traveling1969

Southbound cruise continues. We were at Hubbard Glacier it was so much better than the last time. The weather was perfect and we got so close to it that it seemed as if the mountains of ice would collapse onto the ship. We saw lots of calving; full 300' walls of ice crashing into the water and the noise was deafening. Lots of big icebergs and the Captain did a great job weaving through them to get us close.

This morning we arrived in Skagway and embarked on our reserved excursion up into the mountain pass retracing the path of the Yukon/klondike gold rush. We saw lots of wild life; 2 brown bears, 1 black bear, Dall Sheep and Rocky Mountain Goats.

When we got to the town of Carcross, named for the Caribou Crossing here, our guide told us the sad tale of the gold rushers. To begin with, many came off the ships in Skagway dressed in their finery with baskets in which to put the gold nuggets that they expected to find lying about on the ground and in the streams. Thousands of others descended on the town ill prepared for the ordeal that faced them. First they had to climb the 8 mile mountain pass, then trek another 60 miles to Carcross where they found that they were still 400 miles from the gold fields. To reach them, they had to build boats or rafts to go down the Yukon river. It was then that they found out that they wouldn't be allowed to begin the trek without 2000 lbs. of provisions, enough to last them 1 year. They had to re-trace their steps to Skagway, somehow accumulate the required stake then somehow get it back to Carcross to strike out for the gold fields. Long story short there wasn't near enough to go around nor means to get it there. Of the 100,000 who arrived in Skagway, fewer than 30,000 made it to the gold fields and less than 1000 ever found enough gold to justify the effort. By the time many of the latecomers set out on their terk, the veins had all been exhausted. The whole process boggles the mind. I wsnted to post some photos but the speed of the internet as of late is painfully slow so that will have to wait till we get back home. Tomorrow, we're in Icy Strait Point where we saw so many whales on the first leg. Hopefully we'll see some more. So long for now.

Thanks Harry ....Our 2nd day is traveling the inside passage so I assume that will be the night for us as well and the night before Hubbard is Skagway and we leave port at 4:00pm that would seem to be the best day too..

So glad you got to see calving like that. This will be my 3rd time to Alaska (all in May) and have never seen it calv at all.

What deck gives you access to the heli pad?

Deck 5 port side forward through the theater. It is not open routinely. We got a special Concierge-Class invite. Don't think it's generally available.

Harry

My friend and I will be on the cruise the day that you disembark in Vancouver. Trying to plan to eat in Qsine and I was needing to know what nights were the formal nights on your cruise please.

The first one was the 2nd day (sea day). Our northbound cruise was 8 days so it may be different but our 2nd was the night before Hubbard Glacier.

Today we visited Hubbard Glacier. Weather was perfect and we saw some amazing calving. Entire vertical walls fell into the sea. We got to within .4 mile and it was indeed spectacular.

Harry

Your best bet for Dim Sum would be in Richmond which is very Asian. There are a number of Chinese restaurants serving dim sum. I have spent a while on google and I have come up with this one:

 

Continental Seafood Restaurant

Spacious Chinese eatery in a strip mall specializing in traditional dim sum served from push carts.

11700 Cambie Rd

(604) 278-6331

Casual · Good for kids · Groups

 

it doesn't seem to have a web site. However, they serve the dim sum by push cart and that would appeal to us since we could see what the food is like. They are one of very few dim sum places left in Vancouver that serve this way.

Dim Sum is not our favorite Chinese so I'm sorry I can't point to a place were we have been numerous times. Empire restaurant is another one that gets 3.9/5. Like, I said Richmond abounds with them and it is also near the airport.

There is a shopping center called Aberdeen Mall that is totally Asian. You would swear you were in China....no English that we could see but fun to poke around! HTH.

Thank you for that information.

Harry

Thanks again. Was reboarding time up to about 7.30pm? We are thinking about a private tour when off the ship at Seward.

Sandra

Yes, all aboard was 7:30pm. There is a shuttle that will take you to the Exit Glacier. It's a couple blocks from the terminal. Doesn't operate till late may so we couldn't do it. You can get VERY close to it after a short walk.

Harry

This has been a great review, Harry. I appreciate all the time you have spent getting us the pictures. I wish you had the same cabin for the next leg so you could spend some time in our fair city.

Actually, our flight doesn't leave until late on the 25th. A recommendation for a great dim sum spot would be appreciated. Thanks.

Harry

General impressions from the first leg: ship is in great shape, crew is top-notch in all respects, food in the main dining room has been excellent; one or two average dishes but those are the exception. Portions of main dishes are a bit on the small side but that's given us tacit permission to have multiple appetizers.:D Also, we recommend getting a pasta to split with others as sort of a separate course as those portions are a bit on the small side as well. Always available escargot is some of the best we've ever had on a cruise ship. Always available Eggs Benedict has also be great and done just right. The pizza is fantastic. Hand thrown with quality ingredients; it is our go-to snack any time of day. They have a design-your-own stir fry station that is fabulous. Haven't tried anything else at the buffet.

Weather has been unbelievable. When we checked prior to the cruise it was doom and gloom but it has really been nice; lowest daytime temp(other than at the glacier) was low 50's but with no wind, that is fine. High 50's low 60's the rule. Alaska has been everything we imagined and more. Glad we have 7 more days to go.

Harry

Hard to believe that we will be on the Millennium three weeks from today. Great to hear that you got great viewing of Hubbard Glacier. Hopefully, we'll get the same. How is the entertainment on the ship? Hoping we can catch some of the NBA Finals (if the Celtics make it), but know that Celebrity doesn't get ABC.

Glacier procedures is as follows: Concierge Class and above may view from heliport on bow. Hot chocolate, OJ, Champagne and mimosas served. It was bitterly cold on the way in so we went back to our cabin and viewed from our balcony. Deck 11 or deck 4 on both sides of the ship might be the best choices. Ship comes straight in, turns so port side faces glacier, 15 minutes or so, then turns so starboard faces; 15 minutes again then turns to leave. Total time in front of glacier was around 40 minutes. We saw a fair amount of calving. Wow, the noise was impressive.

Can't comment on the shows as we seldom go. Perfect record so far on this ship. Centrum DJ is good and plays good stuff. House band is very good. Don't know about NBA possibility. Enjoy your cruise.

Harry

travelling1969

Thank you so much for taking the time to give all this information and photos. I know you said you will not be posting about the return cruise to Vancouver but If possible could you give some information about the turn around procedure at Seward eg when you received your sea pass for the next part of the cruise, when you were able to get off in Seward and when you had to be back on board. We hope to do this B2B next year and this would help us with our planning for Seward.

Thank you once again.

Sandra

I will be posting about the return cruise just not many photos. Takes too darn long to upload them. May be a few but just one less than my frustration threshold. ;)

Back to back procedure was as follows:

Option 1: Go ashore between 7 and 9:30 am with old card. Must wait till after 11am to re-board and get new card. Take Transit Pass with you.

Option 2: Rendezvous lounge at 9:30. Get checked out with old card and turn in same (we get it back mid-cruise for souvenir); get new card and new pic and get checked in. One couple held us up as they strolled in around 10am (par for the course!). Do not have to leave the ship. After this process is completed, you may get off ship but once again, no re-boarding till general embarkation begins (approx. 11am). We did option 2 then waited till rooms were ready (@ 1pm), checked to see all our stuff was moved (IT WAS. YAY!), then we went off the ship. Take Transit Pass for easier re-boarding. Hope that answers your questions.

Harry

Well, our first leg is coming to an end and I must say we have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our first Alaska cruise and our first cruise with Celebrity. Best of all, we have 7 more days ahead and a chance to re-visit all but one of the ports of call.

We won't be seeing Sitka again but as I stated previously, that gives us an excuse to book these same cruises again. The Millennium typically does 7 nighters but the first cruise of the season this year did 8 to get back on the Saturday to Saturday schedule.

Yesterday was Skagway and today we visited Hubbard Glacier. Skagway reminded us of a Disney type attraction. Yes, the old buildings have been preserved but it's all a little too staged and commercialized for our taste. We have an excursion planned for our next stop there; a trip up into the mountains to follow the trail of the gold prospectors into the Yukon territory. Hubbard Glacier was spectacular and there was a lot of "calving" going on. It's a breathtaking sight and the sound is similar to heavy thunder. Would have loved to linger there all day but soon we had to depart to keep our scheduled arrival in Seward.

Here's a few pics. First up is s street view of Skagway with the snow-capped mountains in the background.

DSCF5805 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

I especially like this storefront made entirely from driftwood pieces.

DSCF5802 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

My pics don't do just to the glacier. It is so huge and so imposing and the calving lends and auditory component that must be experienced to be appreciated.

DSCF5830 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

The internet connection has been spotty at best on the ship. It's fairly slow and I get kicked out way too often. I'm afraid there won't be many pics on the second leg as I have been spending much too much time uploading them and couple that with all the disconnects and each post with just a few pics takes over an hour.

It's off to dreamland for us. I'll try to do a wrap-up of this led some time tomorrow. Til then, so long.

Harry

Hi...great posts! We are booked on June 8th from Vancouver on the Millennium.

 

We have sailed on the Constellation a couple of times, and like the ship size and service.

 

We are not doing the drink package this time...we are wine drinkers. Do you know how much a decent table wine is for a bottle on the Millennium?

 

cheers

 

Marcus

No idea about bottle prices for wine. We have the drink package and have been absolutely in love with the Bordeaux that is offered in the premium package.

Harry

Woke up to another sunny day in Juneau. It's supposed to be in the high 50's today so we decided to head out to the Mendenhall Glacier after breakfast. We both had the Eggs Benedict and double-double espressos to sustain us for the long walk ahead and to jump-start our exhausted bods.

We collapsed into bed last night after a very busy day in Icy Strait Point and we got up at 0 dark 30 to try and catch a glimpse of some more whales but the whales must have been smarter than us, they stayed in bed and we didn't see any.

As we disembarked, there were numerous tour operators offering excursions and shuttles to the glacier. The shuttles were $20 round trip but we decided to take public transit both as a bargain and to get some much-needed exercise. We went to the transit center just around the corner from the ship. It looked closed but we had it on good authority (their web site) that the number 3 bus would be along presently to whisk us out to Mendenhall. Sure enough, the bus arrived and the driver said he would be leaving in a few. It costs $2 each way and takes about an hour but the bus drops you off about 1 1/2 miles from the park. It was a nice walk and all on a paved, level path next to the road. The shuttle takes you right to the visitors center.The driver told us that the bus left from the same spot at the top of the hour and from the other side of the road at the bottom of the hour. So off we went and after about a 35 minute walk we arrived at the park.

DSCF5791 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Conditions were perfect for viewing and we ended up taking off our jackets after that brisk walk. Here's what we saw next.

DSCF5793 (2) by Harry Straight, on Flickr

The glacier is really spectacular but then again, it's our first. You could take a trail around to get closer but we didn't take it. After a stop at the visitors center we moseyed back to the bus stop. We got there about 5 minutes before the bus arrived and chatted up some fellow cruisers who were also waiting. We got on the bus and after a few stops, the driver told us we could catch the express at the next stop. We just had to get off and get right back on the bus in front of us. Saved us about 30 minutes.

We strolled around to see the sights, did some shopping and decided to get a bite to eat. We had heard about a place near the dock that sold great fish tacos so we decided to give it a try. It's called "Deckhand Dave's" and the tacos were fantastic. Really hit the spot and we washed them down with a pint of that Alaskan Amber ale we enjoyed in Ketchikan.

Here's a couple shots of Deckhand Daves:

DSCF5797 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

You pay here first and they bring your tacos out to you. They have all outdoor seating; some in the sun and others under a tent.

DSCF5798 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Here's our tacos; super spicy for Joyce (she's a spicy kind of gal) and regular for me. I don't think I would object if folks said of me "he's a regular kind of guy".

DSCF5796 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Thus replenished, we strolled some more then headed back to the ship. Tomorrow: Skagway. No excursions planned so we'll poke our noses here and there and see what develops. So long for now.

Today's port of call: Icy Strait Point and the village of Hoonah.

We had an excursion planned that we booked with Hoonah Travel Adventures. We would drive through a wilderness area for a bear and wildlife search. Soon after we got away from the town we came across this Sika blacktailed deer.

DSCF5755 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

We were to see several more throughout the tour. We were hailed by a helpful local who told us that there were bears to be seen just ahead. We approached the area stealthily; well, as stealthily as possible in a 14 passenger van and lo and behold we came upon a brown bear sow and her two cubs. They were about 200 yards away across the water and that was just as well as we didn't have to worry about spooking them or having mama take objection to our interest in her cubs. My camera doesn't have much in the way of telephoto capability but we were able to see them up close and personal with our binoculars. Spectacular!

We spent about 20 minutes watching them then continued on hoping to see some a bit closer. Alas it was not to be but we did see more deer right next to the dirt road; no farther away than 10 yards. We also spotted a weasel and several bald eagles. Later in the year the bears come down to the streams to feed on the salmon runs but we were just a bit early.

After the tour was over we stopped in Hoonah to see one of the massive canoes that the locals fashioned out of a single log, HUGE with seating for 20. We asked to be dropped off at "The Office", a local tavern but it wasn't what it was cracked up to be. It was a bit of a disappointment after "The Asylum" in Ketchikan so we drank our beer and started the mile and a half trek back to the ship. On the way, we saw several whale watching boats just off the coast and we stopped to observe. All at once a group of humpback whales surfaced in one of their circular feeding maneuvers. It was truly a sight to behold and less than a hundred yards away!

The boats followed them up the coast and so did we. We saw them repeat this several times and they were breaching and sounding repeatedly. What a show! If we had stayed with the tour, we probably would have missed this.

We got back to the ship and as we headed down the longest boarding ramp we had ever seen,

DSCF5786 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

we saw even more whales breaching in front of the ship. We hurried aboard, went to our cabin, went out on the balcony and were treated to an hour-long show of humpbacks breaching, blowing and diving. It seemed as if they were everywhere. Breathtaking! Here is a sign/map showing the relationship between the cruise ship berth and the town.

DSCF5784 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

The Captain announced that we would leave early for our next port of Juneau since all were aboard. We slipped the lines and headed out just ahead of the Grand Princess. They will be dogging our tracks all night.

We indulged in a few cocktails (NO CHOICE! WE HAVE THE PACKAGE!) and made our way to the dining room. From tonight's excellent menu we chose the crab cake (delicious with a spicy aioli), cream of broccoli soup and for Joyce the chicken saltimbocca while I had the sirloin. Everything was fabulous as was the Cabernet that accompanied.

We are calling it a night as we had such a full day and we look forward to Juneau and the Mendenhall Glacier.

Harry

Hello Harry,

 

Thank so much for your posts so far. They are so helpful and we are enjoying following along with you.

 

We are joining you on the ship in Seward for the second portion of your b2b.

 

We just found out that the premium beverage package is increasing in price on May 15th. We had been planning to decide whether or not to upgrade to the premium package once we were on the ship. We intended first to see whether or not we could spend our OBC on a new iPad.

 

I know it is a lot to ask, but is there any way you could check and see for us whether or not there are any 9.7” iPads in stock with 128 gb of memory that are not pink in colour?

 

We know that even if there is stock for this iPad now, there may not be by the time we are able to purchase.

 

If you are able to check we would at least be able to decide whether or not to use some of our OBC to upgrade our beverage packages before the price increase on Tuesday.

 

Looking forward to meeting you both at the meet and greet.

 

Janet

Not tech savvy and haven't been in a shop yet. Don't know that I'll be able to help. I'll ask if I get the chance.

Enjoying your review and nice photo's!

I read you are staying in a concierge cabin with a connecting door. We will be sailing the Millennium in November also in a concierge cabin with a connecting door and I am a little worried about this connecting door. I read some reviews saying you can hear your neighbours a little too well through the door. Could you share your experience?

 

Yes, we have the connecting door. Haven't heard a thing from either adjoining cabin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Din din tonight was Italian themed. Might be the first dining misstep so far this cruise. The caprese salad was only so so. Very little balsamic and the tomatoes were firm and not flavorful. The pasta fagioli tasted more like tomato soup with just a few beans and pasta pieces. We had the rigatonis in cream sauce with peas and prosciutto but it was very bland. One exception was the tiramisu which was outstanding. All-in-all just a B-/C+ effort. However we just drank more wine and everything was fine with us. :-) Captain came on the P. A. to tell us that he was delaying our sail away for an hour. Seems there is some heavy weather in store. Since we don't have far to go, we will leave late and limp along to give everyone a chance to dine and see the shows then around 11PM we will be heading toward the open seas with 20+ feet seas and 40-50 mph winds in the offing. We expect to be rockin and rollin all night. Thank goodness for bonine. Looking forward to Icy Strait Point tomorrow as there should be more whales in the approaches. Till then it's nighty night for us.

 

Harry

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Lindsay

Arrived in Sitka today to sunny skies. It was a bit chilly initially so we decided to wait till 10 or so to head in to town. The town is about 6 miles from the cruise ship berth and there is a free shuttle bus to take you in. Locals told us it's been raining for the past few days so we really lucked out.

There isn't much to do in town other than to eat or shop but we make it a practice not to do excursions on our first visit so we walked around a bit; did some shopping and looked for Ashmo's, a local food truck purported to have the best fish in town. We didn't have the address with us as we weren't really hungry and didn't plan on eating. Never did find it but some folks we talked to said it was good. Maybe next time.

Sitka is the one place that we won't be stooping at on the next leg so we have an excuse for another Alaska cruise. :-)

Here's a few shots.

The Russian Church.

DSCF5730 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Joyce and I downtown at the docks.

DSCF5725 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

An opportunistic raven looking for a handout.

DSCF5737 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Shopping.

DSCF5732 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Some kelp attached to the rocks. We did see a few starfish but nothing spectacular.

DSCF5727 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

This cute little gift shop/museum smack in the middle of downtown had a for sale sign out front. If you ever had the urge, here's your opportunity. Nope. Didn't get the price but judging by comparables, it had to be at lest 1-2 million. take it away.

DSCF5729 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

We leave for Icy Strait Point at 6 so maybe we'll have a chance to spot some creatures tonight. We are definitely getting up early tomorrow because we sail straight through some prime whale areas on the way.

So long for now.

Harry

We just pulled in to Sitka. The dock is quite a ways from town but there is a free shuttle. We're ordering some room service and we'll head out around 10. One of the perks with a Concierge Class stateroom is an enhanced room service menu. For breakfast that means just about anything available in the dining room: eggs any style, pastries, pancakes and French toast, assorted meats (Canadian bacon, sausage, ham bacon etc.), cereal, fruit etc.

Here are a few more shots from Ketchikan. It takes forever to upload even one picture so I sit at my laptop with a book in my hand while I wait for the electrons to get their act together. Thank you Stuart Woods for the diversion.

Brothel Babes

DSCF5675 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Creek Street

DSCF5674 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

No lions, no tigers...

DSCF5665 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Caribbean Curse followed us here.

DSCF5660 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

You don't need a stairmaster here!

DSCF5690 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

So long for now. Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms out there. It's the toughest, poorest paid job there is but you are rich with the love of those to whom you devote your lives.

Harry

A perfect day in Ketchikan. The weather was nice; about 60 degrees and the sun even peeked out a time or two. We picked up a few kitschey souvenirs, enjoyed a self-guided stroll around town and dropped into a local tavern for an Alaskan Amber draft (or two). If you get to Ketchikan, be sure to stop at The Asylum, a true "locals" bar. Great atmosphere, eclectic clientele and cheap beer: $3.50 a pint for an assortment of drafts that did not disappoint.

This was the Alaska we were looking for. Saw a few giant starfish clinging to dock pylons, even more of them in the shallow waters and strolled down Creek Street among a plethora of shops selling Alaskan crafts and art works. Some of the carvings were very well rendered and most of them were by local artists. Stopped a true "locals" bar for a pint (or two) of Alaskan Amber beer and really enjoyed the meet and mingle with a few of the characters who anchor the prime barstools there. If you get to Ketchikan, Be sure to stop at The Asylum for some local color. Here's a few Ketchikan shots:

DSCF5672 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

DSCF5684 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

DSCF5684 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

DSCF5693 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

DSCF5692 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

DSCF5694 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Hope this came out. Computer has a mind of it's own.

Harry

We've arrived in Ketchikan. Guess what? It's NOT raining...yet. We're prepared though so it's off the ship and it's a race with Joyce to see who sets foot in Alaska first. Wish me luck!

Harry

Another fabulous meal in the dining room. Joyce had the salmon tartare and the warm goat cheese thingee for appetizers: I had the warm goat cheese thingee and the escargot. The escargot was in Pernod butter and was better than any I have had on Princess or RCCL. We both had the shrimp scampi for our main. For dessert, we had the apple crumble ala mode. The goat cheese thingee was just the best. We said we should skip everything else and just order a few more of those. We may actually do that on the next leg. :-)

The warm goat cheese thingee.

It may not look like much but it was chuck full of goat cheese and scrumptious. It smelled so good and I was so hungry that I took a bite before I took the picture.

DSCF5652 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Escargot

DSCF5654 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Shrimp Scampi

DSCF5655 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Apple Crumble

DSCF5656 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

We are both beat. It was a full day so it's time to hit the hay. Ketchikan here we come!

Harry

How’s the weather? Are you able to enjoy the balcony?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

It's been quite chilly on the balcony but it's been perfect for viewing scenery and wildlife. Glad we have it.

Harry

Loving this review so far! No need to make excuses for your wine choice...I'm a white wine drinker and choose that whether it's fish or beef on the menu! Lately favouring Savs after our most recent trip to NZ but really any white that's not sweet is wonderful! Question for you, do you not get a footstool on the balcony being in CC? If I was to pay extra over a regular veranda that'd be the first thing I'd be looking forward to!

 

Enjoy your first day and keep up the great work!

Cathy

Nope, no footstool May be able to get one by request but haven't tried.

Dear Friends Joyce and Harry,

We've been reading each day while we pack for our cruise on the Summit. Sad news to hear that Capt. Kate is not on the Summit any longer.

So far your trip looks like THE BEST!! Great hotel, flights with no issues and you have a great attitude.

We will have to catch up on your cruise when we are back home on May 20th. Tomorrow morning we drive to NJ to see the old homesteads and have a lunch at our favorite from the 60's and then to Elizabeth to spend the night at the Embassy.

Have a wonderful time and we'll catch up on the 20th. Joan and Tom

Thanks for the good wishes. Hope you enjoy your cruise to Bermuda.

Had a great meal for dinner yesterday. Joyce had the prime rib and our waiter was able to fulfill her request for a cut that was RED, RED, RED!

Had some more of that wonderful Bordeaux. We may be in a serious rut as we are reluctant to try anything else; it was that good. I had the Spaghetti Bolognese and it was perfect. We both had the mushroom soup to start and agreed that it was excellent. Don't know where all these other folks are eating but we've been happy with every dish so far.

We ordered room service breakfast via door card last night but we were up so early, I called and cancelled it and we went to the dining room and enjoyed a scrumptious, hot breakfast with TWO double-double espressos each and mimosas as well. What a great way to start the day. We went to the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle and Joyce won one of the door prizes, a bottle of Barossa Shiraz; her first win in a kajillion drawings.

We went back to our cabin and don't you know it, there on our coffee table was the breakfast we had cancelled. Hate to see anything go to waste so we saved the juice, had a cup of still-hot coffee and made breakfast sandwiches for late night snacks tonight.

Today there was a promotion in the casino; get $100 in slot play from on-board-credits and get $110 in play. We played for over an hour and lost $9 so we're still up a peanut by our way of thinking.

Tonight is "Evening Chic" night, Celebrity's answer to formal night so Joyce is steaming our dudleys. She is the ironing queen and since they don't allow irons anymore, she brings her steamer. Don't tell anyone. Mum's the word.

Tomorrow is our first port, Ketchikan. Hoping to start seeing critters any time now. We did see a huge flock of murres crisscrossing the bow and one seal/sea lion in the distance. Hoping for some whales soon. That's all for now.

NEWS FLASH!!! Just poked my head out on the balcony and saw the first ORCA. It was swirling around and wreaking havoc with a school of fish. Joyce rushed out with the binocs and we could see it for about 3-4 minutes it's super flat and perfect for watching.

Harry

We have cabin #7183 for the first leg and #7200 for the second. Since we upgraded late in the game we weren't able to get the same cabin for both legs but no biggie. A little inconvenience at turnaround but it was worth it to get such nice accommodations. Here some pics of the cabin.

DSCF5634 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

DSCF5628 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

The shower is HUGE!

DSCF5621 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

DSCF5616 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

DSCF5617 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

DSCF5618 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Everything in the cabin is in perfect shape and I mean perfect. The carpet is spotless, no dings or scratches on the walls, the sofa is leather and very comfy and there is a ton of storage room everywhere.

We met our steward and gave him our usual list: beds apart (we always ask for this when we book but in all our cruises it's only happened once!), extra hangars, extra towels lots of ice and remove the soda and water from the fridge. We never use it and it just takes up room. Our bags were waiting outside the room when we got there so we unpacked and headed back out for some more exploring.

We stopped by the Ocean View bar for sail away. We met a few of our roll call members and had a G&T. Hey, it's included in our package. That's our excuse and we're sticking with it. Went to the muster drill. Ours was indoors in one of the lounges but the venue was too small. Folks were packed in like sardines and there weren't near enough seats.

We did some more exploring, had another G&T (IT'S INCLUDED IN OUR PACKAGE...NO CHOICE). Back in the room now to post and get changed for dinner. So long for now.

Harry

Had a great breakfast in the hotel this morning. Eggs Benedict done perfectly, fried tomato, a side of bacon, multi-grain toast, OJ, fried potatoes and a piping hot carafe of excellent coffee made for a great start to our day.

Once we finished, we went to our room and called the bell captain to take our bags to the ship. That alone was worth the price of admission. No schlepping them here and there, no shuttle ride to the port, no waiting for latecomers; it was such a pleasure to know that when it was time to check in, all we had to do was take the elevator down to check-in. Piece of cake!

Since we were early we decided to stroll around Canada Place which is the pier where the hotel and cruise port are located. Here's a few pics.

Front entrance to the hotel.

DSCF5592 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Somebody parked their Ferrari out front to make me drool.

DSCF5593 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

DSCF5595 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

We walked around the pier and bumped into our ship.

DSCF5601 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

DSCF5600 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Joyce was raring to go but it was still a bit early.

DSCF5598 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

We went back inside, read the paper, checked our email and by that time it was around 10:45 so we decided to mosey on down to check-in. It went smooth and before we knew it, we were walking up the gangway and onto the ship.

We grabbed a couple glasses of champagne and headed for the dining room to check on our table. We had requested a table for two and we got the best seats in the house; a table for two on the second floor of the dining room next to the balcony that overlooks the whole room. It was a bit early for the special Concierge Lunch, one of the perks of Concierge-Class cabins so we took a walk around the ship to check out the venues.

The ship is in great shape and we liked the décor. The ship is due for a dry dock later this year but it didn't look like it needed it to us. An announcement was made that cabins would be ready at 1pm so we went to the dining room for our lunch.

Joyce had the salmon steak and I had the chicken. Forgot to take pictures but I'll try to remember as we know lots of folks are wondering about the quality of the food. There's been some discussion on these boards to the effect that things have gone downhill but we found both our meals to be excellent. We had a few glasses of an excellent Bordeaux with our meal. Yeah, we know, how could we order Bordeaux with fish and chicken? Well, you drink what you like and we'll drink what we like and we like Bordeaux with just about anything. Of course we could say the same for Cabernet, Malbec, Shiraz or what have you. We like our reds and we'll drink 'em with darn near everything!

Finally, the announcement came that our rooms were ready so we skipped dessert and headed up.

Agreed, that puddle jumper would've made me give my hubby a raised eyebrow as well lol!! Where did you fly on it from? Did you fly AC or Westjet from Toronto?

 

 

Looking forward to your cruise review as well as all the pics...great start so far! We've done the Solstice to Alaska, thought it was a one and done thing but were so impressed with the scenery that we know we have to go back and doing a b2b makes a lot of sense, just wish they'd change up the ports from week to week so you're not having to hit the same ones.

 

Will be following and enjoying along with you!

Cathy

We flew from Syracuse to Toronto right along the south shore of Lake Ontario and had a nice view of Niagara Falls as well. From there it was Air Canada to Vancouver. It would be nice to see some other ports but we will get a chance on the second leg to do stuff we discovered on the first leg so it's all good.

Harry

Good Morning!

After 16 months of breathless anticipation, it's finally here: EMBARKATION DAY!!!. When we checked in to the hotel, we were a bit disappointed that they put us on this side of the building as we had read that the ship would be on the other side of the pier but lo and behold, here's what I saw when I opened the curtain:

DSCF5585 by Harry Straight, on Flickr

Wow, we can almost reach out and touch it. It's not often you can look DOWN on a cruise ship. Wish they would hurry up and let those folks off the ship because gangway, here we come! Actually it not even 8 yet and we are on our way to breakfast. Got to get used to that 3 meals a day regimen;p.

The next time I post it will be from the ship. Hooray!

Harry