There were 9 of us ranging from 16-80....We had inside, outside, balcony and mini-suite cabins...Got a taste of all the accommodations! We sailed from Seattle to Alaska - May 23-May 30, 2009 on the Princess Golden. Out itinerary included, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Tracy Arm and Victoria. We were unable to dock in Victoria due to 30KNT winds and only made it part way into Tracy Arm. (About 10 miles away). I have written up our port excursions on the Alaskan board and they can be found below

Embarkation/Seattle:We arrived in Seattle in 2 different groups. Eventually all staying at the Cedarbrook Hotel. Cannot speak highly enough of this fantastic resort/hotel. The rooms and facilities were super clean, beautiful setting about 2 miles from the airport on 18 acres of protected wetlands. The staff went above and beyond in assisting us and the onsite food was wonderful. All in all would stay here again and again! The staff took us to the Pier for our sailing the next day - all 9 of us and 18 pieces of luggage!!!!!We arrived at about 11:30 - got luggage tags (we had switched cabins and needed new ones) grabbed a porter and proceeded to the fastest embarkation I have ever experienced. We were on the ship at 12:45 and in our cabins. That's 1hour and 15 minutes from Hotel to cabin.The day was sunny , cool and bright. We were going to spend the day in Seattle upon our return - so did not do any sightseeing on disembarkation day.Day1 - Embarkation/SailingWith an uneventful embarkation we proceeded to check out the cabins and ship. The Golden is in beautiful shape and the recent drydock brought about a few changes. Namely the international cafe and Piazza area and new location of the Casino. We saw little if any "construction" going on and found the ship easy to traverse. Got our 16 yr old signed up for the kids program (which he loved and for the first in 4 cruises actually spent most of his time in the program with the other 43 kids - about 8 of which were in his age group.) We explored the ship and buffet until Muster drill and then unpacked. Our cabin steward was FANTASTIC - Geoffrey - and he took good care of many of us the entire cruise. Joey was the kids steward and was equally as good - he had this thing about keeping their room neat and clean with clothes hung up etc - never saw their room so clean! We bought coffee cards and soda cards - coffee cards have to be the best bargain on board the ship!!! Loved the international cafe and ate there at least once every day.We had traditional seating for all of us at 8;00 pm and the first night was kinda rocky - both service and food wise. The barramundi was pretty bad and all went back - there was plenty to choose from and the other entrees were decent.We then went to the sailaway show with Oscar the comedian - okay - but he got much better throughout the week - if you catch his first show and were disappointed - go to his others - very funny!Day 2 - At SeaOur first full sea day. A little cloudy and drizzly (heck we're heading to Alaska!) with moderate waves. We engaged in a number of activities, bingo, naturalist talk - the content was excellent - the speaking style...uhh...unusual. Enjoyable none the less! Plenty of grazing in the many eating venues(Did I mention we LOVE the International Cafe!!). Caught up with the CC Meet & Greet and had a chance to exhcnage names with faces. Contributed to the casino, had wine on the balcony - bundled up well! Caught some of the bands and Princess show and had a thoroughly pleasant day. Dinner was a challenge again- waitress and assistant started fighting with each other and forgot about their customers - almost entertaining. We spoke to the maitre'd and our remaining dinners and service were FANTASTIC. A rough couple of days but the rest were memorable both for the food and the great service. Escargot was no longer on the menu - however we were able to order it for several nights in advance. All I can say is that Princess has the BEST escargot and all 9 of us enjoyed it several nights!!!Day 3 - JuneauWe arrived a little before 12 and we're off the ship right on time to catch our Whale and Mendenhall tour. As usual we met at the International Cafe - catching a theme here!?! After our tour - several went exploring in town and the rest of us - exhausted and achy headed back to the cabins to change and engage in some libations on the balcony prior to dinner. We were hoping to catch Libby which was at 7pm - but the line to board the ship was long and it took about 45 minutes - so alas will have to do another Alaska trip to see her! Dinner tonite was really, really, really good! Escargot around, many different appetizers and sea bass to die for. Really could not get any better!!! The day had left most of us tuckered out - so a few hit the casino to make their donations and the rest retired for the evening. The kids of course - 16 and 20 were out and about. The 20 yr old finally met some folks close in age and was hanging with them. The 16 yr old was still enjoying the teen club and entertaining the wee folk in the other kids area's.Day 4 - SkagwayVery early arrival around 7 and the day was overcast , stormy and blustery. We proceeded off the ship at 8am sharp (after our daily meeting in the international cafe!) and walked the mile or so into town to get the rental car. We were heading to the Yukon and our saddle/paddle. More about our excursions on the below. Suffice to say , this was our favourite day, we saw moose, bear, eagles you nane it!!!! We returned and scouted around Skagway to find that it had down poured the entire day. We had brilliant weather in the Yukon and thus outside of the drive there and back saw very little weather of any sort. The FOG was another story indeed on the Klondike Highway!! Sailaway beckoned and of course libations on the balcony were in order. With our pre dinner wine consumed and watching of the ship leaving Skagway we headed to dinner. Another truly wonderful meal. Our head waiter made all of us a special pasta dish that was quite good and we proceeded to work our way through the menu. I think between all of us we managed at least one of everything to taste on the menu this evening. By the time dinner ended we were all exhausted. Two VERY busy port days, a few glasses of wine and an early day to catch Tracy arm had most of us heading off to slumber. Don't know that I mentioned it - but we all found the beds very comfortable. Everyone had egg crates, extra sheets and pillows and all felt they were quite comfortable. The kids as usual had more energy and wandered around a bit. Day 5 - Tracy ArmWe actually ended up in Tracy Arm a bit earlier than planned due to the tides. The day was overcast with quite a bit of fog. Lending an eerie quiet to the passage into the fjord. The scenery was breathtaking with the brightest blue ice bergs we had witnessed. We wandered between the balconies, horizon buffet, front of ship and back to catch the many intriguing views. The naturalist did a little announcing here and there - but was quite subdued. We saw the Sapphire Princess as she exited and the expedition Ocean West was with us much of the time. We were a bit disappointed to not get all the way to the glacier as we heard the prior passages had - but was a beautiful journey none the less. Early libations were in order this day!!! We did some wine tasting at Vines - which we had to leave at 4pm. They do some type of cheese fondue between 4-6 and the entire Piazza area smells like a sewage plant - at the wrong end!!! We later learned it was a special sort of cheese that was melted and while many passengers intensely disliked the smell (all of us!!) many loved it! Go figure. So if you are wandering in the Piazza area around 4-6 and wonder what the heck that smell is - its cheese!! We tried the casino - but it only was taking deposits? Caught a couple of the bands, did some bingo, wandered the ship and enjoyed the views from our balconies. Eventually dinner crept upon us and we made out way off the balconies. Dinner again was superb - crab legs and prawns, bisque and other delectable seafood. We learned that the majority of seafood is brought on fresh when in Ketchikan including fresh salmon. We caught several shows and the comedian this nite. All were entertaining with the comedian being much improved over the first evening.Day 6 - KetchikanThis was a short day in Port. Arriving at 6am and leaving at noon. So we were up and ready at 5:30 to get off the boat and walk around before our various tours. Some did zip lining, myself, spouse and boys did the Bering Sea and others went on walking tours. The day dawned bright and sunny. Sitting on the balcony waiting to dock was way too warm with the two layers and rain jacket. Changed and headed off the boat. Ooopss.....Much colder when in Port - back to get jackets and the like? We wandered the town - very quiet so early in the AM and eventually made our way to the tour. Arriving back a few minutes before noon - we saw a long line to embark the ship. Having learned from our Juneau experience we hung out at the dock and the boys grabbed some fish and chips to tide them over (going without eating every two hours was a big NO-NO??). First chance we had to do any shopping and we spent a few minutes waiting for the lines to calm down checking the port shops. With our requisite pins and patches we then boarded.The ship had tons of activities due to the short day in port and the long sail until we arrived at Victoria the following evening. Busiest we had seen the ship to date. Everyone went off in different directions and enjoyed a multitude of entertainment offerings. We headed to the casino as we did not feel we had yet deposited enough! Of course we did not miss out evening libations in time for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed a very pleasant evening on the balcony watching the wildlife and landscape around us. Being formal night we again got dressed (we do formal portraits of the whole family) and headed on down to dinner. The lobster tail did not disappoint and we all had our fill. Of mention was the asparagus - mmmmm....still remember that meal! More shows and we spent some time listening to the bands. The boys were trying out for Princess Idol which was very entertaining! This was the evening we looked forward to going to bed - because we could SLEEP IN the next am! Yea!!!!! A quiet evening on the balcony competed a wonderful day.Day 7 - VictoriaNot my favourite day of any cruise. Time to pack, get luggage ready to put out. Fill out disembarkation papers and the like. You know the journey is near end. Despite our thoughts of sleeping in - most were up early and ready to go. We visited the buffet and international cafe and wandered some of the upper decks. The day was quite beautiful after a bit of a rocky nite. (Seas about 10-12 ft) We caught the chefs show, the naturalist, Princess Idol, several bands and had some wine as we attempted to sail into Victoria. About an hour before arrival - as we noticed the Amsterdam sailing in circles in the sea - the captain announced we would not be able to make it. The usual disappointment prevailed and many made their unhappiness known. In our party a few were staying on board and had ordered escargot - the rest were supposed to be going ashore. With this change in plans in meant all were going to be at dinner and clearly we would be many escargot short!! Oh NO!!!! A trip to the head waiter who promised to figure something out. Of course - he did! We all had the beloved escargot as well as another appetizer of his creation. Reminiscent of the appetizer at the earlier culinary show. A real treat! There were numerous announcements - more than we had heard the entire trip to get the entertainers and bands together. With little delay most of the venues had entertainment going on to make up for the loss of the port. Well at least to keep the hordes entertained?We retired to our balcony and enjoyed the last of our wine watching the sun sink below the horizon and the lights of the shore here and there. And best of all we saw a baby whale and her mother playing along side the ship for about 15 minutes!!Day 8 - Disembarkation/SeattleWith sad eyes and bitter sweet smiles we gathered for our last breakfast....and coffee at..........you got it ...the International Cafe! We adjourned to the Lido deck to await our color and had some more breakfast watching the show at the docks. Eventually made our way down to our awaited spot and ...well....waited. Things were a bit slow disembarking and it took a couple of hours. Eventually we were off and the van we had rented to pick us up, hold our luggage, drop us off downtown, then pick us up for the airport was right there awaiting us. (Seattle Express) We headed over to Pikes Market place on a beautiful warm sunny Seattle day. (Almost an oxymoron!) It was crowded - very crowded - but interesting in its own way. We wandered there and down the piers for a few hours - finally taking respite at the Crab Pot where we had an excellent lunch and doing a bit of shopping. Finally got our Alaska t shirts? and then headed off to the airport.Final ThoughtsWe had a wonderful cruise, the Golden is in excellent shape and the staff and crew were very gracious and upbeat. While not perfect - and I believe there is no such thing - every experience will be what you make of it - the trip was outstanding. The highlights included some incredible meals, time with the family, quiet moments gazing at the wonder of what was around us and creating new memories.

Excursions:May 23 - May30 2009So how do you keep 9 people entertained - when they range in age between 16 and 80!!!! I'm still not sure we totally accomplished that! However, DH, DS's and myself had a great time....the rest - we heard they did as well? We ended up in 3 ports Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway. So will tell a little about what our varied group of 9 did! Juneau - We booked the Capt Larry Orca Whale tour for all 9 of us. They also dropped us off at Mendenhall and returned 2.5 hours later to pick us up and take us back to town. The whale trip started with locating their offices in Juneau - about a 15 minute walk from where the Golden Princess docked. A little while later boarded a bus that took us to their boats (purple - bright purple!). With a little fanfare we were off. About 15 minutes into the trip we spotted our first humpback whale breathing and then saw her dive - with a spectacular fluke. Shortly thereafter spotted a baby whale frolicking in the sea. He put on quite a show - breaching several times and rolling playfully in between.We then ventured a bit our and spotted some Orca fins and watched those for a few minutes , then headed back to dock. I loved seeing the whales - however due to the environmental rules you cannot get too close to the whales - about 100 yards. We were perhaps as close as 200 yards a couple of times. Without a telephoto lens - pretty hard to capture any shots. The boat was quite crowded and we had to take turns going atop to get a view and seating was cramped. A really neat trip to see whales - and we hope to do so again on another trip in a more personal setting.We then went to Mendenhall. The glacier views were very nice and walking down to the beach afforded even better viewing. We spotted the falls off in the distance and took a short walk (about 30 minutes) to get close. All of us were quite amazed at the beauty and force of the falls. Many of our pictures capture the faces as we gazed upon these - still as if caught up in the water talking to us. The backdrop of the glacier to these falls was simply beyond words and quite frankly even pictures. Several times we caught reflections in the shallow pools of water of the various landscape - lending a surreal feel to the entire landscape. All of our group were quite caught up in the beauty of this area. With the day coming to an end we headed back to Juneau, our minds and hearts filled with the majesty of the wildlife and beauty we had just witnessed.SkagwayThe day dawned with cold, blustery winds and fog hovering near the land. We ventured off the ship wrapped up warmly and went to rent our vehicles. Due to there being 9 we did a van and car to accommodate us all. It is a little over a mile walk to Skagway from where the boat docked and we then found the AVIS rental location. We piled into the van to begin our adventure on the Klondike highway. Our destination was Spirit Wilderness Lodge - about 72 miles down the highway - right before Emerald Lake - where we had booked horse back riding and canoeing. The fog was hanging over the peaks as we went down the highway (following Murrays guide and mile markers for photo ops, scenery and history) and the vista views were lost due to the fog. However - this caused us to really take in the immediate surroundings and clearly this is a stretch of highway that has some of the most breathtaking scenery to behold. We have traveled extensively and I would be hard pressed to tell you of many more places on this earth as beautiful and rugged as what we traversed. From the mountains to the cliffs, the lonely stretch of highway (we only saw about 15 vehicles the entire day) the wildlife - yes we saw bears and moose and eagles and...) to the majesty of the crystal clear lakes reflecting the sky and scenery. Many times we though it was a pained backdrop - so surreal was the experience. As we drove along - a lone black bear was foraging among the dandelions - we stopped - holding our breath and the camera buttons. For 10 minutes we quietly watched this majestic animal as he then lumbered off into the woods. We passed lakes and mountain ranges with every color imaginable and as we went into the Yukon the sun came out and the sky and colors took on all new hues. With a short stop to get our passports stamped we continued on and eventually came to Spirit Lake Wilderness Lodge.Spirit Lake Wilderness Lodge - Horse Back Riding, Canoeing - LunchWhat a wonderful excursion. After a breathtaking drive we arrived at this quaint "cabin" like building. The owners were present and had home made chicken soup (marvelous) homemade bread for the sandwiches and freshly made pies. Apple and blueberry and more I cant remember....You would have thought it had been days since we last ate - the food was wonderful and the pies worthy of their own trip! Our very gracious hosts accommodated one of our party by making (sp) panakins? - mouthwatering and as if we could eat another bite - they were soon gone!Now time to work off this feast and we headed for the lake for some canoeing. A peaceful tranquil lake with nary a soul on it but us. Hues of green, gold and blue and black shimmered at us surrounded by a waterscape of trees in every shape and color of green and blue. About half of the lake is as deep as 100ft with the other half being very shallow - 3-6. We paddled nearer the shallower side and quietly slipped across the lake. Even the teen boys were content to paddle and not whoop and holler - in what felt like a very spiritual setting. When reaching a distant shore our guide proceeded to tell us about the land and mountains, talking at length of the history and foliage that surrounded us. We then paddled back - somehow feeling rested - even with the mild exercise. Now get 9 people onto horses - some who have never rode and for some whom this is second nature. A very patient guide got every age and experience level matched up with the right horse and away we went. The horses were clearly well taken care of and were pretty well matched to their riders. No small feat with the 9 of us. The trails meandered through groves of trees and meadows - up and down steep slopes - into the forest and then back dropping to a setting of towering mountains. Again - the incredible surroundings and landscape had most of quietly taking in this journey. The trail was a bit dusty but overlooked due to the panorama that waited us at each turn or climb. We dropped down and eventually followed a small river and wound around and came up another incline - yielding yet another vista. We all stopped and took pictures - as there was little chance prior and then proceeded through the forests - eventually returning to the lodge.This was a spectacular excursion - from our incredibly gracious hosts to the guides to the land itself. Certainly a memory each of us will have for a lifetime.Back on the road again - we visited Emerald Lake and then headed back to Skagway. We had to stop - several times for the black bear foraging by the side of the road - that then decided to take a walk down the yellow line. With nary a car in site - we watched the solitary bear walk for many minutes - before he ventured back into the woods. Only a few minutes later - around a turn was a moose - grazing along the forest. She walked for awhile and decided we certainly had enough photo opportunities and then crossed the road to disappear into the forest. As dense as the forest was at this point - we could not figure out how an animal of her size could even get through the bramble! Ever on the lookout for more wildlife we carefully drove - until hitting fog so thick that even the road in front of us disappeared. We journeyed like this all the way into Alaska - finally with a little clearing as we approached Skagway. Scary yes - beautiful in its own right - yes - we were fortunate to see many different "days" in our little journey! We found those that stayed in Skagway due to the inclement weather - had rain pouring the entire day. Many were wondering how we could appear with sun burnt faces out of the deep fog!KetchikanAnother early day. Ship was in port by 6am and we were not far behind. Our party split here with a few (older folk doing the walking tour), the middle folk (30/32) doing ziplining and our immediate family heading off to the Bering Sea Tour. (Deadliest Catch).First we wandered the town until having to meet up with our tour at 8am. The streets were quite silent as we were among the first awake and wandering this am. We headed over to Creek street while posing for the totems along the way. Reaching the creek we wandered amongst the little wood shops that perched on the sides of the creeks - watching the water and wildlife as they foraged in the early morn. We then walked a fair amount of the town eventually ending up back at the pier to catch up to the tour. Boarding the Aleutian was quite a thrill as all 4 of us are Deadliest Catch fans. Several crew were on board that had just fished that season in the Bering sea. The facilities on board the ship - galley, restrooms, seating etc were the best we had ever experienced for these types of excursions. And even though the day had dawned warm and sunny - out on the water it chilled up quickly. The crew handed out the warmest jacket/poncho's to keep us toasty. Add the coffee/tea and hot chocolate and we were ready to sail. With the Capt narrating our surrounding scenery - we sped by the small harbour until reaching a point where the "tour" began. As I do not want to ruin this for those that have yet to take this tour - some of it really is supposed to be a surprise or an unveiling if you may - I will refrain from too much verbiage? Yes we saw dolphins, eagles (and more eagles and more eagles and more.....)crab, octopus and many other wonders of the sea. Perhaps equally as interesting were the stories the crew told - these were not from scripts and clearly the guys here were not "actors"? - but rather articulated their thoughts as they came up depending upon the moment. While some of the tour is clearly canned - the rest is spontaneous and leaves one with a great appreciation for both the sea you are in and the life of the folks that fish these seas. My "tough" 16 yrs old sat with tears streaming down his face - rapt with listening to the tales these men had to tell. It was an experience none of us will forget....Not just because we got to see the "Deadliest Catch" iconic moments - more so because we had a chance to experience it with the people who lived it and saw through their eyes - the land and sea.Final ThoughtsSo which tour was our favourite? We asked each other that very question the last day at sea. For the depth of experiences - the day in the Yukon and the visit to Spirit Wilderness Lodge came up again and again -and then....we will never forget the people and their interaction with the sea - the Bering Sea came up. For the solitude of the moment - when you felt you were there and all of life was around you - the falls at the Mendenhall Glacier were mentioned. I do not know that we ever arrived at a favourite - and we were fortunate to not have to pick - because we have all of the experiences of this trip to remember! Read more