Remote, Isolated and Breath Taking....
Remote, isolated and breath taking are the adjectives that come to mind when I reflect on a cruise to Alaska! It was such a beautiful coastline full of wildlife.
Bald Eagles!
I was able to view several bald eagles from my balcony! The binoculars I took with me were invaluable! I passed them around so other passengers could view the majestic birds. A 'neighbor' in the cabin next to me, went down and purchased some binoculars on board the ship after he used mine.
 |
| Lots of bald eagles! |
This little guy was looking pretty scruffy! I believe he was having a 'bad feather day'!
Whales!!
My bucket list has always been pretty short! I want to travel everywhere and experience every culture, floral and wildlife in various parts of the world. Ok, so the list is short but what a lofty goal! The kicker is I absolutely love seeing whales, from the smallest dolphin to the largest baleen whales. We were able to see several along the cruise.
In Juneau, we hopped aboard a small boat to go into the bay area and see a humpback whale! She was so majestic! It makes one realize how insignificant we are!
In Juneau, we hopped aboard a small boat to go into the bay area and see a humpback whale! She was so majestic! It makes one realize how insignificant we are!
You locate the spray and then the whale dives for food!
We also saw a lone male orca. They traditionally stay in their pods so the guess is he was feeding by himself.
A Minke whale was cruising around the bay!
The sea lions had to join in the fun!
Make room!!
A little crowded on this buoy!
_________________________________________________________________________
Alaska Map and Itinerary Highlights!
7-Day Sawyer Glacier, Roundtrip Seattle
| Day | Cruise Ports | Arrive | Depart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat | Seattle, Washington (EMBARK) | --- | 4:00 pm |
| Sun | At Sea | --- | --- |
| Mon | Ketchikan, Alaska | 7:00 am | 3:00 pm |
| Tue | Juneau, Alaska | 7:00 am | 1:30 pm |
| --- | Overnight | ||
| Wed | Skagway, Alaska | 7:00 am | 5:30 pm |
| Thu | At Sea | --- | --- |
| Fri | Victoria, British Columbia | 2:30 pm | 9:30 pm |
| Sat | Seattle, Washingtona (DISEMBARK) | 8:00 am | --- |
_______________________________________________________________________________
Ketchican
The remote feeling of Ketchican, Alaska was very interesting. Walking the streets of Ketchican gave us the full flavor of the Alaskan summer. It was chilly with the rain and slight breeze. The thing I also noted about this area was the tide! The piers had pilings that accommodated the 20 foot tides! Yowser!!
Juneau
Did you realize Juneau is not accessible from roads!?! It is isolated from the rest of Alaska and the rest of North America! I had no idea! They do have a ferry so that is how they get their cars into the city!
We could've enjoyed the metropolitan area of Juneau, however we opted for the Whale and Photography shore excursion. It was over 5 hours of viewing whales, bald eagles and beautiful glaciers day! Another fun fact is that Alaska has so many glaciers they do not name them all, but some are christened with identifying titles such as Mendenhall and Hubbard Glaciers.
We enjoyed the White Pass and Yukon train ride up the mountain.
Pay attention to details. I enjoy the concierge concept and enjoy being pampered on a vacation. The sign by our cabin door flips to what you want the very nice cabin steward to do while you are away... for example you can select turn down service, clean the cabin and then the steward can communicate by placing the sign to 'Welcome'! Easy peasy!
On a cruise, you just need your room card to make any purchases and you use your room card and picture ID to get back aboard the boat. The cruise line took our picture prior to boarding so it was a fast, easy process to board..even when it's pouring down rain. Additional random thoughts... people don't like to wait in the rain. Shorts, dresses, yoga pants, jeans...anything goes with cruise attire.
My last thought....a day at sea is wonderful and relaxing.
My last thought....a day at sea is wonderful and relaxing.
