Cruise to Alaska

 

Trip Log

A Family of 7 Travels to Alaska

Alaska Day 1 August 17

Today we began our Alaskan journey. We took a shuttle to the cruise terminal in Seattle, and since we were embarking on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, it was docked at Pier 66. Princess and Holland America dock at Pier 30, which is pretty much in the middle of an industrial port, while Norwegian, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean dock at pier 66, which has a prime location right in the middle of the bustling waterfront area, just steps from Pikes Marketplace. We were assigned a door number to enter the terminal through - we were door #18 - and we had to line up outside our door along with hundreds of other people at each door, snaking along through rows of ropes. While I expected a wait (we arrived just at about 12 noon), I hadn't expected to be waiting outside, and it began to drizzle lightly while we were still waiting on line. Ugh! Once we were in the terminal, things were mostly organized well, and soon we were walking onto the ship. I must admit, the beautiful hull art on the sides of a NCL ship make the other ships look so blah by comparison, and the Norwegian Pearl certainly didn't disappoint! The interior of the ship is also beautifully - if eclectically - decorated. The designers seemed to have a thing for bright, jewel-Toned colors and velvet oversized seating in unique shapes, from abstract couches to bed-like sofas. We headed straight for the buffet, and I can't say enough about the quality and selection of the food. Lunch on the ship can mean anything from flame grilled burgers and onions to international delicacies from Asia or South America. There was also a full pasta bar, soup, salad, sandwiches, and ice cream -over 7 different flavors with just as many toppings. Cleanliness is a top priority on NCL - there are hand sanitizers in every elevator, and a crew member also sprays your hands when you board the ship or enter the eating areas.

Once our cabins were ready about 2pm, we headed over to find a lovely - yet tiny - cabin with teak-look furnishings and lots of chrome and mirrors - it looked very clean and modern. The only thing I would have wished for was a chair - our interior cabin had 2 desktop areas, but only a small, backless stool to sit on - not very comfortable! We changed into our bathing suits and headed up to the pool while it was still warm enough to enjoy. The pool area - like many of the public areas on the ship - is decorated in a very cool, modern tropical motif, with brightly colored steel palm trees towering over the pool. The pool had a nice water slide which emptied into a shallow landing pad, but the pool itself was over 5 feet deep throughout - a bit of a problem for my 4 year old, and even a problem for me to hold him, as the water was above my head as well. There was a small kids pool squirreled away on the side, but it was tiny, about 6 inches deep, and really only suitable for much younger children. The pool water was quite warm - you could see the steam rising from it, which is right up my alley! After a relaxing swim, we got out just in time to go down to our cabin and get ready for the lifeboat drill. After the drill, we headed up to the rock-climbing wall, and the kids - and I! - donned climbing shoes, helmets and harnesses and climbed up the rock wall. My daughter especially is a real climbing champ, but they didn't seem to believe that I could do it, too, so by the skin of my teeth - with A LOT of assistance from my spotter on the ground - I managed to ring the bell at the top and coast on down. Afterwards, we headed back inside and checked out the bowling lanes on board. There are 4 bowling lanes, and the staff member who checked us in arranged for 'gutter guards' to automatically pop up for the kid's turns - I wish that they also popped up for my turns!

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