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Just back Vision of the Seas Southbound


ebertkmk

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Part Two – The Cruise – Friday June 3 to Friday June 10.

Part One - The pre cruise will be coming later this week.

 

Seward – very easy to get to the ship. We dropped off our luggage about fifty yards away from the building around 2:30. Our daughter had to take the car back to enterprise in Anchorage. Took our carry-on’s inside and was processed in about ten minutes. Screener asked if any of the three plastic bottles in the luggage were liquor and stated no. (Two cokes and a partial “root beer made in the Caribbean” – so I lied.) Was in our stateroom by 3. We had room 8519, Superior Inside. About the size of a D1 without the deck or porthole or the cost. Great location for us to get to the Windjammer, and outside decks.

About 4:00 heard our name called to contact the pursers desk. We were one of about fifty that was paged. Purser told us to contact the folks outside that was loading luggage, Went outside, and was told that we had something illegal in a bag, and go back to the purser. Well, the Ulu knife we bought is something they screen for and I’m sure that 49 out of the 50 people paged had the same thing. We did get our last bag after dinner with the Ulu knife in there. I’m sure they will change the list of items to screen for as the season goes on. Ship was due to leave at 9, but some late comers delayed it to about 9:30.

 

Food – very good to excellent. They ran out of wheat bread and butter the last day was the only problem. They used too much butter for the grand buffet. Oh well. The chicken on lobster night was wonderful. Get that too.

Service – very good to excellent.

Jay our cabin steward was great. A new towel animal every day. Was always around when I locked myself out.

Yorgie and Darius were our servers. Wayee (sp) was our head waiter and outstanding. Our tablemate Donna asked about a tour of the kitchen, and he obliged on the last day for about ten of us. She also asked about when they would be making the soufflé for dessert (she missed the first time) so on the last day, he had the chef make a dozen for just our table. Spent a lot of time with Vinnie and Mohammad at Schooners. DW thinks too much time.

 

Entertainment – Fair. Singers and Dancer shows were very good. Comedian and Piano player were OK to our tastes. Have seen Gauchos three times now in four years.

Activities – stayed away from Bingo. Our team won Quest. Trivia contests were OK. Dances were fun. Nothing done on the pool deck at all. Kids seem to enjoy their program – about forty on board and rarely seen except for pirate night.

Weather – great. Six days of sun. One cloudy day. Never rained during the daytime.

Ship – very clean and beautiful. Enough glass to see outside every 30 steps.

CC Party. We did not have enough for a get together, but some of us met in the Viking Crown room the first night. We met others throughout the cruise. It was great to talk to so many different people about the week.

 

Ports

Hubbard Galcier – Outstanding. Make sure you get to deck 10 early for a good spot up front. Don’t forget windbreaker, hat and gloves in case they are needed. Captain George got about 1000 yards away from the face. Also he sent out a rescue boat with crew members to get some glacier ice. Didn’t see any “big” calving, but if we did, we couldn’t get that close.

 

Juneau – walked the town and registered for a floatplane tour with Wings Of Alaska at a kiosk. Very sunny day. Cost was $149 each. Cheaper than if purchased through the ship, and didn’t have to worry about the weather. Very nice ride.

Skagway – rented car through Lori and Avis. Gorgeous drive to Carcross and Emerald Lake. Stopped at Caribou Crossing Trading Post and Cinnamon’s Cache. Both great places. Didn’t spend too much time in town. Didn’t need to see another Diamond International.

 

Icy Striaght – Our favorite stop. Didn’t meet Koo Hook, but did talk to SIL who found our Cruise Critic fanny pack. He was out on the whale watch and the folks that were on that tour loved it. It is charming place void of all the tourist trap places. As long as there are no Diamonds or Tanzanite chains allowed it, this is the only place to view true Alaska. We did a tour of the town led by a 16 year old who did an outstanding job telling us about Hoonah, the town, the residents, the history and the culture. (Name left out on purpose.) I surprised her by asking about the volleyball and basketball teams.

One person on our cruise did find an independent fishing boat by asking on the pier – not sure of the price though. He caught a 209 pound halibut. Yes, 209. A half an hour to bring it in, and three shots to the head by the tour guide finally subdued it. Most of it was processed and shipped home. His 11 year old son caught a 25 lb, and others caught 50-60 lb sizes. I saw eagles and whales but no bear. The very first tender did see a bear on the beach.

 

Ketchikan. – Oh my! Another DI! Took in the lumberjack show. It’s too bad they can’t do that on the ship. Very entertaining.

 

Misty Fjords – just magnificent.

 

Inside Passage. – I can’t understand how the ship got through at times. It seems like only fifty feet to shore in certain areas.

 

Vancouver – disembarkment – We had a 12:20 flight so we bought the RCL transfer for ourselves and baggage. About 900 people were in the theater by 7:30 to get their boarding passes and luggage tags. The cost for this was $40 for us and $30 for the luggage. We were able to get onto bus #5 out of 15. No expressway to airport and we were at our gate by 10. If we booked a 10:30 flight we would have made it. A few minutes later we met folks that took a taxi for $30, so the special shuttle was no big deal. But we were the only ship in port that day; if there were two or three others that may have been lifesaver. We were home by 10:30 PM and missing one piece of luggage, But that was our dirty laundry so it did not make any difference coming in a day later.

 

This Ebert gives this cruise a big thumbs up!

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Thank you for posting your review. We are on Vision southbound on July 1st. Our cabin is just down the hall from where you were located. Glad to know it is in a good location! Good to know about the Ulu knives, we plan on going to the store in Anchrage - we will have to have them shipped home.

 

So many questions, I understand if you cannot answer them all.

 

Which nights were formal nights? Any other entrees that were particularly good? How about desserts? Did you eat breakfast in the Windjammer or the dining room? How was the kitchen tour?

 

Looking forward to your pre-cruise report, we are doing a week long pre-cruise adventure.

 

Thanks!

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You probably don't need to ship the Ulu's. We did get them in our luggage. I think they realized how many they would have to take care of, and decided against it.

Formal was day 2 - Hubbard Glacier and day 6 - Ketchikan / Misty Fjords.

All the fish dinners were great. Halibut and salmon. No Alaskan crab - not the season yet. Best dessert was the three-in-one on day six. Ate breakfast at both places. Dining room can make eggs sunny side up or poached. Make sure you say hi to Vinnie at Schooners.

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We were also on the Vision of the sea on June 3. I'll add a few things.

The Vision is a great, smaller ship, You will like the captain, he went out of the way to view whales and seals. One of my favorite things about the ship was the windjammer (buffet cafe) which sits at the front of the ship, so viewing the glacier and the wild life is great, get there in time to get a seat by the front window.

And sorry Ebert, we had the best waiter ( Vijay from India ) (well worth asking for) entertaining and super service. We also had some special extras.

 

Starting in Anchorage we stayed at Caribou Inn (a B&B downtown) Not award winning but free shuttle from airport and free shuttle to town, and nice breakfast included. We walked the trail around the water, was disappointed in scenery. Did go to a great Local's Restuarant called Humpy's, great salmon spread, fish and chips, blackened fish, that's what we tried, good prices, I'll return. Rained during the night. Tempature low45-high60.

On to Seward by the train ($59.00), this was a wonderful trip. Besides the beautiful scenery, we saw moose, sheep up close on the rocky edges (and jumping rock to rock) and eagles. You are free to move around the train. The train wasn't real full. Once in Seward we took the Major Marine tours (around $125.00), this was extremely nice. Had a great Park ranger. Saw a pod of 22 Orcas, some came close to the boat. Also saw sea otters, eagles, lots of different birds, Humpback whales, seals, and more. The food (served at 2:00) for the buffet was very good and desert was served at 6:00.

Stayed over night in Seward at Ballaine House owned by Marlee. I highly recommend this B&B, Very nice historic home, nicely decorated, clean, great breakfast of your choice. Plus she will booked your tours. We visited Exit Galcier and took a great horse back ride with Brady's.

We also had no trouble boarding. But the comptuters would not let them do everythiing, so after boarding we had to regive information.

 

On the way to Juneau, like Budget Queen said ,1 1/2 hrs before docking some of our group, got up early and spotted whales. In Juneau, we did Coastal Helicopters, we did a different Glacier ( Herbert, I think) maybe someone knows) we were there totally alone, like having a private Glacier. It was awsome. We saw the dog camps and sleds running on our return. We bought an Ulu knife here and was not question about it when boarding. Make sure it is made in Anchorage, some are China. The days were a litte warmer now near 70.

 

Skayway we rented a Van from Sourdough, had 75,000 miles, no problems. We saw a bear on the way to Emerald Lake, which was small but beautiful.

Ate at Cinnamon Cache also. They were out of Bunns, but I had Carrot Cake which was great!!! We had SOUP.

 

Icy Strait was also one of our favorite stops. We did get to meet Koo Hook after his return from Whale watching. He actually ran us to the end of the park area to see 6 whales from shore. We then watched them move all the way across the front of the docks, tails up many times and a bubble net ( someone called it that)! Some of our group went fishing and only caught one 15lb. salmon. The rest of us walked to town, which was a little dusty, but saw bear tracks and listened to the Eagles. Ate at Mary's and watched many Eagles on the docks. Also watched a champion log roller, Earl, by the docks. Spent the day meeting the people of the town, they are very freindly and willing to share their stories. We did take a taxi back to the Ship dock. Really enjoyed Koo Hook's Aunt. Watched a little Native dancing. Shopped at the docks(must be Alaskan made) and in the Native building (locally made). Heard from others that they saw bear on Float Plane ride. I could of easily missed the ship at this port and stayed.

 

Ketchikan was a good shopping town. But cross the street right, or they whislte and yell. We choose the Saxman Village, town tour. We were expecting a much bigger village area. This is a small area with a dozen Totem Poles and a small work shop. ( oh don't forget a little gift shop) We did get to stop and see a male Eagle up close, he was hiding down low in a tree from another male Eagle. Their female partners were both wanting a free nest near by. Then they dropped us at Dolly's house, wish was interesting, but not that exciting for a cruise vacation tour. The Eagle made that tour. Too long almost 3 hrs.

Really enjoyed Misty Fjords.

 

In Vancouver we had no trouble debarking. The temperture was 69. Liked the use of free suitcase carts at the Ship and the airport. Stayed at the Hyatt downtown which we got off of Price Line for $86.00 (taxes included) We walked to Granville market and took the Aquabuses on the water. Witnessed a commercial for Bulldog.com and a movie Marsion Child both being filmed along our walk.

 

I recommend this ship and a north to south or vise versa sailing. I only wish we had went to Delani Park ( north of Anchorage). Oh well, there will be a next time, but not till after the Mediterranean Cruise, we booked on board.

 

For what to wear, only locals wore shorts. It was basically short sleeve and jeans and take a jacket or sweatshirt weather. Near the Glaciers, on the deck at night, or boat excursions, warmer items are needed. A breathable rain jacket from Dick's Sporting Goods was great. You can buy online. At Dinner they only had 2 Formal nights, the rest were casual, I did find that unusual for a RCCL. Guess it's dress down in Alaska. I found all the evening shows to be very good. All of us enjoyed them. There was variety, so maybe some people won't like everything. Hope you enjoy your cruise as much as we did.

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Ken & Ebert -

 

Thanks so much for your review! DH and I are sailing the same itinerary on July 15th on the Vision. I too was having frustrations with the low number of posts about the Vision in Alaska.

 

I do have a couple of questions, though -

 

What exactly is Quest? I gather that it's a game of some sort.

 

Who is this wonderful Koo Hook? (Icy Strait is the only port that we're having troubles deciding what to do).

 

What were the ages of passengers? Are we going to be the only 20-something couple on the ship?

 

It sounds like you had a good time. Thanks for your synopsis!

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Under the search above, you can search for Koo Hook, that is his log in name. He lives in Icy Straits and answer questions on this board and has written much about the land and the people there. It was just fun to meet him and his family. He is a tour director for the whale watching tour. Most tours there are booked from the ship. It is such a beautiful place, we were the only ship in that week. We enjoyed walking along the shore in both directions from the ship dock. The shopping is different there, enjoyed talking with the shop employees and owners. Since there is 3 bears to each person, as I said a float plane or bear Hike would be my pick, along with just enjoying the area. There is a company called TECKK outfitters & guiding, ask for Keith Skafelstad, for bear bear watching. In town if not full, some booked plane rides on their own for a lot less.

The quest game is an aldult only game, which is something like a scavenger hunt. Only the items come from your team. The guys end up wearing bras. No nudity.

The age of the passengers is older than that in the Caribbean cruises on RCCL. A few kids, I'm sure there may be more now that school is out. There were less your age then in there 50's. But no matter, you will really enjoy. Sometimes those your age don't enjoy nature as you must. I did notice the children program looked good. They even had the kids perform on the stage before the evening show, real cute.

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Was on the same cruise.

 

I agree with most of the previous posts, except I was not that impressed with the food, other than the 2 formal nights. I thought that the Windjammer's layout was very hard to navigate and the food was not up to par.

 

Captain George was great, he would always try to get us close to wildlife and great views. The ship was very clean, and even though I was not totally happy with the food, the service in the dining room was the best than I have ever had.

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Marilyn, pirates nite is when they all the 3-7 year olds are dressed up, and tour the ship and make the captain walk the plank. Very cute. It makes all us grandparents want to see our grandkids do that someday. (Of course, our kids have to pay for our cruise too!)

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Ketarah -

 

I'll talk to my husband about the M & M party. I have heard of them, but I wasn't sure what to expect. We've decided to wing it in Icy Strait - see what catches out eye that day. We might end up just walking on the beach and looking for wildlife :)

 

Glad to hear that you'll be on our ship! This is our first cruise experience and while I'm sure we'll have a blast, we don't know exactly what to expect.

 

~Jess

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Jess,

Please do look into the M&M. It needs 25 people to be a go. From looking at the other Vision sailings southbound with confirmed M&M parties, it appears they would hold it on the 1st morning out before lunch time. It would be fun for a quick hello to a few people.

At any rate, I now this is going to be a great cruise!

Ketarah

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Was on the same cruise.

 

I agree with most of the previous posts, except I was not that impressed with the food, other than the 2 formal nights. I thought that the Windjammer's layout was very hard to navigate and the food was not up to par.

 

Captain George was great, he would always try to get us close to wildlife and great views. The ship was very clean, and even though I was not totally happy with the food, the service in the dining room was the best than I have ever had.

 

I have to disagree on the food but I'm biased, any meal I don't have to plan, cook, or clean up afterwards is great.:)

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