Alaska - Day 3, At Sea

Tuesday, September 23

Weather:  High 50's to low 60'sF

Drizzle, whitecaps, and waves

The ship makes waves.

So, I know you're wondering, was it a rough ride last night? No, it was not. That's the good part. The bad part is that, indeed, the ship couldn't make up the time lost in San Francisco. They just cannot speed along safely in higher seas. Safety first! The captain announced that we will have to switch our itinerary to Tracy Arm or else lose our stop in Juneau altogether. There's no point docking at 7 p.m. and leaving at 10 p.m. There wouldn't be time (or daylight) ashore, the tours would be canceled (no daylight), etc. 

Please pardon me, dear readers, for being excruciatingly disappointed. No Golden Gate Bridge at sunset. No Glacier Bay. Bah! It's a good thing we're having a great time on the ship, or I might be complaining severely and getting myself in trouble with the Longshoremen. But I'm not. I'm keeping you informed that, sometimes, things happen. You just have to roll with it. You're on vacation; enjoy yourself, no matter what.

My goodness! These delightful treats
are available 24x7. Yikes.
(Meringues, lower right...)

We got kind of a late breakfast start today (don't judge us for sleeping in on our vacation...), so we opted for a light lunch at the International Cafe in the Piazza. Wow! What a pleasant discovery that place is! The shrimp-fennel salad was outstanding, and the strawberry crème meringues? To die for. They are unbelievable. The lightest meringue (next to yours, Karene). The creamiest, strawberriest filling. My mouth is watering at the thought! I'll have to have more tomorrow. And this is why they have a gym on board.

As usual, we met some wonderful people today. If you don't want to meet other people, you don't have to. But one of the things we really enjoy on a cruise is meeting new people from other places.

Hanging out by the Piazza.

My husband made it all the way to this afternoon before complaining that we haven't been anywhere yet. Why, yes, we have! We've sailed up the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington. Tomorrow, we'll be in Ketchikan, Alaska. How is that not going anywhere?

Hanging out on the
Promenade Deck.

We sat outside on the Promenade Deck for a while and watched the waves after lunch. I love the sea air. It reminds me of my mother. She loved to sit on the Promenade Deck, wrapped in a blanket, reading a good book or napping. That was on the USS Homeric, a ship I last saw on Caribbean duty in the 70's. Personally, I could sit out on deck or on our balcony, reading or writing or napping, all day long.

There was a “Friends at Sea” meeting for veterans of the armed forces today, which we attended. There are a lot of people from California, especially the Bay Area, on the ship. It's almost like leaving home and taking your whole town with you. And we went to see “X-Men: Days of Future Past” in the theater. There's two hours I'll never get back, as they say, but Harry had a nice nap. Not exactly a rousing recommendation for the film, eh? But no offense meant if you thought it was fantastic. No need to send me a nastygram.

Entertainment pretty much
always available in the Piazza,
the lounges, on deck, at the
theater. If you are not
entertained, it's really your
own fault.

“Afternoon Trivia” was fun, and then it was time to get ready for dinner, where we enjoyed some good conversation as we got to know Phil and Nona better. Here's what we ate: We both had the Alaska King Crab legs as an appetizer. I had seafood-potato chowder, and Harry had Granny Smith/apple cider cream soup. It was cold and frothy, served in a cone-shaped glass, and it was delicious! We both had the same entrée, Surf & Turf! It was my favorite main dish so far, with huge shrimp, a perfectly prepared filet, asparagus, and potato wedges. For dessert, we both had crème brulée. Surprise! Our waiter, Joel, is making sure our preferred beverages are served to us automatically. This means that when we sit down, our drinks instantly appear. We like that. It's a nice touch that you can expect with a reserved dining time, where you will be at the same table with the same people and the same wait staff every evening.

Showtime was Rollin' Jay Moore again, the full set this time. Jay was hilarious. He knows how to broach dicey subjects without being gross or vulgar. Good job! I almost didn't make it to the restroom in time, I was laughing so hard. Laughter is good medicine, and I'm not laughing as much as I used to (in case you don't already know why, here a link to The Alzheimer's Diaries).

50's Night fun with the high-energy staff. They're awesome.

After the show, we went to “Rock 'n Roll Trivia,” then “50's Night” music and dancing. “Karaoke Power Hour” followed. Happily, most of the singers were really very good. But there was one truly awful one, and we all encouraged him. Or maybe we were all egging him on. In either case, he had fun, so did we, and what a blast his soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend will have posting his performance on YouTube!

It's 12:30 a.m., and we're supposed to set our clocks back an hour tonight. Tomorrow will be a half-day stop in Ketchikan. It's supposed to rain. I hope it doesn't, but I'm prepared if it does.