Kinny Posted May 23, 2016 Author #76 Share Posted May 23, 2016 We did not have dinner at the MDR last night, hence the photos taken from the electronic sign outside. We went to Chops instead. Fried Goat Cheese Salad. Pecans got a little soft, but the goat cheese is great! IMG_2265 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr Black Pepper Bacon. Soooooo good! :D IMG_2266 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr I paid extra for the 20oz Porterhouse. I know I know, why would I do that? Hey, I wanted a good steak! I'm worth it. :D It's actually nice and tender and there is a difference between their in house NY streak and their USDA Prime dry aged porterhouse. IMG_2267 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr And for desert? Huckleberry Cheesecake. One of the better cheesecakes I've eaten. IMG_2268 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinny Posted May 23, 2016 Author #77 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Day 3 Compass IMG_2311 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2312 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2313 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2314 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinny Posted May 23, 2016 Author #78 Share Posted May 23, 2016 So, I woke up at 4;00AM this morning trying to catch the sun rise. Although technically I did not catch the sun, it is still a beautiful sight. I actually had to switch to manual mode to brighten up the images by playing with the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed setting. I had to set it one F stop higher to get it to look decent. I'm no professional photographer, and I'm always learning. I do try my best. :D IMG_2275 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2276 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2277 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2278 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2280 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinny Posted May 23, 2016 Author #79 Share Posted May 23, 2016 IMG_2283 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2282 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2284 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinny Posted May 23, 2016 Author #80 Share Posted May 23, 2016 (edited) And since I was up so early in the AM, I decided to take photos of the ship while majority of the passengers are asleep. There are some early birds out there I tell you. :D IMG_2288 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2291 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2289 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2290 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2293 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr This is the first Royal ship I have been on that does not have chandeliers in the MDR. Edited May 23, 2016 by Kinny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinny Posted May 23, 2016 Author #81 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Also, this is the first Royal ship that has a Tavern instead of a Boleros. IMG_2294 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr Then off to the gym I went. I know I will have a large caloric intake today, so I attempted to minimize the damage. :p IMG_2295 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr On the way to Juneau IMG_2342 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2341 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2336 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinny Posted May 23, 2016 Author #82 Share Posted May 23, 2016 We got to Juneau and were cleared to start our day ahead of schedule. IMG_2298 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr There was 4 other ships with us today, so Juneau is a bit busy. I bet the shops are happy. :D IMG_2329 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinny Posted May 23, 2016 Author #83 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Walking around, we decided to have lunch at Tracy's King Crab Shack. IMG_2300 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2325 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr Yums!! :D IMG_2301 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinny Posted May 23, 2016 Author #84 Share Posted May 23, 2016 We did a little shopping then I told my parents go back to the ship without me because I wanted to do the tram. I think that was a good decision. :D Island Princess departed before I could take a group pic. IMG_2322 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2321 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr Here are the rest. IMG_2319 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr The view is awesome up here! IMG_2318 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinny Posted May 23, 2016 Author #85 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Here is Explorer of the Seas from the bird's eye view. :D IMG_2320 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr While up there, I also visited Lady Baltimore and donated a few dollars to help keep her healthy. :D IMG_2317 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2306 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr Oh by the way, no flash photography and keep noise to a minimal when taking pics of Lady Baltimore. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinny Posted May 23, 2016 Author #86 Share Posted May 23, 2016 MDR menu for tonight. IMG_2308 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr IMG_2309 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr I was so hungry, I ate my meal before I realized I forgot to take pics. LOL. The only think I have here is Orange-Almond cake IMG_2310 by kinnylee@yahoo.com, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#1Nanna Posted May 23, 2016 #87 Share Posted May 23, 2016 I am so enjoying your review. I love the pics, compass & menus! Thanks for taking the time to do this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattle66 Posted May 23, 2016 #88 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Thanks for keeping us up-to-date on all the happenings, Kinny! I have another question. I'm really into astronomy. How dark does the sky get at night? Can you see the stars well or are they all washed out from the lights of the ship? Do they have any naturists on board that give presentations about everything you're seeing on the cruise? Thanks! We were lucky enough to have someone onboard our Jewel cruise that took a group out to the helipad a few nights and talked about astronomy. Your best bet for viewing is to head to the helipad as it is the darkest place on the ship. You can get an app on your phone or iPad that when you hold it up to the sky it maps out the stars. The lecturer used this program and a laser pinter to point out different stars and planets. Enjoy your cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelgoddess1 Posted May 23, 2016 #89 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Definitely subscribing to this thread. We will be on the May 27th sailing (i.e. 2nd-ever sailing of this ship on this itinerary). Hoping you guys have a wonderful time on this "maiden" voyage for Explorer. Help them get everything shaken out before we get on next week, okay?! Love the review! I am also boarding the ship on Friday, and the Cruise Compasses and menus have been very helpful. Love the photos, as well. I see that the ship is not parked very close to downtown, were the shuttles into town crowded? Did they run as frequently as promised? Enjoy the cruise and thanks for all the good information. :):) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaredcg Posted May 23, 2016 #90 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Awesome review so far. Quick question is any pool heated for these Alaska trips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted May 23, 2016 #91 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Awesome review so far. Quick question is any pool heated for these Alaska trips? Other than the hot tubs, there are no heated pools on Explorer. They are also all salt water pools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelgoddess1 Posted May 23, 2016 #92 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Love the review! I am also boarding the ship on Friday, and the Cruise Compasses and menus have been very helpful. Love the photos, as well. I see that the ship is not parked very close to downtown, were the shuttles into town crowded? Did they run as frequently as promised? Enjoy the cruise and thanks for all the good information. :):) P.S. I was referring to transportation in Juneau, which I did not make clear with my original post. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougarish Posted May 23, 2016 #93 Share Posted May 23, 2016 I'm really enjoying your review, thanks for doing this. It's making me hungry. I notice one of these menus mentions "wines of the day". We usually enjoy wine with our dinner, but since they have done away with the wine packages we used to buy, we're not sure what to expect. Can you get any photos of wine lists or drink menus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
famy27 Posted May 23, 2016 #94 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Yes, souffle is available on Day 2 menu. :D Thank you! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for at least three souffles total. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbW Posted May 23, 2016 #95 Share Posted May 23, 2016 We were lucky enough to have someone onboard our Jewel cruise that took a group out to the helipad a few nights and talked about astronomy. Your best bet for viewing is to head to the helipad as it is the darkest place on the ship. You can get an app on your phone or iPad that when you hold it up to the sky it maps out the stars. The lecturer used this program and a laser pinter to point out different stars and planets. Enjoy your cruise. That is great! I see from the Day 3 Cruise Compass that Kinny posted that there is a 10pm "Informal Stargazers Meet & Mingle" in the Sky Bar. So, I will probably check that out. Several years ago, we did a Disney cruise in the Caribbean. I had organized a stargazing event one of the nights on board. I had even gone so far as to work with a DCL activities manager prior to sailing to see if we could work out a time and place on the top deck to have a section of outside lights turned off for a 2-hour prior for the stargazing event. The manager was very nice and helpful, but unfortunately, in the end they were not able to get permission from the ship's captain to turn off any ship lights for the event. They stated it was for passenger safety. Ironically, on the Wednesday night of that cruise, they had a top-deck "Pirate" party, where the liquor was flowing, and they set off a fantastic fireworks display for the party. Wouldn't you know it, they somehow got permission to turn off all the outdoor lighting on the ship for the fireworks display! Even with all the drunken "Pirates" partying up on the top deck, no one got hurt while the lights were off! We had a good time with the stargazing anyway. We organized on the top deck towards the bow of the ship. I used a strong laser to point out several constellations and other celestial objects visible from the ship. The darkest area on the ship was actually a couple decks down from the top and in front of the bridge. The bridge requires complete darkness. Therefore, all lights forward of the bridge are required to be off at night. Unfortunately, the public area in front of the bridge is very small and very windy. So, it was not conducive to hosting a large stargazing event. While I'm not making any plans to host a stargazing event on this Alaskan cruise, I'm very much looking forward to meeting other astronomy-loving cruisers! I'm hopeful that we might get a night or two with mostly clear skies so we can actually see the stars. However, I'm not getting my hopes up too much as it seems the weather in Alaska is cloudy most of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonitagal Posted May 23, 2016 #96 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Thanks so much for doing this! We are enjoying your photos and comments and can't wait to board later this week. How's temp at the pool? Is anyone swimming? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhm0204 Posted May 23, 2016 #97 Share Posted May 23, 2016 the pools are not heated and the temps have been in the 50's!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryL Posted May 23, 2016 #98 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Thanks for sharing your cruise with us. We will be on the Explorer next year this time so your photos will be very timely for us. I am curious to hear if you were able to see the NW tip of the Washington Peninsula (Cape Flattery) before dark. I was stationed there in the 70's and it would be fun to see it from a ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherriZ366 Posted May 24, 2016 #99 Share Posted May 24, 2016 The menus look new. A mixing up of earlier menus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinny Posted May 24, 2016 Author #100 Share Posted May 24, 2016 Well, I figured I get ahead of the game this morning and post today's compass, but Flickr keeps erroring out on me uploading pics. The bandwidth must be severely limited due to how far up north we are. I will resume posting pics when I can upload pics again. Sorry. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now