This blog is a labor of love, and this is one of those nights when it’s a bit more labor than love. I am wiped out, and, as a result, this post is going to be very short tonight.
For the first time this cruise, we had breakfast in the World Fresh Marketplace, because the Majestic Princess was cruising through an area of expected humpback whale sightings. Naturalist Mike was on the bridge keeping watch, and it wasn’t long before one was sighted on the port side. Darn! We were at a table on the starboard side. Knowing full well that, if we moved over to the port side, future whale sightings were just as likely to be on the starboard side, we stayed put. Unfortunately, the next three sightings were all on the port side, and we got bupkus. Oh well. That’s the way it goes sometimes.
We weren’t in the Concerto Dining Room for breakfast, but this was today’s menu:
At 9:30am, we went to a lecture in the Princess Theater on Alaska’s wildlife by naturalist Mike. His style is that of a story teller, and his stories keep me highly engaged. Afterward, G went to do a load of laundry, and I took the opportunity to sit at the International Cafe and order a cappuccino. I had ordered one using the app in the buffet this morning and, finally after a 45 minute wait, a head waiter went and got it for me. But I had better luck sitting in the Piazza. It’s definitely not a foolproof system.
The Concerto Dining Room opened early for lunch today, from 11am to 1pm, to accommodate our noon arrival in Juneau. We had quite a talk with head waiter Mirko and Maitre d’ Neville about the new Dine My Way program. Simply stated, we are not fans, and it very well might lead us to cancelling nine Princess cruises we have booked for this winter (I want to, G doesn’t). The program reduces everyone to a number without regard for personal desires. Mirko told us that if we came to dinner at 5:20pm tonight, we might be able to get a better table with the waitstaff dream team. It all depended on whether a couple who hasn’t yet been to their assigned table next to a window showed up. They have that table tied up and dining room management can’t override Dine My Way.
Still, lunch was excellent, and, because we got there the moment the dining room opened, we were able to snag a window table, and watched as the Majestic Princess approached the dock in Juneau. It was already raining this morning as we walked across Deck 16 to the World Fresh Marketplace, and the forecast for the day was that it would continue. Juneau looked wet and grey and bleak, but we didn’t let that stop us from our plans for the day.
In all the times we’ve been to Juneau, we had never taken the Mt. Roberts tram, which starts right near where the cruise ships dock. We had purchased tram tickets through Princess; they had a guarantee that they could be turned in for a refund if the weather was bad. Well, it wasn’t great, but we decided to take the tram anyway. It was less than a ten minute walk from where the Majestic Princess had docked, and we waited only two trams before we were able to board. I was quite confused; I was thinking this was like a gondola on a ski hill, but instead it’s like the gondolas in the Alps. There are only two cars (named Eagle and Raptor for the Tlingit clans (the tram is run by the Tlingit tribe), and they were quite fussy on board about correct mask wearing.. It’s a short ride, probably only about 5 minutes to the top, and when we got there, it was pretty cloudy.
We explored the nature center and watched an 18 minute movie on Tlingit history and culture but chose not to do a hike at the top. The trails were really muddy and slick. Eventually, the skies cleared slightly, and I was able to take some photos from the top.
Kind of eerie
We were amazed by what we think is moss growing on the spruce trees.
Edited weeks later: I just came across the term usnea, which I had never heard
of before. It’s a lichen (part algae, part fungi). I think this might be usnea.
Stephens Passage, the approach to Juneau
The town of Juneau looking toward Mendenhall glacier
The Majestic Princess in Juneau
The trams passing each other.
A bald eagle…really!
We had to get back on the ship by 4:30pm to get showered for dinner (we were pretty soaked). Per Mirko’s instructions, we were standing outside the Concerto Dining Room at exactly 5:20pm. Success! We were assigned a coveted table by the window! It was a good night for it, as we had several special Alaskan items in the menu. We ate and drank way too much, but the dining room was half empty and there was no 7pm show tonight, so we had plenty of time.
The Piazza decorated with banners for tonight’s Klondike goldrush theme
At 8:15pm we went to the Vista Lounge for the first time this cruise, for the Klondike gold rush theme party, and at 9:15 were in Princess Live, for TV theme song trivia, always a fun time. There was one show in the Princess Theater tonight, the soprano who will sing later in the cruise in production show Encore, but we weren’t feeling that tonight. Instead we picked up fuzzy waters on our way back to our cabin, and crashed. I am typing this with one eye open at a time, and my typos probably prove that. I will do a quick edit and post, and be asleep in minutes.
