A-Mused in A-laska, Seward to Vancouver, 27 May to 6 June 2019

[TLCOhio]

9 hours ago, Unibok said:

So this happened today on an excursion in Ketchikan. We did an independent tour with Ryan McCue of Alaska Seaplane Tours. There were 6 passengers in the plane (I got to sit up front next to the pilot!!!), and we spent about 2 hours in the plane. After journeying over some mountains and across fjords in the Misty Fjords Monument area, Ryan set the plane down on the water after spotting a bear munching on some grass. Earlier in the day, we had visited the Totem Heritage Center, which was a short walk from downtown. That was our favorite museum so far,.

 

Wonderful added details, especially as to how your seaplane/bear adventure that worked so well.  Sounds great!!  Loving the pictures and sharing.  Looking excellent.  Especially for the pictures from the glacier, zodiac, seals, etc.  Nice and fun!!

 

Earlier I had asked about your picture uploading challenges. What size of pictures are you trying to do? For the pictures taken with my Nikon D7200. they are very large at 24mp, shot in RAW, etc. But, that's why I reduce that size significantly before doing any uploads to the Internet and Cruise Critic. Any added details as to what you are using to upload that is so slow?  Later as you are doing your sailing down to Vancouver, maybe you will have more time to respond.  Or, ask more of the Silver Muse IT person to suggest to improve posting/uploading speeds?

 

What will be happening today for Prince Rupert during your 8 am-6 pm timing there?  Our late July cruise does not stop there. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 220,783 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

[Unibok]

Photos are between 2 and 4 mbs. I do know that I can save them in other formats to reduce the file size, but when I'm on vacation I don't really want to fiddle around with that. I'm sorry that it means shorter reports and fewer illustrations. Maybe I'll do better next time, if I practice reducing file size at home first.

 

I should have also mentioned that as we step off the float plane, we saw 3 more whales, and then just as our tender neared the ship, we saw a pod of 4 doing a ballet of rolling and flukes. Ketchikan may have a lot of people when the ships are in town, but it also had a lot of wildlife. And then there's this tip from our van driver: if you really want to see a bear, head to the town landfill; they love it there.

 

Let me go back a few days to Wrangell. Like Haines, Wrangell is a cute little town that functions well as a gateway to active excursions (none of which we went on, as we had a quiet day walking around). We visited their local history museum, which packs a lot of history into an impressive space. That evening was formal night, and we dined in Indochine at a table for 6 with one couple we had not yet met, and another with whom we had shared an excursion. Prior to that was the Venetian Society cocktail reception, with 4 new inductees to the 100-days club, and the most days at sea in the 1700 range. Those with 50 days were given lapel pins. 

 

That's it for now. My best wishes to all of you,

 

 

 

[JohnGinPBG]

Awesome photo and bear story! You're very fortunate. Glad to hear you discovered the Totem Heritage Center. We loved it! One of the very few worthwhile places in Ketchikan proper. 

[TLCOhio]

4 hours ago, Unibok said:

Photos are between 2 and 4 mbs. I do know that I can save them in other formats to reduce the file size, but when I'm on vacation I don't really want to fiddle around with that. I'm sorry that it means shorter reports and fewer illustrations. Maybe I'll do better next time, if I practice reducing file size at home first.  I should have also mentioned that as we step off the float plane, we saw 3 more whales, and then just as our tender neared the ship, we saw a pod of 4 doing a ballet of rolling and flukes. Ketchikan may have a lot of people when the ships are in town, but it also had a lot of wildlife. And then there's this tip from our van driver: if you really want to see a bear, head to the town landfill; they love it there.

 

More great info, details and follow-up about your Alaska adventure.  Nice, fun bear picture!!  Glad to hear the must-see potentials with the Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan from JohnGINPBG.  

 

On picture sizing, appreciate these added details.  My guess is that when you are saying 2-4 mbs, you mean 2-4 megapixels.  Not huge, but still, kind of, somewhat large.  When I shoot pictures with my Nikon D7200 in RAW, it produces a 6000 × 4000 image on my laptop that totals 24.0 MP.  Very, very large for each picture's file size, especially if you need to upload from a cruise ship!  

 

After reviewing, editing and fine-tuning of the pictures on my laptop, I then do an "export" of those priority, "best of the best" pictures that I want to upload.  That makes each picture be only about 200-350 KB in size.  Much, much smaller, but still looking good when posted on Cruise Critic.  Since there is a smaller file for each picture to be uploaded, the process works faster and better when seeking to post on these CC Boards.  Hopefully others doing Silversea Alaska cruises can let us know how their "process" efforts work.  Will keep researching and planning.  

 

THANKS for the nice posting from Unibok and others.  Keep it coming!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal.  Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 26,791 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

[Unibok]

Chiming in from St. Rupert, Canada, today. Another adorable gateway-to-adventure town, our 3rd of this voyage. We walked around the town this morning after waking late. Based on how many others were late for breakfast, we think the 1-hour time change encouraged others to sleep in as well.

 

Our favorite aspect of St. Rupert is the public art. There are murals all over town depicting local and nautical life. It makes for a very photogenic little town.

 

We returned to Kaisecki for lunch today, and the sushi was perfect this time. The staff had encouraged us to try again, and we are so glad we did. JohnGin, we have had the same reaction to the chopsticks as you did. Our most modest hole-in-the-wall eateries at home use re-usable ones, so it seems odd for Silversea’s to be so cheap. The food, however, was superb.

[JohnGinPBG]

1 hour ago, Unibok said:

ohnGin, we have had the same reaction to the chopsticks as you did. Our most modest hole-in-the-wall eateries at home use re-usable ones, so it seems odd for Silversea’s to be so cheap.

 

Most definitely. I'm going to write to Silversea with my thoughts. If you're going to offer high-end Asian dining, decent chopsticks are a must. Al least they didn't pass out fortune cookies!

[TLCOhio]

Hi to Unibok and Company!!  Anything new from those on the Silver Muse?  Inquiring minds want to know!! Did you arrive this morning in Vancouver?  Looking forward to hearing more, seeing added visuals!!  Appreciate ALL of these fun and interesting posts.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Athens & Greece: Many visuals, details from two visits in a city with great history, culture and architecture.  Now at 30,902 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

[Unibok]

Hello, friends and fellow travelers,

 

Now that nearly 6 months have passed, I thought it might be high time to complete this trip report. Perhaps the number 1 lesson I learned was how difficult it is for me to keep the reports going when I'm not traveling solo. Kudos to you who manage to report and also spend time with your loved ones.

 

We left off in Prince Rupert, Canada, which meant one sea day of cruising the Inside Passage before disembarkation in Vancouver. The long sail through the Inside Passage was such a lovely way to wrap up our 10-day voyage, as we rested, had a final round of trivia, and opted for an early al fresco dinner atop at Spaccanopoli. The excursion/expedition crew had the same idea, celebrating the end of what felt like a highly successful pilot of their expedition-meets-Muse program. Just as our pizza arrived, one of the crew spotted a huge pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins playing in the waves just off the bow. Everyone on the top deck -- all crew included -- raced to the side to watch the show. More dolphins joined the fun, and for a solid 10 minutes the Muse was escorted, stem to stern, by the jumping, gliding, rolling, dance of the dolphins. Later, those watching from the 4th deck in Dolce Vita said the leaps were at eye level. What a treat for our final night onboard!

 

Once we reached Vancouver, clearing customs took an unusually long time, delaying disembarkation (no fault of Silversea, as far as we could tell). By the time DD and I were all set, the taxis had long left, seeking fares elsewhere in the city. We did eventually make it to our hotel, thus beginning our 4-day stay in Vancouver. 

 

Warm wishes to you all,

Unibok

 

 

[Unibok]

Overall Trip Summary

 

To be sure, it was quite a different experience to travel with a companion, and also on a ship as large as the Muse. Here are my thoughts in retrospect on the voyage as a whole.

 

Pre-Cruise:

Although booking was smooth, other paperwork glitches followed us through this cruise, particularly the conflicting directions about how we would get from Anchorage to Seward, and the missing onboard credit. Both were eventually remedied, but it seemed that something was a bit off. Since then, I have changed to a different Silversea agent, and things have been going much more smoothly.

 

Embarkation:

Always a Silversea strength, this voyage was no exception. Scenic busses left Anchorage at staggered intervals to alleviate any crush at registration, resulting in a nearly line-free process. From bus to bubbly in under 5 minutes.

 

Classic Veranda Suite:

We had booked a Panorama knowing there would a possible upgrade to a Veranda -- which indeed, did happen. The suite was lovely, the bathroom spacious, and the veranda a special treat. One note worth mentioning: 5th deck verandas on the Muse-class vessels do not necessarily offer a full 180 degree view. Some do, but others might have a bit of an enclosure to the right or left. 6th deck and higher do not have this feature. For an unanticipated upgrade, I didn't mind at all; if I had been paying for a classic veranda, however, I would have wanted to ensure the full view by figuring out the applicable suite numbers.

 

Dining:

We tried every dining venue except La Dame, and the variety is part of the great fun of sailing on the Muse. For breakfasts, we typically opted for Atlantide's unhurried service, vast windows, and elegant setting. For those who have not yet experienced Atlantide, its ambiance is far superior to the smaller ships' MDR.

 

For lunches, our go-to was sushi in Kaiseki, although we opted for Spaccanopoli a few times as well. Sometimes a small bite in Arts Cafe was all we needed. I still don't like the Pool Grill for lunch, which has remained a consistent low on every Silversea vessel I've experienced.

 

Indochine and Kaiseki were by far our favorite dinner spots -- with the latter only as a special treat, given the upcharge. We would have eaten again in Silver Note, had that been possible. Atlantide's food seemed less interesting than what is usually served at the MDR on the smaller ships, and La Terrazza wasn't as impressive as it seems to be on the Wind or Shadow. Dinner at The Grill is always good fun, and we did take advantage of Spaccanopoli when it was warm enough to want to be outside; we found the wine service there to be particularly attentive.

 

Excursions:

This sailing offered regular excursions, plus enhanced Whale Watching excursions with the ORCA volunteers, plus expedition-style get-off-the-ship kayaking and zodiak trips closer to the glaciers. On the plus side, this meant there were ample choices and wide variety for everyone, even in easy DIY ports. The expedition-style kayaks and zodiak trips were offered at a reasonable price point, and I truly hope Silversea is able to continue this practice. On the down side, coordinating among the 3 different providers (traditional shore-ex, ORCA, and expedition crew) seemed to cause a good bit of stress for the crew, as they hadn't yet aligned their systems and messages. 

 

In spite of what appeared to be a clear success of the expedition, I've noticed that SS hasn't indicated whether the 2020 Alaska season will follow suit. My guess is that it is a personnel question: there were at least 15 additional crew by my count, with overflow being housed in passenger suites. Although highly attractive from my perspective, this seems like quite an expense for SS. I am very curious to see what SS decides for the 2020 Alaska season.

 

The Muse:

She is larger, that is for sure. For me, she represents a trade-off between highly personal service and variety. We loved the Arts Cafe and visited it daily for our morning cappuccino and crossword puzzle. We enjoyed the 24/7 buzz in the multipurpose Dolce Vita, and did not find it to be a cavernous waste of space as earlier cruisers did. At the same time, there were only a few crew with whom we felt a special connection -- probably because we explored the entire ship rather than cultivating relationships in just a few venues. It's a trade-off. In the larger picture of Silversea, I like having the choice to sail on a highly personal Wind, a slightly larger Shadow (soon with an Arts Cafe! Hooray!), or cornucopia of options with the Muse, Spirit, or Moon/Dawn. I suspect my heart will always be with the smaller ships, but I will enjoy my time on the larger ones.

 

Bottom Line:

We had a fabulous time, and it was a perfect college graduation gift for my daughter.

 

 

If you have any questions about our experience in Alaska on the Muse, I'll be happy to do my best to enter the way-back machine to recall an answer!

 

 

 

 

 

[Daveywavey70]

Many thanks for the summary Unibok. I Agree wholeheartedly regarding the success of the "expedition" side of things. The other point that I'd mention is that I'm so pleased we also took the 10 night cruise. The 7 night would have been a bit rushed and wouldn't have fitted anywhere near so much in. It was great to have the sea day at the beginning and the end. I'm not sure I'd have enjoyed a 7 night cruise anywhere near as much but the scheduling for Alaska 2020 are all 7 night itineraries but there are more 10/11 night itineraries in 2021. 

[Unibok]

1 hour ago, Daveywavey70 said:

 The 7 night would have been a bit rushed and wouldn't have fitted anywhere near so much in. It was great to have the sea day at the beginning and the end. I'm not sure I'd have enjoyed a 7 night cruise anywhere near as much but the scheduling for Alaska 2020 are all 7 night itineraries but there are more 10/11 night itineraries in 2021. 

 

Absolutely! I agree with you 100%, Daveywavey. 10 days was a perfect length for this voyage, and we would have felt far too rushed with just 7 days to see and do so much.

 

FWIW, the Future Cruise Consultant on the sailing I just completed (more on that in a new thread coming your way soon) felt the same way -- she was begging the home office for longer Alaska sailings rather than the 7-day turnarounds. Passengers want more time. I'm glad to hear they've remedied it for 2021.

 

Also, before I sign off, I greatly enjoyed your live report this summer, and am so glad that your experience was as fantastic as mine was.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Unibok

[Unibok]

Exploring Vancouver -- Days 1 and 2.

 

On disembarkation morning, we checked out of our suite early, enjoyed a very leisurely breakfast in Atlantide, and headed to the Panorama Lounge to read and knit until our color was called -- the final group of the day. As usual, shore-ex staff were there to guide us to our luggage, giving us a final chance to hug Marina goodbye.

 

After a loooonnnngggg wait for a cab at the port, we dropped our bags at Skwachays Lodge (First Peoples owned, with indigenous artists in residence and individually designed rooms -- ours was Salmon), right at the entryways to Gastown and Chinatown. We caught the late morning tour at Sun Yat Sen Gardens, an absolutely gorgeous oasis in urban Vancouver. Each detail carries rich meaning, even the ground under your feet.

 

 

For a quick snack, we headed to New Town Bakery & Restaurant for the best steamed pork buns I've had outside Hong Kong, and then continued our random walk through Chinatown.

 

In the late afternoon, the 4-stop small-group Gastronomic Gastown Tour provided a very thorough overview of Gastown cultural and culinary history, complete with wine, beer, and cocktail pairings. We started at Meat + Bread, enjoying their pork belly sandwich, a specialty of the house that sells out early in the day. Next was Nicli's Neapolitan-Style Pizza, which wasn't as earth-shattering as it might have been if we hadn't just enjoyed so much Spaccanopoli onboard. Hyper-local Tuc was our next stop, where our highlight was the crispy parsnip fries served in a crumpled ceramic Solo cup. Others in the group raved about their tempura bacon scotch egg, which I think we would have enjoyed more if we hadn't just eaten a pork belly sandwich two stops earlier.

 

For dessert, we headed to Wildebeest for their signature cocktail + creme brûlée pairing. It was as tasty as it was visually stunning.

 

 

The tour ended at the iconic Gastown clock, just in time to enjoy the display. There are several outfits offering food tours of Vancouver, and I can highly recommend the Vancouver Foodie Tours. It was one of the most enjoyable and informative food tours I've had anywhere.

 

Fully sated, we settled into the lodge for the night. The next day we explored the area around the University of British Columbia, particularly their very impressive Museum of Anthropology. On our way home, we roamed through the Kitsilano neighborhood, dipping into antique shops and enjoying the stroll.

 

[TLCOhio]

On 12/3/2019 at 12:49 PM, Unibok said:

Overall Trip Summary   The Muse:  She is larger, that is for sure. For me, she represents a trade-off between highly personal service and variety. We loved the Arts Cafe and visited it daily for our morning cappuccino and crossword puzzle. We enjoyed the 24/7 buzz in the multipurpose Dolce Vita, and did not find it to be a cavernous waste of space as earlier cruisers did. At the same time, there were only a few crew with whom we felt a special connection -- probably because we explored the entire ship rather than cultivating relationships in just a few venues. It's a trade-off. In the larger picture of Silversea, I like having the choice to sail on a highly personal Wind, a slightly larger Shadow (soon with an Arts Cafe! Hooray!), or cornucopia of options with the Muse, Spirit, or Moon/Dawn. I suspect my heart will always be with the smaller ships, but I will enjoy my time on the larger ones.

Bottom Line:  We had a fabulous time, and it was a perfect college graduation gift for my daughter.

 

Appreciate so much your great comments, pictures, personal details and follow-ups regarding your "adventure" on the Silver Muse, in Alaska, etc.  Yes, it all bring back nice memories from our Western Canada, Vancouver, Alaska, Denali, etc. travels in late July and early August.  

 

Keep it coming!!  Very good points as to the trade-offs as to ship size versus the Muse being able to offer a wider variety of options for dining, etc..  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Just completed Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc.  Lots of visuals and details from our first visits to these scenic areas!!  That live/blog is at: 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

[Unibok]

Thank you, Terry! I enjoyed reliving my trip through your report as well!

 

Vancouver, Days 3 and 4. The End.

 

Morning began with strong Turkish coffees, and skillets of shakshuka and manoushe at Nuba in Gastown (there are other locations around the city). We sat on the low tables and lingered, as seemed to be the custom.

 

 

The weather a soft mist, we chose today for walking around Stanley Park and the seawall. Our late spring theme of babies, more babies, and still more babies from Denali and the glaciers carried through in the park with peach-fuzz goslings and their mamas pecking and snuggling in the tidal areas. 

 

 

 

We walked mostly along the seawall perimeter, occasionally serving inland for the Totem collection or a cool glass of freshly squeezed lemonade. 

 

 

After a hearty day of walking, we made our way to the Granville side of Vancouver for dinner at the  tiny Salmon and Bannock Bistro, a first nations restaurant serving upscale and updated indigenous cuisine. We loved it. (Reservations definitely required.)

 

Alas, our final day in the city was spent troubleshooting our return flights home, which were cancelled due to weather somewhere else. Was it a sign we should stay? Actually, we would have loved it -- Vancouver enchanted us -- but after nearly 3 1/2 weeks of festivities and travel, it was time to head back to the Northeast U.S. We celebrated our final Vancouver dinner at Asian fusion restaurant Sai Woo, which turned out to be the best meal of our time in Canada. Even a simple dish of bok choi was layered with flavor and texture.

 

Flight plans sorted, we left the hotel at 5:30 in the morning for a 3-legged journey, arriving home just before midnight. 

 

Starting with DD's graduation ceremonies and family gatherings in mid-May, it was a whirlwind of adventure and celebration, both exhilarating and exhausting. And that, my friends, may explain why it took until early December to write these last few installments. DD is now happily ensconced in a new city with her new job, while I needed to plan another Silversea voyage just to recover. But that will be the subject of another thread ... stay tuned, and thanks as always for reading.

 

[Robins21]

On 12/3/2019 at 12:49 PM, Unibok said:

Overall Trip Summary

 

To be sure, it was quite a different experience to travel with a companion, and also on a ship as large as the Muse. Here are my thoughts in retrospect on the voyage as a whole.

 

Pre-Cruise:

Although booking was smooth, other paperwork glitches followed us through this cruise, particularly the conflicting directions about how we would get from Anchorage to Seward, and the missing onboard credit. Both were eventually remedied, but it seemed that something was a bit off. Since then, I have changed to a different Silversea agent, and things have been going much more smoothly.

 

Embarkation:

Always a Silversea strength, this voyage was no exception. Scenic busses left Anchorage at staggered intervals to alleviate any crush at registration, resulting in a nearly line-free process. From bus to bubbly in under 5 minutes.

 

Classic Veranda Suite:

We had booked a Panorama knowing there would a possible upgrade to a Veranda -- which indeed, did happen. The suite was lovely, the bathroom spacious, and the veranda a special treat. One note worth mentioning: 5th deck verandas on the Muse-class vessels do not necessarily offer a full 180 degree view. Some do, but others might have a bit of an enclosure to the right or left. 6th deck and higher do not have this feature. For an unanticipated upgrade, I didn't mind at all; if I had been paying for a classic veranda, however, I would have wanted to ensure the full view by figuring out the applicable suite numbers.

 

Dining:

We tried every dining venue except La Dame, and the variety is part of the great fun of sailing on the Muse. For breakfasts, we typically opted for Atlantide's unhurried service, vast windows, and elegant setting. For those who have not yet experienced Atlantide, its ambiance is far superior to the smaller ships' MDR.

 

For lunches, our go-to was sushi in Kaiseki, although we opted for Spaccanopoli a few times as well. Sometimes a small bite in Arts Cafe was all we needed. I still don't like the Pool Grill for lunch, which has remained a consistent low on every Silversea vessel I've experienced.

 

Indochine and Kaiseki were by far our favorite dinner spots -- with the latter only as a special treat, given the upcharge. We would have eaten again in Silver Note, had that been possible. Atlantide's food seemed less interesting than what is usually served at the MDR on the smaller ships, and La Terrazza wasn't as impressive as it seems to be on the Wind or Shadow. Dinner at The Grill is always good fun, and we did take advantage of Spaccanopoli when it was warm enough to want to be outside; we found the wine service there to be particularly attentive.

 

Excursions:

This sailing offered regular excursions, plus enhanced Whale Watching excursions with the ORCA volunteers, plus expedition-style get-off-the-ship kayaking and zodiak trips closer to the glaciers. On the plus side, this meant there were ample choices and wide variety for everyone, even in easy DIY ports. The expedition-style kayaks and zodiak trips were offered at a reasonable price point, and I truly hope Silversea is able to continue this practice. On the down side, coordinating among the 3 different providers (traditional shore-ex, ORCA, and expedition crew) seemed to cause a good bit of stress for the crew, as they hadn't yet aligned their systems and messages. 

 

In spite of what appeared to be a clear success of the expedition, I've noticed that SS hasn't indicated whether the 2020 Alaska season will follow suit. My guess is that it is a personnel question: there were at least 15 additional crew by my count, with overflow being housed in passenger suites. Although highly attractive from my perspective, this seems like quite an expense for SS. I am very curious to see what SS decides for the 2020 Alaska season.

 

The Muse:

She is larger, that is for sure. For me, she represents a trade-off between highly personal service and variety. We loved the Arts Cafe and visited it daily for our morning cappuccino and crossword puzzle. We enjoyed the 24/7 buzz in the multipurpose Dolce Vita, and did not find it to be a cavernous waste of space as earlier cruisers did. At the same time, there were only a few crew with whom we felt a special connection -- probably because we explored the entire ship rather than cultivating relationships in just a few venues. It's a trade-off. In the larger picture of Silversea, I like having the choice to sail on a highly personal Wind, a slightly larger Shadow (soon with an Arts Cafe! Hooray!), or cornucopia of options with the Muse, Spirit, or Moon/Dawn. I suspect my heart will always be with the smaller ships, but I will enjoy my time on the larger ones.

 

Bottom Line:

We had a fabulous time, and it was a perfect college graduation gift for my daughter.

 

 

If you have any questions about our experience in Alaska on the Muse, I'll be happy to do my best to enter the way-back machine to recall an answer!

 

 

 

 

 

Your full details of this trip was wonderful.We are booked for the Muse on June 2, with the pre trip to Denali. One question I have as this is the first time on Sivlerseas, I have read about the dress code, is it still that restrictive in Alaska? We figure to bring a sport jacket and one tie for my husband, will this work?

[Stumblefoot]

3 hours ago, Robins21 said:

I have read about the dress code, is it still that restrictive in Alaska? We figure to bring a sport jacket and one tie for my husband, will this work?

1. The dress code is very relaxed in Alaska and all 7-days voyages elsewhere in the world.

 

2. Yes, a sport jacket and tie is more than enough.