Hi all! Today, we're one week out from our cruise, so I figured I'd get this thing kicked off!
This will be the first Alaskan cruise for everyone in our group, so we're all really looking forward to it! It's the last official Alaskan trip for the Ovation this season before she moves on to visit Hawaii and then on to Australia. (I'm waaaay jealous of those folks doing a b2b2b - what an incredible experience that has to be!)
Itinerary:
Who's going:
We're a group of 6 this time - Myself (Phill), my Wife Kelly, SIL Cyndi, BIL George, and our friends Polly and Sheri.
Pre-Cruise:
Each couple are on different flights into Seattle the day before - We're flying in from Philly, and the rest are flying in from Newark. Our flight leaves at 6 AM, and we'll arrive around 10 AM Seattle time. I'm not one to sleep on an airplane, but hopefully I can catch a few winks. My wife and I along with the In-laws are booked at the Moore hotel in downtown Seattle. This hotel offers a room with two bedrooms with a bathroom in between - those logistics should be fun, but the price was right and it's only one night, so we booked it! The Moore is just a short walk away from Pike Place Market, so we plan on touring around that area. I donate plenty of money to Starbucks, so I'll be excited to visit the original. Polly and Sheri have booked the Edgewater hotel which isn't too far away either, and right on the water...the pictures of that hotel look amazing!
Cabin:
Each couple has booked a balcony cabin close together on Deck 13 forward.
Pre-cruise purchases:
Everyone booked The Key as well as the 3 night dining package. I'm team DX for life since I easily break even and way beyond (even on port days :P) - myself, George, Polly and Sheri have the DX, My wife and Cyndi have the Refreshment package since they will not drink enough to make the DX package make financial sense. Any alcohol on their part will be a-la-carte.
Excursions:
In Juneau, we are doing the Mendenhall Glacier tour and Salmon Bake (Purchased through the cruise planner)
Skagway, we've booked the White Pass Scenic Railway (also through cruise planner)
No real plans for the rest of the ports, we'll either stay on the ship or stroll around the port area.
Post Cruise:
Cyndi and George have a wedding to attend, so they'll be headed to the airport after debarkation. Since this cruise ends in Vancouver, and we've never been, my wife and I along with Polly and Sheri have decided to extend our stay by one night. We've booked the River Rock Casino in Richmond, BC which is a little south of the cruise port. We'll fly back out to Philly early the next morning.
I look forward to documenting our adventure - let me know if anyone has any questions or if there's anything in particular you'd like to see, and thanks for reading!
