Norwegian Pearl - Alaska July 2-9, 2017

[Cruisedreamin2]

Great review. Glad you had a wonderful trip to celebrate your anniversary. Where was the picture taken with the ship in the back? You're across the street, maybe at the Marriott? That's a great picture.

 

 

 

It was from Pike Place Market! Thanks :)

 

 

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[indycdca]

This review, w pics, videos and me us all th stairs, is PERFECT!! Thank you just what I need as on Pearl 7/23. You say you walked from South Lake Union to Seattle Center then back to Pike Place. Tell me everything you can as I was planning to do same on day we disembark since my flight is late Redeye. How long would you say these jaunts take each? I plan to walk to SLU then walk ChilulynNd then back.to pier. Are these pretty easy jaunts?

[Ruskincruiser]

Thank you for your detailed review. My boyfriend & I will be on the Pearl in September. Can't wait.

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[Cruisedreamin2]

This review, w pics, videos and me us all th stairs, is PERFECT!! Thank you just what I need as on Pearl 7/23. You say you walked from South Lake Union to Seattle Center then back to Pike Place. Tell me everything you can as I was planning to do same on day we disembark since my flight is late Redeye. How long would you say these jaunts take each? I plan to walk to SLU then walk ChilulynNd then back.to pier. Are these pretty easy jaunts?

 

 

 

The walk isn't too bad if you like walking. Maybe 20-30 minutes not rushing. You will definitely want some comfortable walking shoes. If you get tired of walking, you can always use the monorail for a quick, cheap transportation (between the Space Needle and Westlake). Or there is always Uber for a $5-7 ride. We had really great weather but you may want a really good raincoat if rain is in the forecast.

 

I usually wear flip flops every day but wanted some comfortable walking shoes for the trip. I got these Sketchers and they were awesome. My feet never hurt and we walked a lot!

 

 

https://www.skechers.com/en-us/style/14415/skechers-go-step-marina/gry

 

 

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[Cruisedreamin2]

 

 

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[Cruisedreamin2]

Day 2 - Alaska at Sea

 

Today was all about relaxing! We ate breakfast at the Garden Cafe buffet. They will cook an omelette for you and other goodies, fresh and made-to-order. If the buffet area is busy (which it usually is), during breakfast they open La Cuchina right next door to take your food in and eat. There is a sign "quiet zone" and my husband and I got a table by the window every time we went in there except once.

 

We also spotted humpback whales from the balcony in our room and watched them with binoculars for a little while. Definitely bring binoculars! Look for when they surface and blow air/mist from their spout.

 

9:30 Couples massage at Mandara Spa. When we arrived, they encouraged us to upgrade from Swedish massage to a hot stone massage (extra $20-25 per person). We upgraded and were glad we did. After our wonderful massage, they tried to sell us a variety of products and services but as soon as I told them we weren't interested they said okay and let us go. I didn't feel pressured.

 

12:00 We ate lunch in the summer palace dining area. So much food and so yummy!

Lunch menu:

 

1:30 We went to get drinks at the Martini Bar.

 

 

2:00 Deal or No Deal Game - It was a $20-25 charge for the card to participate or you could just watch. They pick one person from the audience that bought a card to go on stage and play in front of everyone.

 

Nap time!!

 

6:00 Cagneys for dinner. We considered this our anniversary dinner and brought our "free cake card" with us. With our Dining Package they allowed us each to choose one starter, one soup or salad, one entree, two sides and one dessert. In every place we ate we could also use our UBP. The dinner was delicious, we loved it. After dinner they brought out our anniversary cake and sang to us. I felt bad they had to sing but it was a nice gesture. We ended up with 3 desserts that night and they gave us a cover for the cake so we could take it back to our room. Too much food!!!

 

Continued in next post...

 

 

 

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[Cruisedreamin2]

Main dining dinner menu, but we ate at Cagney's this night.

 

 

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[Cruisedreamin2]

7:30 Spinnaker for drinks and live music

 

8:00 Newlywed/Not-so-newlywed Game - This was funny. You could drop your name in a jar if you wanted to participate and they randomly picked 3 couples. Pretty funny.

 

9:30 Pure Variety Show - I can't remember this show, either we missed it or it wasn't memorable.

 

10:30 Spinnaker Night Out - just a fun party night, we didn't stay long.

 

 

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[TOMTOMRN331]

Seattle Day 2

 

We woke up early and walked to Pike Place Market. I'm a Starbucks addict and really wanted to see the first store. I had heard the lines get long, so hit it early. We were there around 8:30AM and the line was pretty short. We got a few cups and gift cards that are only sold in the "first store."

 

We started walking around the market but a lot hadn't opened yet so we just walked up and down the isles for the next hour or two watching all the vendors come in and get set up. By about 10AM, it started to get busy and it was fun to watch all the action including the "flying fish." We got a few things to eat in the market - a breakfast pastry from Piroshky, Piroshky, Beecher's Mac and Cheese, some fried shrimp, and a little wine tasting. We also had to visit the infamous "gum wall." Before we left the market, we got a little cheesecake bite from The Confectional and it was so good!

 

Next on our itinerary for the day was an Argosy "locks" cruise. The cruise was part of the Seattle City Pass but the "locks" cruise was an upgrade. While we waited for our turn, we had some clam chowder from Cafe 56. I chose to upgrade to the locks cruise to see more Seattle sights including the Sleepless in Seattle floating home, along with going through the Chittenden Locks. We really enjoyed it and I would definitely recommend it.

 

The Argosy tour dropped us off at the AGC Marina on Lake Union and we walked over the the MPOP (Museum of Pop Culture) which was also part of our City Pass. We didn't enjoy this very much... guess we aren't hip enough...

 

We left there pretty quickly and rode the monorail back towards Pike Market. From there, we walked to the Seattle Aquarium (also part of the City Pass). We enjoyed the aquarium. It is not very large but all of their exhibits use water from the ocean. They have an area where you can touch starfish and other sea creatures. There are also jelly fish, octopus, salmon, otters, seals, and an underwater dome.

 

I had planned to eat dinner at the famous Crab Pot, but it seemed a little pricey for what you get and my husband was craving sushi. So we ate dinner at Sansei Seafood & Sushi. It was okay, nothing too special.

 

After dinner, we went to ride the Great Wheel (ferris wheel) down on the water. It was not part of the City Pass but a nice ride with a little view of the city. Off to bed, we are cruising tomorrow!!!

 

See the video from the day here:https://youtu.be/h28gQ2RmRYs

 

 

 

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Thank you for your review. We did Alaska in Sept of 2014 and loved it. I was amazed how small the first Starbucks was. Also ate at Cafe 56

 

 

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[phissy]

What a fabulous review. This is our city and we sail the Pearl to Alaska every year. We leave in 7 weeks (Sept).

Your review was like seeing the city with new eyes.

Hope everyone reads this before their cruise to Alaska and hopefully inspire those to consider this cruise who may have not thought Alaska would be very interesting.

You are a great story teller and great pics also. Very inclusive and I am sure they answer many questions people may have (i.e. Menus and Dailies)

Can't wait for more!!

[DisLauraT]

Following along! We just booked the Pearl out of Seattle for June 24, 2018!

Love your report so far!

 

Thanks for posting about the shoes! I'm going to check them out. They are super cute!

[Cruisedreamin2]

 

 

 

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[Cruisedreamin2]

Lunch menu:

 

Dinner menu:

 

 

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[Cruisedreamin2]

 

Alaska Cruise - Juneau Day 3

 

First port day! We weren't scheduled to arrive to Juneau until 2:30PM so we had a lot of time on the boat before.

 

We ate breakfast at the buffet again and sat in La Cuchina. After breakfast we headed to the the spa to relax. My two favorite things about the spa are the lounger in the big hot tub and laying on the double lounge chair looking out to sea. The windows of the spa face the front of the ship and it's a great view.

 

After relaxing in the spa for a few hours we went back to the room to shower and get ready for Juneau! We had lunch in the main dinning room since we knew we wouldn't have time to eat off the ship.

 

I booked excursions for Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan through Norwegian. It would for sure be cheaper to book direct but I didn't want to take the time to figure it all out and risk not having a good experience. If we went back again, I might look more into it.

 

For Juneau, we picked the Mendenhall Glacier & Whale Quest. It was advertised as a five and half hour excursion for $199 per person. Our tickets told us to meet in the Stardust theatre at 2:50PM. The theatre was full and it seemed like every excursion through Norwegian was meeting in the Stardust and being herded out according to excursion start time. Here are the details of the excursion from Norwegian...

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Mendenhall Glacier & Whale Quest

DETAILS

$199 pp

Estimate Duration: 5.25hrs

 

Experience Alaska’s premier attractions glaciers and wildlife, from two very different vantage points, by land and by sea. A narrated motorcoach ride takes you to view and photograph the famous Mendenhall Glacier. At the Visitor Center you’ll have the opportunity to talk with Forest Service interpreters, and through interactive exhibits, learn about the awesome force of glacial ice. Back aboard the motorcoach you’ll take the scenic route through the Mendenhall Valley. At Auke Bay you’ll board a water jet powered catamaran specially designed for wildlife viewing. Relax in the warm, comfortable, spacious main cabin, surrounded by large windows as your experienced Captain guides you through the island studded waters of Stephens Passage.

 

Against a majestic backdrop of snow-capped peaks and glaciers, the onboard naturalist will explain the behavior and habitat of wildlife you may encounter, including humpback and killer whales, sea lions, porpoise, harbor seals, bald eagles and more. The operators of this tour guarantee you will see a whale. If not, you’ll receive a $100 cash refund as you disembark the tour vessel. Binoculars and souvenir route maps are provided along with complimentary snacks and beverages. To fully enjoy this excursion, be sure to bring a warm, rainproof jacket and don’t forget your camera!

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My husband and I loved Mendenhall Glacier. After waiting to get off the ship we met a bus that took us to the visitor center. (This did seem like one of the largest tour groups. There were a few busses doing the same thing.) When we arrived at the visitor center our bus driver told us we had about an hour and ten minutes and then we had to be back to the bus to get to the whale watching boat in time. I knew our time would be limited from reading online ahead of time and told my husband to be ready to book-it and not mess around. We saw the hike/walk to Nugget Falls was about 2 miles round trip and we knew we could easily make it if we didn't mess around. So off we went! The trail was paved and very busy. Juneau was a cloudy day and a light rainy mist. I wore waterproof hiking shoes and a waterproof jacket and these were my saving grace! They kept me dry and warm, so I was comfortable and could enjoy myself. The hike/walk was well worth it and the raging waterfall next to the glacier was a great sight to see! We also really just enjoyed walking through the scenery and wish we had more time to do so, but we took pictures, took it all in for a couple minutes and headed back. We made it back with about 10 minutes to spare but I needed to use the restroom and of course there was only one small bathroom and a long line for the ladies room. I probably spent at least 10 minutes in line and we made it back to the bus just in time!

 

The bus took us to our catamaran we would be riding for the whale watching tour. At first, we saw one or two whales in the distance and I wasn't impressed. But then, bubble-netting!!! I didn't know what bubble netting was until that day but it is pretty awesome. A description we found in a book says, "With sea gulls circling above, a group of humpback whales breaks the surface in a bubble-net feeding frenzy..." This was so exciting to see as 4-5 whales would surface with their mouths open wide! The guide on the ship told us the whales circle up and work together. One whale dives deep and come up pushing all the fish to the surface (the reason the sea gulls circle - easy feeding) then as the fish rush to the surface the rest of the whales all surface with mouths open to get their food. This is exactly what I came to Alaska to see! So exciting! Super hard to catch on camera as we weren't sure where they would surface and it happened so quickly. You can see a little bit of the group of whales in my video though.

 

The tour was so long that by the time it was over, it was time to get back on the ship. The lines were super long to get back on the ship too. A little annoying, especially since we were hungry and it was getting late. When we got back on board, we quickly changed, went to dinner in the main dining room and then went to see the show in the Stardust theater. After that we were tired and ready for bed... I'm sure we had drinks too :)

 

 

 

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[phissy]

Awaiting rest of review....anxious to hear the rest.

[Cruisedreamin2]

 

Dailies from Skagway - hopefully will post more soon! Reality of work and family responsibilities is filling all my time! [emoji22]I need another vacation haha!

 

 

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[Cruisedreamin2]

 

 

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[ChrissieY]

Excellent review with great photos and what a gorgeous couple you are! :-) Looking forward to more on the following days.

We will be on the same ship with a similar route in September so this is very useful for us, thank you!

 

Chrissie

[Cruisedreamin2]

 

Alaska Cruise - Skagway Day 4

 

We left the ship around 7:30-8:00AM with plans to track down a Starbucks (yes, I'm addicted) and get breakfast in town before our excursion. There was a Starbucks listed on my phone's map but it was more of a local shop that served Starbucks. Good enough to feed my addiction. We also got a donut and started walking around the little town. I knew we would have the most time in port to shop in Skagway over any other day so we did some window shopping and decided what we would come back for after our excursion (didn't want to carry stuff around with us all day). It was nice to explore the cute little town before it go too busy.

 

Around 9:20AM, we met our tour guide for our excursion. This was booked through Norwegian and this is their description...

 

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Gold Panning, Sled Dogs & Scenic Railway

$249 pp

DETAILS: 6 hours

 

From here, you will make your way to the Klondike Gold Fields, located on the Skagway River. Upon arrival the mushers will take you into their theater and narrate a short film about the Iditarod Race and the history of Alaskan sled dogs. Then it's on to the mushers’ checkpoint to see and learn about all the equipment and skill it takes to dog race competitively. Finally, you will get to meet the team! The dogs are friendly and excited to show off their skills as they are hooked up and do a demonstration run. When they are finished, you'll get to meet the puppies and hold and cuddle them.

 

Your tour continues with a humorous and educational show that teaches gold panning. Test your skills with a pan of pay dirt in our heated troughs. Gold is guaranteed! When you are finished, go to the Assayers’ Office and have your gold weighed to see how much money you made.

 

Next, board a coach and travel to the White Pass Railway where a private car awaits. A special guide will accompany you, helping you during the ride, providing a toast at the summit, a snack, games, stories, and contests to enhance the beautiful ride to the border where all the prospectors of 1898 stopped on their way to the gold fields. Afterwards, return to your ship knowing that you have had the Klondike Gold Fields Alaskan experience.

 

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The description is pretty accurate aside from the fact that the puppies on our trip were only 2-weeks old so we were not aloud to hold them. A few employees walked around with them and let us pet them.

 

It was neat to hear about the Iditarod race from someone very experienced. We learned a lot about it. There was a woman there who was preparing for her first entry into the race also. Those dogs love to run! They were so excited to get hooked up! It was on a dirt track at their facility and they did a very short run (once around the small track).

 

The gold panning was fun but nothing too special to me. There was a long line to have your gold weighed. Between my husband and I, I think we had about $28 worth. But they of course don't give you money for it, instead they try to sell you ways to display your gold :) You do get to keep the gold.

 

It's an long excursion and no lunch is provided so they offer a order form from a local vendor to purchase a $14 sandwich. They said some of their guests are hangry by the end of the tour so they made this an option. My husband and I ordered one sandwich to share to hold us over. Nothing special. Personally, I think they should provide something like this complementary for how much you are paying.

 

After your time there, they bus you back to the train depot and you board the train. The ride was beautiful. The views are breathtaking! You have to stay in your car but are allowed to step out onto the small platform. It was always packed with people and hard to see. I think I had seen a tip to sit on the left side and I wished I could remember it when we boarded the train because the left side is definitely the side with the better views. Once you reach the destination just across the Canadian border, they have everyone flip their seats and switch sides. I was thankful for this so I could enjoy the views on the way back. We had especially great weather, sunny and clear and were able to see for miles, including a glacier in the mountains.

 

If I could do it all over again, I would definitely do the train ride but maybe something more active (hike, zip line, etc) instead of the rest of the tour. I believe you can book the train direct and would probably be much cheaper.

 

We finished with excursion around 4:30PM. We bought postcards to send home and picked up stamps at the tiny local post office. Then we did all of our souvenir shopping and strolled around the town for a couple more hours. We wanted to stop in a bar for one of their famous beers but it was just too busy and we decided not worth the wait.

 

We headed back to the ship and ate dinner in the main dining room. Then, we moved up to the top deck for sail away and drinks.

 

We attended the 9:30PM comedy show in the Stardust Theatre and wrapped up the day with drinks on our balcony to see the sights from our room. It was still light at 11PM! Another great day in Alaska!

 

Watch the video for all our photos:

 

 

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[smm0218]

Doing the same trip in two weeks (can't believe it's almost here) so I really appreciate you taking the time to share.

[Cruisedreamin2]

Doing the same trip in two weeks (can't believe it's almost here) so I really appreciate you taking the time to share.

 

 

 

It's the best trip ever! If you haven't decided what to do in Victoria yet, check out Classic Car Tours. It was so fun and we booked directly with Larry. Hopefully I will be able to post soon about it.

http://classiccartours.com/?page_id=162

 

 

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[smm0218]

We were just going to do hop on hop off I think. DH might like classic cats, I'll take a look. Thanks

 

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[Tucsoncruisers]

Beautiful pictures and videos... thanks so much for sharing :o

[Linsuesue]

I can't wait to hear more about the Classic Car tour in Victoria! Did you think it was a good value, did you tip the driver too, did he have any great suggestions for restaurants, did you pick where you wanted to go or did you just let him give you a general tour, which car did you choose??? I am enjoying your review so much and especially love the menus you post. We will be on the Pearl next summer and can't wait to go!