Alaskan Adventure!
Cruise check in was very smooth and within half an hour we were on board, cabins as normal were not ready until later that afternoon so we grabbed a cocktail and soaked up the Vancouver sunshine poolside.Our cabin was mid-ship Deck 9 Concierge Class Balcony. We really appreciated the extra Concierge Class touches - champagne on arrival, fresh fruit and canapes daily, binoculars, umbrella and bathrobes.We had a table for two second sitting for dinner, food was of an extremely high standard and the waiter and sommelier service was faultless. However, the passengers dressed more casually than on the British ships, the americans do not seem to dress up for dinner, even on formal night there was only about 50% of passengers in evening dresses and dinner suits so a good point to note as we felt a little overdressed.
The first day was spent at sea cruising through the Inside passage and the scenery was more spectacular than I could ever have imagined. The naturalist on board advised everyone the best spots to look for whales and we were lucky to see several humpbacks - having attended a seminar earlier in the day on whale behaviour we were able to identify their 'bottleneck feeding' so were thrilled. First port of call was Ketchikan 'Salmon Capital of the world' - so what did we do - go crab fishing! We did however see salmon literally leaping out the water into the nets at the docks. We boarded our crab boat and ventured about 7 miles down the inlet - our catch was very small but we did see seals and bald headed eagles too. Once back in Ketchikan we spent a couple of hours wandering through the village and shops.
Next stop Juneau and a crazy morning white water rafting - quite chilly and wet but thoroughly enjoyed it! A friend recommended the 'Red Dog Saloon' for lunch - What an experience - saw dust on the floor and basket meals - great fun! The following day we arrived in Skagway 'Home of the Goldrush'. We boarded the White Pass Railway and followed the path of gold prospectors. Dramtic scenery all the way up to the summit and into Yukon Territory.(Don't forget your passports). Lunch was BBQ style back down the mountain in a replica goldrush camp. We had the opportunity to pan for gold and were unsuccessful - but had fun. Our last stop of the day was Red Onion Saloon, a former brothel to listen to ghost stories and learn about madams of the goldrush era - as we were getting further north the weather had started to worsen so we bought some freshly made fudge and headed back to the ship to make use of the solarium - a really useful feature on an Alaskan cruise when the weather is unpredictable.
Icy Straight Point, home of the Innuits and with only one ship per day allowed to tender not too crowded. We had pre-booked an excursion as we always do on tender days so had priority disembarkation and our morning was spent sea kayaking, very hard work with the wind and the rain but did not feel the cold as was so busy paddling! We were so hungry after all our activity and had the perfect afternoon on a culinary course, preparing, cooking and eating fresh salmon and crab.
Our last day was at sea, firstly, we cruised into Glacier Bay, icy walls higher than the ship and that undescribable sound of the glacier moving, splashes and waves as the glacier calved in front of us - an incredible experience I will never forget! Afternoon in the gym and spa and moderate seas as you would expect in the Bearing Sea.
We took a bus transfer from the disembarkation port of Seward to Anchorage for one night in the Hilton post cruise. Journey took about 2 hours and the coastal scenery was stunning. the ship and service were really 5* excellence, food even in the buffet restaurants was of very high standards and a wide choice. a very fulfilling experience I would recommend to anyone - can not wait to do it all again!!