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Two days and counting!  I spent the day buttoning up the yet to be approved restaurant. I’ve spent several weeks in the kitchen experimenting with our menu. Today I decided to try and use most of the product I have on hand before leaving. So pizza day it was!  Since we’re a small town I know most all of the other business owners. Pizzas were delivered to our local fire department, gas station, ice cream shop, cactus store, feed and novelty store and a tire shop.  The reviews have been good!  I like Sorrento’s but I do believe that Just a Small Town Grill’s pizza is better!
 

This was my favorite cake that Lusi made! My husband and Jay surprised me with a retirement party, and this took the cake pardon the pun!

Wasn't that a fun night??? And that moon on the ocean looked like a movie set backdrop!  Those guys are as nice and fun as they are talented!  Can't wait to see them again and catch up!
 

I was pretty nervous booking this trip several months ago with a date in the middle of September since that is peak hurricane season but I had to take advantage of the solo cruise fare when it was available.   It's not offered for every cruise.
Then Lee happened. 
The early Lee projections and timing didn't bode well.  Fortunately it looks like I'm clear to fly.  

Day 34
As stated, I checked everyone in and told them to fill out the rest of their info. They still have not done it. In just a couple of days I will be able to print luggage tags. I normally create a physical packet with the luggage tags, their set sail pass, hotel confirmations, in this case the train ticket confirmations, and anything else having a physical copy as backup would help. The first time we did a group cruise it was over Halloween, which is my favorite holiday. We had a pre-cruise dinner get together to discuss everything. I created little gift bags because none of them had sailed before and I wanted them to have cruise essentials. I also had ordered us matching t-shirts: one for WDW and one for the cruise. Nobody wore them during the vacation (they all love them now and wear them often) or used any of the cruise essentials. The second cruise on Odyssey I got everyone a lanyard or card clip and luggage tags. Again, nobody used them. Well, my brother used his, but he is sane and normal, so I don't count him when it comes to the rest of the group's tomfoolery 🤣😂. We also had a pre-cruise dinner, where they all begged me to book star class the next time......I am sure everyone knows how that turned out 😂😬. Since I was the one spending money and not feeling appreciated and this planning was the worst, I decided not to do any of that this time. The new vintage also wanted to know if we would be dressing together and for the theme nights. I told her no. My mother and my bffs mother can't follow an assignment to save their life. Some had the audacity to say when are you taking us to dinner to discuss the cruise? I had a good laugh.
When the train was solidified as the mode of transportation. I made plans. I am a little type A, so I always include the itinerary, a packing list, a suggestion list and general outline of what I am doing. I also want to say a big thanks to @USCG Teacher for helping ease my anxiety and answering my fears/questions. Everyone I have talked to about trains mentions the food.  I have been doing the Costco thing and buying nuts, chips, pretzels, granola/protein bars, and candy for both me and the crew in bulk. My original plan was to bring a deconstructed charcuterie/crudité board. That is still part of the plan but getting a meal on the train is off. Most of it is just microwaved frozen items. So, the actual plan is to get a hot meal at the station before boarding. I mentioned this to the vintages, and they all told me they are bringing nothing. They claim I told them not to bother with snacks because the train has food, I had them all pull up the email chain and text thread. Reading is fundamental.
With a full day of train riding, a pre-cruise night at a hotel, and another 24+ hour train ride back. Our vacation is 10 days. Most of the vintages are at 4/6 bags allotted. I will be taking the largest number of bags I have ever taken on any vacation, which will be 3 1/2. My brother and I will share a 29in checked bag. Then I will have my carry-on, a weekender filled with train essentials, and my cooler bag. I recently purchased a new weekender bag
Amazon.com | Travel Duffle Bag, BAGSMART 31L Quilted Weekender Overnight Bag for Women with Laptop Compartment, Large Carry On Airport Bag with Wet Pocket & Shoe Bag for Business Trips, Sports (Purple) | Travel Duffels
I already have a bento box and Igloo hot/cold lunch bag, but I purchased a cooler backpack specifically for this trip.
Amazon.com : Backpack Cooler Backpack 26 Cans Insulated Leak Proof for Women Men Beach Camping Picnic Fishing Hiking Lunch Backpack Waterproof Cooler : Sports & Outdoors
There are some things we cannot live without: coffee, tea, supplements, protein, and other dry/powder things that require a particular type of container. We found these storage containers at TJ MAXX/Family dollar that Amazon sells at $15+ for under $5. 
Amazon.com: SELEWARE Portable Stackable Food Storage Containers for Snacks Formula Powder and Drinks Twist Lock System Airtight Leak-proof BPA and Phthalate Free 4 Piece Jars 31oz Blue : Baby
I have been fielding a lot of calls and texts from vintages who are scrambling to get prepared before vacation. I actually was just asked what ports we were going to and the worst of all, when do we leave. 😱
 

I hope you will use small words.  I can't even decipher the cruise itinerary map.  😔
SOOO excited for you.  I would be like a kid in a candy store.  Have a GREAT trip.

The itinerary:

The Galapagos Islands are subject to a lot of tourism restrictions for all the right reasons.  This drives some of the approach to a cruise ship visit.  As a result part of the fare includes a two night stay on the mainland of Ecuador and the flights to and from mainland to the Galapagos Islands.   Basically you fly to Ecuador which becomes a staging area for the charter flight to the Galapagos islands and the return flight after the cruise.
Normally they use Quito, Ecuador to stage the arrival of guests before the cruise.  After the cruise guests return to Guayaquil, Ecuador for a port cruise staging area before flying home.  As luck would have it the airport in Quito is being closed certain days this year for maintenance.  Consequently my trip will use Guayaquil for both the pre and post cruise staging.  

This isn't going to be a typical cruise.  Much of this thread will be updated once I'm home.  
With typically two stops per day it's an active cruise where the focus isn't the ship with sea days to read a book and ponder life.  
While the ship may have an internet connection it's not something I plan to use like I would during a typical cruise.  
I may post an occasional update but I hope to be too busy doing other things to run this thread live a live trip report.

The Galapagos Islands have always fascinated me.  I'm not entirely sure why I'm drawn there but it has always been a bucket list destination I wasn't sure I'd ever get to.
Perhaps it was the remote location and overall difficulty getting that added to the attraction.  Maybe it's too many National Geographic type episodes on TV or the idea of so much wildlife to see and photograph.  Maybe it's knowing Darwin himself formed so much of his knowledge right there on the Galapagos Islands.   To walk in the footprints of Charles Darwin.  Can there be a better excuse than that?
Many decades ago I once took a marine ecology course during my high school years.  It was in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas.  Although life and my career went in another direction the exposure and knowledge acquired has stayed with me over the years.   Perhaps that opportunity so many years ago lit a small flame that has piqued my interest in a small island chain several hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador.  
This is a reboot cruise for me.  Originally booked in the fall of 2020 unfortunately the world had other plans.  As a solo cruiser SilverSea was attractive at the time since they offered a solo fare on their ship specifically built for the Galapagos Islands.  In the aftermath of the pandemic and immediate restart those Galapagos those solo fares disappeared, until I recently found one. 
YOLO!  Booked.

I agree.  A cousin decided to bypass the passport requirement on a recent cruise.  She was assured that "other" ID would be okay.  Guess what?  The ship left her behind.🤐

As someone who lives in NY I'm super grateful for the NJ port. It's easier to get to New Jersey than it is to Manhattan with luggage. I've left from both and always prefer Cape Liberty. 

I never understand people who like white chocolate. 

Ms Marva is our suite attendant. We had her on our b2b on Oasis.  She always leaves something special 


 

 I always enjoy a great artist at work 

Found this tiny blue guy this morning

Good morning! What a great night with calm seas. Not sure we ever left Galveston. The only waves to be seen are being made by Allure.

Sail away🥂🍾

It’s cruise day again. This will be our first cruise from Galveston. We didn’t want to fly this time so we arrived yesterday in Galveston after driving for two days. We are getting ready to leave the hotel soon. I’ll be back on the blog after boarding and get this blog rolling. I’m happy  happy happy 😃.Oh yes forgot to say it’s just hubby and I this cruise.

As someone who lives in NY I'm super grateful for the NJ port. It's easier to get to New Jersey than it is to Manhattan with luggage. I've left from both and always prefer Cape Liberty. 

We are heading out on our first Alaskan adventure in less than a week! I booked this cruise last June, two months before getting married/going on our honeymoon to Greece and somehow at the time, all I could think was “we’re going to Alaaaaska!” 🥳 The days have flown by and suddenly this once-mystical seeming month of September 2023 is upon us and we’re finally going to get to see some majestic Alaskan scenery before all the glaciers melt completely.
I am most excited to sit out on my balcony and see waterfalls streaming down mountains, and check things off my Alaskan wildlife checklist (which includes a bear, eagle, otter and whale)!
Itinerary
This 7-night sailing makes four port stops. We were originally slated to visit Skagway on Day 4 but got it swapped for ISP due to the (un)available dock space in Skagway after a landslide last year. I was so sad since I had White Pass Railroad tickets at an amazing price, I so wanted to ride it after seeing it on an episode of Mighty Trains on Smithsonian channel. Guess it means we’ll just have to make it back to Alaska again in the future! (PS. Where my Mighty Cruise Ships fans at??? Best show on TV)
Day 1 - Monday - Departs Seattle, WA
Day 2 - Tuesday - Cruising
Day 3 - Wednesday - Sitka, AK
Day 4 - Thursday - Icy Strait Point, Hoonah, AK
Day 5 - Friday - Dawes Glacier & Juneau, AK
Day 6 - Saturday - Cruising
Day 7 - Sunday - Victoria, BC 🇨🇦
Day 8 - Returns to Seattle
Who’s Going - my husband (Adrian) and I (Daryl)
Cabin
Back slumming it in an Ocean View Balcony on the 12th deck (12254). Alaska is wayyy pricier than the Caribbean so I couldn’t swing a JS this time as it has been consistently priced about $2k more than our balcony. I need that money for lavish excursions!!
Pre-Purchases
As usual, I had to stalk the DBP for awhile before purchasing, we finally got it at $62.99, the lowest price I have seen since the pandemic! I am guessing sales aren’t great on our sailing since others on September dates have reported $68 as the sale price.
We have two specialty dinners booked at Izumi and Wonderland on nights 2 and 4. I am still thinking about adding Jamie’s on night 6... should I give in? It just doesn’t seem worth $49 each. We ate there on Navigator but that was back when it was priced around $32 which seems more reasonable for the fare. I can’t wait to see what Wonderland is all about! I am sure it’s a one-and-done, but figured we have to try it out since it will be the first ship we’ve be on that has it as an option. If all else fails, at least we’ll finally get to taste The World as a consolation prize. 
We have a two-device Voom plan this time, we will see how speeds compare to sailing in the Caribbean. I am going to try my best to keep the live-ness up on this blog!  
Pre-Cruise
We are flying in a day early simply because it’s a Sunday and my husband and I will already have the day off. There were about 5 safe options that could’ve gotten us up the coast from San Diego on the morning of embarkation but since neither of us have been to Seattle, getting to see a new city was a bonus! We used A2S and got the tickets for $120 each on the day booking opened, now my Google flight tracker says the same exact flight costs $838 per person!!
We’re staying at the Holiday Inn Downtown because it’s close to the Space Needle and was one of few hotels available because of 2 large Seattle conferences that start Monday. I booked it last October so I have to assume people trying to find a hotel right now are scrambling. Everything I want to see seems walkable from this location!
While in Seattle we are planning on seeing Pike Place Market, walking the waterfront, riding the Wings Over Washington ride (one of my favorite DCA attractions is Soarin’) and visiting the aquarium. I have Space Needle tickets booked for embarkation morning at 10am, mostly since it should be a lot quieter than the alternative options on Sunday afternoon. This is also nice because I was planning on riding the North Star first thing on boarding to see the city but it’s still broken down and will be until Quantum’s next dry dock. 
 
 
Feel free to ask any Quantum/Alaska itinerary questions. Having sailed only Freedom, Oasis, Navigator and Brilliance we are so excited to try out this new (to us) class of ship! Of course these boards/RCblog have proved valuable in getting me up to speed on Quantum class so I would love to help out future cruisers any way I can. 
Been watching this countdown since it was in the mid-400’s!! Ahhhhh!

 

@ScottD, congratulations on your 2 year anniversary.  I know that is a very big accomplishment.  Awesome !

Ok, I'm gonna try this blog thing again. We sailed Oasis in January to PDCC\Cozumel\Roatan\Costa Maya, and I attempted to "live blog". I think I posted about 4 times and it was like two days later every time, which by then I forgot all of the details of my days, so it wasn't a very good report.  SO I will try this again. For one- we will have more than one Wi-Fi plan, so that will make it easier on me not having to fight the kid to use the log in, lol.   This will be the same trio as the last trip, Myself, wife (Lisa) and 11yo Son (Chase). Wife has a Deluxe beverage plan, I have a Refreshment package (I'll be celebrating almost 2 years sober on this trip) and the boy doesn't drink much other than water and some juice, so he's going ala carte. 
This will be our first cruise out of NJ, and really excited to NOT be flying in. We live in South Philadelphia, right near the famous cheesesteak places and the Italian market (you may know this from the famous Rocky running scene-before the run up the steps) We are still going back and forth about getting there, I'm 99% sure I'll just drive but we have weighed the option of the train-but at the end of the cruise, I'm just going to want to get in and go.  As for the cruise itself, we are doing the Port Canaveral\PDCC\Nassau run that seems to be the most common run from Port Liberty. Our last time on Oasis we had a boardwalk balcony and actually really enjoyed it, when I booked this one right after the previous one I picked another BW Balcony, but picked the very last one in the back- hoping for a nice view of the water and the aqua show (noise doesn't bother us). I then transferred the reservation to a TA, my first time using one.  She got in touch with us a few weeks later to inform me that OV Balconies were available and would be about $200 more total for the three us to upgrade, so we jumped on that, moving to Deck 14, port side Aft with an ocean view balcony- we appear to be directly below the mini golf, which I assume won't cause much noise from above.  This will be the first time any of us have had an ocean balcony, so that adds some excitement. Ok, I've laid the ground work and bored you enough, I'll update with excursions and other plans we have made as we get closer to sail time!  Oh- last time we didn't do much on the ship other than Aqua show and Ice show, so this time we will be doing a lot more of the other stuff like comedy shows, headliners, game shows and such...I may even do a little Karaoke!   Excited to bring you all along for our little journey. 

Also, the spreadsheet is just for me 🤣. It is easier to have plan when I board to give to the person making the reservations.

Day 41
The options for shows opened up at 42 days and so I booked all of our shows. Now I am curious as to whether or not the blind gent will want to go to the shows🤔. But I would rather err on the side of caution and book everyone.
We have:
Day 3: OceanAria 7:30pm
Day 5: Blue Plane 10pm
Day 5: Comedy 11:30pm
Day 7: Mammia Mia 2:15pm
Day 7: BLADES 7pm
I had made a spreadsheet of dining times. I have to reconfigure the venues and possible times now that I know what time the shows will be.
 

I want to point out that all the vintages are upset with my mother for inviting a strange man on our vacation. My mother is also upset because I told her once I get the blind gent on the ship, she will have to look out for him. 
Also @USCG Teacher I would appreciate all the insight. I have done European trains but never Amtrak for that long.