Our Alaska Adventure Begins…….again. That was the title of today's Daily newsletter. The ship filled with new guests and we are set for another 7 days of experiencing Alaska. Breakfast was at 6:30am, so that gave most folks the time to be ready and set to go off by 9:15am. Since we were in transit, we were the last ones to be called off.
We had gotten a letter describing the plan for disembarkation. Today was a zero- clearance day, where everyone had to be off to see the customs folks as well as make their way back home. All we needed to take with us was our passports, the ship's keycard, and the in- transit card. Those of us who were coming back for another 7 days would be allowed to go off one time only.
We assumed we had to be seen by the US Customs on the way out, but we did not. We simply followed the instructions we were given by the reps onshore and followed the crew members in their line to go to town. That was about 9:30am.
The weather wasn't the best with overcast skies and no sun. It sure looked like rain and it was chilly. We wore our water-proof arctic jackets with hoods just in case that rain arrived. It never did, but we sure were not cold. We like to walk the waterfront from One Canada Place all the way to Stanley Park. If the sun had been out, we would have had much nicer photos. It was just a dull, dreary day. There were a few locals and their dogs out for a walk but usually it is much more crowded. Of course, it was a Wednesday, and a work and school day.
We went as far as the horse-drawn trolley ride, where we got to see four magnificent horses starting their daily one-hour runs. That always makes our day. Then we back-tracked through the park of ancient giant hemlocks and fir trees, watching two types of squirrels scamper about. Of course there is a lot more to see here, but we had limited time. We needed to be back at the terminal by 2pm.
Lunch was our next destination at the Steamworks Brewery near Gastown. They serve pizza there and very good beer. We shared a Hawaiian pizza with glasses of Lion's Gate beers. We had saved enough room for a dessert of an apple galette with vanilla ice cream. We got there by noontime and they were not too busy yet. By the time we left, the place was full of customers. That was 1pm. We headed directly to the cruise terminal, only to find we had a very long wait to go through xray and customs. There were two other ships in port – the Grand Princess and the Viking Orion , the one we saw in Ketchikan. That is a lot of passengers and we were all mixed together in this Disneyland-like winding line. And all that was needed was a check with the facial recognition camera. We did not use our passports like we did when boarded last week. We were told that the camera has a memory from last week, and identifies us. If we got a green check, we were free to board the ship. If a red X showed on their screen, we would have to go through the Canada process again. This whole process took almost an hour.
We had a big surprise while waiting in line. A couple we remembered from previous world cruises was in line across from us. They were so surprised to see us as it has been at least 10 years since they sailed with us. And they were pleased we remembered their names…Fred and Diane. They were joining the Viking ship, so we may have a chance to see them in Ketchikan. Nice folks.
Back on the ship, we had some time left to attend the Mariner reception for 3, 4, and 5 star Mariners as well as President's Club members. It started at 2pm and would end at 2:30pm. We joined fellow President's Club members, John and Wendy, and enjoyed a few glasses of mimosas. There were very few guests there today compared to last week.
The sail away was at 4pm, at which time we went to deck 6 forward. We were sure surprised to see the clouds part and blue sky with sun appear. It was still cool, but the sun made all the difference in the photos. We stayed until 5pm when the majority of guests went back inside due to the cold wind.
The remainder of the day was spent working online. Dinner came soon enough and for us, that was in the Pinnacle Grill at 7:30pm. Just as Tina had told us, it was not a really busy night. Presty stopped by and admitted that the dining room and Lido were very crowded with guests tonight. The lines were out past the elevators. Tomorrow will be a different story we hope. Anyway we ordered our favorite wedge salad with a side of candied bacon. Truthfully, the salads are large enough to be an entrée especially adding the bacon. Both of us had the 8 ounce filet mignon cooked medium. They came just right. We each ordered fries, but no dessert. The two petite macaroons were sufficient for dessert.
There was no live show in the Main Stage, but there was a film on the epic tale of the HAL travel and tenacity. Having walked such a long way today, we were more than ready to turn in. Looking forward to the day at sea tomorrow.
Bill & Mary Ann
