Guess what? We had a special announcement from the Captain that we will not be calling on Skagway Saturday due to extreme inclement weather, and the fact we would have to use tender boats to get ashore. Well, that's a first. That is one port we have never skipped. However……..they have substituted Haines, a town we have visited only once in past years. So we will miss our walk to the Soapy Smith Cemetery and the great pizza, but we will have a chance to explore Haines. We will also have to use the tenders to get into that port, so it may be limited for folks in wheelchairs.
Yesterday we received more things in our room such as Coke Zero, 2 bottles of Wyclif sparkling wine, and more shipboard credit. All perks of booking this cruise with separate booking numbers. We had a brochure outlining the buying of shore excursions, making reservations in the specialty restaurants, and purchasing a drink package. This is the 15 beverages per day priced under $11 or less. Non-alcoholic drinks are included in this package. This was $60 per person per day and both of us would have to purchase the package. We never buy it, and when we had it as a perk, we never came close to the 15 drink limit. The internet packages were also promoted. Finally, we had a flyer to begin collecting exclusive travelers tags (pendants) from the Shops, but you have to attend their talks. The time, place, and day were listed, which is helpful if you like free things.
This morning we had another canvas Mariner bag and an invite for wine tasting in the afternoon left on our bed. We missed it again. On the morning promenade walk, one of saw two more sun fish. Later we saw some sightings of porpoise skimming the surface, but they never breached the water. Every now and again, there were whales spouting in the far distance. The cloudiness increased as the day advanced. And that was a good reason for the guests to attend the many sales that were held around the ship. A special clearance sale of up to 75% happened in the Lido Pool area. Many passengers were buying the Alaskan t- shirts and the reversible jackets, as well as knit hats and gloves.
Later in the afternoon, we collected some Dive In food – a burger and a hot dog and fries and brought it to our room to enjoy. We could have ordered it from room service and paid the $5 price for each item, but having done that on past cruises, we know they come cold.
There were three talks in the World Stage – what to do and see ashore, The Iditarod, and Pacific Giants. The Call of the Wild was shown in the Wajang Theater three different times during the day and evening. The new ships do not have a real movie theater, so this one is nice as an alternate activity.
Around 3:45pm, we went out to deck six forward and whale-watched. One of the officers on watch on the navigation deck knocked on the window and pointed to the starboard side. They had spotted some feeding whales. We must have been at least 20 miles off shore, so seeing them was difficult. The only positive thing was that there was a following wind, and we did not have problems holding the camera steady. There were many whales breaching, but not diving. There were several blows as they continued their feeding. Coming back to the room to warm up, was when the Captain announced the itinerary change. Now that we think about it, the hotel director mentioned that conditions up north were not going to be ideal. They probably already knew we were aborting Skagway.
Dinner was "dressy" this evening with all of the photographers taking pictures everywhere. Although our waiters had mentioned they would be moved to a different section, they were both back where we dine. We both ordered salads, one shrimp cocktail, and a bowl of tomato soup…..very good, especially on a cold day. Our mains were rack of lamb, a bit overdone, but better than half raw. The chops were quite tasty and seasoned nicely. We added desserts of a flourless chocolate cake and a slice of apple tart. Our waiter decided we needed ice cream and brought a glasses of coffee and vanilla ice cream. Then we learned it was his birthday today, so we wished him a good one upon leaving the dining room. Maybe some of his buddies sang the birthday song for him.
On the way back to our room, we passed through the casino and noticed it was very busy with gamblers. Unlike the grand voyage, these folks make it a point to do everything since there are only 7 days to do it all. Tomorrow we will be stopping briefly at Tracy Arm for a tour group, then we will be going to Juneau…..again. Lastly, the clocks went back one hour tonight. We like that.
Bill & Mary Ann
