Another Alaskan cruise begins, and another canvas HAL tote was gifted to us. Wine tasting would take place at 1:50pm, and we were once again invited. For most all other guests, the fee was $25. Since we do not enjoy drinking wine, we did not attend. We did go to another fine breakfast, which has been very uncrowded. The only reason we can figure why the Neptune folks are not there in large numbers, is the fact that this ship has the Pinnacle Grill on a deck with no windows.
We took a walk on the promenade after breakfast and found it had turned quite chilly. The skies were overcast and cloudy so we did need warmer jackets. The best sighting we had for most of the day was the Sapphire Princess that appeared to be heading the same direction we were.
Our location after coming out of the narrows was Queen Charlotte Sound where we were exposed to open seas and fog. It got thick enough that the Captain had to use the foghorn, which goes off every two minutes. Sure is an eerie sound especially when one cannot see where we are going. Sometime today or last night, a sea bird, perhaps a shearwater, landed on the promenade deck, making its way against the wall. We didn't notice it until it moved when we walked past it. Obviously it was injured and could not walk well. Sometimes the lights on the deck attract the birds and they crash against the ship. Most times they do not survive. While we were watching the bird, three of the security staff came along and were deciding what to do with it. Not sure what they did, but an hour later, the bird was not there.
Today we opted to have a Dive In lunch with two "back flips" or chicken sandwiches and some naked fries. The area was busy with both the line for burgers and hot dogs, but also the deeply-discounted HAL Alaskan clothing that has been promoted. The sales were quite healthy for the 20 minutes it took for the food to be delivered. By the way, the chicken sandwiches were very good.
At 3:30pm, we headed up to deck six forward in hopes of seeing the whales that hang out there. It appeared that we were further off of the coastline than last week, and we did not see any blows or diving. What we did see was another cute little bird, a sparrow, who came hopping along behind us at the railing. Isn't that a kick….two stowaways in one day.
The Sapphire Princess was still sailing ahead of us when she took a turn towards the left. A tanker appeared on the horizon and took second place behind Princess. Eventually, we turned in the same direction and headed across the Dixon Entrance. We will sail in the open sea until we head back in going towards Tracy Arm and Juneau. Something tells us to expect some rougher seas tonight. Turns out we were correct.
Dinner was back in the Pinnacle Grill where they were quite busy with nicely-dressed customers. Our meal was marvelous as always with wedge salads and clothesline bacon naturally. One halibut entrée and one filet mignon with fries and mashed potatoes filled us up. But we did leave a little space for a shared piece of Key lime pie. It was as smooth and silky as we remembered it.
Good news – the clocks went back one hour and that is always appreciated.
Bill & Mary Ann
