Amanda_14wa

We just got off our Alaska cruise on the Pearl three weeks ago. We are also local and depend on the Washington state (Un-dependable) ferries to get us to Seattle. Our embarkation time was for 11:30 to 12 but due to a ferry breakdown we were late by 45 minutes...they didn't care. And honestly the embarkation was kind of a Cluster-F so pack your patience...enjoy your trip! We left when the weather was close to 90 here at home...it was in the mid 50s to mid 60s up in Alaska. So definitely needed the variety of clothing! And definitely bring stuff to do for down time...we didn't bring anything, had no cellphone service, so we ended up taking plenty of Naps!

Thanks for all the tips, peeps. I'm not the original poster, but I am going to Alaska on my first ever cruise.

 

Some follow up questions and comments.

 

We stuck with the default "boarding time" around noon. We live in the area, so haven't really determined what time we'll head for the waterfront yet. My traveling companion (my BFF from college) and I both have extremely busy schedules leading up to the cruise, so we might not even decide until the night before.

 

So, if we picked an earlier boarding time in case we got up at the butt crack of dawn in excitement, but ended up sleeping in because of some pre celebration the night before - would we run into problems doing a late check in?

 

If we stick with our noon (or later) designated time, and do get there early, can we check our bags ahead of time at the pier so that we can walk around unencumbered by our bags?

 

Some comments - I'm a HUGE believer in carry on only when I am going on an airplane. Did carry on only to Europe for 3 weeks (trick is - when you find that perfect souvenir, like a glass bowl from Murano or pottery in Florence, mail that stuff home on the slow boat. Ask the salesperson if you can put your other stuff, like postcards, coffee table books, etc. in the box as well. Offer a tip. I even mailed home a sweatshirt I no longer needed as we had traveled south, wrapped around some of my purchases). Even when I don't mail home purchases, etc. I do carry on. Have only checked my bag once in the last 15 or so years (and that was when I got bumped up to 1st class, had a direct flight, and arrived 3 hours early to the airport that had some great shopping. I didn't want to schlep around the bag, so put the Kindle and tablet in my larger purse along with meds, etc. and checked that sucker.

 

However, I feel like cruising is a whole different ballgame for me.

 

I'm not arriving at embarkation after a flight. Going to Alaska in July means I may go from 80 degrees to 60 and back again, so a variety of clothing may be needed (long underwear under my thinner pants is a solution I used in Europe with great success. Doing that again). We also are looking forward to some great down time in the spa, etc.... so I'm adding to the load by bringing some stuff like a knitting project, etc. I have some down throw blankets that have their own squishy bags (like a sleeping bag) that I use for outdoor movie nights and keep in my car in case of emergency. Not heavy, but not something I'd usually travel with in an airplane because of the room. Bringing them so we can sit out on the deck warm and toasty, even at sea and windy.

 

I guess my point is that for a cruise - I can see racking up the pounds in 2 bags, 50 lbs each.

We were on that same cruise with you! Also took the blue bus to mendenhall glacier! We felt so fortunate to have such awesome weather!

I was on this same cruise with the OP and my husband and I took a seaplane our to misty fjords. The inside of the plane is kind of small but we were able to get a few great shots out of the window. Our pilot actually landed us into an inlet at the fjords to look for a bear that had been spotted. We were allowed to get out and walk along the pontoon of the plane.

Thanks for the review! Happy to hear you had a great time! I have a few questions, if you don't mind.

 

Can you tell me more about Rod's Food Truck in Juneau? We're planning on going to Tracy's King Crab Shack but my husband loves halibut (and chips!) so we might need to make a second stop for food. :D

 

We're also renting a car in Skagway with our two friends. Excited that you saw some wildlife on the road trip.

 

And, we're also taking a float plane in Ketchikan to Misty Fjords (not through NCL, though). I'm into photography as well but am a little worried about getting shots from the plane through the windows. Does your husband have any tips to share? Thanks, again!

We were on the Pearl two weeks ago, the weather was amazing In all the ports we stopped at. And I agree with the juggling comedian, he was not the greatest...he made me real agitated actually lol. Love the washy washy guys/gals! Oh and we absolutely LOVED the legends in concert...and the cirque show. So great.

We got super lucky with the weather in Ketchikan two weeks ago. We took a seaplane booked through Pirate Air to misty fjords...it was breathtaking you will love it!

Thanks for the review. I sail in a week and I'm getting kinda excited. How bad was the weather in Ketchikan? DH and I have a seaplane excursion planned and I was wondering at what point do they cancel?

Dang, I just got off the ship on Sunday, I knew I should have take pictures of them all. You will be impressed with the entertainment. Definitely MUST see the Legends in Concert, and Jeremy and Eleanor. I think the comedian we had on board last week had another gig on the east coast so you may have someone different.

Yep definitely try the Miami Vice. It was yummy!! Their strawberry daiquiri was pretty good as well. We had the UBP and it was all covered.

We were on the Pearl last week in room 11519 inside. Our room also had a strange noise around 11pm-12am. One night while on the pool deck enjoying the hot tub, a crew came out, emptied the swimming pool and started demolishing the swimming pool and the side rails. They were making all sorts of racket. I wonder if they're still having issues? This happened last Friday night. I hope you get some answers!

We just cruised Ketchikan and Alaska (inside passage) last week, make SURE you bring a really good pair of binoculars and a good camera.

Keep an eye out for whales, we saw a couple in Ketchikan and Juneau and our glacier bay day. We also hopped up to the top deck of the ship and as it turned in circles, we went from one rail to another and had the best view point. Have fun!

Oh my gosh I'm so stupid I just looked at the itinerary again. You're absolutely correct. Explains why I'm in Juneau for a shorter time. The sea day after Ketchikan it says cruising the inside passsge. Any advice for what to do and look for during cruising the inside passage? Anything spectacular I should know about ?

We just got off the Pearl to Alaska may 21-28. We pulled in behind your ship in Juneau last Tuesday. Wasn't the weather amazing? We got lucky...