Tuesday, April 15th, 2008...5:25 pm
Goodbye Germany and Alaska, Hello Amsterdam
Well, it’s time for bed. It is 11:00 pm and we have a full day of inspections and then a flight tomorrow night to Amsterdam.
Here is Bubba’s last blog and please join me in thanking him for sharing in his adventures.
I am off to sleep in my German bed and for the first time in many years and thanks to the sausages I have as the Germans say ” KANNNICHTSCHEISSEN “………it’s prunes for breakfast for me.
Here’s Bubba:
Alaska Fam 2008 – The last day
Well we had a beautiful day yesterday, but today would be far from that. The rain came and didn’t stop. They say they have three kinds of rain in Alaska, down, up and side to side. The wind was really strong today as well. The weather conditions the way they were made it tough to even get the camera out without getting soaked. Boy did we get wet at times.
The places that we visited today were a lot more of things that we have already seen along the way. A lot of folks will ask why do you have so many tours doing the same thing. The answer is to try and provide more seats for the amount of people who would like to go. Many tours up here, the tour operator is only allowed to bring so many people with them, either because of restrictions of seating capacity, or because their permits with the forestry department will only allow them to bring so many people with them. So if you come on a cruise, and you find that one tour is sold out that you would like to do, you probably can find a similar tour in another port or maybe even in the same port.
We went on another jet boat tour in the morning. Followed by a visit to totem bite. Saw some more totems there and another clan house. We met with the Ketchikan Zip line operators and more guys who catch crab. It felt a little redundant, but you got to go out and check them all when you are on these fam trips. All of the folks we met today were excited to show us their wears, but I think we were all running on fumes. Could have been the night out with the Lumberjacks from the night before. But we did give them all a good looking and pressed on.
One stop we made today which is different from any other port tour that we have looked at are the people who run the Motorcycle Ride Tour. For those of you who like to ride, or like to try and ride through every state, here’s your chance to cruise around Alaska. The tour is a guided caravan style motorcycle tour. They use Harley Davidson’s and they drive over 50 miles during a four hour tour. Making a few stops along the way. Those of you who “live to ride, and ride to live” may want to look this one up while you are here. Of course being that there was a monsoon outside and the fact that none of us in the party had a license to drive a motor cycle, we just checked out the garage and saw their gear and talked about the tour with the operator. If you ride and your other half does not, they can do a ride along ticket as well.
Here’s some random pics that I did not post earlier…..
Downtown Juneau
The helicopter fleet
James eyes up a bison…..
Ivana Mountie eyes me up….oh yeah!
Inside the floatplane.
Checking out the fishing boats.
This has been an amazing experience, and I will be sad to go tomorrow morning…yes tomorrow I will be back down south to San Diego where the Carnival Spirit awaits, and Cruise Director Shawn Bussey will be very annoyed if I don’t show up, so I guess I gotta go. But I leave here with an army of memories that will last a life time. The best part is that I won’t have to wait long to return. In just about 4 ½ weeks the Alaska season will officially begin. What am I doing in the meantime?
Well the first week I am on board I will spend doing a hand over with Shawn. I will have the chance to get settled in and learn the in’s and out of the Spirit, then after that week, on April 20th I will officially take over as CD as we will begin our first cruise to Hawaii. Then we do a 2nd Hawaii cruise and end up in Vancouver. There’s lots of more adventure to be found in the 50th state, before I return to the Last Frontier of the 49th. I am very glad to have been a part of the blog for the last 2 weeks. I want to thank my good friend John for letting me be a part. You for reading, telling friends and making the blog site stronger. To all of the fantastic tour operators for hosting us. Linda from Holland America. Kari, Christy, Funk, from the Discover Alaska Tour Team…John from Sitka Tours. My travel partners Kat, Grant, James & Ross for putting up with my dark sense of humor on the bus and keeping the gas in the van to a minimum. To Chris Prideaux & Robert Blythman from CCL head office for choosing me to be a part of this. And any one else I came into contact with that I have not mentioned your name as the walk off music has already started to play I say “thank you very much.”
So long and safe travels…see you out there on the open sea. If you are cruising on the spirit between now and Oct. 27. 2008 I will see you there.
Time for some smothered, covered and chunked…
Chris aka Bubba Roberts
Goodnight
Your friends
Johann and Heiderline
31 Comments
April 15th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Thanks to both you and Bubba for a brilliant series of blogs following your travels.
April 15th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Bubba, Thanks so much for the on going travelogue… I’ve always thought that if I was getting on a cruise ship it better be going somewhere warm. You’ve given me reason to rethink that… I still expect to head south but now the north holds a bit of fascination.
Once again, my thanks for your insights…
GregB
April 15th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Chris, I have enjoyed your blog tremendously, and look forward to the day that get to sail to Alaska. Wishing you safe travels as you head south!
April 15th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
John, that is why your supposed to eat your saurkraut with your sausages. You need the saurkraut to open up the Boundenburg Gate.
You may need a quick trip to see Fatima and her magic hose .
BIG ED
April 15th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Thanks to Bubba Chris your posts were very interesting & I appreciate the time you took to write them. Good luck on your next adventure as CD. I’m sure you will shine.
Thanks for the pics today, John. Hope you are getting some rest as I’m almost sure something will go wrong on that flight to Amsterdam LOL.
Jan
April 15th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Now I want to go on BOTH cruises! Excellent job.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Thanks for sharing your travels with us. And thanks for sharing Bubba’s adventures in Alaska with us. I can’t wait until I can afford a cruise to these two places. All of the pictures are wonderful.
Looking forward to reading about your adventures on the Carnival Splendor. It is now only 90 days till we cruise on the Carnival Imagination.
Have a safe trip to Amsterdam.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
John and Heidi!!!
AMSTERDAM!!! Would you yell really LOUD and tell Sissy hello over in Den Hauge??
Yep… this cruise is truly a SPLENDOR!!! Great ports of call, fun excursions offered, and CARNIVAL… WOO HOO!!!
Till your next blog…
Lambie
April 15th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Bubba!!!
How wonderful!!! Your Alaska has been a joy!! and full of laughter and learning!!!
THANK YOU!!
Lambie
April 15th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Chris,
Thanks for a very interesting series of blogs! Ihope you will consider doing some more, as I am very interested in the mainland to Hawaii cruise and would like to hear what it is like – especially what it’s like doing several sea days in a row. Do people get cabin fever?
John,
Thanks for the info on northern Europe. When I first heard CCL was doing these ports of call I was skeptical, but now I am considering it.
Please ask “Bubba” to consider blogging about the Hawaii cruise – I am really interested in it.
Hope you and Heidi have a “dam” good time in Amster.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
John,
I was reading that George Blanc is not longer associated with Carnival? What will happen to some of those wonderful creations?
April 15th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
On another note, I was reading of something available at Target that might give the Melting Chocolate cake a run for it’s money.
I may have to give it a try:
http://entreefoods.com/product_hot-chocolate-souffles.htm
April 15th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Great job on the blog Bubba. I enjoyed all the information on Alaska. Keep us updated on your summer. We were on the Spirit January of 05. Like that ship and hope to be on her some time again.
Take care
Tom
April 15th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Thanks, Bubba, for letting me re-live the cruise the Duke and I did on the Spirit to AK. You were ‘right on’ with all the tours you told about. I see there are some new ones to entice us to go back…not that we need much encouragement, as long as it is summer:-)
John & Heidi, we all look forward to your continuing adventures.
April 15th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
THANK YOU BUBBA!!!! It’s been wonderful tagging along with you through your journeys.. Alaska here I come!!! Both you & John are simply amazing & I thank you both so very much for making time to share your adventures with us on this thingy. I have learned so much from your blogs and always excited to see what tomorrow has in store.. Safe travels to you both & I hope to sail with you guys real soon..
M~
P.S. Hey Bubba, your headed to my neck of the woods… Denny’s my treat?? (wink)
April 16th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Dear John & Heidi,
Great photos John. Did Trigger give you advice on the Kentucky Derby?
Bubba, thank you so much for your wonderful blogs. I have a friend who will be taking his second cruise to Alaska (although I cannot convince him to try Carnival – pity), but I wonder if he knows about the Motorcyle Tour. He would love that. I think I’m going to bust his chops and tell him it’s only offered by Carnival. But thanks again for your photos and the blog. And I second the motion – how about some blogs from the Hawaii cruise – that’s my dream cruise, roundtrip from the States.
Heidi, I’m sure you’ll be looking forward to going back to Amsterdam, at least for a little while.
John – more herring?
Anyway, I will stay tuned for the continuing blogging adventures of John & Heidi,
Hugs,
Carol
April 16th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Thanks Bubba for a wonderful look at Alaska. I’ve had my husband read it in hopes that he will see the beauty in “cold” places as well as warm ones! Very interesting excursions! And John, as always, you’ve caught the spirit of Germany and the mixture of the historical and present day feelings that most people have about the country. Wonderful travelogues, both of you! Thank you and thanks to Carnival for sending you on these trips! Gloria
April 16th, 2008 at 7:54 am
Bubba, Great job with the blogs. Hopefully you’ll do some more on the Hawaii cruise as that would be very interesting too.
John, Thanks for all the information on your upcoming cruise and for having Bubba share his experiences with us. Jeri
April 16th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Bubba
Thank you so much for the day by day logs. They helped to add another cruise to my long list of future cruises.
Maybe you could do one about Hawaii since your headed there?!?! That is one I have always wondered about but have found little information on. Thanks again, Carla
April 16th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Bubba, thanks for the great photos and narrative. They brought back fond memories of the Alaska cruise that my wife, daughter and I were on several years ago. And it makes we want to book another in the near future.
April 16th, 2008 at 10:45 am
HI John/Heidi:
Just wanted to thank Bubba for these wonderful posts over the past couple of weeks. I literally felt like I was along for the Fam trip with him.
The crab show started up again on TV last night so its cool to see these things as Bubba was just in their region recently.
Good luck getting back to San Diego.
Thanks again and hope everything else is going ok.
David
April 16th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Thanks for taking us with you on your journey, Bubba. Like Timoneer, it brought back great memories of our most wonderful cruise experience yet. Of course, we leave in 10 days for the TA and I hope it gives the Alaska cruise a challenge for top rank.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Thanks to Bubba.
If I manage to get Larry to book a cruise to Alaska, it will be because of your contributions to this blog thingy!
Terri
April 16th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Bubba, thanks for sharing your adventures with us. It looks amazing!
John and Heidi, love the mini blogs; but, please get some rest!
Lori
April 16th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Thank you Bubba! Eventhough Alaska is not on my wishlist (yet
), you made is so much more appealing for me.
Bon Voyage on the Spirit!
April 16th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Thank you Bubba! I cannot wait to go back to Alaska!
April 16th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Chris, you did a great job on the blog. Keep up the great work. Alaska is in the plans one of these trips.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:40 am
Hi John!!!
Here I am and yes it is past midnight again…your blogettes are FABULOUS, and fit right in with my wacko schedule!!
You have, as always, created magical visions of the places Carnival will take us, Bravo!! Maybe you have read the wonderful Dr Seuss book “OH! The Places You Will GO! No worries if you haven’t read it yet, you will when the fruits of the stick thingy arrive :>)
And THANK YOU BUBBA for bringing Alaska to life!!
Hugs to you and our Heidi, enjoy Amsterdam!!
Eva
April 19th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Thank you Bubba, l love the way you write.
Mary
April 19th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Chris,
We also wanted to thank you for your blogging on your Fam trip. For people who unfortunately kept Alaska much lower on our list of hopeful cruises; you had us more interested and even discussing which tours we’d prefer to take WHEN we go.
Excellent job!
Now, Hawaii is higher on the list so we hope to hear from you about this cruise as well.
Andrea (with her mom, Janet)
PS Note to John, don’t leave us hanging about Heidi’s lost suitcase. We keep hoping for an update. Possibly this is covered later in blogs yet unread.
PSS Note to Heidi. Glad you’re back with John. He seems much happier with you at his side. Grab that raspberry, girl. We’d love to hear from you again, too!!!!
April 19th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
PSSSssst: add to previous Note to John and Heidi that as of this morning (4/19 for us) we love the new picture on the blog of John & Heidi!!
However, with the new page it did not have the “next” and “previous” buttons on the bottom of the page that helped us navigate in the blog to find the older posts as we were catching up.
A&J
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