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Being on a 14 day Alaskan Cruise allows Tracy Arm Fjord and Juneau to occur on separate days.  That means no waking up early and getting out on deck by 6am for the fjord.  Yay!  We entered the fjord at 9am on July 5^th.  Tracy Arm is gorgeous with the tall rock faces, waterfalls, ice, glacier, and wildlife in the area.  We saw seals and all sorts of birds.

There was too much ice for the Zaandam to get to North Sawyer Glacier, so we went to the smaller and less active South Sawyer Glacier.  Not a big deal since we will be going to Hubbard Glacier later in the cruise.  I feel like Tracy Arm Fjord is more for the dramatic landscape and less for the glacier.  Maybe I would think differently if we had been able to see North Sawyer.

The floating ice was interested since it was a sunny day and it just sparkled.  Also, the ice is where the seals were hanging out.  Nice.

The next day we docked in Juneau.  Like Ketchikan, we had been to Juneau before (did Harv & Marv’s whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier in 2013).  This go around we had good weather, so took the tram to the top of Mt Roberts.  We bought our tickets the night before on the ship (check the weather before booking) and walked right up and onto a tram at 8:30am.  We were one of the first visitors up there, so it was very quiet.  There is a ½ mile walking trail with viewing platforms and it’s a relatively easy walk.  I recommend going counter clockwise if you only want to do the viewing platforms.

Up on Mt Roberts there are two gift shops, a restaurant, a theater, refreshment area, and restrooms.  It is full service up there.  I definitely recommend bringing bug spray.  Those suckers were biting, so fortunately I had mine with me.  After an hour or so we headed back down on the tram.  You can hike up to Mt Roberts, but it will take 2.5 hours roughly.  The tram has great views, so we went with the more expensive and less strenuous option.

Back down at sea level, we wandered to the visitor center, found the Patsy Ann statue, and chatted with fellow cruisers.  Since it was close to lunch time, we went to Tracy’s King Crab Shack for king crab!  OMG, it was delicious!  King Crab is expensive, but just consider it as an excursion and your mind will be at ease.  We also had some local craft beers.  At Tracy’s you order at the counter, pick up your beer at another counter and find a seat.  Before we knew it they were yelling “Lisa from Tennessee!”  I waived down the server and dove into the delectable king crab.  Oh, and it is cooked over fire and served with melted butter and a super soft dinner roll.

Our next stop was the Alaskan Brewing Company depot store downtown.  We love beer, and I am into microbrews and craft beers thanks to the men on my rowing team.  We did a little souvenir shopping and paid for the tasting tour at the brewery.  It was $25 per person and we ended up going with John and Ken from our cruise critic roll call.  For $25 you get round trip transportation (it’s a 10 minute drive from the store), 3 ample tastings in the tasting room where the presentation is done, and then 4 more tastings of your choice in the bar area.  The tasting room has windows so you can see into the brewery, but you can’t go into the brewery.  Our host did a fantastic job explaining the history and their sustainability efforts that have saved the company a ton of money.

So on to the beers.  I have always enjoyed Alaskan Amber.  It was their first beer and still 32 years later their top seller.  Their Baltic Porter was also outstanding.  Probably one of the best porters I have ever had.  Hopothermia is a double IPA and quite nice.  It was not as hoppy as I was expecting, which was a pleasant surprise.  The Ginger Shandy was interesting to try, but I did not finish it since it wasn’t to my particular liking.  So, after 7 ample tastings and more Alaskan Brewing gear, we headed back to the ship.  After all the beer, but I felt a need for a swim in the outdoor pool and have another beer.  Maybe that is why I was in bed and fast asleep by 8:30pm.

Happy Independence Day!  Today we are in Ketchikan, Alaska.  This is our first port of many and it has been an A.B. Day (Absolutely Beautiful).  All sun and blue skies today.  The Zaandam is in port with the Celebrity Millennium.

At 8am, right on time, we were allowed to leave the ship.  Walt and I walked over to Thomas Basin where the small fishing and private boats are docked.  There is a jetty, so we walked out to the end and met some very colorful Alaskans wishing us a Happy 4^th.  After that we wandered down Creek Street (former red light district), but the stores were not open yet.

The funicular was not working today, so we hiked Married Man’s Trail up to Cape Fox Lodge to check out their totem pole replicas and the lobby of the lodge.  A very nice young lady that works in the gift shop noticed my tattoo which started a rowing conversation. Walt waited that out in the lobby.

After our visit it was apparent that the funicular would not be running for the day, so we walked over to Edmunds Street to walk down a street of stairs.  The views were great and there was no one but locals around.  In fact, for most of the morning we were nowhere near the other cruise ship passengers.

Next we went back to Creek Street for a little shopping.  I found a magnet of a Puffin and neat Alaskan socks.  It was getting to the point that the fellow passengers were showing up, so we decided to get an early lunch at Dwyer’s across from Berth 2 on the 3^rd floor.  I decided to try the Denali Single Engine Red beer.  So what if it was only 10:45am, technically that is 2:45pm on the east coast.  J  Walt had Halibut Fish and Chips and I had the Halibut Burger.  Both were really good.

With noon quickly approaching, we headed back to the ship to watch the Independence Day Parade from out balcony.  It was a fantastic vantage point (look for pictures on my Facebook page).  Ketchikan knows how to throw a parade!  There were bagpipes, sirens, dancers, boyscouts, logging trucks made up as floats, High School Reunion groups, and much more.  There was even a fly-by of floatplanes during the parade.  So much fun that I was smiling ear to ear.

If you get a chance to be in Ketchikan on Independence Day, you should absolutely do it.  The characters are out and friendly as can be.

We are in vista suite cabin 6205 on the Holland America Zaandam.  It is towards the aft and very convenient to the aft elevators.  Think of the vista suites on the Zaandam as a regular balcony that you get double points for and you will not be disappointed.  The cabin is narrow.

The bathroom has new granite countertops and a whirlpool tub.  The tub is for children and extremely petite/child size adults.  I am 5’11” and my knees are at my chin to fit in there.  As a shower, it is very nice and roomy.  I has a rain shower head on a wand…very nice.  The side of the tub is rather high, so keep that in mind.  There are two shelves on the side of the sink and one under.  There is no soap dish, but our cabin steward provide one for the sink when I asked.  The other option is to use the shampoo provided in the shower as hand soap.  Either works.

The cabin is small, but the bed, couch, and coffee table are large.  The coffee table is too big for the room, so when we are not using it we slide it under the desk (1/3 sticks out) and move the chair.  Not ideal, but it works.

The balcony is enormous and has 2 chairs with ottomans and a tiny table.  It would be nice to have a taller and bigger table so we could eat outside.  I guess we can drag the 50 pound cocktail table to the balcony when needed.  J

Overall I am very happy with the cabin and location.  The bedding is fantastic and the bed is super comfy…just what I need.  There is no noise from the public space below, which is also a plus.

Whether driving or flying it is ALWAYS best to arrive at least 1 day early.  Let’s face it, things go awry when traveling.  So why not reduce the stress by having a little buffer just in case.

Yesterday was our travel day from the Southeast to Seattle.  I woke up at 5:30am excited for the day and also, 2 cats were hogging my side of the bed.  Our first flight was at 3:30pm to Denver.  That flight was on time and uneventful.  The second flight is where things went downhill.

The 2^nd leg was scheduled to depart at 7:20pm and arrive in Seattle at 9:25pm (which is 12:25am to my East Coast body clock).  We boarded the plane, only to be told after everyone boarded that we did not have a pilot or co-pilot.  We disembarked the plane.

30 minutes later we have a new set of pilots and board the plane for a 2^nd time.  All of a sudden, no one was getting on the plane and we are all situated in our seats.  We are told we had to disembark again.  This time the plane had two flat tires.  Ugh.  Apparently in Denver it is not unusual for tire to go flat when it’s a hot Summer day due to altitude and temps.

Finally at 9:30pm we boarded for the 3^rd time and everyone at the gate was hoping it would be the last time.  At 10:00pm we pulled away from the gate.  We landed at 11:30 in Seattle.  By the time we got to our hotel in Northgate it was 12:30am local time or 3:30am with our East Coast body clocks.  We were exhausted.

I am really glad that we are staying in Seattle for 3 nights.  I ended up sleeping for 5 hours and then took a 2.5 hour nap this afternoon.  I can’t even imagine losing the first day of a cruise to napping due to sleep deprivation.  We are well rested now, but will be calling it an early night.

The moral of the story?  Things can and occasionally will go wrong with flights or road trips.  If you build in a safety net, then you won’t miss your cruise.

“Do I feel lucky?  Well do ya, punk?”  That is the feeling that I get when I look at booking a guarantee cabin for a cruise.  In 12 years I never felt lucky, so I always skipped booking a guarantee.  That is until May 7^th when my 14 day Zaandam cruise showed a guarantee vista suite at the same price that I booked my semi-obstructed ocean view cabin.  These are the things I considered before sprinting down to the man cave to see if Walt would agree to pull the trigger.

• What decks are the vista suites on?
• What is on the decks above and below these cabins? Public spaces or cabins?
• What do I consider to be the least desirable location(s)?
• Would I be happy in the least desirable location for 14 days?
• What perks am I giving up by switching? Drink package? Pinnacle Dinner?  Onboard Credit?
• Would Walt be ok with this?

Vista Suites are on decks 6 and 7.  Public spaces are above and below.  The least desirable location to me would be above the theater, especially during rehearsals and shows.  Quick research showed that the last show is at 10pm, so I would be fine with that location.  I would be giving up the drink package and one night at Pinnacle for dinner.  Giving up the perks is ok, since I booked 3 other nights at Pinnacle.  I am ok giving up the drink package we have long days in port to buy craft brews at less expensive prices and we get a balcony!!!  Finally, Walt was onboard with the switch.

I made a phone call within 30 minutes of seeing the guarantee and switched to the vista suite.  I guess I felt lucky.

Depending on the cruise line you can get your cabin assignment within a couple of days of booking or a couple of days before sailing.  Holland America is typically 7-10 days before sailing.  Imagine my surprise when I received my cabin assignment 21 days before sailing!  Our assignment ended up being on Deck 6 aft with cabins above and the Kings Room below.  It’s a very quiet location and close to the public aft deck.  If I could have picked our cabin, this is the area I would have selected.

I have to say that I am really happy that I took a chance, rolled the dice, and went with a guarantee.  I definitely feel lucky.

I bring my parrot clips on every cruise.  These clips are quite handy and can fit into little nooks and crannies in your luggage.  I typically pack 8 clips.

So, what are these clips good for?

• Clipping beach towels to lounge chairs…this is the obvious one.
• If you have a balcony, you can clip wet swimsuits to your balcony chairs to dry.  Just remember, you need to be out on your balcony while things are hanging off the chairs.  Most cruise lines do not allow you to leave towels or swimsuits unattended on your balcony.
• Shower Curtains that have a mind of their own can benefit from a clip or two.  Cabin showers can be small and if it has a fabric curtain, then the shower gets smaller as the curtains attempts to hug you.  Take the clips and clip them to the bottom of the curtain.  The extra weight helps keep it from clinging to your legs.
• Cabin window curtains.  Let’s say you are cruising to Alaska, the land of the midnight sun.  A clip can come in handy to deal with any light coming in.  Just clip the curtains together and no midnight sun.

These clips are available in the Summer at stores like Walmart.  But you can buy them online at Amazon any time of the year.

 

Maggie approves of the clips.

In February 2006 my mom called and asked if Walt and I wanted to go on a Thanksgiving Cruise with them. And that is how my passion for cruising start…with a simple phone call.

I had wanted to go on a cruise since I watched the Love Boat back in the day. Because my parents had already booked the cruise, our specific cruise was selected. I called up Holland America that evening and booked the Zuiderdam. I booked us in an inside cabin, but later on switched to an ocean view during a sale. With 9 months until my first cruise, I needed to snap to it on the planning.

After a Google, or maybe Yahoo, search I discovered Cruise Critic. Oh my, what an incredible resource I had stumbled upon. The message boards provided me a ton of information on Holland America and what to expect. I felt prepared by the time we needed to pack. Oh, and the 9 months leading up to this cruise were insane. In June, Walt had emergency double bypass, so we were not positive we would be able to go. Luckily, 3 months later he got the all clear.

The cruise was an interesting one. Walt and I learned to never cruise during a school holiday, since there were over 700 kiddos onboard. While most were well behaved, it just takes a gaggle of rowdy teenagers at 3am to convince you to avoid school holidays. The ports were wonderful and Thanksgiving onboard was a nice change.

With 11 in our group, I made sure I set some ground rules upfront. Walt and I would be scuba diving in St Thomas. We would eat dinner as a group, but the other meals were up to individuals. I also stated that we would not be doing everything single thing as a group. I think it’s important to set up expectations long before you board the ship.

First cruises are definitely have a learning curve. So, what did I learn? First, I needed to be more organized with my paperwork for the cruise, excursions, purchases, etc. My infamous cruise binder was born. Second, do my homework on cruise lines and see which line fits us best. While I loved the Zuiderdam, at 34 it was not the best fit for me (now at 46, I love Holland America and it’s a great fit…things change with age). Third, avoid school holidays. I had to relearn that one in 2017. Fourth, I am allergic to the patch, so Bonine is my friend. And finally, never book a cabin next to an exterior door. Remember the gaggle of teens at 3am?

So, even though my first cruise had quite a few hiccups, I was still hooked. Since 2006 we have been on 14 cruises, 4 cruise lines for a total of 116 days at sea. Obviously I love to cruise.

My travel blog will be up and running soon.