels 76 miles to Disenchantment Bay. The snout or face of the glacier is 7.5 miles wide, and over 400 ft. from water level to the top. That’s as tall as a 40 story building. Beneath the water level there extends another 300 feet of ice. That makes Hubbard Glacier a total of 1,350 square miles of ice!

The blue color of the face indicates that it is an actively calving glacier. This breaking off of icebergs the size of a 10 story building was called “white thunder” by the native Tlingit people. It’s hard to comprehend the size of Hubbard, since cruise ships must stay a few miles away because of safety reasons. By the way, it takes 400 years for the ice at the source of the glacier to reach the water. That means the ice you may see calving off its face is 400 years old!

Nicknamed the “galloping glacier”, Hubbard is advancing at a rate of approximately 7 feet per day. But in the past it has been known to advance as much as 100 feet per day. Even at the lower rate of travel, Hubbard may close off the entrance to Russell Fjord from Disenchantment Bay soon, turning the fjord into a glacial lake. It did so in August 2002 and before that in May 1986. When the ice dam finally gave way in August, 1986, 1.3 cubic miles of water rushed through the gap into the bay. This second largest glacial lake outburst flood in history was the equivalent flow of 35 Niagra Falls. Needless to say, no cruise ship could withstand that force of water.

But there is another threat to viewing Hubbard Glacier, and that is because of the ALLEGED effect cruise ships have on the seal population in the bay. Scientists from the National Marine Mammal Laboratory, a part of NOAA, are seeking to severely restrict or even ban cruise ships from visiting Hubbard Glacier. They theorize that cruise ships “flush” seals from the icebergs in the bay. Pups born in late spring are nursing from May through August. If a seal pup is scared from it’s mother and dives into the cold water, it will not be able to store up enough fat to survive the coming winter. Calories are burned evading cruise ships, as opposed to calories being stored as fat in the baby seals. (Cruise ships are not allowed to approach seals on icebergs closer than 500 feet.) Since seals are an important source of food for the native subsistence hunters of Yakutat, population 833, the death of this years pups over the winter would limit their food resources next year.

As of Jan 24, 2011, officials at NOAA have not drafted recommendations to close the bay to cruise ships, but they stress that it is a “high priority.” So between the government involvement and the advancing face of Hubbard Glacier, this summer may be the last chance to see this magnificent sight.

Hubbard Glacier is one stop on the 14 day Holland America cruise itinerary that sails round trip from Seattle. In addition to the usual inside Passage ports of call of Ketchikan and Juneau, this itinerary has some unique ports of call not available on any other cruise. Anchorage, Kodiak, and Homer are visited in addition to Sitka and Victoria, B.C. Cruise Port Travel has blocked space on the June 10 - 24, 2011 sailing. This group space means a reduction in cabin price of up to $360 per person off the regular ocean view cabin rate. In addition, there are amenities of $100 per cabin on-board credit and a specialty restaurant dining experience. We had our first meal in Holland’s Pinnacle Grill in October, and it truly is an culinary experience not to be missed.

Golden Princess to Hawaii

2011-01-12T13:02:00.000-08:00

Golden Princess Movies Under The Stars

By Carol Watts Travel Planner

We recently completed our 4th sailing from the west coast round trip to Hawaii, this time on the Golden Princess. We had been on the Golden 2 years ago, and were anxious to see all the enhancements that Princess made to the ship.

You might think that 4 sailings to Hawaii is a bit excessive, but for us it’s a win-win. You get to see a beautiful destination and you get a total of 8 sea days to totally relax and unwind. It’s hard for us to decide which aspect of the cruise we like best, the Islands or the sea days.

Maybe you are thinking that you couldn’t find enough to do for 8 sea days. Well, with Princess, and any cruise line for that matter, the lack of something to do is never a consideration. On this last cruise, we often had to choose between 2 or 3 activities that overlapped on the daily schedule.

Every cruise line has an enrichment series, culinary demonstrations, wine tastings, dance classes, and cultural programs and port talks on the destination. On this cruise Princess offered even more with guest lectures and performers.

The naturalist onboard gave a presentation on each sea day on such topics as Hawaiian ecology, flora and fauna, marine biology, and volcano creation. Additionally there was an enrichment lecturer who gave a presentation each sea day on the history of Pearl Harbor, Midway, the Pacific fleet in WWII, Route 66,and the migration to California. There was also bridge director who taught and organized games. On this cruise there was a wonderful husband and wife duo; she is a native Hawaiian and he is an accomplished steel guitar musician. In addition to performing in the atrium, they gave hula, ukulele, lei making, sarong tying, and Hawaiian language lessons.

Additionally, in each port of call, princess brought local entertainment onto the ship. In Hilo there was a presentation by a ukulele master. In Lahaina a native from Maui shared his teachings and thoughts on the native Hawaiian culture and value system. In Nawiliwili, Kauai lei makers from island of Ni’ihau gave a shell making demonstration and shared stories of the “forbidden Isle” where they live. And in Honolulu we were treated to the wonderful Halau Hula Oiana Show with music and hula performed by award winning troop of children from 6 - 13 years old. I took several videos that I need to upload to You Tube. These kids were just amazing.

Of course there are the usual activities that you can find on any cruise, such as scavenger hunts, boat building, ice and vegetable carving, line and ballroom dancing, trivia games several times a day, art auctions, golf instruction, bingo, casino tournaments, salon and spa treatments, yoga and aerobics classes, and of course movies. Or maybe you just want to get a book from the library and curl up in the sun.

This brings me to the enhancements to the Golden. Like many other ships in the Princess line, the Golden now has “movies under the stars”, or MUTS. From early morning til late at night, you can enjoy many different movies around the pool, with free soft ice cream and popcorn. Blankets are issued on chillier evenings. Enhancements to the atrium include a wine and tapas bar, a chocolate bar and shop, with occasional free samples, and the International Café, where you could get fabulous deserts, soup, salads and sandwiches (the name can not convey the delicious concoctions served) throughout the day. So you have another alternative to the buffet, formal dining rooms, pizza and hot dog/hamburger stations, and 2 specialty restaurants. Three times on this cruise an English pub lunch was offered, with traditional English dishes. You can never go hungry with Princess.

Holland America is the only other cruise line with regular round trip sailings from the west coast to Hawaii. They sail from October through March from San Diego. Princess sails October through April from Los Angeles. In addition both lines have longer sailings round trip from the west coast that go to Hawaii, Tahiti and Polynesia.

Next to Alaska, Hawaii is out favorite destination. There is so much to see, both scenic and cultural attractions, there is no language barrier, no foreign currency to decipher, no gangs and drug violence to worry about. Having been to Hawaii many times, we can help you decide which shore excursions would match your interests. Having been on Holland’s Oosterdam and the Golden Princess, we can guide you with cabin choices and ship amenities. All this information is free from an accredited travel agent. Bring us your online price, and we will try to match it.

So you’re thinking about Hawaii…

2010-12-29T18:28:00.000-08:00

By Carol Watts, Co-Owner/Travel Planner
The Aloha Tower greets cruise passengers in Honolulu Harbor

We often have people ask us about Hawaii. Since it’s one of our favorite destinations, we are always happy to talk about what to see and do in Hawaii. As with many destinations, it helps to do a little research to determine what you want to do. There are so many different experiences and excursions in Hawaii, that it helps to decide if you want to see the cultural and historical Hawaii, the adventure side, like snorkeling with manta rays, the scenic side, like a helicopter or zodiak tour of the Na Pali coast on Kauai, the shopping side of Honolulu, or just want to get into the back country to see how “real Hawaiians” live.

Likewise there are several ways to travel and see Hawaii, and this choice might well depend on what you want to see and do once you get there. Let’s examine the different travel options and a cost comparison of them.

By far our favorite way to see the islands is to cruise both ways round trip from Los Angeles. We have done this trip 4 times, most recently last month on the Golden Princess. More about that trip next month. If you have the time, 2 weeks, this is the least expensive and most relaxing way to travel to Hawaii. (Some cruise lines offer a 10 day trip which involves one way air fare to or from the islands. ) On this 14 day cruise you have 4 sea days crossing the Pacific before landing in Hilo on the Big Island in the morning of the 5th day. This is the island with the active volcano, Volcano’s National Park, orchid farms, and Macadamia nuts. After a full day in Hawaii, you sail over night and arrive in Honolulu the next morning. The ship stays Hawaii’s capital city until late in the evening, allowing you plenty of time to go to an evening show or luau. The next stop if Kauai, the Garden Island, then finally Lahaina on Maui. Then it’s four more days back across the Pacific to the fifth and final port of call in Ensenada. Non-US registered ships sailing between US cities must make a call in a foreign country; this is because of the Jones Act, and you might recall that this same act prohibited foreign ships from assisting in the gulf oil spill clean up efforts.

The biggest objection to this cruise is the 8 sea days. But to us, that is part of the attraction. You have 4 days to relax and unwind before you hit the islands, touring every day, then 4 more days to relax and recuperate on the way home. And there is plenty to do on the ship to keep you occupied. More on that in my next article.

Price for an ocean view cabin for end of April beginning of May is $3783 for 2 people. This includes all your food and drinks, other than alcohol and carbonated beverages, and entertainment throughout the day and evenings.
Two people couldn’t stay in a hotel and eat out daily in Phoenix or San Diego for that amount!

The other cruise option is NCL’s 7 day cruise that just circles the islands. The cruise begins and ends in Honolulu, so if you want to see this city, you really need to go a few days before or after the cruise. This 7 day cruise prices out at approximately $2930 for 2 people in an ocean view cabin for the same time period as above. Additionally there is the cost of air fare, about $1369 for 2, plus additional hotel and meal costs if you want to spend any time in Honolulu. It’s worth mentioning that the 5 hour return flight from Honolulu is either an overnight flight arriving early a.m. after a change in a California airport, or if on Hawaiian airlines direct, it lands in Phoenix at 11:59 p.m. So why pay approximately $500 more for 7 fewer days and 2 long airplane flights?

The third option is to fly to Hawaii and spend a few days in a hotel. Unless you spend all your time on one island, flights to the other islands are an additional cost. Since the 14 day cruise that we are using as a base comparison spends only 4 days actually in Hawaii, one day in four different islands, lets compare a 4 night stay with airfare at a hotel on Maui. We usually book these type of vacations through Apple Vacations, since they have the best air and hotel combined discounts. So for 4 nights in a 3 star hotel and air the cost is approximately $2044 for 2 people. This does not include the cost of eating out, figure $150 per day for 2, and limits you to one island. And again you have the joy of a long flight. But if your time and budget are limited, this is the way to see Hawaii, or at least one island. But for the inconvenience of the air travel and the limitation of one location, I would take the cruise any day.

Think of a cruise to Hawaii as a sampler box of chocolates. You get to try different cities or islands, then decide which one you want to return to and spend more time exploring. Whatever your destination or type of travel, Cruise Port Travel can assist you to make the best choice for your desires and budget. Our first hand cruise ship and sightseeing excursion experience costs you no more than booking on the web.

Going for the Gold (Golden Princess) The second time.

2010-12-10T18:02:00.000-08:00

If you go hungry, it's your own fault!

By Kelly Watts A.C.C.
We last sailed the Golden Princess in December of 2007, before dry dock and was less than happy, BUT in fairness when we had the chance to take the 14 night round trip Hawaii again we jumped at it. This was our fourth cruise round trip to Hawaii with the first two on Celebrity Summit and the last two on The Golden Princess. While this trip was better than the first their were still some “bumps” along the way, so I'll share both the good and not so good with you.

We arrived at LAX, (via Southwest Airlines, on time and nice people as usual) we had moved our flight up after all the press coverage of the new T.S.A. Security procedures in case of a delay. We arrived at Phoenix Sky Harbor, our departure airport, almost 3 hours ahead of flight time, however we were through check-in and security and at our gate in UNDER a ½ hour. No body scan, no pat downs, and actually some quite friendly T.S.A. Staff. OK, now on to the Princess portion of my review!

The Good:

Dining: You really get a feel for a ship and how it is run on a 14 night cruise, and the outstanding things in my mind about “The Golden” includes our Waiter Rico and Jr Waiter Adam. Without a doubt this one one of the best combinations I have ever seen on a ship. Even though we had Anytime Dining, we sat 13 of the 14 nights at their table with basically the same table mates. Both Rico and Adam went out of their way to make our dining experience enjoyable. Little things like giving me a chair with no arms, without asking for it after the first night, making sure out water glasses never went dry, answering questions about the menu items, and their interaction really set them apart. I might also point out that we were served lunch by a waiter named John in the dining room, was was also very good. I felt on this cruise that Princess has really gotten it right with food. The menu had a good variety, with alternate choices to the main menu. This is great for me as I do not care for fish (except seafood) or fowl. The prime rib and Fettuccine Alfredo were outstanding and even mashed potatoes were good. Breakfast and lunch were split between the Donatello Dining Room and the Horizon Court Buffet. In most cases the offerings were very good there as well with a good selection. I did also get a hamburger twice and pizza once from the Trident Grill and Prego (strange name) Pizzeria, both offerings were served quickly and were good.

Stateroom: We opted for a “partially obstructed” Ocean view state room and were pleasantly surprised to find the the obstruction was less than 25%. The beds were comfortable, the room clean with everything in good condition. The bathroom was as usual SMALL, I wish Princess would change to hand showers with the size of the shower stall it would make rinsing much easier! As a side note, I noticed mattresses being offloaded at Los Angeles both coming and going which leads me to believe that Princess runs an ongoing replacement of them. Our state room attendant Jun did a fine job, although we never saw much of him, but towels were replaced, trash emptied, beds made and turned down and ice bucket filled in a timely manner. Princess is one of the many cruise lines who have started using a Duvet instead of more traditional bedding. After the first night I asked our stateroom attendant to change my bedding to a sheet and blanket, which he did.

Enrichment series: The Scholarship@Sea series with Rachel Dunham was excellent. Rachel is a 23 year old lady who does a great presentation on a variety of topics. Also on board was Historian Gary Shahan, a retired history teacher, with a series of talks about battles of the Pacific and of early settlers heading West. One exceptional program was his Route 66 talk, lots of great memories. I had a chance to talk with both and found them to be very nice persons very interested in my opinion of their presentations. (BTW I was on stage once during one of Rachel's talks and played a Barnacle, I think it matches my personality well)

Entertainment: the Princess Production shows for the most part were good with extremely talented singers and dancers and orchestra. I did not see the British Invasion show on the ship as I had seen it before and felt it was a bit weak, an opinion that several people I talked with shared. The guest artists were generally good with Comedian Dan Bennett and Singer Tony Pace being the best of the single acts. The Halau Hula Olana Show features local dancers (age 5 to 16) from Honolulu, this is the third time I have seen this show and the kids really work hard and are a delight!

The “Not So Good”:

Embarkation: Being Elite status we took advantage of the special Elite Class line at check in and were through that very quickly, however the line to board was LONG as there was only one gangway being used. I am guessing boarding meant probably 30 minutes in line. Dis-embarkation was not extremely well organized, we could have waited in the Bernini dining Room, but that would have meant fighting for an elevator as I don't do stairs well, especially with luggage, but instead chose the Explorers Lounge. When the time to dis-embark came, we were lead to the forward gangway. That meant that we had to walk nearly the full length of the ship to Customs. Again the lines were long and that probably took over 30 minutes till we were at the luggage area.

The Ship: The Golden was in dry dock in 2009, and several major changes were made one of which was the addition of the Piazza. This area was nice, but seating was limited for the events they had there. I'll have more to say about the ship later.

Princess C.R.U.I.S.E. Policy: This is a standard set for staff and training by Princess but to me it is not being enforced. One policy is that English ONLY is to be spoken in public area's by crew, as usual I heard HUNDREDS of violations of this policy. Another factor of the training is “never say no, find a way. One asst head waiter and I about came to terms as he told me “I am too busy to help you.” when I requested to make reservations for the following night. Another incident occurred when I complained about the temperature of the water in the Calypso Pool to a group of Deck Attendants who brushed off my comments and made me feel that they felt I was an IDIOT. On this one I filed a complaint! They tried to tell me that that pool was 80 degrees, if I had to guess it was more like 60.

Entertainment: I felt I had to also make some comments here as well, I do not care for most of the comedians today as they tend to be R rated and even the “PG” rated comedians do some in-appropriate humor. I heard several passengers comment that they were surprised at the language used. The ventriloquist Dan Horn was fair, but had a very annoying laugh, and the audio in the Vista lounge was way too loud that accentuated his laugh. As I have said in other postings, there are a LOT of good entertainers from the 50's and 60's who have large followings that are looking for “gigs” and would be more in line with the age of the guests on many cruises. Princess and the other lines need to examine their pool of entertainers and weed out the bad ones. My opinion of the Princess “Movies Under The Stars” is still not completely formed as I only saw a couple of things on the screen. The quality of the picture is good, but the audio for a large part of the cruise had a very loud hum. Being an old audio guy I am pretty sure they had a bad ground. Most days it was too hot and evenings too rough to watch movies, so I'll reserve any further opinion till I see another one.

The BAD:
The ship: With all the money that Princess spent on the Golden during dry dock I was surprised of the things that did not work properly the most prevalent being the elevators. They were extremely slow, doors slow in opening and closing and they seemed to bypass floors on a regular basis as if they were possessed. In addition the elevators were always uncomfortably warm and several smelled of lube. Most days at least one or two were out of service for most of the day. The A/C in our cabin was at best, POOR. I recently bought a neat little travel alarm unit that displays the temperature, the entire cruise the cabin NEVER got below 69 degrees and most days was in the mid 70's, and that was keeping the drapes closed. I reported it to maintenance twice both times they came, plugged in their laptop to the thermostat, and “made some adjustments to the airflow.” Regardless of that the hall way in our section of the ship was cooler than the stateroom.

The Princess Theater did not appear to have had any upgrades at all. The seats are small with aisle seats uncomfortably close to the hand rails. In general the temperature was un comfortable. To get any seat you needed to be there at least 30 to 45 minutes early, I think that maybe Princess needs to consider passing out tickets for the shows as I saw many people standing in the aisles or sitting on the steps both un-safe. The Vista Lounge is more comfortable, but with the way it is laid out unless you sit in the first few rows your view of the stage is limited. Again shows there were crowded and I feel tickets should be used to assure seating.

The Cruise Director: On most cruises the Cruise Director is high profile and while they are usually a bit over the top for me, I understand the tough job they have. This cruise the Director was David Bradshawe, I was not impressed with him at all. During the welcome on board presentation the term “as well” seemed to be his fall back line. After a while I began to count the number of times he said it and in one approx 3 minute period it was 15 times! Anytime I mentioned him after that, I referred to him as “Mr. As Well.” The rest of the cruise he was low profile, I am guessing he may have been sick as I only saw him at trivia once and seldom heard him on the daily announcements. I heard that he was subbing for the regular Golden Cruise Director who was on vacation, maybe that explains why he appeared to be so uncomfortable on stage.

The voyage: The itinerary was very good, too bad the outdated “Jones Act” makes it a requirement to stop in Ensenada, as another day in the islands would be nice. The crossing was rough five out of eight days. I wonder if the Golden's design makes it rough as I did not experience such conditions on Celebrity Summit. I also wonder if speed was a factor as we were making 21 knots on those rough days and, to me, I felt it caused more motion in comparison to similar sea conditions I have experienced..

Synopsis: If I had to give a letter score to this cruise it would be a “B”. Of the three Princess ships I've been on, Coral, Sapphire, and Golden this is definitely in third place over all. Would I sail the Golden again? Maybe, but probably not to Hawaii. Will I sail Princess again? Yes, I do feel that for the most part they are a good cruise line but do suffer from some consistency problems.

UNIQUE ALASKA CRUISE OPPORTUNITY

2010-11-15T10:17:00.000-08:00

The picture taken on an Alaskan Cruise.
By Carol Watts, Alaska Expert

Perhaps you’ve had the pleasure of cruising to Alaska before. But I’ll bet there are still some ports of call that you haven’t experienced. I’m thinking of the ports of Kodiak, Homer, Anchorage, and Sitka. Holland America is now the only cruise line visiting these ports on a 14 day round trip sailing from Seattle. That means no long air flights to Anchorage, and less expensive flights, especially if you fly Southwest.

Of course this cruise also visit’s the main Inside Passage ports of call, Ketchikan and Juneau, as well as cruising in Tracy Arm Fjord and Hubbard Glacier. There is a full day stop in Victoria as well.

Sailings start on May 13, 2011 and continue through Sept. 2, 2011. Cruise Port Travel has arranged a group sailing on June 10 - June 24, 2011. Not only can you expect a reduced group rate on cabin fares (up to $360 on an ocean view cabin), but you will also benefit from the following group amenities: $100 on board credit and a dinner in Holland’s specialty restaurant, the Pinnacle Grill. A category E ocean view cabin fare is $2299.00 per person based on double occupancy. (Cabin fares for 3rd and 4th passengers in a room are substantially less, however the amenities apply only to the 1st and 2nd passenger in a room.) Additional charges are $157.27 government taxes and fees and $56.00 airport to pier transfers. Deposit is $600 per person. Not included in the above prices are air transportation to Seattle, gratuities, shore excursions, alcoholic and carbonated beverages, and travel insurance.

Now that all the boring stuff is out of the way, lets look at the fun stuff, i.e. what can you see and do in these unique ports of call. Alaska offers opportunities for adventure, nature, cultural, historical, and wildlife excursions in every port of call. Kodiak Island shore excursions range from deep sea to river fishing, marine wildlife cruises, nature hikes, historical and city tours. Kodiak Island was the site of a Russian settlement in the late 1700‘s, and a city tour offers visits to the Baranov Museum, with its Russian exhibits, the Alutiiq Museum with its Native American exhibits, Fort Abercrombie State Park, a World War II historical site, and a cultural performance of the Kodiak Island Drummers. The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge offers a protected habitat for Kodiak brown bears, and can be easily reached by boat. Kodiak’s Russian Orthodox Church is the oldest Alaska parish.

Sitka, once called New Archangel, was the Russian capital of Alaska from 1808 - 1867. The waters surrounding Sitka teem with sea birds, and wildlife viewing opportunities for humpback whales, sea otters, eagles, harbor seals, and sea lions abound. Shore excursions offer salmon and halibut fishing, rainforest hikes, Russian history and native cultural tours. Sitka is the site of two wildlife rescue centers. The Alaska Raptor Center is a rehab facility for bald eagles and other raptors. Fortress of the Bear rescue facility is a created habitat for bears caught in conflict with humans, and it offers up-close bear viewing. If you crave adventure, you can explore a volcano by 4x4 and ocean raft, or go ocean kayaking. Russian history abounds, with St. Michael’s Cathedral, the first Russian church built in America; the Russian Bishop’s House, once the residence of the Bishop with refurbished living quarters and Chapel of the Annunciation with its lavish icons; and Castle Hill, where the Russian flag was lowered and the American flag raised in 1867. The Sheldon Jackson Museum is the largest collection of Native artifacts in the state. The New Archangel Dancers, an all-female troupe, perform throughout the summer.

Homer is known as the halibut fishing capital of the world, and is a unique combination of location, commerce, natural resources and wilderness. Located on Kachemak Bay on the southwestern tip of the Kenai Peninsula, Homer’s most notable landmark is the Homer Spit, a 4.5 mile long gravel bar that can be seen from space. The natural beauty of the area has inspired many artists to make Homer an arts center for painters, potters, jewelers, weavers and woodcarvers. A must see attraction is the Pratt Museum with its varied exhibits and artwork. One exhibit called “Darkened Waters’’ is a pictorial of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and its effects on the environment. Native artifacts as well as those from 1930’s and 40’s homesteaders are on display. Many species of Alaskan birds and mammals, including several full skeletons, are on display. Visitors can stroll through the botanical garden featuring over 150 native plants. The museum also houses one of the finest quilt collections in Alaska. A little ways from town is the Norman Lowell Gallery with its impressive collection of paintings done over the artist’s 50 years of Alaska residence. The Islands and Oceans Visitors Center offers the Alaska Maritime Wildlife Refuge exhibit.

Ketchikan and Juneau have already been discussed in this column, and those articles can be found in “the blog spot” on our website, www.travelpayson.com. Attractions in Anchorage will be featured in a future article. It’s not too early to plan your Alaskan vacation, whether it be a cruise, combination cruise and land tour, or independent travel. Brochures are arriving daily at Cruise Port Travel, 900 W. Driftwood Dr. in Payson. Contact us at 472-7878 to set up a consultation. We are your certified Alaska experts.

Holland America Cruise Line

2010-11-15T10:12:00.000-08:00

By Carol Watts, Alaska Expert.

We recently returned from our first Holland America cruise. Celebrity had always been our favorite cruise line, but Holland is threatening to take over first place. We have many clients who won’t sail anything but Holland. So we decided to see for ourselves what they were all about.

Holland America, like Celebrity, is a premium cruise line. What does that mean? Sometimes it’s the little things that make the difference. For example, Holland still had china dishes in the buffet area. (Even our beloved Celebrity has switched to plastic.) There is plenty of room between tables in the buffet area. One Princess cruise ship I was on barely left enough room between tables for you to push your chair back to leave the table. In the evening, the buffet tables have table cloths, candles, and fresh flowers. Even the staff uniforms are nicer, slacks and a tunic, rather than the shorts and tropical shirts you find on Royal and Princess. The food was excellent, with a definite leaning toward gourmet dining. Sometimes we found the food a little too rich.

There was one thing Holland offers that we appreciated, since we do not bring formal clothes to wear in the dining room on formal nights. The buffet dinner menu had several dishes that were the same as those served in the dining room. You could have the same meal in the buffet that formal diners were enjoying in the dining room, you just had to bring it to the table yourself, a concession we were glad to make. There was another dining option for those of us who want to avoid dressing up, and that was the Canaletto restaurant on the lido deck. We enjoyed their Italian fare twice on this last cruise. This is the training ground for waiters aspiring to positions in the main dining room. Celebrity used to do the same thing with their “casual dining”, but alas they have discontinued this dining option. So we had excellent service from waiters eager to please the ever present maitre d’ and excellent cuisine, while still in our comfortable “day” clothes.

The ship’s décor can be classified as ‘understated elegance” as opposed to the glitz and glamour of 10 story atriums. I chuckled while listening to one fellow traveler commenting on the ride to the airport after the cruise. She was telling someone that she liked Royal Caribbean better because they had this big street of shops and lounges, obviously referring to the Mariner, whereas Holland only had a few shops. And there wasn’t as much to do. No rock climbing walls, no miniature golf, no water slides, no ice skating rink and show, etc. I thought to myself, she obviously booked her own cruise online, because if she had spoken with a reputable travel agent, they would have advised her of the difference between Royal Caribbean and Holland. Young families might not enjoy a Holland cruise, but for those of us over 55, we don’t participate in many of those other activities anyway.

Not that there was a lack of things to do. The enrichment program on Holland is outstanding. The daily activity sheet had the many offerings of their 4 different enrichment programs prominently displayed. The travel expert gave presentations on the ports of call, Mexican history and culture, available shore excursions, and even a few courses in basic Spanish. The technology expert had 6 - 7 daily hands-on presentations on computers, digital cameras, uploading and sharing photography, Windows 7, and more. The health and wellness experts had many daily activities from tai chi, yoga, water aerobics, back pain management, sleep seminars, make-up tips, dance lessons, as well as trivia. But by far my favorite were the food and entertainment presentations, held in the culinary arts center. There we observed the master chef from the specialty restaurant prepare several dishes for us to sample. Other offerings were bar mixology, wine tasting, edible bouquets, kitchen tours, and even the daily high tea featured teas and baked goods from different world regions. Much more interesting than the same old scones and finger sandwiches offered on other cruise lines.

Our ocean view stateroom had a bath tub, and therefore the largest shower we have seen at sea. Larger than normal bath towels and robes were thoroughly enjoyed. The room service menu had many more items than the usual salads and sandwiches we have seen on other lines. Every stateroom had a DVD player, and there was a vast DVD library where you could request movies that were delivered to your room. I thought that this would be very nice if one were confined to their stateroom because of a norovirus. It must be noted that in an effort to prevent a norovirus outbreak, the first 2 days you are served everything in the buffet, thus eliminating cross contamination of serving utensils.

On this particular Mexican itinerary, there were over 2,000 guests on board, over 1,100 of whom were repeat cruisers with Holland. I now understand why Holland enjoys the largest number of repeat cruisers in the cruise industry. While onboard, we took advantage of the future cruise deposit program. A reduced deposit of $100 per person can be used on any future cruise and will get us a $100 per cabin onboard credit for an ocean view cabin, more for a balcony. This can be combined with any group reduced rates and group amenities. What a great way to get extra benefits on a cruise that we were planning to take anyway, namely the 14 day Alaska round trip Seattle cruise that includes ports of call in Homer, Kodiak, and Sitka.

Cruise counseling is available at Cruise Port Travel at no extra charge. Bring us your best online price, and we will try to match it. Many times we can do better, by taking advantage of the many group benefits available to us through our affiliation with Americas Vacation Center, or by looking at a different sail date. We will gladly share our first hand knowledge of cruise lines, different ships, and itineraries.

Ride a Harley in Ketchikan

2010-09-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

By Carol Watts, Alaska Expert

Ketchikan is Alaska’s 4th largest city, and depending on whether your cruise is going north or south, it may be either your last or first Alaskan port of call. Hence, one of its many names is “The Gateway City” or “The First City”. Its less dubious claim to fame is the country’s second wettest city, with over 13 feet of precipitation yearly. (The wettest spot in the US is on the island of Kauai.) Ketchikan is located on the southwest coast of Revillagigedo Island, west of British Columbia, in the middle of our largest national forest, the Tongass National Forest. At 17 million acres, the Tongass encompasses most of the Inside Passage. Naturally lumber was a major industry until recent logging restrictions, and now Ketchikan’s main industries are commercial fishing and tourism, which includes sport fishing, whether from shore, wilderness lodges, or charter boats.

Also known as the Salmon capital of the world, Ketchikan is known for huge trophy salmon that flood the streams every summer to spawn. The first salmon cannery opened in 1886, and the canning industry reached its peak in 1936 with seven canneries putting out over 1.5 million cases of salmon for worldwide distribution. But like the logging industry’s mills, the salmon canneries have grown silent over the years.

Just because it lies in the middle of a rain forest doesn’t mean that it always rains in Ketchikan. Although it probably rains a little every day, there are some glorious sunny summer afternoons to be enjoyed. The last time we visited, the morning started out sunny but progressed to a steady rain by afternoon. So throw on your rain poncho, and enjoy all that Ketchikan has to offer.

For the adventurous at heart, you can enjoy a 3 ½ hour tour on Harley XL883 Sportsers or Softails on the 55 miles of paved roads surrounding Ketchikan. Like most towns in Southeast Alaska, Ketchikan can be reached only by air or water. But there are many local roads that offer views of eagles and bears, totems and wilderness rain forests.

Since Ketchikan is built on a Tlingit native village site, many totems are still preserved, mainly in Saxman Native Village and Totem bight State Historical Park. At Saxman you can see native singers and dancers perform in the Beaver Clan House and watch a native carver pass his skill on to appretice carvers at the Village Carving Center.

Creek Street is the historical and former red light district. You can tour an actual house of ill repute at Dolly’s House Museum. Of course you can see salmon swimming upstream in unbelievable numbers. The Lumberjack Show offers pole climbing, sawing, axe throwing, and chopping competitions. The show goes on rain or shine, but spectators are protected in covered and heated grandstands. There are duck tours of the small ship harbor and horse carriage tours of town.

Ketchikan is the starting point for Misty Fjords National Monument tours whether by boat or plane. Misty Fjords is 2.3 million acres of coastal rainforests and glacial fjords, 3,000 ft tall cliffs and 1,000 ft tall waterfalls. Of course Ketchikan also has sea kayak adventures, sport fishing tours, a zip line, float plane trips, snorkeling, jet boat adventures, backcountry hummer and jeep excursions, a Bering Sea crab fisherman’s tour reminiscent of Deadliest Catch, and tours of the fish hatchery and cannery. You can even take a float plane excursion in a classic De Havilland Beaver or Otter.

Wildlife viewing opportunities exist for black bear, mountain goats, timber wolves, seals, sea lions, humpback and killer whales eagles, shore birds, and of course salmon. Shopping opportunities abound. Native crafted drums, masks, totems, hand carved ivory and whalebone figures are available as well as jewelry stores, art galleries, and of course a very nice quilt shop.

Sailing Celebrity's Solstice

2010-09-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

By Kelly Watts A.C.C.

I don't often write much myself on this BLOG, I just for some reason got out of the habit, but recenly I had the pleasure of sailing on Celebrity Cruise Lines Solstice. I have been a fan of Celebrity's Millennium Class ships since my first cruise on The Summit in 2006. My last Celebrity cruise was on The Constellation (High Conde' Nast Ratings) in 2007, so the Solstice had a LOT to live up to. The Solstice, the first of this class, is a great ship, well designed sort of like the Millennium Class on steroids!

Before I talk about the cruise let me throw a few barbs at US Airways, one of my favorite targets. As usual US Air managed to jamb even a red eye flight to the brim, the Airbus 321 is not the most comfortable of aircraft, the flight crew was however nice, but not overly so. Being packed in to US Air's incredible shrinking seats is NEVER a good experience but when one hope to grab a few winks it is even worse. My route through Charlotte, was not my first choice as it adds about 1-1/2 hours to the trip. After this trip, if I NEVER go through Charlotte it will be too soon. The distance between gates was quite extensive and the moving walkway was OUT OF SERVICE! Had I known I would have asked for assistance as I have knee problems.

The cruise was a 7 night Eastern Caribbean, well it is not exactly my favorite itinerary, even though I had only done a part of it before, but as they say “a bad day at sea is better than a good day at work.” Departure from Ft Lauderdale was quick being on the ship within 20 minutes of arrival at the pier. The one fluke in boarding is that cabin's would not be ready until about 1:30 PM meaning that I had to slug my luggage around with me at the buffet area. I have been spoiled by Princess who will let you take your luggage to your cabin even if it isn't ready. Well anyway, there was an attendant in the buffet are that did help me by carrying my plate. Oh yes, did I mention that Celebrity no longer has trays in the buffet? As a replacement they have various size square plates meaning that if you want more than a main entrée, such as a salad you need to make multiple trips. I did meet some very nice people in the buffet and we took turns watching luggage and holding the table as we each in turn went for additional items. I would hope that Celebrity might figure out how to accommodate passengers with carry ons either letting them drop them off at the room OR having a secure area.

After lunch the cabins still were not available so I went to my deck and hung out in the Internet Cafe until the announcement was made that the cabins were ready. The cabin was as nice as the Millennium Class ships, but with a bigger bathroom, however the extra bathroom space comes with a price. Celebrity has shrunken the closet space and moved it to the stateroom end of the bathroom with the closet doors facing the room. Since I was traveling along this trip, I had plenty of space using the closet and the extra drawer space. I learned that there is also some additional storage space over the bed, but I did not use it and I really don't think it was all that handy. The layout of the bathroom has given a much larger shower with sliding doors, very nice, my one fault is that it had a fixed shower head, I like the hand showers much better. The commode was wedged in between the shower and the vanity area, not all that roomy. The sink is a raised design with a long faucet, I did hear a couple of people complaining that it got in the road. The bathroom has a decent amount of shelf space and a couple of drawers as well. My cabin on deck 6 was directly above the Solstice Theater, and there were times I could hear music but it was not a major problem.

On to the cruise: The first two days out of Ft Lauderdale were rough, not as bad as some days I have spent, but with all the tropical storms and hurricanes around it made things a bit choppy.

The ports of call for this cruise were San Juan, Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas, and Philipsburg, St Maarten, I can't tell you anything about these ports as I stayed on the ship in all port days. For me it was just too hot and humid to consider a shore excursion. I went out on my balcony to take some pictures and had to wait several minutes for my camera lens to unfog.

To me, the ship is always the HIGH point of the trip, the cabin stewards were exceptional and the food in both the dining room and the Oceanview Cafe was very good. I did note that there are certain times when the Oceanview does completely close unlike a lot of other lines that have 24 hour buffet's.

All my evening meals, except one, were eaten in the Grand Epernay Restaurant, there I had a fantastic Waiter and Asst. Waiter and an Asst Maitre' De who were friendly and very efficient. Celebrity 's menu is pretty diverse however if the main menu doesn't suit you, the left side of the menu has a good variety of items available at every meal.

On board there are three specialty restaurants available at an extra cost, the Tuscan Grille, Silk Harvest, & Murano. I did dine at Tuscan one night and had the Veal Parmiggiana, it was fabulous! A large portion served over Linguine actually more than I could eat, especially after consuming some of the fantastic breads before dinner.

Entertainment on board was good with the Solstice Orchestra one of the best and the Great Ideas Party band, the West Side Strings, Kelly Broadway Quartet, and individual artists all very good. The activities staff, headed by Maria, (who was finishing her contract) all seemed very capable and a good sense of humor. One of the most fun times I have had on a cruise ship was the 60's night held in the Grand Foyer! This venue, right next to the Passport Lounge is a great place and Maria and crew had the ship rockin' with lots of great music, I was tired and hoarse after the party! Celebrity is putting the Grand Foyer to good use with musicians appearing especially during the cocktail hours and after dinner a definite thumbs up for this!

The Solstice is easy to navigate, good signage and an adequate number of elevators most going to every deck unlike some other ships. Other high points on the Solstice are the Adults Only Solarium with Pool Butlers, the Lawn Club, and of course the Hot Glass Show from Corning Glass. I also attended the Cooking Challenge hosted by Chef Panagiotis, who has a great sense of humor and was very accessible on the ship as I saw him most every day.

Other nice things on the Solstice were “On Demand” free movies on your stateroom TV, the Movie Theater at Celebrity Central on Deck 4, The Solstice Theater, (beautiful with a great sound system) and Captain Dimitrios daily announcements with a great touch of humor!

In all this was a great cruise, Celebrity has done a good job with the Solstice class ships.

Departure was smooth and seamless, one glitch I could not locate may bag, but I received instant help and was soon on my way. My return was on Southwest Airlines through Tampa WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Great planes and exceptional crews and not a killer walking distance between gates! Well done Southwest!

Juneau - Alaska’s Capitol City

2010-08-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

By Carol Watts Alaska Expert

Juneau is Alaska’s largest city, in area, not in population. The over 3,200 square mile area of Juneau is larger than either Rhode Island or Delaware, and almost as large as both these states combined, The population is just over 31,000, most of whom work for the government. Tourism is the second largest industry in Juneau, followed by fishing and mining. Juneau has been the capitol of Alaska since 1906 when the territorial government was moved there from Sitka. It is the only state capitol that can not be reached by car. It is located on the Gastineau Channel at the base of steep Mounts Roberts and Juneau. Atop these mountains is the Juneau ice field, which is the starting point of 30 glaciers. The town was named after gold prospector Joe Juneau, who was guided by local Tlingit Indians to the head of Gold Creek where he found gold nuggets the size of peas. Juneau marked a town site in 1880, which soon became a bustling mining camp. And the rest is history.

North of downtown is the Mendenhall Valley, where the airport and ferry terminal are located. Juneau is known for its 16 foot tides, weather caused cancelled flights, torrential rains in summer and avalanche hazards in winter. Twelve miles from downtown is the retreating Mendenhall Glacier, one of the state’s most visited attractions. The face of the 200-300 foot tall and 1.5 mile wide glacier is visible across Mendenhall Lake. A Forest Service Visitor Center, built on the bedrock of the retreating glacier, is accessible by ramp or elevator. The glacier itself is the site of many tourist attractions, from helicopter guided hikes to dog sled rides.

Mount Roberts Tramway is another top tourist attraction. Located across from the cruise ship docks, the tram takes only 6 minutes to transport you over 1700 feet to the mountain top. The view from there is breathtaking. Your cruise ship looks like a bath tub toy. Alaska Native owners have established a center which shows a film on the Tlingit culture, a shop where you can see native artisans at work, and a bald eagle enclosure. (She was injured while hunting and has lost the use of one eye, so she can not be released back into the wild.)

The Alaska State Museum’s large art and historical artifacts collection is displayed in its functional setting. There is an Alaska Native clan house, the Lincoln totem pole, whose native carver used a picture of Lincoln to represent his clan’s contact with the white man, and a 2 story high eagle nesting tree. The museum gift shop carries quality Alaska art and books.

A great place for inexpensive souvenirs is the Alaska Shirt Factory, across from the cruise ship docks. Here you will find Alaska logo shirts and outerwear, as well as books, DVDs, postcards, smoked salmon in tins.
The Alaska Brewing Company offers free guided beer tasting, as well as unique Alaska apparel and souvenirs.

Juneau is closely situated to both Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Bay National Park. If your cruise ship does not sail to these spectacular natural wonders, a side excursion would be worth while. Tracy Arm Fjord is within the Tongass National Forest, off the Stephens Passage south of Juneau. Steep Granite walls rise from the waters surface. The arm is full of calving glaciers, icebergs, and wildlife. Glacier Bay is a larger marine park. The number of daily cruise ship visits are limited to preserve the ecosystems, and most spend the whole day cruising the bay. The scenery and sunsets are fabulous. A Park Ranger will board your cruise ship for an educational presentation and to offer hands on displays including the fur of many of Alaska’s native animals, from sea otter, to seal, to bear.

Juneau is a great place to go whale watching in the calm waters of the Channel. There are also opportunities for jet boat tours, sea kayaking, hiking, ziplines, mining and salmon hatchery tours. The Pack Creek Bear Viewing area on nearby Admiralty Island has a platform for viewing bear as they feast on salmon in July and August. Of course, there are numerous jewelry and art shops lining Franklin St, as well as the Red Dog Saloon with its frontier atmosphere and unique décor. Farther up the street in the historic Senate Building there is a wonderful quilt shop. History, culture, adventure, and wildlife are all available from Alaska’s capitol city.

The often bypassed Seward, Alaska

2010-07-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

by Carol Watts, Certified Alaska Expert

Many who have cruised to Alaska are familiar with Seward as either the embarkation or disembarkation point for most 7 night Alaska cruises that sail to or from Vancouver. If you fly in or out of Alaska, you board a bus for transfer to Seward from the Anchorage airport. Sadly, many tourists pass through Seward, without stopping. If you are taking an Alaska cruise, I urge you to spend a day in Seward either before or after your cruise. If you don’t stop to see what this city has to offer, you are really missing the boat!

Seward is located on the shores of Resurrection Bay, on the east coast of the Kenai Peninsula, approximately 125 miles south of Anchorage, at the foot of 3,000+ foot tall Mount Marathon. It offers many recreational opportunities and the bay teams with sea life. It is also the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. Resurrection Bay got it’s name from Alexander Baranof who found shelter there from a storm on the Russian Sunday of the Resurrection in 1791. Seward, of course, was named for William Seward who helped arrange the purchase of the Alaska Territory from Russia in 1867.

Seward was officially founded in 1903 by surveyors for the Alaska railroad, which needed an ice-free port to serve as an ocean terminus. The Alaska Railroad facilitated travel between Seward and Fairbanks in the 1920’s. You can walk past Millionaires row to see houses built around 1905 by bankers and railroad officials. Before then, prospectors passed through in the late 1880’s on the way to find gold in Hope Alaska. The Iditarod Trail was used by sled dog teams to transport goods and supplies to towns in the interior and as far as the gold rush town of Nome. Seward was not spared by the Good Friday Earthquake in 1964 which caused tidal waves and fires, destroying much of the town. The Resurrection Bay Historical Museum features photos of the earthquake, as well as artifacts from the Russian era, and Seward’s role in the Iditarod Trail.

Today the Seward Highway between Anchorage and Seward and the corresponding railroad route, are considered to be some of the most scenic routes in the state. Some of the activities in and around Seward are: birding, charter fishing, full or half day whale watching cruises on Resurrection Bay, flight seeing, hiking, kayaking, river rafting, sled dog kennel tours and rides.

One of the main attractions is the Alaska Sea Life Center, where you can see marine wildlife at a leisurely pace. The Center is the only facility in the world dedicated to the study of northern marine wildlife. It’s construction was funded in part by the Exxon Valdez oil spill settlement. Many programs cover public education, rehabilitation, and conservation for marine life and sea birds. The center is open 7 days a week summer and winter, and has several “touch tanks” for getting up close and personal with marine wildlife.

Kenai Fjords National Park covers approximately 1700 square miles, and includes the Harding Ice Field. At 300 sq. miles, it is one of the largest ice fields in the US. Harding ice field is the source of 38 glaciers, of which is Bear Glacier is the largest. The national park includes mountain fjords, tidewater glaciers, and of course wildlife. Bears and sheep can be seen on land, and the rocky coast provides haul outs for Stellar sea lions. Rookeries for sea birds abound, including puffins, bald eagles, gulls, murres, kittiwakes, oystercatchers and cormorants. The waters team with sea otters, porpoise, Orcas, humpbacks, salmon and halibut. Cruises in the national park range from 5 to 10 hours, and some are accompanied by Park Rangers.

One part of the Kenai Fjords National Park can be reached by road. Exit Glacier is 8 miles north of Seward, and is a retreating glacier that you can actually hike to the face of. Signs along the way testify to the reach that the glacier once had. There are several trails to choose from, a ½ mile, a 1 mile, and a challenging 7.7 mile with steep elevation. This is bear country. The trails are thick with salmonberry bushes, a favorite with bears. Kenai Fjords is home to both black and brown bears, although the black bears are much more common. And supposedly more timid. Both species will avoid human contact, unless they are protecting their cubs or a “kill.” Take precautions, and above all do not feed the bears. They will lose their fear of humans as they seek more food handouts. Eventually they will be shot by people who are protecting themselves or their property. As the park service says, “A fed bear is a dead bear.”

Is there any safe place?

2010-06-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

By Carol Watts Alaska, Group Travel, & Small Ship Expert,

That seems to be a question that is implied, if not asked outright lately. With volcanoes stranding people in Europe, social unrest in certain European cities, and robberies, kidnappings, and worse in Mexico and the Caribbean, it’s no wonder that people are concerned about their safety while traveling.

Two of our favorite destinations are Hawaii and Alaska, but anywhere in the US is not only safe but more affordable than overseas travel. We have seen an increase of bookings for Disneyland this year. Canada is safe also, now that the G20 summit in Toronto is over.

Following are some interesting destinations and unique vacations here “at home” and in our northern neighbor: Mackinac Island, San Antonio’s Riverwalk, New Orleans Chrsitmas, Churchill’s polar bears.

A lovely 7 day excursion to Mackinac Island and the Grand Hotel can be enjoyed in September and October. Leaving from Chicago, you will stop at Traverse City to see the sand dunes along Lake Michigan, as well as the Soo Locks, built in 1791 to connect Lake Superior with the other Great Lakes. You can step back in time on Mackinac Island, since transport is by horse drawn carriage, since no cars are allowed . Fort Mackinac was originally built during the Revolutionary War when the island was a fur-trading outpost. Of course, the highlight is a 2 night stay at the Grand Hotel, known for its 600 foot front porch and beautiful gardens. Take afternoon Tea at the Grand, or just relax in a rocking chair. Frankenmuth is known as Michigan’s Little Bavaria, where you can stroll over a 239 foot long authentic 19th century replica of a covered bridge. Charming shops line the streets, the most famous of which is Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland.

San Antonio’s Riverwalk, once described by Ernie Pyle as “America’s Venice”, is beautiful any time of the year, but especially so when it’s all lit up for Christmas. From late November on, you can be serenaded by carolers while enjoying a dinner cruise on the river. Visit the historic Mission San Jose, or shop in the authenticate Mexican Marketplace. Remember the Alamo? The chapel and the Long Barracks are all that’s left of this famous place where Davy Crockett fought the Mexican army and died for Texas liberty. Tour the museum and watch the IMAX movie, Alamo - the Price of Freedom. You can also visit the LBJ Library and Museum in Austin, and the “Texas White House” at the LBJ Ranch. Don’t forget the German village of Fredericksburg.

Christmas New Orleans style can be experienced in late November or early December. Oaks Alley Plantation, located along the Mississippi and featuring a quarter-mile long canopy of 300 year old oaks, will be all decorated for the holidays. You can have a hands on cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking , located in an old molasses warehouse in the French Quarter. Also worth a visit is the National WWII Museum, with interactive displays and artifacts. But the main attraction has to be the Celebration in the Oaks, with its choirs, dance performances, seasonal displays, millions of lights, and real snow, set in the ancient oak groves of City Park.

If you want something a little more on the wild side, don’t pass up a trip to see the polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba in October. You can fly to and from Churchill from Winnipeg, once a 1920’s boomtown. Safely and comfortable view the polar bears, and possibly also Arctic foxes, ptarmigan, caribou, and ringed seals from the Tundra Bus. The large over inflated tires do not harm the Tundra ecosystem. The buses are well heated, have washroom facilities, and an outdoor viewing platform for that up close photo op. Polar bears can stand 10 feet tall and weigh over 1300 pounds. They return to the seal feeding grounds along the Hudson Bay every October in anticipation of the winter freeze. Enjoy true Northern ambiance and cuisine at Churchill’s newest accommodation, the Lazy Bear Lodge. You can also have an opportunity to witness the spectacular light show of the Aurora Borealis.

All about Alaska Part 5 - Denali

2010-06-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

By Carol Watts Alaska & Small Ship Specialist

Approximately 400,000 visitors go to Denali National Park and Preserve every year, most between late May and early September. The park can be reached by car or tour bus on the George Parks Highway, or by the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage or Fairbanks. There is a park entrance fee as well as a fee for park buses and tours, camping and mountaineering permits. As far as weather, you can expect, rain, sun, clouds, and wind, and all on the same day. Summer temperatures average around 55- 60 degrees, with the record being 91 degrees. Winter temps average around 2 degrees, with the coldest being minus 54. And yes, the park is open during the winter.

The park has one road, and only the first 15 miles are paved and open to private vehicles. Visitors are recommended to take the park buses, which are school buses, without facilities. The dirt road winds along cliffs and mountain passes, so driving is best left to the professional guides and drivers. Mt. McKinley can be seen as early as mile 9, weather permitting. Guides tell you that the mountain creates its own weather system, and can be seen only 25 - 33 percent of the time. The park offers both shuttle and tour buses that make several scheduled stops, and always stop for photo ops if wildlife is spotted. The shuttles go all the way to the end of the 92 mile road, with stops at Wonder Lake and Eielson Visitors Center, where you have great views of the Alaska Range and Mt. McKinley, weather permitting. You can get off the shuttle buses any where along the way to go hiking, then flag down a returning green bus for a ride back to the entrance. Wonder Lake at mile 85 is approximately a 11 hour round trip, and offers full base to summit views of Mt. McKinley. Last on the road is Kantishna, once a gold mining town, that offers exhibits on early settlers, and air strip, and 4 private properties. This trip is about 13 hours long, round trip.

The park also offers tour buses with narration by a certified driver-naturalist on its tan school buses. The Denali Natural History Tour, approximately 5 hours long, is the one that is included in most cruise tour packages. It stops along the way at Savage Cabin, a ranger cabin that is still used today, and that provides a living history on park ranger encounters with poachers. At Primrose Ridge, a Native Alaskan does a presentation on the 10,000 year history of land use in Denali. The Tundra Wilderness Tour is an 8 hour excursion that goes 53 miles to Toklat River and provides a more in depth history of the park with opportunities for wildlife viewing and photography. The Kantishna Tour goes the full length of the park road, leaving around 7 am and returning at 7 or 7:30 pm. Park buses and facilities are wheelchair accessible. Prices for shuttles and tours vary according to destination.

The park offers FREE courtesy shuttles from the Visitors Center to 3 different destinations. The Savage River courtesy shuttle is a 2 hour round trip and great for people short on time, wishing to hike, or for access to the Savage River Campground. The Riley Creek Loop courtesy shuttle goes to the Riley Creek Campground. The Sled Dog Demonstration courtesy shuttle goes between the Visitors Center and the kennels. There is no private vehicle parking at the kennels, so this is the only way to see them. You can pet and visit with friendly sled dogs, and see a demonstration of their speed. The Park sled dogs are still used in winter by rangers patrolling the park.

Every bus trip into the park offers views of Mt. McKinley, weather permitting. It may be clear and sunny on the ground, but the summit can be shrouded in clouds. The most photographed image of Mt. McKinley is from Reflection Pond, just beyond mile 85. You will need the Kantishna shuttle or tour bus for this photo op. Mt. McKinley is the highest mountain in North America. From its 2,000 foot lowlands to its 20,320 foot summit, the mountain’s vertical relief of 18,000 feet is greater than that of Mt. Everest.

Mt. McKinley National Park was established in 1917. In 1980 the park size was increased to 9,410 sq. miles and renamed Denali National Park and Preserve. For comparison, Denali is larger than either Massachusetts or New Hampshire, and just slightly smaller than Vermont. It’s wildlife consists of one amphibian (the wood frog), 14 fish (including 3 salmon species), 166 birds (including the endangered Peregrine Falcon and the ptarmigan, the Alaska State bird), and 39 mammals (including Dall sheep, grizzly and black bear, moose, caribou, wolves, lynx, red foxes, and hoary marmots). Black bears live in the taiga, forested areas, and grizzly, or brown bear, inhabit the open tundra. Ninety percent of a grizzly’s diet is vegetation. Any bears seen by park visitors are most always grizzlies.

Glaciers cover 17% of Denali’s land area. Ruth Glacier is the deepest at over 3,800 feet, and it moves approximately 3 feet every day. The park also includes 12,000 lakes and ponds, and 18,600 miles of streams. In 2005 a dinosaur footprint was found in Denali. It belonged to a Cretaceous Theropod.

Cruise Prices and Hidden Costs of Cruising

2010-06-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

By Carol Watts Small Ship & Alaska Specialist

It happened again today. Someone called with a price they had seen online and asked if we could match it. He had a real low ball price from an ad he had seen on the internet. To his credit, he had the courtesy to ask what our price would be. So he at least tried to keep some money local by booking with us. When I gave him “our price,” it was substantially higher. That’s because we always quote the full price, including port charges, government taxes and fees. We also advise people that the price we give does not include gratuities and trip insurance. I explained to him that the “lead-in” prices you see in ads are always for the lowest price interior cabin. Sometimes they are for resident or senior rates that you might not qualify for. They seldom include the port charges and government taxes. So since we try not to mislead people, our prices appear to be higher. Once last year someone came in with a price that we really could not match. When Kelly asked if he could travel 2 weeks later, the price we had was actually $600 less than the online sale price he came in about. So it pays to shop around, and yes, that means calling a local travel agent. (By the way, the cabin price without the port charges and government taxes and fees, is what agents are paid commission on.)

So what are the hidden costs of cruising? As stated above, prices we quote do not include gratuities for your room stewards and waiters. These run approximately $10 per person per day. Then there is the fuel surcharge, which runs around $7 - $9 per person per day. As yet the cruise lines have NOT reinstated the fuel surcharge, although they reserve the right to do so at any time. And once one line says they are going to do so, the others all follow like dominos. They can impose the surcharge even after final payment has been made.

Naturally transportation costs/air fares to the embarkation port are not included, although we can certainly quote you a figure. You can book air through the cruise line, generally more expensive but guaranteed to get you to the ship or they foot the bill. You can book air with us for a $30 service fee, since no airlines pay agents commission now. Or you can book air yourself on the internet. A word of warning: all airlines with the exception of Southwest will charge a hefty fee to change a booking, whether it be date or a misspelling on a name. Our air prices through the consolidator are often less expensive that some internet sellers of travel, and most people would rather give us the $30 service fee than deal with the hassle of booking air themselves.

That brings us to the “optional expenses” that you can incur on a cruise. By all means, you do not need to purchase any of the following:

l. Alcoholic, carbonated beverages, specialty coffees, bottled water. Tea, iced tea, coffee, water, juice are available at no charge. Or you can purchase a soda or alcohol package with some cruise lines to lower costs if you are a cola-drinker.

2. Specialty dining. While this is a nice 3-4 hour experience, we always felt that the food in the dining room was very good.

3. Bingo and the Casino. These are the biggest money makers for the cruise lines. Payouts are not regulated as they are on land. Some cruisers believe that the slot machines pay out at the start of a cruise, then when you are hooked, they dry up toward the end of the cruise.

4. Photos. These are taken at every opportunity. You do not have to buy anything.

5. Internet packages. These are priced by the minute, and connection times at sea are very slow.

6. Laundry. You can rinse out your own in the sink if needed. Most Holland America and Princess ships have coin operated laundry services.

7. Gift shop purchases. Logo clothing, trinkets or forgotten toiletries, medications, and other necessities are all pricey.

8. auctions. These are the biggest rip off at sea. Should you get a steal on a reproduced “masterpiece”, there’s always the frame and shipping home to pay for.

9. Shore excursions. Cruise lines use the same vendors that you can book with online. Or you can be really adventurous and grab a tour on the dock. This is ok for Alaska and Hawaii, but I would not recommend it for foreign countries that might not have as stringent vehicle inspection laws as the US or might not have English speaking guides. One good thing about booking shore excursions through the cruise line: if you are delayed returning because of a breakdown or accident, the ship will wait for you, and all the other passengers booked with you on that tardy excursion.

10. Travel Insurance. This is one addition cost that we strongly recommend. You can purchase this through the cruise line, but if you need to cancel your cruise, you might only get a future cruise credit. If you can no longer cruise, or if the cruise/tour company goes bankrupt, you are out of luck. We always recommend third party trip insurance. And yes, they did pay for re-booked flights, delays, hotels and food for passengers stranded in Europe because of volcanic ash. And did you hear that Iceland expects the neighboring volcano, Katla, to erupt at any time, and this one will be huge. We have had customers who were hospitalized the day before their booked cruise was set to sail. The one lost everything. The one with travel insurance got a cash refund for the total cost of her trip. Which would you rather be?

When cruise lines were discounting fares like crazy last year, we often wondered how they could afford to sell cabins so cheap. The truth is that cruise lines rely on you purchasing many of the above optional items. The cabin fare makes up only 10 - 25% of the cost of a cruise.

We recently came back from a 7 day cruise to Mexico. Because of the turmoil in that country, we had decided not to get off the ship while in port. It was just a totally relaxing vacation, good food, good shows, played a lot of trivia, watched movies, and borrowed books from the library. No cost for any of the above. We met two couples who were on the same cruise, round trip from Los Angeles, for a total of 2 and 3 weeks. That might seem strange, until you consider the cost. There’s no way you could book 3 weeks at a hotel in a major city and eat for what they paid for discounted back to back cruises. They could choose to get off in ports of call or not, as the mood struck them. While they had to disembark in Los Angeles at the end of each cruise, they could leave their luggage in the room. I admit clothing for 3 weeks would be a problem, but on Princess and Holland America you can use of their coin operated laundry facilities. Gee, I can’t wait until I’m retired to cruise for 3 weeks at a time. The only thing better would be 3 weeks cruising to Alaska.

Give us a call before you book anything online. We will give you our best price. Our affiliation with host agency Americas Vacation Center provides us with access to many group rates, which provide discounted pricing and possibly on board credit.

Fall in New England by Carol Watts

2010-04-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

The Canada/New England fall cruises offer a variety of lengths and ports of call. Prime cabin location is selling out fast. Since all these cruises stop in several Canadian ports, like Halifax and Quebec City, passports are required.

However, a more economical and in-depth tour of New England, without Canada, can be booked for as low as $1095 per person, or approximately $1575 including airfare to and from Boston. These fully escorted, leisurely paced tours of 44 people maximum travel by deluxe motor coach and stay in quality hotels like Hilton and Radisson. Every breakfast and several dinners are included in the price.

You will see the standard Boston attractions, stopping at the Old North Church and Fanueil Hall Marketplace, a true Boston experience for over 250 years, and driving past the state capitol and Boston Commons before proceeding to Lexington. Here the “shot heard around the world” was fired on the Battle Green where the Minutemen had their first skirmish with the British, the start of the American Revolution. Along Paul Revere’s route from Lexington to Concord, you will stop at the North Bridge. Next is a stop at Plymouth Rock, where the Pilgrims from the Mayflower landed in 1620. Drive to Hyannis where you will stay 2 nights on Cape Cod.

A morning ferry takes you across to Marthas Vineyard, a haven for poets, artists, and celebrities. An island tour visits Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven.
The historic whaling town of Edgartown affords you an opportunity to wander its narrow streets, visiting art galleries and quaint shops.

Leave Hyannis for the sailing capital of the world, Newport Rhode Island. You will visit the Breakers, a 70 room Italian Renaissance palace which was the “summer cottage” of the Vanderbilts. Drive to Mystic, CT and visit Mystic Seaport, home of the nation’s leading maritime museum and tall ships.

The following day you will drive through the beautiful Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts and stop in Stockbridge at the Norman Rockwell Museum and studio, which is preserved as it was when Rockwell painted there the last 25 years of his life. Overnight will be in the scenic Green Mountains of Vermont.

Fall colors reign on a scenic drive to Plymouth Notch, birthplace of President Calvin Coolidge. Next you stop in Woodstock, VT, known as the prettiest small town in America. There will be a photo stop at a covered bridge. Drive over Quechee Gorge, the Grand Canyon of New England, then through the White Mountains of New Hampshire to Franconia Notch. A notch is a narrow pass through steep mountain cliff walls. Follow the Kancamagus Highway, known as the best fall foliage trip in the US, through the White Mountains National Forest to Conway, NH.

The following morning your coach passes Maine’s lakes on the way to Portland on the rocky Atlantic sea coast. After viewing the waterfront, you continue to Kennebunkport. You will have time to explore this quaint resort before your farewell Maine lobster dinner. The next morning your coach transfers you to Boston’s Logan Airport.

Having grown up in Albany, NY, my family always traveled to Vermont to view the fall foliage. The time for peak fall color may vary from year to year because of temperature and moisture. The above circular route through 6 New England states ensures that you have many fall foliage viewing opportunities. Now is the time to start thinking about a New England land tour, or Canada/New England cruise.

Found Money

If you are like me, you have a bunch of reward points sitting around on various credit cards. Unless you have been using one card exclusively for a long time, the rewards usually don’t amount to much. But for those of you that use an American Express card, those points can be found money. Maybe even enough to pay for a cruise.

All About Alaska Part 4 by Carol Watts Alaska Expert

2010-04-07T15:27:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I wrote about the various itineraries for seeing Alaska with an escorted land tour. But maybe you are one of those people who would rather not see the same 40 or so faces on a bus every day. As I explained, an escorted tour is a good value because you have the advantage of group pricing for hotels and attractions, plus the convenience of a guide and driver. But if you want to see Alaska on your own schedule, we can help you plan a vacation that puts you in the driver’s seat. From a completely customized vacation to a yachting tour, to an RV tour, to bear camps, to fishing lodges, we are your Alaska experts.

One thing that is hard for us who live in the lower 48 to understand is the sheer size of Alaska, and what that means for the time needed to travel from one place to another. Most flights come into Anchorage, and that is a good hub to use for exploring the rest of the state. Heading north from anchorage, the first place of interest is Talkeetna, 113 miles away. Next is Denali National Park, 154 miles north of Talkeetna, and finally Fairbanks, which is 125 miles north of Denali, or roughly 358 miles from Anchorage. It is possible to drive from Fairbanks through Coldfoot and on to Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope, but the road is not completely paved (some rental car firms make you sign a contract that you will not drive to Prudhoe Bay with their vehicle) and you don’t even want to know how far it is. Going south from Anchorage, you can drive to Seward, 125 miles, and on to Homer, 167 miles from Seward, at the end of the Kenai Peninsula. Skagway and Haines can also be reached by car, but the route is round about. First you need to get to Whitehorse in Canada, 724 miles from Anchorage, then turn south.

So you can see that a lot of time is spent just getting from one attraction to another. The Alaska Railroad is an option, but their route generally follows the highways, with the exception of a wilderness route from Talkeetna to Hurricane Gultch. The Alaska Marine Highway, the state ferry system, is another option for getting to ports that have no road access, but their timetables may not always fit your schedule; in other words if you take the ferry to Kodiak or Sitka, you may need to spend a few nights there before going on to your next planned stop.

Self drive tours allow you the flexibility of spending more time at an attraction that is of interest to you, and possibly skipping another that does not interest you. The providers we work with offer several different self drive itineraries, which include the car rental and hotels. For example one itinerary features a round trip Anchorage, 7 days and 6 nights, with hotels in Anchorage, Denali, Talkeetna, Fairbanks, and Anchorage again. Cost for peak season (June - August) is $1399 per person plus taxes and fees, based on double occupancy. Included in the above price is a jet boat ride, a salmon dinner, and a sternwheeler river ride. Other self drive itineraries are 8 days from Anchorage to Homer, including a half day halibut fishing excursion or a whale watching cruise across Kachemak Bay, the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, a cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park, and a float trip on the Spencer River. Or a 10 day self drive tour from Anchorage that goes to both Denali and Wrangell-St. Elias National Parks, Valdez, and includes a ferry ride to Whittier, and a cruise of Kenai Fjords National Park. These self drive vacations are great for families with young children, who would not do well on an escorted bus trip. Again, any tour can be customized to suit your desires. As I tell customers, anything is possible in the travel business; it just comes down to how much you are willing to spend.

There are winter tours that include the Northern Lights and Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race start and restart. There are several fishing excursions for halibut, salmon, that include a guide, equipment, cleaning and freezing of your catch. There’s a van trip from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay with a flight to Barrow, the northern most city in the US, and also a flight trip just to Barrow. On this “top pf the world” tour you will join a traditional Eskimo blanket toss and witness their heritage ceremonial dances. Or you can enjoy a flight trip to Nome, the end point of the Iditarod race and home of one of Alaska’s gold rushes. Even Wyatt Earp came to Nome in 1897 and found his “gold mine” operating a saloon during the height of the Nome gold rush where you could pick up gold off the beach. If you are really adventurous, take a flight to a bear camp for a full day of guided bear viewing. If you want to be a little safer, take a 200 mile all day flight in Katmai National Preserve or Lake Clark Wilderness Preserve to view bear from the air as they fish for salmon or roam the coast.

Of course, tours to Dawson City, the Yukon Territory, Victoria and Vancouver, and the Canadian Rockies are also available. There’s a self drive tour from Calgary to Banff, where you board the Rocky Mountaineer train to Vancouver, or escorted tours from Vancouver to Jasper that include a Rocky Mountaineer train ride and a Snocoach icefield excursion.

The Pacific Northwest by Carol Watts

2010-04-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

The Pacific Northwest

Would you like a 7 day vacation that combines travel by rail and water, and starts with a fairly inexpensive direct air flight? If so, then you might like an escorted tour to the Pacific Northwest, specifically Seattle, Vancouver, Whistler, and Victoria.

The tour begins and ends in Seattle, so a direct flight on Southwest airlines won’t break the bank. And as yet, Southwest does not charge for checked luggage, and even provides a complimentary snack. All transfers to and from the airport are included in this tour. So you can take a late morning or early afternoon flight from Phoenix for the 3 hour trip to Seattle, arriving in time to check into your hotel, meet your tour director, and choose a place for dinner. Five breakfasts and three dinners are included in the tour, which is available June - September.

After breakfast at the hotel, day two starts with a sightseeing tour of Seattle with a local guide, including Pike Place Market, the Pioneer Square-Skid Row Historic District, Chinatown and the Seattle Space Needle. Pioneer Square is where Seattle founders first settled in 1852, and later became famous for its collection of “box houses”, part theater, part brothel, part bar, and part gaming house, as well as hash or dope houses and pawn shops. Today it is considered the center of Seattle’s night life, with art galleries, cafes, sports bars, bookstores, and one part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park - the other part being in Skagway, Alaska. Pike Place Fish Market is home to the famous flying fish. Up to 3 feet long salmon are thrown by employees across the counter, much to the delight of spectators. You can also see the market’s unofficial mascot, Rachel the brass pig. She weighs 550 pounds and brings in between 6 and 9 thousand dollars in donations every year to the 100 plus year old market. Take time to enjoy street musicians, including a virtuoso spoon player, jazz, folk, blues music and comedians at the market.

Next on the itinerary is a visit to Seattle’s iconic Space Needle, which was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. At that time it was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi at 605 feet. It was built to withstand earthquakes up to 9.1 magnitude, 220 mph winds, and has 25 lightning rods. It houses a revolving restaurant and an observation deck from which you can see the Olympic and Cascade mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, and Elliott Bay. The afternoon is taken up with a 3 hour bus trip along Washington’s rugged coastline to Vancouver, British Columbia. Yes, passports are needed for this trip. Dinner is included on the first of your three nights in Vancouver. In the morning a local guide takes you through the 1,000 acres of Stanley Park, Chinatown, and the historic streets of Gastown. Stanley Park has forests of cedar, hemlock, and Sitka spruce, as well as a collection of statues, memorial plaques and totem poles. The historic Gastown now is home to fashion boutiques, coffee shops, art galleries, and native art stores. But it is most famous for it’s steam powered clock. The afternoon is free to explore Canada‘s most cosmopolitan city independently. Perhaps you would wish to take in the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain, the VanDusen Botanical Garden or Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Garden.

After breakfast the next morning, board the Whistler Mountaineer for a scenic three hour train trip to Whistler, site of several 2010 Olympic Games events. Travel along Howe Sound, pass the Stawamus Chief, the second largest granite monolith in the world, then wind through canyon habitat of bald eagles, climbing 2000 feet for breathtaking 195 feet tall Brandywine Falls, Alpha Lake, and Whistler Village. Return by coach for an included dinner in Vancouver.

The next morning, you will take a ferry ride from Vancouver to Victoria, the historical capital of British Columbia. Included is a city tour of the beautiful harbor district, the incredible parliament building, and a visit to 100 year old Butchart Gardens. You will be captivated by views of its Sunken Gardens, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, and fountains. During your free time in Victoria, stop at the Empress Hotel. You will spend the night in Victoria, and the Parliament building lit at night is a sight worth seeing.

Day six starts with a ferry trip from Victoria across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Port Angeles, Washington. Be on the lookout for eagles, gray whales, and otters. You will drive through the glacier carved valleys and temperate rainforest of Olympic National Park before returning to Seattle for your farewell dinner. Schedule your return flight to Phoenix after noon the next day.

River Cruises By Carol Watts

2010-03-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

What do the Galapagos Islands, Machu Picchu, the Upper Amazon, Moscow and St. Petersburg, Beijing and Shanghai, Luxor and Aswan, Bucharest and Budapest, Paris, Lyon and Nice, Cologne, Basel, and Oberammergau have in common? No, it’s not a geography question. These countries are all over the map!

All these cities, and many more, can be visited on various river cruises, either directly or as an extension before or after the cruise. River cruising is growing in popularity for many reasons. One is, obviously, the varied itineraries. Second is the smaller size; most river cruise ships in Europe carry 130, and in China up to 400 passengers. Third, is the ability to customize your river cruise with various extensions.

Shortly after we bought the travel agency, someone came in looking for a trip to the Galapagos, the Upper Amazon, and Machu Picchu. I knew how to get him to each of the destinations, and maybe two together, but not all three. Imagine my surprise when I opened the 2010 Globus River Cruise catalog and there they were. I could understand the Amazon, after all it IS a river, but Machu Picchu as an add on? And the Galapagos too? Yup, it’s all there. With air fares costing what they do, more and more travelers want to maximize their travel budget by extending their travel in a certain region. Having everything seamlessly tied together, air, sea, and hotels by one tour company is a big plus, and the best way to have a hassle free and stress free vacation. Your ship acts as your hotel, docking right in the heart of a different town every morning.

When you think of river cruises, you probably think of the Rhine or the Danube. And rightly so, since these rivers were the pioneer destinations for river cruises. Before there were roads, travel and commerce in Europe was conducted on the rivers. So it’s only natural that great cities would grow up along the river routes. Cities like Vienna, Salzburg, Cologne, Strasbourg, Basel, Antwerp, Amsterdam, and so many more are located right on the river. You step off the ship and are literally in the city center.

But China and Russia river cruises have evolved over the past years as the demand for river cruising in different locations has grown. For a Yangtze River cruise, you start in Beijing, then fly to Chongqing to start your cruise down the river to Shanghai. There’s also an optional extension to Hong Kong or Tibet! Egyptian river cruises start and end in Cairo, with flights to Aswan for a cruise to Luxor, followed by a return flight to Cairo. In Russia, Viking River Cruses offers several itineraries: from Moscow to St. Petersburg, Moscow to Volgograd (Stalingrad), or Odessa to Kiev. Basically, a river cruise can be as extensive or as compact as you want. I mentioned Oberammergau earlier, because in 2010 many river cruises are offering the once a decade Passion Play as an extension.

How does river cruising differ from mainstream ocean cruising? First is the cost. Because of the European or Asian destinations, air fare is a large chunk of your budget. The only other negative, I feel, is that river cruise ships are seldom equipped with elevators. So anyone needing a wheelchair is not a good candidate. Imagine also the quaint city centers you will visit, all with cobbled streets.

On the plus side, you experience a more intimate atmosphere on river cruises. There is one seating for dinner, and it is open seating. Some cruise lines included wine with dinner, some do not. Often you will see the ship’s chef buying local produce in the marketplace that later appears on your plate that evening in a regional specialty meal. No casinos or lavish Las Vegas style shows on the river. Here the entertainment might be a local dance troup, regional musicians, or lectures on the local customs, history, and attractions. No long lines for disembarkation, and no flooding of small towns with thousands of tourists. But alas, no doctors or sick bay on board either.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that there are river cruises in the US also. While we have seen the demise of the Mississippi barges and paddle boats, like the Delta Queen, there are still small ships that ply the Hudson River and Lake Champlain, the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River and the Erie Canal, the Cape Cod, Maine, and eastern coasts, as well as Central America from Belize City to the Honduran Islands.

Warning: be prepared for sticker shock. But when you consider that tours with knowledgeable local guides in every port are included in the price tag, it’s understandable that the prices are higher than an ocean cruise, where optional shore excursions are at an additional cost .

The Pacific Northwest

2010-03-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

The Pacific Northwest
By Carol Watts

Would you like a 7 day vacation that combines travel by rail and water, and starts with a fairly inexpensive direct air flight? If so, then you might like an escorted tour to the Pacific Northwest, specifically Seattle, Vancouver, Whistler, and Victoria.

The tour begins and ends in Seattle, so a direct flight on Southwest airlines won’t break the bank. And as yet, Southwest does not charge for checked luggage, and even provides a complimentary snack. All transfers to and from the airport are included in this tour. So you can take a late morning or early afternoon flight from Phoenix for the 3 hour trip to Seattle, arriving in time to check into your hotel, meet your tour director, and choose a place for dinner. Five breakfasts and three dinners are included in the tour, which is available June - September.

After breakfast at the hotel, day two starts with a sightseeing tour of Seattle with a local guide, including Pike Place Market, the Pioneer Square-Skid Row Historic District, Chinatown and the Seattle Space Needle. Pioneer Square is where Seattle founders first settled in 1852, and later became famous for its collection of “box houses”, part theater, part brothel, part bar, and part gaming house, as well as hash or dope houses and pawn shops. Today it is considered the center of Seattle’s night life, with art galleries, cafes, sports bars, bookstores, and one part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park - the other part being in Skagway, Alaska. Pike Place Fish Market is home to the famous flying fish. Up to 3 feet long salmon are thrown by employees across the counter, much to the delight of spectators. You can also see the market’s unofficial mascot, Rachel the brass pig. She weighs 550 pounds and brings in between 6 and 9 thousand dollars in donations every year to the 100 plus year old market. Take time to enjoy street musicians, including a virtuoso spoon player, jazz, folk, blues music and comedians at the market.

Next on the itinerary is a visit to Seattle’s iconic Space Needle, which was built for the 1962 World’s Fair. At that time it was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi at 605 feet. It was built to withstand earthquakes up to 9.1 magnitude, 220 mph winds, and has 25 lightning rods. It houses a revolving restaurant and an observation deck from which you can see the Olympic and Cascade mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, and Elliott Bay. The afternoon is taken up with a 3 hour bus trip along Washington’s rugged coastline to Vancouver, British Columbia. Yes, passports are needed for this trip. Dinner is included on the first of your three nights in Vancouver. In the morning a local guide takes you through the 1,000 acres of Stanley Park, Chinatown, and the historic streets of Gastown. Stanley Park has forests of cedar, hemlock, and Sitka spruce, as well as a collection of statues, memorial plaques and totem poles. The historic Gastown now is home to fashion boutiques, coffee shops, art galleries, and native art stores. But it is most famous for it’s steam powered clock. The afternoon is free to explore Canada‘s most cosmopolitan city independently. Perhaps you would wish to take in the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain, the VanDusen Botanical Garden or Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Garden.

After breakfast the next morning, board the Whistler Mountaineer for a scenic three hour train trip to Whistler, site of several 2010 Olympic Games events. Travel along Howe Sound, pass the Stawamus Chief, the second largest granite monolith in the world, then wind through canyon habitat of bald eagles, climbing 2000 feet for breathtaking 195 feet tall Brandywine Falls, Alpha Lake, and Whistler Village. Return by coach for an included dinner in Vancouver.

The next morning, you will take a ferry ride from Vancouver to Victoria, the historical capital of British Columbia. Included is a city tour of the beautiful harbor district, the incredible parliament building, and a visit to 100 year old Butchart Gardens. You will be captivated by views of its Sunken Gardens, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, and fountains. During your free time in Victoria, stop at the Empress Hotel. You will spend the night in Victoria, and the Parliament building lit at night is a sight worth seeing.

Day six starts with a ferry trip from Victoria across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Port Angeles, Washington. Be on the lookout for eagles, gray whales, and otters. You will drive through the glacier carved valleys and temperate rainforest of Olympic National Park before returning to Seattle for your farewell dinner. Schedule your return flight to Phoenix after noon the next day. This and many more land tours are available through Cruise Port Travel, 900 W. Driftwood Dr. Payson.

All about Alaska, Part 3

2010-03-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

All about Alaska, Part 3
By Carol Watts Alaska Specialist

Nenana Ice Classic

Last month we looked at the Iditarod Trail and some of the rather unusual activities that you can participate in when visiting Alaska, from the $25,000 Iditarod Trail Sweep tour to the Ice Road Trucker simulator.

Alaskans are very inventive about winter time activities. One unique thing to do is to wager on the exact time that the ice on the Tenana River will break up. It’s called the Nenana Ice Classic, and is run be a non-profit organization that benefits several Alaskan charities. Tickets can be purchased for $2.50 each throughout Alaska, but unfortunately can’t be mailed to the lower 48. Last year’s pay out was $283,723.00! The river “went out” on May 1st, even though the ice measured 42,7 inches thick 8 days earlier on April 23rd. A tripod is placed in the ice on the river with a line attached to a clock tower. When the tripod moves because of ice breaking up, the clock stops at the exact time, and the lucky person with the closest guess wins the jackpot. This has been going on since 1917, and was originally started by surveyors for the Alaskan Railroad. By the way, Nenana, originally an native Athabascan village, is a small town along the Tenana River between Fairbanks and Denali, mile 412 on the Alaskan Railroad, or about 300 miles north of Anchorage. Recently the 90 plus years of statistics on the ice break up have come to the notice of climatologists as one of the world’s most scientific indicators of the effects of global warming. You can see the preparation, celebration, and actual ice break up on You Tube.

The Alaska Railroad

While we can not distribute tickets for the Nenana Ice Classic, we can provide tickets for the Alaska Railroad and any of its 12, 10, 7, 6, or 5 day adventure packages or day tours. If you want to see Alaska independently, or at a more leisurely pace than the 4 day cruise tour add-on, come see us about the Alaska Railroad. Customized packages for pre- or post- cruise land tours can be based from Seward, Whittier, or Anchorage, and include glacier and wildlife viewing cruises and overnight Denali tours including hotel and rail service from Anchorage or Fairbanks. Tours are available for wheelchair travelers or passengers with limited mobility.

The Alaska Railroad is one of America’s last flagstop trains. The route from Talkeetna along the Susitna River and through the Indian River Canyon winds through a 55 mile stretch of wilderness that can only be reached by train. The Hurricane Turn runs Thursday through Sunday round trip from Talkeetna to Hurricane Gulch. You can get off the Hurricane Turn train anywhere along the way and stop the return train with a wave of a flag. Locals have been riding the train to reach their remote cabins or favorite fishing spots this way since 1923. There are three main summer routes: The Denali Star between Fairbanks and Anchorage with stops at Denali and Talkeetna, the Glacier Discovery leaves Anchorage for Whittier, but does not return to Anchorage, and the Coastal Classic which departs Anchorage early am for Seward and returns to Anchorage late evening that same day. By far this is the most scenic route, and the train of most interest for cruise passengers who would rather experience the slightly over 4 hour train ride than a 3 hour bus transfer. Trains run daily in summer (mid-May to mid-September). In the winter, the Aurora Train runs only on weekends between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

Additionally, a roundtrip flight from Fairbanks can be arranged through the Alaska Railroad that will take you above the Arctic Circle for views of the Brooks Range, Gates of the Arctic National Park, and a wilderness outpost landing. Or you can take a one-day guided tour on the rugged Dalton Highway above the Arctic Circle to a trading post across the Yukon River. For this trip you receive an official “Arctic Circle Adventure Certificate.”

The 40 Below Club

Alaskans jokingly say that they have four seasons: June, July, August, and winter. Last year when we did a Princess cruise tour, we became official members of the “40 Below Club.” This attraction, found both in Fairbanks and at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, allows you to experience the extreme cold of the Far North. There are exhibits of how animals adapt, and how to winterize homes and vehicles to function above the Arctic Circle. You can see what happens to soap bubbles in this severe cold. 40 degrees below is the same temperature on the Fahrenheit and Celsius scale. Our official certificate attests that we have “survived life-threatening temperatures of 40 degrees below zero in Alaska and are entitled to full bragging rights as a Real Alaskan.” Needless to say, we didn’t stay too long in the “cold room”.

All About Alaska, Part 2

2010-03-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

All About Alaska, Part 2
By Carol Watts Alaska Specialist

Most cruises sail between either Seattle or Vancouver to Seward or Whittier on a north or south bound journey. And while a cruise is the least expensive way to see most ports in Southeast Alaska, and the only way to experience Glacier Bay National Park and Hubbard Glacier, this is just a small park of a large and fascinating state. (Skagway is the only port in Southeast Alaska that can be reached by road. All other ports, Juneau, Ketchika, and Sitka can only be reached by ship or airplane.) My next trip to Alaska will be a 7 or 10 day land tour. Of course I could plan a completely independent trip with a rental car or RV, but a tour allows me to enjoy group price breaks on hotels and excursions, a knowledgeable tour guide, driver, and baggage handling. If you have only seen Alaska from a cruise ship, you might want to consider a longer land tour, as opposed to a 4-5 day cruisetour.

You arrive in Anchorage and transfer to your hotel after 6 plus hours of actual flight time, not counting lay over time in Seattle. The first day aboard an air conditioned luxury motor coach takes you through Palmer and the Mat-Su Valley, known for huge vegetables grown in the nearly 24 hours of summer daylight. From the Tahneta Pass you have wonderful views of Matanuska and Worthington Glacier. You have a photo stop at Bridal Veil Falls before a two night stay in Valdez, a commercial and sport fishing town called the “Switzerland of Alaska.”

The next morning you will cruise on Prince William Sound for an up-close look at the 3 mile long face of the Columbia Glacier. View marine wildlife like seals, sea otters, and whales from your excursion ship and see the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline where crude oil from Prudhoe Bay is loaded on supertankers. The following morning you will journey to Delta Junction, the northern terminus of the ALCAN Highway, built during World War II as a supply road for the interior Alaska military and airfields. You will see a historical homestead, museum, and original roadhouse before heading west on the Alaska Highway to Fairbanks.

You will spend two nights in Fairbanks, Alaska’s second largest city after Anchorage. You will visit the El Dorado Gold Mine and head down the mines permafrost tunnel via the narrow gauge railroad. You can try your luck panning for gold before boarding the sternwheeler Discovery for a trip on the Chena and Tanana Rivers. Stop at Chena Indian Village and learn about the native Athabascan culture. The day ends with a visit to an Iditarod sled dog camp to meet the mushers and their dogs, and learn about breeding and training for the race.

The next morning you board the Alaska Railroad for a scenic ride through the wilderness to Denali National Park. The afternoon is free to explore the park’s visitors center with its diorama and award winning natural history film. You can visit the snack bar and book store, or catch a free shuttle to see the park’s sled dogs, still used by rangers to patrol the park during the winter. That evening you will enjoy food, song, and dance at the Denali Dinner Theater. The following morning is free for an optional excursion, perhaps river rafting on the Nenana or flight seeing to Mt. McKinley. That afternoon you will enjoy a Natural History Tour into Denali National Park, keeping an eye out for moose, caribou, brown bears, ptarmigan, and Dall sheep. Fall comes early to Denali, and if your trip is scheduled for mid to late August, you will see the taiga and tundra landscape dressed in beautiful golds, reds, and greens.

The following morning you ride along the park and stop at the Iditarod Headquarters, home of the famous sled dog race. You arrive in Anchorage in time for a city sightseeing tour before your hosted dinner. A full day tomorrow features a beautiful drive along Turnagain Arm to Seward, and a cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park to view more wildlife and calving glaciers. You travel back to Anchorage for a second night stay before flying home .

This is a leisurely paced tour with four 2 night hotel stays in Valdez, Fairbanks, Denali, and Anchorage. Daily breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 4 dinners are included in the tour. If you haven’t already cruised to Southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage, a 7 day cruise can be added. This land tour starts at $2519 per person, with the optional 7 day cruise from $560 per person. Airfare is additional.

The shorter and less expensive (starting at $1389 per person) 7 day tour substitutes a cruise to Portage Glacier for Kenai Fjords, and skips Valdez, the gold mine in Fairbanks and the dinner theater in Denali, but still includes an Alaska Railroad trip from Fairbanks to Denali. You have three 2 night stays in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Denali, and the option of adding a 7 day cruise at the end. Seven daily breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 7 dinners are included. Airfare is additional. If these tours are too long for your taste, shorter tours through our many independent suppliers can be arranged alone or in addition to a cruise.

All About Alaska part 1

2010-03-11T08:20:00.000-08:00

The Iditarod, Iditarod Sweep Tour, and ice Road Trucker Tour
By Carol Watts Alaska Specialist

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race started with a dream by Joe Redington Sr., known as the Father of the Iditarod, to commemorate the role played by sled dogs in Alaska’s history and culture. For over six thousand years, sled dogs served the native people of Alaska as the only viable means of transporta-tion in a frozen wilderness. As the gold rush brought more people to the interior of Alaska, dog sleds were used to deliver mail, food, and gold to and from the mining towns. Dog sled teams and their mushers have become a symbol of the pioneering spirit in Alaska. But as roads, railways, planes and most of all snowmobiles became common in Alaska, the noble sled dog and the part they played in the history and culture of Alaska started to fade.

Most everyone knows of the famous Serum Run of 1925, when dog sled teams were called on to deliver diphtheria serum to the population of Nome. Planes were unable to fly in the stormy weather, and the Bering Sea was choked with ice. No roads or railroads came anywhere close to Nome, and still don’t to this day. Teams of sled dogs delivered the life saving serum over 674 miles from Menana near Anchorage to Nome in 5 and ｽ days.

The first Iditarod Race was run in 1973, on the 100th anniversary of the United States’of the Alaskan Territory from Russia. This year’s Iditarod XXXVIII will have its ceremonial start on the first Saturday in March, 3/6/10 in Anchorage. The official restart of the race will be in Willow.
It will take the contestants from 9 - 15 days average to cover the more than 1,100 miles to Nome. You can see a historical documentary video on the official web site, www.iditarod.com. Known as The Last Great Race on Earth TM, the Iditarod has helped to make dog mushing the state sport.

Idita-riders

You too can be a part of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race for just a little cash. Every year people bid up to be an Idita-rider on the 11 mile trip from Fourth Ave. in Anchorage to the Campbell Airstrip in Bicentennial Park. Last year 8 sleds received top bids of $7,500 each.

The Iditarod Trail Sweep Tour

For a mere $25,000 you can be one of 3 participants to follow the teams on snowmobiles along the trail, spending 15 nights at checkpoints in shelter cabins, and tents.

The Ice Road Trucker Tour

Exclusively with Salmon Berry Tours, this is your opportunity to have a fully guided tour of the Carlile Transportation yard at the Port of Anchorage, tour a state of the art sleeper truck, followed by a 10 minute adventure in the Ice Road Simulator. A bargain at $99, you can experience what it’s like to be an ice road trucker on the Dalton Highway.

Salmon Berry Tours offers many more winter fun excursions, including the Iditarod Starting Line Event in Willow. Check out the “chute” where dogs and mushers ready for a start every 2 minutes for $125including transportation.

The Northern Lights Late Night Special includes transportation from Anchorage to the Talkeetna Roadhouse for a home style meal. A local expert on the skies will explain what’s going on in the Alaska Night Sky, including the Northern Lights, constellations, and why the sky looks different here. A trip to the river to see the Northern Lights and transportation back to Anchorage end this $299 adventure.

Finally there is the Ultimate Iditarod Package, 9 days from March 1 - 9, exploring Anchorage, Turnigan Arm, Girdwood, Talkeetna, and 2 major checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail: Willow and Rainy Pass. Also included is a snow mobile tour to a glacier and an opportunity to see the Northern Lights. Transportation and accommodations for $3,025.

Winter is a great time to visit Alaska. Many local festivals are held in the winter, including the Fairbanks Ice Festival. How better to experience the winter wonderland that is such a defining part of the Great Land?

The Iditarod, Iditarod Sweep Tour, and Ice Road Trucker Tour By Carol Watts Alaska Expert

2010-02-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race started with a dream by Joe Redington Sr., known as the Father of the Iditarod, to commemorate the role played by sled dogs in Alaska’s history and culture. For over six thousand years, sled dogs served the native people of Alaska as the only viable means of transporta-tion in a frozen wilderness. As the gold rush brought more people to the interior of Alaska, dog sleds were used to deliver mail, food, and gold to and from the mining towns. Dog sled teams and their mushers have become a symbol of the pioneering spirit in Alaska. But as roads, railways, planes and most of all snowmobiles became common in Alaska, the noble sled dog and the part they played in the history and culture of Alaska started to fade.

Most everyone knows of the famous Serum Run of 1925, when dog sled teams were called on to deliver diphtheria serum to the population of Nome. Planes were unable to fly in the stormy weather, and the Bering Sea was choked with ice. No roads or railroads came anywhere close to Nome, and still don’t to this day. Teams of sled dogs delivered the life saving serum over 674 miles from Menana near Anchorage to Nome in 5 and ½ days.

The first Iditarod Race was run in 1973, on the 100th anniversary of the United States’of the Alaskan Territory from Russia. This year’s Iditarod XXXVIII will have its ceremonial start on the first Saturday in March, 3/6/10 in Anchorage. The official restart of the race will be in Willow.
It will take the contestants from 9 - 15 days average to cover the more than 1,100 miles to Nome. You can see a historical documentary video on the official web site, www.iditarod.com. Known as The Last Great Race on Earth TM, the Iditarod has helped to make dog mushing the state sport.

Idita-riders

You too can be a part of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race for just a little cash. Every year people bid up to be an Idita-rider on the 11 mile trip from Fourth Ave. in Anchorage to the Campbell Airstrip in Bicentennial Park. Last year 8 sleds received top bids of $7,500 each.

The Iditarod Trail Sweep Tour

For a mere $25,000 you can be one of 3 participants to follow the teams on snowmobiles along the trail, spending 15 nights at checkpoints in shelter cabins, and tents.

The Ice Road Trucker Tour

Exclusively with Salmon Berry Tours, this is your opportunity to have a fully guided tour of the Carlile Transportation yard at the Port of Anchorage, tour a state of the art sleeper truck, followed by a 10 minute adventure in the Ice Road Simulator. A bargain at $99, you can experience what it’s like to be an ice road trucker on the Dalton Highway.

Salmon Berry Tours offers many more winter fun excursions, including the Iditarod Starting Line Event in Willow. Check out the “chute” where dogs and mushers ready for a start every 2 minutes for $125including transportation.

The Northern Lights Late Night Special includes transportation from Anchorage to the Talkeetna Roadhouse for a home style meal. A local expert on the skies will explain what’s going on in the Alaska Night Sky, including the Northern Lights, constellations, and why the sky looks different here. A trip to the river to see the Northern Lights and transportation back to Anchorage end this $299 adventure.

Finally there is the Ultimate Iditarod Package, 9 days from March 1 - 9, exploring Anchorage, Turnigan Arm, Girdwood, Talkeetna, and 2 major checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail: Willow and Rainy Pass. Also included is a snow mobile tour to a glacier and an opportunity to see the Northern Lights. Transportation and accommodations for $3,025.

Winter is a great time to visit Alaska. Many local festivals are held in the winter, including the Fairbanks Ice Festival. How better to experience the winter wonderland that is such a defining part of the Great Land?

Unbelievable Oasis of the Seas by Carol Watts

2010-01-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

The weekend before Thanksgiving, husband Kelly and I had the opportunity to see Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, the Oasis of the Seas. It was a 1 and ½ day travel agent “cruise to nowhere”. We could have spent a week on the ship and not seen all there is to see. One of Royal Caribbean’s slogans is “deliver the WOW!” and they sure did that on the Oasis. We were wowed when we set foot on the Mariner last February, but this was so beyond anything seen on a ship before, that words often fail to describe the “Oasis experience”.

First of all, the Port Everglades built a new terminal to process the 5400 (6300 if completely full) guests that will be embarking and disembarking every week. All around the Caribbean, ports of call will be building new terminals that can handle the world’s largest cruise ship. Sometime in late spring, Royal will be alternating east and west Caribbean itineraries, but for now it’s just the eastern Caribbean ports of call. In addition to all those guests, there are 2100 crew on board. Some of the crew member rolls have never been seen on a cruise ship to date, such as synchronized swimmers, high divers, an artist in sand, who is part of the ice show, plus a horticulturalist for the 12,000 living plants and trees in Central Park.

I don’t think you could ever be bored on this ship. In addition to the normal ship board activities, bingo, trivia games, pool side sexy legs and belly flopping contests, karaoke and dance lessons, card room and library, movie theater and live music in the clubs, the Oasis has not one, but two surf simulators, a working Carousel on the Boardwalk, the longest jogging track at sea, full size basketball court, mini golf, zip line 80 feet above the Boardwalk, ice skating as well as ice shows, parades in the Royal Promenade, and in the Aqua-Theater, high diving, synchronized swimming and gymnastics, scuba lessons in an 18 foot deep pool, and a fountain that squirts 65 foot in the air. There’s also a rising tide bar, that literally rises from the Royal Promenade on deck 5 to Central Park on deck 8. Oh, did I mention the signature rock climbing walls? Yes, two of them, at 43 ft. tall..

What about kids? There are no less than 7 different age specific youth programs, ranging from 6 months to 17 years. Youngsters have a puppet theater and science lab. The teens have their own living room, video arcade, disco, and soft drink/snack bar.

Speaking of food, there’s more than enough to go around. Some eateries are at an additional charge, but most are complimentary. In addition to the 3 story dining room and the buffet, there is Asian cuisine, a doughnut shop, ice cream parlor, Johnny Rockets and the Seafood Shack, Sorrento’s pizza, Cupcake Corner, and the Park Café. Then there are the specialty restaurants like Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table and 150 Central Park, if you are looking for an extraordinary dining experience.

There are many bars and lounges with live entertainment. Speaking of entertainment, the Opal Theater will be doing the Broadway show Hairspray, in addition to other themed shows. There’s Blaze nightclub, Dazzles for music from big band to disco, Comedy Live and an intimate jazz and blues lounge. Did I mention the ice show and the shows at the Aqua-Theater, the spa, gym classes, and the casino? Well, if all else fails, you can grab a good book and relax by one of 4 pools or 10 whirlpools. But I think my favorite spot on the whole ship has to be the Solarium, an adults only haven across the bow of the ship on deck 15 with spectacular 180 degree views, a fresh water pool and, on deck 16, two cantilevered whirlpools suspended 136 feet above the ocean. The Solarium Bistro serves health conscious food. As night falls, the Bistro transforms into a starlit restaurant with specialty dining and dancing. (The teens have their own deck area on the rear of the ship.)

Speaking of the ocean, it’s easy to forget that you are at sea. During our short time onboard, we were just slowly cruising, and never felt any motion. But they say that even at full speed, the wide beam of the Oasis makes for a stable ride. The beam is 208 ft, almost double the Panamax ships, the maximum width ships that can transit the Panama Canal. The ship measures 1,184 ft. long, that’s a bit longer than the Titanic’s 882 ft. The height the same as a 23 story building. The Oasis displaces 100,000 tons, the same as a Nimitz class aircraft carrier. The ship’s tonnage is 225,282, which is a measurement of space, not weight. Oasis is 30% larger than Royal Caribbean’s Freedom class ships.

So how does one find their way around? By each set of 4 large banks of elevators , there are touch screen computers that will direct and map you to your room, to the theater or restaurant of your choice. It will show you current capacity of the restaurants, so you know which eateries to avoid. It will show you what’s going on at any given time, so you don’t need to carry along a printed agenda of activities. This information is also available on your interactive flat screen room TV. Advance reservations for shows and specialty restaurants are recommended, either online before your cruise or via your room TV once on board.

There are no less than 37 different stateroom options to choose from. How do you know which one is best for you? The answer is to always book your cruise through a travel agent. No, I did not say “internet seller of travel“, because they will not have the same quality of advice or answers to your questions that an agent will. Internet site employees do not take continued education, and I’m sure they have not cruised as many ships and lines as we have. And since there is not a charge for using an agent, I am always mystified as to why people continue to ignore our professional services. Are the internet prices better? Seldom! Due to our relationship with the cruise lines, many times we have access to extra promotions that are not available on the internet. One of the reasons we affiliated with a host agency is so that we can provide our customers with a much larger selection of group sailings. Not only do groups usually come with a discounted cabin fee, they often offer extra amenities from free wine to ship board credit. So call us to compare. You have nothing to lose, and possibly a lot to gain.

Back to Alaska part 2

2009-12-04T19:36:00.000-08:00

Got to go back to Alaska

Three years ago we took our first cruise, a 7 night Alaska south bound. We were hooked, not only on cruising, but on Alaska. The cruise was a tantalizing taste, which only made us want to go back. So this past August and September we took a 11 day Alaska cruise tour; basically it was a 7 night cruise with 4 days on land in Denali Park and Mt. McKinley Lodge. It was a tantalizing taste, which only made us want to go back. There is so much more of Alaska yet to see.

Sitka was the capital of Russian America until 1867, when the transfer ceremony of Alaska from Russian to American rule took place here. Sitka National Historic Park is the oldest federally designated park, and will turn 100 in March, 2010, even though the State of Alaska just turned 50 years old in 2009. Sitka is steeped in both Russian and native Tlingit culture. Nearby is a dormant volcano, Mt. Edgecombe, and the Raptor Center, where injured eagles and other birds of prey are rehabilitated.

Anchorage is Alaska's most populated city, where more than 1,000 moose are thought to be living within the city limits. It is home to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, which features cultural and educational programs, workshops, demonstrations, and the ability to learn about the 5 major native cultures of Alaska through 6 authentic, life-sized dwellings which surround Lake Tiulana. Anchorage is the official start of the l,049 mile long Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on the first Saturday in March. The race ends 9-14 days later in Nome. When we were on this last cruise, we attended a lecture by Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Fairbanks, the heart of the interior, lies on the Chena River and at the edge of the Arctic wilderness. It started as a construction camp for the Alaska Railroad. It is the most easily accessible place to observe the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, visible from September to April. Fairbanks is also the home of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks's Museum of the North. Here you can see musk ox, caribou and reindeer at the Large Animal Research Station. Also part of the University are the Georgeson Botanical Gardens, the largest in Alaska. Near Fairbanks is the easiest place to view the Trans Alaska Pipeline.
Talkeetna started as a supply station for miners and trappers. It was the inspiration for the town in the TV series Northern Exposure. Currently it is the home base for climbing expeditions to Mt. McKinley, and has the best McKinley exhibit, a room size scale model. Talkeetna has one stop sign, and one parking meter, which does not work.

Chicken was a mining community, a National Historic Site, and home to 2 gold dredges. Chicken got its name because the early miners could not agree on how to spell ptarmigan, the Alaska State bird. The miners thought the ptarmigan looked like a chicken, and chicken was a whole lot easier to spell.

Some fun facts about Alaska:
1. Dutch Harbor on Unalaska was bombed by the Japanese in WWII, and the Aleutian islands of Attu and Kiska were actually invaded by the Japanese, the first invasion of US soil since the War of 1812.
2. St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea lies 200 miles west of Nome, and only 38 miles east of Russia. On a clear day you can see the mountains of Russian, and some Asiatic birds rarely found in North America.
3. More people are killed or injured by moose each year in Alaska than by bear. Alaska is home to 35,000 grizzlies, about 95% of the brown bears in the US. A grizzly's top speed is 30 mph, compared with a human's 10 mph.
4. Alaska has the highest rate of missing persons in the world. Hikers and campers in Alaska like to include SPAM in their packs, because it never freezes. There are 2 times as many caribou as people in Alaska.
5. Mt. St. Elias Park has the tallest coastal mountains in the world. They receive over 500 inches of snow a year.
Consequently more ice forms on Hubbard Glacier than melts or calves off. Hubbard Glacier is the largest tide water glacier in the world, and still growing, at 70 miles long by 7 miles wide and 2,000 feet deep. Mt. St Elias, named by Danish explorer Vitus Bering, is the second tallest mountain in North America at 18,008 ft. Of course the tallest is Denali at 20,320 ft.

I was so enthralled with Alaska after seeing part of the interior, that when we got home, I took the course to become an Alaska Expert. I can assist with independent or escorted tours to any part of the state, lodge and hotel reservations, RV and car rentals, fishing or flight seeing expeditions, as well as advice on what to see and do. I find Alaska so fascinating, that I am reading anything on Alaska that I can get my hands on.

Back to Alaska Part 1

2009-12-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

Back to Alaska

Like many people, we took our first cruise to Alaska, only to be consumed by the desire to return. There was so much more that we wanted to see. The first 7 day cruise just whet our appetite for the "Great Land." We did eventually go back in August on a Princess cruise tour consisting of 4 days on land and a 7 day cruise. Some of you have probably done this same trip, or something similar, since all the mainstream cruise lines offer a large choice of 3-11 day land tours combined with a 7 day cruise. For those of you who haven't, here is our story.

Out trip started very early in the morning since we had to be at the airport around 5 am for a 7 am flight to Seattle, where we grabbed an early lunch. No meals on the airplanes any more . From there we flew to Anchorage, ate an early supper, then boarded a flight from Anchorage to Fairbanks. That flight alone was worth the pre dawn start and long day changing planes 3 times. On the left side of the plane were numerous glaciers stretched along valleys, while on the right side this spectacular mountain, which I can only assume was Denali, since it's peak was higher than the plane was flying. Our plane to Fairbanks was a combination cargo/passenger plane, sectioned off into the two areas. We finally got to the first overnight stop at the quaint River's Edge Resort. The sun was shining brightly at 9 pm, but we were so exhausted that we only managed to crawl into bed. The next morning we had a wonderful buffet breakfast before boarding the Alaska Railroad for the trip to Denali. One word of warning, although we were encouraged to sleep in and eat breakfast on the train, I'm glad we did not, since it would have been late morning before the second half of the observation car was seated in the small dining area. After a 4 hour scenic train ride we arrived at Princess Denali Lodge for 2 nights. We ate a quick lunch, then had a 5 hour bus trip into the park for a natural history tour with the prospect of viewing wildlife. We saw some moose and sheep high up on the hills. But the fall colors at the end of August were absolutely breathtaking. Deep reds, golden aspen, the dark green of fir trees were in the taiga, and even the tundra was pretty. I just sat there thinking "it's so beautiful." There is the availability of a 9 hour bus trip to the end of the road in Kantishna, with an overnight stay, and a 9 hour bus trip back out of the park. I'm glad we took the shorter route. After another long day, we had a wonderful meal in the King Salmon restaurant on the lodge property. Another word of warning: the meals are not included on the land portion of a cruise tour, and it's not cheap to eat in the lodge eateries, but there is often no other choice. The following morning we went into the Park again to the visitors center and bookstore, where I could have spent the whole day. We also managed to see a dog sled demonstration by the park sled dogs; this is the preferred means of transportation for ranger patrols in the park in winter.

Then at noon we boarded the train again for the long ride to Talkeetna, where we transferred to a bus for the hour long ride to Princess Mt. McKinley Lodge. It was raining most of that afternoon, but the scenery on the train was wonderful anyway. Mt. McKinley was shrouded in clouds. They say that only 25% of the tourists get to see the "High One". This third long day had us skipping dinner and dragging ourselves into bed. Now if you know Kelly and me, you know that for us to miss a meal, we had to have been dead tired. Not that there wasn't plenty to do at the Lodge in the evening. Our friends went to the show and promptly slept through it all.

Guess what we did after breakfast the next day? One hour bus trip back to the train, and the longest train ride yet. Thankfully our friends had a deck of cards. We did eat lunch on the train that day, but not until around 3 pm. I was just longing to get on the ship in Whittier so we could completely relax. No wonder we urge our clients to do the land portion first, then the cruise. It's more expensive that way, but at least you have time to recharge. The first day of the cruise was sailing Glacier Bay. There was some rain in the morning, but a glorious sunset made up for it. Then there were the usual one day long ports of call at Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan, and one day of scenic cruising before docking in Vancouver.

But there is so much that we still want to see and do. As much as I love cruising, the next trip to Alaska will be an independent land trip. I was so enthused about Alaska, that when I got home I completed the Alaska certified expert agent training course, which covers things to do and see across the whole state. It's humbling to realize that in 11 days we only saw a small portion. And so the sirens are calling me back to Alaska. More about our 49th state next time.

All the 2010 cruise and land tour brochures are in, and it's time to start thinking about your trip to the Great Land. Remember, we provide free advice on your many options.

What I've Learned Part 2

2009-10-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

What I've learned about cruising (and the travel business) Part II

Last month I talked about how you can find discounted prices for cruises, the advantages of groups, and the pros and cons of buying air and shore excursions through the cruise line. I need to mention trip insurance. "Don't leave home without it." Or rather, don't book any travel, even air tickets, without it. And don't book insurance with the cruise or tour provider. If they should go out of business in this tough economy, as we have seen many smaller tour providers do, who are you going to contact? Chances are you will have no recourse. Buy insurance through an independent insurance company. We represent Travel Guard, and we have customers who have had to submit claims because of accidents that prevented them from going on their trip. Usually they have their full refund within 4 - 6 weeks. Don't buy insurance through the cruise line. If you can't go because of a medical reason, in most cases you will get a future cruise credit, not your money back. That's fine if you are physically able to cruise sometime in the future. We had a client who unexpectedly went on Hospice services several months after booking a cruise. He was able to cancel his cruise and get a full refund on his deposit. But what about the money he laid out for trip insurance? Travel Guard said he had up to 3 years to apply those funds to another trip, OR the funds could be transferred to any third party and used for future travel. Quite a difference from most "nontransferable" policies.

What if something happens when you are on a trip? Accidents happen. When on a cruise, you are considered to be in the foreign country that the cruise ship is registered to. What's that mean? Your Medicare and private insurance will not cover you! Think of trip insurance the same way you think of auto insurance. Hopefully you never have to use it, but if you do, you will be grateful to have it. All major cruise lines have sick bays when you can get stitches or medications . But it's not cheap. What about air tickets? If you have purchased tickets, you know they are not refundable, and it can cost you up to $150 to change them, plus any increase in fares. (Southwest is an exception.) Trip insurance would cost you between $20 and $40, and if you have to cancel because of a covered reason, your full fare is refunded.

Why should you use a "travel agent"? Just what do we do that sets us apart from internet sellers of travel? We put the customer first. We assist clients to make decisions about their travel. Often the cheapest cruise is not the one that will give the customer the best value. We assist customers with air, shore excursions, questions about dining, gratuities, required documents, and more. Do you know that most cruise lines require that your passport does not expire within 6 months after the cruise ends. Do you think "Prettygoodcruises.com" is going to enquire about your passport? They want your credit card number, and that's about all. They will not advise you about the cost of gratuities, or even mention taxes and fees. A good travel agent is also your advocate, should you have a dispute with a cruise line. The relationship is similar to realtor and home buyer. We've got your back.

So what does it cost to use the services of a travel agent? Usually nothing. We are paid by the cruise lines or tour providers. We can help you plan a seamless vacation, unique and distinctive travel. You can buy a cruise to Alaska almost anywhere. But what if you want to fly into Fairbanks a week before the cruise, do some tours there, perhaps visit Barrow above the Arctic Circle? Independent travel? Not a problem. I recently did a trip with hotels, air, and train tickets for London and Paris. A recent study by Forrester Research found "Many consumers are fed up with the complicated process of planning and booking travel." The do-it-yourself ego booster falls flat when you find your cabin is over the kitchen. Did you know they start preparing breakfast at 3:30 am?

What I've Larned About The Cruise business

2009-10-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

What I've Learned about the Cruise Business

I've learned a lot so I'd like to share that knowledge with you. First and foremost people want to know how they can get the "best deal" on a cruise. You may have heard that by waiting until a few weeks before a scheduled sailing, you can get a smoking deal because the ship doesn't want to sail with empty cabins. And that is true, to an extent. But it only works if you can drive to the pier. Because if you need to fly, the cost of a last minute plane ticket cancels any cruise savings. Also, you will likely end up with a guaranty cabin. That means you are guaranteed a cabin in the category you book ( ocean view or interior), but you have no choice of where that cabin will be. Think about it for a minute. Which cabins sell first? The cabins that are mid ship are booked first. So if you want until the last minute to book, your cabin will either be in the very bow or very stern of the ship, or worse. Sometimes if there are no more cabins left in the category you have booked as a guaranty, you might be lucky enough to get a better class of cabin at no increase in price. But again, the location will probably be less desirable.

Why are mid ship cabins the first to go? Think about a see-saw. The very ends have all the motion, no motion in the middle. So if you are fearing motion sickness, the best place to be is mid ship on the lowest deck. Again, think of a tall building in high winds. More motion on the top floor than on ground, or in this case, sea level.
How else can you get a good deal? Usually the early booking discounts (booking more than 6 months from sailing) will give you a nice discount. If you decide later than you can not take the cruise on the date you booked, you can get a complete refund of your deposit up until final payment date, which is approximately 75 days prior to sailing. Carnival is the only cruise line that has non-refundable deposits for early booking discounts. If you have served at least 2 years active duty or are in the US military reserves, the military discount is the best in the business. You will need proof, either your discharge papers or an ID card.

Booking into an existing group also gives either a discounted price or a cash amenity, or sometimes both. So where do you find a group? You can start one of your own, if you can get your relatives and friends to agree on one date and destination, or you can check with your local travel agent to see what groups they have on the books. Currently we have a group on a Hawaii 15 night cruise round trip from San Diego in March 2010 on Holland America.. And a 10 night Panama Canal round trip from Ft. Lauderdale in April, also with Holland . (I chose the 10 night round trip over the 14 night trans canal trip, because I would rather see the ports of call in the Caribbean than all those coming up Mexico's west coast.) Besides, when you do the complete transit of the canal one set of docks will always be at 5 am or earlier, so chances are you won't see it anyway.

One of the reasons we affiliated with the host agency America's Vacation Center is because of their sheer size ( over 500 independent agents) and the great number of groups that they have in place. AVC often has negotiated a discount price with the cruise lines, again because of their size, they carry a lot of clout. Or they have amenities like $100 on board credit for people booking into their group.

How can you save money on air fare, shore excursions, and insurance? All the cruise lines sell airline tickets, excursions, and insurance. It's another way for them to make money. And generally you can get a better price if you book your own air, or have your travel agent do it, and catch a shore excursion once you are on shore from the many local tour guides that hang around any port of call. It all depends on how much of a gambler you are. The catch is that if you do not go through the cruise line, and you are delayed getting to the ship for embarkation or after a tour, you will be waving as the ship sails away without you. This happened on out last cruise to Hawaii over last Christmas. You might remember that there was some nasty weather in the Seattle area just before Christmas. Our captain waited as long as he could, some 5 hours, before he sailed for the Big Island without 14 passengers who never made it down to LA from the Northwest. A lot of people did make it to the ship in those 5 hours. But the ones who didn't make it and who HAD booked their airfare through the cruise line were flown to Hilo, put up in a hotel for 4 days at no charge, while the ship sailed across the Pacific towards Hilo. Now that's tough to take. They also could have collected on their trip insurance for missed connection.

We were on a shore excursion, again booked through the cruise line, to the Grand Canyon of the Pacific on Kauai. It's a long ride from the dock, and after we boarded the busses to return to the ship, guess what. One of them wouldn't start. The driver called Roberts of Hawaii, the tour company that the cruise lines contracts with, and they sent another bus. But by the time they got there and back to the pier, it was after the scheduled sailing time. Because the tour was booked through the cruise line, the ship waited for all the late travelers. If they had booked with an independent tour company in order to save a few dollars, they would have missed the ship. Getting to the next port of call to rejoin the ship is then on your dollar.

There's so much more to tell you. I will have to wait until next month to talk more about the ins and outs of cruising.

What a ship! Mariner Of The Seas

2009-04-01T12:00:00.001-07:00

Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas West Coast Debut

Feb. 20-22, 2009 saw the re-inaugural sailing of the Mariner of the Seas, the largest and most beautiful ship to sail from a west coast port. Mariner will be sailing from Los Angeles (San Pedro) on a 7 night Mexican Riviera itinerary, including ports of call at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.

Mariner, one of the Voyager class ships from RCI, features an ice skating rink, a miniature golf course, an in-line skate track, basketball court, and the signature rock climbing wall. This showpiece of technology is 1,020 feet long, weighs 138,000 toms, and has a guest capacity of 3,114. Yet it doesn’t seem crowded, due to having one of the highest space-per-guest ratios on the cruise market. The 3 story dining room is absolutely elegant, complete with chandelier.

Kelly and Carol Watts of Cruise Port Travel had the privilege of sailing on the Mariner’s west coast debut, and were completely awed by the ship’s Royal Promenade, a 5 story open area complete with specialty and gift shops, a wine bar and pub, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream parlor, and Seattle’s Best Coffee shop. The promenade is also used for parades and special gatherings. The buffet area, Windjammer Café, is huge, and does not have the congested traffic of other buffets at sea. Royal Caribbean really does deliver the WOW with this new to the west coast ship.

Small Ships, not for everyone

2009-04-01T11:53:00.001-07:00

Small Ships: Advantages and Disadvantages

Many times we get requests from people who are tired of the lines, crowds, and formality of the larger cruise lines, namely those holding more than 2,000 passengers. While we normally choose these lines because it is the mass market that we sell to, I do admit to sometimes feeling like cattle herded into the chute. Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, set to debut in December 2009, will have the capacity of over 5,400 passengers, and that does not count the crew! While the ship is huge, there are some people who would consider that number of passengers as just “too many fellow travelers”.

For this article let’s look at ships with a guest capacity of 500 or less. (Princess does have 3 ships that they call small, holding from 670 - 710 passengers.)

Small ships come in many classifications, such as expedition cruising, coastal and river cruising, sailing ships, soft-adventure cruises, freighter, and barge cruises. Because of their smaller size, these ships and get into smaller ports that are often gems as far as experiencing the native culture. One example that comes to mind is Petersburg, Alaska. It is a small fishing port that retains much of the Norwegian heritage of its founders. It is located in the Wrangle Narrows of Alaska’s Inside Passage, and the main stream larger cruise lines just don’t fit.

Small ships can also get closer to shore for wildlife viewing. You’re not going to see a bear when your large ship is several miles off shore. Many small ships are equipped with inflatable zodiacs, which can get you ‘”up close and personal” with whales, sea otters, and seals. Indeed the emphasis on small ships is more toward outdoor activities, nature and wilderness exploration. There is often a naturalist on board, and your evening “entertainment” is his lecture and slide show. No Broadway production shows or poker tournaments of these ships. The food is usually very good, often specializing in local cuisine, always fresh, and there is no assigned seating. There is also only one seating, and no room service. Also no grill by the pool, no pizza or ice cream parlors, and no place to buy your espresso mocha-chino latte. Most of the small ships are not suitable for families. There are no quad cabins nor children’s programs. Often there is no TV in your room, much less wi fi service.

Then there’s the “ride”. There are no stabilizers on these small ships, and when they get in the open seas, like the gulf of Alaska, they do bob around a little. Most do not have a doctor or nurse on board should you get sea sick or worse, but since they sail close to land they can put you off for any medical treatment needed. Cabins are simple, and there usually is not a large choice of cabin style, so if you’re the penthouse type, you won’t find any on the small ships. Very few small ships are equipped with elevators, or have handicap cabins, and are decidedly wheelchair unfriendly. Also, there are not a lot of activities to fill your day, since the emphasis is on the world beyond the ship.

The biggest advantage to small ship cruising: the personalized treatment you receive from the staff, who will know your name and preferences within a few days. The atmosphere is casual and intimate. Think bed and breakfast versus mega resort.

The biggest disadvantage: the price. Why are small ship cruises so expensive? Despite their size, large ships are often more fuel efficient. It costs almost as much to push a large ship through the water as a small ship. The fees that the ship pays for docking in a port of call are the same, regardless of the size. But on a small ship you have fewer people to divide that cost into. And if you have ever cruised before, you know the pitfalls to your pocketbook that exist on large ships: the casino, the spa treatments, the photographs, the bingo games, the art auctions, and the shore excursions. Remember that on many small ships, like Cruise West, the shore excursions are included in the cruise price.

So whether you want a barefoot windjammer cruise, where you actually become part of the crew, or more of an expedition experience, a coastal, river barge, or Great Lakes cruise, or even a freighter cruise (now that’s really roughing it), we can find the cruise and destination to fulfill your expectations.

Groups Groups, we love Groups

2009-04-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

Groups: a win-win proposition

What constitutes a Group? What are the benefits of group travel? These are all questions that come to mind when talking about group space, whether it's on a cruise or a land tour.

A general definition of "a group" is people traveling together who have something in common. Actually, a group can be almost any combination of people that cruise or tour together. It could be a family reunion, bridge club, church group, country music lovers, Harley riders, scrap-bookers, the list is endless. It may be as simple as people who want to travel to Alaska, or any other destination.

Group travel has many benefits: socialization with friends, meeting new people with common interests, and a feeling of safety and security that comes with traveling with people you know.

There are also monetary benefits. Almost everyone has heard about a group leader traveling for "free". The technical term is tour conductor, and that particular person may do all the work of organizing the group, or may do very little, just acting as a "figurehead". The most common example that comes to mind is a clergyman who travels with people from his church, and who receives a "discounted" rate. (If there is no designated tour conductor, the TC credit can be divided among the group.) Some tour conductor ratios are as low as 1 free for 9 full fare bookings, but most common is 1 free for 15 full fare.

But what about the other members of the group? Some cruise lines offer discounted rates for groups. Additionally, there are Group Amenity Points that vary from sailing to sailing. They can be enjoyed by everyone in the group, and might include a bottle of wine, a fruit basket, an on-board credit (money that can be used for any onboard purchases), cocktail parties, activities that are limited to the group, such as private concerts, and "meet and greet" with the performers; even special shore excursions can be organized for groups.

So it's more fun, safer, and beneficial to travel in a group. It may even be less expensive. It's enjoying free little extras and a feeling of camaraderie. The nice thing is, you can be as "together" or apart as you want. Nothing says you have to spend every waking hour with your group.

You may be thinking, o.k., where do I find a group? You can get a group of people together yourself, OR, you can join one of our "ready made" groups.

How about the "3rd Annual Remembering the King" 7 night Mexican Riviera cruise leaving August 30, 2009 from LA? That happens to be the 32nd anniversary of Elvis's passing. Mahwey Productions provides cruisers with a full Elvis experience, with several tribute performances from the many decades of Elvis's career. Additionally there will be Sing Like a King Talent Night, Elvis trivia contests, and Elvis "sightings" around the ship.

Is Country music more to your taste? Then join us for the first annual Riders on the High Seas, featuring the legendary Doo Wah Riders, a country group with a Cajun flair that has been performing in California, Arizona, and Texas for 30 years. This is a 5 day Mexican Riviera cruise from San Diego on Nov. 16, 2009. You can hear their music at www.thedoowahriders.com.

There's a Whodunit Mystery Cruise from San Diego on Oct. 29, 2009. This 4 night Mexican Riviera cruise to Cabo San Lucas. Clues will be revealed at dinner until the guilty party is identified.

For crafters, we have a Quilters Cruise scheduled for Oct. 19, 2009, which is also a 4 night cruise from San Diego to Cabo. Classes and kits will be available for purchase.

Veteran cruisers know that the bargains are on "repositioning" cruises, that is in the Fall when a ship leaves Europe and moves to the Caribbean for the winter months. And yes, we have group space booked on the Nov 29, 2009 sailing from Barcelona, Spain to Galveston, TX on Royal Caribbean.

Finally, there's the trip of a lifetime: Imperial Jewels of China, a combination Yangtze River cruise with side trips by air to Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai, starting Sept. 28, 2009.

For information on any of the above scheduled groups, or to create your own, call 472-7878, or stop in at Cruise Port Travel, 408 S. Beeline Highway, Payson. Please see our web site at www.travelpayson.com.

What a Travel Agency is and isn’t

2009-01-12T07:41:00.000-08:00

Before I get to the "meat" of this offering let me Thank you for your support in this past year; we look forward to serving your travel needs in the coming year.

There is a popular TV show called “Myth Busters” that explores myths and urban legends, so this time I decided that I would correct some of the ones associated with travel agencies.

Cost to use; No matter how many different times and ways we deliver the message, the common mis-conception still exists that it costs you to use our services. 99.9% of the time we DO NOT CHARGE you for our services. We are paid commission by the travel companies, hotel chains, car rental agencies, etc. The only time we are not paid commission is for booking air travel. In that case we charge a modest booking fee to cover our time. In most instances that is included in the price we quote you for your ticket, however, if your travel happens to be on an airline that we so not book through our consolidator, we will charge you an additional fee above the ticket price. That includes air travel booked as part of a cruise.

What happens if I cancel? In the case of land based travel or cruises there may be penalties imposed by these travel partners depending on how far in advance you cancel. In the case of airline tickets, they do not refund your ticket cost, but in most cases will issue a credit for a future flight. Of course then the airlines will charge you a “re-booking” fee for their time. In the event of cancellation any booking fee we charge is not refundable. With cruise lines and most land tour operators any cancellation within their penalty period means you will lose part of your money, we do not receive any compensation in that case.
The price, what you see is NOT what you pay: Cruise lines are notorious for this little bit of deception. They will advertise a “lowball” price for a cruise, and then when the customer comes in we have to give them the bad news. Prices advertised DO NOT include such things as taxes, port charges, fuel surcharges, transfers, airfare and are based on double occupancy in a stateroom. There are exceptions, but they are rare.

Shore excursions: These add to the quality of any trip, and often we are asked by our customers to either recommend shore excursions or book them for the customer. However, we are not paid commission by the travel companies or cruise lines. We do have other travel partners that market shore excursions and pay us for our effort, but should you be delayed in returning to the ship when not on a cruise line shore excursion, you are on your own. Since booking shore excursions involves quite a bit of time on our part, we will be charging a modest fee for our time involved.

Airport Transportation: Everyday we receive calls asking us about shuttle service to Sky Harbor or Mesa-Williams Airports. There are several different companies that operate a variety of transportation from vans to limousines. We do not recommend or book with any particular company or service however we will give you their numbers and you make your own transportation arrangements. The exception to this rule is if you have a group of 8 or more we can arrange special transportation to an from Payson to either airport.

Certifications: Occasionally we see other travel agents appearing on the scene. What concerns us is the quality of service you may receive from them and the prices and advice they may dispense. We spend a lot of time an effort to keep current on all the latest offers, rules and regulations, itineraries, etc. Do we make mistakes, yes, after all we are only human, BUT we always try to be up front with our customers. To be certain, any business has people who are not satisfied with the service they receive. However there usually is far more to the story than you hear from the dis-satisfied person.

Travel This And That

2008-12-05T09:54:00.002-08:00
The Constellation:

This time I really have a laundry list of things to tell you about so let’s get started. Regardless of popular opinion travel agents do not get many if any “freebies.” Even training is not free. Most recently I had the opportunity to participate in a “Seminar At Sea” on the Celebrity Constellation sailing a 12 night itinerary cruising New England and the St Lawrence River. These seminars consist of classroom training, and a look behind the scenes of the operation of the ship. The Constellation is the newest of Celebrity’s Millennium ships and was launched in May of 2002. I had been on her sister ship, The Summit, three times and since the ships are almost identical it was easy to find my way around . The “Connie’ is rated #`1 in several categories by the readers of Conde’ Nast Traveler Magazine, and after my experience I can easily see why. The food was superb, service outstanding, and the ship was in great shape. To be sure there were a few signs of wear here and there, but I did notice the maintenance crew was busy while we were at sea and in port. The itinerary included Prince Edward Island, Portland and Bar Harbor, Me, Quebec, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. In a future article I will talk in more detail about each of those ports of call. One of the neat things that I got to do was spend some time on the Navigational Bridge. This is someplace that not a lot of people get to see, so I was very pleased when the District Sales Manager who coordinated the Seminar arranged the tour. Being a fan of “high tech” stuff I was impressed by the fact that a ship of this size, 91,000 tons, and some 953 feet long, could be controlled by a 4” joystick. Yes they still do have a wheel; I almost wondered if it was for show. Modern ships have adjustable propulsion pods and bow thrusters that can actually move the ship sideways in port, which the Constellation did several times during the cruise. While I was on the bridge ,the ship was on auto pilot, and I watched as the ship adjusted course and speed as necessary. For the benefit of my friends, no, they did not let me play with the controls as the Second Officer was with our group all the time.

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North To Alaska Part 2

2008-12-05T09:54:00.001-08:00
When people talk to us about booking their “Alaskan Experience” we are often asked about the different ports of call. This time I thought I would highlight favorites from my customers and myself.

With the 50th anniversary of Alaskan statehood next year I fully suspect that all the ports of call will be rolling out the red carpet. After all, each time a cruise ship docks there is the potential of 1,800 to 2,500 people coming ashore. .

My two particular favorite cites were Juneau, the capital and Skagway. Both are easy to navigate and offer a variety of on shore activities. There are of course some tourist traps along the way but in general the shore excursions are a decent value

In Juneau we opted to use the Mt. Roberts Tramway, located adjacent to the docks. This takes you 1,800’ above the harbor to the Nature center. There are ample viewing locations for a spectacular view of the harbor. The Nature Center has a gift shop, wild life sanctuary, restaurant, and a short historical movie amd there are also many hiking trails on Mt. Roberts. There is a fee of course to use the tramway but the pass is good for all day. While we were there we also took advantage of the replica trolley tour of the city, the driver was knowledgeable and you can get on and off the trolley at your leisure. Many of our customers have taken the Mendenhall Glacier excursion, quite impressive in size at over 1.5 miles wide and six miles long.

Skagway is a “Gold Town.” When the Klondike Strike of 1896 happened, it was gripped by “Gold Fever, now the only prospecting is by visitors hoping to find a souvenir nugget or two. I highly recommend the White Pass and Yukon Railroad. This narrow gauge line follows trails that first were used by pack animals supplying the miners. The approximate 3-½ hour round trip is narrated and the scenery is spectacular. Also along the way you will see several waterfalls, and abundant wild life. I found the tour guide on the train to be very knowledgeable and entertaining. You are allowed to step out on the platform of the cars to take pictures. For the more adventuresome you might wish to take a Helicopter trip to one of the glaciers.

Other ports of call you will find interesting are Sitka once part of the Russian Empire, Ketchikan, the Salmon Capital of the world, Icy Point Strait home of the Tlingit Indians, and a great whale watching location, and Seward, the gateway to the Kenai Fjords wilderness.

Depending on your particular itinerary you may also have ports of call in Vancouver, BC and Victoria, both are lovely cities and afford a lot of sightseeing possibilities. Also popular with our Alaskan adventurers is the Cruise/Tour package that can include Fairbanks, Denali, Talkeetna, and Anchorage. The land portion of the cruise tour can be added as either a pre or post cruise experience and range between 3 and 7 nights.

Now is a great time to plan your Alaskan Adventure for 2009. Plenty of good travel dates are still available and a good selection of cabins can be found on all the cruise lines. Ship size varies from the smaller ships operated by Cruise West and Princess, to the larger ships of Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Princess, and N.C.L. Regardless of your choice of ship and excursion, or land based vacation, a trip to Alaska is one to remember.

If you don’t want to cruise there are also several different companies that have land packages, rail tours, and even R.V. rentals. Stop in and we will be happy to offer suggestions.

OVERHEARD FROM A CRUISE LINE CALL CENTER: The caller asked IF the crew stayed on board at night when they were off duty.

North To Alaska (part 1)

2008-12-05T09:52:00.000-08:00
“North to Alaska, North the rush is on”, so goes a lyric line form the great Johnny Horton song out of 1960. Our 49th state has gained a lot of attention in the national Media because of the selection of its Governor Sarah Palin as a Vice Presidential Candidate.

In the travel business Alaska is one of our most popular destinations, with a wide variety of things to see and do. Of course this has not gone un-noticed by the many cruise lines we represent, with scores of trips during the short cruise season from May to September. Every major cruise line and several smaller lines operate cruise trips from 7 to 14 days, and combination cruise and land trips that range in length from 11 to 14 days, with the opportunity to add even more time with pre or post cruise or tour stays.

Alaska cruises can be divided into roughly three different itineraries, North Bound, South Bound, or Round Trip. The questions we are asked is which do you recommend. There is no easy answer to that question as each itinerary has its own strong points. North Bound Cruises typically depart from either Seattle, WA or Vancouver, BC and for the most part end in Seward where you will be taken by motor coach to either Fairbanks or Anchorage for your flight home. South Bound, just the reverse. And roundtrip cruises leave from San Francisco, Seattle or Vancouver. The Cruises from San Francisco typically are 10 days long and include stops in Vancouver and Victoria, BC.

On any Alaskan cruise adventure you will have the opportunity to take in the view of some of Alaska’s beautiful glaciers. Hubbard Glacier is the biggest, covering an area 25% bigger than the State of Rhode Island. Hubbard Glacier “calves” off icebergs as tall as a ten story building. You will get an idea of the tremendous size if you look at the ice cave in one of the accompanying pictures. The bow of our 985’ long cruise ship would easily have fit in the opening. When a glacier “calves” the sound is like thunder, BUT, because you are for the most part one mile away, you do not hear the sound till the iceberg is in the water. However, a careful eye will allow you to catch this awe inspiring sight, if you are lucky you may get a picture or video, something you will want to see again and again. All the cruise lines get you as close as is safe and most will turn the ship 360 to allow you to see this amazing site. Other cruises will allow viewing of Tracy Arm Fiord, and Mendenhall Glaciers, and while I have not seen those personally, our customers tell me they are extremely impressive. In addition to viewing one of Alaska’s “giants”, many itineraries include cruising through the Inside Passage, Alaska’s summertime playground for a wide variety of whales and other aquatic animals.

In addition to the big ships that travel to Alaska , Princess and Cruise West also operate some smaller ships that are able to explore beyond the everyday cruises.

So what trip is right for you? Stop by and see us, we have the 2009 brochures and we will help you decide just what cruise, or cruise tour is right for you.

Next time I will look at some of the Ports of Call and shore excursions you might want to add to enhance your “Alaskan Experience”.

REPORTED: from a major cruise line call center, a potential cruiser asked “if all the balcony cabins were above the water line.”

Till next time, remember local travel agencies do more than just sell you a cabin. We help you plan your trip and are there to answer all your questions, for the same price, and sometimes less than you would pay on the internet.

Happy Traveling!

How far ahead?

2008-12-05T09:51:00.000-08:00
There is one question we are asked a lot, just how far ahead do we need to plan our vacation for the best availabilities and pricing. I certainly wish there was a clear cut answer to this one, but there isn’t.

When making reservations for a cruise the rule of thumb is the farther out the better is a good place to start. While we may not have brochures that show the itineraries, because of publication schedules, we do have the capabilities to search out as much as one year to as much as fifteen months. When you book a cruise or land based vacation six months to a year in advance there are usually some very good early booking discounts, and sometimes that is added on top of other promotions these companies may offer. Additionally you usually get an excellent choice of accommodations when booking that far in advance. While in same cases you may find some last minute deal, booking closer in, in all probabilities you will not find the accommodations that you prefer.

Another area that can get you a deal is booking a guarantee cabin. The deal being that you are guaranteed a cabin in that class or higher. It is not un-common for us to see someone with a guarantee cabin being upgraded to a better quality cabin for the same price. Again the downfall to this is that you do n’t have a choice of cabin space. We would be happy to explain this program to you, and of course see if a guarantee cabin or special promotion would be available for you.

While I am on the subject of early bookings, it is worth mentioning that if you are looking for something different for a family or class reunion, or even a special occasion such as a milestone birthday, anniversary or an at sea wedding and reception, why not consider a cruise. We are happy to talk with you regarding the facilities and benefits to this popular type of travel. What is a group you may ask. The cruise lines generally consider eight double occupancy cabins to be a travel group. A group can be comprised of friends, relatives, classmates, club members, or any number of people sharing a common interest. You will find that cruise lines really love group bookings. There are many special things that can be arranged from private receptions, and dinners, to special meeting facilities with the latest audio visual equipment. We would be happy to talk about group travel with you, but again the key is early planning for the best accommodations.

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How fair is the Fare?

2008-06-11T09:48:00.000-07:00
In the past few months the price of fuel has affected the travel industry, from fuel supplements to higher fares, no one is left un-touched. For a minute lets look at some ideas, that just might help you have a great vacation or trip without killing your budget.

Air Fare: In recent days we have seen the cost of air fare climb faster than a 757 out of Philadelphia, when we quote air ticket prices people just can not believe that now they are paying fares for coach that used to be first class! A few simple rules apply to get the best fare. We often get people in the office who want to go tomorrow or next week and can't understand WHY the fares are so high. Unfortunately the law of supply and demand comes into play here. Airlines are forming loose partnerships, such as you may have a United Airline Flight number but be on a U.S. Airways plane, or visa versa. The goal, FILL THE SEATS! In my recent travels that certainly seems to be the case on mainline routes.

Flexible travel dates: Our advice to find the least expensive, notice the wording here, make your travel plans flexible, if you can leave or come back a day or two earlier or later you might save a few hundred dollars. Make your reservations as far in advance as possible, not even the airlines can predict what the fare will be in 6 months, so by making your travel plans early, you will probably save money. The downside, is that most airline tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE, meaning you bought it, you got it! If you want to change your ticket, most times you can, BUT with a fairly substantial cost involved.

Fly on off days, Tuesdays and Thursdays are a good choice, they are not usually business travel days so the fares may be a little less, supply and demand, and more availabilities. Consider flying to a major airport rather than a regional one. The hub and spoke system the airlines use created a system of "feeder" or airlines. Because they are serving smaller airports, with less passenger load and no competition, they charge more. A good example is that I can book a flight to say New York for a lot less than one to a smaller airport such as Elmira, N.Y.

Fly to a "Hub" airport: Consider flying to a hub airport near your destination and rent a car, in a lot of cases you will be able to do that cheaper than if you fly to a smaller airport. You might even be able to arrive at your destination hours earlier, rather than sitting waiting for the sparse service connections to a smaller airport. Recently coming back from Pennsylvania I spent 7 hours in Philadelphia International because my originating flight was delayed because the aircraft from the regional carrier , Piedmont, was grounded. The regional airline uses the last inbound plane of the day for its first outbound in the morning. What amazed me the most was that in the 8 hours between times it seemed no one could figure out, "hey we need to get another plane in for our morning flight."

Pack light: I travel with a wheeled duffle bag, that one is checked, and a so called "California Pack" like a back pack with wheels that is my carry on. If you are going on a long trip and need more than one checked bag, consider using a luggage service, to pick up your bags from your home and deliver it to your destination. While I am on the subject of packing, don't forget to check with your travel agent or airline on the latest rules for checked and carry on luggage. Most airlines will allow one checked bag (usual maximum weight of 50 lbs.) and one carry on as well as one personal item. Medical equipment such as portable oxygen a wheel chair or CPAP does not usually count as a personal item. Toiletries? 3 ounces or less, in a one quart closeable plastic bag. On my most recent flight the T.S.A. officer at the regional airport gave me "grief' about my plastic bag. I pointed out to him that in the 2 years I have used it I never had had a problem or question and in fact it was issued at the security checkpoint at Phoenix Sky Harbor as was stampped "courtesy of Sky Harbor Airport." He said, "no matter, it was not right." Yes I did file a complaint with the regional airport and the T.S.A. about the lack of consistancy in rules and the attitude of this employee.

The joy of flying? No such thing, crowded airplanes, long lines, high fares, charges for aisle and window seats, second and sometimes first bag, fuel surcharges, makes me feel like a head of cattle in a chute. Are there exceptions to the above? Yes, a few airlines still maintain customer service and treat you like a customer, they un-fortunately are few and far between. Wilber and Orville didn't forsee this I am sure!

Life at sea, yes there is a LOT of it!

2008-06-05T10:21:00.000-07:00
One of the questions we get about cruises is "besides eating what is there to do while you are at sea?" To me the sea days are often more fun than port days, because you can do as much or as little as you wish. All the cruise lines print a daily activity sheet and deliver it to your state room the evening before, usually mine is waiting for me when I return from the evening entertainment. No matter what your interests are you will find something happening every hour of the day while you are at sea. On any given sea day you will find such activities as trivia games, bingo, enrichment lecture series, first run movies, crafts, art auctions, cooking classes, photography classes, gold lessons, wine tastings, and more.

Of course while you are at sea the on board duty free shops and the casino are open. Please note that the Disney Cruise Lines do not have casinos, and N.C.L. does not have a casino on its Hawaiian based ship.

Evenings on a cruise ship can be a whole lot of fun with entertainment in the theatre, such as Broadway style production shows, or individual performers like magicians, comics and solo artists. Additionally there is usually live entertainment in several of the on board lounges, BTW no cover charge! The activities staff also has something going every night my favorite being the 50's
60's night! Some of the newer ships also are now featuring movies on their BIG (and I do mean big) screen on deck. I was quite surprised when I was on a ship inspection on the Carnival Liberty at how clear the picture was and this was in the daylight. Other ships have on board golf courses, rock climbing walls, golf simulators, and of course the cruise ship staples of swimming pools, shuffleboard, table tennis, basketball and health clubs.

The great thing about all this, is you can pick and choose what you want to do, as much or as little. Usually during one sea, and sometimes a port day, day I plan an afternoon in a deck chair relaxing!

A handy tip! When I am on board I carry a set of walkie talkies with me, this enables my wife and I to got separate ways, if we choose, and arrange to meet at area's of mutual interest. There are several types available that can be purchased for well under $100.00 a pair and for the most part they work very well on board. Please note that some units are required to be licensed by the F.C.C., if that is the case with the ones your purchase a license application will be included with your radios.

Do I have to dress for meals on a cruise ship?

2008-06-04T14:59:00.000-07:00
With the airlines enacting new policies on the number of checked bags you may have, this is becoming a frequently asked question. The answer is both yes and no, confused, well let's see if we can shed some light on the policies.

Most all cruise lines have a number of formal nights each cruise, usually 2 in 7 nights and 3 in 14 nights. You can address this in a number of ways. First off what constitutes "formal." For the ladies it is a dressy pants suit or evening dress, for the men a tuxedo or dark suit. In my own experience I have a mix and match closet where I have a dark blue blazer,(suit coat)and a couple of different pairs of slacks so on "dressy informal" nights I can use my slacks with another sport coat or visa versa. Other times a sport shirt and dress slacks for the men, I wear a polo shirt and khaki slacks, for the causal dining nights. Shorts and tee shirts are seldom permitted on casual nights in the main dining rooms. Coats and ties are never required on most cruise lines for breakfast or lunch in the dining room.

Other options:

The Buffet: Ah, maybe this is what cruise line dining is all about! Dress is always casual and the food plentiful and varied. Cruise lines will have themed nights in the buffet areas, as well as the normal buffet line fare.

Snack bars: There you will find a wide variety of items from, burgers, and pizza, to made to order sandwiches, sushi, and of course ice cream.

Other dining options:

Speciality restaurants: These come in two categories, very formal and themed restaurants. The very formal category requires formal dress and there is a cover charge that ranges in price from $20.00 to $50.00. The cruise lines promote this as the ultimate dining experience. Many lines have such themed restaurants as Italian Bistro's, steakhouses, 50's dining etc. Ask your travel agent for a list of these speciality restaurants on your ship. Most all of them have a small cover charge and the dress code is informal but most do not allow shorts and tee shirts.

Casual dining: At least one cruise line, Celebrity, has what they call "Casual Dining." It is as the name implies, casual in dress, but not in service. Celebrity uses their "casual Dining' as a training ground for the main dining waitstaff. Usually reservations are required as a limited number of tables are available. In most cases when I have used casual dining the service has been fantastic as the new main dining room wannabies are looking to make an impression on the matre'de. Also customer comments mean a lot to them as well, I know of one case where we happened to be on the same ship several months apart and one of our "Casual Dining" waiters was promoted to the dining room. I like to think I had some part in that as I gave him a glowing review to Guest Services.

Healthy Dining: With the move to a more healthy dining fare in the public sector, the cruise lines have not missed that either. Most lines today have an area or restaurant dedicated to healthy fare. Again your travel agent can inform you of those dining options on your ship.

Snack bars: They run the gambit on cruise ships, from burgers, and pizza to Sushi, Chinese, and more.

Room Service: I found this to be a great option to "formal dining" nights. I seldom pack any formal clothes on long cruises (14 nights) so all I do on those dress up nights is order room service from the dining room menu. Most all items are available, except Baked Alaska, and are delivered to your stateroom by your Cabin Steward. While there is no extra charge to use room service, we always tip him extra. Room Service on most ships is available 24 hours a day, and in many cases can be accessed from your interactive television.

What can I have? I get a great kick out of being creative with the dining room menu! I am not a fan of chilled soups, which my wife tells me are delicious, so on the nights when the soup course is that, I usually order an extra shrimp cocktail. On one trip it got to be a standing joke with our waiter, on chilled soup nights he would say, "now for your soup this evening a shrimp cocktail?" Have trouble deciding on menu items, well then order one of each of the items you like, on nights when lobster tail and prime rib are on the menu, I order both, my at sea "surf and turf." Deserts are always a challenge as well, in addition to the varied offerings most ships have ice cream available as a desert option. Several cruise lines make their own ice cream on board and some other lines may use a premium brand like Ben & Jerry's.