Live Ovation of the Seas Alaska May 17-24, 2024 with Kmom

[dmet0225]

2 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

What does Kmom like? Have you figured it out yet?

 

Logic

Trivia

Winning trivia contests 

My teenager and the “foster” adult (18) we welcomed into our family last year.

Pandas / Panda Diplomacy 

Kindness

Gratitude

Baklava

Coffee

You also like when people don’t waste food.

[odie1024]

Sitka is beautiful, was there last October for the last cruise of the season. We walked to Sitka National Park and viewed the numerous totem poles. A lot of things were closed but still a great little town with lots of history.

[KmomChicago]

28 minutes ago, dmet0225 said:

You also like when people don’t waste food.

I mean if you didn’t want it, why did you take it? No one forced it on you. 
 

 

[KmomChicago]

Not that you really care but I am still eating too much (no surprise there) so this morning aside from my 2 big lattes I just had 2 of the little avocado toasts from the buffet. 

[crzndeb]

2 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

I’m looking for reasons to add steps anyway this journey.

I love Quantum class for this reason. I like to get 10k steps in, and I would just walk around each deck inside and take in all the artwork. A bit more variety than the outdoor track. 

[KmomChicago]

1 hour ago, crzndeb said:

I love Quantum class for this reason. I like to get 10k steps in, and I would just walk around each deck inside and take in all the artwork. A bit more variety than the outdoor track. 

Agree. There’s a ton more art along the walls in stateroom corridors, though they aren’t marked with placards.

[KmomChicago]

Currently 

 

 

 

[KmomChicago]

Either my weather report was way wrong or I was looking at Chicago rather than Sitka. It’s cold and it’s wet.

[princess76021]

4 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

Either my weather report was way wrong or I was looking at Chicago rather than Sitka. It’s cold and it’s wet.

Hitting the oh crap button for you!!

hugs from Texas

[KmomChicago]

6 minutes ago, princess76021 said:

Hitting the oh crap button for you!!

hugs from Texas

It’s fine. Probably made it easier to get on North Star finally. Would I book a ship again specifically because of North Star? I would not. Am I glad I booked a Q class ship anyway? I am. It’s yet another great ship to add to my portfolio. 

[KmomChicago]

Hardly anyone here. Will she win more keychains? Will she add them to the shelf with the ships on sticks?

[KmomChicago]

Just had a big late lunch in Windjammer. Not loving the Asian menu in MDR tonight, mebbe find fun activities instead of additional dining.

[Tiggercat]

So is the indoor pool a popular place? Is warm enough to swim in? 

[KmomChicago]

4 minutes ago, Tiggercat said:

So is the indoor pool a popular place? Is warm enough to swim in? 

Yes it is and the Solarium is also fully enclosed on this ship. Both were quite busy yesterday.

[KmomChicago]

OMG Line dance class in Two70. I made it through 3 songs, now sweating in a chair with a view of port. Still in cloudy Sitka.

[Mommapadraig]

17 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

OMG Line dance class in Two70. I made it through 3 songs, now sweating in a chair with a view of port. Still in cloudy Sitka.

You go girl! My email has been very quiet this afternoon. I went to your posts and Megans’s and realized I’m not getting CC notifications of new posts. EDIT! So after posting this I saw something at the bottom about Alert verifying my email addr. I did. It was correct and now aim getting notifications again….

Edited May 20 by Mommapadraig

[pcrum]

On 5/17/2024 at 9:51 PM, KmomChicago said:

Current “view” from the virtual balcony. I like the little fake virtual deck and handrail. ❤️🥳

Can you tell me more about the virtual balcony? Is it a TV screen? Sorry for sounding stupid, but we’ve never sailed on RCI and have never heard of a virtual balcony. 
 

Loving the review. Enjoy the cruise! 

[KmomChicago]

41 minutes ago, pcrum said:

Can you tell me more about the virtual balcony? Is it a TV screen? Sorry for sounding stupid, but we’ve never sailed on RCI and have never heard of a virtual balcony. 
 

Loving the review. Enjoy the cruise! 

Hi @pcrum. Thanks for joining in. Yes it’s a very large TV screen turned sideways. The rail and deck are totally artificial, basically cartoon drawings, but the view is a live camera feed from out on deck that changes along with weather, time of day, and ship movement. 
 

I believe it’s only available on certain ships from a specific timeframe and I’m not sure they’re still installing this concept on the newest builds. I do like it and I am one of those weirdos who loves inside cabins for their quiet darkness. This gives me the best of both worlds, now that I learned how to shut it off. I have it on at the moment and plan to watch sail away from Sitka on it in a few minutes. 

 

[KmomChicago]

I slept like 💩 last night and still full from late lunch in Windjammer after walking around cold rainy Sitka and riding free North Star experience. 
 

We have an early excursion tomorrow in Skagway and I am feeling the fatigue so I am retiring to my chambers.
 

It’s only 6pm ship time and I hate to miss the headliner show tonight, Scott Cavanaugh the juggler. But I am wiped out for today and it feels incredibly indulgent to just literally close the door on all the noise I ain’t willing to deal with. 

 

The kids took care of themselves by fetching some pizza and bringing it back to their room. It wasn’t enough so they’re headed to Windjammer in a bit.
 

A few people have asked about kids onboard and there are many families with pre-k kids and I gotta say, on the one hand like everyone I see my child, now a legal adult, and mourn the “loss” of the sweet adorable tiny kiddo that once was.

 

On the other hand, thank goodness that’s over!

[Glide_Path]

Quietly following along your adventures....  hoping you get good weather tomorrow, and feeling better as well.  Been to Alaska twice, booked the helicopter tour both times at Juneau... got cancelled both times due to weather :(   

[DbPA]

21 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

Royal is tighter with morning coffee than Carnival who has it in the Lido buffet 24 hours and never closes the space with a door. 
 

RN you have instant in your room, free at Cafe Promenade, or paid at Patisserie, both of which have long lines.

 

Also no full fat cream with the free coffee which Carnival has.

I hate NOT having real cream on RC. Ugh. #realproblems

[KmomChicago]

1 hour ago, DbPA said:

I hate NOT having real cream on RC. Ugh. #realproblems

@DbPA right, it’s really rough, not that I am splitting hairs or anything. At home it’s milk, on Carnival it’s cream. I just woke up and this morning it will be instant with sweetened condensed in the room.

[KmomChicago]

Today’s adventure is the White Pass Railroad! All three of us will, as I understand, briefly cross into Canada 🇨🇦 today without stepping off the train and touching down bare-earth style. 
 

The cost for this tour is $264 pp in the RCI app today but we got it during one of the many 35% off sales pre-cruise. 
 

At full price, that’s over 1k for a family of four, y’all!  And don’t get me started on the helicopter 🚁 excursions!

 

Point is, Alaska excursions can be extremely expensive. As always there are more economical options and you can always just walk around in your own.

[KmomChicago]

[KmomChicago]

Pro tip for Quantum class passengers. There are only two sets of guest elevators on this massive, very long ship. The rear bank is REALLY FAR from what would be those aft balcony rooms that people enjoy so much. I often get off them on deck 5 and head back to Two70 and think, sheez, this is a hike. 
 

Since I booked 13 months ago I had nearly unlimited choice of cabins and we are very close to one of the two elevator banks and even so it’s a short walk to access our little private inside corridor. Emphasis on short, which I am really loving. 
 

As both sets of elevators are somewhat midship, motion is limited in our rooms as well. We have some gentle rocking at times, the kind that some people find soothing. And we are sooooo quiet which is the best. 
 

I will provide exact details on our location after we disembark but I am more than pleased with the rooms.