Norwegian Cruise Lines
7-Day Sawyer Glacier Round-trip From Seattle
This was my first cruise. Maybe it was because 80% of the passengers were over the age of 60 and the on-board activities were designed more for that age group and middle-American, but I didn’t have a very good time.
The food in the main restaurant was cafeteria style and I suppose it was great food for people used to eating at Denny’s, but we have such great restaurants and food in Seattle, so I’m spoiled…the cafeteria style food was ok only for breakfast, in my book. So, we opted to eat at the other restaurants on-board. That meant we had to pay an extra fee. By the time we returned to port, our bill was sky high!
Since I didn’t enjoy the on-board activities, I ended up getting lots of massages (expensive) and getting on the internet (also expensive and I could have stayed home to do that). I did get a lot of sleep, so maybe that was a good thing.
At each port of call (Skagway, Juneau, Prince Rupert, Ketchikan), we had booked an excursion. While we enjoyed the salmon fishing in Ketchikan…and even got to see a pod of orcas up close while doing so…the expense of having the fish shipped home was so great, we gave ours to a guy from Oklahoma (we can get fresh salmon anytime for a lot less, living in Seattle). In Juneau, the glacier was breath-taking, but it was very cold and rainy, so I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked. In Skagway, we took an old train up a mountain, which was pretty cool, but again, it was expensive. In all the places we visited, we were dropped off in tourist traps…one shop after another selling the same cheap junk. We had more fun walking to the out-skirts of town and eating where the locals were eating.
If you are thinking about going on a cruise…do more research than I did. Look for a cruise that is more your age group and offers activities you know you’ll enjoy. Better yet, travel with a group of friends. Also, if your palette is more refined, be prepared to spend a lot more money.
