Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Alaska… A Dream Come True

Now that our trip has come to an end I must share some of
the highlights of our fantastic vacation.
Taking a helicopter to the top of a glacier. Dogsledding with the most beautiful dogs in the world in Juneau. Canoeing through the rainforest in Ketchikan. Watching the salmon swim upstream in Skagway and riding bikes through the rainforest with Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Seeing magnificent whales from our ship that you can almost touch. Standing in front of the largest glacier in the world…73 miles long, in Hubbard Bay. Drinking good wine, eating delicious food, and meeting interesting people from all over the world. Does life get better than this? I don’t think so. One of the things that blew me away during our tour of the galley was seeing how each appetizer and entrĂ©e comes out in such a timely manner. In the 8 days I was there I didn’t have to send anything back. Maybe that’s because I ordered three appetizers, three entrees and three desserts. But don’t tell anybody. Let’s put it this way…everyone in the kitchen knew me. Thank you Guido for the most magnificent food!

Other fun and interesting moments were singing karaoke with the cruise director, winning $132.00 playing bingo. We joined the game 5 minutes before it ended and covered the entire card. Well it was Rick’s card. The last time I played Bingo was with my mom, may she rest in peace at the Bingo hall on Nostrand Ave. in Brooklyn when I was 12 years old.
Rick dared me to kiss a banana slug in Ketchikan so of course after our tour guide said it was good luck I did it. First Ashley kissed it and then I got up the nerve to do it. We won Bingo the following day. Sex on the ship…a bit rocky but great! Just thought I’d throw that in there. They should definitely invent a drink SEX ON A SHIP! I fell in love with my honey all over again. The greatest part about being on the ship was if we had an argument he couldn’t go anywhere.

I loved dining at one of the local eateries in Sitka, eating a 2 pound Alaskan King Crab all by myself and having an Alaskan Ale to go with it. This is something everyone must do while in Alaska. A lady approached me on the ship the next day and said you were the girl who was eating the Alaskan king crab like it was your last meal? Busted!
Seeing local art galleries, charming shops, and jewelry stores at each port was a great way to spend time off the ship.
Loved meeting the crew and entertainers who always had a smile. All in all this was a vacation of a lifetime. I hope my next cruise will be either the French or Italian Riviera.

Until the next time…Bon Voyage!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Love On A Cruiseship


Well it’s coming to the end of our amazing, unforgettable and very romantic vacation at sea. Alaska is not only one of the most beautiful places in the world, but also quite romantic.
When word got out that there was a matchmaker on the ship
well you can only imagine. I had mother’s, sisters, aunts, grandmas, and even crew members asking me to find them that special someone. I had coffee meetings in the lounge with people who want to fix up their friends daughter, a 75 year old aunt who is looking for an active man who loves to dance, a beautiful single mom from Alabama who is looking for love, and wants me to help her find him.
The highlight had to be when the couple from New Jersey got engaged on the ship. It couldn’t have happened in a more perfect place. Congratulations to the happy couple. I hope you have a happy and joyful life together and don’t forget to laugh a lot!





Sunday, August 7, 2011

A MUST DO BEFORE YOU DIE!

I thought canoeing through the rainforest was amazing, but by far even more amazing is taking a helicopter over a glacier and dog sledding. If you're in Alaska please do this because you'll never experience anything like it. The dogs are well taken care of and magnificent!!

Saturday, August 6, 2011

My Dream Vacation!

Ever since I was a little girl I've always wanted to see Alaska. My vision of Alaska was Eskimos and Penquins. We'll there's a magnificent world which I never knew about.
We left Vancouver, boarded The Navigator and our voyage began. I was blown away at the size of our cabin. Very roomy and modern with a spacious balcony and the most comfortable bed. The highlight for sure is the service and the food. We even have our own private butler. Can you believe it? Our first day at port was Ketchikan where we went through the rain forest in a canoe...boy what a workout that was! We ate smoked salmon and rolls with delicous rasberry jam, clam chowder and the best hot chocolate.
We hiked through the forest and saw a 750 year old tree, quick sand and a banana slug. Did you know if you kiss a banana slug it's good luck? I kissed it three times. It's very cold and slimy. Our tour guide was so passionate the about nature that when he showed us a specific flower he made sure it was placed in the exact spot he took it from. It gave me such a new appreciation to nature.
After our excursion we did some sightseeing and shopping in the town of Ketchikan. Whether your 5 or 55 Alaska is a must! Tomorrow you can read about my helicopter ride through the glaciers and my dog sledding experience.
Cant wait! I'm off to another delicous dinner!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Mama Mia what a meal!!

We arrived in Vancouver very hungry and went to dinner at Cioppinos Meditteranean Grill. From the moment we sat down we were treated like royalty.
We had a table outside which was quite romantic, and started with the warm ceasar salad which was by far the best I’ve ever had. I was able to talk chef Pino Posteraro
into giving me the secret recipe to his salad dressing , but I don’t kiss and tell. While sipping my Pinot Noir I was presented with the most gorgeous presentation of lobster risotto and my honey had the duck o’lorange which was like butter. It literally melted in your mouth.
For dessert we had the dark chocolate and a cappuccino. Chef Piro Posteraro came over to our table to make sure we were happy. I must say Cioppinos is at the top of my list of restaurant faves. If you’re ever in Vancouver you must try Cioppinos.