After a relaxed few days in Vancouver adjusting to our holiday mode, we had an especially relaxed morning on our last day on the mainland.  At this point our family travel expertise was in full swing with everything packed all our documents and bookings done the day before and even the taxi to the Cruise terminal was done.  We are now for the big adventure, and after a great breakfast at the OEB restaurant in Yale town (the exact same one we went to two years ago in what is now becoming a tradition) we took our cab to the Cruise terminal.  Had a nice chat with the taxi driver who is apparently a cruise ship vacation expert.  The Terminal which was not for any particular cruise was Grande, but today specifically was especially busy with not two but three large cruise ships boarding.  The lineups were ridiculously long and although the staff did their best to make an organized system out of utter chaos, we were not completely impressed.  The icing on the cake was the US customs where US/Canadian passport holders had a good 1.5-hour line wait vs international passports which was nonsensical to me.  To make matters worst as soon as we entered this ridiculous line-up – which come to think of it was more like a 2-hour ait than 1.5, our little one had to pee with no toilet in sight. 

After a stressful and at times humorous wait (we stuffed wipes down her pants for an impromptu diaper), we finally made it.  At the declaration, I was marked as a “person non grata” by virtue of my name which was never an issue to our many travels to the US before.  After a little bit of a wait until the US security did their due diligence we were off to the ship.  The elevators were far and few and the wait was getting to me.  Eventually, after reaching our room we unpacked and we finally felt settled in.  Had a quick buffet lunch to tie us over for a more substantial dinner (the tomato chickpea soup was sublime, and the seafood orzo was excellent).  We saw the ship disembark and did some quick exploring, including a coffee shop, an art gallery, and the library. 

Eventually, I got my Wi-Fi to work and we are good to go.  Our older guy was nonexistent hanging out with his cousins (he finally made it back to the room at 11:00 at night).  Our little one had her fill and although she didn’t end up swimming that will be our itinerary for tomorrow.  Overall our service, including our room service concierge from Indonesia was excellent and super friendly.  It was a rough start but ended off on a nice high note.  Looking forward to more views, family talks, and great food with a sprinkle of adventure and entertainment.

(Day 1)

So on to the first full day of the cruise, and what is typically known as the “Sea Day” we spent the entire day on the ship.  It was a cool and variably cloudy day but the sun did peak through at times, being outside is uncomfortably cold so opted to be mainly indoors.  We took full advantage of many amenities starting with the breakfast, and various coffees, walked through the stores and art gallery, registered our kids at the kids club, and then had our fun at the indoor pool, which was jam-packed.  Could not turn around without bumping into someone.  Had some alone time in the room which included fully unpacking and making the room bigger by decluttering, and then capped it off with a night show called the Topper, comprised of songs, flashy dance numbers, and some acrobatics.  The little one was surprisingly into it and stayed put the entire hour, while I stood given that it was a packed house.  The second show was less packed, a stand-up show with Mark Simmons, an R-rated show – funny and entertaining but not over the top howling.

Took some great pictures, and had one on one chats with various family members from the breakfast to dinner.  It was a great day and we got to explore more of the ship including the iLounge tech hub where I caught up on some emails.  The only hiccup was me trying to get prices for a scenario where I would cut my Calgary leg of the trip short to spend more time with my brother-in-law, but I was not able to get anywhere.  The Air Canada website must be rated as the worst in the world – it simply refused to work at all costs and in various forms and alternatives.  I will keep trying tomorrow but will try not to let it consume most of my free time during the day. If nothing works, I will try once we land tomorrow for our first excursion, a sky gondola, and a short hike – otherwise, once we are back in Vancouver.

The service is friendly and the food has been great.  The portions look small but are very filling, and the escargot with the garlic butter sauce was the highlight of the day’s food options.  Looking forward to more treats (and pounds of fat) tomorrow!

(Day 2)

Our day started off with the usual breakfast, albeit later than usual so we had to go to the buffet-style breakfast, which was an utter bloodbath, as opposed to the usual a la carte breakfast restaurant.  We met with family and had our obligatory 4 coffees, 1 hour of which during our little one begrudgingly going to the kids’ camp.  We got ourselves ready for our first port of call at Icey Water Straight next to the Hoonah area of Alaska.  We stepped out and walked to our cable car station and quickly found ourselves up the mountain with awesome views, it was quite the steep climb with the cable cars. 

Our journey was then comprised of an armed guide walking us through the loop trail to a hidden lake and up some beautiful scenic paths with amazing views down to the straight and our cruise ship (one of two docked along the village.  We opted out of going to the cannery but enjoyed the walk, and the guide who was a native, entertained us with some personal stories that highlighted his culture.  Not a bear in sight but plenty of warning gave the tour an edge, and overall it was a nice break from the rocking cruise ship.

On the way back we got our traditional magnet souvenir before having a quick bite and then dinner (yes the food comma continues).  Had a final gathering at the café bar and called it an early night.  Had a nice card game with the younger generation, which was surprisingly a nice highlight of the day.  Looking forward to some sushi tomorrow and hopefully some entertainment.  I love the cruise life but can’t help that my travel experience is underutilized and limited by being on a ship.  Not sure if I prefer this over regular travel where I am much more efficient and able to see a lot more – but for this particular trip which is more nature than culture it is perfect. Plus it’s very kids friendly, in a way that an all-inclusive resort is, with a highly sanitized version of tourism.  Still, it is an experience everyone should try if they can, and in most cases, people who go on cruise ships end up being “Cruisers” for life.  Not sure I am one of those people, but very grateful for this experience and the unforgettable views I already have ingrained in my mind of the snow and cloud-capped mountains over a long Pacific sea sheet horizon.

(Day 3)

Today was mainly a sea day spent primarily eating and walking around the ship until we docked at Hubbard Glacier.  What an awesome sight!  The glacier was so impressive, Grande, and raw that I had a rare emotional moment just staring at it.  The cracking and roaring sounds of pieces being melted off further added to its mystique (a very natural melting – nothing catastrophic).  At first, the views were hard to come by, as expected, everybody rushed on all decks and the morning breeze made it feel extra chilly.  As the ship got closer, the best views were from the comfort of the room balcony.  I must have taken over 300 pictures of the same thing, just to be sure and from every angle.  It was surreal, and the surrounding icy water, iced cap mountains, and “beaching” seals on the clumps of ice on the water were so beautiful.  Apparently, another glacier in the making was also visible, and we were told that the views and visibility on our day are probably one of the best.  We could see far beyond the glacier’s surface and all the background surrounding peaks were clear and visible, the waters were calm, and the sounds of the glacier were loud and clear.

The glacier and the beauty were by far the highlight and took up most of my day interspersed with food and naps (I felt like a luxed-out livestock animal).  Another highlight was having a delicious sushi dinner with the wifey when lo and behold we had an impromptu view of two orcas jumping in-synch and playing together in the waters.  Didn’t know Orcas could jump, but these two were so acrobatic, and close by it was an amazing sight to see.  I was especially awe-struck.  The wife and I caught them first and then once everyone took notice they all packed the windows, including the crew!  It was an amazing couple of sights and looking forward to the next day’s whale-watching adventure.  We walked through the ship stores and I got a couple of pendants as souvenirs for my mom and niece, presumably made of Alaskan metal – which oddly looks exactly like Australian jewellery I got in Sydney marketed as Aussie metals!

On another note, the food here is getting to me, I feel like at this point I am not enjoying what is in fact great quality food.  It has been quantity over savouring quality, except for the sushi place.  I will avoid buffets and start to choose healthier, especially more hydration, fruits, and veggies.  This massive amount of food intake, and the following coffees and pastries, is not sustainable.  Let’s see if I stick to this new epiphany of mine!  I’m also surprised that I am not completely “peopled out” by being with family all this time.  It’s been a nice balance and everyone is enjoying their time and getting along, especially the little ones with their protective cousins.  It’s been a great positive of this whole trip and a definite bonus beyond the great Alaskan natural views.  The chit-chats and catch-up sit-downs have been wonderful and much needed, especially for the wifey who is always missing her family.

(Day 4)

Today I woke up and decided to peek through the curtains, rolling into Juneau, Alaska’s capital, I quickly saw green mountains close to our ship and made myself comfortable for the rest of the early morning (5:00 a.m. onwards, enjoying the Alaskan panoramas.  Of course, I took hundreds of pictures, which I can’t be faulted for – especially when you have waterfalls, bald eagles flying, at one point a hummingbird, and of course the beautiful coastal mountains and landscape.  Eventually, we made our way into Juneau and proceeded to go on our Whale watching tour after breakfast.  I was not optimistic, to be frank, and had hoped to maybe see some sea lions and if we’re lucky an Orca.  Although the tour “guarantees” sightings, my brother-in-law and his wife went a couple of days ago and found nothing, they did catch a couple of coastal grizzly bears though which must have been a site to see in and of itself! 

Boy was I wrong, to start the jet catamaran boat was comfortably enclosed with a restroom and both the captain and the tour guide were very knowledgeable.  Before that, our bus driver, Jenna, made our ride a highlight with her stories and dad jokes.  So we quickly found a pack of humpback whales doing “bubble netting” which we are told is rare given the whale’s usual solo hunting nature.  We had a show of about 40-50 minutes and at one point a synchronized tale flip of all 5 whales which I was lucky to catch on video; I was asked by both the captain and the tour guide to email it to them, which I did!  We found a few more packs of two and three, we must have seen a total of 15 whales altogether.  It was awesome and majestic to see.  The spouts, the fins, the synchronized display, the head tilts, and the tails.  It was incredible.  Eventually, we saw some sea lions sleeping on a buoy out in the sea, a typical image – it was equally fascinating.  After the whale watching we were driven for a “Salmon Bake” which had a beautiful outdoor setting next to a waterfall and stream.  With freshly caught salmon as our main – basted with maple sweet sugar and butter, it was amazing and tender.  The apple cider, blueberry pie, cornbread, and coleslaw were all a highlight.  The reindeer sausage mixed with beans was slim pickings and left much to be desired though.  But the marshmallow bonfire roasting for the kids more than made up for it.

We made our way to the City of Juneau, which was small at 30 thousand or so inhabitants, but had a nice main street with enough tourist-based shops to keep us busy for another hour before heading back on this relatively hot day back to the ship.  I was wearing at least 6 top layers and two sweatpants expecting a cold day at sea for the whale watching, which was far from the case. 

Had a good hour swim with my little one, which tired us both out followed by a nice dinner where I had Thai coconut chilled soup and chicken jerk.  Caught a comedy-magic show which was entertaining before heading back to the room in anticipation of seeing some inkling of northern lights (aurora borealis).  If so I would check another bucket list item, rounding off the cruise ship, whale watching, and now the northern lights.  I guess I will know shortly if I’m three for three, still awake writing this journal waiting for it!

(Day 5)

To start, there were no northern lights yesterday, as of 2:00 a.m. the skies were still not completely dark and there were enough clouds to quickly diminish the hope of any starry night sightings let alone an aurora borealis.  Who knows, might try another gander tonight as a last-ditch effort. As I write this journal, I am sitting on the cabin balcony waiving at a smaller passing-by ship, a beautiful day here in Ketchikin.  Overall, the usual breakfast and coffee ritual, with a deal or no deal break where my sister-in-law was called for an attempt to win $5000, alas she got the $1 suitcase.  Other than that, things are becoming routine and as I write this, I have been turned off by the amount of food I have been consuming, the quality is great but I am not used to or built for this.  So I am actually passing off on a chic attire, lobster night dinner with the family (who I enjoy and this is by no means a slight to their company), but I simply can’t put another piece of food in my mouth – yes I know, first world problems.  The day excursion to the Totem pole Potlach Park was interesting and the stories were nice to hear, had some great panoramas of the sea, but not much when it came to highlights of the City, which seemed like a nice and pretty town to visit.  We had a quick car tour and some initial walking around and overall a small but lively town, obviously with three docking cruise ships tripling the population that would be an expected consequence.

As usual, the tour guide was friendly and everything went smoothly, getting ready to wrap up the cruise trip here and having some initial reflection, I can’t help but be emotional about how lucky and privileged I am to be on a cruise trip, let alone to majestic Alaska.  That is the best word to describe what I saw here.  Obviously, it was only a very tiny part of this massive state, but that little part left a big impression on me.  It has been a highlight, least of which the cruise, but the whale watching and glaciers alone have been magnificent. The wildlife that we saw from flying bald eagles to plant life has been a remarkable sight.  The family company and get-togethers made it extra sweet and I have been very happy and pleased with the overall experience – I would say that the elevator situation on the ship can be improved, with at times slightly annoying waits.  Overall though a great trip and a beautiful part of the world done in a very unique way over the water.

I made a slight alteration to our last leg of the trip and added Canmore near Banff as a final stop as opposed to staying a whole for nights in Calgary (2 each in Calgary and Canmore).  Friends we were expecting to meet were not available o we were craving seeing Banff again, and Canmore was a nice affordable option for doing our return, albeit quick, visit.  Tomorrow we switch back an hour as we head to Vancouver docking the following day.  There I a cargo workers’ strike that might affect us, but hopefully nothing too significant.

(Day 6)

Today is our last full day on the cruise, with a total sea day.  The scenery is unrivaled as we go deeper south through the British Columbian coast and between the mainland and Vancouver Island, the landscapes are awe-inspiring.  Today I did some exploring early in the morning leaving my wife and little one still sleeping in the room.  Our older one slept with his cousins so he is out of our control for the morning and the whole trip really.  Got my wife a little souvenir from the overpriced Swarovski store on the boat, with the pretense of saving some money due to it being the last day – but knowing full well that s more than made up with US dollar to Canadian dollar conversion rates.  Had our delicious lunch at the Moonlight Sonata restaurant, ending off with a good old-fashioned tasty burger and a satay appetizer.  The pear tartlet was an amazing dessert o cap off the lunch.

A big highlight of the day was having dinner at Le Petit Chef, which was an experience we’ve tried before in both Toronto and Dubai.  My in-laws have not and they were thoroughly impressed, and so were the kids.  A different story with amazing food at home at any fancy Michelin-starred restaurant.  We also had a family photo taken just before and relaxed the rest of the day, packing up our luggage for the disembarking tomorrow – shall be a busy day with long queues and tired kids in tow.  We hope to move to our next stuff chapter on our adventure through Burnaby with friends, followed by Calgary and Canmore right after.  Amazing trip, and images I will never forget. Experiences that will last my family and me, a lifetime.

(Day 7)