Barbara J. Hamby

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Alaska Cruise

My detailed record of our trip to Alaska and the Yukon will be posted to the travel page of my website when it’s finished. A capsule version will be started on this web log entry.

We drove to Seattle and parked at Pier 30 where we boarded the Diamond Princess, after standing in line for about an hour and a half. We learned later from other passengers that Princess Lines has just recently started using port facilities in Seattle. Obviously, the terminal arrangement has not been perfected.

Finally on board, we schlepped our luggage to our cabin, unpacked and partook of the buffet lunch offered on Lido Deck No. 14. Our cabin was one deck below on Aloha Deck No. 12. There is no Deck No. 13, lest superstitious passengers be spooked.

It was a gorgeous day in Seattle, about 70 degrees and clear. We watched the skyline disappear as we moved through Puget Sound.

The Diamond Princess is a beautiful new ship, slightly over a year old. It was built by Mitsubishi in Japan. It has every amenity you might imagine. The large theatre has wonderful acoustics and comfortable seating. Our inside cabin was larger than we had seen previously on other ships, with a huge closet.

Most of the trip was so smooth that it was hard to remember we weren’t on land. Coming back, we had rough seas from Ketchikan to where we entered the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Even then, it didn’t seem as turbulent as some airplane trips. The gentle rocking at night put us right to sleep. I wondered if I’d be able to sleep when I got back on land. I needn’t have worried. I was exhausted.

To be continued.