Live … Ovation of the Seas …Alaska … May 13 - May 20, 2022

[maryjaden]

Thank you so much for this thread.  I enjoyed following along and you provided great information.  We're sailing on June 17th with a group of 16 friends and family. 

[Ozark_Kid]

2 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Thanks so much for this reply.  Looks like you may have even booked the same room that we did...a corner suite.  We'll be there for 3 nights and I love the idea of flowers, both for the room and the cruise.  Definitely going to steal that one.

The flowers are great.  If you want to see some, do a search for Seattle Pike Place Market flowers.  Look at images.   You will see huge sections of beautiful bunches of flowers.   The large bunches we saw  were only $20.  

[BecciBoo]

Wonderful review, thx kid!

[Sea Dog]

@Ozark_Kid Welcome home and thank you for an amazing review with some fantastic pictures. I am going to have Linda look at the pictures to sell on on an Alaska cruise.

[Ozark_Kid]

1 hour ago, BecciBoo said:

Wonderful review, thx kid!

Thanks.  And I appreciate the time you and others took to help add to the journey.   

[Ozark_Kid]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

@Ozark_Kid Welcome home and thank you for an amazing review with some fantastic pictures. I am going to have Linda look at the pictures to sell on on an Alaska cruise.

Thanks.  I think one of these days we will end up cruising together.  We would do a great review together! 

I feel in a couple years we will try to do Alaska again.   The couple we cruised with was talking about a future Alaska cruise while we were coming home and my youngest DD really wants to go too.  Thanks again Greg for taking the time to follow along.

[Sea Dog]

2 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Thanks.  I think one of these days we will end up cruising together.  We would do a great review together! 

I feel in a couple years we will try to do Alaska again.   The couple we cruised with was talking about a future Alaska cruise while we were coming home and my youngest DD really wants to go too.  Thanks again Greg for taking the time to follow along.

 

I hope we will cruise together soon. A joint review would be great and a lot of fun. Again kudos for all the work you put into it and I know it's a lot of work.

[SeattleAl]

Just a note on Pike's Market: I love the place, took visitors there this past Friday. Be aware that there has been a problem with cars being broken into in the area, especially those with visible luggage. Try to park in a highly visible spot and put all luggage in a trunk (if possible).

 

The old mayor did nothing and the old City Attorney would not prosecute property crime, so people could do this without the fear of consequences.  That is changing, but slowly as the city of woefully short on police. 

[TravelGirlinDallas]

13 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

The day of the cruise we went again and bought a huge bunch of flowers for the cabin.

I have been wanting to do this, but what do you put them in? Did you bring a vase with you?

[Ozark_Kid]

44 minutes ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

I have been wanting to do this, but what do you put them in? Did you bring a vase with you?

They are huge bouquets.  You would almost need a bucket size vase.  Maybe use the ice bucket. 

[barb in ga]

It's been my tradition for many years to bring a bouquet of flowers on a cruise. In Florida, we usually stop at Publix on our way to the port, even in a taxi. Ft. Lauderdale is easy. For Port Canaveral we drive, and for Miami it varies--even the CVS and Walgreens have fresh flowers, but nothing like Seattle! Also we buy a couple of bottles of wine.

 

We bought the flowers at Pike Place on our Alaska cruise and the bouquet was so big, I used the cabin waste basket. 

Now I have a cute travel vase that folds flat for packing, then when filled with water holds the flowers. Look on Amazon for "collapsible vase".

 

Barb

[Bailey & Sophie]

On 5/22/2022 at 12:12 PM, Ozark_Kid said:

Some of the pics are Otterly ridiculous 🙄. 

 

 

It took us FOREVER to get through the aquarium. We watched these otters for about 45 minutes. They are adorable. 

[harryfat1]

On 5/16/2022 at 10:07 AM, Ozark_Kid said:

It it is moor fans.  Even one from Radiance!  NO whistle..... except Sharon warning me I was going to get hit by a transfer cart 😆 

 

 

 

 

 

As a long time member of the mooring line appreciation club (cult), thanks for posting these pictures.  

 

Thanks for the live trip report as I eagerly wait for my Alaska cruise in three months.  Not everyone appreciates how much work it takes to sort/post pictures and comments while on vacation.  I know I can never do a live report - under the same category of too dumb to walk and chew gum the same time.

 

Harry

[Ozark_Kid]

Just now, Bailey & Sophie said:

 

It took us FOREVER to get through the aquarium. We watched these otters for about 45 minutes. They are adorable. 

I loved the the set up for the otters.  I know we could of spent even more time than we did.   I will visit there again if given the opportunity. 

[harryfat1]

On 5/19/2022 at 4:48 AM, bobmacliberty said:

 

Thanks for this.  We'll be in Seattle in September and love Sushi.  I've added Umi Sake to my list.

 

 

I think I'll keep this info to myself.  Micheline is not a fan of heavy seas.  I had to convince her that Alaska and TP cruises wouldn't be bad.  Fingers crossed,

 

 

This is my biggest question.  Do I bring my Canon 7D and lenses on our upcoming Alaska/Hawaii trip?  On the positive, it still takes better pictures than my phone and everything fits neatly into a single backpack.  I'm thinking that I'll want to make a large print of at least one picture (probably more based on what John is posting here) that I take in either Hawaii or Alaska.  On the negative, we're already going to be taking way too much luggage just for the different Alaska/Hawaii climates.  Would be nice to have one less bag to deal with.  I rarely use my DSLR anymore but if I'm ever going to use it again for travel, this seems like the right time.  First world problems...

 

On 5/23/2022 at 5:00 AM, bobmacliberty said:

 

We're staying at the Mayflower Park in September (first time).  Chose it for the location and the older style luxury vibe.  What did you think of it?

Bob,

 

We plan to bring all our "big guns" for the upcoming Alaska cruise. My wife will have her Canon DSLR and I will have my Canon mega zoom (65X optical zoom).  We wouldn't take them to the Caribbean or Mexico cruise but for scenery in Alaska, I'm not going to just rely on the cell phone to zoom.  Need to lug the equipment around to try and catch the few "wow" pictures.

 

As for Mayflower Park, I stayed there many years ago.  Very nice place.  Just know Seattle is like San Francisco - very hilly.  If you plan to walk around downtown Seattle (given the parking problem, walking is the best option), have some oxygen tank ready when you walk back to the hotel...

 

 

[Ozark_Kid]

12 minutes ago, harryfat1 said:

 

As a long time member of the mooring line appreciation club (cult), thanks for posting these pictures.  

 

Thanks for the live trip report as I eagerly wait for my Alaska cruise in three months.  Not everyone appreciates how much work it takes to sort/post pictures and comments while on vacation.  I know I can never do a live report - under the same category of too dumb to walk and chew gum the same time.

 

Harry

As soon as I decided to do the review I knew I needed mooring pics.

Thanks for the application.   This was only my second solo review.  It is a lot of work.  From the first experience I learned this time to make a separate album for each day so once I posted pics I moved them to the separate folder.  It helped me to keep up.  What really helped was having cellular internet at most ports and a balcony.  It made loading pics easier.

Harry, I am sure you would be good at it.

[Coralc]

1 hour ago, Ozark_Kid said:

I loved the the set up for the otters.  I know we could of spent even more time than we did.   I will visit there again if given the opportunity. 

If you are ever out this way, you need to check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium. You can watch the otters for hours in their display, and then go outside on the patio and watch them in their natural habitat with pups and the kelp right behind the aquarium and in the tidepool below the patio. It is really a lot of fun, and worthy of an all day visit. 

[bobmacliberty]

12 hours ago, barb in ga said:

It's been my tradition for many years to bring a bouquet of flowers on a cruise. In Florida, we usually stop at Publix on our way to the port, even in a taxi. Ft. Lauderdale is easy. For Port Canaveral we drive, and for Miami it varies--even the CVS and Walgreens have fresh flowers, but nothing like Seattle! Also we buy a couple of bottles of wine.

 

We bought the flowers at Pike Place on our Alaska cruise and the bouquet was so big, I used the cabin waste basket. 

Now I have a cute travel vase that folds flat for packing, then when filled with water holds the flowers. Look on Amazon for "collapsible vase".

 

Barb

 

The collapsible vase looks like a great idea!  Thanks.

 

11 hours ago, harryfat1 said:

 

Bob,

 

We plan to bring all our "big guns" for the upcoming Alaska cruise. My wife will have her Canon DSLR and I will have my Canon mega zoom (65X optical zoom).  We wouldn't take them to the Caribbean or Mexico cruise but for scenery in Alaska, I'm not going to just rely on the cell phone to zoom.  Need to lug the equipment around to try and catch the few "wow" pictures.

 

As for Mayflower Park, I stayed there many years ago.  Very nice place.  Just know Seattle is like San Francisco - very hilly.  If you plan to walk around downtown Seattle (given the parking problem, walking is the best option), have some oxygen tank ready when you walk back to the hotel...

 

 

 

I will probably end up bringing all of my gear.  Why own it if I'm not going to use it...especially with such spectacular scenery as Alaska and Hawaii?  I want to catch a few "wow" pictures also and blow them up in a frame.  That 70-200 2.8 is just so heavy to carry all day (but takes amazing pictures!!!).  I might need to buy/rent a 2X extender for more reach in Alaska.  I'm thinking of doing a live review of our trip...3 days in Seattle, 7 night Alaska cruise, 3 days in Vancouver, 9 night cruise to Hawaii, 5 nights on Kauai.  If I end up doing the review, I'll need to take a lot of pics with my phone also so that I can post here.  

 

 

[Sea Dog]

12 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

From the first experience I learned this time to make a separate album for each day so once I posted pics I moved them to the separate folder. 

 

Good work flow. I do the same thing.

[harryfat1]

2 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

I will probably end up bringing all of my gear.  Why own it if I'm not going to use it...especially with such spectacular scenery as Alaska and Hawaii?  I want to catch a few "wow" pictures also and blow them up in a frame.  That 70-200 2.8 is just so heavy to carry all day (but takes amazing pictures!!!).  I might need to buy/rent a 2X extender for more reach in Alaska.  I'm thinking of doing a live review of our trip...3 days in Seattle, 7 night Alaska cruise, 3 days in Vancouver, 9 night cruise to Hawaii, 5 nights on Kauai.  If I end up doing the review, I'll need to take a lot of pics with my phone also so that I can post here.  

 

 

Yeah, if you do live reviews you would want to just upload the pictures from the phone or else you will need to transfer the pictures to a PC to upload, which requires an extra step.  Assuming you take hundreds of scenery pictures daily, it'll be a lot of work trying to decide which ones to upload.

 

Depending on what excursions you plan to do at various ports, you may not need to bring all the gears when you get off the ship.  You can leave the big lens in the cabin and take a smaller one on excursions and use the big one while on board during the Alaska inside passage and glacier viewing time or cruising around Hawaiian islands.

 

I'm also planning to buy extra batteries for the cameras from Amazon before the cruise.  Rather have too many than not enough batteries at various scenic places.

[Ozark_Kid]

15 hours ago, harryfat1 said:

We plan to bring all our "big guns" for the upcoming Alaska cruise. My wife will have her Canon DSLR and I will have my Canon mega zoom (65X optical zoom).

 

3 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

will probably end up bringing all of my gear.  Why own it if I'm not going to use it...especially with such spectacular scenery as Alaska and Hawaii?

I have been neglecting my Canon equipment for a few years now. Lenses, flash equipment,  backup scenes.  It would of been wise to bring it on the Alaska cruise. 

I agree with Harry,  in Alaska there are places you may not need your big lenses.  Just think out where you be each day.

Although some experienced reviewers can handle it, I could not of done a review with something other than the phone. You don't want to let a review take away from your experience or the ones you are with.

Funny thing happened while writing this.  My DW just got home.  I didn't notice but she had the Canon out and was charging the batteries!  My grandson looked at the Alaska pics yesterday and today he wants to take pics to enter into the County Fair!

He will probably be my inspiration to getting back into using the Canon.  I can't believe he is using it today.

[SeattleAl]

2 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

 

I have been neglecting my Canon equipment for a few years now. Lenses, flash equipment,  backup scenes.  It would of been wise to bring it on the Alaska cruise. 

I agree with Harry,  in Alaska there are places you may not need your big lenses.  Just think out where you be each day.

Although some experienced reviewers can handle it, I could not of done a review with something other than the phone. You don't want to let a review take away from your experience or the ones you are with.

Funny thing happened while writing this.  My DW just got home.  I didn't notice but she had the Canon out and was charging the batteries!  My grandson looked at the Alaska pics yesterday and today he wants to take pics to enter into the County Fair!

He will probably be my inspiration to getting back into using the Canon.  I can't believe he is using it today.

Just a note that those big lenses require a very fast shutter speed if you're shooting from the ship. You may get used to the ship's movement, but the camera doesn't adjust well (even with IS). Zoomed out shots from a moving ship are often blurry if you're not careful.

[bobmacliberty]

5 minutes ago, SeattleAl said:

Just a note that those big lenses require a very fast shutter speed if you're shooting from the ship. You may get used to the ship's movement, but the camera doesn't adjust well (even with IS). Zoomed out shots from a moving ship are often blurry if you're not careful.

 

That's the problem with using a 2X teleconverter, and the main reason that I never bought one...you lose 2 stops of light.  It's great if you're on a tripod on firm ground.  Not so much if you're handheld on a rocking ship.  The 70-200 2.8 stays wide open at 2.8 for the entire focal length range, which is great. I used it a lot for action sports with my kids when they were younger.  I could shoot at least at 1/200 sec and often faster, even indoors with the ISO cranked up a bit. But 200mm might not be enough for Alaska.

 

I think we've turned this into a photography thread. 😁

[iuki]

On 5/21/2022 at 5:30 PM, crzndeb said:

There are also little tram vehicles taking people from ship to end of the dock (and back) where the train meets. No charge, but there’s a tip box. Fits 7 if I remember correctly.

Thank you so much. Good to know.

 

On 5/22/2022 at 3:36 AM, BecciBoo said:

September is a great month for Alaska cruising.  Always warm as toast and smooth as glass seas.  Except for the Glacier days which are always chilly!  There people out on the boardwalk in Ketch in shorts/no shirt painting their shops and stuff.  I would always pick that month to cruise north.  On both no rocking hardly any waves at all anywhere.

You were the lucky one.  We sailed in September and had 35-foot wells.  Most of the crew and we’re really sick.  We were the ship they gave permission to go through the inside passage.  The ship before us called for permission just after our Captain and was denied.  The next day he told our Captain it got worse - up to 45-foot swells.  Merchandise fell all over the stores.

[Bailey & Sophie]

12 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

 I'm thinking of doing a live review of our trip...3 days in Seattle, 7 night Alaska cruise, 3 days in Vancouver, 9 night cruise to Hawaii, 5 nights on Kauai.  If I end up doing the review, I'll need to take a lot of pics with my phone also so that I can post here.  

 

 

 

Definitely want to read this one!