Ken the cruiser

Had a good time on our 2-hour excursion. We wouldn’t say it was loaded with wildlife viewing options like the one in Sitka, especially since it was pouring down rain a lot of the time. But we still saw a good variety of wildlife for this area. A couple of Glaucous-winged Gulls hanging out watching the world go by. Bald Eagle nest Bald Eagle flying overhead There were a few Dall’s Porpoises having lunch in the area. Along with is Humpback Whale. Black-legged Kittiwake Bonaparte’s Gull Then it was time to head back to the ship. It appears the Zaandam has docked behind us, which you might notice is a tad smaller than the Grand! 😂

We have arrived in Ketchikan, Alaska! It was a pretty cruise into port. But the closer we got, the darker the clouds and the chillier it got reconfirming that we will definitely be wearing our cold-weather clothes on our 2-hour wildlife cruise this morning! 🥶 But on the bright side, we did see a humpback whale right next to the downtown shoreline while eating breakfast at Sabatini’s! 😁

7:30 and 9:30 pm, except for embarkation day when there is only one 9 pm show.

No luck, due to the clouds coming back. But it was fun hoping! 😁

Here’s the excursion we will be going on in Ketchikan, which the weather right now looks like it’s going to be a little wet and chilly, but hopefully a lot of fun looking for wildlife! 😁

Day 7 - May 6 - Ketchikan, Alaska

After a very tasty Surf and Turf dinner at the Reserve Dining Room on Formal Night, we headed to watch Comedy Magician Kyle Marlett. Then we were off to the Vista Lounge to watch the very funny Marriage Match Game! 😂 Then when we got back to the cabin and looked out over the balcony, we saw that the sky was clearing to the north of us as we continue to cruise south! 😁 Then add in the increased potential for the Northern Lights tonight Well, let’s just say are fingers are crossed the sky will continue to clear up! 😂

For those interested, here’s a map showing the solar eclipse path on Aug 12, 2026.

Correct. The 45 minute timespan listed in the Patter is referencing the sign-up window for booking a slot for the planetarium show the next day. BTW get there early, as it is a popular show with limited reservation slots as there isn’t a lot of space inside that dome on the stage, especially when you have to lay on the floor to watch the Northern Lights show on the ceiling. The actual show runs about 15 minutes with an additional 15 minutes before the show for explaining what’s going to happen.

This afternoon we went to the “Voyage to the Stars” Planetarium in the Princess theater and had a good time and was worth the effort if you haven’t been to one of these before. As it is “by reservation only” you just need to remember to sign up for it the day before the event. As you can see it’s just a single line item in the Patter. Speaking of the potential for Northern Lights, tonight is looking great IF the clouds go away that is. 😂

Then it was time to head on back out of Glacier Bay, which took about 3 hours. I took various photos on the way out while imagining at the same time how pretty it would be on a clear day! That’s the HAL Zaandam following us out of the park. I believe this is a sea lion just looking for something to eat. OTOH I think these are two sea otters because there was a lot of sea weed in the area where I took this picture. The park ranger had their boat come over to take him back to the Bartlett Cove Seaplane Base.

Here are some photos as we cruised over to the John Hopkins Glacier. Turning from the Tarr Inlet onto the John Hopkins Inlet. If you look real close and see two white specks in the middle of the photo, those are Bald Eagles watching us cruise by. 😁 Lamplugh Glacier We weren’t allowed to go into the bay in front of the John Hopkins Glacier because it’s the time of the year when the harbor seals are having their pups, and apparently they prefer this bay to have them in.

Our morning trek was to visit the Margerie Glacier, also known at the Great Pacific Glacier. Along the way we saw a humpback whale (no picture), some seals off in the distance, mostly swimming around, and a bunch of various gulls and a few Arctic terns! While we were having breakfast, we passed this glacier which I took a picture of. Then for the rest of the morning I hung out on our balcony taking photos while my DW was in the cabin listing to the narration from the bridge by the ranger. It will be interesting to what the scenery will look like, hopefully without the clouds, on our next two visits. 😁 As we started getting closer to the Margerie Glacier, we started seeing a lot more gulls flying around! A sea lion is on the little iceberg with a couple more swimming around on the left side of the photo. Then when the ship stopped at the glacier to make a slow 180 degree about face, most of the gulls took a break. Then off we went back the way we came. Next stop, the John Hopkins Glacier! 😁

Thanks! It looks like it’s going to be even chillier! 😂

We have arrived at Glacier Bay! These photos were taken around 7:45 am and it is definitely overcast! There were also some otters swimming around looking for breakfast. Our plan today is to hang out on the balcony while listening to the GP ranger talk on the TV. This is where having a protected covered balcony is going to come in handy today. 😁 New forecast for today.