From Glaciers to Palm Trees - Spend 71 days with Bill & Mary Ann on the Zuiderdam - 9-7-22 to 11-17-22

[oakridger]

You sure had a lucky day for calving at the Johns Hopkins Glacier!  My experiences at Marjorie Glacier have had beautiful views but very little calving.  Hubbard Glacier in my one visit had spectacular and loud calving!!   

 

Since I'll be in Glacier Bay on September 29th on the Nieuw Amsterdam, maybe we will spend time at Johns Hopkins also.  I hope to see/hear even a fraction of the calving you described!

 

~Nancy

[Florida_gal_50]

That Nutella tart is my favourite.

[dchip]

WOW, WOW, WOW!!! Such an exciting day in Glacier Bay. What absolutely fabulous photos! I’m sure your eyes must have been on overload by the end of the scenic cruising. Thanks so much for sharing the day!

Denise and Howie, too

[johnlcruise]

Love following your trip reports. Looks like another Grand Adventure is in store for you two. Enjoy. 

[WCB]

Report #8   Tuesday 13, 2022  Sea Day Enroute To Vancouver, Canada   Part #1 Of 1......40 Pictures

 

After departing the Land of the Midnight Sun (Alaska), we looked forward to a day at sea.  One nice aspect for us is the fact we do not have to pack to go home.  Our turn will come, but not for another six weeks.  We began the day with a nice breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill.  The rising sun was blinding at the window seating.  Good thing there are sliding drapes, despite their unusual fluffy texture.

 

At 10:30am, we had been invited to the Mariner Recognition Event in appreciation of our loyalty as one of the President’s Club guests onboard.   We understand there is another PC couple here, but we are not familiar with their name.  This very private event was held in the Gallery Bar lounge, and was attended by about one dozen people.  It was nice to see Friso again, who is Captain Friso Kramer gezegd Freher  now, having been promoted from Staff Captain a few years ago.  We have known him for a long time, and he has not changed a bit.  Friendly as ever, we chatted with him for a few minutes before the event began.  If all goes according to plan, he will be the starting Captain on the Grand World Voyage in 2023.  Friso will do the first two months, and another Captain will do the rest.  That’s a first.  He added that the planned ports are not set in stone, and that also applies to the South Pacific cruise coming up in a few weeks.  Situations in other countries can change, so they remain flexible.

 

Six bronze medallions were awarded, then we were announced, along with the other couple, as President’s Club members.  There was no mention of days any of us had, which is better, as they never seem to get it correct anyway, and frankly, it does not matter.  The Captain had a talk in the Mainstage at 11am, so he bid his goodbye to all.  Henk stayed, and spent a half hour with us.  He had been looking for us at the back deck at sail away, but we have yet to attend.  Our room has such a wonderful veranda, we hate to leave it.

 

We learned that there are over 1700 guests on this ship, which is great news.  We forgot to ask how many will be In Transit tomorrow.  Henk went over the procedure for the zero clearance, and leaving the ship to enjoy Vancouver, or not.  We have not decided what we will do, but Henk did suggest that we be back to go through customs around 2pm.  By then, most all of the new guests will be onboard.  More than likely, there will be two ships docked, and that will take even more time.  We had a conversation about the upcoming world voyage, and some of the challenges facing the staff.  Manning the ship poses some issues, due to the fact many seasoned employees have left the company.  It was a matter of survival for most, needing to find work within the industry or outside of it.  The clock is ticking, so there is a lot of work for them to do with such little time.  We have faith that it will all work out for the best. 

 

On the way out, we visited the Gallery Bar, and picked up some more sodas.  Then we hopped in an elevator, and went to the Crow’s Nest to see if they sold the vitamin water they used to have.  Of course they did not sell it, because it came in resealable plastic bottles.  These are not allowed onboard now.  It seemed so odd not to see the usual bar up there, or the band area that was so popular.  Times change……

 

Taking a one mile walk on the promenade deck chilled us, since the sun had disappeared and was replaced with overcast and wind.  The Captain said that once we turn back into the passage, it will warm up.  He was right, it did rather nicely.  We had some catching up to do online, still trying to figure out why the photos are not going through as they usually do.  We are trying a few things to rectify it.

 

It was room service lunch again for us.  We sampled the quesadilla appetizer, had one Caesar salad, and two sandwiches.  Had asked for 4 cookies, but got 6.  Had to eat them, of course.  The scenery became very nice, and we had an added treat of seeing a few orcas, dolphins, and numerous birds.  Other than some fishing boats and a couple of ferries, we enjoyed the calm waters and scattered villages as we headed towards Vancouver. 

 

By 4pm, two large photos from the medallion event were left in or mailslot.  

 

Dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill, which was pretty busy still at 8pm.  We had the usual starters with a shared order of cold jumbo shrimp.  Mains were one filet mignon and one halibut.  Both were cooked perfectly.  With just a little room left, we split a Key lime pie.  Good to go, we will be back in the morning for an early breakfast.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[drk]

Enjoy your reports.  Any word on adding the Grand Dutch Café to the Zuiderdam?  Thanks.

[dchip]

Nice to see some info on our South Pacific cruise ports. In this time of covid, it is more important than ever to remain flexible when cruising. Ports are never a sure thing but now they can change in an instant. 
Thanks, Denise
 

[Fred321]

Bill and MaryAnn,

Just saw your post regarding Henk's comments about getting experienced staff for the World Cruise. We were just on the Zaandam VOV and ran into Afton who is currently running the Pinnacle on the Zaandam. He was an assistant matre de on the Amsterdam for the 2020 and was a great addition to the staff. We asked if he would be joining us on the Zuiderdam and he indicated that he would love to do it but had not yet heard from the company. Maybe a word to Henk wouldn't hurt? Looking forward to seeing you soon.

 

Rich and Peg

[Ready2go11]

I met Afton on board the Zaandam during the restart voyage last May. He was excellent!  We enjoyed talking to him about his family and experience.
 

Sadly I will not be on board a world cruise (at least until I retire) but look forward to joining the Zuiderdam on Sept 21!

[Clay Clayton]

Thanks for all you’ve posted. Looking forward to your report on turnaround/in transit day in Vancouver as we will be doing it in October 8 aboard Konigsdam. Our friends will depart after an Alaska cruise similar to yours but we will be aboard for another 16 nights to Hawaii and back-our own shortened version of “Glaciers to Palm Trees!”

[WCB]

Report #9  Wednesday   September 14, 2022   Vancouver, Canada   73 Degrees Cloudy With Heavy Overcast    6:30 am To 4pm  Part #1 Of 3.......60 Pictures

 

Well, here we are, back in Vancouver, and ready to begin another  seven day journey to Alaska.  We woke up way too early to be ready for breakfast, which began at 6:30am.   There were more guests than we expected already in the Pinnacle Grill.   Last night, we had decided we would go off of the ship in Vancouver, mostly because it was going to be a nice day….overcast, but not chilly.  The prediction at noon was 71 degrees.  Perhaps the next time we arrive here, it may be raining.

 

The ship was docked at Canada Place, with the Grand Princess already sharing the opposite pier.  Together with us, there would be quite a few folks going through customs and immigrations today.  If we had chosen to stay onboard, we would have been required to meet with the other intransit guests to go off as a group at 9:45am to be cleared.  That process could take up to an hour, but we do know that sometimes, it takes over two hours.  Once the zero count was achieved, then the guests were free to go back onboard, but not allowed to leave after that.

 

So when the final color was called for the luggage tags, we went off carrying our passports, room keycard, a photo ID, and Covid cards, although we were never asked to show them.  It was also mentioned that we may need the ARRIVECAN paper with the QR code and number.  Once again, no one asked to see it.  We believe that info is already on our chipped passports.  As we walked out of the garage area, we did see a few buses bringing the new guests for both ships to board at 9:30am.  Not sure if they were made to wait.

 

Making our way to the Burrand Inlet, we passed the convention center, the sea plane terminals, Coal Harbour and Quay, the Westin Hotel, and the marina.  From there we made our way to Stanley Park, and the horse-drawn carriage ride.  Charges for a one hour tour for seniors was $46 CAN or about $35 USD.  The aluminum frame carriage was already full of tourists.  The horses were magnificent. Some of them are imported from England, and could be either Grey Shire, Clydesdales, Belgiums, or Percherons.  Quite large animals, they pulled the coach with ease as they set off for a slow scenic trek in Stanley Park. 

 

Speaking of Stanley Park, it is 1000 acres of hemlocks, western cedars, deodora cedars, totem poles, and an Aquarium.  From the looks of the grassy areas, it is apparent that they are in a drought, as the lawns were dry and brown.  We have never seen that before, but it sure reminds us of home in California……very dry.

 

We walked back slowly, taking advantage of the convenient benches along the way.  By now, the wide walking path was full of hikers, bikers, and folks with dogs.  We noticed how clean the area was of dog droppings, and we found out why.  A sign was posted saying there was up to a $2000 fine for not picking up after your dog.  Obviously, it is working.

 

Reaching the Pan Pacific Hotel near 1pm, we continued up to the beginning of Gastown and a restaurant we really like.  We had worked up a good appetite, and were pleased to see that the Steamworks Brewing Co. still sold pizza.  We ordered two “sleeves” of Heroica Red draft beer on the recommendation of our waiter.   We learned that a sleeve is comparable to a pint.  The Hawaiian pizza sounded perfect, as did the apple galette for dessert.  We shared both.  Great lunch.  Upon leaving the pub, we walked down the street to take a picture of the Gastown Steam Clock, a relic from the turn of the century.  The white-globed lamp post with hanging flower baskets were really pretty.  The shops around here sell maple syrup, candy, and Canadian souvenirs.  It was also very crowded, so we left our masks on.  Very few people, including the locals, wore masks.

 

The time had come to head back to the ship as it was near 2pm.  Henk had suggested to wait until 2pm to avoid the crowd going through customs. And it worked.  We showed our in transit cards, then we were directed to the check-in area.  The line to the right had at least two hundred new guests checking in, while we went to the left to do the passport scan.  Once scanned and accepted, we answered a few typical customs questions, had our photo taken, and were free to go.  Each of us got a slip that we handed over to the officials.  From there we found our exit door, and walked the gangway to board the ship.  We already had our room keys, and the security folks welcomed us back.  But not until I had my knee double-checked by one officer.  Scanned with the wand and patted down, I was free to board.  

 

Now that we were beginning a new cruise, we expected to find the same amenities we had a week ago.  Missing was the sparkling wine on ice, and also two credits of Captain’s gifts on our shipboard account.  One of us made a trip to the front desk to straighten this out.  Of course there was a very long line of folks with questions, but the Club Orange line only had one guest.  Since we are welcomed to use that line, I did not have a long wait.  Once again, I probably got a few dirty looks.  The young fellow at the front desk had to go to Michelle, the guest relations manager, to advise him of the slow process to post amenities.  It should hit the account tonight.  The sparkling wine never arrived, but, another gal from the beverage department offered to exchange the wine for Coke.  We said fine, and got a case delivered to our room.  We will not run out anytime too soon now.

 

On the way back, I stopped at the Pinnacle Grill to make some more reservations for the week…..three in the Pinnacle Grill and one in Canaletto.  We could book Sel de Mer, a pop-up option here, but the cuisine is not our favorite. 

 

We missed the exclusive reception for the Mariner guests, but we did not miss too much.  Remember, last time the Crow’s Nest was full of folks reclining in the chairs, half asleep.  If we knew some of the guests, that might be different.

 

Our first dinner of this trip was in the Pinnacle at 8pm.  It was not crowded and the service was perfect. For a change, we both ordered a cocktail, and enjoyed it.  Since we had taken such a long hike today, we figured we earned it.  Then we ordered one halibut and one pork chop….both were very good and hot as well.  Sharing an order of French fries, we left a bit of room for ice cream and berries.  Bet we sleep good tonight.  Tomorrow will be a lazy day at sea.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[wooddoctor]

Regarding Post #55 from WCB,  the Zuiderdam not having re-sealable water bottles.  As my wife is an avid water drinker and constantly carries around a plastic water bottle, what do they have available on the ship?  We too will soon be on board the Zuiderdam so it's enjoyable reading your 'Blog' of Live on the Zuiderdam.  Learning a lot!  Thank You, KC & Don.

[0106]

@wooddoctorBring a refillable water bottle; you can get it refilled in the Lido or at any bar.

[TXCruiser78660]

3 hours ago, wooddoctor said:

Regarding Post #55 from WCB,  the Zuiderdam not having re-sealable water bottles.  As my wife is an avid water drinker and constantly carries around a plastic water bottle, what do they have available on the ship?  We too will soon be on board the Zuiderdam so it's enjoyable reading your 'Blog' of Live on the Zuiderdam.  Learning a lot!  Thank You, KC & Don.

There should be water in cans available to buy.  I found them fine but some people complained of a metal taste.  They are included in the SBP.  The cans are resealable.

 

Edited September 15, 2022 by TXCruiser78660
Add additional info

[Florida_gal_50]

5 hours ago, TXCruiser78660 said:

There should be water in cans available to buy.  I found them fine but some people complained of a metal taste.  They are included in the SBP.  The cans are resealable.

 

You mean metal bottles?  That’s the only resealable ones I saw and they were in short supply.  They went to cans with a pop type top.  Once you open it you are committed.  No way to reseal it.

[Ready2go11]

We had the metal cans and metal bottles on a recent voyage on the Zaandam. The bottles were for purchase and the cans were part of the beverage package. Once we caught on to that, we started asking for the bottles and sometimes they would give to us and other times no. 
 

As noted the bottles are more functional as you can close them back up. 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Have a great cruise. 

[gwenmarie]

Just saw a news report that a major storm is heading to the coast of Alaska today through tomorrow. Stock up on sea sick medication 

[WCB]

Report #10   Day at Sea Enroute to Alaska via Inside Passage   Thursday September 15, 2022  Mostly cloudy/some showers   57 degrees   Part # 1 of 1 ..............16 Pictures

 

We just realized that we did not receive the HAL or Club Orange bag or the commemorative ship tiles we usually get after the Mariner Event.  Will have to ask our new room steward, Putu, to provide them.  Since we have not cruised on this class of ships, the tiles will be new ones.  We also asked about the bag, and Putu heard they were back-ordered.   Where have we heard this before?  Oh yeah, on the N. Amsterdam a year ago on a Alaska Cruise.  They promised us that the two N. Amsterdam tiles would be mailed to our home.  Even after a couple of phone calls to HAL offices, they still have not arrived.  Doubt they ever will.  

 

There were all new customers in the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast.  We asked Remco, the PG manager, how many intransit guests carried over like us.  He surprised us when he said a total of seventeen.  We expected it to be more.  Another observation was that the complimentary mimosas are not actively promoted at breakfast time, as they are on other ships.  Yes, they are listed on the menu, but easily missed.  A subtle cutback perhaps?

 

A Celebrity ship, the Millenium, passed us heading back towards Canada.  Other vessels included a few fishing boats and many barges being towed by tug boats.  Wildlife sightings were few such as some dolphins or porpoise, and birds of course.  The Captain took the ship between the islands, then headed out to open waters, we assume to make better time heading to the 49^th state.  This manuever occurred several times during the day.

 

There was really a mix of weather conditions today.  Early in the morning, we caught some warm sun, followed by overcast, and later by rain showers.  It was still pleasant walking on the promenade deck for our mile hike.  There were several folks doing the same thing around lunchtime.  After the Captain spoke on the speakers, Ian, the former world cruise port lecturer, came on for the afternoon activities.  We assume he has taken over Valerie’s place as the travel and cruise director,  or whatever they are called these days.  In addition, we have another naturalist speaker, Kainoa, who we have known from many Hawaii and South Pacific voyages.  We shall be on the lookout for him, since we heard he has slimmed down a lot.

 

Forgot to mention yesterday, that while the ship was turning over, we took advantage of that, and located the room we will have on the world cruise in January.  It is a Signature Suite with much more space than we are used to.  We happened to run into an assistant head housekeeper, who invited us in for a look.  We were not disappointed as the room was plenty spacious and well appointed.  Nice bathroom, but there were still the clingy shower curtains.  Perhaps when the ship goes into dry dock, they will get rid of the curtains.  There will be no problem with storage, but we will really enjoy the larger veranda that has two wicker-woven lounges with thick pads, and a table with two chairs.  

 

Once again, we passed on the wine tasting at 1:45pm, and ordered room service for lunch.  We are still leary of going to the Lido or even the dining room, which is too early for us for lunch.  They make great chicken Caesar salads, and very tasty quesadillas in place of a sandwich.  We have learned to order doubles on the salad dressing, because the ramakins are so tiny, they hold one tablespoon of dressing at the most.  There are no more fruit bowls in the rooms, so we added some apples and oranges to our order. 

 

It is worth mentioning that we sent the laundry out at 8am, and it was returned by 4:30pm.  Excellent service.

 

Dinner was in the dining room, where we re-claimed our original table on the railing we reserved about a year ago.  Even though we are still surrounded with other diners, this area seems much less busy and even quieter.  Our new waiters were Adrian and Karl, both from the Philippines for a change.  This evening’s dress code was listed as “Dressy” in the When and Where, however, the menu stated “Gala”.  Believe this……..few were truly Gala (suits, tuxes, or even sport coats).  Most were less than Casual.  Seven day cruises are a different animal from the longer voyages, as most folks do not want to pack the extra clothes.  The ladies are the exception, wearing a little more glitter. 

 

We enjoyed shrimp cocktails, Caesar salads (no anchovies), one halibut, and one rack of lamb, minus the beans.  All was delicious, although we need to request HOT food once again.  The next time we come on Saturday, we will nicely tell him.  Desserts were a special chocolate mousse cake, and one chocolate layer cake.   The serving sizes have shrunk, and for this, we are glad.  A decaf coffee finished the meal.  Our new waiter mentioned that the wait staff is due to rotate maybe after this 7 day cruise ends.  This seems to be the norm, where everyone gets rotated and the two man teams separated.  Hope this does not occur on the grand voyage, as it is such a nice thing to have the waiters get to know us, as we get to know and appreciate them.

 

Back in our room, we found two tiles, two pillow candies (get 2 every night), two HAL blue bags, and a reminder to set our clocks back one hour to be on Alaska time. Actually, we had expected a Club Orange bag, like we received on both the N. Statendam and N. Amsterdam.  Lastly, we had another notice that tomorrow is balcony-cleaning day between 12:30 and 4pm. 

 

On the last cruise, the ship stopped for a tour in Tracy Arm, however, this was not mentioned for tomorrow.  Wonder if it was cancelled?  Those who booked the tour there are probably really disappointed.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS   Here are a few answers for questions that have been asked.  A Grand Dutch Café will not be added to this ship for the Grand World Voyage.  We would have loved it, but it will not happen.

We have not seen any water cans or bottles that can be re-sealed, unlike the aluminum bottles that were previously sold.  In addition, there are signs posted on the water/tea/coffee vending machines in the Lido saying personal bottles or thermoses cannot be filled there.

 

[0106]

7 minutes ago, WCB said:

In addition, there are signs posted on the water/tea/coffee vending machines in the Lido saying personal bottles or thermoses cannot be filled there.

 I poured water from my glass on the table into my refillable bottle.  The Lido waiter was happy to stand there and refill my glass several times.  His pitcher never touched my glass.  I appreciate all the sanitation efforts in the Lido.

[KiwiGal117]

We board on the 21st (also in an aft balcony). We were booked on the Tracey Arm excursion but received an email a couple of weeks ago that it was cancelled due to ice conditions. Disappointing, but we quickly booked a small group whale watching excursion.

[oakridger]

I'm happy for you being in a Signature Suite for the World Voyage!  Those are my favorite cabins on HAL.  You have had Ocean View cabins in the past on your World trips (at least since I have been reading your blogs).  I'm just curious why you decided to switch to a Signature Suite this time?

 

It's amazing how those "back ordered" HAL bags showed up the next day in your cabin!!!  Quick delivery!!  😉

 

~Nancy

[julia]

@WCB

Hi Bill & Mary Ann...  loving your thread so far, and yes, still no tiles from the Nieuw Amsterdam last October.  Apparently, they are on "back order!"

 

Just saw on the NWS that the SW Alaskan coast is bracing for a record storm... what are you hearing or experiencing??  It looks like it could be very bad...  

[julia]

B&MA:

Here's a link to the Alaskan storm I mentioned...

NPR: Typhoon's remnants could bring seas of up to 54 feet toward Alaska's coast.
https://www.npr.org/2022/09/16/1123512183/alaska-typhoon-merbok-storm-coast

[WCB]

Report #11   Juneau, Alaska   Friday September 16, 2022   Raining, overcast, then sunny  55 Degrees  2pm-9:30pm  Part #1 Of 2.........56 Pictures

 

We woke up to heavy clouds, rain, and temps in the 40’s early this morning with spotty TV reception.  It appeared we would not be as lucky as we have been for the last week with mostly sunny days.  Something one of us has to remember is that anything dark chocolate for dessert and even decaf coffee is not a good idea at dinnertime.  Sleep evaded me until 2am.  We don’t know why, but there was no stop at Tracy Arm for an excursion this cruise.  Just scenic cruising to Juneau, with an arrival time of 2pm.  Good time to relax, as one of us needed it.

 

Now this is funny…….one of the first things we were asked in the Pinnacle Grill this morning was would we like a mimosa?  Oh my gosh…..can they read our minds?  Of course, we said yes, thank you.  That might help improve the mood of the dreary day.  Then a miracle happened.  The skies cleared up, and the sun appeared.  It was actually warm on our veranda, where we stayed watching for wild life.  This area is considered a temperate rainforest, so the dense evergreen trees of the mountainsides were beautiful.  Peaceful and quiet.  This time we looked for those orcas and porpoises, but saw none.  Only a few scattered sea gulls. 

 

The Zuiderdam approached Juneau and the Gastineau Channel by 12:30pm.  We were docked by 1:30pm, but we never did hear the announcement that we were cleared by the local authorities.  Just by coincidence, some folks on the deck below us, spotted a black bear way up high on the mountainside near a waterfall, then alerted us.  It was even difficult to locate it with powerful binoculars, but we did see it and got a few pictures.  However, flying within reach of our veranda was an eagle heading towards a nest on the shoreline. It had been perched with another one across the bay.  Once it landed, it tucked itself deeper into the branches, and was difficult to see.  On our last visit, we spotted the same birds there.  Today we saw a total of three.

 

The area of Juneau is 3255 square miles, although 928 square miles is ice cap.  Water consists of 704 square miles, while the actual rural area is 14 square miles.  They get 62 inches of rain and 88 inches of snow annually.  The average temperature is 35 degrees.  Their main industries are government, tourism, fishing, and mining.  There are more trails than roads, and 280 species of birds, black and brown bears, five types of salmon,  orca and humpback whales reside in this area. 

 

Getting off of the ship was a joke.  The line on deck two mid ship snaked all the way to the Mainstage.  There was only one gangway that could be opened today.  Next time we will wait at least 20 minutes for the crowd to clear.  This is where the masks are a must, in our opinion.  It was next to impossible to maintain a 6 foot distance, since many folks were anxious to get to their tour buses. 

 

A group of officers, including Henk, Manish, and Shiv, were on the landing to greet the guests as they left for the day.  That did help to unruffle some feathers.  That gave us a minute to ask about the upcoming port changes that we heard concerning the Tales of the South Pacific.  Henk was surprised that we have not been notified by HAL, and he said he would send the amended itinerary to our room.  One of the biggest disappointments was missing Bora Bora, but due to the fact the passenger count exceeded their requirements, they were forced to substitute somewhere else.  We would learn more when we got back and found the itinerary in our mailbox as promised.

 

Slowly walking through town, we decided it was already getting late, so we headed for lunch once again at the Hangar on the Wharf.  We knew that when the excursion folks got back from their tours, it may be crowded there.  By the way, two other ships were in port…..the Disney Wonder and RCI Quantum of the Seas – both rather large vessels.  The restaurant was not crowded, so we went inside and got seated in a nice booth.  Starting with Alaskan Amber beers, we added one Jack Daniels BBQ burger with fries, followed by that delicious slice of mud pie.  Plenty for two.  While we dined, the Quantum sounded her horn, and pulled away from the dock.  We had a bird’s eye view as she sailed out of the channel. 

 

On our way back, we stopped at Marine Park, where a young local gal had spotted a mountain goat on the same cliffside we had seen the bear.  There were two telescopes on stands pointed in that direction, and we looked for the goat, but did not see it. We told her of the bear sighting, and the local girl said those bears come down to town during the night, and raid whatever they can looking for food.  Can be a dangerous place.

 

Our final stop was at the Alaska Fudge Co. for more peanut brittle and Mendenhall Mud fudge (looked like rocky road).  That will last for another week.

The shops were getting too crowded, and we really did not need anything, so we boarded the ship, and worked on photos the rest of the afternoon.  Once the sun disappeared, it got downright chilly. 

 

Unfortunately, we had to wait a few minutes to re-board, because there was a medical evac taking place.  A man was brought off on a stretcher, and taken to a waiting ambulance.  We sure hope he will be OK. 

 

Dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill, where we began our meal with two cocktails.  Earlier in the day, we had taken the time to thank the staff here online, and they had already received the message.  They have really taken good care of us, and they deserved the kudos.  Anyway, the restaurant was surprisingly full of guests, but then we have to remember this is a seven day trip and people are going to hit every venue they can.  Both of us enjoyed the wedge salads, 7 ounce filets, French fries, and mushrooms.  Two tiny scoops of Neapolitan ice cream finished the meal.  We had window seats where we could watch the last of the guests coming back to the ship before 9:30pm.  A forklift driver removed the gangway, and soon we were ready to sail.

 

We watched the sail away from our veranda until it got way too cold.  We sure got lucky for such a nice day here in Juneau.  Tomorrow we will be back in Skagway….hope it is just as nice as today.

 

Bill & Mary Ann