It Comes to an End

Well whether we liked it or not our cruise came to an end.
We got up early so we could see the Diamond enter the harbour. We gathers ourselves together and we went upstairs to the Horizon Court to have breakfast.
Then we went back to our stateroom to vacate it so Rene could get it ready for the next occupants.
We went to The Wheelhouse Lounge to away our turn to disembark. This spot is for the Elite and Platinum people and they have coffee and pastries and it is quite quiet and lovely. In this picture you can see Ken in the lounge almost falling asleep.
We were a little later than we expected and so we called Kerri to let her know. Getting off of the ship went very smoothly with no problems at customs. Within 5 minutes of our reaching the sidewalk Kerri was there to pick us up. We went to her home and transferred our bags, had a little visit and we headed for Abbotsford.
All too soon our cruise has come to an end.
We will be aboard the Golden and the Island in September, only 59 days till we sail again.
Come along with us!!

Dessert extravaganza

Ken plays Mini Golf
Pine Island Light
Jennifer eats Meringue as she goes up the hall
Suitcases are on their way
Our last stroll on the deck.

Last Full Day

We woke very early, before six. I checked the e-mail and there was a message from Kerri saying that they would be there to pick us up. We decided to go to the dining room for breakfast. We were at a table for 8 and the people were all Americans and very interesting.

After breakfast we went to the photo gallery and we choose our pictures. We bought one from Juneau and one from Skagway, the embarkation photo, one from Glacier Bay and the one with the captain. I also got the rights to do a photobook with Panraven. Because of having a Platinum card it came to only 89.75, so that was not too bad.

Next we came back to the stateroom to begin packing. What a job.!

Ken wrote the thank you notes and prepared the tip envelopes for the waiters and the Steward.

I went to customer service and got a copy of our account to make sure all was as it should be. I also went upstairs to the Dessert Extravaganza to get pictures. It is always so very amazing and taking pictures does not raise my blood sugar.

We were just about finished the packing by noon so we went to the Santa Fe dining room for the English Pub Lunch. We gave in and went to the Lido Deck to at least have a taste of the dessert selections.

After that we went to the Princess Links and played a round of Mini Golf. This is a better course thn the one on the Sapphire.

Then we went to check out the art at the art auction. If they had a Josaphine we were going to stay to see what the price was but it was obvious that none of her works were scheduled to sell.

I dropped of the camera batteries for recycling and Ken put the “You Made a Difference” cards into the drop box.

We returned to the stateroom to have a rest. I was beat  after all of the running around.

We decided that we should go to the special reception for Elite and Platinum passengers at least once so we dressed early and away we went. Tonight was the special cheeses with port wine. It was really very good. We were surprised at how few people were there. I guess everyone was packing.

We then went to dinner with these friends for the last time. It was Baked Alaskian night, which is always fun. I was amazed by Jennifer. She is a very thin little bit of a woman and she just loves meringue. She ate her dessert, asked for extra meringue, then asked Salvador for more meringue and then as she left the dining room she got another big plate of meringue.

We returned to our room, changed our clothes and put our suitcases into the hall.

Then we went topside to watch the ship sail along the inside passage. We walked along the top of the bridge and visited with others who were doing the same thing. It was cold and breezy so we went into the Conservatory and sat on longue chairs. Ken went back and got our wine wnd the glasses and we sat and finished our wine as the light faded. We brought that one bottle of wine from home and it took us the entire cruise to drink it.

Then we returned to our room.

Vancouver tomorrow.Our Last Full Day,

An almost empty ship, our own yatch:-)
Ken and Jack relax at the Wake Bar
My New Omega!!

Ketchikan,July 21st/2011

Day 5 of our cruise,

Today we are in Ketchikan and believe it or not it is sunny again today. This place gets many feet of rain a year, yes feet and yet every time we have come here it has been sunny. They tell us it just poured yesterday. The streets still had puddles but the sun was shining brightly. There were 4 large ships in port again. The streets and the stores were teaming with shoppers.

After breakfast we went into town and we did some shopping. We bought wind jackets that we can use in South America with layers. We got a new ice cream scoop and a chowder mix as well. I bought an Omega as well. It is reversible with yellow gold on one side and white gold on the other.We also got a Northern Lights pendant to go with it.

  We returned to the ship in time for lunch and we ate in the lobby bar again. This is a great way to avoid all of the goodies at the buffet.

After lunch Ken and I went out on deck 18 to get some sun. It was so quiet up there it was as if we had our very own private yacht. I only stayed about 20 minutes and then I went down to the Explorers Longue. They were showing the movie “The King’s Speech”. I had not seen it and this was a great opportunity. I loved it.

We got ready for dinner and Ken called and had a visit with Jennie.

We enjoyed dinner with Jim and Pat and Jack and Jennifer. We made a date to meet at the Wake Bar for a drink around nine. We planned to get our pictures chosen and purchased but the one from last night was not there so we will wait for tomorrow.

We went back to the stateroom to wait till time to head out. We watched TV and finished working on the Blog .Our luggage tags and disembarkation arrangements arrived. We leave the ship at 9:10. I sent mail to Kerri telling her what our times are.

We met Jack and Jennifer and enjoyed a drink at the Wake Bar. This is a very noisy place because of being below Club Fusion, and you really can’t see the wake of the ship because the port holes are too high. We were the only ones there which proves  that it is not really the best place for a quiet drink. The bartender was from Australia so we took advantage to ask a few questions about travelling there. I ended up getting a second drink again. I guess there is a Sea Breeze and an Ocean Breeze one is blue and one is not.

After this very nice visit we called it a night and headed back to our room.

Tomorrow is a sea day and we will have to pack L.

Captain Joe puts another log on the fire.
Heather is our very capable guide
Wonderful sunset
We are dressed up for Formal night.

Juneau

July 20^th/2011

We can’t believe that this trip is almost over. Juneau today, Ketchikan tomorrow then a sea day and then we have to get off.:-(

We woke very early this morning. It was five o’clock and we were both wide awake and the ship was being maneuvered into position at the dock.

We have a tour today so we got dressed and went to deck 14 for breakfast. A lot of people must have early tours because there were a lot of people in Horizon Court.

We returned to our room and gathered our things. It is overcast but there is more and more blue sky appe3aring and it is not cold. The temperature is around 55 so we decided not to bother with our jackets but we wore our hoodies and Ken took his backpack with rain ponchos and an umbrella. We also took hats and gloves just in case it got cool. Today’s cruise is aboard a steam driven river boat so it might be cold out on the water.

We went down and disembarked around eight and we met the tour person and discovered much to our surprise that there will only be 4 of us on the tour. Finally the other couple arrived and away we went. The bus took us into town to a dock where the water taxi was moored. This is a really cute little watercraft. The captain is Joe and our guide is Heather. The boat is powered by a steam engine and the fire box has to be filled periodically and there are totes of wood cut and ready for that purpose. Heather is an elementary school teacher and she is most informative. Our tour lasts about an hour and a half and it is great. We learned so much.

We returned to the dock and Ken and I decided to walk back to the ship even though we could have taken a Princess Shuttle. We were in and out of the stores but we resisted buying anything this time.

Back here for a light lunch. Then Ken went to get some sun and I showered and did my hair to get ready for tonight.

Well I got my hair done and we dressed for dinner. We left the room a bit early and we just strolled around the ship and stopped outside the Explores Longue. Jim and Pat and Jack and Jennifer happened by and the 6 of us went together. This is lobster night so we all enjoyed that. Ken and I left early before dessert because we wanted to go to the Captain’s Circle party. The couple with the most sea days had over 1200 days, second place went to a Chinese couple who had 52 cruises and the third place couple had 42 cruises. We were surprised to learn that there are only 34 Elite cruisers aboard.

We enjoyed 2 cocktails and we had our pictures taken with the captain.

We left the party, located our Juneau photo, and then went upstairs to change clothes.

We walked the decks and took pictures of an amazing sunset and enjoyed it from deck 18 at Skywalkers. It was truly beautiful. But the wind was blowing and it was quite cool.

We went to Horizon Court and had the dessert that we skipped at dinner and we brought a glass of water back to our room.

We then called it a night.

Tomorrow we are back in Ketchikan… our last port.

A welcome sign and garden
No room for cars with 4 ships in port
The Skagway Limo
Starbucks is everywhere
Ken can't wait to taste his fudge

Skagway

Day three of our Southbound Cruise,

We are in Skagway and we are not leaving until eight o’clock tonight. That will give us 15 hours here.

We slept in, because we do not have a tour planned there was no rush.

We went upstairs and had a leisurely breakfast , we were already too late for the dining roomJ

After that we got ready and went ashore. We wore our hoodies  but did not take our jackets. It was cool and there was a bit of a breeze but we really we not uncomfortable. There are 4 cruise ships in port again today, the Golden and the Diamond as well as a Celebrity ship and a Holland America ship. You can imagine what the streets were like with over 10,000 extra people on the streets. The cars did not stand a chance.

We picked up a copy of the walking tour and used it to learn about some of the buildings as we walked. As usual the Grandmother bait was everywhere. I bought the most adorable hand puppet for Leo. What a lot of temptation there was!!

Finally after 4 hours of walking we returned to the ship. We were even too tired to climb the stairs to go for lunch. Right next to the check in spot was the lobby bar and they serve coffee and sandwiches. We stopped right there to eat and catch our breath. I guess” the old gray mare ain’t what she used to be”.

Ken couldn’t wait to enjoy a piece of the fudge he had bought.

We climbed the stairs and returned to our room.

I did some blogging and I checked with the future Cruise consultant about a possible cruise to Australia. I got some very good information.

By then it was time to dress for dinner. This was Italian night and we each bought a glass of Lemonchello. Jack and Jennifer were not there because they had a late tour. Pat had some beautiful diamonds that she bought today and Jim had a wonderful new watch.

After dinner we went up to Skywalkers to watch the sailaway and then came back here to call it a day. Tomorrow we are in Juneau and we have a short river cruise as our excursion and tomorrow is the Captain’s Circle Party so I will have to do some primping.

Here are some amazing pictures of the Margerie Glacier.

I have balloons and a Birthday notice on my door
Our waiters sing Happy Birthday.
Why are there three drinks and only 2 people at this table??
This is the band Serious Sounds, they are very good.

Day 2, Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay Again,

Today is another day to spend in Glacier Bay.

We got up early and then we went to the dining room for breakfast. First we stopped at the Lobby Bar to get a mug of perked coffee. It is so good compared to the regular stuff they serve.

We sat with very nice people again. There were 3 young ladies who have travelled extensively and they were interesting to chat with.

Next we gathered our warm duds and we went up to deck 15. The rangers were setting up and we were able to each get a pin. We tried last time but we were too late, they had sold out.

Then we watched a little from up top. It was rainy and misty and foggy and you couldn’t see much. I came back here to blog and then when we arrived at the Margerie Glacier the fog had lifted and the rain had stopped so we were able to get a good look. It was not calving as much as it was last week but the captain was able to get the ship a lot closer. I took entirely too many pictures. But it was great.

By then it was almost two o’clock and I had not eaten or taken my pills so I went to the buffet and picked up 2 sandwiches and 2 cookies for Ken and I to share. By noon we were cold and tired so we took a little rest and warmed up.

Next were John Hopkins, Lampaugh and Reid Glaciers. Thankfully the weather was much improved so people could enjoy the spectacular up close views.

This was the day to celebrate my birthday. I know it is not until August 7 but you can celebrate is the date is within a month of your cruise. I have a lovely card, a door sign, and balloons this morning and then they say Happy Birthday tonight at dinner.

Everyone was at the table tonight. Jim was just as quiet tonight.

As soon as we were finished eating we took off for the theatre. Darren Romeo was the performer tonight and we knew it would be a full house. Fortunately we were able to get our favorite seats and we were able to enjoy the show again. His magic is amazing and his singing voice is equally amazing.

After the show we decided to go to the Wheelhouse to enjoy the band.” Serious Sounds” is a 4 piece group from Barbados and they are amazing.Their music is very mellow and very danceable and they are not too loud. We walked by and heard them last evening so we decided that we would have to return, and this was the night.

 At dinner Jennifer had the drink of the day which was called Ocean Breeze…she gave me a taste and it was great so I ordered one at the Wheelhouse. When it arrived it did not look at all like it should. Jennifer’s Ocean Breeze was a beautiful blue green color because it has blue Curaceau and pineapple juice. I mentioned this and the waiter went back to the bartender to check. It turned out that a mistake was made and so I was brought the blue green drink but they gave me the first drink at no charge. Three different time people asked why there were three drinks and only 2 people at the table.

When the set was over we called it a night and returned to our stateroom. By now it was after eleven so it really was time to call an end to a very long day.

The glacier and the ice flow keeping us at a distance.
Setting up the glasses for the Champagne waterfall
Musicians entertain in the Atrium
Ken and I on our way to dinner
I mastered folding the napkin.
A magnificent sunset.

Day1 of this cruise

Sea Day

This was a sea day and we made the most of it.

We had a leisurely breakfast and roamed around the ship for awhile.We met a very nice couple from Indiana but originally from Scotland. He referred to Scotland as “The Holy Land” They are planning a trip to Nova Scotia and we gave them some advice about the area.

For lunch we went to The English Pub Lunch, then after that I went to the Good Feet health seminar and I can’t say I was all that impressed but I did learn a little.

When I returned we walked our mile around the deck and got our warm things on so we could get a good look at the Hubbard Glacier. Unfortunately the ice was very heavy and we could not get very close. Tonight is a Formal night and the champagne waterfall. If the view of the glacier had been better we would have skipped formal night but since we could not get very close Ken and I returned to our room and got dressed for Formal night.

The other couple who will share our table during dinner were there. The names are Pat and Jim. He is very quiet and she does most of the talking. She is a retired elementary school teacher and he is a retired carpenter. Jack and Jennifer were not there because they were viewing the glaciers.

After dinner we picked up a glass of champagne and headed for the Princess Theatre. The show tonight was “ Do You Wanna Dance”. As usual it was great.

Then we returned to our room and changed our clothes and decided to walk the deck for awhile. We were treated to a magnificent sunset .

By then is was almost eleven o’clock so we got a glass of water and returned to our stateroom. Another wonderful day had come to a close.

Tomorrow we will be at Margerie Glacerier.

 Ken is next to an Orca wood carving
Our first look at Whittier
We enjoy the hot tub before the new passengers arrive.

One cruise ends, another begins

Whittier, Alaska

Because we were not leaving the ship we slept in and had a leisurely breakfast.

I happened to turn the television to the Princess channel and I heard Sammy talking about Whittier and what you could do there. She talked about the gift shops and the museum. She did such a good job that I decided that I wanted to go into Whittier. So after breakfast away we went. It was cute and quaint and I quite enjoyed it. I bought a pair of very nice Made in Alaska earrings. We also got pins and patches and post cards. On the return to the ship we picked up brochures on possible tours that we can take the next time we are in Alaska.

When back on the ship, we had lunch and then we changed into out swim suits and we went to the inside hot tub on the Lido deck. Because very few have boarded yet we had the place practically to ourselves. But when we were taking pictures of each other a gentleman offered to take a picture of us together, which was very nice of him.

We came back to our stateroom and we had showers and a nap and then got ready for dinner.

We are in the same dining room but not at the same table. We are at table 49. So far we have met 2 table mates… Jack and Jenny and they are from Oregon. We have a lot in common. They love Princess and they have a pull trailer and they love to travel. He is 61 so they are younger than we are. The other couple had not yet arrived.

After dinner we came back to our room because we do not have to go to the drill with the life jackets. For sail away we walked the stairs to the top of the ship but it was raining quite heavily so we did not go outside. It is interesting to see all of the new arrivals get lost. We are the old hands and after a week we know where we are going. A nice feeling.

The pools and hot tubs are full already so we are glad that we had them all to ourselves this afternoon.

We are just going to relax this evening and not take in any of the on board activities.

Glacier sailing tomorrow!!

The Diamond in Alaska
The Atrium of the Diamond Princess
Some wore shorts but most of us wore jackets and gloves.
The Mergerie Glacerier