4.29.2018 NCL Pearl to Alaska live writeup- and I don’t even sail for 75 days!

Nice! I am now in a pickle because I wanted to get booking over with. I booked with Harv and Marv, and overnight received an email from Jayleen’s Uncle Steve, who does his own thing now but used to work for Harv and marv, runs a 6 Person boat, and is happy to take just me if the boat doesn’t fill. All 3 companies get great reviews, but Jayleen and Steve had a little bit of an edge with the drop off at the glacier, and just the feeling I get. I love to support women owned businesses which gave her an edge but now I am considering canceling Harv and marv and going with Steve.

 

 

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The Tour I took was/is a women based tour also!

Not much to report right now, but that never stopped me before.

The new internet packages came out, and are available to purchase, but I promised myself I’d take care of a few other things first, and pay for it with my state return. NJ YOU ARE SO SLOW!

I haven’t made a decision re: Harv and Marv Vs. Captain Steve. I’d rather captain Steve, but do I really want to babysit a refund coming to my bank

Account? I am not so sure.

I did book my eyelashes for the day before I fly to Seattle. Behold, what a skilled eyelash extensioneer can do (this was pre-my first cruise.)

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47 days until my cruise. 45 until my trip begins. That’s a solid month and a half, yahoo!

I decided that if captain Steve will still take me, I will cancel the whale watching tour I booked and go with him. I just have a good feeling.

In the meantime, in honor of the crazy straw I ordered in the shape of my name, to be used with all cocktails on this cruise, I set up a pub crawl for our first night.

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What a really odd thread.

What a really odd thread.

Thanks?

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I certainly wouldn't take the comment about this being an odd thread as anything more than an observation. It's a bit different than many threads but I think it's great as you are just so excited for your cruise you want to share it with others. You are giving it your flair and there is nothing wrong with that.

I like to call it the "anticipatory value portion of the cruise". If you are excited in the time before the cruise I think that is getting value out of the cruise before you are even onboard.

Enjoy the anticipation! The dream is almost as fun as the reality that awaits.

We will be bringing the Pearl to you in just a little over 3 weeks. We are going to take our time though taking 21 days to get her from New Orleans to Seattle. Sorry we will be going so slow but we thought we would extend your anticipatory value a bit longer. ;p

Ok, I’m back. I was up to no good for a few days.

When we left off, I was still waiting for someone to join my excursion in Juneau so I could book it.

 

Yeah, nothing yet.

 

So... here’s something that may bore you to tears. Or not, but I still have 66 days (or 64 if you count Seattle!) to go, so.

 

I am pasty white and pale. My hair, while not quite my natural color, is similar to what I had as a child. My eyelashes and eyebrows are blonde and clear. I have baby fine hair.

 

My routine, when going on a cruise, is to get eyelash extensions right before the cruise. It means I look a little done up even if I am in the pool, and I wake up sort of presentable,except for the Einstein hair.

 

Last year I upped the game by timing my hair extensions with the cruise. It took a zillion years to dry, but it looked pretty.

 

I have been hemming and hawing about getting microbladed for a year or two. Decided I might give it to myself as a birthday present. If you don’t know what I am talking about, it’s basically where they slice holes in your face that looks like eyebrow hair and put ink in it. It’s an eyebrow tattoo that lasts 6 months to 2 years. In my market, which is close to NYC, it will cost you an arm and a leg and a couple of cats to get it done well, but a coworker of mine who is an amazing makeup artist and has great eyebrows is going to class to learn it. She needs Guinea pigs. I am going to be her last guinea pig and I trust her completely. It’s about a month before my trip so I won’t look like Edward scissorhands by then. How fortuitous! So I will have automatic eyelashes and eyebrows like normal people for this cruise. Jury’s out on the hair. I think I will just keep my own this time.

 

 

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BEAUTY TIP - Purchase Rodan and Fields Lash Booster. Fabulous. You will have real lashes by the trip. You will have to find a person who sells this unbelievable product.

Love the pub crawl

will have on 21 days by then so will have had a lot of practice;p

I certainly wouldn't take the comment about this being an odd thread as anything more than an observation. It's a bit different than many threads but I think it's great as you are just so excited for your cruise you want to share it with others. You are giving it your flair and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

 

 

I like to call it the "anticipatory value portion of the cruise". If you are excited in the time before the cruise I think that is getting value out of the cruise before you are even onboard.

 

 

 

Enjoy the anticipation! The dream is almost as fun as the reality that awaits.

 

 

 

We will be bringing the Pearl to you in just a little over 3 weeks. We are going to take our time though taking 21 days to get her from New Orleans to Seattle. Sorry we will be going so slow but we thought we would extend your anticipatory value a bit longer. ;p

That’s ok, have a drink on the 8th for me- it’s my REAL birthday :)

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BEAUTY TIP - Purchase Rodan and Fields Lash Booster. Fabulous. You will have real lashes by the trip. You will have to find a person who sells this unbelievable product.

I have heard great things, but I actually have super long lashes. They are just sparse, and blonde :) I need to wake up with big, dark, drag-queen eyelashes :)

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So, fun update, I officially cancelled with Harv and Marc’s for my whale watching and booked with Steve Olmstead. Steve apparently once worked for Harv and Marv’s, is related to Jolayne, and was a fan favorite before he got his own company. I just get a great vibe from him and he is going to drop me off at the glacier. Hooray. Here’s his website if anyone is interested in the future.

https://www.alaskahumpbackadventures.com

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Also, I will be the person sucking their rebellious fishes out of this sucker:

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Thanks for the tip on Steve! My wife and I are on the same cruise as you, and have been looking for a small boat whale watching excursion such as this. NCL offered one 10 years ago when we did Alaska on the Star, but cant find one now. The bigger boats looked terrible last time, and our small boat was awesome!

I like to call it the "anticipatory value portion of the cruise". If you are excited in the time before the cruise I think that is getting value out of the cruise before you are even onboard.

Enjoy the anticipation! The dream is almost as fun as the reality that awaits.

;p

I am the same way! I enjoy the vacation for months before it actually occurs, and when I sadly had to cancel vacation plans a few years ago, I was consoled (a little!) by the fun I had for all the time preceding the cancellation. So it is a good thing to be excited and think/research ahead of time!

Thanks for the tip on Steve! My wife and I are on the same cruise as you, and have been looking for a small boat whale watching excursion such as this. NCL offered one 10 years ago when we did Alaska on the Star, but cant find one now. The bigger boats looked terrible last time, and our small boat was awesome!

Awesome! Steve is super nice, and I have read great things about him. Feel free to join our rollcall if you’d like.

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I like to call it the "anticipatory value portion of the cruise". If you are excited in the time before the cruise I think that is getting value out of the cruise before you are even onboard.

 

 

 

Enjoy the anticipation! The dream is almost as fun as the reality that awaits.

 

 

 

;p

I am the same way! I enjoy the vacation for months before it actually occurs, and when I sadly had to cancel vacation plans a few years ago, I was consoled (a little!) by the fun I had for all the time preceding the cancellation. So it is a good thing to be excited and think/research ahead of time!

That is exactly it! Thank you! This is fun :)

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I turn 40 in 8 days, start my trip in 27, and sail in 29. Exciting!

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I turn 40 shortly before our upcoming cruise also! [emoji16]

I turn 40 shortly before our upcoming cruise also! [emoji16]

Happy happy! So Exciting for us to be turning so YOUNG.

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happy almost birthday!!! we're officially in April now! the anticipation must be huge!

Thank you! And TOTALLY.

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I do my best and most impulsive shopping during the rare moments I get insomnia, so it makes sense that when i woke up this morning at 5am and couldn’t sleep, that I would groggily cancel my Airbnb reservation, a cute room with a deck and a hot tub, 20 minutes outside of Seattle, and book a killer apartment with amazing views 5 minutes from the space needle and 20 minutes (walking) from the pier. At 3 times the price, I won’t exactly make up for it by eschewing uber, but it was still super reasonable. And can you beat that view?

I paid off my excursion today, bought some binoculars, some tried and true comfy city walking shoes, and I think I am pretty much ready to go. 3 weeks until my trip begins...

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I LOVE this thread so much. We are going on a June 30 Bliss Alaska cruise. I won't do a report live ( I don't think) ....will wait til we are back...but do know the title of my thread already. " A Homebody Goes to Haven"

I LOVE this thread so much. We are going on a June 30 Bliss Alaska cruise. I won't do a report live ( I don't think) ....will wait til we are back...but do know the title of my thread already. " A Homebody Goes to Haven"

Thanks! Great title! By then I should be just about ready to relive the experience through your post!

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Thanks! Great title! By then I should be just about ready to relive the experience through your post!

 

 

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Can’t wait to read more of yours!

We are now past the great shoppcalypse of this spring, I think. I tend to get shoppy in April and before vacations and since this time they were combined, well, these are the new things I bought to take on the cruise ranging from useful to ridic:

Binoculars

A sleeping mask that is also headphones

A travel essential oil sprayer

A gimbal

More ebooks than I have read in 5 years

A new coat that isn’t my fancy pretty coat but isn’t covered in questionable funk from abandoned houses

6 extra camera batteries

A 300mm lens

A bigger better battery backup

Lots of travel sized toiletries

4 new pairs of shoes

2 new skirts

A new dress

6 new pairs of underwear

7 new pairs of socks

An electronic candle

A new thing to carry my toiletries in

Tweezers

A fold up rain coat

Some things that fizz in the shower and make you feel better when hungover

Some other hangover crap

A straw shaped like my name

I am always a last minute packer but I couldn’t help but start today.... filled the packing cubes with underwear, dresses, belts, hats, gloves, and pajamas. I can start packing toiletries tomorrow when my toiletry holder arrives.

I leave in 2 weeks and 6 hours.

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