We really like Seabourn. The Sojourn and her sisters are the perfect size. They are well laid out, the standard suites are very comfortable and, even before the refit, the Sojourn is in good repair. The passenger mix is very friendly so making friends for cocktails or dining is easy! The ships are small but you never feel you are in a crowd or are being herded.
The service both in the public areas and the suite is almost perfect! Only the last night’s dinner service was bad, as the timing of the courses was really off.
The food is very good, the steaks and lamb perfectly cooked and very tender each time we order. Dick says the fish is nicely done also. We eat breakfast every morning in the main dining room. One whole window side is used. Service is from 8 to 9:30AM. We go at various times from opening to closing. They use all the places in the first two sections every day and either reset those tables or use the third section also. No fewer than 40 to 50 people and as many as 75 to 100 come every day. There were many people on this cruise using the main dining room for breakfast. Though that has not been the case on some of our other cruises, we always eat breakfast in the main dining room. The only days it has ever been closed for us have been disembarkation days. Then we do room service.
Room service for afternoon tea, late night dessert, one light supper and the last day breakfast is always on time with hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Plus the order is always complete.
Eating a big breakfast tends to make lunch hit or miss for us. The dining room is open for lunch everyday except long port days and the day they have a special deck lunch. We do not like the Colonnade for breakfast or lunch...always too noisy and crowded so we tend to avoid that venue except for embarkation day. We were among the first to board and got an outside table that day. Plus, we were just excited to be aboard!!
Most days we eat lunch at the Pool Grill...love the pizza or go to the Square and grab some tea sandwiches, the egg salad and the salmon were our favorites, and a hot chocolate or a coke float. The cookies and pecan squares are also good! The serving times there seem to fit better with our time ashore.
The main dining room's dinner time food is great. We like that they now seem to have more of the simpler main meals we like on the always available side of the menu. Though we did eat off both sides. Usually the food comes in an orderly fashion, all the extra things for the dish arriving with the dish and hot. Wine and water service is timely also. We have one or two wines we like and ask for them if the offered wine is not to our liking...no problem, the request is honored promptly. The Keller menu did nothing for us.
We do eat in the Colonnade for the Thai dinner (very good...they cook Carolyn’s meal special due to food allergies). We also eat at the Pool Grill three or four nights...we really like the dinner time grill choices, especially the relaxed atmosphere and very attentive service.
We have three tables for two, three hosted tables and one large table in the main dining room, so we have a number of different servers and again, except for the last night at a table for two, we have excellent wait staff.
Restaurant 2 used to have some very good meals when they had only the little girls and we ate there many evenings. Now we never eat there. That is just not our style of food anymore. I know it is going away with the refit, but I don’t like what is replacing it if what we saw of the Keller offerings on this cruise is any sample.
We did four Seabourn tours, two catamaran rides, an ATV trip and a jet boat trip. They were well done and we enjoyed them all. Weather in Alaska is very iffy most of the time especially in Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan with flight and boat tours being canceled often in those ports.
We also like the more casual dress code. Dick liked not having to deal with a jacket every night. The” formal” night produced a very mixed bag from jacket only to Tux, including at the two Officer's tables we were invited to join.
There is a “but” in this review..... just not sure how to explain it. It may have been just the type of cruise with all the special venture team activities. The problem for us was the daytime lectures were at odd times, like 6PM, when we wanted to be getting ready for dinner. I know we could watch them on TV, BUT the ship had the programs labeled wrong...Sika was Sitka but Juneau was also the Sitka talk etc. So we were not able to enjoy all the lectures. We really enjoy going to the live daytime lectures and visiting with the speaker afterwards.
Also wish they would have broadcast to the outside decks or on the TV, when members of the venture team were outside talking, especially at Alert Bay when we had the whales around us for so long. The weather was awful several days so there was no sharing of information then.
The daytime program was just off, hit or miss somehow. There were many passengers who could not do the Zodiac or the Kayak (there were not enough spots if most had been able) and on some days that was the only activity. Since three of the stops were not usual port stops, it left a boring hole for many in the daytime activities with the ship anchored in the same spot for hours.
Bad weather changed one of the port times so they scrambled to do an afternoon movie with popcorn. It was fun and would have been great to repeat a time or two. Much more fun than sitting in the suite watching the movie on the small TVs.
Guess the biggest complaint was over the crab claws. Did write about this on the mid-cruise card. They were served once for lunch in the Colonnade on a day that we had a tour conflict. We were in Alaska on a “luxury cruise,” at least price wise, for 12 days! They should have had them as a choice in the main dining room a couple of nights!
Will we do Seabourn again...yes, just probably not on the new larger ships...there are too many people which gives the ship more of a mass market feel. For us luxury is a small full service ship with single seating dinners and a good itinerary. So far Seabourn fills this bill with their three 450 passenger Odyssey class ships.
Sojourn's Alaska Route
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Home Bound! Thursday, Oct 5 to Monday, Oct 9.
After the stormy beginning to this trip, we had left the route home open. Originally we had planned to take up to two weeks getting home, going east across Canada then dropping down south and driving along the Mississippi River.
However, after only two days off the ship, we are tired of the hotel and food search each day and night. Plus our daughter has told us that our Grandson’s National Honor Society New Member Induction Service has been scheduled for Wednesday Oct. 10.
It is Thursday, Oct 5, time to head home! We want to be there and can be if we head straight home. We are some 2,400 miles away, or about 400 miles a day.
So, after a big Denny’s breakfast, we go to the Poplar Grove Cheesery and pick up 4,950 grams, 10.91 pounds, of Tiger Blue cheese! Mission accomplished, we point the car south! It is cool and clear...nice driving weather.
Crossing the border without a wait or incident, we drive down by Grand Coulee Dam again. We stop at Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park to explore the awesome geological area. It looks like just a deep canyon now. But 13,000 years ago during the last flood, it was a water fall that was four times the size of Niagara Falls at 400 feet high and 3.5 miles wide. From there we drive on to The Dalles on the Columbia River Gorge. We stop here for the night. This is an area we planned to explore in the original trip plan and Carolyn really wants to see it. We won’t discuss this night’s lodging and dinner...it is the worst of the trip! The motel is so old it still has metal room keys!
Friday, Oct. 6 turns out to be another cool, cloudless day. We drive west on the Washington state side of the Columbia River for most of the Gorge and have some great views of Mt. Hood. Then we cross the river and pick up I-84 and retrace our path along the Oregon state side of the river, heading east and then south on I-84. Twin Falls, Idaho is the stop for the night at one of the motel chains.
Saturday, Oct. 7, finds us on I-84 driving though Salt Lake City, Utah and along the Great Salt Lake before cutting the corner over to I-70 East just north of the Canyon Lands. It is still clear and cool, but the weather is supposed to go south with a rain and snow mix in the next day or so. We need to get out of the high plains and mountains before the change. Tonight the goal is Grand Junction, Colorado and another chain motel. Dinner is a disaster tonight. It is Saturday, so we go early, 5:30PM, but after four restaurants with 45 minutes to an hour waits at each place, we stop at a grocery deli and pick up a salad and twice baked potatoes. A stiff drink improves the meal.
The wind starts blowing hard during the night, but Sunday, Oct. 8 is still mostly clear skies, though the snow storm is supposed to hit the area later in the evening. The goal for tonight is the Fairfield Inn in Amarillo, Texas where we started four weeks ago. We elect to across the Rockies at Monarch Pass and cut the corner down to Waldsenburg, CO on I-25. The Denver I-25 corridor is so congested it is best avoided. The drive is beautiful as the leaves are at their peak. We get to Amarillo about 7PM and neither of us feel well, maybe from last nights dinner. Dick finds a grocery store and gets some crackers and packaged Jell-O. Carolyn is really sick and goes to bed. Dick is not far behind.
Monday, Oct. 9 we wake to overcast skies and high winds, but we are almost home. The snow storm left several inches of snow where we were yesterday; so glad we avoided that. The scenery has been interesting and loaded with fall colors down through Colorado. Now we are driving though Texas cotton fields and rolling pasture land on the last 500 plus mile trek to Home. We get an early start and get home about 4PM. Nothing ever looked so good!
What a trip, 6,040 miles on the second attempt plus the1,500 mile practice run. Definitely not the longest road trip, but the longest one without the benefit of our RV! We did not realize how much we hated finding a hotel and dinner every night! Nearly 10 years traveling in a RV with all the comforts of home has really spoiled us!!!!
However, after only two days off the ship, we are tired of the hotel and food search each day and night. Plus our daughter has told us that our Grandson’s National Honor Society New Member Induction Service has been scheduled for Wednesday Oct. 10.
It is Thursday, Oct 5, time to head home! We want to be there and can be if we head straight home. We are some 2,400 miles away, or about 400 miles a day.
So, after a big Denny’s breakfast, we go to the Poplar Grove Cheesery and pick up 4,950 grams, 10.91 pounds, of Tiger Blue cheese! Mission accomplished, we point the car south! It is cool and clear...nice driving weather.
Crossing the border without a wait or incident, we drive down by Grand Coulee Dam again. We stop at Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park to explore the awesome geological area. It looks like just a deep canyon now. But 13,000 years ago during the last flood, it was a water fall that was four times the size of Niagara Falls at 400 feet high and 3.5 miles wide. From there we drive on to The Dalles on the Columbia River Gorge. We stop here for the night. This is an area we planned to explore in the original trip plan and Carolyn really wants to see it. We won’t discuss this night’s lodging and dinner...it is the worst of the trip! The motel is so old it still has metal room keys!
Friday, Oct. 6 turns out to be another cool, cloudless day. We drive west on the Washington state side of the Columbia River for most of the Gorge and have some great views of Mt. Hood. Then we cross the river and pick up I-84 and retrace our path along the Oregon state side of the river, heading east and then south on I-84. Twin Falls, Idaho is the stop for the night at one of the motel chains.
Saturday, Oct. 7, finds us on I-84 driving though Salt Lake City, Utah and along the Great Salt Lake before cutting the corner over to I-70 East just north of the Canyon Lands. It is still clear and cool, but the weather is supposed to go south with a rain and snow mix in the next day or so. We need to get out of the high plains and mountains before the change. Tonight the goal is Grand Junction, Colorado and another chain motel. Dinner is a disaster tonight. It is Saturday, so we go early, 5:30PM, but after four restaurants with 45 minutes to an hour waits at each place, we stop at a grocery deli and pick up a salad and twice baked potatoes. A stiff drink improves the meal.
The wind starts blowing hard during the night, but Sunday, Oct. 8 is still mostly clear skies, though the snow storm is supposed to hit the area later in the evening. The goal for tonight is the Fairfield Inn in Amarillo, Texas where we started four weeks ago. We elect to across the Rockies at Monarch Pass and cut the corner down to Waldsenburg, CO on I-25. The Denver I-25 corridor is so congested it is best avoided. The drive is beautiful as the leaves are at their peak. We get to Amarillo about 7PM and neither of us feel well, maybe from last nights dinner. Dick finds a grocery store and gets some crackers and packaged Jell-O. Carolyn is really sick and goes to bed. Dick is not far behind.
Monday, Oct. 9 we wake to overcast skies and high winds, but we are almost home. The snow storm left several inches of snow where we were yesterday; so glad we avoided that. The scenery has been interesting and loaded with fall colors down through Colorado. Now we are driving though Texas cotton fields and rolling pasture land on the last 500 plus mile trek to Home. We get an early start and get home about 4PM. Nothing ever looked so good!
What a trip, 6,040 miles on the second attempt plus the1,500 mile practice run. Definitely not the longest road trip, but the longest one without the benefit of our RV! We did not realize how much we hated finding a hotel and dinner every night! Nearly 10 years traveling in a RV with all the comforts of home has really spoiled us!!!!
To Penticton, BC, Wednesday, Oct 4
Another blue bird morning and wonderful day to see the countryside. There is a small coffee shop attached to the hotel and they offer free coffee and breakfast for $6CAD; a fresh, hot ham and cheese breakfast sandwich with juice, fresh fruit or a yogurt parfait. The food is good. We then load the car and take off on the northern route to Penticton (not back through Vancouver). The GPS says 5-6 hours.
It is a fabulous drive...one beautiful mountain vista after another! There is no traffic and virtually no villages or homes. We learned in 2009, on our RV trip to Alaska through British Columbia, that this part of the world has miles and miles of beautiful, remote countryside that is an absolute joy to explore! The only problem is, if you are not carrying your house on your back, finding lunch stops gets iffy.
After many stops for photos, but no food, we arrive in Penticton, an hour of so north of the Washington, USA border, about 3:30PM: hungry and a bit cranky! This is a lovely old fashioned looking wine and fruit growing town.
Our plan is to spend two nights, having a nice early dinner at the Hillside Winery that we enjoyed so much in 2009 tonight, exploring the area and picking up our Tiger Blue cheese tomorrow. Then we will turn south and head home on Friday. This plan goes off track fairly fast as we try to find a motel/hotel that looks good. We passed, at the drive by stage, two old chain motels that Carolyn had marked as possibilities. The next two weren’t any better so we just picked one. We only book one night because we are not impressed.
The next little glitch is the restaurant; they have completely changed the menu and it is a funky, fixed price, very expensive, tapas type of thing. Not for us, so we go to an Italian place in town that has good reviews. Well, it is having a fixed menu, wine tasting dinner tonight....no thank you.
We meet a couple coming for the wine dinner and they suggest we try a Greek place, Theo’s. Thankfully it is a winner! The food is wonderful, but it has gotten late and we can’t do justice to the dinner.
After the long day, we are bushed and still under the weather, so we head for bed.
It is a fabulous drive...one beautiful mountain vista after another! There is no traffic and virtually no villages or homes. We learned in 2009, on our RV trip to Alaska through British Columbia, that this part of the world has miles and miles of beautiful, remote countryside that is an absolute joy to explore! The only problem is, if you are not carrying your house on your back, finding lunch stops gets iffy.
After many stops for photos, but no food, we arrive in Penticton, an hour of so north of the Washington, USA border, about 3:30PM: hungry and a bit cranky! This is a lovely old fashioned looking wine and fruit growing town.
Our plan is to spend two nights, having a nice early dinner at the Hillside Winery that we enjoyed so much in 2009 tonight, exploring the area and picking up our Tiger Blue cheese tomorrow. Then we will turn south and head home on Friday. This plan goes off track fairly fast as we try to find a motel/hotel that looks good. We passed, at the drive by stage, two old chain motels that Carolyn had marked as possibilities. The next two weren’t any better so we just picked one. We only book one night because we are not impressed.
The next little glitch is the restaurant; they have completely changed the menu and it is a funky, fixed price, very expensive, tapas type of thing. Not for us, so we go to an Italian place in town that has good reviews. Well, it is having a fixed menu, wine tasting dinner tonight....no thank you.
We meet a couple coming for the wine dinner and they suggest we try a Greek place, Theo’s. Thankfully it is a winner! The food is wonderful, but it has gotten late and we can’t do justice to the dinner.
After the long day, we are bushed and still under the weather, so we head for bed.
Vancouver, Canada, Tuesday, Oct 3.
We wake at 7AM to another sunny day as the ship is beginning to dock at Canada Place. Our disembarkation time is 8:15AM, one of the first groups.
At 7:15AM, room service arrives with our breakfast. We used room service for breakfast once before. Both times it arrives on time, complete and HOT! We eat, gather our stuff and call for the wheelchair....it is easier for Carolyn to do the terminal ramps in a wheelchair.
By 8:20AM we are in the terminal waiting for luggage along with about 30 others. Our 8:15AM luggage time has passed, but our color has not shown up. They ask us to be seated and say it won’t be long...one color is being picked up, one color is being unloaded on to the floor and there are still two colors ahead of ours. It takes another 20 minutes to get to our color. There seems to be only one big cart for each color, they unload the cart and go back for the next one. By the time the next color comes the earlier group has cleared out, not a bad system, just got off to a slow start.
We are parked in the terminal cruise parking, two floors down from immigration at the hotel elevator end. By 9:15AM we are loading the luggage into the car, very easy!!! The final test is using the email bar code to get out of the lot. The ticket machine reads the bar code and lets us out...after the entering experience, we were prepared for a hassle at this point, but all is good.
We work our way across the Lions Gate Bridge after a short drive through Stanley Park. We are driving to Whistler, about three hours north of Vancouver. The day is beautiful and the scenery is absolutely stunning, seascapes with snow covered peaks all around!
We have reservations at a small hotel in the Olympic Village, but check in is 4PM. We stop at a mall area before getting to Whistler and have lunch and get some medicine for Carolyn’s cough then drive on to the hotel, hoping for an early check in. We luck out and are in our very nice studio type room with a full kitchen, balcony and fireplace by 2PM. The downside is a $21CAD parking fee. Carolyn has been suffering for several days and Dick feels a cold coming on, so we turn the fire on and lay down for welcome naps!
Around 5PM we get out to walk around the village and find some dinner. The place we thought we would go to is closed tonight for unknown reasons. We wind up at a Brewery and have a tasty meal and one of their craft beers.
It has been a nice slow day...perfect to get over the “off the ship let down!"
At 7:15AM, room service arrives with our breakfast. We used room service for breakfast once before. Both times it arrives on time, complete and HOT! We eat, gather our stuff and call for the wheelchair....it is easier for Carolyn to do the terminal ramps in a wheelchair.
By 8:20AM we are in the terminal waiting for luggage along with about 30 others. Our 8:15AM luggage time has passed, but our color has not shown up. They ask us to be seated and say it won’t be long...one color is being picked up, one color is being unloaded on to the floor and there are still two colors ahead of ours. It takes another 20 minutes to get to our color. There seems to be only one big cart for each color, they unload the cart and go back for the next one. By the time the next color comes the earlier group has cleared out, not a bad system, just got off to a slow start.
We are parked in the terminal cruise parking, two floors down from immigration at the hotel elevator end. By 9:15AM we are loading the luggage into the car, very easy!!! The final test is using the email bar code to get out of the lot. The ticket machine reads the bar code and lets us out...after the entering experience, we were prepared for a hassle at this point, but all is good.
We work our way across the Lions Gate Bridge after a short drive through Stanley Park. We are driving to Whistler, about three hours north of Vancouver. The day is beautiful and the scenery is absolutely stunning, seascapes with snow covered peaks all around!
We have reservations at a small hotel in the Olympic Village, but check in is 4PM. We stop at a mall area before getting to Whistler and have lunch and get some medicine for Carolyn’s cough then drive on to the hotel, hoping for an early check in. We luck out and are in our very nice studio type room with a full kitchen, balcony and fireplace by 2PM. The downside is a $21CAD parking fee. Carolyn has been suffering for several days and Dick feels a cold coming on, so we turn the fire on and lay down for welcome naps!
Around 5PM we get out to walk around the village and find some dinner. The place we thought we would go to is closed tonight for unknown reasons. We wind up at a Brewery and have a tasty meal and one of their craft beers.
It has been a nice slow day...perfect to get over the “off the ship let down!"
Alert Bay, Canada, Monday, Oct 2
It is a beautiful, blue bird day when we wake. We docked about 6AM this morning which we slept through. The zodiacs and kayaks are long gone by the time we get going. After breakfast Carolyn packs up everything except what we need today and tomorrow. Packing is always such a downer!
After lunch we tender into town and walk along the shore side street down to the Namgio Burial Ground where many of the Kwakwaka’waka chiefs and their families are buried. It is very interesting to look at, but all the information about the meaning of the totem markers is only found at the Museum. But the Museum is closed on Mondays which is a disappointment. We have run into this in other smaller towns....it seems to us that if a town, especially one that has limited attractions, has a cruise ship visiting, the town would want to put its best foot forward and have its tourist attractions open for the visitors. We run into several others that feel the same way.
The town is very attractive and is pleasant to walk around but there really isn’t too much to do. Some hiked across the island and said it was a nice active hike. There were also the two Seabourn Adventures, but we didn’t talk to anyone who did either of them.
Back on the ship we have cocktails and go to the main dining room for our last dinner. Many of the crew are leaving soon and it seems tonight there is a lot of short timers syndrome as the service is really off. We are seated by 7:15PM and order two courses. It is nearly 8PM before we get our salads and 8:45PM before our main arrives. We eat a lot of bread sticks!! This is the only time the food service has been very poor, it is just unfortunate that it is our last night.
Back in the room the moon is out and the big NCL ship from Juneau is just ahead of us, we sit on the balcony for awhile and watch the shore slide by. Compared to the absolute no light from the land for the last 11 nights, it looks like Christmas along the shore line now. Off to bed. We have an early day tomorrow and Carolyn is still under the weather from her asthma.
After lunch we tender into town and walk along the shore side street down to the Namgio Burial Ground where many of the Kwakwaka’waka chiefs and their families are buried. It is very interesting to look at, but all the information about the meaning of the totem markers is only found at the Museum. But the Museum is closed on Mondays which is a disappointment. We have run into this in other smaller towns....it seems to us that if a town, especially one that has limited attractions, has a cruise ship visiting, the town would want to put its best foot forward and have its tourist attractions open for the visitors. We run into several others that feel the same way.
The town is very attractive and is pleasant to walk around but there really isn’t too much to do. Some hiked across the island and said it was a nice active hike. There were also the two Seabourn Adventures, but we didn’t talk to anyone who did either of them.
Back on the ship we have cocktails and go to the main dining room for our last dinner. Many of the crew are leaving soon and it seems tonight there is a lot of short timers syndrome as the service is really off. We are seated by 7:15PM and order two courses. It is nearly 8PM before we get our salads and 8:45PM before our main arrives. We eat a lot of bread sticks!! This is the only time the food service has been very poor, it is just unfortunate that it is our last night.
Back in the room the moon is out and the big NCL ship from Juneau is just ahead of us, we sit on the balcony for awhile and watch the shore slide by. Compared to the absolute no light from the land for the last 11 nights, it looks like Christmas along the shore line now. Off to bed. We have an early day tomorrow and Carolyn is still under the weather from her asthma.
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Klemtu, Canada, Sunday, Oct 1
Glory Be! We wake to another sunny day in the middle of a beautiful setting. Looking out on the balcony we see the kayaks getting ready to begin their tours and the zodiacs are hauling food stuffs up the water way to the Klemtu village.
We go to breakfast and then back to the suite to wait our turn to go ashore. There are two performances planned at the village today. One in the morning with three staggered tender departures and one in the afternoon with three more tender departures.
This turns out to be the day of shows. As we are sitting on the balcony, two whales, a mom and her calf, swim right beside us and put on a wonderful display of blowing, diving and tails! This lasts for about 20 minutes until they get too far from the ship to enjoy.
The BBQ on shore is canceled; no reason given and now is being held on the pool deck from noon until 2PM. That is OK, but the timing is poorly thought out as many of the first group in the afternoon miss the special lunch. We are in the first group and have to meet for the tender at 12:30PM. There is a line at noon and not enough time to get the BBQ lunch so we and others miss it. On shore there are only soft drinks, tea, coffee and cookies, but we survive.
It is a nice boat ride to the village dock in front of the 12 room hotel. The hotel is a village project to attract people who want to take tours to possibly see a Spirit Bear, a white bear. The tribal program lasts about an hour and is a combination of a history and customs lecture by Chief Charley and a dance program put on by the young people of the tribe. It is interesting and fun to watch. Chief Charley is very proud of his young people and is active in helping them do the dances just right. In turn, they seem very eager to please him and us. There is also very interesting tribal music by the older members of the tribe. We really like the rhythm.
Just a reminder, the walk is as rough as the tour information says. It is 1,400 meters on a potholed gravel road with three short hills to go up and down. Carolyn walks with canes and bad knees and Dick has a bad knee. We manage but are glad we were the first tender as the second tender group passes us on the walk in. We are glad we made the effort.
Back on the ship with a visit to Seabourn Square for a couple of tea sandwiches, tea and some ice cream we are satisfied and head to the room for rest . We sit on the balcony since it is such a beautiful day and guess what...here come the whales again. It is probably the same two. They again do their little dance along the side of the ship! What a wonderful day!! Whales and Tales!!!
We end the day at a table for nine hosted by the Cruise Director, Sophia. She is a delightful hostess and the table is a mix of very talkative US, Australian and English couples.
We go to breakfast and then back to the suite to wait our turn to go ashore. There are two performances planned at the village today. One in the morning with three staggered tender departures and one in the afternoon with three more tender departures.
This turns out to be the day of shows. As we are sitting on the balcony, two whales, a mom and her calf, swim right beside us and put on a wonderful display of blowing, diving and tails! This lasts for about 20 minutes until they get too far from the ship to enjoy.
The BBQ on shore is canceled; no reason given and now is being held on the pool deck from noon until 2PM. That is OK, but the timing is poorly thought out as many of the first group in the afternoon miss the special lunch. We are in the first group and have to meet for the tender at 12:30PM. There is a line at noon and not enough time to get the BBQ lunch so we and others miss it. On shore there are only soft drinks, tea, coffee and cookies, but we survive.
It is a nice boat ride to the village dock in front of the 12 room hotel. The hotel is a village project to attract people who want to take tours to possibly see a Spirit Bear, a white bear. The tribal program lasts about an hour and is a combination of a history and customs lecture by Chief Charley and a dance program put on by the young people of the tribe. It is interesting and fun to watch. Chief Charley is very proud of his young people and is active in helping them do the dances just right. In turn, they seem very eager to please him and us. There is also very interesting tribal music by the older members of the tribe. We really like the rhythm.
Just a reminder, the walk is as rough as the tour information says. It is 1,400 meters on a potholed gravel road with three short hills to go up and down. Carolyn walks with canes and bad knees and Dick has a bad knee. We manage but are glad we were the first tender as the second tender group passes us on the walk in. We are glad we made the effort.
Back on the ship with a visit to Seabourn Square for a couple of tea sandwiches, tea and some ice cream we are satisfied and head to the room for rest . We sit on the balcony since it is such a beautiful day and guess what...here come the whales again. It is probably the same two. They again do their little dance along the side of the ship! What a wonderful day!! Whales and Tales!!!
We end the day at a table for nine hosted by the Cruise Director, Sophia. She is a delightful hostess and the table is a mix of very talkative US, Australian and English couples.
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