Today will be a day at sea with scenic cruising….always appreciated. And today was "brunch" morning for many, but Pinnacle Grill for us. The weather was overcast with temps at 55 degrees and occasional fog. The ship had some rocking and rolling during the night, but truthfully, it rocked us to sleep.
This is a good time to add some tidbits of facts about the state of Alaska. With 586,412 square miles, Alaska is as wide as the lower 48 states and larger than Texas, California, and Montana combined. The biggest mountain in the North America Continent is Mt. McKinley with an elevation of 20,320 feet. The Yukon River is almost 2000 miles long – the third longest in North America. Alaska has more coastline than all the other states combined. America's strongest earthquake occurred on March 27, 1964 – a 9.2 magnitude. Finally there are more active glaciers in Alaska than the rest of the inhabited world. The Malispina Glacier is 850 square miles – bigger than Sweden. Pretty fascinating we think and a magnificent place to visit.
One of us easily resolved the mistake of a laundry package charge that appeared on our account. We have enjoyed complimentary laundry for many years now, so no one had any idea where that came from. But it was a reminder to check our account frequently. We received 2 more tiles with no Mariner gathering, and another letter describing tomorrow's procedures in Vancouver. This will be the final time leaving Canada on this trip, so no more mandatory customs and border checks for a while. We were behind with photo processing and reports, so this morning was a good time to do it.
At his noon talk, the Captain said we had passed Pine Island on Vancouver Island on the starboard side. At 3pm, the bow would be opened for the scenic cruising through the narrows and a possible chance of seeing some wildlife. The timing had to be just right for the ship to sail through the islands which are notorious for strong currents and tidal fluctuations. For that reason, he kept the ship's speed on the lower side. At 12:30pm, we had orca sightings, some so close, they were directly below our veranda. Then there was enough patches of fog for Captain to blast the foghorn. By 2pm, the Pacific white-sided dolphins paid us a visit, but they were so quick, if you snoozed, you lose. We arrived to the Narrows earlier than expected, giving us more time with daylight to spot wildlife.
me for lunch, so we ordered room service. A bowl of delicious chicken noodle soup, a pulled pork sandwich, and two items from the kid's menu, grilled cheese sandwich and chicken nuggets was just enough. This was the first time to try ordering from the kid's menu, and it was no problem. Hey we are all kids at heart, right?
There were tons of things to keep the guests busy on this final day at sea. Of course, there were last chance deals in all of the Shops and another "Cake Me Away" display in the Lido. We bet the desserts were all gone immediately after lunch time. On Deck For a Cause was held at 1pm for those who wished to work off some of those cake calories. There was a Lido Fair, a new option, with games, food, prizes and fun under the Dome. Trivia remains popular with as ever with three sessions on sea days. And even though there are no dedicated lecturers onboard, the staff members do a fine job of teaching us something new about the area we are traveling.
We kept watch for most of the afternoon looking for elusive wildlife. We had our doubts that we would sight any cougars on Vancouver Island, but it is interesting knowing that the island boasts the largest concentration of these big cats in all of North America. By the way, the Coral Princess followed us in our wake today, giving us a better chance of spotting the dolphins and whales. Vancouver Island is really a great place to visit if you have some extra time before joining a cruise for instance. Victoria and Butchart Gardens are highly recommended or a stop at Pacific Rim National Park or wineries in the Cowichen Valley.
At 6pm, we saw more dolphins that were so fast, they barely skimmed the surface. The photos we got show the splash from a shallow jump, far different from the dolphins we usually see elsewhere. All-in-all, the scenic scenery today delivered.
It was time for dinner at 8pm in the Pinnacle Grill this evening. Arsa had our table ready and Violet was our waitress. Wedge salads and clothesline bacon started our meal. Mains were savory lamb chops and prime rib, something that has not shown up on the dining room menu these last few weeks that we recall. The baked potatoes were served with the butter, sour cream, and bacon already on the top…no tiny ramekins for us thanks to Violet. We asked for one serving of Baked Alaska, cut in half and served on two plates, a perfect way to end our ample meal.
The comedy of Steven Scott was titled Catskills Comedy Joke Jam Tribute. It was over well before we were done with our dinner. And we saw luggage in the hallway when we went back to our room. So glad we do not have to pack…….yet.
Bill & Mary Ann
