At sea

​After the late night, we slept in till 7:30. We are out in the Gulf of Alaska in 12000 feet of water.

​Oh, it's Sunday.

On our walk from the bow to stern the hallway walls kept moving side to side.  Even though we had relatively smooth seas we did have some sway to the ship as you can see from the pool on the enclosed Lido deck.

​Even with the rocky seas. to say we are hooked on cruising is an understatement.

We hear music playing for us.  In the atrium is a huge two story sculpture that is also an organ.

​Mom went to the test kitchen while I was at the “Ask the Captain” meeting.  I had a lot of fun. 

The Captain was very funny and knows his ship. Some of the questions asked were hard to believe. Here are a few of the questions asked:

You are here so who is driving the ship? “Microsoft, but there are officers on the bridge if needed. We use the computer to steer when at sea.”

Why are the toilets so low? “The Italians build the ships, so you would have to ask them.” (Yes, someone asked this)

Do you play tricks on new recruits? “We have played tricks on cadets like ‘Go find the compass key’”

Is it ok for the ship to bump into things at sea? “We do try to avoid trees and other things floating in the water. We try very hard to avoid large pieces of ice because a captain tried it in the past and it was not good.”

How deep is the ship down into the water?  “We are currently drafting 8 meters so about 26 feet”

What is the max speed? “The maximum for this ship is 28 knots but we never exceed 22 knots.”

How much did the ship cost? “Just under 400 million dollars.”

How is the ship powered? “We have electric motors that turn the props with power from 5 diesel generators, 2 backup generators and 2 days of emergency batteries.  We can travel 2500 miles for 14 days on full tanks of fuel.”

Is there really a brig? ....  Is there a morgue? ....Answer to both is YES. Currently the morgue holds the fresh flowers.

I thanked him for stopping so we could watch the bears at Endicott glacier.
​  “You're welcome. I had paid 3 of the bears to stay for us.”

After that I stopped off to look at the artwork set up for an art auction.

​Mom has also enjoyed the wine tastings. 

​There is a small fee, but the cruise really wants us to buy a bottle not just enjoy the selection.

Another gala dinner tonight so we are dressing up. We will have a great view as we go through the pass near Homer from the Gulf of Alaska.

​As we moved into the bay that will take us to Anchorage a line of huge dormant volcanoes was in view. 

​Very impressive.

Our towel animal greeted us after dinner.