Tag: alaska

Our day started early.

This morning, we had guests from the National Park Service on board to share their knowledge about Glacier Bay National Park.

With the emphasis on the Margerie Glacier, different forward levels of the ship were open. We started outside of this area, and then moved inside to the crow’s nest.

We were a part of a large crowd of early risers. Three pieces of information were shared—a short introduction of our guests, the plan for viewing the Margerie Glacier, and tips for spotting wildlife.

From here, we left for breakfast and plotted out glacier viewing strategy.

When we returned to the viewing area, my Commander Supreme opted to join a long line for the pop-up National Park Service Store. The outside air was colder this morning, so I went back to the room to add an extra layer of clothing.

We reconnected on the front edge of one of the forward decks. This was a good viewing spot to see the glacier and to hear the ranger’s commentary.

According to the National Park Service, the Margerie Glacier is twenty-one miles long. That length is traced back into the Fairweather Range where some of the elevations peak out at 9000 feet.

Additionally, the glacier is 0.85 miles wide. Its ice face towers at 200 feet above the water.

The ship’s Captain and his crew are to be credited for positioning the ship for a full viewing experience of the glacier. This included careful navigation through an ice field as the ship moved toward the glacier.

Eventually, we worked our way back to our room. We sat out on the balcony and continued to view the glacier. This included the excitement of large sections of the glacier tumbling into the bay.

The morning morphed into lunch time and a trek into the overly crowded Lido dining room—asparagus soup and a grilled pear and brie cheese sandwich hit the spot.

After lunch, we attended a lecture by the ranger and a local indigenous people representative. Each presenter conveyed their areas of expertise with lots of passion.

From the lecture, Betsy, Dan, and I walked to deck three, the designated walking deck. Here we had the opportunity to interact with the Park Ranger.

To our surprise, we also had multiple opportunities to see whales spouting. The whales were feeding close to shore. This included a few tail flops from whales huddling close to the surface.

The cutest view was when a sea otter on its back came surfing by the ship with an infant resting comfortably on the mother’s stomach. Neither appeared to have a care in the world.

After walking, Betsy and Dan played pickle ball on one of the decks with some likeminded passengers.

For dinner, we had signed up for a special treat—a seafood boil. At $35.00 a piece, we had a blast.

We started with a delicious bowl of clam chowder.

This was followed by each of us receiving our own kettle of seafood.

Inside the kettle in a delicious broth were clams, mussels, shrimp, Dungeness crab legs, salmon, corn, potatoes, and a perfectly seasoned small loaf of crusty bread. The bread was perfect for sopping up the broth.

From the staff, we were given bibs, and small bowls for washing our fingertips. We had lots of fun— that included interacting with and asking questions about the logistics of this meal with the staff.

Not that we had room, but dessert was a berry crumb with vanilla ice cream.

After dinner, we needed air and exercise, so we walked the deck.

We came back inside for an outstanding performance of Broadway songs and more trivia. With the trivia, we finished in a three way tie. In the tie breaker, our answer was off by one year.

Next, we took in a set with the ship’s house band.

By now, sleep was calling us, but we didn’t collapse right away.

Sitting on our balcony, a couple of whales teased us, and we were treated to a colorful sunset.

Saturday would bring another day of travel on the open waters with a final look at glaciers in the College Fjord.

Whittier was our destination, the point where we would leave the ship for the land part of our journey.

In truth, I rarely thought about the Fourth Of July today.

I’m not a huge fan of fireworks, but the reality is that Alaska’s beauty and wonder were our fireworks.

This is a precious place.

I think I could be dead and still wake up early.

My internal clock has me pegged as an earlier riser. No alarms set. I just wake up.

Today, Monday, June 30, 2025 is no different.

Overnight, our Holland American ship has been sailing the Inside Passage. On Tuesday, July 1, we are scheduled to arrive in Ketchikan, Alaska at 6:30 a.m. That will be our first port stop.

Today, all of our activities will be focused on what the ship offers.

Out on our balcony, I’m surprised at how close we appear to land. Scattered low clouds and a speck of color from the rising sun make for pretty scenery.

This morning, I’m going to the gym to workout. My goal is to ride a stationary bike and use some light weights.

With a couple of wrong turns, I make it to the gym. The equipment is nice and available for me to use. The room is equipped with good windows perfect for watching the water and the coastline.

After the workout, we gather for breakfast. The options are overwhelming. So, I keep it simple—oatmeal and the European spin on muesli. I love the muesli.

At some point after breakfast, we were notified that the Captain of the ship had made a navigational shift pushing the ship out into the open sea. Not sure of his reasoning, but he knows more about these waters than I do.

At some point, we lose the snips of fog and gray cloud cover for blue sky.

We took another stroll along deck three, and as the morning progressed we immersed ourselves in the following: a cooking demonstration, a stringed duo who perform on viola and cello, general knowledge trivia, stretch class, lectures about upcoming stops.

Had a hotdog for lunch. Then took it easy for a bit.

The guys regrouped and attended a beer tasting session. For the beer tasting, Peroni from Italy, Guinness from Ireland, and an amber ale and an IPA both from the Alaska Brewing Company in Juneau were featured. Butch, Dan, and I enjoyed the tasting and the comments from the staff.

Also in this afternoon rotation was a Dutch tea. There was quite an offering of food with this event.

After the tea, the remainder of the afternoon passed quickly. Before we knew it, we were working our way back to the dining room for dinner.

Stuffed from the dinner, for the remainder of the evening, we roamed around the ship.

We walked through the casino. This seems like a waste of space to me.

Music attracted us to a solo pianist and then a cover band. It was clear these musicians had a real passion for music.

At some point, our collective body clocks reminded us that sleep was important. Roaming stopped. Our rooms were calling. We said good night.

Before drifting off, I think about the Inside Passage.

This thousand mile route runs from the coast of Washington state to Skagway, Alaska.

By comparison, back home the Intracoastal Waterway runs from Massachusetts rounds the tip of Florida, and meanders along the Gulf of Mexico coastline ending in Brownsville, Texas.

Both the Inside Passage and the Intracoastal Waterway provide cruise and commercial ships, and pleasure boats some protection from the open ocean waters.

I wonder what the early explorers of the Inside Passage thought as they traversed these beautiful waters?

Did they think it would ever have an end point?

I wonder how tempted they were to pull ashore on any of the remote islands or coastlines on either side and explore.

As they progressed did they stare in amazement at a soaring eagle, the sighting of a whale, or a ginormous grizzly bear feasting on the shoreline?

I’m not sure, but I know my old eyes have enjoyed the stunning scenery today, and I look forward to more as we come into Ketchikan in the morning.