Rare Fishbone Posted July 21 Author #76 Share Posted July 21 Day 9: Friday, July 19 - Anchorage We were dragging a little this morning, but managed to pull it together for our last day on the run … more like a slow stroll at this point. My husband quickly washed two loads of laundry ‘cause everything smells fishy. Yuck. We ate our obligatory oatmeal & then headed out for our final day in south central Alaska. As we were waiting at a red light, on our way to our first stop, a guy literally fell out of a tree directly adjacent to us. I guess he was sleeping in it. All of a sudden, he came crashing down. He stood up all dazed & confused, brushed himself off, & stumbled away. It wasn’t funny … but it was. Totally unexpected & so random. Only in Alaska! UPS Store: Last year, we didn’t really know what we were doing, but now … we’re experts! Quick stop to buy an obligatory cardboard box in which to transport the guys’ new fishing poles. Anchorage House of Hobbies: This was an unplanned stop. My son loves trains. Always has, always will! He’s currently in the very early stages of building a HO scale model train layout. When we passed this shop, he had to stop. He didn’t end up buying anything, but he got lots of ideas! AK Alchemist: Halibut quesadillas for both Colt & myself. Salmon quesadilla for my husband. Colt & I asked for no jalapenos, but my husband asked for extra. “Don’t do it,” I warned, but he never listens. I knew what was coming next … when we got our food, he looked at me w/ those puppy dog eyes. “Let’s share,” he said. “You give me half of your halibut quesadilla & I’ll give you half of my salmon quesadilla!” He said it all enthusiastically like it was a great idea. I guess. Except now we’re headed north on the Glenn Highway & there’s a major gas leak! My tummy is no bueno. It’s like the fireworks on the 4th of July. I told him so. Eklutna Tailrace: When I originally mapped this place out, it seemed isolated & desolate. When we arrived, it was a hub of activity. As we were walking up, a local guy called out to us. “Ready to fish!” he exclaimed. When he discovered that we were from Florida, he jumped out of his rusty ol' truck to show the guys how to “floss”. Sadly, the fish weren’t interested in getting their teeth cleaned. The view was incredibly picturesque … until it wasn’t. “You’re going to love the fishing spot we found!” my husband happily exclaimed. So instead of sitting on the breezy bank, soaking in the sun, I followed them into the woods until we got to “their fishing spot”. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I snorted. They spent the next hour fishing off abandoned rusty old cars/car parts from way back when. You could tell they were old ‘cause they were solid metal w/ flared tail lights. They were also riddled w/ bullet holes. These are the cars my super old dad must have driven back in the day! Way back! Alaska Baseball League: Mat-Su Miners vs Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks at Hermon Brothers Field! We got there early & discovered that a makeup game from earlier in July was taking place, so we got to see a double-header. Hermon Brothers Field: Colt bought a t-shirt & my husband bought a hat. I bought an ice cold Dr Pepper to beat the heat. It was really hot today. Doesn’t feel like Alaska at all! After the game, we headed back to Anchorage. Subway: Blech. Our options were limited. Carrs: The guys ran in to buy some drinks. I sat in the car & suddenly there was an all out brawl in the parking lot. Three burly guys began attacking one equally burly guy. There were fists flying in all directions. They all ended up on the ground, rolling around like they were five years old. They eventually tied up the lone burly guy & dragged him back into the store. My guys missed all the action. AirBnB “Room in Anchorage”: Unfortunately, I was unable to snag a “friends & family” rate at any of the Marriott properties in Anchorage for our last night. Fortunately, I found a unique little room at Merrill Field Airport. $211.88 for 1 night. Sigh. The Fly Inn at Merrill: We stayed in the “Yukon Room”, which was accessible via a “hangar’. The hangar was situated directly adjacent to the runway at Merrill Field Airport. Those cute little puddle jumpers were EVERYWHERE! It felt like we were on the set of Disney’s “Planes” movie! Our incredibly fast & furious road trip throughout the Kenai Peninsula has come to an end. We are EXHAUSTED & looking forward to a relaxing week sailing the Gulf of Alaska! Good night from Anchorage, Alaska! ONE more “goodnight moon” before we board the Royal Princess. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 21 Author #77 Share Posted July 21 Very small collection of photos to correspond to Day 7 - Homer. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 21 Author #78 Share Posted July 21 (edited) Very small collection of photos to correspond to Day 8 - en route to Anchorage. Edited July 21 by Fishbone 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 21 Author #79 Share Posted July 21 Very small collection of photos to correspond to day 9 - Anchorage. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kebhouse Posted July 22 #80 Share Posted July 22 Your pictures are great! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 24 Author #81 Share Posted July 24 Day 10: Saturday, July 20 – Whittier, Alaska (Royal Princess Embarkation) Love! Exciting & new! Come aboard, we’re expecting you! THE LOVE BOAT! … This morning, the guys & I got into a little "tiff". I was minding my own business, happily singing The Love Boat theme song. They had the straight up nerve to tell me to stop. “Mom, we can’t take it anymore!” yelled Colt. “Yea,” added my husband. “You’re giving us a headache, even autotune can’t help you.” I’m giving THEM a headache? So let me get this straight. I’ve been flinging myself over guard rails, staying out in the rain until way after midnight (which is way past my bedtime), sliding down muddy banks, reeking like a three-day old tuna fish sandwich, & eating oatmeal every single day … for the fun of it? I’ve got a headache too & it’s got THEIR names written all over it. Sigh. Love! Life’s sweetest reward! Let it flow, it floats back to you! THE LOVE BOAT, soon will be making another run … I eventually stopped. Begrudgingly. I’m over our (my) self-imposed 5AM wake-up call! We slowly pulled ourselves together, finished off our oatmeal supplies (Hallelujah!), & topped off our bags - which I had repacked last night. I affixed our luggage tags (which I had strengthened with clear packing tape) to our bags w/ a mini stapler & we were off. Avis: We returned our rental & prayed that they wouldn’t notice the two cracks in the windshield that we got somewhere along the way. We cleaned the car yesterday in an attempt to distract them from noticing. I think it worked ‘cause they said it looked great & sent us on our way. We noticed that 1/3 of the vehicles in Alaska have cracked windshields. We rode the escalator down into the airport. I do not enjoy riding on escalators. Back in 1991, my brother & I scored tickets to a World Series game in Atlanta. After cheering on the Braves, we headed to a Marta station, jumped on an escalator, & headed to the platform. Unfortunately, thousands of other people were doing the same thing. The platform was so full that people were fixin’ to fall onto the tracks & the people on the escalators had nowhere to go, so we just kept smashing into each other. Over & over again. No one could find the emergency shut off, everyone was screaming, & chaos ensued. Fortunately, my tall & fit brother was able to scale a wall & hoist himself up to safety. He then reached down & what can only be described as divine intervention, somehow managed to pull me up too. ANC: We booked a bus transfer again & I remembered exactly where to go. We sat outside in the fresh air by the fountain & waited for the wheels on the bus to come ‘round & ‘round. ACT Big Bus: The airport is their last stop, so the busses are already filled w/ people upon arrival. Not full, but not empty. They loaded our luggage & we scampered on. The guys were still angry with me for singing The Love Boat theme song over & over again, so they iced me out & sat together (although I snagged a seat in the next row over). I sat ... all by myself. We settled in for an uneventful hour-long journey. We only got a few hours of sleep last night, so we were hoping to take a nap on the bus. But the bus driver wasn’t having it. That dude was a chatterbox. Way worse than me! He talked for the duration of the trip & it was so LOUD. Oh my goodness. To be fair, everything he was saying was interesting & relevant to the journey. Except for maybe the scientific differences between a dragonfly & a damselfly ... but that was interesting too. I feel like this company really has their “act” together & I wouldn’t hesitate to book w/ them yet again. $157.29/3=$52.42pp. Whittier Cruise Ship Terminal: Our luggage was already tagged, so we simply walked off the bus upon arrival & headed to the terminal. The bus staff transferred our luggage to the ship. The terminal was empty & we breezed through effortlessly. We did not pay extra to have our medallions shipped to us in advance because there’s no legitimate reason to do so, at least not at this port. We stopped at a counter to pick them up (which took less than two minutes) & popped them into the wrist bands that we bought on Amazon in advance of our cruise last year. Ready to board! Royal Princess: The gleaming ship was towering over the small port. It was a stark contrast. Opulent gluttony meets raw simplicity in an extraordinary setting. The town of Whittier is a complete enigma, lost in time. I’m looking forward to being treated like “royalty”. 7-day southbound “Voyage of the Glaciers” sailing w/ taxes & fees = $2250.65/3=$750.22pp We are, fortunately, all feeling great at the moment. In preparation for this trip, we all got a Covid booster. To each his own. After catching Covid for the very first time on the Majestic Princess last year, I was not willing to take any chances. We’ve also each been taking a daily multi-vitamin, walking, drinking tons of water; eating large amounts of fruit & veggies; getting lots of sleep, soaking in the sun, & breathing in as much of this glorious Alaskan air as possible. May our next few days be filled w/ good health & much happiness! We hopped on an elevator & headed to the Lido Deck. The ship was very empty w/ just a few people wandering about. We snagged a table & settled in for a long lunch. We watched a train pull up & slowly but surely the ship began to buzz w/ excitement. We pre-purchased the internet plan for one device, so I tested it on our phones & my laptop ($174.93). We watched the safety briefing & then headed down to our muster station to check-in. Around 1:00PM, we meandered to our mid-ship cabin, a “sideways” interior on the Baja Deck. An interior cabin? To Alaska? Yep. Last year, we splurged for a fantastic obstructed deluxe balcony on the Emerald Deck of the Majestic Princess (E-110). It was an outstanding cabin w/ an oversized balcony that was not, in fact, obstructed. It was three, maybe four times the size of a regular balcony, but we used it for less than two hours over the entire duration of the cruise! The time we spend in our cabin is minimal at best. Sleeping. Showering. That’s it. When we’re awake, we’re out & about. I totally get the allure of a balcony cabin. My parents will cruise in nothing less. They’re actually becoming a little “boujee” in their old age & thus now prefer a mini-suite. Balcony cabins & mini-suites are a total waste for us … at the moment. Maybe when we become less mobile, less active ... or win the lottery. For this cruise, we’re happy w/ our cozy little interior cabin, which also literally saved us thousands! We were promptly greeted by our super smiley cabin steward, who seems very nice. Score! We confirmed once a day morning service & asked for extra towels daily. We pre-paid our gratuities in advance of embarkation. $336.00/3=$112.00pp The two cases of water that I had pre-purchased had already been delivered to the cabin. $7.08X2=$14.16/24=.59 per bottle. All of our bags were delivered within minutes of us entering the cabin. Excellent! I quickly unpacked & settled us in for the week. It will be so nice not to have to pack-up every day. We explored the ship, showered up, & headed for an early dinner. After dinner, we played a little mini golf, the guys played a little basketball, & then we checked Colt into the Beach House. Off he went w/out even a second glance. Oh how I miss my sweet little boy who used to cling to us like a fly on a swatter. Sigh. At some point, I read on the ship’s Facebook group that an accident was stalling traffic on the Seward Highway. Sometime thereafter, it was publicly announced on the ship that there were delays due to an accident & that many passengers & ship personnel were impacted. They said that the ship would be waiting for as long as possible so that as many passengers as possible could embark. I was super happy to hear that, ‘cause I didn’t want anyone to be left behind. Several more announcements were made, each confirming the delay. At one point, it was noted that we would eventually have to leave due to the pending arrival of a Holland America ship. At 10:00PM, my husband & I stopped by the cabin to pick up our sweatshirts & then snuggled ourselves into two lounge chairs on the Lido Deck to watch the Barbie movie. We bundled ourselves under multiple blankets that were being distributed, with only our eyes exposed. I felt like a caterpillar in a cocoon. At 10:30PM, the movie still hadn’t started. Then I remembered reading somewhere that Whittier had a noise ordinance (or something like that) & as a result, the big screen would not be turned on in port. Thus, we ditched our cocoons & headed to the Horizon Terrace. Shortly thereafter, at 10:40PM, the lines were dropped & the ship began to sail away. Yay! We enjoyed the scenery while playing games (Uno; Battleship; Yahtzee), relaxing, catching-up, & people watching. We also enjoyed the gorgeous sunset & the passing of a Holland America ship. There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing a ship all lit up at night, silently sailing through the seas. Once we made it through Prince William Sound we headed back inside ‘cause it was getting cold. Really cold. We stopped by the International Café for a little late night delight. Afterwards, we found our way back to the Baja Deck. Colt’s not back yet, but my husband will stay up until he safely returns. He has a 1AM curfew, so he’ll be back soon. I changed into my pair of our 2023 matching winter holiday pajamas (adorned w/ cute little gingerbread men), snuggled myself into our warm & cozy cabin, & am moments away from a deep slumber reminiscent of Rip van Winkle. I’ve never been a night owl like the guys. More like a hibernating bear. I’ve slept through earthquakes, hurricanes … you name it, I’ve probably slept through it. Fortunately, when Colt was little, my husband happily assumed the “night shift”. I guess our opposite internal clocks work well together. Good night from the Royal Princess, which is currently sailing “eastbound & down” through the Gulf of Alaska! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 24 Author #82 Share Posted July 24 I’m jumping ahead … I’m well aware that I’m several days behind (thanks mom, for letting me know), but I just had the most awesome & surreal Cruise Critic experience. We’re currently in Icy Strait Point & after enjoying the morning out as a family, I came back to the ship alone. The guys went off on an excursion by themselves. Back in the room, I showered up & then decided to do a load of laundry. The guys have accumulated quite a bit of dirty underwear & socks, which stink to the holy heavens & back. So I gathered it all up & headed to the laundry room. I look a mess & my feet are super swollen, but it’s not like anyone on the ship knows who I am! I got all the way to the laundry room, which is on the opposite side of the ship, only to discover that I forgot the guys’ dirty jeans. Ugh. I had already dumped the rest of the dirties into the washer & didn’t want to take it all back out, but I didn’t want to leave it there either. I hadn’t started the load yet & thought someone might come along & remove it. I didn’t want to lose my place in the stinky laundry line! Fortunately, there was a very nice lady there who was finishing up her loads who said she’d stay & watch my load to make sure no one touched it. I was so thankful! In hindsight, I don’t think anyone would have touched a load of dirty underwear & socks! Nevertheless, I ran all the way back to our cabin, grabbed the jeans, & ran all the way back to the laundry room. Then I went back to the cabin & waited the 30 or so minutes it takes to wash a load. I eventually trudged my super swollen feet back to the laundry room, where a different lady was waiting on her laundry to finish drying. We chatted a bit … we talked about three legged raccoons, baby squirrels, & our husbands. Isn’t that what everyone talks to strangers about? “I like this lady,” I said to myself. No politics. No negativity. Three-legged raccoons … baby squirrels … husbands. All of a sudden, she mentioned that she’s reading a trip report on Cruise Critic by someone named … Fishbone! Oh. My. Gosh. “That’s me!” I blurted out. Maybe I shouldn’t have told her it was me considering that I looked like a wet rat w/ swollen ankles & was trudging along like a hippopotamus. I jumped up & down, so excited to meet someone w/ whom I’ve been chatting w/ online. What are the odds that we would randomly meet in the laundry room on the Baja Deck? We gave each other great big hugs & chatted a bit more before her laundry was finished & she headed on her way. It was so wonderful to meet you, @ninka26! I hope we run into each other again on the ship & you get to meet my guys! Best wishes to you & your husband for a wonderful cruise! 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 24 Author #83 Share Posted July 24 Paperwork from Day 1 for paperwork loving fools like me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninka26 Posted July 24 #84 Share Posted July 24 13 hours ago, Fishbone said: I’m jumping ahead … I’m well aware that I’m several days behind (thanks mom, for letting me know), but I just had the most awesome & surreal Cruise Critic experience. We’re currently in Icy Strait Point & after enjoying the morning out as a family, I came back to the ship alone. The guys went off on an excursion by themselves. Back in the room, I showered up & then decided to do a load of laundry. The guys have accumulated quite a bit of dirty underwear & socks, which stink to the holy heavens & back. So I gathered it all up & headed to the laundry room. I look a mess & my feet are super swollen, but it’s not like anyone on the ship knows who I am! I got all the way to the laundry room, which is on the opposite side of the ship, only to discover that I forgot the guys’ dirty jeans. Ugh. I had already dumped the rest of the dirties into the washer & didn’t want to take it all back out, but I didn’t want to leave it there either. I hadn’t started the load yet & thought someone might come along & remove it. I didn’t want to lose my place in the stinky laundry line! Fortunately, there was a very nice lady there who was finishing up her loads who said she’d stay & watch my load to make sure no one touched it. I was so thankful! In hindsight, I don’t think anyone would have touched a load of dirty underwear & socks! Nevertheless, I ran all the way back to our cabin, grabbed the jeans, & ran all the way back to the laundry room. Then I went back to the cabin & waited the 30 or so minutes it takes to wash a load. I eventually trudged my super swollen feet back to the laundry room, where a different lady was waiting on her laundry to finish drying. We chatted a bit … we talked about three legged raccoons, baby squirrels, & our husbands. Isn’t that what everyone talks to strangers about? “I like this lady,” I said to myself. No politics. No negativity. Three-legged raccoons … baby squirrels … husbands. All of a sudden, she mentioned that she’s reading a trip report on Cruise Critic by someone named … Fishbone! Oh. My. Gosh. “That’s me!” I blurted out. Maybe I shouldn’t have told her it was me considering that I looked like a wet rat w/ swollen ankles & was trudging along like a hippopotamus. I jumped up & down, so excited to meet someone w/ whom I’ve been chatting w/ online. What are the odds that we would randomly meet in the laundry room on the Baja Deck? We gave each other great big hugs & chatted a bit more before her laundry was finished & she headed on her way. 13 hours ago, Fishbone said: It was so wonderful to meet you, @ninka26! I hope we run into each other again on the ship & you get to meet my guys! Best wishes to you & your husband for a wonderful cruise! Right back at you @Fishbone! What fun to meet you! The odds of meeting shouldn't have been in our favor but they were! And I'm so glad they were. Happy cruising! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 26 Author #85 Share Posted July 26 My super old German mom called me today & said I was the worst trip report writer ever. I would have to agree! But it’s not from a lack of trying! Every time I have five minutes, I start writing. But then, my husband says … “Let’s Go”! So I trudge my super swollen feet behind him & we are literally on the go all the time. We are having so much fun! In the last few hours alone, we … re-boarded the ship after a fun day ashore; noshed on the Lido; sat out on the promenade to enjoy sail way; noshed on the Lido; went to see the comedian (who we thought was super funny); noshed on the Lido; went to the production show; noshed on the Lido; went to see the fountain show; noshed on the Lido; went to the casino; noshed on the Lido; strolled through the shops & spritzed ourselves w/ expensive perfumes/colognes; noshed on the Lido; & now we are sitting in the Vista Lounge waiting to see the comedian again. Afterwards, we’ll hit Pizza Prego & Swirls before climbing into our beds on the Baja Deck to watch a movie in our cabin. And a few minutes ago my Cruise Critic buddy Ninka26 & I met again when we both boarded the same elevator w/ our hubbies! Life is good aboard the Royal Princess! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 26 Author #86 Share Posted July 26 Here’s one negative aspect of the Royal Princess: the aft part of the promenade deck (7) stinks to the holy heavens. It smells like raw sewage both inside & outside. All day, every day. I’m not sure how those people sit there in the Wheelhouse Bar all night, every night. They must have paid for the plus or premium package & are drinking the stink away. On the first day I thought someone must be digestively disgruntled, but I’m pretty sure they would have found him in the bathroom by now! It’s really gross, or as my husband likes to say … “it’s bloody foul”! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Italy52 Posted July 26 #87 Share Posted July 26 @FishboneYikes! We will be on the Royal starting August 10th - August 24. We are on Baja. Are you smelling anything on that deck? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmingpoolguy Posted July 26 #88 Share Posted July 26 11 hours ago, Fishbone said: My super old German mom called me today & said I was the worst trip report writer ever. I would have to agree! But it’s not from a lack of trying! Every time I have five minutes, I start writing. But then, my husband says … “Let’s Go”! So I trudge my super swollen feet behind him & we are literally on the go all the time. We are having so much fun! I had to write to say THANK YOU for the time you are taking to do this review - has been incredibly enjoyable so far, and your style really makes Alaska accessible and almost personal for readers like me. Your descriptions and your pictures, with just enough detail about the "nuts and bolts" of how things happen in your journey, make me feel like I am having this trip and that I could do this, too! It is a gift from you to share this here on CC, and I thank you. However, please don't feel bad about how often you post. Please go out and keep enjoying what you all are doing, and you can tell us here after when you get a chance. We'll be ready whenever you can post! 🙂 After all, you did say this would be "Semi-Live." 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 26 Author #89 Share Posted July 26 1 hour ago, Italy52 said: @FishboneYikes! We will be on the Royal starting August 10th - August 24. We are on Baja. Are you smelling anything on that deck? @Italy52 No worries! It’s just that one area between the Vista Lounge & the Wheelhouse Bar on the Promenade Deck. Our cabin (aka “stateroom”) is forward on the starboard side of the Baja Deck & everything’s coming up roses! We actually visit the stinky area often as there’s outside access that’s low to the water line, which is great for viewing wildlife, scenery, etc. There’s also usually very few people there. On Glacier Bay day, it was an incredible viewing spot! Here’s a photo of the Wheelhouse Bar menu in case it’s necessary to drink up! We don’t really drink, but I imagine that after a few drinks, you probably wouldn’t notice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninka26 Posted July 26 #90 Share Posted July 26 2 hours ago, Italy52 said: @FishboneYikes! We will be on the Royal starting August 10th - August 24. We are on Baja. Are you smelling anything on that deck? @Italy52 I'm on Baja port side aft. No stinky smells here! I do agree with @Fishbone Deck 7 by the Vista Lounge does have a distinct odor and isn't very pleasant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Italy52 Posted July 26 #91 Share Posted July 26 8 minutes ago, ninka26 said: @Italy52 I'm on Baja port side aft. No stinky smells here! I do agree with @Fishbone Deck 7 by the Vista Lounge does have a distinct odor and isn't very pleasant. Thank you. We are Baja aft. We will try to avoid the smell on Deck 7. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mthomp5 Posted July 26 #92 Share Posted July 26 3 hours ago, Fishbone said: Here’s one negative aspect of the Royal Princess: the aft part of the promenade deck (7) stinks to the holy heavens. It smells like raw sewage both inside & outside. All day, every day. I’m not sure how those people sit there in the Wheelhouse Bar all night, every night. They must have paid for the plus or premium package & are drinking the stink away. On the first day I thought someone must be digestively disgruntled, but I’m pretty sure they would have found him in the bathroom by now! It’s really gross, or as my husband likes to say … “it’s bloody foul”! Ewww…yuck! I don’t think I’d be able to stomach that smell. Has the crew said what that is? Maybe moldy carpet if they had a flood recently? I might have to bring some air freshener and spray it when I’m in the area! I won’t be on the ship until September 2026 so that smell better have resolved by then! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOMich19 Posted July 26 #93 Share Posted July 26 Also appreciating this thread. Same ship & itinerary starting 8/31. Keep it coming about the entertainment, excursions, fouls odors, etc! Thanks! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 27 Author #94 Share Posted July 27 6 hours ago, swimmingpoolguy said: I had to write to say THANK YOU for the time you are taking to do this review - has been incredibly enjoyable so far, and your style really makes Alaska accessible and almost personal for readers like me. Your descriptions and your pictures, with just enough detail about the "nuts and bolts" of how things happen in your journey, make me feel like I am having this trip and that I could do this, too! It is a gift from you to share this here on CC, and I thank you. However, please don't feel bad about how often you post. Please go out and keep enjoying what you all are doing, and you can tell us here after when you get a chance. We'll be ready whenever you can post! 🙂 After all, you did say this would be "Semi-Live." @swimmingpoolguy What a super nice comment! Thank you so much! Very kind! Much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 27 Author #95 Share Posted July 27 5 hours ago, mthomp5 said: Ewww…yuck! I don’t think I’d be able to stomach that smell. Has the crew said what that is? Maybe moldy carpet if they had a flood recently? I might have to bring some air freshener and spray it when I’m in the area! I won’t be on the ship until September 2026 so that smell better have resolved by then! @mthomp5 It’s a distinct “husband forgot to take out the garbage for two days in a row” smell. That said, the casino is one of the least cigarette smelly ones I’ve ever been in. That’s a win right there! They must shampoo the carpet every single night ‘cause it always smells Bissell fresh. And I only have to lather up my hair w/ shampoo once per night versus two or three. Unfortunately, the casino is not very fun. At all. It’s small & all the slot machines are the new kind that require more money. We miss the old machines that had a lot of bonuses like The Wizard of Oz, Lucky Lemmings, & Alice in Wonderland, on which you could literally play for hours. I don’t want to lose my $5 per night casino money allocation in thirty seconds! But I guess my measly $5 per night contribution does not make me a high roller, so my opinion doesn’t matter, We did find a machine in the corner that only costs 30¢ per pull (I guess it’s called a ‘spin’ nowadays). I was very happy when my husband won $2.50 on it. I told him to quickly cash out & make a mad dash to the exit, but he gave me the “you are so dumb look”. Sigh. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 27 Author #96 Share Posted July 27 3 hours ago, GOMich19 said: Also appreciating this thread. Same ship & itinerary starting 8/31. Keep it coming about the entertainment, excursions, fouls odors, etc! Thanks! @GOMich19 You will love both the ship & the itinerary! Have a fabulous cruise! If I had to do it all over again, I would book in August! June was very cold, but I must say, the scenery was far superior w/ snow covered mountains in all directions. It was spectacular! July was warmer & the guys caught a heck of a lot more fish, but it was not as gorgeous as it was in June. This was especially noticeable as we traversed Glacier Bay. Although the salmon have started moving upstream in July, it’s not as dense as we had hoped. We have now learned that August is the prime time to see salmon & the bears that feed on them. For us, I think June would have been ideal for a two-week back-to-back cruise (w/ no accompanying road trip). And much warmer clothing! But for my husband & son, who are fishing fanatics (& also want to see more wildlife), August would have been the better option. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOMich19 Posted July 27 #97 Share Posted July 27 3 minutes ago, Fishbone said: @GOMich19 You will love both the ship & the itinerary! Have a fabulous cruise! If I had to do it all over again, I would book in August! Although the salmon have started moving upstream in July, it’s not as dense as we had hoped. We have now learned that August is the prime time to see salmon & the bears that feed on them. But for my husband & son, who are fishing fanatics (& also want to see more wildlife), August would have been the better option. That's good to hear! We're doing the Denali Explorer CT so we'll be doing some fishing near Talkeetna (among other things) before we board in Whittier on the 31st. Thanks again, and safe travels. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 27 Author #98 Share Posted July 27 Here’s the menu for the SeaView bar. I don’t think the bartenders are über friendly to those of us who don’t drink alcohol. They just kind of toss a luke-warm can of Coke at me. I bet if I was drinking Jack, Jim, or Johnny they’d be a lot nicer. And they kind of roll their eyes when I ask for an accompanying glass of ice. My super old German mom would be very disappointed if I drank straight out of the can: “I didn’t raise a savage!” she would say in her super thick German accent. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 27 Author #99 Share Posted July 27 The comedian we saw last night was very funny. But his sets were identical. I had hoped that he would change them up. If I’m remembering correctly, the comedians on Carnival get progressively more “raunchy” throughout the night & less politically correct. I’m an extremely respectful person, but having grown up in the Eddie Murphy era, I absolutely love jokes that are no holds barred, all out, balls to the wall! Especially in a very dark room full of complete strangers, far from home, where you can laugh at things that you’re not supposed to, without anyone knowing! 🤪 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Fishbone Posted July 30 Author #100 Share Posted July 30 Day 11: Sunday, July 21 – Hubbard Glacier Scenic Cruising … or not … We slept in today & enjoyed every minute of it. When we woke, we nervously peered at each other from under the covers. Fortunately, we all smiled & started laughing. We’re all feeling great! Hip hip hooray! It was at this time last year that we suddenly became incredibly tired. Like “I’m fixin’ to pass out right here and now” tired. We thought we were just exhausted from all of our travels. Little did we know that we had finally succumbed to “The Covid”. The bed is comfortable, but I don’t think the bedding is all that. I asked my husband if it was “a sheet over a duvet over a sheet? He told me I was “full of sheet” & then began laughing at his own joke. I was not amused. The duvet is heavy & I got all tangled up in the different layers, so from now on, I’m just going to use the blanket that I got on deck. It’s soft & airy. My husband thinks the bed is slanted & that our feet are higher than our heads. I think the bed is straight, but the waves are making him think otherwise. Our cabin is very dark, very quiet, & very private. We hear nothing from the hallway. It’s an “end-cap” & because of the “sideways” position, the bathroom & closets back-up to the next cabin, so we don’t hear a peep from our neighbor & I’m assuming they don’t hear a squeak from us. The thermostat works very well – it adjusts quickly to any changes in setting. Yesterday, I placed a Florida Gators magnet on our door. It makes the cabin super easy to find. This morning, I was surprised to see that someone had stuck a little post-it note next to it with “Go Gators” written on it. The Gator Nation is everywhere! Later in the day, someone else placed a little note on our door. It said, “Gators suck, Roll Tide”. That made us laugh out loud. I’m surprised they even found their way on the ship. Smirk. There’s nothing like a little SEC rivalry. Really looking forward to Saturdays in the South. We had a great breakfast at the buffet. NO MORE OATMEAL! At least for me! The buffet had an ample variety of selections from which to choose. The highlight was my egg white omelet w/ salmon & cheese from the omelet station. For those unfamiliar w/ the omelet station … there’s a “omelet guru” who stands there & takes your order. He hands you a slip of paper w/ a number on it. You can either return in approximately 8 minutes to pick up your omelet, or hand the slip to a server & they will get it for you. I saw my husband head to the oatmeal area, but he suddenly diverted to the yogurt area where he ladled up a splash of yogurt w/ fresh fruit, pumpkin seeds, pecans, sunflower seeds, & walnuts. Colt was adventurous & had a little this, a little that. After a late breakfast, we set out to explore the ship. There was a variety of activities from which to choose. That’s the great thing about cruising … you can choose to do a lot … or very little.. Colt & my husband went to the gym & then entered the basketball competition. I really just wanted to relax & enjoy sailing through Yakutat Bay, so I sat out on deck & watched the scenery. Towards the end of the basketball shootout, the ship’s horn began blaring. Sadly, thick fog quickly enveloped the ship & it was a complete whiteout. We continued sailing through the fog & the horn kept blaring. Approximately 15 minutes after entering the abyss, it was announced that the ship would be turning around for safety reasons due to both fog & ice. It was also noted that another Princess ship ahead of us was also turning around. I must admit that I was disappointed. I very much enjoyed sailing to Hubbard Glacier (the largest tidewater glacier in North America) last year & was looking forward to a very relaxing & scenic day. But nothing in life is guaranteed, so we took it all in stride. We are very familiar w/ cruise diversions & have been re-routed multiple times due to approaching tropical systems & hurricanes. Some people go bananas, but we just enjoy wherever we end up. Life is too short to get angry about things that we cannot control or change. Shortly after the ship u-turned, the fog quickly dissipated. My husband & I spent the rest of the afternoon gazing into the sea. There was, of course, an abundance of lazy little otters sailing by. And there were many whales spouting in the distance. Colt spent the majority of the day w/ his new friends from the Beach Club. In the early evening, we changed into nicer attire for formal night. The guys wore khaki pants & long-sleeved shirts w/ ties. They looked super handsome. As long as you didn’t look down to notice their neon tennis shoes, they were quite dashing. But the neon tennis shoes were hard to miss. Sigh. We headed for an early dinner, but the Symphony dining room was at capacity & there was a long wait, so we went to the Piazza instead to enjoy the Captain’s Champagne Waterfall. As the tower was being filled, an ample supply of champagne was distributed to all. Every few minutes, a server would place two glasses of cheap champagne in front of us. Not wanting to be rude, I graciously thanked them & slurped them up. But they kept dropping them off … two, four, six, eight. Colt was very amused. He told me to stop smiling, to stop being so nice to the servers, & to stop drinking the seemingly endless glasses of champagne, so that they would stop being delivered. But at that point I was giggling non-stop & smiling from ear to ear, so they kept coming. Sadly, Colt did not want to wait an hour for dinner (nor sit around in a tie that he claimed was choking him), so he headed back to the cabin to change into “normal” clothes & head back to the Beach Club. Shortly after he left, they invited guests to take pictures in front of the champagne tower. I quickly texted Colt to come back, thinking it would make a great photo. But when he returned, he was wearing a baseball cap, a hoodie, & slides. Ugh. Nevertheless, I sent the guys up to have their photos taken. Afterwards, my husband & I proceeded to the Symphony dining room. Shortly after being seated, we received a text & short video from Colt – he had just witnessed a large pack of orca swimming directly adjacent to the ship. Not fair! I was looking for them all day! Sigh. Dinners in the dining room on cruise ships are fairly straight forward. I will never understand those that proclaim “it’s terrible” as there’s an ample variety of good eats. If you don’t like something, have them take it away & order something else. That said, the overall dining room experience has definitely changed over the years. I don’t think it’s necessarily that noticeable unless you’ve taken many cruises over many years. And the changes are not necessarily all negative, but it’s definitely changed - I think it’s fair to say that it’s a watered-down experience. The quality, quantity, variety, presentation, ambiance, place settings, etc, have all evolved. I’m thankful to have been cruising since 2000, but wish I had been fortunate enough to experience cruising before that. I imagine it must have been pure opulence. I do miss the midnight buffets! A lot! Those were the days! For dinner, I enjoyed an Alaskan Crab Cake, which my husband also ordered. We agreed that it was superb & thus asked for an additional serving, which was happily accommodated. I also had the Alaska-Caught Halibut w/ Prosciutto & the French Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee for dessert. Everything we ate was delicious … except for my husband’s Sunchoke Cream Soup. “It’s appropriately named,” he said. “I’m about to choke”. After dinner, we stopped by the Fountain Pool to watch the Watercolor Fountain Fantasy. It’s not the Bellagio, but they tried. Tonight’s show was set to the music of Frank Sinatra. I think the show would look a lot better in the dark, but it's Alaska & the sun had not yet set. After the show, we snuggled ourselves into lounge chairs for a Movie Under the Stars presentation of Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom. The movie screen is heavily pixelized. The image quality is terrible. After the movie, we stopped by the “perfumery” so that I could give myself a little spritz from one of the testers: “Yellow Diamond” by Versace. That was a mistake on my part & I immediately decided that I wanted my money back (despite not making a purchase). My nostrils revolted & the sneezing quickly commenced. Where are the coffee beans when you need them? On our way back to the cabin, we made a small donation to the casino & then made our trek to the International Café for a little … late night delight. Goodnight from the Royal Princess, which is currently en route to Glacier Bay! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now