North to Alaska - July 31 - August 14, 2017

July 30, 2017

Thank you, Robert and Ari, for the ride to the airport.  New thing we learned today - domestic first class ticket holders, MAY NOT use the Delta Sky Club!  Bummer!  No problem though, we read (actually Rob napped) until our flight departed at 01:52 AM for Seattle.  Nestled comfortably in seas 9 B & C, we settled in for our 5 hour 22 minutes flight.  Best part of the flight - soaring past Mt. Rainer, which truly looked like you could reach out and touch it!

After our arrival, we tried our new Lyft app - score - great ride to the Paramount Hotel for a mere $16.00, versus the $50.00 rate quoted to us at the airport.  We quickly dropped off our luggage in our room and met the Stewarts.  After a short visit, we headed off to the Space Needle and Chihuly exhibit, only to discover a two hour wait.  Forget that!  So, we took an Uber ride back over to the waterfront to enjoy drinks at the harbor, as well as a delicious dinner at Elliott's Oyster House.

Our waitress, Natalie, was absolutely adorable and made our outdoor dining a special treat!  We walked (Rob insisted that it was a marathon) back to the hotel for an early turn-in prepping in anticipation for tomorrow.

July 31, 2017

Good morning, Seattle!  And, what a glorious, gorgeous day it is, so we strolled to our nearest Starbucks for a delicious breakfast.  Afterwards, we took The Toddler back to our lovely Paramount Hotel for his rest time while Teri, Alan, and I walked down to the Public Market.

  Naturally, we had to watch the “flying fish” at Pike’s, as well as stroll through the awesome market.  The flowers, fresh produce, and local sights were quite captivating.  On our walk back to the hotel, we made a detour into the Macy’s. We took an Uber ride to the port, where we quickly processed through the Holland America terminal.  Once on board, we settled into Cabin 3404, our home away from home for the next couple of weeks.

We discovered The Crow’s Nest for our Happy Hour which has the most incredible view, especially around 7:00 PM! Our dining room servers, Andri and Anggia, are a fabulous team, and we look forward to many happy meals at Table 80.

August 1, 2017

Ah, love those days at sea.  We slept in, and then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the dining room.  As always, we found our favorite “spot” next to the coffee in the Explorers’ Lounge.  The guys read while Teri and I worked on needlework.  For this cruise, I’m completing the upcoming Retreat Challenge Blocks for Joan’s quilt.  Once the embroidery and applique are finished for those blocks, I’ll continue my embroidery for a Thanksgiving quilt.

After lunch, Rob look his obligatory nap while Teri, Alan, and I worked out.  Next, Alan went upstairs for his nap, Teri and I explored the ship’s shops.

We’re VERY happy with The Crow’s Nest, followed by tonight’s amazing Gala dinner.  Alan treated us to a luxurious bottle of Caymus for dinner!  YUM!  Tonight’s show, featuring the ship’s singers and dancers, was the perfect way to end this relaxing day.

Our very talented and sweet cabin gal, Christina, created adorable creatures to greet us every evening when we returned to our cabin.

August 2, 2017

Hello, Ketchikan!  We met on the pier for our Misty Fjords & Wilderness Explorer, and sailed off for this lovely four hour tour. In 1978,over 2 million acres within the Tongass National Forest was designated as the Misty Fjords National Monument. The Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian Alaska Native societies live here. We saw a black-tailed deer, harbor seals, eagle, and a variety of birds as we traveled within the Revillagigedo Channel, Behm Canal, and various bays.  Our naturalist gave us an abundance of fascinating facts including the tidal variances of up to 26 feet!  Located near the entrance of Rudyerd Bay, we saw the distinctive shape of New Eddystone Rock, a volcano plug. Another intriguing feature was the tiny white gull birds living on the steep fjords.  Their nests hang precariously on the edge containing elliptical shaped eggs that are flat on the bottom to ensure that they stay put.  Talk about adaptation! 

After our excursion, we returned to the ship for lunch, drop off Rob for his nap, and then headed into town to explore.  We saw a majestic bald eagle along creek street.  Unfortunately, the salmon are still buried deep in the streams because the weather has been too warm.  Bummer!  Alan stopped for a local beer while Teri and I explored the quilt shop. Back on board, I enjoyed doing my needlework on the open deck as we sailed away.  We enjoyed a relaxing happy hour in The Crow’s Nest, followed by a delicious dinner.  Tonight’s entertainment was a very talented pianist, Paul Pappas.

August 3, 2017

Well, the time change must have finally caught up with us, as we both were wide awake at 0645 hours!  So, we decided to enjoy another relaxing breakfast for two in the dining room. Today is a “scenic cruise” day which was supposed to feature Tracy Arm; however, the captain opted to divert us to Endicott Arm because Tracy Arm has receded a bit, putting too much ice in our path.  He felt that the Endicott Arm glacier would be better, and we certainly didn’t mind since we had already seen Tracy Arm.  The bow of the ship was opened for passengers, and the scenery was positively breathtaking.  We did see a humpback whale, but Rob insisted that it “didn’t count” because the whale didn’t breach the water!  Oh well, perhaps tomorrow.  We did see harbor seals and an eagle on the little icebergs.  The beautiful blue glacier was so majestic.  Even as we enjoyed lunch, we could view the glacier as the captain turned the ship 360 degrees around for everyone’s viewing pleasure! 

Later, Rob took his nap, while I did needlework with Teri (Alan read) in the Explorers’ Lounge.  I worked out in the gym, and then took a 25 minute “Fab Abs” class which I could certainly use!

August 4, 2017

Good morning, Juneau, as we welcome another beautiful, sunny day. This area was surveyed by Captain George Vancouver, a protégé of Captain James Cook, in 1791.  Our modern day leader, a hysterical bus driver, Don Jon, drives us to the port, as we board the St. Gregory for our whale quest.  Our naturalist, Keegan, is a marine biology major, specializing in whales, so we are treated to endless facts about whales, such as the baby whale gains seven pounds per hour in his/her first few days of life.  The humpback whales feed in Alaska, then migrate to Hawaii for mating.  Quite the life they enjoy.  The first half of our three hour trip along the Saginaw Channel in Auke Bay is filled with gorgeous scenery as we pass Admiralty Island where over 1500 bears reside.  Unfortunately, Rob did not get to see even ONE of these bears. We did spend some time enjoying the relaxing Harbor Seals and frolicking Sea Lions. 

Right when we thought we would not see any whales, we sailed into an area with FOUR humpbacks feeding.  Humpback whales eat approximately one ton of krill and small fish per day! The captain turned off the motor so we could just enjoy our time with the amazing creatures.  As the sun glistened on the calm water, these large mammals alternated between blowing and showing (their tails) while the passengers snapped picture after picture.  Nature’s choreography was spectacular!

Don Jon, a University of Utah Valley student, entertained us with corny jokes and cute stories as we drove over to Mendenhall Glacier.  As we hiked to the photo area, it was obvious that the glacier had receded since our last visit in 2010.  Nevertheless, it was still gorgeous!  We stopped by the Visitor’s Center and enjoyed an informative video before boarding the bus to return to the Amsterdam.

Rob was starting to develop a cold or some sort of breathing difficulty due to the paint fumes in our cabin, so I took a short walk back into town to pick up a few cold supplies.  The sunshine was so warm that I did not need my light jacket! After a quick clean up, I attended Shabbat Services.  Holland America does a lovely job of providing a very comfortable room, wine, candles, prayer books, challah, and an oneg cake.  Our service was brief, mainly because it was conducted by fellow passengers, but quite meaningful.  After another delicious dinner, we returned to our room.

August 5, 2017

Wow!  Sunshine and warm weather, again!  One of the locals commented that today was only Icy Strait Point’s 15^th day of sunshine thus far during 2017. We walked the 1.5 miles into town along a very scenic coastal path.  Once in town, I zipped off the lower part of my hiking pants because it was extremely warm!  We walked over to the “eagle’s nest tree” to see if there was any activity.  We could tell that something was in the nest, but no real details.  Just as we were about to leave, Alan turned back to observe that the majestic bald eagle was returning.  Wow!  Eventually, the mate also emerged from the nest, and we could see another young eagle.  About that time, the lady who lives next to the tree came over with her binoculars and some details.  She said that there were two babies in the nest who would probably fly away in September.  Eagles mate for life, and the female typically gathers the food for the young while the male remains on the nest.  Their “clutch” usually varies from 1 – 3.  I could have stayed there all day watching these amazing creatures, but our ship was sailing at 1300 hours, so we had to move on. 

Next, we visited the Huna Tribal House Project where we watched the artist work on a totem poll.  This very talented artist carved the backs on the majority of the benches in this town.  He was a very proud native of this tiny town of about 800 residents, only of which 500 were year round residents.  He was captivating, and again, I could have stayed entertained by him for hours, but we needed to return to the ship.  We were supposed to sail at 1400 hours but we were delayed due to a passenger being medically disembarked.  Whew, that brought back horrible memories of dad’s episode on our 2010 Alaskan cruise. My heart hurt for the passenger, as well as his/her family. We left about 30 minutes late, headed for our next day at sea.

August 6, 2017

Days at sea are so rejuvenating!  After our wonderful breakfast in the dining room, we retreated to the Explorers’ Lounge to read (Rob) and do some needlework (me) while sipping coffee.  I attended a Wellness Class which was informative, almost a one-on-one class, as only three other folks attended! We lunched, relaxed, and then I even tried to nap, but no luck.  So, I put on my gym clothes to workout, as well as attend another killer “fab abs” class.  It was our second gala night, and everyone looked quite lovely.  The “Roadhouse” entertainment was a wonderful combination of country tunes. Sunset tonight was 10:10 PM!  Sunrise tomorrow – 6:10 AM!

August 7, 2017

Hello, Anchorage, along with another day of sunshine. The tides fluctuate up to 30 feet here, so the gangway will adjust three times during our 12 hour stay.  We were shuttled into town by a comfortable couch bus.  Teri and I immediately headed off to the quilt store while the fellows enjoyed coffee.  I found the perfect panel for a baby gift!  We then headed over to Humpy’s for a truly awesome lunch.  I enjoyed the Halibut fish and chips (my only cheat meal on this trip) and Rob had a crab sandwich that looked like it could feed four! 

Upon returning to the ship, the gangplank had indeed moved from deck one to deck three!  Rob napped, I walked the promenade, and then eventually went to the Explorer’s Lounge to relax.  In the background, I could hear a violinist playing beautiful classical music, as well as Hallelujah, one of my favorites.  Tonight’s entertainment was the Indonesian Production put on by the crew.  We were SO proud of Andri, how happened to be the conductor!

August 8, 2017

Along with our sunshine, we had hundreds of sea birds squawking a greeting as we arrived in Homer this morning.  Our “hop-on-hop-off” school bus shuttle took us six miles into town.  Our first stop was the True Value Hardware store that actually was a down-sized Walmart type store.  I purchased more Delsym Cough Syrup for Rob, then checked out the fabric selection, still on my quest to find applique thread, but alas, no luck.  Guess folks don’t applique here in Alaska.  Oh well, we strolled the streets looking in several local shops. 

I found four incredible pictures taken/signed by a local photographer which will make a great collage!  We took our shuttle back to the Homer Spit to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, Captain Paddies’, recommended by our bus driver. My halibut tacos were divine! Back on board, we enjoyed coffee with the Stewarts in the Explorers Lounge before returning to our cabin for a little nap.

August 9, 2017

Well, today, we finally had the “typical” Alaskan weather, a slight drizzle.  But, that didn’t stop Teri, Alan, and I from venturing into Kodiak to explore!  First stop, Flying Geese Quilt store, and unfortunately, no applique thread.  Really?????  On to another store, where I happened to find a couple of t-shirts.  In the community building, local folks were selling crafts, and I managed to find a few more treasures.  Hey, I always have to support the local economy!  While walking back to the ship, Alan noticed a local cannery on “Cannery Row” so we stopped to take a peak.  The workers were very sweet, and gave us lots of information about their company, Pacific Seafood.  One employee kept fussing at us for taking pictures, but the main guy said to ignore her!  So, we enjoyed our own little excursion!

Rob finally gave in and agreed that he was sick enough to see the ship’s doctor, so when the medical facility opened at 1630 hours, we were first in line.  The adorable doctor from South Africa immediately gave Rob a breathing treatment, prednisone, and an antibiotic.  He opted to stay in our cabin for the evening, and room service was ordered.  After dinner, Teri, Alan, and I attended the John Denver/Jim Curry show, which was fantastic.

August 10, 2017

Today, Rob began to feel better again.  We all enjoyed a quiet morning in the Explorers’ Lounge, and then off to the gym before lunch.  Around 1400 hours, Rob and I settled in the Crow’s Nest for the beginning of our journey to Hubbard Glacier. By around 1530, everyone was out on dock as we approached this seven mile long, four mile wide glacier.  It is North America’s largest tidal glacier! We stood in awe as the glacier calved over and over again.  The best description is that it sounded as if the glacier was thundering inside, then a huge avalanche of ice would cascade into the bay.  We were totally mesmerized!  The grand finale was a beautiful rainbow as we departed the area!

August 11, 2017

Good morning, Sitka!  This morning’s excursion took us to the Sitka Sound aboard another Allen Marine vessel for our Sea Otter & Wildlife Quest.  Immediately we spotted some Steller Sea Lions.  The difference between sea lions and seals are their larger size, ear flaps, and rotating rear flippers.  These cute critters were enjoying salmon as we sailed by.  We continued into a cove where we saw red and purple star fish and sea urchins through the crystal-clear water, as well as a majestic bald eagle perched high in a Sitka cider. Then, as we rounded a corner, we came upon a rather large raft of sea otters.  These cute, cute marine mammals have no extra fat layers for warmth, but rely only upon their rich fur for protection against the cold water.  This fur is the densest fur in the world with over 300,00 hairs per square inch. We truly enjoyed watching them frolic until another on-coming vessel had to blow its horn, frightening them away!

Jokingly, Rob said that there were two bears on the shoreline, and within a few minutes, a passenger did spot a bear!  The captain navigated the boat as close as possible, and actually, there were TWO young bears playing. Finally, Rob got to see his bears.  The two bears walked, and ran along the shore while we happily watched.  Sadly, we had to return to the pier, but along the way we spotted two humpback whales!  We learned that it takes 30 days for these whales to travel from Alaska to Maui. We also came upon these adorable sea lions!  What an amazing excursion.

Once back on land, Rob headed to the ship, while Alan, Teri, and I ventured into town.  Sitka is a charming little city built around a Russian Orthodox church. We spotted Re-fresh Restaurant where we enjoyed fabulous seafood for lunch.  Now, we were ready to shop! But first, a quick stop at the ATM.  We then found the quilt shop where I purchased a cute t-shirt and applique thread.  We browsed around a few other shops, then started back to the ship, when we spotted a section that we had not explored.  Luckily, we found a great art shop featuring a local artist and purchased a couple of his prints.  Next store, we made a couple of purchases at the Alaskan Salt Shop, then strolled back to the ship.

Tonight’s entertainer, Amy Lee, was a very talented violinist who provided a fabulous show.

August 12, 2017

Another relaxing day at sea, but, unfortunately, we woke to the horrible smell of paint AGAIN!  After breakfast, I met with the Hotel Manager to discuss this only “bad” feature of our cruise.  While she was a very lovely lady, she could only provide me with a Holland America Customer Service contact number once we return home. I will definitely contact them! Today, we spent time relaxing in the Explorers’ Lounge, and now, updating our blog, as well as downloading yesterday’s pictures!

August 13, 2017

Victoria, British Columbia and a gorgeous, sunny day = perfection combination for our last day on the cruise. The winds were quite gusty, but the warmth of the sunshine was really the only thing to notice, so Alan, Teri, and I hopped a bus to downtown.  Lovely downtown Victoria, it was just as charming as I remembered.  We were even lucky enough to have the same art/crafts show!  Teri and I found some treasures to purchase, and then we all went to Starbucks to download our email.

Rob had remained on board, as he still feels lousy, and his coughing is dreadful. Luckily, he felt good enough to attend dinner and the final show.

August 14, 2017

All the crew waved farewell as we left the Amsterdam.  We took Uber to the airport where we said farewell to the Stewarts as we went to the Delta Sky Club to spend the next few hours before our flight home. I made several phone calls, the most important one to Rob's pulmonary doctor, Dr. Lock.  He'll see him first thing tomorrow morning!  The flight home was uneventful and Robert and Ari picked us up.  Home sweet home!