First Timers Back from the Pearl (6/27 - 7/4/10)

[newcruise12]

Our Alaska cruise went by so fast! Before we left, there wasn't much new input from those returning from the Pearl, so I wanted to post a few fresh comments. First, THANK YOU to those who've posted on CC because what I've learned here made our cruise more enjoyable.:D

 

We're in our 50's and were interested mostly in the Alaska scenery and experiencing what a cruise is like. We were lucky to have better weather than they'd had the previous week (they had rain in 3 of the 4 ports) - we had some drizzle in Juneau, some rain in Skagway, a nice day in Ketchikan, and beautiful weather in Victoria.

 

The Sharkbait show was great! The audience's standing ovation for the guys was really enthusiastic. As others have advised, you should go early to get a good seat. We enjoyed Oh What a Night (Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons tribute show) also. Garden of the Geisha - not so much... but we were glad we were there at the end of the show for the crew surprise.

 

The scenery in Glacier Bay was amazing. Got some beautiful photos! We saw a few whales as we left Glacier Bay, but they didn't come out of the water very high, so I didn't see much more than a spray of water and a hint of black. Ketchikan is a cute, quaint town; we really liked it. Saw some eagles flying around there.

 

The weather in Victoria was great, so we walked to Fisherman's Village and then to the downtown area where there were street performers and people selling crafts. We rode the little green harbor tour shuttle boat from the downtown Empress Hotel area back to Fisherman's Village ($5 each), then walked back to the ship.

[usafmom]

I am so glad you enjoyed your cruise! We will be on the Pearl August 1, I was wondering what the weather was like in Glacier Bay, I have read that it can be cold there. Thanks!

[BIG_Steve]

We were on the week of 6/20. Rain-rain-rain. In glacier bay I stayed out on the balcony all day. It was about 50 degrees, but felt colder. I wore a medium winter jacket with a long sleeved shirt under it, gloves, and 2 pairs of socks. A sunny day would have been totally different, so pack for warm and cold.

[BIG_Steve]

We caught the Sharkbait, and the Oh what a night show too. I'm glad we went, because in the first show on Sunday evening, I thought both looked pretty bad. But in their own full length shows, they were very good.

[newcruise12]

We will be on the Pearl August 1, I was wondering what the weather was like in Glacier Bay, I have read that it can be cold there.

 

We were on the week of 6/20. Rain-rain-rain. In glacier bay I stayed out on the balcony all day. It was about 50 degrees, but felt colder. I wore a medium winter jacket with a long sleeved shirt under it, gloves, and 2 pairs of socks. A sunny day would have been totally different, so pack for warm and cold.

 

Yes, you'd definitely want to bring layers of clothing, since they say you can have lots of different weather all in the same day. Glacier Bay was cold first thing in the morning but not too bad at mid-day. Early in the a.m., I did see a jogger in shorts and a sweaty t-shirt... brrrrr....

 

These photos are from Glacier Bay, chocoholic buffet, and Mendenhall Glacier (as seen from canoe).