Sea lions, bears & eagles Oh My! Pearl to Alaska 6/07/09 review (w/ pics!)

[Cubechick]

Day One:

 

Warning!!! I have a feeling that this will be my longest review to date. So much so, that for the first time in my personal history, I’m going to post in installments. I often skim over the ports of call, mentioning a key component here and there. Not this time. The ports were every bit as important as the wonderful Pearl in making this trip spectacular. If you’ve never taken an Alaskan cruise all I can say is you must. Whatever you think it will be, it’ll be ten times better.

 

We’d been talking about booking this cruise for nearly ten years before finally pulling the trigger. It’s an expensive cruise, especially compared to Caribbean cruises…that sail from the east coast…and we live on the east coast. So you get the idea. But one day last year I’d had enough of saying “someday” and just booked the thing. You only live once!

 

I asked around about the two NCL cruises sailing from Seattle. I already knew I didn’t want the hassle of getting to Vancouver; so the Sun was eliminated from the get go. That left the Star and the Pearl…and the Pearl cost a bit more. The bottom line, if this is a “once in a lifetime cruise” (and it’ll probably be close) Glacier Bay is a must see. Plus the Pearl is the newer of the two ships. So I coughed up the extra dough and booked the Pearl. Being once in a lifetime, I also splurged and booked an AE suite. Now that was something to look forward to!

 

Many months of planning went by and our departure date arrived at last. Heeding the advice of many on Cruise Critic we decided to fly in the day before. Didn’t want to risk missing this cruise! We booked the Marriott Waterfront because it was directly across the street from Pier 66. This is not a cheap hotel, but I watched the prices diligently and was able to save $80 from the original price I’d booked at. On-line TA's were no help here getting a deal. But you’re paying for the ultimate convenience.

 

We also decided to book a town car to take us to the hotel. I’d read that although taxis have a set rate from downtown Seattle to the airport ($32) they’re metered from the airport to downtown. Go figure. It was recommended to book a town car, as the cost would be a flat $40 whereas the taxi could cost much more depending on traffic. I arranged for the car easily through the hotel.

 

Before we even landed at Sea-Tac our excitement mounted when we spotted the Star parked at Pier 66 as we made our descent. It was probably the only thing besides the Space Needle we’d readily be able to identify and just luck that we were on the correct side of the plane. We arrived at the hotel and watched a steady stream of people walk their luggage across the street to the Star. That would be us tomorrow! As it was slightly after noon, we were unable to check in, but dropped off our luggage and set off to explore the Seattle Waterfront. There is a lot to see and it’s all an easy walk.

 

 

We had a mission to have lunch at Ivar’s Acres of Clams. The restaurant had been recommended by a gentleman on our Gem cruise last January and we were excited to try some west coast seafood. If you go I highly recommend the Dungeness crab cakes…nothing like the east coast version…stuffed with crab, very little filler and fresh herbs…I’m guessing thyme is one. Also really liked the Halibut & chips with a panko crust…and the prices were reasonable. After lunch we hit the Seattle Aquarium…over 300 species of fish and well worth a gander. Some highlights included walking through an arch-shaped tank of jelly fish and an enormous octopus squeezing its way from tank to tank. (Admission price $16 for adults.)

 

Finally we were able to check into our waterfront room (look, there’s the Star!).

 

 

Nice and clean and with a fridge to fill at your pleasure (you can order items to be placed in the mini-bar or stock it yourself). I’d noticed the Bell Street Deli & Grocery across the street and figured we could get provisions there (be advised they close early!).

 

We had planned on having dinner at Anthony’s Pier 66 but were beat from a long day of traveling, so after a nap (and watching the Star sail away) we opted for burgers down at the Red Robin. (Martini’s under $6!!!).

 

Tomorrow the Pearl!

 

.

[cw2go]

How will I sleep tonight??? What no more???

 

Can't wait to hear more we leave June 20, 2010 This will be a long year. :eek:

 

 

Will be reading soon,

Patty

[DDMau]

Great day one review, hurry up with the rest. We are sailing on the Star on the 4th of July with are two grandchildren (10 & 11 years old). Isn't the Pearl a nice ship we did the Panama Canal on her last September. It must have been great to watch the Star sail off knowing you would be doing it the next day on the Pearl.

[ctbrown24]

Sounds like you had fun!

[kriscruises]

My family and I were on this cruise, too. I'm looking forward to reliving it through your review!

[naomee15]

Oh my... This is my last reading of CC before leaving NY to take Amtrak west to Seattle today... We will leave from there on Sunday on the Pearl to Alaska in an AE suite.... so you can see how sad I am that I will miss the rest of your review... Maybe I can get the hubby to take the laptop afterall.... By the way, we are also spending Saturday night at the Marriott Waterfront.... You made my day........ thanx.. naomee

[thisis4us]

We leave on the Pearl on July 26th and I can't wait for your next installment!!!

We were going to take the train up the morning of sailing, but because of your photos, now I'm investigating going up the day before and a stay at the Marriott. Thanks a lot!!

 

Looking forward to the next post!

Deb n Dave

[coka]

Welcome Home Cubechick! Love the thread title. I hope your special cruise was everything you hoped for and more. Looking forward to reading more!

 

coka

[tobyt]

We also enjoyed the Pearl last week, can not wait to compare notes!

[Susie51]

Thanks for your review. I'm looking forward to your next installment.

[mbisson]

Hey Aimee---I know you said 'once in a lifetime' and you also mentioned something somewhere about 'if we do it again it may not live up to the first time cruising alaska'

 

Well, if you ever sail alaska again-I promise barb & I will join you! :D

 

(maybe I shouldn't say that-it might scare you off) ;)

[Cubechick]

Day Two:

 

It felt like Christmas morning when we awakened early, still on east coast time, dashed to our window, threw open the drapes and there was the Pearl! Yay! She’d finally come to get us! Now we had a mere 4 hours to kill before we’d be able to board. Knowing this, we’d planned accordingly and scheduled ourselves a leisurely breakfast. I’m always one for trying foods that I can’t get at home and on the Marriott’s breakfast menu they had a Dungeness crab BLT. Essentially it was an arugula salad with succulent crabmeat, bacon, tomatoes, hard boiled egg, tossed with a vinaigrette and served with brioche. It sounds like a weird thing to have for breakfast, but it was delicious!

 

We roamed the pier, took pictures of the Pearl (and all of that produce being loaded!) and finally decided to make the walk across the street.

 

Check-in was speedy if a little disjointed. We dropped off our luggage where one guy was loading each bag onto a conveyer belt. This was time consuming enough without the people in front of us asking questions like “When exactly will our bags be delivered to our room?” I could imagine how much this might back-up as the day progressed. We then walked to the suite entrance. There was no one there to guide us, so we checked in through the balcony line (there wasn’t a wait any way). This caused some consternation when the girl at check-in couldn’t find our keycards. After a few minutes had passed, she came back and announced that Norman would guide us to the VIP lounge.

 

Unlike in New York and Boston, the concierge lounge is a real place. Comfy chairs, assorted goodies, two agents waiting to check passengers in, Karan Arora, the concierge, and assorted butlers all waiting to greet us. Karan met with each guest personally, discussing exactly what you were entitled to, arranging restaurant reservations, etc. We were thoroughly impressed. On the Gem in January, we’d booked an AE and the lounge wasn’t anything special and no one personally greeted us as they did on this cruise. Our butler, Jeffrey, introduced himself as well.

 

Before 11:30 we were escorted onto the ship by one of the Courtyard butlers. Oh! I failed to mention that for the first time in 13 cruises; we were blessed with a visit from the upsell fairy. She called on the Monday prior to our cruise and offered us a deal we couldn’t pass up on an Owner’s Suite. The moment she identified herself as being from NCL, my Spidey-sense was tingling. She began to list the amenities that came with the AA, trying to sell me on it…really; she had me at “hello”. When she named the price I countered for good form, was denied, accepted her offer and the moment I was off the phone to call DH, who hollered, “Take it!!!” I assured him I had.

 

Anyhoo, we were shown the Courtyard, which we would have access to, before being escorted to our suite. Now I have to admit that we were truly excited about this upsell. But the main reason was for the two balconies. The suite was gorgeous and huge (hey, a guest bathroom!) but those two balconies were beyond perfect for this itinerary. Visions of dashing between them as we sailed Glacier Bay were dancing in my head!

 

We explored the room, taking pictures before we mucked it up.

 

 

For great pictures of the cabin, check out the wonderful review by PMD98052.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=990887

 

 

 

With a little time to kill before Cagney’s would open for lunch, we walked around deck 13, snapping photos (can’t get too many of the Space Needle),

 

 

and generally enjoyed the day. Cagney’s now has a set menu for lunch. There are plusses and minuses to the change. On one hand you can have favorites multiple times (I became addicted to the grilled asparagus appetizer), and try items that have caught your eye later (I only duplicated my entrée once). Another point in its favor is it improves consistency in quality and taste. However the counter-argument could be made that the menu could become boring, especially on a longer cruise. My opinion is the set menu works (although I missed Cagney’s mac and cheese!).

 

After lunch we headed back to the cabin for our traditional “champagne before muster drill”. This all began after our first cruise on the Majesty when we realized that the bar service shuts down a half an hour before the boat drill. We scooted to our cabin and opened the champagne I’d ordered. Usually we don’t start imbibing that early, but embarkation day has remained an exception.

 

We also took a moment to order the complimentary alcohol that comes with the cabin. Realizing 3 liters of liquor would be a bit much for two to handle, we opted for a bottle of vodka, a bottle of chardonnay, and a bottle of port. This combination turned out to be just about perfect! (DH would have a minor heart attack the next day when Jeffrey initially delivered vodka, tequila and Wild Turkey. He wondered just what had I ordered! Thankfully it was just mix-up quickly resolved.)

 

Done with the muster drill, the vacation truly begins. We watched sail away from our forward balcony and reveled in the sensation of finally being under way. Captain Lars Bengtsson made the first of many amusing announcements. You had to be there, but Captain Lars is a hoot.

 

Dinner that night was at Lotus Garden. The food was good as usual (I always order the sweet and sour pork because they just don’t make it right on the east coast) but the view top notch. We had a stunning view of the Olympia Mountain range as we dined. We would find this wonderful scenery was just a tip of the iceberg so to speak.

 

After catching a bit of the opening night show (a nice sampling of what to expect during the week) and making a small donation to the casino, we headed back to our room. It had been a long, but wonderful, couple of days and that wonderful Bliss bed was calling!

[Cubechick]

Welcome Home Cubechick! Love the thread title. I hope your special cruise was everything you hoped for and more. Looking forward to reading more!

 

coka

 

Thanks Coka!

 

Hey Aimee---I know you said 'once in a lifetime' and you also mentioned something somewhere about 'if we do it again it may not live up to the first time cruising alaska'

 

Well, if you ever sail alaska again-I promise barb & I will join you! :D

 

(maybe I shouldn't say that-it might scare you off) ;)

 

Barb will protect us, so we're not scared!! :D

 

 

Thanks to everyone for the kind words!

[lauren0309]

I'm enjoying reading your review and seeing the great pictures you took. Looking forward to more as I will be on this ship next June!

[pmd98052]

Really enjoying reading this and re-living our cruise in the same suite!

[sue402001]

Reading your review makes me want to take another trip to Alaska someday!

[Diamonds Mom]

Cubechick this review is great. I can't wait to read more. I have never taken the alaska cruise but always wanted to. It is so cool that you can walk from Marriott to pier.

[Planer's Edge]

Great review so far Aimee.

 

FYI...NY now has an official VIP lounge in the terminal. No more hanging out up in the mezzanine.

 

PE

[tahoeca]

Love your review! We will be on the Pearl the sailing of July 19th and will have an AB Suite, we can't wait. Also, we are staying at the Marriott Waterfront and thanks so much for the tip of the town car. I just booked it throught the hotel. Can't wait for more reviews from you.:)

[goodml]

Great review as usual Aimee! I knew as soon as I saw the title it must be yours.:D

 

Tapping toes, waiting for the next installment.....:D

[Cubechick]

Great review so far Aimee.

 

FYI...NY now has an official VIP lounge in the terminal. No more hanging out up in the mezzanine.

 

PE

 

Good to know PE. Thanks for the info!

 

Love your review! We will be on the Pearl the sailing of July 19th and will have an AB Suite' date=' we can't wait. Also, we are staying at the Marriott Waterfront and thanks so much for the tip of the town car. I just booked it throught the hotel. Can't wait for more reviews from you.:)[/quote']

 

Glad to help!

 

Great review as usual Aimee! I knew as soon as I saw the title it must be yours.:D

 

Tapping toes, waiting for the next installment.....:D

 

Thanks ML. Promise next installment as soon as I get home from work!

[challada]

ooooo....we leave Sunday on the Pearl....can't wait!

 

Thanks for the info!!!!

 

Pictures are GREAT! (we live in the area, so have certainly seen the Seattle stuff, but still nice to see pics in the review too)

[thisis4us]

.....are you home from work yet?.....

Thanks for the great read, and for costing us more $$$. We went ahead and changed our plans to arrive the day before and stay at The Marriott.

Should be an awesome start to our vacation!

[Cubechick]

I'm home and here's day three!

 

Day Three:

 

The seas were calm when we came to the next morning (not until almost 8:30!). We’d been concerned about the movement we’d experience in the front of the ship, but with the exception of the bow thrusters vibrating the bed like “magic fingers” when we left Victoria, there would be no movement at all.

 

As we were getting ready for that first Cagney’s breakfast, we paused for a nice cappuccino (love the Lavazza machine!). DH stood on the front balcony, looking at the horizon when he beckoned to me. “Doesn’t the water look weird up there?” he asked, pointing at the horizon. It sure did. We pulled out our binoculars and ‘lo and behold the sea was alive with hundreds of dolphins. Captain Lars quickly announced the sighting over the PA system, alerting our fellow passengers of this lucky event. The dolphins frolicked and leaped as I futilely tried to get a picture (boy do they move fast!). When they were out of view, we glanced up at the Captain who was clearly visible on the bridge and exchanged thumbs-ups. What a way to start the day!

 

Up at Cagney’s we chatted with Karan before being seated for breakfast. He asked if our laptop had been delivered yet. Laptop? Didn’t know we were supposed to have one (ours had been broken which was why it wasn’t there). So for the first time in all of our cruises we ended up buying minutes. Well, what were we to do with a computer right in the room? Back to breakfast, of course I had to have the famous crab cakes Benedict and DH began with the filet and eggs. I was happy to find that French press coffee is still being served on the Pearl (I’d read reports of this nice touch missing from other ships). After our leisurely, but filling breakfast we hit the Promenade deck to put in some laps. Although overcast, the temperature was fairly mild and we were comfortable in fleece pullovers.

 

Finished with the outside for the moment we walked around the Pearl. One of the differences I noticed between the Pearl and the Gem is a nice seating area outside the martini bar on the Pearl. So much more comfortable than the bar stools on the Gem!

 

 

The Pearl’s ceiling in the atrium also seems a bit higher making that space feel a little more open. Oh, and the Pearl doesn’t have a stage tucked into the corner by Maltings…instead an interesting statue resides.

 

 

I think we’d barely gotten back to our cabin when we spied our first whale. Well that was it. A compulsion to stare at the ocean, endlessly scanning the horizon, was born. I’m a voracious reader on cruises, easily devouring 1,000 pages or more…on this cruise I think managed a paltry 200. It was impossible to focus on my book (I’d brought along James Michener’s Alaska appropriately enough) when the possibility of a whale sighting loomed. DH never even got to the book that he’d brought for himself.

 

At around 2:00 that afternoon we entered the Inside Passage and were immediately mesmerized by the tranquility of the islands we glided by. (Not to mention scanning their shores with binoculars, hoping for that first bald eagle sighting.)

 

 

The islands, swathed in clouds, with an occasion snow-capped peak were just lovely. We just stood absorbing everything and didn’t we spot a whale while we were standing out there?

 

The VIP cocktail party was at 6:00 at Bliss so we made our way there. We had nice a conversation with Denis Prguda the HD. He expressed disappointment at the lack of a Cruise Critic meet and greet, saying that he really likes the opportunity to let passengers know that he’s there to assist them any way he can. We assured him if anything came up, we’d let him know. ;)

 

Immediately following the party we had reservations for La Cucina. Ah, must have a selection from the antipasti trolley. I also had the “famous” chicken parm for the first time and it was quite good. I don’t recall what DH had but he liked it.

 

We stopped back at the room to enjoy a glass of port and DH wanted to go out to the casino. I, however, was addicted to “whale theater” and told him to go on without me. He could come back and get me before the show. Well wasn’t he just about to walk out the door when I spied a whale!!! From the giant fin, an Orca at that! Well, no force was going to drag me from the balcony at that moment. DH lingered, but the allure of the casino proved too powerful. I only spotted one more whale before he came back…but I was happy.

 

The comedian was performing tonight and unfortunately wasn’t that funny. We stayed for about half of his show before giving it up.

 

Back at the cabin we found a note from Karan. It detailed the port of Juneau thoroughly and outlined the details of express debarkation if we wanted to take advantage of that option. He also left that window of opportunity open for 2 hours so you could still avoid lines even if you didn’t need to rush right off of the ship. We would receive a similar note for each port. I felt this level of detail really distinguished Karan from other concierges we’ve experienced.

 

I turned on the TV and was pleased to note that the Pearl did not have pay-per-view movies like the Gem did. I flipped channels and found Ironman and kept one eye on the screen as…you guessed it, I watched for whales. Yup it was 10:00 at night and you could still see outside. The Cubechick whale count reached 7 that first day (including 3 Orcas)!

[Cubechick]

.....are you home from work yet?.....

Thanks for the great read, and for costing us more $$$. We went ahead and changed our plans to arrive the day before and stay at The Marriott.

Should be an awesome start to our vacation!

 

You won't regret it. We thought having that first day in Seattle was key. It was great walking around, having some great food (and cocktails ;)), and just getting settled. I think we would have been zombies if we'd gone straight from the airport to the ship and wouldn't have enjoyed that first day on the Pearl nearly as much!