Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Alaska trip: Cruise portion

So i read a blog where the girl just got back from an Alaskan cruise.  And this reminded me that i never shared the photos from the cruise portion of our bucket list anniversary trip.  You know, it's only over a year later...i think it's about time.  I broke down and bought a DSLR camera for this trip, and it was well worth the cost and the lugging around of it for the photos.  They're not in order, because it's a rainy, dreary day, my coffee hasn't yet kicked in, and i'm lazy. The stops on the cruise portion were Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juno, and Ketchikan.  We didn't do any extra excursions because we opted for the more expensive land portion, but we did rent a car in Skagway and drive to the Yukon.  Okay, enjoy! 


Hell yes, this is why we have the DSLR.  This was the closest we got to a bald eagle, it was just chilling by the ships in Juno's port.
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Creek Street, Ketchikan.
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Glacier Bay.  The best advice we got was to be on the port side of the ship, and then getting a balcony was a must.  We literally did not leave our balcony on that day.  This was the only day that was rainy and overcast, and as we entered the bay we could hardly see anything at all.  I had no idea how close we were to the glaciers and was disappointed that the day was going to be a bust.  Thankfully, the fog cleared and we were able to progress. 
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The blue ice was amazing.  We got to see some calving (when a chunk breaks off into the water).
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And this guy!  How stinking cute!  The naturalist on board said there was a seal on the port side, and when we went out he was directly in front of our balcony, which was in the middle of the ship.  We thought he'd be something we were approaching, and have time to focus the camera, but nope.  He was right there, and we zip zipped right by.  Again, the DSLR was quick enough to take the shot before he was just a tiny blip in the expansive water.
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The glaciers aren't all beautiful crisp blues, but most are.  Also note the people huddled and bundled on the bridge outside.  We were glad to have our own private space and be able to go back inside once we got too cold.  It was freezing right here, i mean, you're pretty much on top of a glacier, but it was also raining.  I had on every layer of clothing that i could, gloves, and my hood up.
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More glaciers.

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We thought this was going to be the closest we got to a bald eagle, but see picture number 1.
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This shot of another cruise ship gives a good sense of the height of the glaciers. 
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Mendenhall Glacier, Juno.  We took a quick ride out to see the glacier and then had lunch at Tracy's Crab Shack which was on the Food Channel.
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Emerald Lake, called such for it's gorgeous green water.  We rented a car in Skagway and drove into the Yukon on our own.  We watch a lot of Gold Rush, and the boyfriend had images of just chancing upon some gold.  Seriously.
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This guy just moseyed on out into the street, and did not care that there were cars.  I was concerned that even though we were in a car that we shouldn't get too close.  I mean, it's still a bear.  There were books for sale titled "Don't Get Eaten" for goodness sake. 

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We considered ourselves extremely lucky that we were able to see the amount of wildlife we did, especially with the moose babies we saw in Fairbanks and the bear and caribou we saw during our tour in Denali.  This was truly an amazing trip, and an anniversary that we will never forget.

More people opt for the cruise portion than the land portion since it's more affordable, so please share with me your experiences if you've gone.  But. If someone was going to ask me for my opinion, i wholeheartedly encourage you to go all out if you can and really experience the interior of Alaska, too.




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38 comments:

Gail @Purple Hues and Me said...

These are really great pictures! We did the first Alaska cruise of the season in early May '10 and it was the best cruise ever! We went with a group of friends and stayed in the Courtyard Villas on the Norwegian's Pearl which made it very exclusive and fabulous. We also took lots of excursions which included experiencing wonderful interior landscapes and customs of Alaska. The first train ride of the season by way of the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway, and Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp was also very enjoyable. The Mendenhall glacier was amazing but the whale watching was disappointing. The excursion was too crowded with people shifting from one side of the boat to the next when whale sightings were announced. We had better sightings and up close views of whales in Cabo, Mexico this past January.

Sheri @ www.careergirlinterrupted.com said...


Oh wow. This is one of our bucket list trips too and I cannot wait. These pictures are amazing. I had no idea about the blue ice - can't wait to see it IRL.

Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse said...

Your pictures are amazing. Thanks for sharing them for us who doesn't know Alaska.

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Well the wait was worth it...wonderful photos! This really does look like an awesome trip!
hugs,
Linda

Chrissy @ Adventures in DIY said...

Your pictures are AMAZING! My parents went on an Alaskan cruise a couple of months ago and they loved it!
I'll be heading off on a Caribbean cruise very soon - can't wait! I love cruisin'!

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous pictures! An Alaskan cruise is definitely on my bucket list:)

Unknown said...

Beautiful! My parents went to Alaska a few years back and said it was amazing!

Dara @ Not In Jersey said...

brings back many memories for me, as we did the same cruise in 2002. we also drove out to the yukon and loved it!

Unknown said...

wow! this sounds like an amazing trip. and the photos are spectacular!

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here said...

Your pictures are beautiful! My MIL went last year and loved it. This trip is on my bucket list.
xx,
Sherry

Custom Comforts said...

What stunning photos!!! So glad you got around to sharing them with us. Looks like you had a spectacular time.
Cindy

Unknown said...

Thank you for these stunning pictures my son is bartending on a cruise ship in Alaska for the next 4 months so any pictures of this area we can see is areal treat.Susie

Connie said...

We have many family members who have taken this cruise, but your photos are what makes we want to sign up . . . gorgeous!
Thanks for sharing.
Your blogging sister,
Connie :)

Noel Morata said...

It must be amazing to see all that wildlife, stunning!

Suzanne Fluhr said...

Our intergenerational 7 day Alaska cruise with relatives spanning 77 years in age was one of our favorite travel experiences. Our itinerary was from Seward, Alaska (after a ride there from Anchorage on a Panoramic train), Sitka, Juneau, the Hubbard Glacier, Skagway, Ketchican, ending in Vancouver, Canada. We did ship excursions including taking the train from Skagway up to Whitehorse, Canada where we went kayaking on a beautiful lake. Your photos make a very good case for investing in a DSLR for an upcoming trip to South Africa.

Jo ~ Lifestyle Fifty and ZigaZag said...

Loved your blue ice and bald eagle shots - stunning.

Budget Travel Talk said...

I have not been on the cruise, but if I did I would definitely go the land option as well. Beautiful photos. Good idea showing the boat so we could gauge the height of the glacier and backdrop.

Decor To Adore said...

Holy smokes! I cannot believe you have been sitting on these beauties for a year. I am talking postcard worthy! :)

Tina said...

Outstanding photos!

Diana Mieczan said...

Wow, how beautiful and what a great trip! I love that you managed to capture a bear:) So sweet. Kisses, darling. xo

Poppy said...

Those first images of the bald eagle are hauntingly beautiful! Being a colour gal, I just kind of sat here and stared at the Creek Street photo for a while...TOO pretty, and those BLUE glaciers? Amazing!! Thanks for sharing!

Poppy

Unknown said...

Gorgeous photos! What an amazing trip! I've always wanted to take an Alaskan Cruise.
Leslie
House on the Way

The Charm of Home said...

Beautiful trip! Thanks for sharing!

Good Girl Gone Glam said...

These pictures are amazing! Looks like a beautiful trip! Thanks for sharing and stopping by the blog!
Marianne
www.goodgirlgoneglam.com

Brandi said...

I would love to visit Alaska one day too. My son mentioned the other day how much he wants to go as well. Your pictures are beautiful. There was so much to see. Glad you had an amazing trip.

Karen said...

What beautiful pictures! Alaska is another beautiful state. We have been blessed with such a gorgeous planet.

LJ said...

Looks like an amazing trip! I'd love to take an Alaskan cruise someday too. What great memories you captured.

Ivy and Elephants said...

Soooo beautiful! I've always wanted to take an Alaskan cruise. The photos are amazing. The blue ice is astounding, thanks for sharing with us.
New follower,
Patti

Erin said...

Love all of your beautiful photos of Alaska! Makes us want to go now too! Thanks for sharing with us at Your Designs This Time!

Erin & Emily

Laura B said...

These pictures are just gorgeous! I want to go on an Alaskan cruise so badly! What an amazing trip!

Jill said...

WOW WOW WOW! Just found your post and all these amazing photos. Thanks for sharing - I'm so envious! One day... :)

Anonymous said...

Wow, beautiful photos! That first one of the eagle is just stunning. I can't wait to make it up to Alaska.

Unknown said...

Your pictures are amazing!!!!
Thanks so much for linking!
Sorry about last week. Xo
Isabelle

Linda said...

Alaska is totally on my must visit list! Beautiful photos. Linda bushelandapickle.com

Anonymous said...

Magnifient beauty! About your comment on my blog: We'll keep the gold rush in Calif. just between you and me:):)

Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes said...

We didn't do a cruise at all, only a land tour of Juno, Anchorage, and Fairbanks. We did Glacier Bay, Valdez, Denali, and I'm sure other things I'm forgetting. My hubs bought a fancy camera for the trip (before digital), and unfortunately, didn't really know how to use it. Our photos are terrible! It was nice to see yours - beautiful!

Cassie {Hi Sugarplum} said...

Amazing...thank you thank you for sharing!!

Bonnie said...

Your photos are beautiful! You are making me want to do this trip! We actually lived in Fairbanks for 4 1/2 years twenty years ago. We saw and experienced amazing things. I didn't have a good camera sadly and we don't have good pics.
Maybe one day we will take a cruise and enjoy the sites again and some for the first time.