OVATION May 13-24 *LIVE* in ALASKA w/lots of photos

[FLACRUISER99]

2 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Did the Captain mention how many miles that is from the Glacier?

1 mile.

 

[Pinopps]

6 hours ago, Hoopster95 said:

I have just taken 2 hours of THE VERY BEST photos and video I have ever taken on any cruise this morning.

 

internet has been utter garbage, this photo has taken me 4 attempts and about 1/2 hour so this is probably all for now.

 

Northstar went off to the side a full 90degrees, all the way down to 30degree angle. We had at least 20 minutes up there

 

 

[Pinopps]

Beautiful, I'm sure the photo doesn't it do it's true justice

xx

[jholzhauser]

This thread is everything!! Hoopster, question for you! Did they charge you a fee to go up in the North Star on glacier day? I've heard rubblings of that about social media and wanted to get your take. Beautiful photos! 

[FLACRUISER99]

1 hour ago, jholzhauser said:

This thread is everything!! Hoopster, question for you! Did they charge you a fee to go up in the North Star on glacier day? I've heard rubblings of that about social media and wanted to get your take. Beautiful photos! 

 $49.00 in the morning, No charge in the afternoon.

[eel]

Great time at Hubbard Glacier today.  But that guy photobombed us again! 😄

 

 

 

[Trixie21]

How is the food on the ship?

Someone on "another site" said they weren't happy with the food generally - but food is so subjective. On other cruises we have always had some dishes we liked better than others , but overall really couldn't complain.

[A&L_Ont]

8 hours ago, FLACRUISER99 said:

 $49.00 in the morning, No charge in the afternoon.

 

I thought I read somewhere else that it was $94, so $50 doesn’t seem so bad. Was it for the entire Glacier time or a set period of time?

[twangster]

2 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

I thought I read somewhere else that it was $94, so $50 doesn’t seem so bad. Was it for the entire Glacier time or a set period of time?

 

$49 per person, adult or child (no child discount).  Twenty minute paid rides starting at 8am with the last paid ride at 10:40am.  Not long after the regular "complimentary" North Star operations began.  Folks on the 11:30am complimentary ride should have had a great view of Hubbard Glacier as we pulled out of Disenchantment Bay and back into the Pacific.

 

The North Star Alaskan Experience (vs. the regular North Star Experience) included a hot chocolate in a roped off section of the North Star Bar while you waited for your ride.   

 

[Italy52]

Did the ship offer a Hubbard excursion whereby people were off loaded from the ship and then took a tour of Hubbard at closer range (if that was possible?)  We are doing one on Princess in a few weeks and know that other cruise lines are offering the same --- just wondering if the excursion was offered on the Ovation. 

[twangster]

4 minutes ago, Italy52 said:

Did the ship offer a Hubbard excursion whereby people were off loaded from the ship and then took a tour of Hubbard at closer range (if that was possible?)  We are doing one on Princess in a few weeks and know that other cruise lines are offering the same --- just wondering if the excursion was offered on the Ovation. 

 

No off ship excursions.  

 

Last year on Radiance I booked a small boat excursion at Hubbard through Royal but a week or so before sailing they cancelled it.  Turns out we didn't need it, that Captain got us very close last year, closer than Ovation this year.  I'm guessing it may be the first time for this Captain or with the ship's first visit there the Captain err'ed on the side of caution.  

 

Another difference with Ovation - while we did go in and turn to the side, this time they reversed the turn to expose the other side of the ship to the glacier.  Instead of a 720° degree rotation like other ships, this was more of a tail wag so the North Star at the front could remain closer to the glacier for those paid rides before we turned to depart.  Both sides got a turn facing the glacier so not a bad thing, just different.

[Jimbo]

No one mention anything about Ice Calving, any large chunks fall off the glacier yesterday?

[twangster]

Just now, Jimbo said:

No one mention anything about Ice Calving, any large chunks fall off the glacier yesterday?

 

It wasn't a great calving visit compared to other years.  Some minor calving, mostly small areas of the face sliding into the water with a small splash, not as dramatic as other years, but that's the way it goes.  Every visit to Alaska is different in small ways.  

[Jimbo]

1 minute ago, twangster said:

 

It wasn't a great calving visit compared to other years.  Some minor calving, mostly small areas of the face sliding into the water with a small splash, not as dramatic as other years, but that's the way it goes.  Every visit to Alaska is different in small ways.  

That's a shame, that makes the visit. You do have one more Glacier to see right? When is that and what is that glacier's name?

[twangster]

5 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

That's a shame, that makes the visit. You do have one more Glacier to see right? When is that and what is that glacier's name?

 

We did have great weather though.  It cleared up as our visit progressed and ended with blue skies.  Still a great visit.

[BecciBoo]

19 hours ago, drusierdmd said:

Samsung s10 plus. Hubbard Glacier.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 

Glacier Bay may have some gorgeous scenery, but Hubbard beats any glacier they have IMHO....bigger and better and more calving.  I'd always pick a Hubbard Itin over Sawyer or Tracy Arm.  Never any ice problems either.  We have some really spectacular vids and pics from our Radiance cruise.

[TwinMamainMN]

We saw Hubbard last summer on Radiance. The ship got quite close and we heard and saw a lot of calving. My kids liked listening for the sound of thunder and then trying to find out where it was happening. It was both beautiful and amazing.

[Hoopster95]

Good morning from Juneau! It’s a beautiful clear bright morning, not very cold at all. Supposed to Cloud over a bit by the afternoon

 

Just an FYI to those following along, ship Internet is still a struggle even this morning. Speaking with eel above (the photobomb at Hubbard) posting a photo takes quite a while (ie 5-10min each)... and then better hope you don’t get logged out and/or error messages while loading. Makes trying to do this Live posting impossible. 

 

Ill try to add the odd comment and photo here and there, and thank you for everyone asking and answering questions. 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2019 by Hoopster95

[Lloyd555]

Great to see how close she is to the webcam. I have family & friends back home who want to keep an eye out for our group when we dock in Juneau. 😁

 

 

Edited May 19, 2019 by Lloyd555

[cnfno1]

Thanks so much for all the pictures! My wife and I sail on this ship from Seattle on May 31st.....how has the weather been in Alaska?....we are prepared to dress for all occasions from warm Spring-like, to chilly Fall-like, but wondering which side we should gravitate towards. Thanks.

[Italy52]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

 

No off ship excursions.  

 

Last year on Radiance I booked a small boat excursion at Hubbard through Royal but a week or so before sailing they cancelled it.  Turns out we didn't need it, that Captain got us very close last year, closer than Ovation this year.  I'm guessing it may be the first time for this Captain or with the ship's first visit there the Captain err'ed on the side of caution.  

 

Another difference with Ovation - while we did go in and turn to the side, this time they reversed the turn to expose the other side of the ship to the glacier.  Instead of a 720° degree rotation like other ships, this was more of a tail wag so the North Star at the front could remain closer to the glacier for those paid rides before we turned to depart.  Both sides got a turn facing the glacier so not a bad thing, just different.

 

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it.  The Hubbard excursion is a "go" this year and I have yet to find someone who has reported back how it went.

 

Enjoy your cruise, sounds like it has been a beautiful journey.

[drusierdmd]

Thanks so much for all the pictures! My wife and I sail on this ship from Seattle on May 31st.....how has the weather been in Alaska?....we are prepared to dress for all occasions from warm Spring-like, to chilly Fall-like, but wondering which side we should gravitate towards. Thanks.

The wx has been all over the place but gravitated towards warmer. It's been warm enough for shorts and sandels at times. Today in Juneau I have on the following: boxers, UA thermal top and bottom, hiking pants, t shirt and Columbia fleece....and I'm burning up. I think I saw 45 on my app first thing this am with temps in the mid 50s. Jeans and a tshirt with a Columbia fleece would be more ideal.

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[twangster]

Short time lapse in the early morning as we sail the Alaskan Inside Passage coming down from Hubbard Glacier before making the turn North towards Juneau.

 

 

[twangster]

Juneau's Mt Roberts Tramway ascent.  Ovation of the Seas, Island Princess and the Millennium. 

 

 

[Jennywren113]

Great review Hoopster,  always look at your reviews with interest. We obviously haven't done as many as you but we have lots of similarities in the ones we have done. Serenade (together) in 2014, and Jewel Greek Isles the year after you. Now Ovation, you are on the Inaugural Alaska Sailing from your home port which is bringing back some lovely memories of our sailing on her Inaugural sailing in 2016 from Southampton (30 minutes from our home).  Keep it coming, we are watching with interest and Alaska is now added to our bucket list!   Interested what they have done with the MDR's as it was dynamic dining whilst we were onboard, do they just allocate a space in one of the four dining rooms now?