Yesterday we had the chance to purchase the Have-It-All package for the next 7 days. The price was $65 per person per day, and both of us would have to buy it. The perks included $100 towards a shore excursion, one specialty restaurant dinner (excluding Morimoto pop-up), and a surf internet package. But the big draw has to be the beverage end of it which included 15 beverages up to $11 each. The drinks included could be non-alcoholic beverages as well as wine, beer, and cocktails. If we had purchased this package before the cruise began, the cost would have been $55 per person per day…..a better deal. Doing the math on this offer, if you are big drinkers, you would be well ahead of the game. We have only had the Have-It-All as a perk on one cruise and never came close to the 15 beverages a day.
The new guests in the Neptune suites took advantage of the Pinnacle Grill breakfast this morning. We also noticed that some of the wait staff had been re-assigned here. This can be good, but not always. Most of the original waiters knew we liked hot coffee, but now that they are gone, we have to start over reminding them. Not a big deal since they are quick to learn.
Somewhere in the pile of invoices we brought with us, we noticed that on this particular cruise, Glacier Bay was not on the itinerary. Neither was Tracy Arm. Substituted for Glacier Bay was scenic cruising of Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier. Do you think we could find that invoice with the itinerary changes? The one to ask was Nyron, the shore excursion manager. He knows everything. So after breakfast, we stopped at the desk located across from the front desk. Nyron confirmed that we are indeed substituting Endicott Arm for Glacier Bay day. He added that all of the permits for Glacier Bay have stopped, as well as the entrance into Tracy Arm. And there would be no excursion in that arm, just scenic cruising for all.
The ship is currently sailing outside the Inside Passage in open waters. The Captain mentioned that we would experience some deep swells, which were expected to increase later in the day and this evening. He was correct. The weather was a mixed bag. The temps have dipped to the mid 50's with high overcast. Later in the day, it rained, then the sun appeared off and on. There was actually a real sunset, the first we have seen since we have been here in Canada and Alaska. No chance for a photo because it was during our dinnertime.
We had another invite for a wine tasting today, but decided to go to lunch at the same time. It's always nice to be invited however. We also spotted a Princess ship sailing neck-to-neck with us. It may be the Grand Princess on her way to Juneau. Besides ducking in and out all day for walks and possible wildlife sightings, we kept busy working online. We did check for any sightings of that promised wildlife at 6pm, but we were far from land, and we saw nothing but driving rain and high winds.
With today being a sea day, the evening dress suggestion was "dressy" once again. The Captain's welcome was at 7:15pm…short and sweet. This group of guests seem to be more in tune with the dress code tonight. We had new waiters tonight, one of whom we know from previous cruises, and a new fellow….both from Indonesia. Most all the tables in the upper dining room were filled tonight. When Pulung came around to say hi, he told us that there are 1400 plus guests on this Alaska cruise, the last one for this ship. That is about full capacity. The dining room staff seemed to handle this crowd quite well.
So for this Gala dinner, we ordered one Caesar salad, and one French onion soup. For our entrees , we both had the rack of lamb, cooked medium. One came with the beans, artichokes, and bell peppers. The other plate had only a baked potato with the lamb. Both were delicious with a nice gravy on the side. Dessert was one flourless chocolate cake with blueberries and a dollop of whipped cream. One of us asked for frozen yogurt….always on the menu every day along with assorted ice cream or sorbet. Anyway, the frozen yogurt was not available. We realize now that these items are not included on the main dining room menu anymore. One cup of coffee was served, and we were happy campers. The entertainment was the Step One Dance Company with Musicology, but with the ship rocking and rolling somewhat, we are not sure the show went on.
The clocks went back one hour this evening…..making everyone happy. The rocking and rolling of the ship continued to get worse. By the time this was written (11pm), we found it smart to stash things that may fall during the evening.
Tomorrow we will arrive to Juneau and be docked by 1:30pm. We bet that the ship will slow down since we do not have that stop in Tracy Arm. We shall see…..
Bill & Mary Ann
