Bit of Empyrean: Inside: HAL Alaska Cruise

Hey ya'll!

Now that I graduated from four years of torturous high school, the fun can finally begin!

This summer, my family and I decided to start off with an 8-day cruise with Holland America, one of the oldest cruise ship lines around (142 years!).

The cruise line is super old fashioned and not so kid-friendly but I had me some good time either way because I entertain myself with my own personality. lol

So the trip began in LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) and my family and I flew north to Seattle and booked a hotel for a one day stay in this fine city.
Congestion was bad, the streets were smelly, and the Chinatown is literally rotting away as we speak. So much for one of the most romantic cities on earth, bleh.

We did enjoy the beautiful flowers in Pike's Market and the notorious gum wall. I was finally able to track down the little abbey after consulting a local organic grocery store employee. He was very hipster and he made me promise to lick the wall if he told me where it was. Ha! In your dreams you sick hipster.

After walking all day aimlessly through the city and encountering some of the most meanest, rudest people, we stopped for dinner in Chinatown, Seattle. The place was so grimy and had an air of abandonment. This wasn't surprising since literally every single Chinatown I've been to is grimy and run-down. (especially New York)

We had dinner at this large restaurant called the Four Seas or something like that. When we walked inside, the lights were dim and it was just my family sitting in the huuuuuge restaurant by ourselves. It was crazy eerie. Apparently some gang activity or commotion occurred recently in the vicinity of the restaurant, dissuading people from eating here anymore.
I personally don't care as long as the food was good. The food was mouthwateringly delicious and we ordered way too much.

We boarded the cruise ship the next afternoon and waited in a long ass line while they checked our passports and boarding passes a billion times in a row. Totally unnecessary.
But we did make it to the cruise and first thing we did was go straight for the buffet.

I don't remember all the small details of the cruise but I will advise you all on a few.

-The food was pretty alright. Gala formal night dinners are the BOMB. Buffets are crowded and the Lido deck pool food is nasty except for the fries.
-There is a story in the news a few years back about one of the Indonesian stewards raping, choking, and attempting to throw a white lady overboard. Apparently he did this because the lady called him a son of a bitch and told him to wait. This did scare me a bit but I can promise you 100% of all the workers on the cruise I found the Indonesian ones to be the most courteous, gracious, and polite. They were super nice to me and in return we thanked them a lot for everything.
-The service is excellent. Although this is my first cruise and I cannot compare to others, I thought the service was spectacular. Except the dining room took 2 hours to have dinner in because of all the people.
-I wish there was more karaoke and a nightclub to dance in. The music played is all 50s and 60s music for the old people. Karaoke was only an hour on one night only. Basically the cruise is for old people or super classy people who don't want kids running around.
-The gym was sucky but the view is amazing especially in the mornings. It's facing the front with a huge 270 degree panoramic window and outside terrace.
-There are a gazillion lounges everywhere with window views. Many of these lounges have musicians singing and playing jazz, violin, and piano.
-The atmosphere of the practice emergency drill is super serious. I've been informed that Royal Caribbean is pretty lax on this but Holland America takes it seriously and dedicates more than an hour setting up a mock emergency drill.
-There are two kids clubs, or daycare centers, however you look at them. One is for kids under 13 and another for 13-17. Parents can drop off their kids and come back later.
-There is a basketball and tennis court.
-The shows are pretty entertaining. There was a ventriloquist which my friends and I really enjoyed, a Beatles tribute that made me into a Beatles fan after, a Dancing with the Stars collaboration dance class/finals competition, a pretty lame magic show with good comedy, and lots of singing and dancing from some talented performers and kinda low-key slutty actresses.
-Every afternoon at 3pm is high tea! I love English tea with cream and they have the cutest little pastries and once every cruise they hold an Indonesian high tea with specialty pastries native to Indonesia.

We stopped in the cities of Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan in Alaska and then finally in Victoria British Columbia, Canada.
Here are some photos...