Thursday May 30 – Galcier Bay

I am up early and I am dressed and out on the Promenade deck to watch as we enter Glacier Bay.  There are a few of us out there and even though it is cold out I am dressed appropriately.  I have jeans, long sleeve top, fleece jacket and my weather proof jacket, gloves come out later. 

As we enter the Bay there is quite a bit of wildlife, we spot whales in the distance, lots of seals right at the surface and numerous birds.

They are serving hot chocolate and coffee out on deck and of course you can spike it with your choice of liquid if necessary.

The park ranger has come on what I like is he is talking intermittently not constantly however the volume is very loud to the point it is hard to make out what he is saying. 

Bernie pointing out a glacier to Mark

I will add that while travelling in Glacier Bay the rules are very strict.  You are not allowed to bring paper napkins, paper cups, leave food around on the open decks.  This is to ensure that nothing goes overboard or that the birds feed on people food.

We are going in slow because there is so much ice in the water.  We are following the NCL Jewel (I believe) and we make our way slowly towards to the Margerie Glacier passing Johns Hopkins Inlet to our left and Russell Island to the right travelling up Tarr Inlet.

We arrive at the base of Margerie and Grand Pacific Glacier around 11 am and the Captain spends about an hour there turning the ship to ensure a great view from all areas.

Around noon we head back to the cabin and we see some more whales in the distance.  But we are hungry and very tired after getting up so early. 

We decide to order room service – two club house sandwiches very yummy.  And then we are out like a light for a few hours.

Tonight is formal night and we also have the Captain Circle Party.  We are invited to the second party and glad too as the Captain attended that party, he couldn’t make it to the first party because we were delayed in Glacier Bay because of the ice and the ranger didn’t get off until about two hours late and he was needed on the bridge.

Have to say this is the smallest Captain Circle party and it included the Gold/Medalion members cause there are so few people Captain Circle Members.  There are only 81 elites on board.

For dinner we head to the Savoy dining room to try and get a table in Sandudee’s section and his great waiter Na both from Thailand.  So nice to see him again and of course they take such great care of us. 

I have the spring roll to start, the appetizer size of raviloli and then the pork for my entrée and Sandudee insists we get a lobster tail.  But I am not a huge fan of lobster especially the one on the ship just too rich for me but I did have a bite and others around us loved the lobster.  We didn’t have any dessert as we promised to meet up with friends for the show tonight.

We attend the Born to Be Wild Show and loved it – this is the first time I have seen it and how the heck do they get the pink Cadillac on the stage?

Brett the CD is hosting the big party in the Atrium this evening and we head there and dance dance dance and the place is packed.  We had a great time and Brett is a GREAT host.  At midnight we are crawling into bed.

Brett our great CD

Sunday Morning May 26

It is a day at sea and we are sailing up between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia.  This is some of the most beautiful scenery ever.  Since I am up so darn early (5 am, which is really sleeping in for us since we wake normally at 3:30 for work) I quietly get dressed so I don’t wake Bernie and head out.  I walk the promenade deck and just stare and the views. 

After awhile I know I need some food so I head up to the Horizon Court and grab a small bite.  A bit of Musselix, half a bagel and fresh fruit. 

Around 6:30 I head down to deck five to the coffee bar and curly up in a chair near the window and read.  The coffee bar on this ship doesn’t open until 7 am and the staff here are just setting things up.  But around 6:45 the bartender says I can get you your beverage now if you wish.  I buy a new coffee card $29 plus 15% gratuity $4.35 total of $33.35 which gives you 15 espresso beverages.

Bernie comes and meets me and he gets his tea and then heads upstairs to get his breakfast.  On this ship the dining room serving lunch and breakfast is the International Dining room that is normally the Traditional Dining room at the aft of the ship.  Princess is smart they have set up a person on deck 5 and deck 6 near the dining rooms there to direct passengers to the dining room that is open for breakfast – smart thinking Princess.  And trust me there were a lot of people looking.

Seas are so calm, in fact I swear we are docked it is so calm.  Weather is lovely, sunny and clear, and cool but not cold, but if you head outside you do need a jacket as the sea breeze sends a shiver down your spine.  But really you couldn’t ask for better weather.

Lots of things going on around the ship this morning.  There is a Welcome to Princess gathering so people can learn about the loyalty program and that is followed by Future Cruise Presentation.  Goofy Golf Putting in the atrium where you had to put around the elevators, then past the future cruise desk, then into the library.  Looks like they had fun.

I attended Zumba led by Walter and boy was that fun and very crowded!  Worked up a good sweat.  Now it is time to shower then head to Mark’s first lecture on Glaciers All Around.

Mark Harris’ lecture on glaciers was very popular and I learned a lot. 

We are both hungry, it is 2 pm and we haven’t eaten for about 8 hours so we head up to the Horizon Court for bite.  And I wander around the ship afterwards, stopping to watch the last hour of the movie Big which is showing up on the pool deck.  The warm sun on my face is very calming and I am struggling to keep my eyes open.  The weather is perfect, the seas are so very calm that the sun is reflecting off it and blinds us. 

We see quite a bit of wildlife today, a huge school of dolphins played at the bow of the ship.  This morning there was a pod of whales, not sure which kind of whale because they were too far away.  Then this afternoon just looking from our cabin we see about four separate pods of whales in the distance.  We follow them with our eyes and just enjoy their majesty. 

With so many first time cruisers on board a lot of people are lost or trying to figure things out, but the staff are very helpful and many of the seasoned passengers are assisting too. 

We have a great cabin steward (Sherwin) who is very attentive.  A light was flickering in the bathroom and within an hour of telling him it was fixed.  

Today for activities they had the wooden horse racing, slot tournament, Gemstones Around the World lecture, Bingo, Cruise Long Scavenger Hunt, another Zumba class (I popped my head in and again it was packed), golf chipping, line dance class, the movie Argo, carpet bowling and a medical professional get together. 

Tonight is formal night (but we are not dressing up but will head to Horizon Court instead).  Events tonight are a LGBT gathering, Captains Welcome Aboard Party, Majority Rules Trivia, Princess Popstar, and the Production Show tonight is I Got the Music.  What is odd is there is nothing in Explorer’s Lounge except for U2 and then a James Brown Concert. 

I am back in the cabin and it is around 6:30 and I am relaxing while Bernie decided to head up to Skywalkers for a drink at the Platinum/Elite Lounge.  Tonight’s Drink is the Chairman of the Board served with Smoked Salmon with Toast Points.

Tonight we put our clocks back an hour and we dock in Ketchikan early but we leave at 2 pm.  We don’t have any set plans in any of the ports but because it is a short day tomorrow we are just going to walk around.

Saturday May 25, 2013

We arrived at the pier around 11:30 and made our way with our bags to the baggage drop off.  Key was to find the right spot to drop off the bags as there were three ships in port.  We dropped off the bags, and made our way back out to the street and two blocks away to a restaurant where we met up with Connie and Derrick who we have sailed with a few times.  They were in town for a few appointments so we took the opportunity to see them and catch up.  

After lunch we decided to try and board.  It was just before 2 pm and with three ships in port the line for security was longer than normal but it moved continuously and took about 15 minutes to clear security.  Now we wanted to test the wine policy so we purposely brought on three bottles (one more than is allowed without paying the corkage) to see what they are doing at the Port of Vancouver.  When the bag carrying the wine was scanned we were directed to the table just off to the side where we had to show them our wine and they took our cabin number down and we signed a receipt for the $15 corkage fee.  Note you are allowed one bottle of wine/champagne per person to consume in your cabin.  Over that amount you are automatically charged the corkage fee no matter where you consume it.  They took one of the three bottles and put a stamp on it which identifies that we paid the corkage.  So if we take that bottle to dinner we don’t have to repay the corkage.  However if you take one of the other bottles that we didn’t pay corkage on to the dining room we would have to pay corkage.  Seems reasonable to me and I don’t mind, I am just glad Princess allows us to bring wine on.

After security it is customs and again another long line but this moved swiftly too and we maybe spent five minutes in this line.  Then the customary health form, and then we went to the check in counters to get our key card, which took maybe two minutes.  We walked up the gangway and were on!  In all the process took a little longer than normal because of three ships.  Please take note that none of the delays were Princess’ fault but had more to do with not enough security screening and custom agents, and three ships in port.

Once we arrived in our cabin – P330 our bags had arrived.  Sure helped dropping them off early and then coming on board later.  

I should say that we originally booked an inside for this cruise but about a month prior to sailing the price dropped and because of the fare type we booked we couldn’t get a rebated amount but we were able to upgrade to an obstructed oceanview for the same amount we paid.  In the end we were upgraded to an unobstructed oceanview cabin on Plaza deck very close to the art gallery and down a hallway that is a dead end.  It is a great room with a large window and much more space between the bed and cupboards and it is very very quiet.

We meet our cabin steward Sherwin and put in our requests for a few items that we will need, like the top sheet, extra pillows, and extra towels.

Muster was suppose to be at 4 but an announcement was made that they were delaying the muster because of late boarding passengers, and that we would be departing later too.  

So we head out to explore the ship and who do we run in to but Steve the Bar Manager who we have sailed with a few times.  Then Peter John the Captain Circle Host sees us and comes over fast for a big hug.  Oh it is so nice to see him again.  Then we turn around and who do we see but Mark Harris who was the Naturalist on the Hawaii cruise on the Star last fall.  He tells us he just got on 7 days ago and he is on until September.  We loved his lectures and trust me that is saying a lot as we have only come across one other lecturer (Jay Moore) who we enjoyed seeing the rest we couldn’t stand.

As we head up to the Lido deck a bar staff comments to us that he remembers us from the Star Princess in the fall.  We don’t really remember him but we are glad to see him again and we catch up with who is on.

The crowd on board seems really much younger.  There are a few large groups sailing from different parts of the world and it is fun to share this cruise with them.  For many this is their first cruise, and many don’t speak English.  There is a large group from China and we are impressed when they announce the Muster Drill information in both English and Chinese.

The Muster drill is finally held and we attend and yes they scanned all the cruise cards of those that came.  It is nice to have the drill just one floor above ours, certainly made it much easier to return to the cabin afterwards.

As I was saying there are quite a few first time cruisers, and in fact when we walk down most of the hallways all we see is blue cards, and gold too.  We later find out there are only 81 elites, and the most travelled only has just over 500 days.  Boy that isn’t much as we are use to days in the 1,000s.  We do qualify for the Most Travelled Party, we are #10 on the list.

Sailaway is held outside as the skies cleared and we actually had a lovely sunny evening which made for one of the most beautiful departures ever from Vancouver.  There is sailaway party on the Lido deck and we are impressed to see Brett Siborne in attendance.  I say this because for the past six cruises the Cruise Director has not been there.  But I know Brett loves the interaction with the passengers and he is really hands on and it shows.  We don’t hang around the party much mainly because the band – Superfly – is really not to our liking at all, to the point we can’t handle even listening.

Dinner tonight is going to be in the dining room.  At first we try to find where my friend Sandudee – Junior Waiter is and he is Savoy Dining room and we say hi to him but his station is full and we promise we will be back another night.  Instead we head to the Sante Fe Dining room and we are given a lovely table by the window.  Our servers – sorry I forgot their names – but they are a married couple from the Philippines were amazing.  We ordered a bottle of wine and I started with the ricotta/leek tart, then the salad and for my entrée I had the Basa Fillet.  

After dinner we decide to try and catch the Welcome Aboard Show in the Princess Theater. We get a seat up front as we came in kind of late.  It is busy but not full.  Again we are impressed to see Brett there and he really did a great job introducing the ship and welcoming so many first time cruisers on board.  The Princess Dancers and singers performed as well as Sarge the comedian who we thought we had seen but as soon as he came out and started talking we realized we had never seen him before.  We really laughed hard at his show and we look forward to his full show on Monday night.

After the show the ship is dead, really dead, I thought everyone had gotten off!  It was only 11 pm but it was hard to see anything or anyone around.  So we decide to hit the hay.  
 

October 14 - At Sea

We wake and we are being lazy so easy to do.  Every morning we wake and watch the Morning Wake Show.  Today is a sea day and there is no rush to get going.

Today is the Outlet Sale on board in one of the dining rooms.  Now every cruise we have ever been on has this outlet sale.  It takes place in the dining room, tables are covered with sale items, and you name it they have it.  Since the ship was in Alaska for the summer and this is the first sailing since then there is lots of items from Alaska.  You name it, it is here - good time to buy your souvenirs from Alaska.  There are watches, scarves, rings, purses, t-shirts, magnets and everything else.  Normally there may be one or two things that I may buy but the lines for the checkout are so long, I almost always just put the stuff down and leave.  However one cruise the staff had a table that all you had to do was give your card number and they packaged it and did up the bill and we pick it all up later in one of the stores.

For lunch we head to the Horizon Court and they have set up a Fisherman's Deck BBQ which I went to and enjoyed some nice fish, unfortunately just as the buffet was being set up the skies opened and the rain came pouring down.  But this is very common in Central Amercia and is a nice break to the humidity.

This afternoon Dr. Ryan is holding a lecture on the Panama Canal, now we have pretty much had enough of Dr. Ryan and his political views being expressed in every other sentence so we decide to skip the lecture but catch it on the Stateroom TV channel. 

Tonight is formal night but we are opting out of formal wear, but decide to attend the Captain Circle Party.  We are also going to the Bayou Cafe for dinner with Craig and Barb right afterwards.  We arrive in the Vista lounge just before 7 pm and are enjoying some free watered down drinks but are having a good time seeing friends.



Donna and Shaune from Edmonton



Barb and Craig with Jasper

us with Jasper

Emilio Mazzi the Hotel General Manager with Jasper

Brett Sibourne with Jasper

We had a good time at the Captain Circle Party - didn't win anything and we are very very far from being the most travelled passenger but we are still young and lots of cruises to go.  We make our way over to the Bayou Cafe, neither couple has eaten there before, it is sort of like a steakhouse but with a Louisiana twist.  The decor is very nice, dark woods, leather chairs, Carnival beads on the tables.  Prior to sailing Craig and I talked about eating together here and sharing some good wine.  Bernie and I brought a bottle of wine from British Columbia and Craig and Barb brought a bottle from California.  A $15 corkage fee per bottle is charged when you bring your own wine to the restaurant or any of the dining rooms.

here are the two bottles of wine

Lobster bisque

lobster and t-bone

I ordered this meal above!  It was huge, I could only eat about a quarter of the steak but damn that lobster tail was good.  Our waiter Hector (below) is a real character and very efficient.  And apparently he can sing.

After dinner the Newlywed, Not So Newlywed game is happening in the Explorer's Lounge.  We arrive a little late but see that Rob and Shelley have been chosen to participate.  We will never look at their dining table the same way!!

Laurie, Shelley and I all fell in love with the Shwartzky bracelet that was for sale in the boutiques on board.  We all bought one and now we all have the same souvenir from this voyage.

Ashyaa one of our favorite bar waiters from Argentina

Kim, also from Vancouver is the Assistant Cruise Director.

After the Newlywed Game we head back to the cabin laughing at very very full.  Tomorrow is Fuerto Amador / Pamana City.