Schultz vacation-day 5, Tracy Arm...Glacier blue is my new favorite color :-)

Ahhh...this day was glorious!  17 1/2 hours of daylight & a high of 54 degrees.   Today, we got up, added some layers while dressing & had breakfast on the ship deck.  It was chilly with the winds in the open air.  We got to see many whales after eating....they seemed to flock around the smaller fishing vessels and they almost performed for all of us anxiously awaiting their breeching ;-) 

 

After this we went up to the top deck & found our "parking spot" for the day.  We knew we wouldn't want to miss any part of this sailing day, so we were prepared to bundle up & relax. 

Here's a little info on today's destination:  Tracy Arm Fjord is located in the Inside Passage, about 45 miles south of Juneau.  Cruise ships wind their way through the fjord which is located in the Tongass National Forest.  The surrounding mountains are about 7,000 feet high and numerous waterfalls, created by melting snowcaps, can be seen along the way.  The Twin Sawyer Glaciers are located at the end of Tracy Arm.  Wildlife is abundant & native animals include whales, sea lions, bald eagles, black bears, & mountain goats.  Due to the microscopic sediment, or glacial flour the water is a glacial blue.  DCL recognizes the importance of quiet & solitude to preserve wilderness values & marine ecology, therefore limiting shipboard announcements, Funnel vision, & music on board while in the ports & Tracy Arm.

 

There was a light rain/mist off & on throughout the day.  We really didn't leave our post except to use the restroom & get lunch.  Jaden's favorite part of the cruise was the unlimited soft serve ice cream.  I think he had a cone in hand for most of the waking hours on board, LOL!

 

Since it was so chilly, hot chocolate was a must!  The Cast Members were always around on deck, making sure everyone had plenty of fleece blankets.

Lunch was a barbeque of sorts....grilled salmon, chicken, & beef among other things.

At the end of the fjord is South Sawyer Glacier.  As the ship gets closer to the glacier, the water has more and more ice from the glacier as it falls into the water.  At this time, The Wonder launched a lifeboat (DCL does practice drills often) and while they were out, they took some great photos of the ship as well as picking up a small piece of iceberg to bring aboard.

 

 

  The ship stops close to the glacier giving great views from the front of the ship.  Then, after being there for a while, the captain begins to turn the ship slowly so everyone on the ship can see the glacier.  Once the ship is completely parallel to the glacier, he then turns the ship back the other direction  so people on the other side of the ship have great views.  We spent about an hour looking at the glacier before sailing back out of the fjord.

The next 2 pics are from my cell phone (of the 8x10 prints we got).

It was so interesting how some waterfalls were rushing & others were frozen still.

We actually sat on deck until it was time to shower & dress for dinner.  What a spectacular day!

 

After dinner, we popped into Studio Sea for a family game show, Who Wants To Be A Mouseketeer.  Jaden's number got chosen to be the last lucky player in the "hot seat".  I was his stand-by phone-a-friend ;-)  He answered all 5 questions correctly & won a medallion & a Disney collector's pin.  He was all smiles after that!

 

 

 

Schultz vacation-Day 4, a day at sea

Today started out with a character breakfast in Parrot Cay. 

Pluto especially loved Randi's Pluto dress ;-)

The servers made napkin hats for everyone.

Such a great way to start the day!

 

The kids spent some time in the kids clubs.  They made flubber & later on in the evening, they made pizzas. 

While the kids were occupied, B & I went to a wine tasting class.   

I fell in love with this bag & had to have it-Disney Cruise Line & Vera Bradley collide

 

Today is also the day my kids got hooked on cruise ship bingo! 

Tonight's dinner & show theme was The Golden Mickeys (think Academy Awards).  This is formal night on the ship.  We had fun getting dressed up & got some nice family pics. 

The show, after dinner, involved a red carpet event, complete with paparazzi ;-)  Our family was "interviewed" before heading in to the theater.  They went crazy over the kids' outfits & the fact that we got into the theme of it all.  So cool!!!!!  The show was fantastic, as usual! 

 

This is how we decorated our stateroom doors.  I love these magnets!!!

 



Schultz family trip July 2014-Day 3, Boarding day

Today is boarding day!!!  We had a large corner room in the hotel & when we sat up in bed, we had this view...

Our ship had docked & was getting ready for the next cruise!  It was so much fun to watch everyone disembark & all the supplies be restocked.  What a process!  We showered & dressed (our luggage was delivered-yay) & headed down for breakfast.  After we ate, we walked the restaurant deck for a bit, enjoying the view.  

Remember when I said the price of this hotel was so worth it?  Well, at around 10am, we called bell services & they came up with a cart & took every piece of luggage (we kept a small carry on back with some necessities as luggage delivery on the ship may take several hours) down & transferred it all to the ship & we didn't have to worry about it again :-)  Such a nice perk! 
  We had some time to kill before boarding & Sydney wanted Starbucks, so she & I went down to the "basement" of the hotel, which happened to be a small shopping mall with a food court.  I could not believe my eyes when I saw a Taco Time!!!!  I nearly cried!  I lived in Oregon for a year when I was preschool age & one of my fondest memories was eating Taco Time.  Crispy beef burritos...yum!

Then it was time to head to check in & boarding!  We got the kids signed up for the kids clubs on board & headed to the boat.  We had lunch & checked out the ship.  So much to see & do.  We also signed up for an Anna & Elsa meet & greet for later in the week.  We got tickets with a time to come back for that so there wasn't a crowd or wait to see them.  Smart thinking Disney ;-)

After the mandatory life boat drill was the Sail Away party on the pool deck.

 

It was a gorgeous day, sunny & 72 degrees, with 16 hrs of daylight. We had early dining & the first restaurant on our rotation was Animator's Palate.  I think this was the kids favorite!  It all starts out in black & white (even the servers attire) & gradually changes to color throughout dinner.

 

The nightly show in the Walt Disney Theater never disappointed.  Tonight it was "All Aboard:  Let The Magic Begin". 

Every evening, we looked forward to turn down service.  Towel animals, chocolates on the bed, & the Navigator (itinerary) for the next day were highlights of this service.