Alaska 2018

It’s just after 6am when the MS Noordam passes under the Lions Bridge and officially arrives in Vancouver. Docking at Canada Place makes for a spectacular finish to our cruise and the disembarkation process is surprisingly efficient. I guess they know what they’re doing! By 10am we are off the ship, our luggage is on the way to the airport and we are boarding the Sightseeing trolley bus to take us around Vancouver for the next couple of hours. The … Read More

Soon after leaving Ketchikan we are crossing into Canada, and with that set our clocks an hour ahead overnight. The sea gets a little rough at times, but we have a beautiful sunrise anyways. Thereafter however clouds take over and the rest of the day is pretty gloomy. We will be at sea all day today, but still keep our eyes open for any wildlife as we sail through the Inside Passage, hoping to spot a whale or two as … Read More

Beautiful sunshine welcomes us as we cruise towards Ketchikan, today’s destination. From our cabins’ balconies we watch as the ship docks in the harbor, and soon after we disembark for our excursion, the Misty Fjords Flightseeing trip! Joined by a couple from Arkansas, we meet our pilot Kevin at Southeast Aviation. Kevin’s dad is from Livermore, so we immediately feel like we picked the right tour! We hop on board the seaplane – Kirk in the back, with windows on … Read More

After leaving Haines just before 9pm last night, our ship has reached Juneau just before 8am this morning. Forecast calls for another day of rain, so the gear remains at hand. The extremely high water levels (flood stage) and strong winds have resulted in the cancellation of our Mendenhall Glacier Kayak Tour for today – bummer. We opt to make up our own walking tour of Juneau instead, as we have until 5pm before we need to be back aboard. … Read More

Official arrival time for our ship here in Haines is 6:30am, but when I look out the window at 6am, we’re already tied up to the dock. It’s chilly, blustery and a little rainy again this morning, but we’re still looking forward to our Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Raft Float today. Time to get the day started! First off to exploring the town of Haines (population 2,000) with its former military fort (Ft. Seward) and downtown sights, including historic buildings, … Read More

Tidewater glaciers are great rivers of ice that flow to the sea and calve large chunks of ice into the ocean. The bay boasts seven such tidewater glaciers, including famous Margerie Glacier – one of Alaska’s most photographed features and one of the state’s more active glacial faces. To start the day off, a group of Park Rangers joined us on board, to provide an overview of our route, what to expect we might get to see and provide general … Read More

My anti-motion-sickness patch helps, because the ship, as big as it is, still sways in the waves of the open water non-stop it seems. Onward through the Gulf of Alaska. Tina & Charly are served breakfast in the main dining room, while Kirk & I grab a light meal in the Lido Market (self-service). After a stroll through the ship, we all meet up again at the Crows Nest, the bar at the very front of the ship, and relax. … Read More

Our taxi pick up is at 8am, to get to the Major Marine Tours desk at the 360 hotel at the harbor. After check in and storing our luggage, we are soon boarding the Orca Song vessel, which will take us over and around the Resurrection Bay, looking out for wildlife. The first bald eagle sits on a concrete post sits the edge of the harbor, just waiting to get his (her?) picture taken. As we get more away from … Read More

It’s time to move on to our next destination – and the way there will be covered by train. We have to get up early to catch our 6:45am train, but are rewarded with beautiful views from our seats in the panorama car: glass ceiling! Despite the gloomy weather outside we see bald eagles, a porcupine, a couple of moose, salmon, as well as beautiful nature – mountains, glaciers, lakes and rivers, as well as the open sea. We arrive … Read More

And off we go … back to downtown Anchorage for some more sightseeing. We’re taking the Red Trolleybus Tour first, and it gives s a great overview of the city, with our tour-guide/driver sharing historical tidbits, funny anecdotes and lots of interesting information. In just under an hour we see various neighborhoods, Earthquake Park, the waterfront with its statue of James Cook, who “discovered” in his search for the Northwest Passage, and more. After the tour, we grab a quick … Read More