A Journey to the Last Frontier: Serenade of the Seas Alaskan Itinerary Review

[Hummingbird33]

I'll chime in here and help get you to the next page.  We were on the cruise before yours and really enjoyed almost everything about it.  I'm always surprised by the things people complain about, many of which they could have known beforehand with a little research.  I even liked the food but have very simple tastes.  We only went to two shows and only really enjoyed one of them, but when it's light out until 10pm and you're cruising past amazing scenery, there are better things to do than watch mediocre shows.

 

I do have one correction to your review.  Oh behalf of my daughter who is obsessed with sea creatures, I feel I should let you know those were sea lions you saw in Juneau and not seals :). 

 

Looking forward to reading more.

[Travel R]

5 hours ago, Hummingbird33 said:

I'll chime in here and help get you to the next page.  We were on the cruise before yours and really enjoyed almost everything about it.  I'm always surprised by the things people complain about, many of which they could have known beforehand with a little research.  I even liked the food but have very simple tastes.  We only went to two shows and only really enjoyed one of them, but when it's light out until 10pm and you're cruising past amazing scenery, there are better things to do than watch mediocre shows.

 

I do have one correction to your review.  Oh behalf of my daughter who is obsessed with sea creatures, I feel I should let you know those were sea lions you saw in Juneau and not seals :). 

 

Looking forward to reading more.

 

Thank you very much.

 

Thank you again for the correction about the sea lions. I stand corrected.  I even looked back at my notes from that day, and had sea lions written - for some reason I must have had "seals" on the brain.

 

Since the day is getting late - I will be logging off from work in a few minutes and shutting down my computer, I shall start up in the morning with a post about our excursion in Ketchikan.

[DaKahuna]

Loving your review and your writing style. 
 

My wife and I will be on Quantum in 32 days and your review is really helping us decide what we want to do and see. 
 

[Travel R]

8 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

Loving your review and your writing style. 
 

My wife and I will be on Quantum in 32 days and your review is really helping us decide what we want to do and see. 
 

 

Thank you and glad the information is of help. If you have any specific questions, please let me know.

 

 

[Travel R]

C3. Port of Ketchikan; Excursion = Outdoor Jeep and Canoe Adventure

 

Prologue

 

Traditionally (pre-kids), my DW and I had always taken at least one (usually more) excursion when on a cruise (or on any vacation).  It has been an alternate way to see and experience a location from an angle that most people usually do not opt for. While our DDs were younger, this type of alternative was not usually an option (they were too young/little), so this cruise was an opportunity to do see the world on something other than our feet or butts. Whereas the excursion for Juneau was kind of a given, we acted very Democratic in how we chose the excursion in Ketchikan taking everyone’s likes and dislikes into consideration and taking it to a vote. There were many options to choose from (see sheet), but not many that would be of interest to all four of us. Multiple votes were had before we could choose an option that was satisfactory for the entire family.

 

Although not exactly what each of us was looking for, the Ketchikan Outdoor Jeep and Canoe Safari was what we ultimately voted on and as it turned out, we made the right choice. This tour provided us with various options that we all believed would be enjoyable. There were various segments of this tour, which each had their own unique features:

 

a. Walking Ketchikan beforehand – Because the excursion was not scheduled to depart until a while after we docked, the additional time provided us the opportunity to sit down and relax for a leisurely lunch in the MDR, followed by a stroll through the town (predominately, the strip adjoining the port).  The town was inundated with multiple souvenir shops, small eateries, and tourists. But on that day, at that hour, at that port, it was for the best.

 

Even the Travel R family has our weaknesses. We succumbed to the call of the bargain and purchased a number of items (including inexpensive jackets emblazoned with “Alaska” for myself and my DW which we will not be able to wear again for months back home (my DDs purchased sweatshirts)) – and the timing greatly worked to advantage. Since we had purchased too many items to take on the excursion, we had sufficient time to return to our cabin and alleviate ourselves of our burden. 

 

[Tip – if you had not booked an excursion prior to arrival at this port, there were multiple little huts on the pier offering tours for the day. From what I remember, these tours were well priced compared to the RCI website and 3^rd party websites. Caveat, if possible, try to research the company before you purchase – you may be getting what you paid for.]

 

b. Bus Ride – Not technically a part of the excursion, but a necessity for transporting our party to the initial drop-off site and subsequently returning to the ship. Although the driver did not provide any commentary or narration (which would have been nice), our bus passed by some beautiful scenery and places of interest along the way (even a McDonalds). Note that the bus was extremely hot (once again, the Alaskans do not know how to deal with it, just as a mere ½ inch of snow can cause a 22-car crash in Virginia) and the driver did not realize he should put on the air-conditioning and only did so after my fellow riders began to vocally note their displeasure (it was quite stifling and uncomfortable).

 

c. Driving Jeeps Off-road – This was a really cool experience. With the cars I have always driven during most of my lifetime (even owning AWDs), I could never really go off-roading. Growing up my friends and I were into street racing, not off-roading (we lived in Brooklyn, and although pot-holes were normal and it could get bumpy, there were no off-road trails; but we were part of the street racing subculture). The biggest downside to choosing this excursion was that drivers had to be 25+, which eliminated both of my DD’s from taking part (at least in the driving). The jeep fit all four of us comfortably and our DDs still enjoyed the bumpy ride while holding on in the back seat. I’ve always enjoyed cars – driving them, working on them (in my youth), and sometimes street racing them (also in my youth). I was looking forward to this new driving experience.

 

This part of the day’s activities included four “segments” where we were to drive up and down various old logging roads – they were full of multiple dips, rocks, and other minor hazards, but not overly hazardous. Each of the segments were exciting to drive (although only about 5-10 minutes long). Some of the roads brought us to scenic areas so we were able to take in the views of the the mountains even further inland.  Note that most roads do not extend beyond a mile or two of port, the path we were driving upon were the only roads that reach almost 10 miles inland, which provided us with a very cool unique into the area. [Note: Although bumpy, they were not difficult to drive (as long as the transmission was working properly; see below), and I do not believe that novice drivers would not have an issue taking on this challenge.]

 

The only setback of this portion was that I received a jeep with a busted transmission.  Prior to starting our run the tour leader mentioned to me that the gear shifter was busted by a prior customer, so I needed to shift the gears extra hard. I said okay, and there was no issue until we began to take one of the logging roads up a steep incline.  The transmission shifted itself out of gear and into neutral.  What was a little scary is that I am going up this hill (while another jeep is trailing me about 6-8 feet behind) and the car not only stops going forward, but it began rolling in reverse (it slipped into neutral).  I quickly hit the break (or I would have hit the unfortunate persons in the car behind me).  I slammed the shift back into gear (very, very hard), but it did not get into gear. I slammed it even harder, and although the indicator on the dashboard still showed neutral, I gave it some slight gas (with my foot hovering above the break with my other foot) and the auto luckily lurched forward. Of course, the gear slipped again with the next steep incline.

 

The slipping continued (me slamming the shifter into gear, then going back into neutral on every incline) until we triumphantly arrived at the top of this road. At the summit, we hopped out of the car and the guide took it for a quick drive, eventually placing it into 2WD.  She asked if I was okay to take it further (although it would not go into 4WD) – I said “sure” – the alternative was to fit all four of us into a smaller jeep (hers) which would be tight for my family. 

 

For the remainder of the driving portion we remained in the original jeep. Although the dashboard cycled through a display of various gears, the car itself did not slip into neutral, so all was good. Except for the incident on that first road, the views were great and the off-roading was fun, and we received the bonus of this added excitement without paying any additional fees!

 

d. Canoeing – At the conclusion of the ride, we parked our jeeps in a dirt parking lot, where we were to pick up life vests and paddles. [FYI: There is an outhouse (Porta-Potty) in the parking lot.] We then walked down to the docks and were loaded into two 20-person canoes.  Our party of adventurers paddled our way across the river in about 15 minutes to a small dock at the far end of the lake.

 

While we crossed, our guide provided information about the lake and the surrounding area (and in the middle of the lake we did the echo thing). The lake was very nice and peaceful, which included views of other mountains in the background, including one mountain named “Dude Mountain” which the guide referred to as "Mount Dude." Although we have canoed many times as a family, it was an surreal experience realizing that we were in a canoe on a lake in Alaska.

 

[Adventurer's Note: There is a road that leads to Dude Mountain. At the mountain is a trail that will take you up above 1500 feet with what I heard are some amazing views.]

 

On our return, we kind-of raced the other canoe. I took it upon myself to make sure I paddled extremely hard (I was placed in the point position) – I felt it in my arms after arriving to the other side – the backpack I was wearing made the angle of the strokes slightly off, and took its toll. 

 

e. Grub – At the dock on the far end of the lake, the tour guides supplied our group with some snacks – a list of the grub included: clam chowder, crab dip, crackers, bread, coffee, and hot chocolate.   The "cook" quipped that people have mentioned to him that his food is better than what is served aboard the cruise ships. Although the clam chowder was very good, it was another indication of how people have complained about the food being served aboard the cruise ships (not only on RCI). Unfortunately I could not consume the dip (it included cheese), but heard mixed reviews from my fellow travelers.

 

The food was cooked in a large crock pot on an open fire (and the coffee/hot chocolate were also warmed in the same fashion) which gave the impression an "outdoorsy" feeling and added to the overall experience.

 

The cook also provided a mix of the coffee and hot chocolate, calling it a “Rocky Mountain” mix or something similar (although it was weak coffee and watery hot chocolate, so it was not great – but it hit the spot; I’ve had similar beverages before, and if you want to try it at home - this concoction tastes better with a richer chocolate and when mixed with hot milk instead of water). [Tip: There are no outhouses in the area on the other end of the lake.]

 

f. Nature Walk – As stated above, before departing from the other side of the lake, we took a nature hike. [Did You Know: Most of the inland forests beyond most of these ports lies Tongass National Forest, which is the largest national forest in the U.S.] It was really a "walk," and not a hike (since it was very short, maybe 1/8^th of a mile in length). The guide lead us through a short trail pointing out different flora and fauna within the area. She seemed knowledgeable about this subject and easily answered our questions. At one point she located, and picked up a slug, a very large slug, which she allowed us to touch. It was all very interesting and a nice value add to the adventure portions of the day’s program.

 

g. Conclusion – Note, that besides the warmth of the bus, my only other criticism would be the guides.  Although they seemed very knowledgeable, they were all (I think) college-age kids, and had a bit of an attitude to them - not that they were impolite or anything like that, there was just a weird vibe I was getting. It may just have been me, but just putting it out there.

 

But as to the good, which was most of the day – We had another wonderful day weather-wise – it was slightly cooler than the past few days, but it allowed for the us to canoe and walk without overheating (luckily the jeeps did all have air conditioning).  This excursion was an almost perfect way to experience the outdoors of SE Alaska (on a warm summer’s day).

 

h. Personal Accomplishment: I have driven in 45 States!

 

This last subsection is about me, and a self-celebration of coming closer to one of my bucket-list milestones, so if you only interested in cruise-related "stuff," please move on to the next post in this thread.

 

I can now count Alaska as the 45^th State I have travelled within!!!!! 

 

Until now I have driven through each of the other 44 states, and did not believe I would be behind the wheel of a car in the 45^th, but to my pleasure, I can now declare that I have visited, and driven within 45 of these United States. It is, I believe, an accomplishments, since according to a study (Ipsos 2016), the average American had only visited 12.5 during their lifetime (and I wonder where that half a state is). What is interesting is that if things go as planned and we drive to Tennessee and up to Niagara by the end of the year, with all the other driving we had done and our trip to Alaska, I believe we will have visited 14 or 15 states this year alone (in addition to two (distant) Providences of Canada). [Thank goodness the price of gas has begun to go down - and I hope it continues to do so.]

 

[Personal Trivia: Can you hazard a guess as to the five states I have not yet visited?  If you answered: Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, you would be correct. Although Hawaii is likely in the next few years (via cruise, of course), I do expect to traverse the remaining four within this next decade. I was “this close” to visiting a 46^th state [indicating a small distance between my thumb and forefinger] when we drove the loop around Yellowstone; the Visitor center lies only within a few miles of the Montana state line. When visiting the remaining states in the Northwest, I will most likely be driving - it will be the 50th state that may present a difficulty in securing a drive, especially if visiting via a cruise ship (thinking ahead - would it be better to experience Hawaii via a cruise or island hop on our own?]

 

Up Next . . . . . Some Wonderous Sights (Tracy Arm, Glaciers, and Inside Passage)

 

Edited July 29, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

A few photos of our outdoors adventure to get you started (from my cell phone); additional pictures (from my camera) will be forthcoming . . . .

 

• Our ticket to adventure
• The canoes upon the lake
• Getting ready for adventure (face blotted out to protect the innocent, but the Rutgers cap kind of gives me away).

 

[Note: I went back to my review of the Baltics and looked at the photos.  They were all a lot more "artsy" with well-framed pictures of people and places.  Many of the photos I have posted thus far (IMHO) have been more snap-shot quality, however, I think they are more descriptive, in that they help to compliment the the story through illustrations instead of just being another pretty picture. Do not thee fear, the photos of the glaciers are almost entirely of our beautiful Mother Nature posing in her finest regalia.]

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

1 hour ago, Travel R said:

Note that most roads do not extend beyond a mile or two of port, the path we were driving upon were the only roads that reach almost 10 miles inland,

Clarification:  The road itself is longer than 10 miles (it will take you to the other end of the peninsula), it just does not lie much more than 10 miles further than the shore.

 

2 hours ago, Travel R said:

[Adventurer's Note: There is a road that leads to Dude Mountain. At the mountain is a trail that will take you up above 1500 feet with what I heard are some amazing views.]

 

Clarification: This was poorly stated.  The trail will not "take you up" the 1500 feet via your automobile.  There is a place to park your car at the base of the mountain and you can hike on a marked trail to an elevation of 1500 feet. The trail, according to Alaska.org, is rated as "difficult."

[Travel R]

Walk around Ketchikan photos:

 

• A look up the street
• Port of Ketchikan
• Marine life
• Jellyfish swimming gracefully
• Advertising for salmon
• The Serenade at rest
• About the harbor x2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

 

Photos from off-roading adventure. The vehicles and the nature . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

Photos from the lake . . . .

 

The snow covered mountain is Mount Dude (Dude Mountain), and that big white thing on a stick - that's the slug I had mentioned above (we all got a chance to touch it).

 

[As you can see, although the temperature was great, that cloud cover stuck with us for almost the entire trip.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

My DD's sent me the following photos from our vacay yesterday - they are from the Jeep adventure, a POV from the back seat . . . 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

THE SIGHTS

TRACY ARM AND THREE GLACIERS

 

[Travel R]

C3. Sights: Tracy Arm / Sawyer Glacier

 

Our journey down the Tracy Arm was scheduled to be conducted between the morning hours of 6 AM to 8 AM. An Arm is like a fjord.  A fjord, I would describe as an inlet of water that leads from the sea and goes inland into a long narrow passageway.

 

During my research I learned that the Arm and the Sawyer Glacier (at the end of the inlet) could be enjoyed from your balcony (if you have one) alleviating the need to fight for a perfect position to perch upon the helipad or atop the ship. [We do not always reserve a balcony, but on an Alaskan cruise, I believed it would pay for itself in memories. I was correct in my initial assumption.] To accommodate our foursome, I removed the desk chair from our cabin and placed it onto the balcony. This allowed our family unit to enjoy the scenery of the Arm as we passed it by (or it passed us by).  My DD17 sat on my lap (although much of my time I was not consumed with sitting, I was continually rising my feet and capturing snapshots of the incredible scenes as they flowed by).

 

[In hindsight, I realized that I could have also taken the chair from my DD’s room so each of us would have had our own seat; there would have been enough room to accommodate four chairs]. It was slightly cool outside, and I did sport my sweatshirt and wool hat for their warmth. For the most part, I did not really notice the temperature, but it did become more noticeable after spending an elongated amount of time out on the veranda.

 

We were privy to a number of spectacular views along the way, which included majestic mountains (some snow-capped), towering trees, waterfalls, and a diversification of feathered friends along the way.  Early in our journey we also noticed a number of icebergs in the water and feared that we would not be able to see the glacier itself, but our fears were for naught (in addition to fear of poor visibility due to the low cloud cover).  Ultimately, we were rewarded with an amazing view of the Sawyer Glacier [note: the ship performed a 180, so those with cabins on the port of the ship may gaze upon Sawyer themselves]. 

 

Instead of sitting on the balcony for the entire trip out of the Arm, very soon after we lost sight of Sawyer, we removed our sweatshirts and hats and headed down to break our fast in the MDR. Although I am sure there were additional magnificent views on the other side of the Arm, we were satisfied with what we had witnessed. Sights can still be viewed as we sailed out of the Arm through the dining room windows.

 

[Editor’s Note:  I had considered breaking apart each of the glacier-related sections and providing on each day with their correlating photographs following each post.  After considering this option and taking into account the convenience (for you) of having all of the related information in one post in addition to the inconvenience (for me) of going back and forth to different devices, I have decided to provide all of the contextual information first followed by a showcase of nature showing off her most exquisite refinery. This will also retain the format of the overall thread.]

 

C4. Sights: Hubbard Glacier (and where to view)

 

The pièce de resistance for our itinerary is the Hubbard Glacier. Although the low cloud covering had mostly dissipated when we arrived at the site (approximately noon), they did not affect our trek to this destination. It was icebergs that deterred our ship from gaining a very close proximity to our desired destination. Luckily we were sailed close enough to still gain some marvelous views and memories. Our captain was also probably being extra cautious due to an NCL ship hitting an iceberg at this very location just two days prior. Being foiled by Mother Nature herself was inopportune, but even at our distance the views were magnificent. [See photos below.]

 

In contrast to the Sawyer viewing, I had ascertained from additional research that the views from the helipad were the best vantage point to gaze upon her beauty (no matter which direction the ship was turned, you had a continuous view; although sometimes it was across a small sea of people)).  We made our way to the helipad about a half hour early – even at our arrival time it was already becoming crowded and not many open spots by the railing were available (but we did snag one of the few remaining). It was cold out on the bare deck that morning, even with the throng of people huddling close. After the first 10 minutes of standing upon the open deck I was thankful I wore my hoodie, heavier sweatshirt, and wool hat – the air was even cooler when looking over the ship’s railing. 

 

[Tip: Other locations on the Serenade for good viewing locations include the area towards the bow of the ship on deck 11 (forward of the fitness center), and I had heard rumor of wonderful views while standing amid the mini-golf course).

 

Although it was a spectacular view, after about 30 minutes, we got in our fill, and I at that point had snapped all the photos I could. Some in my party were becoming chilled to the bone, so we decided to make our way below deck to the warmth of the dining room where we could also resolve our hunger.  The MDR was closed, so we opted to buffet at the Windjammer.  I located an unoccupied table by the window on the Starboard side of the restaurant.  We had the unique experience of consuming our meal with the magnificence of Hubbard beaming in through the large bay windows. The Serenade had paused for a decent amount of time to re-load the catamaran excursion allowing us an extended view. It was a very surreal experience eating our meal while being able to glare at this wonderous feat of nature. 

 

[Tip: For our experience at Hubbard, the starboard side of the ship received a greater period of exposure. I am not sure that is the case for every sailing – but something to consider for your own sailing.]

 

If [when] I ever visit this glacier again, even though the cost is almost prohibitive (over $500 per person), I would like to undertake the catamaran excursion.  While the Serenade was moored at a distance from the glacier, the catamaran took its passengers almost to the glacier’s edge – they sailed very, very close, and even experienced seeing and hearing some calving.

 

[Tip: the excursion did not show up on the RCI website as an option, people found it, and were able to book it through the Royal App. In fact, I knew about such an excursion beforehand and thought that it was not being offered (due to staff shortages) since I did not see it on the website; not that I would have been able to afford it for all four of us this time around ($2000 for a 1 to 1 ½ hour excursion; my family could go on another full cruise out of Bayonne for that money, but it would be an amazing experience).]

 

In hindsight, I believe that the glacier could have also been enjoyed from our starboard-facing balcony. The ship had stopped for a little while transferring people from and to the catamaran, so if you have a balcony on that side (starboard), you would have been lucky (for that sailing), if not, you will have a good view of the inlet. I could be wrong, but from the position the ship was angled (for this cruise) the aft cabins would probably not be conducive to view this glacier, except for maybe the side aft cabins; If I am incorrect, I am sure the aft-riding warriors will let us know.

 

Whereas the Hubbard Glacier is technically not an “excursion” or a “port” (the RCI literature makes it seem that way), it was incredibly awesome to see.  We did not stop at any actual port on the day we had viewed this amazing spectacle of nature.

 

C5. Sights: Mendenhall Glacier

 

Unlike the other two glaciers, the mighty Serenade did not stop (nor could it stop) at the Mendenhall Glacier. Neither did we embark upon an excursion to access it via walking, driving,  of flying atop the this glacial body.  It is a glacier that can be easily visited through a short automobile ride north of the town of Juneau and a short bus or cab ride may deliver you to a visitor center with a path leading to her beauty with views from across a small lake.

 

Although it was not our intention to see the glacier, we caught an amazing view while on the water during our whale watching excursion.  Yes, the glacier was a few miles away from our vantage point, but it was nevertheless a spectacle to behold.

 

In total, we observed three major “named” glaciers (Sawyer, Hubbard, and Mendenhall). Mendenhall was the third, and final to have been observed during this adventure, and mighty glad to have had the privilege to have been mesmerized by each.

 

C6. Sights: Inside Passage & Sea Day

 

Our Alaskan cruise sailed out of The Big Smoke, which implies that we would be initiating our cruise by sailing through the Inside Passage.  What constitutes the Inside Passage is debatable – some state that it must include the waters between Vancouver Island and the mainland (which cruises leaving out of Seattle will not sail), but some that is only part of it, and includes the inside waterways found up by Juneau, Skagway, etc., etc. – so if you were on an Alaska cruise, you were on the Alaskan waterway which some call the Inside Passage.

 

Unfortunately, on our first trip through the Inside Passage, due to the low cloud cover (because of the unseasonably high heat), there was very little visibility – the clouds were very thick around the ship for almost the entire day, so we were unable to see anything beyond the perimeter of the ship. It was very discerning, and the gloomy sights weighted heavily on our hopes of clear views of all the magnificent sights ahead (from my earlier writings you know that the clouds did not hamper most of our views or enjoyment).

 

Upon our return, the clouds were had dispersed, allowing us unparalleled view of the Passage’s beauty. However, that also meant our adventure was soon coming to an end.  The Couve was nearing and we would be disembarking from our sailing hotel we had called home for the past week.

 

D. Enrichment Talks

 

I was looking forward to attending my first enrichment talk while sailing on a cruise ship.  Royal scheduled three talks, with the speaker focusing on the Royal Mounties. Although I may have preferred two of the talks to have a different focus (e.g., Alaska’s wildlife, whales, or glacier would have, IMHO, been more apropos), I believed the trilogy of speaking engagements would be interesting. 

 

However, with my luck, the speaker had to cancel “due to personal reasons.” It was a bummer. I was seated in the Safari Club patiently waiting for the first speech, when a staff member walked onto the stage to deliver the disappointing news. She also announced that they would be replacing the speaker with Alaskan trivia.  Yes, disappointing, but by far, not devastating.

 

Since I was already present, and this option pales in comparison, I decided to play. I teamed-up with a fellow cruiser and her parents that were seated nearby – they were very enjoyable trivia partners.  We correctly answered most of the initial questions, which quickly came to an end when they turned to a set about wildlife; although I thought I would have performed much better on this section, it threw off our score, and did not win. [As per an earlier post, I could not discern a seal from a sea lion.] The prize, you ask? The highly sought after “Official” Royal Caribbean pens.]

 

E. What Was Our Favorite Port and Excursion?

 

How can one honestly decide which is best?  All three excursions were amazing in their own ways.  However, speaking of the port itself – if I could only spend time in one, it would have to be Sitka. This port, in terms of its intrinsic history, culture, and nature, trumps both of the others. As I had mentioned earlier, the two other ports seemed like tourist traps overrun with souvenir shops and jewelry/diamond centers (with the salespeople all trying to call you into their shops for “amazing deals”). Note – the commercialism of these other ports does diminish as you travel further from it’s maritime center.

 

When specifically considering the excursions we undertook: Sitka provided for a great day exploring and learning about Alaska, its culture, and its history. Juneau allowed us to explore its wildlife.  In Ketchikan, we breathed in the wilderness.  They were three completely different types of excursions, and I know it is a cop-out, but due to their uniqueness, choose one over the others is extremely difficult; and if I do, my answer might very well change tomorrow, then waver again the day that follows.

 

My DDs, I believe, enjoyed the whale watching excursion the best. My DW would probably say it was a tie between the day we had our outdoor adventure and the day spent whale watching (too much walking and too many museums for her in Sitka). 

 

Although I would happily take each of these excursions again, if I ever returned to the Last Frontier I would most likely take on completely different activities because I enjoy doing different things and having new experiences – maybe take out a kayak, go fishing for salmon, or who knows what. . . . there are so many different things to choose from. On the FB group for this sailing, a bunch of people posted photos and videos of their favorite things – and they all looked awesome.

 

Next Up . . . . Lunch

[Travel R]

"The mind is like an iceberg, it floats with one-seventh of its bulk above the water."

[Sigmund Freud]

 

[watcher_62]

Did you happen to retain the Cruise Compasses for the trip?

[Travel R]

1 hour ago, watcher_62 said:

Did you happen to retain the Cruise Compasses for the trip?

 

Yes.

 

I had intended to scan, then post them earlier in this review, but have not found the time to do so.

 

Surprisingly, I am home for most of the day, and have scanning those documents on my "To Do" list, but have been kept busy with other chores and things. It's already mid-afternoon and have not even posted the photos for my earlier post.

 

As mentioned, I have every attention of posting the Compass. Although there is a copy from the first or second sailing of the season floating around, as a planner myself, I would like to see what has changed (for the most part, it is the entertainment options).

 

 

[Travel R]

Photos from the Tracy Arm:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

Tracy Arm photos (part II)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

Photos of the Sawyer Glacier:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

Photos of the Hubbard Glacier, with one taken across the Helipad to provide some perspective to its size . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

More photos of the Hubbard Glacier . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

If you are not bored so far, here's a few more of the Hubbard Glacier, with some of the photos taken from within the Windjammer.

 

There is also a photo of the pax viewing from the forward section of Deck 11, and a Sea Otter that happened to be passing by during our glacier visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

Photos of the Mendenhall Glacier (from out on the Bay)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

Photos from the Inside Passage . . . 

 

Although some beautiful scenery (and missed much of it due to darkness, since we arrived in Vancouver in the early morning), there was not much wildlife to see with the exception of a variety of birds. In the passage we were privy to see Orca (I was not quick enough to get a photo) and a few porpoise (once again, they eluded my camera).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Travel R

[Travel R]

Noon to 2 PM

Midday Meal