This morning greeted us with heavily-overcast skies with passing showers as we headed towards Tracy Arm for a tour drop-off. We would get to see some scenic cruising and be on the lookout for wildlife, but this is simply a service call.. Our actual destination is the capital city of Juneau later in the day.
But first, it was time for breakfast and some hot coffee to get the day going. On port days, the restaurants open at 7:30am….the Lido at 6:30am. While waiting for our orders, shore excursion manager Nyron appeared at our table. He had spotted us sitting in the "window" seats and came to say hi. It's always nice to be greeted by familiar and happy crew members. Nyron has a very special voice that can be heard above any crowd. He has been the shore excursion manager for several world cruises, so we were surprised to see him on this ship. We asked if he will be on the 2025 grand voyage, but he said no, he will be joining the Zuiderdam for the Voyage of the Vikings next summer.
Speaking of tours, there were a bunch of them offered here today. The Tracy Arm and glaciers was 6 hours for $290 and must have sold out before the voyage began. There were several options to see whales and wildlife, some priced more reasonable than others. A small boat with a few guests ran $480 for 4 hours. The Mendenhall Glacier is th biggest attraction here and there also many ways to see it. Some by bus, and some by helicopters. The most extravagant tour was by helicopter for a trek on the glacier for $570 and 4 ¼ hours. For the foodies, there was a flight to Taku Lodge for a feast for $475 and 3 ½ hours. A salmon bake for 1 ½ hours was a mere $80 (no flight). Bike the rainforest and bike and brew were $155 for 3 – 4 hours. Easy gold panning was 2 ¼ hours for $90. We have done some of these tours in the past, but never took the chance to go by float plane or helicopter. Probably never will…..
So the Tracy Arm tour went off by 10:20am…just about the same time it began to rain. Many folks went to the bow, while we went to deck six forward. We watched as the tour boat loaded their passengers. We guess there were over 100 people doing this trip. The plan was for them to view glaciers from the boat, have a short hike along the channel, then boat to Juneau where the ship would be docked.
While some of the guests were on the bow, some of them began to ring the ship's bell in the very front. Then we heard an announcement asking people not to do this….please. Eventually the light rain drove the folks back inside the ship, including us. It was downright chilly outside and we were glad we had brought our Arctic-rated jackets once again.
The Zaandam arrived to the Gastineau Channel by 12:30pm where we watched hordes of fishermen (ladies too) trying to catch salmon on the banks. We have never seen so many folks fishing here before. As the ship sailed past the Douglas area, opposite the downtown part of Juneau, several bald eagles could be seen hidden in the tall trees along the banks of the channel. Many took flight as the Zaandam passed by, but one bird in particular stood out. He was a youngster who was proudly perched on the very tip of an evergreen tree. However, he was not alone as several black ravens were taunting him by attacking him one at a time. Standing his ground, he fended them off and held his perch for quite some time. There is a possibility the eagle was trespassing on the raven's favorite spot. Several other eagles were flying in this same area, and they were also attacked by the bold crows. Sure is interesting watching nature in action, even if it is the bird's behavior.
The ship docked starboard by 1:15pm. There were four other ships in port. The Disney Wonder, Crown Princess, Quantum of the Seas (RCI), and finally the Silver Muse (Silverseas). The Muse was anchored with two tenders running their guests to a landing pier. That was a whole lot of people. We bet the population of Juneau, which is about 32,000 was doubled with the arrival of five cruise ships. They boast that Juneau has one million visitors every summer season. Land of the Tlinket people, what we see today are old historic buildings, saloons, pubs, and shops. Most offer fine jewelry, gifts, canned salmon and native art to name a few. The capital has come a long way from the gold rush days and the fishermen, hunters, trappers, and traders of the past. And one interesting fact about this capital is that it is only accessible by sea or air.
We left the ship after the thundering herd had gotten off. That was about 1:45pm. It was drizzling, but our jacket kept us dry and warm. The wind was not blowing so that was a good thing. It was time for lunch, so we headed straight for the Hangar on the Wharf. Crowded, we were handed a beeper and told to come back in ½ hour. We did take a walk towards the bridge, but when the rain began falling steadily, we turned and headed back. It was a total of 40 minutes before we were seated, but it was worth the wait. We had refreshing Amber draft beers, a Jack Daniels burger, and finished with a shared slice of mud pie, of course. We have never seen this restaurant so busy, but then there were five ships here.
Taking our time walking back, we were in our room by 4:30pm. No sense going through the stores in the rain, as we will be back here two more times. Maybe the weather will be better.
This evening we had reservations in the Pinnacle Grill. Much to our surprise, the entire place was full of guests even at this later hour of 7:30pm. These 7 day cruises are a different animal compared to a grand voyage. There is such a short time to try to do everything, so most all of the activities are crowded every day. In our opinion, it is a vacation that you need to take another vacation when you get home to recover.
So tonight we had the chance to try some new entrees. The wedge salad was still on the menu as was the clothesline bacon. The rolls were fresh, warm, and tasted great served with only garlic-infused butter. One of us ordered the Alaskan special of Chilean sea bass served with a puree of dill/butter dip…..very green. The second entrée was the braised short rib (no bones) with fun noodles, not the exact description, but oh so good with thinly-sliced snow peas and mushrooms. This will be a winner for sure. One shared dessert was also new, the stroop waffle cobbler with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. It appeared to look more like a brownie, but when Tina came by, she said it brought back memories of the chocolate volcano, which has been gone like forever. She was pleased we were happy with the new choices. Lastly, we had a tray of four petite macaroons, which replaced the gormandizes we used to get and seldom eat.
The ship left the port of Juneau about the same time we got back to our room, 9:40pm. It had been a very long day, and we were most happy to call it a day. Skagway tomorrow….
Bill & Mary Ann
