Alaskan Cruise- Royal Caribbean
Our cruise was sailing out of Seattle, Washington so we headed there a day early to get a chance to walk around the city. We stayed at a really neat hotel called The Inn at Pike Place. This was the view right outside the hotel. We walked around the Public Market, ate pizza for lunch at the Alibi Room, right by the gum wall, and watched the sunset from the rooftop of our hotel. The next morning we got up early and got an Uber to the port. It was a quick 15 minute ride from the hotel.
We added The Key on so we got to be one of the first to board the ship. We were able to have a nice sit down restaurant lunch from the Chops Grille menu (a Key perk) and also give our carryon bags to the crew to send to our rooms. The Key was not cheap but it was nice to avoid the crowds at the Windjammer since that is where everyone else goes. Another perk of The Key is that you will have a letter in your room welcoming you and showing times for activities around the ship (Flowrider, North Star, etc...) that are hour increments that are only for Key holders.
Once finished with lunch, it was time to explore the ship. This is a picture of my kids and I on the ship deck with Seattle behind us.
We also got to try out the North Star. It goes us and give you a wonderful, high up view of whatever place you are in. We did this while still docked at Seattle, but in hindsight, I wish I had gotten to do this the day we were near the Glacier. I tend to get a little claustrophobic and was worried I would stress out in here, but I actually really enjoyed it!
Here is a picture of my kids' room. We had two adjoining rooms. I loved it because that meant two bathrooms! I also loved how our balconies connected so we were able to take the divider down and have one bigger balcony. You can have the two beds apart, like in this picture, or pushed together to make one bigger bed. Some rooms also have a sofa couch which would allow for one more bed.
Our ship, Quantum of the Seas, had so many fun things to do on board. There was a Flowrider, where you could learn to surf. The iFly was an air tube where it simulated sky diving. All four of us did that activity and enjoyed it. There were pool tables, Bingo, a Casino, Scavenger Hunts, a skating rink, foosball, air hockey, games, and so much more!
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| Max and Dave playing pool |
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Emma getting ready to roller skate!
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| Train in Skagway |
Our ports were Icy Strait, Skagway, Juno, and Victoria (British Columbia). Our first full day was a day at sea and around noon the captain announced there was a medical emergency and asked for blood donors. Around 4pm, he came back over the intercom and announced that we had to go back towards British Columbia because a passenger had to be airlifted off the ship. Because of this, we lost time and were not able to port at Icy Strait. It was interesting watching a helicopter circle above the ship as they airlifted the passenger off. This is why I will ALWAYS cruise with a passport. Generally, on closed looped cruises when you originally leave from a US port and end your sailing at the same US port, you can use a birth certificate. However, if there are any issues in other countries you are visiting, you would be in a world of trouble. I HIGHLY recommend a passport whenever cruising.
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| Cruising the straits, ice chunks in the water. |
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| Musher Camp in Juneau |
The town of Skagway
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Totem Pole in Victoria
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We absolutely loved our Alaskan Cruise and plan to cruise again with Royal Caribbean soon. We are HUGE Disney Cruise Line travelers, but we did enjoy trying out a Royal Caribbean ship. Though it doesn't have all the magic Disney does, it still was a solid choice when cruising with teenagers! There was so much for them to do and see.
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