Leaving off from last post, I wanted to talk about the third part of my Alaskan Cruise. I’m going to split my cruise, from Vancouver to Anchorage, up into 3 posts to review the cities I visited and the Alaskan cruise itself. So if you’re planning to travel on an Alaskan cruise from Vancouver to Anchorage this post maybe be helpful to you! Again this is the third part of my cruise and you can read the second part here.
Day 6 – Glacier Bay, Alaska
After a long day at Skagway it was time for some restful cruising. For the remainder of our Alaskan cruise we were going to be at sea and viewing glaciers, whales, etc… I actually liked the concept of this. A couple of days where all you have to do is eat, sleep, view wildlife and glaciers. On day 6 we made it to Glacier Bay which is known for having some of the best glaciers in the world and is usually notoriously foggy. The morning looked was foggy and it looked like it would remain all day. I had read in the cruise newsletter, that foggy weather was better for viewing glaciers because pf the way the clouds reflect off the blue water!? I’m not sure if this is true or not or if they were just telling us that that so we would be bummed by crappy weather. We had some luck though because as soon as we pulled up to the glaciers, the cloudy skies parted and we had full sunshine to see the glaciers.
I really enjoyed the non cloudiness because it would have been freezy to stand on deck for a couple of hours and there was plenty of light to take great photos of the glaciers. The ship turned in a 360 degree pattern so that everybody could get a chance to see the glaciers although it was never difficult to find space on the deck to view out. Some people opted to stay in their cabins to view the glaciers but really the best option is to stand on deck and have the freedom to walk from side to side and take photos of all the landscape around you. If you’re planning an Alaskan cruise I would opt out of getting a window unless you’re claustrophobic, etc.
We went to two glacier sites while at Glacier Bay. We had a tour guide come on the ship and talk about the glaciers and the environment. Not too long ago, we could have never sailed up Glacier Bay because it would have been all one glacier. In 1790, the glacier was charted all the way to the entrance of Glacier Bay and as a 300 foot block of ice. It only took around 250 years for the glacier to fully retreat to where it is today, which is now multiple glaciers. Most of these glaciers will retreat to where we won’t be able to see them but some are still stable. We were able to see the Margerie Glacier and John Hopkins Glacier. The Margerie glacier is stable, at least for the foreseeable future, and is one glacier the cruise ships can actually get close to. The John Hopkins is actually said to be advancing, a rare observance these days. Apparently the area is also prone to earthquakes that can create tsunamis as high as 1,600 feet.
Moving on from the glaciers, we went back inside the ship to warm up, drink some tea, eat, play some cards and trivia. After leaving, there was also one of the best chances to see some whales. And they actually were there. Both times the whales jumped on the wrong side I was viewing so I was never able to get a great picture of whales jumping but I did get to see them with my own eyes. I also took some videos and far off pictures of whales that got very close to the ship. They pop in and out of the water and slowly advance to the side, all of the sudden stopping.
Afterwards we headed to dinner for our last formal night. Couldn’t believe it was already Day 6 but if we really looked back on it, there was a lot that we had done. That night they served a bunch of fish and of course Baked Alaska for dessert. They even had a little parade for it. Another day and another night to unwind with some drinks and a movie.
Day 7 – At Sea and College Fjord
On the last day we had grown accustomed to the routines. I worked out in the morning and went to the sauna. We also decided to go hot tubing for the first time in the back of the ship. Today we were in the Pacific Ocean heading up to Whittier, Alaska with a stop at College Fjord. Again we had some cloudy weather in the morning but that soon parted with perfect skies for the rest of the day. It also was rocky out at sea but nothing major. If you’re the type that seems to get easily sick by rocking motion than you may want to consider taking some pills from the ship or before you board. I don’t think this should deter you from going on a cruise but be aware that when you’re out at sea you will experience more rocking.
Today we also had to prepare our luggage to be taken away that night. The cruise ships take away your luggage and then divide them up according to when you depart the ship. You can always tell the cruise what time you need to leave the ship and they will work with you. If you have a late flight then it might be a good idea to relax and be one of the last ones to leave. Sometimes there really is no point in leaving early. We had a tour planned for the next day, so we had to be out of the ship pretty early. You can also go down to the front desk and look at all of the charges that you have accrued on the ship. You pay everything with your cruise card and this is the first time you will be able to review all of your charges. You will also notice that there will be gratuity for the staff. You can add money or take away money depending on the level of service you received. These days cruises add the gratuity to your statement and then it will be charged on your credit card.
We approached the coast of Alaska and entered into College Fjord at around dinner time. Sun was out and it was perfect to take pictures. College Fjord has 8 glaciers all extending into the Fjord. The most dramatic glaciers are the furthest in the fjord and have icebergs floating in front of them. College Fjord was the epicenter of the Good Friday earthquake in 1964, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever known on this Earth and the most powerful in US history.
And so after leaving the fjord it was time to end our cruise and go to Whittier, Alaska.
Day 8 – Whittier to Anchorage; End of Alaskan Cruise; Seattle to Chicago
We had our last meal on-board and then exited the ship and waited for our tour/shuttle service to Anchorage to come. Many people were headed up to Denali National Park but it was time for us to head back to Chicago.
One of the highlights of our return was the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. We got to see some bears, moose, foxes, etc… all up close. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is on the way from Whittier to Anchorage and you can arrange that the Wildlife Center be part of you stop to Anchorage. After arriving in Anchorage we had to wait until 2 am, next morning, for our flight. It’s hard when you have no place to store your luggage and you have to wait around forever until the next flight. We decided to go to downtown Anchorage and fix my iPhone (it decided to stop working while on the cruise), and chill in the 5th Avenue Mall for 6 hours before heading to the airport.
At least everywhere we went had some wifi. Anchorage Airport was actually pretty nice and we waited for a good 9 hours there before our flight to Seattle. We had some foggy weather while landing in Seattle but all of our flights were on time and we got back to Chicago in the afternoon. Successful trip completed! Videos are to come, I just need to pick out and edit some of my favorite.
Alaska was my 23rd state completed on the 51 State challenge. Stay tuned for more updates on the challenge and other posts and news from my website by subscribing above!
images by: shawnvoyage
