Evidently I'm supposed to send this even though it's late and long since it's all ‘one’, no installments …
We haven't been home for long since our return from Japan and Viva Las Vegas but we have been pretty busy.
We got back and Wendy was visiting from Milwaukee so we got to spend some time with her and take her out to The Kitchen as a surprise.
There's been a few game nights with Giangs and Beechs. Some dancing, an amazing Ladies High Tea at Kristin's, my birthday and Pin-a-Go-Go! Altogether a full 6 weeks...and here we go again!
When Cannic and Erica posted all sorts of wonderful pictures of their Alaska Cruise last year, several of us got jealous. Then they came back and said “we missed you guys...there was no one else to dance with! We would dance together and then sit down look around and say…’Well you want to dance again?’
Pam and Kathleen heard that and cornered me at the club on a Tuesday night saying ‘you are a travel agent...make us a swing dance cruise!’. Well I said oh yeah that sounds like fun...but they didn't stop...by the 4th time they mentioned it I took them seriously and started sending them possible itineraries. Due to the expense of going to Denali and flying in and out of Alaska, as well as the definite need to take an airplane, we settled on a round trip Inside Passage out of Seattle.
Super short notice by cruise standards but somehow I managed to talk Celebrity into allowing us to be a pseudo group, unfortunately without any of the group perks. However, because I talked everyone into booking on Black Friday we did get people some sweet on board credits, so nothing really important lost by not getting a proper ‘group’.
The cruise we picked was on the Celebrity Solstice
May 26 Seattle
May 27 At Sea, with a private dance party 3-5pm
May 28 Ketchikan, dance party 7:30-9
May 29th cruise past Endicott arm glaciers then in Juneau 2-10pm, followed by Silent Disco!
May 30th Skagway, Dance at 7:30
May 31st At Sea, Dance at 1-3
June 1st Victoria, BC, Dance up in Sky Lounge 1-3pm
June 2nd Disembark back in Seattle
A few days prior to the sailing Kim and I drove up the 5 to Salem for a night. Had breakfast at a favorite spot ‘Word of Mouth Bistro’ and then drove on to Seattle. We were able to check in to our hotel and meet my friend Alice at Pikes Place Market area for an early dinner. She and Bill were in town for work that afternoon and since she'd moved to Washington, about a year ago, we hadn't seen each other. This still left time to make it to the evening dance.
Everyone in the group took my advice and flew in on Thursday just to be sure not to miss the boat, sailing on Friday afternoon. About a dozen of us went to Seattle’s HepCat Swing Dance on Thursday. Evidently not a well attended venue as there were the 12 of us, and about 6 or 7 people in town for Camp Jitterbug. Beautiful new wood floor and a fantastic vintage building (a Russian Center) so we are not quite sure why it wasn't supported.
Once aboard ship I had several meetings as tour operator, one with the Event Coordinator and one with the Maitre d’ to reserve dinner times. Dance Events firmed up for the next couple days and seating arrangements sorted for the night, then I was able to go find people and start enjoying the trip. Throughout the week there were plenty of little things like schedulings & getting roommates switched around as well as onboard credits to show up properly, but even so it's been a blast.
It is so unfortunate that Nancy G. couldn't make it. She got hauled into the hospital right before and told she'd be their guest for the night. We were so glad we got her the insurance but missed her company. Without her we became a group of 19.
Kim and I
Kathleen and Scott
Pam and Kevin
Athena and Robert
Jennifer and Michael
Lisa and Steve
NancyN
Vicki
Cher
Tom
Cathy
Lou
Marsha
I picked an early spring sailing for several reasons, the best chance at good weather and glacier viewing, Alaskans aren't yet tired of seeing new faces like they tend to be later in the season and there's no end of spring waterfalls and mottled snow cover patched terrain. Crew told us that they are lucky to get 10 beautiful weather days in the whole season as nice as our first one...and they kept coming all week!
Kim and I have cruised enough to be Elite members on Celebrity so we got invited to watch the glaciers in the Endicott arm from the helipad at the very front of the ship.
That afternoon the ship docked in Juneau and most went to see Mendenhall Glacier. We stayed aboard to relax a bit.
Although we are an easy going group and will dance to just about anything I arranged ahead of time to have access to the Quasar Lounge with it’s two small dance floors and our own swing playlists. Kevin brought a great speaker and an awesome playlist so he's become not only our dj but also the beginning East Coast Swing teacher! Seems we were having too much fun and drew in some interested people who then wanted to learn. Kevin, Pam and I….actually everyone at some point was helping teach the newbies.
After dinner and our own dances most nights the 4 piece group plays jazz standards with some swing latin waltz etc somewhere on board. Some of us are sure to be there.
In Ketchikan we wandered about town,shopped, went through the Totem Heritage center and Discovery Museum and kept running into others from the group (not a big town).
On the Skagway day we did a ship excursion of a train ride up White's Pass and then a bike ride down to town. Scenery, scenery, scenery!
Today is a sea day and tonight the orchestra is going to be doing Big Band Swing and Ballroom in the Grand Foyer….guess where we will be?! Actually for a sea day it's been pretty busy! 1pm-3pm Dance in the Quasar, 4pm cocktails at the Peebles, 5pm photo on the stairs in formal garb, 5:30 dinner , 7:45 Orchestra, 9pm big Show in the Theater, 10pm 4piece Jazz band and then if my feet hold out...10:45 “Silent Disco”.
That has been super fun. Light up headphones with 3 channels being Dj’ed Green=80’s Red=50’s-60’s Blue=modern pop. Let's just say with people having that much fun, clapping and singing along off key...it's not really very silent ;) for something called the ‘Silent Disco’.
Well didn't make the 9pm show or the silent disco tonight. But it's been a full fun day anyhow.
Tomorrow is our last day and it's in Victoria in the evening. A group is going to Butchart Gardens. I think it will be a mellow day in the Sanctuary pool/hot tub area or Persian Garden Spa for me, with a short break to dance up in the Sky Lounge mid day. It was our final gathering and I was very pleased we got the best room & floor for it!
On Friday after disembarking Kim, Cathy, Marsha, and I went on a tour of tree houses! (Cathy’s idea..she watches the show) We all napped and hot tubbed in the afternoon in order to recharge so we could make it put to the Aria Ballroom for their Eastside Stomp dance. Super fun, nice leads and great live band!
Between trips and Before boarding:
On board the Solstice:
Day out in Ketchikan:
Skagway White's Pass Train Up & Bike down:
Post cruise Tree House Point:
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