Travel plan idea blog: NCL Alaska cruise experience continued

July 11, 2008

NCL Alaska cruise experience continued

I think this is day 5 of the cruise. It's Thursday and I haven't blogged since Monday so let's see what I can remember and what I have time to tell you.

Last time I blogged I was under time pressure because I had a 'VIP' drinks with the captain party. That turned out to be a very interesting conversation with the chief engineer. It takes 4 years of study (marine engineering) and 15 years of experience to get your license, but it seems like a pretty good job - 10 weeks on and then 10 weeks off. That's some serious vacation time.

Anyway today there is some time pressure because we were invited to have dinner with the captain. My wife thinks I should shave first and since I'll probably be underdressed I guess I will.

I'm writing this in my room, but annoyingly I'll have to carry my laptop somewhere else to connect to the internet and publish this on my blog. No wifi in my room and the room certainly wasn't cheap...

So let's test my memory:

Monday night:

After drinks with he captain and staff, we went to Lotus Garden, an Asian restaurant. This was one of the cover charge ones so it cost us $15 each plus tip. No one seems to tip in the free restaurants but in the others they swipe your card and ask you to sign the bill where there's a place for you to write down the tip. Lotus Garden was good.

Tuesday:

We went to breakfast around 9:00 AM. It was crazy crowded and it took us a long time time to find a table. When we finally sat down my eggs were real cold and though I hate wasting food I didn't eat them. Of course I could just go get more but still.

Lunch was at Indigo. The food there was good but mostly I remember the chilled blueberry soup. I went back to Indigo today hoping to find more but it was closed.

Dinner was at Teppenyaki, another restaurant with a cover. Here you pay $25 each but I would say you're better off in the buffet for free. They cook the food in front of you and put on a little show. It was loud and fun but not as good as you would get in a fancy restaurant ashore. Plus my filet mignon was the worst I've ever had. I don't think the problem was preperation - just meat that wasn't real tender. I actually canceled my reservations at the steak restaurant because I have no desire to eat more steak here.

In between meals we did a shore excursion in Juneau - the Mendenhall river glacier float. It started off with nice views of the Mendenhall glacier but then it took us downriver, away from the glacier. So for the first 30 minutes it was nice. The other 90 minutes was uncomfortable and while the scenery was peaceful it wasn't what we came to Alaska for - houses on the river, rusted cars on the bank that the government decided would help stop land erosion a few decades ago, a beaver dam.
It was mostly calm but there was one spot where they had class 2 and 3 rapids. So we got wet.

We talked to some people over dinner who did a helicopter tour and hike. They were much happier with their choice than we were with our choice. My wife was actually pretty mad at me until Wednesday's shore excursion which was much better.

Wednesday:

We woke up at 5:00 AM or something today. Breakfast wasn't crowded but in the early morning all they have is fruit and bread and stuff. Officially the real breakfast begins at 7:30 but we got our eggs and stuff before 7:00.

Then we met outside at 7:40 for our Skagway excursion, White Pass Railroad and gold dredge. This was great, particularly the railroad.