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Pearl Review--July 26-Aug 2--Seattle to Alaska

mompus

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mompus

mompus

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All I can say is people have told me Alaska is beautiful and it was one of their favorite cruises. I totally agree. I have been all over the US including Hawaii and to Europe and Alaska is beautiful! This was my 8th cruise and my 3rd with NCL. My sister and I are in our early 50’s and we had our 85 year old father with us.

 

We flew to Seattle on Saturday and stayed at the Spring Hill Suites in downtown Seattle. Rooms were very nice with free breakfast and a free shuttle to the Market and also a shuttle to the Pier for $8 per person. Sunday, we went to Pike’s Place Market and to the Great Wheel and then went back to the hotel to pick up the shuttle to the pier.

 

Embarkment Day: Got to the Pier about 2 pm and the porter took our luggage. We proceeded to the check in for suites and then were escorted to VIP lounge. Had our picture taken and got our cards and was escorted onto the ship. Very smooth and quick.

 

One thing nice about having a suite is you get a butler and concierge plus a private dining room for breakfast and lunch, separate gateway to get off ship for ports and priority disembarkment. We had the Ultimate Dinning Package, Ultimate Beverage Package, Choice Shorex and Internet Package. I made all our dinner and shore excursions reservations before getting on the ship because I wanted to make sure they would not be full. Highly recommend doing this!

 

Cabin: We had the 2 bedroom suite. This cabin was perfect for us. It sleeps 6 people so it had a separate bedroom and bathroom for my dad, my sister and I had the other bedroom and bathroom. Our bathroom had double sinks, a shower and a bathtub. Both had windows so you could look out at the ocean and the glaciers while in the bathroom. The suite also had a dining area and living area with a balcony with mini bar and coffee maker similar to a Keurig. Christopher was our cabin steward and he was great.

 

Met Bagus the butler and he brought us canapés. More on him later. Leah was our concierge. She was so nice and helpful. We saw her in the Moderno (private dining room) every morning and afternoon we ate there.

 

We went and got some lunch and then went back to the cabin and our luggage was already there. The Butler will unpack your bags if you want them too but we decided to unpack ourselves so we knew where everything was. We then explored the ship and then went back to the cabin to get ready for dinner at Teppanyaki’s (Benihana style restaurant). The food was very good and they give you a lot. You get Miso soup, seaweed salad, fried rice, an entrée and dessert. I had the Lobster, scallops and calamari. I love seafood so I ate a lot of it this week and was not disappointed. If you go, request Warren, he was so much fun and very entertaining. We liked the food so much we went again later in the week.

 

Sea Day: Went to the Moderno for breakfast. Food is very good and for breakfast they have a buffet with assorted items like breads, fruits, oatmeal, etc. and then a menu to order your entrée if you want eggs, pancakes or frittata. After breakfast we explored the ship, went to the art gallery and then to the Port and Tour presentation. Went back to the Moderno for Lunch. For the Lunch menu they have shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, soup etc. for appetizers. Risotto, flounder, hamburger and more for entrees. They also have desserts but we were usual so full the only one we tried was the brownie with ice cream which was yummy. After lunch my dad went for a nap and my sister and I went to the casino. Went back to the cabin to get dressed for the VIP cocktail reception to meet the captain and for dinner at Cagneys Steakhouse. Cagney's was very good. After dinner we went to the show which was “Swing”. It was ok. We are use to Vegas shows but after being on so many cruises I knew what to except.

 

Now for Bagus the butler...he did not bring our evening snack, did not clean up our dishes from the night before and this day also or bring us new coffee cups. Cabin steward does not clean up the dishes in a suite so the next morning I had to call Bagus and let him know. He apologized and we received our evening snacks every night after that but we hardly ever saw him until the last day when he came by 3 times to see if we needed anything. My sister and I were laughing after the third time because he was working hard for his tip. We have had butlers before and they would stop by 2-3 times a day to see if we needed anything so needless to say we were not impressed with Bagus.

 

Juneau: Woke up and looked outside and was worried about the weather. It was raining and low clouds. Since we did not get into Juneau until 2 pm we were hoping that the weather would turn because our excursion that day was taking a helicopter to Mendenhall Glacier and going dogsledding. This is the one excursion that we all were so excited about. Went to the Moderno for breakfast and Leah (Concierge) said that the company makes a last minute decision whether they go or not. Our excursion did not leave till 4:15 so we were keeping our fingers crossed.

 

What really impressed me is that the hostess and waiters/waitresses in the Moderno, our cabin steward and Leah remember our names by the second day and also what we drank for breakfast and for lunch. That to me is amazing with so many people they serve each day and that they can remember all that.

 

We walked off the ship around 3:30 to see if we could find out if we were going or not. The weather was the same so we were worried that it was going to be cancelled. Our company (Temsco) was not there yet but another company (Era) which does Dogsledding on Norris Glacier was there and they said they didn’t know if they were going yet as they were not yet cleared to fly. I asked them, just to be safe, if they had 3 spots open on their tour if we could go with them if they were a go and ours was cancelled. He called and said yes but they would be leaving in 15 minutes so hopefully our company would know if they were going by then. So we waited.

 

The other company was cleared to fly and they started loading their bus so we saw it as a good sign that we were going too. Our company showed up about 10 minutes later and we were told it was cancelled. One company flies north up the channel and the other flies south so our company was not cleared to fly. The other company’s bus was pulling away as I found this out and I literally ran after the bus! She stopped and opened her door and I asked her please to pull back in so we could go with them. She did and later we found out that she wasn’t supposed to do that because she could have gotten in trouble. NCL shore excursion representative was there and he said just go and he would take care of the transfer. One perk when booking excursions through the ship.

 

We got on the bus and we were so excited and felt so lucky that we were going but felt bad for all the people that were not able to. Drove to the helicopter pad and after a short video and getting geared up with boots and parachute we were off to the glacier. The scenery was indescribable even though it was raining and cloudy it was so beautiful. The ride was about 25 minutes and then we landed on top of the glacier at Dog World. Our dad cannot walk far without a wheelchair so they got a sled for him. We were paired up with a guide and they gave us some rain gear and then we went dogsledding. There were 200 dogs and you get to actually drive a sled with the help of a guide. The dogs love what they do. Every time we would stop to take a break they would start barking and want to go. After that we got to meet some of the dogs and take pictures with them.

 

Got back on the helicopter and then back on the bus to return to town. The bus driver wanted to show us the salmon spawning so before we left she walked us down to the creek and it was amazing to see so many salmon. My dad wasn’t able to go but we took lots of pictures to show him. Drove back to the ship and we gave the bus driver a good tip. If she didn’t stop for us we would of never been able to go. Later we found out that we were the only group that was able to go that day so we felt so blessed that we were able to go. All I can say is WOW! My sister and I agreed other than the birth of our children this excursion was one of the most incredible experiences that we have had! It is expensive but so worth it.

 

We planned on shopping in Juneau after our excursion but we were all wet and it was still raining so we decided to go back to the ship to get into some dry clothes. It was 8 pm and we were hungry. We didn't have a reservation this night because we planned on shopping and eating in town so we went to the Summer Palace. We all agreed that we would not go back there. I don't know if the quality of food is different but the food was just ok. After eating in the specialty restaurants and in the Moderno we laughed and said we were spoiled.

 

More to come...

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mompus

mompus

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Skagway: Woke up to nice weather and we were already docked in Skagway. We went to breakfast in the Moderno and talked to Leah about what our options would be for our dad. Our dad was going by himself on the White Pass Scenic Railway excursion today because he could not go with us on the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari excursion because it was a level 2. My sister and I could get him on the train but we would not be there when he got off. She assured us that someone from the ship would meet him at the train and bring him back to the ship.

 

My sister and I went into town to do some shopping (dad didn’t want to go) and then returned to the ship to get a snack before leaving on our excursions. Left the ship at 12:15 pm to get dad on the train and then we went to meet for our excursion.

 

The Glacier Point Wilderness Safari excursion was a 6 hour adventure and we were so glad the weather was so nice. We got on the shuttle that took us to the other side of the harbor to get on a boat. We were on an enclosed boat for an hour 15 minutes to a beach. At the beach we were given a turkey sandwich, applesauce, trail mix and water. We then got on a bus for 10 minutes to a place where we were suited with rubber pants, coat, boots and life jacket. My sister and I both wore our rain boots and so we didn’t need the boots. We then walked a 1/4 mile to where we were assigned to a canoe and a guide. My sister and I were both thinking how is this excursion even going to compare with the awesome experience we had yesterday because so far it was not even comparable. We started canoeing and then Davidson Glacier came into view and we were in awe! We canoed for a mile to the base of the glacier. We got off the canoe and walked another 1/4 mile on a rocky beach to this magnificent glacier. It is hard to describe the blueness of this icy glacier. It looked like someone spray painted it because it was that blue. We were lucky because today we could actually touch the glacier. Our guide told us there are certain situations when they don’t allow it because of it being a safety issue. We were at the glacier for at least 45 minutes and got some incredible photos. We then walked back to the canoe and went back to the place where we took off our rain gear and got back on the bus to the beach where we got back on the boat for another hour and 15 minutes. This is a great excursion if you get up close to a glacier and actually touch it.

 

We got back to the ship around 8 pm and found dad was safe and sound in the cabin. We got dressed for dinner at Le Bistro (French). My sister and I had escargot and it was excellent! I had lobster with artichokes and chateau potatoes and crème brulee for dessert and it was delicious. No casino tonight we were too tired so we went to bed.

 

Glacier Bay: Woke up to the fog horn going off and looked out and we were in engulfed in fog. I thought this is not good especially since this is Glacier Bay day and people want to see the glaciers. An hour and half later it was pure sunshine and beautiful out. We made coffee and sat out on the balcony with the blankets Christopher (cabin steward) left for us.

 

At 8 am the Ranger Commentary started on the PA. While siting out on the balcony I was videotaping a glacier and I heard cracking and then it started calving (breaking and crashing into the water) I couldn’t believe I got it on tape. Later we were able to go the bow of the ship and get some great photos and video. The Spinnaker Lounge had a information desk and at 1 pm there was a Park Ranger Program in the Stardust Theater. The glaciers were awesome to see and the weather was perfect!

 

Dinner was at La Cucina (Italian) tonight. Food was very good but the service was so slow. I had the insalata caprese, minestrone soup, and shrimp risotto. After dinner we went to the casino.

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klr6773

klr6773

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Re:Bagus

 

We sailed in June and also had Bagus as our butler. This was the first time on NCL, so we didn't know what to expect. We wanted the aft balcony experience and it just so happened it came with a butler, but " underwhelming" came to mind over the course of the week. Dishes were ignored. Ice was not replenished. A movie was left in our room for three days,despite leaving him a note saying we were finished with it. About half of the days,we couldn't eat the afternoon snacks because they had seafood and clearly in the temperature danger zone...Still tipped him what was suggested to me ,but it felt like money not necessarily deserved. Honestly,At the time,I wondered if it was possibly because he was uncomfortable with a same sex couple,but thinking he just needs some more practice at " giving people the pickle" ( words to live by at the company I work for)

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jeffregpuck

jeffregpuck

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We were on that sailing with you!!

 

Have to agree that this was one of our best cruises so far!!! (Our 12 night Med cruise on the Spirit is right there with it though!!)

 

The weather was absolutely PERFECT -- only Juneau was a little bit gloomy, but all the other days were superb!!!

 

We didn't take advantage of the breakfasts and lunches in Moderno as often as you did because we were traveling with another couple who didn't have that perk, and we just preferred to dine with them most days....but you are right....that espresso brownie was the BOMB!!!!!

 

Looking forward to seeing more of your review and comparing your experiences with ours!!!

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MooseyMoo

MooseyMoo

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Thank you for doing a review! We leave on Sunday! :):)

 

Now I wish I could eat in Moderno...if just for an espresso brownie thing!!!

 

I know about the white night and the Norwegians night out, but I wondered if the Pearl had an 80's theme night? I've been hearing conflicting things. There will be 15 in our party for a 50th Anniversary celebration, half the party are kids so I'd like them to have fun with dressing up. :)

 

Thanks!

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newmexicoNita

newmexicoNita

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All I can say is people have told me Alaska is beautiful and it was one of their favorite cruises. I totally agree. I have been all over the US including Hawaii and to Europe and Alaska is beautiful! This was my 8th cruise and my 3rd with NCL. My sister and I are in our early 50’s and we had our 85 year old father with us.

 

We flew to Seattle on Saturday and stayed at the Spring Hill Suites in downtown Seattle. Rooms were very nice with free breakfast and a free shuttle to the Market and also a shuttle to the Pier for $8 per person. Sunday, we went to Pike’s Place Market and to the Great Wheel and then went back to the hotel to pick up the shuttle to the pier.

 

Embarkment Day: Got to the Pier about 2 pm and the porter took our luggage. We proceeded to the check in for suites and then were escorted to VIP lounge. Had our picture taken and got our cards and was escorted onto the ship. Very smooth and quick.

 

One thing nice about having a suite is you get a butler and concierge plus a private dining room for breakfast and lunch, separate gateway to get off ship for ports and priority disembarkment. We had the Ultimate Dinning Package, Ultimate Beverage Package, Choice Shorex and Internet Package. I made all our dinner and shore excursions reservations before getting on the ship because I wanted to make sure they would not be full. Highly recommend doing this!

 

Cabin: We had the 2 bedroom suite. This cabin was perfect for us. It sleeps 6 people so it had a separate bedroom and bathroom for my dad, my sister and I had the other bedroom and bathroom. Our bathroom had double sinks, a shower and a bathtub. Both had windows so you could look out at the ocean and the glaciers while in the bathroom. The suite also had a dining area and living area with a balcony with mini bar and coffee maker similar to a Keurig. Christopher was our cabin steward and he was great.

 

Met Bagus the butler and he brought us canapés. More on him later. Leah was our concierge. She was so nice and helpful. We saw her in the Moderno (private dining room) every morning and afternoon we ate there.

 

We went and got some lunch and then went back to the cabin and our luggage was already there. The Butler will unpack your bags if you want them too but we decided to unpack ourselves so we knew where everything was. We then explored the ship and then went back to the cabin to get ready for dinner at Teppanyaki’s (Benihana style restaurant). The food was very good and they give you a lot. You get Miso soup, seaweed salad, fried rice, an entrée and dessert. I had the Lobster, scallops and calamari. I love seafood so I ate a lot of it this week and was not disappointed. If you go, request Warren, he was so much fun and very entertaining. We liked the food so much we went again later in the week.

 

Sea Day: Went to the Moderno for breakfast. Food is very good and for breakfast they have a buffet with assorted items like breads, fruits, oatmeal, etc. and then a menu to order your entrée if you want eggs, pancakes or frittata. After breakfast we explored the ship, went to the art gallery and then to the Port and Tour presentation. Went back to the Moderno for Lunch. For the Lunch menu they have shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, soup etc. for appetizers. Risotto, flounder, hamburger and more for entrees. They also have desserts but we were usual so full the only one we tried was the brownie with ice cream which was yummy. After lunch my dad went for a nap and my sister and I went to the casino. Went back to the cabin to get dressed for the VIP cocktail reception to meet the captain and for dinner at Cagneys Steakhouse. Cagney's was very good. After dinner we went to the show which was “Swing”. It was ok. We are use to Vegas shows but after being on so many cruises I knew what to except.

 

Now for Bagus the butler...he did not bring our evening snack, did not clean up our dishes from the night before and this day also or bring us new coffee cups. Cabin steward does not clean up the dishes in a suite so the next morning I had to call Bagus and let him know. He apologized and we received our evening snacks every night after that but we hardly ever saw him until the last day when he came by 3 times to see if we needed anything. My sister and I were laughing after the third time because he was working hard for his tip. We have had butlers before and they would stop by 2-3 times a day to see if we needed anything so needless to say we were not impressed with Bagus.

 

Juneau: Woke up and looked outside and was worried about the weather. It was raining and low clouds. Since we did not get into Juneau until 2 pm we were hoping that the weather would turn because our excursion that day was taking a helicopter to Mendenhall Glacier and going dogsledding. This is the one excursion that we all were so excited about. Went to the Moderno for breakfast and Leah (Concierge) said that the company makes a last minute decision whether they go or not. Our excursion did not leave till 4:15 so we were keeping our fingers crossed.

 

What really impressed me is that the hostess and waiters/waitresses in the Moderno, our cabin steward and Leah remember our names by the second day and also what we drank for breakfast and for lunch. That to me is amazing with so many people they serve each day and that they can remember all that.

 

We walked off the ship around 3:30 to see if we could find out if we were going or not. The weather was the same so we were worried that it was going to be cancelled. Our company (Temsco) was not there yet but another company (Era) which does Dogsledding on Norris Glacier was there and they said they didn’t know if they were going yet as they were not yet cleared to fly. I asked them, just to be safe, if they had 3 spots open on their tour if we could go with them if they were a go and ours was cancelled. He called and said yes but they would be leaving in 15 minutes so hopefully our company would know if they were going by then. So we waited.

 

The other company was cleared to fly and they started loading their bus so we saw it as a good sign that we were going too. Our company showed up about 10 minutes later and we were told it was cancelled. One company flies north up the channel and the other flies south so our company was not cleared to fly. The other company’s bus was pulling away as I found this out and I literally ran after the bus! She stopped and opened her door and I asked her please to pull back in so we could go with them. She did and later we found out that she wasn’t supposed to do that because she could have gotten in trouble. NCL shore excursion representative was there and he said just go and he would take care of the transfer. One perk when booking excursions through the ship.

 

We got on the bus and we were so excited and felt so lucky that we were going but felt bad for all the people that were not able to. Drove to the helicopter pad and after a short video and getting geared up with boots and parachute we were off to the glacier. The scenery was indescribable even though it was raining and cloudy it was so beautiful. The ride was about 25 minutes and then we landed on top of the glacier at Dog World. Our dad cannot walk far without a wheelchair so they got a sled for him. We were paired up with a guide and they gave us some rain gear and then we went dogsledding. There were 200 dogs and you get to actually drive a sled with the help of a guide. The dogs love what they do. Every time we would stop to take a break they would start barking and want to go. After that we got to meet some of the dogs and take pictures with them.

 

Got back on the helicopter and then back on the bus to return to town. The bus driver wanted to show us the salmon spawning so before we left she walked us down to the creek and it was amazing to see so many salmon. My dad wasn’t able to go but we took lots of pictures to show him. Drove back to the ship and we gave the bus driver a good tip. If she didn’t stop for us we would of never been able to go. Later we found out that we were the only group that was able to go that day so we felt so blessed that we were able to go. All I can say is WOW! My sister and I agreed other than the birth of our children this excursion was one of the most incredible experiences that we have had! It is expensive but so worth it.

 

We planned on shopping in Juneau after our excursion but we were all wet and it was still raining so we decided to go back to the ship to get into some dry clothes. It was 8 pm and we were hungry. We didn't have a reservation this night because we planned on shopping and eating in town so we went to the Summer Palace. We all agreed that we would not go back there. I don't know if the quality of food is different but the food was just ok. After eating in the specialty restaurants and in the Moderno we laughed and said we were spoiled.

 

More to come...

 

look forward to the rest of the story: of course you are spoiled, there is a reason you pay extra for the specialty dining rooms. We happen to have been very happy with the MDRs on the Pearl in april, but food is very subjective: what one of us thinks is heaven, other would dread eating it even in HELL. Neither is wrong, it is just the nature of us humans.

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mompus

mompus

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klr6773: Forgot about the ice!! You are right I opened it to get some for my dad and it was all water!

Still tip him too and it's not just us! Other people I talked to on the ship were having the same experience. He must be at the end of his contract!

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mush71

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Skagway: Woke up to nice weather and we were already docked in Skagway. We went to breakfast in the Moderno and talked to Leah about what our options would be for our dad. Our dad was going by himself on the White Pass Scenic Railway excursion today because he could not go with us on the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari excursion because it was a level 2. My sister and I could get him on the train but we would not be there when he got off. She assured us that someone from the ship would meet him at the train and bring him back to the ship.

 

My sister and I went into town to do some shopping (dad didn’t want to go) and then returned to the ship to get a snack before leaving on our excursions. Left the ship at 12:15 pm to get dad on the train and then we went to meet for our excursion.

 

The Glacier Point Wilderness Safari excursion was a 6 hour adventure and we were so glad the weather was so nice. We got on the shuttle that took us to the other side of the harbor to get on a boat. We were on an enclosed boat for an hour 15 minutes to a beach. At the beach we were given a turkey sandwich, applesauce, trail mix and water. We then got on a bus for 10 minutes to a place where we were suited with rubber pants, coat, boots and life jacket. My sister and I both wore our rain boots and so we didn’t need the boots. We then walked a 1/4 mile to where we were assigned to a canoe and a guide. My sister and I were both thinking how is this excursion even going to compare with the awesome experience we had yesterday because so far it was not even comparable. We started canoeing and then Davidson Glacier came into view and we were in awe! We canoed for a mile to the base of the glacier. We got off the canoe and walked another 1/4 mile on a rocky beach to this magnificent glacier. It is hard to describe the blueness of this icy glacier. It looked like someone spray painted it because it was that blue. We were lucky because today we could actually touch the glacier. Our guide told us there are certain situations when they don’t allow it because of it being a safety issue. We were at the glacier for at least 45 minutes and got some incredible photos. We then walked back to the canoe and went back to the place where we took off our rain gear and got back on the bus to the beach where we got back on the boat for another hour and 15 minutes. This is a great excursion if you get up close to a glacier and actually touch it.

 

We got back to the ship around 8 pm and found dad was safe and sound in the cabin. We got dressed for dinner at Le Bistro (French). My sister and I had escargot and it was excellent! I had lobster with artichokes and chateau potatoes and crème brulee for dessert and it was delicious. No casino tonight we were too tired so we went to bed.

 

Glacier Bay: Woke up to the fog horn going off and looked out and we were in engulfed in fog. I thought this is not good especially since this is Glacier Bay day and people want to see the glaciers. An hour and half later it was pure sunshine and beautiful out. We made coffee and sat out on the balcony with the blankets Christopher (cabin steward) left for us.

 

At 8 am the Ranger Commentary started on the PA. While siting out on the balcony I was videotaping a glacier and I heard cracking and then it started calving (breaking and crashing into the water) I couldn’t believe I got it on tape. Later we were able to go the bow of the ship and get some great photos and video. The Spinnaker Lounge had a information desk and at 1 pm there was a Park Ranger Program in the Stardust Theater. The glaciers were awesome to see and the weather was perfect!

 

Dinner was at La Cucina (Italian) tonight. Food was very good but the service was so slow. I had the insalata caprese, minestrone soup, and shrimp risotto. After dinner we went to the casino.

 

 

Thank You for the great review. Did you need the blankets on the balcony at Glacier Bay? Does it get really cold on the balcony?

 

Thank You

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mompus

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Mush71: Thanks! We used the blankets on the balcony in the morning when we would go out and drink our coffee. Glacier Bay day was sunny so we didn’t use the blankets later that day. It never got really cold just chilly so that’s where the blankets came in handy.

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mompus

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MooseyMoo: There is a 70’s Funky Disco Party in the Spinnaker at 10:30 pm on Wed, Day 4. On Mon., Day 2 is Norwegian Night Out 50s/60s Sock Hop. Thurs., Day 5 Dance like a Norwegian. Both are at 10:30 pm in the Spinnaker also. I thought I had Victoria, BC daily but I don’t. Bummed because I thought I grabbed it.

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mompus

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Ketchikan: We woke up and we were already docked in Ketchikan. The weather looked like rain but it ended up being so nice out!

 

Our excursion was meeting at 8:30 am so we went to Moderno for breakfast and the boat we were going on was right next to the ship. We went back to the cabin to get our coats and rain boots and was off the ship for the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s Tour. The boat we were on was the Aleutian Ballad and was on the second season of The Deadliest Catch. The boat had elevated seating so everyone could see with heat lamps above them.

 

We went out into the ocean and they showed us how they rig the lines to catch bait, pulled in 2 crab traps and also an octopus. We got to hold crabs and take pictures. We saw bald eagles and they threw some fish and one of the bald eagles came down and grabbed it. They had a gift shop onboard and we bought t-shirts and hats. Later the crew signed them for us. They also had free coffee and hot chocolate and served us fish crackers. The guys were great and very comical. If you want to learn about the life of a fisherman and trapping crabs this is the tour for you.

 

Afterwards we did some shopping in town and picked up some souvenirs and went back to the ship. I forgot to mention that there are coupon books that have some great deals for souvenirs in Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. I picked one up in a store in Skagway but I’m sure they were in Juneau also.

 

We went to Lunch in the Moderno and then to the casino to check out the Slot Tournament and Texas Hold’em Tournment. Went back to the cabin to get dressed for dinner and catch the 7:30 pm show. Tonight we dressed up because we wanted to do a formal picture after dinner.

 

Tonight’s show was Legends in Concert and it was very good! Impersonators performed Elton John, Madonna and Tina Turner. It was very entertaining and we all enjoyed it. Afterwards Dan the Man came on stage and he brought forward the cabin stewards, chefs, concierge, bartenders and etc. It was great to see all of them and to stand and clap for the great service that they provide. Also after the show you can get your picture taken with the impersonators.

 

We ate dinner at Teppanyaki again tonight. I had the seafood and it again was very good. This time we had Mark and he was quiet and not as entertaining as Warren was but we still had a good time. This restaurant is very small. It only seats 28 people so if you want to eat during prime dinner time make your reservation before boarding the ship.

 

Victoria: Woke up to beautiful weather! In fact, after lunch, it was so nice out we actually laid out in the sun on the sun deck!

 

Made coffee and sat out on the baloney. We were a little sad because today was the last day and we said how amazing it is how fast a week goes by. We watched for whales but didn’t see any. We saw some earlier in the week. You have to look for a puff of water that comes out of the ocean and then watch for the fin and tail.

 

Went to the Moderno for breakfast and afterwards went to the photo gallery to look at all our pictures from the week. Purchased what we wanted and ordered duplicates of others which they said would be ready by 7 am tomorrow.

 

Today you had to cash in your casino chips by 1 pm because the casino would not be open again after docking in Victoria, BC so we went and took care of that. Also we went to guest services and check our account to make sure we were not charged for our drinks, dinners and internet. Then we went back to the cabin to fill out our customs forms and start getting things together for getting our luggage out by midnight.

 

Went back to the Moderno for lunch and then went and laid out on the sun deck. My dad and sister fell asleep and I was reading a book and the fog horn went off and scared the absolute crap out of us! Everyone on the sun deck was laughing because we all got a wakeup call. The sun was still shining but the fog horn continued to go off because the fog was only on the ocean so we decided after the 6th horn blast to go back to the cabin.

Around 5 pm we went to O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill because we had to get off the ship at 6 pm. We had the spinach artichoke dip and soup. My dad had the ruben, I had the meatloaf and my sitter had the fish & chips.

 

We docked in Victoria at 6 pm. Our excursion today met at 6:10 in the stardust but Leah said to meet her at the Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar so we could get off right away. She told us the excursion was sold out and 15 people were on the waiting list. We got off the ship and after a short walk we were on the boat for the Ocean Wildlife & Orca Exploration excursion. The large boat was very nice with booth seating, free coffee and hot chocolate and a snack bar on the upper level. We drove for about 40 minutes and then we saw our first whales. The guide was very informative and he knew the pods each whale was from. He also told me that other companies work together with each other so everyone knows where the whales are because they can travel up to 100 miles in a day. We saw a lot of whales and the sunset was spectacular!

 

Back at the dock we stopped at the gift shop to do some souvenir shopping and then returned to ship to pack and get our suitcases out by midnight. For people who have never cruised before, pack a small bag inside your suitcase. This way you can put your pj’s, makeup and toiletries in this bag to walk off the ship the next morning. Also make labels with your name, address and phone for the disembarkment tags. Saves time filling out all those tags. Dad was still packing and my sister and I wanted a snack so we went back to O’Sheehan’s for some appetizers and ordered a pot pie to bring back to the room for dad.

 

Disembarkment Day: We had early flights so we got up at 6 am and got ready and then went to the Moderno for breakfast. Leah was there and she said to meet her at the Stardust at 7:45 am. We went and got our pictures we ordered and then we went back to the cabin to make sure we had everything. Said goodbye to Christopher and went to meet Leah. She was waiting for us and escorted us through the disembarkment line; we said our goodbyes, walked down the gangway, gave customs our forms and went to get our luggage. This was the fastest I have ever gotten off a ship. Took less than 5 minutes. Grabbed a porter, found our luggage and then got a cab to the airport.

 

We all said we had a blast and what a great cruise and how beautiful Alaska is. My dad said before we left that he was worried that he would slow my sister and I down because he can’t walk far and would be using his wheel chair. The ship and all the excursions he went on were very wheelchair friendly and everyone was always willing to help us.

 

I over packed for this trip but that’s ok. Because it could of have been cold, rainy or sunny, I wanted to be sure to have enough clothes for all types of weather. Best advice is to dress in layers and bring a good rain jacket. Best item I brought was my rain boots. I wore them on all our excursions.

 

Thanks for reading my review. I will be happy to answer any questions.

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mompus

mompus

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dng6325: Blankets are only provided for suite guests. They were like the fleece blankets you can buy in the store. If you are in a regular cabin with balcony, you could ask your cabin steward if he could bring you some, but to be on the safe side I would pack some. They were nice to have.

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Love my butler

Love my butler

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Sorry about your experience with Bagus. He was our butler on the Dawn last October.

We found him to be very attentive the entire cruise. Never had a problem with the dishes or his service.

 

Just so you guys know, there is more than one butler at NCL with the name Bagus. Bagus is a common Indonesian name much like I Gedde and Made.

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