225: Princess Alaska Cruise

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Kim is back from her 7th Alaska cruise! This one was on Princess Cruise visiting the Inside Passage that cruises from Seattle and visits Victoria, Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagaway and sails through Glacier Bay.

Note: Kim was hosted by Princess Cruises for her trip.

This cruise visits Victoria very briefly at night so not a good choice if you really want to visit Victoria
When evaluating cruises, you need to look closely at the time and length in port very carefully
If you do want to pick a cruise that flies out of Vancouver, it may be cheaper to fly into Seattle and take either a train or bus to Vancouver
The Discovery Princess ship carries up to 4300 guests so it is a large ship about the same size as the Norwegian Bliss (which we have talked about previously)
It leaves from Pier 91 in Seattle, which is a bit north of the main Seattle waterfront and port area
If you sail with Princess, do the onboard check in on the app at least a month or a few weeks in advance so that you can receive your Medallions in the mail
The 16th floor on the Discovery Princess is the pool deck so you may need to walk outside to get the buffet and mid-ship elevators depending on where your room is. Kim’s room also had an overhang covering the balcony
The cabins on the Discovery Princess are a little small, with no additional seating beyond the bed (except on the balcony)
The cabin had a very generous closet space but the bathroom was quite tight (look at the cabin layout in advance)
Kim went in mid-June and had amazing weather but there are no guarantees
The Princess Theater was quite large
The premier package level is $80 per person, per day includes WiFi for 4 devices per person, 2 specialty dining meals, and the highest level of drink package
The 360 dining experience is something you need to book when you arrive and it is a seven-course meal with courses from around the world and it includes videos from makers around the world
The food on board was good but fairly standard cruise fare outside of specialty dining
Princess has a lot of lounges with something going on somewhere at all time
You can buy a day pass to the Sanctuary pool and area
Princess has a kids club and activities but there weren’t a lot of families on board but it is great for multi-generational family trips
In Juneau, Kim went whale watching and it was spectacular wildlife sighting
In Skagway, Kim did the White Pass Scenic Railway and “Sip to Summit” excursion
In Ketchikan, Kim did a fishing excursion and after you catch fish they cook it for you on a private island
Not all cruise ships in Alaska goes to Glacier Bay National Park so be sure to look for this! There seem to be better views from the left side of the ship
Bigger ships have to dock further away and some need to tender to port so this is something else to consider when taking an Alaskan cruise
Smaller ship (like Holland) are better for walking on and off the ship