Coast Guard Rescue

Day 3 Then At Sea

When you enter your state room you'll find a tv. It has a limited amount of channels. One of which happens to be a map. This map will track the cruise ships location for you and show the distance travel. The photo below is an example found on the internet as I no longer have access to show the map picture I previously had of this trip. 

Day 3, technically day 2 of the actual cruise, was met with confusion and surprise. I woke up to our map showing us headed back to Seattle. It was in that moment that the captain of the ship announced that there was a medical emergency aboard. Parts of the ship were shut down to give privacy to the guest and their family as the coast guard came to helivac the family. I have to admit I was nosey. I avoided the areas they said were closed then went to the top deck to watch the coast guards helicopter fly by. I know the circumstances weren't great, but it was a rather cool thing to experience. 

At Sea

We weren't geared for a 9 day voyage across the Pacific. Initially it was meant to be 6. We were meant to spend a day at sea, 2 days in Alaska, then travel the pacific to Japan. A hurricane that hit the coast of Alaska changed all that. So off we were. We would get to experience the passing of the equator. The cruise ship put together a party on the 21st. Played music and counted down the degrees till we were now in the eastern Hemisphere. It was strange, wild, cool, nerve racking and overall a great experience. Not may people can say they've left the United States, let alone say they've traveled like I have at 27. 

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We had learned about the Carnival App and downloaded it prior to leaving for Seattle. It was a god send to have because it gave us access to the ships map, itinerary for the day, allowed us to see food menus and more.

Departure Day and Important Information

 Day 2: Departure Day

Prior to ever leaving your home you are required to do a pre-boarding check in. This usually takes place on the cruise ships website. If you go through the Carnival app, like I did, you'll be redirected to their website. Once logged into your cruise account you will fill out your passport information, payment information, find and print out your boarding passes/luggage tags, and more. You will also be given a window to go through customs and board the boat. 

- For this trip we were required to have passports. When leaving the United States you are not allowed to travel internationally when you have 6 months or less on your passport. If you are needing a passport please do it 6 plus months in advance. Prices can be found at your local post office. As an adult my passport is good for 10 years and was set to expire in the summer of 2024. As mentioned above, you need a visa. This visa will attach to the passport in your current possession. If you need to renew your passport you will need to get a new visa. 

-Payment information is collected because the cruise ship runs off your room key. Your room key is your key to anything and everything on the cruise. If you want to buy a souvenir, drink or cocktail, maybe a massage in the spa? Your room key, or folio number, is taken down and the purchase is charged to your room. At the end of the trip you can either settle the payment at the customer service desk the night before the cruise is over or leave and have it charged to your card. 

We checked out of the hotel and were able to tour around a little more of Seattle before getting on the last shuttle to head to the cruise terminal. We went to tour the Space Needle . When booking tickets you are required to have a time slot for entry. You enter the bottom of the Needle and follow the ramp around the souvenir shop until you arrive at an elevator that takes you all the way up to the top of the Space Needle. Once on top you are given the opportunity to see views as far as Mount Rainer. Some of the Needle has glass bottom flooring. I was beyond terrified to walk across it. However, my mom had no issues. She was a whole other level of brave. 

Once finished with our photo shoot we were able to take the elevator down and go tour the Chihuly Gardens and Glass. I loved every minute of the exhibit. It was beyond amazing to experience all that Seattle had to offer. We did partake in a little souvenir shopping. When we finished we walked back to our hotel and headed to cruise terminal. 

We handed off our luggage, proceeded to go through customs and got on the ship. Thankfully we were allowed on early. Once on board we found a comfortable place to sit, had lunch and proceed to enjoy the view. Do understand that without the visa a lot of people were turned away. Some people spent 20,000 dollars on this trip and even they were turned away because they did not get the visa. 

Other important information: Do follow their rules as you don't want to be put in cruise ship jail. Also, do not smoke in your cabins. We found out a lot of people were kicked off the ship for smoking in their rooms and not in the designated areas. On top of fines they needed to figure out how to get home. 

Traveling to Seattle Washington

Day 1

The day of our departure for this grand adventure was meant with a number of hurdles. 

Our first hurdle involved our house key. We decided to take the house key from the set of keys/car that was used to drive us to our local airport. Little did we know it would be a problem for my sister when she got home. My poor sister had to crawl through the kitchen window to get back inside. The second hurdle we faced was a flight delay of 2 hours. Rather than leave at 6:30am we left at 8:30am. Alaskan Airlines informed us of the delay and immediately gave us a comp for lunch when we got to Washington. I've never had an airline do that before. 

The third hurdle comes for our pick up. When booking the hotel I made sure it had a shuttle from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the cruise terminal were included. There was an additional fee of $10 dollars a person, but it ultimately was much cheaper than a cab or uber. The hurdle comes in from the miscommunication that took place at booking. We were informed of the hotels shuttle making continuous loops from  the airport to the hotel. That was not the case so we ended up having to call. Not so much a hurdle as it was an inconvenience because of the delay from the plane and us being up early for the flight. 

Upon arriving to the hotel I was graced with an unexpected gift. A couple that was checking out had purchased one to many tickets for the Space Needle and the Glass Gardens (bundle ticket) and offered it to me. I was beyond elated and accepted the generous gift. Otherwise the group tickets ranged between $50-$100. If you're interested in going I recommend looking at Groupon for the best bundle and up to date prices. As we toured the city we thought everything was in the clear till we met fellow cruise ship members. They informed us of the Visa we would need for Australia. You can download an app to assist with purchasing the less than $20 visa. Everything the cruise ship sent out wasn't helpful, so be prepared to do some research. 

Our hotel was the Holiday Inn. At the time we payed $275(ish) for the room. The hotel was in a prime location and allowed for us to walk to the Space Needle, Chihuly Gardens and Glass, Pikes Market Place and all the way down to Pier 54. After checking into the hotel we went for a grand adventure where our first stop was the Space Needle. We were unable to see so we agreed to go back in the morning since we were not able to board the cruise ship till after 2pm. We then headed to Pikes Market Place. It was a cool experience and allowed for us to get some fresh produce. As we continued down the street we made our way passed the aquarium and to Pier 54. Down near Pier 54 there is an assortment of shops, restaurants, photo opportunities, a ferry and more. We did partake in a lot of shopping  and found many souvenirs ranging from $5-$100.  

Cost Breakdown For Our Trip

 

Carnival Luminosa 

Trip Dates: September 13, 2023-October 15th, 2023

Cruise Dates: September 14- October 15, 2023

Flight to Alaska: $86 each 

Hotel stay for 2 (can accommodate 4 guests): $350 

Cruise cost:

    - Room: $100 each (single travelers pay for double occupancy)

    -Taxes/ fees: $200 each

    -Gratuity: $500 Each (Can either prepay or take off and pay out of pocket)

                        -Please note some journey cruises do not let/allow you to take off gratuity 

Flight home from Australia: $1,100 each (one way)

Total cost: $4500 for 2

Total cost per day is an average of $75 each ($75x2 people = $150x 30days= $4500)

This price doesn't include souvenirs, excursions and other purchasable items. Personally I brought $500 for souvenir's. 

And So The Adventure Begins

How this started...

Prior to 2023 the furthest I'd traveled was to Alaska. My parents were set to have their 20 year anniversary in June of 2009 before the unimaginable happened. Rather than cancel the trip my mom hauled an 11 and 12 year old across the country and on the adventure of a life time. Our new adventure just the three of us. She became the rock, the role model, both parents, and a whole lot more. 

In 2013, she would again haul us across the country to go on a cruise to the Bahamas. In 2018 my sister would head off to Japan to teach English as a second language with my moms old foreign exchange student while my mom and I went on a cruise to Mexico. It started the whirl wind of trips that would lead us to today.