Cruised: Alaska on the Norwegian Jewel (3/3)

Continued from Cruised: Alaska on the Norwegian Jewel (1/3) and Cruised: Alaska on the Norwegian Jewel (2/3)

Day 5 Skagway

Skagway is a quiet little town, at least it was on that September day, but I was unexpectedly surprised by its hidden treasures. After leaving the ship that morning, I hopped on a free shuttle bus that took me into the center of town. Our driver that day was channeling his inner Jack Sparrow, complete with hat, wig, and eyeliner. He was quite a character, and he told us that normally he would have dropped us off further away, but he was going on his lunch break, so he brought us along so we wouldn't need to walk as far. I appreciated that!

The town itself has a great deal of character, and the storefronts are unique and interesting. Skagway was a booming place during the hustle and bustle of The Klondike Gold Rush, and even today there are excursions you can take that focus on that time and teach you the art of gold panning. I walked around throughout the various streets and came across the famous Red Onion Saloon, a historic brothel museum that offers tours as well.

Another thing that Skagway is well known for is the historic White Pass and Yukon Route Train Depot. Many people choose itineraries with Skagway included because they want to ride the train to see the gorgeous views it affords them. I decided to save that experience since my son loves trains, and I fully intend to take him next time I am there and he is with me so we can ride together. However, I did enjoy the statues they have around the depot.

The Skagway Centennial Statue was placed in 1997 to celebrate 100 years and features a common scene of a native Tlingit guiding a new prospector towards the White Pass. The monument describes how Skagway got its name originally from the Tlingit word "Skagua," meaning "windy place" and you'll understand why when you look at my hair in the picture.

Another thing that the shuttle driver did that I appreciated was give me the business card for a local cab that would take me to a special place at an affordable price. He said the best thing to do in town was to visit Gold Rush Cemetery and take the trail to see Reid Falls. The cab was only $5 each way so that sounded like a bargain I couldn't pass up, and boy am I glad I didn't!

The Gold Rush Cemetery is unlike any other I've seen, with interesting information on its signage about some of the people who are buried there and the history of the area. The graves themselves were somewhat scattered around the trees so it has a very natural feeling. There were no rows of plots like many of the cemeteries I have seen before, and I really liked the layout. It felt peaceful.

After a very short walk on the path over a little bridge and through the woods, I arrived at my destination: Reid Falls. I wouldn't say it is very accessible for those with mobility issues, but I climbed over the rocky path to get as close as I dared to the cascading water. Sitting close to it for a while was one of the nicest little moments that I cherished from my trip.

I took the taxi back to the loading area to catch the shuttle back to the ship. The remainder of the day was spent enjoying the amenities that the Jewel had to offer. I went in the hot tub, laughed at the comedian's show, and spent time celebrating two birthdays with a group of fellow solo cruisers. It was a fun, fun night!

Day 6 At Sea

The night before was so much fun that I had some trouble getting going the next morning. That day we were in Glacier Bay, and although I heard all about it over the ship's intercom system from my cabin, I didn't get to see very much of it. I am sad to have missed it, but will be going back again in the fall with a private group, and promise to get some more pictures and a better review for you then. Stay tuned!

Not only did the obligatory birthday shots keep me confined to my stateroom, but the waves were somewhat rougher on me that day, so I spent a lot of time trying to manage my seasickness. I'll admit, I was perhaps a bit arrogant that I didn't expect to get seasick, but I had never had a problem with motion sickness in the past. I was not prepared, and that is not easy to admit being that I am a former Girl Scout. Lesson learned!

I ventured out a little throughout the day, trying to make the best of it. I even played a game in the Bliss Lounge and won a free NCL t-shirt! After a while spent in bed watching movies, I still had a specialty dining reservation at Le Bistro that I fully intended to keep no matter what. Ironically enough, while waiting at the hostess station, I met a man whom I noticed was wearing a motion sickness patch behind his ear and he seemed fine. I asked him about it and he told me that he not only wears the patch, he also showed me his nausea relief wristbands, plus he told me he takes medication for motion sickness, too. Talk about covering all your bases!

I'm glad I kept my reservation because dinner at Le Bistro was très bien! I had the Escargots à la Bourguignonne to start and it was served with soft bread to dip into the garlic butter. Heavy, maybe, but oh so good! Next was the Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée, which was a super cheesy and flavorful French onion soup. Very good! For my main, I went with the Carré d’Agneau Rôti et Souris d’Agneau aux Saveurs Marocaines, otherwise known as the lamb. It was perfect, but I just couldn't eat it all. I was able to take my dessert to go again and had the Marquise au Chocolat. It was a delightful meal and I went to bed early that night.

Day 7 At Sea

On the last day, we had the pleasure of cruising Hubbard Glacier, also known as the famous "galloping glacier" which remains active after 400 years. The Jewel shared the space with a Regent Seven Seas ship, which made for some neat photo opportunities. Our ship circled in the water several times, so I was able to get views from many angles of the beautiful scenery.

I spent much of my last day walking the ship and trying to enjoy the space as much as possible before my voyage ended. I attended an art auction and I found out that I won the game for guessing the weight of a beautiful statue. I didn't get to keep the statue, but they let me choose a free art print to have mailed to my home. I also bid on another art print that I thought my son would enjoy, so I only had to pay one charge to ship both prints. I wasn't expecting to purchase collectible art on my cruise, but they are very persuasive in the gallery!

I had one more dining credit left and ate at Moderno on the last night. I didn't get any pictures, but it wasn't bad at all. I am a bit spoiled when it comes to Brazilian steakhouses because we have an amazing one where I live in Reno, NV that my husband and I love. I still enjoyed my food, and to be fair, I was one of the last patrons of the night so they didn't have as much food being offered around as they normally would, I think. Compared to the other specialty dining that I had on my trip, it just wasn't as outstanding, but still tasty. If you do check it out, try the Banana-Caramel Meringue Tartlet for dessert. Yum!

Day 8 Seward, AK

My cabin steward had warned me that I would need to be out of the stateroom by 8 am on disembarkation day, so I was up and ready early enough to grab some tea at the buffet before I had to go. I made sure to thank him for taking good care of me with a thank you note and extra gratuity in addition to the daily service fees I paid. I checked my portfolio and it all was in order. Since I had my card attached to my account, there was no need to "settle up" at the end with anyone. I took my luggage off the ship myself, so I didn't have to leave it out the night before, either.

It didn't take me too long to get through the line to get off the Jewel, but I also had to claim my Ulu knife souvenir from security, so it did take longer than it would have otherwise. I was sad for my cruise to be ending, but thankful for the amazing time I had and the memories I made.

In Seward, there was a building to wait in where you could meet up with your transportation to your next location. I saw lines of people waiting for their transfer motorcoaches, but I had other plans. My flight was a very late-night departure out of Anchorage, so I spent the day in Seward before taking a train out that evening.

I had to catch a shuttle to the train depot to check my luggage first. It was uncomfortably cold and windy, but I had to stand in line for the shuttle for quite a while outside. Not my favorite part of the trip, to say the least. After taking care of my arrangements at the train station, I then had to wait again for the shuttle to come back to take me further downtown to explore.

I walked around Seward, the "gateway to Alaska", and did some shopping. I checked out the waterfront where there is a cute little fountain near the Alaska SeaLife Center aquarium, and relaxed with the pretty view. Seward is very lovely!

Most of the restaurants were closed by this time of year, but my appetite had returned to me, so I was on the hunt for somewhere good to eat. I was actually on the last sailing that would be ending the season in Seward, which made it the last day the shuttle bus would run, and the last train ride out of town as well. Naturally, it was cold this time of year, but I warmed up with a country-fried steak bigger than my head at a fantastic place called The Highliner Restaurant. It was perfectly seasoned, crunchy, and juicy. If you have the chance to go, I highly recommend it!

I caught the shuttle bus back to the train station and waited with plenty of time to spare for the next leg of my trip. I have much to say about my ride on the Great Alaskan Railroad, so I will save that story for another day. In the meantime, if you enjoyed reading about my adventures cruising, please subscribe to our mailing list or contact us to help you plan an adventure of your own.

Happy travels,

Erika Williams