Alaska Cruise Report

[rwalterk]

Amazing stuff.  I usually prefer to stay in one spot and really soak it in but the cruise was a nice way to check out many different areas I wouldn't otherwise spend a lot of time in. 

The scenery was incredible.  Being so far north was new to us, so seeing things like snow at sea level, permafrost terrain, thick forests at shoreline and 10:00 PM sunsets was strange and awesome at the same time.  Saw whales, seals, bald eagles, bears, sheep and lots of other critters too.  The glaciers were very impressive; we got really close to the Marjorie glacier and it was literally awesome hearing different parts of it cracking apart.

The towns are all very interesting and quaint but shockingly dependent on cruise ship tourism; some of them were overrun with jewelry and souvenir stores.  They were still fun to explore though, especially the history and areas away from the tourist shops.  I liked Juneau the best, we did a jeep tour from Skagway which took us into the Yukon Territory (the back country is breathtaking), Ketchikan was super-touristy but still beautiful, and Victoria (Canada) is a big city but interesting to see nonetheless.

I'll post some more photos later but here are some I managed to upload last night.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2065181&id=1307536128&l=240bc948af

[aprilmaybe]

Wow, that look amazing!

[wlk12]

Sounds good. Sheila and I aren't big on cruises, but this is one we're quite interested in.

How was the "on board the ship" stuff?

Bill K.

[rwalterk]

Sounds good. Sheila and I aren't big on cruises, but this is one we're quite interested in.

How was the "on board the ship" stuff?

Bill K.

I'm not big on cruises either but we felt this was the best way for us to see parts of Alaska.  The ship we took was the Norwegian Pearl (ncl.com).  Apparently NCL has the newest fleet of ships in the world but it's the only cruise I've been on so I've got no frame of reference.  I thought it was pretty nice though; we sprung for a balcony room which was totally worth it.  Everything on board was in great condition; I'd compare it to a well-kept mid-grade Vegas hotel if that makes any sense.  They have a new ship called the Epic which looks ridiculously modern and luxurious but it's for their Caribbean cruises only.

The thing I really liked was their "freestyle" cruising, i.e. you can eat whenever and wherever you want and there's no assigned seating or forced sharing of tables.  All restaurants and the buffet had plenty of small tables for two which was nice.  Food was just everywhere with some good variety of restaurants too.  All dining was pretty casual, but some of the nicer restaurants did require pants & collared shirts (i.e. not t-shirts) for the men.  The specialty restaurants (steak house, sushi, teppan yaki, Italian, French) are a little extra, something like $15-$25 per person, but the buffet and 3 other restaurants are included in the price.  The included food is a solid 7 or 8 out of 10 depending on what you pick.

As for the on-board entertainment, I guess it just really depends on your tastes.  There were different (and multiple) shows every night, different singers/groups/entertainers in multiple lounges and a big theater.  Second City had a group performing a comedy show which was actually pretty good if not a little crass (right up my alley); I didn't realize how many Saturday Night Live cast members were former Second City members.  We saw a show that was something of a mashup of classic Vegas shows; I didn't particularly care for it but it got a 1/2 standing ovation.  There was a guy on board doing classic motown stuff with a competent live band and he was actually pretty damn good.  They also did multiple game shows with audience as participants (not-so-newlywed game, karaoke contest, quiz shows, dance contest).

Other diversions included a 4-lane bowling alley, 2 game rooms (chess/checkers/cards/etc.), nice library, terrific gym, 2 pools (1 for kids, 1 for adults), casino, night club, multiple bars, rock climbing wall, basketball court, shuffleboard, 4 duty-free shops, surprisingly recent movies showing on TV, wine/liquor tastings and a bunch of other organized activities or classes I can't remember. 

Overall we enjoyed it quite a bit.  We probably won't do it again for a long time only because there are many other places we want to go; we essentially chose it because Lupe needs a lot more advance notice to request the 2 weeks off we would've liked to go to Europe.  But I would definitely recommend it if you have any interest in seeing Alaska.

[wlk12]

Great summary - thanks Ray. You covered most of the items we had questions about.

Sounds like something like this might be just the ticket for us. The "freestyle" cruising would be what we're interested in, and it appears there are plenty of informal activities. Of course, the nighttime entertainment isn't necessary for me - but Sheila could enjoy it on her own. Perhaps they'd do a special afternoon show for me .

And you're right about the balcony room - we've heard that from other friends.

We'll look into it - we want to see the Alaska stuff, and we don't want a cruise which is almost all "cruising".

Thanks again,

Bill K.

[Beefmaster_Mark]

Great write up Ray.  Carla and I are contemplating the Alaska cruise for exactly the reasons you outline regarding seeing Alaska.  I'd go for the balcony as well - good choice!

Great pics on the FB page!  Beautiful shots.