Wednesday-Thursday 4-5 October 2023

Sailing the Gulf of Alaska into the Bering Sea

I am back to report on two days at sea-- Wednesday and Thursday--with strangely varied weather. Although the waves have been more than a bit choppy and the ship has bobbled side to side, it hasn't been rough enough for a seasick patch; my bracelets seem to be working quite well. The sky varies between intermittent rain and patches of blue and the daytime temperature holds at about 50 degrees. Today, Friday morning, reveals much calmer seas and partially blue skies, with outside temperatures in the high 40s.

The Westerdam is heading west-northwest as she cruises the Gulf of Alaska and heads toward the Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean. While the ship has been very active in the waves, I've been lying low and enjoying some restful days at sea. The clocks are turned back one hour almost every night until we reach the International Dateline next week, so I get an extra hour of sleep. I won't bore you all with my meals, unless they are particularly special. You already have seen what I devoured at high tea.

On Wednesday

The LBGTQ+ group changes its daily meet-up to 4:30 so that it doesn't interfere with dinner or entertainment plans. There are about 10 other guys, younger than me but old enough to hang out with. Most of them are on the ship for the long haul, visiting more ports in Japan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia--ending in Singapore 54 days later.

Wednesday night I enjoy my included dinner in Canaletto, the Italian specialty restaurant that takes over a corner of the Lido Marketplace. Since my dinner reservation is for 8pm, I am able to attend part of the early show in the World Stage theatre:  a young female singer from Australia performing hits from the 1970s. She even wears a sequined bell-bottom outfit to get into that '70s mood. Her voice is loud and on-pitch (not always the case with shipboard entertainers); it would be nice to hear her belt some Broadway zingers.

In Canaletto I start with a Campari and soda, a small antipasto salad, very tender chicken Parmesan with a variety of accompaniments, followed by tiramisu (in a bowl!) for dessert. I enjoy the company of a friendly and gregarious couple, Heather and Herb from Ontario, seated at the adjoining table.

On Thursday

After a quiet and restful night, I have breakfast in the Lido Marketplace. One must arrive pretty early to find a place to sit. There is a huge contingent of Asians on board--not surprising considering our destination--who fill up large sections of the dining area before it even opens. I have also noted that they fill up their plates with enormous quantities of food.

Not much going on today, so I opt for a late morning nap. When I awake, the rain has let up and there are patches of blue in the sky. I have lunch at the Dive-In Kitchen by the Lido Pool:  fancy cheeseburger and fries. A self-serve taco bar is also available by the pool.

Because of the cool weather, the Magrodome over the pool is closed. The good part is that eating by the pool is quite pleasant. The bad part is that there is a significant group of kids yelling and screaming in the pool and their sounds are magnified by the closed roof. Shouldn't they all be in school?

I'll be back on Friday, hopefully with more interesting things to report.