The Best Cruise Ever! Glacier Bay Alaska, 5/6/09, Pictorial Review.

[DarthGrady]

Fabulous review and pictures! Congrats to you and your new wife! Last time a review was so good the reviewer became a host, remember Mach!

 

Thank you very much, I am humbled that you would compare mine with one of Mach's. He writes some of the best reviews I have seen!

 

 

 

I'm sorry I have to keep you guys hanging until tomorrow afternoon for more, but I had to work until 10 tonight, and I have to be back in 8-5 tomorrow. Dont worry though, I still have White Pass railroad pics to post as well as the seaplane excursion!

[DarthGrady]

Grady awesome job on the review with pictures, it is like revisiting the cruise all over again, keeps the memories fresh.

 

You do a wonderful job with the words and pictures.

 

As I was reading I chuckled to myself as many of our photos are so similar.

 

It was definitely the best cruise I have ever been on and will not be forgotten anytime soon. It was WELL worth the long wait.

 

Hope to see you and Beth on a ship again sometime if not around Florida!

Susan

Thanks Susan! Theres plenty more cruises to come, Im sure we'll wind up cruising together again!

[Minoushka]

THanks again .Great stuff .Let's keep your post on firstpage

 

Michele

 

;) :) :) :) :)

[charotarguy]

DarthGrady

 

Great review, we were planning to do a Eastern Caribbean cruise next spring, but after reading the reviews and the pictures, we might just change our plans. I do have a couple of questions if you do not mind to answer, is the ship kids friendly, we have a 3 and a half year old who would be 4 1/2 next time we go, is there anything she can enjoy. Other thing is we are vegetarians, are there options for us.

Once again, great review and pictures.

 

Charotarguy

[DarthGrady]

DarthGrady

 

Great review, we were planning to do a Eastern Caribbean cruise next spring, but after reading the reviews and the pictures, we might just change our plans. I do have a couple of questions if you do not mind to answer, is the ship kids friendly, we have a 3 and a half year old who would be 4 1/2 next time we go, is there anything she can enjoy. Other thing is we are vegetarians, are there options for us.

Once again, great review and pictures.

 

Charotarguy

We dont have kids so I cant help much, but the few kids we did see were in Camp Carnival and seemed to be having fun. I do remember there being some kind of "Indian vegetarian" dish on the menu, but Im not sure what it consisted of. Sorry I couldnt help more.

[nolaAlive]

All Carnival ships have Camp Carnival.

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/Camp_Carnival_Program.aspx

 

There is a vegetarian entree every night in the dining rooms.

 

I will be on Spirit next week and I do take pictures of food and probably menus, too!

[npatters78]

Looks like you had an awesome time Grady! The pictures are gorgeous! It looks like it is a beautiful ship and you are a great photographer! I enjoyed looking at them and reading your reviews! Nat

[People_Mover]

this is by far the greatest review ever. Thanks for posting it and looking forward to the rest as we are on this cruise in just 10 days!

[Katbeatina]

Grady - it was fun cruising with you! Your pictures are wonderful! You got some great ones, I'm jealous of your room - I wish I had known about that since there we're 3 of us crammed together in a room. Keep the pics and story coming ! I love all your details.

[luv2cruise777l]

Thank you very much, I am humbled that you would compare mine with one of Mach's. He writes some of the best reviews I have seen!

 

 

 

I'm sorry I have to keep you guys hanging until tomorrow afternoon for more, but I had to work until 10 tonight, and I have to be back in 8-5 tomorrow. Dont worry though, I still have White Pass railroad pics to post as well as the seaplane excursion!

 

I can't wait to see the White Pass railroad pictures!

 

Thanks for taking the time to post your pictures and review! Great job!:)

[Lovharvey]

Thanks Grady for the wonderful review. I have been able to take our cruise all over again. When you rode the tram, was the eagle still in the cage? I also have a picture of our ship that I took after we got to the top. Can't wait for the rest.

[RaMar]

Grady - Thank you so much for the review and magnificent photos.

[hisrinee]

You tooks us on a cruise with your photos!!! Keep going please!

 

Do you have the carnival capers by chance to share?

 

Thanks for the wonderful pictures!

 

-hisrinee

[HarperSays]

Your pictures are beautiful! Thank you for posting. I've never considered an Alaska cruise until now! Can't wait to hear and see more...

[JaniceB]

Thanks for writing the review and the great pictures. I tried to talk my husband into an Alaska cruise this year, but I lost the battle. Alaska turned 50 this year and so do I, so I thought it would be a great way to celebrate. I am hoping to use your review to convince him to say yes to next summer.

 

Janice

[seawitch77]

never thought about Alaska as a cruise vac but looking at your pics

and review I could change my mind;)

[miniwheat]

Great review, I can't wait for more.:D

[DarthGrady]

Thanks Grady for the wonderful review. I have been able to take our cruise all over again. When you rode the tram, was the eagle still in the cage? I also have a picture of our ship that I took after we got to the top. Can't wait for the rest.

 

It was late when we went up there, so only the gift shop was still open. I didn't see any eagles. We did see one in Ketchikan, but I'll be getting to that shortly.

[DarthGrady]

Day 5, Skagway:

 

We arrived at Skagway before I even woke up, so it was good that we didn’t have any early excursions. After walking around the historic downtown area and taking some pictures, we went back to the ship and had lunch. There is not a huge amount of things to do in Skagway besides tours and excursions.

 

My wife and I booked the White Pass Rail Road tour which departed from a rail line that runs right down the pier next to the ship. The trip runs about 30 miles up through the mountains from Skagway to the Canadian border. The sights on this trip are unbelievable. Huge valleys, snow covered mountains, a frozen lake and a winding river were some of the highlights. As with Glacier Bay, any attempt on my part to describe it would be pointless. I will just say that it is well worth the 3 hours and 100 or so dollars to take this trip.

 

The past guest party was held later in the evening before dinner. Chris did something I had never seen done before. He had a sort of trivia game for some of the past guests. Whoever wanted to could come up on stage and he would ask questions about Carnival. There would be two possible answers and folks would go to one side of the stage or the other depending on what they thought the answer was. Those who got it wrong would have to sit down. I made it to the last round, just me and one other guy, before I got eliminated. Apparently Robert Wagner did a Carnival commercial, I did not know that. Not knowing cost me a shot at a free dinner in the supper club for two, but life goes on.

 

Skagway from the ship

The White Pass train picking up the morning group

Ship banners, placed there on the rocks next to the pier to commemorate each ship and captain that sails into Skagway

The ship at the pier

[DarthGrady]

A park near the pier

 

 

 

 

[DarthGrady]

Scenes from The White Pass Rail Road excursion

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DarthGrady]

At the Summit, just past the US/Canadian border

 

 

The locomotive then attaches to the rear, the seat backs revolve to the opposite side (reversing the seating direction), everyone switches sides, and what was the back of the train is now the front.

 

 

The old bridge, no longer safe for use.

 

 

[DarthGrady]

 

 

Back at the pier

 

The pastries they send to Platinum Guests

 

The Mothers Day dessert

 

I had to have the Baked Alaska in Alaska!

[DarthGrady]

Sunset

 

 

 

 

 

The end to another great day

[luv2cruise777l]

I LOVED the railroad pictures! Thanks!:)

 

Did you book this excursion through the cruiseline or through a private company? We have Alaska booked for Aug. 2010. Thanks for any info!:)