May 4 – 11, 2008 – Cruise to Alaska
We were up at 6:00 a.m., showered, threw the toothbrush in the suitcase and were out the door by 7:11 a.m. Myran and Trina (son and daughter-in-law) picked us up. It was a good drive to Seattle where we picked up Paul and Marilyn (Trina’s parents)
We parked in the Valet parking. They parked Myran’s pickup for him and delivered our luggage to the ship. What a deal! It was sunny and warm, didn’t have to handle our luggage at all. There was a line to get on the ship and check-in but it wasn’t bad. What a great day and a great way to start a great vacation! I made a call on the cell phone but we were soon out of Seattle then the country and the cost was going to be a lot through the ship. I turned it off.
Day two of our cruise was a day of travel through Alaska’s Inside Passage, and eat all you want. We explored the ship. Ilene found the casino. There was shuffleboard (the six of us tried this and it was a lot of fun), bowling, a climbing wall (I didn’t do the climbing wall), and a lot of other things to watch and do. They said Myran made the climbing wall look easy. Of course there was walking, not necessarily on the track they provided – The beautiful “Norwegian Pearl” was 964.98 ft. in length. Her top speed was 25 knots or 28.75 mph. There was entertainment every night. We saw Garden of the Geisha this night featuring flying circus acrobatics.
We arrived at 2:00 p.m. in Juneau for Day three of our cruise. Ilene shopped in town, Marilyn and Paul did a float plane trip over the glaciers and a salmon feed. Myran, Trina, and I did a bike ride ending with a tour of the brewery. We got off the ship and found the biking tour people. They fit bikes to us and away we went up a little hill to a church where most of the weddings in town take place. The view of the glacier from here was something you just have to see and the guy playing the piano you just have to hear. We got back on the bikes and rode over to the glacier. It was mostly flat and a good trail. We had a snack and were off again to where you could walk to a water falls that went into the lake. We only had 10 minutes before we had to get back and it was a 20 minute walk one way. I almost made it going as fast as this old goat could go. Myran made it there and back. At last we made it to the brewery. There was Coffee, Smoked and Jalapeño and a host of other beers. I tried most of them because they were free. Did I get drunk? YES. When you drink that much, it must come out and that can be a problem. We walked back to the ship. Trina was our designated walker and got us back. The line getting back on the ship was long and I was looking for a place to go. The person in front of me was having trouble with his card. They couldn’t get it to work. (We all had a ship card like a credit card to swipe getting on and off the ship.) It was a good thing our room was only 20 feet from the check-in door. We went to dinner and I was telling this girl about the free beer and she said to say “free beer” fast three times. I couldn’t.
The food is all you want to eat. We went to see a stand up comic, Bud Andersen. Ship left Juneau at 10:00 p.m.
Day 4 found us in Skagway, Alaska at 7:00 a.m. All six of us were signed up for the White Pass Scenic narrow gage rail trip. It touched part of Canada. It was a lot of fun and had some fantastic scenery. After the ride we went back into town and looked around. They sold more junk here than I have ever seen and jewelry in most of the stores. The jewelry cost a lot, well for me it was a lot. We left Skagway at 9:00 p.m.
The fifth day of our cruise we sailed through Glacier Bay. It was cold, but the sun was shining. The scenery was unbelievable. One glacier was 350 feet tall, but didn’t seem that tall. It was a mile away and looked like we were next to it. The camera could not get it all in one frame. After that one, the other glaciers we cruised by didn’t seem picture worthy. We saw a lot of whales, seals, goats, and others. We went to see Sharkbait that night. It was a really good comedy juggling act.
We docked in Ketchikan at 6:00 a.m. for Day six. We were up at 5:45. They cancelled my bike ride so the group talked me into a salmon fishing trip. (Not a catching fish trip) It was a great day, sunny, no wind and NO fish. It cost just over $200 but a lot of fun. The fish were just not biting. One girl on the bus of 30 or so got a 10 lb. salmon and sent it home for $85 minimum fee. She and her husband had a $500 fish. I don’t even want to think about how much that is a pound.
I would say 90% of the service on the ship was good. The food was good but the service in some areas left a lot to be desired. Ilene and I were waiting for our banana cake. Everyone else left the table and we were still waiting. Paul and Marilyn sent the girl over and she took our cake order again. She brought me back my cake and Ilene said she wanted one too. “Don’t you want to share with him?” She said, “I would like my own plate.” She brought her a plate, but no cake. We shared. Sometimes they would take reservations and when you got there, the restaurant was closed – they would, however, direct you to another. The ship was also VERY conscience about sanitation and preventing illnesses from spreading.
The storm they were predicting earlier in the week caught up with us as we were leaving Alaska. We had a lot of rock and roll. High winds up to 60 knots and rough seas 12 – 18 feet - So they say, I slept through the whole thing.
It calmed down for day 7 which was mostly a cruise day but was still a little rocky. We bowled. What an experience. You can have a perfect strike ball going for you and the ship rolls and the ball ends up in the gutter. It was kind of like watching a drunk bowl. Ilene reminded me of what a friend told me once as I was walking up to bowl, “If I had a swing like that, I would paint it red and put it in my backyard. After that I couldn’t bowl a decent game. This time I improvised and pulled my handkerchief out like a flag. My next ball was a STRIKE. Of course, we all know luck doesn’t STRIKE twice in the same place. My next two balls were gutter balls and I put my hanky back in my back pocket. It was a lot of fun. I got a 98, Ilene a 41. Myran won with a 108. I don’t have permission to give out the other scores but they were right near ours.
We arrived in Victoria, BC at 6:00 p.m. and disembarked. Paul said let’s take a Limo and I said, “W- E-L-L, OK.” The six of us took a limo, yes LIMO, and rode through the town. He was a great tour guide. The ride lasted for about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. The town has really changed – mostly rich retirees live there now. Some of the houses have $45,000 to $60,000 taxes every year. We got back to the ship and nearly froze just getting back to the gang plank. Paul’s idea was a good one.
This was our last night on board. We left the ship and were back in the pickup on our way to drop Marilyn and Paul off at the airport by 9:45 a.m.
We had a lot of fun traveling with Trina, Myran, Marilyn, and Paul. It was so much fun I am thinking about talking them into sailing around the world in a 36 foot sail boat. It would only take a year or so to do. We would be such good friends by the time we got back.
The ship was fun. If you want to put on ten lb’s like I did, put it on your list of things to do. - Be Myranized like I was.
We were up at 6:00 a.m., showered, threw the toothbrush in the suitcase and were out the door by 7:11 a.m. Myran and Trina (son and daughter-in-law) picked us up. It was a good drive to Seattle where we picked up Paul and Marilyn (Trina’s parents)
We parked in the Valet parking. They parked Myran’s pickup for him and delivered our luggage to the ship. What a deal! It was sunny and warm, didn’t have to handle our luggage at all. There was a line to get on the ship and check-in but it wasn’t bad. What a great day and a great way to start a great vacation! I made a call on the cell phone but we were soon out of Seattle then the country and the cost was going to be a lot through the ship. I turned it off.
Day two of our cruise was a day of travel through Alaska’s Inside Passage, and eat all you want. We explored the ship. Ilene found the casino. There was shuffleboard (the six of us tried this and it was a lot of fun), bowling, a climbing wall (I didn’t do the climbing wall), and a lot of other things to watch and do. They said Myran made the climbing wall look easy. Of course there was walking, not necessarily on the track they provided – The beautiful “Norwegian Pearl” was 964.98 ft. in length. Her top speed was 25 knots or 28.75 mph. There was entertainment every night. We saw Garden of the Geisha this night featuring flying circus acrobatics.
We arrived at 2:00 p.m. in Juneau for Day three of our cruise. Ilene shopped in town, Marilyn and Paul did a float plane trip over the glaciers and a salmon feed. Myran, Trina, and I did a bike ride ending with a tour of the brewery. We got off the ship and found the biking tour people. They fit bikes to us and away we went up a little hill to a church where most of the weddings in town take place. The view of the glacier from here was something you just have to see and the guy playing the piano you just have to hear. We got back on the bikes and rode over to the glacier. It was mostly flat and a good trail. We had a snack and were off again to where you could walk to a water falls that went into the lake. We only had 10 minutes before we had to get back and it was a 20 minute walk one way. I almost made it going as fast as this old goat could go. Myran made it there and back. At last we made it to the brewery. There was Coffee, Smoked and Jalapeño and a host of other beers. I tried most of them because they were free. Did I get drunk? YES. When you drink that much, it must come out and that can be a problem. We walked back to the ship. Trina was our designated walker and got us back. The line getting back on the ship was long and I was looking for a place to go. The person in front of me was having trouble with his card. They couldn’t get it to work. (We all had a ship card like a credit card to swipe getting on and off the ship.) It was a good thing our room was only 20 feet from the check-in door. We went to dinner and I was telling this girl about the free beer and she said to say “free beer” fast three times. I couldn’t.
The food is all you want to eat. We went to see a stand up comic, Bud Andersen. Ship left Juneau at 10:00 p.m.
Day 4 found us in Skagway, Alaska at 7:00 a.m. All six of us were signed up for the White Pass Scenic narrow gage rail trip. It touched part of Canada. It was a lot of fun and had some fantastic scenery. After the ride we went back into town and looked around. They sold more junk here than I have ever seen and jewelry in most of the stores. The jewelry cost a lot, well for me it was a lot. We left Skagway at 9:00 p.m.
The fifth day of our cruise we sailed through Glacier Bay. It was cold, but the sun was shining. The scenery was unbelievable. One glacier was 350 feet tall, but didn’t seem that tall. It was a mile away and looked like we were next to it. The camera could not get it all in one frame. After that one, the other glaciers we cruised by didn’t seem picture worthy. We saw a lot of whales, seals, goats, and others. We went to see Sharkbait that night. It was a really good comedy juggling act.
We docked in Ketchikan at 6:00 a.m. for Day six. We were up at 5:45. They cancelled my bike ride so the group talked me into a salmon fishing trip. (Not a catching fish trip) It was a great day, sunny, no wind and NO fish. It cost just over $200 but a lot of fun. The fish were just not biting. One girl on the bus of 30 or so got a 10 lb. salmon and sent it home for $85 minimum fee. She and her husband had a $500 fish. I don’t even want to think about how much that is a pound.
I would say 90% of the service on the ship was good. The food was good but the service in some areas left a lot to be desired. Ilene and I were waiting for our banana cake. Everyone else left the table and we were still waiting. Paul and Marilyn sent the girl over and she took our cake order again. She brought me back my cake and Ilene said she wanted one too. “Don’t you want to share with him?” She said, “I would like my own plate.” She brought her a plate, but no cake. We shared. Sometimes they would take reservations and when you got there, the restaurant was closed – they would, however, direct you to another. The ship was also VERY conscience about sanitation and preventing illnesses from spreading.
The storm they were predicting earlier in the week caught up with us as we were leaving Alaska. We had a lot of rock and roll. High winds up to 60 knots and rough seas 12 – 18 feet - So they say, I slept through the whole thing.
It calmed down for day 7 which was mostly a cruise day but was still a little rocky. We bowled. What an experience. You can have a perfect strike ball going for you and the ship rolls and the ball ends up in the gutter. It was kind of like watching a drunk bowl. Ilene reminded me of what a friend told me once as I was walking up to bowl, “If I had a swing like that, I would paint it red and put it in my backyard. After that I couldn’t bowl a decent game. This time I improvised and pulled my handkerchief out like a flag. My next ball was a STRIKE. Of course, we all know luck doesn’t STRIKE twice in the same place. My next two balls were gutter balls and I put my hanky back in my back pocket. It was a lot of fun. I got a 98, Ilene a 41. Myran won with a 108. I don’t have permission to give out the other scores but they were right near ours.
We arrived in Victoria, BC at 6:00 p.m. and disembarked. Paul said let’s take a Limo and I said, “W- E-L-L, OK.” The six of us took a limo, yes LIMO, and rode through the town. He was a great tour guide. The ride lasted for about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. The town has really changed – mostly rich retirees live there now. Some of the houses have $45,000 to $60,000 taxes every year. We got back to the ship and nearly froze just getting back to the gang plank. Paul’s idea was a good one.
This was our last night on board. We left the ship and were back in the pickup on our way to drop Marilyn and Paul off at the airport by 9:45 a.m.
We had a lot of fun traveling with Trina, Myran, Marilyn, and Paul. It was so much fun I am thinking about talking them into sailing around the world in a 36 foot sail boat. It would only take a year or so to do. We would be such good friends by the time we got back.
The ship was fun. If you want to put on ten lb’s like I did, put it on your list of things to do. - Be Myranized like I was.
posted by Byran on the side at 7:36 PM
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