Contributor Level:
Captain
Posted: 6 years ago
Thanks. Just got back to the big city late yesterday afternoon. I don't know if I mentioned it before but I spend most of my summers at my place in the Wrangell Mountains with the critters. Smack in the middle of the nation's largest national Park, Wrangell-St. Elias and Preserve. This is the 22nd year since retirement I've done that. For a variety of reasons, including we had pretty good weather most of the time, compared to Anchorage, which had a lot of drizzle days, I didn't get back into Anchor Town for over 11 weeks straight. I was actually wondering whether or not the pickup would start yesterday. I use four wheeler ATVs to get around when I'm out there.
On my way in yesterday I stopped by the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge near Copper Center. Excellent lunch. When there I was chatting with a number of the staff, who are going on a South Pacific cruise on the Emerald this winter. Some cruisers staying there, who are getting on the Island Princess in a day or so and heading south, overheard this, so they asked me if I was a local, I said yes but I do live in Anchorage. More important though, I said I'm a hard core long time Princess cruiser. Which impressed them, particularly when I said we are boarding the Pacific Princess in mid January for 50 days sailing.
I do receive the internet out there but it is very slow, so I don't post much. But right now, getting back to civilization feels real good. Lord willing and the creek don't rise we will be embarking at L.A. in 4.5 months. I'm more anxious than ever to get back on the seas.
Contributor Level:
Captain
Posted: 6 years ago
Love em. I think the older you get and the more you have cruised the lot more likely it is that you like sea days. During all our days on the sea we have had very few where the sailing was "rough", maybe half a dozen or so out of 600. The cruise lines go out of their way, literally, to avoid an inconvenience for guests. And having them barfing all the time is one big no-no.
The most sea days in a row we have experienced was crossing the pond one time, eight days. But that wasn't scheduled as we missed a port due a guest who broke her leg and then we had to divert and slow down due to a storm.