The Hubbard Glacier

Saturday was the first chance we'd had to just relax. I probably should have planned more down time for the land part of the trip, but there was so much to see! We slept in as long as we could then went up to the buffet for breakfast. I know some folks don't like the buffet and prefer the dining room for breakfast. I like the pleathora of choices upstairs and the speed with which we can get our food. On Celebrity I've found that most items are hot and cooked just right.

Brian got a made-to-order omelet and I indulged in freshly baked almond croissants – as light and flaky as you've ever experienced. The Millennium has opened up the buffet area so that you can actually watch them making the breads, pastries, rolls and such. Not to mention as soon as you walk in you smell bread baking. Such a treat! I wish I would have taken a picture of this area but I didn't think about it at the time.

We had nothing on our agenda for today other than seeing the Hubbard Glacier, which wouldn't happen until around 1:30, so we put on swimsuits and headed for the covered solarium. The whirlpool felt wonderful on our aching muscles. One thing I love about the Summit/Millennium ships is that the spa is right next to the solarium, which means the wonderful aromatherapy aroma floats into the solarium. I have to admit it was wierd seeing snow-covered mountains through the glass roof while soaking in the pool.

The solarium has the Spa cafe inside with healthy smoothies,  "low-fat yogurt parfaits; cereals including museli, granola, oatmeal or shredded wheat; omelets with fingerling potatoes and cherry tomatoes; and organic breads such as tomato Provencal, eggplant and pearl onion, or wild honey and ginger." They also serve lunch. I've sampled a few of their food items, but I guess I'm just not a big health nut. Nevertheless, you can eat healthy on a cruise.

My favorite treat is the specialty coffees. I love the peppermint mocha, which is almost as good as Starbucks, from the Cafe al Bacio. Each morning I try to swing by the Bacio before heading upstairs.

After hanging out at the pool for a while we had lunch and then bundled up to view the Hubbard Glacier. Our captain, George Iatrou, did an excellent job of getting almost arm's length to the glacier, which is amazing considering the glacier is taller than the ship. He turned the ship 360 degrees so everyone had a great view.

You can see where the glacier was calving (looks like dust falling into the ocean). The sound of thunder was much more pronounced on this glacier. In fact we would hear the ice breaking before we saw it slide into the sea. The sun was shining brightly so you can see a bit more of the color in the ice.

If there's one pet peeve I have about the re-design of the Millennium it's that they took away the front deck from the average person and made it a "Suites Only" retreat. Granted the area was rarely used but we liked the quiet sundeck on the Caribbean cruises. Now it's off limits unless you shell out the big bucks. I tried to get out there for photos of the glacier but was kicked out. 😕  Fortunately the captain opened the heliport so Brian went out there to take pictures.  I stayed on our balcony and got pictures nearly as good as his.

Once again we were sailing through icebergs. Visions of Titanic kept floating through my head, but the captain managed to get in and out without a problem.

This was one of two formal nights so we dressed for dinner. Brian wore a suit and I wore a rather short cocktail dress. I guess it had been a while since I wore that one because I felt just a little self-conscious, but it didn't wrinkle and didn't take up much space in the suitcase. I might have to retire that dress.

Our dinner reservations were for 7:30, and since we were early we had drinks in the Rendezvous lounge and listened to a pretty good band play some oldies. A few old timers danced, but we just enjoyed the atmosphere. Dinner was lobster and beef wellington (other choices too but that's what we had).  The dining room is all new and looks very posh.

Again, Zachery and Tatnia made it wonderful. We managed to snag a table for two by the window so it was very romantic!  You can just barely see these tables below – the ones with the tall chairs.  I'd say we could watch the sunset out the window but the sun didn't set until after 10 p.m.

After dinner we headed to the theater to see an excellent band imitate the Beattles. They were fabulous! It's amazing to me that the Beattles are still so popular. Their music really is timeless. I didn't get a picture of the Beattles performance but here's a shot of the theater.

 One of the other shows we saw later in the week was a tribute to Broadway. The singers were fantastic and did a terrific job on the "Phantom of the Opera" songs, which are not easy!

For our first full day on the ship we couldn't be more pleased. Time to head to bed for our big day in Juneau!

Cindy Pratt, this post is for you since you'll be sailing the Millennium soon. You will love it!! I hope this make the anticipation even more exciting.