A quite late review of our August 21-28 Alaska cruise

[CruiseMGM]

So there have been scads of reviews since the restart and this is just one more, but maybe it will give a little information not given in other reviews, or perhaps just a different perspective. And if not, feel free to pass on by! 😉

 

We're a party of 4 traveling in 2 veranda cabins on deck 8 (8130 and 8132), all in our mid-to-late 60's. Me an' DH, my DB (demon brother) and wonderful SIL, all good friends. We're pretty boring, though, so there's not a lot about things going on onboard, we didn't go to any of the shows or even to the Crow's Nest. Walked through the casino once, LOL, and appreciated it was smoke-free, but that was it.

 

Flew Southwest to Seattle on August 20th and had a pre-arranged transfer with Seaview Airport Service. Our driver was a little bit late, or maybe we were just a little bit early. Our first flights in over a year and a half, egads, and same with the cruise. We'd booked the Mediterranean Inn in the Queen Anne district and were very pleased with our room. Looked for a restaurant nearby and settled on Sal Y Limon, just up a block. We weren't too sure about having Mexican food in Seattle (we're in the southwest and have some good Mexican food around here!), but Sal Y Limon was outstanding. So much so, that we went back the next morning for brunch before taking our shuttle to the ship! The hotel had an arrangement with a shuttle service, $10pp to the pier and it was quick and easy.

 

Embarkation, easiest I've ever been through. We were probably in our rooms 15-20 minutes after exiting our shuttle! The rooms were great.....except for one "feature" ......we were directly under the sea-view/aft pool deck chairs on deck 9 and they were moved around a LOT. It was a bit noisy, I think they should try some rubber "footies" on the chair legs! Our room steward, Andy, was fantastic, always there and happy to offer his services. We asked Andy to open the veranda doors between our two rooms and that was done while we had a drink on deck for sail-away in the beautiful sunshine. Spent some time on our balconies and enjoyed the beautiful weather and just the feel of being back at sea. It's also been over a year and a half since we've even seen the ocean, and we really missed it. Dinner in the Canaletto and our waitress Phoebe was fantastic, really increased our enjoyment of a great meal. We asked Phoebe how many passengers were onboard and she said about 1500. It was remarkably uncrowded and we felt very safe. Most everyone was wearing masks, but we didn't do a lot of wandering (eg: casino, shops, etc.).

 

Starting and ending the cruise with a sea day was great! While onboard, we drank some (ok, maybe a little more than "some") and played some Double Down out by the pool or in the Lido, went to a couple of EXC talks that were really good, mostly lazed on our balconies and had really nice meals. The guys liked Dive In (and the app worked GREAT for ordering), while the ladies often browsed the Lido at lunch and found some good things to eat......the chicken tikka masala on our last sea day (or was it Ketchikan?) was OUTSTANDING! They had coconut ice cream one day and I indulged maybe a wee bit too much, my favorite and so delicious! We ate in the MDR a couple of times and it was very nice with good service. My only issue is that I'd made reservations for those 2 dinners, PRE-cruise, on the website, and those reservations were nowhere to be found. I couldn't make another reservation, but "walk up" was quick and easy both nights, and we were seated almost immediately. Canaletto was really good, as was Tamarind. We had breakfast in the Lido twice and it was very good. Their "fake bacon" was pretty awful, but the real stuff was good, LOL (I think the former was a turkey bacon or something, not exactly sure!). Mmmmmm, a Nutella and raspberry jam crepe one morning, how decadent! We never made it to afternoon tea ....... and we all agreed that we were never hungry, there was more than plenty of food to eat!

 

I'd ordered a "happy birthday" package for my DB but it wasn't delivered (they don't do the balloons any more.....plastic!) and a visit to guest services quickly took care of that. Port Valet paperwork was delivered on Sunday and that was the most marvelous thing, sign up, no charge, bags checked to your destination and picked up midnight last day, boarding passes delivered. Loved that and it worked like a charm.

 

In Juneau, we took the Tracy Arm Fjord ship tour and it was a marvelous day for it. Sunny and bright, absolutely beautiful. The little boat was a surprise, much smaller than I'd expected, but it handled the trip just fine, was very stable and handled our route perfectly. I'll try to post a few pictures soon. It's a long day, though, a 7 hour round trip Juneau. Saw seals and mountain goats and beautiful scenery and icebergs and some calving and that gorgeous glacier in the sunlight. The captain and crew (one fella!) were great and kept us well informed. Although a very nice thought, the "snack" served was pretty minimal (a turkey sammich and Funyuns in our bags, with an apple and a bottled water) and we ended up ordering a pizza or two when we got back on the ship late in the day!

 

Glacier Bay was overcast and drizzly and foggy but you can't predict the weather. We were just grateful we'd had such a great day outside of Juneau! Just realized, looking at our pictures, the coconut ice cream was our day in Glacier Bay! I remember now that DH and I both saw bears on the shore in Glacier Bay, one was chasing the other. DB says if we don't have any pictures, it didn't happen, LOL, but it was so far away that we could only see it with the binoculars.

 

Our stop in Icy Strait Point was good and bad. We'd visited in 2019 and had a fabulous time there and were hoping to go out with the same group from Glacier Winds, but they'd had some medical issues the week before and had to cancel. While we were sad about that, we drowned our sorrows in shopping and bought several lovely things from one of the nice little shops there. We also had a very nice meal of halibut and chips at their little restaurant. Finally, the gondola, completely NEW since we'd been there in 2019, was a lovely little ride through the forest, and we finally realized what it was for......it's for passengers at the new dock (also completely new since 2019). Icy Strait Point is a place we'd like to spend more time at (especially out on the water!), and a 6pm-10pm stop was pretty minimal. But fresh air and a beautiful evening, we enjoyed our brief visit.

 

We'd never been to Sitka before and enjoyed our time there. The shuttle buses were quick and efficient, and dropped us off in the middle of town. We walked around, took pictures at Totem Square and more at St Michael's and the Pioneer Home, bought some great chocolate (Theobroma? wow, thanks to whomever mentioned it during one of the earlier reviews!), and ended up back on the ship in the afternoon for a hot stones massage. Ahhhhhhhhh.

 

Last port of call, Ketchikan, a bit drizzly but still a really nice day. We'd booked with the Ketchikan Kayak Company again, same as 2019, and did an e-bike and hike. That was a lot of fun, but the hike through the forest and down to the shore ended up being longer than the bike part of the day, so the bike portion was hurried. The company has faced tough times..... previously 20 employees, now 4. We were glad we could put some money into their coffers with our visit, and we really enjoyed ourselves. We got to see a lot of salmon in the mountain stream, starfish during low tide on the shore.......and an adorable little German Shepherd puppy out with her "dad" (who was clamming). She deserted him to come check us out, and she got more than her share of pets.

 

Our last sea day was spent entirely in relaxation mode, sitting on the balconies, watching dolphins and sea birds and yes, whales (even several breaches, but they were quite a ways away). We had dinner in the Pinnacle Grill that night and everyone enjoyed their meal but I came away disappointed. The food was good but the service seemed lackluster, even haphazard. I'm thinking the staff are just spread really, REALLY thin and they don't have time for the pleasantries or niceties. 

 

Disembarkation, with Port Valet, was seamless, and we were soon at the airport for our flight. Our bags met us at our destination! Easy peasy and we really had a marvelous trip. I'd spent a lot of time agonizing over the cruise before it happened (eg: are we CRAZY doing this in the middle of a pandemic??? what in heaven's name are we thinking???? what if any one of us test positive right before the cruise???), but it all went like clockwork. The ship never seemed crowded (except that one night in BB King's and we didn't stay long), most everyone seemed to stay masked, the elevators were almost always just the 4 of us, the crew was happy and you could see the smiles in their eyes, and we were extremely happy and lucky to be some of the few on this abbreviated season's sailing. So far, no issues upon our return home and I think we're all really grateful and borderline teary-eyed to have visited Alaska and had a cruise on a 'dam ship again!

 

Just a few other things, the Navigator App is kind of hit and miss, with the Chat function being mostly a miss for us. But for requesting laundry to be picked up, or ordering a pizza or a burger at Dive In, OR looking at today's menu to see if it sounds appealing, checking our statement? FANTASTIC, really loved it. Re: Port Valet, a real boon! We were on a nonstop flight but heard other guests mentioning that the bag tags only show the first stop/leg (eg: someone traveling to Denver via SLC only showed SLC on the tag and they were concerned), but guest services said they were checked all the way to their final destination. Something to be aware of, there were a lot of concerned people in line that day!

 

Overall, the trip was really what the doctor ordered, for all of us. And I hope there are many more to come!

 

 

 

 

[canadianbear]

Wonderful review!  So glad you all had a memorable cruise.  Lovely being able to sit on your balcony and see whales and dolphins.  Always a bonus.  Will check back in a couple of days for photos.  (I love looking at photos!) 

[StLouisCruisers]

I enjoyed reading your review, so thanks a lot for posting one.  We don't do a lot of the entertainment either so it worked for me!  

[aliaschief]

Thank you for your great review. As we are recent NA Alaskan cruisers we can relate to your experiences. Had too laugh as we also never made it to the Crows Nest and spent a lot of time on our balcony.

 

We only dined in specialty restaurants of which two nights were in Pinnacle. All of our dining experiences were spot on.

 

Thanks again. We are looking forward to sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam from San Diego to Florida next month.

[CruiseMGM]

18 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

Thank you for your great review. As we are recent NA Alaskan cruisers we can relate to your experiences. Had too laugh as we also never made it to the Crows Nest and spent a lot of time on our balcony.

 

We only dined in specialty restaurants of which two nights were in Pinnacle. All of our dining experiences were spot on.

 

Thanks again. We are looking forward to sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam from San Diego to Florida next month.

So happy to hear your PG nights were great. We must have just had an 'off' night. The PG is one of my favorite restaurants, so we'll certainly be back again. Ahhhhh, envy you the Panama Canal trip, such an amazing cruise!

 

Best wishes!

[dobiemom]

Thanks for your review. 🙂

[AryMay]

Fun to read a review from someone I've met! (We were on the 2019 SA/Antarctica Zaandam cruise with you.) As much as I want to cruise again I'm just not ready...yet. Until then I am getting my cruise fix thanks to trip reports and especially humorous and well written ones such as yours!!

 

Even in non-pandemic times, "balcony sitting" is our thing when cruising to Alaska. Sounds like you were able to see some great wild life (although it would be hard to beat what we saw in Antarctica, right?) 

 

Sorry it didn't work out for your tour with Glacier Winds. Hoping the medical issues weren't too serious. We had a fabulous tour with them several years ago and saw whales bubble-net feeding. Have also toured with Ketchikan Kayak (doing kayaking.) Your hike & bike tour sounded fun. How strenuous was the hiking? Might have to look into this if we make it back to Alaska.

 

Have been telling a friend about the Port Valet program. She is doing a Princess cruise to Alaska next week. Not sure if they have a direct flight, but I will mention the issue with the bag tags just in case.

 

Thanks again for the great review. I have my fingers crossed you might post some photos...

 

[Charleston Lady]

Thanks for your review. We are on the 9/25 sailing and the subsequent one back to FLL. Was glad to hear you liked the Mediterranean Inn as we also will stay there. I chose it somewhat at random based on reviews so happy that it was a win for you. I too wonder if we are crazy to try this now, but so tired of not sailing and we will take all precautions for a safe journey.  Best to you.

[Mr. Boston]

Thank-you for the nice review!  I’m glad your group had such a nice time.  Slowly the wheels are starting to turn.  

[BSR]

Enjoyed reading your review. 

[travelholics]

Thanks for your review, great to hear that HAL are getting it right in most areas and sounds like being on board ship is one of the safest places at the present time

[erewhon]

Enjoyed reading your review. 

Thank you.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review!

[doone]

Great review, I really enjoyed reading it…..

[CruiseMGM]

Thank you so much for all the nice comments! And @AryMay, great to hear from you, too! Yes, that Antarctic trip was AMAZING, so beautiful and so much to see and enjoy. I think of it often. The hike with Ketchikan Kayak Co was a little more difficult this time than on our last visit (in 2019).....we spent some more time near the shore at low tide and some of those rocks were slippery. But the walk through the woods has a lot of steps (some large, some short) and you really have to keep an eye on where your feet are going. It's absolutely GORGEOUS, though, especially for us southwesterners who don't get to enjoy that kind of green growing things and moisture! I've downloaded a few pix and will post them shortly, I think I have to make them a little smaller (pixels) first.

[CruiseMGM]

Hope this works. Pictures sailing into Juneau with a moonset/sunrise, then from Tracy Arm Fjord with mountain goats, icebergs and mountain stream, then evening back on the ship before we set sail.

[CruiseMGM]

So far, so good! Glacier Bay and Icy Strait Point up next........with my favorite iceberg in Glacier Bay, looks like a "pop rocket"? One of those frozen ice cream treats kids buy?

 

 

[ontheweb]

Great, great pictures. Keep them coming!😊

[kazu]

Thanks so much for the great review and sharing your experiences.

 

A very enjoyable read and much appreciated 👍 

[CruiseMGM]

Sitka's up next.............Totem Square and the Pioneer Home, and our neighbor at dock!

[CruiseMGM]

Finally, Ketchikan, where it looks like I took a lot more pictures than anywhere else. Our bike ride was quite a ways out of town, and we drove a little bit in a gravel lot to get used to the bikes before setting out. Once up onto the main road (where there was some traffic, but not a LOT), we rode about 5 miles to the end of the road, then did our hike. Lots of salmon in the stream, so much greenery! Saw starfish and mussels on the shore (and that adorable puppy). After some drizzle on the way back, we had clear skies for sailing away.

 

 

[canadianbear]

Great photos!!!  Thank you for adding them. 

[SusieKIslandGirl]

😄 All the seaweed in the photo with the puppy reminded me of my 7th grade Science Fair project. I dried that seaweed, ground it into flour and made chocolate chip cookies with it. Goofed on the 1st batch when I added salt. Food from the Sea was my title. And no, I never ate any. I said I had to be the one to remain to record reactions !??

[kazu]

More great pics and comments.   thanks so much 🙂 

[AryMay]

19 hours ago, CruiseMGM said:

Thank you so much for all the nice comments! And @AryMay, great to hear from you, too! Yes, that Antarctic trip was AMAZING, so beautiful and so much to see and enjoy. I think of it often. The hike with Ketchikan Kayak Co was a little more difficult this time than on our last visit (in 2019).....we spent some more time near the shore at low tide and some of those rocks were slippery. But the walk through the woods has a lot of steps (some large, some short) and you really have to keep an eye on where your feet are going. It's absolutely GORGEOUS, though, especially for us southwesterners who don't get to enjoy that kind of green growing things and moisture! I've downloaded a few pix and will post them shortly, I think I have to make them a little smaller (pixels) first.

 

Your photos are outstanding...thanks for taking the time to post them!!

 

I will have to keep the Ketchikan hike & bike tour in mind if we ever return to Alaska. Have always wanted to try an electric bike! When we did our kayak tour there, it was also at low tide. Amazing how many different sea creatures are exposed at low tide!!