Last Full Day of the First One!

This is the last full day of our North bound Cruise. and it is going to be a busy one. We began the day by meeting with our new friends Ken and Ann for breakfast.As usual it was a very pleasant visit. They are from Australia and have cruised often. We meet at eight and usually daudle over the meal but today we headed out about 8:45 so we could take in the chat with the officers which was happening at nine in the Princess theatre.

That was followed by the comedy cooking show which was also in the theatre. We decided to stay in the same seats because we had a very good view of the stage,. As usual the comedy routine between the excetutive chef and the director of restaurant Operations was hilarious. They prepared 3 dishes and we were given the recipes. They told us that there is a grand total of 515 crew members dedicated to providing an unforgetable onboard dining experience.

The fantastic end to this gathering was a solo by EMILE. He sings It's Time to Say Goodbye. He has an amazing voice and he sings with such power and emotion that there is not a dry eye in the place. By now it was after eleven and we had to get back to our cabin to change and get ready for the Most Travelled Passengers Luncheon. Our 650+ days put us 12 th on the list. The luncheon was in Sabatini"s When we arrived we were greeted by the officers and our picture was taken with the captain. We would receive a copy of that photo later.

There were 7 tables and an officer sat at each one. The engineer sat with us.There were special personalized menus at each place.

We were served wine and sparking water and then came the appetizers

The food was amazing. The appetizers were a trio of items, one fish, one pasta and one beef. One was beef tartare and I passed on that one because it was raw beef. I had a taste but it was not to my liking.

There was a choice of 3 mains, one seafood, one pasta and one beef.Ken and I chose the salmon with shrimp

Then came the dessert....here is what it was and I quote CELESTIAL PASSIONFRUIT REVERIE: VANILLA MOUSSEORB WITH MANGO-BANANA ROCHER It was as tasty and as elegant looking as it sounds.

And just in case anyone had room for one more amazing taste sensation a tray of treats was put on the table for all to share. I did eat one strawberry.

This was an experience not soon forgotten. Later in the day we were walking and I saw a man carrying a green duck that was bigger that a rool of toilet paper. I asked if he found that duck. He said no but I hide ducks and he handed me five ducks. They did not have tags. I will take them home, add tags and hide them on our next cruise in April.

In an effort to work off some of those calories I put 3000 steps on and saw some different door decorations. It is easier to walk the different floors because there isn't a lot of people there. Along the was I made note of a couple of decorated doors. Not as many door were decorated as I expected. I took pictures of 2

We met another amazing couple at dinner. They are from Hamilton, two of few Canadians on board. We did not go to the evening show, we just relaxed in our cabin. This cruise has come to an end. Many will disembark in the morning and new passengers will arrive and we will head south.

College Fjord

College Fjord in the northern sector of Prince William Sound, is considered one of the most scenic fjords in the world with spectacular glacier viewing. . There are over a dozen major glaciers in the fjord, all surrounded by rugged snow-capped mountains. It is possible from one point to see eight glaciers at once College Fjord was discovered in 1899 during the Harriman Expedition. Edward Henry Herriman, a millionaire railroad tycoon, set sail with 125 other passengers and crew, including 23 of esteemed scientists from several Ivy League schools, to explore the fjords of Alaskan. The scientists named the glaciers in this fjord after their Ivy League alma maters and their sister schools. Those names include Amherst, Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Harvard, Smith, Vassar, and Yale. The glaciers of the northwest side feature names of women's colleges and those of the southeast side are names of men's colleges.

Glacier Bay National Park

Located in Southeast Alaska, west of the capital city of Juneau, Glacier Bay is a beautiful National Park full of snow capped mountains, tidewater glaciers and wildlife. Experience wildlife in all its beauty from boat trips for whale watching and hiking through the trails of the Park. It is a protected area full of wonder to be explored. Almost all of the day was spent enjoying the view of the bay. Unfortunately it was raining most of the day and the views were not spectacular. Since Ken and I have been here many times it was not bad for us but we felt sorry for the people for whom this was their first and perhaps only chance to see these wonders.

This was also the day of the Captain Circle cocktail party and it was also a Formal night. So we gat dressed up and away we went. The ship is full and the numbers were interesting. The Most traveled passengers were in this order: first 2104 days, second 1702 days and third was 1409 days. These numbers are unusual for Alaska. As a matter of fact there were 2621 first timers on board which is the norm. When that event ended we headed for the dining room, this was formal night a the night the staff was recognized and thanked I had my escargo and of course surf and turf with lobster was a choice for the main. I had a lovely light fruity dessert.

The sea has been a little bouncy this evening. I knew there might be a problem when I saw barff bags at the end of each set of stairs. I took Gravol to make certain I could sleep. It worked!

Skagway

Located at the northern terminus of the Inside Passage, Skagway is a one-hour ferry ride from Haines. By road, however, the distance is 359 miles, as you have to take the Haines Highway up to Haines Junction, Yukon, then take the Alaska Highway 100 miles south to Whitehorse, and then drive a final 100 miles south on the Klondike Highway to Skagway. North-country folk call this sightseeing route the Golden Horseshoe or Golden Circle tour, because it passes a lot of gold-rush country in addition to spectacular lake, forest, and mountain scenery The town is an amazingly preserved artifact from North America's biggest, most-storied gold rush. Most of the downtown district forms part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, a unit of the National Park System dedicated to commemorating and interpreting the frenzied stampede of 1897 that extended to Dawson City in Canada's Yukon Nearly all the historic sights are within a few blocks of the cruise-ship and ferry dock, allowing visitors to meander through the town's attractions at whatever pace they choose. Whether you're disembarking from a cruise ship, a ferry, or a dusty automobile fresh from the Golden Circle, you'll quickly discover that tourism is the lifeblood of this town. Unless you're visiting in winter or hiking into the backcountry on the Chilkoot Trail, you aren't likely to find a quiet Alaska experience around Skagway. Because of the landslide people cannot walk into town . Instead a shuttle is the mode of transportation. There are 4 ships in port so it will be very busy in town as sure.

We met Ken and Ann for breakfast. We visited so much that they had to clean off our tables to give us the big hint that it was time to leave. We have not decided if we will go ashore today. A quiet ship is a pleasant place. Even the Horizon Court was not very busy.

We basically had a lazy day. Altogether I have found 5 ducks.

During one of our strolls we took time to check out these strange chairs which are outside of the Wheelhouse Bar. We were not sure why there were openings at the sides?????

Ken sat in one to demonstrate....elbow places.....now who ever thought of that??

We did go to the evening show . It features a magician. He was amazing. Try as you may you cannot figure out how they do what they do. Tomorrow we are Glacie3r cruising. Our good weather is about to end. It is supposed to rain tomorrow.

Juneau

Juneau, Alaska's capital and third-largest city, is on the North American mainland but can't be reached by road. Bounded by steep mountains and water, the city’s geographic isolation and compact size make it much more akin to an island community such as Sitka than to other Alaskan urban centers, such as Fairbanks or Anchorage Juneau is full of contrasts. Its dramatic hillside location and historic downtown buildings provide a frontier feeling, but the city's cosmopolitan nature comes through in fine museums, noteworthy restaurants, and a literate and outdoorsy populace. The finest of the museums, the Alaska State Museum, opened in May 2016 on its old site as the expanded Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museum (SLAM) following several years of planning and exhibit research. Another new facility, the Walter Soboleff Center, offers visitors a chance to learn about the indigenous cultures of Southeast Alaska–-Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian. Other highlights include the Mt. Roberts Tramway, plenty of densely forested wilderness areas, quiet bays for sea kayaking, and even a famous drive-up glacier, Mendenhall Glacier. For goings-on, pick up the Juneau Empire (www.juneauempire.com), which keeps tabs on state politics, business, sports, and local news. When we arrived this morning the fog horn was blowing but it was not long before the fog lifted to reveal a wonderful blue sky and a sunny morning. The forcast said rain but fortunately it seems they were wrong.

Our excursion today is an Alaskian Salmon Bake. We do not need to disembark until 11:50. I was awake early so I decided to go topside to have a quiet cup of coffee. That was a mistake. It was a mad house up there and I was quite uncomfortable with all of the people and all of the comings and goings. I really do prefer the small ships. Yesterday the Grand was in Ketchikan when we were and I could not help but think that we should be on that ship instead of this one. I returned from upstairs and got Ken for breakfast. We went to the dining room for breakfast and we sat next to a lovely couple from Australia. They are recently retired and doing a lot of traveling. The visit made for a very pleasant breakfast. On the way to breakfast we hid 3 more ducks. Hiding when the ship is almost empty is so much fun. This morning I found a tiny and I do mean tiny duck. So now I have found 2.

I forgot to post yesterday that we got our invitation to the most travelled Passenger luncheon. I checked and found out that we are number 12 on the list and that there are several passengers with thousands of days. It was disappointing because I thought we might be one of the most travelled, but at least we are going to get to go to lunch with the captain. We had time to kill after breakfast and before we had to go ashore for our excursion so we just relaxed. I fought with the internet but that is becoming par for the course. We went ashore and met our transportation to the Salmon Bake. We traveled in what was an old school bus but it was comfortable enough.John was our driver and he is a member of the Tlinget nation, the Eagle clan. He told us a few things about the area during our 10 minute ride.

As soon as we got on the grounds we could pick up a small cup of clam chowder. It was very nice.

Next we were to pick up a plate and peruse the buffet. The choices were many and I gather it was all you could eat. The menu items were green salad, coleslaw,assorted pickles, baked beans, corn bread, rice, spare ribs and scalloped potatoes. You made your selection and then headed to the area where they were cooking the Socheye salmon. Everything was deliscious and you can get seconds if you wished. There was hot coffee and lemonade as well as a blueberry cake for dessert. They also had a fire set up so you could roast marshmallows if you so wished.

The area was covered with clear plastic and there were those gas heaters at evert table. They had a gift shop and bright clean washrooms as well. There was bar service if you wanted spirits or wine. ( for cash)

There was a gentleman singing and playing a guitar. He had his CDs for sale.

The area was very well laid out and landscaped. It was not rainy today but we would have stayed dry if it had rained because the area was well covered. But it was also well landscaped with water features and totems.

It was very well attended with bus loads of people coming and going the entire time. The buses came and parked and as soon as they were full they left and others arrived. We waited less than 5 minutes to get on our way back to the ship. There were 4 ships in port so on our return we sat out on the balcony and watched the seaplanes coming and going. We caould also watch passengers disembarking a neighbouring ship. Soon it was time for a nap. We got up and we soon had to get ready for dinner. My stomach was not happy so I had very little for dinner I guess I was still full from the salmon. We met 2 very nice couples who we hope will be dining near us again. After dinner we returned to the cabin so I could complete this entry on the blog. I am so pleased that the picture problem has been solved. Now to go back and put some photos into the previous blogs. Tomorrow we are in Skagway.

Ketchikan- Early Arrival

We have arrived in the community of Ketchikan. This is rated as the rainest place on the continent and of the four times we have been here there was no rain on three of them and it looks as if we are lucky again this time. There is no chance of rain and the temperature is forcast to be 16 degrees C which is 60 degrees Farenheight. We are up and waiting for breakfast an hour early because we did not change our watches ahead one hour. The computer did not change either. This time change is probable a local thing. Either way we were greeted to a beautiful sail in that we would have missed had we reset out time pieces. Today we have an excursion to a lumberjack show. This is a new excursion for us. Still no luck with pictures so I am going to use my cell phone to take photos today in the hopes that I can make that work. Breakfast arrived on time and we were able to enjoy it as we watch the scenery. The sky is cloudless and the sun is shining. We are blessed indeed. Soon it was almost time to head down to deck four. I decided that this was a perfect time to get some pictures of this beautiful ship and to hide some ducks. I was so right . We were able to hide 4 ducks without concern that someone might see us commit the deed.

We made our way to the dock and again took a lot of pictures as we waited for our tour. There was a very short 5 minute drive to the location of the lumber jack show. The MC was Lazonia (sp) and he was so much fun. There were 4 lumberjacks and 11 different competitions . Joe divided us into the US supporters and the BC supporters. He had us cheering and hooting and hollering. In the end the US won with 6 and BC had 5 wins. It was so much fun. I am so glad that we did that excursion.

When that was over we slowly made our way back to the ship, stopping at some of the shops but we made no purchases. We had the usual souverirs from previous visits and of course the exchange rate on top of the high prices scared us off. A 5 dollar US chocolate bar becomes an 8 dollar candy bar. Just not something I would do.

The day was amazingly warm and sunny and the walk was great. We really enjoyed it. We came back to the ship and put our things in the cabin and headed topside to get some lunch. This was our first visit to Horizon court. It is unbelievable how large this venue is. I chose a salad for lunch and then I discovered that the oatmeal cookies were there and of couse I had to have one of those and I took one for the road also. They are so good. Emile was in the section we choose to sit in and he was our waiter. Our table was shared with a very nice couple. After lunch we both napped for an hour. Soon it was time to weigh anchor and head out of Ketchikan on our way to Jouneau. The park ranger was having a magnet exchange and I brought one from NS and one from BC so I went to his cabin to exchange. The idea is to take one and leave one. But when I got to his cabin there were only two of the Alaska magnets left so I left 2 and took only one. I also left him a duck . By then it was about time to get ready for dinner. We headed to our usual seat in Alegro dining room but tonight we had different near by seated passengers. It really makes a difference on how to enjoy your meal if you do not have plesant people to visit with.

After we finished eating I went to the international cafe and spoke with the teck people. They were not busy so I got the computer and returned to get some help. Apparently when I see coding the actual photo will be seen by the viewer. To check that out I wrote to Janet and asked her to confirm that. She wrote back early this morning so now I can download the photos. It will take awhile to go back and fill in the pictures but apparently it will work. Photos to come.