I recently came back from a cruise to Alaska! I’ve cruised a couple times before, all with Princess Cruises. I wanted to do Alaska as they start/end at Vancouver and I’ve heard from many people that it is one of the most beautiful scenic cruises. I wanted to also go to Vancouver, as I’m originally from Vancouver and I can visit family and friends. To see more of my time in Vancouver and tea haul, check out my Vancouver 2015 Hooty Tea Travel post.
We started in Vancouver and sailed north. I had 3 sea days, 2 of which were scenic cruising through Glacier Bay and College Fjord. We stopped in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. We ended in Whittier and I took a bus from there to Anchorage.
Day 1 – Sea Day
I love sea days, especially on the start of the cruise as you can look around the ship.
My boat was the Grand Princess. This was the least favorite of ship designs compared to the other ships I’ve been on – Golden and Star Princess. The ship lacked the nightclub on the very top back end of the ship. I love sitting in the nightclub during the day drinking tea and knitting/crocheting. This time I found an outdoor lounge no one went to, probably because it’s flipping cold outside.
Afternoon tea was amazing as usual. The servers come with little sandwiches, cakes, cookies and hot scones with cream and jam. Ambitious Tea Owl enjoyed the cake and the Mandala Tea “Heart of the Old Tree” Sheng I brought.
I did a penny whistle class! I did better than the Ukele classes I did on my Hawaiian cruise. I got really good at making chalkboard screeching sounds out of the penny whistle. Our teacher was great, but I was more entertained making bad noises than good. The Tea Owls are sad that it takes multiple owls to play a penny whistle.
Yes, I brought my own tea. I brought 140 grams of tea and purchased over 600 grams in Vancouver. The cruise ship tea selection is always bagged Liptons, Bigelow and Twinnings. However this ship surprisingly had a tea bar! It isn’t included in the cruise cost, you have have to pay extra to have a pot. The set up was two walls of tea in little science experiment drawers. It was really hard to photo as the lighting was dark.
They had some unflavored teas, the usual whites, greens, blacks and oolongs. They also had quite a number of blends and herbals.
UGGGG. The pu’er looks pretty nasty. I watched someone get tea and they brew it up for you in a 2-3 cup western tea pot with not enough leaf. Yuck. I was very tempted to try the pu’er for science, but the fact I had to pay for bad tea wasn’t selling me.
The Tea Owls are mostly on the cruise ship for Prime Rib night. They ate a double order rare cut of Prime Rib!
They passed out before ultra moist flourless chocolate cake came. Rest assured, there is more dessert on board!
Day 2 – Ketchikan, Alaska
Before I got off the ship I walked around the ship deck taking photos of the town. Holy cow that steep road!
I went on a tour of Ketchikan Rainforest and Raptor Center. Alaska has a really interesting looking rainforest of fantasy looking mossy trees and little mushrooms.
I also ran into a bear walking around the stream eating salmon. I wasn’t allowed to carry any food or scented objects in the rainforest, so I never found out if bears liked tea.
There was another bear sighting but it was a cub in a tree. He was so teeny I didn’t get a good photo of him. The raptor center had just bald eagles. They have an owl but it was her day off. 🙁 On a side note, I saw many bald eagles and ravens in Alaska. There were so many of them chilling in trees and telephone poles along the road.
The Tea Owls and I got back just in time for… Afternoon Tea! Oh yeah that carrot cake on the right was amazing! I drank a mystery TGY oolong sample.
Day 3 – Juneau, Alaska
I did a tour of Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls. Very beautiful place!
We then took the tram up to the top of Juneau. Up there was some tourist stuff and trails.
Ambitious Tea Owl was an eagle!
I was told there was a tea house up there. When I found it I discovered you can only get in as part of a tour. The tea house was actually just a room attached to the gift shop. They tasted some Alaska teas and jellies, but I was able to buy what they served at the tea house at the gift shop!
I did excellent shopping in Juneau – I bought most of my goodies here (More on Part 2). There was no afternoon tea today.
Day 4 – Skagway
We took a bus tour up the Klondike trail, driving well above the tree line. It was murderously cold up at the summit which was at 3,200 feet but great views!
Skagway is totally a little seasonal tourist shop town. Lots of stores with an old west feel to it with the architecture. It was quite expensive though, especially compared to Juneau and Anchorage. My vacation was late in the season with only a few more sailings until they stop for the year – it was always really cold but the shopping was great due to end of season sales! Guess what? I found tea and yarn!
I got back onto the ship just in time for lunch and afternoon tea! Fitness Tea Owl didn’t like the macro spread of that chocolate cake.
She liked the blooming tea though! I drew a crowd when I got the tea going, even the cruise staff gathered and watched!
We went to the gym after and in a futile effort to work off some calories.
Later that night it was rumored we might be able to see the Northern Lights. I went out in the horrible cold with my camera. No lights but I got a great picture.
Day 5 – Glacier Bay
This was a sea day of crusing through Glacier Bay. It was quite strict as only 2 cruise ships can go through the area per day. We had a ranger on board narrating all the sites. OMG BLOODY COLD! My feathers could not take Glacier Bay. It was clear skies but that arctic wind blew through all my double layer of clothes and 2 jackets. I suggest to wear an entire wind proof suit and wool everything underneath.
The views were gorgeous. I saw a few humpbacks too!
Afternoon Tea was the best – sipping tea, eating and seeing the Glaciers go by. It was a busy cruise ship so it took longer, but the staff started to reconize me at afternoon tea. I mysteriously acquired a second plate of scones that Ambitious Tea Owl ate while the other two stared out the window.
Oh man that Afternoon Tea cake tray – I wish I got one of everything! If only I wasn’t so full and eating all the time!
Once we found more stomach room, Intern Tea Owl and I ate a cronut. It was delicious and messy.
Day 6 – College Fjord
Another scenic cruising day. We sailed into College Fjord later in the day. Earlier that day it was foggy and no views.
At Afternoon tea I was bursting. So much food. These shorter cruises really do a number on your as you try to pack in all the food. My Hawaii cruise was longer so eventually you pace yourself.
Ambitious Owl was not pacing himself. The staff gave him an extra cookie.
I sat down for dinner and this was our backdrop. Dang. There was also otters with babies on their tummies floating with the icebergs.
The food on Princess Cruises is always amazing. Yes Lobster tail and spot shrimp dinner! I didn’t get a good picture, but there was a “Baked Salmon with Mushroom Tea” that was also amazing!
This delicious special dessert – Chocolate Pistachio Dome with Almond and Pistachio Nougatine, “Featuring a moist almond cake, rich Sicilian pisatchio creme brulee encased in a bittersweet chocolate mousse that sits on top of an almond pistachio crunchy nougatine and glazed in a milk chocolate glacage.” SO GOOD!
The ship casino was empty so the Intern Tea Owl and I tried a $1 in the HOOT LOOT machine! OMG HOOT LOOT! We were wondering what we could win – would the machine spit out tea and prime rib?
Damn you HOOT LOOT and your hoot line!
Since this post is quite long – here is Oolong Owl’s Alaska Cruise Part 2! Part 2 is the final day of Alaska and my haul. Alaska teas!
