Cruise Controlling
When Skip and I first
took the plunge (pardon the pun) and decided to go on a cruise, we weren’t sure
what to expect. We traveled with experienced cruisers who were eager to
initiate us into the finer parts of the experience. Being ready and willing
to learn, we soon found that a cruise is a terrific way to vacation.
Once welcomed into the
Captain’s Club, we went again…and again, and again! We were, as the
saying goes, ‘Happy Cruisers’!
So here we are, our
first time on a cruise to Alaska. The trip to get here was an interesting
one starting in North Carolina with the oppressive August heat mixed with
humidity that makes my hair and spirits wilt. However, a few days stopover in
Las Vegas where I was able to order raw eggs and by the time they were delivered
to our table they were fried, the bread was air fried (literally) and the
coffee remained piping hot in the 103 degree temperature, set things right. It
was God’s way of testing me to make sure I was ready for the not-so-sunny and
cool days in Alaska. We were not disappointed. I immediately pulled out my
sweaters and jacket from my overpacked suitcase, congratulating myself for
throwing in gloves and knitted cap (preparing for that ‘just in case’.)
Day 1: The required
muster station and safety talks, orientation, and sampling ALL of the food at
the buffet, followed by a heavy dose of Tums! Then off to explore the
ship, cocktails and of course an ample dinner, more Tums, and a little
walkabout to work off that extra cookie. Oh, and just to put icing on the cake,
another cookie while stargazing and watching the Perseids Meteor shower from
the Crows Nest on the top deck, battling the winds and cold temperatures to see
an occasional shooting star. We reclined in lounge chairs with our friends and
fellow stargazer enthusiasts, Tonu and Eda, who joined us on the cruise. It was
great fun until I began to picture myself being discovered the next morning,
frozen stiff, head still tilted upward, and arm pointed above my head. “I
think it’s time to go inside,” I announced. (There’s always one spoil sport in
the crowd.)
It took me less than a
minute to climb under the warm comforter in our stateroom, reminding myself
that only a few hours earlier I had scoffed at needing such a heavy blanket on
our bed.
Day 2: Oh the joys
of the open sea! The ship was rolling in a lazy side to side
fashion that makes one doubt their ability to walk a straight line. I
woke up hungry. How could that be possible?! Skip and I wandered
over to the buffet, grabbed a table and while he guarded my juice and coffee I
went on a quest to find Eggs Benedict. I wandered around on both sides of
the large buffet, found the eggs but lost Skip. Granted, it isn’t a mega
ship…but still large enough to lose one’s bearing. With eggs in hand, I
didn’t want them to get cold, so I sat down with our friends, ordered more
juice and coffee and dined with them. Of course, being a thoughtful wife,
I texted Skip to tell him where I was, but Skip failed to download the Ship’s
text program so he had no idea what had happened to me. Fortunately, Tonu
decided to go retrieve Skip from the other side of the large dining area and
deliver him to me. We checked the day’s itinerary and chose those activities
that seemed the most interesting. As it turned out, after breakfast we
scattered like cockroaches and haven’t seen each other since.
I was alone at the
onboard art auction! That’s extremely dangerous. Truthfully, I was
tempted to bid on several paintings, but refrained from being impulsive (not a
quality I ordinarily possess)!
3:00: When food is
involved, people always find their way to the dining areas. I knew we’d
find each other at high tea! Cruises are not for people who want to be by
themselves. I have found that most people are quite social and happy to
tell others all about themselves. So, suffice it to say that being seated with
two other couples provided not only delicious bites of sweets and tea, but also
interesting conversation. But there was no time to linger, we had things to do!
I still hadn’t explored the jewelry shop onboard. There were diamonds,
emeralds, and tanzanites to ‘oooh’ and ‘ahhh’ over! Skip promptly walked
to the other side of the ship like a man who desperately NEEDED a tee-shirt.
There was an awkward moment when the jeweler pulled out a pendant for me
to examine, and I called Skip over to come look. It took some reassuring that I
was not going to buy anything for me to coax him over to enjoy looking at the
sparkly offerings as one might appreciate fine art. The look of relief on
his face when we finally walked away was noteworthy.
4:00 Happy hour.
Okay…who passes up cocktails and honey roasted peanuts?
5:00: Dressy night
and fine dining. Cocktails and appetizers first? Yes please!
Delicious dinner? Yes please! A special dessert? Of course!
7:00: Captain’s
greeting and champagne in the main theater followed by entertainment.
The ocean was rolling us
from side to side so much that they had to cancel the nighttime dance
extravaganza and make a quick substitution of a comedian. It gave us a brief
respite from food. I noticed that my ankles and feet were swelling and my pants
were pulling at my waste. Dare I consider cutting back on overindulgence?
Day 3:
Sightscreaming in Juneau Alaska
We arrived at our first
stop. The sea was calm and it allowed for easy passage into the port. It was threatening rain as we left the ship
today. Thank goodness we brought umbrellas because the threat turned into a
reality. Fortunately, we got our sightseeing in before it began raining in
earnest. The gondola ride we took offered panoramic views of the town, the docs
and the sheer 1,800 foot drop. Being a wimp when it comes to heights, I
reluctantly boarded the areal tram. Halfway up I began clutching Skip’s hand
and by the time we got to the top, I held his fingers in a death grip. My other
hand clutched desperately on the bar on the sliding door. The attendant had to
request in a firm voice for me to let go so they could open the door to let the
passengers out. I didn’t respond so he lifted his voice and commanded that I
release my entwined fingers. Skip nudged me and I disengaged my stiffened
hold. Walking along the windowed platform was worthy of gasps in awe from
the tourists while I had to control screaming out loud. We managed getting back
down the mountain without plummeting to our deaths! Walking around the
plaza and shops was a far tamer endeavor, but sitting on a bench and looking
around at the sights seemed to be the safest and easiest way to take in the
local color.
Highlights of the day were the spotting of a large
pod of orcas, watching an artist carving a totem pole, and hearing about the
Tlingit culture. There are twenty indigenous languages in Alaska. I found myself wondering how they all communicate with one another. But then, when I think of the various accents in our own part of the United States, it's a wonder that we all communicate.
Day 4: Glacier Bay. Rain, rain go away!
We woke up at 6:00 AM as we entered Glacier Bay. We
were socked-in-fog and visibility was gloomy at best. However, we were assured
that once the morning clouds lifted, our view would be
spectacular. Magically, by 8:00 AM. the clouds lifted, snowy peaks
appeared and ice chunks floated past us in the placid water. Then
came the promised spectacles…the glaciers. The grandeur…the beauty…the
breathtakingly amazing wonder as we watched in awe as the Margerie Glacier
calved right in front of us twice! Harbor seals lolled lazily on ice
chunks and sea otters floated past on their backs. They took the
beauty in just as casually as we were overwhelmed by it.
After all of the
lounging around taking in the sights from our comfortable lounge chairs we had
worked up an appetite and went to lunch. I was beginning to feel more and more
like a large whale who was fattening up for the summer. It made sense to take advantage
when food was plentiful! Nature setting the example I followed was an
easy justification for one more plate of pasta!
After lunch we went to a
very interesting presentation all about (apropos) whales! We listened to
whale songs and the tones resonated with me. I could almost translate their
message. “Eat, rest, and frolic.”
“Yes,” I agreed with
enthusiasm.
When we reached the Icy
Straight, we debated going ashore, but like bloated ticks we sat on the ship
indulging ourselves on drinks, food and entertainment. I told myself that I
would be filled with energy tomorrow. Everyone needs a lazy day sometimes.
Right?
Day 5: Sitka Showers
A rainy day in Sitka is
as common as a sunny day in Arizona. Dressing accordingly, we were ready
for inclement weather. However, the forecast didn’t prepare me for the blustery
winds that blew our umbrellas inside out and drenched us after a few minutes
outside. There was one of the mega ships that pulled into port next to us
with its gazillion passengers scurrying to catch the shuttles at the end of the
doc. Competing with the crowds for a chance to get into the town was not
for the faint of heart. Halfway down to the shuttle ,we talked ourselves
out of going and made a beeline back to the ship. It was (relatively) deserted
making it a lovely day of relaxation, strolling, and spending quality time
together.
Seeing otters frolicking
in the water right in front of your window, or seeing an Orca surfacing nearby,
is so exciting! I looked out the window after going to our stateroom
to change for dinner and almost immediately saw the unmistakable water spout of
an Orca whale as he rose to the surface. “What did you do today,
Jessica?”
“Oh nothing much…just
saw a whale or two!”
Yup! I love this cruise!
After dinner we went to
the Orange party in honor of the King’s birthday. I’ll tell you the
ship was a-rockin’ ! Everyone (well almost everyone) wore orange and
was prepared to dance the night away. Sadly, the sea air, too much food, and
too many cocktails made us sleepy. I suppose that leaving the party early was
prudent for those of us planning to do any shore excursions the next morning.
It is one of the most frustrating aspects of cruising. There is so much to do
and so little time! I have yet to attend an origami lesson or a game
of bingo. We did finally manage to play trivia only to discover how dismally
ignorant we are.
Day 6 Ketchikan: Yes we
can
We docked in Ketchikan
at 7 AM and the strangest thing happened…there was blue sky. We had all but
given up hope of seeing any sunlight on this trip. But there it was and we took
full advantage walking through town and shopping in the quaint little town.
Then we hopped on a trolley that took us to streams filled with salmon, to a
fish hatchery where we saw bald eagles, and where the black bears were casually
walking among the fishermen along the stream beds stealing the fish they
caught. We watched a Mama Bear and her two babies walk along the stream bed and
feasting on salmon while another Mama and her cub waded across the stream to
the other side. All the while a larger black bear observed everything from his
rocky vantage point above. Then we drove to a Tlinget Indian Village where
there were amazing and abundant totem poles.
Once back on the ship we
looked out on the water to see whales and porpoises swimming past. It was a
wonderful sight to see.
Day 7: our last day!
We awoke to sun
streaming in our windows and glinting on the water. The ocean was calm. It was
a perfect day to scan the sea for wildlife (being mainly porpoises and whales).
We felt lazy and unmotivated to make a beeline to the breakfast buffet. It
lacked its usual appeal which told us we were satiated. It was a shocking
revelation. We opted for brunch in the dining room with controlled
portions. By mid-afternoon I heard the buffet calling to me. I
was only going to get some iced tea but as soon as the doors opened to the
possibilities, I found other temptations. I told myself I can control my
portions. In fact, I managed to do just that which indicated that if I were to
go on a longer cruise, I might actually regulate my intake of
food. If we were to take a 14 day cruise perhaps I might even
acquaint myself with the gym.
At dinner, there was a
bit of a show when a Humpback Whale decided to slap the water with his
tale. He kept it up so long that everyone
in the entire dining room witnessed the magnificent display. (I wondered how the cruise line had trained
this guy to perform for the tourists and also wondered how much they paid him!)
I guarantee that no one onboard left disappointed. It was the highlight of whale watching.
Victoria was our last
stop. What a beautiful place! We arrived in the evening so only had a few
hours to explore the area. Skip and I
opted for a shuttle bus that took us to downtown where we walked around the
Empress Hotel, the downtown shops and saw the beautifully lit government
buildings. It was a small taste of the
town but a memorable one. We purchased one
more trinket, one more souvenir before returning to the ship, and then we had
to return home to the real world. No more happy hours. No more shows. No more
buffets and fine dining. No more tours rich with culture and breathtaking
sights.
I’ll
use this time to get in shape for our next cruise. Until then I’ll rest with
the happy memories of pampered days and nights, of spending time away from
interrupting phone calls, TV, and other daily distractions. I will
tough it out through the remaining hot summer days. I may forget and gaze
outside hoping to spot a whale spouting in the distance, then sigh deeply and
move closer the air conditioner.
Post
script:
There’s nothing worse than boarding a plane after a cruise and
finding that the seatbelt shrank. I tried to link both sides together but
ultimately had to request an extender! How humiliating! So, I have vowed
to eat celery sticks and carrots until I am sure that the seat belt fits
again.
