Posts

College Fjord, Cruising, and the Last Day

-
Image
I’m writing this at 5:15 from the Explorer’s Lounge where we are listening to a swing band. These cruises have everything under the sun to try out. Game shows, bingo, slot machines, you name it! We have not done the two last things mentioned, but we have listened to a lot of live music and played a few game show style events.  We rose late this morning and said that we would only have a light breakfast so that we could try out the Palm Dining room for lunch. “Light” is a word open for interpretation…lunch was a change of pace. We have not had a sit down lunch on this boat so today we tried it out. Fried calamari and Thai spring rolls were some of the dishes we were excited to try. A few ordered the mac n cheese and the Cobb salad was devoured by three at the table. Who’s hungry? Not us! The skies are a bit foggy today as we travel toward College Fjord. We have a short distance to travel between today and tomorrow when we arrive in Whittier.  We ordered pictures today, got more...
Post a Comment
Read more

Glacier Bay Cruising

-
Image
We were in no rush today as we are simply cruising through the inland passage of Glacier Bay. We spent breakfast and brunch up on deck 15 at a big table for all of us to rise and shine in our own time. Our views allowed us to see the starboard side of the ship and the back viewing.  We saw numerous glaciers as the boat stopped and turned in a circle. It was a little chilly outside but not bad, and we mostly viewed everything from inside the dining room.  There were some national park rangers speaking about the glaciers, telling the history of their movement, and highlighting the details of their color. With binoculars you could see a few brown bears walking on the shoreline. We saw a few kayakers betting awfully close to the glacier and we wondered where they got into kayaks. Are they from our ship or did they take off from land? Not that we wanted to join them. It’s way too cold and that’s way too much work.  The National Park rangers also had a gift shop set up on board...
Post a Comment
Read more

Skagway - The Gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush

-
Image
We started slow this morning after our hikes yesterday. Em and Jacob were ready to head off for a disc golf course with some dudes they met on the boat. We will have to catch up with them later.  Breakfast was delightful. Everything you could possibly want under the sun. The view from the top deck was stunning with a steep cliff and apparently some very skilled climbers because some of this graffiti was very high up.  We took our time using the water taxi to get ashore because there was a recent mud slide that has damaged the Princess dock. We stopped into the Visitor’s Center and the local museum to read about the harsh life that gold miners experienced as they searched and searched for golden treasure. We walked Broadway Street where every shop is a souvenir store with shirts, magnets, cups, you name it. Yes, we bought a few… There aren’t a ton of archeological sites here but there is a tale about Soapy Smith and Frank Reid and a little scuffle where they both end up dead. S...
Post a Comment
Read more

Juneau - The Capitol of Alaska!

-
Image
We could feel the boat docking around 8am today but right before that, I was successful in securing an empty washing machine. Do I need to do laundry on vacation? No. But it was nice to be able to wash and dry all of our clean clothes and have more options for outfits for the remainder of our trip.  This morning, we decided to skip the room service and check out the breakfast buffet. Lo and behold, we have clearly been missing out on a feast. Everything you could ever imagine for breakfast was offered, and everything has been delicious especially the cantaloupe. We disembarked the cruise ship around 9 AM and promptly walked to the Juneau public library where a rental car from Turo was awaiting us. An eight seater  Honda Pilot was our transportation for the day and while some of us might be a little squished, the financial savings was unbeatable, considering we would have needed to purchase eight bus tickets just to get to Mendenhall Glacier - for the low low price of $800. For...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ketchikan Alaska for 5 Hours

-
Image
This morning we docked in Ketchikan but only got off the boat around 8am. We had a small itinerary for today and our first stop was going to be Totem Bight State Park. We read online that instead of paying for a guided tour, you can pay $2 and take the city bus. So that’s what we did!  We saw a ton of different totems and got to read a bit about how they are served and what ceremonies they would be used for. It was a smaller state park so we walked through the pathway in under an hour. It gave us time to catch the bus back to town so we could check out all the shops!  We noises through town and eventually found souvenir shops for magnets, shirts, sweatshirts, and Christmas ornaments. Creek Street is a sight to see! It was filled with shops that are on stilts overlooking the creek. Some were particularly know for their brothel activities while others provided shopping for the many gold miners who came to town looking to strike it rich.  We had a great time walking around a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Day 2 At Sea

-
Image
We woke up this morning to room service knocking at our door. We were still sleeping. We had plans for a 9am meet up at the spa hot tub so we leisurely took our time waking up, going to the international cafe for cappuccinos and mochas before taking our chocolate croissant and find the others at the spa.  The boat is moving a bit today. I’m so thankful I have a patch behind my ear. I would for sure be seasick without it. We are in slightly open waters as we approach Ketchikan so the waves are visible today and there is no longer close by land to watch.  With no plans today, we lingered, we lounged, took showers after and then found a table for us all to down and play Trivial Pursuit.  Eventually we scattered, some needed to do homework, others needed naps, and we agreed to meet back up for dinner at 6pm. It is dress up night and we have been warned that this no longer means tuxedos and evening gowns. Culture has changed a lot in the last 20 years. Our society just isn’t a...
Post a Comment
Read more