An NCL Sun Experience: 22nd August to 5th Sept

[AquaMarineFerret]

Loving your review. I had forgot about the ship leaving 1 hr late ! Wonder what the reason was ?

 

I take the little battery operated tea lights for the bathroom. Gives it just enough light.

 

They can hardly claim a wait for take-off clearance. ;) Perhaps there was a late lobsetr delivery? :)

 

Literally a brilliant idea about those tea lights! :)

[AquaMarineFerret]

Overnight the ship had already travelled the 'best' parts of the Inside Passage (I note a rather critical review of the NCL Sun that cites this) and, when we emerged from our nest at a leisurely hour on Tuesday morning for breakfast, found ourselves looking out at the open ocean. I have to admit I was disappointed, having somehow anticipated a much longer journey northward with scenery rolling by on either side. However, that said, the timing of the return journey was such that we got to see all we had missed during that first night so all was well in the end...for us at least. I can understand why someone journeying only northward might be a bit miffed at missing those views – but they do get to see more glaciers than the southbound contingent.

 

So, once we had enjoyed our breakfast in the Seven Seas, we were faced with a free day during which to burn off all those calories. The sun was shining and, dammit, the kids had now found the pool - scratch Plan A then! Well, what about all those exciting entries in the informative daily we had eagerly perused the previous evening? There’s something for everyone throughout the day. Hmmm, art auction previews anyone? Bingo? Beer tasting? Diamond & gemstone seminars? Sing-alongs? Well, strangely enough, having seen the artwork adorning the walls in the Atrium area, we somehow couldn't summon the enthusiasm for that kind of 'entertainment', even with free champagne to tempt us. Bingo?!? Game shows?!? You're kidding, right? We're on a ship, gliding across sun-kissed ocean and people actually want to sit inside in a dimly lit lounge and play bingo?! Casino? Cough, splutter. Do you know something? Every time I walked through that room, with all those flashing lights and warbling machines, not once did I see anyone smiling! At every turn there were opportunities, some more blatant than others, for passengers to be parted from their cash. Bingo anyone? Have I mentioned Bingo at all? Well the assistant cruise director certainly did – loud and clear, every day, over that damned PA system!

 

We chose instead to attend the much more relevant This is Alaska presentation in the Stardust and then avoid the Alaskan Port Shopping Talk (seriously?!) immediately afterward. We managed to find a couple of sun beds on the upper deck and settled down to bask in the warm sunlight whilst reading our Kindles and keeping an eye open for wildlife. Sad to say the latter endeavour was a singular failure (although I spied a fine selection of seaweed, flotsam and jetsam, and a few ‘feathery fings’). I suspect the marine mammals were frolicking in the waters every time I put my nose back into my book. At least we were topping up our tans rather nicely and, I admit, quite unexpectedly. Torn between the guilty pleasure of a good read and virtuous wildlife spotting, I did quite a bit of prowling and gathering of intel on the possible best spots to keep a look-out during the rest of the cruise.

 

For scanning the waters in anticipation of whale and other sightings, in good weather there is little to beat the Observation Deck in front of the quiet & comfortable Observation Lounge (there are access doors to the left and right of the Lounge front window). It does, however, have some disadvantages: it's very popular and gets crowded, particularly on glacier viewing days when hot drinks are served in the Lounge too; if a private function is taking place in the Obs Lounge you may not be able to get to it, although it was only rarely that the entire Lounge was closed; once the whale you spotted ahead is close enough to view it is all too quickly past as combined speeds whisk it astern; and if the wind is blowing you really know about it (there were frequent signs up to inform passengers that this deck was closed - not entirely accurately, truth be told, for hardier souls!) This deck is arguably the best place to enjoy the sky at night, having the least light pollution. And, on a personal note, I found that when no-one else was about, this was a wonderful position to just enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the Sun swishing over the calm, empty ocean into the late afternoon with the sunlight playing on the molten metal water and the breeze playfully trying to rip my hair out as I gazed, marvelling at the wide, wide empty horizon.

 

In a similar way, the Great Outdoors Cafe area is popular. If you enjoy your breakfast al-fresco and are appropriately dressed, this is a fine place to watch the scenery drift by, assuming you don't mind company. The overhead canopy detracts somewhat from the feeling of spaciousness and, erm, the great outdoors, but it's worth a visit. Watching the ship's wake and the mountains of the Alaskan coast receding as you move on to the next port is quite the sight. The smaller buffet serving area can get a bit crowded, but there is the bonus that fewer folk brave an early morning meal or coffee out there, preferring the indoor Garden Cafe. If you are really lucky you may even get a whale with your breakfast!

 

I grew to like and appreciate the Promenade Deck (Level 6), which allows you to walk or jog the perimeter (3½ laps = 1 mile). There are supposed to be restrictions on pounding the deck between 8pm and 8am and ideally those using it should travel anti-clockwise and stick to their assigned lane. But you guessed it: some don't! Of course, if you simply want to stroll around and maybe take in the passing sights, it is all too easy to forget to watch for the more earnest walkers and joggers. There are sun beds located along this deck too. What I particularly liked was that I could get a bit of exercise (that’s walking with several kilos of camera and lenses) whilst enjoying the scenery and spotting for wildlife. What I found amusing was the number of people pounding the treadmills in the gym rather than jogging around this deck - still, it gave the rest of us more room and less traffic to dodge! :)

 

The Promenade Deck may not offer much advance warning of upcoming wildlife in the waters, the view to forward being somewhat restricted, but the scope for enjoying the passing coastline is excellent. There is plenty of room for viewing and it is easy to swap location to the other side of the ship. During our second visit to the Hubbard Glacier I took a bit of a gamble and, rather than get stuck with the crowds on the front Observation Deck, opted for Deck 6. To my mind it was a good decision: no jostling for position, no finding yourself stuck in the crowd, much longer time actually facing the glacier wall, a lower and more imposing perspective, and the ability to nip through the ship to the opposite rail as the ship rotated. Well, it worked for us anyway!

 

Another less popular spot is the very top deck (call it 12A) above the pool deck level, toward the rear and above the Great Outdoors and speciality restaurants: again, a spacious outside viewing area facing the stern, but with plenty of scope for moving around without being too crowded. If the viewing on the Great Outdoors area is getting too tight, head up to the very top for a bit of elbow room if the weather isn’t too inclement.

 

Two other spots that were popular are to be found toward the bow as you climb the stairs from the upper Pool Deck beyond Champs Bar – just before you reach the Upper Observation Deck there are two sheltered sun bed areas, one to port and one to starboard. These were obviously popular due to being a bit more exclusive, usually sheltered, and offering decent views back along the ship’s course.

 

What I found frustrating, as a short person (and photographer) was the eminently sensible, but perpetually smeared/spotted, safety glass panelling (and MDR windows). I'm too short to easily stand on the front Upper Observation Deck and take photos over the rail, avoiding the optical interference of the grimy viewing panels. Similarly, when sunning myself on the Pool Deck, if I spotted some photogenic feature, it was a quick dash for the nearest viewpoint that didn't have a smeared/spotted glass panel to ruin the view. I know it must be a time-consuming and royal pain to keep those panels reasonably free of marks, but boy, it irked me to view the beauty of Alaska through them! Don't even get me started on the kiddy paw prints on the Garden Cafe windows!

 

Which sort of brings me to the subject of hygiene. We were impressed that everywhere we went an effort was being made to keep the level of hand hygiene up. From the notices to use hand towels when opening the washroom doors, to the dispensers strategically placed throughout the ship to those cheery "washy-washy, wipey-wipey, squirty-squirty" members of the crew, there was no escape or excuse not to hand sanitise. However, with all that going on, I make a strong recommendation: you'll need plenty of hand moisturiser! Yes, that stuff begins to take its toll. So, do please submit to the ministrations of those cheery "washy-washy" lads and lasses, but make sure you moisturise morning and night!

 

Another word of warning: those wooden external doors. They can catch you out. Their very nature means that they do not swing open easily, especially if the wind is blowing strongly toward them. Be prepared to plant your feet squarely and firmly in order to apply the right degree of leverage and pressure, otherwise it can get embarrassing, if not painful, as they fight back. On several occasions I had cause to assist fellow passengers struggling with these doors and admit to a couple of repeat attempts myself when caught off-guard by a strong gust of wind doing its best to slam the door shut. We witnessed one glass-related accident as a couple tried to get through the Observation Deck doors, complete with wine glasses and failed comprehensively. Door & Nature 2 – Hapless Humans 0.

 

By the end of our first full day aboard we were beginning to get our bearings, although I confess that neither of us ever really made it to the 'unerring' stage of navigation. Yes, it is true that the fish swim toward the front of the ship (except for the red herrings) but that's only on the carpets of the accommodation corridors. Elsewhere, it was all too easy to head to the stern rather than the bow, and vice versa, if not paying attention (or like my wife, your sense of direction is less than good). We had to remember that if in the Deck 5 Atrium area, to get to the Seven Seas MDR, we had to head up to Deck 6 and then back down to Deck 5 at the rear. Using the main stairs, we always had to do a quick mental check: "which stair am I on - front or rear?" We decided early on that we would always use the stairs (puff, puff) and avoid the elevators, knowing how easy it would be to expand around the waistline if we didn't. It took a good few days to develop a decent level of stair-climbing fitness, and we then sometimes found ourselves over-shooting and having to retrace our steps up or down – yes, I know the deck numbers are 3ft high!

 

Interestingly, from our perspective it seemed that the ship plans were aimed at the lift/elevator users; if you used the stairs you would need to leave them to enter a corridor to read the information before returning to the stairwell. I can understand why some do complain about the poor signage - it's not the best we have ever encountered. You need your wits about you and we certainly weren't alone in getting it wrong or having those moments of doubt: we often encountered fellow passengers puzzling over where they were relative to where they intended to be! Why, for instance, are the small signs for the swimming pool tucked away to one side almost as an afterthought? Strange.

 

By contrast, we found that the staff badges were excellent: having that person's name, nationality and country's flag was a nice touch. It certainly brought home to us just how multi-national the crew is and made a good conversation starter and/or introduction to your server.

 

In the Seven Seas MDR we were finding our sea legs as it were: the staff were getting used to my wife being celiac, and my wife was adapting to the habit of requesting the menu for the next meal in advance. To be perfectly honest, though the catering team tried, this was one of the least satisfactory aspects of the cruise experience. True, there was never any mistake that made my wife ill (which was something we dreaded), but it made the dining experience awkward, even with advance notice of her menu selections. All too frequently her meal was that bit out of step with the rest of the table or, on occasion, sides would arrive too late. The quantities of GF bread/toast arriving seemed to vary between zero and too much to eat! We do have a few recommendations for improvements but that's not really appropriate here. Suffice it to say we got to know the senior staff well as they tried to look after my wife. We found all of the restaurant staff friendly and attentive, but once in a while somewhere along the line maybe there was a breakdown in communication or understanding. Even so, with the exception of the horrendous GF breakfast waffles (apparently not made onboard and very much akin to cardboard) we enjoyed the meals in both the Four Seasons and the Seven Seas. Yes, we did make special requests such as having two starters rather than a main course, or asking for mixed fruit as a starter or dessert even if it wasn't on that menu - never a problem. We know from direct observation that other passengers were not averse to pushing the boundaries much further - how many starters has that man just consumed...followed by two main courses and how many desserts you say?! It pays to have an observant wife!

 

With menus that changed daily, featuring something like 7-8 starters, 5-6 standard mains, at least the same number of daily 'specials' and then around 7 desserts, I think there was enough choice for most. Of course, there was some degree of repetition, particularly if doing a back-to-back, but it would seem churlish to complain. We elected not to frequent the buffets or speciality dining (with exceptions I will mention later) but acknowledge that if you add these into the mix, surely you cannot get bored with the choice of food on offer! My only gripe, and I have to be honest that part of me is glad of the omission, was the lack of a cheese board in the MDRs. Now there is probably a very valid and sensible reason for the absence, but like Ben Gunn stranded on Treasure Island, by the end of the two weeks I was pining for a morsel of (proper) cheese to accompany that last glass of wine of the evening meal. Maybe it's a good job I didn't look too closely at the French restaurant menu!?

 

With our second evening meal (and bottle of wine) of the cruise safely under our belts, after browsing the ever growing and entertaining wall of photos, we retired to the Atrium for a drink. Here we first encountered the excellent Colibri who serenaded us until it was time for bed with our first shore excursion ahead of us before 9am – at least our daily warned us to put the clocks back another hour. We returned to our room to find a new daily (filled with all manner of jewellery-related offers for Ketchikan) and...our first towel animal! Yay! Er, what is it?

[cml4958]

I considered it to be a bit self-indulgent to narrate our experiences when the topic is so well covered already. Yet I have been encouraged to submit, so here goes...

You've been encouraged because your writing style is wonderful. Very easy to read and personable.

 

 

I still feel somewhat self-indulgent and seemingly smug posting this (but the credit card bill hasn't landed yet!)

 

Just count yourselves lucky I'm not including over 4000 photos! :eek:

 

And you are still doing a wonderful job! We like pictures! :)

[cml4958]

My only gripe, and I have to be honest that part of me is glad of the omission, was the lack of a cheese board in the MDRs.

I realize it's not in the main dining room but I think they have a cheese selection in the buffet. You could go there after eating and then finish your wine with some cheese in the atrium or another venue.

Edited September 21, 2016 by cml4958

[AquaMarineFerret]

I realize it's not in the main dining room but I think they have a cheese selection in the buffet. You could go there after eating and then finish your wine with some cheese in the atrium or another venue.

 

"I say! Waiter! Kindly nip up to the Garden Cafe and procure me a sliver of Cheddar, a morsel of Stilton and a soupcon of Camembert...and be quick about it!" :D

[karoo]

"I say! Waiter! Kindly nip up to the Garden Cafe and procure me a sliver of Cheddar, a morsel of Stilton and a soupcon of Camembert...and be quick about it!" :D

 

 

Enjoying all your comments! Love your humor and the descriptive way you write.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[purepixie67]

"I say! Waiter! Kindly nip up to the Garden Cafe and procure me a sliver of Cheddar, a morsel of Stilton and a soupcon of Camembert...and be quick about it!" :D

 

I am loving your review - thank you for taking the time to write it.

 

I must admit, I am worrying about the lack of cheese (strong cheddar, cheshire etc) and dark beer on board in February.

[AquaMarineFerret]

I am loving your review - thank you for taking the time to write it.

 

I must admit, I am worrying about the lack of cheese (strong cheddar, cheshire etc) and dark beer on board in February.

 

Interesting - unfortunately, I never paid sufficient attention to the buffet, so cannot comment on the cheesy comestible availability there. :confused: The only cheese I came across was cottage cheese and the near tasteless slices that get put into burgers or accompany a so-called 'continental' breakfast.

 

As for the dark beer: the nearest you are almost certain to get is the Newcastle Brown (which made me laugh) and I wouldn't ever consider paying NCL prices for THAT!! However, if you are lucky, there may be a stock of local ales. On the Alaskan cruise they were selling brews from the Alaskan Brewing Company, which included darker ale. I have no idea whether they will transfer this opportunity to actually taste the cold beer they sell to another itinerary...

[BlueLadyBlue]

Fun review. I'm enjoying following along. Are there really red herrings? :D

[AquaMarineFerret]

Fun review. I'm enjoying following along. Are there really red herrings? :D

Yes, indeed there are! The pattern of the carpet includes intermittent red fish swimming in the opposite direction to the majority! :)

Edited September 21, 2016 by AquaMarineFerret

[rochelle_s]

Just as an FYI

 

Although not on the menu you can always request a cheese plate in the dining room. Very popular with those that cannot have sweets as a dessert option. Sometimes you end up with just saltines so request a different cracker if you prefer.

 

Rochelle

[AquaMarineFerret]

Just as an FYI

 

Although not on the menu you can always request a cheese plate in the dining room. Very popular with those that cannot have sweets as a dessert option. Sometimes you end up with just saltines so request a different cracker if you prefer.

 

Rochelle

 

Probably just as well I was ignorant of that fact! ;) Do you happen to know if the cheese selection is a good cross-section featuring recognised 'favourites'? :D

[rochelle_s]

Probably just as well I was ignorant of that fact! ;) Do you happen to know if the cheese selection is a good cross-section featuring recognised 'favourites'? :D

 

 

Now the plate is not gourmet (I did mention the saltines) but it does do the trick. The plate could consist of an older style cheddar, Gouda, Brie, a little Stilton and maybe even a little individual cheese ball. It certainly can fit the bill for fishing off the wine or with a glass of port. I have even, on occasion, asked for a cheese plate to go to enjoy later in my cabin.

 

 

Rochelle

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[AquaMarineFerret]

Thanks Rochelle. :)

[4774Papa]

Here is my review for the 5 Sept cruise

Alaska, Vancouver and Canadian Rockies

 

We planned our trip around a seven day cruise on the Norwegian Sun from 5-12 September 2016. We left home on 24 August and arrived home on 16 September. The trip had four stages, Vancouver, Canadian Rockies, Norwegian Sun Alaska cruise, and post-cruise tour to Denali.

 

VANCOUVER

 

We arrived in the early evening of 24 August and settled into the Metropolitan Hotel for 7 days. The hotel was a nice, but slightly older hotel about 5-6 blocks from the cruise terminal in downtown Vancouver. Our room was spacious at a great price, about $160 US per night. The location of the hotel was excellent. We found plenty of restaurants in the area, including inexpensive breakfast places as well as nice dinner choices. Also, there was a small convenience store were we could purchase a hot meal or groceries if we wanted to eat in our room. There was a shopping mall across the street and a museum a block from the hotel.

 

 

We did dine in the hotel restaurant for two nights when they has special offers, like a burger and beer for $12 Canadian. The two restaurants where we usually had breakfast were one block north of the hotel. The first was Mario’s Coffee Express. It is a coffee shop run by a very nice proprietor, Mario. The coffee is excellent and we enjoyed breakfast there twice. The other restaurant that we used for breakfast and dinner one evening was close to Mario’s. It was the Joyeaux Cafe and Restaurant with Vietnamese cuisine. They had western breakfasts that were good at budget prices. The Vietnamese dinner was good, but not great. We had breakfast there a couple of times. Also, we took home some good Indian food one evening, along with snacks and wine. I don’t remember the name of the store. There was a drug store on the opposite corner of the intersection that we used as well.

 

We also had lunch at the Keg, then later at Mahoney and Son’s restaurants that were on the waterfront. Both were a little pricey, but had great locations on the water. The food was excellent at both. The best meal we had in Vancouver was at an Italian Restaurant called Zeffirelli’s. It was recommended by our hotel clerk and we were not disappointed.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g154943-d973325-Reviews-Zefferelli_s-Vancouver_British_Columbia.html

 

 

We had a week in Vancouver before our Canadian Rockies bus tour. That effectively gave us six full days to see the city and area. We had booked a five day package tour with Viator that included a city tour of Vancouver, tour to Whistler, tour to Victoria (and Butchart Gardens) and a two day pass on the Hop-on Hop-off bus. The tours were with the local Westcoast tour company. The tours were excellent and all guides gave us great tours. The package deal was called British Columbia Super Save 5 Day Tour.

https://www.viator.com/tours/Vancouver/British-Columbia-Super-Saver-5-Day-Tour-of-Vancouver-Whistler-and-Victoria/d616-5313ULTIMATE

The tour was described as follows:

 

Itinerary Day 1: Vancouver You’ll be picked up from your Vancouver hotel for a 4-hour narrated sightseeing tour of the city. See Vancouver’s most popular landmarks including Stanley Park, offering great city views. Some of Vancouver’s best beaches, fields, walking trails, lookout points and aboriginal sites are located inside this park. Pass English Bay and then enjoy free time on Granville Island, filled with some of the most famous public markets in North America. It’s also home to a large artistic community where local buskers, artists and musicians regularly showcase their unique talents. Visit Canada Place, learn about the origins of Vancouver on a visit to Gastown, and then explore Chinatown, the second-largest Chinatown in North America. Overnight: Accommodation not included. Please pre-book your hotel.

 

Day 2: Vancouver – Shannon Falls – Whistler – Vancouver You’ll be picked up from your hotel and taken on a day trip along the famous Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. Enjoy breathtaking views along the way and stop at Shannon Falls for some more scenic vistas. When you arrive, take a guided tour of Whistler with live onboard commentary. Stop at Shannon Falls and the Squamish Adventure Centre, and then have a few hours of free time to walk around Whistler Village and enjoy optional activities (own expense) such as a gondola ride to the Blackcomb Mountains, a floatplane tour to Whistler’s upper glaciers and a zipline adventure over Fitzsimmons Creek. You can also take a spin on a snowmobile or simply relax in the Scandinavian baths. For an extreme adventure, go bungee jumping! You'll be taken back to your Vancouver hotel at the end of the day. Overnight: Accommodation not included. Please pre-book your hotel.

 

Day 3: Vancouver – Victoria – Vancouver After hotel pickup, your third day begins with a 1.5-hour ferry ride past the spectacular Gulf Islands to Victoria. If you’re lucky, you may see whales on along the way! When you arrive in British Columbia’s capital, you’ll be taken to the Butchart Gardens, boasting 55 acres (22 hectares) of stunning floral gardens. After exploring here, take a sightseeing tour of Victoria to see Parliament buildings, unique shops, the elegant Empress Hotel, Victoria’s Inner Harbour, Chinatown and Beacon Hill Park. At the end of the day, hop on the ferry and head back to Vancouver, where you’ll be picked up and taken to your hotel. Overnight: Accommodation not included. Please pre-book your hotel.

 

Day 4-5: Vancouver Enjoy a hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour on your last day. Aboard a vintage double-decker or luxury open-top convertible bus, explore the city at your own pace, hopping off at any destination you like to explore independently. Highlights include Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown, Yaletown, Chinatown, the Robson Street Shopping District and English Bay. On board, enjoy live commentary about Vancouver’s history from your friendly guide. This tour is great opportunity to do some in-depth exploring of Vancouver sites that you saw on your first day. Your pass is valid for up to two days, so you can choose the amount of time you spend using the hop-on hop-off service.

 

The tour met all our expectations. The guides were excellent and tours well planned. Our only difficulty was a late ferry that cut into our time at Butchart Gardens. The gardens were the highlight of the Victoria tour and we lost some time there due to the late ferry, that was not the fault of the tour company.

 

The first day, we enjoyed the 10am start time, since we had just flown into the city the evening before. The half day city tour was extensive, covering Stanley Park, Chinatown, Gastown and more. Granville Island was ok, and but I didn’t find that it would be worth a separate trip there on your own. It was ok in a city tour. We did have lunch there. At the end of the tour, we visited the Vancouver Overlook Tower, which was skyscraper, with a rotating restaurant on top and just below a nice viewing platform that had stations pointing out notable sights to view.

 

The Whistler tour was a full day tour and just getting there was part of the fun. The scenery in route was great. We stopped a few times on the way to see waterfalls, a harbor and other places to take photos. Whistler was the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics and the village there was interesting, as well as the scenery. We visited the local museum and very much enjoyed the Squamish Lilwat Cultural Center and Museum of the first nations (we call them native Americans in the USA) peoples of the area.

 

The Victoria tour on the third day was over 12 hours, but excellent. The ferry ride to Vancouver Island added to viewing more great scenery. Victoria was the capitol of BC and a small city with a British sense. Still the gardens were the high point of the tour. There were huge rose gardens, a Japanese Garden and many, many beautiful flowers to see. We had about an hour and a half there due to the ferry delay and could have used another half hour. While in Victoria we had a nice, but expensive lunch at Bard and Banker in the downtown area. Food and beer were excellent but pricey.

 

The fourth and fifth days we used the HoHo bus just enough to justify having it. Visiting Gastown, Chinatown and Stanley Parks to see the aquarium. The aquarium was great, it had a beluga whale show, which we had never seen before. Also, the exhibits were well done and the jellyfish exhibits were exceptional. On day five we also visited the Capitano Suspension Bridge Park. The park was easily assessable via a free shuttle bus that we picked up about a block from our hotel. Also, the shuttle bus could be found at Canada Place. The tour cost us about $30 US, which wasn’t bad. The suspension bridge was not to bad to cross, even with many people stomping their way across. The bridge crossed some 450 feet to a forested area that included treetops. Treetops was a collection of platforms built into the trees in the rain forrest. It was fun to walk the platforms and bridges from tree to tree. This venue is definitely worth a visit, if you have time in the city. On day four, we also visited the local museum, near the hotel for a Picasso exhibit. I am not a huge Picasso fan, but the exhibition was well done and I Iearned more about the artist’s life. Amazing that he lived in Paris during the German occupation.

 

The last day in Vancouver, prior to our Rockies tour, we visited Grouse Mountain. This venue, like the Capitano Suspension Park is located in North Vancouver, across from the main city. It also has a dedicated free shuttle bus leaving from Canada Place to take visitors to the cable car that takes you up the mountain. We didn’t try to see Grouse Mountain and Capitano in one day, but it could be done if you had fewer days in the city. Grouse Mountain had zip lines, hiking, paragliding, but we deferred to simpler entertainment. The highlight of the trip was seeing the two grizzly bears in the park (they have their own 7 acre wooded area). When we first arrived at the grizzly compound it was hard to see the bears, but we visited the Summer of Flight show (bird show), which was good and came back to see the bears and they were out of the woods in the area where water was available for them. We saw them up close and personal, with a fence and electrified wire as well(good for that). The lumberjack show was entertaining and quite good. Also, we took ski chairlift to the top of the mountain for great views. Grouse Mountain is definitely a must see for Vancouver.

 

 

CANADIAN ROCKIES BUS TOUR WITH KEY WEST TRAVEL & TOURS

 

Our bus tour with Key West was a great deal, three nights, four days to all the key sights in the parks of the Canadian Rockies near Jasper, Banff and Lake Louise (as well as points between there and Vancouver) for $1500 Canadian (less than $1200 US) for two persons.

http://keywesttravelandtours.com

 

The tour was fantastic. The Canadian Rockies are spectacular and Key West knows how to tour there. Our guide was well informed, funny and took great care of us. The mountains, waterfalls, lakes, glaciers, and wildlife were super. The second and third days were loaded with activities that open up to one scenic mountain after another, as well as several waterfalls, lakes and glaciers. Also, we took a tour on a glacier.

 

Day one, 31 August, we met at the Hyatt hotel. Our hotel was only two and a half blocks from the Hyatt and I considered rolling the luggage there instead of a taxi, but it was sprinkling that morning and our luggage was not light, so we took a taxi. I tipped the driver well, since the toll was less than five dollars Canadian and the driver seemed happy. Our bus was nice and comfortable enough. It was not filled to capacity, we had 27 persons to start with and picked up two more in Jasper for a total of 29.

 

The hotels were fine. The first night in Jasper we were in the Lobstick Lodge. I only had one main issue with the hotel. Our tour did not handle our luggage and I had to roll heavy bags over several stairs to reach the first floor level. Hotel room was fine, clean and the restaurant provided us with a good meal at reasonable price.

 

The hotels seemed to improve during the trip, the second night in Banff, we stayed in the Banff Aspen Lodge. The hotel was located near the downtown and an easy walk to shopping or restaurants. Our hotel room had a separate bedroom, bath in center with separate toilet/shower then sitting room like a suite. Also, it had a balcony facing the street. It would be a nice room for a lengthy stay. We decided to walk downtown and find a restaurant. The hotel’s restaurant guide showed Earl’s Restaurant about 3-4 blocks away was highly rated by TripAdvisor, so we dined there. We were joined by an Australian friend, Vicky, for dinner, which was excellent.

 

Our final hotel was the Lake Louise Inn & Resort, which was probably the best hotel during our trip. The Italian restaurant overlooking the lobby was excellent. We were too tired to use the nice looking hot tub.

 

Back to the bus tour. We had about 500 miles to go the first day until we reached Jasper. We stopped frequently enough for bathroom breaks, coffee and lunch. Our first stop was in Hope, were we thought that some mountains were already showing up on the landscape. These mountains were petty compared to the real thing later in the day. The scenery just got better and better. We had lunch at Kamloops, which was were the very expensive rail tours spend their first night on their tours. Imagine, a two night rail trip on the Rocky Mountaineer runs $2000 Canadian per person vs. our three night bus tour for 3 nights. Further, the bus goes many places that the Mountaineer can’t go. We stopped at Clearwater for a toilet break and the Rockies were in evidence. Our first real photo stop was at Mr. Robinson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. The weather was good and we had a good photo opportunity. Finally, we arrived in Jasper and the heart of mountain country. It was late this evening, since we picked up an hour moving into Mountain time.

 

It was time to see some mountains. The next day, we checked out of our hotel. One thing about a budget tour, it we had to handle our luggage. Not a huge problem, but since we were on a 23 day trip, we didn’t want to turn in laundry until on the cruise ship, when we had free laundry service. Therefore, we had some hefty luggage.

 

From the hotel, we visited Patricia and Pyramid lakes. The lakes were magical. Pyramid Lake has a small island with a bridge going out to the island. It was nice walking around the island. Kayaks were available, but it was too chilly, this time of the year. Maligne Canyon was our next sight and we saw a fast moving stream that had carved out a spectacular canyon. We crossed a couple of bridges for scenic views and photos.

 

We then had some free time in Jasper for shopping and lunch. The railroad station was interesting and there was plenty of mountain scenery to admire.

Athabasca Falls was our next stop and it featured a lot of water flowing over and around a lot of rock. It was a bigger version of the Maligne Canyon with an impressive falls.

 

Our last stop for the day was to the Columbia Icefield.https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g154918-d3337446-Reviews-Columbia_Ice_Field-Jasper_Jasper_National_Park_Alberta.html

We visited the large visitor’s center before taking another bus to the Ice Explorer vehicles, which are the same as used in Antartica, with huge tires to navigate the ice. The Ice Explorer tour was an about $60 Canadian and it was worth it to walk on a glacier. We were out on the glacier for about 20 minutes and even though I dressed in layers for the cold, it was very cold on the glacier. The glacier is one of several that extends from the Columbia Ice Field. While on the glacier, we were limited to walking in certain areas, since it can be unsafe walking on a glacier, with crevices.

 

After this experience, we moved on to our Banff Hotel. The next day was another day to remember. We stopped at Bow Falls for a photo opportunity. These falls were not the largest that we saw on the trip, but still scenic. The Banff Gondola was our next stop. We paid about $40 Canadian extra for the option of taking the Gondola up the mountain. Views were spectacular, some of the best on the whole tour. I took many photos. We saw lakes, mountains, Banff and more from the mountain.

 

Johnston Canyon was our next stop. It was another large stream that ran through a rock canyon with interesting rock formations and small water falls. A wooden walkway was built next to one side of the canyon allowing access up close and personal. The walkway was a bit crowded, due to a number of buses stopped to visit the canyon, but we made it to the first falls. There was another falls about a mile or so beyond, but we were not sure we could make it back in time. Still, there was another awesome natural feature to enjoy. We then drove down the Bow Vally Parkway to Moraine Lake. This lake was amazing. It was probably the most stunningly beautiful lake that we saw. Lake Louise was awesome, but not quite Moraine. The mountains were right up next to the lake. We were told that a glacier stopped leaving a huge pile of rocks forming a hill, which we were allowed to climb (there were steps and a path). We had a great viewing point for photos. This lake is not to be missed if you come to Banff.

 

Lake Louise and Chateau Lake Louise were our last stop for the day. Yes, another lake and almost as awesome as Moraine. This park is filled with amazing natural wonders. The Fairmont Chateau Hotel is just next to the lake. It looked expensive. There were signs everyone that if you were not a guest, then you weren't to enter the premises.

 

Our hotel at Lake Louise was nearby, and this day was nice, since we had very little travel involved. The next day we headed back to Vancouver. On route we stopped at the Three Valley Gap and an interesting place where the owner had moved old houses in the area that were to be destroyed creating a little village of his own, including an interesting vintage auto collection as well as rail road cars in his his own roundhouse.

 

We made it to our new hotel in Vancouver, for two nights, the Pan Pacific. The hotel is right on top of the cruise terminal. Ginny’s daughter, Liz joined us there for that night for our cruise on Monday, 5 September. Liz did make it in a couple of hours after we checked into our room. The 18th floor room had an awesome view of the water and both Vancouver and North Vancouver. Our breakfast at the hotel was awesome. After all we had to starting eating like we were on a cruise.

 

The next day, the weather was nice, so we walked along the water past Coal Harbour, which was loaded with yachts. We walked to Stanley Park, showed Liz the totem poles, rose garden and more, the continued to walk all the way to the bottom of the lions Gate Bridge and back to the hotel, walking about 10 miles. We rested for a bit, hydrated ourselves and then took Liz to see the Overlook Tower, a few blocks from the hotel. We then returned to have dinner at Mahoney and Son.

 

We checked our luggage the next morning with the bell captain, who sent someone to our room and didn’t see them until in our cabin on the ship.

 

 

 

NORWEGIAN SUN

 

 

The embarkation process at the cruise terminal was rather painless, especially since we didn’t have to touch our luggage checked directly to our cabin by the hotel. We found the entrance to the cruise terminal from the hotel fairly easily. There is a bit of a walk involved, but we were only carrying small bags. Since we were Platinum on NCL, checking in was quick and we moved on to customs, since we were effectively entering the USA. At one point there was one irritating Canadian official (Canadians are generally NOT irritating) that kept repeating over and over “you don’t need your passport.” She seemed to go out of her way to talk like a rude robot. Anyway, that was the only rude Canadian that we met on our entire journey.

 

On boarding the Sun, we were warmly greeted and reminded that our rooms would be ready by about 1:30, which turned out to be accurate. Since Ginny and I had the beverage package as a part of the promo for the cruise, we ordered a drink. I don’t usually drink before 5pm, but heck we were on a cruise. Actually, even though we had the beverage package, we didn’t drink more alcohol than normal on a cruise. Regarding the beverage packages, it was convenient when ordering, but I personally did not like cabernet, shiraz or malbec that was provided under the package. The chardonnay was good and merlot was ok, but NCL has poor choices for most red wines in the beverage package.

 

The Sun is about 15 years old and not one of the newer NCL ships, but it had been refitted earlier this year and was in good shape. It was not a big deal, but the layout of the ship could be confusing at times. For example, you could not go the length of the ship on deck 5, like you can on most ships. Deck 5 was what I call the business deck, where the reception desk and other offices for dining and shore excursions are located. It was not a big deal, if we wanted to go to those places, we generally used deck 6 and walked down to 5 after passing mid-ship. One other layout issue was that the layout of the Garden Cafe or buffet on deck 11 was not great. It seemed congested almost all the time. Half of the deck 11 area near the aft of the ship was not a part of the buffet area, there was a sports bar and another area that became the Brazilian Steak House in the evening. You could carry your breakfast and lunch food there from the buffet, which did help. There was a nice deck 11 aft bar with outdoor seating (if you could handle the chilly weather).

 

AFT BALCONY

 

Our cabin was an aft-balcony, 9277 and worked out very well for our cruise. It was perfect for viewing the glaciers. Ginny and I had never had a third person in the cabin before, but it worked out just fine. Liz slept on the convertible sofa bed near the sliding glass door. We had enough space for our clothing. Managing bathroom time does require some patience, but I was usually up before the alarm call and that left it open for Ginny and Liz. Also, being aft made it very convenient to the buffet on deck 11, main dining room on deck 5 and theatre on decks 7 and 8.

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

NCL generally has better than average entertainment. The entertainment on the ship was about the same as what you find on most NCL ships. The Sun singers and dancers were good. Also, there was a descent Motown group. We enjoyed Brenda Kaye’s hypnotist show. There was a comedian that was good. We skipped the Burt Bacharach show, since we had probably see such a show on NCL and perhaps Celebrity a few times. The cruise lines need to come up with some new ideas for show, that one is too well worn.

 

 

FOOD

 

We had generally found that NCL’s food quality to range from average to excellent, but not as consistently good as Celebrity’s food. Also, the specialty restaurants on NCL were always a cut above the main dining room (MDR) food. My adult children had cruises on this same cruise about a year ago and said that the specialty dining was a big disappointment and the MDR was better, but nothing great. Well, thankfully, we can report that the food quality on the Sun was excellent, both in the MDR and the specialty restaurants (we dined in le Bistro and la Cucina on our Platinum certificated), The food in the MDR was excellent, in fact we found it to be equal to Celebrity quality.

 

 

SERVICE

 

 

The service was wonderful for all our meals. In the MDR, the first night we dined with Alex, from Goa, India as our waiter. He was fantastic. He was perhaps the best waiter we have ever encountered on any cruise. Once he knew our preferences, he served us accordingly. Also, service was not to fast or slow. He checked in with us to see if all was good and if we wanted more wine or a drink, he promptly had the bar/wine steward in motion. Service in le Bistro and la Cucina was excellent as well. The buffet food on the Sun was good and there were more options available than we have seen in the past on an NCL ship: pizza at lunch; Indian dishes; Eggs Benedict for breakfast.

 

 

Since we were Platinum, a concierge checked in with us every day to see if all was going well. That concierge brought us our priority luggage tags for disembarkation. The room steward were efficient and created some nice towel animals that Ginny loved. Every day the Captain provided us with a small tray of snacks. It was good, but with all the other food we consumed on the ship, sometimes we didn’t even touch these snacks.

 

 

We had joined the cruise critic roll call for the cruise, along with about 30 persons. NCL hosted a meet and greet with refreshments and drinks (non-alcoholic) on the first sea day. Many of the ships officers and managers were there to greet us and provide their phone numbers in case we needed their assistance. About 25 persons attended the meet and greet. We had about an hour to get to know each other. We had several new cruise friends from Australia that we saw later on the ship. Also, a couple from Calgary had joined us for booking a tour of Ketchikan. One couple from Britain were kind enough to exchange three five pound notes that were nearing expiration early next year. It was a good group and it is always nice to meet new cruise friends.

 

 

KETCHIKAN

 

 

Our first port in Alaska was Ketchikan. It is called the salmon capitol of the World. Nothing wrong with Ketchikan, but this port probably offers the least of all the Alaska ports. We declined the expensive flying tours. The ship’s excursions for the town were too expensive. I booked a nice tour with the Ketchikan Taxi Company, operated by David and Kat Freeman.

http://ketchikantaxicabtours.com

 

There were five of us on the tour and Kat was our wonderful guide. She took us to all the right places in the town and area. We stopped to see a waterfall, then to a stream frequented by bears (no bears that day) but plenty of birds. Also, we had a nice walk through a rain forrest. The rain forrest had some amazing moss on the trees and tree branches that we had never seen before. We visited the totem area, which included a lodge where the totem poles are made. Kat took us around the town and explained life in SE Alaska. Apparently, many residents depart south for the winter. The tour was from a comfortable mini-van and only cost about $45 per person. The tour was excellent. It did rain(not heavy) while we were in Ketchikan, but we had umbrellas and managed just fine. There was an interesting local shopping area near a stream not far from the dock.

 

 

JUNEAU

 

 

Juneau is the capitol of Alaska and larger than Ketchikan, but still a small city. The ship arrived about 11am and we had purchased a tour from Viator that included whale-watching and the Mendenhall Glacier. The tour started at 1pm and cost us $140 each. Dolphin Jet Boat Tours was the local tour company. The tour was priced less than the NCL excursion. First, we had about a three hour tour (not on the minnow) on an enclosed boat with about 40 persons to the areas frequented by humpbacked whales. We were not disappointed. We saw whales as they came to the surface and usually their tails in the air as they made their dives. Trying to take photos of the whales was a hit and miss process. We did open our windows on the boat so we could take photos, but frequently the whales came up on the opposite side of the boat. Still, we could see the whales, as those on the opposite side did not block our views. Also, five persons were allowed to go on the front platform of the boat or the rear platform. Our guide provided us with information about the whales. Apparently, the humpbacks migrate to Hawaii every year. There is no food in Hawaii for them, so they try to fatten up while in Alaskan waters. Also, the whale babies are born in Hawaii.

 

We didn’t see any orca whales, but did see sea lions. Also, we saw many bald eagles while ashore. The second part of the tour was a visit to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, were we saw the glacier. It was worth the trip, even though we had seen glaciers in Canada and saw more, later in Alaska. It was a good tour I would recommend it to others. At the end of our tour, we had the option of being dropped off in the city for shopping. Sales were huge, since this was the end of the cruise season. For example, NCL only had one more cruise for the season to visit Juneau, the southbound one returned to Vancouver. Ginny and Liz did some shopping and I understand saved quite a lot that day.

 

 

SKAGWAY

 

 

Skagway is known for its gold rush days in the late 19th Century. We could not find a good private tour, so we booked an excellent excursion with NCL called “Denver Valley Wilderness Hike and White Pass Railway. The tour was expensive, but great. The company that handled the tour was Packer Expeditions. My son Jack and his friend had taken this same tour the previous year and recommend it to us. Also, Liz wanted to do a hike. Well a hike we did. The tour started with a bus ride up the mountain on the Klondike Highway just across the border into Canada. I was an avid Jack London reader in my teens, so I was excited about this day. It was raining a very cold rain on our trip to the train station in Canada. We were prepared and even brought our umbrellas. After having our passports checked, we waited in the cold for the train. Our tour group of 9 persons as well as another small tour group had a dedicated car on the train. In fact, we had the last car on the train. That allowed us to go outside at the rear of the train and take some good photos.

 

Our guides were Megan and Meagan. They were young women that kept us laughing all through the tour. As guides they were super. While on the train to our drop off for the hike, we had over an hour to prepare our lunches for the hike. Bread, cheese, lunch meat, condiments and other stuff was laid out and we made our own sandwiches. I make half a peanut butter and jelly and a ham and cheese as well. Also, we were provided with a large fanny pack with water, as well as other snacks like nuts, candy and powerbars. We had plenty to eat on the hike. M and M warned us not to leave food in the forrest, since it could attract bears and cause them to associate people with food, which might result in people becoming bear food. Of course, M and M carried bear spray, just in case.

 

The hike was amazing, the rain forrest was like nothing we had seen before. It was much more than we saw on the short walk in Ketchikan. They pointed out much about the forrest ecology and the plants and animals that live there. The scenery was great, with green moss on the trees, fungi and plants that we don’t see elsewhere. There was a plant that grew all over the floor of the forrest with floppy type leaves and many nasty spikes that would rip apart your skin and clothing if you tried to walk through them. We walked by a mountain stream as well. Fortunately, it did not rain while we were in the forrest. It did start soon after we finished and were waiting for the train to take us back to Skagway. The hike was 6.2 miles with a path loaded with slippery rocks, mud and roots. It was an effort, but we survived. We didn’t stop off in Skagway to see the town. It was back to the ship to clean up, take some alleve and drink some wine.

 

 

GLACIER BAY

 

 

The Sun arrived at the bay around 7am and we awakened early to be able to view the bay. It was awesome. Also, having an aft balcony was perfect for viewing the bay and its glaciers. We saw at least three glaciers, the most impressive one was at the end of the bay. There was a commentary provided by a park ranger that we were not really able to hear on the balcony. Perhaps you could hear it inside the ship.

 

It took a while to reach to best glacier at the end of the bay. The ship did a very slow turn in front of the glacier so everyone could see it well. We all took many photos. We saw some seals sunning on a rock and took their picture. We saw some ice fall off the glacier and you could see small icebergs in the water when approaching the glacier. This viewing and the viewing the next day at the Hubbard Glacier were almost worth the cruise by itself. The mountain scenery was awesome as well. NCL handed out a nice map of Glacier Bay prior to that morning. We didn’t leave the bay until after lunch.

 

 

HUBBARD GLACIER

 

 

The next morning we saw the Hubbard Glacier. This glacier was about as awesome as the glacier that we saw at Glacier Bay. We only had about an hour and a half of viewing the glacier, since the ship didn’t have to venture up a long bay to arrive at the glacier. We got up early to view the glacier and loved every minute.

 

 

SEWARD

 

 

Our cruise ended in Seward and we departed the ship in mid morning, since we had to pick up our bus to Anchorage and Denali. We had booked a three night tour from Alaska Tours and Travel. http://www.alaskatravel.com

 

The tour included a bus trip to Anchorage with a three hour break for lunch that included a pass to the Anchorage Museum. It then continued another bus to Denali, were we had two nights at the Denali Bluffs Hotel. We were on the 9:45am bus, Liz’s bus left at 10:30am and she had booked a transfer to the airport for her flight back home. Ginny and I had enjoyed about an hour and half viewing interesting native tribes exhibits at the museum and and just sat down for lunch in the museum restaurant. I glanced out the window and saw Liz walking toward the museum entrance. Ginny jumped up and surprised Liz, who joined us for lunch. We had a nice lunch, said goodbye again and then picked up our buses.

 

 

DENALI

 

 

Our bus stopped at Talkeetna on the way to Denali for a toilet break. The weather was overcast and we were worried that our one day at the Denali Park would be overcast. It turned out to be fairly clear the next day. We arrived in Denali about 8pm, checked into our hotel and had a late dinner. The Denali Bluffs Hotel was a basic Hotel 6, but when I booked the hotels the options were few, since we arrived at the end of the season. Denali was in the process of shutting down. Our Tundra Wilderness Tour was on Tuesday and the last one of the season was on the next Thursday. The Denali Bluffs was shutting down the day we checked out on Wednesday. The food at the hotel was limited but good. It was pricey, as Alaska tends to be expensive by lower 48 standards. We had a large salad and bowl of soup each and a beer, costing over $50.

 

The next day, we were on the famous Tundra Wilderness Tour, which goes to mile marker 62 in the park and returns. You ride in what looks like a school bus on mostly a gravel road through some magnificent scenery. Also, wildlife is likely to be present. We saw caribou, many moose, bear from a distance, big horned sheep from a distance, eagles, birds and more. I managed to get some pretty good photos of a couple of moose, that were bull moose. We stopped about every hour and a half for a toilet break. The tour was essentially a full day tour. Snack boxes were provided for everyone. The snack was really a light lunch and we probably could have managed without a full lunch, but we were told by others that the snack was not enough, so we bought box lunches from the hotel for $18 each. It was more than we needed with the snack.

 

The tour was worth al the expense and effort getting to and staying in Denali. The landscape was something we had never seen. Probably the closest to Denali was Iceland. I took my binoculars for the tour and it did help me to see the far away bears and big horn sheep.

 

The tour package that we purchased from the tour company indicated that I should check with the clerk about transportation to the train station for our McKinley Explorer glass top dome train ride the next day to Anchorage. The clerk told me that there was a bus to the station at 8:30am for the 9:15 train, That turned out to be true, however that bus was a small bus for transporting people. Fortunately, the bus driver helped us to put our large and heavy bags on vacant seats on the bus. We made it to the train station and soon found out that a rock slide had resulted in our train being cancelled. We were to be bussed back to Anchorage. It took a while, but our bus showed up and after a stop in Talkeetna for lunch, we arrived at our hotel in Anchorage, prior to flying out the next day. The bus ride was scenic, since the weather was better than on our way to Denali. Of course, the bus ride was not the expensive domed train ride for which we paid. I called Alaska Tours and Travel and asked for a refund for the difference between the train and bus. I have not heard yet their response. The tour with Alaska Tours and Travel was largely a very good one, however, we learned that there was a process for picking up our luggage the night before our departure, taking it to the train station. The instructions we were given did not explain that, nor was the hotel clerk aware of this.

 

The Comfort Inn was our medium priced hotel near the Anchorage train station. The people there were very nice and helpful. The shuttle driver took us to a nice restaurant about half a mile from the hotel. The restaurant was called the 49th State. The restaurant was loaded with people and we had to wait for a table. It was clearly a popular restaurant and we discovered that the food and service was excellent. We decided to walk back to the hotel after looking for a drug store. We did find a place to buy sinus medication before arriving back at our hotel. The next morning, after an good complementary breakfast, the hotel shuttle took us to the airport for our flight. We had to transfer in Seattle and Atlanta, but arrived in Jacksonville, FLA about 8am where temps were about 25 degrees warmer that in Anchorage.

 

It was a great trip and our plans worked out almost perfectly. The only major issue was the cancelled train, but that was on mother nature.

[easyboy]

Thanks for your review 4774Papa

[AquaMarineFerret]

My slumbers were disturbed not long after 7am by the ‘sergeant major’ – no time for lazing in bed, we needed to be in breakfast and then ashore for our rendezvous at 8.45am. Groan Why, oh why had I booked such an ‘early’ excursion? Not that it would have mattered all that much – the ship docked at 7am so we would have been ashore not long afterward, regardless! Apparently I had already missed a lovely sunrise and now Ketchikan was bathed in beautiful morning sunshine that I was busy wasting, so move it! No use complaining that I was on holiday was there? :rolleyes:

 

Therefore, shortly after 8am we made our first landfall of the cruise, running the gauntlet of ship’s photographers and assorted furry mooses (Meeses? Mise?) and even Sasquatch (was that a salmon lurking too?) Fancy having to dress up in all that gear with the sun beating down and then be cheerful in the face of bleary-eyed passengers threatening to push them off the pier! :eek: That aside, disembarkation was quick and easy on this first morning – I don’t know if we beat the rush ashore or we had missed it. I liked the way we were checked through security with a cheery little jingle as the card was processed and we were released into the wilds of Alaska, well, kind of.

 

Ketchikan looked welcoming in the summer sun, though in truth we only had a little over half an hour to check out the immediate dockside area, visit the restrooms and be ready for our excursion. Of course, being new to all this, we were somewhat taken aback by all the jewellery establishments! True, we were expecting the tourist gift shops, but why all the glitz and bling?! What gives? It’s Alaska for chrissake, not Venice or Paris! How little we naïve newbies knew! :confused:

 

So, what exciting excursion had we chosen for our first port of call? Well, certainly not one from the NCL portfolio – they were getting enough of our money already, one way or another! We had chosen a nice gentle start to our cruise: 4hrs of sea kayaking! OK, that’s a teensy exaggeration, maybe about 3hrs of kayaking plus the before and after transfers, etc. We dropped lucky – it turned out to be just the two of us and our guide, Angela. We had a very enjoyable time, thank you. As we transferred by small boat from Ketchikan to Orca’s Cove (curiously devoid of said cetaceans) we had a brief sighting of mother and young Humpback in the middle distance, performing a synchronised dive.

 

In the lovely sunny weather we got used to our two person kayak, having first divested ourselves of all those external warm and waterproof layers suggested for Alaskan holidays, and followed Angela around the beautiful inlets, spotting starfish and sea cucumbers in the clear water, appreciating the coastal scenery and being checked out by a handful of curious seals and sea lions. Angela was patient and informative, taking our inept paddling in her stride as we did our best to alternately ram her or the shore while she spoke of the local fauna, flora and geography. I had to fall back on my limited canoe experiences with the school and scouts in the 1970s – not good! Lord knows what it would have been like with a handful of other kayaks to shepherd! :eek:

 

At the end of the trip around the coast we clambered aboard the ‘mother ship’ in a most inelegant fashion to enjoy a small snack of locally smoked salmon, cream cheese and crackers before Lars, our ‘chauffeur’, skimmed the transfer boat across the waves back to Ketchikan – great fun! My wife couldn’t resist purchasing a T-shirt at the end: pretty pink emblazoned with “Paddle Like A Girl!” Curiously there was an absence of T-shirts with the motto: “Paddle Like You’re Drunk!” Can’t think why…

 

After that it was time for a well-earned drink – we had been recommended to try Fat Stan’s – before exploring further. With a large range of Alaskan (and other) ales plus a few wines, Fat Stan’s was an oasis where we could both sample some decent booze at sensible prices (hurrah!) The staff and customers were welcoming, the venue interesting, and the drinks hit the spot. It was with some reluctance that we dragged ourselves away to at least see some of Ketchikan.

 

Taking care to use the designated crossing points, and not get told off by the enthusiastic traffic wardens, we headed for Creek Street where we watched the lethargic salmon queuing up to be eaten by two very fat harbour seals down by the harbour bridge. In the sunshine the gaily coloured buildings were a photographer’s dream, although the ‘ladies’ of Dolly’s posing outside presented something of a problem should grandma ask to view our mementoes. We enjoyed browsing the area with its crafts, art and gift shops before finally returning to the ship in need of a rest and some sustenance.

 

Uh-oh, those dratted furry critters and photographers were on patrol again! We dodged our way through these only to be confronted by security where we divested ourselves of coats and assorted baggage that had to go through the ominously beeping scanning machine. No, we hadn’t any ‘contraband’ but I was keen to see if my almost empty water bottle would pass through…and it did (but more on that later).

 

It was a near perfect day, not quite spoiled by discovering that our new-found favourite shipboard beat combo (Colibri) were very inconsiderately having a rare evening off. How dare they?! :eek: Still, at least that meant us having a sensibly early night after all our exercise - we were dreading the aching muscles that would present themselves for inspection the following morning.

[Tee & Chilli]

Thanks for your review 4774Papa

Ditto..

So excellent it should be placed on a separate thread. Job well done.

[karoo]

Interesting how you enjoyed Colibri. I loved Innovation and went to nearly every event they played at in Dazzles. I probably didn't give Colibri a chance after I heard them 'butcher' their Beatles tribute and a few songs by the pool. I found the girls voice too thin and nasally. Not my sound. I guess we all like different things! I love your writing style though.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[iKarenE]

Thanks so much for your review, it's been very helpful. We are in the same aft cabin next August that you had - 9277. DO you have any pics you can post of it? Also anything you'd like to share about the cabin I would appreciate it. You can email me if you'd prefer. KLStar2@aol.com Thanks.

[easyboy]

I am really impressed by the way you write AquaMarineFerret.

I have read several reviews. But yours is a story that is a joy to follow.

Thank you for your different writing style.

[AquaMarineFerret]

Interesting how you enjoyed Colibri. I loved Innovation and went to nearly every event they played at in Dazzles. I probably didn't give Colibri a chance after I heard them 'butcher' their Beatles tribute and a few songs by the pool. I found the girls voice too thin and nasally. Not my sound. I guess we all like different things! I love your writing style though.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

:) I must say that it was 'interesting' to listen to Alex's (the guitarist) vocal style and interpretations! But you're right, we do all like different things and each of us hears something a little differently. I believe it was Innovation that performed some good Motown but we missed it.

[AquaMarineFerret]

I am really impressed by the way you write AquaMarineFerret.

I have read several reviews. But yours is a story that is a joy to follow.

Thank you for your different writing style.

Thanks Easyboy and Karoo - I am glad you like the informal style because I didn't want to do a 'dry' review. More to follow very shortly. :)

AMF

[AquaMarineFerret]

Thursday dawned and caught us unawares with the change that had taken place. By now we were getting used to the slightly pessimistic NCL Sun weather forecast, taking it with a hefty pinch of salt, but unfortunately their forecast for Juneau was correct: cool, grey and damp! At first we wondered if the weather might clear by the time we docked, but the low-lying clouds refused to budge. What a contrast with the day before! It was a bit of a shock, although intellectually we knew that the weather we got in Ketchikan was unusual for Alaska and unlikely to be repeated. What we were seeing was far more the norm – why else was the area known for its temperate rainforest? Indeed, the low cloud and streamers of mist made it very atmospheric and that bit more exotic. The Mt Roberts Tramway would be visible one moment and completely shrouded the next. Aside from the fact that the green, tree-garbed slopes were (we were told) very difficult to set alight, the terrain-hugging cloud made them look as though they were smoking in the aftermath of a forest fire.

 

We were scheduled to meet our second excursion of the cruise as soon as the ship was docked and cleared. I had worried a little over this because I’d heard about bad experiences regarding delays and disorganisation. However such fears were unfounded on this particular score: we were quickly cleared. We joined the relatively short queue, this time dodging cuddly killer whales and dolphins before we were safely on AJ Dock and looking for our guide among the confusion of passengers, port personnel and various excursion guides. “The local representative for your tour will be wearing a bright orange jacket and will meet you at the bottom of your ship's gangway with a sign that says Alaska Galore Tours” Not so useful when every official seems to be wearing orange and your guide has forgotten to bring the sign! However, by a mutual process of elimination and inquiry the groups of travellers were matched up and we headed for our transfer bus.

 

Being the state capital, Juneau was very different from Ketchikan (though equally well-endowed with those all too familiar jewellery shops). Larger and busier, it seemed unattractive by comparison, particularly on this grey damp day. However, apart from a brief stop to pick up from another cruise ship, we were soon out of the metropolis, into the leafy green countryside and headed toward a small cove along the coast a ways. Here we transferred onto a small boat, along with another 10-12 tourists, for a whale-watching trip. As we departed the dock the question was raised regarding the chance of seeing whales, particularly given the weather conditions. We were assured that: a) the whales like it cool and overcast; and b) our guides knew where this morning’s whales were being encountered. Game on!

 

And, yes, we found them! Maybe not the encounter of a lifetime, but we did sight several individuals over the course of about 2hrs or so (no refund then!) Our captain and naturalist, Gabe & Laura, were a great double act, being both entertaining and knowledgeable. The use of a sonar mike helped us find ‘our own whale’ away from the other gathered boats. It was good to be on a smaller boat with just a few passengers – we got to talking, exchanging jokes and advice – it was a good atmosphere and with none of the jostling for prime positions on a crowded boat. We could stay inside and view from our window seats or go out on the fore and aft decks, so there was little difficulty in getting a decent sighting once the whales were cooperative enough to surface.

 

I was disappointed not to catch the actual moment when a whale surfaces and breathes that first tell-tale ‘spout’ to prompt “thar she blows!” This call, we were informed, was preferable to squeals and other unintelligible exclamations and also ideally accompanied with a clock-face reference for the other passengers. Of course, this advice did get completely ignored in the excitement of the moment! My wife seemed particularly adept at looking in the right direction at the right moment, but singularly (and unusually) inarticulate when communicating the whale location! Still, with a bit of tuition on what to look for, I think everyone with a suitable camera managed to get at least one good classic whale tail shot.

 

We returned to the dock via the romantically named Skull Island inhabited by a colony of seals, a large metal buoy inhabited by a pile of sea lions, another structure occupied by a bald eagle, and also a fun session of surfing the wake of another boat ahead of us – “Wheeeeeee! More! Again!” On the bus journey back to Juneau there was a brief stop-off to view the distant blue-tinged Mendenhall Glacier from a roadside stop and also a photo opportunity with a rather handsome woolly bear (the closest wildlife encounter to-date).

 

Returning to Juneau, still shrouded in grey dampness, we decided that spending over $30 each on the Tramway didn’t seem a worthwhile use of our holiday money, having been told that if you can’t see the upper stop from the docks you won’t be seeing much at all when you’re up there. We chose to be dropped off downtown and took local advice to check out the Hangar if we needed gluten free food (and weren’t keen fish eaters). Whilst not having the hugest range of choices for my wife, the Hangar did have GF burger options that went down very well. Even better, on offer was a ‘flight’ of ales: four measures of assorted Alaskan ales to try (from an impressively daunting list). Mmmm, and there’s always the southward leg to look forward to next week… :)

 

After that we browsed the various shops, picking up some end-of-season bargain T-shirts and then found ourselves in the Rockwell Hotel where I was forced to try some more Alaskan ale. When clearly incapable of deciding which of the 7-8 different ales to buy I was given 2-3 shot glasses of possibilities to sample – didn’t even need to ask! Suitably anaesthetised, I soon found myself in the Changing Tides quilting emporium not so far away down the street. Ah, it all makes sense now, and guess whose credit card got used for the purchase of quilt kit? Suckered!

 

Things were all going swimmingly until we made the alarming discovery that ‘we’ had left the itinerary paperwork behind on the ship. Neither of us could reliably recall what time we were supposed to be back! I thought it was 8pm and my wife was increasingly sure it was 7.30pm. With time beginning to run short and with noticeably fewer tourists on the street, we headed back toward the shuttle bus area, but must have reached it just that bit too late for the current run. We regretted our next decision: let’s walk, it’s not far. Ha! In the drizzle and encroaching evening, still with the nagging uncertainty about return times, that walk was interminable. If your ship docks at AJ Dock, even if the weather is lovely, the walk from the Tramway terminus area has nothing to recommend it – catch the bus!

 

Of course, neither of needed to have worried: the official return time was actually 8.30pm. So two slightly grumpy and damp passengers arrived at the gangway after a forced march (having grimly watched at least one shuttle bus pass by) and gave heartfelt thanks that the ship was busily going nowhere. Not only that, those dratted killer whales and other pesky fauna had given up pestering returnees due to the adverse conditions. Strangely, after that episode I double-checked every day to make certain I had a record with me of the latest return time!

 

We also discovered to our further annoyance that for some reason ‘everyone’ had chosen to visit the Four Seasons MDR that evening at the same time as us, which meant we had to retrace our steps all the way back to the rear of the ship to the Seven Seas, only a short amble from our cabin! It was the only evening this happened, but after the trek from the centre of Juneau we weren’t really in the mood for much more walking that day.

 

At least we were able to unwind and relax in the Atrium after our meal and then we had our new towel animal to cheer us up when we got back to the cabin: a rather cheeky-looking crab. Nice one Julius!

[BlueLadyBlue]

:) :) :)