If you’ve had the privilege of seeing the perspective of the last picture in the last post, you’ll recognize that view of downtown Seattle as being from the Lido deck of a cruise ship docked at Seattle Port’s Pier 91.
It’s the second time that we have had that view, the last back in 2018. That was a mid-summer cruise, while this was the last of the season. Both have totally different vibes.
Being late season, most days the pool deck and jacuzzis were barely used.
The late afternoon departure out of Puget Sound was nice and clear, so we had a great view of the Olympics as the sun dropped closer to the horizon.
Huge props to the pianist that evening as he marked the departure with “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” immediately followed by “My Heart Will Go On” (Love Theme from ‘Titanic’. Cheeky.
The next day was a sea day, all open ocean with a quartering sea of about 10-12’ that made everyone work to carry their buffet plates to their tables.
An alert from the Apple health app showed concern for the sudden increase in Walking Asymmetry, since it was difficult to maintain a straight line. Kinda funny, that.
At least a bunch of kids enjoyed the pool, which constantly sloshed over the sides, but not enough for the crew to close it off. That would come later.
The next morning found us tied up at Ketchikan, Alaska. It was a beautiful day, right around 50F, with only a slight threat of rain.
Last time we docked here, we had hired a private fishing charter for what turned out to be the most expensive halibut in the world, based on the price per pound delivered to the house. But it was worth it.
This time, Goddess and I chose to just walk the town. What we didn’t realize was that the docks would be jam packed, with five cruise ships (including two other Princess ships) with a total of 9,964 passengers. For real, that’s what the whiteboard at the dock entrance said.
What we were hoping was a quaint town stroll ended up being a wall-to-wall jostle fest. So Goddess and I did what we always do – watch the flow, then go the opposite direction. We enjoyed the town, and would like to explore more, just without cruise ship crowds.
That night, in a cool breeze and steady drizzle, Goddess and I camped out in a jacuzzi and watched the nightly “Movie Under the (not visible) Stars”. It was an excellent classic – John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles. I haven’t watched it in a decade or two, but it was amazing how quickly the lines came back, as if I had watched it frequently the entire time. So many good lines, so many great laughs.
The next two days were sea days, but mainly in the Inland Passage, so no swells, but plenty of rain. Luckily it cleared for us to enjoy the calving of Hubbard Glacier.
The ship has to take a standoff position a couple of miles back, but also in a position that the ship can turn broadside so that the entire Port side can view the glacier for 15 minutes or so, then spins so that the Starboard side gets the same opportunity. For those of us who enjoyed the brisk weather, we just had to walk across the deck to the other side.
There we would listen for the rumble, then try to spot the calving as it hit the water. Even at that distance, it was impressive.
The next day broke bright and clear. At a balmy 50F, Goddess and I spent the day on the empty deck above the pool, enjoying the sun.
Which made us laugh about the late winter days in Spokane. The first bright, sunny days that saw the temperature rise to the upper 30’s. We’d throw on our swimsuits, grab some bubbly, and soak up the sun.
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