Today is the final full day at sea for the majority of guests. It will be a day of last- minute shop sales, final jackpot bingo, lotto jackpot drawing, and a Lido Fun Fair. And packing…… but not for us as we will be sailing onward.
There was an Alaska Brunch this morning in the dining room from 10am to 1pm. We were not sure if the Pinnacle Grill was opened at 7:30 or 8am, since it is never listed in the Daily newsletter. Going at 8am, we had our regular table. Our breakfast in here has been most enjoyable with good food and even hotter coffee. Except for one morning in the beginning, it has not been crowded at all.
Taking a stroll on the promenade deck, we soon realized the weather had "turned on a dime" compared to the temps in Ketchikan yesterday. Today was cloudy with a really cool breeze. It felt like rain would fall sometime today. We were correct.
On Deck For a Cause , a 5 kilometer walk for Alaska's parks was held at 1pm. Around the same time, one of us went to the front Desk to get some clarity on the customized internet plan we had purchased. None of the details were provided such as the regular price for the premium plan we had purchased, or the President's Club credits we were to get. Being the twelfth in line, I did not expect to be at the front desk for at least ½ hour. Just as the nice man in front of me struck up a conversation, Vini, our Mariner rep onboard, appeared from the side door, asking what he could help me with. You should have seen the looks I got from some folks. He said he would get the answers for me and call with the info within the hour. That was great and I thanked him. Most ships have a separate line for suite and Club Orange guests as well as President's Club people. This ship does not appear to have such a line. By the time I left the line snaked around to the doors of the Main Stage. In hind site, we should have asked about this right after breakfast when no one was in line. And as promised, Vini did call back and explain how the math was done with the internet and credits. It made sense finally and it all came out in the wash as correct.
We received two tiles this morning, left on our bed. We assume there will be no Mariner lunch on this trip. However we did have an invitation to attend the Mariner Recognition Event held in the Explorer's Lounge at 4:30pm. There was a total of eleven guests there and only one young lady got a 300 day medallion. Another couple besides us was introduced with their days announced, followed by us. Photos were taken. Oddly enough, the rest of the guests were not named at all. That might have taken an extra 10 minutes, but they failed to do so. Vini, our rep, made sure we had drinks of our choice. Wines were offered to everyone else. Captain Willems and Glenn, the hotel manager, spent about 15 minutes chatting with us before they excused themselves. Short and sweet…..just like the cruise duration.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent outside watching for wildlife in the Inside Passage. Braving the weather (and eventually rain), we did see flocks of birds, Dall porpoises, a few humpback whales and pods of orcas. It was a treat see this wildlife even at the expense of being chilled to the bone.
Dinnertime found us in the dining room making choices with many favorite starters and mains. We had one Caesar salad, crispy spring rolls, tomato soup, the Club Orange lamb plate, and one sweet and sour shrimp with Jasmine rice and veggies. Small baked Alaskas finished the meal. Right before dessert arrived, some of the kitchen staff and chefs came and did the walk through the upper and lower dining rooms. Everyone cheered, clapped, and swung their napkins. It was also short and sweet. A fine farewell.
Luggage was lining the hallway when we got back to the room. Lucky for us, we did not have to do that. And in our mail slot, we had two photos from the Medallion event. That was sure quick. We will be back to Vancouver early tomorrow morning. There will be a zero clearance and everyone will have to be off of the ship by 9am. We had a front desk fellow bring up a customs form for us to fill out, since they had forgotten to send it. Tomorrow we will be seen by both Canadian and US customs. We intend to spend the day exploring Vancouver, going to lunch, and coming back before 2pm. We have been given intransit cards so we do not have to wait in line with the new guests that will be boarding. Hope it doesn't rain……
Bill & Mary Ann
