With the exception of minimal water pressure in the shower, the space and functionality of our cabin on this ship is exceptionally luxurious. There’s even an Ipod in our room to provide music. The TV, while not providing much local programming while we are out of port, allows access to a large library of movies and even a constant view from the captain’s bridge at the bow of the boat so we can see where we’re headed.
The challenge of this wonderful experience onboard is not to eat ourselves into a stupor. Food is everywhere all the time. Breakfast fare was available in multiple locations and we managed to eat well without going crazy. Then we attended a presentation this morning about Alaska which was very well done by a cultural anthropologist. There were, of course, drinks and pastries available there. She even joked that the humpback whales that come to Alaska come here from their winter habitat near Hawaii for only one reason—to eat, much like the folks on cruises. The whales apparently consume about 1400 pounds of krill and phyloplankton a day. We will attempt to keep our intake somewhere below that amount, despite the efforts of the cooks and wait people to feed us at every juncture.
Our speaker shared some of Alaska’s history with us and also told us about some of the country and wildlife we might see in the days ahead. With the help of pictures and maps displayed on a huge screen in the theater, she made the geography clearer and also helped us understand better how to identify the wildlife we might see along the way. Obviously, most people who come here are anxious to see bears, whales and eagles. Her descriptions were really helpful in orienting us to both sight and name creatures.
She also told us what not to expect, such as a sighting of the Aurora Borealis. While the “Northern Lights” are a year-round phenomenon, there is too much daylight at this time of the year to see them from this far south of the Arctic Circle. Toward autumn, when the days are shorter and nights actually get dark, those lights are visible from the ships. We’ll have to add that to our reasons for another trip to Alaska in years to come.
Then, of course, there was lunch. Mike was keen on the fresh seafood to be served on the pool deck until we got out there and he realized that the food would be cold before he could get it to the table. Between the temperature and the breeze created as we’re motoring along, it’s been quite cold outside today, truly deliciously cold and we love it, just maybe not to sit and lunch.
So, darn it, we had to go inside to the buffet with its roast lamb and fish dishes and extensive salad bar and dessert section. We suffered through that and even nibbled a bite or two of some sugar-free cheesecake for dessert.
Back in our cabin, I reviewed our shore excursions and discovered a mix-up for the two excursions we had booked for Skagway. Somehow they had been overlapped instead of kept separate, making it impossible for us to do one or the other. Since our friends were doing something altogether different, we decided to change to what they are doing. So we’ll take a train ride over mountains to the Yukon (back to Canada and we’ll have to carry our passports). It promises to be both a scenic ride and another great destination.
Then it was time for the wine tasting. The sommelier was overwhelmed by the number of people who showed up for that. Clearly our ship has an abundance of winos this trip. We tasted four California wines that were pretty good and enjoyed meeting people from Australia in the process. It was fun to share our experiences in Australia and New Zealand and to hear about their travel. Living down under, they think nothing of flights that are 12 or 14 hours; they always have a long way to go to get most places.
The afternoon was sunny, if cold. We were out of sight of land most of the early hours after lunch, but have come back to the Inside Passage again. The forested shoreline is dramatically beautiful with the deep green of hemlocks and other firs, including the state tree, the Sitka spruce. I had the binoculars out hoping to see a bear along the shore, but didn’t have any luck. Maybe part of the problem is simply using binoculars while we’re moving at a clip—it’s a bit disorienting.
The captain’s welcome reception was held in the theatre, complete with champagne or other drinks of choice. The captain wore his clan tartan kilt and introduced the other officers. The obvious jokes were made about what he wears under the kilt, if anything. He claims to have the family kilt made in three weights, one of which is heavy enough to remain at knee level even in the wind on the pool deck. We did not, however, see him outside in the kilt.
Dinner was once again both tasty and bounteous. Local salmon is offered every night with a fairly wide range of other fish and meats. Portions are generous, but not beyond a normal appetite. The menu always includes dishes for vegetarians, those leaving sugar out of their diets, etc, as well as something children will like. While there is a relatively small percentage of children on board, kids’ needs factored into each day’s plan and activities are planned especially for them.
We are sailing into the sunset just before 10PM this evening. Although the sun does set each day here and we haven’t been awake in the middle of the night to check, we’re told some light remains and there are few dark hours, if any.
Tomorrow we’ll dock in Ketchikan at 7AM with a couple of hours there before our excursion. Today’s weather cleared and allowed beautiful views as we cruised. Ketchikan is touted as one of Alaska’s wettest cities, so we could have a rainy day. Whatever the weather, the setting is so gorgeous that we’ll manage. As one of the officers who is from Germany said this evening: “There is no bad weather, just bad clothes.” We’ll enjoy it, whatever comes.
[Photo by Mike Lumpkin]
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