June 17, 2007 Pearl to Alaska Review

[brunolvr]

We arrived at the parking garage across the street from Pier 66 a little before 11 AM, dropped off our car and luggage then headed to the pedestrian overpass to the terminal building with our carry-on items.

 

As we got on the escalator to head upstairs to the check-in area, we were handed a “Destination Alaska” coupon and information book. There were no lines for check-in, but all of the counters were busy with passengers so we waited a minute or so then it was our turn to check in, get our pictures taken for our onboard cards, and give our credit card information for onboard charges.

 

Since we were booked in a Deluxe Owner’s Suite, we were then escorted to the VIP waiting room for embarkation. Alex, the concierge, was just heading out the door with the first group of passengers entitled to VIP boarding. We waited a couple of minutes then Alex was back to escort us to the line for the security luggage check and boarding. We didn’t even have time to partake of the goodies in the VIP lounge! Since our butler was busy with other passengers, a young lady escorted us to our suite.

 

We were onboard and in our suite by 11:15 AM. A few minutes later our butler, Chris, showed up to greet us and show us how to work all the “gadgets” in our cabin – coffee maker, CD/DVD player, TV, electronic blinds for the floor to ceiling windows, etc. In all, I think we had 4 different remote controls and it did get a little confusing!

 

NCL is trying something new this year. Instead of making passengers wait in the terminal building until the cabins are ready, they are letting people onboard as soon as the ship has been cleared of all passengers. You cannot go to your cabins, but are able to get onboard and start exploring the ship or just enjoy the view of Seattle. We did see some passengers carrying their stuff around, but several people we talked to said they were able to drop off their stuff in the cabin even though it was not cleaned yet.

 

Lunch is served starting at 11:30 AM in the Garden Cafe (buffet) and at noon in the Summer Palace and at noon (weather permitting) in the Great Outdoors and The Grill. Cagney’s was open for lunch for those in Courtyard Villas, Owner’s Suites and Garden Villas.

 

After an enjoyable lunch in Cagney’s, we started exploring the Pearl. The lifeboat drill wasn’t until 3:30 PM so we had lots of time to wander around. After the drill, we went back to our cabin to return the life vests, and saw they were delivering our luggage.

 

The past cruises to Alaska we’ve been on have had a sail away BQ in the pool area, but we didn’t see one this year on the Pearl. At 4:00 PM they did have a Welcome Aboard Party with live music at the Tahitian Pool. And at 4:05 PM we were pulling away from the dock.

 

We had a wonderful dinner at Summer Palace then went to the Welcome Aboard Show at 8:30 PM, which we enjoyed. It was indicated that this cruise had about 2,700 passengers onboard, including a little over 500 children.

 

I do strongly suggest you book any excursions you’re interested in ahead of time. The line of people waiting to book excursions was enormous that first day, and some were upset that the excursion they were interested in was full. Why waste an hour or more of your time on the ship standing in line?

 

About 7 PM, we realized we were going to be cruising on Canada’s Inside Passage (east of Vancouver Island) instead of the west side as previous cruises have done. Apparently Captain Trond Kildal had made the decision to do this because of the storms on the west side. This made for a much more scenic cruise but it’s too bad that much of the fantastic scenery was cruised by at night. The Captain had indicated to us that this would be the only cruise doing this route this year because of the expense involved in requiring having a Canadian Pilot aboard. What a special privilege this was!

 

After this exceptional first day, we knew this was going to be a great cruise!

[soccerref]

I can't wait for the next instalment of your interesting and informative review Brunolvr. We are on the Pearl on August 19th so all information is gratefully received and noted. Thanks!

[brunolvr]

I can't wait for the next instalment of your interesting and informative review Brunolvr. We are on the Pearl on August 19th so all information is gratefully received and noted. Thanks!

 

Thanks, socerref, but I think maybe I'm being too wordy! Think maybe I need to condense it a little if I can!

[abbyjude2002]

Counting down the days till July 15th, reading the boards and now the reviews has been so much fun, I am ready for the real deal!

[ADPeterson]

Very nice Brunolovr! Looking forward to reading the rest...not too wordy for me.

[kb996]

Great review so far! We're leaving on Thursday for Seattle for next weeks sailing. I just wish I had time to read your whole review. LOVE the fact that you can board right away instead of sitting in the terminal. Any other quick tips you can give us leaving next week?

 

Thanks,

[Cosmopolitan]

brunolvr ~

 

I'm not going to Alaska but your review sure wants me to try it.

 

Not too wordy at all:)

[brunolvr]

June 18, 2007 – Day at Sea

 

I awoke about 5:30 AM to overcast skies and a cool 48 degrees outside with blustery winds of 18 knots and we were passing some beautiful scenery of Canada’s Inside Passage. We had sailed about 270 nautical miles from Seattle.

 

We watched from our balcony as the NCL Sun slowed down so the Pearl could pass her, then about 8:30 AM we went down for a delicious breakfast of Eggs Benedict at Cagney’s.

 

We had our CruiseCritic Meet & Greet at 10:30 AM in Le Bistro. We had a pretty good turnout even though a lot of the cc’ers had just joined our roll call a week or so before the cruise. Colleen, the group services coordinator, was there along with Michael Klieverik (Hotel Director), Mirsad Bucuk (Assistant Hotel Director), Tony Lockett (Food & Beverage Director), and of course, the “smashing” Simon Murray (Cruise Director).

 

After another delicious lunch in Cagney’s, we got ready for the Latitudes Party at 1:30 PM in the Spinnaker Lounge. After meeting the Captain, we told him how much we enjoyed cruising up the Canadian Inside Passage. My husband was the lucky winner of a bottle of champagne in the prize drawings they had.

 

Even with it being only in the upper 40’s and with winds over 20 knots, kids were still enjoying the swimming pool and slide into the pool, but the adult’s pool stayed empty most of the time.

 

We were invited to the Captain’s VIP Cocktail Party which took place at 6:30 PM. We had an enjoyable time talking with some of the ship’s officers.

 

Tonight was “Dress up or Not” night and it appeared that quite a few did dress up for lobster night and also got their pictures taken. We had an enjoyable lobster dinner in Summer Palace with a table overlooking the wake of the ship. My husband requested a double order of lobster and was able to consume it all and even have room for dessert. We found the portions to be ample, especially when it’s a 5-course meal! And make sure you try the chilled fruit soups when they’re offered – they are simply the best!

 

Showtimes tonight were 7:15 PM and 9:15 PM with the entertainment by The Second City, an improv group, and they were very funny and entertaining.

 

By 10:30 PM we were ready for bed. It was still pretty breezy out (25 knot winds) and the Pearl was cruising along at 21.4 knots, which made for a very windy balcony for us. We had sailed about 632 nautical miles from Seattle.

 

Another enjoyable day cruising on the Pearl!

[rebeljohn]

Enjoying the review so far................thanks for posting.......looking forward to the rest.........

[brunolvr]

June 19, 2007 – Juneau

 

 

I tried to sleep in but it was another early morning for me as I awoke at 5:15 AM to sunny skies, cool temperatures (only 47 degrees outside) and another windy morning with winds at 21.4 knots. I took my camera and went about exploring and taking pictures both inside and outside the Pearl.

 

By 6 AM we had traveled 897 nautical miles from Seattle and were only 135 nautical miles from Juneau and we were cruising along at 21.9 knots.

 

This was a great whale-watching morning (from about 8 AM to 10 AM) as we cruised towards Juneau. There were lots of opportunities to view whales, some relatively close but most from a distance so binoculars were necessary.

 

If you ever get the chance to have breakfast and/or lunch in Cagney’s, take advantage of it. It is available for those booked in Courtyard Villas, Owner’s Suites and Garden Villas. Always delicious meals! I enjoyed a 3-egg omelet for breakfast with some of their delicious bacon and my husband opted for the buttermilk hot cakes with walnut butter & caramelized bananas. And the orange juice is freshly squeezed! The breakfast menu was always the same but the lunch menu changed daily but always included one of their delicious chilled fruit soups.

 

We arrived in Juneau at 1:00 PM but had to wait for the Star to leave as we dock at the same berth. A little after 1:30 the Star slowly pulled away from the dock and the Pearl moved into position for docking. It was 68 degrees and sunny in Juneau!

 

It was a beautiful day for our whale-watching excursion with Orca Enterprises and Captain Larry. We boarded the Orca Odysea at 4 PM and within 5 minutes, even before leaving the harbor, we were serenaded by a mother humpback and her baby for about 45 minutes. Then Captain Larry decided it was time to get a move on and off we went. We saw several more humpbacks and another mother with her baby and, of course, the resident sea lions. We also got to see a pod of transient orcas way off in the distance. We were suppose to get back at 6 PM, but didn’t get back until 6:45 PM, so we got some extra whale-watching time in.

 

It was 7:15 PM before we got back into town and since we were tired and hungry we went back to the Pearl. About 7:45 PM it cooled down to 59 degrees and we had a rain shower.

 

We decided to give Indigo a try for dinner. The food was great, but we found the chairs to be uncomfortable and didn’t care for the décor. We like Summer Palace much better with all the windows and the openness there.

 

It was all aboard by 9:30 PM for our 10 PM departure from Juneau. The show at 9:15 tonight was “Juggling and Comedy of Barry John” but since we wanted to see our departure from Juneau and get some sunset pictures, we decided to skip the show.

 

It was quite a day of picture taking for us. My husband took over 300 pictures on our whale watch and I took about 170 for the day.

[becauseisaid]

I am loving your review-thanks!!!!!

[lhall85917]

Great review, thanks for sharing! We also did Captain Larry's in Juneau when we went to Alaska on the Star - it was one of the highlights of our trip. It's amazing to see so many whales, both on the excursion and from the ship. Every night we were able to see whales from our balcony as we traveled to our next port - amazing!! :D

[brunolvr]

June 20, 2007 - Skagway

 

We docked in Skagway by 5 AM and the Star pulled in beside us about 5:30 AM under a clear blue sky of almost 49 degrees.

 

We decided to have breakfast in our room since we had to be off the ship by 7:15 AM for our excursion. Promptly at 6:30 AM (as requested), Chris, our butler, delivered a delicious breakfast of juices, fruits, scrambled eggs for me and an omelet for my husband and of course some of the delicious bacon!

 

Our planned excursion was the Takshanuk Mountain Trail by 4X4. We were met at the end of the pier by a young lady who directed us to a small bus. After a quick 5-minute bus ride, we got onboard the Chilkat Fast-Ferry for our 35 minute ride to Haines. Lynn Canal is the deepest and longest fjord in North America. It was a scenic ride with a couple of stops along the way to look at a waterfall and stellar sea lions sunning themselves on a large rock. After arriving in Haines, we boarded a bus for about a 20 minute ride to the trailhead at Takshanuk Mountain.

 

We loaded into our 4X4 Kawasaki Mules and headed up the mountain trail. We opted to sit in the back seat so we could take pictures and let a nice, young couple from Florida drive. A valid driver’s license is required to drive the Mule. Some of the “Mules” held 2 people and some held 4. It’s a very winding unpaved trail that is very bumpy but a lot of fun! Our first stop was at the 1100 ft elevation at a modern little cabin (complete with running water and bathroom facilities). We were offered coffee, hot chocolate, lemonade and warm cookies just out of the oven! We spent about 30 minutes taking in the beautiful scenery and enjoying the snacks.

 

Back into our Mules and up the mountain we went. Bear and moose are frequently seen in the area, but the closest we got was fresh bear droppings by the side of the trail! He must have heard us coming and high-tailed it out of there! After several photo stops along the way, we arrived at our 1500 ft elevation destination overlooking Lutak Inlet and Chilkoot Lake. WOW! What spectacular views! The pictures we took don’t do justice to the beauty that we encountered. There was still a good amount of snow up there and there were several kids from Florida who had never seen snow before and they had great fun throwing snowballs and sliding down the hill.

 

After plenty of time for photos and playing in the snow, we headed back down the mountain for lunch at the cabin. We had a delicious buffet lunch including beer battered halibut, BBQ chicken, coleslaw, potatoes and a wonderful fruit salad.

 

All too soon, it was time to load back into our Mules and continue down the mountain to our original starting point. We got back on the bus and headed back to Haines with a quick stop at a beach on Lynn Canal for a photo shot of Haines off in the distance. The bus driver then took us for a short driving tour of Haines including historic Fort Steward, the first US Army outpost in Alaska, dropping us back at the pier for our Fast-Ferry trip back to Skagway.

 

We had a great time and highly recommend this excursion. Just remember to dress warmly (in layers) and bring rain gear in case of inclement weather. Depending on what time of year you go, a hat and gloves might be needed.

 

We got back to the Pearl and were deciding whether we wanted to walk into Skagway when the winds kicked up and it started raining pretty hard. It was just a shower and didn’t last very long, but we decided just to stay on the ship, fill up the hot tub and relax for a while since we had been to Skagway 4 times before. Once the rain stopped, it was a pleasant 63 degrees outside.

 

Shortly after 5 PM we watched as the NCL Star slowly backed out and started her journey to Prince Rupert.

 

We had a great dinner at Cagney’s with Alex our Concierge and one of the Ship’s Doctors. We had a most enjoyable meal and interesting conversation with both of them.

 

We decided to skip the show at the Stardust that evening and walk around the promenade deck. We got some beautiful sunset pictures as we sailed away from Skagway toward Haines.

 

By 11 PM we had cruised 1,077 nautical miles from Seattle, were 33 nautical miles from Skagway with only 193 nautical miles until we reached Glacier Bay. It was 54 degrees outside and the Pearl was slowly cruising along at 12.1 knots.

 

Another delightful day on the Pearl and enjoying the beauty of Alaska had come to an end.

[SweetpeaOne]

Thank you very much for sharing your review. We are on the Star in 2 1/2 weeks so its good to hear you include her in your reviews. Looking forward to hearing the rest of your trip.

[brunolvr]

Thank you very much for sharing your review. We are on the Star in 2 1/2 weeks so its good to hear you include her in your reviews. Looking forward to hearing the rest of your trip.

 

I hope you have a great cruise on the Star. We cruised on the Star to Alaska in 2005 and 2006 but she did the Glacier Bay itinerary then.

 

Were you able to get a balcony cabin? I've got a lot of pictures of the Star (including mini-suite and AE Penthouse) that you might like to see.

 

Enjoy Alaska and the beautiful Star!:)

[lmt219]

Thanks so much for the review! We'll be on the Pearl July 15-22 and we can't wait!

[Cruise_More_Often]

About 7 PM, we realized we were going to be cruising on Canada’s Inside Passage (east of Vancouver Island) instead of the west side as previous cruises have done. Apparently Captain Trond Kildal had made the decision to do this because of the storms on the west side. This made for a much more scenic cruise but it’s too bad that much of the fantastic scenery was cruised by at night. The Captain had indicated to us that this would be the only cruise doing this route this year because of the expense involved in requiring having a Canadian Pilot aboard. What a special privilege this was!

Brunolvr, he didn't do it for the weather. He knew you were aboard and knew how much you'd love it! Your review is delightful and is making me re-live our Alaska cruise last year. Thank you very much.

 

Adele

[brunolvr]

June 21, 2007 – Glacier Bay

 

 

Another early morning as I awoke at 4:15 AM noticing the Pearl was hardly moving. It was a cool 48 degrees outside with a very low cloud ceiling as we cruised towards Glacier Bay at 10 knots. It was a good whale watching morning as there was quite a bit of activity as we neared Glacier Bay.

 

We opted for breakfast in our cabin again as we didn't want to miss any of the beautiful scenery. Viewing from our floor to ceiling windows and private balcony in the Deluxe Owner's Suite was spectacular!

 

At 6 AM the Park Rangers came aboard, the time the ship actually enters Glacier Bay. There are a lot of beautiful mountains in the distance but the real viewing probably starts around 8 AM. About 8:30 AM we passed Reid Glacier (which is 3/4 mile wide) and we were within viewing of Margerie Glacier a few minutes after 9 AM. About 10 AM, Captain Trond Kildal started slowly rotating the ship 180 degrees so the starboard side would also have some viewing until about 10:35 AM. We felt Margerie Glacier wasn’t very active compared to our previous years viewing but she did give us a few calvings but nothing spectacular. Right next to Margerie Glacier, which is 1 mile wide and stands 250’ above the water line, is the Grand Pacific Glacier which is 2 miles wide.

 

We then proceeded to the John Hopkins Inlet passing Lampugh Glacier (which is ¾ mile wide) on the way. Since the John Hopkins Glacier area is a sanctuary and birthing place for the endangered harbor seals, we were unable to get close to the glacier. However, we did get a good view of the John Hopkins Glacier in the distance. The John Hopkins Glacier is 1 mile across the face and stands 250’ above the water line. It is advancing 10-15 feet a day.

 

After about 12:30 PM, the glacier viewing was over so we went to lunch at Cagney’s. Around 3 PM the Park Rangers’ boat pulled along side the Pearl so they could leave the ship as we were out of Glacier Bay. But we had a great afternoon of whale watching from the ship.

 

The outside temperature while in Glacier Bay varied from 44 degrees at 9 AM, 46 degrees at noon to 52 degrees at 2 PM. Even though we didn’t get much sun, my husband got a sunburn on his face; I guess from the glare off the snow and ice.

 

After enjoying a great, leisurely dinner at Le Bistro, compliments of Michael Klieverik, we decided on an early night since we had another early morning on Friday. While the Pearl was cruising along at 24+ knots, we did a couple of laps around the promenade deck, took pictures of the sunset, then headed back to our cabin for a good night’s sleep.

[brunolvr]

June 22, 2007 – Ketchikan

 

 

I awakened to a beautiful sunrise at 4:15 with blue skies over Ketchikan and a chilly 46 degrees outside. We were about 10 nautical miles from Ketchikan where we were scheduled to arrive at 6 AM. This was going to be a tender port for us.

 

Shortly after we arrived, the Pacific Princess docked at Berth 3, then the Noordam cruised right by us headed to Berth 2, and shortly after that the Seven Seas Mariner docked at Berth 1. Shortly after 6 AM we saw the Pearl’s first tender ships heading for shore.

 

Since we didn’t have a planned excursion, we had a leisurely breakfast in Cagney’s then headed down to the gangway a little after 8 AM and had no problem getting right on a tender. Since it was so calm out they were tendering from both sides of the Pearl, using 6 tender boats.

 

We walked west along the waterfront for a while then turned around and headed east and over to Creek Street. We had planned to take the Cape Fox Lodge Funicular tram up the hill and visit the Eagle Center and Totem Heritage Center but the Funicular was “out of order” and we just didn’t have the energy to walk up the hills, so we decided to do some shopping and walk around town. It was a warm (65 degrees) and sunny day in Ketchikan—simply beautiful!

 

Around 11 AM we caught a tender back to the Pearl. We had another delicious lunch at Cagney’s then watched as the tenders went back and forth to pick up passengers while float planes took off and landed very nearby.

 

The last tender was suppose to be at 1:00 PM but the tenders kept going across to pick up passengers until around 1:45 PM then at 2:05 PM we finally started moving away from Ketchikan headed to our last port, Victoria, 586 nautical miles away. The pool area was full of people being entertained by live music and the kids’ pool and slide were being enjoyed many!

 

But by 3:30 PM it had cooled down to 56 degrees and the winds were blowing at 27.4 knots and with the ship cruising at 21.7 knots, it made for a very breezy time outside! It didn’t take long for the pool deck to clear out!

 

We had a nice dinner at Summer Palace then went to the 9:15 PM show, Garden of the Geisha, with a farewell performance afterwards featuring the Officers, Staff & Crew of the Pearl. I was very disappointed in the lack of passengers attending the show, though. After such a great cruise, I thought we should thank those who helped to make it so special.

 

But with the Chocoholic Buffet starting at 9:30 PM, this may have had an impact on the attendance at the show. Poor planning on their part, I think. We did go to the Garden Café after the show to check it out and we each got a small plate of chocolate goodies and took them back to our cabin to enjoy. Delicious way to end the day!

[becauseisaid]

As you were sailing through glacier bay, was there on going commentary coming over the tv explaining what you were seeing?? We had an a fascinating women (I don't know what her exact title was)on board the last time we sailed to alaska and I was hanging on her every word!!!

 

Was there someone earlier in the week teaching classes on glaciers etc. ??

 

Thank you once again for the reviews!

 

1 more month until we leave for alaska.

[brunolvr]

As you were sailing through glacier bay, was there on going commentary coming over the tv explaining what you were seeing?? We had an a fascinating women (I don't know what her exact title was)on board the last time we sailed to alaska and I was hanging on her every word!!!

 

Was there someone earlier in the week teaching classes on glaciers etc. ??

 

Thank you once again for the reviews!

 

1 more month until we leave for alaska.

 

As we were cruising through Glacier Bay, the Park Ranger would come on the loudspeakers (and also you could hear her on Channel 24) on the TV, but she was reading a "script" to us which we felt was very "childish". It was like she was reading to little children, not talking to adults. We did not enjoy it at all.

 

On Monday at 10 AM there was a lecture by a Douglas Lee Brantley on Alaska Glaciers, but we were not able go because of another commitment. He also gave lectures on Alaska's Port Cities and Alaska's Wildlife later on in the cruise, but we weren't able to make either of those so I can't comment on how good they were.

[brunolvr]

June 23, 2007 – Victoria

 

It was quite stormy overnight with heavy rains and winds up to 40 knots. It felt like someone was shaking the bed and a couple of times during the night our balcony door slid open because of the vibration caused by the wind. I finally used the “child’s lock” on the door and that seemed to do the trick. Our balcony furniture had blown all over the place, but at least nothing went overboard!

 

By 5 AM we had cruised 1,885 nautical miles since leaving Seattle. It rained quite heavily most of the morning with the wind blowing between 24 and 40 knots as the Pearl cruised along at 24 knots.

 

At 10:30 AM my husband went to the disembarkation talk while I started the sad task of packing.:( We had such a great time; we didn’t want this cruise to end! At least the weather was improving so we could enjoy our last day!

 

 

We had a quick lunch at Cagney’s as the Cruise Critic bowling event started at 1:30 PM. There were 15 of us who signed up to bowl and we had a great time, gutter balls and all! I had the high score on our team, a whopping 88! You have got to try bowling on the Pearl; it is a lot of fun!

 

We finished up our packing then went to watch our approach to Victoria. The Noordam was right in front of us and the Sun Princess was already docked. They both pulled forward into the docking area, but for some reason the NCL ship usually backs in which takes a little longer.

 

We docked as scheduled at 6 PM and a little after that we saw the first passengers get off the ship as we ate our dinner in La Cucina. Of all the restaurants on the Pearl where we had eaten, this was probably our least favorite. The soup (minestrone) was great and the salad was good but we just didn’t care for the main course of “Land & Sea” (Veal & Shrimp) and La Cucina was very crowded and very noisy.

 

A rain shower came through about 7:30 PM, and then about 7:45 PM we decided to get off the Pearl, walk around the dock area and get some exterior pictures of the Pearl. After we got back on the ship, I roamed all over the Pearl mainly taking pictures of the artwork in the stairwells. I wanted to remember as much as I could of this beautiful ship!

 

At 9:30 PM there was a BBQ in the Great Outdoors featuring ribs, chicken & sausage with live music which was very well attended. Once we had our fill, we went back to our cabin to enjoy our last night in our Deluxe Owner’s Suite with the fantastic view, huge private balcony and coveted private Jacuzzi.

 

By the time we went to bed, we were just a short 91.5 nautical miles from Seattle.

 

We have so many wonderful memories of this fantastic week, everyone taking such great care of us—Alex, our concierge, Chris, our butler, Benjamin & Emerson, our room stewards, Colleen von der Borch, group services coordinator, Michael Klieverik, hotel director, Sheldon, who was there for any problems we encountered (mechanical, electronic, or otherwise) and of course, all the waiters and waitresses who served us. THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!:)

[CheekyMonkey]

We are leaving a week from today!! Taking along our 2 kids and going with my sister and her family as well. We will be staying in a mini-suite.

 

Quick question. Does the Summer Palace offer a few selections? The first day we are on the ship I am considering having lunch there...what are your thoughts? Wonder if the kids will have some choices or if we might want to save the Summer Palace for dinner that night instead. On lobster night - would you eat there again? From what you said - you preferred it over the Indigo. (the children in our group range from 9 yrs to 13 yrs...and are all used to eating in nicer restaurants).

 

Thanks for your advice.

[brunolvr]

We are leaving a week from today!! Taking along our 2 kids and going with my sister and her family as well. We will be staying in a mini-suite.

 

Quick question. Does the Summer Palace offer a few selections? The first day we are on the ship I am considering having lunch there...what are your thoughts? Wonder if the kids will have some choices or if we might want to save the Summer Palace for dinner that night instead. On lobster night - would you eat there again? From what you said - you preferred it over the Indigo. (the children in our group range from 9 yrs to 13 yrs...and are all used to eating in nicer restaurants).

 

Thanks for your advice.

 

Yes, the Summer Palace offers a number of selections for breakfast, lunch & dinner. I would recommend having lunch there on embarkation day. It's usually a lot less crowded than the Garden Cafe and it's nice to be able to sit down and be waited on!;) The lunch and dinner choices change from day to day. I think they even have a children's menu, but since we don't have children, I can't be certain. I'm sure someone else can verify this.

 

We enjoyed our dinner on lobster night in Summer Palace and would recommend it.

 

If you have any other questions, I'd be glad to try to help! -Sandy-

[brunolvr]

June 24, 2007 – Disembarkation

 

 

Before 5 AM the Pearl was slowly cruising into Elliott Bay with the Sun Princess leading the way. It was an overcast and blustery morning in Seattle—rather dreary! By 5:30 AM the Pearl had docked ending our journey of 2,255.9 nautical miles, returning us to our starting point of Pier 66 in Seattle.

 

At 6:30 AM we went down to Cagney’s for one last delicious breakfast onboard.

 

Express Walk Off (carry your entire luggage ashore on your own) began around 7:30 AM. We had decided to take advantage of the VIP disembarkation and were to meet Alex in the Stardust Theater at 8 AM. Shortly thereafter we left the ship, no checks at immigration, found our luggage in the VIP baggage area, handed the customs person our completed Customs Declaration form, and we were on our way home.

 

We were home by 9:30 AM since we’re only about an hour’s drive from Seattle, but we’ll be back again next year! We signed up for the Cruise Rewards Program after deciding we wanted to see Alaska again next year!

 

So now we’ve got another year of anticipation and planning ahead of us!:D