Leaving Glacier Bay

As we sailed back towards the sea to begin our journey North to College Fjord we once again enjoyed Afternoon Tea on the balcony. A promenade deck walk was needed after that otherwise we would have had a nap after so much food. While on deck the boat which had dropped the Park Ranger off some hours before-that voice you heard talking about the glaciers-returned to pick her up as her cruise on the Diamond was now over. (video)

As tonight was a Formal Night, where passengers are expected to dress for dinner in the MDRs, and we had chosen to pack light and not bring suits and evening gowns, we had reserved a table in the ship's Sterling Steak House which is actually a back corner of the Horizon Court Buffet, screened off for the evening. As a "specialty" restaurant there is an extra charge for this as opposed to the food already included in your fare in the main dining room. The fee was then $20 per person but now $25 I  believe. Steaks are occasionally available in the MDRs but better cuts are found in the dedicated Steakhouses on Princess ships-either Crown Grill or Sterling, depending on the vessel. Crown is the preferred choice as it is a dedicated steak house in it's own space, as opposed to a "pop-up" like the Sterling.

Before dinner of course there would have to be a nap in our cabin, followed by drinks and canapés up in Skywalkers. Alas tonight, the last of two Formal Nights is also the night of the Captain's Cocktail Party to which we had an invite (it's by invitation only) but looking at the long line to get in we decided it wasn't worth it and headed to Skywalkers early only to find that the bar staff serving the Cocktail Party are taken from Sky so there was nothing going on there to keep us. Disappointing.

So we strolled around the ship for a while...

The center of the ship, the Piazza, seen in the early morning. All day it is used by acrobats, jugglers, bands, games for passengers, demonstrations (including fruit and vegetable carvings), dance lessons, string quartets and so on.

Explorers Lounge is used for the stand-up comic shows and for games like the Newly-Wed game and band appearances.

There is comfortable seating outside Explorers for those who want to sit and watch the sea go by while talking to friends or playing cards. These are on the main Promenade deck which runs the length of the ship and the area is much traveled as the Photo Gallery, Princess Theater, Sabatini's and Club Fusion are all located on this deck.

On to dinner...... (video)