7/2 Alaska Showcase

[Mackdogmolly]

Live from Quest, day 2 in Seattle. Arrived in Vancouver on 7/1 (Canada Day) after a long flight from Montreal (we’re from 2 hours south in Vermont) and unfortunately we were too jet lagged to enjoy any of the sights and festivities that  Parisbev (Bev and Graham from Vancouver) from our roll call) and others had thoughtfully advised us of.  We were asleep by 9 and up at 4 am -  lol. Embarkation on the 2nd was incredibly smooth and easy; we had a noon slot, but arrived around 11:15 and had no trouble boarding at that time. We stopped by the specialty restaurant desk outside of Windows and booked a package of 2 plus a Chef’s Table before enjoying a delicious lunch. Muster was at 5, followed by a well attended CC M&G. I am hoping some of those from the roll call will also post to this - we will all have different experiences. Sail away was at 6 - cloudy, but at least not raining! We met fellow roll callers (and lovers of late night dining ) Rehoboy (Joe and Rick) at the Discovery bar and enjoyed cocktails and a lovely dinner in the MDR with them. A cool and drizzley morning here in Seattle, but hopefully will clear for our Azamazing Evening!

[Mackdogmolly]

The sun finally broke through this afternoon enough so that we thought an independent excursion to the Space Needle made sense. After a leisurely lunch with an old friend from back east, now living in Seattle, we took the short cab ride to the Needle, which is next to Chiluly Garden and Glass, the site of our Azamazing Evening tonight. Word to the wise: to purchase tickets, one must punch in a time frame in half hour increments and, if not available, must wait till the next available time slot. In our case, it would have been too late to catch the early dinner before our evening out. Hopefully we will be able to try again tomorrow morning.

[BBMacLaird]

Love the pictures! Thank you. 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Mackdogmolly]

What was originally billed as an Azamazing evening with a violinist set in Chilhuly Garden and Glass actually got an amazing (and deserved) switcheroo with the emphasis all on the venue. We got a private tour of sculptor Dale Chilhuly’s stunning glass masterpieces and wandered the beautiful gardens, sipping drinks and and snacking on hor d’oervres while the violinist played in the background. The weather was perfect. The evening was perfect. Thanks Azamara! We sail away from Seattle at 1:30 today. Happy Independence Day!

[Mackdogmolly]

Last morning in Seattle. Walked the sky bridge next to the cruise terminal and up the hill to Pike Place Market, a Seattle institution and amazing mix of flea market,  art, produce and flower stalls, eateries, street musicians - crowded and glorious. We were told it’s been in place for over a hundred years.

[lovecruzin]

We are also on this cruise, enjoying it immensely so far. We have met several crew that were on Pursuit TA last November. 

I didn't realize the Azamazing evening had changed from the original plan, we thought the violinist would be strolling around, maybe that was the difference. It was a beautiful and warm evening.

Looking forward to the remainder of the trip, but not the heat in Alaska!

 

 

 

[Mackdogmolly]

Sea day! And the clocks have been turned back another hour (not that we actually have clocks in the staterooms anymore). Had a lovely dinner in the MDR with a couple from Vancouver last night - Pat and Ian, experienced Azamara sailers. Lots to do around the ship today - lectures, wine tastings, seminars, games, but cloudy and cool, so perhaps no sun bathing. Dinner in Prime C tonight!

[SoBaycruiser]

3 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Sea day! And the clocks have been turned back another hour (not that we actually have clocks in the staterooms anymore). 

 

I am confused.  Are you on the Quest?  It’s your use of the word “another”.  I have been working out the time changes for our TP (Seward to Tokyo) and my understanding is that there is only one hour difference between Pacific DT and Alaska DT.  So are you saying you have had to change your clocks (watches) twice?

[lovecruzin]

7 minutes ago, SoBaycruiser said:

 

I am confused.  Are you on the Quest?  It’s your use of the word “another”.  I have been working out the time changes for our TP (Seward to Tokyo) and my understanding is that there is only one hour difference between Pacific DT and Alaska DT.  So are you saying you have had to change your clocks (watches) twice?

 

Yes, OP is on the Quest! We have had one time change. Perhaps the “another” was referring to their setting watches back from Vermont to YVR?

[Mackdogmolly]

11 minutes ago, lovecruzin said:

 

Yes, OP is on the Quest! We have had one time change. Perhaps the “another” was referring to their setting watches back from Vermont to YVR?

Yes, sorry to be confusing! The ship’s clocks were set back 1 hour in advance of our arrival in Alaska. I was confused this am because my phone did not follow suit. 

[uktog]

15 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Yes, sorry to be confusing! The ship’s clocks were set back 1 hour in advance of our arrival in Alaska. I was confused this am because my phone did not follow suit. 

Oh dear! That’s why we need clocks in the room!

loving your review and excellent photos 

[Mackdogmolly]

Lovely sea day yesterday. It was sunny, but cool, so people were bundled up on the pool deck. Enjoyed a grouper panini for lunch at the Patio, cocktails at the Discovery bar and dinner at Prime C, which to be honest, as a non beef eater, I did not enjoy that much. DH did though. Sunny and warm in Ketchikan today and the White Night party has been moved from 7/11 to tonight to accommodate the weather, even though we sailed away at 1:00 pm. We have met some lovely people from all over (lots from the UK). Passengers and crew really do make this experience.

Betsey

[Mackdogmolly]

Me, DH, and an Azamara friend who joined the cruise in Ketchikan!

[DRJVH]

On 7/5/2019 at 4:46 AM, Mackdogmolly said:

Last morning in Seattle. Walked the sky bridge next to the cruise terminal and up the hill to Pike Place Market, a Seattle institution and amazing mix of flea market,  art, produce and flower stalls, eateries, street musicians - crowded and glorious. We were told it’s been in place for over a hundred years.

 

On 7/5/2019 at 1:02 AM, Mackdogmolly said:

What was originally billed as an Azamazing evening with a violinist set in Chilhuly Garden and Glass actually got an amazing (and deserved) switcheroo with the emphasis all on the venue. We got a private tour of sculptor Dale Chilhuly’s stunning glass masterpieces and wandered the beautiful gardens, sipping drinks and and snacking on hor d’oervres while the violinist played in the background. The weather was perfect. The evening was perfect. Thanks Azamara! We sail away from Seattle at 1:30 today. Happy Independence Day!

Great photos.  Our brother and sister in law are on this cruise too but haven’t seen any photos yet🤔

looks like the Azamazing evening was very colourful and to be able to listen to the music, walk around and see the exhibits sounds wonderful. 

 

[Mackdogmolly]

White Night was last night after sailing out of Ketchikan in the afternoon. What began as a warm, sunny evening, suddenly went horribly wrong and the weather turned windy and icy cold. Blankets were quickly distributed, but hordes of people (this passenger included) abandoned the pool deck and descended upon the MDR, which I am sure was not expecting such a crowd on White Night! They handled it admirably, however, and our large party enjoyed a nice dinner there and after dinner drinks in the Den. En route to Juneau now - sighted whales at breakfast. Going to be crowded at port with several other ships there as well.

[lovecruzin]

30 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

White Night was last night after sailing out of Ketchikan in the afternoon. What began as a warm, sunny evening, suddenly went horribly wrong and the weather turned windy and icy cold. Blankets were quickly distributed, but hordes of people (this passenger included) abandoned the pool deck and descended upon the MDR, which I am sure was not expecting such a crowd on White Night! They handled it admirably, however, and our large party enjoyed a nice dinner there and after dinner drinks in the Den. En route to Juneau now - sighted whales at breakfast. Going to be crowded at port with several other ships there as well.

 

What a change in weather and so quickly. I thought I would be warm with long sleeves! We bailed after a salad course and went to Prime C. The crew worked so hard to get everything set up, what a disappointment that the weather didn’t cooperate. The party continued in the Living Room and was still going strong when we left after 11.

 

It’s currently cool and drizzly outside, the way Alaska should be! Our itinerary shows we are tendered in Juneau, I am hopeful that’s not accurate, there was no mention of tender operations in the Insider and there are docks for 5 ships. We will see soon enough! 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2019 by lovecruzin

[Mackdogmolly]

I hope we will be docked as well, as I am sure most everyone will be exiting the ship! According to my weather app, it’s supposed to be sunny and warm there. Sure is chilly at the moment though!!

[Mackdogmolly]

Long day in Juneau yesterday. Enjoyed an Indian butter cooking class with Chef Nathan in Prime C in the morning (with samples) - yum! We took a ships’ excursion to Mendenhall Glacier that unfortunately involved an bus full of 49 passengers with broken air conditioning, windows that didn’t open and  stifling heat. Very unpleasant ride to the site. The young drive did his best to soldier on with the narrative of the town history, etc, but everyone was pretty hot and grumpy at the end of the ride. Forest fires in the Yukon have put a Smokey haze on the mountains, so my photos do not do the site justice. After an hour at the Mendenhall site, we were taken (in the same sweltering bus) to a lovely, shady outdoor pavilion for a salmon bake with all the fixings. As this was late in the afternoon, I just partook of the salmon, so I would have room for dinner later. Indian night! We discovered that the MDR was also featuring Indian food, so we had dinner there, followed by entertainment in the Den with pianist Harry Rios. Fun facts about Juneau: their public library is on the 5th floor of a parking garage. The lone Walmart failed after 3 years because it couldn’t compete with a revered local store. On the other hand, when MacDonalds came to town, they were flying in from all over Alaska!

[Mackdogmolly]

Skagway, today, population 600, which swells to around 2000 in the summer and today, with several cruise ships in port, including the mega Ovation of the Seas, God only knows how many! We took the narrow gauge White Pass Railway excursion, a 20 mile or so breathtaking ride from Skagway to White Pass Summit. It was built in the late 1800’s to take gold seekers toward the gold fields and is jaw droppingly beautiful as well as a bit terrifying, if you have any fear of heights. We crossed  into BC, before circling back and heading back down. Again, it was hazy from the wild fires to the north and my photos aren’t the best. After the ride, we strolled around tiny Skagway and had a drink and the Red Onion Saloon.

[uktog]

Very disappointed to read a ships excursion had 49 guests - did they give you any reason why the 25 maximum was exceeded or any partial refund?

[marinaro44]

2 hours ago, uktog said:

Very disappointed to read a ships excursion had 49 guests - did they give you any reason why the 25 maximum was exceeded or any partial refund?

There really isn't a 25 maximum.  The statement essentially says something like "25-person maximum...except when it isn't." We had 41--with one tour guide--to Mont St. Michel.  Ridiculous.

[uktog]

I have always believed when it goes over 35 they should give a price adjustment to all guests given how much the extra guests are pure profit.  On one cruise they did with a note saying they had taken onboard feedback and were doing this but it hasn't happened recently.

41 to Mont st Michel- thats crazy hope you took it up onboard.

[lovecruzin]

49 people on a bus with no AC or openable windows on a very warm day...unacceptable.

 

On the other hand, glad to hear you were able to do the white pass, I understand some excursions were canceled due to a train that broke down on the track.

Edited July 9, 2019 by lovecruzin

[Mackdogmolly]

2 hours ago, lovecruzin said:

49 people on a bus with no AC or openable windows on a very warm day...unacceptable.

 

On the other hand, glad to hear you were able to do the white pass, I understand some excursions were canceled due to a train that broke down on the track.

Yes, unfortunately the afternoon White Pass excursion had to be canceled due to a breakdown. Many disappointed guests. I am sure people must have taken up the bus AC issue (I heard others say they were going to), but I haven’t seen any adjustments on my account. This is VERY unusual weather for Alaska.

[Mackdogmolly]

Chef’s Table last night (French) - so amazing. Sitka today (again with other mega ships 😟). We are doing a Raptor Center and Cultural Discovery tour. We are docked 5 miles from town, sharing shuttles with all the other ships, but fortunately will pick up our tour right outside the ship. Pictures below of the Chef’s Table courses - came out slightly out of order, but you get the idea!