Alaska Cruise-Tour, 28 May to 8 June 2011

[reservoir88]

Beautiful !

Thanks you, SK1968

 

[reservoir88]

After 3 weeks, then realised this thread. Beautiful picture and thanks for the narratives. I also wanted to go but wearing suit and tie on board discouraged me lei. I can skip that restaurant but I can't loose out.

Good to see you here divinemoment. I am sure you will go when the time is right, suit and tie or not.

 

[reservoir88]

Hi reservoir88, nice pics.. thanks for sharing.
How's the food served at the cruise? Was there wide selection of Asian and western food?
From your pics, there seems to be many mountains and lakes in Alaska. Have you been to NZ South Island? If you have, can share what's the difference if any, in terms of scenery beauty? I have not been to both, but have seen some NZ South Island pics posted in this forum, thought they are kind of similar to those in Alaska.

Hi engta, thanks for visiting this thread.

In regards to your question on food, everyone on board is entitled to be served at one of the restaurants for sit-down dinner throughout the cruise. There are 2 shifts each night. Once you select the time they always expect you at the particular restaurant at that time. The food is western and I found the food quite reasonable. For lunch you can go to any restaurant. In addition to the sit-down restaurants, there is also a big buffet restaurant which you can go anytime of the day, even just after your dinner at the sit-down restaurant. A wide variety of western food is served at the buffet restaurant. So as far as food is concerned I found it quite satisfactory. Only complaint is that there is no chilly or chilly sauce. There are also 2 special restaurants which served more gourmet kind of food. You have to pay a charge of US$20.00 per pax to dine at these restaturants. All other food is included in the price of the cruise. Food is not provided at the inland destinations though.

I have not been to New Zealand but I guess the scenery of mounatins, rivers and lakes should be more or less the same

 

[divinemoment]

I have not been to New Zealand but I guess the scenery of mounatins, rivers and lakes should be more or less the same

Just a side track as we have an axe to grind. I told SK many times a mountain is a mountain. He still doubting me. Ha ha.

 

[reservoir88]

Just a side track as we have an axe to grind. I told SK many times a mountain is a mountain. He still doubting me. Ha ha.

I guess when you just look at the scenery as a picture, you may have the "one mountain is the same as the other" type of feeling. However, if you look at the whole experience of the trip, each scenery becomes unique because of your interaction with it at the particular time. A picture may bring back memory of what you were doing at the time you took it or remind you of the process by whch you came upon the picture or your relationship with someone at that time. When you look at the whole series of pictures which you have taken during a trip, you can then savour memories of the trip.

I don't know if you have this experience. I find that at the time you are travelling, you do not really fully "enjoy" what you are doing. You may be too tired from the journey or too distracted by other things or there are just too many things to do or they just bring you to too many places (as in a package tour). Its after the trip and when you look back that you say "Oh that was really enjoyable. I could do it again". Having the photos enhances this process of recalling the moments.

 

[divinemoment]

I guess when you just look at the scenery as a picture, you may have the "one mountain is the same as the other" type of feeling. However, if you look at the whole experience of the trip, each scenery becomes unique because of your interaction with it at the particular time. A picture may bring back memory of what you were doing at the time you took it or remind you of the process by whch you came upon the picture or your relationship with someone at that time. When you look at the whole series of pictures which you have taken during a trip, you can then savour memories of the trip.

I don't know if you have this experience. I find that at the time you are travelling, you do not really fully "enjoy" what you are doing. You may be too tired from the journey or too distracted by other things or there are just too many things to do or they just bring you to too many places (as in a package tour). Its after the trip and when you look back that you say "Oh that was really enjoyable. I could do it again". Having the photos enhances this process of recalling the moments.

I totally and fully agreed your views. Or it could be we were so fully immersed in clicking the shutter and forgot to smell the flowers along the way. SK and me are just pulling each others leg because both of us cannot agree to go to the same place next yr.

 

[engta]

Hi engta, thanks for visiting this thread.

In regards to your question on food, everyone on board is entitled to be served at one of the restaurants for sit-down dinner throughout the cruise. There are 2 shifts each night. Once you select the time they always expect you at the particular restaurant at that time. The food is western and I found the food quite reasonable. For lunch you can go to any restaurant. In addition to the sit-down restaurants, there is also a big buffet restaurant which you can go anytime of the day, even just after your dinner at the sit-down restaurant. A wide variety of western food is served at the buffet restaurant. So as far as food is concerned I found it quite satisfactory. Only complaint is that there is no chilly or chilly sauce. There are also 2 special restaurants which served more gourmet kind of food. You have to pay a charge of US$20.00 per pax to dine at these restaturants. All other food is included in the price of the cruise. Food is not provided at the inland destinations though.

I have not been to New Zealand but I guess the scenery of mounatins, rivers and lakes should be more or less the same

Thanks for the details on the food served on board the cruise reservoir88 .. appreciate it.

 

[Alpc]

Let me add on for the food portion. What was describe was the traditional dining which has 2 sittings and they are fixed table for the whole cruise. So you get the same table and same waiters everyday, you also share the table with the same people as well. This only happens in the main dinning room, in diamond princess case was the international dinning room.

There are other smaller ones which are anytime dinning means you go there and they will see how they can fit you into the place, so you don't have a fix sitting. Means that you have different table and different waiters daily, and also different groups of people dinning at the table, unless you managed to get the same table again the next day which is rare. Of course if you ask to be seated with only your group, they might have smaller tables for that.

There is also 2 specialty restaurants in the ship which in this case was an italian restaurant and steak house. That you usually need to book and cost USD20 - 30 service charge.

Finally you can head to the buffet area, where there is a buffet and perhaps just outside that buffet place u might find some pizza or some hotdogs kind of grub food.

I have to say their standards are pretty good, not vey fantastic but good enough. Some of the dishes that I like during the trip was the scallops - very fresh and light cooking. We had the king crab legs as part of the formal night dinning. The waiter who served my table even brought out other food that we have not ordered and let us sample it. I think I gain some weight eating for that past few days on the cruise ship.

 

[Alpc]

I am still in deliberation on to post my photos in this thread, post some and give a link to the flickr set or start a new thread for it.

No, not that I have finish working it, but managed to get some out as some of my friends and colleagues were asking to see it.

 

[reservoir88]

Some flower shots by wife the next morning before the journey from Mckinley Lodge to Anchorage

#161
Forget me not - State flower of Alaska

#162

#163
Dandelion

#164

#165

 

[reservoir88]

We finally come to the last place of call, in Alaska - Anchorage. According to Wikipedia, it has an urban population of about 300,000 in 2010. So it is not a crowded city and you can see that it is quite laid back. Residents enjoy going outdoors on many trails. Maybe it was the timing but the downtown area seems to be quiet when we were there. Even in the shopping centre there was no crowd.

Alaska was purchased by US from Russia in 1867 for US$7.2 million. When gold was discovered in Alaska. Anchorage became the base for building of the railroad to serve the industry.

#166
Downtown Alaska - our Hotel (Captain Cook Hotel) is in the orange building

#167
The other direction of the street on which the hotel is. Shopping centre is at the part where the blue glass bridge is

#168
Flowers in full bloom all over town

#169

#170
Quiet shopping centre

Originally we were supposed to take a China Airlines flight from Anchorage to Singapore with transit at Taipei. However, China Airlines stopped their service from Anchorage. As a result we had to take a feeder flight to Los Angeles to transfer to the China Airlines flight. On the China Airlines flight we discovered that the plane actually flew back over Anchorage on its way to Taipei. So we had to endure the extra travel time. Fortunately we arranged for a stopover for 2 days in Taipei.

Thank you for veiwing!

 

[divinemoment]

Quiet shopping centre

No wonder the shopping centre is laid back. Even the concourse floor appears to be laid with bathroom tiles!

 

[reservoir88]

No wonder the shopping centre is laid back. Even the concourse floor appears to be laid with bathroom tiles!

Haha I didn't notice that. That is the basement actually.

 

[divinemoment]

Haha I didn't notice that. That is the basement actually.

Ah, they have foresight actually, in case of flash flood! But on 2nd look, the rest of the floor also bathroom tiles. Ha ha.

 

[cheaonnlong]

Hi bro your album just awesome!

I m going to Alaska in Sept! The same Diamond Princess start from Vancouver.

Any advice to take note and do / don't for photography?

My equipment is Canon 5DM2, 50D, 17-40mm F4L, 50mm and 70-200mm F2.8L

 

[reservoir88]

Hi bro your album just awesome!

I m going to Alaska in Sept! The same Diamond Princess start from Vancouver.

Any advice to take note and do / don't for photography?

My equipment is Canon 5DM2, 50D, 17-40mm F4L, 50mm and 70-200mm F2.8L

Hi Cheaonnlong

Thanks.

The most important factor is the weather. The scenery is naturally beautiful. You have good equipment. Bring lots of memory cards or a drive that you can download the photos to and reuse the cards. We brought our tripods along but didn't get to use them as we were always moving. The only time when we could use them was at Mckinley but we were too lazy to take them out. It is cold on deck when the ship is moving especially when there is no sun so do bring enough warm layered clothing.

If you miss the chance to book a tour there are 3rd party vendors of tours at each port, especially at Juneau. We were hoping to be able to photo bears closeup but no chance. Maybe you have better luck.

So just pray for fine weather and enjoy yourself. Don't miss the Alaskan crabs.

 

[chempaka]

nice series.

:thumbsup:

 

[cheaonnlong]

Thank you Bro for sharing!

Cheers!

Yao Long