Sun Solo Alaska: Pictorial Journal/Review of Vancouver to Seward 5/30-6/6

[3Fluffies]

Here follows my account of my first solo cruise: the NCL Sun from Vancouver to Seward, 5/30/16-6/6/16. The itinerary was...

 

Monday 5/30: Departure from Vancouver, Canada

Tuesday 5/31: Sea Day, Inside Passage

Wednesday 6/1: Ketchikan, Alaska

Thursday, 6/2: Juneau, Alaska

Friday, 6/3: Skagway, Alaska

Saturday, 6/4: Glacier Bay (Sea Day)

Sunday, 6/5: Hubbard Glacier (Sea Day)

Monday, 6/6: Arrival in Seward, Alaska

 

My trip actually began on Saturday, 5/28 with departure from Florida. I planned on two days in Vancouver, but... United Airlines threw a monkey wrench into that plan in a big way. Instead of the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, I spent the first night of my vacation in lovely, scenic (sarcasm) Chicago O'Hare airport.

 

My following review focuses mainly on the ship and ports, but if anybody wants more details, they are here at my Livejournal (BE WARNED: Day 1 and Day 2 contain a LOT of profanity, as does Day 11 - believe me, you would have wanted to cuss a lot too. I'm amazed I did so little cussing out loud and only in my head.)

 

5/30: Embarkation from Vancouver

 

After my lovely night at the Westin Bayshore, I had signed up for 10:30 am arrival at the pier. It was only a 15-minute walk, but with my bags, I took a cab.

 

I had purchased a 12-pack of spring water at a grocery store and stuck it into duffel bag to check through to my cabin. I'm much disappointed by NCL's decision to ban this after July 15, 2016, since not only do I dislike the taste of Aquafina, but as many other passengers have noticed, it's grossly overpriced by NCL, and their on-board tap water is chemical treated and undrinkable for many people.

 

Check-in and customs were painless, and I was relieved to see that most of the families with noisy kids seemed to be headed for the Disney Wonder. I bumped into a few other passengers from United Airlines Flight 1180, and we all joked about needing a stiff drink once on board. We were just relieved to have made it.

 

We were herded into the waiting area around 11:30 to await the noon boarding call, but they actually started boarding us early, and we were on board by 12:30.

 

 

Boarding from Canada Place.

 

 

From the gangway.

 

I was a little apprehensive of reports that the ship - NCL's second oldest - is run down and smells of sewage. But the first impression could not have been further from that. It isn't as dramatic and glamorous as the pictures of the newer mega ships, but smelled fresh and clean on entry, and looked immaculate.

 

 

The atrium.

 

 

The pool deck.

 

 

The view from the Great Outdoors, facing out into the harbor towards North Vancouver. (For those considering a Vancouver itinerary, I can't recommend enough arriving early - it's a marvelous city, and I wish so much that I'd had my full time there. My afternoon on Grouse Mountain and the neighborhood surrounding Canada Place is chronicled on Day 2 of my journal.)

 

The pier and the Disney Wonder.

 

I wandered the ship and decided on the buffet for a few nibbles rather than a full lunch in the restaurant - was still a little full from breakfast. I really liked the Observation Lounge, forward on Deck 12, and considered that maybe on this cruise I'd even have a go in the casino. Joined the guided tour briefly, but abandoned it after Stardust Lounge. It was nothing I hadn't seen before. I caught a few whiffs of the sewage smell that we'd been warned about on Cruise Critic, but it was only noticeable in the Stardust Lounge. Good thing I wasn't that interested in on-board entertainment.

 

Cabins were ready by 1:30 - impressive!

 

(To be cont'd, since it turns out we're only allowed 6 images per post!)

[3Fluffies]

(Cont'd) May 30: Embarkation from Vancouver

 

I had a mid-ship balcony on Deck 9, port side. 9036 was marvelous except for one minor detail - the heat was cranked all the way up, and it was stifling. I opened the balcony door and turned the a/c all the way down, and was very glad I had splurged on a balcony cabin.

 

 

First impression of my home for the next 7 days.

 

 

For a solo traveler, a balcony room didn't come cheap, but this was an itinerary where it was soooo worth it!

 

 

I did have to pick one side or the other because the ridge in the center where the two beds connected was rather annoying. Still, nice for a sprawl otherwise. FYI, the bed was quite hard - I love them that way, but some people might want to request a mattress topper.

 

 

I spent a lot of time at this desk, and mostly tuned into the Navigation Channel.

 

 

The purpose of the splurge - the balcony!

 

 

My itty bitty bathroom. On advice of other experienced cruisers, I bought a pack of drapery weights and threw them into my luggage. I did end up using them, since the shower curtain did blow in on me. The shower had fantastic water pressure and was gloriously hot every day.

 

On the whole, the room was damn near perfect. With more than two people, I imagine it would be very cramped, but for me it was plenty of space.

 

Met my cabin steward(ess) Marilyn, and she said she would check on the air conditioning to make sure it was cooling the room off. Luggage hadn't arrived yet, so I went back to exploring.

 

[3Fluffies]

(cont'd) Monday, May 30: Embarkation from Vancouver

 

 

The pool deck, where passengers got an early start, since this would be the warmest, sunniest weather we'd have on this trip! As soon as the nets came off, the pools filled up (but were pretty much empty for the remainder of the voyage).

 

 

 

Deck 12, the "sports deck" above the pool deck. Beyond it is North Vancouver again.

 

 

The skyline of Vancouver from the Observation/Promenade Deck (13).

 

 

Deck 13, the highest point on the ship (for passengers, anyway).

 

 

The Observation Lounge on Deck 12 forward, which wound up being one of my favorite places on the ship.

 

 

 

[3Fluffies]

(cont'd) Monday, May 30: Embarkation from Vancouver

 

Looking down on the entrance to the Seven Seas MDR, aft Deck 5. In this area of Deck 6 outside the Stardust Theater, I did get whiffs of the sewage smell from time to time, although it wasn't strong and didn't (fortunately) reach into the restaurant.

 

 

 

 

The library and conference room. I pretty much forgot they were here, though on a less scenery-heavy itinerary, it would be a nice space for some introvert time.

 

 

 

The Windjammer Bar, midship Deck 6.

 

 

Dazzles Nightclub, location of many on-board activities like trivia, game shows, presentations, etc.

 

 

The casino on Deck 7, where I spent a grand total of 30 minutes because it was always so full of smoke.

[3Fluffies]

(cont'd) Monday, May 30: Embarkation from Vancouver

 

 

 

The pool deck got busy during the sail-away party.

 

 

Lions Gate Bridge as we sailed under it.

 

 

Looking down from the Observation Deck (Deck 12 forward) as we cruised into English Bay.

 

 

Beautiful Lighthouse Park on the north side of the Bay. I had only my iPhone and a rather dinky point-and-click Canon, and still got some stunning pictures, and those still don't capture the beauty of the scenery on this voyage.

 

Once we sailed into more open water, I was in an introvert mood, so headed back to my cabin.

 

 

The view from my port-facing balcony. At this point, we were closer to the shore on the starboard side.

 

 

[3Fluffies]

(cont'd) Monday, May 30: Embarkation from Vancouver

 

My cabin was still very warm, and I'd had the a/c going full blast since 1:30, so I called Guest Services and they said they'd send someone to check it. I went back out onto the balcony for some cooler air and - oy!

 

 

There was the Disney Wonder, having departed after us. She overtook us as I watched - dang Disney showoffs!

 

Can someone tell the Captain to light another boiler or two? We seem to be in a race! What, ships don't have boilers anymore? Damn! She's getting away! Load the canons, avast ye scabberous dogs!

 

Alas, she got away.

Headed down to the solo meetup, then went to a liquor tasting in the duty free shop just out of curiosity. Sheridan Layered Coffee Liqueur is great. Crown Royal Apple is nasty. Bailey's Caramel is good. Browsed the shops, wasn't inspired by anything ( at least not by anything in my price range.) The main dining room menu for the evening wasn't inspiring either, so I just went up to the Garden Cafe to see what was at the carving station. Roast beef and rice and some nice, crusty cuban rolls. That suited just fine.

 

I was proud of myself for mostly taking the stairs around the ship. I landed a window table and watched the shore mountains glide by with barely any sensation of motion from the ship. The water was so calm. A lady at the table next to me got all excited because she thought she saw a seal on a rock. So I aimed my camera at full zoom and identified it as - a buoy. She was disappointed, but we had a good laugh.

 

My cabin being on the port side, I had more open water and less mountain scenery that evening. I was bummed, at first. Then close to 9 pm, we were sailing through the Georgia Strait between Texada Island and Lasqueti Island. The view was incredible then, and I bundled up and sat out on my balcony just looking at it.

 

 

Pacific Rim National Park to the south.

 

 

The shoreline from my balcony in the late evening sun - by now it was 9 pm!

 

 

Occasionally I did get stinky whiffs of something, either from the ship or maybe the water, but at other moments, I could smell evergreen - that's how close to the shore we were.

 

The a/c had been fixed while I was at dinner, and Marilyn checked up on me to confirm it. So now the cabin was a pleasant temperature, astonishingly quiet - seriously, unless people really raised their voices in the hallway, I could hear nothing and never heard a peep from the neighboring cabins! Quieter than most hotels!

 

Sadly, by 9:30, I was crashing, and doubted I'd stay conscious to try to see the Northern Lights, given that the sun wasn't expected to set until almost 11 pm. But I left the drapes open just in case I might wake up during the night.

 

If anyone's interested, there are far more scenery pictures at my LiveJournal entry for Day 3.

[3Fluffies]

Tuesday, May 31: Sea Day (Inside Passage)

 

No Northern Lights for me - I was asleep before it was full dark. On the other hand, I was awake by 6:30 and lounged in bed watching the forested islands, Malcom Island, and Vancouver Island glide by. The bridge report was "calm, rippled seas" and I had to sit very still and concentrate to feel that the ship was moving.

 

I ended up napping part of the morning away until 10:30. Heh. So much for an early start, but if you can't sleep in on a sea day, when can you? On the other hand, by the time I'd gotten myself organized for the day, I'd missed all the breakfast hours, so I ate the Madeleines I'd bought at the Starbucks in Chicago O'Hell on Sunday. Luckily, they were still good, and I had the Cruise Critic meet and greet at 11:00.

 

One rather irksome issue was that I couldn't hear shipwide announcements inside my cabin. That was probably meant to not be annoying, but they weren't all that frequent, and I'd rather have known things that were going on.

 

The meet and greet was cookies, an introduction to the hospitality staff, and get to know you Bingo in Las Ramblas. Up on Deck 12 as we sailed out from Queen Charlotte Strait into Hecate Strait, on more open water, I was starting to feel the motion a little more. Seas were still just ripples, but very rapid, and they were hitting us broadside. I started getting dizzy (that's how seasickness affects me for some reason - no nausea, just dizziness) so I went back to my cabin to take a Meclizine before the Latitudes cocktail party.

 

I did notice the sewage smell in the forward and aft stairs, but it wasn't too bad. Bad was the concentrated stench of cigarette smoke that permeated Deck 7 and filtered down into Deck 6 in the atrium. The sewage smell wasn't as bad in the Stardust Lounge today.

 

The Latitudes party was a lot of fun. Of course, it was mostly a sales pitch for Cruise Next, but although tempting, I couldn't commit to when or if I'd have the chance for another cruise. Still, I had the non-alcoholic drink option (some kind of sherbet punch that was really good) and little shrimp canapes - very tasty, and cheered for the winners of the various raffles. (No luck for me, alas.) The captain was funny and engaging and told a number of jokes.

 

 

I tried out the pasta station in Moderno for lunch, and had penne marinara. Very tasty and properly al dente. The shielded area of Topsiders was a pleasant temperature even without my jacket. Too bad I was still woozy from those miniscule little rolls of the waves, and I had my first specialty dinner in Moderno Churrascaria planned for this evening. The seas were still mild, but those small waves were causing us to make a jerky side-to-side motion that really bothered my head. Nobody was in the main pool this afternoon, but quite a few were in the hot tubs.

 

The sea was slate gray, the sky overcast, and only a few white caps were visible, but the low waves were coming at us directly broadside, which was probably why I was feeling it so much.

 

 

The view of our wake trail from the Great Outdoors, aft.

 

I felt better after my pasta lunch and sipping a sprite. Watched steam gushing from the hot tubs and several passengers improvising a polar bear (well, it wasn't that cold, maybe seal?) plunge from pools to hot tubs and back, which was funny.

 

My reaction to Meclizine is the same as it was on my Bermuda cruise in 2009. It makes the dizziness less, but also...zzzz...that's one way to get through uncomfortable sailing conditions. Napped, then lounged in my room until it was time to get dressed for dinner at Moderno. I wore my black and white dress and heels for Norwegian Night Out, hoping maybe I'd be presentable enough for a picture worth buying this time.

 

Moderno was very good, if not the foodgasm I had in the churrascaria I visited in Miami, but part of that was the motion of Deck 11.

 

The lamb chop was very good, but extremely fatty so there were only a few mouthfuls of meat to be had. The beef short ribs were only okay, and someone got a little overzealous with the rosemary. Bacon wrapped chicken breast was actually one of my favorites - tender and juicy, perfectly seasoned. The beef sirloin and beef filet were beautifully cooked, but over-peppercorned for my taste. The sides were buttered rice, garlic mashed potatoes, and a Brazilian "bean stew" similar to American chili that I really liked. For dessert, my options were mango rice pudding, coconut flan, or papaya vanilla cream.

 

Welp, I'm allergic to two out of the three, so papaya cream it was! I'd never tried papaya before, but really liked it. It was very light and refreshing, especially after all that meat.

 

I wandered the ship a little afterwards and caught the tail end of the evening's variety show in Stardust theater. It was quite good, but I didn't think I'd be up for staying up late for the later showing. Back in my cabin, I checked the forecast for Ketchikan (53 degrees and rainy, oh joy!) and found a penguin towel animal bearing the reminder to set my clock back one hour.

 

 

Curled up to conclude a delightfully lazy sea day.

[3Fluffies]

Wednesday, June 1, 2016: Ketchikan

 

Woke up just a few minutes before my alarm went off at 6 am and was out of bed like a shot. Went to Moderno for the "deluxe continental breakfast" and had a tasty Belgian waffle as we sailed into Ketchikan. I figured I was giving myself plenty of time for the 7:45 meetup at the trolley since we arrived at 7:00. The line, however, started in the atrium and wound around the elevators into the Four Seasons main dining room. Some passengers with 7:15 tour times were understandably worried, since the line didn't start moving until after 7:30.

 

 

 

I bypassed the moose and orca mascot pictures and found my way to the trolley pickup area to join our driver Dylan, a Utah undergrad spending his summers in Alaska, for Ketchikan Highlights by Trolley. This was one of only two excursions that I had booked through NCL. It was one hour and took us through town, with the highlights narrated by our driver, then to Saxman Village to see the totems and learn more about them, the culture that made them, and the surrounding rainforest.

 

From there, Dylan dropped off those of us who wanted to visit Creek Street before driving the rest back to the pier, though it was only about a half-mile. I got off at Creek Street.

 

 

Over the creek were dozens of swallows with small, dark backs and short tails. I stood on the boardwalk for ages hoping one would land so I could get a close look or a picture, but no such luck.

 

I went into one of the canned salmon shops, Salmon Etc, for a free sample, not expecting anything more interesting than the canned salmon I can buy at the grocery store.

 

...Wrong. Heaven. Both smoked and fresh, king and sockeye were divine. Salmon, Etc. and the other shop I visited, the Salmon Market, were heavenly. They also ship all over the US, and I collected cards instead of risking trying to cart canned fish home in my luggage.

 

Then, as I was heading around the creek for a look at the salmon ladder (even though it's the wrong time of year for the actual salmon to be there), disaster! My camera lens went on the fritz and wouldn't extend or retract, meaning no more pictures. I wrestled with it to no avail, and even in this tourist town, no shops or repair places were known. So I was relegated to the iPhone and crossing my fingers that someone in the photo gallery on board the Sun would be able to help me with it. Otherwise, I'd be stuck with iPhone pictures for the rest of the trip unless I wanted to blow a couple hundred bucks on a replacement camera.

Three ships were docked today. I wore my feet out walking all the way past the Sun, Oceania Regatta, and Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas, hitting every tourist shop I could see no matter how kitschy. It was fun. Around 1 pm, the skies opened up, and I found myself close to Annabell's Keg and Chowderhouse, which had been recommended during my online research. Perfect timing!

 

And oh, perfect (if very pricey) meal. Grilled wild salmon fillet, steamed rice and soy sauce, "cannery bread" and caramel pot de creme for dessert. Good thing I had done so much walking! My souvenir splurge for myself was a mammoth tooth ivory dogwood pendant and earrings. I bought postcards and mailed them home. Went a little crazy on other purchases, but oh well.

 

Once my feet and my credit card were well-worn, I headed back to the ship and was on board at 2:30, an hour before the posted all-aboard time. The photo gallery wasn't open until 4:30 after sail away, so my camera would have to wait.

 

 

Looking forward from the Observation Deck at our pier-mate, the Radiance of the Seas. (Fortunately, it was a week later that Celebrity Infinity bonked the hell out of this pier.)

 

One thing I didn't notice today (so far) was the oft-complained-of sewage smell in stairwells or hallways. I'd heard that it was worse on port days. My cabin smelled fresh and clean, but apart from the occasional brief whiff in hallways, the ship smelled good.

 

I had plenty of time to choose a good spot for sail-away, preferably covered against the rain. I joined the crowds in the Observation Lounge to await sail away, and we alll raised eyebrows when some passengers were paged after 3:30. Somebody was late! When the horn blew at 3:45, I assumed they were on board, but after the gangway was pulled up, we saw a guy sitting on the dock where it had been. Later they got into a cab and left. Hmm. Did somebody miss the boat?

 

I hung out with fellow passengers watching eagles and waterfalls through binoculars whenever the clouds lifted enough. One fellow passenger with some fancy high-tech camera-binocs insisted that a bird of prey we saw was a seahawk. After much research, I determined he was mistaken; there are no seahawks in Alaska. It was most likely a juvenile bald eagle.

 

Once we got up to speed, it was too cold to stay outside, so I headed down to the photo gallery to see if they could help un-fritz my camera. Alas, though they were knowledgeable and three different employees tried to un-bork it, it remained borked. So I was left with either an iPhone or a big unexpected dent in my budget by purchasing one of the digital cameras for sale on board.

After some deliberation and examination of the models available, I decided to go all in, and splurged on a wifi-enabled Fujifilm with no extending lens and a package that included a 16 gig memory card, case, and chargeable battery. I had to put off setting it up to get to Cagney's in time for my 5:30 pm dinner.

 

On my way, I discovered the casino was open, and - for once - didn't reek of cigarette smoke. So I decided to try it out. Committed $20 to the slot machines and lost it in about 30 minutes. I don't get what all the fuss is about over gambling. (Granted, it took an embarrassingly long time to figure out how to use the damn things. I might have taken the "complimentary gaming lessons" that the ship offered if it weren't for the smoke in the place.)

 

Cagney's was good, but didn't wow. The steak was perfect, but the shrimp cocktail was...a shrimp cocktail. The baked potato soup was rather bland, and the mac 'n cheese side was generic.

 

 

The "decadent chocolate brownie" was rather dry, though I ate all the chocolate ice cream and caramel sauce that came with it.

 

Then I headed back to my cabin to figure out the workings of my pricey new toy and charge it up for tomorrow. It claims to be water resistant and shock proof up to 5.8 feet. I did knock my old Canon around a few times, so maybe this one would hold up.

 

 

Tonight, the best scenery was on my side of the ship - yay! I put my binoculars to use along Scrubby Island and Bushy Island (no joke, according to the navigation channel, that was their names, although I haven't found them again on a map.) I saw a ton of bald eagles as we moved into the Sumner Strait.

 

I do wish we'd had at least one stop in clear weather so I could see the mountaintops, but it just didn't seem to be on this trip. The forecast for the rest of the week was...exactly what it had been today: clouds and showers. Oh well.

 

My journal entry for Day 4 has a LOT more pictures. There is also my Alaska 2016 Facebook photo album, which is viewable by the public for more pictures of scenery, the food, the flora, the fauna, you name it.

Edited July 7, 2016 by 3Fluffies

[3Fluffies]

Thursday, June 2, 2016: Juneau

 

Woke up around 6:30 and lounged in bed for awhile, since we weren't due into Juneau until 11 am. The weather was about 50 degrees and windy and rainy, but the forecast said that the rain was due to clear mid-morning, which would make whale-watching a little less unpleasant. I had noticed some odd vibration in the ship since last night, which was strange since we had "calm, rippled seas" again, and I wasn't noticing any roll anymore.

 

I went down to the Seven Seas main dining room for a sit-down breakfast of scrambled eggs, hash browns, and toast. I had a terrific window seat, so I lingered over hot chocolate. Next up to the Observation Lounge for the approach to Juneau.

 

Even on the upper deck, we had a smooth ride except for the vibration. Very chilly and damp with misty rain on deck, so I didn't spend much time outside. I figured I would get that in spades during the whale watch.

 

Took my time getting off-ship and had no delays except for some confusion, since today we were exiting from Deck 3 instead of Deck 5. We were at the AJ Dock about a mile from downtown, but a free shuttle would run us down to it.

 

 

Harv & Marv, the excursion vendor whose whale watch I was taking, were picking up here, so I had about 45 minutes to kill. It passed easily with picture taking and examining flowers both wild and cultivated that were blooming on the roadside, hillsides, and in planters. The weather was clearing up beautifully as predicted, and we had sunshine and partly cloudy skies. In full sunlight, it was warm enough that I took off my jacket.

 

Harv & Marv packed us onto vans to go to Auke Harbor, about a 30-minute drive from the docks, and many of us were pondering what to do after the whale watch, which would end by 3:30 with more than 4 hours left in port. Some of us were interested in Mendenhall Glacier, but although it was closer to the harbor than the docks, our drivers wouldn't be able to drop us there, so we'd have to drop about $40 per person on cabs unless we went all the way back to town and caught a cheaper shuttle from there. The clouds were clearing, so I was leaning towards taking the Mt. Roberts Tramway instead.

 

We passed by Mendenhall over the Brotherhood Bridge with the promise of a photo stop on the return trip. It was quite stunning. There were multiple bald eagles in the fields and trees, and at Auke Harbor, we boarded the Riptide, about ten passengers plus pilot Gabe, crew Laura (and one other guy whose name I can't remember).

 

 

The scenery was the real star of this excursion, and the stellar sea lions of Benjamin Island were my favorite wildlife.

 

 

The sea lion front and center appeared to be singing opera. These guys were NOISY! They also belly-flopped off the rocks, though I failed to catch any of that on the camera.

 

 

More of the mountains surrounding Auke Bay. The place was beautiful beyond belief.

 

We saw about seven whales - two mom/baby pairs and one solitaire, then two tail flaps on the way back. From discussions with other whale watchers, it really does come down to luck. Others saw one of the calves breaching multiple times. The Sentinel Lighthouse was a neat sight, and we got a good look at Eagle Glacier and Herbert Glacier from the water.

 

Returning to the harbor, an eagle was being very chatty in the trees nearby, but we couldn't see him/her.

 

Alaska is evidently another environment where "don't like the weather? Wait five minutes!" is applicable.

 

It rained on us on and off all afternoon, but upon return to the docks, it had cleared. So, I bought my ticket for the Mt. Roberts Tramway, and was soon treated to the most spectacular views yet.

 

Had clam chowder and garlic bread at the restaurant on the summit, then browsed the gift shop for more odds and ends, including a bird guide that was better than the version on my Kindle. Wandered party way down one of the nature trails, but being mapless and alone, I turned back before too long, but not before I spotted a beautiful hawk with a speckled chest and almost entirely white head - the palest bird of prey I've ever seen. My initial theory was that it was a rough-legged hawk, although based on subsequent research on its unusual coloring, I think it was a gyrfalcon!

 

Next I wandered the Raptor Center and took pictures of Lady Baltimore preening regally in her cage. She is their rescue bald eagle, sadly permanently injured by some dirtbag with a gun. Browsed the Nature Shop and wished I'd gotten there earlier for some of the easier-looking trails. That is one drawback to traveling solo (at least for a woman) spontaneity can be limited by safety concerns. With some planning and extra time, I would have gladly done walks in a reasonably populated area, which Mt. Roberts was thanks to all the other tourists.

 

As with Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver, people hike this thing and save themselves the tram fare. What I wouldn't give to be in that kind of shape, and to live somewhere where working out could be in a setting so beautiful.

 

Looking down on the Norwegian Sun from just outside the Tramway's top. A fellow traveler and I remarked that returning to AJ dock would be a lot simpler with a zipline.

 

By the time I finished siteseeing atop Mt. Roberts, I only had about 90 minutes left before needing to catch the shuttle back to the ship. So I headed back down.

Back on the ship, found a towel swan waiting for me in my cabin.

 

 

Another plus on the review front - I never felt any less valued or looked after as a solo on the ship. Marilyn was attentive, knew my name and always said hi in the corridor, asking if I needed anything. The room was always made up immaculately, and in the evenings, I had towel animals waiting for me.

 

Had dinner in the Four Seasons and tried baked Cornish hen (honestly, it tasted exactly like chicken) and underwhelming apple pie a la mode.

 

In the Observation Lounge, I found a performer singing really underwhelming pop song covers, and outside too cold and windy for comfort. The rain was coming back in, so I figured I might as well watch sail away from my cabin and make it an early night, since Skagway would be another early start day.

 

One thing I was pleased to notice was the lack of sewage smell on Juneau Day, even though I had gone up and down both the foreward and aft staircases multiple times that day. Also, my new camera was working beautifully, and its battery held a charge all day. Hooray for no more carting boxes of AA batteries everywhere!

 

Once the fog and rain rolled in heavy, I shut the drapes and went to bed.

 

Again, for LOTS more scenery pictures, see this day's entry on my LiveJournal.

[CruisinStump]

My girlfriend and i are doing this same itinerary next year, even staying at the westin bayshore! Loving the review so far, thanks a ton for doing it!

[gmazz]

Really enjoying your review!

 

Sent from my XT1080 using Forums mobile app

[Bimmer09]

Excellent read Jocelyn! I'm glad you replaced the faulty Canon rather than soldier on with the iPhone. Keep the pics coming!

 

Norris

another cat lover.

[cincicruisers]

Really enjoying your review. I would have lost my mind with the flights being cancelled.

[AquaMarineFerret]

Thanks for the in-depth diary - very interesting and informative. We are so looking forward to our own excursion along that coast soon! Pity we couldn't stretch to a balcony, but we fully intend to prowl the decks at every opportunity to fill up memory cards! I expect my Canon will be smoking! :)

AMF

[Naomigruis]

Following.

[spedrson]

Loving your review! We leave tomorrow for Seattle, then 2 days in Vancouver and we board the Sun on Monday morning with the same itinerary. We're hoping to do Grouse Mountain on Sunday. Only 1 more sleep!!!!!!

[4774Papa]

Very nice review. We are booked on the Sun Northbound 5 September out of Vancouver.

 

We have been worried about the sewage odors that you mentioned, since several posters and reviewers have complained about the odors.

 

We are in an Aft balcony. Have you noticed any sewage odors in your cabin? Have you talked with anyone else about the sewage odors?

 

Many of the posters have said that the odors seem to be more noticeable in the early morning. NCL said they fixed the problem during the refit, but that doesn't seem to be the case. However, if the odors are not noticeable in cabins, restaurants or theater and not strong as you say, we should be OK.

[Clarea]

Beautiful photos, enjoying!

[3Fluffies]

Very nice review. We are booked on the Sun Northbound 5 September out of Vancouver.

 

We have been worried about the sewage odors that you mentioned, since several posters and reviewers have complained about the odors.

 

We are in an Aft balcony. Have you noticed any sewage odors in your cabin? Have you talked with anyone else about the sewage odors?

 

Many of the posters have said that the odors seem to be more noticeable in the early morning. NCL said they fixed the problem during the refit, but that doesn't seem to be the case. However, if the odors are not noticeable in cabins, restaurants or theater and not strong as you say, we should be OK.

 

I never noticed sewage odors in my cabin or in any of the restaurants. I occasionally got a whiff of it in the corridors near my cabin. The places where it was most common was the aft stairwell, but even then, it was only occasionally, and not very strong. So it wound up being a lot less than I'd initially feared.

[3Fluffies]

Loving your review! We leave tomorrow for Seattle, then 2 days in Vancouver and we board the Sun on Monday morning with the same itinerary. We're hoping to do Grouse Mountain on Sunday. Only 1 more sleep!!!!!!

 

Enjoy! I absolutely loved Grouse Mountain! (Sounds like your plan was very similar to my original one.) Be warned - no matter how warm it is at sea level, expect the temperature to drop substantially once you ascend to the Peak Chalet, and even more if you take the chair lift to the summit - the wind is also very strong. Pack a jacket and some gloves!

[3Fluffies]

Thanks for the in-depth diary - very interesting and informative. We are so looking forward to our own excursion along that coast soon! Pity we couldn't stretch to a balcony, but we fully intend to prowl the decks at every opportunity to fill up memory cards! I expect my Canon will be smoking! :)

AMF

 

The Observation Lounge was my favorite scenery-viewing spot - seldom crowded except during Glacier-viewing days, and even then, everyone was friendly and generous with seat space. You can get great pictures on the Observation Deck out front, then duck back into the lounge to warm up and have something to eat or drink. There are also nice pictures to be had from the Great Outdoors (just maneuver if it's raining to get a sheltered spot)

[oilman300]

Nice review, great pictures. I'm taking the same trip in September and I'm really looking forward to it.

 

Do you remember what entertainment was in the Stardust?

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[3Fluffies]

Nice review, great pictures. I'm taking the same trip in September and I'm really looking forward to it.

 

Do you remember what entertainment was in the Stardust?

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

 

The were a number of different shows, though I didn't go to any. I only caught part of the variety musical show the second evening - it looked very good. The hypnotist show was very popular as well as the magic show - heard lots of people on board talking about them.

[AquaMarineFerret]

The Observation Lounge was my favorite scenery-viewing spot - seldom crowded except during Glacier-viewing days, and even then, everyone was friendly and generous with seat space. You can get great pictures on the Observation Deck out front, then duck back into the lounge to warm up and have something to eat or drink. There are also nice pictures to be had from the Great Outdoors (just maneuver if it's raining to get a sheltered spot)

 

Thanks for the tips - i am sure they will come in handy. I resisted temptation to take a peek at your photos because I decided I would prefer to see everything first-hand and with fewer preconceptions/expectations. I hope you get my drift. :)

[iKarenE]

We are taking the same trip next year and really appreciate your review. Thank you so much for taking the time to do it. Enjoying every detail!!