Live from the NCL Jewel May 1-15, 2023 (caution: may contain grumpiness and sarcasm.)

[bluesea777]

9 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

People board in Seward from 10am through 7pm.

But for the Spirit it’s 6pm as she leaves at 8pm. 
 

Happy about the 10am ….

 

 

[laudergayle]

On 5/10/2023 at 8:27 PM, YVRteacher said:

Once again I savoured a hot chocolate, looked at the glacier then spent my time cuddling Molly.  We were both in belly rub heaven and her owner gave me treats to feed her.  

I’ve missed something…how has sweet cuddly Molly made it onto the ship.  Lucky dog…lucky you❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[YVRteacher]

50 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

I’ve missed something…how has sweet cuddly Molly made it onto the ship.  Lucky dog…lucky you❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

She is a service dog.  I did ask her owner for permission before all cuddle sessions.

[YVRteacher]

Week 2 Day 4

Juneau

 

My dad is 80 today!

 

At 1:00am the phone started flashing and woke me up.  In a pitch black room a light will do that!  I knew what the message was before I listened: the shore excursion into Endicott Arm has been  cancelled.  This was the birthday surprise for dad and this is the shore excursion that I went six rounds over on Monday.  All for nought. 

 

The message said that for my convenience, the Shore Ex desk is open today so I can rebook something else for Juneau.  We arrive at 7am and all aboard time is 12:45pm.  The Shore Ex desk is open from 4-8pm.

 

My dad loved his Liberty brand Sue Coccia wooden jigsaw puzzles!

 

 

At 1:15am there was excessive banging on metal that went on for hours.  I understand that ships need to be maintained but let’s not do the loud stuff during sleeping time.  PSA over now. It was like someone was building a railway right next to my pillow.

 

At 6:40am a Code Bravo was announced loudly right in the staterooms.   Deck 14. Code Bravo.  Smoking Sauna. Since when is there a sauna on deck 14? The sauna is on deck 12.  Is there a secret Haven sauna?

 

We missed Haven breakfast which was completely empty and shut down at 8:55am and we also missed the main dining room breakfast when we tried to enter at 9:10am. O’Sheehan’s was open and we had a great breakfast there.  My dad had English breakfast and I had a veggie omelette size small.

 

My dad has taken to reading the Freestyle Daily before bed, circling the typos multiple times with a dark pen and leaving it for the room steward each morning.  I come along behind him and just place it in the trash can.  Dad’s favourite typo this cruise was the Glacier Ice Cream Sundaes with the Cruise Director and the General Manger (sic.) Who else has favourite typos? No one.  That’s who!

 

When we reached the top of the pier to go ashore the port welcome guy said, “there goes the Taku wind” and I held on to my hat.  It feels much colder this week in Juneau.

 

Since we didn’t have anything booked for Juneau we took the shuttle into the main part of tourist town.  All the kiosks were closed and most of the stores didn’t open until 11am.  Do you know what was open?  The Alaskan Fudge Company!  I said we needed birthday treats and we each chose one truffle: I had huckleberry and dad selected salted caramel.  How good were they? So good we decided we would make this a tradition each time we come to Juneau from now on.  Creamy, rich and flavourful, they were a delectable morning treat.

 

 

I love the ravens in Juneau and had a big laugh when I saw this photo on my camera roll.  Perfect timing!

Back on the Jewel we had a quick lunch (my dad had the dad special: soup and two desserts) then we listened to the Future Cruises presentation and went to Sail and Sustain which was held in La Cucina so we would be warm.  There is a basketball court above La Cucina so we had drinks and thumping from above. 

 

Aan would like to note that last week he said watermelon twist is made with vodka when it is actually made with tequila.  I drank the whole shot and couldn’t taste the tequila.

I have now done the Sail and Sustain class 5 times and am ready to teach it.  My detailed lesson plans are in the works designed with a hands-on component, labeled diagrams, a partner sharing experience and an oral component.  The assessment is a four part test, only one part of which is multiple choice.

 

Aan stayed up until 4am because he was responsible for closing the casino bar and O’Sheehans then the crew had cabin inspection today at 9:00am where the security team comes to each room.  I will stop complaining about my own lack of sleep! 

At the end of Sail and Sustain Aan asked each person which drink they preferred, then he said, “nobody is wrong, everybody is absolutely right!”  I love this! 

 

Endicott Arm is one of my favourite experiences in Alaska but we didn’t make it very far into Endicott Arm today due to ice. 

 The glacier has receded so much it wasn’t visible from our distant vantage point.  I did enjoy the growlers!

 

The Carnival ship that came before us tried a different route and they didn’t make it nearly as far as we did before turning back and the Princess ship that tried yesterday couldn’t make it in either.  This is the first time in 37 cruises we missed a stop.  We have never missed a port or glacier or volcano before.  I thought the view and the calm ocean was relaxing and fell asleep snuggled in a deck chair with a blanket and my cozy hat.  The fact that I just sampled 8 cocktails likely helped.  Someone said they saw a black bear but no one else saw it.  We went to the open bow and waved up to the captain on the bridge.  I was so busy waving I forgot to take photos.

 

We were blown away by the treats we discovered in our room upon return.  We need to have some guests over and have a party! 

 As we were getting ready for a very special birthday dinner my dad asked me if it was okay that he didn’t bring a suit jacket.  I said it would be fine.  He said the officers would be wearing formal jackets.  I said I wouldn’t look like Emma since I don’t have nice dresses and high heels and he didn’t need to look like an officer!  Neither of us are fancy, formal dressers and neither of us enjoys getting dressed up.

 

As many of you know, our tradition on board is to share a meal with Rumi.  Tonight we were treated to a wonderful, memorable meal with Rumi (GM) Fabrice (F&B Manager) and Emma (Cruise Director.) We shared stories, memories, laughs, delicious food and an amazing cake.

Walking back to the cabin, I turned to say something to my dad and noticed he had not only taken off his tie but had also unbuttoned his shirt and was walking through the corridor half dressed!  I was like, Dad, put your clothes on! He said there’s no one here then a bunch of people started walking toward us. Oof.  

 

Our new evening activity involves going down the hallway and reading people’s breakfast orders.  I just can’t fathom being functional at 6:30am let alone wanting a cheese and omelette and a fruit plate.  One person wrote that they wanted their omelette made with eggs that came out of a shell. 

 

I have realized that I don’t tend to enjoy the raunchy late night comedy shows so we went to the casino.  Bonus dancing cows were involved and we left ⬆️ $111.

 

Before bed I asked my dad, “how would you rate your birthday?”

 

Dad: “pretty darn good! No complaints!”

 

Me: what?!

 

P.S: Let’s talk about the toilets.  We had to call the plumber today because my dad’s toilet filled to the brim with water.  He was worried it was going to overflow.  They fixed it.  Tonight the toilet in my room is all air and no suction so it won’t flush.  I have a good feeling that tomorrow will bring about flushing action.

 

We had another terrific day on board the Norwegian Jewel and continue to love this ship, this itinerary and the people.

[YVRteacher]

58 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

But for the Spirit it’s 6pm as she leaves at 8pm. 
 

Happy about the 10am ….

 

 

You are right.  I meant the Jewel.

[libtrek]

Love your blog. As I’ve mentioned I have your dads brother from another mother in my DH. They have similar complaints. Mine is now obsessed with rocks. He picks them up and fills his backpack and pockets whenever we go to shore. On our last cruise he got into a scuffle with security who told him to dump the rocks. I had to do some fast explaining, and DH complained about those guys for hours. Expect the same on our June Jewel. Mary Lou

[Sugar Magnolia]

On 5/11/2023 at 3:36 AM, YVRteacher said:

Before trivia began the bar waitress asked the Cruise Director’s staff member who was hosting trivia, Handsome Rob (his name for himself. Not my name for him) if he went off the ship today in Icy Strait Point.  He told her yes and that it was disappointing.  Everyone has a right to their opinion and perspective but this struck me since ISP is so beautiful and there is so much to do.  There is a huge crew discount for the Skyglider gondola and the crew can do tours if they choose.

 

 

Handsome Rob was the solo host on the Breakaway last October. For 70s night he teared up the dance floor wearing a fabulous white suit with extra wide leg pants.

 

I will have to ask him about ISP when I see him in a few weeks. Agree, there is so much to do there. In fact, I have two excursions planned for that day.

 

And, thanks to you I signed up for the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour.

 

[Seas2mountains]

5 hours ago, bluesea777 said:

But for the Spirit it’s 6pm as she leaves at 8pm. 
 

Happy about the 10am ….

 

 

We have been the first and second person to board in Seward and it was at 11am both times with the most recent one on the Jewel in June 2022.  That’s great if the boarding time in Sewel got adjusted to an earlier time. 

[robbinsca]

20 hours ago, Dachgraf said:

I have a question regarding the White Pass Railroad: Which side should you sit on because of the nicer panorama? We take a minibus up and the train back down.

 

15 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

People board in Seward from 10am through 7pm.

Left side on the way up the mountain. You get the view while you can hear the narration. Everyone switches at the top.

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, robbinsca said:

Everyone switches at the top.

They used to switch but I believe that the RR has now constructed a loop so that the engines don't have to move to the back and the passengers just keep their seats.

[Seas2mountains]

12 hours ago, Seas2mountains said:

in Sewel. 

Speaking of typos. I apparently made a new word combining Seward and Jewel.  🤣

Happy Birthday to your Dad and Happy Belated Birthday to you!

 

I’m sorry to hear that the Endicott Arm excursion didn’t happen and that none of the ships made it very far. That has been our experience, too, with one exception where we were able to go further than we had on any previous cruise.  Whenever I see Endicott Arm on the itinerary, I know it will be like having Great Stirrup Cay on the itinerary.  
 

It sounds like you had an amazing celebration for your Dad and the crew really treated him so well with the dinner and treats. Enjoy your final days. The Jewel is a special ship with a fabulous crew. 

Edited May 13, 2023 by Seas2mountains

[ceilidh1]

Happy Birthday Dad!

[BWMCC]

On 5/9/2023 at 12:07 AM, YVRteacher said:

The comedian is Landry.  His jokes weren’t suitable for a cruise crowd and while some were so-so in the humour department many weren’t relatable.  There were plenty of times where I didn’t get the punch line at all, especially the ones about Cracker Barrel.  I’ve never been to Cracker Barrel.  We left partway through.  

Landry is a great comedian, in my opinion. I went to both of his shows and enjoyed both. I think it would be fine for you to say his comedy is not for you, but to say it’s not suitable for a cruise crowd is really not a fair assessment.  Comedy is subjective and you surely aren’t speaking for all cruisers as there was a theatre full of people who really enjoyed the shows. Landry is well established, Norwegian and other cruise lines use him for shows, your comments will not affect his ability to book future shows, but if this was a brand new comedian, a comment like yours could block them in the future. Please consider this in future comments. 

[YVRteacher]

22 hours ago, libtrek said:

Love your blog. As I’ve mentioned I have your dads brother from another mother in my DH. They have similar complaints. Mine is now obsessed with rocks. He picks them up and fills his backpack and pockets whenever we go to shore. On our last cruise he got into a scuffle with security who told him to dump the rocks. I had to do some fast explaining, and DH complained about those guys for hours. Expect the same on our June Jewel. Mary Lou

Tip: tell your hubby to put the rocks in his pockets instead of his backpack when going through ship’s security.😉

Edited May 13, 2023 by YVRteacher

[YVRteacher]

9 hours ago, robbinsca said:

 

Left side on the way up the mountain. You get the view while you can hear the narration. Everyone switches at the top.

No one switched seats but you are on the other side of the route coming down.

[YVRteacher]

7 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

They used to switch but I believe that the RR has now constructed a loop so that the engines don't have to move to the back and the passengers just keep their seats.

Correct!

[YVRteacher]

2 hours ago, BWMCC said:

Landry is a great comedian, in my opinion. I went to both of his shows and enjoyed both. I think it would be fine for you to say his comedy is not for you, but to say it’s not suitable for a cruise crowd is really not a fair assessment.  Comedy is subjective and you surely aren’t speaking for all cruisers as there was a theatre full of people who really enjoyed the shows. Landry is well established, Norwegian and other cruise lines use him for shows, your comments will not affect his ability to book future shows, but if this was a brand new comedian, a comment like yours could block them in the future. Please consider this in future comments. 

I stand by my opinion and experience.

[YVRteacher]

Week 2 Day 5

Skagway

 

Morning balcony photos. 

Once again Haven breakfast ended before we were functional so we ate in the Garden Cafe.  I got us some Irish cream to help make the buffet coffee a little more tasty.  We sat in La Cucina and could see the Fire Department sending flares onto the spit to (according to someone) drive away the bears.  Can anyone confirm or refute this?

 

If you have been to Skagway many times and don’t need bum-flap pyjamas that say something about the “bear essentials” or a fake totem that was made in China, do this walk to Yakutania Point.  

 

 

We asked the port security people for directions and they were helpful, specific and gave perfect directions.  Thank you, friendly port security people in Skagway! The walk is beautiful and its chance to be in nature without a guide.  I agree that we did feel like bears were watching us!  There was no one else on the trails and we didn’t have bear bells so I just kept up my usual chatter.  I loved all the spring buds ready to burst and was struck by the various shades of green from dusty sage to vibrant lime

 

After the walk to Yakutania and the Pet Cemetery we watched the planes taking off and landing.  Planes were flying right overhead and it was like the St Maarten of Alaska.  (At Maho Beach we got blown away by a KLM jumbo jet and my dad ended up in someone’s picnic.  The woman looked down at him sprawled out on her blanket and asked with a high level of incredulity, “where did you come from?”  

 

When we ran out of planes to watch we started walking into town.  I was looking forward to more walking but I turned my back for one second and my dad had flagged down a shuttle and could not get on that thing fast enough.

 

We did the junk yard tour.  This is a free self-guided tour where one heads west to the residential neighbourhood and takes photos of abandoned properties and homes where the owners could be on the TLC show Hoarders.  One may see a rusty ambulance, a sidewalk where a dog walked through the cement before it was set, a chatty Stellar’s jay, derelict homes, tulips about to bloom, a warehouse that burned down last week, cars without tires and tires without cars.

It was raining when we woke up today but stopped for hours then drizzled then bucketed.  We didn’t get rained on at all today but those with later tours did.  I do recommend the junk yard tour😉

As we were walking through the tourist part of town dad said, “Skagway doesn’t change much.”

 

I replied, “the rhubarb is bigger this week.”

 

 

We have been to the Skagway Brewing Company for their famous spruce tip beer so today savoured a couple of drinks at the Klondike Brewing Company where they greet you with, “hello friends!”

 

 I asked if they had food and they said last year people begged them for food so now they have one item: a hot dog.  I asked if they had anything vegetarian and they said they were thinking about it.  The waitress said they should make a carrot hot dog.  I’m all about a good tofu dog without the bunny food.  My dad tried a few beers and I had a tiny Trail Coffee Blond Stout.  This is my first beer ever-I’ve had sips but never a full glass.  Cheers to trying new things.  Now I’m going back to my Old Fashioneds, Mai Tais and Painkillers.

 

Despite not needing anything from the shops, we did walk down Broadway.  One of the stores had an embellished beaded stick near the exit and as we were leaving I said, “look-there’s a walking stick for you.” My dad said “that’s a dangerous looking walking stick.  It’s got a weapon on top.”

I hadn’t noticed this and went back to take a second look.  It was not a walking stick but an Indigenous hunting spear. The shop guy said “dad, that was made by a local Indigenous artist, right?” I asked if the shop owner was his dad and he said yes.  We both had our dads! Then I said, “you’re going to talk about me when I leave aren’t you?” They both tried not to laugh but couldn’t stifle their grins.  As we left for the second time, shop Dad said, “thanks for the laugh!” And we all laughed.  

Note: I checked the price and that walking stick that wasn’t a walking stick cost $1000.

 

 

We walked back to the Jewel which is docked at Ore Dock today

and enjoyed a great lunch in Cagney’s.  I carried up the birthday cake and the cheese plate from the butler and ordered some crudités.  My kind of lunch! Dad had cream of lentil soup and one crab cake.  He liked both but would have preferred it if both items were hot. I tasted his soup and loved it.

 

I noticed Gift of the Gab was taking place in Bliss Lounge and told my dad if it involved talking I would win; I chatter non-stop and he barely speaks anymore.  We did do Gift of the Gab and it was not at all what I expected.  We won with 18/20.  

 

Bubble blowing off the balcony in Skagway.

 

Continuing with the pattern of some afternoon quiet time we went to sit in Spinnaker.  Dad watched the port operations and passengers returning to the ship and I wrote.  At 4:00pm we did Wines around the World.  This is only our second time doing this perk and it was great today.  The Jewel wine stewards are stellar!  Absolutely stellar.  Wines Around the World took place in Spinnaker.  Jason started by introducing the team of wine stewards then explained we would start with US wines, move to South America with wines from Chile and Argentina, travel to France and end in Italy.  Jason instructed, “if you like it, drink it.  If you don’t, dump it.”  He also assured us several times how much he loves his job while sipping on some generous pours himself!  Unlike on the Encore where the stations were set up and people moved about the cellar individually, for today’s tasting everyone was given a pour then Jason explained what to look for, what notes and tastes to savour and threw in a lot of humour.  It was a great time and we both enjoyed the set up and the interesting presentation.  Super impressed with this today and I’m not a wine drinker (allergic to red and rarely have a glass of white.)

When Jason was presenting the Beringer Cabernet he took a sip then said, “Aaah, I love my job!”

 

The Sauvignon from Chile has notes of jalapeño and grass. Jason says it’s like dancing your palate to the tune of merengue. He is gifted with both words and wine!  A couple evenings ago I stayed up chatting with a woman and she had done all the wine tastings last week and this week with Jason.  She spoke highly about him and loved all the wine tastings.  If you like wine, the Jewel has outstanding wine stewards who are keen to share their knowledge and passion.  

 

All the wine stewards on board call my dad Dad.

 

According to Jason the Pinot Grigio from Italy is good for drinking with friends or when getting a divorce.  Jason says do not dump this wine because that is alcohol abuse.

We had a rosé that Bon Jovi selected.  Or branded.  Or something.  I had a small beer and four samples of wine.  Maybe Bon Jovi just likes this wine.  You can ask Jason when you come on the Jewel.  He is the wine steward in Le Bistro.

 

What did we do after Wines Around the World? The Latitudes party.  I asked Juan (fantastic Cruise Next Manager) and he said there are 11 Diamonds this week, very few Sapphire, no Ambassadors.  I think he said there were just over 400 latitudes members including Bronze on board and 267 silver and above. This means 1/3 of the passengers have previously cruised with NCL and 2/3 are first time cruisers with NCL.  These first time cruisers sure chose a fabulous ship and itinerary for a first cruise.  The Jewel continues to be special in every way.

 

Do you think they do Dinner With the Officers right after Wines Around the World and the Latitudes Party on purpose? Perhaps half corked passengers are better dinner companions.

 

If you have read my previous “Live From…” threads, you know how I had back to back disappointing dinners with the officers on the Bliss.  What was it like tonight on the Jewel?

 

Lovely!

Both my dad and I really enjoyed the evening.  We had the absolute pleasure of sharing a meal with Avary, the Entertainment Production Manager, and @KACTravelsand her husband.  At the end of the meal my dad said “thank goodness we had great dinner companions and not some twits.”  @KACtravels, thank you to you and your husband for being so kind to my dad and making sure he was included in the conversation and for asking him specific questions.  That’s exactly what he needs.  A table of people chatting is hard for him and you made it a really positive meal.  This was Avary’s first time table hosting and she rocked it.  She was engaging, friendly, knowledgeable and so accomplished at the age of 27.  We met her last week when she did the theatre part of the Behind the Scenes tour so it was nice to reconnect and share a meal with someone who is so passionate about her career.

 

Just adding that I ordered vegetarian Indian food and it was wonderful.  Richly flavoured lentil dal, fragrant basmati rice, spicy aloo gobi, raita and delicately crispy pappadum.  

 

Avary had Velvet this evening and had to leave at 8ish but the rest of us lingered, still talking about cruising and life and future adventures.  We did eventually make our way to the theatre for Velvet.  

Terrific show tonight!  It was Stephanie Pope’s last performance as the diva; after 5 months that were only supposed to be two months she heads on vacation on Monday and a new diva (actually a retuning diva) will assume the role.  I wish The World’s Greatest Dancer had a larger part in Velvet.  Did you know Velvet started at the Australian Fringe Festival and was brought to NCL with the more risqué numbers removed?  I previously thought it came out of NCL Creative Studios but nope.

 

My dad made a donation to the casino tonight and did some funny math to try to explain to me how he won but you can’t argue with funny math so I let that go then we went to see our favourite bartender, Dan, at Maltings.  Dad faded fast so I sent him to bed and I wrote for a bit then chatted with some awesome people from Denver.  Everyone I’ve met from Denver is awesome!  You know you’ve been at the bar too long when they ding a bell, unscrew the bar taps and start sanitizing everything in sight while you are still drinking your cocktail.  I tried a Hennessy Fizz but that was way too sour so I traded it in for a new drink and ended up with an Old Fashioned.

Another excellent day on the Norwegian Jewel.

 

Edited May 14, 2023 by YVRteacher

[YVRteacher]

Week 2 Day 6

Ketchikan

mid-morning balcony photos

 

The get off the ship documents were outside the cabin door this morning.  Too soon!  Too soon!  We have enjoyed an absolutely wonderful two weeks on the Jewel and I’m so sad to be leaving.  

 

Our butler caught us in the hall and made a production of how to disembark and who is included in the tipping program and how much he has helped us the past 2 days (last week’s butler was at the end of his already extended contract, the butler we had for the first four days of this cruise did absolutely nothing and ignored us and we’ve had butler #3 for 48 hours.)

 

We went to breakfast in Moderno and it was closed.  This is getting ridiculous.  We paid for Haven breakfast and it closes so early we aren’t able to eat there.  Not everyone wants to get up at 7:00am on vacation.  That’s a work wake up time!

 

For kicks we went to the Lightning Fast Art Auction.  If I was running an art auction it would start on time and the browsing of the art would take place before the advertised start time.  This whole long rigamarole preview is a waste of time.  The person behind me is complaining and her companion just said “what else are we going to do?”

There are people on this ship whose job is to move art from point A to point B.  We lasted 10 minutes after the start of the auction.  I fell asleep (this says nothing about the quality of the auctioneer or the art and everything about my late night at Magnums) my dad poked me awake when the mimosas came about (I was too tired to lift a mimosa glass) then we left.

 

I took a nap and sent our scheduled tour provider a text asking if we could postpone the Ketchikan Photo Safari until July.  We booked the NCL Spirit for two weeks in July so have two opportunities to do the excursion in the summer.  The tour provider graciously said they could accommodate this change of plans. 

 

At lunch in Cagney’s the butlers came around to hand out rain ponchos.  Our wonderful concierge, Teo,  is craving spicy chips so will be trekking to Wal Mart in the rain on a quest for his chips.  He is on the Jewel until June 8 when he transfers to the Sun.  He’ll be the concierge on the Sun for 3 months and he misses his 4-legged companions a lot.  We ran into Teo in Skagway yesterday and he didn’t have a waterproof jacket with a hood.  I tried to give him my umbrella but he wouldn’t take it.  He was one of the crew members trying to send home money but the crew centre in Skagway was closed.

 

Heading south to Ketchikan the Jewel is shrouded in cloud and people have frizzy hair from all the rain and humidity.  The skies open up and it rains for hours.

 

We did a port pivot and secured day passes for the thermal spa for $69 each. The spa front desk person offered us a deal for $118 per person with three jars of scrubby stuff.  We said no thank you to the scrubby and settled into the hot ceramic loungers for the afternoon, watched the rain streaming down the windows and the passengers running for cover.

 

I did convince my dad to get into the thermal pool and things were fine until I turned on the bubbles.  He shouted, “what the ****” and woke up sleeping lady.  Fortunately she smiled and seemed to understand that dad is still building up his spa skills.  The thermal pool squelches like a class of third graders with their boots stuck in the mud at the pumpkin patch.  Now that was an experience!  The pumpkin patch people put down planks and plucked the kids out of the mud one by one, leaving their boots behind in the gooey mud.  Being the ever-caring teacher, I took photos for the year-end slideshow.

 

The internet has been way better this week as compared to last week.

 

[www3traveler]

When will you be on The Spirit?  Mohammad Hasan joined The Spirit this week as Food and Beverage Director, so he will be onboard for your cruise.

[quack2]

It has been a joy reading your trip report and I will be sorry to see it end.  You are a candidate for sainthood for bringing your Dad along on your two-weeker and providing him with a wonderful experience.  Enjoy your final day coming down Vancouver Island and your glorious morning arrival in Vancouver.

 

I will be on the Spirit next month as a solo and will be thinking about how I wish I could have convinced my now-deceased parents to come along on one of my Alaska trips.

Edited May 14, 2023 by quack2

[KACTravels]

We loved having dinner with you and your Dad last night. It was great to hear him talk about the cruise and especially the Bering Sea Excursion!  His eyes lit up and I loved his smile. It was a special time for us on our Jewel adventure 😊🥰

Edited May 14, 2023 by KACTravels

[YVRteacher]

3 hours ago, quack2 said:

It has been a joy reading your trip report and I will be sorry to see it end.  You are a candidate for sainthood for bringing your Dad along on your two-weeker and providing him with a wonderful experience.  Enjoy your final day coming down Vancouver Island and your glorious morning arrival in Vancouver.

 

I will be on the Spirit next month as a solo and will be thinking about how I wish I could have convinced my now-deceased parents to come along on one of my Alaska trips.

Thank you for the good wishes!  I hope your time on the Spirit is as special as can be!

 

Did you ever travel with your parents to other places?

[YVRteacher]

5 hours ago, www3traveler said:

When will you be on The Spirit?  Mohammad Hasan joined The Spirit this week as Food and Beverage Director, so he will be onboard for your cruise.

July 5-19.  I don’t know Mohammad.  Actually I don’t think I know anyone on the Spirit so it will be a new ship with new (to us) people and new adventures.

[YVRteacher]

Week 2 Day 6 

Part 2

 

Guess what I did for three hours this afternoon?

 

Relaxed!

 

I lounged on a hot lounger and sat in the therapy pool and slept and read and wrote.

Bliss on the Jewel.  

 

My dad is worried that the people who are in Ketchikan for the first time had a very rainy experience. 

If they booked the Misty Fjords tour, they definitely got what they paid for!

 

 

After the spa it was a quick shower to make it to trivia by 5.  The poor cruise director’s staff member who is hosting trivia is so sick she sounds like she’s on her last legs and needs a long nap and a whiskey with honey and lemon.  It must be so hard to have to work when sick. Trivia was challenging and the questions were the kind of questions where you either know the answer or you don’t and guesses don’t help.

 

We scored 10, the winner came halfway through and said they scored 11.  We learned the names of the fairy godmothers in Sleeping Beauty are Flora, Fauna and Merriweather.  The first movie I saw in a movie theatre was Sleeping Beauty.

 

From trivia we made the short walk down the hall and down the stairs to Maltings for a French Manhattan minus the bitters for me

and a beer for dad.

2 rounds later I think my eyes were facing in opposite directions and I somewhat stumbled to La Cucina while trying to act like I hadn’t just had two drinks.

 

Siegefred (wonderful wine steward and wonderful human) has shown my dad so much kindness and care the past two weeks.  He told us tonight that his dad is 85 and his mom is 82 and he calls my dad Dad out of respect.  When we did Wines Around the World I noticed how much my dad was enjoying the red wines so I asked Siegefred to select a red for my dad for dinner.  I don’t know what it was but my dad absolutely loved it.  I’ll try to find out tomorrow. 

 

We savoured a delicious  dinner that involved bread and pasta and cheese and salad.  

My dad declared tonight that La Cucina is his favourite restaurant on NCL (he will say something different the next cruise but he’s so happy right now.)  We have really appreciated Joel this cruise and the maître d came up to us as soon as we were seated to say Joel has the night off.  I love that he got a night off!

 

We opted to have dessert in the Garden Cafe. My dad had the crepe maker make a crepe with blueberries, marshmallows and butterscotch.  When I asked him how it was he said “it’s a little bit rich.” 😂

 

We saw the pilot boat come to scoop up the pilot and I got a wave from the pilot boat captain.

  It was chilly and misty out on deck while taking photos and watching the pilot boat approach, pull up then zip away.  Those pilot boats are like ninjas!

 

Dad wanted to gamble so at 8:35 he was the first one at a slot.  He pushed one button, hit a bonus and won a mini jackpot of $30.  Then he was done gambling for the night and we came back to our home port, Maltings bar.  I asked for a non-alcoholic beverage and all the bartenders keeled over in shock.  The bartender made something yummy and I asked him what the name of the drink was and he said, “cranberry juice.”

For people who go to the nightly theatre shows, remember pre-pandemic when the officers and crew representing all departments came on stage and sang We Are Norwegian Now, waved and received a well-deserved standing ovation?  Today this tradition returned to the Jewel!  Management teams have been pressing corporate to bring it back and tonight was the night.  We were at Maltings and as each team walked by all the people at Maltings, Magnums, Shakers and along the sides clapped and cheered. Every single crew member was cheered on.  I know that this is special in the theatre but it was also really, really special to see the crew members take in the praise and massive thank yous from all the passengers on deck 6.

 

Clocks go forward an hour tonight as we transition back to the Pacific time zone, enter Canadian waters, approach the Seymour Narrows and sail closer to home.

 

Even though we didn’t go ashore in Ketchikan, both my dad and I loved the day.