Day 12 - Wednesday - 09/04/24 - Embarkation Day in Whittier (Maybe)

 My alarm went off at 7:30am as I needed to return the rental car keys to the nearby Avis rental office.  So I prepped for the day and returned them before walking 4 blocks down to the Eagan Convention Center to see if someone could explain the shuttle to Whittier protocol.  Fortunately someone was there and she explained that checkin started at 9am and it was first come first served and that we leave our luggage there for separate transport to the .  So I walked back to the Aviator hotel and woke Angela and explained the process.  She dressed and we checked out of the hotel and walked over to the Eagan Convention Center and joined a line which was already 25 people long.  


Promptly at 9 they began processing us.  Our tagged luggage was dropped off and they compared our passports to their manifest.  We were also able to leave our hand carry luggage so we could wander at our leisure but we had to be back by 11:30 for a 12 noon departure.  We stepped across the street to Kobuk's for a breakfast burrito, a fireweed donut and tea.  Ed returned to the Eagan Convention Center and retrieved our carry on luggage and watched some YouTube videos before engaging another couple in conversation.  


Around 11:40 our Pink cards were called and w Ed boarded the shuttle bus which was full.  The ride out started dry, but became very wet.  We arrived at the tunnel entrance just after 1pm and we couldn't pass through until 1:30pm (there are alternating traffic patterns).  It was really blowing and raining but fortunately there are plastic covers over the top and sides of walkways.  We easily checked in and received our medallions used for logging on/off the ship and for other purposes.  We were in our stateroom by 2:15pm.  Our luggage  came later in the afternoon.  We enjoyed a light lunch and did the muster requirements of watching the safety video and checking in at our muster station.


After a light dinner we watched a train pull in with many guests onboard.  During the Captain's safety announcement he told us that our call at the Hubbard Glacier would be cancelled due to the present storm and that our departure would be at 5am tomorrow.  As a result, we'll have additional time in Glacier Bay.


The Grand Princess is an older ship built in 1998 but extensively updated in the mid 2010's.  It's clean and neat but reflects the decor of that era.  Our biggest complaint is that like many Princess ships it does not have any interior public front facing viewing areas.  Our interior stateroom is the largest we have ever had and is very cheery.  We met  Mario, our stateroom attendant and chatted with him for a bit.


The main evening entertainment was a comedian/magician, Joshua Jordan in the Princess Theater which reeks of stale cigarette smoke.  He was pretty funny.  In the next hour was another comedian, Mike Wilson, who we saw on the Majestic Princess in May.  His specialty is impressions and they are quite good.


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