July 1, 2008 honeymoon day 7 - Endicott Arm Fjord

7:30am Alaska Time – We wake up after sleeping through the alarm for nearly an hour and head up to the Windjammer for breakfast. We choose the omelet station this morning and throw a couple pancakes on for good measure. We are most of the way down the Endicott Fjord by this time and there a fragments of ice throughout the water on either side of the ship as we head for Dawes Glacier at the end of the fjord. We find a table for two looking out over the front of the ship and just as we sit, we come around the corner of the mountain and see Dawes Glacier. It looks very similar to the Mendenhall Glacier we were able to see from a distance in Juneau while kayaking, but we are going in for a much closer look today. We both slam down the food at a near world record pace and head to the top deck to see the beautiful glacier cut mountains on either side of the ship and, of course, the glacier ahead. There are beautiful, large chunks of ice scattered across the bay ranging in color from a typical white as we expect to a light blue in color. The closer we get to the glacier though, the darker and purer blue the ice becomes. The captain pulls us up very close to the glacier, about 700 feet away, and spins the ship so everyone on either balcony has plenty of opportunity to capture photos of the breathtaking view. As we begin turning so the starboard side of the ship can see, I begin filming with our little camera and am lucky enough to capture the largest glacier calving of the day! I really hope it turns out well. The experience is truly amazing and is a sight I recommend for everyone; this has been the most beautiful sight in a long line of wonderful experiences we have been lucky enough to take part in. After 30 minutes or so, we turn around and begin heading out to sea again. There are many harbor seals swimming in the bay as many of them rest on the floating icebergs. Colleen and I realize just how lucky we were to see one of these animals less than 10 feet away just two days ago in Juneau as people are falling all over the balconies to get a picture.

9:30am – Colleen looks exhausted after a late night and early morning, so she decides it is time for a short nap. I get the backpack to carry the laptop, binoculars, and camera so I can fill the 90 minutes of her nap with sightseeing and perhaps some blogging. Upon arriving back at the top deck I decide to pull the binoculars out first and I am so glad I did. A gentleman several yards from me begins pointing to the starboard side of the ship at a rocky area surrounded by evergreens. It’s a black bear! There is no possible way for our dinky camera, with its all powerful 3x zoom, to capture it but I am able to follow the bear for a while with the binoculars. Even using them though, the bear is little more than a dot on the rocks. Still though, I have now seen a wild bear for the first time! As part of the tour in and out of the fjord, the ship gives the microphone to a glacier expert who shares stories and facts about glaciers, fjords, and the area in general. It is very interesting to listen to and the gentleman giving the lecture provides worthwhile information. As we near the mouth of the fjord the wind begins whipping across the ship taking papers, hats, cups and napkins with it down the top deck. The crew members scramble to make sure everything is picked up and nothing is blown overboard. The wind is very cold which means it is time for me to stop typing, pack up, and head down to the shop.

Colleen and I purchased a earring and pendant set in Juneau so I want to but a chain for the pendant so she can wear them to formal dinner tonight. As I wait for the jeweler to untangle the chain I am going to buy, the captain begins announcing that there are several whales in front of the ship which does me absolutely no good because the chain is not untangled yet. Oh well, we will have many more whale spotting opportunities over the next couple of days, I hope. Once I have the necklace in hand, I head up to the room so we can go to lunch. Before we leave, we write our down on an Alaska postcard to give to Jack and Barb, the very nice couple we met in Juneau. We head down the hall to drop the card off at room 8542, the room they have this week (or so I think). We knock on the door and get no answer so we decide to slide the card under the door. After pushing the card under the door, we turn around and see another couple looking very curiously at us. Then it hits me, I didn’t remember the room number correctly! We just threw the postcard under another couples' door. Luck is with us again though as they are there to retrieve it for us, even if it does make for quite the awkward moment! Slightly embarrassed, we head to the Windjammer for lunch. As we arrive to a very full cafe, we recall that the dining room is open today for lunch so we decide to walk back to the aft of the ship and down a few floors for lunch there instead. As we are seated (assigned seating) we realize we walked in right behind the couple we just had the awkward moment with and are seated right beside them! We apologize again and make light of the situation and they seem to be good humored people and reassure us there are no hard feelings. We enjoy lunch and the conversation is very delightful. Our mistaken identity couple is from Santa Barbara, CA, there is a family at the opposite end of the table from Georgetown, TX (where Colleen’s grandmother and aunts, uncles, and cousins live), and a very nice couple from Houston, TX.

After lunch we head out to the Champagne Terrace just outside the dining room and listen to the Rosario Strings which is an electric violin accompanied by a piano. The music is very soothing and the performance is terrific. We are only there a short while though before they finish up to a very nice round of applause.

2:00pm – We head back to the room and change into our bathing suits and head to the Solarium. Indoor hot tub this time! We jump in one of the two open tubs and are joined by a two very nice women, one from Texas the other from Florida. We all sit and chat about the different activities we have experience over the past couple of days while we take pleasure in the warm, bubbling water. During the conversation, Sarah Jo from Texas informs the rest of us that tonight is lobster night at dinner; score! After 20 or so minutes in the tub, we head back to the room and pass out.

3:30pm – Earlier in the day, I have spotted a ping pong tournament scheduled at 4:30 so we wake up and head back to the Solarium. There are 26 contestants entering so the staff member running the event turns it into a double competition. Colleen had made the decision to sit this one out, but when she finds out it is doubles, she is up for the challenge. The rules are pretty vague and the paddles are terrible, but we manage to win our first round 11-4. Our next round is against two much better players, but we hold our own losing in the end 9-11. We had fun playing though and didn’t get upset with each other, so the tournament is a success.

5:30pm – We make it back to the room and begin getting ready for our formal dinner tonight. The RC Singers and Dancers are putting on another show tonight at 7:00 for the second seating dinner guests. Tonight's show is a Ballroom Dancing feature with two featured performers who are both excellent dancers. Earlier in the week they instructed a ballroom dance class which we were able to watch the end of (the day we both felt sick). As we walk in to the theater, we run into Jack and Barb again for the first time since Juneau. They seem very happy to see us just as we are glad to see them again. We all sit together and the show is terrific. I wasn't too keen on watching ballroom dancing, but in the end I am glad we came. Not only was the show enjoyable, but we are able to spend more time with Jack and Barb!

After the show, the four of us walk toward the dining room for dinner. We have about 30 minutes before dinner begins, so we order some wine and chat about everything that has happened since the last time we visited. As we part ways for dinner, we make plans to meet with them afterwards to enjoy music and possibly some dancing at the Champagne Lounge.

8:30pm - We take our places at the table and are greeted by Sean and Dawn, Andy and Lisa, and Graham. Unfortunately Shasta is not feeling well suffering from a migraine. We enjoy the meal and everyone who ordered the lobster tail gets a second one, thanks Jessie! Also, Jessie brings out a full three course meal for Shasta to go which Graham takes back to their room for her. Hopefully she is feeling much better before we arrive in Prince Rupert tomorrow morning.

10:30pm - Colleen and I walk down one deck to the Champagne Lounge to meet with Jack and Barb. They are waiting there for us with the couple they have been dining with all week, Rick and Judy, from Colorado. Rick and Judy are both very friendly and shortly after arriving we are all visiting like we have known each other for years. After a few songs play through everyone decides to head for the dance floor and dance to a slow song. I am a little nervous because I am a terrible dancer, but it works out fine and we all have a great time before eventually heading off to our rooms for a goon night's sleep.