Sea Day Northbound





 I woke very early as sunrise is about 4am. The drapes were open so I could lie in bed and doze, waking every so often to look out at the sunrise. About 7am we entered fog, and the fog remained until early afternoon. By that time we were well out in Hecate Straight, so not much land in sight. A brisk wind but not much swell. Cold on deck though with the combination of our speed and the wind.

We had a nice lazy day with breakfast in the cabin, then I did some line dancing and attended 2 fascinating lectures. The first was about the wildlife of Alaska, and the 2nd was Kenton Cool talking about the history of Everest and the 16 times he's climbed it.

We had fish and chips in the dining room for lunch, then I had an opportunity to see some of the various cabins. The suites are incredible of course, but even the inside cabins are a good size and look very comfortable.

I took some time to read, relax, walk around the ship and have a power nap before getting ready for our first Gala night, Ice White Gala.

Colleen and Toni joined us for a glass of bubbly before we headed off for dinner. We both had the Surf and Turf with peaches flambé for dessert. So good! And wonderful service.

We had our portraits taken, then headed to the Queens ballroom for the Gala dance. Great fun to watch as many people were dressed to the nines (lots of tuxedos) and there were many great dancers. But a good mix of abilities so Ian and I felt comfortable getting up and dancing. There were some demonstration dancers at the break as well, so even people that didn't want to dance themselves had lots to watch.









Popular posts from this blog

At sea south-bound

Image
 Fairly grey this morning with a high overcast. The sea is glassy calm, unusual for Queen Charlotte Sound. I took a light breakfast to the cabin so I could do a little work.  I then did a line dance class, a fun workout. There were several lectures this morning and I went to 2. A world of whales by Dr Rachel Cartwright, and Everest and beyond by Kenton Cool. Both were excellent speakers, and so inspiring! The theatre on the Queen Elizabeth is a fantastic venue, so beautiful. A relaxing lunch in the Britannia Club restaurant. I saw a whale and some seals as we were eating. Then we had a lovely afternoon heading down the inside passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland. The clouds were lifting and the day got nicer as we headed south. This is such a beautiful part of the trip. I spent a lot of time walking around the decks or sitting in one of the lounges enjoying the view. Not a lot of wildlife, but we did see another humpback, dal porpoise and a family of orcas. We did...
Read more

Glorious Glacier Bay

Image
 This is my 4th Alaska Cruise, and my 3rd time to Glacier Bay. For the first time I'm seeing it on a sunny day! I had no idea how incredibly beautiful the surroundings are. Once the early morning fog lifted, for the rest of the day we had a backdrop of snow caped peaks. As we entered the more sheltered waters of Glacier Bay we spotted quite a few blows from whales, then their tails as they dove. Also lots of otters floating on their backs. The park rangers provided commentary for most of the afternoon. The pictures give a much better idea than my words can! The Commodores lounge at the top and front of the ship was the perfect spot to have a drink and enjoy the view. Which we did before and after dinner. The sun isn't setting until after 10pm
Read more

Sail away

Image
  We had a truly spectacular day for our sail-away from Vancouver Harbour. The first day that truly felt like summer this year. Embarkation was a bit of a trial, as you have to head down into the cruise terminal, then take an elevator up and walk through the parking lot to drop off your bags. Then up another elevator, and walk through to the Convention centre for check-in. Then, back outside, down an escalator and back into the cruise terminal for security, customs and emigration. Finally walk through several more corridors until you reach the gangplank! It's no wonder I saw so many people getting wheelchair assistance!! Once onboard all was wonderful. The Queen Elizabeth is such a beautiful classic ship. So many lovely traditional touches including the grand staircases, art deco inlaid wood and 2 story library. Our balcony cabin is spacious and well appointed with lots of storage. The balcony is quite large. We are in a Club Balcony. There is no difference in the cabin, but the wo...
Read more