Carnival Spirit Glacier Bay Sept 6-13 2006

[Ifloat]

Glacier Bay, Carnival Spirit: September 6-13, 2006

 

I thought I would post this on the Alaska topic, since I am much too long winded to do a proper review for the review section.

 

Part 1

 

This was a first cruise for my husband (52) and myself (51). We joined seven other family members ranging in age from 23 to 65. I started reading the forums at Cruise Critic last January, and I know now that it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Thanks to all the helpful folks who pointed me in the direction of the best bargains, and the coolest excursions!

 

September 4, 2006

I DIDN’T WANT TO DEPLANE…BUT THEY MADE ME.

Flight to Seattle from Chicago O’Hare was aboard a 777, and first and business class were amazingly spacious and luxurious. There were more attendants than passengers in my cabin. Thanks to my sister for the buddy passes! I have been spoiled for life.

 

Arrived in Seattle two days before the cruise, met my oldest DD and Future Son in Law (henceforth known as FSIL) in baggage claim, and made the claim for my husband’s checked baggage which apparently did not join us in Seattle. United agreed to ship the bag to our hotel in Vancouver.

 

We proceeded to the Avis desk at the airport and picked up our mini van. The drive to Vancouver took about 3 ½ hours, and the line for Canadian Customs wasn’t very long.

 

In Vancouver we stayed at the Westin Bayshore. Our rooms were purchased for $62 on Priceline back in February. This is a very fine hotel, and the staff was friendly and accommodating. Our room was on the second floor, directly overlooking the seawall and the harbor. The view was amazing! We amused ourselves watching the seaplanes take off and land, and the myriad of small paddle-powered vessels, and constant parade of people biking and walking cute little dogs. We took a walk along the seawall and ate dinner at Cardero’s, just along the harbor from the hotel. I know you can park on the street for free after a certain time of day, but we opted for convenience and left the rental car with the valet for $26 a day, which included in and out privileges.

 

September 5, 2006

I HEART VANCOUVER

DH and I were up at the crack of dawn, and ate breakfast at the White Spot, which is a short walk away on W. Georgia Street. Very tasty and affordable. Then we hopped in the car and took a driving tour of Stanley Park, which is adjacent to the Westin. When DD and FSIL finally roused themselves, we drove 20 minutes out to Lynn Canyon to do a little hiking. There is a suspension bridge, waterfalls, pools, etc. Very pretty and FREE! Unlike the Capilano bridge. We bought bottled water at a nearby grocery store and the kids got Pepsi to take aboard the Spirit the next day.

 

Then we drove around Vancouver, and really fell in love with the city. We explored different neighborhoods and did some souvenir shopping in Gastown.

 

When we returned to the hotel, we found that DH’s baggage had arrived in a body bag, completely torn apart, and most of the contents were missing. All that remained were some brand new never worn Jockey Briefs, and they were full of black skid marks. Being one of those people who likes to change his underwear occasionally, my husband found it necessary to shop for new skivvies, and so we went to Sears. This is possibly the fanciest Sears in the world, and people in Vancouver apparently think nothing of paying three times the going rate for undershorts.

 

That taken care of, we went to dinner at the White Spot which was OK, and turned in for the night, full of anticipation for the cruise.

 

September 6, 2006

A SWIRL CONE IN ONE HAND AND A DRINK-OF-THE-DAY IN THE OTHER

 

Woke up just as the sun was rising, looked out my hotel room window, and saw something beautiful…the Carnival Spirit sailing into port under the rising sun! We had a nice breakfast at the White Spot, packed up and headed for Canada Place around 10 am. DH dropped us off at the cruise ship terminal, and drove the car back to Avis. Then he walked the few blocks back to join us as we went through security quickly and waited to board. VIP and regular guests were all seated together in a comfortable climate controlled room with cold drinks and restrooms nearby.

 

Boarding began with VIPs and anyone with a cane, walker or wheelchair which was most everybody. However there were no stampedes, and the line progressed smoothly and then we were aboard and headed for lunch on the Lido deck!

 

I was immediately struck with the décor which is…um…quite exuberant. I grabbed a little lunch and a soft serve swirl cone, and returned to our table to be greeted by the sight of my DH with a Drink of the Day . This was funny, because we don’t drink much. He had a few sips and abandoned the sprightly souvenir cup. Not being a wasteful person, I felt compelled to consume the entire drink between licks of my ice cream. I don’t remember much of anything after that…

 

And then we were standing outside our stateroom, a Category 11 Suite on the Empress Deck (6) on the Port side. We entered to find a spacious and comfortable room. I’m severely reactive to the smell of smoke, but the room was fresh smelling, all except the head, which didn’t exactly smell like flowers, but we kept the lid down and the door closed. There were two sinks, a whirlpool tub with no way to turn the jets on, and one of those nice Kohler showerheads that you can slide up or down depending on your height or lack thereof. There was a dressing room with a vanity, two large closets, a desk/bar, additional counter space by the TV, the bed was comfortable, and the best part of all was the BALCONY! It was about 14’ long and had two chairs, two recliners, and two tables.

 

Of course the first order of business was the scientific experiment to see if we could keep the balcony door open and the air conditioning going in the stateroom. I handed my husband a bungee cord, a magnet, and some duct tape. He loves puzzles. Took him a few minutes, but he figured it out. Having met the challenge, we packed that junk back up and forgot about it.

 

Looking over the balcony , I was surprised to see an apple go sailing from one of the decks above and land with a thud on the roof of the lifeboat below. It was only a matter of minutes before a seagull with one crippled foot was pecking away at it for all he was worth. We named him Seamore. He stayed with us until after the Lion’s Gate Bridge, regretfully leaving his apple behind.

 

Sailaway was so smooth that we barely noticed the ship was moving. We watched the sunset from our balcony. Met our room steward. Anything we requested, her answer was “Of course! This is your home!” She kept our cabin immaculate, turned down our bed every night, and amused us with towel animals.

 

Dinner was second seating in the Empire Dining Room. We had a nice booth for four and met our waiter, asst. waiter, and drink dude. They were lovable and efficient. DD and I didn’t really enjoy much of the fare offered in the dining room or LaPlaya buffets. It just wasn’t to our taste, it wasn’t BAD food or anything. I did enjoy the pizza, and DH ate a lot of burgers and deli sandwiches.

 

More to come.

[Ifloat]

Part Two

 

September 7, 2006

ROOM SERVICE ROCKS!

 

Especially at 6am when you’re looking out at the Inside Passage sliding smoothly by. We ate a little, went back to bed, snoozed, and then finished the tray. Cereal with banana, coffee, and a few danish. We had room service all other mornings but one when my husband felt the urge for some French toast.

 

I spent most of the day sitting out on the balcony watching the scenery. It was drizzly and chilly and I got some spectacular photos (wrapped in a blanket.) What a wonderful experience. The quiet, the beauty…the scenery did not disappoint and my cheeks were rosy from the bracing sea air. Yes, passengers smoked on adjacent balconies. Worst was the cigar stink, but I also did not enjoy ashes being flicked down onto my head. There. All done whining, and I feel SOOOOO much better, but I did want to alert other non-smokers of what to expect.

 

September 8, 2006

THAR SHE BLOWS AND BLOWS AND BLOWS!

 

The channel narrowed considerably as we headed for Juneau. Michelle, the naturalist, came over the loudspeaker from time to time to point out wildlife. Sitting on my balcony, I saw two humpback groups bubble feeding, perhaps a dozen whales traveling right beside the ship, two whales repeatedly breaching and flipper slapping, and some leaping porpoises. I trained my binoculars along the shoreline and was amazed to see a huge line of blow as far as the eye could see. I stopped counting at 100 blow and just sat there marveling. My niece and her SO spotted several bears in the clear cut areas, and along the shore

 

We arrived in Juneau in the early afternoon and docked at the far side of the harbor. It was quite a brisk walk uphill and downhill to the city, but for $2 you can take a shuttle bus from the dock. I was molested by various people dressed in fuzzy animal costumes. They reach out and GRAB you and try and hold you still for a picture. Oh the trauma.

 

We checked in with Orca Enterprises for our whale watching trip, and I was allowed to pet Capers the dog, who looked about the way I felt when the fuzzy suit guy nabbed me. We did a little shopping and then came back to catch the shuttle van to Auke Bay. Bud, our driver, amused us with stories of local life. About 40 people juggled for seats on the Awesome Orca, with Captain Larry at the helm, Captain Scotty and Captain Shaun rode along to inform, entertain, and save us from ourselves. After we were underway, people were allowed to go outdoors aft, and up top and there was plenty of room for everyone. I got to meet a Cruise Critic member who was sailing on the Volendam.

 

We saw about a dozen whales, and also Stellar Sea Lions and Harbor Seals in abundance. Bald eagles too. The trip was fun and educational and the scenery was nifty. We got back around dark, struggled up the gangplank (the tide had gone out) and Jimmy drove our van back to the dock. He took us right to the ship which was nice, because it had started to rain.

 

September 9, 2006

BLUE ICE AND THUNDER

 

Glacier Bay is spectacular. Words cannot express the grandeur of the ice, the loud crack, the thunder, and the turbulence as the newly birthed icebergs struggle back to the surface. We saw what looked like cormorants on icebergs, but not a lot of other wildlife here. It didn’t matter. The blue ice is hypnotizing. DH had waited all his life to see a glacier calving.

 

We ate lunch in the dining room this once. Apparently Antipasto has tentacles. Eight of them. I took a photo. The trout was nice.

 

September 10, 2006

BEAR TRACKS AND FALL COLORS

 

Skagway is set dramatically nestled into the mountains and the bay. It’s a decent hike to town or you can take a city shuttle for about $1.50 per person, after the obligatory molestation from the human sized fuzzy creature people. We rented a car from Avis for about $45 for the day. Note that the Avis office opens at 9 am, not 8 am as advertised on the web site. The accommodating gentleman who opened the place up, and his dog Bailey were kind enough to give us the keys around 8:30 though.

 

The drive from Skagway to Emerald Lake is stunning. We did run into dense fog around the summit, but it was clear cruising after that. As we drove north, the trees turned from green to yellow to orange. As we pulled into Carcross, two large black dogs herded the car into a parking place in front of a gift shop, then demanded skritches behind the ears and gave big wet kisses. We bought some muffins in town. Cranberry with lemon filling…mmmm.

 

We heard that bears were being spotted in Dyea, so we headed out there before returning the car. We drove along the estuary, pausing to watch the shy harbor seals gliding through the glassy waters. I got out of the car alone to pay my respects at the Slide cemetery, and just before I reached the headstones I found a big wet juicy bear paw print on the path.

 

If you like mushrooms, this place is for you. All shapes, all colors, all sizes.

 

Tonight we ate at the Nouveau Supper Club. The service was wonderful, the food was well prepared and almost too pretty to eat. The chef sent some unexpected intermezzos between courses. Well worth the nominal charge. My lifetime best dessert was experienced here. I won’t spoil it for you by telling you what it was.

 

September 11, 2006

SEAPLANES AND SALMON

 

This morning I was watching them set up the gangplank, and guess who the first people off the ship are? The photographers and the hairy creature people!

 

It was a two minute stroll to the Rain Gauge, where the van for Island Wings picked us up. Jared took us out to the floatplane docks and we met Michelle, our pilot. I was seated alone at the rear of the plane which was wonderful because I could take pictures out the windows at both sides.

 

The scenery we encountered was heart-stopping in beauty. Michelle flew us up alongside mountain goats, waterfalls, and kept up a running commentary of the history, geology and ecology of the area. We landed on an alpine lake and stretched our legs on a small island. The only sound to be heard was waterfalls and wind. She let me pet her dog Perro afterwards, who seemed quite appreciative of the attention.

 

Back in Ketchikan, we did some shopping on Creek Street and watched the salmon run. The ones who can’t make it up the creek end up being washed out back into the harbor, where greedy seagulls wait to finish them off.

 

More to come.

[Ifloat]

Part 3

 

September 12, 2006

ORCA!

 

Back in the inside passage. This morning I saw a huge area of turbulent water off in the distance. It appeared that the ocean was roiling with porpoises feeding on fish. There was a whole lot of leaping going on.

 

The day was sunny, so we went up to Deck 10 and did some lounging while other more industrious people walked laps.

 

Later on in the day we heard from Michelle the Naturalist that another cruise ship ahead of us in the channel was spotting Killer Whales along the way. DH and I attended Michelle’s whale talk, and it was helpful to learn how to spot the various animals, and very educational.

 

Sure enough, we did spot several family groups of Orca very close to the ship, and there were a number feeding along the shore as well. When an Orca submerges, it’s white saddle briefly flashes an unearthly green from the waters covering it over. I was touched by the way the family groups swam together so closely.

 

September 13, 2006

DEBARK…DISEMBARK…WHATEVER

 

I woke up just before dawn, and saw us pass under the Lion’s Gate bridge, which was all lit up.

 

As soon as we reached Canada Place, who should swoop in for a landing but our little crippled seagull friend, Seamore! He didn’t waste any time finishing off that now slightly rank apple on top of the lifeboat. I wonder if he had been thinking about it all week and just couldn’t wait for us to return.

 

We were in no hurry to get off the Carnival Spirit. We were among the last to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and stroll back down the gangplank. We breezed quickly through Canadian Customs and proceeded to the Budget car rental desk. A kamikaze shuttle van driver deposited us at the rental facility, and we packed up another minivan for the drive back to Seattle. The drive took 5 ½ hours. The light-up road sign said no delays at the Peace Arch, but we idled in line there for over an hour.

 

In Seattle we checked into the Comfort Inn near the airport. We dropped the rental car off that night and the hotel shuttle brought us back to the hotel. We took a 5am shuttle to SEA-TAC and sat around waiting for a flight with room for standbys.

 

AFTERTHOUGHTS

The staff and crew of the Carnival Spirit were hardworking and friendly. The ship was clean, and the air was not bad if you knew which areas to avoid, ie the Casino and the Atrium lobby, the Cigar Bar, and the Starboard Side of the outdoor areas.

 

The buffet area of the Lido deck was crowded and chaotic at times, and strangely laid out. To get cereal you went to one end. Banana? At the other end. I got tired of walking all around to see what was being offered and just went for a pizza slice and lemonade most of the time. The staff hustled to clear tables, bring new silverware, and help people find seats.

 

The only activity we participated in was the whale talk by the naturalist.

 

Again, we were not impressed with most of the food, but you have to keep in mind that dining room seating is like attending a huge wedding…they churn out a lot of food in a very short time and do a pretty good job of getting it to you at the proper temperature. There is always SOMETHING you can eat. I didn’t gain any weight on the trip. So that was a good thing. It’s just personal taste I guess. IMHO any food I don’t have to cook myself is OK food, unless it has tiny tentacles.

 

We wished that there had been more time allotted on the shore, but we enjoyed each of the ports and all of our excursions (which were independently booked) were fabulous.

 

There were two nights with rough seas, and people were dropping like flies in the dining room. So I started popping a Bonine every night before bed and was fine the rest of the trip.

 

Carnival exceeded our expectations in most areas.

[dizbuster]

Keep it coming! You have a very entertaining writnig style and I love the travelouge style. You should submit the whole review to the member review section. Don't worry about length, they will accept long reviews.

[Ifloat]

Nah...they don't want to hear a bout my husband's skid marks. Oh, and I think maybe we were on the Orca Odysea, not the Awesome Orca? Sorry.

[NancyIL]

Great review! Did your husband have another suitcase with clothes? Hopefully between the airline and your trip insurance, everything can be replaced.

[Ifloat]

Yes, he had clothing in his carryon also, which was sufficient for the trip. We should be getting a check from United any time now.

 

I've been looking at our digital pictures, and they're gorgeous!

[gail811]

Great review! Nice to hear someone else loved the Spirit as much as I did! Please post your pictures too!

[Ifloat]

I have a few of the photos posted in a public album on Shutterfly.

 

http://demipublicimages.shutterfly.com

 

If you need a password try "knottie" without the quote marks of course.

[tapia]

Keep the review coming! It's awesome!!!!!!

[Ifloat]

Well that was pretty much it ;)

 

We came, we floated, we went home.

[Alaska05]

We rented a car from Avis for about $45 for the day. Note that the Avis office opens at 9 am, not 8 am as advertised on the web site.

 

Did you book the Avis car rental on the Avis website or by calling directly to the Avis office? How early did you make your reservation?

 

The reason I ask is that I called the Skagway office last week to book for July '07 and was quoted a rate of $67 plus taxes for a compact (2006 prices - she didn't have 07 prices yet).

 

Thanks.

[Bucky3]

Nice review, We loved the Carnival Spirit when we cruised to Hawaii on her last year. Do you remember who the Cruise Director was? On our cruise it was Michael Mullane and we thought he did the best job of any CD we/ve ever had. Just wonder where he is now. Thanks for your entertaining review.

[Ifloat]

Hmm, OK. Our Skagway car was an HHR which is like a PT cruiser and we got it for $50 US.

 

I signed up on Avis Alaska, and used the code provided when I booked the car online. It saved me about $35 from the other quoted online price. It's a little trick I picked up on one of the Alaska topics on this board. You go to Avisalaska.com and Alaska Preferred. You get these codes

 

Discount plan AWD # W046000

Rate Code: DE

 

 

 

and book online. I think you need to give them your name & address or something.

 

 

 

The cruise director? We had one of those? Let me see if it says in my Capers. Ah yes. Shawn Bussey. I think a female person. I vaguely remember some announcements over the loudspeaker.

[Frequent Floater]

I am interested in the Island Wings tour. Do you have the web site, email addy, cost and time frame.

Great review, thanks for sharing

Renee

[ghouck2532]

Island Wings Info.

http://islandwings.com

email: michelle@islandwings.com

 

Misty Fjords Flightseeing - 2 hours - $209

[MilliesMom]

We had a starboard side minisuite on the Spirit in January. Our jacuzzi jets didn't work either. Well, hubby talked to the room steward. There is a button on the tub to push to start them BUT they will not start unless the bathtub water level is at a certain height. So we hadn't filled it far enough up to get them to work properly.

 

Your photos were great. Thank you for sharing. I couldn't believe the antipasto salad with tenacles ... :eek: Oh my gosh, that would of been something. Hope you showed the waiter, it had to be a mistake.

 

We just got back from the Dawn Princess to Alaska. I must admit that I liked the buffet on Spirit much better than on the Dawn. On the Dawn we always had to wait in a long line to get into the buffet and Spirit there were only occassional lines for us.

 

Sounds like you had a great trip. Thanks for posting.

[Ifloat]

Oops, sorry, Frequent Floater... I fell asleep on bulletin board duty. Yes, Island Wings info looks correct to me. Hubby and I ranked it as our favorite excursion of the cruise. Thanks for stepping up with the info, Ghouck.

 

MilliesMom: Well, on the Carnival Spirit buffet, you THINK you aren't in much of a line because there's only maybe six people in front of you, but then when you multiply that by about six food stations you want to take a look at, you end up waiting around longer than you might imagine and your food gets a little lukewarm. Hmm. I just had a flashback concerning the tender tasty BBQ beef brisket from that buffet. It was pretty good.

 

Thanks for the kind words on the photos. Gonna make a photobook out of them from Shutterfly. I almost want to cheat and "borrow" some of the beautiful Webshots I've seen from other people's vacations, because they have much better pictures.:eek:

[Frequent Floater]

Thanks ghouck for the site and addy. I have sent them a request for more info and 2007 rates.

 

Ifloat no worries I have 314 days left to get my plans going.

I loved the photos and even "borrowed" your ship/sunset one to use as my desktop, hope you don't mind. A neat reminder of whats to come.

[cruzy-sue]

I saw the photos, too. Those tentacles are no mistake! They are calamari - (OK SQUID) - and are actually a delicacy that are quite delicious!!!:eek:

 

Sounds like you had a great trip. Thanks for posting.

[ghouck2532]

We enjoyed our flight with Island Wings in August 2005 to Anan Creek Bear Observatory. On our flight back one of our party spotted whales bubble feeding. Even Michelle was amazed. Next June we'll be taking the Misty Fjords flightseeing tour. I'd recommend avoiding the ship sponsored tours and seeking out the independent tour operators. They go out of their way to be friendly and accomodating and appreciate that we've made the effort to seek them out. I don't feel the need to give the cruise lines a cut.

[CruiseIsGood]

I'd recommend avoiding the ship sponsored tours and seeking out the independent tour operators. They go out of their way to be friendly and accomodating and appreciate that we've made the effort to seek them out. I don't feel the need to give the cruise lines a cut.

In Alaska, everyone goes out of their way to be friendly and accomodating to tourists. Their season is VERY short and repeat business is key, cruise sponsored or not. All of my tours for three cruises covering every available minute possible in port and all booked through the cruise lines have been outstanding. Unless you do one of the cheap and silly tours, it's hard to go wrong in Alaska. It's not like other cruises.

[Frequent Floater]

I am one to also book independent tours on all my cruises. I take the time to fully research to make sure I can find the best possible tours offered with companies that have been in business with a great reputation, licensed and bonded. I have been able to get some great responses from these boards on each port I have visited. Seems CC members are the ones to ask for honest opinions. So glad to hear that all Alaskans are ready willing and able. I like to give my $$ on those hard working operators rather than the already bucks up cruise companies. Sure they appreciate it too...

I do however see the benefit for some that do only take the ships tours. They can sit back and relax knowing it is all handled for them.

Thanks again for all those that have helped me with your opinions and keep them coming...