I joined a group of 40 people from Austin, San Antonio, and Houston on a cruise to Alaska.
Pre-Cruise: Seattle
We arrived Seattle early afternoon and checked in to the Sleep-Inn SeaTac hotel near the airport. Most of us took the light rail to downtown Seattle. I went in a group to Pike Place Market for lunch and also stopped by the first ever Starbucks, on 1912 Pike St. We then went towards the waterfront and saw Mt Ranier behind the football stadium. In all my trips to Seattle, this was the first time I could see Mt Ranier from downtown. We took the monorail to Seattle Center and visited Chihuly Garden and Glass, an art museum that showcases the work of Dale Chihuly. Most of his work are done on glass - very beautiful. There was also a glasshouse and garden. We also saw the parade, part of Seafair, Seattle's summer celebration.
Cruise Day 1: Vancouver
We traveled by bus to the cruise port in Vancouver, then boarded Holland America Statendam cruise ship for our week long cruise. After settling into our staterooms and the mandatory emergency drill, we hung out on the aft deck as we watched our ship depart Vancouver. Dinner was at the Rotterdam, the Statendam's elegant 2-story dining room. The dinners at Rotterdam are very luxurious, 4-course meals with pampering from the servers.
Cruise Day 2: Inside Passage
The day started foggy, but cleared by noon. Did a walking tour of the Rotterdam kitchen and saw first hand the wine area, seafood and meat storage, cooking and cleaning areas, and the bakery where chefs make bread and desserts. The kitchen area spans both floors of Rotterdam and the chefs use escalators to travel between the floors. Lunch was part of a Singles and Solos event arranged by the staff, but most attendees of this were people from our group.
Tonight was the first (of 2) formal nights and everyone dressed up for dinner. Then we attended the captain's toast in the showroom and that included an introduction of the crew. Afterwards, I went to the Crow's Nest, a lounge offering 270 degree views, to see some whales and watch the sunset.
Cruise Day 3: Ketchikan, Alaska
Weather: sunny, clear; high temperature: 78 F
We arrived at Ketchikan port in the morning. Ketchikan is one of the rainiest cities in the US, often nicknamed liquid sunshine. However, we had sunny skies today. Our first excursion was Zodiac boat tour, an expedition along the Alaska coastal waters. Each boat had four people, and I got a chance to drive the boat. We saw several bald eagles during the expedition and the guide tossed a fish into the water and a bald eagle swooped down to catch it. The guide also brought a large tube made of kelp and blew into it as if it were a trumpet.
Our next excursion was a flightseeing tour of the Misty Fjords National Monument, consisting of inlets of the sea, mountains, waterfalls, lakes, and lush rain forests. We were blessed with sunny skies which enhanced the natural beauty of the monument. My group boarded a De-Havilland Beaver DHC-2 aircraft, an airplane capable of taking off and landing on water. Being roadless, airplane tour is the best way to see and enjoy Misty Fjords. We flew across Alaska's Inside Passage and over the monument then landed at a lake and exited the plane to take in the solitude in the middle of the Misty Fjords. During the return to Ketchikan, we enjoyed bird-eye views of the town including the totem poles.
Cruise Day 4: Juneau, Alaska
Weather: mostly sunny with a few clouds; high temperature: 75 F
Juneau is the capital of Alaska. There are no direct roads into Juneau so access is by airplane or ferry. We started out walking around downtown Juneau including a visit to the Alaska state capital. Juneau has lots of government activity so its population is more steady year-round and less subject to seasonal fluctuations. Our excursion in Juneau is a Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Watching combo. We traveled in a shuttle bus to Mendenhall Valley where the Mendenhall Glacier is located. In addition to the glacier, there is also the Nugget Falls, a HUGE waterfall, and hiking trails where some people in our group saw bears. We then boarded a boat with decks for watching the humpback whales. The whales traveled to Alaska from Hawaii. We saw lots of whales shooting water from their spouts, swimming near the top of the sea, and diving. Definitely a nice showing by the whales.
In the evening I took the Mt Roberts Tramway up to enjoy views of Juneau area. Highlights include downtown Juneau, Douglass, the cruise port, and a spectacular sunset.
Cruise Day 5: Skagway, Alaska and Yukon in Canada
Weather: sunny; high temperature in Skagway: 70 F; high temperature in Caribou, Yukon: 82 F
Skagway has around 800 residents, and its population booms during the summer as cruise ships arrive. Being a drier climate, much of the buildings built around 1900 remain intact.
Our excursion was a bus tour, leaving from Skagway and traveling into the Yukon, in Canada, along the Klondike Highway which is close to the 1898 Gold Rush Trail. On our way to Caribou, we saw waterfalls, and the Denver Glacier. We passed by Bennett, Tutshi, and Tagish Lakes and Bove Island. We also took a group picture in front of the Yukon Sign and hiked in the world's smallest dessert. Nearing Caribou, we stopped at Emerald Lake - this emerald green lake reminds many people of Lake Louise in Banff National Park. Upon arrival at Caribou, we saw mountain goats but they may have been fake since they didn't move. We went to the Dog Musher's Village and took a sled ride. The sled was pulled by Iditarod and Yukon Quest dogs through an area Gold Rush people traveled. This is the same sled ride that occurs during the winter snow. After the sled ride, we had lunch at the Caribou Crossing Trading Post including BBQ chicken and homemade donuts. Then we visited the Wildlife Museum that was filled with stuffed life-sized animals of the Yukon including bison, woolly mammoth, grizzly bears, polar bears, and moose. As we returned to Skagway, we stopped at the Skagway City Overlook to take in the city views including the airport and cruise port. Then we visited the Gold Rush Cemetery and took a short hike to Reid Falls.
Some of us watched the "Days of 98 Show", depicting events from Skagway during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-1898. Then we went on a tour of the town, led by a National Park Ranger who shared lots of information about Skagway's history.
Cruise Day 6: Glacier Bay, Alaska and a Rescue
Weather: sunny, clear skies; high temperature: 66 F
Please refer to the route map (you may have to zoom in to see clear), to get a better overview of Glacier Bay.
The sunny weather provided reflections of the mountains in the sea. Cruising through Glacier Bay, we saw the Rendu Inlet with Rendu Glacier in the background. Then cruised into the Tarr Inlet and we saw Grand Pacific Glacier (mostly dirt and silt) and the spectacular Margerie Glacier. As the ship slowly turned around, we watched calving icebergs from the Margerie Glacier. Calving is where pieces of ice crack, making a loud rumbling sound, and fall into the water. I saw a very big piece of ice fall into the sea. The ship then sailed to Jaw Point, in front of the Johns Hopkins Inlet. Here, we got close-up views of the Topeka Glacier, a hanging glacier on Mount Cooper, and could see Johns Hopkins Glacier from a distance. Johns Hopkins Glacier is actually growing, a rarity in 2013.
While at Jaw Point, the captain got a notice that a sightseeing boat with 103 people onboard was having engine problems and was stuck near Johns Hopkins Glacier. So he and the crew decided our cruise ship will go rescue the people onboard the stranded boat. The ship sailed into the Johns Hopkins Inlet (where cruise ships don't normally go because the seals are birthing) and docked near the boat. Our ship lowered two tenders and sent them towards the boat to pick up the passengers and bring them to the cruise ship. Many of the passengers were excited to be on a cruise ship for the first time and they enjoyed a 4-hour cruise to the visitor center where they were dropped off. Meanwhile, we got to enjoy close up views of the Johns Hopkins Glacier as well as see the Hoonah Glacier - definitely a rare event for Alaska cruisers.
This evening was our second formal night. For dinner, I had the lobster tail with a small steak, also known as Surf and Turf. It was my favorite of the dinners. After dinner, I went to the Adagio, a classical duet featuring a violinist and a pianist. A relaxing way to close out the evening.
Cruise Day 7: At Sea
I attended a cooking show, where the chef demonstrated how to make fish tacos, which looked more like fish burritos. Then watched an ice carving show, where the carver started with a big block of ice and carved it into a bald eagle. After watching a magic show and enjoying afternoon tea and snacks, I attended a towel folding presentation, where they showed us how the stateroom attendants make animals out of the towels. It's a lot like origami. We saw them make a butterfly, rabbit, dog, turkey, swan, and a monkey.
Tonight was the final evening, and at dinner the servers put on a celebration show. I had the duck dinner. We got our group picture with our server, who had been very good to us. After catching the final moments of Dancing with the Stars, I went back to the Adagio. The previous night I mentioned to the violinist I also played violin so she invited me to the stage to perform a piece, with her violin. I think I did well :)
Post-Cruise: Seward to Anchorage
Weather: cloudy with occasional drizzle; high temperature in Seward: 57 F; high temperature in Anchorage: 66 F
After disembarking the cruise ship in Seward, we set off for our day tour in South-Central Alaska. We started with a visit to Exit Glacier, including a hike to the edge of the glacier. I got to show my "mountain climbing" skills here. Then we visited the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and saw black bears, grizzly bears, bison, elk, caribou, and a porcupine. These animals are in their natural setting. The highlight was getting up close to a bear who looked happy to see us. Next up was Alyeska Ski Resort, where we took the tram up the Alyeska Mountain to enjoy the views of the surrounding mountains, glaciers, lodge, and town. Some people chose to hike down the mountain, 2.5 miles total; the fastest got down in 38 minutes. We arrived Anchorage and visited the Earthquake Park, which stands on the land that collapsed during the "Good Friday" earthquake in March 1964. We then visited the Lake Hood Small Plane airport, the world's largest and busiest floatplane base. Next was a visit to Alaska Railroad Depot where we walked to a nearby stream to see fish swimming upstream and people fishing. One man caught a salmon. Finally, we had dinner at Sourdough Mining Company before heading to the Anchorage airport for our flight home.
