NCL Pearl- June 26, 2016- The Suite Life

[caseykees]

Enjoying so far!! We also head out on the Pearl on the 28th! We are getting in to Seattle the night before, but opted to skip Seattle. We are flying to San Diego after disembarking...to see the RED SOX! :)

[jimsig]

Enjoying so far!! We also head out on the Pearl on the 28th! We are getting in to Seattle the night before, but opted to skip Seattle. We are flying to San Diego after disembarking...to see the RED SOX! :)

 

Thanks. Back on 2014 when we were supposed to do the Sun OW to Vancouver we were going to fly back home out of Seattle and had tickets to see Red Sox at Safeco.

[jenseib]

I was shocked to see how hilly Seattle was too. I never even imagined it to be that way.

 

Your boarding went MUCH smoother than mine! :rolleyes: :D :p

[jimsig]

I was shocked to see how hilly Seattle was too. I never even imagined it to be that way.

 

Your boarding went MUCH smoother than mine! :rolleyes: :D :p

 

I was ready for us not to "exist" just in case, I was a little nervous.

[jimsig]

Here is the schedule for the Splash Academy for the 6 to 9 yo's

 

Front Page

 

Back Page

Edited July 20, 2016 by jimsig

[jimsig]

 

Here is the Daily from Day 1

 

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[jimsig]

Day 4- Mon June 27th At Sea Part 1

 

We woke to a very windy day, so windy that parts of the top decks outside had been closed, especially very early in the morning. From what I remember waves were mostly 7 footers with a few 10's and 12 mixed in but it was still very smooth. The only way we knew the wave height was from the ship information channel on TV. The amazing thing was how blue the water was, Caribbean Sea like, when we first woke up. The Captain, Stefan Nordberg, would later apologize to anyone he had scared in to thinking he had taken a wrong turn leaving Seattle during his daily announcement. We looked forward to his announcements every day as they were mixed with facts and humor. DW ran to the buffet and got us a couple orange juices and we started the day with Mimosas on the balcony as we got ready for our day at sea.

 

 

 

We started out with breakfast at Moderno. Melba was the hostess and our waitress was Reah again and she remembered us asking DD how Moo was. We are normally not huge breakfast eaters but we could not help ourselves in Moderno, the food was very good.

 

Breakfast Menu

 

Most days I would get the Fruits de Mer in Brioche, while DD got either the waffle or hot cakes, and DW would get either the 2 eggs or the waffle. We meant to try the Tahitian Vanilla Challah French Toast but never got around to it. So if anybody has had it, just tell me it was terrible so I don't feel like I missed out on something really good.

 

After breakfast we separated a bit. DW and DD walked around play shuffleboard while I walked around on my own. My wife dropped DD in the kids club for the first time for a couple hours before lunch and she attended a documentary called The Whales Of Alaska. While walking around I was walking through the photo gallery and noticed they had a scrapbooking kit for sale which included a picture of the boat with the itinerary. My wife loves to scrapbook so I bought it for her. Then while walking back to put it in the room I found her and showed it to her. She loved it and could not get over how reasonably priced it was. I also visited the Bridge Viewing Area on Deck 11. They had a map on the wall and a list of the ports showing the distance between each one.

 

 

I eventually downloaded an app that converted nautical miles into miles and knots into MPH

 

Someone has a sense of humor

[jimsig]

Day 4- Mon June 27th At Sea Part 2

 

We picked DD up in the kids club and it was back to Moderno for lunch. This time I got the NY Strip, DD got the pizza again, and DW got the Butter Roasted Chicken.

 

After lunch DW and DD went to the origami class that was being offered in the Bliss Lounge and I wandered a bit more. Around 230p we could start to see land as the Queen Charlotte Islands started coming into view. We spent the rest of the day cruising west of the Islands.

 

 

 

We headed back to the cabin and found our butler Lazaro had delivered a plate of cookies and chocolate covered strawberries, both were so good, and we left some cookies for later, well OK only a few.

 

 

 

There was also a note from our concierge about where to meet for priority disembarkation the next day. A perk of staying in a suite is that you get to cut the line getting off the ship for about the first hours the ship is in port. At this time, despite the 55 to 60 deg temp, my daughter decided she wanted to go swimming. So she and I suited up and hit the pool and DW met us their later. Despite the temp the pool was really nice. We found out our DD loves hot tubs as well as pools. She made a friend in the pool and swam and talked with her for quite a while. After a while it was time to get ready for the cocktail reception with the Captain. It was pretty cool getting to meet the Captain. When he saw our DD he gave her a big high-five.

 

It was then off to Cagney's for dinner. I got the 8oz filet while DW got the 5oz. DD ordered off the kids menu and guess what she wanted? But we told her she needed to get something else and she got the burger without much of an argument. About half way through my filet I regretted my decision eating all of my NY Strip and french fries earlier. It would mean no dessert as I was so full. We actually all passed on desert and DD said she wanted to go to the kids club. When we got there they said they were full and could not accept any more kids at that time as they were at their limit of 65 kids. We found out that that there were over 400 kids on this cruise (we took that to mean the total under 18). We decided to walk off a little of the dinner. After walking for a while DD said she wanted ice cream so it was off to the buffet for a small dish before we went back to the cabin.

 

Arriving back at the cabin DD was greeted with another towel animal and we were treated to a great sunset from our balcony. After a long day at sea we were all ready for bed.

 

 

 

[jimsig]

Cruise Day 2 Daily At Sea

 

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Edited July 20, 2016 by jimsig

[jimsig]

Just an FYI I mislabeled the Day 1 Daily as At Sea and it should have been Embarkation. Sorry if it confused anyone. Ooops, my bad. I tried to edit it but it won't let me edit that post. Maybe CC will only let you edit the last few posts only?

Edited July 20, 2016 by jimsig

[jimsig]

Day 5- Tue June 28 Juneau Part 1

 

Finally we would step foot in Alaska today. The Pearl doesn't dock in Juneau until 2p so we would have to wait a while. We all slept in and skipped breakfast at Moderno, but DW went to the buffet and brought back a couple plates of fruits and breads to tie us over until lunch. DD was very happy we finally got “room service.” We hung out on the balcony for a while and around 930a we saw our first whale. It was amazing to see them blow and see their tails are they submerged. We must have seen five or six of them.

 

 

 

 

As we were now cruising the Inside Passage it was time for some sightseeing before lunch. We walked around outside on the boat taking it all in. We now felt like we were in Alaska. The sights were amazing and even saw a few very small ice floes.

 

 

 

Quick glacier view

Edited July 23, 2016 by jimsig

[jimsig]

Believe it or not this is not a reflection in this photo

 

[jimsig]

Day 5- Tue June 28 Juneau Part 2

 

After seeing the sights it was time for lunch in Moderno again before we got off the ship. As we walked in the hostess, Melba, greeted us by name and asked why we had not made breakfast and wanted to make sure we were ok. We told her we had slept in and she seemed happy to hear it was something as simple as that. She again asked DD how Moo was and if he was joining us in Juneau that day. One thing I loved was how all the staff would engage DD. You can see they truly cared about how she was a much as how we were. Lunch again was very good. DD got chicken fingers, DW got the burger, and I got the French Dip. I got the banana cream pie, it had chunks of real banana in it, and DW got the warm espresso brownie, and DD had ice cream.

 

It was almost time to disembark in Juneau so we ran back to our room to gather what we would need for the day. Luckily the Jewel left almost right on time, the Captain had said the day before that sometimes they leave up to 30 min late. The day before we received a note in our room of where to meet Suzana for priority disembarkation. Being in a suite one of the perks is for the first hour or so at each port you get escorted to the exit and get to the front of the line. We met in one of the lounges and they brought us down a crew stairwell and we got right off the ship.

 

 

 

In Juneau they use the AJ Dock and it’s probably a mile walk to downtown but they have shuttle their and back running very frequently. The shuttle drops you off right at the Mt Roberts Tram. We had not booked anything in advance for Juneau but knew we wanted to do the tram if the weather was decent and Mendenhall Glacier. As the weather was good we went to the top of Mt Roberts. We checked out the view right off the tram and saw the Bald Eagle they have up top. It had been injured so is now being cared for. I believe they said someone shot her with an arrow through the beak. We then took a quick 20 min or so hike around to see the views.

 

 

 

 

[jimsig]

Day 5- Tue June 28 Juneau Part 3

 

 

We then went back to the bottom and found a tour that was heading to Mendenhall Glacier in about 20 min. One of the guys arranging tours was from Juneau but attended music school in Boston so we talked to him for a few. Before we knew it the shuttle van pulled up and we loaded up. There were about 18 of us. The driver gave us a brief tour of the city on the way out of town on the way. He pointed out quite a few Bald Eagles along the way. Before we knew it we were at the park. We decided to walk the Nugget Falls Trail as was recommended. We were glad we did. There were amazing views of Mendenhall and the falls. It’s about a ¾ mile walk, mostly flat but there are slight elevation drops and gains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had enough time so we stopped by the visitors center for a few min. On the way back our driver pointed out more things including eagles and brought us to a scenic over look on the other side of the channel where we could see Juneau and our ships. Before we went back he drove us around Juneau and showed us the Governors House, City Hall and few other buildings. After he dropped us off we walked around Juneau and did a little tee shirt and souvenir shopping. We then saw a street musician and realized it was the same kid from the tour company. It was then back to ship by the shuttle bus as it was around 8p and we were all getting hungry. DD said she wanted to go to the kids club after dinner so we walked by the club and asked how full they were and they said they had room so brought her to the Garden Cafe Buffett for dinner first.

 

DW and I then went to O’Sheehanns as we had not been there yet. We split an order of wings and I got a Ruben while the DW got a salad. We were seated right at a window and as we ate we could watch people coming back to the ship. The ship left Juneau right on time and we had a front row seat as we pulled away from the dock. . We were treated to another amazing sunset as we were leaving Juneau.

 

 

After another long day it was time for bed as we had an early morning ahead of us in Skagway so we then picked up DD in the kids club. She was very excited to tell us about the kids circus she would be in and she would be twirling plates.

 

 

[jimsig]

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[bambilin]

Beautiful!

 

Sorry that was for your pictures not the dailies. LOL. Popped up in a different order on my phone

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Edited July 23, 2016 by bambilin

[jimsig]

Beautiful!

 

Sorry that was for your pictures not the dailies. LOL. Popped up in a different order on my phone

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

LOL.

 

Glad you are enjoying and like the pic's. Most were taken with my point and shoot camera and a few with an iPhone.

[cincicruisers]

More please..

[jimsig]

Day 6- Wed June 29 Skagway Part 1

 

What a view to wake up to in Skagway.

 

No not the tanks

 

It was an early morning to make our excursion. DW got us “room service” again to which DD was very happy. Today we met Suzana in Moderno and a group of us were escorted behind the bar to a crew elevator and down a deck 4 to the exit.

 

Now as a train conductor the last thing I want to do on vacation is to ride a train. But when we started looking at the excursions we knew the only excursion we wanted to do was the White Pass and Yukon Route train. We booked through Chillkoot Charters as it was a lot cheaper than through the cruise line. We choose the Bennett Scenic Journey. It was a 68 mile train ride to Carcross, YT with a stop at Lake Bennett to sightsee, a little time in Carcross, and finally a guided tour back from Carcross in a 20 passenger shuttle bus.

 

Once outside the ship we met the Chillkoot driver we loaded into the shuttle and made a stop at the Jewel to pick up people from that ship and it was then off to the train. We were assigned the last car which meant we would have no obstruction off the viewing platform out the back. Though it’s not guaranteed Chillkoot gets the rear car on most trips and you stay in the car you are assigned. There were maybe 8 passenger cars on the train with 2 others used for storage. We sat on the left as we had read here on CC that it's the best side and it most certainly is. The White Pass is not just a tourist train but also will also have paying customers, usually hikers. The conductor told me just the day before they dropped off a family of 4 with kayaks who were going to be spending time on Lake Bennett and on the way back they were supposed to be picking us some hikers in Carcross Y.T. I spotted the family along the lake later in the day.

 

The first part of the trip is from Skagway to Frasier B.C. and is about 27 miles. In the first 20 miles you climb almost 2900 feet to White Pass along sheer cliffs, over waterfalls, and through a couple tunnels. There are sections with a 3.9% grade and 16 degree curves. The train follows the Trail Of 98 that the prospectors would have followed in search of gold. Those in search of gold were required to bring one ton of supplies with them by Canadian officials. The was a running commentary on the train pointing out the sights and giving facts as the train rolled on.

 

 

 

That's Skagway in the notch

 

Steep cliff

 

Saw Tooth Mountians

[jimsig]

Abandoned Bridge

 

 

 

US/Canadian Border

 

Even Moo was enjoying the sights

Edited July 24, 2016 by jimsig

[jimsig]

Day 6- Wed June 29 Skagway Part 2

 

As you can see the views are amazing. In the next 7 miles you gain about 400 more feet until you get to Frasier B.C. Canadian Customs boards in Frasier and you will need a passport, enhanced drivers license, passport card, or the equivalent to travel on this particular trip. Some passengers in other cars detrained here that were taking different tours After a quick stop we continued another 13 miles to Lake Bennett. You may not be really be gaining elevation but the views are still awesome.

 

 

 

 

 

[jimsig]

Day 6- Wed June 29 Skagway Part 3

 

Lake Bennett is a 20 mile long lake and at this end a town sprung up as the prospectors would purchase or build boats to travel to the other end of the lake. At one time there were thousands of people on the southern shore of Lake Bennett living in tents. It is now all but abandoned with a few buildings left including at least one house that was occupied while we were there. We were told she lives in Carcross but travels down in the summer. Her daughter and granddaughter were spending some time with her currently.

 

 

 

Residents house

 

 

Picture taken at the height of the Gold Rush. No the original was not taken by me : -)

 

Leaving Lake Bennett

Edited July 24, 2016 by jimsig

[jimsig]

Day 6- Wed June 29 Skagway Part 4

 

We spent about 45 min there and was able to walk around and tour what was left of the town. The station has a display of what one ton of supplies looked like so you get a great idea of what the prospectors were dealing with in terms of what they had to carry. We re-boarded the train to go the remaining 28 miles to Carcross. After getting back on we were treated to a box lunch, which was included with our tour. They served us a turkey sandwich, chips, and dessert. Bottled water was always available in the car. They also have a vegetarian and gluten free option that you can request when you reserve the tour. The remaining 20 miles are beautiful as you hug Lake Bennett with mountains all around you. As we pulled into Carcross you cross a bridge that spans a very small straight that separates Lake Bennett and Nares Lake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jimsig]

Day 6- Wed June 29 Skagway Part 5

 

It was then time to explore Carcross, which was originally called Caribou Crossing. There are less the 500 people who live there and it is the home to the Carcross/Tagish First Nation. It’s a small town that includes the train station, a General Store, post office, and a few small businesses. You can get your passport unofficially stamped in front of the General Store.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After 45 min it was time to get on the shuttle bus for the ride back to Skagway. On the way out of town our driver pointed out a few of the points of interest in Carcross. We would make a few stops on the way back, the first being the Carcross Desert. It is often referred to as the world’s smallest desert and was formed when sand was left when the last glaciers retreated and today the sand is deposited due to the winds from Lake Bennett.

 

Carcross Desert

[jimsig]

Day 6- Wed June 29 Skagway Part 6

 

From there it was off to Emerald Lake. Upon seeing the lake you know right away how it got its name.

 

 

 

 

 

We had time for a few pics before loading back up in the bus. After leaving the lake we had only gone a few miles before we spotted a black bear. The driver turned around so we could get a better look.

 

 

It was then off to see Bove Island lookout at Lake Tutshi, The Welcome To The Yukon sign, the Welcome To Alaska sign, and finally an over look where you can see a fault line that’s part of the San Andreas Fault. It was a quick stop at US Customs and then back to Skagway.

 

Bove Island

 

We may not have spotted Yukon Cornelius or the Bumble, but I did get to a place I never thought I would ever see.

Edited July 24, 2016 by jimsig