friday, july 8^th – Cambria, CA - Pelican Suites

Saturday, July 9th - Depart Cambria, ca - Overnight Ventura, CA - Marriott Ventura Beach

summary

Our main purpose for taking this trip is for Crystal Harmony's 15th Anniversary, although, as it turns out, this is now the ship's farewell season with Crystal Cruises.  We don't know quite what to expect from the special events during this cruise, if anything, but Alaska is a destination we enjoy with or without any extras.

Since we have been to Alaska twice before, we have done most of the shore excursions that interest us already.  Therefore, don't expect many first-hand accounts from shore.  Our very first cruise was to Alaska aboard Holland America's Noordam.  Since then we have been hooked on cruising, as you are already aware if you are reading this.  It's hard to believe that was over 15 years ago!

Five years later, during Crystal Symphony's inaugural year, we again cruised to Alaska on virtually the same itinerary as this cruise will be.  We must be destined to return to Alaska at least once every decade.

Originally, we had booked a hotel in San Francisco that would allow us to leave our car for the duration of the cruise.  However, after reading some reviews of the hotel and its unsavory location, plus the discovery that it does not have air conditioning, we decided to drop that idea and park in the port's garage.  We weren't afraid of the neighborhood particularly, but it didn't seem like the best place to leave a car for two weeks in an open lot.  So, we are now booked at the more main stream, and ideally located, Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf.

Apparently, we were in no rush to leave because we dawdled around until 2:00 PM before finally setting out for Santa Barbara by car.  The only negative to speak of was the heavy traffic on the 405 that started just before LAX and lasted until we turned off toward Ventura on the 101.  After that it was smooth sailing, but it did add an hour to our travel time.

We made a brief pit stop at a Camarillo Jack in the Box for a snack, etc., then drove up the coastline to Santa Barbara.  The weather couldn't possibly be any more perfect today.  It was around 80 in the afternoon without a cloud in the sky.  By the time we arrived at the hotel around 6:30 PM, it was in the mid 70's.

Based on overwhelmingly favorable reviews on TripAdvisor.com, we selected the Harbor View Inn for our overnight stay.  The hotel is directly across the street from the wharf and a huge, deserted beach.  It is a low-rise affair with only three floors, but the property is attractive and has a nice pool area and an adjacent restaurant that provides poolside and room service.  The front desk staff was pleasant and we had no problems checking in.

We had to park toward the rear of the parking lot, but that turned out to be a good thing because the entrance to our building was in that area.  Our rate was the lowest AAA price of $292, so we didn't expect a view, nor did we get one.  However, there is nothing wrong with what we got either.  We would have upgraded to a pool view if we were staying longer, but we hadn't planned on staring out the window anyway.  There is a small balcony overlooking a residential area behind the hotel with mountains beyond.  The walls separating the balconies provide no privacy at all, so we wouldn't be inclined to sit out there even if we did have something to look at.

The room itself was very attractive and spacious.  The sliding glass doors were covered with plantation shutters and blackout drapes in pleasant earth tones.  There is a desk, a comfortable chair and everything one would expect at this price.  We'd say the rooms are on a par with an upscale Hyatt Regency, although the property itself is more like an upscale motel on the outside.  Again, there is nothing wrong with it and the grounds are beautifully landscaped and well kept.  The bathroom has a separate room for the toilet and shower, plus a room with a bathtub and the sink.  There is a coffee maker, as well.  When we arrived, there were complimentary beverages (coffee, various teas and lemonade) set up in our building's lobby that we assume are there all day.  They had been removed by the time we returned after dinner, around 9:00 PM.

After freshening up a bit, and we do mean a bit, we wandered down to the street and walked across to Stearn's Wharf to check out the view.  There were lots of people out and about, but it wasn't crowded by any means.  We strolled the length of the pier and took in the view and great weather.  There are two restaurants on the pier, but both had people waiting, this being Father's Day and all.  We caught a seagull in our coastal photo, then checked out the tacky trinket shops where we bought our required Christmas ornament for Santa Barbara.

We debated briefly about whether or not we should wander up State Street, the main shopping area in Santa Barbara, that stretches inland from the wharf (our hotel is at the corner of State and Cabrillo Ave., a perfect location!)  We opted to check the menu at the hotel restaurant on the corner, Eladio's.  The hotel literature described the menu as Californian with Asian influences, but it is clearly an Italian restaurant.  In any case, we deemed the menu reasonably priced and appealing, so we went inside.

The hostess was extremely pleasant and seated us outside on the attractive patio directly overlooking the beach (and the street, but that wasn't a problem).  Even outside after 8:00 PM the weather was perfect.  Even the waitress commented on how nice it was.

Our waitress was equally as personable as the hostess and we thoroughly enjoyed our outstanding meal.  We both had the very fresh House Salad with a balsamic vinaigrette, which was perfect.  Our entrees were the Sole with Fettuccini Alfredo and the Lemon Chicken, both of which were wonderful.  The grilled asparagus that accompanied the chicken was incredible and we don't usually like it at all.  Both desserts, a Kahlua Mousse Cake and a Lemon Tart, were to die for.  The tab for this great meal was only $52.00, including tax.  We expect to have breakfast here tomorrow morning.

After wandering back to the hotel well after 9:00 PM, we promptly crashed.  Although we could clearly hear the trains passing during the day, we heard nothing during the night with the door closed.

We didn't try to access the internet to upload the site tonight because we know the hotel tomorrow offers free high-speed access.

Our day started with a very nice breakfast at Eladio's where the waitress we had last night seated us.  The waitress who served us today was equally friendly.  We both loved our meals.  French Toast stuffed with mascarpone cheese and Eggs Benedict.  Both were excellent.

After breakfast we collected our stuff and checked out around 11:30 AM.  The front desk agent said that the hotel is 90% booked during the time we will be passing this way again, so we may have to make a reservation rather than wing it, but we'll decide that later.  Although we thoroughly enjoyed this hotel, there are several others in close proximity that should be at least adequate.

We set off toward San Luis Obispo on highway 101 with no traffic to speak of.  The scenery along the way is especially beautiful this year due to all the rain we have had.  It almost looked like a movie set it was so perfect.

The drive took only about 90 minutes rather than the two hours we anticipated, so we arrived at the Quality Suites long before the official check-in time.  No matter, we were promptly checked into a ground floor room at the back of the complex.  The front window overlooks the "quiet courtyard" with a fountain.  The bedroom window overlooks the parking lots, but there are trees blocking the view anyway.  It isn't luxurious by any stretch of the imagination, but it is spotlessly clean and everything is in good repair.  There is a TV in the living room and bedroom, along with a wet bar, microwave and refrigerator.  Also, free wireless internet service that is particularly convenient for us.  All we had to do was call the front desk for the access code and it was all set.  We probably wouldn't stop here again just because there isn't anything to do nearby, but for this purpose it is fine and the price is right, $148.00 with the AAA discount.  That includes a cooked to order breakfast in the morning if we can get up and ready before 9:30 AM.  Our only minor complaint about this hotel is that the sound insulation is very poor, so we can hear every step and other noises from all sides.  One night is OK, but we wouldn't want to stay longer because of that alone.  We're also not thrilled with the bathroom sink/vanity being out in the bedroom, but we can live with that.

All we did all day was watch two Indiana Jones movies on TV.  We thought we might crash, but that didn't happen.  At around 7:00 PM we wandered out to the street and walked around looking for someplace to eat.  There wasn't much to choose from and most of the shops were closed or out of business, including the Mexican restaurant next door.

Eventually, we walked the other direction on the street, passing motel after motel, until we came upon the Apple Farm Inn & Restaurant.  This place had been our second choice for lodging, but we decided it would be way too "cute" to suit us.  They have an elaborate gift shop and bakery, plus the inn and restaurant.  We only had to wait about ten minutes for a table, but we had time enough to browse through the shop.

Once seated the meal began in a frenzy as our waiter was training a new waitress.  We don't know if he was always so rushed or if he was simply trying to impress her with his efficiency.  Either way, it felt quite rushed with our entrees arriving before one of us had finished his salad.  That said, the meal was substantial and very good.  The soup and salad were nothing special (came with the meal).  The tri-tip and the pot roast were high quality and very good, as were the scalloped potatoes.  The only downside was the vegetables that tasted vaguely of burnt plastic wrap.  No matter since there was enough food to choke a horse.  Of course, we had to have one of their homemade desserts anyway.  The peach cobbler with homemade ice cream was satisfactory, but not outstanding.  The boysenberry pie was better.  The total bill came to $52.00, including tax, the same as last night's fancier fare, but this was a much larger quantity.

On the way out we stopped at the bakery counter to buy some huge muffins and an equally large cranberry-orange scone for breakfast, just in case we miss the freebie breakfast.  We were surprised that these four enormous items only cost about $7.00 total.  Anywhere else these muffins would be at least $3.00 apiece.  Whether they are any good or not, we'll find out tomorrow.

The rest of the evening was spent watching TV and listening to the children above us running up and down the hallways and throughout the courtyard.

Today's weather was again perfect.  It was about 80 in the afternoon, sunny all day.  In the evening it dropped to the high 60's.  The weatherman says it will be the same for the rest of the week in this area.

Both of us were pleasantly surprised that the noise of the day didn't carry over to the night time at the hotel.  We never heard a peep out of anyone until we woke up around 9:00 AM.  However, that meant we missed the free breakfast, so we had to eat the mediocre, but huge, muffins we bought at the Apple Farm Bakery yesterday.  That was enough to fill us up so we wouldn't have to stop before we reached Santa Cruz.

We left the Quality Suites around noon.  Although there wasn't anything wrong with that hotel, we wouldn't stay there again.  There were other, more attractive places nearby at roughly the same price.  However, for a Quality Suites they really did seem to care and they did provide more amenities than one would expect from that brand and price range.

Today's weather is again perfect, clear and in the high 70's.  The drive up highway 101 was very scenic.  People really do need to get out of Los Angeles to see the real California everyone dreams about.  There was no traffic and the drive was uneventful.

We expected the drive to take over three hours, but it was 2-1/2 hours at the most.  Thirty minutes of that were at the end when we had to drive along highway 1 into Santa Cruz and then navigate the older part of town to get to the hotel.

Our expectations for the Coast Santa Cruz Hotel weren't all that high, but we were very pleasantly surprised.  Not only is the hotel located directly on the beach overlooking the pier, but it appears to have been recently renovated.  We have no idea what the reviews we read were complaining about.  It is an older hotel, but the decor is new and attractive and the location certainly can't be beat.  They provide free valet parking and wireless internet access.  Our rate was $233 at the lowest AAA rate, which is a bargain for this view.  There is also a great view of the Boardwalk area that must look great all lit up at night. We heard the desk clerk on the phone telling someone the rate was $400, but that must have been for a holiday or something.

After settling in, we strolled downhill one block to the pier and walked out to the end, pausing to gawk at some sea lions with two pups resting on a pontoon.  There were areas cut out in the decking so people could look down on the sea lions among the pilings.  There are several trinket shops and restaurants on the pier, but we weren't interested in any of them at this early hour.  It was warmer on the pier than we expected, but not unpleasant.

This area of the coast is attractive with towering pines and craggy cliffs.  The hotel is directly adjacent to the pier, as mentioned previously.  There is a nice view of the Boardwalk midway that fronts the sand.  We decided to walk over and check it out, although we had no intention of riding any of the rides.  We figured it would kill another hour until we felt like having dinner.

The Boardwalk area was surprisingly nice for what it is.  There is a historic wooden roller coaster called the Big Dipper, along with newer carnival-style rides, midway games, fast food, etc.  It wasn't tacky at all and, in fact, was rather pleasant in a retro sort of way.  The area is open free of charge.  You purchase tickets that are used for the rides.  There is also a huge "casino" building, called the Coconut Grove, housing a large arcade and more midway games, plus some shops.

After our walk we stopped into a restaurant at the street end of the pier for an early dinner.  It was around 5:00 PM at this point.  We were too early for the dinner menu, so we ordered from the lunch menu.  We had potato skins that were satisfactory, a BBQ chicken sandwich, and a teriyaki chicken sandwich (both came with fries.)  The sandwiches were edible, but that's all we can say for them.  The desserts of orange crème brulee and mud pie were much better than everything else.  However, the price was higher than both of our previous evening meals at $57.00, including tax.  The two previous meals were well worth what we paid, but this certainly was not.  In any case, at least we were full and done for the day.

We wandered back to the hotel, which is uphill, but not ridiculously so.  Then we ensconced ourselves in the room while catching up with computer stuff and gazing at the view.  After sunset the full moon rose just to the right of the pier.  Couldn't be better!

After a very nice breakfast at the hotel's restaurant overlooking the beach, we wandered down to the front desk to check out.  The clerk very cheerfully gave us directions to the nearest Longs Drugs so we could stock up on a few things.  After making that brief stop, we were off on the road toward San Francisco.

The drive through the mountains around Santa Cruz was scenic and relatively easy.  Once on the freeway into San Francisco, there was no traffic at all, so the drive only took about ninety minutes.  Once off the freeway and onto The Embarcadero, it took a bit longer simply because of all of the traffic lights.  Otherwise it wasn't a problem at all. 

We were too early to try to check into the hotel, so we turned off to see where the port parking garage was in relation to both the port and the hotel.  We found the general area quickly enough, but we had to go around the block a few times to finally find the garage.  This was all on side streets with no cars at all, so it was very easy to do.  We determined that we would be able to walk back to the garage from the port with our luggage, which was nice. 

The next stop was the Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf, still surrounded, for the most part, with scaffolding.  They have been renovating the outside of the hotel, mostly the roof, for several months.  Our impression from TripAvisor reviews was that this renovation wasn't bothersome.  Even so, we had "come this close" to changing hotels.  Unfortunately, we didn't follow our gut feeling and actually do so.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a friendly doorman and valet who let us leave the car in the driveway while we checked in.  Since we didn't intend to leave the car here, he suggested we either self park across the street or leave the car where it is if we would be back soon.  We said we would be back within an hour.  There was no charge for doing this, which was nice, although we did give him a tip for his trouble.

At the reception desk there were several guests ahead of us being told their room wasn't yet ready.  We didn't really expect ours to be ready since it was only 1:00 PM and check-in time is 4:00 PM.  However, our room was ready and we went off with the cordial bellman to the fourth floor Executive Wing.

As soon as we walked into the room we knew we were in trouble.  The window was covered with plastic with a note saying not to open it because of work going on outside.  No kidding.  Not only was work going on in general, but they were literally pounding non-stop on the outer wall of our room!  Besides that, two of the lamps in the room didn't work, the window shade was water stained, and the wallpaper was peeling.  Not a good first impression.  However, we thought just maybe the pounding would be brief, so we went off to take the car to the port parking garage.

The garage was only about 4 blocks away, so a quick drive.  We parked the car and went to find the attendant, as instructed.  He was in a tiny office under the ramp, but he readily came out to help us.  Talk about friendly!  Nothing tops this guy.  He was extraordinarily helpful and had us move our car down a level where he would be able to see it.  We paid him the $12 per day fee, plus the extra day for arriving early.  So far so good on this portion of the trip.

We walked back toward the hotel along the waterfront to the Pier 39 shopping and entertainment district.  This area is about as touristy as it gets, but we figured we could kill and hour or so at least.  At the end of the pier we took a photo of nearby Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.  The weather remains perfection, so walking around was pleasant.  We looked in a few shops and took a couple more pictures of the old carousel and the city skyline in the other direction, then stopped for some God-awful snacks that were barely edible.  We have no clue what the "chicken" fingers were really made out of.

The hotel was about two blocks from this location, a very easy walk.  The area was thronged with tourists, but not ridiculously so.  It was simple enough to get back to the hotel and our room.  If we had been inclined to take a tour or a boat to Alcatraz, it would have been very easy to arrange these activities from the pier area.

Upon arrival back at our room, the pounding was still going on full throttle.  This was too much to handle for any length of time, so we did something we haven't done in twenty years of travel and insisted on a room change.  After being on hold for the front desk for over fifteen minutes, Dave went down and talked to them in person.  The clerk insisted that they weren't supposed to be pounding at this time of day.  We suggested that they might start up very early in the morning, which elicited the response, "They aren't supposed to start before 10:00 AM."  Yes, but you also just said they weren't supposed to be pounding now, so how accurate is the 10:00 AM promise?

Eventually, we were moved to a room on the second floor, technically a downgrade.  When this was brought to the clerks attention, he threw in access to the Club Lounge (which we will never use) and pointed out that the new room has a balcony.  OK, whatever, at least we won't have pounding.

We hauled our luggage down two floors to the new location, which was much better. The room appeared to have been renovated more recently than the first one because the wallpaper was nicer, as were the drapes.  The famous balcony was about two feet deep with no furniture on it, overlooking a rooftop of air conditioning units.  However, there was no pounding.  Shortly, a room service waiter arrived with a bottle of champagne on ice from the General Manager.  There really isn't much else they can do to kiss up, but they should have a better handle on which rooms are not serviceable before they assign them to guests.

We were expecting our Disneyland friend Judie at 7:00 PM, so we just sat around and rested until she arrived.  Although we don't have a chance to get together often, in fact it was ten years since we saw her last, we fall right back into our routine of hysterical stories.  We felt like WWII veterans reliving our war stories.

Our dinner was in the hotel restaurant where we were served by an extremely accommodating and friendly waiter.  He didn't seem to mind at all that we were doing more talking than menu reading.  We closed down the place with all of our reminiscing and general carrying on.  Oh, and the meal itself was outstanding.  We all thoroughly enjoyed our choices.

Eventually, we sent Judie home with our manager's bottle of champagne and ended our day on a high note, still smiling from our ridiculous stories of 25 years ago.

So, let's get down to basics about this hotel.  Essentially, it's a dump. The staff is very friendly and seem to really care, but the facility badly needs a makeover.  The bathrooms are microscopic by today's standards and the decor is very dated.  The whole place has a dingy, faded feeling.  Apparently, the beds are something special that Sheraton is touting and they are comfortable, but not any more so than the three previous hotels, including the Quality Suites.  There is no way this hotel should be rated four stars.  It really is barely a three.  We definitely would not stay here again.  There are way too many other places to stay in the area that are equivalent or better for the same price.

Sailing under the famed Golden Gate Bridge is an unforgettable experience and is naturally a highlight of your visit to San Francisco.

Upon arrival you will discover why this metropolis is one of the most diverse, dynamic and beautiful cities in the world. San Francisco is a melting pot of cultures and an important financial center of the world. Hellenic in its setting and climate, European in its intellectual and cultural scope, American in its vigor and informality and Asian in its tranquility, San Francisco is indeed one of the most exciting cities of the world.

Opportunities for discovery abound. Stroll through Chinatown, shop at Union Square or browse through Fisherman's Wharf. Or perhaps, the attractions of North Beach will beckon. Sip cappuccino at a sidewalk café, feast on Italian food or browse through tempting specialty stores.

Across the Golden Gate Bridge hide giant redwoods and artistic Sausalito which provide the perfect getaway from the city.

Whatever your choice, San Francisco's distinctive charm engenders a special affection in the hearts of all who visit.

We had no problem getting up early enough today since we didn't sleep for more than an hour or so at a stretch.  The special Sheraton beds were the least comfortable of any of the three hotels we stayed at previously.  Needless to say, we can't get out of this hotel fast enough.

Breakfast in the deserted hotel restaurant was good and the server was as friendly and personable as the one we had last night.  We can't complain about the staff at all.  Everyone has been above average and the service is quite good.

The same bellman who delivered us to our room yesterday came up to take us back down.  The front desk clerk asked if we enjoyed our stay, Dave said, "Sort of."  That prompted a concerned look, then he asked if we had received anything to compensate for it.  We didn't want or expect anything, so we told him the champagne was enough.  He was nice about it and did appear to care.

With checkout complete, the doorman summoned a cab for us.  The port is only two blocks from the hotel, so if we didn't have luggage we would have walked.  Porters took the luggage and we were directed to the check-in area where was had to wait about ten minutes.  It was only 12:15 PM, so we fully expected to wait.  The ticket says boarding begins at 3:00 PM, but we know it always starts at 2:00 PM.  There were some totally dippy guests in front of us who didn't understand the concept of waiting for ten minutes.  After they went on their way, the representative asked if we were with them, to which we replied, "No, thank God!"  She thought that was hysterical.

The wait was very short and we were ushered off to the check-in counter.  In the line for that we ran into Eloise and Dick from the World Cruise.  They are very pleasant and always seem to have a great time ashore.  They said that they are pretty much over world cruising and that 105 days is just too much.  We agree if only for the forced camaraderie that Crystal pushes during a world cruise. 

Check-in was uneventful and we walked up the ramp, skipping the boarding photo, and onto the ship.  This was 12:30 PM, so the rooms were not ready yet.  They handed us a brochure saying that we could enjoy the ship's amenities while waiting and that lunch was being served in the Crystal Dining Room.  There was a table by the entrance to check hand luggage that would be delivered to the room later, which was nice.

We were recognized by Victor, the maitre d', who was our headwaiter for our first cruise on Crystal Harmony.  During our meal, Ben, the Head Sommelier, rushed over to greet us.  We hadn't seen him since the 2003 World Cruise when he was our Sommelier.  We thought for sure he was gone, so it was nice to see him.  Our lunch wasn't anything remarkable, same as usual.  We also chatted briefly with Thomas Mazloum, Crystal's Vice President of Hotel Operations, who stopped to greet us.  He is the host for this voyage.

Louise, one of the long-time World Cruisers, came over to chat with us.  She is always jovial. We saw a few other familiar faces, so Crystal was at least somewhat successful in attracting a few old-timers, including us.

We decided to make our Kyoto reservations and went to stand in line for that.  The air conditioning appears to be turned off, so it was way too stuffy and warm inside everywhere.  Once at the front of the line, we made a reservation for tonight and for the last formal night when we know it won't be busy.  Ordinarily, guests are not allowed to make two reservations for the same restaurant on the first day, but we know the dates we chose would not be popular.  The maitre d' had a bit of an attitude, which is unusual for Crystal, but he wasn't rude or anything close to that.

The next stop was the Computer University to set up access from the room.  They are back to charging $15.00 to set it up, which is ridiculous.  The package for three hours per day of access costs $30.00 per day if you buy the entire cruise.  Otherwise there is an outrageous hourly rate.  It took forever to get set up because other guests kept barging into the conversation while the guy was trying to set up the laptop.

Once back in the room, where our luggage still hadn't arrived at 4:00 PM, our stewardess, Maria, came by to bring up two beautiful rose bouquets and three bottles of wine.  Some of our luggage did arrive seconds later along with the waiter we had on the Serenity a few cruises ago.

The lobby area is decorated with banners and signs proclaiming "Welcome Home" for Crystal Harmony's 15th Reunion and Farewell Season.  It's a nice touch.  We received an invitation to dinner with David De Havilland, the retired cruise director, for tomorrow night in the dining room.  Later, we received an invitation for a Reunion Cocktail Party in the Palm Court for this evening.  When we took the RSVP form to the desk for the dinner, the woman at the desk knew nothing about it.  The look on her face was priceless.  It didn't really faze her, but she was obviously shocked.  We had a brief, amusing conversation with her, then went up to the room.

We have never had a regular cabin on the Harmony, so we weren't aware of how tiny the bathrooms are.  Now we can see why Crystal has decided to retire the Harmony.  There is no way these bathrooms can compete with other luxury lines or even Crystal's own ships.  The rest of the stateroom is basically the same as the other ships, without some of the cabinets.  The layout is functional and it appears that the fabrics have been recently updated.  There is a definite lack of storage space, which is very inconvenient.

We killed some time taking a few port photos from the Sun Deck.  The hotel's close proximity is even more obvious from this vantage point.  The parking garage is even closer, located next to the red building in this photo.  This is a nice vantage point for viewing many of the city's famous landmarks.

Lifeboat muster was held at 4:15 PM because the sailing is quite early, at 4:45 PM.  From the attendance it appears that the ship is quite full.  However, we also noted that there are many large groups and travel agents, so the ratio of repeat guests to newcomers may not be all that high.  We have seen a handful of children, but that doesn't really mean much since we weren't out and about.  Just before we sailed, Bill went in search of our missing piece of luggage and found it sitting in the elevator lobby.  That happened once before, but usually the luggage beats us to the stateroom.

Maria dropped off several gifts:

• A bottle of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from Wendy at AAA

• Two deluxe Bon Voyage Bouquets and two bottles of Pinot Grigio Santa Margherita from Crystal Society

• $500 Shipboard Credit for our 38th cruise

• $400 Shipboard Credit from American Express Platinum

By the way, the bouquets are stunning.  They consist of a solid dome of large, bright pink roses and lilies.  It is nice that they have cut down the size, but still manage to provide something really special.  They used to send enormous bouquets, which would be fine ashore, but were way too big for the space available in a stateroom.

As the ship sailed out, a fireboat with water spraying out accompanied the ship into the bay.  The Captain announced that it will be rough once we leave the bay due to high winds.  He advised "making preparations", as necessary.  We assume that means taking seasick drugs since he did say that those guests who have this issue should pay special attention.  As we sailed under the Golden Gate, the ship blew the horn and out we sailed into the open sea.

Tonight's entertainment is being presented before dinner at 6:30 PM and is the usual "Pirates to Pinafore" bore, plus some Reunion entertainment tacked on.  The first half of the "Pinafore" show is unbearable.  We decided we are never going to this show again.  We only go to see who is on the bill for the entire cruise, but getting that information is not worth sitting through this pretentious show.  The middle of the hour consisted of Ron, the Cruise Director, telling us who would be entertaining, explaining the various activities, and narrating a video about the ship in general.  That part was fine.  David De Havilland came out and spoke for a few minutes, which was entertaining, as usual for him.  He seems to be really glad to be here.  Ron then dragged out the headline entertainers to introduce them.  After that was an abbreviated conclusion to the regular "Pinafore" show, which was bearable, but that's about it.  This isn't to disparage the performers, they're just fine.  It's the show itself that sucks.

The Crystal Society Reunion Party was held at 7:45 PM in the Palm Court.  Essentially, it was a Crystal Society party without the awards part.  Thomas Mazloum profusely, and sincerely, thanked those in attendance for supporting Crystal for fifteen years.  Then David spoke briefly and it was over.  We did see several Crystal diehards, but not as many as we expected.

Dinner tonight was in Kyoto Restaurant.  The maitre d' didn't have his attitude on tonight, so we are putting him back at neutral status on our list.  As always, the items we ordered are highlighted.

Food review:  Everything we ordered was outstanding, as usual for this restaurant.  The only minor complaint was that a change to eliminate the miso soup was overlooked.  Otherwise, everything was perfect. 

Everyone who knew us stopped and chatted with us.  Several crew members, the wine steward Gilbert, Ben, and Kirk from the office whom we have never formally met before today.  We have spoken with him before, but only briefly in passing.  He said they were going over the World Cruise books to brush up on names and someone in the office told him we are "family", so it's safe to talk to us.  At least now we know they do go over the photos and try to learn the names of World Cruisers.  We always believed they did this because nobody knew our names until after we had been on at least one World Cruise.

In spite of the warning about getting seasick we heard from the Captain earlier, there was no unusual motion during the evening.  It has been overcast all day and was very windy and drizzly once we got out to sea.  After dinner, it did become very slightly rough, but nothing out of the ordinary.  One of the regulars who was on the previous cruise also, told us it was very rough during this part of the cruise last week.  We could care less what the weather is like for a cruise like this.

When we arrived back at our room, Maria was in the hallway folding towels.  She was in a talkative mood.  Mostly she wanted to verify that she had done the things on our preference list correctly.  She didn't understand the part about guacamole being delivered until we explained that was for the Penthouse Deck butler and didn't apply to her.  We assured her she didn't have to deliver food to us, but we would like copies of the dinner menus.  She thought we wanted to order room service, but all we need them for is so we can share them with all of you.

We received a handwritten note from the Cruise Director, Ron Goodman, welcoming us on board.  His note also said to let him know if we need anything, which he always says to us.  We never want anything worth asking for, but it's nice of him to ask.  He does do a very good job at what he does and he is always appropriately nice to us.

It was just rough enough overnight that we slept more than we have in months.  One advantage of being in a regular stateroom is that they don't seem to creak as much as the Penthouses do.  That never bothered us, but it is an obvious thing.  The choppy seas continued on into the day, but it wasn't enough to be bothersome.

Our day started with lunch in the Lido, which wasn't crowded at all.  In fact, it was nearly empty most of the time we were there.  It does seem that when the weather is cool, guests tend toward the dining room even though the Lido is completely inside. 

The food seems to have improved in the Harmony's Lido, as well.  Everything we had was very good to outstanding.  Unfortunately, the layout of the Lido serving line is so incoherent here that getting everything you want is like running an obstacle course.  Waiters are supposed to fetch drinks, but it took a few tries to finally get an iced tea.  While we were eating, we saw a few World Cruise passengers we know from 2002 and our waitress from the previous cruise on the Harmony.

After lunch we wandered around the shops on Deck 6 to check out the 15th Reunion merchandise.  They do have a fairly good selection of Reunion items as well as Crystal Harmony Alaska items.  Point is, someone thought about this in advance, which is a pleasant surprise.

The browsing done, we returned to the room to watch some DVDs we had brought with us.  We emerged from the room in the late afternoon for some ice cream and cookies, then went back as soon as we were finished.  The sea is slightly rough today, so both pools are empty.  That didn't stop eight people from cramming themselves into the one operable Jacuzzi, however.

Today's weather was in the 60's and cloudy all day.  The sea was a bit less rough during the day, but it picked up again late in the evening.  Again, it isn't anything unusual, just pointing out that there is some motion.

We did attend the Captain's Welcome Reception before dinner in the Palm Court, but we used the express entrance to skip the Captain.  Sitting in the hallway area to the Vista Lounge, we could see everything we needed to see without being involved in it.  A retired Crystal officer and his wife joined us.  We knew both of them, but had never been formally introduced, so it was interesting chatting with them.

Tonight's dinner is in the Crystal Dining Room with David De Havilland's party.  If the poor guy has to do this every night to accommodate everyone, we truly have sympathy for him.  We arrived at the appointed hour and were ushered to a table next to the Captain's table in the dining room.  There were place cards on the table, so when David arrived and wanted to sit next to us, he was out of luck.  He really warmed up to us on the 2002 World Cruise, but he has always been way too busy to have a real conversation.

We chatted a bit before the other guests arrived, which was quite pleasant.  He really is a nice person and has a lot of insight into how things work, or should work.  He was a Cruise Director for several cruise lines, totaling thirty years in that job.  He seems slightly bitter about being forced to retire at age 60 due to "company policy", but he did say he doesn't blame Crystal for that.  Apparently, the insurance company has something to say about it, too.  It really is too bad because he is very talented and the guests love him.  You'd never guess he was over 60, if that.  Someone asked if he had to host a table every night and he said that he only has to do this six times, which isn't too terrible.  He did say that he never once was able to sit down with guests in the dining room while he was a Cruise Director, so it could be that he will enjoy these evenings.

The evening was enjoyable, but most of it was idle chit chat, as is usual for this type of thing.  There were eight guests, including David, at the table.  A woman at a table behind us was clearly annoyed at not being included in everything, but we have no clue why.  Maybe she wanted to sit with the Captain or something?

Our waiter was Tadas, who was our assistant waiter on a previous Harmony cruise.  He was overjoyed to see us again and was especially amused at our casual responses regarding our order.  You had to be there, but he was very amused by the memories. 

The meal was essentially the same menu as every Welcome Aboard dinner.  Although we asked for menus to be brought to us in advance, they were not, so we don't have a menu for you tonight.  However, if you go back to any previous diaries, you will find it.  We both ordered the Captain's Salad, which was nothing like previous incarnations.  However, the balsamic vinaigrette dressing was outstanding.  The plate looked nice, but there was nothing special about the greens.  We both also had the pasta course, which was angel hair pasta with olive oil, toasted pine nuts and pesto.  It was outstanding.  Both entrees were very good, as well.  Other guests at the table raved about the fish, which was very good.  However, the portion was microscopic and nothing came with it except three tiny scallop rounds.  The Chateaubriand was very good, also, but the meat wasn't as tender as it usually is.  It had a very nice flavor though.  The dessert was a white chocolate tear drop that consisted of a teardrop formed out of a thin layer of white chocolate and filled with white chocolate mousse.  It was outstanding, as well.  We also sampled the new Crystal Chardonnay and thought that it was exceptional.

Dinner dragged on until 11:00 PM when we realized most of the other guests in the dining room were already gone.  The time went by mostly because there was a huge lull between courses, but we didn't mind.  One couple left because they wanted to see the show, but we waited until everyone else was ready to leave.

It was 11:00 PM by the time we left the dining room, so we missed the first section of the show.  Tonight's entertainment is the lavish production show "Million Dollar Musicals".  We know this show forward and backward, so missing a few minutes didn't really matter.  Although this is one of the best currently running, we have seen it way too many times, so it is getting a bit tedious.  This cast is on par with the usual standard, but not one of the best we have ever seen.  The leads are satisfactory, without being extraordinary.

We received pins commemorating Crystal Harmony's 15th Anniversary. They were on the bed when we returned to the room after the show.  Everyone who sails on the Harmony this year gets this pin.

Tonight we set the clocks back one hour.

We were up earlier than usual, 9:00 AM, so we were out early enough to shock our stewardess and require some sort of food before lunchtime.  Our first stop was the Bistro, but a lecture had just let out and it was rather crowded.  Then we went up to the pool area where they now serve the same Early Risers made-to-order breakfast as served on the Serenity.  We both had the Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast, which is far better than it sounds.  It is, in fact, outstanding.  The portions were above microscopic, too, another improvement.  There were signs set out explaining that the Deck Stewards would take your order and bring the food.  On the Serenity guests had no clue how the system worked, so adding a sign or two was a bright idea.

After eating, it was 11:00 AM, we made it just in time to the Round Table Discussion hosted by David de Havilland in the Galaxy Lounge.  The participants included the creative directors who make up the production shows, one of the early production managers, and a few others.  The discussion was entertaining and enjoyable.  They all said the same thing about the "Crystal Family" that we do believe is sincere.  They all agree it really started after the big fire on Harmony just a few months after she was launched.  Before the ship was rescued and returned to port, the president of Crystal arrived at the port and handed out refund checks on the spot when the guests returned.  Everyone raved about how well things were handled and that was the beginning of the fanatic loyalty most repeat guests have to Crystal.

At the end of the discussion, there was an original song sung that was enjoyable. Then, Thomas made everyone sing Happy Birthday to David, who had been trying to keep his birthday a secret.  However, he did mention to our table last night that today is his birthday.  A bunch of people from the back office brought out a cake, which was very nice.

After the lecture, we went to the dining room for lunch.  There was a Nuevo Latino buffet around the Neptune Pool, but we could smell the greasy BBQ grills in the hallways, so we weren't interested in going up there when the roof is closed.  Besides, they serve a sampling of the Mexican items in the dining room.  We had the tortilla soup, which was very good, but not what one expects from tortilla soup.  This version was a cream soup and had some corn in it.  Our entrees were the chicken enchiladas that were sort of a cross between a taco and an enchilada.  As usual, nothing like any enchilada we have seen on shore.  That said, they are very tasty in their own way.

After lunch, we stopped by the shops to buy some 15th Reunion logo shirts and such, then took them to the room.  Maria was just arriving to clean, saying that since we told her we were always late, she saved us for last.  We don't mind at all, but she thought we might be annoyed.  We definitely were not and simply went up to the deserted Palm Court to sit around and kill some time before returning.

We were in the room for most of the afternoon, as usual.  Today's weather is about the same as yesterday, cloudy and cool, but the sea isn't quite as rough, so there isn't much movement to speak of.

We went up to the Vista Lounge before dinner to wait.  And wait we did.  Thirty minutes for our drinks to be delivered from the time the order was taken.  This is very unusual, but there were several private parties going on, which is not unusual.  When the waiter eventually brought the drinks he apologized profusely, saying that he had to go and fetch more Perrier because the parties going on had depleted the supply.

Tonight's dress code is Informal.

The Royal Feast

All ye Lords and Ladies of the Realm are Welcome to Partake in This
Sumptuous Feast of Royal Delectables, Prepared for Thine own Special Enjoyment

Ménage de Pain
Parsley Bread    Cinnamon Raisin Bread
White Sourdough Bread     Saffron Bread

Hors d’Oeuvres
Royal Treasure with Caviar Pearls
Mille Feuille of Duck Fois Gras and Galvine Apples en Gelée
Salmon and Smoked Sturgeon en Croûte
Chilled Melon with Mead

Potages
Elizabethan Chicken Soup
Chestnut Soup with Bacon Crisps
Marco Polo’s Chilled Melon Soup

Salade
Salade du Chevalier d’Albignac

Sorbet
Malvasia Nera Sorbet

Salad Entrée
Salad of Grilled Chicken Breast

Main Fares
Dover Sole a L’Orange
Cog en Pate
Filet of Boeuf “Hochepot”
Cote de Veau Forestière

For Our Vegetarians
Tourte Taillevent

Royal Desserts
Witches Pyre Flambé
Pithivier
Chocolate Vachrine
Sugar-Free Poached Pear in Spiced Red Wine Syrup

Food review:  This menu is almost nobody's favorite, but they dredge it up whenever a cruise is longer than ten days.  Fortunately for everyone, the show that went along with it is long gone.  They still do the whole Medieval decor and costume thing in the dining room, which is fine.  All of the menu items we ordered were outstanding.  In fact, far superior to the same items served on the other ships.  Although everything was exactly the same on paper, there was no comparison to the mediocre fare served on the Symphony for this menu.

Our waiter is Mile, who was wondering where the heck we had been the past two nights.  We haven't seen him before.  We didn't catch the assistant's name, but he was very friendly and seems like a lot of fun.  We weren't acquainted with the headwaiter either, but he was pleasant enough.  During the meal both "kings" stopped by, Victor the maitre d' and Ben the Head Sommelier.  We know Ben very well from a World Cruise, so we picked up right where we left off with him.  Our table is by the window, which isn't our preference, but it should be fine for just one cruise.

The evening entertainment is a Comedy Showtime featuring Mark Merchant, Jimmy Travis, and Mike Goddard.  All three were very entertaining.  It was nice to hear some new material from all three of them.  All of them have been performing on Crystal Harmony since the beginning, so we have seen them all several times.  After the show, Mark received Crystal's Entertainer of the Year Award, something he deserves.  We greeted him on the way out of the theater and then went back to the room.

Crystal Harmony is now in sheltered waters, so there is no more rough water tonight.  It appeared to be raining closer to the shore, so we expect it will be raining tomorrow.  The forecast does call for rain, but you never know for sure until it happens.

 Ketchikan is the salmon capital of the world and a paradise for fishermen and nature-lovers alike. A quiet city, it hosts quaint restaurants perched on stilts above the water, scores of fascinating shops and spectacular views from every vantage point.

Although Ketchikan's Indian name means "Thundering Wings of an Eagle," it is also known as "Alaska's First City," so coined as it is frequently the first stop along the Inside Passage.

Venture ashore and discover Ketchikan's rich Indian heritage, visit the world's largest collection of authentic totem poles at Totem Bight and walk along the rustic boardwalk on Creek Street where stilt-buildings in the harbor preserve a distinct pioneer feel. Or, we welcome you to paddle a kayak on sheltered waters, take a floatplane to a remote mountain lake or try your hand at sportfishing.

Regardless of how you plan to spend your time in "Alaska's First City," we're sure your visit will be a memorable one.

We are doing something a bit different with the photos for today.  Rather than links throughout the text, you can view them in the Photo Gallery. 

Alaska Photo Gallery

As you can see from the photos, the weather today is anything but rainy.  In fact, it is in the 70's and absolutely gorgeous outside.  Jackets not required!  Everyone carried on about how unusual this is, but we have been here twice before and the weather was just like this.  Apparently, we inspire good weather.

We were up much earlier than we usually are, but it wasn't for any particular reason other than simply waking up.  It was around 10:00 AM when we ventured out of the room, so we went up to the Late Risers breakfast by the pool again.  The area was nearly deserted with only about ten tables set for breakfast.  We were almost immediately greeted by a fan of this site, who was nice enough to introduce himself to us.

Once seated, we had the usual French toast, plus some fresh fruit, eggs and bacon.  In our opinion, adding the late breakfast is one of the best things Crystal has ever done.

After eating we wandered up to the Sun Deck for our usual port photos.  The weather couldn't possibly be any better than it is today, so the scenery is especially spectacular all around us.  There is only one other ship in port, the Vision of the Seas, so town isn't as overrun with tourists as it can be when there are many more ships in.

There was a maintenance man replacing light bulbs on our verandah when we returned to collect our stuff to go ashore, so we walked down to the Promenade Deck to kill a few minutes.  They were taking the tenders out and doing something or other with them.  The deck was wet and roped off, so we gave up and went back to the room which was now available.

We collected our camera and other stuff for going out and walked down to the gangway to go ashore.  No offense, but what the heck are people thinking when they don't have their ID card out and ready at the gangway?  Surely these people are old enough to know you need it by now.  Needless to say, one woman blocked the whole thing while she searched for her keycard and ID.  She only watched five people ahead of her show them, but apparently wasn't interested in paying attention.

Our walk along the pier was uneventful.  Basically, we followed the crowds, figuring they would lead us somewhere.  That was almost correct, although nobody was going toward Creek Street, which was our destination for today.  We did stop in one shop, but didn't buy anything.

Once at Creek Street we stopped for some photos before strolling along the wooded "street".  The first building is Dolly's House, which was a bordello until the early 60's when the area was cleaned up.  It is now a small museum, but we didn't go inside.  A local man was standing outside of his friend's shop and he stopped us to chat.  He wanted to know where we were from, etc., and to encourage us to shop in local stores rather than the big chains.  We always do that anyway.  He was really just being nice, not trying to rope us into going into this particular shop.  A guest from the ship stopped and loudly told us to go to one of the chain jewelry shops, which we declined.  This was right in front of the guy who was just telling us he was a local.  Some people can be so insensitive and/or full of themselves it's ridiculous.

The stroll up Creek Street was very picturesque. When we have been here later in the season, the stream was teeming with salmon, but the water level was quite low today and no fish were in sight.  The guy we had been talking to earlier told us that they don't can salmon here anymore because it is cheaper to get it from Canada.  That doesn't stop every store in town from selling it, however.

After a pleasant walk along the creek, we walked back through town looking in shops for our usual Christmas ornament.  We saw some small totem pole ornaments and were going to buy one until we looked at the price, $25.99!!  If it had been top quality maybe, but this wasn't anything special.  In another shop we saw the same item for $2.00 more.  So, we kept looking until we found something for $2.99, more reasonable for something like that.

Once the big shopping expedition was over, we returned to the ship around 1:15 PM.  We sat on our verandah watching guests and crew return to the ship.  Eventually, it was time for a late lunch, so we went up to the Trident Grill.  Both of us had Napa Chicken Wraps that were very good.  The weather being as it is today, it was very pleasant on deck watching the scenery outside the window.  We ran into Jeff, the ship's videographer and former Crystal Cove pianist.  He knows us quite well, so we had to stop to chat for a few seconds.

By the time we finished our lunch it was just about time for the sailing at 4:30 PM, so we went up to the Sun Deck to watch the sail away.  Just as we were leaving the dock, we met our neighbor from a previous World Cruise.  Of course, we had to catch up with her until time for her to move up to the bow for some photos.  We stayed at the rail and added a few more sail away photos to the gallery.

After we had been sailing for a while, we went back to the verandah for an hour or so before finally coming back inside.  It was tough to leave the great weather outside, but life goes on.

Before dinner we went up to the Vista Lounge where we were two of only four guests in attendance.  Eventually, we were the only two up there.  We did receive our drinks promptly tonight.  The sun was still well above the horizon even as we left for dinner at 8:30 PM.

Tonight's dress code is Casual.

DINNER

Appetizers
Sautéed Sea Scallops on Pesto Risotto and Red Capsicum Beurre Blanc
Tower of Roasted Chicken with Avocado, Tomato and Red Onion
Asparagus en Fete
Chilled Fruit Cup with Kiwi and Blue Curacao

Soup and Salad
Smoked Green Pea Soup with Champagne
Chicken Consommé with Whole Wheat Herb Célestine
Chilled Honey Dew Melon Flip with Toasted Almonds
Spinach Salad Served with Boiled Eggs, Crisp Bacon and Creamy French Dressing
Chopped Assorted Garden Greens with Tomato, Bell Pepper and Red Radish

Pasta Special
Rotini Pasta with Forest Mushrooms, Tomato, Cream, Italian Flat Leaf Parsley and White Truffle Oil

Salad Entree
Grilled Snapper Salad

Main Fares
Broiled Fillet of Fresh Pacific Salmon Topped with Smoked Onion Puree on Leek Mashed Potatoes
Pink-Roasted Duck Breast with Mint Hazelnut Pesto, Parmesan Shavings, and Natural Gravy
Crisp Lemon Herb Marinated Rotisseries Chicken Served with Natural Gravy
Grilled Black Angus Rib Eye Steak Topped with Grilled Onions

Traditional Main Fares
Grilled Black Angus Filet Steak with Sauce Hollandaise
Broiled Fresh Mahi Mahi with Lime Butter Sauce

Vegetarian Selection
Golden Fried Cheese Pockets Filled with Three Kinds of Cheese

Dessert
Dark Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding with Espresso Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream
Apple Cinnamon Tart with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream
Dark and White Chocolate Mousse Bomb with Raspberry Sauce
Low-Carb Hazelnut Cream Cake
Sugar-Free Vanilla Cream Puff
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season

Food review:  The Split Pea Soup was outstanding and couldn't have been better.  The salad was better with the Balsamic dressing substituted for the French on one of them, but it didn't make it any more than average anyway.  The "crisp bacon" was a round slab of bacon about 3" in diameter and it certainly wasn't anywhere near crisp.  The pasta was very good.  Our salmon entree suffered from a very heavy red wine sauce that didn't compliment the fish at all.  The salmon itself was fine and properly cooked.  It was topped with a disgusting looking "log" of onion puree.  Use your imagination to figure out what it resembled.  It was quickly pushed aside after tasting it.  The potatoes under the filet were good.  Dessert was outstanding in itself, but the espresso sauce was watery and lacked a distinct flavor.  The cookies were actually edible for a change, but nothing special.

There are several entertainment options offered tonight.  The main show in the Galaxy Lounge is the old production show "Some Enchanted Evening".  Earlier, there was a concert by vocalist George DeMott in Club 2100, which we did not attend.  After the main show, there is a Late-Night Comedy show with Ventriloquist Gary Hunter, also in Club 2100.

Our first stop was the production show.  This show fell flat on its face when it debuted several years ago, in spite of much hype on Crystal's part.  We had high hopes that they had revised it, which they had.  However, the producers apparently didn't understand quite why it flopped because the worst numbers were still in it.  The opening act is way too long with some very hyper choreography heavy on the elaborate hand gestures.  That coupled with the ghastly costumes and wigs makes for a nearly unbearable fifteen minutes.  Not to fault the talent, they do the best they can with the material.  To be honest, there are a couple of scenes that border on brilliance, but they are brought crashing down by a dreadful "South Pacific" number done in red sequin sailor suits to a jazz beat.  Rogers and Hammerstein must be spinning in their graves over that one.  This horrid number is flanked by a brilliant scene from "Carousel" that is elegantly staged, and the new finale featuring the "Shall We Dance" scene from "King and I".  Both scenes are tasteful and elegant, with beautiful costumes and music that is true to the original.  Despite the effort to improve the show, it barely got a response from the audience until a few staff members stood up and tried to start a standing ovation, which failed miserably.  The whole thing was sad.  Sometimes shows die for a reason and should remain so.  However, this is better than the ghastly "Berlin" show that had risen from the grave previously.

Many guests rushed from this show directly to the Club 2100 to see Gary Hunter's act.  He started off reminiscing about Crystal Harmony and a few ventriloquists he has known.  Gary has an easy, natural stage presence and is always entertaining.  Frankly, we think he has such a quick wit that he should stick to a comedy routine, although he is a talented ventriloquist.  He is the Cruise Director on Crystal Serenity and does an outstanding job at that, too.

We were told that the Captain expects the ship to enter the mouth of Glacier Bay at 9:00 AM, but we are not expected to reach the first glacier until 11:30 or noon, which is great for us.  Let's hope the weather stays as beautiful as it was today.  By the way, at midnight it was still light enough outside to see the silhouette of the mountains across the water.  Since we are in the Inside Passage, the water is completely calm.  Every now and then we would pass through a school of fish that were jumping out of the water.  We assume they were salmon because they were huge.

 This stunning amphitheater of glaciers and granite peaks is best viewed from the sea. The ice in Glacier Bay fell as snow centuries ago on the mountains that ring the bay. Compressed by its own tremendous weight, it flows seaward, producing some of the fastest-moving glaciers known. In the summer, rare humpback whales come here to feed-with luck, you'll see one of these gentle giants.

As yesterday, the weather is absolutely spectacular today.  It was almost warm on deck.  Well, maybe with a jacket, but for Glacier Bay it certainly was warm.  That may say something for the reason that there is substantially less snow on the mountains than there was ten years ago.  And, even more obviously, less than our first visit years before that.  At that time the entire way up to the Grand Pacific Glacier was covered in snow.  Now, there are only patches.

Our day started early again, so we wandered in search of food.  First to the Bistro, which was too crowded to suit us.  Up on deck, the Late Risers breakfast was only set up at a few tables that had been commandeered by people waiting for glacier viewing.  Across the way, there were no deck stewards in sight to serve anyone.  So, we ended up back down in the Bistro where we snacked on fruit and some excellent breads and pastries.  The bread and rolls on the Harmony are far superior to anything we have had on either of Crystal's other ships, although the general selection is identical.  Obviously, someone here isn't following the exact recipe and makes everything taste much better.  At the very least, the breads are fresher here.

After fortifying ourselves with sugar, we bundled up and went up on deck for the Glacier Bay viewing.  The ship entered the mouth of Glacier Bay around 9:00 AM, but it took several hours of very scenic cruising to get to the destination.  At the farthest inland reach of the bay is the confluence of two huge glaciers, the Grand Pacific and Margerie glaciers.  Two hundred years ago, the Grand Pacific went all the way to the sea and there was no Glacier Bay.  It has rapidly receded to the point where it is mostly just a pile of dirt and ice, although behind that is still an enormous ice field 65 miles long.  When we were here fifteen years ago, this glacier was still actively calving icebergs, but now it is barely possible to tell that there is any ice at the leading edge because of all the rock.  The Margerie glacier is the one that has all the action now and is still a wild collection of pinnacles of towering blue ice in fantastic shapes. 

Crystal Harmony slowly crept up to the face of the glacier, where we sat for over an hour watching the huge chunks of ice fall into the bay accompanied by cracks and thunderous splashing.  There isn't much to say as a way of description except to say that the entire day was spectacular.  We'll let the photos stand for themselves.  In the Photo Gallery, the pictures are posted in the order they were taken, so if you start at the beginning you will follow our day just as we did.

Glacier Bay Photo Gallery

We spent all day out on deck either standing on the Sun Deck or sitting at a table by the pool.  The weather was nice enough to stay outside with only a regular jacket.  The sun was out, too, so we are little worse for wear in the sunburn department.  It was well worth it though.  No matter how many times we visit this area, it never loses it's appeal.  Everyone should see it for themselves at least once.

Back to shipboard life, there was an Asia Cafe lunch buffet incongruously served by the Neptune Pool.  Crystal rarely changes their routine no matter what the circumstances, but we think a deck BBQ or something else would have been more appropriate.  Most guests stayed in the Palm Court where the park rangers had stationed themselves with information and souvenirs.  Crystal thoughtfully had servers wandering the open decks serving complimentary hot cider and hot chocolate during the height of the viewing hours.

We have been surprised at the poor service from the ship's photographers during this cruise.  They did come out while the glacier was in the background, but they were highly selective regarding which guests they asked for photos.  Apparently, they felt that only traditional couples needed photos because we never saw them ask singles, groups of friends, or whatever, if they wanted a photo.  In fact, most people had to flag them down to get a picture taken.  Not that they should have been pushy, but they should have gone along the railing and asked everyone if they wanted a picture and not gone picking and choosing.  One of them was carrying a Santa Claus hat, "so you can use it on the Christmas card," but thankfully he had no takers that we saw.  In any case, we have never been asked if we want a photo during this cruise.

After the ship left the main glaciers, we returned to our verandah for a few hours.  We passed a couple of other spectacular glaciers and towering peaks as we lounged in luxury.  Eventually, we realized we hadn't had lunch yet, so we wandered up to the Trident Grill for cheeseburgers and tuna wraps.  Harry, the Front Office Manager, finally tracked us down and sat to chat for a few minutes before returning to work.  We have known him forever, so it is always nice to chat with him.  We'll probably see him at the Crystal Society Party tonight, too.  He said the company is being very thoughtful about offering various options to the officers and staff once Crystal Harmony leaves the fleet in November.  It is nice to know they aren't just giving everyone the axe in November like most cruise lines would do.

After eating enough to choke a horse, we went back to the room and gazed out the window for the rest of the afternoon.  We both ate more than we usually would at 3:30 PM because tonight is the French menu neither of us is particularly fond of.

There was a Crystal Society party before dinner at 7:45 PM in the Palm Court.  There are only about 350 repeat guests on this cruise out of a total of around 850.  That's a very poor percentage for a Crystal cruise.  However, the people who are back have some of the highest cruise totals on record.  There are four guests here with well over 100 cruises to their credit.  We made a beeline for the Vista Lounge, although we did play along and stop for the photo with Andrew, the Crystal Society Host, and the Captain.

On the way, we ran into Rudolf, an old friend who is now in the Shore Excursion department.  We haven't had a chance to have a conversation with him yet, but we hope to soon.  Once in the lounge, David de Havilland stopped us to thank us for the birthday card.  Then took us back out to the entrance to get a photo with us and Ron, the current Cruise Director.  That seemed to throw a bit of a curve to Ron, who was about to start the proceedings, but he went along with it just fine.

Harry joined us for a chat while the various announcements were taken care of regarding highest number of cruises, etc.  They announced which crew members had been here from the beginning and similar things appropriate for an anniversary.  It wouldn't be quite as poignant if the ship wasn't leaving the fleet soon.  We can only imagine how sad that last cruise will be for a lot of people.

Tonight's dress code is Formal.

Food review:  The fruit appetizer was very nice with a large variety of different fruits artfully arranged around a basket carved from an orange.  The onion soup was satisfactory, but nothing special.  Both salads were fine except for the absolutely ghastly fried brie that tasted like metal.  Yuck!  Both fish entrees were above average in general, except the snapper had a sauce that wasn't appropriate.  There were also olives that spurted a foul liquid when bitten into.  Obviously, the halibut was the better choice tonight and it was from the "always available" menu in the small print.  The soufflé was outstanding as usual.  Franz, our headwaiter, brought a bottle of Grand Marnier to each table to add some to the soufflé, if desired.  A few drops would have been fine, but he added enough to flambé a steak.  One of us opted out of the addition, which was the better thing to do.

The evening entertainment for tonight is "As If We Never Said Goodbye" presented by David de Havilland, featuring Richard Berman, Lane Blaylock, George DeMott, Cody Gay, Mike Goddard, Gary Hunter, Tara Khaler, Jennine Jones, Lori Moran, and Bernard Walz.  All of them are long-time performers on Crystal Harmony who have returned for the 15th anniversary.  As usual with Crystal, this slapped together show produced on board was outstanding from start to finish.  They had constructed an elaborate set to look like it might be David's home where he was having a cocktail party.  The "guests" arrived one by one with a ring of the doorbell.  God forbid they should do this more often and let the singers actually choose songs that are appropriate for them.  The show received a well-deserved standing ovation.  The show lasted until midnight, but almost no one left early.

For some odd reason, they had the Bistro open afterwards serving pastries and desserts.  Actually, this isn't a bad idea since most guests have to walk by it to get back to their rooms.  However, it was far from crowded.

We received very nice silver picture frames to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Crystal Harmony.  Crystal has always done a very good job of selecting lovely gifts for various occasions.  They are always tastefully wrapped and nicely presented with an appropriate card.

The sea continues to be calm, although there is a slight bit of rocking tonight.  The sky immediately became cloudy once we left Glacier Bay and it looks as though it will stay that way for tomorrow.  Since it often rains in Sitka, we wouldn't be surprised if that happened tomorrow.

 The symmetrical cone of Mount Edgecumbe and countless green-tufted islands welcome Crystal Harmony to picturesque Sitka. In its heyday, it was referred to as the "Paris of the Pacific" and knew great prosperity.

Although founded by Alexander Baranof in 1799, it wasn't until 1867, when Alaska was purchased by the United States, that the Stars and Stripes replaced the Russian flag. As Russia's former capital in the New World, Sitka still retains its exotic heritage, boasting proud architecture and unique historical sites.

It did rain overnight, but by the time we were out and about at 10:00 AM, there was no more.  It was very cloudy all day, but the temperature was in the high 60's, so it was pleasant for walking around town.

Our day started with the Late Risers breakfast by the pool, as usual.  This time we ordered eggs and bacon, plus a plate of fresh fruit, all of which were very tasty.  Judging by the attendance for these breakfasts, we aren't the only ones who think it is a great idea.  Even so, we'll never understand why Crystal is so averse to using the Lido Cafe more than they do.

After breakfast we went down to try to book another cruise, but the Cruise Consultant wasn't at his desk.  We didn't care since we would see him another day.  However, we ran into him on the way back to the room.  Our intention is to try to book the final cruise for Crystal Harmony in November.  Randal said it is so in demand that they are only taking waiting lists for a $250 per person deposit and the office will notify guests who get the reservation.  That's fine with us, so we'll take care of that in a day or so.  We just thought it might be interesting to be on the final cruise, but we won't be terribly disappointed if we can't go.

We went up to the Sun Deck for our usual port photos and then back to the room to collect our stuff to go ashore.  This is a tendering port, so the ship is anchored a distance off shore in the sheltered Crescent Bay.  The scenery is spectacular even with the cloudy weather.  The area is surrounded by forested hills and towering, snow-capped mountains beyond as far as the eye can see.  In the bay there are some small islands where some brave souls have built homes.  An eagle flew over the ship and soared around while we were up on deck.

Sitka Photo Gallery

Rudolf was standing near the tender landing and was concerned we weren't properly bundled up for the chilly weather.  However, we know we will instantly be too warm once we start walking around.  We realized we had never been to the tender landing on this ship before.  The tenders themselves are much nicer than those on Crystal Symphony.  The trip to shore took about ten minutes across the picturesque bay and into Crescent Harbor.

The small harbor was filled with fishing boats.  Directly adjacent to the tender landing is a large roofed area where fishermen were repairing their nets.  This is very much a working fishing port.  Overlooking the marina is the historic Russian Bishop's House, now a national monument.

We walked toward the downtown area, only a few short blocks away.  In the center of town is the recreated Russian Orthodox St. Michael's Cathedral.  Surrounding the church are numerous shops selling Russian and Alaskan art and souvenirs.  The Russian shop we browsed had some very nice items that the salesman said the owner went to Russian to purchase.  There was a samovar the same design as the one we already have selling for $1,200.  Ours is over 50 years old, but looked exactly the same.  We just browsed and chatted with Pauline, one of Crystal's "Centurions" with 150 cruises under her belt.  She is amazing, always out and about by herself in port.

A local woman told us that it doesn't get as cold here in the winter as it does in New York, although it rains a lot.  She said the permanent population is around 9,800.

Our walk continued down the street to the Pioneer House, where we took some pictures and turned then back toward the port.  We browsed a few more shops, then walked to the far end of town for some pictures of St. Peter's by the Sea and it's historic bishop's house behind that is used as a tea room and meditation center.  There are some cute stone animals in the narrow park fronting the marina.  We made our way back to the tender landing, sanitized our hands as required, and sailed off back to the ship.  We were back on board by 1:30 PM.

The bulk of our afternoon was spent doing laundry and watching DVD's we had brought along.  Other than a foray to the Trident Grill for a late lunch, we stayed in the room for the remainder of the afternoon.

Tonight's dress code is Casual.  Sorry, but we don't have the complete menu for you tonight.  We haven't been able to obtain copies of menus each night as we usually do.  We have been recreating them so far from past cruises, but there was not a close enough match to make one for tonight.

We went to the Photo Shop to look for our pictures from the party yesterday, but they were still putting them on the racks at 8:00 PM.  It is extremely inconvenient to purchase photos on this ship because the hours are so limited.  When the photos are on display the hallway is jammed with guests trying to find their pictures.  The previous method of displaying photos all day and having guests order them for delivery was far superior, in our opinion.  In any case, we never did find either of our photos, so we assume they haven't been printed yet.  Let's just say we are not impressed by the photo staff for this cruise.

While we were waiting we were finally able to catch up with Shelley, the shop manager.  We had meant to talk to her sooner, but she has been busy doing an inventory of everything on board.  Apparently, NYK is going to buy Crystal's shop inventory when the ship transfers to them in November.

Dinner was uneventful and a mixed bag of good to average selections.  The fruit appetizer was the same as usual, and just fine.  The salads were fresh and had the same great dressing as usual, but there was something in it that had the texture of dirt clods.  Could be they burned the pine nuts or something, but whatever it was didn't belong there.  The menu said the chilled soup was a "Banana Cappuccino with Chocolate Foam".  What arrived was their standard version of chilled banana soup, which was good, but had nothing whatever to do with cappuccino or chocolate foam.  Where that came from we have no clue.  The mahi mahi entree was awful.  The fish itself was satisfactory, but there was another of those incongruous sauces served with it, plus some diced potatoes and something green that looked like chives, but wasn't.  The combination just didn't work.  The steak entree was very good without the béarnaise sauce that had rosemary added to it.  The steak was topped with onion rings and had a nice flavor on its own.  The roasted vegetables served with it had the odd flavor of cinnamon and would have been more appropriate with Moroccan or Indian food than a plain old steak.  The Macaroon Tart dessert was edible, but that's all we can say for it.  We were offered Bananas Foster twice, which we declined.  Our waiter tried in vane to get us to order the Sacher Cake for dessert, but we know from past experience that they don't do this cake very well.

The evening entertainment is the premier of the production show "Encore - By Popular Demand", consisting of highlights from the past fifteen years of Crystal shows.  The musical numbers in the show were very good to outstanding.  Most of them were plucked from defunct old productions.  Aside from the "Masquerade" scene from "Phantom of the Opera", we think they could have picked more impressive numbers, but overall everything worked just fine.  The show was a bit too heavy on the video clips and the history of Crystal that was more like a commercial than information.  It was a bit like whoever produced the video had no clue what production numbers they were leading into, however.  For example, the finale was lead up to with a video proclaiming Crystal's devotion to producing entertainment for its international clientele.  That's all well and good, but the numbers that followed were from "Spirit of America" and "Crystal Country", both of which are overtly patriotic in nature.  Also, several video scenes were repeated, which was unnecessary.  So, from our perspective, if the video was edited better the show would be very good.  Personally, we would have liked to see a short fashion show of sorts showcasing some of the stunning costumes of the past rather than another video.  This could have easily been done during or following the video touting the hand made costumes and adherence to quality workmanship.

The show is longer than usual, so we weren't out until 11:45 PM.  It did start a few minutes late, but not that much.  It didn't bother us, just commenting on it.  Last night's special show let out at midnight, but the time went by so fast we didn't realize it until we got back to the room.  Tonight we were aware the show was running long.

It started raining as we sailed out of Sitka tonight and it remained very cloudy into the evening.  There isn't anything to see in the next port anyway, except on a tour, so we will probably stay on board.

 Haines has one of the most idyllic settings in all Alaska. It lies nestled along the shores of the Chilkat Inlet against a backdrop of glacially carved mountains. Naturalist John Muir and missionary S. Hall Young were so impressed with the area that they were intent on establishing a Presbyterian mission here.

Guests venturing ashore will find a town with two distinct personalities. The northern part of the town expanded around the Presbyterian mission and Jack Dalton's toll route into the Yukon. The south side of the town, however, looks more like a military post, which is what it was for nearly half a century. Fort William Henry Seward was established by the U.S. Army in 1903 and was the only military outpost in the territory. The fort is now a National Historic Landmark and open for your discovery.

Nature and wildlife lovers will enjoy exploring the Chilkat Valley, home to the largest concentration of bald eagles in the world and one of Alaska's premier bird-watching sites. Or, perhaps, you may choose to commune with nature by raft, cycle or kayak. However, the best way to explore Haines is by foot, and a number of refreshing excursions have been developed with this in mind.

Clouds and drizzle are the order of the day, but it doesn't matter to us.  We had no plans to go ashore here.  We have done the railway tour and some others on previous visits.  The town itself is charming, but there really isn't anything to see that isn't visible from the comfort of our verandah.  As you can see from the photos, this is quite a spectacular area.

Haines Photo Gallery

We had no choice but to get up at 10:00 AM because of the crew fire drill.  We're usually awake earlier than that anyway, but we would have liked to sleep slightly longer than we did.  They start off about fifteen minutes early making an announcement that guests are not involved, so don't be alarmed by the alarms.  That is followed by more announcements and alarms.  It is all necessary, so we can overlook it.

We didn't make it in time for the Late Riser breakfast because they shortened the hours today and it ended at 11:00 AM, rather than 11:30 AM.  The Bistro was packed, which should say something to Crystal about closing the breakfast earlier than usual.  We decided to sit by the pool until noon and wait for lunch.  Eventually, a deck steward brought us some orange juice to tide us over.  Just a comment about deck service on this ship.  The stewards are friendly enough, but the service has always fallen far short of the attentiveness shown to guests on the other two Crystal ships.  We're not sure what they are doing, but it certainly isn't bringing drinks to the guests most of the time.

Noon rolled around, so we strolled into the Lido and filled our plates with several tasty items.  The roast chicken was excellent, as usual.  There was also a tasty beef roast and some chicken skewers with salsa.  We skipped dessert.

After lunch we wandered around the Sun Deck until we finally made our way back to the room for the afternoon.

As we were leaving the room for the Palm Court before dinner, Maria stopped to tell us how nice it is that we are so tidy.  She said we have the cleanest room of any guests she has ever had.  She even brought her sister from across the ship to show it to her.  True, we don't throw our clothes on the floor, but we didn't think we were any neater than anyone else.  No wonder the stewardesses on World Cruises love us. 

Tonight's dress code is Casual.  There is casual dining at the Trident Grill this evening in addition to the usual options.