NCL Pearl- June 26, 2016- The Suite Life

[jimsig]

Day 6- Wed June 29 Skagway Part 7

 

We got a quick tour of Skagway and we had the choice of being dropped off in town or back at the ship. We choose in town as we wanted to explore Skagway. We got an ice cream, walked around town, and shopped. After a while we headed back to the ship.

 

 

 

 

After returning to the ship we stopped and got a couple drinks and then relaxed on the balcony before dinner. While we were out Lazaro left us some more goodies that we had before dinner. We had dinner in Summer Palace, we remembered the dress code, and they sat us at the back at the windows which gave us a great view as we left Skagway. While at dinner we were able to see a harbor seal diving. Unfortunately we were not quick enough to get pics. After dinner we walked around the ship enjoying the views and we were already looking forward to Glacier Bay.

 

 

 

Once again DD was greeted by another towel animal, she was getting quite the collection.

 

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[Debde]

Thank you!!! I'm in the process of soaking up any Haven info. on the Pearl.

Here goes:

Any pics of the Haven area??

Where is the concierge desk located?

Is bar service available in the Haven area?

 

So enjoying your pics of Alaska. It's on my bucket list when work is done and we can travel in summer months!

[jimsig]

Thank you!!! I'm in the process of soaking up any Haven info. on the Pearl.

Here goes:

Any pics of the Haven area??

Where is the concierge desk located?

Is bar service available in the Haven area?

 

So enjoying your pics of Alaska. It's on my bucket list when work is done and we can travel in summer months!

 

Although we were in a suite it was not located in the Haven so I can't help you there, sorry. We would see Suzana, our concierge, in Moderno at breakfast or lunch just about every day, or she was only a phone call away.

[Debde]

thank you!!

[Joshthedog]

Fantastic review! We were on the Pearl, in a two-bedroom suite, three years ago. Had such a wondeful time we booked the trip again for next June. We are even staying in the same exact suite we had before. Looking forward to the rest of your review.

[katbur2]

We're sailing week and your review has only made me more excited. Quick question, are the pools heated?

[jimsig]

Fantastic review! We were on the Pearl, in a two-bedroom suite, three years ago. Had such a wondeful time we booked the trip again for next June. We are even staying in the same exact suite we had before. Looking forward to the rest of your review.

 

Nice. We have a cruise planned for next April for a friends birthday on RC and we booked the same cabin we had in '08. It's just an OV but will be cool to be in the same cabin as before.

[jimsig]

We're sailing week and your review has only made me more excited. Quick question, are the pools heated?

 

Yes they were. But be sure to keep reading my report to see what happened to us in one pool. It will be on the Day 9 I believe the At Sea/Victoria day. :)

[jimsig]

Day 7- Thur June 30 Glacier Bay Part 1

 

One of the reasons we choose the Pearl was that it cruised Glacier Bay so we were up relatively early today. We were still asleep as we entered the bay but it takes some time to traverse the bay to get to the glaciers. We again headed to Moderno for breakfast. I once again went with the Fruits de Mer in Brioche, while DW and DD went with the waffles. After we went back to our cabin as we were getting ready to see the first glacier we turned on the TV on as you could hear the park rangers giving their talk as to what we would see and what we were seeing. The morning was shrouded in fog but it made for some interesting viewing and luckily it eventually lifted.

 

Reid Glacier

 

 

 

For the first hour we watched from our balcony and the first glacier was up around 8am was Reid Glacier and we may have made one turn here and it was up Tarr Inlet on to Margerie Glacier and Grand Pacific Glacier around 915. It was amazing. We missed seeing Margerie calve but could hear it. While making the first turn at Margerie we made our way to deck 8 as they open the crew pool area on the bow for viewing. It was pretty cool being on an area of the ship you usually do not get access too. At each glacier they would turn the ship so both sides got pretty much equal viewing. Sometimes they would turn it numerous times like they did at Margerie, others only a few. We would alternate between our balcony, the bow, and even up on deck 13 along the rail.

 

 

 

 

[jimsig]

Day 7- Thur June 30 Glacier Bay Part 2

 

After Margerie it was off to see Lamplugh Glacier. I think we only turned once here.

 

 

 

We then were treated to John Hopkins Glacier. The Ranger said to thank the captain as he said they do not always get to see it due to time as they only get 4 hours in a certain zone in Glacier Bay and the captain made good time at the other glaciers. We had to stay about 5 miles away due to the seal population either breading or birthing their young, I can’t remember which, but the views were spectacular and thankfully my point and shoot camera has an amazing optical zoom. We only made one turn but each side of the ship got quite a bit of viewing.

 

 

 

 

[jimsig]

Day 7- Thur June 30 Glacier Bay Part 3

 

 

After John Hopkins we got to see Lamplugh again. This time I got to see it calving. It was amazing to see it and then hear it after a few second delay. It reminded me of seeing both a rocket and the Space Shuttle Endeavour launch. You would see it before you could hear it. We would again see Reid Glacier, this time it was much clearer.

 

Lamplugh

 

Reid

 

After the glacier viewing the Rangers were in the Spinnaker Lounge and were there to answer questions and even had a few things likes books and flash drives with pictures for sale.

 

They did not open the Haven area to those of us in the suites as I have read they do on the Jewel when they cruise Tracy Arm, unless we were not notified. Not sure if that’s something they only do on the Jewel or if it depends on the other factors.

 

It was perfect timing as it was time for lunch just after we saw the last glacier so off to Moderno once again.

 

After lunch we dropped DD off at the kids club for the afternoon as they were doing a Junior Ranger program with one of the Park Rangers that was on board. For attending she received a Junior Rangers pin and was very proud of it. DW and I attended an interesting talk and video presentation by one of the Ranger’s in the Stardust Theater about Glacier Bay and the animals living there. We then enjoyed the views a bit more got to see more whales as we cruised out of Glacier Bay and watched the Rangers leave the Pearl and get on their boat to being them back to Gustavus.

 

 

 

After the talk we stopped at the photo gallery. They will allow you to pick out your pictures and they will place them in an envelope for you. Then the last full day of the cruise you can go and pick out the pics you want to keep. It saves you from having to look for them all at one time at the end of the trip. We then made our way back to the cabin and sat on the balcony enjoying the views as we ate the cheese and crackers our butler had brought for. I may have even dozed off for a few on the chaise lounge as we sat on the balcony. For dinner that night my DW and I had a 7:15p reservation in Moderno. I had always wanted to eat at a Brazilian Steakhouse. We brought DD to the buffet to get her dinner first as we knew she wanted to go to the kids club as it was “Pirate Night.” After getting shut out of the kids club earlier in the trip my wife left early to get in line as I waited for DD to finish dinner. It was such a nice night we sat outside at the Great Outdoors to eat.

 

It was a good thing DW lined up when she did as the line for the kids club was huge, I believe they reached capacity again. If we had been any further back in line we would have been late for dinner due to having to wait to check-in. Luckily Moderno is one flight up from the Kids Club.

 

We had been warned not to stock up at the salad bar in Moderno and to leave room for the meats. We took that advice and went light on the salad bar offerings.

 

 

 

For those not familiar with a Brazilian Steakhouse it’s not quite like a normal restaurant. Instead of ordering an entree off a menu Pasadores bring skewers of different types of meat, chicken, and seafood to you table. We were given a coaster that had red on one side and green on the other. When you want food keep the coaster green side up and when you are done place it red side up. It was great to be able to try so many different cuts of meat. Between us we tried everything except the seafood offerings, DW has a shellfish allergy and I was almost full and wanted to leave room for the grilled pineapple with brown sugar. I believe we had dessert after as well.

 

After dinner we caught up with the “Pirates” who were roaming, plundering, singing and searching for Stinky Pete who stole some treasure around the boat. While DD was still in the kids club we attended the Cirque du Soleil like show Duo Balskatt show in the Stardust. The husband and wife couple had previously been in Cirque and were amazing as they mixed music and gymnastics together with a touch of comedy. After a day of not doing much we were still exhausted.

 

[jimsig]

Glacier Bay Dailies- Day 5

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[jimsig]

Day 8- Fri July 1 Ketchikan Part 1

 

In Ketchikan our luck with the weather ran out. We awoke to pouring rain and wind, liquid sunshine as they say in Ketchikan. It was actually raining sideways at times. Many excursions were cancelled due to the weather, luckily ours was not. It was an early morning as we had planned the Bering Sea Crab Boat Excursion on the Aleutian Ballard. The AB docks right at the same berth we were at. My wife and I were up early as the time in port is short here in Ketchikan. You dock at 6a and all aboard is 100p. The tour lasts from 9 to 12 and they ask you to be at the AB at 830a. We let my daughter sleep as long as we could has she had had a late night trying to catch Stinky Pete with her pirate buddies. Once again my wife ran up to the buffet and grabbed some fruit and a box of cheerios for DD for “room service”. She then went ashore to do some shopping. After I got ready I woke DD so she could eat. In the end she was able to finish up her shopping.

 

 

 

We booked the AB right through them rather than the ship as it was a lot cheaper, I believe we saved over $150. We once again met up in Moderno and while we waited to be escorted off the ship Melba told us to be sure to grab something off the buffet before we left. After another quick bite we were off the ship in no time and on the AB before we knew it. As much as I looked forward to every port and excursion this was the one I really wanted to do, my wife said she could take it or leave it when planning the trip but knew I wanted to do it. We had planned on doing it 2 years prior. The AB had been on season two of Deadliest Catch and during that season caught a rogue wave and was flipped on its side. It was caught on tape and used on the show.

 

[YOUTUBE]A2KqofR05TE[/YOUTUBE]

From Youtube-Not my video

 

DC poster signed by the captains of the other ships

 

After that incident they converted the boat into what it is today. They put stadium seating in and made it an educational tool. The deck hands had over 70 years of crab fishing experience between them. One of the deck hands was Derek Ray who has appeared on DC as a Captain of the Cornelia Marie.

 

Deck Hands

 

Derek Ray

 

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Day 8- Fri July 1 Ketchikan Part 2

 

It was a 3 hour tour where we would sail out about 30 min into protected waters and they would haul a few types of crab pots. While sailing out they told us the ship store was open and they had free hot chocolate available. I purchased an AB ¼ zip pullover, I think it’s my only personal souvenir from Alaska. Even though they basically catch and release the crab is not in season to legally catch in Alaska. Therefore they have an agreement with a local sovereign tribe, the only tribe in the US to have been granted water rights for fishing, to catch crab in their waters. As soon as we got under way the rain stopped. As it was a little chilly they supplied heavy rain jackets that we could either wear or put over our laps to keep warm. On the trip we were able to see rock crab, bairdi crab, and king crab. You can even hold some of the crab. They also had an octopus they had caught. They used to catch King Crab in the pots but they went through a bunch of them last year, octopus would get in the pot and eat them. So this year they are trying something new and keep 12 on board in a tank. 2 months into the season they still have the original 12. They still launch and bring a King Crap pot up but it is a tribute pot. They have a bunch of life size fake crab that were made especially for them in the pot and attached to the pot are crab tags. Crab tags are used to mark pots. However for a small donation you can write something on the tag and it gets attached to the pot. At the end of the year the netting with the tags and all the money raised will be donated to a museum that has a charity that helps families of crab fisherman who have perished at sea. The netting and tags will be put on display.

 

 

King Crab

 

Rock Crab

 

Bairdi Crab

 

King Crab

 

 

One, if not the, highlight of the trip is when they stop to feed the Bald Eagles. We were able to get pics and video of dozens of them swooping down and feeding. It was amazing.

 

Click For Video

 

Click For Video

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Day 8- Fri July 1 Ketchikan Part 3

 

 

King Crab Tribute Pot

 

Tribute Pot

 

Octopus

 

Octopus

 

AB

 

My wife would later say that watching the Bald Eagles feed was her favorite moment of the trip. It was a quick trip back to the dock and as we got back to the dock the rain began again, but not nearly as heavy as earlier. DW and DD returned to the ship while I walked around near the dock looking in some stores. Upon returning to the ship they had hot cocoa waiting as you got on board.

 

Returning to the Pearl it was off to Moderno for lunch then DW got in line for the Kids Club while I took DD for an ice cream. DD was loving the club and was looking forward to being in the Kids Circus the next day, she would be a plate spinner. While she attended the club DW and I relaxed and watched the views as it has stopped raining.

Once again Lazaro delivered us some goodies, cookies, for the afternoon which we enjoyed on our balcony.

Edited July 27, 2016 by jimsig

[jimsig]

Day 8- Fri July 1 Ketchikan Part 4

 

After the club we took DD back to the room for a bit and I then took her to the buffet for dinner while DW waited in line for her. She didn’t want to miss any practice time in the club. While she was in the club we had an amazing meal at Le Bistro.

 

Menu

 

I started with the escargot and DW had the French Onion Soup. For the entrée got the FRUITS DE MER- which was Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops and Fennel in Puff Pastry, Vermouth and Chive Cream and puff pastry and DW got the FILET DE BOEUF GRILLÉ which was Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Portobello Mushrooms, Roquefort Cheese Potato Gratin, with a Green Peppercorn Sauce. We were seated right at a window and had great views and even saw a couple whales. For desert I got the Vanilla Creme Brulee and DW had the Warm Apple Tatin. We then went back to the room and sat out on the balcony and we must have seen 30 to 40 whales in about 30 min. Sometimes we would see their tails other times we would just see them blow.

 

 

 

As it was getting late it was time to pick up DD and go to sleep

 

[jimsig]

Ketchikan Daily- Day 6

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[momoftwinteens]

I cannot wait to finish reading your review. We are taking the same cruise in August 2017 in one of the forward suites directly below the bridge. I am so excited!

[TxWendy]

Jim, thank you so much for providing us with your review. I am enjoying all the information in-addition to the wonderful pictures!! DH and I are thinking of doing this same itinerary for next year.

 

Jim, did you get to see any shows at night or do any activities on the ship? We were on the escape while you where on the pearl and there was so much to do and not enough time for everything LOL. I understand you had your sweet DD so this may have prevented you from some of the evening activities?

Thank you again for this review!

Wendy

[jimsig]

I cannot wait to finish reading your review. We are taking the same cruise in August 2017 in one of the forward suites directly below the bridge. I am so excited!

 

Thanks. You are going to love it.

[jimsig]

Jim, thank you so much for providing us with your review. I am enjoying all the information in-addition to the wonderful pictures!! DH and I are thinking of doing this same itinerary for next year.

 

Jim, did you get to see any shows at night or do any activities on the ship? We were on the escape while you where on the pearl and there was so much to do and not enough time for everything LOL. I understand you had your sweet DD so this may have prevented you from some of the evening activities?

Thank you again for this review!

Wendy

 

You are very much welcome and glad you are enjoying it. If you do the same trip I am sure you will love it as much as we did.

 

We saw the Showtime: Welcome Aboard Show the first night. The comedian Tim Kaminski was a riot and we left after he was done as it was getting late. DW and I also went to see Duo Balskatt on Thur night while DD was in the Kids Club. Duo was a husband and wife team that do a Cirque du Soleil type show. They had performed in Cirque previously. They were amazing. We could have done more but to be honest we were having fun just watching what was going on outside as the sun set so late or we were tired from a busy day in port. And you are right, there is so much do you can't do all of it. Hmmm Might have to plan another trip to Alaska do those other things :D

[Orpheo]

Enjoying your review. Very lovely. Thank you :)

[bambilin]

Thanks so much Jim! I am sharing info from your review with my group of 27. I am the only one on Cruise Critic. LOL. We sail on 08/28! No suite for us but I know we will have a great time in our balcony!

 

 

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[jimsig]

Enjoying your review. Very lovely. Thank you :)

 

Thank you very much. Glad you are enjoying.