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Peaceful Vacation in Alaska


dmoten
"A week away from the craziness of everyday life!"

Overall Rating: Very Good

TRIP INFO

Sail Date:06/18/2013
Destination:Alaska
Departed From:Seattle
# of Nights: 7 Nights
Cabin Type: Balcony
Sailed As: Single Female

RATINGS

Food:<p>1</p>
Itinerary:Excellent
Cabin:Excellent
Entertainment:Very Good
Overall Value:Very Good
Spa/Fitness: Didn't Use
Embarkation: Good
Debarkation: Good
Staff/Service: Excellent
Overall Rating: Very Good

COMPLETE REVIEW

After seeing beautiful photos from Alaska, I was so excited to get my vacation started. As the ship left Seattle, the temperature dropped quickly. The beautiful views made up for it, and I went prepared for all temps. I sat on my balcony more than anything just taking it all in.

The room was an adequate size for me. There was a couch and table, with the vanity area and three closets to hang up and put away everything.

I had two stewards (one in the morning - Hadi, and one in the evening - Randy). They were so sweet and kept everything in my cabin replenished and straight.

Throughout the ship, the staff greeted me with a smile and asked how I was enjoying myself. They were all friendly, and I didn't meet one gloomy Gus.

The buffet offered many types of food, so I experimented and tried things I would not normally eat and i was never disappointed. The dining room was beautiful, I was assigned a table at the aft of the ship, so it was a great view. I only ate in the dining room a couple of nights because I wanted to see a couple of shows and they always occur during the late seating.

I attended a couple of shows, my favorite was The Blues Brother Tribute, where they did the songs from the movie. It was an audience sing and dance along - much fun. The comedian Doug Williams was very funny too.

Cruising Tracy Arm Fjord was incredible. The day before, I attended a presentation by the naturalist on board and she explained some of the sights we would see inside the fjord. One thing I did not know before the trip was that during that time, the ship will be navigated by a pilot not the captain. The pilot is certified for particular parts of the fjord because of the different depth levels, etc. and when it gets to part he/she is not certified for, another pilot takes control. The pilots are brought to the ship by separate water taxis, and they hop off and on as they finish their portion of the navigation.

In order for the pilot to be certified, he/she must draw (from scratch on a blank piece of paper) the sea floor to include sand bars and any other obstacles a vessel could encounters in that particular area.

Going through the fjord, your eye can see the ice, snow, greenery, waterfalls - all in one view. Sitting there and getting photos of all of these elements in one shot lets you know that only God can create something so beautiful.

The excursions I signed up for were in Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. The White Pass Train in Skagway is awesome. I must say if I knew how high it went and the bridge it had to cross, I probably would not have gone because of my fear of bridges, but it was beautiful. It stopped on Fraser, Canada and we boarded a charter back to the ship.

In Juneau, I signed up for the Salmon Bake. It was okay, I would not recommend the excursion unless you REALLY love salmon and all you want to do is eat. There is a trail that takes you to a beautiful waterfall, but that is the highlight of the excursion.

I signed up for the Eagles, Lighthouse and Totems excursion in Ketchikan. I loved it because during the boat ride to the lighthouse, you not only see the beautiful homes along the shoreline, but there are eagles perched in the trees for you to see as well. They are such beautiful birds and to see them in their habitat was awesome.

As the ship headed to Canada, there were about 6 humpback whales alongside the ship and were putting on a show for us. There were up and down, but moving quite fast, so photos were difficult unless you had a high speed camera to catch the tail disappearing below the surface.

Unfortunately when the ship docked in Victoria, Canada, I had started to get sick, so I only got off the ship to get a t-shirt for my Mom and snap a few pictures. I didn't have the energy to do anything else.

Throughout the week, the naturalist would broadcast throughout the ship where she has spotted any type of wildlife and which side of the ship they could be seen. Inside the cabin, you could turn the television to the ship's channel and hear her announcements. While in the fjord and other parts of the passage, announcements could not be broadcast to the decks outside. This is the reason why I liked just sitting on my balcony and watching from there.

I have to say that even though my trip ended with me having a really bad cold, I enjoyed myself beyond words. It was a trip I will not soon forget and I have photos of some beautiful sights. The pictures do not do the scenery justice, because you truly must see it with your own eyes.

Those of you who have been know exactly what I speak of, those who haven't - add it to your list of destinations. You will surely not regret it.




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I am happy so happy to hear you had a nice time and its too bad you became I'll. What a bummer. Overall you seemed to have a great time so that great. Alaska is amazing indeed.

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I am happy so happy to hear you had a nice time and its too bad you became I'll. What a bummer. Overall you seemed to have a great time so that great. Alaska is amazing indeed.

I had a blast. It ended too quickly.

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Dee, thanks for your review. Makes me wish my turn would come faster! Sorry to hear you were sick, but glad it happened at the end f the cruise instead of the beginning.

I can't wait for your review. You are going to love it.

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