This last post about Alaska post covers all the fun we had on the ship (more than we thought we would!), disembarking at Seward, the ride to Anchorage and our visit to the Anchorage Museum before heading to the airport, and home.
So the adventure began after a long day of traveling to Vancouver, so it was exciting to finally board the ship. Despite our skepticism at cruising on such a large boat, we decided to embrace the experience. Once we stepped on board it immediately felt like we were in an upscale hotel. There was no sense of being on a boat, but rather a resort with seemingly endless activities, amenities, and impeccable service.
Our first experience with the 4-star service was when we looked for a place to eat lunch. We noticed a nice-looking Italian restaurant with only a few customers. We waited while some customers made reservations for dinners later in the week, then asked for a table only to be told we needed a reservation. Alex – exhausted from traveling & quite hungry – developed such a look on her face that the manager (Amir) rushed out and told the hostess to accommodate us! The food was excellent, the waiter and Amir both kinder than anything, gifting us a drink and truffle pizza and chatting with us about where all of us were from (Amir was from Mumbai so you can imagine the conversation)!
After our mandatory security briefing, we finally made it to our stateroom and marveled at Vancouver harbor from the balcony.
We wandered the ship, getting a lay of the land. There were 16 (!!) floors. The top two floors claimed the outer deck with a running track around the perimeter, several swimming pools, hot tubs and even a climbing wall. There was also “The Solarium,” an adults-only venue with a floor to ceiling view of the front of the ship and littered with indoor pools, hot tubs, chaises and (of course) a terrific bar. This quickly became our favorite spot on the ship.
When I signed up for our dinner time slot, I didn’t know it was restaurant style rather than the expected buffet. Ours was one of 4 formal dining rooms on the ship (not including the popular buffet that we didn’t visit), and every meal in each dining room had multiple seatings. Our dinner time was 6:30 pm and we enjoyed the same table all week, while choosing from a different dinner menu each night. Our two waiters (I Putu and I Wayan, both from Bali) meticulously attended to our every need without fail.
During our trip, we got to know our table neighbors: a Florida couple (originally from South Africa) traveling with their daughter (about Sophia’s age), who works in the social media department of Royal Caribbean. On our first night, I ordered steak – cooked to perfection – with a baked potato that was soft and delicate. As we enjoyed our dinner, we looked out the window and were surprised to see that we had started sailing!
After dinner we headed to our cabin and sat on our deck enjoying the harbor view and spectacular sunset as our ship sailed out into the open sea.
A wonderful surprise was how the ship’s wake sounded like waves crashing on the beach. As we relaxed on our deck, those sounds added to the beauty of the water views.
One onboard highlight for me was a tour of the main kitchen (each of the 18 restaurants on the ship has their own kitchen, but this one handles baking for the entire ship). The number of dishes prepared daily for the ship was staggering, i.e., 1,000 portions of shrimp cocktail at each meal and 20,000 bread rolls (prepared by one chef!) each day.
Needless to say, the proportions of ingredients were equally high:1,000 lbs of flour a day; 15,000 eggs cracked nightly for breakfast and 400 lbs of onions are peeled daily for the French onion soup (please avoid ordering it, the guide joked!)
Staffing is commensurate with the needs; there are 12 dessert chefs that work in the kitchens, with one working in each restaurant along with a crew for this restaurant. The rank of chef is designated by their scarf color: blue is the most senior chef, with red and yellow next in charge. All ship employees are on contract, working 7 days a week (with rest hours each day) for 7 months of the year.
With such high numbers and non-stop service, I imagine repairs are a pretty regular occurrence.
It was reassuring to learn that all the leftover food is mulched and fed to the fish who follow the ship. Nothing else is thrown overboard. All items that can be recycled and reused are sold when in port and the money is used for the employee fund, which sponsors holiday gifts, among other events.
With such an international crew, the ship staff make a point to celebrate every represented nation’s national day. The crew can take advantage of massages by the excellent masseuses for a direct-to-you fee and there are many activities for recreation. Crew live in cabins, two at a room (I was relieved it wasn’t a massive dorm).
Speaking of international crews, we met people from India, Indonesia, China, Ukraine, Bali, Malawi, Zimbabwe, the Philippines, Tunisia, Mauritius and Madagascar! The captain was Dutch and spoke to us on the loudspeaker on a daily basis. One day, he announced we had to veer off course for an ill passenger. Luckily, we still made it to our next port on time.
The kitchen was spotless, even the grill, so the standards are reassuringly high. The kitchen is scrubbed down each night in preparation for the next day’s onslaught of work. On the last day, the ship drops off passengers in the morning and collects new passengers that afternoon, so it is an intense few hours as a massive disinfection takes place in between voyages.
The tour ended with a delicious 3 course meal, complete with mimosas! I sat at a table with two ladies from Illinois and we had a great time.
There was a lot of shipboard entertainment. We didn’t take part in much, but what we saw was varied and interesting (or silly fun!). Not photographed, an outstanding Ukrainian classical guitarist.
In addition to the Italian restaurant we enjoyed our first day, the other restaurant we visited (twice!) was the Japanese restaurant, Izumi.The sushi was exceptional although both the waiters and us had a very long laugh when we were told they were out of salmon and despite being in the salmon fishing capital of the world, they were unable to replenish their stock while in port. Alex, being a chef, had the honor of meeting the chef of the restaurant!
As we departed Glacier National Park, towards our final destination, Alex and I enjoyed the Solarium and spotted this island which, from afar, looked to house an Orthodox Church. We looked carefully as we floated by but couldn’t confirm. However, thanks to the internet we were able to learn the island is called Eldred Rock, and Eldred Rock Light is an historic octagonal lighthouse adjacent to Lynn Canal. It is the last of the ten lighthouses constructed in Alaska between 1902 and 1906. It was also the last of 12 manned lighthouses in Alaska!
During dinner on the last night, the kitchen crew and waitstaff entertained us. Some employees liked doing this more than others! LOL
And then, just like that, we docked in our final port, Seward.
A few additional notes and observations:
I’ve been on my share of boats and know the role bumpers play when docking. However, seeing the HUGE bumpers on the dock was another way to put the size of this cruise ship into perspective. Look at the person at the back of the photo and you will get an idea of their size. Each one is about the size of two humans!
Our neighbors’ cabin door boasted a whiteboard with a fun daily question. On our last day we finally met them and learned the adorable purple tiny plastic duck we found on our balcony was from them (we thought it either dropped from somewhere or was left by a child). They gave us two more and they are proudly displayed in our apartment bedrooms! We had SO many wonderful conversations with people on the ship (especially on the elevators), but it was interesting that we never saw any of them again…another reminder of how huge the ship was.
The Last Hurrah
We disembarked in Seward to miserable weather, which paralleled our mood! Like everything else on the ship, the system was well-honed and we collected our luggage from the large, covered hangar-type room. Switching to the bus company taking us home was a cold reminder that not all tour companies are as organized as Royal Caribbean and Ovation of the Seas. We found our bus, boarded and started the 2-hour drive north to Anchorage.
Due to the weather, the views were not spectacular and getting a photo was tough due to the low light. There were glimpses into what we were missing, but when we stopped at a rest stop, I was able to capture some of the beautiful rolling hills in the valley.
During the trip to Anchorage, the bus driver periodically entertained us with interesting factoids, such as the Ghost Forest (below), created when an earthquake dropped this patch of land eight feet. As a result, the trees were submerged and died, however during low tide the trees still stand tall, hence the name.
Also, the tide in the inlet we were driving along changes by 30 feet! Once every two weeks the change is faster than normal and you can ‘surf the tide.’ However, it is a dangerous surf: the mud and beach are very wet ground, a silt so strong it is like quicksand. To be rescued requires the fire department to loosen the silt, and a helicopter must lift you out!
Then, the driver pointed out a beautiful rainbow, mentioning how quickly the weather can turn here in Alaska.
Last, we drove by Beluga Point, where one can often see beluga whales. Seeing a beluga in the wild is on my bucket list, so Alex and I kept our eyes sharp, but had no luck.
We arrived at the Anchorage Museum to nicer weather and a lovely park where my frustrated photographer’s eye, unable to take photos during the bad weather drive, went crazy with the beautiful flowers and trees.
The two pix below were my best shots, but since I can’t decide which cropping I like more, I am sharing both (author’s prerogative!). Happy for input from readers!
Inside the museum, I was most interested in the exhibit of indigenous people’s artifacts, especially those of the Tlingit tribe which plays a prominent role in Michener’s Alaska.
According to tradition, the Kiks deli clan of the Tlingit Indians traveled north from the Nass River in British Columbia some 9000 years ago, and settled on Baranof Island, the site of Sitka. The items below are Tlingit: on the left is a figurine carved from deer antler, perhaps a shaman wearing a headdress and necklace. On the right, probably a shaman’s amulet.
A prominent aspect of the displays was how the ancient indigenous people endured the cold weather.
There was also an exhibit which focused on a painter (Duke Russell) and photographer (Ward Wells) chronicling Anchorage through their two mediums.
Yes, there is street art in Anchorage as well.
After the museum, there was no other place to go besides Anchorage airport where, oddly enough, we ate the best seafood meal we had all week! DELICIOUS fresh halibut for me as well as a velvety and robust shared salmon chowder. A perfect ending to a remarkable week!
