Susan finally got me (after 40 years) to take a cruise. We just got back from Alaska. It was great. Norwegian Cruise Lines' freestyle cruises eliminate many of the issues that have kept me from wanting to go on a cruise. Essentially, one is left to do whatever one wants and that includes meals. I didn't have to make small talk with anyone but my wife.
Our trip was seven days out of Seattle. We stopped in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Prince Rupert , Canada. We did some sort of excursion at each stop. They were all great, although one of our planned excursions got cancelled and Susan wasn't able to go on the helicopter flight because of her broken foot.
Here's a sample of the things we saw. First the skyline of Seattle from the ship.
A sunset from the ship the first night out. The weather was fantastic all cruise long. Everyone was amazed that we had warm clear days for the whole cruise.
Each night our stewards treated us to a different animal made from our clean towels. (The Eyes are chocolates.)
In Ketchikan, we visited Totem Bight Park where they preserve and reproduce totem poles. (If you are curious, a bight is a section of shoreline where it looks like someone took a "bite" out.) Here are the totem poles at the entrance to the park.
We hoped to go on a whale watching expedition in Prince Rupert, but the excursion boat broke down and the trip was cancelled. We did sight some whales from the ship one night. Here's a tail. (You may have to enlarge the picture to see it well.)
In Juneau, Susan and I both visited Mendenhall Glacier. I did it from the glacier itself via helicopter and Susan from the bay where it meets the water.
A shot from the helicopter.
The top of the glacier.
The bottom of the glacier. First from Susan's viewpoint and then from mine in the helicopter.
We also got a close up look at Sawyer glacier. If the stars align, cruise ships can sail right up to its base. As it happened, we were the first ship that was able to find the fjord ice free enough to make the two hour trip up to the glacier. First, ice bergs we had to dodge.
A waterfall along the way.
The glacier itself. Unfortunately we didn't get to see any icebergs forming.
In Skagway, we took the White Pass railway that parallels the route taken by the Klondike gold rushers in the 1890s. Some of the old path is still visible and its almost unbelievable that people walked all the way to the top. They had to carry a ton of supplies (considered a years worth) up to the Canadian border or the Mounties wouldn't let them in. Needless to say, they had to make more than one trip. The railroad bends back on itself so much that I was able to take a picture of the front of our train.
One of the bridges we had to cross on the train.
Here's a lighthouse we saw on the way to Prince Rupert. There were a lot more, but we tended to pass most of them at night.
The harbor at Prince Rupert.
Our whale watching excursion in Prince Rupert was cancelled, but we got the opportunity to see the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride (or bilingually, the Gendarmerie Royal du Canada Carrousel). It was fabulous, we got to meet the mounties and their horses and see a Native American (in Canada, First Nation) dance as well as see the ride itself. First the dance.
The Ride.
If you look close at the rear of the horse (no bad jokes, please) you will be able to see the maple leaf that is water brushed on to each horse prior to the Ride.
