Discovering Skagway with Princess Cruises

Our first day in Alaska was special, but I thought about the one we were going to have as the Royal Princess pulled into the waters of Skagway early in the morning.

We had coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries at the International Café. Brittany was heading out early for her Animal Planet Exclusive Kroschel Wildlife Refuge excursion. I had a few hours and was anxiously waiting to see if my scooter could be repaired in time for me to go. The one the ship had let me borrow was too big to go on the tender.

I did use the loaner to take a ride in the scooter to the upper deck pool area.  It gave me a stunning view of Skagway despite the cloudy day.

I was told the scooter was ready and I took the tender to town. I knew it would be close and I did just miss my bus tour, however, a contingency plan was worked out. I would drive the scooter into town and spend the time looking around—and shopping for souvenirs—while I waited to catch up with my tour group.

Skagway is picturesque, with mountains peaking throughout the city. It also offers a lot to do just in the downtown, with small museums, many kinds of shops, and restaurants, including the infamous Red Onion Saloon. It was crowded and I didn’t have a lot of time to wait since I was going to meet my tour at the Days of 98 show.

I met the group at the theater downtown. The Days of 98 show was so much fun! There was a lot of comedy and some audience participation. Even the songs were hysterical. I could see why this show has been around since 1923.

When it was over, I got on the bus with my scooter and we took a short tour of Skagway on our way back to the port. 

                      

I took the tender back to the ship and rested for a bit. Brittany had been on a completely different Princess excursion. She took a boat to Mosquito Lake and then a bus to Haines, Alaska, to visit the Kroschel Films Wildlife Center.

At the refuge, Steve Kroschel homes orphaned wildlife, most of which are indigenous to Alaska and Canada. Creatures there include a snowy owl, silver and red foxes, a brown bear, and a lynx. They are accessible for guests to get up close with in small groups, while Kroschel tells them about each one.

She had stopped for lunch and a tasting at the Skagway Brewing company and some shopping before coming back to the ship. We arrived at about the same time.

We weren’t back on the ship long before it was time for a fun Princess Cruise exclusive, Puppies in the Piazza. A trainer comes onboard to explain mushing, which is more commonly known as dog sledding. He brought some of the puppies in training with him. Passengers were able to pet the dogs as they learned more about them.

As soon as the puppies left, the Royal Princess pulled out of Skagway. It was a short day and there was so much more that we didn’t get to do there, including the White Pass Railroad ride (Brittany got a  photo of it going by while she was in town) and Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. I would definitely want to go back there on another trip to Alaska.

We were hungry and early for a special dinner. I had heard a lot of good things about Sabatini’s, the specialty  Italian restaurant on the Royal Princess, but it went beyond my expectations. Every dish was perfection, and that comes from a woman who is very particular about her Italian food.

We started with some bruschetta and cheese, arancini, and fresh warm rolls and focaccia, with glasses of Prosecco.  Then we went on to a four-course meal.

Antipasti
I had the Burrata and Brittany had Calamari and Shrimp

First Course
I had the Pappardelle Bolognese and Brittany had Lobster Tortelloni

Second Course
I had the Osso Bucco Milanese and Brittany had Lasagna Bolognese

Dessert
I had the Chocolate Bomb and Brittany chose an after-dinner drink

After we left Sabatini’s we spent a little time in the casino. There were no big wins, but we were too tired to play long. We were back to the cabin to crash early once again. We were both excited for our upcoming day going through Glacier Bay National Park. It was going to start bright and early, at 6:00 am. 

*Specialty restaurants are an extra charge unless you have the Premier Package, which includes two specialty restaurants per cruise.

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I was hosted on this trip, but opinions are my own.