Moriah
June 27th, 2008, 06:57 AM
Alaska 2008
Pre-trip report
Hi everyone. Well, I'm about to leave for my annual Alaska cruise on HAL, and I am so excited I thought I'd start my trip report now and call it the "pre-trip report"! Well, maybe "about to leave" was an exaggeration, but I'm excited…
This will be my 9th cruise on HAL (for those of you who have read my posts and notice there is inconsistency in the number I report… what can I say, I'm arithmetic-challenged.. but for the purposes of this report I actually counted, and yup, this summer on Westerdam to Alaska will be my 9th. And my 5th to Alaska (unless you count B2B as one, then it's my 4th.)
Okay, so with the math part behind me let me press on with my report.
Just to give you some background…all of my Alaska cruises have been out of Seattle, the first was on Oosterdam in 2005, then Westerdam in 2006, and then the B2B on Noordam in 2007…The upcoming trip is on Westerdam – July 20-27.
We've always had deluxe SA category suites for Alaska. We love the Neptune and the extra space – the huge balconies. It's true Alaska can be cold, but with the right amount of layering, some gloves and warm socks – and a cup of hot chocolate and a blanket – you can last a long time out there gazing at the amazing scenery, breathing in the clean crisp air and listening to the wonderful silence of the wilderness. Not to mention seeing the whales, dolphins, eagles, sea lions, and seagull show! Aaaaahhhhh Alaska!!! Have I mentioned I LOVE it?
Last year, a week didn't seem like enough, so we booked B2B on Noordam – and that was absolutely wonderful. We found out that booking SB Guarantee saved us literally thousands of dollars from the price of an SA for two cruises, so we went for it, and it turned out great. For the first sailing we were upgraded to an SA – the same room we'd had the year before on Westerdam! 7064 – near the Neptune lounge. For the second sailing we had to move – to an SB – fair enough, since that was the category we had booked, and that cabin was on Deck 6 right next to the midship elevator. Switching staterooms was painless – absolutely seamless. Our cabin steward from deck 7, along with our new steward from deck 6 just came and scooped everything up – no packing was necessary – and they deposited it all safely in the new suite. We did have to disembark, but only for a few moments and we used the staff gangway – off, then right back on. No hassle. And as it turned out we loved our SB suite on deck 6!! We didn't feel we'd "come down" a single bit! In fact, I liked being right next to the midship elevator. It was VERY easy to locate the room (um, yes, that's an issue for me even after all those cruises on the Vistas … sigh…) and the one flight up to the Neptune was no big deal at all. The suite was identical to the SA, and we saved all that money just because we "had to" climb one flight to the Neptune! Lots of people love the aft suites and barely use the Neptune. We DO use the Neptune and love it, so we worried that the guarantee would put us somewhere "inconvenient" but as it turned out we were thrilled with the location. Even being next to the elevator was no problem at all. Yes, people on the elevator could see our balcony if they chose to be looking just there at the moment their elevator passed by deck 6. But truly, if you were in a glass elevator in Alaska, would you be interested in a 2 second glimpse of a 50-something couple all bundled up on their balcony? It's not like we were out there on balmy nights doing anything best done in private.. Sure, we're gorgeous and everything, but I just don't think we were that interesting. Almost 100% of the people we saw whisk by in the elevators were looking out to sea, not at us. It just wasn't an issue. And the elevator isn't THAT close – it's not as if we could reach out and touch it – I repeat – the elevator was a complete non issue, and it was silent. I thought being next to the elevator was an asset, not a drawback.
So this year – I booked that same SB suite on deck 6 next to the elevators! As I said, it saves a bunch of money over the SA, and for me, it's the same experience – nothing lacking at all. We could have taken a guarantee again for the same money with the possibility of upgrade to SA like last year, but I really don't see any benefit in the possible "upgrade", and with the guarantee we'd risk getting as SB much farther from the Neptune. I'm really looking forward to the Neptune lounge, and being able to find my stateroom from the midship elevators every time with minimum thinking and turning around! YAY!!
Now, another thing I should tell you is that I'll be on this upcoming cruise with a woman friend (oh, and I'm a woman too) – my SO (who is male) couldn't take this cruise – so it's a girls' week out! She is unattached, so I'm not sure if I'm hoping she'll find romance (nice for her but might get lonely for me)! Oh well, more on that later.
So.. Below is a post I wrote on another forum last year while packing for Alaska. I think this is a good place to paste it into this pre-trip report:
Okay, I realize it's a couple of weeks out, but all of a sudden I got an attack of "inspired closet ransacking" in preparation for packing for Alaska!
Help!! We've got formal, semi-formal, informal, under-formal, over-formal, and then casual, more casual, smart casual, dumb casual, grubby, jammies, swimwear, freezing-weather-wear, not-so-cold-weather-wear, and sort-of -hot-weather-wear....outerwear (as opposed to innerwear people...) then, okay, all these outfits need SHOES... and what about that industrial strength underwear to make all the stuff look all smooth and unbumpy .... HOW is all this stuff going to fit into a suitcase that the airlines will agree to transport (or that I even own!). Yikes!! (And does anybody really know what the term "cruisewear" means? Any of the above? All of the above? Inquiring minds want to KNOW!)
Moriah, relax!... you've done this before.. everything fit into one (very laaaarrrrge) suitcase last time so it will again...
Later…
Okay so I attacked the closet, tried on a bunch of stuff, and actually got all excited and happy! Good thing nobody was home because I was talking up a storm to the mirror!
I can do this!!! Some creative folding and stuffing and it will all be good to go in just... let's see.. how many days/minutes/seconds until embarkation?
So excited!
Happy Packing,
Moriah (who finally found the keyboard under a pile of industrial strength underwear…)
So, back to the present report:
This time I’m not doing a lot of shore excursions. Last year our whale experience was so intense I don't think it can be repeated, so I won't even try. Here is a link to a video taken by my SO during that unbelievable half hour with the whales.
http://www.whatanicewebsite.com/AK2007video.wmv
The first few seconds of the video are the day before – a humongous calving of the Margerie Glacier.
Anyway, this year I finally decided to do a salmon bake. Everyone always raves about them, so my friend and I signed up for the Gold Panning and Salmon Bake in Juneau. Should be interesting. And out of Ketchikan I will be going back to the Misty Fjords. Boat, not floatplane. I've done the floatplane, but felt it lacked the feeling of being outdoors, the smell of the clean air, the wind…. I almost felt like I was watching the scenery on TV, and although it was gorgeous, and of course from the plane you see things you can't from any other vantage point, once was enough for that and now I go there by boat and enjoy, even if it's cold, the wind, the water, the sounds AND the silence…
In Sitka I think I'll just find an internet café and write my "live" report for the boards. Anyone know of one to recommend?
In advance of my real live trip report, I should warn you I'm not really into the food that much. I'll probably eat a hamburger for lunch every single day at the Terrace Grill, and whatever I eat in the Vista might not make that big an impression on me, but since I know there is always a lot of interest on the boards I will TRY to remember to photograph the menus or at least remember what I ordered and if it was any good! Also, I can pretty much guarantee obliviousness when it comes to "are the carpets worn" or does anything look shabby. Knowing me, I can report sight unseen that I think the Westerdam is drop dead gorgeous and everything is in ship-shape! But, again, I'll try to be observant and honest – truly I will.
Well, that's all I can think of for now – if anyone can think of anything that should be added to this pre-trip report, please let me know. It's still more than two weeks until I take off for Seattle. Can you tell I'm excited? Anyone already back from Alaska Westerdam this year with any tips or comments? Any questions I should keep in mind for the live report?
Moriah
Pre-trip report
Hi everyone. Well, I'm about to leave for my annual Alaska cruise on HAL, and I am so excited I thought I'd start my trip report now and call it the "pre-trip report"! Well, maybe "about to leave" was an exaggeration, but I'm excited…
This will be my 9th cruise on HAL (for those of you who have read my posts and notice there is inconsistency in the number I report… what can I say, I'm arithmetic-challenged.. but for the purposes of this report I actually counted, and yup, this summer on Westerdam to Alaska will be my 9th. And my 5th to Alaska (unless you count B2B as one, then it's my 4th.)
Okay, so with the math part behind me let me press on with my report.
Just to give you some background…all of my Alaska cruises have been out of Seattle, the first was on Oosterdam in 2005, then Westerdam in 2006, and then the B2B on Noordam in 2007…The upcoming trip is on Westerdam – July 20-27.
We've always had deluxe SA category suites for Alaska. We love the Neptune and the extra space – the huge balconies. It's true Alaska can be cold, but with the right amount of layering, some gloves and warm socks – and a cup of hot chocolate and a blanket – you can last a long time out there gazing at the amazing scenery, breathing in the clean crisp air and listening to the wonderful silence of the wilderness. Not to mention seeing the whales, dolphins, eagles, sea lions, and seagull show! Aaaaahhhhh Alaska!!! Have I mentioned I LOVE it?
Last year, a week didn't seem like enough, so we booked B2B on Noordam – and that was absolutely wonderful. We found out that booking SB Guarantee saved us literally thousands of dollars from the price of an SA for two cruises, so we went for it, and it turned out great. For the first sailing we were upgraded to an SA – the same room we'd had the year before on Westerdam! 7064 – near the Neptune lounge. For the second sailing we had to move – to an SB – fair enough, since that was the category we had booked, and that cabin was on Deck 6 right next to the midship elevator. Switching staterooms was painless – absolutely seamless. Our cabin steward from deck 7, along with our new steward from deck 6 just came and scooped everything up – no packing was necessary – and they deposited it all safely in the new suite. We did have to disembark, but only for a few moments and we used the staff gangway – off, then right back on. No hassle. And as it turned out we loved our SB suite on deck 6!! We didn't feel we'd "come down" a single bit! In fact, I liked being right next to the midship elevator. It was VERY easy to locate the room (um, yes, that's an issue for me even after all those cruises on the Vistas … sigh…) and the one flight up to the Neptune was no big deal at all. The suite was identical to the SA, and we saved all that money just because we "had to" climb one flight to the Neptune! Lots of people love the aft suites and barely use the Neptune. We DO use the Neptune and love it, so we worried that the guarantee would put us somewhere "inconvenient" but as it turned out we were thrilled with the location. Even being next to the elevator was no problem at all. Yes, people on the elevator could see our balcony if they chose to be looking just there at the moment their elevator passed by deck 6. But truly, if you were in a glass elevator in Alaska, would you be interested in a 2 second glimpse of a 50-something couple all bundled up on their balcony? It's not like we were out there on balmy nights doing anything best done in private.. Sure, we're gorgeous and everything, but I just don't think we were that interesting. Almost 100% of the people we saw whisk by in the elevators were looking out to sea, not at us. It just wasn't an issue. And the elevator isn't THAT close – it's not as if we could reach out and touch it – I repeat – the elevator was a complete non issue, and it was silent. I thought being next to the elevator was an asset, not a drawback.
So this year – I booked that same SB suite on deck 6 next to the elevators! As I said, it saves a bunch of money over the SA, and for me, it's the same experience – nothing lacking at all. We could have taken a guarantee again for the same money with the possibility of upgrade to SA like last year, but I really don't see any benefit in the possible "upgrade", and with the guarantee we'd risk getting as SB much farther from the Neptune. I'm really looking forward to the Neptune lounge, and being able to find my stateroom from the midship elevators every time with minimum thinking and turning around! YAY!!
Now, another thing I should tell you is that I'll be on this upcoming cruise with a woman friend (oh, and I'm a woman too) – my SO (who is male) couldn't take this cruise – so it's a girls' week out! She is unattached, so I'm not sure if I'm hoping she'll find romance (nice for her but might get lonely for me)! Oh well, more on that later.
So.. Below is a post I wrote on another forum last year while packing for Alaska. I think this is a good place to paste it into this pre-trip report:
Okay, I realize it's a couple of weeks out, but all of a sudden I got an attack of "inspired closet ransacking" in preparation for packing for Alaska!
Help!! We've got formal, semi-formal, informal, under-formal, over-formal, and then casual, more casual, smart casual, dumb casual, grubby, jammies, swimwear, freezing-weather-wear, not-so-cold-weather-wear, and sort-of -hot-weather-wear....outerwear (as opposed to innerwear people...) then, okay, all these outfits need SHOES... and what about that industrial strength underwear to make all the stuff look all smooth and unbumpy .... HOW is all this stuff going to fit into a suitcase that the airlines will agree to transport (or that I even own!). Yikes!! (And does anybody really know what the term "cruisewear" means? Any of the above? All of the above? Inquiring minds want to KNOW!)
Moriah, relax!... you've done this before.. everything fit into one (very laaaarrrrge) suitcase last time so it will again...
Later…
Okay so I attacked the closet, tried on a bunch of stuff, and actually got all excited and happy! Good thing nobody was home because I was talking up a storm to the mirror!
I can do this!!! Some creative folding and stuffing and it will all be good to go in just... let's see.. how many days/minutes/seconds until embarkation?
So excited!
Happy Packing,
Moriah (who finally found the keyboard under a pile of industrial strength underwear…)
So, back to the present report:
This time I’m not doing a lot of shore excursions. Last year our whale experience was so intense I don't think it can be repeated, so I won't even try. Here is a link to a video taken by my SO during that unbelievable half hour with the whales.
http://www.whatanicewebsite.com/AK2007video.wmv
The first few seconds of the video are the day before – a humongous calving of the Margerie Glacier.
Anyway, this year I finally decided to do a salmon bake. Everyone always raves about them, so my friend and I signed up for the Gold Panning and Salmon Bake in Juneau. Should be interesting. And out of Ketchikan I will be going back to the Misty Fjords. Boat, not floatplane. I've done the floatplane, but felt it lacked the feeling of being outdoors, the smell of the clean air, the wind…. I almost felt like I was watching the scenery on TV, and although it was gorgeous, and of course from the plane you see things you can't from any other vantage point, once was enough for that and now I go there by boat and enjoy, even if it's cold, the wind, the water, the sounds AND the silence…
In Sitka I think I'll just find an internet café and write my "live" report for the boards. Anyone know of one to recommend?
In advance of my real live trip report, I should warn you I'm not really into the food that much. I'll probably eat a hamburger for lunch every single day at the Terrace Grill, and whatever I eat in the Vista might not make that big an impression on me, but since I know there is always a lot of interest on the boards I will TRY to remember to photograph the menus or at least remember what I ordered and if it was any good! Also, I can pretty much guarantee obliviousness when it comes to "are the carpets worn" or does anything look shabby. Knowing me, I can report sight unseen that I think the Westerdam is drop dead gorgeous and everything is in ship-shape! But, again, I'll try to be observant and honest – truly I will.
Well, that's all I can think of for now – if anyone can think of anything that should be added to this pre-trip report, please let me know. It's still more than two weeks until I take off for Seattle. Can you tell I'm excited? Anyone already back from Alaska Westerdam this year with any tips or comments? Any questions I should keep in mind for the live report?
Moriah