Hokey Dinah!!! We are drinking. And drinking and drinking. I bought a package that paid our gratuities, gave us wifi, fitness classes (yeah right), two specialty desserts per day, specialty coffees, free unlimited juice/smoothie bar and fifteen alcoholic drinks per day each. Monte, mimicking Uncle Kerry, worked out that if we each drank four 15 dollar drinks per day, it would pay for the package. So we have read all the menus and we are going to make our way through them. Today, the first day, it isn't even twelve yet and we are drinking two very strong unusual cocktails.
We are having an enormously great time. It is so relaxing, and Monte is so funny, has me in stitches, and we are eating. And eating. And eating. And telling people how tall Monte is, and thanking people for telling me they like my hair, and drinking, and avoiding insanely stupid loud games people are playing and did I mention eating? Hamburgers, fries, hot dogs, crazy good buffet lunch, desserts, ice cream, lattes, capuchinos, smoked salmon on bagels with all the trimmings, corn grits, corned beef hash, bacon to the power of infinity.....etc.....And now Monte has gone for a regroup nap and I am sitting in a very noisy bar typing on my lappy.
The boat is heading into a storm. In fact they have postponed the stop in Sitka tomorrow to the way back. You have to tender into Sitka and they don't tender in storms. The tenders are the lifeboats. I don't see what's so bad about tendering in one! Should be safe I'd say.
Okay I started this post with the positive. Now for a negative. Embarkation. I have cruised 22 times and this embarkation was a complete nightmare. The worst one I have ever done took approximately an hour. This one was nearly two hours and I only wish I had my step counter on me. Actually my phone did a count. Keep in mind I average 12 steps per day. (just kidding but I don't log very many). Yesterday it went over ten thousand, just getting from the taxi to the ship elevator. We lined up back and forth and back and forth through three different massive areas and when we finally got through to the boat part we had to walk from the front to the back to get on....three football fields worth. I thought my right leg was going to disintegrate from the haunch down. It was so completely unnecessary. I'm not sure if that is Princess of Vancouver dock responsible. I don't care, I am going to lodge a loud and long complaint.
But as soon as we finally got to sit we found ourselves at the Salty Dog...a fantastic hot dog and hamburger spot on one of the pool decks. I was starving by then so I got a hamburger and it was amazing! We finally were into our stateroom by about three. At four thirty, sail away time, we went out onto the very back, found some chairs, drank three or four crazy strong drinks and stayed til we sailed under the Lion's Gate bridge. We stopped at the slops trough for more food on the way back to our stateroom. Dinner was really good. Rare roast beef, mashed spuds, gravy and a lot of other unnecessary things like delicious buns and cold chunks of butter, a myriad of salads, four pastas, roasty potato wedges, lamb stew, Chinese dishes, cheeses, soups, appetizers, weenie sandwiches and on and on. The desserts were kind of sucky but we ate them anyway. You know...can't help it.
Now, Monte has been regrouping in the room since noon and it is now 1:30. I am hungry. I think I will go up and eat. He will find me...or not.
It's been an awesome trip so far. We are on day four now, which is the Hubbard Glacier. It is either 7:25 or 8:25. We lose an hour on the 2nd day so I think it is 7:25. We have entered the Yukatuk (sp?) Bay and in an hour we will be parked in front of the magnificent glacier.
We have been having so much fun. I think I mentioned that I bought a drinks package that allows us 15 alcoholic drinks per day and boy have we been taking advantage of that!!! Monte, due to his size, just never gets drunk or even that tipsy thank goodness and I can only drink a small amount. Any more than that I get nausea, my number one hate in life so I don't risk it. It has been a lot of fun testing out the various drinks you hear about but have never ordered. Monte orders them and taste them. So far my fave is Bourbon and blood. It's a blood orange drink. Delicious!
We have been eating our meals at the slops trough. And by day three I was tired of what they put up there. It's good, just tired of the mediocre offerings. And there are barely any vegetable dishes. We don't go to the dining room. Too peoply and you have to share tables and you have to talk and be friendly. Not either one of our's cup of tea. So last night I made a reservation at the Crab Shack and we had a fantastic meal in that specialty restaurant. Pics below! We have also been ordering room service, part of the package I bought. To me that is the ultimate 'holiday'.
Yesterday we stopped at a place called Icy Point Strait. It's tiny and quaint and touristy, which appeals to me. I love touristy. But it involved a huge amount of walking so I stayed behind. Not to complain but I am still recovering from embarkation. My hip and tailbone are mighty sore. I am living on an aspirin and Tylenol combo. I am saving up for the four towns I don't want to miss.
It has been cold out. And it has steadily been raining. But today it is gloriously sunny out. We leave this bay by noon and Monte and I will be on the hunt for a quiet spot. I must admit that the staff try too hard to entertain the guests. Jeez they have egg toss races, bean bag races, all kinds of trivia, quiz games, bartender entertaining by throwing bottles around, races involving toilet paper, Switch Nintendo races, Name that Tune...and craft classes, Zumba, spin classes, beer tasting led by the most loud tiny Filipino girl with a grating voice, like stop already!!! There is nowhere to quietly go to read or just veg. There is always some jumpy loud exuberant pushy staff member hooping and hollering with some game they are trying to get everyone participating in. It gets really annoying. And for so many at sea days, there is never anywhere to sit. So we do spend a fair amount of time in our stateroom.
Tomorrow I do believe we will be in Juneau. I am going to pop some pills, load up my ten pound camera and hit the streets. We will probably leave the main touristy area and walk some back streets. We want to get some funky pics. Monte is using an old camera. It even has that accordion stretch out part. It attracts a lot of attention. But then so does his 6'9 height. People used to comment all the time on my hair. Not anymore. They don't even see me when I am with Monte! Hahahaha!!!!
I see ice approaching and I am starving and needing coffee. Time to boot Monte out of bed and get this awesome day going. Sunshine!!!!!! TTYL
'A man who keeps company with glaciers comes to feel tolerably insignificant by and by.' Mark Twain
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| I NEVER EAT HAMBURGERS BUT BY THE TIME WE GOT ONTO THE BOAT I WAS STARVING!!!! WE STOPPED AT THE SALTY DOG AND ATE |
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| AND UNDER THE LIONS GATE BRIDGE WE WENT WITH EVERYONE HOOTING AND HOLLERING |
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| MY FIRST DRINK |
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| MR. NONCHALANT...I TOLD HIM TO SUCK HIS STOMACH IN AND GAZE OFF INTO THE DISTANCE |
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| MR. DAPPER HEADING OUT FOR FUN TIMES |
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| WITH OUR DRINK PACKAGE COME TWO SPECIALTY DESSERTS PER DAY EACH. CAN YOU IMAGINE EVEN EATING ONE OF THESE LET ALONE TWO? BARF |
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| A FIVE DOLLAR CHEESE PLATE FOR SNACKERS. FREE |
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| ONE DAY WE ORDERED TWO DRINKS AND COFFEE. IT DIDN'T COME. TWO HOURS LATER THREE DIFFERENT WAITERS SHOWED UP WITH OUR DRINKS. I THINK WE ENDED UP WITH NINE. ONE, THAT RED ONE, WE HAVE NO CLUE WHAT IT IS. TASTED LIKE CELERY. |
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| CRAB SHACK....FIRST WE HAD MASSIVE PRAWNS AND HUSHPUPPIES, I FORGOT TO TAKE A PIC. THEN THIS CAME. CLAM CHOWDER IN A BOWL. AWESOME DELISH |
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| MONTE POLISHING IT OFF |
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| A BUCKET OF CLAMS MUSSELS AND ENDLESS CRAB WITH THREE AMAZING DIPPING SAUCES |
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| DELICIOUS DESSERTS |
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| I CAN'T BELIEVE I WENT LOOKING LIKE THIS. THIS MORNING I HAVE DONE MY HAIR AND SPRAYED IT AND MADE IT LOOK NICE. A WOMAN CAME UP TO ME AND SAID 'OH I CAN SEE YOU HAVE BEEN OUT IN THE WIND.' JEEZ!!! |
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