By 11:30am, the ship entered the Gastineau Channel, and by noon, we were docked at Franklin Dock. In the Alaska Steam Ship Dock, the Quantum of the Seas was already tied up. And the Seabourn Odyssey was at the Cruise Ship Terminal. The Disney ship was not here today. By now, most of the cruise ships in this part of the world have begun their re-positioning to warmer climates. Just like the Zuiderdam will do next Wednesday.
Since this was our third visit here, we can add a few new facts. Rain falls here 230 days a year measuring to 55 to 92 inches. The Spring months are the driest. The wettest months are September and October. There are more trails than roads….like 250 miles of trails. Fish farms are prohibited in Alaska. And a fun fact is how many times can your state fit into the state of Alaska? If you are from Texas, it would fit 2 times. California would fit 4 times, while Rhode Island would fit 425 times. Yes, Alaska is that big.
The ship was cleared before 1pm, but we decided to wait until the majority of the tours left. They all meet onshore, and the guests are no longer "stickered". That is really better than the old way where you met in the Queens Lounge, and had to sit and wait to be called. So we left by 1:45pm, and found the line was quite short. There would have been no line if it were not for the new crew coming onboard with their luggage and backpacks. Later on, we heard that some of this crew came from another HAL ship, such as the Eurodam we saw yesterday.
Bundled up with our rain gear and heavy coats, we had to wear our masks getting off the ship, as well as carry a copy of our Covid vaccination cards. We did not have to show them to anyone, but just in case we were asked, we had them. The streets in town were a little crowded, so we kept our masks on. An added bonus was that they kept our noses warm. On the way, we studied the spruces and hemlocks for possible sightings of eagles. Some were there, but tucked deep into the branches to keep somewhat dry. It was still raining steadily, so the only active birds we saw were the gulls.
Walking past the icons in downtown, we headed for the Hangar on the Wharf for lunch. This cooler weather really spurred our appetites, and we were once again hoping that the restaurant would not be crowded. We were in luck, because most of the cruise passengers were still on tours. No problem getting a nice booth at the window. Ordering the usual burger, extra fries, and Alaskan Amber beers, we watched as the Quantum slowly left their mooring. She is one big ship, but not their largest we hear. Saving a tad bit of room for dessert, we ordered a slice of their excellent mud pie. Sure was good. On the way out, we passed the floatplane building for Taku Lodge. There was a sign in the window saying sorry your tours were cancelled….you will get you money refunded. Obviously, the weather grounded all flights.
This was our last chance to buy some goodies at the Alaskan Fudge Company. Peanut brittle and walnut/chocolate fudge should last us a week. There is another one of these shops in Skagway, but last week they were closed, probably for the season. For the first time, we took notice that there were no huge sales happening in the souvenir stores. Usually you see signs saying everything has to go. The only places we saw that sign were shops that had permanently closed and left town for good it looked like. We got back to the ship by 4:30pm.
We kept warm and dry in our room until it was time for dinner, still keeping watch for more eagles. There was the pair in the evergreen tree across from the ship, and eventually one flew out, leaving the mate in the tree. At least we got to see them again. Dinner was in the dining room, which was not totally full. Both of us ordered the rice/cheese ball rolled in a crispy crust for appetizers, along with Caesar salads, no anchovies please. Mains were one chili rellenos and a braised beef short rib dinner, which was only warm, not hot. The poblano chili was hot, since it was just fried, but the beef was just warm. Guess we need to ask our waiter every night to make it hot as can be. We really do not complain, but if you don't let them know, they cannot fix it. Desserts were a new version of apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and one pineapple frozen yogurt.
During dinner, around 9pm, the Seabourn Odyssey pulled away from the berth, and sailed out of the channel. Passing very slowly by us, it was a pretty sight to see it all lit up in the dark. All aboard here was 9:30pm, and we left shortly after that.
Tomorrow we will be in Skagway early, so that means an early breakfast.
Bill & Mary Ann
