Tracey Arm Fjords was a day I wasn’t expecting a whole lot
from. I couldn’t understand why it got so much advertising in our cruise
brochures. Well now I get it! The
outside temperatures were in the high 50s to low 60s, warm enough to get by
with a hoodie or sweater. Chunks of ancient ice broken off of massive glaciers
floated by. We spotted humpback whales and sea otters in our group, other
groups reported seeing mountain goats on the surrounding cliffs. Something that
surprised us was how narrow the channel was and how close were to the actual
rock faces. It was amazing to see the waterfalls up close and personal! The
Miracle offered a special excursion for people to ride small craft to a point
up close and personal to Sawyer Glacier. We opted out (we’re budgeting our
money for different expenses) but those who went seemed to have a great time.
Otherwise this is a sea day- a sea day filled with amazing views, spectacular
food, fun drinks, and plenty of casino bells ringing.
Our day on board was a mixture of busy and relaxing.
Sightseeing on the decks took up a chunk but there was plenty of time for on
board activities. We spent a few hours in the casino, mostly losing the
winnings we’d made the night before- but we set a budget and we always go in
expecting to lose it all and anything we make is a bonus. I stick almost
exclusively to what I call “Mommy’s video games’ aka the slots. I’ll venture
over to roulette a few times during a cruise but it’s few and far between
because I like to make my fun money last a long time. My husband enjoys a
particular type of black jack Carnival offers called “Fun 21”, my non-player perspective is it works like
traditional black jack but each seat has a special spot for a fun chip, it c an
be as low as $1. If you hit blackjack on your initial deal then the house
doubles your fun chip. This is on top of your normal bet. Typically my husband
does much better at his game than I do at “Mommy’s video games”.
We also took some time out in the evening for some
invigorating fun- we put the large, warm, plush bathrobes Carnivals supplies
each guest in their stateroom, on over our bathing suits and headed for the
adults only serenity deck. The Alaskan air was chilly and the Serenity deck was
mostly empty, we hit the hot tub under the shadow of huge, imposing snow capped
mountains… it was amazing!!
Late at night we opted to hit the Punchliners Comedy club
for the 10:15 rated R show. Its strictly 18 and over, and the comedians at this
set are usually pretty raunchy. Last night’s didn’t disappoint- it was belly
laughter time!
If you’re wondering what our tween and teen daughters did during this adult
time, the younger one was super busy with activities from her Camp Carnival
teen Circle C club. They did everything from tween dance time to shipwide
scavenger hunt, to smoothie party. My older daughter went to the older teen
club for a bit then decided to snuggle down in her cabin with a good book and
movie. This is why I like cruises- everyone does what they want!