Ovation - One Year Ago Today

twangster · May 20, 2020

With my glass blowing complete it was back to town with the bulk of this day one year ago still ahead of me.

The famous Red Onion which was once a brothel.

Time to deal with that thirst again.

Incredible weather one year ago.

A tribute to the stampeders.

Skagway looked a bit different in 1897.

I decided to contribute to the local economy some more, this time at the Skagway Brewing Company.

Alaskan Halibut and Chips.

With my belly full and thirst quenched it was back around town. The Arctic Brotherhood hall with thousands of pieces of wood on its face.

Like @Hoopster95 I've been here multiple times before and I've done the train ride. It's a bucket list excursion and worth it but this time I was hanging around town.

On the walk back to the ship.

Edited May 20, 2020 by twangster

twangster · May 20, 2020

During Diamond happy hour at the NorthStar Bar I observed a small line for the NorthStar. They needed another body to justify the ride so I volunteered.

Hoopster95 · May 20, 2020

The views on this night heading back out into the inside passage were outstanding! I spent some time top deck & in the Solarium before heading inside for evening events... you don't see this sitting in your balcony, you have to get out there.

From the WJ

And a couple of more view shots from within the Solarium

twangster · May 20, 2020

Like @Hoopster95 has eluded to I learned a couple cruises ago to cherish the departure from Skagway.

So peaceful.

Waterfalls on both sides.

Movie diehards watching an outdoor movie while wrapped up in blankets.

9:22pm one year ago.

While these photographs are okay, they don't convey how moments like these touch and recharge your soul. The beauty of our earth. I can feel it again right now like I'm right where I was one year ago today watching our wake in the Alaskan Inside Passage.

A time lapse from our Skagway departure to the Haines area

Jimbo · May 20, 2020

Even though we have been to Alaska once before, still making it very tough on my wife and I...........Actually have 2 cruises booked Next September, Alaska 10 day cruise and a 7 day Western Mediterranean. I think Hoopster already knows the Alaska Itinerary..........what do you think, can only take one? can only take one, other will be moved. Figured we have 15 months to decide............

Alaska in a Aft Vista Suite and Western Med. in an Owners Suite.(Mid Ship)

Edited May 20, 2020 by Jimbo

twangster · May 20, 2020

2 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Even though we have been to Alaska once before, still making it very tough on my wife and I...........Actually have 2 cruises booked Next September, Alaska 10 day cruise and a 7 day Western Mediterranean. I think Hoopster already knows the Alaska Itinerary..........what do you think, can only take one? can only take one, other will be moved. Figured we have 15 months to decide............

Alaska in a Aft Vista Suite and Western Med. in an Owners Suite.(Mid Ship)

I am facing a similar choice that I struggle with for June 2021. A part of me is thinking about staying closer to home just over a year from now. A lot of the travel industry in the form of airplanes and hotels are projecting they won't be closer to normal until well into 2021.

What is influencing my decision making is the thought of international travel versus domestic travel. While I hope the world is back to normal by June 2021 that may be a lofty goal depending how vaccines and other items play out in the coming months. Right now at this moment I feel safer making plans for domestic travel while keeping my vacation dollars helping those closer to home so that means Alaska is ahead in this race.

Still weighing my options.

Jimbo · May 20, 2020

2 minutes ago, twangster said:

I am facing a similar choice that I struggle with for June 2021. A part of me is thinking about staying closer to home just over a year from now. A lot of the travel industry in the form of airplanes and hotels are projecting they won't be closer to normal until well into 2021.

What is influencing my decision making is the thought of international travel versus domestic travel. While I hope the world is back to normal by June 2021 that may be a lofty goal depending how vaccines and other items play out in the coming months. Right now at this moment I feel safer making plans for domestic travel while keeping my vacation dollars helping those closer to home so that means Alaska is ahead in this race.

Still weighing my options.

Same for my wife, she is saying no way are we going to Europe...........I say but hey is 15 months from now, she still says no. I told her we have lots of time to see how it will be, I told once cruises start up again, even by that time it may still not be the type of vacation we may want to take again.

May be best to just stay in the states like you said.

We always have our time shares to fall back on where we can exchange to different places.

Edited May 20, 2020 by Jimbo

Hoopster95 · May 20, 2020

57 minutes ago, twangster said:

A time lapse from our Skagway departure to the Haines area

Your time lapse videos are beyond exceptional. I've looked at the others you've posted over and over again.

Thank you for sharing these.

Hoopster95 · May 20, 2020

45 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Alaska 10 day cruise and a 7 day Western Mediterranean.

What else are you doing besides the 7 day cruise? Are you just flying in and out? For a western Med itinerary, I would not ever give up that totally awesome one-of-a-kind Alaska itinerary you have on Princess. It is outstanding.

Now... if you were doing a 11-14 day sailing through the Adriatic, Santorini/Mykonos, Istanbul, Malta, Eastern Med... now that would be the difficult choice.

Roger88 · May 20, 2020

Very nice photos guys. I like it how the place is not overcrowded (or I would say) not crowded at all. You can feel and sense the nature as it is. Enjoy the silence looking at the hills and mountains. One of those precious moments that will be gone very soon when cruising start once again

Blizzard54 · May 20, 2020

Heading back to the ship, I found the painted rocks on the side of the mountain to be interesting, with previous ships/Capts displayed. I thought this one was cool ... note "Royal Odyssey 1992"!

Did anyone sail on this ship back then?

Royal Odyssey was not part of Royal Caribbean

Blizzard54 · May 20, 2020

Thanks for bringing back these memories from a great trip.

We were to return to Alaska this summer on the Radiance and continue on to Singapore. I shifted the 2 weeks we had on Radiance to 2 weeks on the Ovation in August of 2021. The rest of that trip I have cancelled. We will stay home until at least the spring of 2021. We are booked on the Ovation from Singapore to Seattle. We hope to be able to sail on that one but will make a final decision depending on the situation a the time.

Hoopster95 · May 20, 2020

21 minutes ago, Blizzard54 said:

Royal Odyssey was not part of Royal Caribbean

Ah! my error. I wondered why I hadn't heard the name of this ship like I had the Nordic Prince, etc.

Interesting how the logo is so comparable to RCL's

http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/RoyalCruiseLine.html#anchor29541

Jimbo · May 20, 2020

1 hour ago, Hoopster95 said:

What else are you doing besides the 7 day cruise? Are you just flying in and out? For a western Med itinerary, I would not ever give up that totally awesome one-of-a-kind Alaska itinerary you have on Princess. It is outstanding.

Now... if you were doing a 11-14 day sailing through the Adriatic, Santorini/Mykonos, Istanbul, Malta, Eastern Med... now that would be the difficult choice.

Harmony September 23rd, maybe 2 or 3 days pre in Rome. No Greece..

Cabin on Princess is $7G ($0 OBC because normal price of cruise was reduced) 10 days

Royal is only( $3200 got a great deal on the L& S from a fast Sept 2020 booking from Explorer-- Owners Suite) 550 OBC 7 days figure costs for flights and hotels in Rome will add up super fast Cha ching !!

Edited May 20, 2020 by Jimbo

Hoopster95 · May 20, 2020

20 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Harmony September 23rd, maybe 2 or 3 days pre in Rome. No Greece..

Then totally not worth it. Smaller ship in the Med where you can actually see the ocean and the ports should be top of mind.

20 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Cabin on Princess is $7G ($0 OBC because normal price of cruise was reduced) 10 days

Royal is only( $3200 got a great deal on the L& S from a fast Sept 2020 booking from Explorer-- Owners Suite) 550 OBC 7 days figure costs for flights and hotels in Rome will add up super fast Cha ching !!

The Princess itinerary is one of a kind... I'll be talking about my Ovation sailing ten years from now regarding how special it was and I bet you'll be as well from that Princess itinerary. It's not about the money... Western Med, especially with an Oasis ship, is mediocre in comparison to that Alaska itinerary.

As a comparison, if you were booked on Ovation or Quantum and looking to do Western Med, I'd be all over that.

Edited May 20, 2020 by Hoopster95

Jimbo · May 20, 2020

8 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

Then totally not worth it. Smaller ship in the Med where you can actually see the ocean and the ports should be top of mind.

The Princess itinerary is one of a kind... I'll be talking about my Ovation sailing ten years from now regarding how special it was and I bet you'll be as well from that Princess itinerary. It's not about the money... Western Med, especially with an Oasis ship, is mediocre in comparison to that Alaska itinerary.

As a comparison, if you were booked on Ovation or Quantum and looking to do Western Med, I'd be all over that.

Both those classes of ships are large though, you like Quantum class that much better?

I'm thinking though by taking a cruise in Europe we just wouldn't see as much as maybe just doing one of those 11 or 12 land tours which would be less money and have a guide so we know what we are looking at.

506canuck · May 21, 2020

Love this thread. It's bringing back memories of an awesome trip last year. But OMG I didn't expect to spot a picture of myself having lunch in the Red Onion saloon. We also did the White Pass railway and what amazing weather we had that day. Thanks to all for posting.

twangster · May 21, 2020

May 21 - One Year Ago.

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The sun begins to rise as we approach the entrance to Endicott Arm.

Dark skies and rain ahead, I hope we are able to continue.

Spoiler alert... we do.

twangster · May 21, 2020

One year ago we have an audience for Ovation's first ever visit into Endicott Arm.

Some of the ice is substantial in size. This one has over a dozen birds on it.

5:51am and weather is improving.

I ducked inside to warm up and see how it all looked from Two70°

While down near the water on deck 5 I'd thought I'd capture how it looks from the small sitting areas on each side.

Throughout the day I'd pop down here several times as it's nice to see things from a different perspective down closer to the water.

More pieces of ice slide past, the Captain must know where he's going.

So much for that dreary weather earlier, blue skies have arrived.

Edited May 21, 2020 by twangster

twangster · May 21, 2020

Like @Hoopster95 has mentioned, the Solarium on Quantum class offers incredible views in Alaska.

Time for some breakfast sitting outside at the Windjammer.

Looking forward from my balcony as we continue.

A lot more ice now, we must be getting closer.

twangster · May 21, 2020

Around the next bend is a milestone I learned about on another visit. This is where the face of the glacier was just over 100 years ago.

Finally around the corner we can see Dawes Glacier.

Larger pieces of ice flow past.

I always marvel at seeing the ship so close to the towering sides of these mountains.

twangster · May 21, 2020

One year ago I was getting ready to board NorthStar.

It's pretty neat seeing it all from NorthStar so high above the ship.

Jimbo · May 21, 2020

That glacier is much smaller then I thought it would be. Without your zoomed in camera and clear day might be a little disappointing.

Edited May 21, 2020 by Jimbo

twangster · May 21, 2020

With the sun higher in the sky the trip back down Endicott Arm was even better.

We were fortunate one year ago. With the right wind or current the ice can gather so as to make it too dangerous to proceed. Some calls on Dawes Glacier will be scrapped as a result.