Our Alaska adventure on the Norwegian Sun, June 5-12

[cuterlmt]

Really loving your review! We are going in August, and have plans to do some of the same things! Thank you!

[katfer]

Thank you so much for taking the time to post..we leave in 3 weeks and now I am whipped into a frenzy of planning and packing! Love all the pics!

[mapleleaves]

Great trip report ! Thx for taking the time to post this photojournal. Please add it to the 2017 List. It will be a great resource as people plan for next yr.

You did a nice job of highlighting sights in Vancouver .... I've never understood why people are in such a rush to board the ship when there's so much to see and do in Vancouver, even if it's just to spend the day at Stanley Park.

[Mitch2016]

Great trip report ! Thx for taking the time to post this photojournal. Please add it to the 2017 List. It will be a great resource as people plan for next yr.

You did a nice job of highlighting sights in Vancouver .... I've never understood why people are in such a rush to board the ship when there's so much to see and do in Vancouver, even if it's just to spend the day at Stanley Park.

 

Thank you Maple Leaves.....its been fun doing this and reminiscing about our trip. Hard to believe we got home a month ago. :(

[Mitch2016]

Monday June 5th- Day 1

 

Today we get on our way to seeing Alaska for the 1st time on our 1st cruise.....ever! We're both so excited! We grabbed a couple breakfast sandwiches at Tim Hortons in the Food Court close to our hotel, then walked down to the Vancouver Lookout. It was a beautiful day with clear blue skies....

 

Walking down to the Vancouver Lookout.....notice the wires above the streets? This is from the old street car lines. I don't think they run on electric any longer, but I could be wrong

 

On our way to the top!

 

To the left is the Rogers Arena where the Canucks play hockey and middle right is the Holy Rosary Cathedral.....beautiful church.

 

Gastown....loved this area of Vancover. The old brick streets, the architecture of the buildings, the tree lined streets......so cool! Check out that tall triangular building....look at the trees growing on top of it!

 

Vancouver shipyards and train tracks right next door

 

This was the best view walking around the whole Vancouver Lookout.....can't wait to get on board! John, lets go!

[Mitch2016]

We head back to the hotel and check out....the bellman gets us a cart and he then walks our luggage to Canada Place for us. Talk about service! Staying at the Auberge Hotel was a great location, pretty good price for being so close to waterfront, and excellent service. We'll stay again if we get the chance to return!

 

 

We arrived at Canada Place about 11:00 in the morning, and the line to check in with NCL was moving quickly and we didn't have long before we were going through the security and customs process.

 

The Disney Wonder was also leaving port today.....Happiest Place on Earth! I think we were pretty happy getting ready to be on the Sun!

 

Our first glimpse of the NCL Sun.....I was so excited to be finally on our first cruise!

 

We're on board....walking on the Promenade at 11:40! It only took us 40 minutes to get checked in and through security/customs.

 

Our first stop....the Topsiders bar for our first celebratory drink to our first cruise and our first trip to Alaska. John had The Perfect Margarita and I had a BahaMama in a souvenir tiki glass!

[mianmike]

Loving your review! Keep the pictures coming!

[Mitch2016]

We're on board and we get notified about 1:30 that the cabins were ready so we went down to see if our luggage had arrived. It had, so we quickly unpacked some things and got somewhat situated. There was plenty of room under the bed to stash all our luggage and bags, plenty of storage to put clothes in closets, drawers. The bathroom had lots of shelves on either side of the mirror to stash your typical bathroom stuff. The shower was just curtained which was okay. I did bring along some heavy clips to put on the bottom at both edges to keep the curtain down straight. By the way....got to say that the water pressure in the shower and room in the shower was excellent! The only downside is there is only 1 outlet for plugging things in like alarm clocks, camera and cell phone chargers. We had purchased a squid multi-outlet extension cord and it worked fantastic!

 

 

 

 

The Great Outdoors.....we ate breakfast every morning out here. I didn't care for the scrambled eggs, so it was so great to have an omelet station and cooked to order eggs. Also, gotta say, I have never seen so much bacon in my life! Who doesn't love bacon!

 

The entrance to the Sports Bar right off the Great Outdoors....we spent a lot of time here. Watched the Stanley Cup finals here....was a fun place to hang out and visit with ours about their adventures!

 

At 3:30 we met at our assigned Muster Station, ours being H. All these lovely people will be on the lifeboat directly above our heads should the need arise. We of course listened to instructions, but we also got to know a few while we waited....just in case!

 

We made our way back to the sail away party pool side....the grills were fired up, beverages flowing and everyone seemed to be having a good time. We refreshed our drinks and made it to the front and top of the ship to watch sail away instead of down here. They did have the band playing, the production cast dancing and singing but we wanted to say good bye to Vancouver.

 

We set up with a couple loungers and our sailaway drinks right by the infamous compass on this trip. We had just gotten out of Vancouver and into the Pacific and there were guys working on it with their tools etc. Evidently it was having problems calibrating as we spun in circles for awhile, they did get it going and thankfully we got on our way!

[Mitch2016]

Saying goodbye to Vancouver!

 

Our view as we backed out of Canada Place and began our journey

 

The Disney Wonder left right ahead of us and we followed it out of port.....

 

Good bye Vancouver......we had an incredible time here and hope to come back again some day!

 

Approaching the Lions Gate Bridge then we're on our way to Alaska!!

 

John taking a picture of me as I recorded a video of us passing under the Lions Gate Bridge.

 

And we are on our way.....inside passage here we come!

[katfer]

Love!!! 22 days!

[Mitch2016]

We had dinner at LaCucina our first night.....probably my favorite restaurant. You would think one would have Italian in an Italian restaurant....nope, we had steak and it was fantastic! We started with some Calamari and shrimp risotto that was fabulous, then had a fantastic ribeye! Afterward we went to Dazzles and enjoyed the music for awhile, then enjoyed a walk along the promenade deck before retiring back to the cabin. It had been a fun filled Day 1 of our cruise....

 

John with that grin, sitting there in this beautiful restaurant, by a window looking out at the fantastic passing scenery, getting ready to have a great meal and saying, "Why haven't we done this before! It's incredible!"

 

Calamari which was really really good!

 

The shrimp risotto....I couldn't wait and had cut up my shrimp before I took the picture, but they were huge. It was fabulous!

 

A really thick ribeye cut with an iceberg salad wedge and a corn something. I would rather have had a baked potato...it's what you have with steak, but it was still really good! The little butter pallet on top of the steak was infused with garlic and herbs and you rubbed it over the hot steak so it melted down inside. We were too full after such a fantastic meal to have dessert. Unheard of, right!

 

Dazzles Club for a drink after dinner and to watch the festivities!

 

Walking around the promenade deck and were back to our Muster Station H as the ship moves on forward....it had been a wonderful first day!

[Mitch2016]

Day 2-----At Sea. There won't be too many pictures from this day as the ship really started rocking when we were in open water and John wasn't feeling well by afternoon. We had our meet and greet from the Roll Call, but unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures! Duh! It was fun to place faces to names, and even though it was a small intimate group, NCL rolled out the red carpet, having a nice spread of treats, coffee etc.... and we got to meet some of the ship directors. By 11:45, at the Meet and Greet, you could really feel the ship, especially being top of the ship and aft.... and it was time to say our goodbyes.

 

We tried going down low, mid ship to see if it helped, it didn't. We tried putting a little something in our stomach to see if it helped, it didn't We tried stepping outside for fresh air to see if it helped, it didn't.

 

We spent most of the afternoon, laying down in our cabin as that was the only place that our stomachs didn't roll. I welcomed the nap as the previous 4 days had been packed and constantly on the go. Things settled down about 5:00 when we got between Queen Charlotte Islands and the main land. John was feeling better, and we were both rested so went to the Sports Bar to have a snack and drink. We shared some spinach artichoke dip and chicken wings for supper and then went to watch the show in the Stardust Lounge.

 

I loved this view and the sound of the water as we cruised along.....

 

We were in the Sports Bar a lot along with the Great Outdoors. There were only a few in here tonight.....

 

The Great Outdoors was empty.....the only time I ever saw it empty the whole trip.

 

Beautiful stain glass of Viking Ship as we walked to the Stardust Lounge for the show.....

 

Tonight's production was "Rock You Tonight" and it was really good! You couldn't help but sing along.

 

Our first towel animal greeted us when we got back to our room. After watching the the production, we went to Dazzles and watched the "Yes or No" game show. It was a lot of fun! You were in the hot seat, having conversation with cruise director Dave and Yosua (assistant) as they were taking turns asking questions but you couldn't say yes or no for 2 minutes. Oh they were slick and tried to catch you, but some actually pulled off! After that, we decided to get dessert as we hadn't eaten much today and went to the Sports Bar (you'll see this in my review often) where they had a really good cheesecake with chocolate sauce and pineapple. John had the sponge cake with strawberries.... Nice ending to our only bummer day out of the whole trip.

[Mitch2016]

Day 3 - Ketchikan We had a wonderful day. We had arranged a tour with a local guide who was born and raised here in Ketchikan, and a Tlingit. See my earlier comments from our day. Now, here are some of the photos.....

 

We're here.....got ready fro the day and walked out to the Great Outdoors for breakfast and this view looking east greeted us! So happy it wasn't raining!

 

Looking west from the ship.....

 

View of the ship as we got off in Ketchikan.....never tire of this view.

 

Our first eagle sighting....we saw so many more throughout our entire trip. Such beautiful, majestic birds!

 

Beautiful.....

 

This is your average eagles nest.....looks like an upside down VW Bug, doesn't it!

[Cruise_More_Often]

This is such a fun read! I'm so glad you enjoyed your first cruise. It's fun to go along with you on your adventure. We've been to Alaska twice on the Sun, and she's a really cute little ship. We also stayed at the hotel above the Terminal City Club, but at the time it was actually known as "The Hotel Above Terminal City Club." It sounds like the Auberge is a big improvement.

 

We, too, love the Granville Market and the little ferries. We haven't biked around Stanley Park, but we did walk around it (late one night after one too many drinks). When we're there next summer, thanks to your suggestion, we will rent bikes.

 

Your pictures are beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your adventure.

[Mitch2016]

Day 3 - Ketchikan

 

Saxman Village Clan House and Totem Row

 

Can you imagine having this view from your living room? This was taken from Mountain Point at the entrance of George Inlet as we rounded the curve to head up north.

 

This yearling black tail deer that we saw along the road.....isn't she cute!

 

Herring Cove....sometimes you can see bear here, but we knew it was way too early. However, we did see a paw print in the mud.

 

Another eagle....his head is all muddy so I'm guessing he was munching on something there in the grass/mud.....

 

Herring Cove and the George Inlet.....there were about 5 seals close to the shoreline but we weren't able to get good pictures. This would be another perfect location for a home! Beautiful....

Edited July 16, 2017 by Mitch2016

[Mitch2016]

Day 3 - Ketchikan

 

Beaver Creek Falls along Tongass Highway

 

Beaver Creek Falls.....

 

Inside Passage Ferry (Malaspina) along the Tongass Narrows.....

 

Creek Street.....what really boggles my mind is that a lot of the town, not just Creek Street is setting on pylons

 

One thing I noticed throughout our travels in Alaska....there were a lot of brothels LOL!!

 

Creek Street looking from the other direction....

[Mitch2016]

Day 3 - Ketchikan

 

Funicular waiting to come back up to Cape Fox Lodge

 

Large canoe hanging in the lobby of the Cape Fox Lodge

 

 

View from the Funicular heading back down.....

 

Whale Park

 

Ketchikan is certainly set up for the tourist....the city gets a lot of its income from all those that arrive every summer.

[Mitch2016]

Day 3 - Ketchikan

 

Love this statue welcoming tourist to Ketchikan....it really depicts it's history.

 

Obviously, I can't hold my phone straight....ever! But this plaque explains the statue.

 

The Iconic Welcome to Ketchikan sign......

 

The Iconic Ketchikan rain gauge....last year they got 14 feet and some odd inches!

 

Beautiful street lamp post banners......

 

And were back to the ship by all aboard t 3:30....a fun day in Ketchikan!

[Mitch2016]

Day 3 - Ketchikan

 

We're back up on board and going to drop off our goodies in our cabin before heading to the Great Outdoors to sail away and say goodbye to Ketchikan. It turned out to be a great day weather wise, saw a glimpse of the sun at times, did a lot of walking and soaked it all up!

 

Just stepped outside our cabin and going to trek down the hall back toward the Great Outdoors. Notice the fish? They are swimming upstream or the front of the ship, were going to go against the stream to get to the back of the ship. Good idea NCL....easy to get turned around in the long hallways!

 

The Alleutian Ballard coming back from an excursion....we debated on doing this tour, but so glad we just hung out around town and the island.......learning about the Tlingit culture with our guide, and seeing the beauty of Ketchikan outside of town.

 

Heading out in the Tongass narrows....Goodbye Ketchikan!

 

Alaskan Inside Passage Ferries....one in drydock and another being built.

 

Love this picture....the mountains in the background, the float plane, beautiful little islands in the narrows.

 

Guard Island Lighthouse.....beautiful

[Mitch2016]

Day 3 - Ketchikan

 

After hanging around the Great Outdoors for awhile, and having a few adult beverages to celebrate Day 3 in Ketchikan, we got ready for dinner at Cagneys. We had originally planned on eating here yesterday, but was able to reschedule as I wasn't sure how John would be feeling that night and luckily, they had room about 7:30. We had a nice leisurely dinner...

 

We had dinner tonight at Cagney's Steakhouse

 

Appetizer, we both had chicken wings and jumbo shrimp cocktail. Aren't they cute! You won't see the jumbo shrimp cocktail.....I devoured it before I could get a picture as we hadn't eaten since breakfast and we were starved!

 

John had this salad, but I don't remember what it was. He said it was good!

 

We also had the the rib-eye here, and I had steamed broccoli with garlic mashed potatoes. The steak was a little rare for me, so I had to send it back, but when it came back.....it was delicious!

 

For dessert, I had the raspberry creme bruleee....it was so good and smooth! John had the baked apple crisp....

 

When we got back to the room tonight, we had Yoda waiting for us....."Sleep you must!" He was so cute, and sleep we did! A full fun day. Tomorrow, Juneau!

[Mitch2016]

Taking this same northbound cruise on July 17th. Excited to read your review on your activities and the Sun!

 

I'm sorry I didn't get my review done in time for your trip tomorrow. I hope you have a wonderful week and see lots of incredible things! We loved the Sun, just the perfect size for us, food was good, drinks were good, entertainment was good....and meeting so many fantastic people from all over the world was so cool! Safe travels tomorrow!

[LuvBotswana]

Love that towel Yoda!

[holidayhelen]

Who did you do the tour in Kitchekin with?

[Mitch2016]

Who did you do the tour in Kitchekin with?

 

We used Rich with Aurora Tours Birds and Bears. He doesn't have a web page as he is just starting out, but you can find him and his phone number on Facebook. Search for him under his tour name on Facebook. Really nice guy and price was pretty good. I felt good helping out a guy just starting out his own tour company.

[Mitch2016]

Day 4 - Juneau

 

Today was the day I was most looking forward to on our cruise. The weather was perfect...meaning it wasn't raining! I was so worried about rain, low cloud ceilings and our trip to Taku Lodge being cancelled. The skies were overcast but that was perfect for glacier viewing....the blues would really pop then!

 

Stephens Passage on our way to Juneau

 

The slopes of the hills were so lush and green....and the homes along the shore, beautiful!

 

 

 

We were docked at the AJ Dock which is straight ahead.....it was the furthest out from downtown, but they had free shuttle buses that ran every 15 minutes so you were always able to get a ride coming and going.

 

The top of Mt. Roberts Tram taken from the ship. Can't wait to get up to the top!

 

Celebrity Infinity and Holland America Zaandam were also in port. We arrived early about 10:00 instead of 11:00.

 

The Sun did a 180 so we were facing out toward Stephens Passage later that evening to leave on our way to Skagway....