DDaley

After lunch we met at the base of the tram station for our Mendenhall kayaking tour through Shoreexcursioneer.com. This was definitely a highlight of our trip, despite it making my arms incredibly exhausted later and getting a hell of a blister on my thumb! 
From the base of Nugget Falls you could baaarely see the glacier so I am so glad we were able to get on the water and see it a lot closer. The glacier used to extend all the way to the Vistor’s Center!!! 







After our 5 mile kayak we were dropped back downtown for some shopping before getting back on the ship around 5:30pm. 



 

Blustery sea day today and the ship is a-rockin’! 
Hot, unsubstantiated gossip is that the stabilizers are out of commission which is what made both our sea days so crazy. 
Yesterday in Juneau was so amazing. Everywhere you looked there were tiny waterfalls running down mountainsides from the previous day’s 4 inches of rain. Since we got in 3 hours ahead of schedule, we were able to walk the city before meeting up for our tour. 












We stopped by the Red Dog Saloon and tried a Duck Fart shot (as found on the boards) which was pretty delicious. We also had “really expensive shit” drinks and some lunch, the brisket sandwich was our fave.

Laser tag in the Seaplex this morning! Husband beat everyone, I came in 11th hahah
This was a lot more fun than I thought! They were pumping in fog and the inflatable course was pretty intricate with lots of fun cut outs for sneak attacks. 

Sonic Odyssey last night was so cool! I’m so glad we snuck it in before dinner because it turned out to be our favorite of the three production shows we’ve seen on this cruise. Mega percussion, giant triple banger guitar, huuuge theatre-wide harp, what’s not to like? 


After the show we had about 40 minutes and snuck in another un-tried activity in the Seaplex. Line went pretty quickly and we only ended up 5 minutes late to Wonderland. 


Wonderland was interesting. Haha, I am glad we went but it was definitely a one-and-done visit. Stand outs were the dumpling soup, potted shrimp and the short rib main course. The smoked whiskey drink on their menu was my husband’s favorite ship-wide! 
I took exactly one picture while there - the baby veggies in the garden.

Still on our way to Victoria this morning. Check this classic balcony look! 

 
 
 

Sonic Odyssey last night was so cool! I’m so glad we snuck it in before dinner because it turned out to be our favorite of the three production shows we’ve seen on this cruise. Mega percussion, giant triple banger guitar, huuuge theatre-wide harp, what’s not to like? 


After the show we had about 40 minutes and snuck in another un-tried activity in the Seaplex. Line went pretty quickly and we only ended up 5 minutes late to Wonderland. 


Wonderland was interesting. Haha, I am glad we went but it was definitely a one-and-done visit. Stand outs were the dumpling soup, potted shrimp and the short rib main course. The smoked whiskey drink on their menu was my husband’s favorite ship-wide! 
I took exactly one picture while there - the baby veggies in the garden.

Still on our way to Victoria this morning. Check this classic balcony look! 

 
 
 

Sonic Odyssey last night was so cool! I’m so glad we snuck it in before dinner because it turned out to be our favorite of the three production shows we’ve seen on this cruise. Mega percussion, giant triple banger guitar, huuuge theatre-wide harp, what’s not to like? 


After the show we had about 40 minutes and snuck in another un-tried activity in the Seaplex. Line went pretty quickly and we only ended up 5 minutes late to Wonderland. 


Wonderland was interesting. Haha, I am glad we went but it was definitely a one-and-done visit. Stand outs were the dumpling soup, potted shrimp and the short rib main course. The smoked whiskey drink on their menu was my husband’s favorite ship-wide! 
I took exactly one picture while there - the baby veggies in the garden.

Still on our way to Victoria this morning. Check this classic balcony look! 

 
 
 

I stepped out onto our port forward balcony this morning after hearing the wind howling and saw right away what we were literally up against. Stepped inside to check the map position details and saw the same. 
 
Our 2 TA crossings in spring were never anything close this motion. Fortunately I never have had any issues with motion sickness. It’s always fun to watch folks walk around the ship when we’re rocking this much. 😄🤪

It’s finally calmed down a bit and we have partly sunny skies! 


Currently balcony hanging before Sonic Odyssey at 6:30. Then Wonderland! 

It’s finally calmed down a bit and we have partly sunny skies! 


Currently balcony hanging before Sonic Odyssey at 6:30. Then Wonderland! 

It’s finally calmed down a bit and we have partly sunny skies! 


Currently balcony hanging before Sonic Odyssey at 6:30. Then Wonderland! 

The Space Needle was so much more impressive than I was picturing! I basically knew it was a nice view from the top of the tower but I didn’t know how cool the space is. The top level observation deck has angled glass walls looking down at the city with an open air top and the lower level has a rotating base and a glass floor! The view from here was amazing and we spotted Quantum again up at Smith Cove at Pier 91! 


I spy Mt Rainier!


The first of many Christmas ornaments bought in each port! 

From there we walked back to the hotel to grab our bags and check out. The Uber to the pier took about 15 minutes and embarkation was a breeze. 




Currently writing to you from my THIRD wait in the Guest Services line today; first because we only had one card on the door on arrival, second because then my husband’s new card didn't actually charge anything, back again because now our TWO cards don’t work and we were charged our most recent drinks despite having two drink packages! Please hope this is our last venture here! SHIP is BEAAAUTIFUL otherwise! 




Found a mini duck!!!!


 

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!

 

It’s finally calmed down a bit and we have partly sunny skies! 


Currently balcony hanging before Sonic Odyssey at 6:30. Then Wonderland! 

It’s finally calmed down a bit and we have partly sunny skies! 


Currently balcony hanging before Sonic Odyssey at 6:30. Then Wonderland! 

Blustery sea day today and the ship is a-rockin’! 
Hot, unsubstantiated gossip is that the stabilizers are out of commission which is what made both our sea days so crazy. 
Yesterday in Juneau was so amazing. Everywhere you looked there were tiny waterfalls running down mountainsides from the previous day’s 4 inches of rain. Since we got in 3 hours ahead of schedule, we were able to walk the city before meeting up for our tour. 












We stopped by the Red Dog Saloon and tried a Duck Fart shot (as found on the boards) which was pretty delicious. We also had “really expensive shit” drinks and some lunch, the brisket sandwich was our fave.

It seems like a TON of rocking for such a huge ship! People stumbling into each other all over the WJ this morning. 

Loved Sitka!! As @deButler mentioned, getting off and to town was rough! Mostly because of my lack of shuttle tickets, but we made it finally around 12 after being fully ready to disembark at 9.
Sitka was so gorgeous! Mist sitting on all the tree tops, some snow still on the mountains. Critter tally jumped up to 3 eagles, 2 otters, 10 harbor seals and countless grey and humpback whales on our tour. We went deep into Sitka sound on a hunt for bears but I missed the rough outline of a mom and cubs some were able to spot. 
Driving into town from the cruise pier.










We were ablento walk the Totem trail in Sitka National Historic Park before our tour, seeing the lush natural rainforest was lovely. 



Looking back at the bridge from an earlier photo.

 

The salmon were jumping everywhere! 

Captain Gary was able to drop us back off at the dock where Quantum was parked, so we didn’t have to wait in the shuttle line to come back which was nice. I missed seeing the downtown, we will have to come back! That Russian church looks so picturesque. 😍
 

Lovely cruise into rainy Sitka!!! Made a GRIEVOUS travel error by not reading the digital compass yesterday and missing we needed shuttle tickets as if this were a tender port. uuuughhhh you’d think I would’ve known! Everything I read always just said take the free shuttle, not prepare a day ahead and get a ticket for said shuttle! Whoooops. #33, currently calling #14, 15… loong wait to go ashore is killing me! 
Pilot boat after he dumped his cargo:


Came in alongside HAL Eurodam.

It turned into a partly cloudy day a little later, not too bad at all! We were able to get in some time in the Solarium this afternoon and the pool was even bearable. 
We went to the Top Tier event this morning, it was especially cool because it was in the 270 and they showed us an awesome robot tv screen demo at the end that really showcases their spinning and fluid motion.



After that we headed to our 11:30am iFly reservation. It was so much fun! It was a lot more effort than I assumed but such an exhilarating feeling! We liked our teacher Harry a lot. We ended up buying a 3 pack of images for $49.99 which we can pick up tomorrow. It took till my second try to focus and think oh so thiiis is the feeling of free fall.. there is so much going on with the instructor signaling you and also trying to remember to hold your body a certain way.



We hit up bingo this afternoon. One woman won games 1 and 3! 



We were greeted by our first towel friend after the single morning cleaning. Our attendant Sandi is so friendly and has brought us ice consistently! 

Izumi tonight and then the Sequins and Feathers production show. 

Getting cold out here! Snagged this extra blanket from a cabinet above the bed. 

Blustery sea day today and the ship is a-rockin’! 
Hot, unsubstantiated gossip is that the stabilizers are out of commission which is what made both our sea days so crazy. 
Yesterday in Juneau was so amazing. Everywhere you looked there were tiny waterfalls running down mountainsides from the previous day’s 4 inches of rain. Since we got in 3 hours ahead of schedule, we were able to walk the city before meeting up for our tour. 












We stopped by the Red Dog Saloon and tried a Duck Fart shot (as found on the boards) which was pretty delicious. We also had “really expensive shit” drinks and some lunch, the brisket sandwich was our fave.

After lunch we met at the base of the tram station for our Mendenhall kayaking tour through Shoreexcursioneer.com. This was definitely a highlight of our trip, despite it making my arms incredibly exhausted later and getting a hell of a blister on my thumb! 
From the base of Nugget Falls you could baaarely see the glacier so I am so glad we were able to get on the water and see it a lot closer. The glacier used to extend all the way to the Vistor’s Center!!! 







After our 5 mile kayak we were dropped back downtown for some shopping before getting back on the ship around 5:30pm. 



 

This is great news! I am worried about trying Wonderland later with a queasy stomach, haha. 
Ohhh this definitely makes sense to me! Brilliance was rocky when we went last March but nothing like this.
Currently we are hanging in the cabin, we just tried to play some pool in the Music Hall to hilarious effect. 😂

I think it’s more that the wind is hitting us at 56 knots and causing pretty high seas. This is our 2nd week onboard and have heard no mention of stabilizer problems so hopefully not that. Captain expects seas to calm late afternoon. Fingers crossed because it’s pretty crazy. I also saw that Radiance was being held in Seward because of 30’ waves there. 

After lunch we met at the base of the tram station for our Mendenhall kayaking tour through Shoreexcursioneer.com. This was definitely a highlight of our trip, despite it making my arms incredibly exhausted later and getting a hell of a blister on my thumb! 
From the base of Nugget Falls you could baaarely see the glacier so I am so glad we were able to get on the water and see it a lot closer. The glacier used to extend all the way to the Vistor’s Center!!! 







After our 5 mile kayak we were dropped back downtown for some shopping before getting back on the ship around 5:30pm. 



 

Confirmed we turned back due to thick fog in Endicott Arm but we will be getting to Juneau 2.5 hours early which is a nice trade off. 
Every direction is so gorgeous! 
 






 

In other HOT news this morning, Solarium Bistro has REAL Huy Fong Sriracha! For a true fan this was shocking as they have been sold out everywhere for 6 months due to drought/lack of production.