Live from NCL Spirit 06/21/23-07/05/23 - Alaska B2B Vancouver to Seward to Vancouver

[Seas2mountains]

On 6/23/2023 at 11:52 AM, KDebreuil said:

You mentioned 'no kids' in the Spice H2O area.  Do they seem to strict about the 18+ for that area?  My 17 year old daughter is traveling with us, and due to still recovering from knee surgery can't really run around.  Would she be able to use the hot tubs, and padded loungers in Spice H2O, or are they checking ID or something?

As a parent, grandparent and licensed professional working in a high school with teenagers, I love teenage kids. But they are also challenging and when I’m on school break and vacation, I honestly do not want to be around teenagers nor do my colleagues. 

I love that the Spirit has two areas where I can be assured they are adults only venues in Spice H20 and the Spa (additional fee). 
 

Honestly, it is even more challenging to work with teens when parents think the rules/expectations/guidelines don’t apply to their kids and they are exempt. These kids act all entitled and we are not going to bend to provide extra help to these kids who act like the world revolves around them. 
 

I know there is at least one other teacher on this cruise and I know many like to take cruises, too. Please model the behavior you expect of your child and honor the guidelines that the Spice H20 area is for adults only. your kid is not an adult. The pool and four hot tubs in the middle area are for families and kids. 
 

The Spirit is a small ship and you will get to know other guests. Do you really want your kid pretending to be a college student just to be able to share the hot tub with old people? 
 

 

[Happycrafter123]

I love all your photos!!

 

Wow that dinner at onda looks awesome!   The San remo looks tasty too.   Wonder if they will have that In other ships in la cucina?   
weird there were no edamame at Tepanyaki.  On the breakaway in May they had them.  

[Seas2mountains]

On 6/23/2023 at 2:23 PM, bluesea777 said:

Sorry @Seas2mountains I cannot resist posting this photo that was taken off the coast of Yemen during our Rome-Dubai Arabian Odyssey cruise on the Spirit in Feb 2020 - before the **** hit the fan. 
 

 

It was in our top 5 NCL cruises, along with our recent B2B Alaskan cruises, also on the Spirit!!

 

 

Your previous review and posts about the Spirit assured me that it was an amazing ship and experience. Please feel free to share any photos or comments.  Thank you for sharing your past experience. You are right about how wonderful the Spirit is. 

[Seas2mountains]

12 minutes ago, Happycrafter123 said:

I love all your photos!!

 

Wow that dinner at onda looks awesome!   The San remo looks tasty too.   Wonder if they will have that In other ships in la cucina?   
weird there were no edamame at Tepanyaki.  On the breakaway in May they had them.  

Thank you! I’m excited for you and your cruise on the Sun. I’ve not had time to follow your posts since boarding the ship but look forward to catching up when my cruise ends. 
 

We had Edamame  on the Escape at the end of May, too. This was a surprise change. 

[Sugar Magnolia]

15 minutes ago, Happycrafter123 said:

Wow that dinner at onda looks awesome!   The San remo looks tasty too.   Wonder if they will have that In other ships in la cucina?  

 

I dined at Onda on the Encore and the Prima and enjoyed both meals. Glad to hear that Onda is on the Spirit now as well.

 

[Seas2mountains]

9 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

@Seas2mountains cheers to the Matador! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

 

I showed my dad the photos you posted of the Spirit and it really helped him get a feel for the ship. I’m so grateful to you.

 

Did you feel the raptor centre and the fortress of the bear were overcrowded or was it fine?

Thank you! Cheers! I’m glad to hear it is helping Dad. 

 

You are very welcome! I appreciate all your great suggestions and past reviews. 
 

Both places were very prepared to deal with the volume of guests.  They both did a good job of keeping things as organized and as orderly as possible. I think it is fine. 

[Seas2mountains]

Here are photos from the Goldbelt Tram in Juneau. The Tram takes you up 1800 feet into the mountain. When at the top, there are several observation points for photos.  There is a restaurant, a gift shop and walking trails. There used to be a Raptor Center but it was closed and the building it used to be in was under construction.  
 

If you book the excursion through NCL and have the Free At Sea promotion, the first person in the cabin is covered. If you have Free At Sea Plus like we do, both people with FAS+ are covered and do not have to pay an additional fee. Otherwise, it costs $50 per adult. 
 

https://www.goldbelttram.com

 

The funniest part of this visit was when the tram operator pointed to the QR code for the end of visit survey. He asked all the guests to please request that the company add a heated water slide that could be used to come down the mountain. I think my husband spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how that even could be possible.  
 

We’ve heard the commentary by tour guides when in Sitka and Juneau that visitors can only arrive by airplane, ship/boat/ferry, or by birth canal. 

[Seas2mountains]

After the Tram, we walked to the Alaska State Museum. It cost $14/adult. The most interesting part was the special event display featuring parkas made out of marine mammal guts. The artist who put together the display also had other art work to honor Alaskan history and some of the tragedies that have occurred.  

Edited June 25, 2023 by Seas2mountains

[Seas2mountains]

For anyone going to Juneau for the first time, we do recommend Mendenhall Glacier or Whale Watching or both on combined tours.  
 

It was very scenic leaving Juneau and the views cruising to the next port are so spectacular it’s why we keep coming back. It’s nice to listen to live music and watch the views. 
 

Yesterday, we enjoyed time in the hot tub in Spice H20 and meeting other guests who were also using the hot tubs. The temperature outside was fine but it was a little cold getting out. 

 

We also like the time in the Spa and we will probably get week long thermal spa passes even though there isn’t a thermal pool. It’s very relaxing and so far there have been no chair hogs and while it’s been busy on each visit, there have been chairs that are available. Some people go there for a scenic and quiet place to read books using the tables and chairs. 
 

[Seas2mountains]

Hello from Skagway. It’s a bit windy and the skies are changing from being overcast to partly sunny. 
 

We had a relaxing morning but we were awake early enough to catch breakfast in Windows.  We were late to Tri-bond trivia but made it to general trivia. We got 10 correct and the winners got 13 or more correct. 
 

The White Pass Scenic Railway is a popular excursion in Skagway and we highly recommend it but did not choose to do it again this time. On a sunny day on a past cruise, we walked to the botanical gardens and enjoyed the beautiful flowers and displays. 
 

This time, we walked along Pullen Creek which is really close to where the Spirit is docked.  When we stopped here a few years ago in August, it was fun to watch the salmon swimming up stream. It’s too early for the salmon. We walked around areas of the town that we have seen before along with a street we had not walked down on past stops. We got a little more than 2 miles of walking before deciding to go back on the ship as it was too windy to enjoy being outside for too long. 
 

If you are having trouble figuring out a gift for a person who has everything, a shop in Skagway has the perfect idea. How about a rabbit fur jockstrap or bikini? 😂

[quack2]

21 hours ago, Seas2mountains said:

Here are some photos of our dinner tonight at Onda. This is a new-to-us restaurant experience.  We are looking forward to returning as sometimes you need a few visits to find the food selections that match your food preferences. 
 

I ordered the Burrata and my husband got the Beef Carpaccio.  Here are also photos of the bread with olive oil, a tomato spread which was excellent or a cheese and butter spread. 
 

The appetizers contained more food than we expected or could eat. It was really good!  

I tried Onda on Embarkation Night.  My entree, the Veal Milanese, was quite frankly, awful.  Everything else, including the service was top notch.

[graphicguy]

Love this review.  Been cruising the big ships.  This makes me want to book the Spirit!  Thanks!

[asgaga]

going on the spirit in july thanks for the all the posts.

 

For the shows did they ever get to capacity? was wondering if showing up 30 minutes before is enough time to get a seat.

[Seas2mountains]

43 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Love this review.  Been cruising the big ships.  This makes me want to book the Spirit!  Thanks!

Thank you! We are loving this ship! We have been on all the big NCL ships except the Joy and Prima. 
 

We are trying to figure out how to book a warm weather cruise (Hawaii/Tahiti) on this ship as there are so many nice outside areas.  

[Seas2mountains]

3 hours ago, quack2 said:

I tried Onda on Embarkation Night.  My entree, the Veal Milanese, was quite frankly, awful.  Everything else, including the service was top notch.

How is the cruise going for you? We have been impressed with the service. All the crew members we have encountered seem so happy and enjoy being on this ship. Have you done any excursions? 

[Seas2mountains]

36 minutes ago, asgaga said:

going on the spirit in july thanks for the all the posts.

 

For the shows did they ever get to capacity? was wondering if showing up 30 minutes before is enough time to get a seat.

When we went to World Beat, there were plenty of available seats.  No need to get to the theater early. 
 

I hope you have a wonderful cruise! 

[IndyTim]

6 hours ago, Seas2mountains said:

Thank you! We are loving this ship! We have been on all the big NCL ships except the Joy and Prima. 
 

We are trying to figure out how to book a warm weather cruise (Hawaii/Tahiti) on this ship as there are so many nice outside areas.  

We are sailing on the Spirit at the end of August to Alaska and Hawaii. Packing should be a challenge.🙄

[Seas2mountains]

Thank you to @bluesea777 for suggesting Taste.  We have Free at Seas Plus which gets us four specialty dining dinners plus two for being Sapphire. 
 

We decided to go to Taste tonight after the US military veterans reception. We arrived at about 6:20pm and left about 7:15.pm.  
 

We ordered two appetizers each. I ordered the mushroom caps and the mozzarella  with tomatoes. He ordered beef tostados with guacamole and the shrimp with lime and dill.  I tasted all four appetizers and all were delicious. My favorite was the mushroom caps. Our entrees were the Pacific Hake for me and the Southern Fried Chicken for my husband. 
 

We were really happy about the quick service and quality of the food.  Our waiters were among the best we have had on all NCL ships. 

[Seas2mountains]

Day 5 Daily. 

[Seas2mountains]

Day 5 daily PDF 

NCL Spirit Day 5.pdf

[Seas2mountains]

We went to the US military reception in the Social last night. The cruise director mentioned that NCL may expand the program to include Canada, UK and Australia. 
 

They also have a challenge coin, patch for each ship and a pin which are in each cabin on embarkation day for those who have registered on NCL.com and ID.me with their military service information which also is how the 10% military discount is applied. 
 

We have collected a patch for the Gem, Escape, and Sky. 
 

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by Seas2mountains

[quack2]

12 hours ago, Seas2mountains said:

How is the cruise going for you? We have been impressed with the service. All the crew members we have encountered seem so happy and enjoy being on this ship. Have you done any excursions? 

Things are going well.  For me, the quality of a cruise depends on my wildlife photo opportunities.  Sitka wasn't bad.  Otters, raptors and bear excursion.  Saw some otters and some uncooperative whales.  Raptor Center and Fortress of the Bears was nice, but a little rushed, IMO.  Sitka weather was fantastic.  The kind of day you hope for but never expect in Alaska.

 

I decided not to do whale watching in Juneau, instead going to Mendenhall and the Glacier Gardens.  Glacier Gardens was disappointing.  A few upside down flower trees and a steep, fully loaded tram ride up to a viewpoint.  Guide wouldn't stop talking or stopping the tram to let us photograph something.  Mendenhall was nice.  Been there several times before but it's been a few years.  Returned to Juneau and had lunch at Deckhand Dave's.  Excellent fish tacos.

 

In Skagway I rented a car from Avis and drove north to Carcross hoping to see bears on the side of the road. l've done this before and have always had great success with photographs.  Yesterday I didn't see a single bear.  Landscape were nice though.  Went back to Skagway via Dyea.  Got a couple of nice bald eagle in a tree shots.  Very expensive rental car ($350ish).

 

Going out today in Icy Strait to shoot whales with Glacier Wind.  This is my favorite whale photo port.  Wish the light was better but will do the best I can.  Shawn, Teresa and Casey at Glacier Wind are great people and run great whale watching outings.  Now, if only the whales will show themselves . . .

 

P.S.  enemy ship approaching on starboard side.  Could be the Millenium.

Edited June 26, 2023 by quack2

[GINNY L]

3 hours ago, Seas2mountains said:

We went to the US military reception in the Social last night. The cruise director mentioned that NCL may expand the program to include Canada, UK and Australia. 
 

They also have a challenge coin, patch for each ship and a pin which are in each cabin on embarkation day for those who have registered on NCL.com and ID.me with their military service information which also is how the 10% military discount is applied. 
 

We have collected a patch for the Gem, Escape, and Sky. 
 

 

I really like that they do this for our military.

[YVRteacher]

@Seas2mountains what is the name of the botanical garden in Skagway, please? I haven’t been there yet.

[GINNY L]

10 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

@Seas2mountains what is the name of the botanical garden in Skagway, please? I haven’t been there yet.

https://www.glaciergardens.com/  we are going there along with the glacier tour excursion.  We are using the $50 shore credit.  The cost just to get into the gardens is $30.40