Alaska Journal #3: Boarding, Beer and New Buddies

Holland America provided us with these luggage tags when we checked in online a few weeks before our cruise.  

We also received these boarding passes which we presented when we boarded.

Upon boarding, we received these cards which we were required to present whenever we left or returned to the ship.  We also used this card for all charges incurred on board which eventually were billed to the credit card we had submitted to Holland America during preliminary cruise preparations. 

In the Welcome Aboard packet, we also received the deck plan.

The many decks available to passengers are listed here along with the location of venues at the front of the ship (forward).  Our stateroom was on Deck 9, the Verandah Deck.  By choosing  a room on the Verandah Deck, we had a balcony which allowed us to go outside rather than only a window to look out of.  The balcony had two chairs and was quite spacious. 

Mid-ship is mapped out here.

All of the sites located at the back of the ship (aft) are shown here.

Our staterooms weren't ready for us when we first boarded, so we made our way to the Deck 11 where we settled in at the Lido Bar near the Lido Pool.  Our beverage cards were burning in our pockets so we pulled them out and put them to work.

My first Alaskan beer was Alaskan Amber.  Here's to you, Gully, my personal advisor to all things Alaska.  She lives there in Moose Pass.  She knows a whole bunch about Alaska as well as places all over the world.  Yup, she's a tough and talented woman.  Cheers, my friend!!!

My next beer was an Alaskan Summer; my third was Alaskan Icy IPA and my fourth was Alaskan Hop-O-Thermia.  That's right, I had 4 beers before we even went to our room.  I was out of my mind; what can I say?  Other than, bring me another.  :)

Within minutes, we met two more of our traveling group.  Left to right:  Lynnette (you've met), Debbie, Donna and Alice (you've met).  Debbie and Donna are awesome and we became close friends immediately.  You'll be meeting several more wonderful people from Ohio as you travel along with me. 

Lynnette and Debbie appreciate a good beer as much as I do;  check out those happy camper faces. 

Donna and Alice are feeling the effects of cruise mania and have drinks in hand to  help them calm down.  :)

Beers are our friends, right?  Why not get a picture with them?!  

Hey, Gully.  The liquor store I visited yesterday here in Beloit stocks Alaskan Brewery beers.  That's cool, huh? 

Here's Icy Bay IPA. 

We hit it off so well, I brought her with me to our stateroom to hang out with us as we checked out where we'd be spending our down time for the next 7 days.

Are we having fun yet?