Sisters Cruise Alaska 2022

So, a few years ago my sister invited me to go on a cruise. We planned a cruise to the warm, sunny waters of the bluer than blue Caribbean. Then, Covid hit and everything came to a standstill, as you all know.

Fast forward two years and we changed our minds. We decided to kick the sunshine to the curb and opted for a 7 day cruise to Alaska! Now, I’m not a big fan of being cold. The clothes you have to wear are heavy and personally I don’t own any! I live in Florida! I wear shorts and flip flops most every day! But, that was not going to stop me or the excitement I felt leading up to the day we embarked on the 2nd most amazing boat trip of my life!

It seemed to take forever for the time to arrive! After months of anticipation, booking some excursions, getting our flights in order, packing a big ass suitcase, downloading and filling out applications needed for the cruise line and ultimately passing our Covid testing, my sister, Cameron, and I met in her hometown in California and together flew to Seattle, Washington where we boarded the Eurodam, a Holland America Lines Cruise Ship.

Now, y’all know I have cruised several thousand miles as Jim and I traversed Americas Great Loop. We cruised on a boat. A 45 foot motor boat. A boat is not a ship! I found this out in one of the onboard lectures we attended. You never call a cruise ship like the Eurodam a boat. It is a ship.

A ship can carry a boat. A boat cannot carry a ship. We were on a ship, and boy oh boy, was I thrilled. I’ve never been on a cruise of this magnitude.

We arrived safely in Seattle, and waited for the bus to take us to Pier 91 at the Seattle Cruise Port. As we rode in, the skyline of Seattle appeared and I fondly remembered a time or two that Jim and I had traveled here. The Seattle Space Needle is an icon of the city. The bus driver told us it was painted Orange for its 60th anniversary and is the same color that it was at the 1962 Worlds Fair. “Orange” you glad know this now!

As the port came into view, the Eurodam was now in plain sight. I got a bit teary, not the last time that would happen on this adventure with my sister. I felt so grateful that she included me on this journey with her. Cameron has sailed to Alaska 5 times now. I knew I would be in good hands, and her knowledge about Alaska, ship life, and the ins and outs of cruising would be very helpful.

We got through security and boarded the ship! We found our room, which was on the 7th deck. The Rotterdam deck. We checked it out before going to the Bon Voyage party on the Aft deck. Our room was great! Cameron got us an upgrade to a room with a veranda. We were both very happy with the choice and I knew we would both spend countless hours watching the world go by and looking for whales and other wildlife!

I think we got a bite to eat before we headed outside to the party. Ok. Let’s talk food. There was so much food to be had on this trip as you will see! I had attempted to lose a few pounds before I came on this trip so I would not feel guilty about enjoying all of the different fares we would get to enjoy!

We headed to the aft deck of the ship to find hundreds of people enjoying the beautiful day that we were treated to. The music was loud and the people were happy! Joyous! Laughing, drinking and very exited. I danced with myself and just took it all in. The ship was still being fueled so I knew it would still be a bit before we sailed away from port. Our Brother Kelly, who I’ve spoken of before, is an executive for the company who was fueling the boat. Cameron called him on the phone and he told her that, yes indeed, the fuel barge was one of his and that our ship would have taken on over a million gallons of diesel fuel and that this particular ship would burn approximately 40,000 gallons of fuel a day. Amazing!

The most popular way to take in Alaska’s splendors is on an Inside Passage cruise. An Alaska Inside Passage cruise is one that makes a round-trip journey from Seattle sticking to the southeastern "panhandle" area of Alaska, an area roughly 500 miles long and 100 miles wide.

The Inside Passage itself is a network of waterways that runs from Washington State's Puget Sound in the south, up the Pacific coast of British Columbia and through the Alaska panhandle. Carved out by glaciers during the last ice age, it's characterized by more than 1,000 islands and islets, coves, fjords and coastal towns, each with its own character. (The term "Inside Passage" is commonly used to refer to the entire region: the land and islands, in addition to the waterways.) The largest national forest in the country, Tongass National Forest, blankets the entire southeast Alaska portion of the Inside Passage, and many glaciers can still be seen.

This is the route we will take over the next 7 days.

We departed the dock and waved goodbye to Seattle. Cameron has been aboard the ship before so she took us on the tour. We walked the ship and she showed me where everything was. The pools, the dining rooms, the specialty dining areas, the shops, the casino, and the theaters. We passed bars, and sitting areas. Beautiful artwork and statues. There were many banks of elevators, which have carpets with the day of the week imprinted on them so you know what day it is. 😂

We definitely got some steps in and made it back to our room where our luggage was waiting for us. We unpacked and settled in. We met our room attendants, Fermin and Rasta. They will be with us all week making sure we have everything we need. These two took very good care of us. We got dressed and made our way to the main dining room where we had a 5:30 seating.

Our day was coming to an end and both Cameron and I were exhausted. But, much to do still!

After our dinner we headed to the Main Stage to watch the show. It was supposed to be the dance troupe Step One Dance Company, but we were experiencing some rough seas on this night so they canceled the show for the safety of the dancers. Instead we got a comic who put on a show, which in my opinion wasn’t that great. Just my opinion. I think I was tired too, so I was looking forward to laying down. Our day started at 3:45 am that morning. Up and dressed, to the parking lot to catch a shuttle, to the airport for our 7:00 am flight. Also, ship midnight is 9:00 pm, just like on the Loop😂

But wait there’s more! I had been waiting for months to sit in a hot tub on the ship. Tired or not, I was hell bent to make that happen! I put on my suit and headed down to the aft deck pool area. It was freezing, and windy, but absolutely perfect! Everything I dreamed it would be and more.

Sunday May 22, 2022

Day at Sea

We awoke to a dark gray morning with low fog over the water. This whole day and night we will be at sea. We will awake tomorrow in Juneau, Alaska. It was still choppy and the swells looked to be 8-10 feet. Even on a ship this big you can feel the motion as the swells hit the boat.

We got coffee delivered to the room and started our day early. We sat on the veranda, but I can tell you now, for much of our trip we could only hang out there for a short period of time. It was really chilly. This is what it looked like outside for most of the day !

There is much to do on the ship. We enjoyed breakfast in the Lido Market which is the buffet. I could not get over the amount of different foods they offered. Everything from all things eggs, meats, fruit, pastries. Oatmeal, cereals, breads. It was so beautiful and served up so nicely. Because of COVID, the staff serve you so people don’t get their grubby hands on all the food. I think both Cameron and I appreciated this. While I’m talking about the crew, I’d be remiss if I didn’t write about how utterly phenomenal each and every one of them were. So friendly, courteous and all of them go above and beyond to make your cruise seamless and memorable. They’ve really suffered over the past few years. I know that they are grateful to be working again so they can provide for their families. I found out that most of the crew works a 9 month contract. They work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for not a very nice wage. They depend on the kindness of the guests to tip them for their service. Cameron and I did give the service people who took good care of us a little something extra at the end of our trip. Hopefully so did everyone else.

That being said, today we just hung out. Cameron read, we watched TV, we wandered the ship, and we spent time on the Observation Deck which is on the 11th floor overlooking the bow of the ship. It was a very comfortable place To hang out.

At 3:00, Kainoa, a naturalist, gave a talk about wildlife, glaciers, Alaska, and what we might expect to see and experience in the days to follow. Interesting stuff.

After, we went back to the room and dressed for dinner. On Sea Days, it is Dressy Attire for meals in the dining rooms and other venue’s. Cameron and I got all dolled up and headed to our 5:30 seating.

Again, an amazing food experience and we went off to the MainStage for the dance group and their show called Humanity. Before the show started the Captain came on stage and offered a toast. The crew had given everyone in the theater a glass of champagne if they wanted it. I thought it was very nice. I was glad to see what our Captain Daniel looked like. He has much responsibility for us all under his command.

Monday May 23, 2022

Port of Call - Juneau, Alaska

We awoke after a long night of rockin and rollin to the calm still waters of Stephens Passage, passed Tracy’s Arm and Sumdum Glacier and then cruised into Gastineau Channel which ultimately put us on the dock in Juneau. It was very rainy and cold. We enjoyed breakfast at the main dining room this morning. We had two excursions scheduled for today. We had a bit of time before our tour left for Mendenhall Glacier. We walked from the ship into downtown and wandered the street past many storefronts, mostly jewelry stores and touristy gift shops. We were bundled up and had umbrellas that the ship crew gave us as we got off the ship. We had time to burn so we went into the Red Dog Saloon for coffee. This saloon is a premier destination in Juneau for food, booze and entertainment. Again, because of COVID, these shops and restaurants have been suffering over the past few years. You can really tell they are happy the cruise ships are back.

We boarded our tour bus, and headed to Mendenhall Glacier. A 25 minute drive. The bus driver was awesome and gave us all kinds of information about Juneau and the Glacier. As we arrived I knew it was going to be a wet, rainy adventure, but both Cam and I were ready.

Something I learned on our Great Loop Adventure was to go with the flow. To take risks. To enjoy each new experience with gratitude. To not worry about getting wet and to get a little dirty if you have too. I embraced those lessons learned, today, at Mendenhall Glacier and Tongass National Forest.

This place took my breath away!

We walked down a hill and I really wanted to get as close as I could by foot. It was a little bit of a hike, and it was wet and slippery. Cameron headed up towards the Visitor Center and I forged on. I was overwhelmed with the beauty in front of me. I trudged through the mud and slippery rocks and was totally impressed I didn’t fall. I had to FaceTime Jim, Aimee and Jennifer to show them where I was and allow them to see something they may never get to see. The video below shows a Timelapse of the Medenhall Glacier over the years and how it has receded. Interesting Fact.

I took my photos and headed back to Cameron and the Visitor Center. There was a movie to watch and we didn’t want to miss it. We loaded back on the bus, headed back to town and walked to our next adventure. The Mount Roberts Tramway is an Aerial Tram that rises 1,800 feet from the cruise ship dock through the rainforest to the Mountain House. It offers up an expansive, panoramic view of Juneau and Gastineau Channel. It was a ride to remember and the views. Spectacular!

Tuesday May 23, 2022

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and Icy Point Strait

What is a Glacier?

The Science Behind the Scenery

The glaciers of the park are the remnants of much larger ones that date from a relatively recent cooling of the earth, the ‘Little Ice Age’, that began around 4,000 years ago. A glacier is like an extremely slow-moving, frozen river. Glaciers form usually at higher elevations when the accumulation of snow and ice is greater than the amount that melts each year. Because of Glacier Bay’s location, it’s so cold that this was not difficult. Over time, the accumulated snow and ice gets compacted under its own weight, and hardens together to form a glacier. The massive weight of the glacier produces a tremendous amount of pressure on the ice at the bottom, and it begins to slide down the mountain as the glacier continues to be fed by more snow and ice from the top. The friction this causes can create meltwater, which acts as a lubricant, and speeds the transit of the glacier down the slopes.

Some glaciers are fed by enough snow and become so massive that they travel all the way from mountain top to ocean, this is called a ‘tidewater’ glacier. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve contains 7 such glaciers. As the glacier reaches the water, the water can erode the underside of the glacier, resulting in spectacular shows as the glacier shears off, calving off giant icebergs into the sea.

We were one of the fortunate travelers to sail inside Glacier Bay, something that only a few cruise lines (Holland America) can access. There’s no place quite like it on earth, with over 3.2 million acres of forest, inlet and shore, mountain peaks rising over 15,000 feet.

First thing in the morning, the National Park Rangers boarded the ship and set up shop in the Crows Nest. This is not just a sea day – you need to be up and ready by 7AM! The Crows Nest, or the Observation Deck, has 180 degree windows at the bow of the ship. All day long, I was on the move. I wanted to experience the beauty all around me from every vantage point. We started our day with some breakfast and then headed to the Observation Deck

Over the ships PA system we could listen to a park ranger talk about where we were, what we were seeing and historical facts about the glaciers. The observation deck was crowded so we headed down to the Lido Deck, found some lounge chairs and made them our home base for the remainder of the day.

Cameron was content to sit, read and look for wildlife, but as for me, I wandered about the ship. I had found that taking pictures through the ships window were not as vibrant because the windows had a tint on them.

At 9:09 am we arrived at Lamplugh Glacier for the first passing. We would pass it again on our way out of the bay. Lamplugh Glacier is situated on the Western shore of Glacier Bay at the entrance of John Hopkins Inlet. It is 8 miles long. Lamplugh is known for its intense blue color. Ice and water absorb the red wavelength of white light and transmit blue light, which is what you end up seeing. The thicker and purer the ice, the bluer it appears.

At 10:30 we headed into the upper most area of Glacier Bay. Margerie Glacier. This glacier begins high in the mountains and meanders down the valleys like a river of ice. The width is about one mile and is about 350 feet including 100 feet which is underwater. So what we see is is ice that is 25 stories above the water. When we got to the glacier it was about 48 degrees. So chilly, but absolutely added to the drama of the moment. I captured my best photos from the aft deck where the waitstaff delivered hot split pea soup, which by the way I missed out on because I wanted to share that experience with Cameron. By the time I got back inside, the service was over. She got to enjoy a bowl, and that made me happy!

I will never, ever forget the sense of scale and magnificence of this Bay, the stillness, the spiritual quiet and bearing witness to what must be one of God’s most beautiful creations right here in the United States of America on this day. I’m so grateful to be sober and so happy to be sharing this adventure with my sister.

We went to the MainStage and listened to a presentation of The Alaska Native Voice’s. Here we were offered a beautiful presentation by a native Tlingit (pronounced “Klinkit”) woman. She provided interpretive and educational information. Sharing her own personal story, experience, clan and family traditions. As well as historic use of the area. She was adorable and Cameron and I both enjoyed our time with her .

Our next port of call is Icy Point Strait. After a long cold day we chose not to get off the ship. This is a new port for cruise ships this year. It is Alaska Native owned and operated , with profits directly supporting the community of Hoonah, Alaskas largest Native Tlinget village there were a few excursions to be had like a zip line and wildlife search, but we sat on our balcony, on a beautiful sunshiny late afternoon and witnessed our own wildlife adventure

Tonight is a Gala Night and we are having dinner in one of the specialty dining rooms. There are several of these dining rooms to be had on the ship. When you make reservations for one of these dining experiences, there is an added charge of about $40.00 per person. The dining experience and the upscale choices in food, is well worth the price

Tonight we enjoyed the Pinnacle Grill. A steak and seafood fare. This is what we chose for our meals. For starters, Cameron had crab cakes, lobster bisque. I had the jumbo shrimp cocktail, the lobster bisque and we shared an order of the standout appetizer which was candied bacon. A very unique presentation pairs thick, crispy bacon with savory maple glaze and black pepper seasoning. It was amazing!

We both had the the filet with bordelaise sauce, with mushrooms, roasted beets with blue cheese crumble and asparagus Dessert was their version of not so classic baked Alaska made with Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream encased in toasted marshmallow meringue This was definitely a meal to remember.

After dinner we returned to the MainStage for another performance by the dance company, and then- lights out. Under way to Sitka, Alaska.

May 25, 2022. Port of Call - Sitka, Alaska

Today we are anchored in Sitka and will take a tender into the city where we will go on two excursions. The ship has to anchor because a week ago, a Norwegian Cruise Line crashed into the dock, so it is obviously in need of repair

Today we will go to the Birds, Bears and Barnnacles tour. After boarding the tender, we arrived at the dock and boarded a tour bus which took us first to the Raptor Center. The center provides medical treatment to around 200 injured bird’s each year. They promote rehabilitation, education and research. There are 24 Raptors-in Residence, including bald and golden eagles, hawks. Falcons and owls. These birds will never be able to return to the wild. They also have a rehabilitation to release flight training center where injured birds that can be released are offered a huge enclosure where the birds will have to demonstrate their stamina and maneuverability before they can be released back into the wild.

Next stop, Sitka Science Center, aquarium and salmon hatchery.

An up close look at marine creatures, this 45 minute tour let’s us know about the buildings and their historical ties to the town of Sitka. We explored the salmon hatchery which produces over 6 million salmon per year and then visited the aquarium which is home to deep water and intertidal residents that have been collected from the Sitka Waters. I wandered down to a beach with an amazing view of the mountains and beautiful water!

Next stop- Fortress of the Bears

The sanctuary was self-guided, so we walked from the bus out to a walkway. Right away we saw three black bears and listened to one of the staff members talking about the rescue and its mission. Each of the bears were orphaned as cubs and the sanctuary rescued them. Without the sanctuary, the cubs would have died in the wild.

The three of them have been raised together and live on an acre of land. They have plenty of area to roam, splash in the water and climb around. The staff said the bears are fed anywhere from 50 to 100 times a day depending on how hungry they are. The sanctuary also had brown bears, which were much bigger. These were also rescued as cubs. With just 8 bears and a small staff, the sanctuary is able to have a very close relationship with the bears and understand their needs. They explained how the bears are taught these commands so they can easily check on their mouth, paws, legs, bellies, etc. Similar to dogs, the bears are rewarded with hunks of salmon, meat and shellfish like clams and oysters for listening to commands and this allows the sanctuary to provide veterinary services regularly.

The staff also explained how the bear’s lifespan is doubled by living in the sanctuary compared to those living in the wild. Essentially, these orphaned cubs are raised to be very spoiled bears who have a great life with attentive service and care. I’m my opinion, this is an all inclusive resort for these bears!

The bears were very intrigued to see all of us there, as it was only the 3rd cruise ship of the season! I was equally as captivated by these huge creatures. Since they’ve been raised around humans, they were very comfortable with everyone there.

I loved learning about the bears’ behaviors and interactions with one another. You could tell the staff care deeply about these animals and want to provide them the best life possible.

Bald eagles were also hanging in the tree during our visit. Apparently, they’ve been known to steal the meal right from the staff members’ hands. They hang around hoping to get some food as well.

I’d highly recommend a visit to the sanctuary if you are ever in Sitka. It is a special place.

We had dinner for the last time in the main dining room and enjoyed another show in the MainStage. Tonight’s dance company’s show was called Off The Charts. This group is very good. Each show has been different in every way . The music, the lighting and the choreography was all really great and entertaining.

Tonight we sail into Ketchikan, Alaska

May 26, 2022. Port of Call -Ketchikan, Alaska

We awoke to smooth sailing as we entered into the port in Ketchikan. It was chilly outside and we enjoyed some coffee in our room. We dressed and hustled of to breakfast. Our time in Ketchikan today is only 3 hours, so we wanted to be ready to disembark when the ship got tied off.

Known as the “gateway to Southeast Alaska,” Ketchikan is one of the southernmost cities on the Inside Passage—a network of waterways that snake through the lush Tongass National Forest and alongside the snowy peaks of the Alaska Coast Range.

Downtown Ketchikan, Alaska.

The Ketchikan area was initially used as a fish camp by Tlingit Natives, who named the site “Kitschk-hin,” meaning “thundering wings of an eagle.”

Today, the city still showcases Native culture with attractions such as Chief Johnson’s Totem Pole, which can be found in the heart of town. Ketchikan actually has one of the largest collections of totem poles to be found in Alaska, some of which date back more than a century.

We walked through many beautiful flower lined streets and Totem Poles. Fun and very colorful!

Creek Street is a little back alleyway, so to speak, with cute shops and trinket stores. Again, the town is rebounding from COVID and a few of the stores were not open. There are a few excursions to be had here, but Cameron and I chose to just wander and pick up some souvenirs and gifts for friends during our stay here. We sat in a diner and had a coffee and after a few hours, headed back to the ship. All aboard was at 11:30. As that time arrived, we watched from our balcony to see if any late arrivals might miss the boat. As it stood, we still hadn’t shoved off by 12:15 and later found out that one of the boat excursions had to be rescued because their boat broke down! It was a HAL excursion, so we had to wait for them. If it has been booked by an outside vendor, we would have left them behind!

Here are a few pictures of the beauty we found in Ketchikan.

Tonight we had a scrumptious dinner at the specialty restaurant The Tamarind. An Asian-Fusion upscale dining area. The waitress’s wore beautiful dresses and we had an ocean view table. The Tamarind feels like a restaurant you’d find in an upscale hotel. It’s sleek and Asian inspired. We ate spring rolls, crispy duck, curry, satay, dumplings, crab fried rice and a few other things. We had an amazing sorbet and berries for dessert. The food was magnificent!

After dinner it was back to the MainStage for a movie concert called A BBC Earth Experience - Seven Worlds One Planet.

The entertainment was fabulous on our journey through Alaska. Not too much, but just enough. This cruise is demographically not for youngsters. It’s an older, understated ship. There are no carnival rides, zip lines or rock climbing walls. It has been laid back and a good majority of it’s passengers had gray hair. I called it a “geezer” ship and that was just fine with me. I told Cameron many times on this trip that I’m not a good tourist. My world is small. Drama free. Quiet. I’m content sitting. I did that. I like dressing up. I did that. I like sitting in hot tubs. I did that. I love seeing nature and new places. I got to do plenty of that. I tried to go to AA meeting’s, but I didn’t get to do that. No one showed up! I’ve said I don’t like the cold, but to be honest, the chilly air was refreshingly amazing and the waves calmed my soul. I absolutely love being on the water and I will definitely go on another cruise. Sooner rather than later. I’ll take Jim next time. I actually left a deposit for a future cruise and I think we might do a 12 day Panama Canal Bucket List Cruise.

During the day today. The Captain made an announcement for us to batten down the hatches in our rooms because we were going to experience high winds and big swells as we now will travel in the Pacific Ocean for many hours towards our last port, Victoria, British Columbia.

He was telling the truth😂

May 27, 2022. Port of Call - Victoria, British Columbia

We were at sea all day and we were rocking and rollin! High Seas and strong winds made staying on your feet challenging. Cameron and I laughed a lot as we walked the ship. We weaved and bobbed from side to side, sometimes slamming into the walls. We did not see a whole lot of people out and about on this day. I think a lot of people stayed in their rooms. Especially the older people with mobility issues. Some people were probably very sea sick 🤢

We also layed low and prepared to pack our luggage. Luggage has to be put out by midnight so it can be collected and readied to be taken off the ship. It was a sad time!

This is what it looked like on deck today.

It was truly a shit show, but we made the best of it for sure.

And then the weather changed. Just like that.

We had dinner tonight at the Canaletto. Another specialty dining room. It’s Italian cuisine was wonderful. We sat at a table with an ocean view and enjoyed every moment of our last night of this Alaskan cruise adventure.

After dinner, for the last time, we headed to the MainStage and watched the step One Dance Company perform In Tandem.

We headed to the room and finished packing our bags and meandered to the Crows Nest as we sailed into Victoria, British Columbia. We, again chose to stay on board since we were only in port for a few hours. It was a beautiful sight as we entered the port. The city was smack dab in front of us and we had a great view sitting in comfy chairs, toasting our trip with a couple of virgin Pina’Colada’s.

We returned to our room, put our luggage out. Watched a few shows on TV and turned in. Neither of us felt the ship leave the dock nor did we feel it dock safely from where we started our journey a week ago in Seattle.

Yet, here we were.

The end of our amazing. beautiful, fun filled Sisters Alaskan Cruise 2022!

To my sister Cameron.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to share this week with you. I am grateful and feel so blessed. I feel like finally we are truly big and little sister. We share much more in common today than we have in the past, and I am so happy about that. You are my big sister. I respect you and I admire you. Thank you for accepting me for who I am. Thank you for your understanding and support. Thank you for loving me despite it all.

Let’s do this again! It was a blast!