Many Alaska cruises start in Vancouver, BC, Canada. We arrived a few days before boarding and explored Vancouver, including a day trip to Butchart Gardens in Victoria.
Vancouver has a beautiful and efficient cruise terminal. This was our first glimpse of our ship as we prepared to board.
Once onboard, I always like to explore the ship. This is the Sea View Pool at the stern (rear) of the ship.
Soon after boarding, all passengers are required to report to muster stations for a mandatory safety drill.
Sail Away! I like to find a cozy spot to watch while the ship leaves port - the outer decks were crowded but the Crow's Nest Observation Lounge was wide open!
Next up - we headed to the Main Stage where Cruise Director Stephanie provided an overview of our itinerary.
We chose to have our first dinner in one of the specialty dining venues - The Pinnacle Grill - featuring recipes by Chef David Burke. On the right is his Candied Bacon - amazing!
Alaska cruise itineraries typically include a couple of sea days - cruising the scenic Inside Passage and sailing among glaciers. There are plenty of things to do on board - we took a tour of the kitchen!
Ketchikan was our first port of call - it's a beautifully scenic spot.
Alaska offers many unique onshore experiences; in Ketchikan we went out on one of the Crab Fishing Boats featured on The Deadliest Catch.
Our captain stopped for a bit and our boat was surrounded by eagles. Wow!
Alaska is a very popular destination with lots of cruise ships. We were tag-teaming these Princess ships during our week on the water.
Next port of call was Juneau. We headed for a whale watching cruise followed by a visit to the Alaskan Brewing Company...
Here's a quick video of our Whale Adventure!
That same day our daughter and her husband visited with sled dogs!
Next day we docked in Skagway. We took a beautiful drive into the Yukon Territory, then boarded the White Pass Railway back to Skagway - deemed one of the most beautiful railway journeys in the world.
We went a bit farther than required - our driver wanted us to see this gorgeous spot!
Photos or it didn't happen, Right?
On board the White Pass Railway - tracing the route of prospectors during the gold rush
Our next "stop" was actually a spectacular day at sea, cruising Glacier Bay National Park. A couple of honest to goodness Park Rangers boarded the ship early in the morning and were on hand all day for lectures and narration of this magnificent spot.
My favorite photo of the trip, of Margerie Glacier. This view was from our Verandah!
We sailed out of Skagway during the Violet Hour - this was our final port of call. Last day on board was a sea day, headed for Seward and disembarkation.
Holland America is known for its food. We really enjoyed our onboard dining - which featured Alaskan fare nightly. Here is our party of 6, captured by one of the professional photographers onboard.
That last day on the Westerdam, we spent a lot of time on the observation deck - our favorite spot on board.
Many northbound cruises end either at Whittier or Seward, Alaska, and passengers are transported either by coach or rail back to Anchorage. It's a 3-hour drive filled with scenery.
We extended our Alaska stay with a visit to Kodiak Island, where the daughter of our travel companions lives. We stayed at a lovely B&B; this was the sunrise view from our room.
We really enjoyed our time in Kodiak; it was beautiful and restful and fascinating. and we saw lots of wildlife, including the pink salmon running and the beginning of the silver salmon run.
Sea Lions!
Puffins!
Eagles!
Sea Otters!
Many flights leave Anchorage fairly late in the evening; that left time for one last adventure before heading home - flightseeing to Denali National Park. There's a flight service which will transfer passengers between Anchorage's airport and their float plane docks - and they will store luggage if necessary. Highly recommended!
Our pilot landed our 10-seater on a glacial lake...
We were fortunate to glimpse Mt. Denali in the distance - it's frequently shrouded in clouds.
I hope you've enjoyed this photo-journal and I welcome your feedback. Just comment on this blog - I look forward to hearing from you!
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