The Group of Eight

Well this will be the last post for a little while. It was a wonderful cruise and we are so very glad that we went. We made new friends and had a wonderful time. Here is a big thanks to our table mates. The Fabulous group of Eight!!

We Disembark

Well we are home. I can't believe how quickly we got home. The disembarkation went so smoothly. We waited in the wheel house bar until it was our time to disembark. We saw Bill and Linda and Marion and Joan there but we did not see Gordon or Barbara . As soon as our group was called we proceeded to the gangway and about 15 minutes later we were in a Taxi headed for Kerri's. Everyone was super effecient. We were met by a porter right away and he helped us find our suitcases, he loaded them on a trolley and he took us to the taxi area and hailed a van for us. That was the best ten dollar tip we could have spent. It was so easy and we did not have to lift a finger. Soon we were at Kerri's. Leo had gone down for his morning nap but Emmie was awake and so we got to visit with her. We were shocked by how much she has grown. She chatted with me and was ever so pleasant. We headed home with Wayne and Carol in the back seat and again our luck was great. There were no tie ups and we were home in a flash. We delivered Wayne and Carol to their door and then we were on our way home again. When we arrived at the door there was a parcel waiting for us. Someone was oh so kind and they dropped off an old Television to add to Ken's collection. I don't know who you are but I WILL get you. This cruise began with lots of smiles, continues with more laughs than we have ever had in a 2 week period and ended with a good laugh as well. Thanks Matt!!

Gordon shows us his GOLD Card and then he gets his slippers and beer courtesy of our Black card.:-) Thanks you Gordon for the wonderful memories and smiles.

Our assistant waiter George

Our head waiter Dan.

Our room Steward John

Well our last day was busy with packing and saying good bye but having fun none the less. It was raining and the wind was blowing and it was cold. Actually it was quite nasty but since we had to pack it wasn't so bad. Our dinner on the last night has the parade of the chefs and the Baked Alaska which is traditional with Princess. We enjoyed our last dinner with our new friends. After dinner we gave our tips to the waiters and said our good byes. Service was exceptional and they really did deserve the extra tips. After dinner we went to the Internet Cafe where Carol tried to help Barbara get her boarding passes printed. While they were on the computers Ken and I presented Gordon with 2 bottles of beer inside a pair of Princess Mules. Teasing him about the perks of the Black Card.. So much laughter was had this week. Next we went to the theater for the evening show. We finished the evening in the usual way by having a specialty coffee at the International Cafe. That was the end of our card. We had timed it just right. Tomorrow we disembark:-(

Sunny Ketchikan

Sunny Ketchikan They continue to state that this is the place on the planet that gets the most rain, they measure the rain in feet!! This was our 6th day in Ketchikan and the sun has been shining every time. The ship docked around ten, Ken and I and Joan and Marion disembarked around 10:30 and we headed for Creek Street. I was very lucky in that there was one pair of earrings to match the pendant I bought last week. I was so pleased. Joan bought a pendant, earrings and a ring in the Australian opal. Marion said nothing. We separated and Ken and I shopped a little more. We had one more gift to buy and I found a very nice pin of native art. We had lunch back on the ship, first we were with Bill and Linda and then we finished lunch with Barbara and Gordon. They are always so much fun. Marion and Joan invited us to come to their suite for a before dinner drink, which we did. Dinner tonight was scallops and they were divine. I decided to splurge since the cruise is almost over and I had cheese cake for dessert instead of my usual sugar free choice. After dinner we all went to the theatre to see the Illusionist. He blew our minds again. We finished the evening with a night cape of special coffee at the International Café. It is so hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of our cruise and we go home on Saturday.

Raining in Juneau

Well, we knew it couldn’t last. It was raining today. We had planned to go up on the Mount Robson Tram but that will have to wait till next time. This was the night of the Captain’s Circle party and so it was formal night again. We had sent Ken’s white shirt out to be laundered but it did not get back in time so he had to wear a colored shirt. I was surprised by how good it looked. Before dinner we were invited to go to Marion and Joan’s cabin for pre dinner drinks and goodies. Ken and I brought our bottle of wine and some goodies. It was a great visit. Lobster was on the menu so everyone had the same thing as usual. After dinner we went to the Captain’s party. All of the ladies decided to have the green cocktails, blue Curacao and orange juice and Vodka. None of us won the bottle of Champagne. Then Wayne and Carol and Ken and I choose which of the old fashioned pictures to buy. The choice was not easy at all. To close of our evening we went to the Piazza and we watched the band Indigo as they performed Irish music.

COLD Skagway

June 12th/2012 We had breakfast in the dining room and we ate with 2 couples who were part of a group of 57 people from New York State. They were interesting to visit with. Today we were in Skagway and it was very cold and the wind was blowing a gale. We decided that we had been to Skagway 5 times before and we really didn’t need to get that cold today. We spent a very quiet day, napping and exploring the ship again. When walking around the ship we came to one of the hot tubs and there were 2 people in it. The bravest people on the ship. It might have been nice while in there but I sure wouldn’t want to be them getting out. For lunch I went to the Trident Grill and got each of us a hot dog. This time I found the onions and the relish. We decide to go to Skywalkers,( which is the night club on deck 16) for the Elite reception since the special drink was the port which Ken enjoys so much. I had another Strawberry Daiquiri. They are soooooooooo good. We went downstairs to supper and as usual we had a grand time. After super we went with Wayne and Carol to the place where they were taking pictures of people in the old time costumes. Carol didn’t like the ones we had taken last week. After that we went to the Princess Theatre for the production show. It was “Do You Wanna Dance?” and as usual it was fantastic. I cannot believe their energy. Next we stood by Crooners to take in the Name That Tune trivia. Barbara and Gordon ended up there also. We were surprised by what we knew and what we didn’t know. Barbara and I entered the guess the weight of the diamond contest and Ken and I went for our night cap as usual. We were on our way back to our room when we came across the display of gold chains and Ken got one. Finally it was off to bed. In spite of not going ashore and not really doing anything we had a busy day.

Margerie Glacier

Today was Glacier Bay sailing. We had room service for breakfast and they brought me wonderful berries again. We dressed and prepared to spend a lot of time on the balcony. After breakfast we went to the library and entered the contest for the day. Then Ken and I walked around the deck and we went up to Skywalkers. We met Carol there and when chatting with her we discovered that we had put the wrong answer in the contest. That was before noon so we dashed down to put in a new answer. Then Carol and I went to Facets to check out the Blue diamond collection. They have nothing in yellow gold and their prices are out of this world. I went back to the room and we were about to arrive at the glacier so we decided to eat in our room. I went to the Alaskan Buffet and picked up a few things for us both. After we ate Ken got dressed and he went topside to take a few pictures. At one point the naturalist poked her head around the corner of our balcony and introduced herself and said hello. By now we were at the Margerie Glacier. This is the one that calves so much so I knew the railings would be packed. I decided to stay in the room. I could hear the thunderous roars of the glacier and at one point I went out and tried to see but it was impossible so I came beck. Soon the captain turned the ship so the people in Starboard side could have a good view. It was totally amazing. He stayed for about an hour and the glacier calved almost continually. As soon as the ship turned Ken came back and we watched the action together. I got some amazing pictures. I also got a video which I will post on you tube when we get home. The sights and sounds were amazing. We were invited for drinks with Marion and Joan at 4:30 so it was soon time to dress for dinner and our visit. We went upstairs and all of the table mates plus Linda and Bill from Burnaby were there. As usual we had a fun time. After dinner we returned to the room to watch the wales. We were sailing through Icy Straits where the humpbacks feed. Most of the activity was on the Port side but we did see a couple. Next we went to the show in the Princess Theatre. Tonight the features performer was Dan Horn, a ventriloquist. We saw him on the northbound cruise but he was so good we decided to go again. He did not disappoint. After the show we went to the International Café for a specialty coffee. We ran into Wayne and Carol so we joined them. Then it was off to bed.. another wonderful day had come to an end.

Lots of Ice!!

Sunday June 10th We started the day by going to Horizon Court for breakfast. We were later than usual having gotten a late start,. We ended up having lunch with a gentleman from Australia, Bruce Alexander. He has to be the most travelled, well informed person we have ever met. Before we knew it it was time to head out for the meet and greet. First we went to the library to enter the Wake Show contest and then we went to Crooners to meet with the Cruise Critic group. About a dozen people appeared and we all had a great visit. We went to the Savoy dining room for the British Pub lunch. As usual it was good. We checked out the art auction offerings and then it was back to our room to check out the Glaciers in Yakutat Bay. The captain maneuvered the ship in close to the Hubbard Glacier. We could not believe how filled with ice the water was. It was thick with ice burgs and burger bits. While watching out the balcony door we had the television on and the on board naturalist was narrating the view. We were so close and at one point the ship shuttered and the naturalist said “Oops, I guess that was an iceberg” That is not something you like to hear when on a ship in an ice filled channel. Too soon it was time to dress for formal night and head out to dinner. Much to our relief the dining room staff had changed our table to a table for eight and we did not have to lose any of our friends. Gordon was wearing his new tie that we had given him and Joan and Marion brought him a lovely red boutonniere to match his tie. We posed for photos and as usual we had a grand time. This was the night of the Captain’s welcome party and the champagne waterfall. We got a glass of bubbly and watched all of the beautiful people go by. There are a lot more high fashion elegant outfits this time. But as usual there are some who have never looked in a mirror. Ken and I returned to our room with plans to change and go back out again but we never left the room again and we just relaxed for the trest of the evening. Glacier Bay tomorrow!! Gordon smiles with his new tie and his pretty flower.:-)

Whittier, Alaska

Saturday June 9th, Today was our day in Whittier, Alaska. We actually docked at midnight last night. Passengers who are doing the 7 day cruie have to disembark this morning. We are so glad it is not us. We are not ready to go home. We had breakfast in the dining room and we met Marion and Joan there. After a visit Marion asked if I would use my netbook to recharge his I-Pod. Ken and I walked the stairs and they met us in our room. The steward arrived with our new mini bar set up. We still have all of the last one left so we are going to have to do some drinking on this leg of the cruise. We were visiting and having great time when we realized that we had to go to Club Fusion to register our new cruise card. In the process of doing that we met Wayne and Carol. Marion and Joan agreed to show Carol their suite. We were invited to come along. It is the same as the suite that Wayne and Carol had for that one night. We visited with them and soon it was time to go for lunch. We ate at Horizon Court and then came back to the room to write Recognition card for our favorite staff and check our account etc. After a nap we dressed for dinner and went up to Skywalkers for a cocktail. I had a Blue Hawaiian and Ken had a Mai Tai. When we went to dinner we discovered that it was open dining tonight. Wayne and Carol are now at our table, number 69 and we are not sure who else will be eating with us. We will be disappointed if our other table mates have been moved. Hopefully we will also be moved to a table for eight. They were so much fun we would hate to lose any of them. There are a lot of newbies on board and it is fun to listen to their comments and queries. I know we sounded the same on our first cruise. The sun has broken through and the sun on the snow is magnificent. I don’t know if I have even seen snow looking so wonderful. We invited Wayne and Carol to our room and the four of us sat and watched for well over an hour. We were absolutely spell bound by the beauty. Joan and Marion show off their fruit basket! The natural beauty defies description!

Last Day of Northbound Cruise

Friday June 8th For some people this is the last day and they have to begin packing to go home, others have to pack for the land portion of their vacation and for us it is the last day of the first cruise. I am so glad we are doing both north and South. I am so not ready to go home. We had a wonderful sleep. We are crossing the Gulf of Alaska so there was some motion on the ship last night. It just rocked us gently and we had the best sleep ever. We went to the dining room for breakfast and they seated us with a couple we had dined with before so that was fun. After breakfast Ken shopped for some rum and much to our surprise they gave it to us. Usually you get it when you disembark. We met Wayne and Carol and they are excited to have their black card already when they didn’t expect to get it until the end of the next leg. Carol and I both shopped the big sale and I picked up a tie for Gordon , our table mate. Then we went to the International café for a coffee and Marium and Joan were there. Apparently they have a red bow in their room so they are going to get the tie box decorated and we will get the head waiter to deliver the tie to Gordon. It should be fun. Next Ken and I and Wayne and Carol checked out that game in the Casino. I played twice using the tokens we won. The game is much harder than it looks. I am so surprised that someone won the 500.00 last cruise. Next we just sat and relaxed for a while to wait for time for elevator roulette. It was played differently this time . Ken and I each won three prizes and Wayne also won 3 prizes. I got a magnet, a fan and a pen. We went to Horizon Court and had some fruit for our lunch. We spoke to the head waiter from the dining room and he is going to play along with us and deliver the tie to Gordon. He has promised to make a big deal of it . Ken went to the magic class and I came here to blog. We got dressed and went to dinner early so we could give the tie to Gabriel or Gabby as he likes to be called. Gordon was thrilled with the gift of the tie and it was so much fun to see the look on his face. Dinner was great. I had a turkey dinner with all of the trimmings. Tonight was the parade of the baked Alaskan which is always fun. All six of us are returning to Vancouver so we have another week to enjoy each others’ company. Barbara and George are meeting relatives in Whittier but Marium and Judy and Ken and I do not have anything planned. We will just relax and enjoy the ship. After dinner we went to the late show and it starred Dan Horn, a ventriloquist. We met Wayne and Carol and we went downstairs for a special coffee. Sunset tonight is at 11:18 pm and sunrise is 4:28 am so it is a very short night indeed. Whittier and cruise two begins tomorrow Gabby presents a gift to Gordon!! Surprise!

Thursday June 7th We are in Glacier Bay again and it is just as awe inspiring and spectacular as it was the 4 times before this. The day is fair. The sun is not shining but it is high overcast so it is quite bright. My glass lenses have changed color, so that will give you an indication. We got up quite early and we had breakfast delivered to the room. Again I asked for berries and I was not disappointed. They brought a wonderful bowl of strawberries and blackberries which I thoroughly enjoyed. We saw whales and some glacier calving, and for most of the day it was not too cool. We enjoyed the balcony. This is our first time to have one in Alaska and it is a much warmer experience, believe me. The wind came up in the afternoon and the people outside on the decks looked mighty cold. At 2:00 I had an appointment to have my hair done and I was so pleased with the results. The gal, Claudette did a very nice job. Soon it was time to get ready for dinner. Tonight is lobster night plus the captain’s circle party is tonight. We dressed formally and away we went. Dinner was great, the waiter asked Ken if he wanted more lobster but unfortunately there was very little time because of the party. We were in the longest line we have ever been in. For the party we sat with the ones from our dinner table plus Wayne and Carol plus friends of Marium and Joan who are also from Burnaby. So it was an all BC group except for Gordon and Barbara. The captain gave his usual speech. The big winner as the most travelled passengers were the people we lunched with a few days ago, Mr and Mrs La Torre from Encinitas, CA. They had 625 days with Princess. We have a very long way to go to catch up to them. After the Captain’s party we headed for the Princess theatre for the production Show. It was called “Born to be Wild” The special affects with the Pink Cadillac were very intriguing but I can’t say I was very thrilled with the show itself. I would not go to it again. When the show was over we decided to call it a night.

Here are just 2 of our amazing views.

We have lots of room in our car

Notice the crowded streets.

Wednesday June 6th was our first day in Skagway. We were in no rush this morning because our train ride is not scheduled until 12:45. We had breakfast and just were lazy until it was time to disembark. We are to board the train from the depot down town so it meant a walk of a mile or so. We have been climbing stairs and walking so much that our calf muscles are beginning to object. But again we have lucked out and it is a very nice day. There is no rain and no wind and the temperature is actually quite pleasant. As usual the little village was overrun with cruisers. There are 4 big ships in town and it is almost standing room only down town. Because of the time of departure there is no time for lunch so my kettle corn with have to do. You are not allowed to remove food from the ship so we walk around to look for a piece of fruit to eat on the train. We have no luck. There are jewelry stores everywhere but no sign of a piece of fruit. We walk back to the depot and wait for the train. Before long we find Wayne and Carol and we join them in line. When it is time to board we luck out and accidently choose a car designed for wheel chairs. There are a total of 12 people in the entire car so we each have our own bench seat and there is lots of room to move from side to side to take amazing pictures. The journey is three hours of dizzying views and Wows. I took so many pictures!! Ken bought a souvenir cap but I resisted. When we pulled into the depot Wayne and Carol went to shop and Ken and I headed back to the ship. It was 4:30 so there was not a lot of time to get ready for 5:30 dining. My dry cleaning is back in the room, hung and ready to wear again. So far I have had my coat and dress as well as my white blazer cleaned. I love the laundry service, As usual we had a great time at dinner. We laugh and visit and it is such a pleasant experience. We were called to see if we wanted to keep the same dining arrangements for the second leg and we said yes. These people are so nice. Scallops were on the menu tonight and they were great, nice big sea scallops. After dinner we met Wayne and Carol at a photo location. They now have an arrangement where you get dressed up in Gold Rush era costumes to get pictures taken and Carol wants us to do a group picture. The shoot goes well and I think the pictures will be cute. The evening show starred an illusionist and as usual he left us spell bound, wondering how in the heck he did that. After the show we got a glass of ice tea and called it a night. Tomorrow is the glaciers!!

Pictures of the day.

I finally get to taste a Strawberry daiquiri!! Juneau has some modern buildings such as the library And I am wearing heels!!

Tuesday In Juneau

Tuesday and we are in Juneau. Because we don’t have a tour booked there is no rush to leave the ship so we decided that this was the day to have room service for breakfast. It was delivered at 7:30 just as requested. It was really nice. The coffee was hot and the assortment of fresh berries was wonderful. After breakfast we disembarked and took a leisurely stroll around the city. We actually walked for almost 3 hours with stops in the various shops. I gat a nice vest for Noah and the highlight was finding a vendor of kettle corn. He carried the regular , plus caramel , and a white cheddar. He assured me there was no sugar in the white cheddar kind so that is what we bought. I think the caramel was so much better. (he gave us samples) We met Wayne and Carol along the way and roamed with them for a little while. We are always impressed by the jewelry in these places. Every window is filled with the most unique pieces, no 2 are the same and all are spectacular, so much more special that what you see in areas that don’t cater to the tourist. We did not purchase today but we enjoyed looking. We came back to the ship for lunch. The dining room was not open so we had to go to the buffet for lunch. We had a rest in the afternoon and then we dressed early for dinner. We made plans to meet Wayne upstairs in Skywalkers Longue. The special drink for the day is a port wine and Ken likes that. BUT I have been seeing a drink being served and it looks fantastic. It is a beautiful red color. I had no idea what it was so I asked a bar tender and he told me that it was a strawberry daiquiri. This was my chance to order one . It was amazing. Actually it is like a strawberry smoothie with a bit of a kick. Loved it. Then we had to get downstairs for dinner. Gordon and Barbara were not there. I hope there is not a problem. It was Italian night and we had lots of fun joking with the staff. The head waiter for the dining room is very tall and I mean very tall. At one point there was a picture taken of him and I together. The tall and the short of it.:-) Together Marium and Joan and Ken and I went to the early show. It was a full production show with the Princess singers and dancers. They never fail to amaze with their high energy and their quick changes. It turned out to be a good thing that we went to the early show because the 8:30 was cancelled due to a computer glich that wouldn’t let them raise the curtain on the stage. We finished the evening by having a specialty coffee at the International Café. I fat a skinny latte and Ken had a mocha. Then it was off to bed. Another busy day had come to an end.

Alaskan Cruise??

These people are working on their tan in Ketchikan

Sunny Ketchikan

Ken on sunny Creek Street

Five Times Sunny

Five times and still sunny!! Ken and I have now visited Ketchikan 5 times and every time it has been sunny. That would not be exceptional if it were not for the fact that Ketchikan is the wettest spot in North America if not the world. It is in a rain forest and the rain is measured in feet , not inches!! We were up early again this morning, the sun streaming in through the balcony door woke us and of course up here the sun gets up around four. We went to Horizon court for breakfast since it was too early for the dining room. We sat with the nicest couple and all of the chatting and laughing meant that breakfast took well over an hour. We dressed in layers because the sun was shining but the air was cool. It was around 12C. Anyway we walked and walked and walked and walked. We had not yet visited Creek Street so that was our ultimate destination. I have forgotten my pill case so we were on the hunt for a new one. We also had to shop for something for Leo and Emmie. We were successful on all counts. The sun shone and we ended up removing some of the layers. There were 4 ships in port so the streets and sights were very busy. Four hours after we left the ship we were checked back in. My feet and legs were so very tired I wondered if I would make it.. There was a fish bar b que at the Neptune pool deck so we decided to take it in. It was very good, and we got there before the mob. Sail away was scheduled for 1:30 and it was a little delayed because a passenger was not on board. We had a rest and before we knew it it was time to dress fro dinner. I ordered the steamed cod and I didn’t like it at all. Steamed cod seems almost like raw cod. I didn’t send it back but I ordered extra fruit with my dessert. The evening show starred a comedian and we enjoyed it. We roamed around the ship, found Wayne and Carol, made arrangements to meet at happy hour in Skywalkers tomorrow. Tomorrow we are in Juneau. The weather is supposed to be good again. YEAH!!!

After we got our dining room assignment we explored a bit more and soon it was time to get ready for dinner. We made our way to the international dining room and we discovered much to our delight that table 69 is a table for 6 which we love and to top it all off it is a window table. No one else appeared but that is not unusual for the first night of a cruise. Often people stay topside to watch the sail away. Our hear waiter is Dan and his assistant is George. Prime rib was the featured meal. I had a Moracian Vegitarian Ragout. We decided to go down to Churchill Longue to see if they were showing the hockey game and they were. We arrived in time to watch the third period. At the end of that it was tied and so we decided to go for a walk in between third and overtime. We came up to our room and to our surprise and pleasure it was on the stateroom TV. So we settled in to watch the rest of the game. By the time it was over we were to lazy to go anywhere else so we called it a night. Sunday morning we were awake at five and we enjoyed sunrise from the balcony. We are so lucky again. Had breakfast in the dining room, did some shopping, peeked in at the Zumba, Entered the wake show contest, had Pub lunch with Wayne and carol ,Had a nap,dressed for formal night . Wayne and Carol brought some wine and we had a drink before dinner. Went to dinner and we are lucky again, Our dinner companions are going to be a lot of fun. One couple from Burnaby and one couple is from Phoenix. We laughed and had so much fun. I had halibut for dinner. After dinner we went to the Princes Show and then after that we went to the Piazza and saw a juggler and sword swallower. Wayne and carol and Ken and I chatted withthem after their show. They were amazing. We ended the evening by going to Club Fusion to dance a little. WOW what a busy day.

Well Well!! Here we are in room L201 That is not the room we thought we would be in at all. We left the house early and arrived at Carol and Wayne’s at nine instead of 9:30. Traffic into the city was no problem at all. We were able to see Leo but Emmie was asleep. We called a cab and they brought a mini van which was great because we had so much luggage. Check in was quick and uneventful. The gal gave us our map of the ship and on the front of the map it read L201 and we expected it to say E311. The upgrade fairy had struck again. We are on deck 14 and we have a balcony. Yippee!! Fortunately, our luggage has found us even though all of the luggage tags said E311 We made our way to the International dining room and we had a very nice lunch. Then we went to Sabatini’s and changed our dining arrangements from anytime to early traditional. Then we came back to our room and we met our steward, JOHN, and I put up our door decorations The sun is actually trying to shine and it is a very nice day. An amazing start to what we hope will be an amazing voyage.

Tomorrow We Sail!!

Tomorrow we sail, We are almost ready, I have to pack toiletries and jewelry and go to the store to get some Gravol as a precaution. I don't expect it to be rough but just in case I want to be prepared. There is no way that I want to spoil any of this trip. We pick up Wayne and Carol in the morning and drive to Vancouver. We will leave the car at Kerri's and get a cab to Canada Place. Hopefully we will have lunch on board. We love cruising!!

This is what we want it to look like at sail away time. No rain please. Keep tuned for more of our adventure, North to Alaska!!