A Cruise To Be (Or Not To Be?) Eclipsed, Alaska August 15-22, 2017 Carnival vs Disney Cruise p. 7

Haha hilarious

I still crack up at the Alaskan Blind Bear. Especially now that I have pictures with the boys (they still don't know I purchased them) :rolleyes1

Gorgeous!

Thanks. The weather in Seattle was perfect in the time we were there. The smoke had just started to clear from the wildfires up north and the city was beautiful as we sailed away.

This is soooo funny!! I've never seen a mini burger as an amuse bouche, it's pretty cute though.

It looks so small on that big plate.

OMG I can't believe the would pass up Caribbean lobster as Maine lobster. I can totally tell the difference too!

That was so wrong. I can't believe we paid $35 per person for a Caribbean lobster tail.


The light is bouncing off the cabinets and carpet which has an orange tint so that's why the pictures are coming out like that.

Thanks! That also happens occasionally when I tried to take pictures in the Beach Club lobby.


OMG me too! On the Disney ships I forget what side we're on all the time. I had to look at the stars on the carpet to find our stateroom (the point of the star points in the direction of forward).

I found my bearings a little better on the Fantasy, the room number signs helped. I got so lost on the Legend!

That's soo cool! I used to be part of a trivia team in NYC. We did pretty decently although I wouldn't say I'm that great at trivia.

I would go out an play more often, but most of the time the games start after 8 pm and that is past my bedtime!


Wow huge lobby!

It was pretty.


NOW they serve the Maine lobster!


Ugh nothing is worse than bad sushi!!

It was so gross! And funny that we all ordered it. They had a sushi place on board that you could pay to go to, but we passed!

Absolutely gorgeous! All your pictures are beautiful! I really really want to go on an Alaskan cruise now!!!

Thanks! The scenery is really gorgeous. There is always something to look at, or look for while on an Alaskan itinerary.


Love it!!!

The whale watch was great!
 
So beautiful!

Skagway was a spectacular port!


Seriously, looking at the demographic on the van, I couldn't believe more people did not follow Pete's suggestion.

Great picture! I love how they are looking in opposite directions!

Thanks! Just goes to show that there is beauty all around you when you are in Alaska.


Haha thank goodness you used the good facilities!

::yes::

OMG stunning!

Emerald Lake was amazing.


Yay another family picture!

I actually got two on this tour! The Yukon sign and the Alaska sign. It helps when the tour guide suggests it (instead of mom)

:thumbsup2
 
I don't know if it is on flights that are 6 hours or more, but having a meal offered was a great surprise to me.
DL offers meal service in economy for "select" routes.

Domestic routes include:
  • New York (JFK) to/from Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), San Diego (SAN), Seattle (SEA), Portland (PDX)
  • Washington D.C. (DCA) to/from Los Angeles (LAX)
  • Seattle (SEA) to/from Boston (BOS), Raleigh-Durham (RDU), Orlando (MCO), Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
  • Boston (BOS) to/from San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX)
  • Atlanta (ATL) to/from Honolulu (HNL)
  • New York (JFK) to/from Honolulu (HNL)
  • Minneapolis (MSP) to/from Honolulu (HNL)
 
Town of Skagway


When our tour of the Yukon Territory was over, we were given the option of getting off the van in town or go back to the port to board the ship. It was around 3 pm and the ship was not sailing until 9 that night, so we decided to walk around Skagway for a bit.


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Although we didn’t go in, here is a little history lesson about what is probably the most infamous building in town:



"Our Business is Your Pleasure"


The Red Onion Saloon, now a National Historic Building, was Skagway’s most exclusive bordello. Built in 1897 with planks cut by Capt. William Moore, the founder of Skagway, the Red Onion Saloon opened for business in 1898, serving alcohol on the first floor while the upper floor satisfied more than the prospector’s thirst. The brothel consisted of ten tiny cubicles, called cribs, each ten foot by ten foot with three exits, one into the hallway and one into each of the adjoining rooms. Each room also had a hole in the floor which connected to the cash register in the bar by means of a copper tube.

In order to keep track of which girls were busy, the bartender kept ten dolls on the back bar, one for each of the girls in each of the rooms. When a girl was with a customer, her doll was laid on its back. When she sent her money down the tube, the doll was returned to the upright position signaling to the waiting prospectors that she was ready for business. The bartender safeguarded the girl’s earnings, usually $5.00, preferably in gold, while in the crawl space between the floors, loose floorboards hid nuggets and private tips.

Because the rooms were divided by single planks toe-nailed into the ceiling and floor, not much sound-proofing was provided. To decorate their cribs, the women stretched linen across the rough planks, then glued wall paper to the cloth. Remnants of the original wall papers still cling to the planks. Some of the girls who worked in Skagway were Birdie Ash, Big Dessie, Popcorn Lil, the Oregon Mare, Babe Davenport, Pea Hull Annie, Kitty Faith, the Belle of Skagway and Klondike Kate.

By late 1899, business began to suffer. Most of the women moved north to Dawson which was closer to the gold fields and had big gambling casinos and dance halls.


Depiction of the Mascot Saloon from the gold rush days

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We did go into a museum and gift shop- Ben especially enjoyed looking at the exhibits detailing the history of the area.


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Ben is a history buff with a particular interest in military history, so he was intrigued to learn that the last shots in the US Civil War were fired in Alaska. After the Confederacy had surrendered and President Lincoln was assassinated, the crew of the CSS Shenandoah continued to capture and/or sink Union whaling ships in the Bering Sea.


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Intricate carvings in ivory/jawbone


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We walked around town a bit more, looking at landmarks which paid tribute to the mining history of Skagway


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Skagway Centennial Statue:

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We walked past this salmon stream as we returned to the port. It looks pretty, but at least of half of the salmon had reached the end of their journey and were dead in the water.


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Before going back to the boat, we passed this restaurant. This would be a great chance to sample some Alaskan seafood. We knew we would be eating soon on board the ship, so we shared one fish and chips and one order of King Crab.


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We were really struggling with opening the crab legs until the waitress came over and showed us how to use the little plastic fork to split the shell.


We had a great day in Skagway. We had dinner and I don’t think we did anything else that evening.


Next: Glacier Bay
 
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Skagway had lots of interesting history to it. I just can’t get over the size of the mountains in the background.
I’m glad you got to sample some of the local seafood.
 
When it was time to muster, we found our station and unfortunately were some of the first people there. They took our names and cabin number and then we waited. And waited. And waited while more and more people showed up and we crowded together. It took 45 long minutes for the process to be complete. Apparently, we were rookies who didn’t realize that others show up late so they don’t have to wait around doing nothing.
Live and learn. Disappointing though that people think so little of others' time to act that way.

The next night, when “Maine” lobster appeared on the menu for dinner in the formal dining room, we were indeed served the native lobster I know and love.
Nice. So you paid an upcharge for a lesser meal...

You could order the entrees- the steak, filet and lobster, lamb chop- in the main dining room for an additional charge of $20- THAT’S where the $20 figure in my head came from.


Was it worth it? I don’t know.
Just from your explanations and descriptions I'd say no. Maybe not a complete rip off, but worth 35 when you could get the same for 20 at the dining room? No.

Additional note: I am severely directionally challenged. It is a genetic issue passed on from my father's side of the family. I found the hallways leading to the cabins to be very confusing. I got lost on my way to our room. More than once. It got so bad that my family said they would not let me wander off alone. I guess that means they care!
I'm guessing they just didn't want to fill out all the paperwork if they lost you.

It was formal night in the dining room. We arrived a few minutes after the doors had opened. There was a line to get in and they were handing out pagers. After about 5 minutes, our pager started speaking, so we went up to the check-in station. Along with everyone else, because all of the pagers were going off at once. The hostess told us that we were not being called, we needed to wait until the red lights started flashing.

Same thing happened on the last evening as well. This time, we knew that our table was not ready when the pager started talking, but others had the same reaction as before- heading up to the hostess desk and being told (rather brusquely) that they needed to wait until they got red lights. Perhaps they should be mentioning this when they hand them out!
Really? That's frustrating. Why do they have to make things difficult?

I love this blue hue!
::yes:: Beautiful!

ETA: Emily (or Emma) (or Jennifer or Heather, not sure which) said that she follows the whale migration pattern: She spends summers working on a whale boat in Alaska and winter months working on a whale boat in Hawaii. NICE!!!
That's some good planning!

The whale watching looks like a lot of fun, even if it is something you can do near home.

Pete noticed my son’s binoculars, which are huge, but were an online bargain- usually selling for more than $100, Nate purchased them for $20. Pete said he had binocular envy and talked to Nate about his college major, Wildlife Biology and Conservation. Nate appreciated the attention throughout the tour.
That's great! Nice that he could speak with someone with mutual interests like that.

We loved this tour! I was worried that the boys would be bored, but there was enough outdoor nature time for Nate and history and delicious food for Ben, beautiful scenery and interesting stories for Mark and photo-ops for me. The duration was perfect. We were ready to do some exploring on our own when we were dropped off.
It really does look like an interesting one to check out. A lot of diverse beautiful scenery to look at and photograph!

We were really struggling with opening the crab legs until the waitress came over and showed us how to use the little plastic fork to split the shell.
See, I guess this is part of the reason I'm not a big fan of seafood. If you have to work that hard for that little amount of meat and you have to know the secret trick to make it work...
 


Skagway had lots of interesting history to it. I just can’t get over the size of the mountains in the background.
I’m glad you got to sample some of the local seafood.

It was great to learn about the goldmining history of Skagway and the difficult life of (most) prospectors.

Yes, the mountains are towering! You really need to see the buildings or cruise ships to give some perspective.

The seafood was great! A nice pre-dinner snack!

:thumbsup2
 
Live and learn. Disappointing though that people think so little of others' time to act that way.

Me first attitudes!

It was much better when I was on the Disney Fantasy a few weeks later.

People were much prompter showing up and we got to wait in an airconditioned bar, in seats instead of standing in the sun.

Nice. So you paid an upcharge for a lesser meal...

:headache:

Just from your explanations and descriptions I'd say no. Maybe not a complete rip off, but worth 35 when you could get the same for 20 at the dining room? No.

Well, the appetizers we got were pretty yummy. But still probably not worth it.


I'm guessing they just didn't want to fill out all the paperwork if they lost you.

Good point.

We were on the cruise to Alaska just a couple of weeks after a guy had murdered his wife on an Alaskan cruise because she laughed at him. I'm guessing there would be a lot of paperwork if they reported a missing mom


Really? That's frustrating. Why do they have to make things difficult?

The pager things was a little frustrating, but a lot hilarious. Seriously they are all making noise so of course everyone is going to think their tables are ready.


::yes:: Beautiful!

The glaciers were really impressive.


That's some good planning!

The whale watching looks like a lot of fun, even if it is something you can do near home.

I'll say- Alaska in the summer and Hawaii in the winter. Throw in Disneyworld in the fall and Disneyland in the spring I think you have a perfect lifestyle there!

Even though we can whale watch by boat or beach where we live, it is always exciting since you see something different every time.


That's great! Nice that he could speak with someone with mutual interests like that.

Pete kept referring to Nate as "the naturalist on board" and Nate ate that up!


It really does look like an interesting one to check out. A lot of diverse beautiful scenery to look at and photograph!

Gorgeous!

See, I guess this is part of the reason I'm not a big fan of seafood. If you have to work that hard for that little amount of meat and you have to know the secret trick to make it work...


I'm guessing you don't really have an easy or inexpensive supply of seafood available.

We don't have much experience with King Crab Legs, but not to belabor the point, due to our past employment in a seafood restaurant both Mark and I can deconstruct a Maine lobster in no-time-flat

:rolleyes:
 
I really enjoyed this latest update. The history of all that happened in Skagway and it’s little saloon was intriguing. The scenery as always phenomenal. Another successful day :)
 
I love the story of the hotel, especially the part about the copper tubes in the floor so the girls could deposit their earnings. The history of Skagway is fascinating and the museum exhibits look really interesting. It sounds like there was something to like for everyone. :)
 
I really enjoyed this latest update. The history of all that happened in Skagway and it’s little saloon was intriguing. The scenery as always phenomenal. Another successful day :)

I'm glad you enjoyed reading about Skagway. The Red Onion is probably the most popular building visited in town (now as in then).

We loved our tour of the area.

:goodvibes


I love the story of the hotel, especially the part about the copper tubes in the floor so the girls could deposit their earnings. The history of Skagway is fascinating and the museum exhibits look really interesting. It sounds like there was something to like for everyone. :)

It was interesting reading about the history of the Red Onion, even if we didn't go in while we were there.

We loved this port- there were really a diverse range of things to do and see.

::yes::


Fried walleye is pretty much the extent of it.

OK, that explains a lack of excitement for seafood!

:fish:
 
Ice Ice Baby!
Glacier Bay
Saturday August 19



Today we would be staying on the ship as we cruised through the sites of Glacier Bay.

We woke to a beautiful sunrise and even a rainbow from our balcony.


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We went up on deck and grabbed a quick bite to eat for breakfast while we listened to the National Park Rangers who had come on board. They outlined what we would be seeing and when


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When we were sailing by Gloomy Knob, the rangers suggested we look up in the hills for mountain goats:


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The first glacier we encountered was beautiful Lamplugh Glacier


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The next glacier on deck (see what I did there) was Johns Hopkins


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The scenery in the inlet was beautiful as well.


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There were a couple of bear sightings announced. I saw one that was on a beach, but it was really far away and I had the wrong lens on to get a picture.


The headliner of the day was the Margerie Glacier.


We were in front of the glacier for about an hour and the ship rotated 360 degrees so all sides of the ship could have a view.


There was quite a bit of calving (pieces of the glacier breaking off and falling into the sea). You would see the ice falling before you heard the dramatic, deafening crash.


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I spent most of the time on deck in the open air while we were at Margerie glacier, but the rest of my family went to the covered Lido Deck (9) because it was uncomfortably cold.


Thinking ahead to my 2017 Christmas card, I had hoped to get a family photo in front of the glacier, but they weren’t interested in joining me. I did drag Mark back up for a few minutes and I asked a fellow guest to take our picture.


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My son Ben showed us an awesome video he filmed while we were at Margerie glacier, he had zoomed in while it was calving, but somehow he lost the clip before he had the chance to send it to me. I am so bummed!


After leaving the glacier, we were told we would have the opportunity to spot some wildlife as we were leaving Glacier Bay, around 2 pm.


For the next hour or so, we were travelling through some pretty heavy fog and the visibility was horrible. We didn’t think we would be able to see anything, but just as the mist cleared, the rangers announced that we were passing by some small islands covered in Stellar sealions


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I think we spent the rest of the day trying to warm up, we had dinner and then we rested up because we had an early excursion scheduled in Ketchikan. It was our favorite thing we did on the trip.



Next Up: Alaska Bear Adventure
 
The headliner of the day was the Margerie Glacier.


We were in front of the glacier for about an hour and the ship rotated 360 degrees so all sides of the ship could have a view.


There was quite a bit of calving (pieces of the glacier breaking off and falling into the sea). You would see the ice falling before you heard the dramatic, deafening crash.
The glaciers are beautiful with the blue ice. It makes me sad to think that global warming is causing the glaciers to melt. I wonder what Glacier Bay will look like 20 years from now.

Thinking ahead to my 2017 Christmas card, I had hoped to get a family photo in front of the glacier, but they weren’t interested in joining me. I did drag Mark back up for a few minutes and I asked a fellow guest to take our picture.
That is a nice picture of you and Mark. Too bad the boys wouldn't join you. It would have been a great Christmas picture. :)

Was that a small tour boat in the bay with your ship? Did you see any other large cruise ships in the Alaskan waters during your trip? I would think that you were traveling during some of the most popular times of the summer.
 
The glaciers are just breathtakingly beautiful. I hope one day to be able to see that in person.
 
You saw some great sites! We did go into the Red Onion Saloon- quite the place, and reportedly haunted! We also had some beer- which was really good- at the Brewery there.

The glaciers look breathtaking! We didn't see any goats or bears in June!
 

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