The Alaskan Jewel! Welcome Aboard….You don’t Exist!

[GrumpyMom1]

I'm really enjoying your trip report. Your pictures are fabulous, especially the ones of the whales. We will cruise to Alaska someday but sadly it will probably not be on Disney since I really want a balcony and their prices are crazy. But your trip report is making me want to go sooner rather than later.

Coincidentally we were in Seattle the day you boarded and walked right past the ship. We had been at Chihuly that morning and were walking toward Pike Place to find ice cream for my daughter.

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Pinkocto]

WHALES!!!! Amazing, absolutely breathtaking! What a fabulous excursion, wow!!! First the glacier, which was very cool. I wonder how many awesome treasures are stuck in that ice.

The pictures coming into Juneau were gorgeous too, all those mountains, love it!

And then the whales, how cool is that

 

[mickeystoontown]

Oh my gosh! I thought that I was excited to see the Deadliest Catch posts but these whale posts were spectacular! I'd have been peeing my pants to see the orcas and humpbacks. I'd have gone all the way to Alaska just to see those sites!

 

[jenseib]

An absolutely amazing excursion! You certainly got yours money's worth!

Jill in CO

It really was worth every penny!

What a shame that you did not get your crab, but I am sure what you got to see that day more than made up for it.

Corinna

I was bummed about not getting crab but I couldn't complain about the excursion at all. I figured I had one more Alaskan port to try and get some.

YAY I am so glad you were finally able to see not only whales but orcas, that is awesome!



Julie

It was such a great excursion.

I'm really enjoying your trip report. Your pictures are fabulous, especially the ones of the whales. We will cruise to Alaska someday but sadly it will probably not be on Disney since I really want a balcony and their prices are crazy. But your trip report is making me want to go sooner rather than later.

Coincidentally we were in Seattle the day you boarded and walked right past the ship. We had been at Chihuly that morning and were walking toward Pike Place to find ice cream for my daughter.

Can't wait to read more!

Thanks. I totally understand about not being able to do DCL. In a perfect world we would have to, but we got a lot more bang for our buck in room size, drinks and specialty dining on NCL. Yes there were differences and I noticed several, but we still had a fabulous time and enjoyed it so much.

What a small world you were in Seattle the same day.

WHALES!!!! Amazing, absolutely breathtaking! What a fabulous excursion, wow!!! First the glacier, which was very cool. I wonder how many awesome treasures are stuck in that ice.

The pictures coming into Juneau were gorgeous too, all those mountains, love it!

And then the whales, how cool is that

Each port had it's own character and charm and so neat to see as we sailed in and out. Each excursion we did was fabulous too and I feel like we really lucked out in Juneau.

Oh my gosh! I thought that I was excited to see the Deadliest Catch posts but these whale posts were spectacular! I'd have been peeing my pants to see the orcas and humpbacks. I'd have gone all the way to Alaska just to see those sites!

Well I did refrain from peeing my pants....that would've been unpleasant for the rest of the day. LOL!

I can really see your family enjoying Alaska.

 

[jenseib]

We finally got back on the ship and Skip wanted to race right up to deck 7 to see if the guy who was mad about all the late comers was watching again today. Sure enough he was and we chatted with him and told him we were late comers today too…but we were on an excursion so we had no control. We chatted with him a bit and today because we were a bit later getting people back on the ship there wasn’t the mad dashes like yesterday.


That’s really the bad thing about today though….we just was not in Juneau long enough. We were scheduled to arrive at 7 AM and all aboard was 1 PM…though we got on closer to 1:30.


As we stood watching them pack up the ship we saw the Pearl coming in.


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She was waiting for us to move. The Pearl does the opposite of what we do on this day. We do Juneau and then Tracy Arm, they do Tracy Arm and then Juneau.


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We were now moving and we were hungry for some lunch. Some of us were probably close to dying again, but we survived. I suggested O’Sheehans. Claire agreed that was a good choice and Skip didn’t know what it was, but I told him he would enjoy it as it had pub food.


It was pretty busy there and loud. Luckily they still had seats open and we were seated right away and soon making our orders.


We started with the spinach artichoke dip…and Claire went with 2 orders of mozzarella sticks (at the suggestion of our server).


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And I got some sort of frozen concoction.


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We were full of excitement for the day so far and just chatted away.


Like I said it was very loud in there and an announcement was being made. It was near impossible to hear and no one seemed to care or lower their voices…including my husband. I could barely make out what they said but I know it was a bit of welcome back to the ship and hope you enjoyed your day. They then went on about how long before we would be entering……what I can’t hear. I don’t think they said Tracy Arm….I “think” they said Endicott Arm. Shoot I can’t hear…what are they saying? Now I only knew about Endicott Arm from reading prior to the cruise. It is often used as a backup for Tracy Arm when the ship can’t get in there. I think Tracy Arm tends to have more icebergs in it. Ok, I totally missed the announcement and now I wasn’t sure if we were going to Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm. And if going to Endicott I didn’t know the reason why. Now for some they may not care and I really didn’t care which we went to but I wanted to know why. Of course I never heard another announcement about it the rest of the day. And at the point I had no clue where we were going.


Meals then arrived. Claire went with the chicken wings which she really enjoyed again.


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Skip got some sort of sandwich which I can no longer remember, but he said it was good.


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I got the pot pie which was fabulous!!!!


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The food was great and if we got dessert I didn’t take a picture of it. I am thinking we may have gotten the same brownies with ice-cream that Claire and I got the first day, but I could be wrong. We just may have been too full.


There was a Nickelodeon show that was going to start soon so I think we separated and Skip and Claire went to it and I was going to meet up with them in a bit. Why we separated I don’t remember. My next picture is through the atrium doors.


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And then outside watching the world go by.


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I then headed back to the room and saw our snack of the day. Score! I love chocolate covered strawberries.


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I have no clue why I had to head back to the room, but I think that is the reason we separated….I must’ve needed something there. I am thinking that I might have went looking for my point and shoot camera as I had forgotten to take it with me that morning and I was pretty sure I left it on our table but I still wanted to double check. Also my big SLR was having some issues. I think because it had gotten wet yesterday in Ketchikan. When I tried to look at pictures I had taken it was being funky. By the next day it was fine so I chalked it up to being wet and knock on wood I haven’t had any troubles since then.


I then headed to the Stardust Theatre to meet back up with them and the show was already underway.


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Basically the show was about 2 families competing against each other and they also would call other audience members to help in some of the competitions.


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Claire was shy about raising her hand and we were just far enough back that unless she was really waving her hand she wouldn’t be picked.


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During one of the last challenges she did finally raise her hand but she wasn’t chosen.


I think the blue family lost so they had to pie their own faces.


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The red family won and I guess it’s a privilege to get slimed.


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If that is what you get for winning you can count me out.


Claire enjoyed the show; I thought it was ok and at least something fun and family friendly. Skip thought it was torture but endured it for Claire. I will say it really wasn’t ran all that well. Not all that organized in my opinion….but I guess I never need to worry about that again as they will be discontinuing the Nick activities next year.


After the show Claire was ready for the kids club again, so we dropped her off and just enjoyed the views again.


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We headed back towards the room to relax for a bit.


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One thing to keep in mind….the fish swim towards the front of the ship, so no matter what side you are on, you know by the way the fish are swimming if you are walking forward or aft.


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I think I sat out on the balcony for a bit while Skip napped.


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I decided I wanted to find the front of the ship…the stern ...as it had now been opened for passengers to go out and view.


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Skip remained in the room but told me what level he thought it was on. I thought it was another and we were both wrong.


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[dolphingirl47]

We were scheduled to arrive at 7 AM and all aboard was 1 PM…though we got on closer to 1:30.

That is a very short port day. We were luckier in that respect as we had pretty long days in all of the ports.

She was waiting for us to move. The Pearl does the opposite of what we do on this day. We do Juneau and then Tracy Arm, they do Tracy Arm and then Juneau.

That is strange to do Juneau and Tracy Arm in one day.

And then outside watching the world go by.

That is probably what I enjoyed most on our Alaska cruise.

I then headed back to the room and saw our snack of the day. Score! I love chocolate covered strawberries.

They look delicious.

One thing to keep in mind….the fish swim towards the front of the ship, so no matter what side you are on, you know by the way the fish are swimming if you are walking forward or aft.

I just hope that they don't do what they did on the Wonder at one dry dock: some of the carpet was laid the wrong way round, which confused me no end.

Corinna

 

[Pinkocto]

Being slimed is the reward for winning??? No thanks! Glad that Claire enjoyed the show.

To watch the world go by is heavenly

I'm enjoying the pictures around the ship, it's nicer than I expected. I don't know what I expected but it's nice.

 

[cruisehopeful]

This is a great trip report. I am currently deciding between NCL and DCL for Alaska in 2017.

 

[Rambler5678]

Which do you think is better NCL or DCL?

 

[jenseib]

That is a very short port day. We were luckier in that respect as we had pretty long days in all of the ports.

It really was a short day. We made the most of it but I wish we had more time in town to explore.

That is strange to do Juneau and Tracy Arm in one day.

They really packed it in that day...it was a wonderful day though.

That is probably what I enjoyed most on our Alaska cruise.

Watching the workd go by in Alaska can take up many hours!

They look delicious

They were good. I was happy with all our snacks.

I just hope that they don't do what they did on the Wonder at one dry dock: some of the carpet was laid the wrong way round, which confused me no end.

Oh no!!!!

Being slimed is the reward for winning??? No thanks! Glad that Claire enjoyed the show.

Yeah. not my idea of "winning".

To watch the world go by is heavenly

It sure is. It was just so beautiful.

I'm enjoying the pictures around the ship, it's nicer than I expected. I don't know what I expected but it's nice.

Thanks. It was a pretty nice ship really. There were signs of wear and tear here and there but I see that on DCL too.

This is a great trip report. I am currently deciding between NCL and DCL for Alaska in 2017.

Thanks for joining in! If I had the money and things worked out perfectly I would do DCL for sure. For us there were a few things to factor in and leaving out of Seattle was a major factor for us this time around. Skip and Claire did not have passports either at the time of booking though I pushed and they both did get them before we sailed.
Also the week we wanted to go had pretty much nothing left for DCL and was almost twice as much for a balcony....though Skip was all for it, which shocked the heck out of me. But now that he has been on NCL to Alaska I don't think he would pay the money for DCL unless there was a really good deal.

If you are going for Alaska, then I really think any line will be great. If you want more from the ship experience...and depending on what experience you want, DCL may be more for you. I know they do some neat little things...plus characters. But I would sail NCL in a heartbeat back to Alaska...even with the issues we had...as I know those were not normal circumstances.
\

Which do you think is better NCL or DCL?

I prefer DCL to all other lines I have sailed. That being said...I have had a wonderful time on all cruises I have been on.

 

[jenseib]

Before I go on I wanted to correct a mistake I made. I mentioned the Pearl had come from Tracy Arm and that is not true. I had a flakey moment. The Pearl goes to Glacier Bay and never goes to Tracy Arm and has a half day at sea before arriving at Juneau.

Back to the report…….


I ended up just going out on 7 for a bit while I pondered it over as to which deck I needed to go to get to the front.


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Yeah…I like icebergs.


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I then finally realized what deck it was…and I can’t remember now…but I want to say it was deck 8……but whatever deck it was, I found it and went out.


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It was a little windy out there but not too bad. And it was just really cool to be in this normally restricted area. I hear it really depends on weather and conditions as to how long they keep it open as it can be dangerous if it is wavy or really windy. It must’ve been perfect conditions today as they kept it up for hours.


And the views….splendid!!!!!


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This is the deck/area that the crews pool is located on as well.


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The anchor!


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Actually I believe this is a back-up anchor. I heard some people talking about why would the anchor be up here and it would be awfully hard to move. Then another guy said well ships never anchor anymore…which is not true. I finally joined in the conversation after a bit and told them yes they do anchor…when they tender they have to anchor. I said I was pretty sure this was just a back-up anchor and they agreed that made sense.


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Everywhere I looked there was just another stunning view.


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Some birds were enjoying the views as well.


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I got to talking to a lady for quite some time. I believe she is a professor somewhere, though I no longer remember where. We had such a nice talk and we got on to subjects of glaciers (wonder why?) and culture and people. My great uncle had actually lived with Eskimos in Alaska many years ago (he has passed now). He was an anthropologist and he studied many cultures. He wrote some books….and I will be honest…I have never read a single one though I do have a copy of one somewhere. They are very difficult to read and super technical. Not an enjoyable read by any means. So we talked about him a bit.

He has a story that one time he and some of the people were out hunting or getting supplies….something along those lines…and a very bad winter storm came. They basically had to hunker down and wait it out as visibility was zero. I think it was something like 2 or 3 days and they had quite a rough time over those days. When the storm stopped they found out the village was only like 50 feet away. Of course with as bad as it was if they went in the wrong direction they could’ve been lost forever or died.


Anyways…I had a nice chat with this lady. I went to take a picture of the ship.


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The lady made the comment that that is where some of the fancy smanchy suites are. I didn’t say anything because those were forward Penthouse suites….just like what I had, only I was in the aft. LOL.


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As we talked I would take some random pictures here and there.


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You may notice there is a guy wearing a t-shirt and shorts. It wasn’t quite that warm but it really wasn’t too bad. It was a bit windy and chilly but not uncomfortable at all.


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At some point in time they had a naturalist talking on the loudspeaker. It was really hard to hear him in this location. I did think I made out we were in Endicott Arm though.


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Up next….More of Endicott Arm from the front of the ship

 

[bcwife76]

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! Your photos are gorgeous!!

I bet the guy in shorts/tshirt was Canadian I say that because on our cruise while we were happy in short sleeves (good ol' Canadian blood) there were plenty of people from Arizona and California wearing heavy coats and gloves. We were sweating just looking at them

 

[Pinkocto]

Gorgeous views indeed! How nice they opened up that area for you guys.

How interesting the story about your great uncle. That would have been frustrating learning you were 50 yards away from safety.

 

[Rambler5678]

Do you think girls 13 and 6 would enjoy the kids club on NCL?

 

[pepe3penelope]

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! Your photos are gorgeous!!

I bet the guy in shorts/tshirt was Canadian I say that because on our cruise while we were happy in short sleeves (good ol' Canadian blood) there were plenty of people from Arizona and California wearing heavy coats and gloves. We were sweating just looking at them

Oh my goodness!!! I would be one of those Californians bundled up in layers!!!

 

[bcwife76]

Oh my goodness!!! I would be one of those Californians bundled up in layers!!!

Haha It was fun to tease the people in our cruise meet group from California and Arizona, they were all such awesome people (really, everyone in our group was awesome) - while we were in tshirts and such on the cruise most of them were shivering in sweaters!! And then of course we were DYING in the heat as soon as we got off in San Diego and they were probably like 'what, this? Ain't no thang, it's just a bit warm!"

 

[pepe3penelope]

Great update! I like that you and your family were able to try a variety of different foods. It's just that service and quality is important to DH and I so not sure if or when I'm able to jump ship and go on another cruise line. DCL has just gotten progressively more and more expensive!

DH wants to do an Alaskan cruise. Just don't know if my Los Angeles butt can take the cold and wind! I've heard that layers are best.

My dream would be Panama Canal because I really love, love, love sea days!

 

[jenseib]

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! Your photos are gorgeous!!

Thanks

I bet the guy in shorts/tshirt was Canadian I say that because on our cruise while we were happy in short sleeves (good ol' Canadian blood) there were plenty of people from Arizona and California wearing heavy coats and gloves. We were sweating just looking at them

You are probably right. They say that about us in Ohio too. In the spring when we hit 40 degrees people are out in shorts and tees. It's that first breath of fresh decent air since winter. LOL.

Gorgeous views indeed! How nice they opened up that area for you guys.

It was nice. I am glad i went out and enjoyed it a bit.

How interesting the story about your great uncle. That would have been frustrating learning you were 50 yards away from safety.

He had some interesting stories. He also lived with Natives on one of the Hawaiian Islands too. He never married...and was a hoarder. he actually moved and lived in Canada and my aunt and mom went to clean his apartment out after he died. They had to get a special dumpster and they said basically it should have been burned to the ground. LOL. They were so disgusted with how much crap and filth he had in there.

Do you think girls 13 and 6 would enjoy the kids club on NCL?

I think it really depends on the kids. Claire enjoyed it because she loved the counselors and she joined in the activities. She was friends at the pool with another girl who only went once and that girl didn't care for it. It is nothing like Disney's clubs...but if they join in they should have a good time. Now my neice is 10 months older than Claire and in 2012 we did a family cruise on the Dream and I think the girls were 8 and 7 and the time and my neice did not like the Disney club so much. I always say have them try it out and if they don't care for it they don't have to go back.

Oh my goodness!!! I would be one of those Californians bundled up in layers!!!

It really depends on the cruise too. I know some had colder weather than ours and some had warmer...just depend on what mother nature decides.

Haha It was fun to tease the people in our cruise meet group from California and Arizona, they were all such awesome people (really, everyone in our group was awesome) - while we were in tshirts and such on the cruise most of them were shivering in sweaters!! And then of course we were DYING in the heat as soon as we got off in San Diego and they were probably like 'what, this? Ain't no thang, it's just a bit warm!"

too funny.

Great update! I like that you and your family were able to try a variety of different foods. It's just that service and quality is important to DH and I so not sure if or when I'm able to jump ship and go on another cruise line. DCL has just gotten progressively more and more expensive!

I have not found a line yet (I have sailed 3 now) that compares to DCL service. Now I would guess that Celebirty would be pretty decent as my Aunt used to sail them a lot and she is picky...and of course the upperscale lines will be nice too. Now with a line like NCL you cold go to a suite class and still be cheaper than DCL in most cases and you should get a little more personalized service.

DH wants to do an Alaskan cruise. Just don't know if my Los Angeles butt can take the cold and wind! I've heard that layers are best.

Layers are good! i say go for it. It really is a wonderful adventure and the scenery is just stunning.

My dream would be Panama Canal because I really love, love, love sea days!

I would love to do that one too.

 

[jenseib]

I stayed up in the front of the ship for at least an hour or so. It was just so wonderful there and there was always a new and stunning view to see.


Yep, more icebergs, though I will admit, I thought there would be more in here.


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Well that’s a dirty piece of ice!


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I knew by now Claire would be out of the kids club and I was having a hard time pulling myself away from all the beauty.


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The waterfalls fascinated me too. They seemed to be all over.


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Well that is a big chunk of ice!


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I finally decided I better go check and make sure Claire made it back to the room so I left my prime spot and said goodbye to the lady I had been talking too.


Up next…..a special viewing area…wow!!!

 

[dolphingirl47]

I really enjoyed the pictures. This is so pretty. How nice that you got to have a nice chat with somebody. It sounds like your uncle would have been a interesting person to meet.

Corinna