Live from the Shadow- new SS traveler posting from Alaska

[Jim Avery]

DJ, did you catch my review of Pacific Princess to Alaska in May? Smallish ship, fantastic suite/balcony, great food and service. Throw that in the mix when your time comes.:D Back to Silversea, My Sis went on Silversea in the Med in May. Says it was the best trip they have ever taken. And she is a picky b***h!:eek: Ok Sis, if you are reading this, I Love You.:D:D

Edited July 31, 2014 by Jim Avery

[DisneyJen]

DJ, did you catch my review of Pacific Princess to Alaska in May? Smallish ship, fantastic suite/balcony, great food and service. Throw that in the mix when your time comes.:D Back to Silversea, My Sis went on Silversea in the Med in May. Says it was the best trip they have ever taken. And she is a picky b***h!:eek: Ok Sis, if you are reading this, I Love You.:D:D

 

I missed it Jim:eek: I will go and find it.

[zqvol]

On the ship. Will reserve comments about the ship until we have a better chance to check it out. For those of you interested in things like carpet and paint, unless something is horrible we won't mention it. Ships wear and tear and unless it is out of the ordinary it is just that. BTW, normal maintenance is ongoing today with a lot of fresh paint and varnish being applied.

 

For those interested approximately 10 lbs of fresh caught salmon are being frozen and shipped to NC. FT got a 7 lb silve, a pink, and a rock fish that the crew threw back 😢😢, she wanted it too.

 

The ship is quiet because the majority of passengers are coming by train from Anchorage and will arrive at approximately 5:00 p.m.

[Jim Avery]

On the ship. Will reserve comments about the ship until we have a better chance to check it out. For those of you interested in things like carpet and paint, unless something is horrible we won't mention it. Ships wear and tear and unless it is out of the ordinary it is just that. BTW, normal maintenance is ongoing today with a lot of fresh paint and varnish being applied.

 

For those interested approximately 10 lbs of fresh caught salmon are being frozen and shipped to NC. FT got a 7 lb silve, a pink, and a rock fish that the crew threw back 😢😢, she wanted it too.

 

The ship is quiet because the majority of passengers are coming by train from Anchorage and will arrive at approximately 5:00 p.m.

 

If she catches too much salmon, I can give you our address.:D:D

[whatnot]

Love it! I caught a big King Salmon when we were in Alaska. It was a lot of fun. Shipped back home to NC very successfully. We had a lot of good meals out of that fish. You will really enjoy having the fish FT caught. Looking forward to fish pictures!

[DisneyJen]

Love it! I caught a big King Salmon when we were in Alaska. It was a lot of fun. Shipped back home to NC very successfully. We had a lot of good meals out of that fish. You will really enjoy having the fish FT caught. Looking forward to fish pictures!

 

The vibes coming from Alaska must have been so strong ... I am making Cedar Planked Salmon for dinner. It is the Disney recipe from Disney's Wilderness Lodge with fresh caught Alaskan Coho Salmon:p

 

On the ship. Will reserve comments about the ship until we have a better chance to check it out. For those of you interested in things like carpet and paint, unless something is horrible we won't mention it. Ships wear and tear and unless it is out of the ordinary it is just that. BTW, normal maintenance is ongoing today with a lot of fresh paint and varnish being applied.

 

For those interested approximately 10 lbs of fresh caught salmon are being frozen and shipped to NC. FT got a 7 lb silve, a pink, and a rock fish that the crew threw back 😢😢, she wanted it too.

 

The ship is quiet because the majority of passengers are coming by train from Anchorage and will arrive at approximately 5:00 p.m.

 

Tell FT that DJ's DH and I are very impressed! Too bad we live in NY now as we would have enjoyed sharing the salmon in NC:cool:

 

Please share you first impressions of the ship!

[frequent traveler]

On board and this will be quick, as I am exhausted. Left the lodge at 6 am to catch my boat. Was sunny wonderful day. My "7" LB silver was that weight net sans head and all the other stuff and was caught at at a depth of 140 FT. The pink was smaller and caught at 40 FT but those filets look good. Highly recommend the Aurora charter group. Train with the hordes are about to arrive but we are almost unpacked.

 

Cabin is in excellent condition, fairly new if not new this season, carpeting, bedding, and draperies. For the price it seems smaller than our Regent Navigator cabin and only slightly larger than a Sea Dream cabin but with a walkin closet and larger bathroom. Plastic square to set up table for in room dining is in closet and doesn't seem to allow for more than a light meal

We just met Reynaldo, our butler, who has 15 cabins

Checkin was rather routine. Just went to the front desk, got our pictures made, were handed half a glass of sparkling wine (not champagne) and went to our cabins. Luckily no line.

[zqvol]

Couple of factual observations about the ship.

 

The carpet in the halls seems worn to the point it needs replacing, or else a new pattern selected.

 

Green indoor/outdoor carpet on decks 9 and 10. Really?

 

Staff all seem very friendly.

[vandrefalk]

Really looking forward to ship reports -- loved your Kenai report. We saw some wonderful sights in Resurrection Bay! Keep it coming!

Vandrefalk

[DisneyJen]

Thanks for the report FT and zqvol!

 

Especially appreciate the compare and contrast among the three cruise lines.

[Jim Avery]

Ok FT/ZQVOL, what do you think you are doing? On Vacation? No way, your fans are waiting. Time to go to work.:eek::D

[Jim Avery]

Must be having great internet on board.:D Hope Yall are having a great time.

[frequent traveler]

A catch up post-

First, dinner last night(1st nite) was in main dining room. Service was friendly and plentiful. By that I mean there was more than enough staff to keep my water glass full at all times without request, a key test for me. And while I skipped the white wine, the red, an Australian Shiraz, was soft enough that I didn't turn down the constant topping off of my glass. Pacing was mostly good. Menu is extremely varied with a lot of choices, the "standards" more basic with last nights specials trending more towards fusion.

 

Our waiter Jesus, took special note of a couple of food allergies and was very careful of checking the ingredients in every dish. I appreciated that very much.

 

Dining room is spacious for the number of people. Light and the warm decor does not overwhelm. It's the first main dining room I have not felt claustrophobic dining in on a cruise ship. The conversational noise did not overwhelm and we were able to have a nice chat with the lovely couple from New Zealand seated next to us.

 

I will definitely be saving room for dessert every night. The 2 full pages of dessert put a glow in this chocoholic's heart. My flourless chocolate mini pie did not disappoint. Coupled with an Irish coffee that seemed more Irish than coffee I was glad I had only an appetizer, then fish, and that portion sizes were reasonable.

 

Dining room seemed in good physical condition. Noticed a couple of nicks in the baseboard that looked like vacuum scrapes but I don't count those as deterioration. Easy to repair with a furniture marker. Light was very bright and woods and fabrics seemed in good shape and fairly recent.

 

Reynaldo did an excellent job of stocking our cabin while we were at dinner and was very distressed that no Neutragena products were available. I am not a big fan of the particular Bvlgari scent, clear bottle with green cap, but there is another hypoallergenic line, Seba Med , that is available. So all is well. Also Ferragamo is available.

 

The safety drill before sailing was the most extensive I have ever experienced, even going so far as to explain the proper way to jump in the water. In most other body of waters, I would want to know but no way am I stepping off into the Gulf of Alaska without a dry suit. But I wanted to stuff gags into the mouths of people who laughed and talked all the way through. I don't care how many times you have sailed this is serious stuff and when you are not in warm water it's even more serious.

 

One more vent - yes, you are on vacation and it was casual last night, but come on, a worn t shirt and track pants to dinner 2 hrs after sailing? In a multi-generational family, it was not the 20 something or the grandfather but the middle aged father. I will rebel against "formal" and dine in my cabin that night but this was ridiculous. Had I not heard the son chide the dad I would had tried to think - ok, lost luggage. But it wasn't.

 

Back to our cabin, bathroom is spacious with double vanity and good storage space. However shower is tiny and bathtub wastes space. Shower water is only lukewarm, all plastic surround stall, and weak shower head. Even with small size SD shower wins this one hands down. Would much prefer bigger shower. And I am disappointed in "verandah". Not big enough for a chaise. Not comfortable for extended viewing. We'll see how crowded the public spaces get later this morning. We did watch a number of Tweens and under board but saw very few in the early evening or this morning.

 

After the lifeboat drill, we had an introduction event on the pool deck - which I can see will become one of my favorite places. Introductions to the diamond master I could do without, but staff and lecturers were interesting as well as performance by the on board entertainers- six individuals, all classically trained but will be doing ABBA and Motown shows also. It looks like 25-30 people showed up for the "diamond class" this morning. Well, I certainly didn't come to Alaska to buy diamonds but I guess others did.

 

Morning of Day at Sea

bed is excellent, slept well and we are up early, though this will likely not post until we get back in range of wi fi. Steaming across a calm Gulf of Alaska (no whitecaps and minimal swells) toward Hubbard Glacier. Wind is 17 -19 knots and our speed is 18 knots (TV keeps switching between knots and km per hr which is very confusing to this land loving American)

 

We have all our shore excursion tickets and I have a very busy day in Juneau. Whale watching in the morning and salmon fishing again in the afternoon. And since the Salmon fishing is marked "extensive" physical activity I don't feel quite as bad that my trapezoids are a bit sore this morning. Might I remind you that my silver salmon fought me from 140 feet deep? I hope I'm not one of those with a big fat zero in Juneau:). ZQVOL is now signed up for the excursion so if can catch even 4 big ones, that's a nice shipment home.

 

Back to Fox Island. Since I don't like people (and I understand the feeling is reciprocated) this overnight stay was wonderful. I'm ready to buy land in Alaska and summer here as soon as I win the lottery. It was so peaceful to sit and listen to the water hit the rocks and watch the birds. There are hiking paths but you are required to sign out and take a noise horn in case of injury. Kayaking is an extra charge and had we'd stayed an extra day I might have done either the night or day. you can sit on your porch on your cabin but the best viewing area are the old fashioned Adirondack chairs on the front deck of the private lodge for the beach or the picnic tables of the public area for the more marshy backside. Fox Island was definitely a 10 and a do over if we return.

 

Back to the ship-

Ate breakfast at the buffet. Selection was good and fresh fruit was assortment of melons and strawberries. Oatmeal was gummy and I gave up after a couple of bites. Again, draperies, upholstery, furniture and carpet seem in good shape. We have noticed a trend (if 2x can be a trend) for the restaurants to get stuffy. I don't know if someone complains about temperature and they adjust upward or if they fail to consider the load but the corridors are much more comfortable. And artwork is AMAZING. Truly some pieces are museum quality. They need to put benches in the corridor so we can sit and reflect.

 

I thought I had found my perfect place to park on sea days-outside on the back of deck 8, great views, I have already spotted Dall's porpoises but smoking may drive me elsewhere. And before I trigger flaming I am not saying smoking should not be allowed in about the only outdoor seating area with unobstructed viewing in Alaska, just that I will find another place to lurk. It's extremely moderate in temperature on deck right now so layers aren't needed yet. We are still some distance from glacier

 

So far, top to bottom the staff and crew have been friendly and helpful. While it's early, resembles Sea Dream in willingness to get to know you and remember your preferences. Enjoying that immensely.

 

Back to Seward and the Kenai peninsula - there is so much to do and so much to see, we barely scratched the surface. I can already see another trip to Alaska -maybe just, maybe landbased. Warning - you can not find a diet Red Bull any where in Seward BUT the Safeway. Gosh knows, I walked the entire waterfront trying but my cab driver confirmed. Apparently everyone loves the regular red bull Italian sodas We found almost universally, everyone to be friendly and helpful. The deluxe Prevost motor homes parked in the waterfront camping lots made me almost- the operative word is almost, want to camp here for a week.

 

Back to ship

I am a clean freak on ships and the public bathrooms are immaculate. Tile grout is a good test. In the ladies room on deck 8, the tile grout is spotless - even behind the toilets, yes, I check. This ship may be a bit up there in years but so far I see loving care and an attention to detail and sanitation.

 

Absolutely freaking amazing - 57 degrees and clear blue skies all day today. Hubbard Glacier was spectacular. Pictures are spellbinding. People were poolside and in shorts. I air dried my hair on the balcony this afternoon after we left the Glacier. Can not believe it.

We seem to have an eclectic international passenger group. Seems pretty mellow. Only saw a few rambling munchkins/rug rats late this afternoon though some Tweens and teens took over the pool and one of the two hot tubs. Couldn't tell if it bothered anyone but haven't heard rumblings yet.

Not sure if I have dinner reservations anywhere since I didn't get any cards other than a wait list at the up charge restaurant. Pretty sure we have a couple but since I haven't been reminded and king crab and lobster is at MDR, guess where we are headed.

 

High hopes for dinner were crushed. Service was slow and the yelling we heard from the kitchen was not a good sign. Our waiter actually took our "unused breadsticks" and gave them to another table and put the unused bread from the basket back into his bin. YUCK. That was after escargot that was tasteless and lobster tail spoiled by a totally unnecessary roux. I know food is subjective -but this was not a 3 star meal, and it was in the execution, not the ingredients. The King crab appetizer was the one acceptable dish - presented simply accompanied with caviar like sides. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Dining at the Grill

Back in wi fi range near Sitka

Edited August 2, 2014 by frequent traveler

[frequent traveler]

Must be having great internet on board.:D Hope Yall are having a great time.

 

Not using the on board wi fi since I don't have any work emergencies so far, sorry Jim, postings on CC don't need the daily internet charge

[Jim Avery]

Great post FT! And we like you even though we don't like people much either.:eek: Sounds like the cabin is nothing special. Like you, we will have a problem returning to a "real cabin" after the great suites we have had on Princess. You are spot on about the Dry Suits. When I first boarded my ship in Seattle to head for the Bering Sea, I searched my cabin for a lifejacket. One of the first things on board is find your safety gear. All I found was a Survival Suit (dry suit). I asked the Bosun where the lifejackets were stowed. After a few puzzled seconds, he realized this warm water sailor needed some instruction. He showed me my Survival Suit and told me if I didn't get into it before going in the water, don't bother to get off. In most areas, unprotected survival time is measured in minutes. We had weekly drills getting into those suits and waxing the zippers to make sure they worked easily. Alaska and the Bering Sea can be spectacularly beautiful but it is also deadly. Here's hoping Yall never need the drill.:D We are looking forward to the next installment.

[zqvol]

Great post FT! And we like you even though we don't like people much either.:eek: Sounds like the cabin is nothing special. Like you, we will have a problem returning to a "real cabin" after the great suites we have had on Princess. You are spot on about the Dry Suits. When I first boarded my ship in Seattle to head for the Bering Sea, I searched my cabin for a lifejacket. One of the first things on board is find your safety gear. All I found was a Survival Suit (dry suit). I asked the Bosun where the lifejackets were stowed. After a few puzzled seconds, he realized this warm water sailor needed some instruction. He showed me my Survival Suit and told me if I didn't get into it before going in the water, don't bother to get off. In most areas, unprotected survival time is measured in minutes. We had weekly drills getting into those suits and waxing the zippers to make sure they worked easily. Alaska and the Bering Sea can be spectacularly beautiful but it is also deadly. Here's hoping Yall never need the drill.:D We are looking forward to the next installment.

 

Jim

 

Cabin is nothing more than a standard SD cabin with a closet and a bigger bathroom, though the crappy shower, Luke warm water, shower head like a Motel Six and plastic walls is horrid. The balcony is nice but is suspect that if I measured it that the size is smaller than advertised.

 

Dinner last night was horrid. FT like the crab appetizer, but I was unimpressed, in fact I have been unimpressed with the food overall, certainly not close to SD quality.

 

Back to the cabin, adjusting the temp is impossible, so we have sailed the Gulf of Alaska with the balcony door open. May have it figured out but to keep the cabin cool we have to close the blackout drapes.

 

Weather at Hubbard glacier was phenomenal, bright sunshine, clear blue skies and ambient air temps of around 55. I kept shedding layers until I was down to a single T shirt. Pictures will appear on Facebook, when I get a laptop connected to the Internet. You can always follow me on Instagram (zqvol) for updates.

 

We are just finishing breakfast at anchor in Sitka. The marine layer is thick, but if you look up you can see a cloudless blue sky.

 

More later

[Jim Avery]

We had that morning low fog layer a few days but as you say, above it is cloudless and it soon burns off. Hope the excellent weather continues. What a disappointment the food must be as SS has so much hype about their high end nature. They certainly charge enough for it.:eek:

[frequent traveler]

We had that morning low fog layer a few days but as you say, above it is cloudless and it soon burns off. Hope the excellent weather continues. What a disappointment the food must be as SS has so much hype about their high end nature. They certainly charge enough for it.:eek:

 

Jim, we had 2 choices for this itinerary as I was bound and determined to visit Sitka again on an all inclusive ship. Regent Navigator which we had done before and SS. The number of children and cramped public spaces on our Navigator cruise led us here. There is plenty of space and we are not overrun with uncontrolled children. So far so good

[DisneyJen]

Thanks again for the wonderful updates FT and zqvol! BTW, DJ's Dh and I like you both:p

 

Your descriptions of the wildlife and scenery make be want to sail Alaska sooner than later!

[duct tape]

I hope you are communicating with the maitre'd about your unhappiness with the food.

[frequent traveler]

Just finished our tour- started with sea otters, Sitka deer, sea lions, harbor seals, bald eagles and whales. Then on to the bear recovery center where orphan bears are rescued( if the mother dies, the only alternative in Alaska is to put the cubs down) Then to the raptor center where injured eagles and other raptors are rehabbed and released if possible or transferred to other facilities.

 

This was a long tour 9:30 to 2:30 and nothing but a cracker with a piece of salmon was included so we are grabbing chowder and crab cakes before heading back to the ship. Last tender is at 4:30 so it's good we have been here before, as totem poles national park is not to be missed.

 

Another sunny stunning day. My layers are going to waste.

 

As to food, yes, I communicated the bread basket fiasco before leaving the restaurant. As to the "blah" factor of the breakfast buffet, the food overall is not bad. It's just nothing impressive. And we are using Sea Dream standards (when it's good, it's the best we've had on the seas, even though we've had a bad week there too).

 

Dinner the first night was acceptable, but nothing impressive. My cod was perfectly cooked but the beef was over cooked and we've now learned to ask for all sauces on the side. There are a lot of nationalities on board, so may be I'm missing something in the targeted market.

We also have several other venues to try so I'm staying open to possibilities.

 

I love the attitude and responsiveness of almost all the staff and crew. So that's a definite plus.

 

More later

Edited August 2, 2014 by frequent traveler

[frequent traveler]

Well heck, we were just going through a pile of paper and found our invitation to the CC on board event. Problem was, it was Friday. :(. Every day I put all the papers one place and they end up walking elsewhere. No telling what else we have missed!

[frequent traveler]

Creeping into Juneau -water is almost smooth as glass

 

Must thank the wonderful excursion staff. First, yesterday morning went off extremely smoothly. While multiple excursions gathered in the main lounge (like Regent) it was extremely organized and non-chaotic(unlike Regent). Some groups boarded a tender from one side of the ship while our group stepped directly onto our wildlife cruise boat.

 

We decided late yesterday we had tried to pack too much into today with yet another wildlife seeking voyage AND a fishing trip with only a 45 minute gap between. The deadline for canceling without full payment penalty had passed but the excursion desk said they even though there was no wait list they would try to sell my tickets. And they were able to do so before closing for the evening. On a MM line, the result would have been commission driven and very different. I regret not wearing my glasses to read the name tag of the lovely lady assisting me. (20/15 long distance vision- I can spot a whale a mile away, but blind as a bat for a menu or a name tag). Also, SS had a ship rep with us the whole time (unlike SD who on our last voyage, admittedly 2 yrs ago, rarely had an employee do anything other than biking)

 

Dinner at The Grill last night was by far the best meal on board. Excellent quality and service. poolside but with heaters and blankets we were physically comfortable with an excellent view. Started with tortilla chips and sides (guacamole, salsa, and green chile), then a choice of 3 salads. I had the New Yorker- greens, Bleu cheese, and bacon. You then choose from fish, meat, and a couple of vegetarian options. I chose prawns and filet. They are brought to your table sizzling on a hot block and you take them off when done to your taste. My steak was truly rare:) accompanied by a skewer of grilled vegetables and a baked potato, this is a great concept. Easy to execute- every one seemed to be having a great time - each member of the staff and the guests, in a relaxed atmosphere.

Wine was an Argentinian blend (red). I am easy to please in the reds-usually preferring French or Chilean reds just due to time spent there. 2 out of the 3 nights the house red has been fine, the one exception surprising me - a French wine, but it was a "blend" and I don't think I've ever had that before this voyage (at least knowingly)

ZQVOL enjoyed the ABBA show the other night and says he will post more at the end of voyage

Got run off our balcony yesterday pm by cigar smoke. Hate that, but it was pre-dinner. Hopefully will be limited. Cabin cooled down and we got warmer water in the shower. Still not hot enough to steam up bathroom mirror but no more goosies:).

Just docking in Juneau. Looks like another absolutely beautiful day.

[duct tape]

Smoking on veranda is verboten. Please inform reception. Enjoy the day!

[TravelJane]

Has anyone dined in this restaurant on the Shadow? We have dined in this restaurant on other ships, but this is our first time on the Shadow. The web site that there is a $40 reservation fee, but it did not mention wine. Seems like when we dined on the Whisper that there was a large additional cost for wine. People in our group are wondering about this since it might influence if anyone wants to make a reservation there if they have to pay additional for wine.