Counting the days: Alaska Cruise with Sarah Maisel and Craig Chee!

I'm finally able to do this and, with the urging of my husband, we booked the Princess cruise and are really getting excited about it.

I bought Jim Beloff's "Ukulele Masters-Lyle Ritz" books to expand my knowledge of jazz progressions but I'm more of a visual learner so I'm looking forward to Sarah and Craig's workshops.

I'm also anticipating magnificent land and seascapes as the ship glides into Glacier Bay and will have my camera and video cameras at the ready.

However, I've watched videos taken by folks who disembarked to see the towns of Skagway, Ketchican and Juneau. The only stop that would get me off the ship might be Juneau, but it doesn't seem like there's much to see in other other towns other than the usual tourist traps selling the same junk. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I'd rather stay on the ship with my uke and a glass of wine in some quiet lounge corner and practice what I'm going to be learning from Sarah and Craig.

I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions from those who have been on an Alaska cruise. Thanks!

You should have a blast and learn a lot on your trip. Alaska is a beautiful place. Learning from Sarah and Craig should be rewarding. I was in Ketchikan on a business trip and had an afternoon to kill. Enjoyed myself just walking around the town.
Cliff

You will have a super trip Gillian. Sarah and Craig are great artists and provide a good complement to each others styles. I had breakfast with them a couple of times at Mighty Uke weekend in Lansing MI. Nice people!

I have been on a couple of Alaskan cruises on Princess before. It is funny but I found Juneau to be my least favorite of the ports - though it does have Mendenhall Glacier. I did drive everyone I knew crazy on that trip by asking them the groan inducing pun, "Juneau the capital of Alaska?"

Yes, Ketchikan and Skagway are more touristy but they were also more charming, particularly Ketchikan which is a nice town to walk around, especially around Creek Street.

Have a wonderful time. Sarah and Craig are great and Princess is consistently voted the best cruise line for Alaska itineraries.

Sarah and Craig, also known at the Tampa Bay Uke Club Ukulele Getaway last year as "the love birds." Cute couple, good teachers. You will enjoy them immensely. Sarah's technique isn't too complicated but "flawless" and Craig's exercises will keep you busy. Good luck on the Cruise. I hear good things about the food........especially if you love Salmon.

I've been on a couple of cruises (not Alaska) and am going on a Hawaiian cruise next week. I would personally get off every destination just to set my feet on land and see what I can as I don't know if you'll go to Alaska again.

nongdam said:

I've been on a couple of cruises (not Alaska) and am going on a Hawaiian cruise next week. I would personally get off every destination just to set my feet on land and see what I can as I don't know if you'll go to Alaska again.

Click to expand...

Sorry to hijack this but are you going on the NCL Pride of America, (the ones from the mainland are usually not in the summer)? If so, be sure to watch the Na Pali coast sailby and my fingers crossed for you that you get to see the lava flow into the sea at Kilauea.

nongdam said:

I would personally get off every destination just to set my feet on land and see what I can as I don't know if you'll go to Alaska again.

Click to expand...

I agree. You'll have hours and hours on the boat. Get off and see Alaska!

One cruise tip from several that I've been on (never been to Alaska, tho): book your shore excursion(s) now and online. This is especially important for places with less to do right off the ship (like Juneau, from the sounds of it). We take excusions at every stop. The cheapest little fun excursion we can.

Why book now? Two reasons: (a) sure, you could just get off and meander, but why? You have typically only 6--10 hours at a place--see it with a guide with wheels (e.g. a bus) that knows the area (fun! You'll never forget it!) and (b) all the good and cheaper excursions sell out, bada bing, a month before the ship ever leaves your home port. The first night of the cruise, the onboard excursion counter gets jammed with a line a mile long (yes, everyone starts thinking, "Yeah, we ought to do something" at the same time), and guess what? All that are left are tickets to the $160/pp jet ski tours! The people that paid $40 for a five hour bus tour are already snoozing in their cabins or uking on the Lido Deck; they're tickets are already in their room for them. lol

Enjoy Gillian. See Alaska, and uke. And make a video! Love your videos. And I think you're an artist, too, no? Painter? Get inspired!

Gillian said:

I'm finally able to do this and, with the urging of my husband, we booked the Princess cruise and are really getting excited about it.

However, I've watched videos taken by folks who disembarked to see the towns of Skagway, Ketchican and Juneau. The only stop that would get me off the ship might be Juneau, but it doesn't seem like there's much to see in other other towns other than the usual tourist traps selling the same junk. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I'd rather stay on the ship with my uke and a glass of wine in some quiet lounge corner and practice what I'm going to be learning from Sarah and Craig.

Click to expand...

You have a wonderful husband. Kudos to him for encouraging you to do something that he knows means so much to you.

But while you might be content to stay on ship, at least consider that he might like to go ashore and explore.

nongdam said:

I've been on a couple of cruises (not Alaska) and am going on a Hawaiian cruise next week. I would personally get off every destination just to set my feet on land and see what I can as I don't know if you'll go to Alaska again.

Click to expand...

Absolutely! I lived in Alaska for four years as a kid, there's a lot to see, so take advantage of it. You can avoid the touristy things, unless you want to pick up some "moose nugget" jewelry for your friends at home.

itsme said:

You have a wonderful husband. Kudos to him for encouraging you to do something that he knows means so much to you.

But while you might be content to stay on ship, at least consider that he might like to go ashore and explore.


Absolutely! I lived in Alaska for four years as a kid, there's a lot to see, so take advantage of it. You can avoid the touristy things, unless you want to pick up some "moose nugget" jewelry for your friends at home.

Click to expand...

I don't think the moose nugget jewelry will be available in the SE portions of our state.

Gillian, I've lived in many states in my life and Alaska has been the best one so far. Even better than Hawaii.

Thanks, everyone, for your comments and good suggestions, especially about booking the excursions early. We booked an excursion to the Mendenhall Glacier and Glacier Gardens when in Juneau. My husband said he just wants to meander around when we are in Skagway and Ketchikan so that's what we'll do.

Uke-wise, there are 15 hours of lessons, 4.5 hours of workshop, 4.5 hours of jamming, 5 hours of open mic and strum along, and 2.5 hours of concert.

Since we are flying to Seattle, my husband said he will take a uke for me as his carry-on so I can bring two. I'll take a low-G tenor for the jazz lessons and a high-G soprano for the Hawaiian music lesson. I've got all my song sheets loaded into my tablet PC for jamming/open mic..extra sets of strings..extra tuner..capo..kazoo..table-top music stand..

Keep the suggestions coming. I really appreciate them.

Gillian said:

Thanks, everyone, for your comments and good suggestions, especially about booking the excursions early. We booked an excursion to the Mendenhall Glacier and Glacier Gardens when in Juneau. My husband said he just wants to meander around when we are in Skagway and Ketchikan so that's what we'll do.

Uke-wise, there are 15 hours of lessons, 4.5 hours of workshop, 4.5 hours of jamming, 5 hours of open mic and strum along, and 2.5 hours of concert.

Since we are flying to Seattle, my husband said he will take a uke for me as his carry-on so I can bring two. I'll take a low-G tenor for the jazz lessons and a high-G soprano for the Hawaiian music lesson. I've got all my song sheets loaded into my tablet PC for jamming/open mic..extra sets of strings..extra tuner..capo..kazoo..table-top music stand..

Keep the suggestions coming. I really appreciate them.

Click to expand...

I don't know if you like fudge (I don't). But my spouse LOVES the Alaskan Fudge Company fudge. We first got it in Skagway I think. Anyway, every Christmas I order some (the rocky road Mendenhall Glacier flavor) as a stocking stuffer present. I never eat it, but it is supposed to be super good. It certainly costs me an arm and a leg!

I think with all that uking, you'll wanna take a break and get off the boat!!

I think the cruise, the lessons, the food, and the outings ashore all sound fabulous! Have a great time and share all your pics and stories with us when you get back. What a wonderful adventure!

wickedwahine11 said:

Sorry to hijack this but are you going on the NCL Pride of America, (the ones from the mainland are usually not in the summer)? If so, be sure to watch the Na Pali coast sailby and my fingers crossed for you that you get to see the lava flow into the sea at Kilauea.

Click to expand...

That's he one. I'm hoping to visit a luthier on the Big Island. Everything else, I leave up to my wife. haha

Alaska is astoundingly beautiful and deadly wild. If you stay on the ship that will be your loss. Do the White Pass & Yukon Railway excursion from Skagway. Then try to imagine men building this railway through wilderness and granite mountains in only two years.

Bill Mc said:

Then try to imagine men building this railway through wilderness and granite mountains in only two years.

Click to expand...

And the gold prospectors who had to haul a year's (!) worth of provisions up the Chilkoot Trail which runs parallel to the railroad.

wickedwahine11 said:

I don't know if you like fudge (I don't). But my spouse LOVES the Alaskan Fudge Company fudge. We first got it in Skagway I think. Anyway, every Christmas I order some (the rocky road Mendenhall Glacier flavor) as a stocking stuffer present. I never eat it, but it is supposed to be super good. It certainly costs me an arm and a leg!

Click to expand...

I don't care for fudge but my hubby does so the Alaskan Fudge Company is now on our list of shops to visit when strolling around Skagway. Thanks!

A cruise can be a great way to get in serious practice time. Everything is taken care of, so all you have to do is show up. We tend to take vacation time at home so we can catch up on the things we don't have time for while working (though my wife just retired and I am doing so at the end of next week). The problem with vacationing at home is that you still have to do everything (cooking, cleaning, shopping, and life around you continues to intrude).

Though I am not familiar (yet) with the people teaching ukulele on the cruise, I can't think of a better environment for that activity. My wife and I took a cruise in the early 2000s. It is the only cruise we have taken, and it was a 10 Carribean cruise on Holland America. I made some money in the stock market and we used some of it for that cruise, so it was like not having to pay for it. I have long been into solo chord melody jazz guitar, and had just gotten my first book from Robert Conti on the subject "Chord Melody Assembly Line". I went through that entire book to the point I could play it all (I brought along my Soloette classical style travel guitar)l, along with reading several novels. These accomplishments were due to having so much unrestricted time and no place to go between ports. It was amazing. We stayed in touch for several years after with the couple who shared our dinner table.

My wife wants to go on an Alaskan cruise. Now that I know there are such cruises with ukulele themes, well maybe I will just have to agree.

Edit: I just checked out Sarah Maisel's site. She is a REALLY accomplished player. Now I am envious!

Tony

Gillian, you will will have a fantastic time! I have today returned from the Ukulele Festival of Great Britain in Cheltenham, where Sarah Maisel and Craig Chee were performing, and they are stupendous, you will love them! I did a workshop with Sarah on chord melody yesterday and it was first-rate! Also Alaska - we did an Alaska cruise 20 years ago, and visited the places you mention - please don't consider just staying on the ship, every stop-off is a place to remember all your life! One trip we did was a helicopter trip on to a glacier (Skagway) and it also took us over the snow fields - it was glorious, and the local guides are so knowledgeable! Ketchikan is very pretty - do see everything you can! Have a wonderful time!