The Travelling Stevens Crew are off!

After a busy 3 days of visiting ports it was a pleasant change to not have to get up and go anywhere. Days 5 and 6 were spent in Glacier Bay and then College Fjord.

The morning in Glacier Bay everyone with a balcony room was offered the opportunity to enjoy a champagne breakfast on their balcony with a half bottle of Moet , crab and spinach quiche, fresh fruits and various pastries. I didn’t need much convincing to be part of this special event so we ordered the kids room service for their breakfast as well so they could enjoy their’s on their balcony as well.

The day in Glacier Bay was drizzly and grey but we were still able to enjoy our breakfast on the balcony as our balcony, being on the top deck was totally covered from the weather. Unfortunately, all those below us would have eaten inside but their view would still have been equally breathtaking.

The ship managed to move in very close to the glaciers in the bay and amazingly the captain spins the boat just about on the spot so both sides of the ship get equal viewing time. We would have spent about an hour at each of the glaciers listening to the ice crack and calve as the glacier dropped huge chunks of ice into the bay as new icebergs.

While in Glacier Bay, 4 rangers also boarded the ship to give information about the area and its wildlife. The kids had a special talk from one of the rangers in the kids club about sea otters which are often found in this region but yet to be sighted this trip. They managed to complete enough activities in their booklets to receive another junior ranger badge for Glacier Bay.

The ranger had brought along with her a young native Tlinggit who was born and raised as a fishing boat child. I had read about these families and been amazed at their lifestyle so to meet and talk with him was fascinating. His father was a fisherman and fished 12 months of the year while his wife and son lived on the boat with him. This young man was home schooled by his mother until he was 11 years old when he went to a community school, then onto secondary school the year after. He commented on how difficult it was fitting back into mainstream schooling and how he was isolated from his peers for being different. Socially he didn’t cope well and to make matters harder for him, he was also more advanced then his peers with his education so again ostracised for being different.


As we left Glacier Bay we had a commentary from the onboard naturalist of the wildlife that he was spotting from the bridge. We did get to see some sea otters and humpbacks in the distance but as the seas got rougher out into the Gulf of Alaska wildlife was harder to trace.

By late afternoon the expected swell was in the 18-20 foot range and we could finally tell we were on the ocean. Open waters now and even with the ship’s stabilisers out she was rocking big time!

We all decided we would head out to the pool for a swim however as we walked through the doors to the deck the ship went down a big swell, knocking all sorts flying and nearly emptying the pool in the process. The 3 kids that were already in the pool were like corks in the ocean and as the water in the pool also picked up the motion of the ship it created an enormous swell and flung them out the pool onto the edge and back in again. One of the 3 struggled to get out as the opposite motion dragged him back in to the pool. Poor kid got quite a fright and was a pale shade of grey for some time after. The pool was closed after that incident so instead we settled into the hot tub and watched the seas from there.

Thankfully the kids were set to go to the club disco that night so with a green apple with their dinner they weren’t too bothered by the seas. I passed on dinner and also enjoyed the apple remedy and was amazed at the difference it made to the queasy tummy. Wayne and I were set to go to one of the shows but as I entered the theatre, everything was rolling and swaying but within about 15 minutes my queasiness had gone and I could enjoy the performance. We were amazed at how these dancers and performers could keep their feet under such difficult circumstances but they didn’t miss a beat the whole show. Quite a spectacle!

Later I quite enjoyed sleeping to the rolling seas and luckily no-one rolled out of the top bunk

College Fjord

The following day was picture perfect. We had made it through the Gulf of Alaska unscathed and were entering College Fjord. The sun was shining, the seas were like a mirror and it was definitely a wow sort of day! More glaciers to visit however there was still quite a lot of pack ice here so we couldn’t get quite as close as the day before but spectacular nonetheless. We also saw many groups of Dall’s Porpoises catching a ride on the bow wave. They were incredibly fast and swapped from one side of the ship to the other.

Don’t know how many photos I took that day but can’t wait to show you all!

The sun is now setting about 11.30pm but is twilight for a couple of hours after. The long days are incredible however you don’t feel like going to bed with so much to see and the possibility to miss out on something. Nevertheless we were still packing up suitcases ready for our departure for Anchorage, in the morning, well after midnight.


By midnight we had docked at the port of Whittier which you could not really call a town. All the residents here live in one condominium block and are incredibly isolated, I believe a population of about 19 families.

The only way in and out of Whittier is through a one way tunnel that was built in the late 1950’s for the goldrush.. At the time it was solely for trains and until a couple of years ago all vehicles were actually loaded onto a rail car and transported through the tunnel by rail. Now vehicles can pass through in one direction every hour so if you miss the hour for your direction you can wait at the entrance for the change over. Interesting fact, when it was built it was blasted and dug from either side of the mountain and as both sides met in the middle they were only out by 2 inches!

Since my first attempt at this entry was lost this is going to be a very bridged entry as time is getting short and I’ll be home before I’ve finished. I had put in heaps of detail about our sailing paths and weather conditions but now you’ll just be getting the bare essentials.

KETCHIKAN
We awoke in the port of Ketchikan on day 3 of the cruise and it was just as I imagined, grey skies, rain and lines of quaint wooden houses lining the mountains. Thankfully we had booked the Lumberjack Show for our morning activity and not the bike riding or hiking like some others. The show was a short walk from the pier and we were greeted by being placed in either the Canadian team of Spruce Mill or the US team of Dawson Creek. We were on the side of the Canadians and there was lots of humour and heckling with the opposite team. Very talented lumberjacks entertained us with many of their skills with probably the most entertaining the log rolling in the water. I felt for the poor men as they stood afterwards posing for photos in temperatures of about 7 degrees.

One of our Canadian team members attempted to make a rabbit from the trunk of a tree using a chainsaw. Very cute work until he “slipped” and chopped its ears off. Anyway to cut a long story short , he turned the rabbit upside down and turned it into a mini chair. He then needed someone small enough to fit the little chair. Of course it was the perfect fit for Mackenzie who was chosen to come onto the stage and see how it fit for size. We chose to leave it behind rather than try to get it through customs. As cute as it was, a photo memory will have to do.

Ketchikan was only a short stay and we were required to embark by 2pm so this really only gave us time to have a wander through the streets and discover what Alaska is famous for- diamonds and other precious gems are all duty free and nearly wholesale prices. There are as many jewellery stores as souvenir shops and that’s saying something!! For example a diamond I tried on that was tagged at $9990 was available to buy for around $2500. Definitely the place to go for beautiful quality jewellery but unfortunately not on our shopping list this trip!!

We returned to the ship and were quickly left behind as the kids darted off to the kids club as if they were already suffering withdrawal symptoms. This left us to disappear to the dining room to enjoy a very pleasant high tea in peace and partake in some more adult conversation.

We set sail for Juneau about 2.30pm and enjoyed calm seas through Snow Passage and Sumner Strait. The scenery was amazing from both sides of the ship as we sailed between islands and mountains, mostly snow capped and incredibly close, it was so relaxing to sit back and watch such pristine wilderness pass by.

Juneau
During the night we sailed through Frederick Sound and along the Stephens Passage to dock in Juneau at 8am. Juneau is the capital of Alaska however is totally inaccessible by road. The only way in is by plane or boat due to the glaciers that block all other access. Quite a unique place with an amazing history the town is spread out along the waterways and up the steep mountain side.

We had pre-purchased a whale watching tour over the I’net with Captain Larry and Orca Enterprises with his purple jet boat. We were taken by bus out to the marina in Akuke Bay where we boarded along with about a dozen others onto his purple jet boat.
Apparently whales like purple and the jet engines are quieter than other options. With over 40 years experience in Alaska as a skipper and naturalist we were in for a real treat. Capt Larry used only sight and knowledge to locate the whales, no electronic devices. We were instructed on how to look for their exhalation that lingers just above the water and told that it was easier to see on grey, cloudy and cool days, even better if it’s drizzly rain. Well we were happy with the cloudy, cool day, there was no wind and no rain and everyone was thankful for the calm waters of the bay.

Within a few minutes of being told what to look for there was a sighting, everyone rushed to the side of the boat to see but thankfully there was also open deck viewing from the back and on top. It was great to be out with a smaller crowd and not the 100 that some of the tours take. Capt Larry and his mate Sean, our guide, were both a wealth of knowledge about these amazing animals, the area and other wildlife we managed to see which included Arctic seals, bald eagles, many sea birds and of course the mighty humpback whale. We were informed it was unlikely to see orca’s as they move through the waters so quickly you have to be lucky to get a look. The kids did manage to see a pod of orcas from the ship on their first day at sea while they were in the kids club but I’m afraid the only ones I have seen were at Sea World back in San Diego.
We got to see many whales and also some great tail shots. The best was the time we had spotted a humpback and she had started to come closer to the boat so Capt had just cut the engines. The rule is that boats cannot approach the whales closer than 100metres but the whales don’t understand how far that is so at times they decide they want a closer look. All was quiet and everyone had their eyes peeled ready to see where she would surface, I was looking over port side of the boat when suddenly a burst of air shot within a few metres of me and there she was, so close I felt I could almost touch her. She did a slow swim by then dived beneath to swim away and was gone. Such a privileged moment, it was incredible to be so close to this enormous and beautiful animal of the sea.

We returned to Juneau, buzzing with excitement, especially since the kids were told not to tell anyone else on the jetty that the “whale kissed our boat”, it was too much to bear.

We caught a glimpse of the Mendenhall Glacier from the bus as we travelled along the highway and couldn’t believe how close it was to the town so later in the afternoon we caught the shuttle out for a brief look and hold some glacial ice and walk in glacial silt. Quite different to the glacier in the Canadian Rockies as the ice in front of the glacier had melted so there were chunks of ice floating in the lake.

We returned later to the ship and decided to take the opportunity for all of us to go out together for a nice meal in one of the 4 special themed dining rooms. The ship was not departing Juneau until about 9pm so things were a bit quieter and we were able to get a table at our choice of time. We had chosen to do anytime dining while on the cruise to offer us more flexibility rather than in the same table at the same time each night. Obviously this option suits many people but definitely not us We had bought the girls a nice outfit each so thought they should get the chance to wear it, plus they were very keen to try out the 5 course meals we had been telling them about.

Skagway

Our arrival in Skagway was at 6am and interestingly the view from the balcony was a steep rock face covered in graffiti of various ships’ and countries’ flags. I never did find out the significance of these but later in the day I noticed some advertising painted on a rock face and when I asked a guide about it she said it was there from the gold rush days.

Skagway was an amazing little town with a population of only about 800 people. On a busy summer’s day this population can expand to well over 10 000 as 3 or 4 ships fill the dock. This place definitely survives on its summer season tourism population and it made us very happy to be here at the beginning of the season before the crowds. Apparently Juneau will often have 7 cruise ships in port on the one day. The days we were in port there were generally 2 others not creating too many crowds.

Obviously being such a small place there is not too much to do in Skagway so we decided to have a sleep in and a slower start to the day after the last two early mornings and late nights. The sun isn’t setting now until about 9.30pm so the days are getting a lot longer the further we travel north, sunrise is at 4.30am but I haven’t managed to see any of them yet!

We decided after checking out what to do, that Skagway was famous for its gold rush history and the Yukon, White Pass Railway. With the history surrounding it we decided to step back in time and ride the rail road for a couple of hours and supposedly see some amazing scenery. The kids were very happy as we discovered quite coincidentally, their friends they had met from Bombay were also booked for the train and in the same car.

As it turned out we didn’t get to see too much of the pas at all. After about an hour out of Skagway the snow started to fall in the biggest snowflakes I had ever seen. We thought we had seen snow in Canada but this was amazing! The tracks and ground were covered in no time and it just kept on coming so thick it was incredible. The biggest treat for me was to see out new friends from Bombay, who only yesterday had seen snow on the ground for the first time, get to see snow falling all around them. It was a very special moment and a great to be able to share their elation.

The return bus trip was a little slow and cautious as the roads were also covered in snow, quite unexpectedly, so none of the vehicles or drivers were prepared for the conditions. We all returned quite safely with lots of stories to share.

Interestingly, when you take this tour you actually cross the Canadian border and enter the Yukon. At this point, the train stops and customs board the train to check everyone’s passports. It’s not a simple walk through either as I expected, a very serious affair with some people singled out and questioned in more detail. Crazy enough, on our return down the mountain, crossing back into Alaska, the bus stops and on get customs to check you back into the states!! Go figure??

Yippee the day was finally here. Saturday 10th May was our departure date and after watching so many cruise ships come and go it was finally our turn to embark. We were able to check in any time from 12pm and had heard the lines can be rather lengthy so wandered down to Canada Place just after 11am and started the wait. Because you are leaving Canada and literally entering US as you board the ship everyone must go through immigration before boarding. This was a lengthy process as 2 ships were departing from Vancouver and many passengers are neither US nor Canadian citizens. Anyway we were finally on board by about 2 pm and immediately checked out our staterooms.

Woohoo, Deck 12 (top deck for staterooms), called the Aloha Deck with covered balconies on the starboard side, aft of ship. For all you land lovers that meant on the right facing the pointy end, towards the back. Great location for us, up one deck to food and pool deck and up one more to the kids club.

We were all starving so we thought we had better get into what everyone seems to get excited about on cruises and that’s the food. The Horizon Court was the only food available at the moment which was the ship’s 24 hour buffet!!! Here goes all the kilo’s!
A fabulous selection of all types of food we settled into the style of this cruise ship very quickly. All the staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming and considering the ship had only disembarked its last passengers that morning, everything was fresh and ready to roll! This was the service I had been missing over the last few weeks!!

Our departure from Vancouver was delayed by about an hour due to waiting for people whose connections were late but it gave us the opportunity to phone both the mums for Mother’s Day without having to get them out of bed. We toasted Vancouver and ourselves with champagne on our balconies and waved goodbye to the many people standing on the wharf. Finally we were the ones on the deck waving back. We had been told previously on a harbour cruise in San Francisco to always wave to the people standing back on land and if they wave back they are jealous of you on the ship. Hence, the kids had great pleasure counting off the waves to see how many jealous people we were leaving behind in Vancouver!


Time to explore, we checked out what was on each deck and the kids were anxious to meet the kids club staff and check out what was on offer. Mackenzie’s group was called Pelican Press in the 3-7 age group and Jaimie and Denver were in Shockwaves ages 8-12. With only 27 children on board and probably half too young to join the club, these kids were in for some attention. I thought Mackenzie wouldn’t be too keen to go off on her own in a separate group but either she has grown up more than I thought or just happy to have some time away from the other two, maybe a bit of both because she was only too keen to go off and play. It made me realise how much they have missed just having time to do their own thing, those moments have been rather limited over the last 7 weeks. We are all looking forward to enjoying some extra space and making some individual choices over the next week. The cruise has come at a perfect time in the 10 week, kids are keen to meet some other kids and we are ready to let them enjoy some kid time while we relax and have some much needed adult time. 7 weeks of 24 x 7 and we are ready to have a few hours off and enjoy a few meals on our own. The kids also need some time to relax and experience some freedom, it’s not like they can go anywhere!!

We planned to have a few days in Vancouver prior to boarding the ship mainly to ensure we were there and prepared. I had heard some horror stories about delayed flights and rushed connections on departure days that I was adamant that was not going to happen to us. We had a room booked at the Ramada in downtown Vancouver for its walking distance to Canada Place where the ships depart from. As mentioned earlier there are no cabs in Vancouver that carry more than 4 passengers so once again we had to hire a limo from the airport and thought it would be much easier and a whole lot cheaper to use our legs to get to Canada Place. Seemed a lot of others thought the same as most of the guests were either on their way to get on a ship or just getting off.
]
We spent the few days we had in Vancouver picking up a nice outfit for both the girls to wear on the ship plus an extra 2 back packs. Alaska Air and United airlines have very stringent weight restrictions allowing only 50lbs per case and our big body bags weigh well over that when fully packed. With the kids smaller case packed to the limits with all the heavy gear we needed to distribute some more items so decided to get the girls new back packs rather than pay for checking an extra case.

Denver had also been promised a bike ride around Stanley Park when we returned to Vancouver as we had such average weather previously in April. The weather was noticeably better in May so we went ahead and hired some bikes for a couple of hours and cycled the perimeter of Stanley Park and along English Bay. Mackenzie jumped on a trailer behind Wayne’s bike and successfully powered him around the park with the biggest smile! Denver thoroughly enjoyed being a typical boy finding every opportunity to cut it sick - while Jaimie and I cruised along enjoying the sights and sounds of the park. Our excitement rose as we watched one of the Holland America chips head out to sea under the Lion’s gate bridge – tomorrow it will be us!!

Chatting to others in the breakfast room was very useful as we had received our passenger contract over the I’net advising that no alcohol could be taken on board. As we had only just bought 2 more litres of duty free we were a bit annoyed at the prospect of paying cruise ship bar prices onboard. Anyway the more people we spoke to the more mixed messages we got until one guy that had just got off the Diamond Princess that morning said that he had managed to get 2 litres on board without a problem. That gave us enough incentive to try our luck and thought at worst we would have to pick it up at the end of the cruise. So with a bottle of Baileys stashed in Mackenzie’s backpack and a bottle of Bombay Sapphire in Jaimie’s we successfully embarked our ship.