Saint Greg's Alaska Jewel - Live - August 28, 2023

[eileeshb]

16 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

Watch YouTube videos of soccer and rugby players reacting to football. They have a tremendous amount of respect for our football players. They don’t hit like that. In most cases they’re just pulling each other down.

 

One Irish player used his USA eligibility as a negotiating tactic to get a bigger contract when the rumour that Miami dolphins wanted to sign him as their kicker was floated.. the reality was that there was no way in hell he’d play a bit part in NFL when he the top dog in the reigning European champion rugby club even if he’d have gotten obscene amounts of money relative to rugby. 
The hits in rugby have gotten so severe that there’s now a serious move to tweak the laws to reduce the risk to players. Remember rugby only became a professional sport about 30 years ago so in some respects it’s still not particularly mature, but it is a few steps ahead of NFL with a growing population of pro female rugby clubs .

I had a colleague in Intel who was a cheerleader for the NFL side in Phoenix and I was horrified to find out that they weren’t paid a dime, she was working full time at Intel to make a living while also training as a full time athlete for that NFL side unpaid. That was back in the early 00s so I don’t know if that has since changed. I will note that Gaelic games in Ireland are amateur so those players are all working full time in day jobs while also training to an elite level but they’re not playing against pros in other countries unless it’s the compromise rules matches against Australia whenever the sponsorship is available. 

[gotscrapz]

Happy to jump aboard! I am not sure how I missed this since I am stalking CC for Mardi Gras and port info for the Bahamas, DR, and Grand Turk!

 

I have gone back through your Mardi Gras review just this week - we sail 9/10. 

 

We switched to NCL a few years ago and have been so happy! But I had booked the Mardi Gras with friends who only sail Carnival - so here we go!

 

But like many, I compare all these when picking a cruise line for a cruise. For us, NCL has us- especially when upgrading to the Haven.

 

I am following along as I want to sail NCL to Alaska in 2025. 2024 going back to Europe - NCL cruise plus land. Jewel is an old ship so I hope you try a newer ship as well to see some of the nice upgrades.

 

I know you'll have a great time on any ship - as will I!

[Saint Greg]

Today we’re docking at Ward Cove which I believe is where my tour was last year. I remember them saying NCL used it as a port but it sounding questionable because it’s in the middle of nowhere. But it was an eagle excursion I was on. There are a lot of eagles and eagle nests in the area. It’s close to the totem pole place. But about 20 minutes from town. For those interested in the excursion I took out here last time, you can check that out here.

 

https://www.saintgregtravel.com/ketchikan-lighthouse-totems-eagles/

 

 

 

 

[Saint Greg]

 

 

[gotscrapz]

On 8/29/2023 at 4:46 PM, sid_9169 said:

There's no lobster in the mdr at all on NCL... You've got three specialty dining credits that will go to waste if you don't use them... I suggest Cagney's just so you can compare it to the Carnival steakhouse. The teppanyaki restaurant is good, and comparable to the Bonsai teppanyaki on CCL. I would also throw out Le Bistro for a nice dinner too... 

 

Also, remember you can get all the free bottled water you want, and can load up for the cabin and excursions. Since you can get more than one drink at a time, order a drink and a bottle of water at the same time and take the water back to the cabin... Starbucks is also all you can drink as well, and don't forget there's no 15 drink limit, so go for 30 if you're so inclined...

You can order 2 alcoholic drinks plus a water / soda / Gatorade or coffee or whatever

[Saint Greg]

Buffet is a mess

 

[Saint Greg]

I decide to try their pizza.

 

 

[Hogladyrider]

1 minute ago, Saint Greg said:

I decide to try their pizza.

 

 

No offense but that looks like frozen pizza, how was it?

 

[gotscrapz]

On 8/29/2023 at 7:10 PM, xkritter said:

If you google Prof Cruise NCL menus they have the MDR menus and they look pretty recent. If they are prime rib is Day 7.

Prime usually day way and then again the last day. It is normally offered even in Osheehan's and the MDR and other restaurants. My dd likes to go to Osheehan's for it because its usually so much faster - unless we're in the Haven!

[Saint Greg]

It’s pretty good. I went back for more.

 

Pizza disappears fast. It comes out of the oven and it’s gone. I kind of like it that way so I can have eyes on it oven to plate. I saw some random lady separating two slices with her bare hands and leaving one behind. I like the pizza but don’t like that it’s buffet

 

 

[Roscoe13]

1 hour ago, Saint Greg said:

You’re the one!

 

 

Not a joke!  I was reaching for the reply with your exact words but you caught it way before me!

It's true...mediocre minds do think alike! 

[Saint Greg]

2 minutes ago, Hogladyrider said:

No offense but that looks like frozen pizza, how was it?

 

 
definitely not frozen. I’m watching them make it. They put the dough in the flattening machine. Then they run something across it that pokes holes in it. Then the topping guy does the sauce, cheese, and toppings, and it goes in the oven.

[Saint Greg]

1 hour ago, eileeshb said:

One Irish player used his USA eligibility as a negotiating tactic to get a bigger contract when the rumour that Miami dolphins wanted to sign him as their kicker was floated.. the reality was that there was no way in hell he’d play a bit part in NFL when he the top dog in the reigning European champion rugby club even if he’d have gotten obscene amounts of money relative to rugby. 
The hits in rugby have gotten so severe that there’s now a serious move to tweak the laws to reduce the risk to players. Remember rugby only became a professional sport about 30 years ago so in some respects it’s still not particularly mature, but it is a few steps ahead of NFL with a growing population of pro female rugby clubs .

I had a colleague in Intel who was a cheerleader for the NFL side in Phoenix and I was horrified to find out that they weren’t paid a dime, she was working full time at Intel to make a living while also training as a full time athlete for that NFL side unpaid. That was back in the early 00s so I don’t know if that has since changed. I will note that Gaelic games in Ireland are amateur so those players are all working full time in day jobs while also training to an elite level but they’re not playing against pros in other countries unless it’s the compromise rules matches against Australia whenever the sponsorship is available. 

 

There was some big ruby player who went to the NFL once. He wasn’t very good in the NFL where people were actually hitting him.

 

[Saint Greg]

80 for Brady in the atrium 

 

 

“real sports” on the other tvs

 

 

[Saint Greg]

They don’t have towel animals but they have a towel animal mascot that’s almost exactly like carnivals?

 

 

[Saint Greg]

[eileeshb]

18 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

 

There was some big ruby player who went to the NFL once. He wasn’t very good in the NFL where people were actually hitting him.

 

That was an English winger who couldn’t hack top level rugby either. Only the English considered him a high profile player and they’re very good at blowing their trumpets.

I tracked all the injury enforced retirements in Irish rugby over the course of a couple of seasons years ago, and there was definite trend downward in age, we’re now seeing guys in their mid 20s retiring as a result of injuries incurred. Neck problems and leg/ foot injuries cause the majority of retirements but there’s also been a sprinkling of guys with concussion issues retiring too. There’s a growing number of teams using artificial pitches which is reducing the injuries in scrums but increasing the severity of leg injuries when they do occur.  
 

[Saint Greg]

[schmoopie17]

1 hour ago, Saint Greg said:

Today we’re docking at Ward Cove

 

 

 

 

Will you later be docking at June Cove, Wally Cove and Beaver Cove? And don't miss everyone's favorite, Eddie Haskell Cove.

 

 

Edited September 2, 2023 by schmoopie17

[Saint Greg]

 

 

 

[Saint Greg]

Feels like they changed an old Christmas store into a cruise port.

 

 

[Saint Greg]

[schmoopie17]

Was the woman with her paws all over the pizza the same one that coughed all over your food?

[Saint Greg]

[Saint Greg]

2 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Was the woman with her paws all over the pizza the same one that coughed all over your food?

no