Live from Kobe to Vancouver May/June 2019

[SLSD]

Unfortunately, the clocks are being turned forward at midnight.  I'm sure that there are some on board who are not bothered, but it has been a setback for us.  I assume it was the captain's choice to turn forward at midnight rather than 2pm.  One of the crew members told us that he lost his rest time last year when the changeover hour was 2pm. 

 

We are off to the SB Club Captain's party (or whatever it is called) in a few minutes.  It is a formal night tonight.  I'll report back later on modes of dress.  Just for the record, I have on a black dress with pearls, sparkly earrings and shawl with just a bit of sparkle.  My husband is in bow tie and navy blazer/gray slacks.  

 

Today has been a good day, but another laid back day.  We both took a two hour nap---unheard of for us in the middle of the day.  We heard a good lecture on political tensions in the Arctic and went to 4pm tea.  

[rols]

13 hours ago, SLSD said:

 

 

At 10:45am this morning, we attended a cook-off in the Grand Salon.  The participants were our cruise director Ross Roberts and our executive chef Lindsay assisted by the new (and soon to take over for Lindsay)executive chef Ross, who is Scottish.  He comes from Royal Caribbean and is looking forward he says to returning to quality.  He will be taking over in about two days.  We'll report on food after his takeover.  So far, in the first eleven days of this cruise, the food as been quite good.  I would say it has been a notch or two above what it was on Encore and Ovation.    While there have been a couple of things I have not cared, for ---the other 99.9% of the food has been very very good.  

 

I'm very pleased to hear that. We thought Chef Lindsay ran a very tight galley and the food shipwide was great. I'd like to try Encore or Ovation with one of our favourite head chefs, like Lindsay or Jess and see if they make the difference as our Encore experience was a bit lacking food-wise.  

 

13 hours ago, SLSD said:

 

Back to the Cook Off from the morning.  As many of you know, Ross Roberts is a real comedian.  While I find his humor to be British humor and quite silly, I always laugh.  We enjoy him.  He used a British term this morning that we did not know the meaning of--so we googled it---and were shocked at how blue it was.  Too blue to write about here!  

 

Ross is funny, and yes his humour is very British, campy, definitely bordering on the risque but never designed to offend. If you get to talk to him he is a very articulate and intelligent man, just loves being a clown. Our cookoff had Chef Lindsay, Ross and Lord Digby Jones who is also quite a character. So the poor chef cooked whilst the two of them messed about and engaged in what could only be described as pantomime humour. I still remember the punchline to Ross' cookbook joke, the quote he got from Thomas Keller. I note your picture captured his book before he turned it around for the final reveal! If he hasn't done it already I hope that Ross will do his one-man show before he leaves, it was pre-dinner one evening on our cruise, definitely worth attending and go early, it fills up!

 

[SLSD]

The SB Club party with the captain gave us an opportunity to ask the captain about moving time forward during the day instead of at night.  He said that when they did this, many complained that lunch was too close to dinner.  So there you have it. 

 

The passenger with the most days had sailed 1,132 days. 

 

Tonight was a formal night---we saw a few long gowns, some tuxes, but many more men in suits and sports coats with ties.  Many women wore pants with sparkly tops--or black ensembles--some dressier than others.  

 

We joined friends at the TK Grill tonight.  We both had the special steak of the evening which was quite tough. 

 

Tomorrow is the Galley Market Lunch!

 

Here are two photos---one of my mode of dress for formal night and the other a photo of a rainbow over the Bering Sea tonight

.  

[SLSD]

Rols, Ross the cruise director has had his one man show and sadly, we missed it due to dinner plans of some sort.  We also missed last night's show due to a late dinner i the TK Grill with friends.  

[SLSD]

Getting closer to our next port as we pass through islands on our way to Kodiak, Alaska.  This is our fourth (I think) consecutive day at sea.  

[rols]

8 hours ago, SLSD said:

Rols, Ross the cruise director has had his one man show and sadly, we missed it due to dinner plans of some sort.  We also missed last night's show due to a late dinner i the TK Grill with friends.  

never mind - you'll just have to take some more cruises until you see it .. simple 🙂

[Jay23]

I would be fascinated to know what term Ross used that is OK for us Brits but too blue for you to write on CC!! 🤣  🤣   I suppose I will never know. 

 

Lovely glam outfit  SLSD.    J

Edited May 29, 2019 by Jay23

[SLSD]

I've lost track of what day of the itinerary this is, but we docked on Kodiak Island early this morning and will be getting off the ship after five days at sea.  I know everyone will be happy about that. 

 

Seabourn has done their best to entertain us these last several days, many lectures, classes, and productions have been offereed including a Dance Party in the Club.  We enjoyed hearing most of the singers onboard as well as Ross, our cruise director.  He will be leaving the ship this afternoon and Jim Cannon will be taking over as cruise director.  

 

Yesterday, we took a tour of the bridge which I enjoy doing on every cruise.  Andrew, the third officer showed us all around and gave the most informative thorough bridge tour we have received on SB.  Andrew told us that he just recently joined the ship and is happy to be here. 

 

We'll be going through immigration in a bit and we will be off to see some sights in Kodiak, Alaska.  

 

By the way, I haven't posted much here recently because of extreme frustration with the ship's wifi system. Now that we are in Alaska, we are able to use our own wifi device we take with us when traveling.  Of what a difference it makes.  So---this afternoon, I will try to catch up with some comments about this cruise.  

 

[SLSD]

This morning, in Kodiak Alaska, we took a tour arranged through SB, but hosted by the local Maritime Museum.  Our tour guide was a young woman who came to Alaska 20 years ago, seeking adventure--and who stayed, married and raised her child in Kodiak.  During the four hours we spent with her, she was able to give us a vivid picture of what it is like to live on Kodiak Island.  Our tour was titled "The Working Waterfront."  We learned a lot about commercial fishing and fish processing as well as about the various fish which are caught and sold through this port.  Our tour included examining crab pots, fishing nets, fishing boats, survival suits, as well as marine life (in a museum aquarium) that lives in the area.  We saw a sea lion who was happy to pose for us.  The weather was very rainy and cold.  Even so, we had a good time and we were grateful for our SB issued jackets.

 

We gained a new appreciation for the considerable hardships and dangers which are part of commercial fishing in the waters off of Alaska.  During the last year, eight fishermen were killed while working.   

 

Here are a few photos, including a photo of Sojourn docked at Kodiak Island.  The whole of Kodiak Island has a population of 13,000.  The town of Kodiak has 7,000 of that total.  To reach the other villages, you either have to fly or go by boat as there are no roads connecting the villages on the islands.  

 

 

[Covepointcruiser]

Didn’t hear anyone complain last year about the 2pm time change, and nothing about Lunch being too close to dinner.   We had other complaints about  the pool deck being repaired during our crossing.   We also had cold and rough weather on the crossing.    Even if they weren’t repairing the deck I doubt we would have sat around the pool.   We had beautiful weather in Kodiak and they were having a n outdoor crab festival.   King Crab was not in season but they had other fresh crab.   We had some passengers complaining about closures in Kodiak  because of Memorial Day.

[SLSD]

Covepointcruiser, I would have loved having a time change at 2pm.  I think it was hard on the crew from what I've heard.  But, it was an absolute killer for me.  In fact, I was actually a bit cranky for several days.  That's what being very tired will do!  You were very fortunate to have good weather in Kodiak and to be there for the festival.  We heard about the festival.  As there are few shops of interest in such a small working town, I don't think closures would have bothered me one bit.  

 

Our weather in Kodiak was about as bad as it could be, but we took it in stride.  I know what some people just took the shuttle into town and walked around.  We talked to a few of them when back on board, and, I do think our tour experience was more satisfying than just walking around in very cold wet weather.  

 

I want to say something about perceptions.  The passengers are a diverse group in terms of age, nationalities, temperaments and interests.  What one of us may enjoy, another may think is dreadful.  An example is the exotic picnic from a few days ago in Kamchatka.  My husband and I and a number of others in that group, absolutely loved the experience.  Others, not so much.  I don't know what to say other than we have different ways of looking at things.  Some of the passengers seem a bit dour to me.  Perhaps they are not feeling well or are suffering from the crankiness I felt a few days ago.  

 

We had a bit of a momentary scare late yesterday evening when we realized we had not turned in a customs declaration at Seabourn Square.  The deadline was 6pm and we had to race to get it done.  If anyone saw me at that time they would have thought I was dour indeed.  

 

In some ways, this has been a very challenging cruise for us.  The weather has been quite bad since leaving Japan and I have felt claustrophobic at times.  Because we were not able to go outdoors (except for a few minutes here and there)  for five days, the ship seemed very very crowded to me. The doors were sometimes roped closed with a red "high winds" warning on them.   While there was always a seat in Seabourn Square, there were a LOT of people in there!  We don't dine at breakfast or lunch in the Colonnade, but some described it as very crowded as well.  I'm glad I did not go in there.  At least the MDR was serene and sparsely populated. 

 

 

[SLSD]

Tonight, we talked to the bartender at the Observation Bar about last year's decision to change the time at 2pm.  He said it was terrible for the crew as it interfered with their break time.  I think we have the answer as to why the time change was at midnight this year---hard on everyone---but did not take away a time for rest for the crew.  

 

Here are a few more photos from today's stop in Kodiak Island, Alaska. 

[SLSD]

The fog horn is being sounded every two minutes as we go back out to sea tonight.  

 

We enjoyed mint juleps in the Observation Bar tonight.  

[SLSD]

Above should say: DID take away rest time for the crew.  Sometimes I just can't edit due to a poor connection  

 

May 30th:  Yesterday, our captain gave us a surprise!  We're adding a port.  We'll be making a stop in Juneau on June 1st.  I think everyone is very happy about this.  This morning, we were presented with possibilities for excursions.  My husband and I have chosen a canoe excursion called Mendenhall Glacier Native Canoe Adventure.  It is limited to 18 people---and we are hoping enough people sign up to make it a go.  

 

Today, we have already enjoyed two outstanding lectures.  The first was by a retired Nasa engineer, Frank Buzzard.  He delivered a very interesting talk about the early days of rocketry titled " The Early Years--The Birth of Rocketry".  I had forgotten that some of our early space ventures were made possible with the help of German scientists who had been supporters of the Nazi regime.  Their bios were scrubbed to make it possible for them to come to the United States.  Mr. Buzzard augmented his talk with some excellent slides.  Our time was well spent listening to him. 

 

Later in the morning, we were in for another treat as we heard Peter Torkelson,  a member of the SB Ventures team give a talk titled "Alaska's Culture Today".  He began with a description of Alaska's early natives and moved into present day Alaskan culture.  I have enjoyed all of Peter's talks as they are thoughtful and thorough.  He also shows very good videos and slides that always fit perfectly with what he is saying.  

 

I'm including some photos here which do NOT fit perfectly with my post, but are from earlier in this cruise.  They are just some examples of the fun we have had and the things we have seen.  

[SLSD]

May 31st--We had a great morning of scenic cruising aboard the Sojourn.  We arrived early at the Hubbard Glacier and stayed until noon.  We were stationary a little more than a quarter mile from the glacier.  Most people bundled up in their SB issued jackets with caps and under layers and enjoyed the view.  We could hear the ice cracking and see quite a number of collapses.  For a long while, we watched from the deck outside the Observation Lounge and then moved to our own veranda as the ship turned to give each side a superb view.  I took a lot of photos and will post more later, but this is one that is downloading successfully at the moment.  It is a closeup view of the large Hubbard Glacier.  

 

We took full advantage of the several hours of viewing before going to lunch around 1pm.  At lunch I had a wonderful seafood bisque and my husband and I shared a Sacher torte for dessert.  

 

We are just beginning another in the great lecture series for this itinerary.  This talk is titled "The Great Whales--Gentle Giants of the Oceans".  

[SLSD]

More photos from  the Hubbard Glacier this morning.  ;

[SLSD]

A few more photos from this morning at the Hubbard Glacier in Alaska.  I especially like the photo which shows passengers at the bow looking ahead at the glacier.  There is also a photo taken looking down from our veranda railing which shows how much ice was in the water.  

[kowhairob]

Fabulous Photos  , I'm enjoying your blog so much that it will be a shame when you disembark and we will no longer get the notification from Cruise Critic telling us you've  written another blog .  

[SLSD]

Thank you Kowhairob.  Hopefully I'll be able to post a report from Juneau tomorrow.  One fact I've learned that I did not know before is that there are no roads out of Juneau.  Like Kodiak, this is a city (and a capital city at that) that can only be reached by air or by sea.  

 

We had a lovely dinner in the MDR.  I had poached prawns, a salad with bitter greens and goat cheese and a roasted corn soup.  My husband had the same, but substituted fettucini with lobster foam for the prawns.  

 

Instead of going to the evening show which was a comedian, we enjoyed chatting at the Observation Bar with friends.  

[SLSD]

June 1st---We are in Juneau today.  This is an extra port added to our itinerary by our captain Hamish Elliot.  We chose to go on a canoeing adventure across a lake to view the Mendenhall Glacier and the Mendenhall Cascade--up close.  As with many days on this voyage, we had to endure some rain  In fact, we got very very wet!  Fortunately, our Seabourn issued jackets kept our top halves dry.  We enjoyed this experience in spite of being rained upon for half of it.  (Others on our journey said it was an ordeal.)  I guess I am one of those who can see some humor in adversity . I think you will be able to see from these photos that it was a worthwhile experience.  

[SLSD]

The Mendenhall Cascade today outside of Juneau, Alaska.  My husband took this video.  Turn on your sound. 

Edited June 2, 2019 by SLSD

[SLSD]

In my opinion, we had the very best meal of the cruise tonight.  It was slow roasted lamb shank in the MDR.  So delicious. 

[koalapanda]

5 hours ago, SLSD said:

slow roasted lamb shank

Perfect cold weather cuisine. Yum

[SLSD]

Sunday, June 2nd:  Today, we enjoyed scenic cruising in the Tracey Arm Fjord and in the Endicott Arm Fjord.  It began for us with a 7:30 am excursion--leaving the Sojourn on a motorized catamaran.  The catarmaran had an excellent young (woman) pilot who took us within mere feet of some amazing wonders. During the course of the morning, we viewed two waterfalls closeup as well as two magnificent glaciers--The South Sawyer Glacier and the North Sawyer Glacier.  While at the South Sawyer Glacier, we were fortunate to see some spectacular calving (collapsing of the ice).  Once back on the ship, we were treated to caviar and champagne (as well as vodka) on the 6th deck forward.  I chose to have a kir royale.  The weather was perfect and a good time was had by all.  We're still doing scenic cruising now.  It's 3:45pm and we have beautiful views all around us.  Tea in the Observation Lounge will begin shortly and today's tea is  billed as a Chocoholic Tea.  Stay tuned.  

 

I'm sure that once I go through all of our photos, I'll have a few more to share, but here are just a few photos from this morning.  

[SLSD]

And this photo is from the Champagne and Caviar gathering on the 6th Deck Forward.  While at this function, we chatted with the captain (Hamish Elliot)who told us that he took the Sojourn as close to the South Sawyer Glacier as was charted.  He also commented that he was glad Seabourn gave him the go ahead to add the port of Juneau to our itinerary.