Seattle to ship.

Friday we were given details of our flights to Nome. I was put in the green group which suited me best as this group assembled at 7.30 am as opposed to 5.45am. Alaskan airlines were in the hotel lobby to tag our bags and give out boarding passes. Smooth ride to Seatac airport and we were at the gate. However, there had apparently been a change in aircraft so some boarding passes didn’t match the seats in the plane. The poor stewards finally managed to sought the mess but we were nearly an hour late leaving. The next small issue was that not enough food delivered so some missed out. There was a 45 minute (actually 1 hour) stop in Anchorage for fuel and crew change over. They brought more food on board for those who missed out - apparently someone complained to the point of threatening to call their lawyer (clearly had nothing better to do). All in all, the trip took all day - landed in Nome at 5 pm. It was cold, wet and quite bleak. We were transferred to the ship in yellow school buses and I was very happy to be on board. A quick drink in the Explorer’s Lounge and then down to a buffet dinner. I quite liked the fare but it apparently didn’t please everyone. Some of the people I have met seem to like complaining- odd that they’re all British. Anyway, the mandatory safety lecture followed- not sure why they think we will be so calm when putting on this fancy red suit. Oh, and you get given a survival kit with woollen socks and underwear after you have put on the red suit!! I am still getting my sea legs and I do want to spend time out on deck looking for wildlife.Read more