Live from the NCL Jewel May 1-15, 2023 (caution: may contain grumpiness and sarcasm.)

[YVRteacher]

At the moment I’m enjoying music by Louis. My dad is in bed. I’m writing the rest of day 2.  Other than lunch the day was terrific.  Dinner was amazing.  More on that later!

[spit0000]

@YVRteacherYou may be the best daughter ever! Reading your report is heartwarming. I love how much love and respect you show your Dad! I hope y’all have a beautiful cruise, and an amazing time together!

[YVRteacher]

14 hours ago, spit0000 said:

@YVRteacherYou may be the best daughter ever! Reading your report is heartwarming. I love how much love and respect you show your Dad! I hope y’all have a beautiful cruise, and an amazing time together!

Oh my gosh, thank you!

[YVRteacher]

Day 2 part 2

Getting out of the hot tubs we experienced the full effect of the wind chill factor.  A mad dash to indoors ensued.

 

On the way past the spa my dad said he was going to get a haircut.  I was like, what? Huh?  I said do you mean at home or on the ship?  He said on the ship.  He said he liked his free haircut last time and wanted another. I said they don’t give out haircuts for free.  He said we have spa passes! I explained that at Christmas on the Jewel we had onboard credit and that’s why he got a haircut.  He was pretty sad to find out he wasn’t going to get a free haircut.  Maybe I’ll treat him to a birthday haircut and shave onboard next week.

 

Let’s talk about the amount of complaints that occurred when my dad tried to shower after using the hot tubs. I knew he had a hard time and got blasted with sideways water in the fancy shower so I told him I would turn the shower on before he got in.  The push buttons are large and clearly marked, indicated shade nozzles, handheld or overhead rain shower.  There are pictures of each type of spray.  No words. My dad said how were people supposed to figure this out and what about people who are international?

I let that one go.  Sometimes he just needs to say what he’s thinking and emphatically insist he is right.  

 

This afternoon when we went to the Latitudes party I asked the GM, Hannah Han, if we could meet with her.  She said yes.  Before the meeting I asked my dad to wait in the atrium instead of coming with me.  Hannah had brought in the Food and Beverage Manager (he is the relief F&B manager, currently transitioning with Nicola as Nicola goes on vacation next week) and our concierge.  I didn’t realize it was going to be a larger meeting.  They apologized profusely for the state of our cabin and for the slow service in restaurants.  I explained that I didn’t request the meeting to complain but rather I just wanted them to know what my dad was experiencing as a result of both dementia and a brain injury from his stroke.  I explained that waiting is extremely hard for my dad and that he becomes upset easily and I mentioned that something that feels small to us might feel huge to him.  I also said I should have contacted the Special Needs Access department before the cruise.  In hindsight I can see that I really should have done that, both for embarkation and for the cruise overall.  I asked if they could put a note on our keycard for dining to be expedited and the F&B manager said they had already done that. I enquired why there aren’t Maître ds in the restaurants but didn’t get a response.  It was a quick meeting and they were all kind and receptive.

 

The Jewel has a bridge viewing room which is bursting with plaques from each port she has visited.  The bridge is huge!  See the bell in this photo?

The Chief Engineer walked by the window and I beckoned him over. The glass is thick so words wouldn’t have worked.  I pulled out my phone, opened the notes app and typed:

Why is there a bell? 

He walked over to the bell, touched it, asked his colleagues and they all shrugged their shoulders.  No one knew.  I guess that wasn’t a question on the “how to run a ship” test they all had to take.  Anyone know why the bell is there?

 

Yes, I took photos of the bridge officers.

 

The Captain’s party was today at 6:00pm.  Look at these appies!

So beautifully presented and so delicious. I was conserving my alcohol so had a ginger ale.  Dad had wine.  We chatted with Emma,  Hannah, some Cruise Critic people, the F&B manager (I need to learn his name!) and my dad complained about the live music.  I said remember how much you loved music when you were young? He said that was different! 

I thought the band was good.

 

We had 6:30 reservations for Moderno.  This was truly one of the best meals we have savoured on NCL.  At one point my dad exclaimed, “they’re treating me like a king!”  Moderno was full, the salad bar was amazing, my dad enjoyed all the meat he tried, the sides and dessert were wonderful and it was just overall a terrific meal.  

PS: we met the room steward today.  I asked him to stop putting 12 pillows on my dad’s bed.  He said how about 4? I said, no just one.  Room steward looked saddened by this.  I guess he really likes pillows.  We compromised and agreed he could arrange the pillows on the couch each day. 

I have had far too many conversations about pillows over the last week. 

[YVRteacher]

Bubbles

 

Last night after dinner it was time for bubbles on the balcony.  Wouldn’t that be a great title for a Broadway show? Bubbles on the Balcony! Oh the possibilities.  I feel like Drew Barrymore needs a starring role. 

 

I brought out the bubbles and dad said, “don’t tell me you are going to blow bubbles!”

 

Me: of course I’m going to blow bubbles.

 

Dad: this is not the right weather for bubbles (it was clear, sunny, crisp and gorgeous.)

 

Me: it’s always the right weather for bubbles!

 

Him: they’re going to blow back inside the cabin.

 

Me: no they’re not! Watch!

(Gets face full of bubbles and turns the other way.)  See? It’s perfect! Now you do it so I can take a picture. 

 

Him: happily stands on the balcony blowing bubbles.

 

Me: You are so lucky you have me to bring youthfulness and joy into your life.

 

Him: grumbles something about bubbles.

 

Then I went to listen to Louis and he went to bed.  If security came I don’t know anything about it.  I was listening to Louis.

[YVRteacher]

Day 3 Ketchikan

We zipped up to breakfast, were offered lattes and the world, had almond croissants with said lattes then Teo escorted us off the ship and right to the golf cart to get us to the mill.  Dad said yes to the golf cart.  Last year he would have said no.

We like organization and this was organized! Right to the end of the mill, met the person from the tour company and hopped on the bus.  All within three minutes of leaving the ship.

 

The crew have a safety drill and immigration (done every three months) today so they won’t be getting off until later this morning.

 

This retired Alaska state ferry has future aspirations to be a museum. For now, her cabins have been refurbished and people working at Ward Cove or doing tours are using them as summer accommodation.

 

The bus ride from Ward Cove to downtown Ketchikan was 15 minutes and scenic. No issues.  We both enjoyed the ride.  

Shore excursion time! Let me take you on board the Aleutian Ballad for the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour.  Put on your toques, dress in all the layers you have, eat a big meal and get ready for the adventure of your life!

There are 37 passengers and 5 crew aboard the Aleutian Ballad today.

We are going to the fishing waters in Annette Bay where the Tsimshian have sovereign rights.  Captain Dave has an agreement whereby 95% of what the Aleutian Ballad catches goes back to the Tsimshian people.  

 

The sun is bright, the snow capped mountains are glistening like diamond peaks, the calm waters sparkle and the seagulls greedily munch on herring. This day in Ketchikan could not be better!

 

So I talked to Dave (not Captain Dave-the other Dave!) and told him I was here for the octopus.  He said they are no octopus but he was winking the whole time.  He told me octopus have a delicate membrane that coats their entire body and that if people touch it, anything that is on their hands (soap, hand sanitizer, hand cream) gets on the membrane and it can be detrimental to the octopus.  I definitely don’t want to be an octopus detriment person so will be just looking at today’s catch.

 

Our first haul out included sea cucumbers, whelk, sea snails, many sea stars, a yellow floppy fish and a whole bunch of giant prawns.  The phenomenal crew made sure everyone had a chance to hold the creatures and that they were being treated with care.

 

Our second stop was eagles.  If you have done this tour before, you know what an experience this is!  I told my We have never seen anything like this, with hundreds of adult and juvenile eagles vying for herring.  Dive after dive showed us talons, dominance, catches, misses, swoops and dives.  This convocation of eagles mesmerized us with their hunting skills.  It was spectacular. 

 

Our next stops were different crab pots and the crew demonstrated the fishing techniques while intertwining stories of their lives plus crab fishing stories that all involved near death. 

In the dome pot rotten fish juice is in bait jars.  Our first crabs are box crabs and the crew call them little  transformers.  They have short extremities, a hard carapace and cute little faces.

 

When it’s time for the king crab pots, we learn that these crabs are Golden Alaskan King Crab (there are three types: gold, brown and red.) 

Females have 1000000 eggs and 1-10% of crab eggs come to fruition.

 

King crabs have two kinds of claws: a crusher claw and a cutter claw.  On most crabs the crusher claw is on the right but some are lefties.

Crabs can eject their legs! King crabs molt every season

The Predator movie character was inspired by a king crab. 

 

Captain Dave recalls in 1981 his quota was 300000000 lbs.  Last year? No crab. Why? There is a virus that got in to females and it destroys her eggs.

 

Then it was time for what I had been waiting for.  My eyes got all teary when they brought the octopus on board.  This is my first time seeing an octopus in the wild (well, there was that time in Hawaii when a guy came out of the ocean with one on the end of his fishing spear, but that poor octopus was not alive.) Today’s octopus was a young male (you can tell the gender by starting at the face, counting three tentacles to the left and seeing if the suckers extend all the way down the third leg.  Yes?  It’s a boy!  

 

My dad kept saying over and over what a fabulous excursion this was.  We have done so many, loved most but today’s far exceeded any other experiences and our expectations.  The crew are gifted story tellers, passionate about what they do, the captain’s story of his life and the boat’s history is so special. The galley crew were delightful, the animals already on board and freshly caught (then released) and the eagles just made the day so, so incredibly special.  I told my dad I would never forget this day and he agreed.

 

If you are doing a cruise to Alaska, this tour is not to be missed.  Absolutely incredible from start to end.  I just asked my dad what was his favourite part of the tour today.  He replied, “it’s hard to beat the feeding of the eagles.  That was spectacular. The whole tour was spectacular.”

 

When we left the boat, I told the captain much of what I’ve written here.  He hugged me with tears in his eyes and the other crew members hugged us as well.  What a day!!

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

Thanks for the fantastic Shorex review.  We'll definitely keep this one on our radar.

[WestCoastDeb]

How do they know that there will be an octopus?

[vacation44]

@YVRteacher.....after reading your latest post and positive review of the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour, I just booked it for my husband and I.   Tomorrow I will cancel our previous plans.

 

Really enjoying your live report and glad you are having a wonderful time.

[vacation44]

And love the pictures of you and your dad!!!

[natefish95]

I think you sold me on the Aleutian Ballard excursion. That sounds like so much fun! What would you recommend wearing? Was there any "fishy smell" that stayed on your clothes? 

[Sugar Magnolia]

@YVRteacher I am sorry that it was an awful experience at the Port of Vancouver. I will be embarking on the Jewel in a few weeks. Do you have any advice? Should I check in later in the day rather than earlier?

 

Thank you for another informative and entertaining live review. I feel like these reviews are teasers for your eventual Chronicles of Dad series. 

[chefestelle]

On 4/29/2023 at 3:30 PM, LauraAnneC said:

@YVRteacher for wheelchair assistance, this is requested through NCL. Give them a call. There’s a form to fill out. I have some mobility issues following an illness and requested assistance for my cruise in February. It was brilliant. It’s just for embarkation and disembarkation. Made life so much easier for me. I would heartily recommend it to anyone.

 

Enjoy your cruise. I’m looking forward to your trip report. It’s my dream to sail to Alaska one of these days! 
 

Laura

Thanks for this tip! My sister is joining me for our second cruise together next summer. She has mobility challenges and takes a walker but it was more of an encumbrance than a help for her. So a wheelchair for embarkation and disembarkation would be great!

 

[YVRteacher]

7 hours ago, vacation44 said:

@YVRteacher.....after reading your latest post and positive review of the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour, I just booked it for my husband and I.   Tomorrow I will cancel our previous plans.

 

Really enjoying your live report and glad you are having a wonderful time.

Please tell them the woman who cried when she saw an octopus says hi!!

Edited May 4, 2023 by YVRteacher

[YVRteacher]

6 hours ago, natefish95 said:

I think you sold me on the Aleutian Ballard excursion. That sounds like so much fun! What would you recommend wearing? Was there any "fishy smell" that stayed on your clothes? 

There was no fishy smell at all.  I can’t stomach the smell of fish.

 

Dress really warmly. I had a tshirt, a hoodie, a winter jacket and a wool toque and we were under heaters and it was still super cold. 

[YVRteacher]

4 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

@YVRteacher I am sorry that it was an awful experience at the Port of Vancouver. I will be embarking on the Jewel in a few weeks. Do you have any advice? Should I check in later in the day rather than earlier?

 

Thank you for another informative and entertaining live review. I feel like these reviews are teasers for your eventual Chronicles of Dad series. 

I wish I had advice.  I have never checked in early so can’t speak to that.  Wear comfy shoes, give yourself a pep talk, take snacks, know it’s going to be ridiculous but soon you will be on your cruise.  Be aware that signage is non existent so check with port staff before standing in any line to make sure it is at least the correct line.  Dress in layers because once you are inside they send you back outside to get into another line up downstairs and inside. 

[YVRteacher]

Day 3 part 2

Back on board we dropped off our coats and winter gear and looked at the Freestyle Daily. 

That conversation went like this:

Me: We better hurry! There’s ring toss challenge at 1:30!

 

Dad: there must be something better than that!

 

Me: there’s a puffy eyes seminar at 3:00!

 

Dad: oh good lord 

 

We enjoyed lunch at the Garden Cafe (soup, pizza and apple strudel with caramel, soft ice cream and butterscotch sauce for dad, egg salad sandwich and green salad for me) then made afternoon plans.

Dad wanted to go to a bar, I wanted to go to the spa.  We compromised and went to the pub first and the spa second.  I convinced my dad to try the therapy pool/whirlpool.  Now everyone knows, thanks to his loud proclamations, that he does not like the therapy pool.  He exact words were, “I don’t like this!”

 

As we were relaxing on the warm ceramic loungers he asked when they would be by to take his drink order.  I said there is no drinking in the spa. He asked, “what’s the point of that???”

 

Speaking of drink orders, there is only one bar (O’Sheehan’s) with draft beer and only one tap: Stella.  My dad loves draft beer the way some people love their cars.  Why has NCL taken away the draft beer on the ships without a District Brewhouse?

 

Also worth noting is when we wanted a drink after lunch, there were three outdoor bars open with shivering bartenders and zero drinkers. There was one indoor bar open with ONE  non-shivering bartender and a lot of passengers. Did someone forget to switch the bartender schedule from the Panama Canal itinerary to the Alaska itinerary?  

 

Late afternoon drinks happened after the spa and I asked the bartender (Benedict) for a bourbon- based drink and he recommended a Matador.  Now I’m a fan of Matadors!

 

We played and won Cruise Next trivia.  A couple were arguing with Omar about a question, saying they would have won if the question wasn’t wrong. Don’t be those person! (The question was about Quebec City, the Chateau Frontenac and the waterfall.) When I asked Omar if we won a free cruise, he said we won a free cruise itinerary!😀

 

Walking to dinner (the wind mussed up my dad’s hair and he had some good swear words!) we saw the Food and Beverage Director and he asked about our day.  We happily shared how fabulous the Bering Sea Crab (my phone keeps autocorrecting to carb!) Fishermen’s excursion was and also told him our meal in Moderno last night was top notch.  His name is Fabrice.  I love that name because one of my favourite novels to recommend to grade 5s is Midnight Magic by Avi and one of the characters is Fabrizio. 

 

Despite our experience at La Cucina on the Jewel in December, we decided to give it another try tonight. We were seated at 5:40.  Appies came at 5:58 and entrees arrived at 6:20.  

Calamari (half order) and Fettucini Alfredo con Funghi with added shrimp (half order of pasta, extra shrimp) for dad; Insalata Mista and Vegetali Pizza for me.  I asked them to make half a pizza but the waiter said they only had one size. I forgot to ask for no onions so had to pick them out bit by bit.

 

The verdict? A delicious meal with a magnificent view.  I know both La Cucina and Cagney’s are hit or miss. Tonight La Cucina was a hit.  Big hit. 

 

Me: La Cucina has been redeemed!

 

Dad: where is the suggestion box?

 

Me: down on deck 7. What do you want to suggest ?

 

Dad: keep up the good work! Don’t change anything!

 

We aren’t big fans of the desserts in La Cucina so headed to the Garden Cafe.  Crepes? Yes please! Welcome to Alaska cake? Twist my arm…

 

Tonight’s main event was an aerial show by Duo Sweet Serendipity.  In a word, wow!  Would I go see bendy people in leotards spin around on ropes in real life? Nope.  Did I thoroughly enjoy the show? You betcha!  The water video part was a tad racy for a family cruise.  Kind of a cross between NCL’s “Fountains” and an x-rated movie.  Not that I’ve ever seen an x-rated movie! 

 

Today’s drinks:

Irish coffee

Matador

Pinot Grigio

Amaretto

 

Group question: do you call it a drink card or a cabin key?

 

Notes:

-this ship has new stateroom towels.  They are huge and fabulous and I bet people are going to steal them.  

 

-our laundry bags are not paper. They are nylon material like the old ones used to be.

 

-my bathroom stinks.  It stinks so much I can’t use the hooks in there because I don’t want my clothes to smell like an outhouse gone wrong.  I did remember an old thread where someone (the former NCL engineer? Sorry-internet is slow and I can’t tag him)  said the bad smell was from water being stagnant.  The toilet wasn’t filling with any water on the first day so I used the bathroom glasses to fill the toilet with water and just kept flushing it out (ha ha) repeatedly.  It helped, but the bathroom still stinks like sewage off-gas.  I haven’t said anything because I do not want a reputation as a passenger with toilet issues. 

 

-to make up for the lack of hook action in the room, I am hanging things off the hinges of the adjoining door that connects our room to the room next door.

 

-today’s butler treat was a giant plate of cookies. My dad ate them before I could take a photo. 

 

-we are in Juneau tomorrow and we have no plans.  It’s going to be a Choose Your Adventure kind of a day.

 

-there is no show in the theatre tomorrow (that’s a first for me on NCL.) I’m not complaining; rather, I’m looking forward to the Broadway cabaret where I will probably need to remind dad at least twice that it is NOT a sing-along!)

 

-dinner with the officers is tomorrow.  Meeting time is 7:00.  My dad normally eats at 4:30 where he lives.  He didn’t feel like he could do a 7:00pm dinner so I told him we didn’t have to go.  He said, “really?” and I said of course not.  I think we both try to make the other person happy but I don’t want him doing something that he wouldn’t feel comfortable doing.  I’ll call Kem, the GM’s secretary tomorrow.  If you haven’t met Kem, try to connect with her on the Jewel.  She is wonderful. 

 

Today was wonderful.

 

[YVRteacher]

Who Is On Board

Captain: Vicente Amicone

Staff Captain: Mikko Kovalainen

Chief Engineer: Tumislav Rush

Chief Officer: Erdin Septar

Safety Officer: Carlos Zanesi

Staff Chief Engineer: Lukas Dabo

 

General Manager: Hannah Han (May 8 it will be Rumi Khatao)

Cruise Director: Emma Dalton

Food and Beverage Director: this week it is Nicola Donadic, next week it will be Fabrice

Cruise Next Manager: Juan Franco

Concierge: Teo (filling in while Armando is on vacation)

Restaurant Manager: Adine Barrett

Beverage Manager: Windchester Barracks

 

[Tyskie]

@YVRteacher

Good Morning from Florida!

 

Enjoying your Live every morning with coffee and reminiscing the oh so familiar memories of the last couple of years with my Dad. He has been gone for a while.  😘

I'm sure your travels and insight will help many dealing with loved ones with dementia - thank you for sharing.  

[wil e coyote]

@YVRteacher, loving your review! We're boarding the Jewel in Seward on Monday, and this is like a preview of our cruise in reverse!

Could you check on the departure time of the 5/8 sailing from Seward from your end? Yesterday, the departure time online changed from 9 PM to 6 PM, and there is some chatter about that on the 5/8 roll call. Can't tell if it is for real or not. Maybe the shipboard staff knows?

[cruiseny4life]

4 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Group question: do you call it a drink card or a cabin key?

 

None of the above. We call it a key card. I suppose I could just drop the card and call it a key since that's what it is, but alas...I digress.

 

What great descriptions. Thank you for really putting us there in the middle of the action! 

 

4 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

When I asked Omar if we won a free cruise, he said we won a free cruise itinerary!😀

Only Omar could get away with a smart arse answer like that. Love it! 

[ceilidh1]

If the weather in Juneau is good (and your dad has any interest) one my my fave things to do there is take the public bus (or a cab might be better) over to the other side of the channel to Sandy Beach/Savikko Park. There are remains of an old mine that you can tour, amazing views across the channel of the ship, a really nice, long, walkable beach and no tourists!

P&R – Savikko Park – City and Borough of Juneau

 

 

[www3traveler]

(1) Ask Vicente about the bell on the Bridge.  He should know.  Is there a plaque on the post?

(2) If you get a chance, please give Hannah a BIG HUG from me.

(3) Has Omar gotten another cruise booked for you?

 

BIG BIG BIG BIG HUG

Love and prayers always

 

[schmoopie17]

Every time you write a review/trip report, I make sure to read every word. You have a gift.

 

Your dad sounds just like me. We both like to complain, drink beer and get grumpy when our hair gets messed up. If I were 11 years older and actually ever won something in a casino, I could swear I was your dad.

[Always Cruising]

I've found a solution to the sewage smell in some of the cabins.  There is usually a covered drain in the floor of the toilet room - pour water down it, and the smell should go away.  Sometimes I had to do it each day.  Something with a dry part of the piping/plumbing....good luck!