Juneau, Alaska

Hello from Juneau!

One day back in June when I was really sick with Covid on the Island Princess I broke down and cried. Today I was almost in tears as well. Over stupid stuff. Like I mentioned yesterday, this cruise has been stressful. It seems like everything that could go wrong for me has. I've had cabin steward issues, cabin maintenance issues, accessibility issues, passenger and crew issues, food issues, and lack of communication issues. I could go on and on about specifics (boy, it's a long list) but it felt like it all came to a head today with the testing of the emergency power system. 

Today I was going back to Juneau Drug to buy more of their warm popcorn. I learned last week I could taste the delicious buttery salt (yay!) and I wanted some for a movie day in the cabin. (Another yay.) I even skipped breakfast this morning so I could save the calories for the popcorn. As I was finishing getting on my cold weather garb for the day - short sleeve shirt, long sleeve shirt, hooded sweatshirt, hooded waterproof windbreaker - an announcement was made that the ship would be testing the power system, not to use the elevators, and once it was finished another announcement would be made. I finished getting dressed and sat back down for the next announcement.

And I waited. And waited. And waited. At the hour and a half mark I called guest services and asked if the elevators were available yet and was told no. Was told to wait for the announcement. So I waited some more. And more. And more. At the three hour mark I called. Nope, not yet, and wait for the announcement. Now I'm pretty certain guest services was mistaken but I couldn't check myself. You know those dang cleaning carts in the hallways my scooter can't get past? With no cabin steward around anywhere? Uh, yeah. Then the rain started up and I just wanted to cry. With an early all aboard time my window of popcorn opportunity quickly closed. Everything I've had to deal with on this ship these last couple weeks has been so very frustrating, disappointing (and exhausting) and I wanted a movie day with popcorn to escape from it all, by golly! 

I was mad enough I was considering cancelling all our winter cruises. But The Universe had a different plan. At the exact moment I was stewing about everything and those cancelling thoughts were going through my mind our winter ship, Discovery Princess, sailed by. Really, what are the chances?

I even got a better look at one of the umpteen cabins we'll be switching between.

While I'm still upset about not getting my popcorn (and a whole bunch of other things) I had to let it go, at least for today. So for the first time I ordered cheesy fries from the room service menu (dang, couldn't taste them) and had to call it good. Breakfast and lunch all in one.

Tomorrow we're in Ketchikan. To lessen any disappointment I've decided not to make any plans until the time comes. See you there!

Skagway, Alaska

Hello from Skagway!

As expected we were at the Broadway Dock, the prime spot to get into town. Just walk straight off the ship and you're there!

Leaving early enough allowed me empty streets, one of my favorite things about going out early in Skagway. Later on one of my least favorite things in Skagway will happen when the streets and walkways are packed with thousands of cruise ship passengers.

Best time of the day

Ed and I have fond memories of Skagway. It always held a place in our hearts as our favorite Alaskan cruise port. We did the same things every time we visited and they are what kept us coming back again and again.

• Walking around a near empty town with only one or two ships in port. Or early enough before the swarms of passengers descended. 
• People watching from our window seat table at the Sweet Tooth Cafe. Ordering at just the right time - 10:45ish - so Ed can order from the breakfast menu (biscuits and gravy with extra gravy) and I can order from the lunch menu (still the best patty melts I ever had). 
• Making runs to Starfire and getting Thai food to take back to the crew. Having a hard time not breaking into the containers right then and there because it smelled so good.
• Buying new Alaska t-shirts and hats in the big blue building at Skagway's Alaska Shirt Company. 
• Sitting on a wooden bench and eating chocolate covered gummy bears we bought at the Alaskan Fudge Company.

Unfortunately, very unfortunately, not one of those businesses in Skagway survived Covid. The places we loved coming back to year after year are now buildings just sitting empty. Sweet Tooth Cafe. Starfire. Alaska Shirt Company. Alaskan Fudge Company. All gone. Closed up with nothing new taking their places. Becoming even more overrun by jewelry stores (no surprise) and way too many cruise ship passengers arriving daily on ships larger than they ever used to be. 

Two of the four ships in port today

Throw in the slide area and ships having to use tenders to get their passengers on and off makes it even more undesirable. Just check out Royal Princess' tender lines by mid-afternoon. No, thank you.

Alas, our favorite Alaskan port is no more. 

I've thought long and hard these last few days about why I'm on this ship, the Grand Princess. It's been a stressful time onboard for reasons I easily could go on about but won't. But maybe I needed to be here and needed it to not be relaxing. Maybe I needed to be reminded about the not fun side of cruising. About the rude and inconsiderate passengers. Lackadaisical crew who know they don't have to work as hard (or care) on these 7 day trips full of new cruisers who don't know any better. What a shock to the system after coming off the Island Princess where all the crew were working the World Cruise!

Maybe I needed to see what happened to Skagway for myself. Maybe I needed to be ready to say goodbye to Alaska. I wouldn't have seen the Northern Lights in Whittier if not having made this voyage. And my flight path from Southampton certainly wouldn't have crossed over Greenland if I was going straight home.

Knowing this might be my last visit to Skagway ever, I headed out of town and rolled my way to the Skagway Bridge. I had forgotten how far it was - almost two miles to get out there - but the views made it worth it. I even encountered a dinosaur along the way.

I took a little video just in case you need running water and mountains in your day.

I always knew at some point I'd have to close the page on cruising to Alaska and today's visit sealed the deal. After talking to Ed I went ahead and canceled our 14 cruises we planned for next summer. We're not done cruising by any means - we still have a couple dozen over the next year and a half - but Alaska won't be part of it. We'll leave Alaska for those who don't know how good it used to be.

Tomorrow we're in Juneau and if the rain holds off, I'm making a run to Juneau Drug to get some goodies. If it doesn't I'll have to come up with another plan. See you there!