SPIRIT to ALASKA May 8 - 15 Review ... LOVED IT!!!

I never thought I'd accomplish it, but I've been to ALASKA!!!

AMAZING CRUISE!!! Thanks to Roy for for planning it in the first place and asking me to be his roommate... THANKS to Karen, who upgraded us to a balcony when she joined our cabin... and THANKS to Jenn for staying up to date with all the price drops and getting us OBC out the wazzoo!!!! COULDN'T ASK FOR A BETTER gang of cruisers!!!

Summary of facts:

• Departed Seattle, Tuesday, May 8th -- first cruise out of Seattle for 2012
  
• Deck 8
  
• Cabin 8228
  
• Aft, port side, extended balcony
  
• Cabin Steward: Gede
  
• Table 210, downstairs, just next to the Captain's Table -- only one MDR on the Spirit: Empire
  
  
• Seating 10, but more comfortable at 8, round table
  
• Head waiter: Andrew; Waiters: Ronald and Roland
  
• Returning to Seattle, Tuesday, May 15th
  

Karen, Jenn, and I left from Austin on Alaska Air, Friday, May 4th. Imagining cooler Seattle and cooler still Alaska sounded so WONDERFUL!!!!

But first... a bite to eat!!! ... and some pndering and some text messages!!!

All those heading to Seattle... board and fastgen your seatbelts... Our VACATION is about to commence!!!

Yes... they did say, if it has an on / off switch, turn it to off... but I didn't think a camera made a difference...

Here's where I'll bore some of you with shots from the air... I got this camera, a Kodak 1080 Easy Share Max Z990, with 30X zoom built in.

The next few photos will be as we flew to Seattle. The fires were the ones in northern Arizona. We caught the edge of the cayon area...

 

And I was fascinated with the ice crystals on the window...

 

 

And playing with the zoom and close up settings...

 

Hi LambKnuckles- Were you guys eating earlier than usual? Heard elsewhere that both dining times were pushed up for repositioning.

I'm loving this already, can't wait to read the rest!

Keep it coming.

Looks like its gonna be a good one!

Love review!!

Okay, I'm bouncing in my seat waiting for more!

keep the review coming awesome so far thanks!:)

Looking forward to the rest......

What? Where's the rest? You're killin' me! :D

Looking forward to the rest. I love Alaska cruise reviews.

I'm waiting too! You got our ship when they made us disembark. Glad it sounds like you had a great cruise!

Great review and photos too! Looking forward to reading more!:)

I can't wait to read your review Lambie..We LOVEd Alaska!

Once in Seattle, Roy was there to pick up his three women! Jenn called him and described our luggage, and by the time we deboard the plane, and rode the tram to the luggage areas... He had our luggage and we were ready to hit the road!!!

Staying out in Silverdale, not in Seattle, was GREAT!!! The Silverdale Beach Resort was our home for the next four nights... And first thing in the morning... this is what greeted us!!!

Heading over in the morning to Seattle, we went by ferry. The drive to Bainbridge Island ferry was beautiful. All the green of Washington... the trees everywhere... and coming from central Texas... all the hills and mountains! Such a climate and geographical change!!

And taking a ferry, what a novelty for someone coming from this area!! We stopped to get get gas on the Indian Reservation... I loved this sign...

then onto the ferry...

Driving onto the ferry, we were aimed up to the second level for cars...

Then we park the car and head up to the passenger deck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cruising is cruising... and I'm on a ship!!! YIPPEE!!!

Once we leave Bainbridge Island and round a bend... We can see the city skyline!

 



 

 

WOW!!! Walking around the deck, and looking around, I feel the water, the sailing, the cruising... And the wake... ahhhhh, the wake...

 

 

yep -- On Tuesday, we'll be boarding the SPIRIT!!!

Driving off the ferry, we head for the airport to pick up my son. He's coming up from Sacramento to spend my birthday weekend with us. He's not a cruiser... So he won't be boarding the SPIRIT... But we'll spend some time and have some fun first!

Our first stop is Kerry Park. A wonderful vista overview of Seattle.

 

 

Here we are!!

And Little Lambie, too!!!

We found a place to park, but there are stairs to get here too!

THANK HEAVENS we didn't have to climb those!!! WHEW!!!

They are working and there are benches and a sculpture...

but the view is what we came for! ... And, here's my zoom onto the Space Needle...

I LOVE this camera! I think it will be perfect for Alaska!!!

Hi LambKnuckles- Were you guys eating earlier than usual? Heard elsewhere that both dining times were pushed up for repositioning.

Yes... our dining time was 5:30, not the usual 6:00. And late dining was 7:45...

I'm loving this already, can't wait to read the rest!

I'm so sorry there is a lag time between posts... I haven't uploaded all the photos to SnapFish yet and that's what took so long!!! (I tend to take lots of photos... and it takes time to get them loaded!!!)

Thanks!!! I'll do a bit each day... but think this is all there is for today...

Keep it coming.

Thank you!!! I will...

I'll have more for Saturday in Seattle, then Sunday we went to the OlympicForest and Hurricane Ridge... then on Monday, we were lazy and repacked and celebrated my 59th birthday... THEN on TUESDAY we board our ship!!!!

Looks like its gonna be a good one!

Thank you!!! I hope you enjoy it!

Love review!!

Thanks Taylor!!!

Okay, I'm bouncing in my seat waiting for more!

I promise I'll post more!!! Looks like you're cruising to Alaska soon, too!!!

keep the review coming awesome so far thanks!:)

Thanks!! I hope I don't bore y'all with the Seattle part... But, I consider the whole thing my cruise vacation!!

Looking forward to the rest......

Thanks, Snoozeman... yours are always so great!!!

What? Where's the rest? You're killin' me! :D

I'm getting photos uploaded and commentary written... I promise more tomorrow!!!