Encore to Alaska
By Shannon Brown
"BUY THE MAGNETS!"
Buy the magnets! We bought the 100 lb magnets and used them for so many things. Holding an extension cord off the floor for our cpap machines, hanging dailies on the wall, hanging up hats and damp sweatshirts. They worked amazingly! Also, if you use a cpap, they will provide a gallon of distilled water. Just tell your NCL advisor or your room steward.
Amazon Magnets
Print the luggage tags and buy the holders. We were sent the sticker tags in the mail but they are very flimsy so we used both just in case. I’m sure the stickers would have been fine but this will give you peace of mind.
Luggage Tag Holders
We selected 12-12:30 check in time. For those driving to Seattle from Portland, that gave us enough time to drive up, stop at Target for the few items we forgot (and remembered on the drive), park at cruise parking, take the shuttle to the port, check bags and get in line.
We headed to the Garden Cafe (buffet) for lunch and our rooms were ready by 1:30.
I used this lanyard instead of a purse. It held my room key, ID, phone (secured so it can’t fall overboard), & reading glasses. I loved it!!
Lanyard
General: I run warm, so the ship was very warm to me. I wore shorts most of the trip. The only day I bundled up was Glacier Bay. It got down to about 39 degrees on deck.
Because I run warm, we always sleep with a fan. It doubles as white noise too! I bought this one and it fit in a carryon size luggage. BEST thing I bought for the trip, hands down. It has six speeds and oscillates!
Fan
Try the Thermal Spa before you buy a week pass. It was fantastic but we could only used it 3-4 of the days so daily pass might work better for you.
If you want to stay connected, the premium streaming package is really the only way to go. My dad did the free WiFi and it was spotty compared to the rest of us that bought the streaming. Also, the TVs in your room do not support wireless streaming devices but they do show four free movies (action, comedy, drama, family) at any given time.
We had two iPhones and two androids. We used iMessages and FB messenger to communicate on the ship. I could text my kids the whole time with no roaming.
Bring an empty water bottle and fill it at the buffet, observation lounge, gym, thermal spa. No need to buy water. I took my meds with tap water and it tasted fine.
There are VR roller coasters in the arcade on deck 5. There is a library and board game room! I didn’t find these until the last day 😕
Juneau: Call an Uber or Lyft. About $8 (for 4 of us), to get to town and enjoy before everyone on the shuttle or walking. And you’re getting a local that can recommend places to go (including a dispensary if you’re into that)!
Evening whale quest was fantastic. Buffet dinner included. No host bar. Lots of whale sightings.
Skagway: Rented an EV from Klondike Electric Bicyles. Check them out on YouTube!! Car included tickets to Yukon Suspension bridge, boxed charcuterie boards and water for the road. They also gave us a route to download and tips on where to stop. We got our passports stamped at one of the First Nations, as well as the suspension bridge. We also stopped at a sled dog camp and got to play with husky puppies!
Glacier Bay: The windows in the buffet and observation lounge cause quite a glare. So we posted up on deck 8, in a covered lounge area, on a couch with blankets and had a perfect view.
They open the bow at 6:30 a.m. so we were up bright and early to get in line. We didn’t realize we weren’t arriving to any glaciers until 9:00 and could have slept in! 😂 it was a fun experience to walk on the bow, but beware. Glaciers are from about 9-12, so don’t sleep in too much and miss them!
Ketchikan: Don’t let the reviews get you down! Be creative!! We could not get an Uber or Lyft to save us this time. So we exited the warehouse, past the shuttle lines (insane) and went straight to the yellow taxi stand. We called ahead of time and one was waiting for us. But they have 16 cabs running back and forth to town all day. Cabs are CASH ONLY. There is also a FREE Walmart shuttle next to the taxi stand. Not sure how long this will last as Walmart is new to town, but it’s right in town so don’t worry, just go for it! We asked our (taxi) driver to come pick us back up at 11:45 and he did! Gave us enough time to get back to Ward Cove and shop for souvenirs before boarding (12:45 all aboard). There is also a food truck with King Crab legs, right off the boat if you don’t have time to eat in town.
Victoria: Walked off the ship with no plans and there was a line of pedicabs and rickshaws waiting to earn your business. We had a fantastic tour around town, picked up burritos at Tacofino for the ride and had at least three hours to shop and sightsee.
Feel free to email me with questions!
