Follow Bill & Mary Ann’s Story Live On The Zaandam From Alaska To The South Pacific For 77 Days 9-4-24 To 11-20-24

[highland cruiser]

Thanks for all you posting.  Enjoy following your adventures.  Safe travels and hope the weather is great for you .

[Haljo1935]

Thanks for bringing us along and sharing the link to view your pictures. What an adventure!

Edited September 9 by Haljo1935

[WCB]

Report #5   Sunday September 8, 2024     Scenic Cruising Glacier Bay, Alaska 7:30am-3:30pm  Heavy Fog Clearing To Sunny Skies Cool   Part #1 Of 3......66 Pictures---Casual Dress

 

The Glacier Bay Park Rangers, Alaska Native Voices Cultural Ambassador and Alaska Geographic Representatives had joined the ship at 6:30am at Bartlett Cove.  The rangers opened a desk in the Crow’s Nest and the Geographic Reps open a small store.  Their narration began about 8am and it could be heard in the Crow’s Nest as well as the outside decks.  

 

Breakfast was in order by 8:45am, and so were several cups of hot coffee.  Our meal seemed to taste even better today after being out in the refreshing air for a few hours.   Tina had worried about us being late, which was thoughtful, but we reassured her that all was well.  We thanked her for her concern and said that when we are in Glacier Bay next week, we shall also be missing until later.  There were other guests that arrived even later than we did, and it was fine.

 

On the way towards the first set of glaciers, we saw several sea otters on both sides of the ship.  We do not recall seeing them this deep into the bay.  The otters must have had a record year, because we never saw so many.  Nice to see their antics as we slowly sailed among them.  Many were taking a ride on the small  icebergs floating by.  They could easily be mistaken for harbor seals, but when we blew up the photos, they were definitely otters of all sizes. 

 

The ship was as far as Jaw Point into the John’s Hopkins Inlet, but turned around before we were able to see the actual glacier.  Sometimes this glacier is off limits if the seals are pupping.  Usually this is the only glacier that calves regularly.   The ship headed north towards the Tarr Inlet and Margerie Glacier, situated near the US and Canada border.   We lingered for quite a while near the face of the glacier, waiting for the Crown Princess to leave.   The bow had been opened by now, and it filled with guests, adding a lot of color to our photos.   Dutch pea soup was served on the outside decks as well as a coffee set-up where one could spike it with a variety of liqueur.  It was very busy today.   It would have been nice if we saw some calving, but it was not to be.  The Captain spent about an hour at this point, then turned the ship and sailed slowly out of the inlet. 

 

We needed to go back to the room to defrost and start sorting through the photos.  Since we had missed lunch, we went to the Dive-In Grill and ordered one hot dog and one Cannonball burger.  No fries.  They were good and hot and we dined in our room.  It would hold us until dinner at  7:30pm. 

 

About the time we were passing by North and South Marble Islands, we went back outside in hopes of seeing more otters, the Stellar sea lions, and possibly whales.  As it turned out, we were too far away to see any wildlife on these strips of islands.   Scanning with powerful binoculars, it appeared the sea lions were not there anyway.  There was a record number of otters once again.  At 3:30pm, the rangers and reps were picked up by boat and headed back to their headquarters at Bartlett Cove.  The ship headed south past Hoonah and the Inside Passage.  We should arrive to Ketchikan tomorrow before 11am.  

 

Dinnertime was casual attire with a splash of orange.  And the theme was Dutch Dinner featuring the flavors of Holland.  One of us ordered a bay shrimp cocktail and the other Dutch pea soup.    Salads were West highlands with mustard dressing.  Mains were bami goreng, a Holland/Indonesian dish and pork cordon bleu.  Both were tasty.  We are finding the cuisine very good on this trip.  Later during our dessert of Boshe bols (chocolate eclairs), Presty stopped by for a chat.  He agreed that the food is better than even the food on the world cruise mainly because all of the shipments are coming from the USA and Canada.  It is fresh and of high quality and replaced every 7 days.  It does make a difference.  We complimented the bakers on their skill of producing breads that are tender and stay fresh.  Presty totally agreed. 

 

Entertainment this evening was a singer by the name of Chris Bannister performing hits from the now bit older crowd such as Dylan, Taylor, Simon, Croce and many more.  The Call of the Wild (new version) was in the Wajang.  Then at 9pm, there was the Orange Party  in the Crow’s Nest.  Many folks were dressed for the occasion.  It was a long day for us, so we called it a night.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS   Thank you for all of the nice comments on Cruise Critic.  We are also sorry we did not follow up on the “24 GWV, but life hit us with “fires” to put out.  Not literally thank goodness.

          We are currently in a very comfortable outside room, but will move to deck six on September 25^th.  We have access to the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast due to being President’s         

           Club members.  And worth mentioning, we turned in the first laundry bag this morning.  It was returned by 4:30pm.  Can’t get much better than that.  By the way, laundry by the

          bag is $25 or 7 days unlimited for $59.50.

 

 

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Bill and Mary Ann, I'm enjoying following along with you as you explore Alaska.  I'm also looking forward to the South Pacific part of your cruise.  Thank you for taking us along with you.

[gcurtis01]

Following with interest.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post.

 

We're doing this trip Sept 2025, a 7 day followed by the 56 day South Pacific, maybe see you there!

[The Other Tom]

Wow!  77 days?  Almost as long as a WC!

OK, maybe half a WC

Edited September 9 by The Other Tom

[johnlcruise]

Following. I always enjoy reading about your "Adventures".

[WCB]

Report #6   Monday  September 9, 2024  Ketchikan, Alaska  Docked Port Side To Pier  11am-7pm  Mostly Sunny And Warm 70 Degrees  Part #1 Of 4.....75 Pictures---Dressy Night

 

Since day one we have had a problem with the temperature of the water in our bathroom sink.  The hot water has been scalding, while the cold water has been warm at best.  Asking about fixing it, we were told it was not possible.  Really?  Finally, today it appeared to be working properly, so perhaps more guests in this block of rooms have complained way more than us.  Whatever the reason for the fix, we hope lasts for the next two weeks. 

 

Another question we have had concerns the internet onboard.  It is spotty, even when we are docked in a port.  We have discovered that it helps to prop open the door to get more bars.  It is not a true fix, but at least we are able to send larger files that way.

 

The Zaandam arrived to Ketchikan before 11am.  It was already a beautiful partly cloudy, but mostly sunny day.  Compared to the temps in Glacier Bay, today there was barely a breeze blowing.  Lucky.  We went to our favorite viewing spot on deck six forward.  The bow was opened also.   Scanning the outskirts of the city, we spotted the rock slide that recently happened.  It was not as massive as we had expected, but wide enough to cause some homes to be demolished and the road blocked.  It has been cleaned up and covered with some type of green plastic to keep it from further erosion. 

 

There were other ships already docked in town today.  We sailed past Ward Cove where the Oceana Regatta was docked.  Closer to town, we saw the Royal Princess as well as the Grand Princess.  The Viking Orion was also in port.   It was a good thing that there were over 30 tours offered today, because that would take many of these cruise guests out of town.  The excursions ranged from reasonable like the Lumberjack Show for $43. each to mid-priced tours such as the Saxman Village or seafood feast for $170. per person.   Outrageous-priced excursions (IOHO) were  the bear encounter for $300 or a floatplane to a bear adventure for $600. each.   None of these tours exceeded 5 hours and most did not include lunch.  We have heard that it is the insurance end of the equation that has driven up these prices.  Isn’t that the case with every type of insurance we purchase these days?

 

We were perfectly happy to get out and explore on our own now, as we have done many of these tours through the various cruise lines.  And that’s what we did today.  Leaving the ship before 12pm, most of the guests had already left.   One of the pluses was leaving the heavy jackets behind.   Sweatshirts would be sufficient.  We sure cannot remember a visit here that it did not rain.  Known as the salmon capital of the world, Ketchikan lived up to its reputation today as we viewed what we think are the pink salmon fighting their way up the creek to spawn.  From the amount of fish we saw today, it is our guess that it is the beginning of this run, and will get better in the next two weeks. 

 

Passing the fire department and the Federal Building, we came upon one of the many totem poles in town.  This one was named Chief Johnson, a replica from 1901.  Totem carving is an art, and many examples of how they are created can be seen out of town.  From here we crossed the busy street and saw lots of fish, many dead ones, from the Stedman Street bridge.  We followed the crowd that was making their way up Creek Street, the famous redlight district from 1902.  More than 30 bawdy houses lined the banks of this creek.  Today this area is part residential and commercial.  One of the most famous places is Dolly’s House, once an infamous brothel.  It has been preserved and is complete with antiques and gaudy décor of those wild and crazy days.  

 

It was slow-going the rest of the way up the creek boardwalk as many folks were stopping and taking photos of the fish below.  Once at the top, we turned right and followed the road to the bridges across the creek.  We think there were about half of the spawning fish compared to what we saw last year.  We continued to the old fish hatchery and City Park where we took advantage of an empty bench.  Checking the creek on Fair Street, we noticed there were few fish there.  Then it was time to back-track and make our way back to downtown.  We ducked in and out of some shops along the way, then arrived at the Alaska King Crab Co. for lunch.  By 2pm, it was not crowded, which suited us just fine.   There was an ad inside the elevator for king crab.  It was $150 for a two pound serving.    Holy cow……or should we say holy crab?  It would be interesting to see how many folks order the treat.

 

Due to allergies, one of us is not a big fish eater.  Shellfish is the culprit, but crab and shrimp are OK.  Honestly, a hamburger works better in most cases.  So we ordered one small salad, and a burger to share.  Beers of choice were the Alaska Amber drafts.  Really good when ice cold.  They serve nice desserts here, so we split a slice of carrot cake.  And to top it off, we had a coupon for free shot glasses which were gifted when we finished our meal.  One of us recalled finding Lazy One T’s in the shop below.  We found them and bought one to add to the collection.   And with another coupon, they handed out souvenir shopping bags with the purchase.   From what we saw, most of the best deals were here in Ketchikan.  People were shopping like there was no tomorrow.  And since we had plenty of room in the large shopping bag, we purchased two big bags of popcorn before heading to the info center.   We picked up the walking tour map of town, which is full of useful information.  By the way, our friendly waiter told us that this coming Thursday, there will be 20,000 cruise ship passengers in town.  They will be busier than ever, which is great for their economy.  In the early days, fishing, canning, and lumber were the top industries, but today, it is tourism.

 

We had quite a steep climb re-boarding the ship, since the tide had risen quite a bit by 4pm.  There were plenty of crew members to help those who needed it.  As always, we used the rest of the afternoon to put together this report with the photos.    All aboard time was 6:30pm and we were so engrossed with our work, we hardly noticed when the ship left the dock 10 minutes later.  Tomorrow will be a scenic day cruising the Inside Passage on our way back to Vancouver.

 

Dinner for us was in the dining room, where the suggested attire was “dressy”.  Quite a few of the fellows and ladies  seemed to miss that  memo because some came dressed in old jeans, t-shirts, windbreakers and baseball caps.  We hate to sound like the clothes police, but we have been around long enough to see the changes from proper attire to “we are too lazy to change clothes”.   There was an Alaska Seafood Boil for $35 per person in the Lido, but we are sure that was only in one part of this venue.  While on the grand world voyage this year, it was announced more than once that if the call was for dressy or formal, it was the required dress for the full service table restaurants.  And very few folks showed up with inappropriate attire.  And the dress code on those special evenings was enforced by the head waiters as well. 

 

Anyway, our meal was just fine with starters of Caesar salad (always ice cold and crispy), and a shrimp cocktail.    The dinner rolls have been consistently good.  While waiting for our mains, the hotel manager, Glenn Cowley, stopped by for a chat.  He remembered us from last year’s fall cruises on the Volendam, and welcomed us back.  He and his family had joined this ship the same day we did.  Then after we finished our meals of beef tenderloin minus the crab and a pork schnitzel, head waiter, Pulung, stopped by checking up on us.   He is such a nice fellow.  We ended the meal with one small chocolate volcano and a plate of sliced pineapple…..so refreshing.  

 

There was a Chocolate Surprise at 9:30pm on deck five and the Step One Dance Company with Musicology.  It had been a very long day and we were ready for bed.  And the clocks went forward one hour tonight.  We don’t like forward, but in a few days, we will be setting them back again.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[The Other Tom]

Loved the fish pics.  Thanks for posting.

[ellieanne]

On 9/6/2024 at 10:06 AM, WCB said:

We were ready for our first breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill restaurant at 8am.  To our surprise, Tina from the world cruise is the manager here until November 9^th.  Knowing that we were arriving, she saved a space for us every evening for dinner in the Pinnacle Grill if we wish to dine there.  How thoughtful that she was thinking ahead, since the ship is sold out and reservations are limited.  By the way, new Pinnacle menus appeared last night with  revised choices.  One item missing was the halibut. The lunch menu has also changed and no longer offers the well-liked hamburger.  We do appreciate that the time has come for changes in this venue. 

 

I hope that you have let them know when you will not be using those places set aside for you. I know on my most recent cruise, it was impossible to get a reservation in the Pinnacle Grill, which wen had hoped for because it was a milestone birthday celebration. Adding to our disappointment, walking past the Pinnacle Grill most evening there were a good number of tables empty, despite being told the venue was booked out each night. I realize some of that may have been the diners running late, but that does not explain all. Now I realize, it could be that the manager had set aside tables for people who just *may* want to dine there but instead dined elsewhere. Your unused held table may mean disappointment for others.

[WCB]

Report #7  September 10, 2024      Sea Day Cruising The Inside Passage     Cloudy And Overcast With Cooling Temperatures-- Flat Seas   Part #1 Of 1......  Pictures

 

Today is the final full day at sea for the majority of guests.  It will be a day of last- minute shop sales, final jackpot bingo, lotto jackpot drawing, and a Lido Fun Fair.  And packing……   but not for us as we will be sailing onward. 

 

There was an Alaska Brunch this morning in the dining room from 10am to 1pm.   We were not sure if the Pinnacle Grill was opened at 7:30 or 8am, since it is never listed in the Daily newsletter.  Going at 8am, we had our regular table.  Our breakfast in here has been most enjoyable with good food and even hotter coffee.  Except for one morning in the beginning,  it has not been crowded at all.

 

Taking a stroll on the promenade deck, we soon realized the weather had “turned on a dime” compared to the temps in Ketchikan yesterday.   Today was cloudy with a really cool breeze.  It felt like rain would fall sometime today.  We were correct.

 

On Deck For a Cause , a 5 kilometer walk for Alaska’s parks was held at 1pm.  Around the same time, one of us went to the front Desk to get some clarity on the customized internet plan we had purchased.  None of the details were provided such as the regular price for the premium plan we had purchased, or the President’s Club credits we were to get.  Being the twelfth in line, I did not expect to be at the front desk for at least ½ hour.   Just as the nice man in front of me struck up a conversation, Vini, our Mariner rep onboard, appeared from the side door, asking what he could help me with.  You should have seen the looks I got from some folks.  He said he would get the answers for me and call with the info within the hour.  That was great and I thanked him.   Most ships have a separate line for suite and Club Orange guests as well as President’s Club people.  This ship does not appear to have such a line.  By the time I left the line snaked around to the doors of the Main Stage.  In hind site, we should have asked about this right after breakfast when no one was in line.  And as promised, Vini did call back and explain how the math was done with the internet and credits.  It made sense finally and it all came out in the wash as correct.

 

We received two tiles this morning, left on our bed.  We assume there will be no Mariner lunch on this trip.  However we did have an invitation to attend the Mariner Recognition Event held in the Explorer’s Lounge at 4:30pm.  There was a total of eleven guests there and only one young lady got a 300 day medallion.  Another couple besides us was introduced with their days announced, followed by us.  Photos were taken.  Oddly enough, the rest of the guests were not named at all.    That might have taken an extra 10 minutes, but they failed to do so.     Vini, our rep, made sure we had drinks of our choice.  Wines were offered to everyone else.  Captain Willems and Glenn, the hotel manager, spent about 15 minutes chatting with us before they excused themselves.  Short and sweet…..just like the cruise duration.

 

The remainder of the afternoon was spent outside watching for wildlife in the Inside Passage.  Braving the weather (and eventually rain), we did see flocks of birds, Dall porpoises, a few humpback whales and pods of orcas.  It was a treat see this wildlife even at the expense of being chilled to the bone. 

 

Dinnertime found us in the dining room making choices with many favorite starters and mains.  We had one Caesar salad, crispy spring rolls, tomato soup, the Club Orange lamb plate, and one sweet and sour shrimp with Jasmine rice and veggies.  Small baked Alaskas finished the meal.   Right before dessert arrived, some of the kitchen staff and chefs came and did the walk through the upper and lower dining rooms.  Everyone cheered, clapped, and swung their napkins.  It was also short and sweet.  A fine farewell. 

 

Luggage was lining the hallway when we got back to the room.  Lucky for us, we did not have to do that.   And in our mail slot, we had two photos from the Medallion event.   That was sure quick.  We will be back to Vancouver early tomorrow morning.  There will be a zero clearance and everyone will have to be off of the ship by 9am.    We had a front desk fellow bring up a customs form for us to fill out, since they had forgotten to send it.  Tomorrow we will be seen by both Canadian and US customs.  We intend to spend the day exploring Vancouver, going to lunch, and coming back before 2pm.  We have been given intransit cards so we do not have to wait in line with the new guests that will be boarding.  Hope it doesn’t rain……

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[WCB]

Greetings,

 

Perhaps we need to clarify the Pinnacle Grill reservations a bit more.  The manager had saved a spot for us every evening, however, we would inform her each morning which night we would dine there.  We only had dinner there once last week, and Tina knew not to hold the reservations knowing we were not coming on other evenings.  In addition, we chose not to dine in there on her busiest evenings.

 

Many guests will make their reservations in the Pinnacle Grill well in advance of the cruise.  Then there is no problem.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[pengu1n]

Hi, I'm enjoying your daily postings. Are your pictures available somewhere to see? I haven't seen a link.

[dchip]

1 hour ago, pengu1n said:

Hi, I'm enjoying your daily postings. Are your pictures available somewhere to see? I haven't seen a link.

https://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com/

[WCB]

Report #8  September 11, 2024  Vancouver, Canada, British Columbia Turn Around Day  Cloudy With Heavy Overcast Clearing In The Afternoon  59 Degrees  Part #1 Of 3......66 Pictures---Casual Dress

 

Our Alaska Adventure Begins…….again.  That was the title of today’s Daily newsletter.  The ship filled with new guests and we are set for another 7 days of experiencing Alaska.    Breakfast was at 6:30am, so that gave most folks the time to be ready and set to go off by 9:15am.   Since we were in transit, we were the last ones to be called off. 

 

We had gotten a letter describing the plan for disembarkation.  Today was a zero- clearance day, where everyone had to be off to see the customs folks as well as make their way back home.  All we needed to take with us was our passports, the ship’s keycard, and the in- transit card.   Those of us who were coming back for another 7 days would be allowed to go off one time only. 

 

We assumed we had to be seen by the US Customs on the way out, but we did not.   We simply followed the instructions we were given by the reps onshore and followed the crew members in their line to go to town.   That was about 9:30am.

 

The weather wasn’t the best with overcast skies and no sun.  It sure looked like rain and it was chilly.  We wore our water-proof arctic jackets with hoods just in case that rain arrived.  It never did, but we sure were not cold.  We like to walk the waterfront from One Canada Place all the way to Stanley Park.  If the sun had been out, we would have had much nicer photos.  It was just a dull, dreary day.  There were a few locals and their dogs out for a walk but usually it is much more crowded.  Of course, it was a Wednesday, and a work and school day.

 

We went as far as the horse-drawn trolley ride, where we got to see four magnificent horses starting their daily one-hour runs.  That always makes our day.  Then we back-tracked through the park of ancient giant hemlocks and fir trees, watching two types of squirrels scamper about.  Of course there is a lot more to see here, but we had limited time.  We needed to be back at the terminal by 2pm.

 

Lunch was our next destination at the Steamworks Brewery near Gastown.  They serve pizza there and very good beer.  We shared a Hawaiian pizza with glasses of Lion’s Gate beers.  We had saved enough room for a dessert of an apple galette with vanilla ice cream.    We got there by noontime and they were not too busy yet.  By the time we left, the place was full of customers.   That was 1pm.  We headed directly to the cruise terminal, only to find we had a very long wait to go through xray and customs.   There were two other ships in port – the Grand Princess and the Viking Orion , the one we saw in Ketchikan.  That is a lot of passengers and we were all mixed together in this Disneyland-like winding line.  And all that was needed was a check with the facial recognition camera.  We did not use our passports like we did when boarded last week.   We were told that the camera has a memory from last week, and identifies us.  If we got a green check, we were free to board the ship.  If a red X showed on their screen, we would have to go through the Canada process again.  This whole process took almost an hour.

 

We had a big surprise while waiting in line.  A couple we remembered from previous world cruises was in line across from us.  They were so surprised to see us as it has been at least 10 years since they sailed with us.   And they were pleased we remembered their names…Fred and Diane.  They were joining the Viking ship, so we may have a chance to see them in Ketchikan.  Nice folks.

 

Back on the ship, we had some time left to attend the Mariner reception for 3, 4, and 5 star Mariners as well as President’s Club members.  It started at 2pm and would end at 2:30pm.  We joined fellow President’s Club members, John and Wendy, and enjoyed a few glasses of mimosas.  There were very few guests there today compared to last week.

 

The sail away was at 4pm, at which time we went to deck 6 forward.  We were sure surprised to see the clouds part and blue sky with sun appear.  It was still cool, but the sun made all the difference in the photos.  We stayed until 5pm when the majority of guests went back inside due to the cold wind.

 

The remainder of the day was spent working online.  Dinner came soon enough and for us, that was in the Pinnacle Grill at 7:30pm.   Just as Tina had told us, it was not a really busy night.  Presty stopped by and admitted that the dining room and Lido were very crowded with guests tonight. The lines were out past the elevators.  Tomorrow will be a different story we hope.  Anyway we ordered our favorite wedge salad with a side of candied bacon.  Truthfully, the salads are large enough to be an entrée especially adding the bacon.  Both of us had the  8 ounce  filet c mignon cooked medium.  They came just right.  We each ordered fries, but no dessert.  The two petite macaroons  were sufficient for dessert.

 

There was no live show in the Main Stage, but there was a film on the epic tale of the HAL travel and tenacity.  Having walked such a long way today, we were more than ready to turn in.  Looking forward to the day at sea tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[TheGuys16]

Hooray!  Another voyage with Bill and Mary Ann, and I am here for it.  Thanks for sharing your adventures with us.

[WCB]

Report #9  September 12, 2024    Sea Day Enroute To Tracy Arm  And Juneau, Alaska   Overcast With Some Rain  59 Degrees  Seas Mostly Flat With A Following Wind  Part #1 Of 1......16  Pictures----Dressy Night

 

Today’s theme was Bound for the Great Land.  We know it better by the last frontier which is loaded with soaring snow-laden mountains, glaciers, rainforests, massive national parks, and best of all – wildlife.  Marine life includes whales, orcas, seals, sea otters and salmon.  Land animals include bears, moose, and wolves to name a few.   The birds that can be seen are puffins, ravens, and arctic terns and we saved the best for last – bald eagles.  There are a reported 30,000 of them in Juneau alone. 

 

We have begun our second 7 day voyage and with that, we have more credits added to our shipboard account.  These days, the credits are not all itemized, but listed in a lump amount.  And they are not necessarily posted on the same day.  So that sent us to our go-to rep, Vini, who has been most helpful explaining how it works.  He helped us figure out the math and it all added up correctly.  You would think with over 3000 sea days under our belts, we would have this figured out by now.  But every ship does things differently.  We were also missing some of the gifts we get for each cruise.  Vini took care of that with phone calls to each appropriate department.  Lo and behold, everything was delivered before the end of the day.

 

While at the desk, we inquired if they still handed out sea sick pills.  Remember when we could get these complimentary?   Well, no more.  The 2 pill packet has a $2 charge now.  Gosh, the bean counters in Seattle have successfully discovered every nook and cranny where some money can be saved.  One way we can look at this, it that if it helps keep Holland America in business, then more power to them. 

 

The ship sailed on the outside of the Inland Passage but would be in an area where wildlife might be viewed.  The estimated time for that was 5pm to 7pm.  The weather wasn’t the best as it was heavily overcast and cool.  The Captain had mentioned we may hit some rougher seas, but we did not see any problems.  Maybe a little rock and rolling, but that was it.    Eating a lite lunch at 2pm, we ventured outside where we did see some spouting whales in the distance.  It was a good time to go to deck six and view the seas from there.  We did spot a pod of blowing whales, perhaps 5 of them, then one whale appeared directly in the path of the ship.  Way too close for comfort, the whale drifted to the side, avoiding a collision with the bow.  It did escape without injury because we saw it in the wake on the portside of the ship.  There was one last whale that breached then dove deep exposing that tail.   About the same time as the sightings, the rain began to fall, so we went back inside. 

 

Tonight’s suggested attire for the evening was dressy.  The group of guests that joined yesterday were dressed for the occasion.  There were no jeans, t-shirts, or baseball caps seen in the dining room tonight.  The menu was the same as last week, but we tried different items.  Starters were the same like Caesar salad, shrimp cocktails, and French onion soup.  Mains were rack of lamb and bucatini (pasta) with shredded oxtail (no bones).   Very nice for a change.  We shared a dessert of flourless chocolate cake.  We asked our head waiter if we could get a list of the Club Orange dinner specials, and he came through with a printed version.  It was a 10 day rotation, but more importantly, we know when the veal cutlet (veal chop) will be served.  It is one of our favorite dishes, not to be missed.  And we can plan our Pinnacle Grill dinners a little better.

 

We had a visitor before dinner was served.  It was the Cellar Master who wanted to extend an invitation to us for a special wine tasting event towards the end of the cruise.  We were invited to another tasting this afternoon, but it was during our lunchtime.  Since we are not dedicated wine drinkers, we usually go to these tastings to learn about the pairing of wine with food.  We mentioned to the Cellar Master that  ever since the pandemic in 2020, the plates of food for the wine tastings had been eliminated on the world voyage.  She was shocked and said you cannot have a tasting without the food, especially the cheese.  We agreed.  She had been sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam during that period that followed after Covid, and the plates of food were always offered.  So, that proves that each and every ship does their own thing. 

 

Once again, we put the clocks back one hour, which works well for the entire population of the ship.  Tomorrow we will be venturing into Tracy Arm to drop off a tour group, then onto Juneau in the early afternoon. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[julia]

Hi to both:

As always, enjoying your voyages... but I have to comment on the $2 charge for meclazine. RIDICULOUS!!  Seriously, that is just jaw droppingly silly! 

[The Other Tom]

6 hours ago, WCB said:

We were also missing some of the gifts we get for each cruise.  Vini took care of that with phone calls to each appropriate department.  Lo and behold, everything was delivered before the end of the day.

Makes you wonder what happens if you don't ask.  I guess you don't "get"

[WCB]

Report #10   Friday  September 13, 2024    Tracy Arm Drop Off And Juneau, Alaska    Docked Starboard Side To Pier  Overcast With Rain And More Rain  52 Degrees  Part #1 Of 3......66 Pictures---Casual Dress

 

Well, here are headed towards Juneau once again.  But first we will have the short sail into Tracy Arm to drop off a group of folks for a boat tour.  They will see a glacier, a waterfall, and hopefully some wildlife.  Then the tour ends up in Juneau 6 hours later.   We seem to recall that this same tour last year had a short shoreline trek for about 40 minutes.  But we also remember that the trail was uneven, rocky, and muddy.   There may have been some unfortunate injuries and that part of the tour was eliminated.  There was no hike at all….no one would leave the boat until the tour ended in Juneau.

 

Breakfast was early at 7:30am.  It was sure nice to have that extra hour of sleep last night, although one of us tuned in the Cats of Africa, a Disney movie, and watched it to the end.  We may have seen it before, but it worth watching it again.  The weather looked dismal….much like last week, but wetter.  It was cool and raining, but there was very little wind.

 

We had a Canadian Declaration Card left in our mail slot which had to be filled out and turned in before the end of the day.  This was only for those of us that are in transit, continuing on for another 7 day cruise.  

 

We went to deck six to watch our entrance into the Gastineau Channel as well as keep a lookout for wildlife.  We did see some birds, but no whales at all.  What we did see were the  banks of the channel filled with many fishermen on the shoreline casting their lines for salmon we assume.  We could see stacks of fish behind them.  Rain or shine, the locals take advantage of the five species of spawning fish when they can.  Besides freezing the catch, they like to smoke them. 

 

As we approached the pier, a mature bald eagle flew from the trees and circled the ship.  It sounded like the camera was taking shots continuously, which it was.  It’s not often that we see an eagle in flight.  Most times they are perched in the evergreen trees staying dry in the rainy weather.  It flew one more time, then it was gone.  That was the only sighting we had despite the fact that there are over 30,000 bald eagles in the Juneau area.   

 

The Zaandam sailed at a snail’s pace to the pier where the Disney Wonder, Grand Princess, and RCI Quantum of the Seas were docked.   By the time we were tied up, it was 1:30pm and the ship was cleared shortly after that.    We stayed onboard until 2pm, then walked to the downtown area with hundreds of tourists once again.  One thing we noticed was that there were no float planes or helicopters operating.  Perhaps the weather with heavy rain and dense fog had shut them down.   Safety comes first, although that is a big loss for the providers.  We decided to try for lunch at the Hangar on the Wharf since it was getting close to 3pm.  Last week we had a 40 minute wait to get a table.  Today, our timing was better and there were many tables available.

 

Lunch was a shared platter of “Macho Nachos” with chicken and extra sour cream and salsa.  Alaska Amber draft beers went well with the nachos.  Naturally, we ended the fun meal with a heaping slice of mud pie.  Excellent as always.  The rain never let up as we relaxed for an hour.

 

We did do some shopping on the way back, stopping at the Alaska Fudge Company for a small bag of peanut brittle.   The Juneau-Alaska Mining Co. had calendars (3 for $10), but ½ off today.  Wow, 3 nice Alaskan calendars for $5 plus tax.  Good deal.  Usually we wander in and out of the big stores, but they were crowded.  We really did not need anything else, so we headed back to the ship.

 

So far this trip, we have had the facial recognition in every port.  It must be the way of the future because it is accurate.  Of course, we still had to scan our room cards and go through the xray onboard.  Most times, the buzzer goes off with my knee replacement, but so far it only happened once.   So many people have had this type of surgery that they have lightened up on the strength of the xray.   Besides, the line to get back onboard would take forever.

 

Back in our warm room, we worked online until dinnertime.  We watched as the RCI Quantum passed by our window, totally blocking our view for a few moments.  That is one huge vessel, although we think they have some bigger and newer ones.

 

All aboard was 9:30pm, so many folks were off the ship at dinnertime.  It was not crowded on deck five.  Some did arrive late, dressed in their tour clothes.  A little too casual.  We ordered one delicious bowl of tomato soup and a Caesar salad.  Mains were two types of short ribs.  One was a stroganoff with noodles, and the other was Club Orange short ribs, but totally different.  Both were quite good and filling, so we did not order any dessert.

 

The Zaandam left the port of Juneau right after 9:30pm, and headed towards our next stop at Skagway early tomorrow morning.  Fingers crossed, the rain will stay away.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

 

[riverrat]

 

Oh, my goodness Bill and Mary Ann.....I am so glad you are back on the sea!!! It took me a bit to catch up but really enjoyed your first week in Alaska. 🙂  Missed Ya'll...

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I love Hangar on the Wharf. I eat there every time I am in Juneau. Last month I was there on my birthday with friends and was wearing a "Birthday Girl" badge and our waitress brought me two birthday balloons. And the fresh salmon or halibut are always so delicious.

[WriterOnDeck]

On 9/13/2024 at 3:34 PM, WCB said:

We mentioned to the Cellar Master that  ever since the pandemic in 2020, the plates of food for the wine tastings had been eliminated on the world voyage.  She was shocked and said you cannot have a tasting without the food, especially the cheese.  We agreed.  She had been sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam during that period that followed after Covid, and the plates of food were always offered.  So, that proves that each and every ship does their own thing. 

 

As I recall, the wine tastings I attended on the last two world cruises were different than on any other cruises. Instead of a seated tasting of four wines in the MDR with cheese, etc., they are in the Crow's Nest, with bottles of all the wines from the three wine packages available for you to drink as much as you want. We usually stop by the Lido before to fill a small plate with cheese and crackers or bread and take it to the Lido. Just FYI sharing my experiences.

[WCB]

Report #11  Saturday  September 14, 2024    Skagway, Alaska  Docked Starboard Side To Pier  Cloudy And Cool No Rain Sunny In The Afternoon  52 Degrees  Part #1 Of 5.....66 Pictures----Casual Dress

 

Well today is Saturday, so it must be Skagway.  Again.  The ship was already docked at the Broadway pier by the time we woke up.  However the weather looked better than last week.  It was a cool 50 degrees with very cloudy skies, no wind to speak of, but best of all….no rain.   Later in the afternoon, we even saw the sun peeking through the clouds.  There were two ships here as well……  the Grand Princess and the smaller Regent Explorer. 

 

Breakfast was at 7:30am.  There were only a handful of guests today mostly due to several excursions available in and out of town.   The main attraction here is the White Pass and Yukon Railroad , which is considered the “Scenic Railway of the World”.  We have taken this tour several times and found it a lot of fun.  Back then, we took the train to Carcross on the Canadian side, saw the musher dog camp, and enjoyed a picnic lunch near a beautiful alpine lake.    I believe we took a bus back to Skagway.  The scenery was gorgeous. 

 

There was a weekly crew drill onboard at 9:30am which lasted for one hour.  We left by 10am, taking our usual route to Pullen Creek to check for the salmon run.   We were disappointed to find no spawning fish at all.  We happened to see a young gal walking her dog, and she admitted that the fish had not begun to arrive yet.  She had also been watching since the end of August.   Then she added that sometimes the fish come up the other creek Taiya.   We have one more chance to see the run next week if it happens at all.

 

We walked over to Broadway Street where most of the historical buildings were located.  Ducking in and out of some of the unique stores, we saw many treasures being sold.  Specially-carved knives and ulus make great souvenirs, but cannot be brought back to your room.  The ship’s security officers will collect these items, label them, and return them to you when you disembark.  On our first trip to Alaska, we found the traditional ulu (chopping knife) and the wooden bowl that is used with it turned out to be a very useful item in our kitchen.  We use it often. 

 

There are the expected jewelry shops in town, but some of them deal with local stones like ammolite, topaz, opals, and even tanzanite, which actually comes from Tanzania, Africa.  And diamonds are sold in every store of course.  There are artist’s studios, quilting shops, and the usual souvenir stores with sales they said.  One thing for sure, the popcorn they sell was more expensive than in Ketchikan.  We bought 2 large bags of flavored popcorn in Ketchikan for 20., but here, the smallest bag was 10.95.  Whoever would have thought simple popcorn would command such a high price?  Yes inflation has reached Alaska too.

 

Our final destination was the Gold Rush Cemetery, a long hike from the cruise terminal.  Taking our time, we made it there before noontime.  Passing the White Pass and Yukon Railway work yard, we crossed the tracks and followed the road to the small cemetery.  One other cruise passenger made a funny remark, and said people are dying to go there.  They sure did back in the days of notorious Soapy Smith, a soap peddler turned con man.  He had a shoot out with Frank Reid, where he was killed instantly, and Frank Reid died several days later.  Both of them are buried in the small hillside cemetery, but Reid’s monument is the largest one, while Soapy’s is insignificant. 

 

Further up the steep hillside is Lower Reid Falls.  Only one of us ventured to the top, while the other took advantage of some nice benches at the cemetery entrance.  Two local yellow tour shuttles brought their guest here and gave a talk at the gravesites.  Many people come in Ubers and taxis from town.  We think a town’s shuttle makes a circle here, and you can hop on for the ride back to town for $5.00. 

 

Taking our time hiking back, we followed the Skagway River  all the way to the local airport runway.  Many small planes were landing and taking off.  This part of town is the bedroom community of Skagway, and the walk down the wide streets is always pleasant.  It was time for lunch, so we headed back to the Station Bar and Grill once again.  Today our timing was better, getting there by 1pm.  It was  not crowded yet, and we were seated right away.   Amber Gold draft beers and one shared Hawaiian pizza made our day.  Complimenting the chefs, they smiled and thanked us for the positive feedback.  Really….it’s that good.

 

There was an Ace Hardware store across the street, and  we did need a few small items for our room.  We found exactly what we were looking for.  Then we had saved a little room for a special dessert at Klondike Doughboy, which is an Alaskan Frybread.  It is something that the miners developed and is still being made today.  The batter is a donut base which is deep fried in hot oil.  It spreads out to about 10 inches and when finished, they coat the thin donut with a blend of sugar and cinnamon on both sides.   They are sure good and large enough to be shared.  Local crows congregate here to beg pieces of the treat.  The same thing was happening at the popcorn store with the ravens.  The are a very bold bird when it comes to begging.

 

We were back onboard by 4pm, and were exhausted from the long hike in the cool weather.  We worked online until it was time for dinner.  We had expected the veal chop on the Club Orange menu, but it was a chicken entrée instead.  There were some other nice entrees, so we ordered one turkey dinner, and one honey-mustard coated chicken.  There was a prime rib dinner as well.  Too many good choices on the same night.  No dessert, but one of us had a sliced banana, feeling the need for the potassium.  The bananas help fend off leg cramps. 

 

By the way, this morning before we left the ship, we went online and gave special thanks to some of the crew members that have been outstanding during this trip so far.  Three of them (including our waiters) stopped by our table to say thanks. 

 

While we were still eating, the ship turned around and headed back out to the channel.  All aboard had been 8:30pm, and we left right after the Princess ship departed.  The Regent’s Explorer remained docked.

 

Looking forward to another day of scenic cruising in Glacier Bay tomorrow.  Hope the weather is as good as today.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[Ready2go11]

42 minutes ago, WCB said:

Then we had saved a little room for a special dessert at Klondike Doughboy, which is an Alaskan Frybread.  It is something that the miners developed and is still being made today.  The batter is a donut base which is deep fried in hot oil.  It spreads out to about 10 inches and when finished, they coat the thin donut with a blend of sugar and cinnamon on both sides.   They are sure good and large enough to be shared. 

 

That fry bread is reason enough to book a trip to Skagway!  When it is hot and fresh, there is nothing like it that I’ve ever had. 😋