Alaska on the Ruby Princess 9/23-9/30

Introduction:

My DH and I booked this cruise last summer during the Sip and Sail promotion. We chose September because our anniversary is 9/27 and it was a cheaper option (more on if it was worth it later on). My mom and stepdad decided to come along, too. We also invited other family members and friends but the timing just didn't work out. My DH and I are in our late 20s and my mom and stepdad are in their 60s. My mom had cruised a lot, I have cruised a little, and the other two were newbies. We had never been to Alaska before.

We are a pretty low-key bunch. We much preferred our balcony/room time more than participating in the scheduled events. We are all from the northwest (Montana and Oregon) so we were more looking forward to the sea animals rather than anything on land. I don't have a ton of pictures (most of them are on DH's nice camera and I'm not waiting for him to write this review. The ones that I post will just be the ones I happened to remember to take on my iPhone.

Enjoying our balcony on day #1 :D

Rooms:

We chose the Caribe deck (C504 and C503) because we knew that we wanted to spend a lot of time on our balconies and we liked that they are bigger. And, boy, are they bigger! We were very impressed with the size of the balconies. I spent time on our balcony everyday. We planned it so that we were on the port side and my mom was on the starboard. That way we always had the views. I felt like the room itself was a nice size. Plenty of room for storage. The showers were small but manageable, my DH is 6'2 and he was fine. I shaved my legs with no issues. Plus, the water was always hot so that was a plus. We loved the bed and slept peacefully each night. I had purchased the cord adapter thing to have more plug-ins but we never even used it. Without internet or cell service, most of our devices didn't need much charging. I mostly used the outlet for my curling iron.

Food:

We really enjoyed the dining room. We chose traditional dining because we are early eaters and like routines. We grew so close to our waitstaff (Jayson and Jick) and wish we could still see them daily. I am not a picky eater so it was easy for me to find something every dinner. One meal I even had two entrees. The desserts were amazing, too!

I did not like the International Cafe. I felt like that desserts lacked flavor and the sandwiches were either stale or wet. The coffee was "ehh" but it was free for us so I happily drank it. There were always lines at the coffee place so obviously people enjoyed it.

We ate at the buffet a few times. I am not a buffet person but it was okay for breakfast or lunch. I wouldn't have eaten there during dinner. I really enjoyed the grill and pizza place on the deck 15. We stopped there throughout the day for quick snacks. The bars were quick at getting drinks made and the staff were friendly and helpful. We ordered room service twice when we were feeling especially lazy and it was on the same level as the buffet food. We also ate at Crown Grill but I will save that review for Day 5.

Itinerary (aka: the ideal schedule if Mother Nature had decided to cooperate)

Day 1: Seattle/embarkment

Day 2: Sea Day

Day 3: Juneau-- Harv & Marv Whale Watching

Day 4: Skagway-- Rented car from Avis and drove to Carcross/Emerald Lake

Day 5: Glacier Bay (and Crown Grill for our anniversary)

Day 6: Ketchikan-- Island Wings Seaplane

Day 7: Victoria-- Horse drawn trolley... this was the only excursion we booked directly through Princess and I am glad we did!

I loved sitting on my balcony with my Alaska book enjoying the views.

Day 1/Seattle

We flew in on 9/22 from Las Vegas and went right to the Warwick for the night. The town car from the airport to the hotel downtown was $45 flat rate. It was very comfortable and we enjoyed our driver's commentary. We were going to take an Uber or Lyft but the lines were crazy. The hotel was nice with great views. I'm been to Seattle quite a bit since my sister lives there but my husband has only been once before. He was ready to sight see as soon as we woke up. We spent a lot of the morning walking around Pike Place and the waterfront. We also went to Barnes and Noble to get books for the cruise. The weather was beautiful today. Blue skies and warm.

We ended up back at the hotel at the same time as my mom and stepdad so we had the hotel order us a car and drove to Pier 91 around noon. Getting on the boat was a breeze. Before we knew it we were to our rooms and then went to get lunch. My DH and I went to the Trident Grill to get something easy. I had a hot dog and he had a hamburger. We both got our first drinks of the cruise (Mai Tai and beer). Kids were already swimming in the pool. Speaking of kids though, there were barely any on the boat that I saw. While I love kids (I am a pediatric speech pathologist so one hopes that I love kids) I do like to have a kids-free vacation. Definitely one of the pros of taking a cruise in September.

We unpacked easily (no need to bring extra hangers with you since they are plenty plus they will give you more) and went to the muster. Then we relaxed on deck 7 until dinner. You might be asking yourself, but wait, why didn't they just relax on their balcony? Well, someone in a balcony above us had obviously had too much to drink already. He was blaring music through a speaker. The music was a mixture of country, rap, and Metallica. It did not make for a relaxing sail-away so we moved to deck 7 which was peaceful and quiet.

We were in the Botticelli dining room for traditional first seating. We love to eat dinner early and also love having the same table and staff every day. The first day I ordered prime rib (I think) and it was fabulous. I might mix up my meals throughout the week because I didn't write them down every day. I also had the cucumber and yogurt soup which was pretty good and very interesting. I ordered two desserts this night: the New York Cheesecake and the souffle. Both amazing!

After dinner we were able to see the sunset from our balcony (drunk guy finally shut off his music). It was gorgeous and one of the few pretty sunsets of the cruise.

My DH and I went to the theater to watch the Colors of the World production show. It was entertaining. Don't expect too much from any of these production shows though. We loved our cruise director Duke. He was very personable and hilarious.

We also went to Crooner's Bar. I love that place! I ordered a Tropicana and didn't love it but ordered a different drink (I can't remember which) and it was good. All of the other drinks we got from there were good for the rest of the week, too.

Enjoying this thread.

Keith

Happy to hear you enjoyed your cruise. We are on this same cruise next June

Day 2: Sea Day

We woke up to much colder weather on this day. We bundled up and enjoyed watching the waves from our balcony. We were lucky enough to see Dall's porpoises jumping next to the boat. I was really happy I brought along my Alaska guide because it made it easier to identify animals.

We ate breakfast in the Horizon Court. I wasn't a big fan of the buffet mainly due to having to find a table and I felt like it was always crowded. But I'm sure we just went at bad times. I usually grabbed a small box of cereal and fruit to go if I needed to eat there. My DH enjoyed the unlimited bacon.

After breakfast, we explored the ship and got our bearings. The ship actually doesn't feel too big once you know where you are in it. We explored the shops but didn't buy anything. We also watched a few of the events happening in the Piazzo.

We ate lunch at the pizza place on deck 15. The pizza was pretty good. We meant to get ice cream, too but were so full after the pizza that we didn't. I'm disappointed because I just realized that we never got ice cream. There is just so much to do, and eat, and see that things tend to go by the wayside.

We went to the "North to Alaska" presentation by the nature lecturer. It was okay but I expected more. He was a little long-winded and dramatic. I thought it would be more educational but it felt like he was just talking about his own experience and adding a lot of dramatic flare to it. I was quite disappointed because I love learning about science, history, and other cultures and didn't feel like I got much from this lecture. He might have been better in other talks but this is the only one we went to because we weren't impressed.

My DH felt tired so we got drinks from the coffee shop and went back to our room. I sat out and read on the balcony (with my extra blanket that my amazing steward brought me) while DH napped.

This was our formal night so we started getting ready a little earlier than we usually would for dinner. We saw a wide range of formal wear this day. I would say that, on average, most men were wearing at least slacks and a collared shirt. I would even say most men wore suit jackets. The majority of women wore dresses. There were a handful of people that showed up in jeans and t-shirts and they were seated without difficulty.

I was worried about being cold in a dress but the whole ship is at a nice temperature. I also brought a fancier coat for the boat and I'm glad I did. I got use out of it almost every day either at dinner and just wanting to be warmer and not having to wear my fleece.

Dinner was once again very good. I think this is the night that I had the cheese souffle which was my absolute favorite starter of the whole cruise. I wish I could have had it every night! For the life of me, I can't remember what I ordered for dinner. I think it was beef medallions. They were wonderful. I really should have taken pictures of every meal but I was so busy talking and enjoying the food that I forgot. For dessert, I know I got banana foster this night, it was okay. My DH and mom always ordered the chocolate desserts because they are chocolate fiends. They were always very impressed.

After dinner, we went to Crooner's to get some drinks and then went to the Princess Theater to watch the Whitney Houston tribute singer. We got there about 20 minutes early so we got seats but it was standing room only by the time it started. She was VERY good. She got the audience singing and clapping along. I was very impressed by how much she sounded like Whitney. This was definitely the best show of the week.

We decided that we would try the hot tubs tonight so we went back to the room to get changed and grabbed our robes. My silly husband made sure to stay warm on the way up (see picture below ;p). The hot tubs were almost hot. They were fine to sit in but I would have loved them to be a little warmer. Helpful hint: turn on the jets and hot water will come out. We did this on and off a couple times and got it warmer. We had one hot tub to ourselves the entire time. Another couple was in the hot tub on the other side of the deck. It was so amazing to sit out in the Pacific ocean in a hot tub just listening to the waves.

After the hot tub we went back to our room to relax. We are introverts so some of our favorite times of the week were just being able to look out onto our balcony while reading or watching movies on TV. We both enjoyed some of the movies they showed this week, including: Table 19, Eddie the Eagle, Secret Life of Pets, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, and a few others. I know it sounds horrible to spend your cruise watching TV but after a full day of exploring the ship, it was so nice to curl up in the comfortable bed.

Day 3: Juneau

I woke up early in order to see the first glimpse of Alaska. It was already a very nice day and I was able to get a couple pictures of a sorta sunrise.

We grabbed breakfast to-go at the buffet and ate it while sailing into Juneau from our balcony. I didn't eat very much because I was just excited to get to our first port. Also, since I have been seasick on small boats in the past (and we were doing a whale watching tour today) I didn't want to give myself much to get sick on.

Quick note about sea sick medicine: I got a prescription for the patch from my doctor and wore it throughout the cruise. This worked well for me because I never felt sea sick even though we did have some rough waves. I also brought along some bonine and the wrist bands. I took bonine on the last day of cruising because I was feeling a little sick (though I don't think it was seasickness). And my DH took one/day. He only felt a tiny bit of seasickness on the first sea day but it subsided quickly. We never even opened the wrist bands.

We bundled up in our warm clothes and went to deck 7 to disembark.

A quick note on outer clothing since I know that was my main concern prior to the cruise. I made sure to bring the essentials (rain jacket, rain boots, gloves, hats, fleece). I used these essentials every single day. I also was so happy I brought my scarf. It was so nice to be able to wear it for extra warmth around my face while watching from my balcony. I paid more for gloves that allowed me to manage my phone with them on. I am so glad I did! I can't imagine having to remove my gloves every time I wanted to take a picture.

Day 3: Juneau continued

We got off right away and made our way into town. My DH decided he wanted a better zoom lens for his camera so he went to poke around at photo shops while I walked around.

We went back to the dock to meet our representative from Harv & Marv. It was packed with people and we had a hard time finding our rep with the sign. Our rep turned out to be meeting multiple groups from different companies so it was a little overwhelming to figure out exactly where we were supposed to go. Luckily, he pulled us Harv & Marv people aside and we were able to board our van right away. There were about 14 of us in the van (it was more of a bus/van, we did not need to climb over each other to get on). We drove through town and then stopped at the bridge to view Mendenhall Glacier from afar. I mentioned before that I'm from Montana and am actually from the same area as Glacier National Park. Therefore, I don't think seeing the Mendenhall impressed me as much as it did others. However, it was pretty and I was glad to see it.

We made it to the harbor and met with two captains. The 4 of us in my party plus another couple went with Captain Brent. He was great and personable. We each had our own row on the boat (it fits 12 people but we had paid for the 6 person boat). It was wonderful to be able to look out the window on either side without a crowd. We were also able to go outside to the front or back of the boat. Harv & Marv also provided snacks and drinks along with binoculars.

Mendenhall from the water

Day 3: Juneau continued

Our first stop was by an island where we saw bald eagles in the trees. Captain Brent did a great job explaining the history and culture of the area as well as providing some interesting scientific tidbits. With only 6 of us onboard, it was easy to have a conversation with him.

The captains of the boats are able to communicate with each other so we found out about a pod of orcas in one of the bays. Captain Brent got us there quickly and we were able to see at least a handful of orcas. He told us that this is the first pod he has seen in weeks and he had though they had already left the area. It was amazing to get close to the orcas. There were only two boats present (our boat and the other Harv and Marv boat). One of the larger 40 person boats had been there but did not get as close and did not stay long. We spent quite a while following them through the bay. I didn't get good pictures (they are in and out of the water so quickly) but here are some I did get:

We then went back out and saw a bunch of boats in an area (a good sign that whales are around). There were probably 3-5 humpbacks in the area. It was really magnificent to be so close to them and hear the blows. The two Harv & Marv boats were definitely the smallest of the group of boats and we were able to get closer than any of the large boats. The other boat of Harv & Marv passengers actually had a humpback surface right next to them. I was jealous! My DH got some great pictures. We relied on him to take pictures so the rest of us could just enjoy the experience. I would definitely recommend putting the camera down and just enjoying being so close to these wonderful creatures. This is one of the only pictures I took because I was so in the moment:

We also got up close to Steller Sea Lions:

And there was a California Sea Lion on the dock:

Overall, we spent the entire afternoon out with Captain Brent and the time went by so quickly. It was a beautiful day and the whales definitely cooperated. I would highly recommend this excursion. I felt like our captains definitely knew the right spots and got us so close to the whales. Captain Brent was a wealth of information and I loved the intimate feeling of just 6 passengers on the boat.

Day 3: Juneau continued

The van/bus took us back to Juneau and we all elected to get dropped off in town rather than back by the boat. My DH and I went souvenir shopping and then decided to get back to the Ruby for dinner. I have a tradition of buying Christmas ornaments wherever we travel. They are small, easy to pack, and get used more than any other souvenirs I can think of. I got an ornament with whales on it for Juneau.

We had time to change out of our clothes and head down to our dining room for our early seating. Tonight I got two entrees: the fried chicken and the scallops. Both were good. We were glad we came back to the ship for dinner... it saved money and we also loved being waited on by our servers.

After dinner, we sat in the Crooner's bar for awhile and then went back to our room. It had been a long day and we knew we were going to be up early the next day for Skagway. I think I was sleeping before we even left Juneau.

Looking forward to reading more.

Love this review! It reads like a book! Thank youl

Excellent review-looking forward to more[emoji4]

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Your review is excellent. I see you're from Las Vegas. I sincerely hope you and all of your loved ones are okay.

SO happy I found your review! I am just starting to plan our 2018 Alaska cruise, and this is so helpful!

You are a darling couple - congrats! I appreciate your time in writing a review. You will never know how many people read it and enjoy sharing your experiences and insights!

Your review is excellent. I see you're from Las Vegas. I sincerely hope you and all of your loved ones are okay.

Thank you! Thankfully, we are okay. It's been a rough week here in Vegas. That is part of the reason I took a break from writing, it was hard to write about our vacation when so many serious things are happening in our community.

Thank you everyone for the encouragement! Definitely motivates me to continue with this review.

Day 4: Skagway

We were up early enough to watch the sail into Skagway. Since we were there in late September, we didn't have as many hours of daylight so it was dark until we approached Skagway. Another consideration when sailing late in the season. My DH grabbed breakfast to go from the buffet but I wasn't hungry so I just nibbled on a banana.

Disembarkment was easy. We met my mom and stepdad, got into line, and were off the ship by 7:15. It was pouring rain so my mom and stepdad took the shuttle into town (I believe it was $2.50/person and my mom raved about the driver, said that she gave a narration of the town and dropped them off exactly where they wanted to go). My DH and I decided to walk and it was an easy walk, though very wet.

We had reserved a rental car to go to the Yukon so we immediately went to the Avis office. We were the first ones there and it was a super easy check-in process. The man behind the counter said that there were 18 other reservations that day and that the Avis shop was closing down at the end of this week. We got the keys and walked across the street to the parking lot to get our car. We had a newer Toyota Camry. It had bluetooth capabilities and USB plug-ins. That might seem like miscellaneous information but I was so curious about that prior to going to Alaska because we downloaded the the Trapper Dan audio tour of the highway so we wanted to be able to play it through the sound system from my phone. We were easily able to and also charged our phones. There is no cell service/or it is Canadian cell coverage so make sure to put your phones on airplane mode.

It was still early when we started driving (about 7:45) so the grocery store wasn't open. Starting on Sept 6, it didn't open until 9:00 so we went to a convenience store to get drinks and snacks. Snacks are so spendy in these ports. I got a small bag of chips for $5. In Juneau, my DH almost bought a bag of chips but then realized they were $7.

The drive was super easy even though it was rainy. The clouds were low all day so we weren't able to see the mountain tops but we were lucky enough to see lots of fall foliage. We followed advice that I had read on these forums and stopped at each of the signs (Alaska and Yukon) on our way into the Yukon. I'm so glad we did because we saw so many tour buses stopped when we drove back to Skagway. We left so early that we didn't see another car for pretty much the whole trip into Canada.

Going through customs was super easy with no wait. We had the Murray guide printed out and also had the Trapper Dan audio tour to give us some history of the area. Both were helpful but I much preferred the Murray guide. It had way more information. The car ride was beautiful and easy going. There are so many waterfalls, mountains, and lakes.

Day 4: Skagway continued

We drove straight through until Emerald Lake. I can't remember how long it took us to get there but it didn't feel long at all. My DH is a quick (but safe) driver and we didn't stop too much because of the rain. I think our only stops on the way up were at the two signs, customs, and a couple super quick stops at some of the scenic lookouts.

Emerald Lake was gorgeous. Definitely my favorite part of the day. It is almost unimaginable to see the green in person.

We then turned around and started the drive back. We stopped at Carcross Desert (the smallest desert in the world). My parents gratefully used the bathroom and my DH and I trekked around in the sand.

We then made our way into Carcross. I was so excited to go to the general store and get my passport stamped. Unfortunately, the general store was boarded up for the season and most of the other stores were closed, too. The only building that appeared open was a coffee shop. We disappointedly went in and got some hot drinks and my stepdad got a sandwich. My parents chose to stay in the car while my DH and I explored the quiet little town. There is a boat ashore that was once used to take tourists around the lake. There is also a river running through town and some totem poles.

Day 4: Skagway continued

We decided that since we weren't able to explore much in Carcross we would stop at the suspension bridge on our way back. My stepdad was especially excited about this stop while my mom decided to stay in the gift shop/car.

The tickets were quite expensive. My stepdad got a senior discount and we all got $5 off from having a copy of the Murray guide. I believe it was $13 each for my DH and I and then $9 for my stepdad. We were the only people there for the first part of our visit and then a tour bus came by as we were leaving.

There were different information points as we walked toward the bridge. We didn't stay long at each informational area since it was quite cold and rainy, however, I bet you could take quite a bit of time just reading about the history.

The bridge itself was as fun as you would expect a bridge to be. It isn't for the faint of heart. You can see the river below you as you walk across and it moves around.

The fall colors are beautiful in your pics!

Day 4: Skagway continued:

On the other side of the bridge there are informational signs and a little cabin that you can go into to see how people would've survived there.

We went back across and went to the gift shop. I got my Yukon Christmas ornament and we all stamped out passports. My stepdad got coffee and we were off again back to Skagway. We made this whole trip was much quicker than I imagined. The gift shop cashier was surprised that we had already been to Carcross and were already heading back. I think we left the suspension bridge around 12:30. The drive back was uneventful other than seeing tons of cars and tour buses coming into the Yukon.

We took this picture on the way in but it looks more in order to post it now :)

Customs was easy again and then we took the car back to the rental office. We were going to stop at the cemetery but I was the only one interested in it and when we missed the tour, I wasn't enthusiastic enough to try to get us to turn around. It was super easy to turn in the car and then we walked around Skagway for awhile.

There were tons of people in the shops so we didn't spend too much time shopping. They have a Christmas shop so we got a few gifts in there (a cute Alaska book for my step-niece and another ornament). We took pictures by the train and snowplow and then went back to the ship.

Day 4: Skagway continued:

Once back, we got lunch at the buffet. It was okay. I don't remember what we ate but I think I got the salad bar and lots of desserts.

We went back to the room and my DH took a quick nap (this was the time of the cruise where we all started to get the sniffles). My mom called our room and told me that there were puppies in the piazza so we went to see them. Everyone lined up to hold a puppy and get a picture. I had my mom take a picture when I held one so I didn't have to buy a $25 picture.

We went to the dining room again for dinner and it was good, like always :). I think this was the King crab legs night. So good! They come to the table already cut so it made it super easy. Sorry to lack so much information on dinners. They were all so good and we got so caught up in eating and talking that we didn't take pictures or document what we ordered.

Tonight was another show by the dancers and singers "Once Upon a Dream". (I think it was tonight, like I said, my timeline is so off because the days blended together). It was interesting and entertaining again. You can't go into the shows expecting much, and if you don't, then they are good.

We got back to our room while we were still in port and enjoyed sitting on our balcony taking in the views as the sky got dark.

Enjoying your wonderful review and looking forward to the next installment! We did this fabulous cruise in late July/early August, so am interested in learning about the differences in a September cruise.

Day 5: Glacier Bay cruising and Crown Grill

Once again I was up early today to see the scenery as we cruised into Glacier Bay. This was one of the days when the balcony came in so handy. I jumped out of bed, put on my boots, and went outside with bedhead. DH took a shower and started to get ready for the day but I was insistent on seeing some early morning wildlife. I'm happy that I did, too, because I was able to see groups of otters floating together. Some were holding hands and most had their feet up floating on their backs. Probably one of the most adorable sights I have seen. Unfortunately, I had left my phone in the room and didn't want to miss them, so I didn't get any pictures. I yelled at my DH to come out but, by the time he got out of the shower, he missed them.

It was freezing today and drizzling so I was glad to have a partially covered balcony. Part of me even wished for a fully-covered balcony but it was the best of both worlds to have covered and uncovered. I noticed that the people with uncovered balconies didn't spend nearly as much time outside as the people above us or next to us. The rain was rather miserable all week so I couldn't imagine getting the full impact of it whenever we used our balcony. I spent a lot of the time sitting on our table (happily didn't break it) to be able to see over the railing. However, my stepdad showed us that he sat on a life jacket to boost up the chair height. After that, I used one of my own and it worked wonderfully.

It was our 3-year anniversary today so we decided to get breakfast in the dining room. I'm not a big breakfast person so this hadn't been a priority before this. When we left our room, we noticed that our fantastic steward decorated our door with an anniversary sign and balloons. I had seen other rooms decorated when we first got on the ship and just figured that our steward didn't know or forgot. Shout out to Angelo, he really was the best steward!

Don't mind my bedhead and sleepy eyes, this cruise was anything but restful :)

We went to the Da Vinci dining room for breakfast. We asked to not share a table and were seated right away. We each ordered pancakes and my DH ordered extra bacon on the side. I really enjoyed this breakfast and my DH said it was the best one of the cruise. It was fairly quiet in the dining room and the waiter was prompt.

We hurried up since we wanted to make sure to see everything before getting to the glaciers. Like I said, it was very rainy and freezing today. We bundled up and I think we looked quite silly in all of our layers... another benefit of having our own balcony.

It was really foggy and hard to see anything farther than the shoreline. There were so many waterfalls running down the mountains to the bay and I was happy to have fog-proof and water-proof binoculars to view everything. The binoculars I got for the trip were the Bushnell 157050 H20 7X50 Waterproof/Fog-proof from Amazon. They were a little spendy but I thought it was worth it since we spent pretty much the whole week in rain and fog.

It was pretty amazing to see how the landscape changed the closer we got to the glaciers. At one point, the water had a clear line that showed the silt.

You can see how foggy it was and see the silt against the blue water

We had the park ranger's narration on all morning. I loved listening to her and she did a great job talking us through the park's history and science behind the glaciers. Unfortunately, my mom had their TV on the wrong channel for almost the whole morning. She called me at one point and asked why the ranger hadn't started talking yet. By this point, we were at the glacier and they weren't even aware of it due to being on the opposite side of the ship and not hearing any narration. Luckily she called or else they might have missed seeing it (at this point, they were both feeling a little under the weather so they weren't sitting out on the balconies). Make sure to set your channel to the one with the navigational information.

The port side (our side) was the first to approach Margerie glacier and we were lucky enough to see some calving. The sound really was like thunder and it made my stomach jump. We were so lucky to have a view from the port side because it calved a couple times and did not calve at all for the starboard viewers.

Day 5: Glacier Bay cruising and Crown Grill continued

My mom and stepdad were able to come over to view the glacier but then went right back to their room due to feeling a little sick and they decided to wait until the boat turned. Unfortunately, they missed the calving and the fog moved in so missed some of the views.

We stayed out on our balcony until the ship turned and then went to my mom's. There were otters on that side so we were able to track them as they swam toward the glacier. We stayed at Marjerie for an hour and then made our way to Lamplugh glacier.

When we got there, I didn't realize that we were just making a quick turn and then leaving. We approached from the port side again so by the time we realized that that was the only view we were going to get, the boat had almost completely turned away from it.

This was the only picture we got

At this point, I was almost relieved to be leaving the scenic cruising. It was freezing and, other than parts covered with rainproof clothing, we were wet. A helpful hint: we brought along hand and toe warmers. My mom and DH teased me when I bought them and insisted that we wouldn't need them. Well, guess what, everyone used them and was grateful that I brought them. I'm not sure I could've stayed outside the entire morning without them.

We spent the rest of the day watching the scenery pass from the inside of our cabin and watching TV. We had dinner reservations at the Crown Grill at 5:30 (I told you that we like to eat early) so we wanted to rest up and have time to get dressed up.

Dinner was very good. We were seated promptly when we got there and the restaurant was not very busy. There were a few big groups but we were one of the only couples. We both ordered the lobster and crab cakes, delicious! I got the french onion soup which was very good (though I liked the dining room french onion better). For our main course, I ordered the filet mignon with asparagus and mashed potatoes. DH ordered the New York strip steak with mashed potatoes and mushrooms. He was very impressed though he said that the steak tasted the same as the one he had the following night in the dining room.

We each got dessert. I got the dessert sampler and DH got the lava cake.

The sampler

Overall, I think it was very good and we would do it again. However, we missed our normal waitstaff from the dining room and I didn't feel like the quality was that much greater than the dining room. It did make our anniversary feel more special so I'm glad we went. I loved having a booth right next to the window!

We are super lame and can't remember what we did after dinner. I think we might have gone to Crooner's but we went almost every night. DH was starting to get a cold so we wanted to rest up before Ketchikan the next day. We were most looking forward to Ketchikan and wanted to get as much rest as possible.

Really enjoying your trip report so far! I noticed in many of the pictures you are wearing your Hunter boots - did you find those sufficient for getting around while staying comfortable? Did you feel hiking shoes were necessary or would have helped for your trip? Looking forward to the rest of your trip report!