Day seven at sea found the ocean has calmed down somewhat, although we are still rolling with the waves. The temperature has stayed in the high 30’s with 83% humidity, 13.4 mph winds and overcast skies. The speed of the ship is 14 knots, and despite that fact we have not seen rain, our veranda remained soaked from the railing to the door and windows.
This morning there was another Mariner Recognition Event held in the World Stage at 10:15am. Our group of President’s Club members were invited to enter on the port side deck four, and true to form, the doors did not open exactly on time. We always have officers for greeters as we enter the room, so usually we have to wait until they are all present. Even though our invitation requested us to bring the printed invite, we are sure the staff all know who we all are. No one will be allowed to crash this party.
As we were seated, beverages were served, mostly sparkling wine, mimosas, Bloody Mary’s, or fresh-squeezed orange juice, sodas or water. Music was provided by the three-piece strings group called Vivace and one drummer. Very classical music is their specialty, making this occasion a bit more formal.
There were a few brave crew members who entertained us with songs and guitar playing. Then Erin introduced Florin, our hotel director, and Captain Frank. They took their spots in front of a table set with numerous medallions. Several bronze, some silver and gold, and even a few platinum medallions would be awarded today. It is just a guess, but we think this will take care of all of the recipients that will be departing in Seattle as well as San Diego. Also a guess on our end, but the remainder of the lower show lounge was filled with 5-star Mariners.
After the medals were given, the President’s Club members were recognized with a photo with the officers. The event ended with a performance from four of the World Cast singers with the song, Alleluia, which brought a huge applause from the crowd. An exclusive Mariner’s Lunch was held in the lower dining room, however we did not attend. Too close to breakfast time for us.
One job today was filling out the mandatory US customs declaration form for the immigration’s inspection tomorrow morning. This will be done on the ship before we are allowed on any tender boat, whether or not we plan on going ashore. We also got a form to fill out for the shuttle buses that will be provided in Sitka. We will be needing tickets for whatever time slot we choose to go over to shore. We’ll need help with this one since cell phones and QR codes are involved.
Captain Frank came on with his updates which did not include how many nautical miles we have left to reach Kodiak. He has slowed the ship down to 14 knots, so we guess there are under 200 nautical miles or less to go. He seemed pleased to announce that the waters are calmer now, and will get better as we near the island. He will be picking up the pilot around 6am and drop anchor offshore. On other stops here, we had docked, but for some reason, they are tendering us to the downtown area and not using shuttles to drive us there. The Captain was hoping for good tendering conditions, and with some regret in his voice, and said that the long gangway in town was not ADA compliant. That means many folks with wheelchairs and scooters may not be able to go ashore. Finally, the clocks went ahead one more hour, putting us on Alaska time. This will be the last change for several days now until we reach Seattle on the 29th.
We are still experiencing computer problems not related to the ship’s internet. We decided to upgrade to the steaming plan, the best one they offer, to see if it picks up the speed. It appears it might be helping. It was so darned cold outside, no one took a walk today, so once again we did not eat lunch. Just some pretzels and nuts and sodas.
Dinner had some interesting items like a shrimp and artichoke appetizer with ½ of a bread stick. A skinny one at that. It was good, and using a slice of bread for the dip worked OK. A shitake mushroom arugula salad followed the dip. A shrimp cocktail and a Caesar salad was good for one of us. Mains were one roasted sliced lamb plate with lyonnaise potatoes, and one Korean chicken dish with fried rice. I think the lamb won this time. Jello and vanilla ice cream were the desserts. Simple and light.
We asked our head waiter Eko how many people were leaving in Seattle, and he said about 60. However, 367 will be boarding for either the 5 day sailing to San Diego or all the way back to Ft. Lauderdale. We bet HAL has been making some pretty good deals to fill the ship. At any rate, the Volendam will be about full for both sailings.
Showtime hosted Vivace with a performance called Vivace in Concert playing modern melodies. They were not replaced in the Explorer’s Lounge with another band.
Something we have noticed on this whole cruise is that the Library has been full of guests playing board games, chess, checkers, or cards. The puzzles are set up against the windows and those tables are always busy. This is s great idea for those who do not attend the shows, the movie, the lounges, or visit the casino.
Looking forward to stepping on firm ground tomorrow. It has been many years since we were in Kodiak, so we plan on a good walk and perhaps lunch.
Bill & Mary Ann
