Hitchhiker’s guide to cruising - Serenade Live

[Tree_skier]

1 hour ago, Orome said:

May I ask, are there any shared tables that you can tell in MDR or are all parties separate because of COVID?

I didn’t notice shared tables but DW and I are at a MTD 2 top and we might as well be at a 6 top sharing with two other couples. Deck 4 MDR is an all vaxxed venue and there is no social distancing. 

Edited August 25, 2021 by Tree_skier

[Tree_skier]

22 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

A wooden dock😱

You could smell the creosote

[bobmacliberty]

3 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

For those keeping score. I purchased the DBP for $44 pppd.

 

After day two the score is DBP 88  @Tree_skier 160.5

 

 

 

Jumping out to an early first quarter lead.  There is still a lot of time left on the clock though.+

[Tree_skier]

23 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Jumping out to an early first quarter lead.  There is still a lot of time left on the clock though.+

4 port days in a row before the next sea day. It’ll take effort but I think I’m up to the challenge. I had a good sleep last night and will be back in the ship by 5 😊

[Tree_skier]

Inside the church

 

 

 

 

 

[HBE4]

7 hours ago, TickledBlue said:

There's no such thing as bacon too crispy 😁

 

Really, there is no bad way to have bacon. Some are better than others but no bad way. 🙂

[Bronx12]

Hi, my husband is wondering if there are any lecturers or park ranges on board doing any talks?

[Tree_skier]

3 hours ago, Bronx12 said:

Hi, my husband is wondering if there are any lecturers or park ranges on board doing any talks?

There are lectures but I haven’t listened to any yet. I have posted Day 1 and 2. Apparently the 4th page of day 2 was blurry. I’ll repeat that and be posting day 3 a little later once I catch up on a few drinks. 
 

in the centrum listening to decent guitarist solo act.

 

 

Morning was shopping. DW bought leather boots she said she absolutely needed. I bought a coat I absolutely didn’t need. 
 

The tour was good. We visited the Raptor Centre and a Bear rehab center Fortress of the bears . Tour guide was infectiously enthusiastic. It is definitely recommended. We just walked off the ship, took the shuttle into town and their were a handful of folks selling tours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch was at a place called mean queens. Very good pizza.  Pub/sports bar atmosphere. Another recommendation for Sitka. 
 

 

Edited August 26, 2021 by Tree_skier

[Tree_skier]

Burned some cash in the casino. Lost about 60 playing slots and then broke even playing Black Jack for an hour. 

Back listening to “ Funk it up”

 

 

[Bailey & Sophie]

14 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

She likes closeups 😉

 

Of professional photos.

[Bailey & Sophie]

5 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

There are lectures but I haven’t listened to any yet. I have posted Day 1 and 2. Apparently the 4th page of day 2 was blurry. I’ll repeat that and be posting day 3 a little later once I catch up on a few drinks. 
 

in the centrum listening to decent guitarist solo act.

 

 

65163588783__B31B350A-A915-4F4C-ACA5-31E1727232B9.MOV 1.8 MB · 0 downloads

 

Morning was shopping. DW bought leather boots she said she absolutely needed. I bought a coat I absolutely didn’t need. 
 

The tour was good. We visited the Raptor Centre and a Bear rehab center Fortress of the bears . Tour guide was infectiously enthusiastic. It is definitely recommended. We just walked off the ship, took the shuttle into town and their were a handful of folks selling tours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch was at a place called mean queens. Very good pizza.  Pub/sports bar atmosphere. Another recommendation for Sitka. 
 

 

 

Love love love the wildlife. And to think we could have had the turkey as our national bird. That eagle looks proud!

[TickledBlue]

12 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

There are lectures but I haven’t listened to any yet. I have posted Day 1 and 2. Apparently the 4th page of day 2 was blurry. I’ll repeat that and be posting day 3 a little later once I catch up on a few drinks. 
 

in the centrum listening to decent guitarist solo act.

 

 

65163588783__B31B350A-A915-4F4C-ACA5-31E1727232B9.MOV 1.8 MB · 0 downloads

 

Morning was shopping. DW bought leather boots she said she absolutely needed. I bought a coat I absolutely didn’t need. 
 

The tour was good. We visited the Raptor Centre and a Bear rehab center Fortress of the bears . Tour guide was infectiously enthusiastic. It is definitely recommended. We just walked off the ship, took the shuttle into town and their were a handful of folks selling tours.

 

 

Really appreciate your sharing -- very useful for my upcoming cruise...

 

This looked like a great tour, I'm very interested in doing it.   I like that you can just walk up to book it.  Sorry to barrage you with questions about it...

How long was the tour?

What was the cost?

How long did you need to wait to take it (or what kind of tour schedule did they have)?

Was there much walking?

How many people were on the tour?

What was the transportation like (full-size bus, minibus, van)?

How crowded was the Fortress of the Bear and Raptor center?

 

You've included some attachments (movies?) but they couldn't be downloaded.

[TickledBlue]

What were the masking requirements in Sitka?   

In Icy Straight Point? 

 

With the delta variant going around, I'm sure that we'll be masked up most of the time out of the cabin. 

[Tree_skier]

9 hours ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

 

Love love love the wildlife. And to think we could have had the turkey as our national bird. That eagle looks proud!

Exciting moment when “Spirit” decided she had had enough and tried to leave. The glove the handler wears has a shorty chain or cable that is in turn attached to her leg. That handler must have a powerful left arm. It would have jerked mine out and sent me to a years worth of rehab. 

[J0Y0US]

On 8/24/2021 at 11:31 AM, Tree_skier said:

Suite Breakfast at chips was great

 

 

heading to the solarium now

 

On this ships are suite breakfast/lunch separate then?

[J0Y0US]

Also do you have the compass after day 2? I only saw the first two if you have them 🙂

 

Trying to decide if we want to schedule this cruise last minute for next month.

[John&LaLa]

19 minutes ago, J0Y0US said:

 

On this ships are suite breakfast/lunch separate then?

 

Just breakfast 

[DarthGrady]

Great review! And great timing for yours truly as my November Brilliance cruise has been switched to Serenade. I'm very excited for it, not only will it be my first cruise since before COVID, but it will also complete the Radiance Class for me. 

 

 

Edited August 26, 2021 by DarthGrady

[Tree_skier]

8 hours ago, TickledBlue said:

 

Really appreciate your sharing -- very useful for my upcoming cruise...

 

This looked like a great tour, I'm very interested in doing it.   I like that you can just walk up to book it.  Sorry to barrage you with questions about it...

How long was the tour?

What was the cost?

How long did you need to wait to take it (or what kind of tour schedule did they have)?

Was there much walking?

How many people were on the tour?

What was the transportation like (full-size bus, minibus, van)?

How crowded was the Fortress of the Bear and Raptor center?

 

You've included some attachments (movies?) but they couldn't be downloaded.

The tour was 2 hours long and cost $70.  We got to area the ship shuttle drops you off around 11am.  They had a 215 tour available.  We wandered through the town and had lunch until our tour.   The walking was minimal.  The was a guy who used a wheel chair but was able to get around with a cane on the tour.  He didn’t mess any of it.  There were 6 on our tour, the max they take is 10.  It was an 11 passenger van.  It was not crowded at all there were another half dozen there besides our group.  They did say that is was crowded in the morning because they had a couple of tour busses come in.  Sorry, I don’t know what to say about the video clips. They work on my device when looking at them.  Missy the tour guide was great!

Edited August 26, 2021 by Tree_skier

[Tree_skier]

8 hours ago, TickledBlue said:

What were the masking requirements in Sitka?   

In Icy Straight Point? 

 

With the delta variant going around, I'm sure that we'll be masked up most of the time out of the cabin. 

There is no requirement to wear masks outdoors in Sitka.  You did have to wear masks in the shops, restaurant and church.  You didn’t while you were walking around outside.  Obviously, some people do but it is not required.

 

On the ship you wear them when walking around but as soon as you are seated with a drink no masks required regardless of what venue you are in.  

[Tree_skier]

3 hours ago, J0Y0US said:

 

On this ships are suite breakfast/lunch separate then?

There is no suite lunch on Serenade that i know of.  Breakfast is at Chops.  Skipped it and did Windjammer for variety sake but will be back tomorrow.  

[Tree_skier]

Slept till 8 30 this morning so get a bit of a late start.  I looked out the window and there was Icy Strait Point.  Both it and the town of Hoonah are not much.  However, they are working on it .  Everything looked new.  There is what appears like a brand new gondola that has been constructed.  When you board it it takes you to the other dock where Silver Sea was docked along with us.  The area we were docked in has what appears to be a new shopping area along with a boardwalk and restaurants.  I have not been to ISP so i have no idea when these constructed however, they all looked and smelled new. 

 

There is a another Gondola that is under construction that will take you up to the top of the mountain beyond where the zip lines depart from with an area up above being developed.  That has been finished yet but its coming and will be a major improvement to ISP.

 

We rode the gondola both ways then took the shuttle into town and back. I thought about a last minute whale watching tour but I was really shagged out today.

 

Sorry @A&L_Ont, I failed the weight test for the zip rider. To many Long Island ice teas apparently. It might be the ice cream as well.

 

Next time I guess…

 

Pictures to follow.

 

 

 

[Tree_skier]

3 hours ago, J0Y0US said:

Also do you have the compass after day 2? I only saw the first two if you have them 🙂

 

Trying to decide if we want to schedule this cruise last minute for next month.

I do, I’ve just been lazy.  I’ll try and get them out this afternoon.

[Tree_skier]

 

Silver sea parked behind us. 

 

 

 

Edited August 26, 2021 by Tree_skier

[Tree_skier]

Score update as of bedtime last night 

 

DBP 132. @Tree_skier 408

 

I’m winning. And almost can’t lose.