Alaska Cruise Day at Sea
Today is an at sea day as we cruise up to Ketchikan. I think we’re both suffering from the extreme time change from Maine to Alaska. It’s a whopping 5 hours. We were up extraordinarily early-even too early for breakfast. We went to the gym and did some cardio while we waited for the dining room to open. There are perks to being the first few people in line for breakfast. We got a window seat at a table we didn’t have to share. The tables at the Seven Seas dining room are very close together. If you get there at prime time you risk being stuck in the middle of everything, and about a foot from your neighbors. Ben had biscuits and gravy and I had eggs benedict. We split a caramel waffle plate that was alright. After breakfast Ben attended a military and veteran meet up while I sat in the Windjammer Bar and downloaded photos. The Windjammer bar was completely empty and a perfect spot to be on a crowded ship.
At-sea days are our lazy days. We walked around the ship for a while before we decided to try the hot tub again. We ended up making a few friends and staying for a while until our stomachs deemed it lunch time. The buffet was a madhouse. Whoever designed the Garden Buffet on the Norwegian Sun should go back to school. The layout is awful for anyone trying to make it through. The lunch buffet had a mixture of Indian food, sandwiches, fruit, and other side dishes. Apres consisted of more rummy and relaxing in the Spinnaker lounge. This is where the sea sickness started to kick in. It wasn’t that bad but it was enough to notice that you didn’t feel great. We napped it off for a while, and for some reason laying down felt better than sitting. In past experiences on smaller boats (not cruise ships) that is the worst thing to do.
We emerged in the late afternoon and were passing through the main lobby when I overheard someone say they saw a pod of whales. It was just a stroke of pure luck that we were in that spot, otherwise we never would have seen them. There were three or four, playing. They were swimming sideways and slapping their fins on the water. That really showed how big of animals they are. They were probably 300 yards away (maybe less) and their pectoral fins were at least 10 feet tall standing out of the water. This will probably end up being one of my favorite memories from the trip.
I had made an appointment to get my nails done at the Spa at 6:00, and we relaxed until then. I didn’t know when I made the appointment that they don’t do full sets, and ended up getting a gel manicure. I made the decision to wait until the cruise when my hometown salon had a huge wait. I was a bit sad with the experience after it was all said and done. I booked a gel manicure, just a regular one, and they upgraded me without telling me to a special that was $120. I am super non confrontational and would never say anything (yes, I know, It’s my problem). But it was really disappointing nonetheless. Redemption for my attitude came during dinner. Between the two of us we had bruschetta, lobster ravioli, clam chowder, french onion soup, pork loins and a New York strip. Even after all that we split a chocolate mint mousse and a chocolate amaretto cake. When in Alaska, right? After dinner the jogging track called and we did a few laps before getting all of our stuff together for Ketchikan tomorrow. I want to get a bright and early start.
