Skagway Alaska

​We arrive in Skagway at 7:00, I think. I'm still asleep and don't see daylight until about 9:30. Again the weather is cloudy with a few showers but the temperature approaches the mid 60's in the sun. The most popular thing to do here is ride the White Pass Railroad. I did this less than two years ago so I forgo a repeat trip and walk the town instead, all 8 blocks or so. Again the Explorer of The Seas and a SilverSeas ship are also in port. For $5.00 I purchase a ticket for the local bus which is good for as often as I want the entire day. One of the stops is right at our ship.

Skagway, like the other Alaskan ports, is slowly losing its charm as the big international firms like Diamonds International, Cariloha, Effy and Del Sol infiltrate the local shopping scene. It is obvious the locals aren't pleased as many shops post signs pointing out their long history of ownership by Alaskan Natives.

Today is the day for crew drills. First, half the lifeboats are lowered and they run around the harbor for 45 minutes or so. Before the life boat drill is finished, there is a fire drill, and that is soon followed by a medical emergency drill, and one that I have never witnessed before, a search for hidden bombs. The drills involve nearly all the crew, and take almost 3 hours to complete. I suspect there are probably a relatively large number of new crew members as the ship just came out of dry dock a few weeks ago.

Having said that, there are the usual glitches that always appear following a dry dock such as doors that don't open properly, elevators that are stuck on certain decks, and others that will go to any deck except the one you want.

We leave Skagway at 8:30 for our scheduled arrival at Icy Strait Point at 6:30 the next morning.