Princess Cruises, Island Princess, Alaska

We sailed from Vancouver, heading north to Whittier in August 2007, aboard the Island Princess. It was our first cruise and as two thirty-somethings we were slightly nervous that we would be trapped on a floating nursing home. However, we needn't have worried. Yes, maybe the average age of the passengers was higher than ours but this didn't stop us from enjoying every second. It also meant there were no drunken gangs wearing football shirts or fighting by the pool - great! We had 2 nights in Vancouver before we boarded and loved the city. Our hotel was one block from the main shopping street and close enough to walk to Stanley Park. We checked in for the ship in our hotel and so only had to go through US immigration before we boarded, which was a slow but necessary evil. Once on board we found our cabin but not our luggage - we had booked an 'allocated on arrival' cabin so our bags weren't labeled with a cabin number. They turned up just in time for us to change for dinner! About 60% of the passengers were American, with the Brits and Canadians making up the remainder. There were hardly any children on board - bliss! We booked an 'allocated on arrival' cabin and ended up on Caribe Deck (10), in an inside cabin. It was plenty big enough for our needs - all we did was sleep, wash and change in it, and it was immaculately maintained by Pat, the cabin steward. The showers are tiny but the bathroom is essentially a wet room so no need to use the shower curtain – just keep the door shut and your towel off the floor! We booked second sitting for the dining option and were sat with two other British couples. It was great to have a guaranteed table at a guaranteed time, and meeting up with the same people for dinner every night added to the enjoyment. Of course we ate like kings and came home fit to burst - no complaints about the quality or choice of food, and the service from Sylvie (our waitress) and Royston (the wine waiter) was first class. Ketchikan was our first stop - an old fishing town and the best place for whale watching on this trip (I wish we'd know that before we went - we went to see the lumberjack show instead!) Then on to Juneau - where we took a helicopter and dog sled trip on a glacier- which was fantastic, although expensive (glad the dollar is so weak!) Juneau is also good for bear and whale watching trips. We took a boat trip to a glacier from Skagway, although most people took the Yukon train ride - the train leaves from the quayside so is great for anyone less than mobile. My advice would be to research the ports before you leave and check which excursions are the best - something we didn't do. On board there was plenty to entertain us, although to be honest the scenery was the real attraction - always a mountain, or glacier, or whale or eagle etc. We saw loads of wildlife from the decks - even bears on the beach. Tip - take powerful binoculars - ours were a bit rubbish! We didn't ever go to the dancing, pub quiz, lectures, spa, gym, art sales or any of the organised events. Instead we spent most of our time on deck, watching the world go by. The ship never felt crowded - not sure if this would be the case on a trip with lots of sun. Alaska is pretty wet as well as cold. You WILL need a decent, warm waterproof, not the 'light jacket' suggested by Princess! The entertainment got good reviews from other passengers. We saw two comedians - one great and one not so great, but preferred to listen to Francis play piano in the Crooners Lounge. We ended our cruise in Whittier, then were taken by coach to Anchorage, where we had an overnight stay. I'm glad we sailed northbound - it gave the whole trip a sense of anticipation - we were always 'going to Alaska' rather than leaving it behind. (this cruise also runs southbound). Lots of our fellow passengers took the post-cruise land tour – something I wish we had done too – maybe next time! I can't fault Princess, the ship or the staff. The cruise also represented tremendous value for money. Only tiny criticism is for Air Canada - they don't fly the newest or best equipped planes between London and Vancouver so the flight was boring and uncomfortable, with ancient films shown on one big screen, so you had no choice but to watch. Of course all flights are dull and uncomfortable so this is just nit-picking. I'm not sure I will ever take a 'normal' holiday again - we have caught the cruising bug!