"Welcome Ladies and Gents for your grand adventure aboard the SS Legacy!" Our journey had begun and it appeared there would not be a dull moment onboard as the Heritage Team introduced themselves. Their goal: to make the Alaska Gold Rush come alive for us again. My sister and I had just arrive from Seattle that morning to Juneau. We checked in at the hotel rendezvous point and dropped off our luggage. Then we walked outside the town and up the Mt. Roberts. The hike up there was slippery with a muddy trail but the temperature was nice and cool to keep us going. At the top there was a restaurant and gift shop which led to the tram entrance. On the ride down we could view all of the harbor with the giant cruise ships. We were so happy to not be going on one of them and be a part of the masses. I'm not sure how much time you'd actually get viewing and experiencing Alaska.
We made it back to the hotel just a short walk from the tram. Juneau is a small town and didn't take long to walk from one end to the other. We then walked down to the dock and boarded. We met our Heritage Leader - Jason and his team of actors and historical experts. The were always around during the cruise to bring the Gold Rush era to real life.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.