Another Alaskan Adventure!
Day 3
Sunday, August 18
Well, I did not catch the sun rising this morning. I'd have six more chances, though!
Today was our first sea day, and later we'd be visiting Hubbard Glacier.
Today was our first sea day, and later we'd be visiting Hubbard Glacier.
By mid-morning, we were sailing under overcast skies. There was a bit of wind out there as well. At breakfast, I spotted several whales spouting!
Observing the other passengers this morning, it appeared that quite a few of them were cruise newbies. (Yes, I was one, once, too; I get it.) I overheard multiple conversations of passengers sounding uneasy or confused. I did have to agree with one lady, though, who complained to one of the crew members that the dining system was confusing.
The three main dining rooms are all named after Italian artists: Bernini, Canaletto, and Donatello (and yes, I got them confused). One is for reserved-seating dining; two are for anytime dining. One of those can only be accessed via the aft stairs/elevator. Only one (a different one) is open at breakfast. So have fun with that.
The three main dining rooms are all named after Italian artists: Bernini, Canaletto, and Donatello (and yes, I got them confused). One is for reserved-seating dining; two are for anytime dining. One of those can only be accessed via the aft stairs/elevator. Only one (a different one) is open at breakfast. So have fun with that.
Luckily, the buffet is almost always serving something during waking hours. This morning for breakfast I got an Egg Florentine, but I eventually took off the spinach, and doing so greatly improved its taste. I also had apricots, French toast, a mini pancake, and corn flakes and milk. The coffee wasn't terrible, but not great either, and I ended up going to the Cafe for a cappuccino later on.
This morning I visited some of on-board shops.
In case you forgot to pack clothes, there was a boutique that reminded me of a 90's Mervyn's...
For $149, you can dress like a drunk sea captain!
There was a "marketplace" today in one of the dining rooms. I bought a pin that reads "50 Years In Alaska". History lesson: Princess first cruised these northern seas in 1969. (Bryan Adams would have us believe this was a particularly good summer.) What I really wanted was something that said "2019," but there was nothing except T-shirts. And none of the T-shirts really suited me.
Today there was the lovely smell of paint thinner happening in the atrium. Combine that with the perfumes wafting from the perfume shop, and you had yourself a nasal disaster.
I missed the fruit & vegetable carving demonstration itself that morning, but the end results were displayed in the atrium soon afterward...
At 12:15 I attended "Speed Painting" in the atrium. I signed up when I got there (12:13) and was in the last group to get to paint, 1.5 hours later. Each group had 5 people and you spent a minute and a half on each canvas. When you had rotated through all the easels, and got back to your original canvas, you got to keep your art! I really enjoyed this activity, and was disappointed they never offered it again (or anything similar) during the remainder of the cruise.
In the early afternoon, I spent some time outdoors on a lounger, listening to an audiobook. Not much to see yet -- just water. At some point I bonked the back of my hand on the edge of one of the little tables next to the loungers. It really hurt! I thought I'd bruised the bone; I didn't even notice until later that I'd actually lost an entire patch of skin. This injury would haunt me throughout the cruise.
At 3:30 I attended another event, "High Tea For Singles & Solos." There were five of us there. Waiters brought around lot of yummy food choices -- scones, cookies, sandwiches, etc.
By that time we had begun seeing ice chunks out the window, and I knew we were nearing Hubbard Glacier. Around 4:10 I put on warm clothes and headed to one of the upper decks. Some places on deck were VERY windy, but some were OK.
Alas, we didn't get particularly close to the glacier, and I was surprised when the ship turned and began leaving the area. A while later, the captain got on the P.A. and explained that, due to the iciness and wind, it wasn't safe to get any closer.
Alas, we didn't get particularly close to the glacier, and I was surprised when the ship turned and began leaving the area. A while later, the captain got on the P.A. and explained that, due to the iciness and wind, it wasn't safe to get any closer.
^This view is thanks to my camera's zoom prowess.
^The water is different shades of blue in different areas, due to differing levels of silt.
I did wish Hubbard Glacier had felt more impressive. From our vantage point, it only looked a little bigger than Dawes Glacier (which I saw on my last Alaskan cruise.) Maybe if we'd gotten closer, and/or if the weather had been a wee bit better...
I ate lots of delicious foods today... cheesecake in the morning, treats at tea, ice cream in the afternoon, and for dinner, a veggie burger and fries from Trident Grill up on one of the top decks. The burger was really good!
I wasn't done there, though. Later in the evening I had some soup, bread, and a hazelnut dessert.
That evening, I attended Disney Trivia.
No one approached me to be on their team, so I played as a team of 1.
And I won.
I mean, to be fair, I've had some practice.
I felt really awkward, though! I mean, I won by 4 points, so it wasn't even close. But... eeshk. The prize was a bottle of wine, a canvas bag, 3 water bottles, 3 notepads, and a bag. I gave away the wine and 2 each of the notepads and water bottles to a family who had been sitting near me.
Some views around sunset:
Looking at the itinerary for the following day, there didn't seem to be a lot going on. But that was fine, because it was Glacier Bay Day, and I was just hoping GB would impress me (more than the sights of today, anyway!) And I hoped the weather would be clear, so we'd have the best views possible.
Would I get my wish? Find out next time!
Coming Soon...
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