Just back from the Serenade with lots of photos!

[Cruisechick82]

Sounds like you had a great cruise! Thanks for the detailed review.

 

"I saw the world't largest totem pole, although it was tough to see,even with my binoculars. It was definately tall though."

 

I managed to get a picture of it quite by accident. Didn't even know it was located in Alert Bay until I was researching some of the shots I got after the cruise. I just saw we were passing a beautiful little native fishing village on an island and snapped away at it :)

 

There were several of us out on deck trying to figure out if that's what it was. I do have a couple pictures of it, but it just looks like a really tall pole with an "x" at the top. I had to look it up in my "Alaska by cruise ship" book.

[Cruisechick82]

Great review, Cruisechick! We were on this cruise in June and loved it as well! Was Matt Sole your CD?

 

Yes, he was.

[jeniferlyn]

I really enjoyed your review with all of the details. I am going next June so I am really excited !! You mentioned that you went to a scrapbooking class, was that free? I am also thinking about going on the Amtrak train but there are no business class seats available, did you notice a big difference between them and coach? Are the seats assigned or is it first come, first serve? Thanks for the help !!!!!

[moofus]

What a great review. I am packing right now for a departure on Sunday on the same cruise. Packing challanges:

Will long sleeved knit tops ( v neck) be warm enough while on the ship? I really don't have a ton of heavy clothes, and I don't care for feeling all bundled up. Also ran out of time to go shopping. I will also wear a sweat shirt over the v neck if needed

What time did it get dark most nights?

Will one rain jacket be enough? Or did yours stay wet all the time?

Thank you

[winncove]

If the ship is still having the propulsion problem, and we dock late in Skagway which we were originally supposed to be there at 7:30am, what happens to those who booked and paid for the White Pass Railway train which leaves at 8:30am...? are those folks just refunded, or are they out of luck....?:confused:

 

Copied from our Roll Call thread & I have no idea about the answer. Thx!

[Cruisechick82]

jeniferlyn-Yes the scrapbooking class was free. There was one on Monday and another on Saturday. The compass said the classes were in the Hollywood Odyessey on deck 13, but they were actually in the Vortex(same deck) instead, so watch out for that.

 

The classes were very basic, I went mostly to get the free paper and die-cuts, altough I don't really use die-cuts at all. The Alaska title one was cute though.

 

moofus-It was very comfortable inside the ship, long sleeve shirt is fine. Outside, it was very windy. We stayed dry with the waterproof windbreaker jackets and we stayed warm because they were lined. You can see our jackets in the pictures I posted the link to in my first post. I don't even own a sweatshirt so I wore long-sleeve cotton, knit, or sweater type shirts. The first day leaving Vancouver and sailing back to Vancouver were very nice and I was able to wear a short sleeved shirt with a light shirt hoodie type jacket. It will probably be a little cooler for you though since it is a couple weeks later.

 

winncove-If people booked the train through the ship, then I'm sure they should be able to reschedule. Either way, they can definately cancel and get a refund if they booked through the ship. I know there was a train that left around 12:30, because I remember them announcing about where to meet and when to get off the ship.

 

If they booked independently, they should contact the White Pass Railway to reschedule. I can't imagine that they wouldn't give someone a refund because their cruise ship's schedule changed, I'm sure it happens all the time.

[dizbuster]

Copied from our Roll Call thread & I have no idea about the answer. Thx!

 

On my cruise on Serenade in June, we were 2 hours late into Ketchikan (due to the azipod problems ... or as RCI put it, the "strong currents") and they contacted the tour operators and pushed all the ship-booked excursions back 2 hours.

[ninjasquash]

Hi everyone,

 

I was also on this wonderful cruise and wanted to add my two cents. Layering for warmth depends on whether you are warm or cold by nature. I am from Florida so I lived in my waterproof windbreaker layered over a fleece jacket and usually a longsleeve tee. The first day cruising towards Hubbard I added a turtleneck and a fleece headband because my ears were freezing! While on deck at the glacier I added long underwear and wool soxs and was quite comfortable. However, one day I saw a guy outside wearing a windbreaker, shorts and flip flops!!!! Go figure!

 

I dressed a little too warmly for the trainride in Skagway because it was advised that it was cold at the summit. The train is inclosed so that it was not too cool unless the door between cars was open. While at the summit we did see a light snow flurry, snow on August 31st! We took the last train at 430pm and it was a beautiful ride.

 

It rained all day In Juneau, the only rainy day. But whales don't care and we had a great trip with Capt Larry on his Awsome Orca. We saw several humpbacks breach and a mother and calf. Capt Larry really knows his stuff and his first mate Dirk (?) was extremely knowledgable and made the trip really interesting. The boat was all enclosed so you didn't get wet but I wore a full rainsuit and waterproof boots so I went out for a short time out on deck. The ride was a little rough because of the weather, but exciting and really worth it. I would highly recommend Capt Larry!

 

Ketchikan was oddly warm if overcast and slightly rainy. I had to go back to the ship and remove the long stuff. My floatplane was cancelled and rescheduled so that I went in the afternoon. It was clear when we flew and it was a beautiful flight to the Misty Fjords. We touched down on a lake and got off on a floating dock where there was a camper waiting for his pick up flight. He had been out there for 12 days kayacking the Fjord. he had an upclose and personal encounter with a BIG black bear who had swam out to the platform to see what was going on, climbed on and the camper snaped a picture of him before the bear jumped back into the water and swam away. Our pilot said that from the picture he looked like a 700 lb bear!!! My sister who did the zipline in Ketchikan saw a mother bear catching salmon and giving them to her two cubs. She said the cubs were the size of our full grown bears here in Florida! But more rotund with glossy fur, beautiful!

 

In all it was a wonderful trip which I would gladly repeat any time!!!!!

 

We did eat in a little restaurant just down from the docks in Skagway. It's the first one you come to. Outstanding king crablegs. Pricey but worth it! Chowder was good as well as fish and chips. We tried the raw oysters, almost as good as our Appalachacola oysters! We tried a Halibut sandwich at the Burger Queen in Ketchican, VERY good. Someone recommended them here on the boards. It is across the road just left of where the Seranade docks. Our best meal of the whole trip was in Seattle after we left Vancouver. Our shuttle driver from our hotel near the airport recommended Anthoney's Homeport. Seafood to die for!!!! Halibut with creamy dill sauce, salmon cooked on smoked alderwood, clam chowder in a breadbowl, fresh tomatoes and corn. All outstanding and good prices. A good end to a wonderful trip.

 

I have only one warning, RCCL has vile coffee! But I can live with that!!!

Good cruise! Great people! Fun time!

[lhsonic]

Thanks for posting your pictures! We're on the 9/10/06 Serenade sailing. What time were you at the Hubbard Glacier? Our time there has been changed to 5pm thru 8pm.

 

I was on this exact same cruise! Mighty fun wasn't it?

 

And regarding weather, we hit "typical" weather, sunny on all days except for our visits to Ketchikan (slight drizzles) and Juneau (ugly and miserable).

 

The weather leaving, at hubbard and comign back was SPECTACULAR, and yes, I saw the whales too (I laugh because my other relatives were playing jackpot Bingo (standers but lost) right near the bow and missed the Capt's enthusiastic messages! Even "Jackpot Josh" was out there on the bow enjoying the sights.

[lhsonic]

The edit does work, so posting a new message.

 

It is COLD in Alaska, especially near Hubbard Glacier. You definitely can't wear shorts unless it's the cruise from Vancouver and the cruise back.

[Cruisechick82]

The edit does work, so posting a new message.

 

It is COLD in Alaska, especially near Hubbard Glacier. You definitely can't wear shorts unless it's the cruise from Vancouver and the cruise back.

 

The edit only works for 20min, I wish you could edit your message anytime.

[lhsonic]

A few notes:

 

It wasn't 20 minutes yet and the edit still didn't work.

 

Anyways, regarding the Alert Bay totem pole, I missed that as I couldn't spot it. What side was it on? The left where the town was or to the right where there were just trees? If you pass the Inside Passage and arrive at Alert Bay don't be fooled so easily, there are 2 or 3 radio towers near the town that look like totem poles from a distance and require binoculours to see up close what they really are.

 

Regarding the shows, they were fabulours.

 

Listing:

 

Juan and Eileen (dance)

Stage to Screen (d and singing)

Johnathon Clark (comedy)

Vibeology (d & s)

Coleen Austen (s)

LaRaf (magic)

Farewell Show (c & extra)

 

I bumped into Juan and Raphael a few times on the ship. Juan and Eileen was the worst performance show (not bad, but worst of the group) and if I am finding it hard to pick my favourite. The 2 comedies, were hilarious. The rest of the shows were all top-notch. The LaRaf performance really gets you thinking.

[Cruisechick82]

A few notes:

 

It wasn't 20 minutes yet and the edit still didn't work.

 

Anyways, regarding the Alert Bay totem pole, I missed that as I couldn't spot it. What side was it on? The left where the town was or to the right where there were just trees? If you pass the Inside Passage and arrive at Alert Bay don't be fooled so easily, there are 2 or 3 radio towers near the town that look like totem poles from a distance and require binoculours to see up close what they really are.

 

 

The totem pole was on the left. It was just before the radio towers. Even with binoculars, it was tough to see. It looks like a very tall telephone pole with an "x" at the top. It is next to a clan/tribal looking house.

[katiel53]

Thanks so much for your review. We are going next May. Someone asked, but I didn't see an answer, which side port or starboard do you think would be best? I know it's a roundtrip, so both sides should see things, but did you feel more was seen at port or starboard. Thanks again.

[dizbuster]

The totem pole was on the left. It was just before the radio towers. Even with binoculars, it was tough to see. It looks like a very tall telephone pole with an "x" at the top. It is next to a clan/tribal looking house.

 

Following is a link to a picture taken from an aft balcony cabin on the Serenade as we passed Alert Bay, it shows the totem pole (with the X on top) on the left hand side of the pic. I think that building is called the "Big House" and has native art (looks like a grinning house). The native building was how I eventually confirmed it was Alert Bay I got a shot of *chuckle*.

 

http://KurtPreston.smugmug.com/photos/94094580-L.jpg

[Cruisechick82]

Thanks so much for your review. We are going next May. Someone asked, but I didn't see an answer, which side port or starboard do you think would be best? I know it's a roundtrip, so both sides should see things, but did you feel more was seen at port or starboard. Thanks again.

 

We had an oceanview on the starboard side and we definately saw a lot. It's hard to say though. We definately saw the most land on the last day of the cruise, but it was on both sides although mostly on the port side. When approaching Hubbard, the starboard side would be best as that's the side the bay is on. The captain does turn the ship around though so both sides can see. However, definately get out on deck for a full view. We were on the helipad. It was freezing, but an awesome sight to see. So I would probably say starboard, but there are things to see on both sides. We passed several lighthouses on the port side, for example.

[katiel53]

Thanks Cruisechick. I guess we will stay put.