Princess Alaska Deployment 2012

 Princess Cruises® 

2012-2013

Princess Cruises®  has begun announcing their Summer 2012 - Spring 2013 Programs.   We are highlighting their Alaska Land & Sea Vacations in this post.  Captain's Circle members can take advantage of special Launch Savings.

Visiting Alaska is often a once in a lifetime experience, so we encourage you to plan a land and sea vacation to make the most of your time in Alaska.   Princess Cruises offers a wide selection of cruises that can be combined with additional nights making a complete land and sea package.

If you are interested in this article, also see:
Princess Alaska Off the Beaten Path & Connoisseur 2012 

Princess Alaska Denali Explorer 2012

Time to Explore Alaska by Land and Sea 

A la Carte Princess Alaska Cruisetours 

Princess Cruises Alaska Land Excursion Options 

Princess Family Cruisetours to Alaska Back in 2011

Land & Sea Vacations

Denali Explorer cruisetours include up to four nights at Denali-area Princess wilderness lodges. Most include Direct-to-the-Wilderness® rail service and all include the Natural History Tour into Denali National Park.  
On Your Own options have no scheduled activities so you can customize how you want to spend your free time.
Off the Beaten Path tours include key benefits of  Denali Explorer itineraries, plus visits to less-frequented regions like Copper River and Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, the Kenai Peninsula or Prudhoe Bay above the Arctic Circle.
Connoisseur deluxe escorted cruisetours represent the highest level of service with a tour director on land and most meals included. They include up to four nights at a combination of both Mt. McKinley and Denali Princess wilderness lodges, with enhanced sightseeing experiences, such as the longer Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali National Park. Plus, there are options to visit the Kenai Peninsula and Wrangell–St. Elias National Park.

• Expanded cruisetour lineup for more choices – over 20 to choose from
• Every land & sea vacation features both Glacier Bay and Denali National Parks – Alaska’s top two attractions
• Enjoy exclusive Princess lodges and comfortable Princess rail service
• Four types of land and sea vacations offered, each including a 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise:

Denali Explorer (12 options, 3 new for 2012)
The most popular and best-value cruisetour gives you an up-close experience of Denali

On Your Own (3 options, 1 new)
A more affordable option offering the freedom to explore on your own

Off the Beaten Path (5 options, 2 new)
Adventures to the Kenai Peninsula, Wrangell–St Elias National Park and Prudhoe Bay

Connoisseur (4 options, 1 new) Deluxe
Escorted tours providing the highest level of service, with most meals on land included

Cruises

• Named “Best Cruise Line in Alaska” by Travel Weekly magazine
• 7 ships, 7 itineraries and 122 voyages
• Now four ships sailing the signature 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise
• Sapphire Princess returns to the region
• Visit Glacier Bay National Park and either Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord on every Voyage of the Glaciers itinerary
• 7- and 10-day Inside Passage voyages, featuring visits to pristine Glacier Bay National Park or Tracy Arm Fjord
• Princess takes more passengers to Glacier Bay than any other cruise line – offering the youngest Alaska fleet and the most balcony staterooms

Captain's Circle Launch Savings

• Alaska 7-day $50* 
• Alaska 10-day $75*
• Alaska land & sea vacations $100*

*Per Person Savings through 9/30/11

• Alaska & Far East Grand Adventure $100**

**Per Person Savings through 12/31/11

Learn More About Alaska & View More Photos:  Exploring Alaska

Celebrity Solstice - Silk Harvest

You've had a relaxing day onboard Celebrity Solstice. The Thai Herbal Poultice Massage started you thinking about the exotic lands of the Far East. As you lay in your lounge chair by the Solarium pool, you start to wonder if there is availability in the Silk Harvest Restaurant for dinner tonight. Wouldn't that be a great way to start your evening?

You decide to go to the restaurant instead of calling. The maitre d' tells you that he has an opening at 6:30 PM if you are willing to join a table with some other passengers. That sounds good to you, so you make the reservation.

Arriving at 6:30 PM, you are escorted to a long table that sits 12 people. Another couple are already sitting at the table so you introduce yourself and sit down next to them.

The waiter takes your drink order and says he'll be back in a few minutes to answer any questions about the menu. Two more people show up while waiting for the waiter to return.

Upon his return he explains the menu. There are four sections: Small Plates, Large Plates, Silk Harvest Sushi, and Desserts. You can order whatever you want from each section of the menu.

During our pre-inaugural sailing on Celebrity Solstice we had dinner in Silk Harvest one night. We had Wonton Soup, Lotus Chicken Wraps, and Chicken Spring Rolls from the Small Plates section of the menu.

All of those were delicious. I especially enjoyed the Lotus Chicken Wraps. The waiter brings a selection of sauces that you can use along with your meal.

We aren't big Sushi fans, so we just ordered Orange Chicken from the Large Plates menu. We had heard that it was one of the specialties, so we decided to give that a try. We weren't disappointed. It was excellent.


Of course, everyone's favorite part of the meal is the dessert. The waiter explained the dessert selections. They all sounded fabulous. We hadn't over-stuffed ourselves, so we decided to try two different selections. We ordered Carmalized Bananas with Coconut Ice Cream and Cheesecake Rainbow Roll which were crisp rice with various tropical fruits.

Besides the quality of the food, presentation and service are very important when dianing in a speicialty restaurant such as Silk Harvest. The dessert pictures will give you an idea about the food presentation. You'll have to take my word on the service which was excellent. For $20 per person, this was a fabulous dinner experience. It is well worth the extra charge. I know some people take issue with the charges for specialty restaurants. Think about the charge as an extra gratuity for great service and exceptional food and you'll agree it is worth it.