Carnival Legend Alaska Glacier Bay, Aug 15-22, '17 A Trip To Be or Not To Be Eclipsed

[NWACruiser]

But they label the "Appetizers" "Entrees" which screwed us up for most of the week because we normally consider entrees to be our main meal.

 

 

 

 

 

I noticed the same thing on the menu on our cruise. I suppose they printed out the menus, but did not catch the error in time.

[ktbyrd79]

In French entrée is the course that is before the main course.

 

 

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[Pellaz]

Following. Really curious about the eclipse part. :)

[BeachClubDee]

Thursday August 17- At Sea/Juneau, 2 pm to 10 pm

 

 

Clocks were set back an hour overnight. I woke around 5 am and made my way up to Lido deck to find coffee.

 

We had breakfast in the dining room on the Lido deck.

 

The boys went back to the room and Mark and I roamed around the ship a bit. We checked out the ship’s library.

 

 

 

Ben was worried because he only had one book to read during the trip. He enjoys non-fiction works, particularly on topics of history or politics. The book he was reading (for pleasure) was “Why Nations Fail”. The one he regretted leaving behind at home was Kissinger’s “Diplomacy”.

 

I searched the books on the shelves which I presume you could borrow and I was surprised to find a few that I thought he might be interested in. One about Lincoln, something else about the founding fathers and then a third, but I don't remember what that was. I grabbed them, but returned them on the last day since he didn’t end up needing another book.

 

There was some general knowledge trivia that morning in the Red Frog lounge area, so we went to check that out. Hearing the questions as we were walking by the previous day, I expected the content to be easy.

 

I was wrong.

 

The lounge was also packed, so we had to grab a piece of the floor across the hall. I couldn't really hear the questions well, so we left. We went up to the Lido Deck and found a table where we read, talked and watched the water.

 

We ate lunch in the main dining room.

 

 

 

 

 

For starters, I ordered the Caribbean Pepperpot soup and all of the guys ordered sushi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The soup was not good. It had absolutely no flavor.

 

The sushi was worse!

 

The rice was gummy, the cream cheese was gross and Mark said if he could have spit it out gracefully he would have.

 

I hate to waste food, but there was no way we could eat this. The waiter cleared away our plates but never asked why there was so much sushi left over.

 

The meals were a bit better, I think. Can’t really remember, except that Ben’s pasta was the best thing at the table. Mark got the swai nicoise, I don’t know why I don’t have a picture. I got the baguette with shrimp and crabmeat. I’m not sure what Nate got either- maybe the sandwich also.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn’t stick around for dessert.

 

 

Next Up: Any Port in a Storm- Juneau What the Rainiest City in North America is?

[BeachClubDee]

Thursday August 17: Any Port in a Storm- Juneau What the Rainiest City in North America is?

 

 

Pulling into Juneau:

 

 

 

I didn't know until our stop here that Juneau is the rainiest city in the United States! True to that, it was overcast/sprinkling/pouring throughout our visit. We lucked out and it was not too bad while we were at Mendenhall.

 

 

After reading reviews on Trip Advisor and Cruise Critic, we decided to book a combination whale watch and Mendenhall Glacier tour through Juneau Whale Watch. I booked it through their website in February and received an early booking discount. The cost was around $130 per person, not including gratuities to the transfer drivers or whale watch crew. I think a similar tour was $200 through Carnival.

 

 

Juneau Whale Watch

 

 

We got off the ship and met someone from the tour under the Mt. Robert’s Tramway. He pointed us to our bus and told us we would be going to the glacier and then would meet at the bus stop at 4:45 for transportation to the whale watch.

 

 

 

 

 

We considered going up in the tram when our tour was over, but the top of the hill was under cloud cover when we got back.

 

It was raining on our drive over to the glacier, but it lightened up significantly while were there, sprinkling on and off.

 

 

 

 

We got off the bus and followed the signs to the Nugget Falls trail.

 

 

Shortly after starting on the path, there was a sign saying the trail was flooded out ahead.

 

 

We decided to continue on and make it as far as we could. We only encountered one small puddle that we had to hop over so I’m glad we didn’t let the sign turn us back.

 

 

 

 

 

[BeachClubDee]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our way back towards the visitor’s center we ran into this guy:

 

 

 

Look, an animal that comes with his own toothpicks!

 

 

Here are a few pictures from the viewing spot.

 

 

[BeachClubDee]

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love this blue hue!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a few minutes so we walked towards this creek and saw some salmon. At times people have seen bears but we didn’t have any encounters here.

 

 

 

 

It was time for the second part of our tour, whale watching from Auke Bay.

 

 

Next Up: Thar She Blows!

[MominWA]

Following. Going to Alaska in August of 2018.

[wnycruisefam66]

Hi! Following along too. Cruising June 2018 w/our 17 yr old son. I'm thinking of booking Juneau Whale Watch, so I'm interested in what you thought of the 2nd part of the tour.

[easyboy]

Enjoying your review and the very nice photos, especially the glacier.

 

 

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[BeachClubDee]

So sorry to take so long for the next update. I am in the car on the way to port canaveral to board the fantasy so it will be a bit longer before I get to it

 

Spoiler alert preview. We loved Juneau whale watch. We booked early in 2017 and got a discount.

[heffy2]

Great review, Thank you!

[Hogladyrider]

So sorry to take so long for the next update. I am in the car on the way to port canaveral to board the fantasy so it will be a bit longer before I get to it

 

Spoiler alert preview. We loved Juneau whale watch. We booked early in 2017 and got a discount.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Keith1010]

This is a wonderful review.

 

Keith

[SweetpeaOne]

Loving the review so far. Thanks for sharing. Is it just me or are the pictures missing?

[riclop]

Thanks for the report.

[Anchors Away 2016]

Loving your review! I hope you can come back and finish it.

[Clarea]

Excellent review, thanks!

[Nogoals31]

Thanks for taking the time.

 

 

 

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[mrpayroll]

Brings back great memories of our cruise to Alaska.

[Keith1010]

Excellent photos and commentary.

Keith

[Crusin Karen]

I had a B2B booked on the Spirit about 10 years ago. Had to cancel it and I have been itching to book another, but it's not in the budget. :( So I LOVE reading reviews like yours and seeing your pictures. You are writing a review of one cruise while on your way to another. I am SUPER JEALOUS! Thanks for taking us along on this trip

[BeachClubDee]

Hey everyone! No, I have not abandoned ship. Well sort of... I am back from my Disney cruise- Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Castaway Cay. Lots of differences between the two trips, including but not limited to my travel partner and the destinations. I'll probably do a report for that trip, eventually!

 

Thanks for sticking with me. After replies, whale watch review coming up.

[BeachClubDee]

I appreciate everyone’s comments! HopefullyI have replied to everyone who posted here. If not, feel free to let me know I missed you.

 

 

In French entrée is the course that is before themain course.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Thanks for that. It was still prettyconfusing to us and it took most of the cruise before we got used to callingour appetizers as “entrees”

 

Subscribing

 

Welcome!

 

Following. Really curious about the eclipse part.

 

I’ll give a little hint- I do have pictures.

 

 

Great review, Thank you!

 

Aww! Thanks!

 

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Thank you! It was really relaxing.

 

 

 

Following. Going to Alaska in August of2018.

 

Thanks for reading along. I hope youfind some useful info here.

 

 

Hi! Following along too.Cruising June 2018 w/our 17 yr old son. I'm thinking of booking Juneau WhaleWatch, so I'm interested in what you thought of the 2nd part of the tour.

 

Coming right up!

 

Enjoying your review and the very nice photos, especiallythe glacier.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Thank you so much!

 

Very nice review!

 

Thanks for the kind words!

 

This is a wonderful review.

 

Keith

 

Thank you!

 

Loving the review so far. Thanks for sharing. Is itjust me or are the pictures missing?

 

Thanks! I think the picture problemis a Photobucket issue. Pictures havebeen periodically disappearing and reappearing from the reports I have and inother forums I post to.

 

 

Thanks for the report.

 

You’re welcome!

 

 

Loving your review! I hope you can come backand finish it.

 

It may not be quick, but I plan on finishing.

 

 

Excellent review, thanks!

 

Thank you!

Thanks for taking the time.

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

You are welcome!

 

 

Brings back great memories of our cruise toAlaska.

 

Thanks! That’s one of the things Ilike about writing trip reports. Bringsback memories for me, too.

 

 

I had a B2B booked on the Spirit about 10 yearsago. Had to cancel it and I have been itching to book another, but it's not inthe budget. SoI LOVE reading reviews like yours and seeing your pictures. You are writing areview of one cruise while on your way to another. I am SUPER JEALOUS! Thanksfor taking us along on this trip

 

The Disney cruise was a sort of last minute trip booked bymy cast member friend. My family cruiseended on August 22 and we were originally scheduled to cruise on the Fantasy onSeptember 9. But my original cruise wascancelled because we were scheduled to depart the weekend Hurricane Irma hitFlorida. We rebooked for Sept 30-Oct6.

[BeachClubDee]

The Whales Don't Care- They're Already Wet!

 

 

It was raining pretty hard on our ride over to the marina and it was still raining as we got off the bus and walked to the dock. I saw a couple of bald eagles on posts. I snapped a picture with my waterproof camera, but I was moving so it came out blurry.

 

Unfortunately, I didn’t see the eagles when our boat returned to the marina after the whale watch.

 

After boarding the boat, we were directed to the seating area inside the boat where Captain Eddie and crew members Emma and Emily briefed us and talked about whales we would be seeing.

 

Emily (or Emma) (or Jennifer or Heather, not sure which) said that she follows the whale migration pattern: She spends summers working on a whale boat in Alaska and winter months working on a whale boat in Hawaii. NICE!!!

 

It was still raining as we motored out to the viewing spot, but the crew told us “Whales don't care. They are already wet.”

 

Once we stopped, the crew gave us the ok to go up onto the top deck, which was covered, to look for whales. It was kind of cramped up there, probably because most people wanted to stay under the roof so they wouldn’t get wet. I am short and had some trouble finding a good spot where I didn’t get boxed in. I am guessing that on a drier day, it would be easier for people to spread out and move around because there would be more people at the rails.

 

We kept watch and soon saw a spout

 

 

 

Thar She Blows!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At one point a baby whale breached (propelled itself out of the water), but I missed the photo op. Too bad, since it would have been a great shot with the land showing behind.

 

 

Edited October 15, 2017 by BeachClubDee