Reflections on the water along the coast of British Columbia.	At approximately 6:00 a.m., we arrived at Pine Island Pilot Station, where our Canadian pilots disembarked. Soon after, Sea Princess set a north-northwesterly course and sailed through the Queen Charlotte Sound and Hecate Strait. At approximately 6:30 p.m., we passed Triple Island, prior to sailing through Dixon Entrance, on a northwesterly course. The day was overcast and nippy with temperatures in the 50s. In the afternoon, we spotted a humpback whale nearby and, shortly after, a half-dozen porpoises swam alongside the ship.
Kittiwake, photo © C. Allan Morgan. For the bird watchers... Throughout the cruise, we saw several species of seabirds.....the black-legged kittiwake (a gull), as well as black scoters and white-winged scoters (sea ducks). The scoters were quite at home swimming on the open sea but would scoot away (half-running, half-flying - a comical effect) if the ship came too close for comfort. Kittiwakes are not commonly seen from shore and generally spend the entire winter on the open ocean feeding on small fish and plankton. This is the only gull that dives and swims underwater to capture food. Scoters feed chiefly on mollusks which they collect from mussel beds at depths of 15 to 25 feet. Unlike most diving ducks, which propel themselves underwater with their feet, scoters also use their wings. Black Scoter, photo © Harold Lindstrom. White-winged Scoter, photo © Chuck Gordon.	Looking toward the bow, a view of the bridge from our balcony.
Coastal Mountains behind a fog bank, coast of British Columbia.	Overall, the day was spent relaxing and exploring the ship. We played bingo, tried our luck in the casino, watched the "live" wooden horse races and went to an art auction (among the works available were artist proof lithographs by Picasso, Norman Rockwell and Marc Chagall). Late in the afternoon, we went to High Tea in the Sicilian Dining Room where waiters in white jackets and gloves served tea with lemon, scones, pastries, cookies and finger sandwiches. I think I could get used to this!
The Art Gallery	Iago's Pizzeria
Everyone's favorite time killer!	I swear the casino was rigged! Nancy & Wanda put their money in and Mary took it all back out... (Look at the smirk on her face if you don't believe me!)
View down into the Atrium from the Promenade Deck.	First Formal Night... We certainly clean up nicely! (Mary, Wanda & Nancy) Photo by Sea Princess staff.

Somehow we missed the Captain's Welcome Cockail Party...oops! But, we made it to the Captain's Welcome Dinner which was the First Formal Night. Formal Nights were not the hoopla we expected but most of the passengers looked great all decked out.

Our dinners each night were served in the Neapolitan Dining Room and each night had a different theme. Princess has 2 dining options available: Traditional Seating (fixed seating times each night) & Personal Choice Dining (flexible seating). We had opted for Personal Choice Dining, a smart move since we never knew what time we would manage to make it to dinner.

After the Captain's Welcome Dinner, we drifted out into the Atrium and were drawn upstairs by an entertainer singing "Puff the Magic Dragon." The entertainer was Bert Stratton, a very talented singer/songwriter who is also a total nut! The audience could request songs and I don't think there was a song he didn't know. He also played several of his own songs which were very good. We wound up listening to him every night in the Atrium Lounge (a.k.a. Bert's Living Room). It was also in Bert's Living Room that the Ghost Chickens were born....more on that silliness later!