By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall
Questions Answered about our Alaska cruise
It’s safe to say that booking a “warm weather” cruise virtually guarantees that you’ll get more of a “traditional” cruise experience with pools, sunny decks and weather warm enough to lounge and relax without worrying about packing for a trip to a destination more renowned for snow and ice than sun and sand.
Cruise ship living – was it ruined by sea sickness?
We knew all of these things, so we went to Alaska prepared to “enjoy” a little cool weather to serve as a break from hot and muggy back home. What we didn’t plan for was rough seas and a cruise ship that the cruise director described as “drunk”. Virtually the whole first sea day was plagued by wind and rough seas, which didn’t make us sick (didn’t even need over-the-counter medication) but precluded using our stateroom’s terrific balcony.
It was just too windy out there to stay for long, even with warm clothes to cushion the temperature shock. You could hear the wind whistling outside the room, too, which wasn’t a major inconvenience – just a reminder that we’d have to focus on indoor activities.
We had figured we’d just endure the cold, but once there… the wind was just too much. There wasn’t anything the cruise line could do about it. The captain warned us that the weather would include up to 40 knot winds on the way to Sitka, and apologized for the inconvenience of being forced to live on a “drunk” ship.
Sea sickness wasn’t a problem for any of us. Our room was midship, so the rocking and swaying was comparatively less than at either forward or aft. And we could venture down the hallways without being slammed into the walls, etc. We just looked like our equilibrium was off, which it was.
Things that were mid on our Alaska Cruise
You know it’s a good thing when, after you return from a vacation, you have to strain to think of things that weren’t good, or, were merely “mid”. Hard as it is to believe, there were a few aspects of the Anthem of the Seas cruise ship — and in Alaska — that didn’t wow us. Not many. But a few.
As previously stated, the Seattle/Tacoma airport wasn’t up to par. It didn’t even rate “mid”. It was terrible. Not sure what else there is to say.
Onboard Anthem of the Seas, there were individual items that didn’t meet our fancy. In no particular order:
New York Strip steak – As one of the everyday “classic” entrees offered in the restaurants, I’ve ordered the New York Strip steak enough times to know that there 
isn’t anything special about it. Perhaps because it must be compared to the Filet Mignon and Prime Rib entrees… or maybe it’s because the New York Strip itself is just “mid”… fatty, tough, pretty basic.
Would I order it again? Probably. The more exotic choices aren’t appealing to this meat n’ potatoes type guy. And I prepare a lot of chicken at home. Why duplicate it on a cruise ship?
Chicken at CHOPS was mid. I didn’t order it at CHOPS, but a member of our party did. I once ordered a burger at IHOP, and my brother said, “You don’t order a burger at a breakfast place and expect it to be that good.” Well, you shouldn’t order chicken at a steak specialty place and expect to be awed by its distinctiveness.
The pay-for-it Gally Tour – On one of our “at sea” days, we signed up for a Gally Tour. We arrived at the appointed time in the main dining room to find about 70-80 fellow passengers seated around tables filling out forms. A few minutes later, we were beckoned to “follow me” by a crew member. The people at our particular table became our tour mates.
We were led into the gally, not really knowing what was ahead. An officer (because of the uniform) started describing the operation. I wasn’t quite sure the “tour” had started yet. We were told we could take photos, but not video. It was so loud in the gally that video wouldn’t have worked anyway.
The food preparation sequence on a cruise ship is fascinating and eye-opening. Almost unbelievable to folks who cook – and these people have to do it 24/7. But the tour itself was underwhelming. “Mid”. As I noted before, we couldn’t really hear the narration from the officer. Followed by other groups, the tour was too quick. Then it abruptly ended. Poof.
The food in the dining room afterwards was tasty. But the experience… it seemed more like an assembly line than a real tour. “Mid” might be too strong of a word. Our time would’ve been better spent doing something else.
Playing bingo on Anthem of the Seas was mid. The Royal Caribbean crewman did his best to make it entertaining – at least as much as bingo can be – but, again as earlier noted, the presence of “electronic” cards spoiled the experience. Playing bingo usually is worth it because there’s at least a chance you’ll win. It never felt that way on our Alaska cruise. No anticipation; no nail-biting suspense. Just losing.
About the best I could say about our Bingo games were that they passed the time. Your money is probably better invested at the blackjack table.
Drink packages. One of the considerations from every cruise is what kind of drink packages to purchase. Drinkers must assess how much they plan to imbibe, the time available to partake, and whether they’ll be able to justify the expense.
Or, if you forego the alcohol to get one of the lesser packages, the “Refreshment Package” or “Soda Package”, there’s a similar calculation involved. The “Refreshment” package includes pretty much everything without alcohol, including shakes, mocktails, specialty coffees and protein smoothies. It’s about half as much as a “Deluxe” package, which throws in the alcohol. Or shovels it in. You’ll have to drink A LOT to make it worth it.
The ”Soda” package was “mid” at best. We’d heard it includes bottles of water. It didn’t. Or that it included cans of soda to take back to our room. It didn’t. We could have as much soda as we wanted, but it only could come from a fountain. Or a bartender. Imagine standing in line to get your soda cup filled. Not a huge inconvenience, but not what I’d expected. “Mid” says it all.
It’s hard to envision a scenario where a drink package is worth it, unless you plan a lot of time onboard the ship. Or, like us, if you’re staying in a suite, many of the benefits are included, but for a shorter time window.
For our next cruise, we’re going to give it plenty of thought before committing to x amount per day for a beverage package. Drink reasonably, and paying a la carte seems to be the best way.
Alaska Cruise Review Part I – Why cruise to Alaska? Let us count the ways. Bring a calculator
https://www.golfintheusa.com/1448-2/
Alaska Cruise Review Part II — Alaska ports of Call – Sitka is all about wildlife with culture and history thrown-in
https://www.golfintheusa.com/alaska-ports-of-call-sitka-is-all-about-wildlife-with-culture-and-history-thrown-in/
Alaska Cruise Review Part III — Alaska ports of Call – Skagway; Waterfalls, gold miners and a taste of the old west
https://www.golfintheusa.com/alaska-cruise-review-part-iii-alaska-ports-of-call-skagway-waterfalls-gold-miners-and-a-taste-of-the-old-west/
Alaska Cruise Review Part IV — Alaska ports of Call – Juneau. Alaska Capitol, Tracy’s King Crab Shack and Whale watching
https://www.golfintheusa.com/alaska-cruise-review-part-iv-alaska-ports-of-call-juneau-alaska-capitol-tracys-king-crab-shack-and-whale-watching/
Alaska Cruise Review Part V — Alaska ports of Call – Victoria, Canada, Butchart Gardens, Spaghetti Factory and Big City
https://www.golfintheusa.com/alaska-cruise-review-part-v-alaska-ports-of-call-victoria-canada-butchart-gardens-spaghetti-factory-and-big-city/
Alaska Cruise Review Part VI — Alaska ports of Call – Seattle; Original Starbucks and CHAZ
https://www.golfintheusa.com/alaska-cruise-review-part-vi-alaska-ports-of-call-seattle-original-starbucks-and-chaz/
Anthem of the Seas Review – Part I — Entertainment on Anthem of the Seas – Something to do for every spare moment
https://www.golfintheusa.com/anthem-of-the-seas-review-part-i-entertainment-on-anthem-of-the-seas-something-to-do-for-every-spare-moment/
Anthem of the Seas Review – Part II – Eat your fill on Anthem of the Seas – You can’t save it in a doggy bag!
https://www.golfintheusa.com/anthem-of-the-seas-review-part-ii-eat-your-fill-on-anthem-of-the-seas-you-cant-save-it-in-a-doggy-bag/
Anthem of the Seas Review Part III — Onboard Shopping – Regrets from our Alaska Cruise on Anthem of the Seas – Plus, Suite or Balcony, or Inside Cabin, you be the judge:
https://www.golfintheusa.com/anthem-of-the-seas-review-part-iii-onboard-shopping-regrets-from-our-alaska-cruise-plus-suite-balcony-or-inside-cabin-you-be-the-judge/