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

[twangster]

Looks like it’s still Speedcast slow internet this morning as we debark.   

 

849 ms 0.76 Mb down, 0.27 Mb up 

[Biker19]

16 minutes ago, twangster said:

Looks like it’s still Speedcast slow internet this morning as we debark.   

 

849 ms 0.76 Mb down, 0.27 Mb up 

Something is obviously amiss as O3B worked fine much further north in Vancouver.

[CMcJones]

We are on the chartered 6/7 sailing!  I have loved reading through, thank you all so much for sharing and for all the great questions asked and answered.  Two weeks to go!

[twangster]

26 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Something is obviously amiss as O3B worked fine much further north in Vancouver.

 

I asked the Voom specialist yesterday morning and she said they weren’t switching back to O3b.  I thought she meant just that day but I’m wondering if they plan to keep off O3b so people don’t get a taste of it on boarding day then get stuck on Speedcast for the bulk of the cruise.  Time will tell.  

[Carlos A.]

2 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

I asked the Voom specialist yesterday morning and she said they weren’t switching back to O3b.  I thought she meant just that day but I’m wondering if they plan to keep off O3b so people don’t get a taste of it on boarding day then get stuck on Speedcast for the bulk of the cruise.  Time will tell.  

 

That's a shame... or a scam. They're selling the Voom as the Fastest Cruise Wi-Fi & Internet at Sea only to give you speeds no more than 1 Mbps and as slow as 0.15 Mbps

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, carlosalonsor said:

That's a shame... or a scam. They're selling the Voom as the Fastest Cruise Wi-Fi & Internet at Sea only to give you speeds no more than 1 Mbps and as slow as 0.15 Mbps

Download speed is not the main issue (you can get 2-3 Mbps down on the geosync sat service), but latency is at least 3x worse, which really affects performance.

[Carlos A.]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

Download speed is not the main issue (you can get 2-3 Mbps down on the geosync sat service), but latency is at least 3x worse, which really affects performance.

 

How are they dealing with this? Are they giving any discounts or refunds on the package? 

[Biker19]

4 minutes ago, carlosalonsor said:

Are they giving any discounts or refunds on the package? 

I doubt it - it's like the service on the rest of the fleet that doesn't have O3B service. Now, sometimes, it does get so bad that GS will offer some refunds, but that may be a temporary outage or issue. A big determinant of performance will also depend on how many people are on at the same time - with ~4,500 potential customers on board, that could be an issue.

Edited May 24, 2019 by Biker19

[twangster]

15 minutes ago, carlosalonsor said:

 

How are they dealing with this? Are they giving any discounts or refunds on the package? 

 

I was offered a 20% discount but it didn’t make it on my account prior to debarking.  

[drusierdmd]

Key breakfast. Icon deck 4.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Hoopster95]

As I sit here in Two70 having my final breakfast and looking out at the normal and expected gray/rainy skies of the Pacific Northwest, it really hits home how Unbelievably lucky we’ve been on this sailing with weather. What we have here today in Seattle is also typical to Alaska.

 

I see many threads every year on CC asking when the best time to sail Alaska is. Anyone giving you a definitive answer is full of it... it’s the luck of the draw. Maybe this week, maybe next, we’ll be reading reviews of how their helicopter flight got cancelled, driving rain in Juneau forcing people to give up and stay on board, socked in fog in Skagway whereby the White Pass train afforded no view... you just don’t know.

 

My first Alaska sailing on Rhapsody, heading into Juneau I was up on top deck forward all by myself, 35 degrees F (1-2 Celsius), 5 layers on with driving frozen rain. It was first week of July. Compare that picture I painted with the photos of this thread.

 

For future reference, born and raised in Vancouver, I have found a good bet to be the 1st couple of sailings and September sailings for weather... not every year, but most. We have some very good Mays the last few years, and September has pretty much become summer weather for us the last 10-15 years. I have also noted June is not a good bet... we’ll see how it goes for 2019 in the next few weeks.

 

All I can say is Ovation will take so much of weather issue away with so much fun on board of weather does get ugly.... and it will.

 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2019 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

Downtown Seattle drom my balcony this morning... you can barely make out the Space Needle

 

Edited May 24, 2019 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

I wish to thank Twangster, Drusierdmd, Alan, eel.... and Biker who was not on this sailing, he was on the Hawaii repo... for all your contributions and photos/videos to this thread. Sounds like the CC family out there enjoyed this as much as we did 😁👍

 

Because of the IT issues for a few days, there were a lot more pointers and things to say at the various ports, as well as a few more ship things (ie dining, staff, various service around the ship).

 

If any of you are interested I’ll be going back over the next few days and adding things to this thread (ie. port days.. will

concentrate on Skagway and Juneau) which I would have done chronologically on the go, but just couldn’t due to lack of VOOM.

 

Many heartfelt thanks to all of  you out there from page one of this threads for all your kind words along the way.

 

Happy Sailings to all of you 👋

[Hoopster95]

Notes on disembarking... 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2019 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

I have no clue what the heck is going on, however the line-up to disembark is all the Via From Deck 5 elevator shaft, through the entire Via past Jamie’s/Vintages and into Two70!!!! Agh 😡👎

[Biker19]

3 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

I have no clue what the heck is going on, however the line-up to disembark is all the Via From Deck 5 elevator shaft, through the entire Via past Jamie’s/Vintages and into Two70!!!! Agh 😡👎

 

Don't worry, it'll likely get worse until you get out of the terminal.

[Hoopster95]

5 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Don't worry, it'll likely get worse until you get out of the terminal.

 

😡😡😡😡😡👎👎👎👎👎

My number supposed to be called around 9:45. I have serious doubts. I have a 10:30 bus to catch. Already called the bus company to let them know there seems to be a cluster on board at the moment. Grrr

 

[AlanF65]

3 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

😡😡😡😡😡👎👎👎👎👎

My number supposed to be called around 9:45. I have serious doubts. I have a 10:30 bus to catch. Already called the bus company to let them know there seems to be a cluster on board at the moment. Grrr

 

I am supposed to be off at 920 and they are about 20 min behind. I need to be in a cab by 1015 or change my flight

[Hoopster95]

Here’s the Seattle Pier91 port area. Photos were posted earlier in the thread as well. Regarding parking, costs, tips/how to get to and from, etc.... in my Explorer “Best Of BC” reviews I’ve got more info with mapping and photos to help you.

 

That’s X Soltice with us in port this morning. Should be regular Fridays going forward

 

 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2019 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

6 minutes ago, AlanF65 said:

I am supposed to be off at 920 and they are about 20 min behind. I need to be in a cab by 1015 or change my flight

 

I got in line now. Trying to be proactive. There’s others in line with higher numbers as well. Numbers called up to #18. Line up longer than before as it wraps around Two70 and back down the Via all the way back to Vintages.

 

You’d figure with Explorer experience they’d have a better handle on this shore side

Edited May 24, 2019 by Hoopster95

[Biker19]

3 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

You’d figure with Explorer experience they’d have a better handle on this shore side

They might get it right by September.

Edited May 24, 2019 by Biker19

[Hoopster95]

6 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

They might get it right by September.

 

You forgot to add a famous signatures to your post:

 

”Biker - Always a ray of sunshine”

😂lol

 

p.s. Line actually moving well for now... in 10min already forward to the elevator area and exit to gangway on deck 5.

They also just announced up to 26 so by the time i’m down there maybe I’ll be good to go

Edited May 24, 2019 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

Well well well... Alan, you must be already out?

 

I already have my luggage and about to head out the door to the bus area. Total

time from that huge line to where I am now maybe 20min. I should have stayed in the comfort of Two70 after all until

my number called.

 

Obviously Royal is choking the line so as not to make the terminal below a cluster. This was surprisingly excellent once in line.

 

By the way, although they only called number 1-26 as mentioned above, luggage all the way into the 40’s was already out and ready. Again, Royal just taking their time with the numbering system so as not to overload the lines and the terminal below.

 

So I digress... easy peasy after all 👍😊

Edited May 24, 2019 by Hoopster95

[twangster]

Glad I got off with self assist. 

 

Took some photos of Fish & Ships, quick scope, had a leisurely WJ breakfast then brushed my teeth and headed down around 6:40am.  Debarkation had commenced and there were maybe 20 in line in front of me by the aft elevators but the line was moving.  By 6:47am I was outside taking pictures from the luggage drop area.  

 

They offer a free shuttle to the ride share area but I chose to walk it (WJ calories to burn off).  

 

Super easy debark.

 

Lyft to SeaTac was $34.  Uber was $37 so I went with Lyft.  Hailed it as I approached the ride share area and had a 4 minute wait for my driver.

 

Reached SeaTac at 7:30am with no traffic.  Hung out waiting to check luggage due to Southwest's 4 hour rule and my noon flight.

[Hoopster95]

Sniff sniff 😥

 

 

 

 

One of the quick shuttles already here dropping cruisers off for Ovation’s 1st ever 7-day sailing

Edited May 24, 2019 by Hoopster95