Majestic Princess / June 17 2023 / Semi-Live Trip Report w/ Pre-Cruise AK Adventure … Let’s Go!

[Fishbone]

1 hour ago, clutchcurrier said:

I also had grandparents named Oma and Opa.  I never learned much german, but learned alot of good swear words.  😂

 

Following along on your journey.

Omas & Opas are the best!

 

A good German swear is all you need! Far surpasses the American counterpart! 🤣

[Fishbone]

1 hour ago, Stealthdog said:

 

In that case, I won't be able to tip you off before you leave, but can at least give you some expectation management. 😉 

We stocked up & will be wearing t-shirt over t-shirt over t-shirt … with mittens & extra thick fuzzy socks! 😀

[Tyskie]

@Fishbone a good rain/windbreaker is usually needed.  A quilted vest is good.

We live in FL too and I have vests I wear in the winter.

Ketchikan has great shopping opportunities, just an FYI 

 

Edited June 5, 2023 by Tyskie

[Fishbone]

PRELUDE - Part 2 

 

🎶 At the dog wash! Workin’ at the dog wash, girl! Come on & sing it w/ me! Dog wash! Sing it w/ feelin’ ya’ll! Dog wash! Yeah! 🎶

 

Bruno & Copper the Whopper have been delivered to boot camp! My old German mom will transform them into obedient dogs that pee on command at precise intervals! 

 

I think we’re officially “cruise ready”, or at least we’re as ready as we’re ever gonna be! Summer 2023! Let’s do this! 🍾🥂

 

I can smell the salt in the air. 🌊 I can hear the palm trees rustling in the wind. 🌴 I can feel the rays of the sun warming my soul. 🌞

 

The scent of coconut-infused suntan lotion. 🥥 The beat of a steel drum. 🥁 Iguanas baking in the sun. 🦎 Yellow birds chirping high up in banana trees. 🦜

 

Oh wait … we’re headed to Alaska … never mind. 🥶❄️💦

 

[Kay S]

Those are some cute dogs!  

[Purple Gallinule]

Finished packing today and head for Seattle/Vancouver for the northbound trip on Friday. We are finally getting close enough to get some semi-reliable long range forecasts. We are still trying to decide how to spend our day in Whittier waiting for the southbound cruisers to join us. Our weather here in Colorado has been a mirror of the cool rainy days they have been having in Juneau.

[Fishbone]

8 hours ago, Kay S said:

Those are some cute dogs!  

 

@Kay S Thanks so much! They look all golden & delicious, but they're rotten to the core. So naughty! Our little pound puppies! 

 

1 hour ago, Purple Gallinule said:

Finished packing today and head for Seattle/Vancouver for the northbound trip on Friday. We are finally getting close enough to get some semi-reliable long range forecasts. We are still trying to decide how to spend our day in Whittier waiting for the southbound cruisers to join us. Our weather here in Colorado has been a mirror of the cool rainy days they have been having in Juneau.

 

@Purple Gallinule We're headed to Tampa tomorrow night & fly out to Anchorage early Thursday! It's scorching here, so I'm looking forward to colder weather! We'll be stopping in Whittier a few day before embarkation & have scheduled the 26 Glacier Cruise w/ Philips. On embarkation day, I have one mission - to get on the ship!   

[Purple Gallinule]

11 minutes ago, Fishbone said:

 

@Kay S Thanks so much! They look all golden & delicious, but they're rotten to the core. So naughty! Our little pound puppies! 

 

 

@Purple Gallinule We're headed to Tampa tomorrow night & fly out to Anchorage early Thursday! It's scorching here, so I'm looking forward to colder weather! We'll be stopping in Whittier a few day before embarkation & have scheduled the 26 Glacier Cruise w/ Philips. On embarkation day, I have one mission - to get on the ship!   

The 26 Glacier Cruise is great! I know you will enjoy it.

[Fishbone]

🎶 Our bags are packed & we’re ready to go! 🎶 Heading to Tampa for a morning flight! See ya later, alliGATORS! 🐊 
 

 

[bluedevil1]

Oh good, now I don't need to worry about doing a trip report for our cruise! 🙂  We're heading there in a week to spend a couple of days at Denali before joining you on the ship on the 17th.  I look forward reading your about your experiences and comparing to ours.  Gute Reise und viel Spaß!

[Fishbone]

14 minutes ago, bluedevil1 said:

Oh good, now I don't need to worry about doing a trip report for our cruise! 🙂  We're heading there in a week to spend a couple of days at Denali before joining you on the ship on the 17th.  I look forward reading your about your experiences and comparing to ours.  Gute Reise und viel Spaß!

Danke @bluedevil1! Wir wünschen euch auch eine tolle Reise! Bis bald!!! 🥨🍺

[Fishbone]

Day 1 - Wed Jun 7 (83° at 10PM)

 

And so it begins! Another exhausting adventure! Let’s go! North to the Future! 

 

After a 10-hour workday, I headed to the airport to pick up a rental car. 

 

Avis. In & out. 1-night intermediate rental $37.16 (w/ employer personal-use discount).

 

A short drive later, I was back at home w/ our temporary wheels. We loaded our bags, locked up the house, & headed south on the interstate. My husband drove us to Tampa. Colt played video games in the back seat. After an extremely sports-intensive spring, he’s enjoying a few days of absolute nothingness. I checked in for our flights online & listened to the radio … singin’ sweet home AlaBama all summer long. 

 

Chipotle! Short stop to fill our bellies w/ burritos full of beans! The cashier was so nice & I told him so! He came outside & asked us how everything was. They don’t check on you at the Chipotle in Gainesville! 

 

Marathon! Despite being very tired, we went ahead & refueled the rental. As the saying goes, don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

 

Courtyard Tampa Westshore / Airport! Special “friends & family” rate for “2 queens”. The front desk employees were super nice & chatted w/ us about our upcoming adventure. 

 

After checking in & accessing the room, I immediately plugged in all of our phones to ensure full charges & laid out all of our clothes for tomorrow. I’m super tired & ready for bed. The guys? They’re wide awake. They’re watching a track & field event on tv & playing a new video game on the laptop. My husband keeps asking “Can I play?” & “Is it my turn?” over & over again. Sigh. 

 

Good night from hot & humid Tampa, Florida! By this time tomorrow, we’ll be in super cold (and apparently, very rainy) ALASKA!  

 

10 more “goodnight moons” until we board the Majestic Princess!

[gottagoacruzn]

5 hours ago, Fishbone said:

🎶 Our bags are packed & we’re ready to go! 🎶 Heading to Tampa for a morning flight! See ya later, alliGATORS! 🐊 
 

 

See ya soon, raccoon!!

[Fishbone]

Day 2 – Thu Jun 8 (53° at 10PM)

 

Greetings from Anchorage, Alaska! We made it to the Last Frontier! 

 

We were able to sleep in until 5AM this morning in Tampa since our flight departed later than usual! Score! We shared a quick breakfast in the hotel room before heading to the airport: bananas; banana nut muffins; banana nut oatmeal; banana cream yogurts; & chocolate milks for good measure. I like to theme our breakfasts to how I’m feeling. 🍌

 

Avis. We returned our rental car w/ no issues. 

 

TPA! We checked our luggage; cleared security; bought a few drinks; & found our gate. 

 

Now that Colt is 13, he has to take his shoes off like the rest of us. Fortunately, I prepared for this in advance: I double-washed his stinky Adidas a few days ago to ensure he wasn’t flagged for funkiness! 

 

Everyone we encountered at the airport was super nice … I was so grateful! Especially to the TSA agents who not only pointed us to an empty line, but let us bypass the full body scanner that everyone else was subjected to – maybe that was for their benefit! 🤪

 

United! I have zero brand loyalty, so we flew one-way north w/ United because they were the cheapest carrier w/ flights that accommodated my husband’s preferences. It’s complicated! $2006.22/3=$668.74. I pre-paid for our checked bags a week or so ago. $30X3=$90 ($5 per bag savings when purchased online in advance).

 

Our first flight was a short hop from TPA to ORD.

 

ORD! After we landed, the captain invited Colt to the cockpit for a quick photo opp.

 

We love Chicago & it was hard not to jump on the train & head downtown. We treated ourselves to deep dish pizza from Reggio’s in consolation - 1 sausage & 1 pepperoni. 

 

Upon boarding our second flight, Colt was again treated to a quick photo opp in the cockpit. The captain was extremely friendly.

 

Our flight from ORD to ANC was uneventful … until it wasn’t. Somewhere over Montana, just as we were about to cross into Canada, the flight crew called for any doctors or nurses to assist w/ an ill passenger. A nurse two rows up immediately sprung into action. No questions, no hesitation. What a gem. 

 

Fortunately, it didn’t seem as serious as the last time this happened (on one of our flights to Hawai’i) when a guy literally puked his brains out for five hours straight. In that instance, they were going to make an emergency landing, but I think he finally passed out, so they hooked him up to an IV, asked a fellow passenger to hold it up, & kept on going!  

 

After landing in Alaska, we waited & waited & waited on all the  s  l  o  w  p  o  k  e  s  to get off the plane. As the daughter of a 20+ year career soldier, my motto is simple: “Get up … and GO”!

 

We headed to the carousel & bags started dropping within two minutes. All three of ours were among the first ten to drop.   

 

Budget. We picked up our rental & hit the road. 9-night rental $478.60 (w/ employer personal-use discount). I had reserved an “intermediate”, but they gave us a complimentary upgrade to an SUV. 

 

Carl’s Jr! Technically, grabbing burgers & fries here didn’t violate any of our self-imposed vacation rules since we don’t have one back home! 

 

Carr’s! We made a quick stop at this grocery store to stock up on drinks. We had intended to buy “Bear Spray & Pray”, but after traveling across the country, we totally forgot. 

 

Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa! Special “friends & family” rate for “2 doubles”. Booked for 2 nights. $19 per night parking fee. 

 

By the time we each showered & crawled into bed, we were ALL running on empty. It’s really cold up here in Alaska for us Floridians! I hope we brought enough “layers”! And although it’s late at night, it’s still light as day! Welcome to the land of the midnight sun! 
 

9 more “goodnight moons” until we board the Majestic Princess!

 

 

[Fishbone]

Good Morning from Alaska! I told my husband to just follow the sign … and return to the South! 💦🥶❄️

 

[1emerald1]

Could you do me a favor and increase your font size?  I'm trying to follow along but have difficulty reading.  Thanks so much!

[Fishbone]

3 hours ago, 1emerald1 said:

Could you do me a favor and increase your font size?  I'm trying to follow along but have difficulty reading.  Thanks so much!

I hear you @1emerald1! I can’t barely read it myself! 🤣 Am copying & pasting from my laptop! Not sure why the font keeps changing size! Will try my best!

[gottagoacruzn]

Hey fishbone, did you find sweaters & jackets? Will be lurkin & readin your posts when you get on the ship & head to Alaska, as for me, will be goin up there in Sept, an I can't wait. Must see your pictures also.

 

Virginia

[Fishbone]

10 hours ago, gottagoacruzn said:

Hey fishbone, did you find sweaters & jackets? Will be lurkin & readin your posts when you get on the ship & head to Alaska, as for me, will be goin up there in Sept, an I can't wait. Must see your pictures also.

 

Virginia

@gottagoacruzn - We are woefully unprepared for the cold weather. Despite dressing as warmly as possible, it’s just not enough & we are freezing. The wind is whipping us apart. ❄️🥶💦💨

[Fishbone]

Day 3 - Fri Jun 9 (56° at 10PM)

 

Greetings from Anchorage, Alaska! Traveling from one corner of the USA to another is e x h a u s t I n g! This morning, we reluctantly woke up early, ate breakfast in the room (granola bars & cereal) & then explored Anchorage for the rest of the day.

 

Walmart. We stopped by Big Blue so the guys could buy a pair of fishing poles. 🎣 We also picked up some bear spray. 🐻

 

Bait Shack! The guys got some tips for fishing in Alaska & bought some local lures, which they proclaim are legitimate “souvenirs”. What? 

 

They also bought a container of the strangest bait I’ve ever seen - salmon roe. You use salmon roe to catch salmon? Something doesn’t seem quite right about that! 🐟🍣

 

A fishing derby started today & the festivities seemed to be centered at the Bait Shack, where we enjoyed free hot chocolates courtesy of Kaladi Brothers Coffee. The hot chocolates topped with whipped cream were spot on & the employees were super friendly. ☕️

 

Walmart. Weren’t we just here? Why yes, we were, but the guys decided that waders were essential & thus we headed back to buy each of them a pair. Sigh. 

 

Ship Creek! The guys fished their hearts out for the next three hours. Not that they caught anything, but at least they tried. And none of the other guys around us, all of whom were strapped up in similar attire, caught anything either! 🎣

 

Fire Island Rustic Bake Shop! Scones for later! Strawberry & blueberry. 

 

AK Alchemist! We noshed on smoked halibut quesadillas & reindeer tacos! Delicious! 🌮

 

William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery! Very interesting self-guided audio tour! We learned all about the life cycle of a salmon! 

 

Note that salmon are not currently actively spawning here, which I had informed the guys of in advance, but they were still disappointed. Their disappointment frustrated me, especially considering that I already plan our vacations around their ridiculous “travel guidelines”, which they implemented after I planned our second trip to Hawai’i during March Madness. According to them, that was an “Alley-Oops” on my part. Sigh. 🏀

 

Lake Hood! We parked behind the Alaska Department of Transportation building to watch sea planes, but they never came. It was ferociously cold & windy so we headed on our way. 

 

Earthquake Park! We walked the “Inside the Slide Trail”, a short interpretive trail on the site of a major earthquake in 1964 that measured 9.2 on the Richter scale & lasted 4 minutes! Having lived in both Washington State & Hawai’i for many years, I’ve been through a few earthquakes, but I can’t begin to imagine the intensity or duration of a major quake! 

 

Point Waranof! Nice views of Knik Arm. 

 

Between Earthquake Park & Point Waranof is a small area to pull over to plane spot. I’m not an official “plane-spotter”, but I do love to “spot planes”, with my most favorite location being Maho Beach in St Maarten! In Alaska, the viewing spot is just ahead of the runway - on a grassy knoll filled with thousands of dandelions. It provides for really incredible views of incoming jets. I could have stayed here all day! 

 

Alaska Baseball League! The guys were happy when I told them that Alaska has their very own baseball league comprised of teams filled w/ NCAA players from various colleges throughout the States. The league encompasses five teams (Anchorage Glacier Pilots, Mat Su Miners, Anchorage Bucs, Peninsula Oilers, Chugiak Chinooks) that play at four different ballparks - the two Anchorage teams share facilities. 

 

The preliminary schedule was released in late March & I was able to pencil a couple of games into our itinerary. And just like that, believe it or not, I became the Greatest American Mom. I’m walking on air! 

 

Mulcahy Stadium! A small baseball park built in the 1960’s. We sprung for box seats at $7 each.

 

Colt bought a pretzel & an ice cream, the latter of which he left sitting on a ledge while eating the pretzel. Only in Alaska can you leave your ice cream layin’ out for thirty minutes & it doesn’t melt. At all!

 

My husband & I shared a reindeer dog, which tasted … just like a regular hot dog. 🌭

 

The guys bought Alaska Baseball League t-shirts & we were each given a free Anchorage Bucs t-shirt by the highway patrol. 

 

Anchorage Bucs vs Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks! Nine innings of ice cold baseball! Chinooks won 3-2! 

 

Moose’s Tooth Pizza! We enjoyed two small 10” pizzas: Call of the Wild & The Forager. 🍕

 

We generally prefer to pick-up our order & enjoy it outside - under a palm tree on a picnic table at a park … but there ain’t no palm trees in Alaska & don’t nobody wanna get eaten by no darn bear, so we headed back to the hotel to enjoy it in our cozy room. 

 

Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa! I’m so sleepy. The guys? They’re itching to play basketball, which they do every night before bed. Did they really expect me to pack a hoop? Sigh.

 

8 more “goodnight moons” until we board the Majestic Princess!

[Fishbone]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[clutchcurrier]

Really loving your review 😄

[cpcanuck]

I love your running commentary! I’m laughing out loud as I read! 

[gottagoacruzn]

Doesn't walmart sell jackets & sweaters? Ya got to go prepared.

[Fishbone]

2 hours ago, clutchcurrier said:

Really loving your review 😄

Thanks so much @clutchcurrier! It’s hard to know if anyone is really reading along! 💙
 

1 hour ago, cpcanuck said:

I love your running commentary! I’m laughing out loud as I read! 

 

Thanks @cpcanuck! I especially appreciate your comment as my husband, on a daily basis, tells me I’m not very funny! 🤣