North To Alaska on the Legend--Aug 2016

[cainlr]

Who we are: My husband (Jerry) and I (Louise) are traveling with our friends Sandra and Danny to Alaska from Seattle. We started planning this trip in Jan 2016 for our 45th anniversary (yep, we are old as dirt).

 

Our friends Sandra and Danny renewed their friendship in Sep 2015 at their high school reunion and are traveling together this trip. Well around April 2016, they decided to get married in Seattle the day before we sailed. At this time, our trip changed to include Sandra's friends Dana and Frank. We are now 6 people sailing with all the planning and coordination to complete before our Aug 16 sailing.

 

Let me just tell you now, Sandra and Danny are some of the biggest procrastinators I have ever met. Yep this is going to be a marriage made in heaven.

 

First off, my husband and I have our passports as we travel quite often. We love to travel to new places and don't care how we get there. Airplane, boat, bus, train, or car as long as it goes in a new place, we are on it.

 

At the end of May, we all got together for dinner to plan our trip. We planned to do the train excursion that goes into Canada. Now mind you, we planned this trip in Feb and when Dana and Frank decided to join us on the cruise, they jumped on board the train to Canada too.

 

Jerry, Frank, Dana and I all had our passports, but Sandra and Danny did not and had not even applied yet. So the middle of June gets here and I check with Sandra and Danny and they are in the process of filling out their applications. Yikes can you say procrastination! :eek:

 

The first of Jul, they finally sent off their applications, but after several weeks have not heard anything from the passport office. Sandra checks the passport web site and there is a problem. They both need official birth certificates from the State. The county issued BCs are not official.

 

We live in Texas and Sandra sends off to Austin to get hers but Danny was born in Kansas. Danny has to send his to "Somewhere KS" to get his. Sandra gets her official BC and sends it to Houston for her passport. Two weeks before we leave, Sandra is all set to go with passport in hand. Although, Danny has not received his BC yet. He calls the Birth certificate office in Kansas and was told it was sent. Yep, that procrastination bug hits again. He had not changed his address on the credit card he used; the BC went to a vacant house where he had previously live. BCs cannot be forwarded. He calls the office again and they tell him they can only send the BC to the address listed on the credit card not his current address, so he asks them to send it again. The next day he goes to the post office and ask them to hold the BC for him and he would pick it up. Now ordinarily this would not work in a large town, but since we all live in "Po-dunk Small Town" Texas, where everyone knows everyone and all their business, this might work. Well it is now the Thursday afternoon before we leave on Saturday and no BC is waiting for him at the post office--they returned it again.

 

Sandra calls Carnival and explains the situation. They told her he did not need a passport to sail to Alaska, he just could not go on the train excursion that enters Canada. Although, he had to have an official BC to get on the ship. Well, it looks like Danny will be spending his honeymoon in Seattle by himself as Sandra sails to Alaska. But no, Danny jumps in his car and dives 18 hours Thursday afternoon/night gets his BC on Fri morning, sleeps a few hours and drives 18 hours and gets home Saturday.

 

Yea, we are all going to Alaska!:ship:

[cainlr]

Let the vacation, wedding celebration begin.

We are all up at o 'dark thirty to catch a 6:00 am flight out of San Antonio, TX arriving at 11:30 with a wedding at 4:00 pm. A wedding, mind you that was put together just two weeks before we left (yes, that procrastination again). Something are just meant to be and everything worked out just great.

Many people on Cruise Critic recommended the Maxwell Hotel in Seattle. Let me just tell you the hotel room prices in Seattle are very high. Sandra and I discussed where we wanted to stay and selected the Maxwell Hotel as recommended by many people on Cruise Critic. We decided since the room rates were $400 per night and I had Expedia points that would get us a double room for next to nothing, Sandra/Danny and Jerry/I, would share the room. We booked the room in March, before they decided to get married. Yes, you guessed it, Jerry and I shared their wedding night. A good time was had by all, we all slept soundly.

Cruise Itinerary:

Sat: Arrive Seattle; Wedding, Dinner at Space Needle

Sun: Seattle; Chihuly Garden and Glass

Fun Day at Sea

Glacier Bay: Stayed on Ship and chilled literally (there is a small boat tour to the glacier)

Skagway; Bus/Train, Liarsville, Red Onion Saloon (Carnival Tour)

Juneau; Whale Watching and Mendenhall Park (Private Tour)

Ketchikan: Totem Bright Park

Victoria: Walked and found Irish Times Pub

Seattle: Fish Market

The Maxwell Hotel

Eliot Bay at Kerr Park Wedding took place here

The happy couple

[cainlr]

Day 1 Seattle: We got up early and got ready for our day and took a short walk to The Streamline Tavern located down the street from the Maxwell. I do not remember what I ate but the coffee was great and just what my travel tired brain needed. The food and coffee were really good, I do remember that. Remembering food details after 9 months has gone by is just to much for my senior brain.

 

The day was bright and sunny, a great day for a walk to the Chihully Garden and Glass Exhibit.

The Chihully Garden:

[cainlr]

 

On the walk back to our hotel we saw this interesting display:

 

[cainlr]

That is all for tonight folks. I get up at 4:30 am to go to work and I am tired. I will be back tomorrow.

[Budget Queen]

 

Glacier Bay: Stayed on Ship and chilled literally (there is a small boat tour to the glacier)

 

there isn't any boat tour in Glacier Bay,from a cruise ship. only Tracy Arm

[cainlr]

there isn't any boat tour in Glacier Bay,from a cruise ship. only Tracy Arm

Oops, I stand corrected. I just kinda put the small boat tour next to the Carnival ship itinerary as an after thought. I'll be more concise in the future. ;p

[cainlr]

All aboard-Embarkation Day

We get inside the cruise terminal and whoa, the check in lines were sooo long and slow. When we finally got to the desk and we learned why. Their computer system went down for a while and when they came back up they were running slow. Also due to the computer glitch, some of the passenger information was lost and the customer service rep had to reenter it. Yikes, I felt so sorry for them but everyone was in a good mood and just happy to be on vacation.

After getting on board, we headed to the Lido deck for some of that fine buffet food. My stop was at the Asian buffet and Jerry had Italian. We both enjoyed our lunch. I have to admit here, I am a sugar addict so on to the dessert. For dessert I tried the cake-pop, my impression: yuck. I was glad I had a napkin handy because I could not eat that thing. Then I tried the low calorie lemon dessert thingy and it was awesome.

After eating some lunch it was back to our rooms to unpack and get ready for the muster drill. This was Sandra and Danny first cruise so we explained the muster dill and told them you usually have to put on your life jackets. While Jerry and I were unpacking we turned on the TV and heard the drill instructions. You no longer have to wear life jackets. Well guess who shows up in the hallway with their life jackets on. If you guessed Sandra and Danny, you are right. I don't know what they were doing in their room, but it wasn't watching muster instructions on TV. Dana and Frank had a balcony room down the hall from us and they managed to show up without their life jackets on.

Nothing else had changed about the muster drill since our last cruise. You still have to lineup in rows, rows and rows of people that packed so tightly you can hardly breathe.

After the muster we headed up to the Lido deck again for our sail away drinks and party. We stayed there talking, listening to music and drinking for quite a while. Jerry and I decided to head to our rooms to see if our last bag had arrived, it had so we finished unpacking and got ready for dinner. Before we left our friends on the Lido deck we all agreed to meet at the dining room at 7 pm (we all had your time dining). Jerry and I made it there on time and waited for the others for 15 minutes. When our friends did not show up, we went to dinner. The first night in the main dining room seemed somewhat unorganized. I ordered some sort of chicken and pasta dish that I did not like and the warm chocolate melting cake-yum. After walking around the ship and checking out the shops, Jerry and I headed to our room and bed.

We were really tired after the all of the traveling and early mornings. I had just fallen asleep when there was a loud noise in the next room then all quiet. I was almost asleep again then another louder noise then another louder noise. Did I mention the newlyweds were in the room next to us? The next morning at breakfast, I mention the loud noise to Sandra and she just laughed. Later on, when Danny was off smoking, she said that Danny had had too many of the fun ship's drinks and kept falling on the floor. The last really loud noise I heard was him hitting the floor really hard and spending the nigh there. Turns out the others in our party drank their dinner.

 

[cainlr]

DAY 2

Fun Day at Sea

 

We got up late and went to the Lido deck to have breakfast where we met Frank. Poor Dana had caught a cold and was self-medicating in their room. We enjoyed ourselves breakfasting with him and then he departed to go take care of Dana. Jerry and I sent some time exploring the ship and taking in some of the entertainment.

It was a foggy day

At lunch, we saw Sandra, Danny, Dana and Frank and agreed to meet for dinner at 5:45 pm. I had the lobster and warm chocolate melting cake. We had a great dinner with everyone then all went our own way for the evening.

Edited May 11, 2017 by cainlr
Added picture

[cainlr]

Day 3

Endicott Arm

 

Such was a cold, wet morning but it got warmer as the day progressed. We spent the afternoon on the Serenity Deck enjoying the view

Jerry and me early morning--it was cold

 

Another ship following us

 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2017 by cainlr
Day

[cainlr]

Continued.....

Small boat tour

[cainlr]

Skagway

 

We were up early again and met Frank for breakfast. Dana was still not feeling well and was in bed. They were going to go with us on the train ride to Canada but canceled because she did not feel well. Sandra and Danny were going to go but because of his passport issue, they canceled and rebook the glacier helicopter ride.

So off Jerry and I went on the trip to Canada. There were several components to this excursion. First you board a motor coach and drive to the Canadian board. The country side is beautiful but if you go on this trip make sure you sit on the opposite side of the driver. Your passports are checked at the border. The bus drive has you hold your pass port next to your face and the agent walks down the aisle and checks it. During the drive the bus driver gives you some interesting facts about the Yukon Pass and the gold rush. At the border you, board the train for the ride back down to Skagway. When taking the train back to Skagway make sure and sit on the left hand side (as you are looking into the rail car). There is some beautiful scenery that you cannot see from the road during you coach ride to the boarder. We did see one black bear sitting on a rock watching us pass. My husband really enjoyed this part of the tour, as for me, I was a little board at times.

Canada boarder check

Train back to Skagway

Sorry for the sun spot from the window

[cainlr]

Once we got back to town, we again boarded a bus for a short trip to Liarsville and Gold Rush Camp. This was my favorite part of the trip. We had a great lunch of salmon, chicken with all the trimmings and blueberry cobbler for dessert. After a great lunch we enjoyed story tellers, folk music and panning for gold. Jerry and I were not into sticking our hands into cold water panning for gold so we walked around the camp, went into the General Store, and took a few pictures.

Salmon bake and folk singer

 

They don't grow mushrooms like these in Texas. When were walking around the camp, we discovered these growing behind a building.

 

 

[cainlr]

Skagway continued

After our visit to Liarsville, we board a bus for our trip back to town and a visit to the Red Onion Saloon and Brothel. The brothel is located on the second floor which we toured first. There we had some Alaskan beer then got to see where the girls "worked". After the tour upstairs we headed down stairs to the saloon. When what to our wondering eyes should appear: our friends having lunch. The place was extremely crowded and we had just eaten so we all agreed to meet outside one of the shops when they were finished their lunch. Skagway is a very picturesque town with lots of shopping. We all walked around for a while then decided to head back to the ship as it was getting late and starting to get cold. Dana has some health issues and is not able to walk very far so we decided to take a shuttle back to the ship. The town was very crowded since there were several ships in town. Therefore, the shuttles were slow and full when they got to our stop. As I said it was starting to get cold and windy out and two full shuttles had already passed us. Now for this South Texas gal, anything below 70 is cold so Jerry and I decided to walk back to the ship while the others waited for the bus. On our walk back, between the train station the port we discovered a nice park with a stream running through it. We stopped and watched some fish and generally took in magnificent the view. When we got back to the port gate, there is a long line to board and our friends are about 50 people in front of us. After boarding, we headed up to the Lido deck and had salad for dinner. Later we took in a show, listened to some music at the Atrium bar and went to bed.

Walk back to port

Back at the ship

 

[aidee49]

I am truly enjoying your travels. Especially the newlyweds part. That is a trip to remember. I love cruising and sometimes I invite family members to come, some appreciate it, but others don't. So hopefully they also brought great memories back. Thanks for the great pictures.

 

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[cainlr]

I am truly enjoying your travels. Especially the newlyweds part. That is a trip to remember. I love cruising and sometimes I invite family members to come, some appreciate it, but others don't. So hopefully they also brought great memories back. Thanks for the great pictures.

 

Sent from my Coolpad 3622A using Forums mobile app

Thanks adiee49 we did make some great memories and all had a trip of a life time.

[cainlr]

Yesterday while driving to a meeting, a random thought popped in my head that I spelled border incorrectly. For all of you that caught it, I apologize.

[angiegal]

I'm enjoying your report! We are taking a Alaskan cruise next year and are trying to choose which cruise line to book. It's great to hear a Carnival review!!

[cainlr]

For us it is all about the ports. Carnival woks for us because the price is right and we are not real picky eaters. The main dining room and lido deck buffet are fine for us. My advice is to pick the cruise line that meets your needs. If you have any question. I will try and answer.

[bury me at sea]

Enjoying your review and you have some spectacular photos. Thanks for posting.

[cainlr]

Enjoying your review and you have some spectacular photos. Thanks for posting.

Thanks, glad you are enjoying my review. I always read the boards but have never written a review before. My husband took most of the pictures.

[cruiseonthebrain]

This is a terrific review! Your pictures are incredible!!!

[cainlr]

Juneau

We did not have any plans for this day. We got up early and ate breakfast on the Lido deck again with Frank. Dana was still feeling bad and is definitely not a morning person. Now Frank is not feeling well either. This was their first cruise and both were getting sick-what a bummer. It was a good thing they had a balcony room so they could see some of the glorious scenery without having to leave their room. By 8:00 am there was no sighting of the newlyweds so Jerry and I got off the ship and walked the pier. I walked over a vendor that is located on the pier to get a map and ended up with a Whale Watching tour with Mendenhall Glacier Park thrown in for free. On the drive to the whale watching boat, we saw so many eagles that you could not count them all.

This was an extremely fast moving boat and we zipped along the coastline seeing some of the most beautiful county. The humpback whales were migrating during this time and we saw quite a few. We also saw some sea lions. I would do this tour again in a heartbeat.

Let's go find some whales

This is the area we saw the whales but they were too fast to capture on film.

[cainlr]

Juneau continued...Mendenhall Glacier

Next we boarded a bus for Mendenhall Glacier Park. The bus dropped us off and told us the times and stop to catch the bus back to Juneau. We walked many of the trails and watched the salmon swimming up-stream. Although some of the trails were closed because of the bears feeding on the salmon.

The Glacier

Salmon

Saw this waterfall as we were leaving the park.

 

After returning to town, we shopped a little and boarded the ship. We were really hungry and went to the Lido deck for lunch and saw Dana and Frank. We had a nice lunch with them then I went to the Serenity deck for sail away and Jerry went to our room to nap for a bit.

We celebrated our 45th anniversary at a table for 2 in the main dining room and the waiters sang to us. All little embarrassing but fun.

We tried connecting to the newlyweds via text messages but message replies would come in several hours apart.

[cainlr]

Ketchikan

All six of us had booked the Totem Bright Park but by this time Dana and Frank were really sick and confined to their room for the rest of the trip. The newlyweds showed up late and almost missed the bus. I read many reviews of this tour and most people said it was not worth the money but all of us enjoyed the park and the guide that led the tour was very informative.

Small group tour

I don't know what we were looking at but it must have been interesting.

The totems