A Golden-Grand-Slam-Outta-the-Park Alaskan Cruise! COMPLETE 7/18!!!!!!

[podsnel]

Well, so, as you may have noticed, the weather was not beautiful blue skies any longer, we were having a semi-rainy day. Which sounds bad, REALLY bad, on a regular, warm weather cruise. But on an Alaskan cruise? I think it is kind of expected- at some point- so maybe we were prepared (I mean, you are in a RAINFOREST, sheesh). ANd maybe it also didn't matter so much because it was not like the expected plan for the day was lay out and hit the pool. Would sunny skies have been nice? Well, sure! But there is no controlling the weather, and you are CRAZY if you let it get in the way of your joy. Because visiting the state of Alaska is JOYFUL. And AMAZING. Even in the rain and mist and fog.









Tracy Arm Fjord is an all day excursion. Kind of like a Sea Day on steroids. Like you are having an incredible port adventure, but you never had to leave the ship to do it. The best of everything!





Drama at every turn-





We spent a good amount of time on Deck 4, as it was covered.



They have some strict rules on this journey- very specifically as to when Doug Jones was allowed to speak over the PA sytem to all of us to discuss what we were seeing. I think there were 3 times he was allowed to speak on the journey. And one of the things he said?

I'm so sorry for the weather today.

No joke. Disney actually apologized for the weather.

Never heard that before!

He also said that this weather was extremely typical and the norm for this part of Alaska.



We could see glacial silt in the water. From a website- The turquoise lakes you will see are colored by glacial silt suspended in the water. Glaciers scrape bedrock into fine, round particles of rock or clay which are then carried away by tides or rivers. Glacier flour colors lakes.













Pods went up and grabbed some lunch. He brought his tray back down. I must have gone to the cabin for a minute-





Throughout the day we would alternate between Deck 4 and Deck 10.









Cont'd next post-

 

[podsnel]

What is nice on DCL is that the kids' clubs are held outside that day. So your child can still have fun with his friends, but experience the beauty of the fjord. Except when it is super rainy, I guess.





Another plus is that there was split pea soup being served in sourdough bread bowls up on Deck 10 in front of the sports deck. It was DELICIOUS and absolutely PERFECT today. They were also serving hot cocoa and coffee there- and had a few liquors set up in case you wanted a little something extra in your cup. Salmon and halibut were grilling back by Beach Blanket, I believe, but I missed that altogether, somehow.



So where were our boys? Well, they had been roaming with the other Vibe kids and knew that they needed to be with US when we got to the glacier. But would they show up? (Well, DUH- I mean you saw the first pic of the TR, right? LOL)....next!

 

[jenseib]

absolutely stunning pictures Ellen! I just can't even say how fabulous it looks.

 

[podsnel]

At the end of Tracy Arm Fjord are the North and South Sawyer Glaciers. We were quickly approaching....







And I don't know if you can see it, but the bow of the ship was PACKED! But where were our boys? We had told them to be up on deck for the glacier around 2 pm (I think). And just like for dinner every night, they did not disappoint.



We posed for pics- the photographer had a space reserved, and the line was really not too bad. They had the boys pose-



And then we all got in the picture. First like this-



And then again, crouching down so the boys would stop blocking Sawyer Glacier (which made us laugh)-



Suddenly, the weather cleared, and it was beautiful! I swam out a ways and took this pic-



LOL- I hope you aren't buyin' THAT one! They sold a folio with a Tracy Arm day pic and this- and a GREAT pic of the characters in front of it too. Of course I had to purchase that one.

We continued admiring the blue of the glacier-





















We did stay there for a while, so don't be heartbroken if you are not the first one at the bow of the ship that day. The Captain does a good job of twisting back and forth up there so everyone has a chance to see it and get some pics. If you notice, the last photos I took were on the Port side (left side) of the Wonder, where the pro pics were taken on the starboard (right) side.



Cont'd next post-

 

[podsnel]

We spent about an hour and a half up there admiring the glacier. Eventually, the boys asked if they were done and could return to Vibe. They gave me hugs and kisses and vanished until dinner. Pods and I, on the other hand, decided a little inside time in the warm and dry Outlook Cafe sounded REALLY REALLY good!



We ordered some beverages....Pods had a beer in his BIG BEER mug, and I wanted to order Moet Ice- but, on the Wonder it is only served by the bottle. And surprisingly, I was not THAT thirsty, so I went with a glass of prosecco instead. I looked down, and guess who I saw????



YIPPEE-KAI-YAY!!!!!! It's the other Mouse!

So, in a repeat of my earlier performance, I threw young children and the elderly overboard and out of my way as I rushed down the stairs to greet him-



Only to be out done by this chick-



One of many costumes she and her gal pal had....

While I was shuffling around on my way back, I also ran into-



YIPPEE!!!!! I never did see Donald- I think I may need another cruise! It's only fair, right?

Back in the Outlook-



Every so often is was necessary to go outside for something like this-



Or this-



Or this-



Clearly, my butt was not in that chair nearly enough.



Would YOUR'S BE?





Silt-



Iceburg!



Iceburg Close Up!



Well, it was time for me to be pampered a bit- along the way I ran into-



On my way to Senses, I checked out the iceburg they brought up on board-



It's a great thing they do, and not easy to find one the right size they CAN bring on board, it doesn't happen every cruise.Probably the closest to glacial ice most will get- well, unless they go for a walk on one. Hmm. I wonder who's gonna do THAT this trip? Big ice aside, I had other places to be.



I had booked Elemis Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap with Half Body Massage for myself when the booking window opened, largely because my friend Gina had said body wraps were great for detoxifying, and that sounded good to me!



An hour and a half or so later, after blissfully relaxing and enjoying every moment of my treatment, I got the PITCH. I hate that!! I know you can tell them NO PITCH on the forms when you enter, but I ALWAYS forget to do that. UGH!! That stupid hard-sell ruins the whole experience for me. I think I'm out from here on out. Never want to deal with that again, and really don't want to spend $100 more on oils and potions. Or I could just remember to write NO PITCH on my form. Decisions, decisions.....

Back in the cabins, it was time to get ready for dinner, tonight at Parrot Cay. Tim and Tyler had gotten a card from the Vibe staff, inviting them to some activities tomorrow night-



And our Cabin steward had been by to make us a bear already...



Up next...dinner time followed by Adam Ace......next time- thanks for reading!

 

[KristiMc]

What a great way to start my morning - with an update!

Soup in a bread bowl sounds good - though I'm not a split pea person. May have to give it a try though.

I may have to buy a picture package for this cruise. On our first 2 cruises with the boys, I got the 10 picture package. The last 2 cruises, I just bought the Embarkation pic. I feel like I'm going to have more than 1 picture that I like from this one.

 

[dvc4life]

Gorgeous pictures!!!!!

I was smiling the whole time looking at them. Thanks.

 

[jedijill]

What a terrible view! I would have to drink to put up with it too. I love that girl's costume! So creative!


Oh, that wrap is so nice! I hate the pitch too!

Jill in CO

 

[JKSWonder]

Man!!! I want to go to Alaska!!! Just gorgeous.

I hate that spa sales pitch too. I have written no pitch on my forms and sometimes still get the pitch. I skipped the spa on on August 2014 cruise and I didn't really miss it.

Do you and Pods order one of the wine packages? I wish I could do this, but Mike doesn't drink wine so it never seemed quite worth it for us.

 

[OhMari]

Awesome pictures.

This picture just says it all, "can't miss a thing"

I am glad your boys are enjoying the cruise.

 

[rentayenta]

Wow, that ice is goregous but holy moly it looks sooooo cold.

How cute is rain gear Mickey?!

 

[arilvdc]

Great trip report!!

 

[ehagerty]

Ellen - thanks for the FB nudge to come on over and relive our DCL Alaska cruise through your TR! Your family really has grown! You all looked great for formal night (something we don't do - just lazy on that score). Glad to see the Chihuly - cuz it was GONE on the Southern Caribbean cruise Sep 20-27 (where I met JediJill - hey, Jill!). Will see you, Jill, and Chris again sometime - soon, I hope!

 

[Mickdeb]

Oh my....those girls and their outfits. They had every outfit from Minnie's parka to Donald's lumberjack shirt, so funny to see them every night. I have a few pictures of them as well. They must have had a trunk of outfits/costumes with them.

 

[Mysteria]

I certainly don't blame you for going outside all the time. Those views are incredible!!

 

[pillow]

Oh my....those girls and their outfits. They had every outfit from Minnie's parka to Donald's lumberjack shirt, so funny to see them every night. I have a few pictures of them as well. They must have had a trunk of outfits/costumes with them.

Thats totally hilarious!!

Jodie

 

[podsnel]

Pre-dinner, we did check out Max Winfrey the juggler/comedian in the theatre, he was entertaining. Afterwards, dinner was at Parrot Cay, which I was looking forward to because it has been a loooooong time since we have eaten here! We started with some rolls with lots of seeds (which I love)



Pods had-

St. Marteen Stack
Grilled Calabaza and Mozzarella with Tomato and Basil Vinaigrette



And the rest of us had

Baked Crab Dip Martinique
Jumbo Lump Crab Baked in Creamy Cheese Sauce served with colorful Tortilla and Plantain Chips



Well, Tyler and I had- Timmy ate the chips (he is not a dip kind of kid, lol). Looks a little sloppy, but tasted nice- We ordered tonight's bottle of wine (we had the Premium pkg) and it was delivered by our Asst Server (who I just saw left the cruiseline), Emilie-



We LOVED Emilie, she was tres magnifique! For our entrees, this was a popular choice for the boys- Mixed Grill
Grilled Sirloin Steak, Lamb Chop, Bacon Wrapped Sausage and Jumbo Shrimp on Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus and Grilled Tomato with a Cabernet Mushroom Sauce



Pods and I had fish, either halibut or grouper- but not what I see on any posted menu now-







Luisa! What a great server she was!



Emilie had some tricks up her sleeve-





She was so cute- she reminded me of Tinkerbelle, personality wise and size wise-

Dessert came, and I don't see this on the menu, but i think it was Sticky Toffee Pudding, which I really enjoyed-



This one doesn't match the site anymore either-



Our fun pair!



We were abandoned AGAIN- boys running off to Vibe, us heading to the Grown up Clubs, lol, to see Adam Ace in Wave Bands. On the way (sorry it's so blurry- just wanted you to know they were doing a meet and greet this nite in their Alaska Adorable wear-



I think I had a Pomegranate Passion?



We watched Adam Ace- but, I don't know, he is just not my favorite. He just makes me feel awkward, somehow. Anyway, once he was finished, we may or may not have danced a little before heading off to bed. On the way....





Let's walk to Disneyland!



Goodnight, blurry Ariel.....



Tomorrow would be our 1st port- we were on our way to Skagway, Alaska!

 

[Runnergal]

Hi there!
This is the first report of yours I have read and I am loving it! Your pictures and details are amazing and you have a beautiful family! We are hoping to book an Alaska cruise for 2016, and from what I have seen so far, I think we would all love it. I can't wait to hear about the ports!!!

 

[pillow]

Love that blue blouse you had on at dinner!!

Jodie

 

[KristiMc]

Love the Crab Dip and Sticky Toffee Cake. I'm looking forward to Parrot Cay also. Glad to be cruising on the Wonder again before they reimagine it. I wish they would leave one of the ships in its original state.