Starr’s 2019 Alaska Cruise Experience

Our annual Alaska Cruise aboard Carnival Cruise Lines returned last week! Tour Director Gene Gray led 19 travelers across our great country and into our 49th state, but he didn’t take the bus this time…he flew! As many of you know, on each of our trips, the Starr Tour Director is responsible for providing a write up of everything that goes wrong, and right, while on the road. Gene goes above and beyond to make sure his passengers are well informed, and entertained, and even manages to keep those of us stuck in the office entertained with his Tour Director report, which never disappoints. Since this was Gene’s first trip to Alaska, his report gave such a vivid sense of being on the trip with him! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Overnight Tour Summary Report – Alaska Cruise
Date: August 20 – August 28, 2019

Day 1: Tuesday, August 20, 2019
We left the Starr Garage at 12:15 AM (yes, that’s in the middle of the night!) and drove to our first of four pick ups. The weather was very warm and humid with thick patchy fog in spots. The fog persisted as we proceeded from Northeast Philly to Mount Laurel, Hamilton, and finally Jamesburg. All nineteen tour guests were picked up without incident and we were running ahead of schedule as we began traveling up the New Jersey Turnpike towards Newark International Airport.

I kept my tour guests awake by welcoming and thanking them for being so prompt and efficient with their paperwork. I have leaned that being prompt is the key to success for all bus trips. Everyone had their Passport with them and their Starr Emergency Form filled out. Each guest had one piece of luggage to check under the airplane and one carry-on bag to bring onboard with them. I handed out and reviewed the Starr welcome letter, discussed the many details regarding our air travel this morning, and provided specifics on boarding the Carnival Legend later this afternoon. Just as I was wrapping up my overview (and before anyone closed their eyes), we arrived at Newark Airport at 4:00 AM.

Our bus driver, Gary, removed our luggage from the massive bays underneath the bus and lined up the bags neatly on the curb. We each took our large suitcase and carry-on items and entered Terminal A at the Alaska Airlines Desk. Many of our tour guests used the handy kiosks to get their boarding pass and checked luggage tag while others waited on a short line to be serviced by one of the two Alaska Airlines check-in employees. The entire process went very smoothly and soon we all had our boarding passes and saw our luggage placed on the conveyor belt. We were now all heading to Gate 32 to meet our plane. It was 4:30 AM.

Time for SECURITY!!! Off with the belts. Off with the shoes. Cell phones, iPads, and all electronics placed in a plastic bin and kept out in the open! Pockets emptied and items put in another plastic bin! All carry on bags placed on the conveyor belt. We were motioned to walk through the metal detectors. Most of us got through swimmingly. One guest had a larger bottle of lotion confiscated while another forgot to take out a metal bottle opener from his bag. Both guests, consequently, had their bags emptied and checked with a fine tooth comb. Of course, the guests had to surrender those aforementioned items, but luckily the items are easily replaceable.

All travelers had arrived at Gate 32 by 5:10 AM and boarding began promptly at 5:20 AM for the frequent flyers, parents with babies under 2 years, and those who pay extra for the privilege. We were Group C and ten minutes later, we were walking down the ramp and entering the Boeing 737-900 Aircraft.

We had no difficulty finding our seats and placing our carry-on luggage into the wide and spacious overhead compartments. After checking to make sure each Starr traveler was seated in their assigned seat, I sat down and relaxed. We were soon taxiing away from Terminal A towards the runway. We only had to wait a few minutes and away we went, soaring into the sky with a magnificent thrust from the engines. It was exactly 6:18 AM (just a few minutes after our scheduled time).

As we were taking off, I couldn’t help but think that it took the Starr Cross Country Bus 10 days (with many stops in between) to reach the west coast and today, three weeks later, I’d be reaching the west coast in Seattle in 5 hours 32 minutes of flying time. It’s amazing! Once we reached 10,000 feet in the air, we were allowed to take out our electronic devices and move about the cabin. The flight attendants served drinks and biscuits followed by a small variety of breakfast foods for purchase, and then more drinks. A few travelers fell into a deep sleep and missed all the food and drinks. I wonder if they still received their free biscuit…

Starr bus travelers and Tour Directors are used to stopping every two hours of travel to stretch, use the restroom, eat or purchase items. Close to six hours of sitting takes some getting used to. The plane ride was mostly very smooth. People got up often to stretch or use the restroom. Before long, we began our descent into Seattle Airport. We were on the ground at 8:48 AM and our phones reflected this new time that was 4 hours earlier than the east coast.

People holding signs saying “Carnival Cruises Transport” were waiting en masse at the Baggage Claim Area. Once we gathered our luggage, we checked in with the Carnival Transport staff who then took our checked luggage for transport to the Ship. We were then instructed where to walk and wait for the next bus. We waited 40 minutes before we were told to board the bus for the Seattle Pier to meet the Carnival Legend.

The ride to the pier was informative and humorous. Our bus driver drove us through the center of Seattle, past both the beautiful ballparks of the Seattle Mariners and Seattle Seahawks, and presented us with a great view of the Seattle Space Needle. He told a few jokes against the Boston Patriots and Tom Brady who defeated his local Seahawks in 2015’s Super Bowl XLIX. The 40 minute trip to the Seattle Pier flew by and we reached the ship at 11:40 AM.

We got off the bus and all of us simply walked onto the Carnival Legend. It was immediate because there were no lines. Lucky us! All we had to do was to show our Carnival Legend Boarding Pass and our passport. There were a few other checkpoints along the way where we only had to show our stamped Boarding Pass as we meandered onto the ship. We were all aboard by noon. Up to the 9th deck we went where a plethora of food awaited us.

Our cabins became available at 1:30 PM so we all had the opportunity to drop off our carry-on luggage. There was a mandatory Safety Drill at 3:45 PM where we were instructed how to put on our life jackets and where to go in case of an emergency. During the Drill, the Carnival Legend slowly slipped away from its Pier and we were officially on our way. At this time, most of our tour guests made the mistake of returning to their cabins and lying down. Some missed dinner after falling fast asleep.

This was a long and tiring day of travel. Everyone handled it extremely well and were so happy to be cruising to Alaska.

 

Day 2: Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The seas were choppy as we made our way northwest from Seattle, through the Puget Sound, past Vancouver Islands, and into the northern Pacific Ocean. A few travelers reported feeling discomfort and nausea. Soon, announcements were made by the Carnival Legend officials suggesting people use their sea-sickness strategies and drink Ginger Ale. The rough seas were expected to persist until mid afternoon. Later, the security staff told me it was the roughest day they had ever experienced on the ocean. It had to do with the wind and tides joining to smash into our ship directly at the side.

The Starr Hospitality Table was set up by 8:30 AM as promised. I contacted Carnival’s Group Coordinator, Anina, and we arranged to meet at 8:50 AM to discuss disembarkation for Tuesday, August 27. I know it was early but planning ahead is my modus operandi. Anina was marvelous and provided all the details: The plan is to gather on Deck 2 in the Alchemy Lounge at 8:00 AM. She told me of a new service the Carnival Legend created in partnership with the Airlines, named Port Valet. We each had to simply fill out a form with all the information for our returning flight and Carnival would provide us with our Boarding Pass and a sticky Luggage Tag for our checked piece of luggage. Carnival would charge the $30 luggage fee to our ship’s bill and pay the Airlines directly. Once we put our checked luggage outside our cabin door on Monday night prior to departure, we would not see it again until we landed at Newark Airport. Anina handed me forms for each of our travelers and I had to make sure they were turned in to Guest Services no later than Saturday at 10:00 AM.

Five of our nineteen Starr travelers showed up at the hospitality table between 9:00 and 11:30 AM. I left urgent messages in each cabin of the guests who did not visit me regarding the forms that needed to be filled out and instructions for disembarkation. I continued to contact everyone throughout the day and by day’s end, all guests were contacted. By tomorrow, all forms for our return flight home will be handed in to Guest Services.

The food on the ship is absolutely wonderful and the choices are endless. You can eat in five different places, each with its own advantages. You can choose a sit-down breakfast, a continental breakfast, a full buffet breakfast, or even a breakfast with Dr. Seuss by ordering “Green Eggs and Ham.” Of course, there’s always room service for the ultimate relaxation. Dinner was more formal tonight as people dressed up and had many pictures taken by the ship’s staff of professional photographers. The dinner menu featured prime rib and lobster tail and at 7:00 PM, everyone had the opportunity to meet the Captain and enjoy a wine toast.

By today, I have noticed each Starr traveler has created a routine of places to eat, attractions to attend, and fun activities in which to participate. Many took naps in the afternoon to make up for the lack of sleep the day before and from the toll on the body from the rough seas. Tonight’s show featured music from the sixties and those that attended enjoyed the performance. Today was a very good day to create routines and simply do as much or as little as one pleased.

 

Day 3: Thursday, August 22, 2019
ALASKA! THE FINAL FRONTIER! (Sounds like the opening of an episode of Star Trek.) Temperatures outside were in the forties as we cruised across the Alaskan border. Light rain was falling as low, thick clouds blended in with the beautiful rock formations creating a sense of eeriness and mystery. We immediately got the sense of Alaska’s uniqueness and how different it is from the rest of the United States.

As the day went on and we meandered into the breathtaking aqua blue waters and surrounding mountains of Tracy Arm Fjord, the winds picked up and the light rain felt like sleet pelting against your face. Wind chills must have been in the thirties as we floated by small, and then larger chunks of blue and white glacial ice that sat motionless in the cold water. The mountains on both sides of this glacial passageway were dotted with low hanging clouds. You could see greenery from large pine trees to small bushes precariously rooted into the mountainside. Trickling waterfalls fell from time to time from cracks in the rocks. The rugged weathering of the mountains refracted colors of gray and purple. The scene as a whole was extremely serene.

For the next two hours, many braved the cold, damp conditions to experience this magnificent natural wonder in full 360° panorama from the outside deck. Others hunkered down near windows inside. In either event, people were snapping picture after picture as the ship turned right and then left exposing even more majestic views. After thinking that nature could not get more beautiful, we all suddenly gasped as we got our first glimpse of the spectacular Sawyer Glacier directly in front of the ship.

Surrounded by 600 foot rounded and pointed mountains on both sides, this large chunk of ice stood 150 feet high as our ship came to a complete stop about 200 feet away. The colors were dazzling like diamonds even on this overcast day. The shades of blues, greens, and whites refracted and reflected in all directions. I overheard a guest describing the glacier as a giant piece of multicolored cotton candy. And just as we were staring at the Glacier in amazement, a large chunk of ice on the left side came roaring down with a reverberating splash into the cold, blue waters of Tracy Arm Fjord. Again we gasped in the realization that this work of nature is temporary and ever changing. No one will ever see this glacier the exact same way as we are seeing it now. And yes, the term global warming did come up in conversations from many people.

After spending about a half hour marveling at the Sawyer Glacier, the ship made a brilliant 180° turn and motored back out of the Tracy Arm Fjord. At this point, most people ventured inside to warm up and try to get some feeling back into their fingers and toes. The beauty of this area, like the Grand Canyon of Arizona, cannot be described in words. One must see this for themselves to appreciate the splendor of Tracy Arm Fjord.

By this time, evening activities were beginning on board. Another delicious dinner, followed by a musical show featuring music from the 70’s and 80’s, comedy club comedians, or a piano man were among the many choices for tonight. One can never get bored on a Carnival Cruise. Your involvement simply depends on your stamina.

 

Day 4: Friday, August 23, 2019

We arrived in Skagway, Alaska as most people began waking up. We have been on the Carnival Legend since it left Seattle three days ago, so we were eager to get off the ship and explore unknown terrain. The weather was cloudy with 55° temperatures and a 30% chance of rain. However, after some morning drizzle, the weather cooperated with us for the remainder of the day and the visibility was perfect for sightseeing high in the mountains.

The town of Skagway, with a population of less than 1,000 people in the winter months, is 22 blocks long and 5 blocks wide. It is nestled in a valley surrounded by majestic mountains on all sides. Skagway is proud of the role it played throughout the Klondike Gold Rush Era of 1898. Skagway was the starting point for gold seekers in search of gold in the Yukon. The White Pass Railroad was built to take miners from Skagway up the mountains some 40 miles to Lake Bennett. From Lake Bennett, miners had to paddle in icy waters and hike through severe cold weather to reach pay dirt some 500 miles further away. And if they reached the gold region, less than 1% were fortunate enough to strike it rich.

Today, Skagway is a charming little town that caters to tourists. It is a short walk from the Pier where our ship docked. Tee shirts, sweatshirts, and souvenirs of all kinds are sold in many stores at extremely reasonable prices (I’d even say very inexpensive). The buildings have a fresh, restored look and are facsimiles of the buildings from the Gold Rush era. The National Park Service runs the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Skagway and has a Visitors Center with a wonderful museum highlighting the Gold Rush years. Train and bus excursions bring tourists through the most scenic parts of the area along the beautiful White Pass that was once the first leg of the journey for Gold Seekers.

Those that took the White Pass Railroad twenty miles up the meandering trail to the summit some 3,000 feet in elevation were treated to views unparalleled by any train excursion in America. In one inspirational view in particular, one could see all the way to the Pacific Ocean with colorful mountains on two sides and brilliant colors from many different forms of vegetation from trees, shrubs, and flowering plants down the middle. We saw the remains of the narrow trail the early Gold Seekers were forced to climb prior to the railroad being built. The train rode over historic man-made trestles and through tunnels so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. At the summit, we actually passed the Canadian Border into British Columbia before the turnaround that began our descent back to Skagway. The scenery was breathtaking throughout and the train guide did a wonderful job explaining the history and many nuances of the White Pass.

The day went by quickly as we all took in the magnificence of Skagway, Alaska. Some of us shopped and explored the town on foot while others paid for an excursion that allowed us to explore deeper into this beautiful region of our country. Everyone enjoyed their day in Skagway.

Entertainment on the ship this evening was on the calmer side. You did have one lounge pumping out dance music but the main show featured a hypnotist that put volunteers from the audience into a trance and forced them to do certain behaviors on stage. It was fascinating. Most of us were tired from a long day of fresh air and beautiful sightseeing and retired for the night earlier than usual. We are now looking ahead to tomorrow in Juneau.

 

Day 5: Saturday, August 24, 2019

We awoke in the capital city of Alaska. Juneau was chosen as the capital of Alaska in 1906, some 53 years prior to statehood. A man whose last name was Juneau struck it rich in gold and wanted his town to be named after him. Others disagreed so a vote was taken to name the town. The night before the vote was to take place, Mr. Juneau treated over half the town to free drinks. The next day, his name won and Juneau became the capital.

Juneau is the largest capital city in the United States in terms of area. It has an average yearly population of 32,000 people. Juneau annually receives rain 85% of the year or 310 days. However, people were very concerned this summer when it failed to rain for 90 consecutive days! Juneau is so spread out but most shoppers getting off the cruise ships shop near the docks. Three long blocks are filled with souvenirs, clothing, drinks, food, and all essential items a traveler might be searching for.

Today the temperatures were in the mid fifties and the weather was cloudy with periods of heavy rain. But that didn’t stop us from leaving the ship to explore Juneau or catch a bus for an exciting excursion. Many in our group chose a whale watching expedition and saw many whales in the cold waters off of Juneau. Some chose to simply walk around the town and explore downtown Juneau. The Capitol Building of Alaska is a five or six story square building with an American Flag on top. I was looking for the golden dome that usually adorns a state capitol, but not here. In a ranking of the prettiest state capital buildings in America, Juneau was ranked 50th. If the building wasn’t pointed out to me as the capitol, I never would have guessed it.

Many guests went on an excursion to the Mendenhall Glacier, Salmon Fish Hatchery, and Rainforest Gardens. When the bus arrived at the Mendenhall Glacier, the rain and fog encompassed the scene, but luckily, the weather began to improve about a half hour later. We were able to see magnificent views of the Mendenhall Glacier along with the powerful Nugget Waterfalls off to its right. Mendenhall Lake, a cold water area in front of the glacier, did not exist in 1930 as the glacier extended the length of the lake. In fact, more than a half mile of the glacier has melted into the Lake since 1990. Despite the loss of much ice, Mendenhall Glacier is still the fifth largest glacier in the Western Hemisphere at 90 miles long, 45 miles wide, and 4800 feet thick in some spots. Of course, only a small piece of the glacier could be seen from our vantage point.

For me, personally, I got off the bus here at the Mendenhall Glacier amidst pouring rain and mistakenly started walking in the wrong direction away from the glacier. Suddenly I heard a Park Official holler “STOP!” As I froze in place, I turned around and saw an average-sized Black Bear (whose fur was a beautiful brown color) calmly walking across the street next to me and up into the hills. Security appeared from all around and stopped every person and vehicle from proceeding while the Bear plodded along and reached its destination. I did manage to take a few pictures of the Bear. It was really a cool experience!

The Macaulay Salmon Hatchery was our next stop. We stepped off the bus and onto a ramp. Upon looking down, we saw long tubulars open from the top and filled with hundreds of huge 5 year old Coho and King Salmon preparing to spawn. These salmon already lived their lives in the ocean and their elocution sensors bring them back to the place they were born to spawn. Once they spawn, they die. In fact, at the hatchery, the salmon’s sperm and eggs are removed and fertilized by professional breeders. The fertilized eggs are incubated until the salmon are born. One incubation tray holds 200,000 eggs and the Hatchery produces 650 trays each year. Once born, the salmon stay at the Hatchery to grow for about a year before being set free into the waters where only 10% will survive to adulthood. The salmon that have been spawned die and are sold to processing plants and made into cat or dog food and salmon powder. Humans only eat the salmon caught at sea years before spawning age. At spawning age, salmon use all their energy to carry out their final deed and their meat lose their taste and nutritional value for man. They are unsafe for human consumption. We all certainly learned a lot during our visit here.

The final stop of our tour was the Glacier Gardens Rainforest. Mr. Thomas, at age 20, gave up a possible career in deep sea fishing and began arranging flowers and gardens. He is now 60 years old. His masterpieces are large tree trunks inverted and buried deep into the soil so that its roots are exposed at the top. He plants beautiful flower arrangements within the root system of each stump. They are spectacular to see. Mr. Thomas does all the arrangements himself each spring and keeps up with 50 inverted trees on his property. He does allow his employees to take down the flower arrangements each October. They store the good flowers in his greenhouse for the cold winter and send the rotted vegetation to compost.

Since Mr. Thomas’s property lies within the Tongass National Rainforest, he received permission to buy additional lands above his property that leads to a beautiful view of Juneau at 580 feet. He constructed a boardwalk from which people could enjoy this view. To get to this view, Mr. Thomas built a series of roadways that meander through the rainforest. Guided tram rides take tourists up to the 580 foot viewpoint as the guide provides information on the rainforest such as its many plants, the variety of trees, and the 150 mph winds that have blown through this area and have broken trees in half. The Tongass National Rainforest is the largest temperate rainforest in the world and second only to the Tropical Amazon Rainforest in size.

We left Juneau at 2:00 PM. The lunch choices onboard the Carnival Legend are so plentiful each day; pizza, burgers, tacos, deli sandwiches, salad bar, Italian Faire, Chinese Faire, and incredible desserts. These fast food, all-you-can-eat eating establishments are all located on the 9th deck. There are other restaurants that you can sit down and be served as well. Only the pizza station and ice cream self serve machines are open 24 hours.

Entertainment tonight consisted of a magnificent show featuring music from the British Invasion of the sixties (the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, etc.) as well as comedy shows, a DJ, and a Piano Man. It was another wonderful day.

 

Day 6: Sunday, August 25, 2019

We awoke to a clear and sunny morning in Ketchikan. Ketchikan, like Skagway and Juneau, sits in the Tongass Rainforest, so it is likely to rain sometime today. Tour guides continue to emphasize the need for rain, snow, and freezing temperatures to maintain the ecosystem as is. They fear that drastic changes will begin killing off wildlife at some point.

Many guests booked excursions into the countryside of Ketchikan. They saw salmon jumping out of the waters and stopped at historic lighthouses. Others visited totem poles and learned details of their construction and symbolism to the Native American Tribes. What appears to be the biggest attractions in Ketchikan (the most advertised by ship personnel) are the logging shows, eating crab legs, and sampling different varieties of salmon. As soon as you walk off of the Carnival Legend, you are in the midst of the shopping and attractions district, obviously built for the tourists. In fact, the stores will be closing down for the winter in September, as soon as the cruise ships stop coming in. The town is very colorful and vibrant in appearance and is visually welcoming to the visitors.

Many of our travelers booked the logging show in advance while others simply went up to the ticket window and bought a ticket on the spot. People sat on risers in a semi circle in front of an open-air “stage” already set up for five logging events. The audience is divided in half down the middle and encouraged to root for their team while booing the other. Four strong young men compete against each other in such events as chopping thick logs in half using a hatchet, cutting off a slice of a log using a two-person saw, and balancing on a rolling log in the water while trying to knock the opponent off. The show was fun and entertaining to watch and was enjoyed by everyone.

Being the tail end of the tourist season for Alaska, most of the shops offered deep discounts on their merchandise to entice the shopper and move their inventory. Many guests returned to the ship carrying large shopping bags (which were given away free) filled with souvenirs and gifts. This scene was repeated in each of our port-of-calls. The trick will be packing everything in an already tight suitcase for our plane trip home.

Tonight was a special dinner that I set up in the Nouveau Steakhouse on Deck 10 of the Carnival Legend. This restaurant was a la carte, meaning it would cost extra to dine here. I was joined by four Starr guests and the five of us had a wonderful time together. Conversations flowed very smoothly and the food was delicious. We chose from steak, lobster, shrimp, and other delectable menu items. The presentation of each course was worthy of a picture. Our server took a very nice picture of the five of us dressed up in our finest clothing when our main course arrived. We all enjoyed our dinner and camaraderie.

The entertainment for tonight was plentiful as always. The main show was titled “Epoch Rock” and featured songs from eighties rock bands such as Bon Jovi, Led Zeppelin, and Queen. Each song was powerfully presented through brilliant choreography. A new comedian was featured in the Comedy Club. The DJ and Piano Man played into the wee hours. At 2:00 AM, we changed our clocks ahead one hour to match Seattle time. We had officially left Alaska behind.

 

Day 7: Monday, August 26, 2019

The rising sun was shining brightly on the Pacific Ocean as we continued our journey south towards Victoria, Canada. Today was a full day at sea with a scheduled arrival time in Victoria at 7:00 PM. The seas were calm and the warm 65° temperatures felt delightful. Many guests used the morning hours to catch up on some sleep. Today was a day for rest and relaxation, good ole R&R!

I set up the Starr Hospitality Desk a little before 9:00 AM. Anina, Carnival’s Group Coordinator, met me at 10:00 AM to review any final details and to find out how we all enjoyed the cruise. Ten Starr travelers stopped by to talk about their fabulous experiences in Alaska and review details of disembarkation for tomorrow. I also had many pleasant conversations with other Carnival guests as well as Carnival Staff. The two hours seemed to go by very quickly.

Every Starr guests has had a magnificent cruise and an extremely positive experience. Many enthusiastically complimented the great food and variety of activities onboard the Carnival Legend. They spoke highly about each of their excursions and enjoyed comparing notes with one another. Many positive comments were made about the friendly staff onboard who went out of their way to make things perfect for each guest.

By 2:00 PM, all but two Starr travelers had received their Boarding Pass for our flight tomorrow and Luggage Tag for their checked suitcase. This was the Port Valet Program that we all signed up for last week. I accompanied the two to Guest Services later in the evening where they both eventually received their paperwork after glitches were worked out.

Dinner began fifteen minutes earlier tonight to accommodate our arrival and eventual disembarkation in Victoria, British Columbia at 7:30 PM. After the Ship was cleared by Canadian officials, we disembarked at 7:50 PM. Two guests selected a horse drawn carriage tour of Victoria. Some did a tour of the beautiful Butchart Gardens. Others took public transportation via taxi or bus into Downtown Victoria. Downtown was alive with people playing bagpipes, jugglers doing all sorts of tricks, and loud music blasting out of nightclubs. The shops were all open catering to tourists. Three guests even tried, but failed, to get out of a haunted house attraction alive! Some people ventured to walk into town, but that wasn’t possible. The closest place to walk was Fisherman’s Wharf some twenty minutes away. Downtown was at least a 35 minute walk. Fortunately for walkers, a small souvenir shop existed at the Ship’s Dock and they were able to make purchases. Nothing in Victoria was close to the ship docks. One needed to purchase transportation for all tourist stops.

We all returned to the ship by 10:00 PM, put our luggage outside our door for pickup in the morning, and went to sleep. Tomorrow is a full day of travel.

 

Day 8: Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Homeward Bound!

We were all up to the 9th deck for breakfast before 7:00 AM and met each other in the Alchemy Lounge on Deck 2 with all of our carry-ons in hand at 8:00 AM. We were now waiting for our Letter C to be called so that we could disembark. I took the opportunity to review procedures and encourage everyone to stay together as we leave the ship. I handed out the Starr surveys for them to fill out at their leisure throughout the day. Most guests filled it out immediately upon receipt.

It was 8:30 AM when Letter C was called. We gathered our belongings and headed to Deck 3 where security scanned our Sail Pass. We were now officially off the Carnival Legend.

Being that we had no luggage to pick up, we walked straight to United States Customs with our Passports in hand. The Customs Officer simply asked us a question related to our Passport, asked if we enjoyed our cruise, and sent us through. Now outside the terminal, we continued walking straight ahead to the Airport Shuttle Buses where an efficient lady checked off each of our names. We all boarded the bus to Seattle Airport together. We arrived at 10:00 AM. I can’t believe how easy and fast it was to leave the ship, find our shuttle, and reach the airport.

Our flight was scheduled for departure at 3:40 PM. Despite the crowds, it only took us thirty minutes to pass through Airport Security. We arrived at Gate C before 11:00 AM, found seats, and began to relax. The four hours were filled with lunch, shopping, good conversation, and periodic walks around the airport. We took a group photo by a wall painting of an airplane taking off. I airdropped and emailed this picture to everyone. We all began sharing other special pictures and memories from the trip with each other. It was actually a pleasant change of pace to be able to sit and relax for a spell. We were so used to activity after activity through excursions and onboard the Carnival Legend for 7 days.

At 3:15 PM, we boarded Alaska Airlines Flight 14 to Newark International Airport. We put our carry-on luggage in the huge overhead bins and took our seats. Soon, the aircraft backed away from the terminal and taxied to the runway. At 4:00 PM, we were in the air. The pilot announced that our flying time to Newark would be a speedy 4 hours and 45 minutes.

Heading east, the skies turned completely dark before 7:00 PM (we were still on Seattle time). We were served our choice of beverages and the ever popular biscuit. Our travelers stood up often to keep the blood flowing in their legs. The time flew by (pun intended) and the flight was extremely smooth.

We landed in Newark at 11:25 PM and our phones adjusted to the 4-hour time difference. We stayed together as a group once off the plane. I contacted our driver Walt Deminski, and settled on a meeting spot outside. Our luggage was already on the conveyor belt when we approached Baggage Claim. With luggage in tow, we went up the escalator to departures and met Walt outside the Alaska Airlines departures door. Walt quickly loaded everyone’s luggage and we were driving away at 12:15 AM. Everyone was dropped off without incident.

From start to finish, the trip went as smoothly as possible. Each port of call was unique, with its own history and attractions. The variety of activities offered on board the Carnival Legend and the variety of excursions offered in each port of call made this a most fascinating cruise. From blue chunks of ice floating in the Tracy Arm Fjord, gold mining related train ride in Skagway, glaciers in Juneau, to totem poles and logging in Ketchikan, this cruise had something for everyone. Alaska is unique. Alaska is picturesque. Life is definitely different in our 49th state. There is so much more to see and explore. We only experienced “the tip of the iceberg.”

 

Until next time, Alaska…

Gene Gray
Tour Director

 

P.S. For more pictures from this tour, check out Starr’s Facebook page!