Leaving Seattle

By Lisa-Ann on May 20, 2017

Up bright and early, final stuffing of the suitcase, sneaking out of the house so the dog won’t start a fuss … yup, it’s off on another cruise. We made it to Pier 91 just a bit after 11. Check in was quick and easy, though I now know that my new knee sets off the metal detector. Hadn’t thought of that before.

Just beyond the commercial fishing boats and the stack of palettes is the Eurodam

Staggered embarkation times…. hmmm, looks like we all got here early for coffee, tea and cookies!

It’s so wonderful being back aboard a “dam” ship – almost a sense of homecoming. We’ve developed our own pattern for first day – get aboard, check out the cabin, head for the main dining room for lunch (why do the buffet when someone will bring your food to you!), do a quick reconnaissance of the ship, muster drill, sail away, back to the cabin and unpack and then cocktails and dinner. And then back to cabin where Karin drifts off to the tapping for my fingers on the keyboard.

First impressions – the crew is so friendly; lots of smiling faces and welcomes. The food and drinks are good. How efficient muster drill was – instead of roll calls, they simply scan your card, which seems to be a huge time saver. From start to finish, it was only 20 minutes.

How big the Eurodam is – there is so much more exploring we’ll have to do. She has a bit of a modern feel, and is quite a beauty. Though some of the art leaves me underwhelmed.

The atrium. This reminds me of crumpled tissue paper flowers. I’m not a fan

But this floral arrangement is spectacular!

We’re either brave or foolhardy, but we’ve got a retreat cabana … Alaska and cabana are not words that seem to go together; on the other hand, on a gorgeous day like today, it’s perfect. And there is the oh-so-tempting promise of hot mulled wine on Glacier Bay day!

Our retreat cabana. I’m looking forward to hanging out here!

We are assured there’s a naturalist on board – he/she remains unnamed but is apparently giving talks at the Sea View pool – but like Where’s Waldo we haven’t spotted him/her yet. However, our hunt will continue tomorrow.

The Ruby Princess backing away from the pier ahead of us.

Though we did get a nice view of the layout of Pier 91 as the Ruby Princess got out of the way.

As we chased the Ruby Princess and the Norwegian Pearl (the Eurodam was the last of the 3 cruise ships in Seattle today to leave) up the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a fog rolled in and we’ve been hearing fog horns all evening.

Fog bank!

After unpacking, we headed out for pre-dinner cocktails. We ended up at the Pinnacle Bar, which was low key and and a great place to relax before dinner.

Champagne Dreams and appetizers

The dashing arrival of the pilot boat to disembark the pilot was fun to watch as we sipped our cocktails.

The on to dinner!

Fresh flowers at our table

Seafood Chowder

Shrimp, andouille and grits. The okra was perfect!

Both of us really enjoyed the Dueling Pianos that have replaced the Piano Bar. A vast improvement in my opinion. The Piano Bar always felt like an afterthought, hidden behind walls and unwelcoming. Now it’s open, easier to get to and enjoy.