All Aboard The Denali Express

Posted on June 22, 2013June 22, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Bright and early we disembarked from the Island Princess for the last time. We passed through security checkpoints , under a plastic covered walkway right to the train.

Our tickets had seat numbers but not seats like you might expect. The numbers were really table numbers. When we first got on I thought it wasn’t too bad, even kind of cool. There was a table with a bench seat on either side. It wasn’t luxury but it would do. That was short lived because it turned out that there were 4 people to every table. That mean that unless you were about 12 years old it was going to be very cramped. It was a tighter fit than an airplane! To make matters worse we had to hold our carry-ons or put them under the table right where our feet were supposed to go.

The brochure says “Princess Cruises exclusive Direct-to-the-Wilderness service allows you to step off your cruise ship in Whittier onto your unique Princess Alaska rail and arrive at your Princess wilderness lodge that same afternoon.”

I guess that was true. It was a short walk from the ship to the train. The 9 1/2 hour trip turned in an 11 hour trip but being in the land of the midnight sun, it was still daylight when we reached Denali.

Another brochure describes the trip like this: Our exclusive Alaska cruise ship-rail-lodge connection takes you straight to Denali National Park. While others are still in transit, you’ll be enjoying more time at one of our two Denali area lodges where fabulous Princess service meets the real Alaskan wilderness.

Well I don’t know if I agree with that. The cruise ship passengers that went to the lodge by bus got there before we did. It was more like we were the last to arrive.

The last quote I’m going to share is the best. Our luxury rail service direct to Denali will make all the difference in your Alaska cruise vacation. It’s one of the many reasons Princess Cruises is the leader in Alaska.

If that is luxury I’d hate to see “coach”. Sandy and I both love to take railroads whenever we can. Vintage sightseeing railroad trips are high on our list. When we put this trip together we insisted that we wanted to take the dome rail car to Denali. We were familiar with the dome cars on the Grand Canyon Railroad. This was nowhere near as nice as those. It would have been fine for a short trip but anything over a couple hours is cruel and unusual.

The train is owned by Princess Lines. For the duration of the cruise and land tour you are always on or involved with Princess owned or operated properties so the deplorable conditions on the train came as a surprise after the opulence of the Island Princess.

I think it would have been fine if we’d had a little more room. The booths weren’t adequate for 4 adults.

Sandy didn’t say much about the crowded conditions but she tolerates people and crowds better than I do. Her issue was that we had a dome car for viewing but the dome windows were cracked!

They say you can never get a 2nd chance to make a great first impression. Denali Wilderness train didn’t make it. It was going to have to deliver some really special sights to redeem itself.

Real Estate, Interviews and Alaska…Busy , Busy

Posted on May 1, 2013May 1, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Sorry I missed posting yesterday. I had an interview right in the middle of the day. I just couldn’t get myself settled enough to write and I didn’t want to jinx myself by talking about the interview before it was over.

The other excuse is that I need to buckle down again to finish the real estate licensing class. That’s four hours a day for 10 days not counting the additional studying. I’ve completed 8 hours and I’m working on the 3rd block of 4 hours. It would be nice if I could finish and get the test done before we leave for Alaska but it will be cutting it close.

I ‘m also staring at my home office that needs a major renovation and I haven’t taken even a baby step toward getting that done…ugh. I am feeling overwhelmed and I’m not even working. So much to do so little time.

Now you have my excuses so please bear with me over the next few weeks. I may be a bit “spotty” on my posts until we get back from Alaska but I know I’ll have tons to share from that.

Oh and speaking of Alaska I picked up our cruise documents and plane tickets. Other than confirming the dates were correct and that I had vouchers for everything I didn’t look at them too closely. Then I got an email from Princess Lines referring to changes. Again I glanced but didn’t look too closely. I had too many other things going on but my sister looked. She emailed me that we had a balcony room!

Well that got me moving and I looked it up. Sure enough. We were upgraded from an ocean view on the Baja deck to a Balcony on the Aloha deck. How cool is that!

I’m getting excited. Hard to believe it’s almost here!

Alaska Planning

Posted on April 2, 2013April 2, 2013 by Dusty Roads

It’s almost cruise time. The long-awaited Alaska Cruise and Denali Landtour is only about 6 weeks away. Yes, I’m still going. After all, it was paid for before I knew I was about to be laid off. The money is gone. It won’t solve anything by not going. And since it’s a cruise most of the meals are all paid for as well. Our day-to-day out-of-pocket should be minimal unless we go crazy for souvenirs and since mine are usually the ones I take with my camera I’m not too worried.

We’re booked on the Island Princess. The web site describes her this way:

Island Princess was built to Panamax size – this means she was built to the maximum size a cruise ship can be to sail through the Panama Canal. A high percentage of balcony staterooms give passengers the chance to view this feat of engineering up-close, or take in stunning views of spectacular glaciers during cruises to Alaska. Featured on just one other Princess ship, the Bayou Café and SteakhouseSM is a unique dining venue on board in which to enjoy authentic New Orleans cuisine accompanied by live jazz.

The only thing left is to decide what excursions we want to do while in port.

Our First Port of call is Ketchikan, the First City on the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska.

With an estimated population of 14,070 in 2010, it is the fifth most populous city in the state.

Ketchikan has the world’s largest collection of standing totem poles, located at three major locations: Saxman Village, Totem Bight, and the Totem Heritage Center. So of course we want to see those. Combining a visit to Saxman Native Village and the Totem poles seems like a perfect way to soak up some of the Native Alaska-American Culture.

Visit Saxman Native Village and experience the rich living culture of southeast Alaska’s Native Americans. Get an exclusive look at the fascinating culture of SE Alaska’s original inhabitants. The Tlingits welcome guests in the traditional style that defines the culture of Southeast Alaska. A short video program introduces you to the culture and history of Saxman. You will then enter the Beaver Clan House where you are welcomed by song and dance by the Cape Fox Dance group. Visitors are encouraged to participate in the final dance, before moving on to the Saxman Totem Park, one of the largest gatherings of totems in the world. Your guide will help unravel the mysteries of these towering, majestic poles. At the Village Carving Center craftsmen pass on their skill to eager apprentices. Learn how modern day carvers differ from their ancestors and learn of their current projects around the world. Fine Alaska Native art and small mementos are for sale at the Native Faces store.

Now I just have to see if my travel companion , this time my sister not Joe, agrees. 🙂