A Journey to the Last Frontier: Serenade of the Seas Alaskan Itinerary Review

[Travel R]

[Travel R]

This morning I did not awaken to the sounds of the ocean lapping against the sides of the Serenade as it made its way to its next port, nor the distant hum of its engines churning within the bowels of this massive floating city.

 

There was no run atop the promenade with majestic snow-capped mountains looking down upon our ship whilst the first rays of morning rose above its summit.  There were no morning victuals at Park Café to be had, nor the enjoyment of a second more edified breakfast served by the skilled attendants at Reflections while gazing out at the wilderness beyond the large bay windows. Sadly, there was no great adventure awaiting us today. No glaciers, no whales, no memories to be created with my family.

 

Our late arrival the previous evening meant that breakfast was swift. Coffee was self-made with the help of my friend Keurig, and frozen waffles was the fare of choice. No omelet as a second entrée, no bacon as a side – not even a pastry to compliment my meager refection.

 

Today I am back in the concrete jungle, but my mind is already looking towards the horizon for our next great adventure.

 

In the pages that follow I shall tell a tale of the journey taken by myself and my family to Alaska, also known as the Last Frontier. . . . .

 

Edited July 5, 2022 by Travel R

[barbienj]

Following, I will be on Serenade in 4 weeks.

[familycruzinnewbie]

following

[Ashland]

Following ...Our extended family will be on her September 18th sailing and we'll have two young grandsons with us....Hope you have some tips on what's onboard that may interest them. We recently got off Harmony and they know it won't compare 

[tallgirl97]

Following - we'll be onboard in 2 weeks! Where was that opening shot taken - is that Hubbard Glacier? (...which, sadly, isn't on our itinerary...)

[texasweather]

Following, and will likely be throwing in my two cents as I was on this same sailing!

[Travel R]

18 hours ago, barbienj said:

Following, I will be on Serenade in 4 weeks.

 

Awesome!  If you have any questions, please shout them out.

 

My prediction . . . you will love it!

Edited July 6, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

18 hours ago, Ashland said:

Following ...Our extended family will be on her September 18th sailing and we'll have two young grandsons with us....Hope you have some tips on what's onboard that may interest them. We recently got off Harmony and they know it won't compare 

 

I will be writing a post or two from the point of view of my teenage daughter - some of her likes & dislikes of the ship, ports, and excursions.

 

[Travel R]

18 hours ago, tallgirl97 said:

Following - we'll be onboard in 2 weeks! Where was that opening shot taken - is that Hubbard Glacier? (...which, sadly, isn't on our itinerary...)

 

Yes, that is a photo of Hubbard Glacier.

 

No fears, you will have the possibility to see Mendenhall Glacier (which we only saw in the distance) and the Sawyer Glacier (when sailing the Tracy Arm). Your itinerary also visits Skagway, which I have heard is an amazing port.

 

Since your cruise is in the very near future, please post any questions you may have and I'll try to answer them ASAP.

 

 

 

[Travel R]

While I organize my notes from this cruise, I thought it may be helpful to provide some preliminary and general information of the cruise by answering what I believe are some of the most asked questions you may have. The below answers are brief, and I will expound upon each of them throughout my review.

 

Please feel free to ask any additional questions and I will be happy to answer if I can.

To read about all the preparation and the thoughts and planning that went into creating this adventure, please see my 99 Day Journey Post at https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2839026-a-99-day-journey-to-alaska-serenade-by-the-sea-with-a-teen-and-young-adult-over-21/

 

 

Was the Ship at Capacity?

 

I am repeating the following which I received second-hand from someone that went to the Captain’s Talk which I did not attend.  The source did not provide the number of passengers, but they did state that every cabin for our sailing was booked. FYI - total capacity on the Serenade is 2400. I won't lie, there were a few times when the ship felt crowded (mostly when arriving late to an activity and not being able to find a seat right away (but we always did); for the most part, the crowds did not affect us or our enjoyment of the cruise.

 

How was Boarding?

 

Because of (airline) delays we did not arrive at the terminal until about 1 AM.  Although the lines seemed longer after 20+ hours of travelling to get there, we made it through the terminal and onto the ship in about 45 minutes.  It was surprisingly very well organized after hearing horror stories from prior sailings.  Waiting on lines cannot be avoided (and some may argue that some of the check-stops are not necessary), but they did move us through the queue very efficiently. We also quickly found a table when we entered the Windjammer. Note, passengers that arrived earlier also reported the same efficiency. No, it was not as quick as most sailings I have been on in the past, but we live in a different age.

 

Did You Enjoy the Cruise?

 

Myself and my family had a great time.  Was everything perfect?  No – never had a vacation that was.  There are always snags along the way, but they were easy to ignore (although I will provide full details during the review).

 

How Was the Weather (How Should I Pack For an Alaskan Cruise)?

 

Although I had a very detailed packing list, we were not completely sure what to pack until two days before we left and looked at the upcoming weather forecast.  I had initially begun packing for cooler weather, but forecasts showed much warmer temperatures, so I adjusted the quantity of warm vs. cool weather clothing accordingly.  For instance, I took fewer long pants and more shorts. [This will also depend on the individual. I am usually warm, so I took two pair of long jeans but only wore one; on the other hand, my DW and DDs wore long pants for most of the trip and shorts on only two of the days.]. I did not ditch all the cold-weather clothing since forecasts can be wrong (especially 8-9 days out), so still had warmer items – and did pack toe and hand warmers (which we fortunately never had to use).

 

The only time we were exposed to the “cold” for any prolonged period was when out on deck looking at the Hubbard Glacier (which we also had a great view from the balcony of our stateroom). Our day in the outdoors in Ketchikan was also on the cool side and most of my family wore sweatshirts/light jackets the entire time we were outside. The early mornings on deck could also be cool, damp, and windy, which forced my morning runs on the track to be brought inside into the fitness center. [Many mornings the top deck where the running track is located was closed/roped off.]

 

The prevailing advice is to pack so you will be dressed in layers and you will not go wrong – along with a rain jacket or poncho for when/if it rains; we were very, very lucky – the only time it rained was the day we returned to Vancouver. Although note that during the cruise itself it was rain-like early in the mornings due to the low clouds and relative humidity in the air.

 

We had unseasonably warm weather.  Mornings were in the low to mid-50s (11 or 12 degrees Celsius) and a few days it was in the upper 60’s while we were out and about (low to mid 70’s the day we set sail from Vancouver). The warmth did cause a marine cloud cover which severely limited our view of the Inside Passage on Day 2, and there was a low layer hanging around the mountains throughout most of the crew.  However, except for Day 2, it did not really affect our view, and the clow clouds made for some spectacular photos.

 

Did You See Whales, Eagles, or Other Wildlife from the Ship (or off the Ship)?

 

Yes!!!

 

Whale Watching Excursion – We took a whale watching excursion out of Juneau.  We were lucky to see a mom and her calf frolicking out in the water. It was amazing. Note that you do not see the entire whale, but parts of the fins and tales and maybe a little bit of other parts of these magnificent ocean mammals. We also encountered sea lions and porpoises on our excursion in addition to a brown bear, which is rare sight for that area.

 

Walking in Port - We saw a few bald eagles while walking in the National Park in Sitka, including one that was feeding from a branch just 20 feet above us. We also saw a few other eagles along the way (flying and resting).  We also saw many other forms of wildlife (land and marine) while in all of the ports, so be on the lookout.

 

From the Ship – Although we missed a pod of 5-6 Orcas the first night out (as retold by others we met), I chanced upon spotting a whale in the distance (not sure what kind) from my balcony one our way to Juneau. We also happened to see an Orca through the windows of the Schooner bar (inside Passage on way back to Vancouver). One early morning I was eating an early first breakfast outside the Windjammer and began talking to a waiter.  He said he loves the Alaskan sailing and working the outside/back because he gets to see a lot of water wildlife while working on the ship. From my balcony I did also spot three porpoises merrily swimming alongside the ship. We also did spot a sea otter from the helipad while viewing the Hubbard Glacier.

 

What Ports Did You Visit, What Did You Do, and Were the Ports Worth Visiting?

 

We visited three ports on our itinerary – Sitka, Juneau, and Ketchikan, which the addition of two side-views of the Tracy Arm (w/ Sawyer Glacier) and Hubbard Glacier.

 

Sitka – We did not purchase any excursions for this port. Instead, we walked the town ourselves. It is not a very large town or very hilly, so it was easy to traverse. We visited may of its highlights such as the Raptor Center, National Park, Sheldon Jackson Museum, and the Bishop’s House.  It is a great first port to set the table for the overall journey because you can discover the Native American, Russian, and American history of the area in addition to information about its geography and wildlife.  As a bonus we saw a bald eagle feasting upon its prey perched only 20 feet above our heads (before even getting to the Raptor Center). This was the least “touristy” of the ports we visited.

 

Junea – Having bad luck with whale watching in the past, we tried our luck with one of the only places in the world that can almost guarantee seeing a whale. As noted above we saw two whales and other marine wildlife too boot.  Note, the port offers air trips to the top of the Mendenhall glacier did look cool (and some included a sleigh ride). On the way back we were dropped off in the middle of town.  A tourist town with a nice setting – lots of stores trying to sell you something.

 

Ketchikan – We loved the outdoor adventure we took, which included driving a jeep off-road (we drove the jeeps ourselves) and canoeing across a lake. It allowed you to get a taste (albeit very small) of what inner-Alaska, away from the tourists and the ports, has to offer. BTW, if you did not book anything for this town, there are a bunch of huts/kiosks at the port ready to sell you any number of excursions. We did walk a little bit through the town prior to our excursion – cute town filled with tons of souvenir shops, small eateries, and jewelry stores.

 

Hubbard Glacier – The view we had from the ship was amazing. However, there is a catamaran that leaves from the Ship that goes much, much closer to the glacier than we were able to go.  Although it is expensive, seeing how much closer it sailed and how it was described by passengers that took advantage of this excursion, I will consider taking it if I ever return to Alaska.

 

How Was the Ship - The Serenade Of The Seas?

 

It was a great ship – looks like it was made for an Alaskan itinerary.  All points of view looked outward, which made it perfect for viewing the amazing sights of the 49^th state – the glaciers, mountains of purple majesty, whales, wildlife, etc., etc., etc.  Even the elevators were made of glass so you can look out while traversing from floor to floor (although if 3-4 floors or less, I would personally take the stairs). The ship is starting to show its age, but only if you are looking for it. The ship (knowing this going in) did not have many of the modern bells and whistles, but I was okay with that.

 

How Was the Entertainment?

 

Although they had begun adding more live entertainment since they came back into service a few short months ago, we were now wowed by the offerings and even exited mid-show (in comparison to prior cruises – RCI and others). Enjoyment of entertainment is subjective (so others may have loved it), and living so close to Broadway for so many years has admittedly jaded our views. I know that this summary does not provide a lot of reasons as to why, but it will all be explained in much greater detail further on in this review.

 

How Was the Food On The Ship?

 

It is a mixed answer from my family on this one, with a reminder that the enjoyment of food is subjective. One person’s ambrosia can be regarded as gruel to another.

 

While I thought that some of the dishes in the main dining room was a notch up from previous cruises, the remainder of my family did not enjoy the food anywhere on the ship (with the exception of a few specific items).  They did prefer the MDR over the Windjammer (which we had only visited during breakfast and lunch), and unlike prior voyages, they tried to avoid the WJ when possible; my DD’s even came to the MDR for breakfast themselves one morning instead of heading to the buffet (on previous cruises they had done the opposite).

 

While I did enjoy the MDR, I could not provide a very high assessment of the food in the WJ.  There were a few singular dishes that merit praise which I will mention further in this review, but overall we did not enjoy the buffet very much during this cruise. As an example, even with all the items listed on the menu, during the last few mornings my DW opted for a cup of bad coffee (the free coffee is not very good, but it is a necessity) with cinnamon Danish (when available) and Rice Krispies cereal.

 

Take this with a grain of salt, other passengers may have an opposite opinion. No, we did not go hungry.

 

Was MTD (My Time Dining) a Fiasco?

 

It worked out very well, and we were able to adjust our mealtimes based on early or late excursions. The longest we waited was about 10-12 minutes on the evenings of the formal nights (the most crowded evenings in the MDR). Otherwise, we were brought to our table within 5 minutes of arrival.  Note that we had pre-reserved the times and the line where people did not reserve seemed to have a longer wait.

 

MTD meant that we played musical chairs, not knowing where we would sit on any given night. However, it was mostly split between two different teams of waitstaff. All the waitstaff – Park Café, WJ, MDR (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) were outstanding. Multiple names (including assistants) will be highlighted when I fill out my assessment of the cruise- especially the team-up of Muhammad/Iwayan and Kadek/Yudi.

 

Was the Ship Sufficiently Staffed?

 

Yes, I think so.  The entertainment had increased from prior sailings; I may not have loved it, but it was more populous.  The bartenders did seem to be a hustling more than usual, but the wait staff in the MDR and WJ did not seem to be lacking. The only time I noticed any lag was at the six-o’clock hour when they only had one person (Aileen) getting everything ready for both stations (by day 3 or 4 she had an assistant helping her).

 

Did You See the Northern Lights?

 

No.  You are unable to see them from SE Alaska during the summer months.

 

Was there COVID on the Ship?

 

While I did not hear of any cases while on the ship, the entire crew were masked during the entire cruise.  My family did try to keep our distance and wash/sanitize our hands more often than usual, we (admittedly) were not masked for almost the entirety of the cruise (with one exception I will discuss later). However, there are a few reports on FB of my fellow passengers contracting it during the cruise and soon after returning.

 

My stateroom steward disappeared after Day 3, and two new individuals took her place. They said she was sick but did not disclose the ailment, but one can speculate.

 

How Was the Stateroom?

 

Love, love love the hump.  We had a forward-facing hump balcony – lots of room with a great view side and front.  Only thing missing is a lounge chair (or two) – which it would easily fit.

 

Questions?

 

I hope this helps.  The above is just a summary of our cruise, so as you can expect, the remainder of this review will be a lot more detailed.  However, if anyone has any questions now, please feel free to ask.

 

[Travel R]

A few random photos from throughout the cruise. As I provide the details of the cruise I will correlate the photos to the discussions, but figured y'all would like to see a few pics now.

 

1) Canoes we paddled across the river in the Tongass National Forest (approx. 10 miles inland from Ketchikan)

2) A small island along the Inside Passage

3) A view most of you do not get to see - the inside of the Fitness Center from atop one of the exercise machines

4) My DD22 waiting for her Bingo Card to be verified; yes, she won . . . . RCI swag (in the Safari Club)

5) A photo of me, myself, and I in the early morning (~5:45 AM) getting ready to exercise without awakening my DW [the lighting is from a small flashlight I brought along]

 

 

Edited July 6, 2022 by Travel R

[timxrx]

Thanks for the review. We did a Northbound Alaskan cruise in 2017 and plan on going back it was both beautiful and relaxing.

Was the jeep ride and canoeing booked thru Royal or an independent vendor, if so which one?

Thank You 

[familycruzinnewbie]

getting surgery on my hand tomorrow.  but you know i will be in the gym when we board in less than 3 weeks. however my ability to take pics will be impeded.

[Travel R]

17 hours ago, familycruzinnewbie said:

getting surgery on my hand tomorrow.  but you know i will be in the gym when we board in less than 3 weeks. however my ability to take pics will be impeded.

Good luck with the surgery today and wishing a quick recovery!

 

[Travel R]

CRUISE REVIEW

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

My intention is to create a review that will be of greatest use to everyone.  The way I am going to set it up is akin to the wave of how many documentarians are publishing their work, in a chronological order shown through the lens of a timestamp.  As a reader, you don’t really want to hear that I went to the MDR on Monday night, then write about it again in my post about Tuesday, then again on Wednesday, then Thursday, etc. – I believe you want to read about my experience in the MDR for dinner all in one place.  Although it does not compliment a story-telling prose, I will still do my best to tell the story, it will just be divided into smaller segments. Just as I try to be organized with my vacation planning, I too try to be organized in most aspects of my life including writing a review.

 

At the end of the review, I will create an Index that will be easily accessible from my signature. The index will allow for a quick jump to each specific topic discussed. Please note that this TOC may be modified as needed.

 

A breakdown of the forthcoming review (in a sense, a Table of Contents) is as follows:

 

Pre-Cruise

     Overview of Cruise Preparations (ArriveCan, Testing, Packing, etc.)

     Our Challenge: Arriving in Vancouver Prior to the Ship’s Departure

     Air2Sea

     Check-in / Boarding

4 AM to 5:30 AM

     Waking Up

     Watch the Ship Map

5:30 AM to 7AM

     Exercise

     Walk/Run on Deck

     Fitness Center

     Park Café (1^st Breakfast)

7 AM to 8 AM

     Shower

     Relaxation

     Balcony & Watching for Wilderness & Wildlife

     Our Stateroom (size, storage, size & view from balcony (blocked), noise from outside, centrum,           next door – Centrum/Vintages/business center) (close doors), room stewards, bathroom - hair           dryer, light, light from outside

8 AM to 9:30 AM

     Breakfast: MDR

     -          Table by the window

     Breakfast: Windjammer

     -          Early morning coffee (outside WJ)

9:30 AM to 10 AM

     R&R

     Ship Services – Next cruise, Loyalty, Guest Services, Business center, etc.

     Internet (on and off the ship)

     Photos

     COVID and Cleanliness Protocols

     Ship Announcements

     Ship’s TV

     Royal App

     Elevators

     Navigating the Ship

10 AM to Noon

     Ports, Sights (& Excursions)

     Port: Sitka

     Port: Juneau

     Port: Ketchikan

     Sight: Tracy Arm / Sawyer Glacier (and where to view)

     Sight: Hubbard Glacier (and where to view)

     Sight: Mendenhall Glacier

     Sight: Inside Passage & Sea Day

Noon to 2 PM

     Lunch: MDR

     Lunch: Windjammer

     Lunch: Sitka (Mean Queen)

2 PM to 5 PM

     Ship Activities:

     Bingo (DD’s win!)

     Trivia

     Name That Toon

     Bar Performers

     Art Auction

     Pool & Pool Area

     Bars / Lounges

     -          Drink Package

     Spa

     Cinema

     Informal meet n’ greet

     Fellow Passengers

     Etc.

5 PM to 6:30 PM

     Nap / Relax

     Time on balcony - Watch for wildlife

     Shower

     TV stations

     Teens/Teenagers

     Young Adults

     Fellow Passengers & the elevator incident

6:30 PM to 8 PM

     Dinner: MDR

     -          Joined table story

     -          Graduation Cake

     Dinner: Windjammer

     Formal Night

     Dedication to Mom and Dad

8 PM to ???

     Comedy Show

     Welcome Show

     -          Comedy

     -          Singers

     -          Dancers

     -          Musicians

     Whitney Houston & Neil Diamond 

     Big Movie

     Hush Party

     Farewell Show

     Review of Compass

     Comparison of this Cruise to Past Cruises

Post Cruise

     Departure / Disembark

     Hotel

     Vancouver

     -          Dishonest Coffee

     -          Police Museum

     -          Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens

     -          The walk

     Return flight(s) Home – “the Sprint”

Concluding thoughts

 

There is plenty of material to cover – a lot to organize, a lot to write, and many photos to be downloaded and sorted.  I will do my best to publish everything ASAP, but I have also returned to a heap of work (not to mention socializing, volunteering, etc.), so it will be a while before the last word is set down.  So, if you have any questions about the Serenade, my sailing, or this Alaskan itinerary, please feel free to ask.

 

This cruise review is dedicated to the memory of my mom and dad.

 

[Photo: My balcony - not sure where this was taken, but if I was not ashore or involved with an activity, this is where you would most likely find me throughout the cruise.]

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by Travel R

[island lady]

I love the way you titled this thread.  "The Last Frontier".  😉   When our Radiance Seward to Vancouver B2B was cancelled due to Covid...we used those two weeks and rented a cabin from the youngest daughter from that series in Homer AK.   Otto came by quite often, and enjoyed a glass of wine...tractor style.  😉 

 

 

[Travel R]

22 hours ago, timxrx said:

Thanks for the review. We did a Northbound Alaskan cruise in 2017 and plan on going back it was both beautiful and relaxing.

Was the jeep ride and canoeing booked thru Royal or an independent vendor, if so which one?

Thank You 

 

This was booked through Royal.  I had found the excursion while doing my research, and Royal happened to have had the same excursion. There was one week when RCI was having sale -- 30% off their excursions. It was cheaper than through the vendor themselves - so I went through RCI and saved some $.

 

If you have driven off-road before or canoed, it is not the toughest roads nor most vigorous of paddling, but it was a overall very nice day with the family away from the port out in the "wilderness." The excursion was both fun and relaxing, with some really good clam chowder (and other snacks) thrown in.

Edited July 7, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

I love the way you titled this thread.  "The Last Frontier".  😉   When our Radiance Seward to Vancouver B2B was cancelled due to Covid...we used those two weeks and rented a cabin from the youngest daughter from that series in Homer AK.   Otto came by quite often, and enjoyed a glass of wine...tractor style.  😉 

 

 

 

That is totally awesome!!!

[Ashland]

Thanks so much enjoyed your posts...however I'm assuming you arrived at the terminal 1:00pm ?

[watertraveler]

Sounds like you were on the cruise after us.  We were on the 6/19 sailing and the weather was cool and cloudy for most of the week.  This was our 5th time on the Serenade and, although I love this class of ship, she definitely needs some updating before going out on the world cruise.  For the most part, we enjoyed the entertainment that was in the different areas of the ship, like the pub, schooner bar and centrum.  This was first time we went to the main dining room for breakfast, usually we end up at the Windjammer because it has outdoor seating, but because of the weather, the dining room was actually more enjoyable!  We love the hump cabins, also!  We also had MTD and had made reservations for 6:30 each evening(early seating was too early and late was too late!).  In the past, we were able to request the same table for the week but, for whatever reason, we were unable to do that this time.  That was disappointing.  Over all, great service, great week!

[Travel R]

2 hours ago, Ashland said:

Thanks so much enjoyed your posts...however I'm assuming you arrived at the terminal 1:00pm ?

Yes, the shuttle arrived a little after 1 and we were feasting in the Windjammer at about 2.

[Travel R]

9 hours ago, watertraveler said:

Sounds like you were on the cruise after us.  We were on the 6/19 sailing and the weather was cool and cloudy for most of the week.  This was our 5th time on the Serenade and, although I love this class of ship, she definitely needs some updating before going out on the world cruise.  For the most part, we enjoyed the entertainment that was in the different areas of the ship, like the pub, schooner bar and centrum.  This was first time we went to the main dining room for breakfast, usually we end up at the Windjammer because it has outdoor seating, but because of the weather, the dining room was actually more enjoyable!  We love the hump cabins, also!  We also had MTD and had made reservations for 6:30 each evening(early seating was too early and late was too late!).  In the past, we were able to request the same table for the week but, for whatever reason, we were unable to do that this time.  That was disappointing.  Over all, great service, great week!

5x on the Serenade … I am jealous. If I had the money and time, the world cruise is a dream of mine. Loved the layout of the ship and how you can see outside from almost anywhere (although the windows in the MDR need to be cleared) - as mentioned above, my family enjoyed the MDR vs the WJ, but seating outdoors was nice (especially for lunch on that first warm day waiting for departure out of Vancouver). Service was  fantastic!

[Travel R]

I. Pre-Cruise

 

Prologue 

 

The months and days crept by slowly as the anticipation of our Alaskan adventure steadily increased like a jet plane making its way up the runway until that final second when the craft takes flight.  It was a year of turmoil, with valleys as deep as the abyss of the Grand Canyon with a few moments of unbridled joy sprinkled in to sometimes abate the chaos.  The term rollercoaster may sound all too boorishly cliché, but most accurately describes the ups and downs that had transpired. Planning for the cruise was sometimes a burden, but most often an escape from the nightmares of reality.

 

Before a bag could be packed, decisions were to be made to dress for fire or ice. Plans were created, checked and rechecked. And finally, the simple prodding of a cotton swap decided upon our departure into a world of adventure or a week of boredom and isolation.

 

Our excitement was almost immediately quelled by a storm that came upon us from out of nowhere. The hail came down upon us like quivers of arrows, while the thunder clapped, and the wind blew in its most horrible fury.  Our means to the distant shores had abandoned us before it even arrived. The skies were in disarray, and it seemed that there was not a bird to be flown.  Fortuitously the Universe went alight for a brief moment and a single ray shined down upon our tormented souls. It was a ray of hope and a route to the land of Vancouver had been found – it meant rushing so we could depart from a more distant location, but we were prepared for the task and took on the challenge.

 

What was meant to be a seven-hour journey took over a full score of hours to complete, but at journey’s end, it was the Serenade that offered this group of adventurers a warm welcome.

 

A. Overview of Cruise Preparations (ArriveCan, Testing, Packing, etc.)

 

I have previously scribed dozens of pages regarding my pre-cruise preparations and planning in a prior thread [see https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2839026-a-99-day-journey-to-alaska-serenade-by-the-sea-with-a-teen-and-young-adult-over-21/page/11/#comment-63507778], so I will only be augmenting that with a few comments here, as it relates to the two days prior to travelling which I may have left out of that thread.

 

Testing – Once we had received our test results we were all extremely relieved.  We then knew that a cruise was in our future. In the news NCL has just announced that tests (more specifically test results) would not be needed on specific sailings. I cannot comment on which I believe is more conducive to a healthy cruise, so I’ll keep quiet. However, to get the test with the quicker results did come with a price (more side-costs to add to the total price of this vacation).

 

ArriveCAN – I will have to admit that the ArriveCAN app was very easy to use and enter our information.  The one snag came when we arrived in Canada and approaching the custom’s line where we could not figure out how to connect to the internet.  Luckily, I had taken a screen shot of the code from the ArriveCAN email and used it when entering the Security Area (and it worked without any issues). Note that we had to access ArriveCA prior to boarding the ship to fill out a final health questionnaire (by that time we figured how to get Internet Access – with our AT&T plan, we had to switch the phones to allow roaming. Although it showed as roaming, we would not be charged while in Canada).

 

Packing – Although I had a very comprehensive Packing List (see attached), I did not know the quantities for some of the articles of clothing I would wear until three days prior to our expected departure. On Thursday evening (we were to leave on Saturday), myself and my family looked at the forecast for each of the ports (I used Wrangell, AK as my point of reference for Hubbard Glacier), and packed accordingly.  I removed a sweatshirt and two pairs of long pants and replaced them with two pairs of shorts. I also relieved my bag of a few hand and toe warmers (but not all); however, the gloves and scarf remained which laid idle throughout the entire cruise. The wool had did come in hand on a few occasions, as had the one light jacket (hooded sweatshirt). By Friday we had all packed our suitcases (and some were even already locked), and we only had a few last-minute items to place into our carry-ons (food/snacks, cell phones, wallets, etc.)

PACKING LIST FOR SEA N LAND.pdf

Vacation To Do Checklist.pdf

Edited July 8, 2022 by Travel R

[island lady]

22 hours ago, Travel R said:

 

That is totally awesome!!!

 

Thanks.  Otto really is a nice guy.  Very laid back and welcoming.  We rented the cabin from his youngest sister, Catkin.  Who is also very nice, but some type of bad blood between the sisters and the brothers.   The family property is actually only a 10 mile trip down a paved county highway to Homer, with grocery stores, lumber stores, touristy shops and restaurants...and yes...even a McDonalds.  

 

Property is off the highway about 2 miles down a gravel 2 track.   Fun place to watch wildlife, and cook up fresh caught Halibut on the deck of Catkin's cabin.  😉