Butchart Gardens

I tried to post this yesterday but I couldn't.  We are now off the ship and back home!  This cruise was the best of any cruise to Alaska.  First because it was 10 days instead of the usual 7 and the ship!  The crew, entertainment, amenities and special things on board made it a wonderful experience!  Now to sort through my many pictures and get all the washing done!

Yesterday we had a wonderful shore excursion, city tour and Butchart Gardens.  We haven't been to the gardens in years and it was awesome!

Food, food and more food

We've really enjoyed the food on this cruise.  I posted earlier the photos from our specialty dining dinner.  There are other venues and every where we go has been delicious.

Strawberry jam in a jar! 

Afternoon tea in the Queens Room every day at 3 PM!  There are sandwiches, scones with double cream and jam and an assortment of pastries!  The waiters are in formal dress and there is always entertainment.  A harpist, violinists or a pianist!  It's a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Lunch in the pub!  

Fish and Chips are the BEST!  Along with Janice's favorite mushy peas

I have a lot more pictures of dinners and I'll go through them when I get home.  Today we are at sea and there is lots to do.  Cec continues to come second at darts and the people we play with are really nice.  We didn't win trivia this morning but again came second.  It's all fun and we've met some wonderful people.

We are south of Queen Charlotte Island and will be entering between Vancouver Island and the mainland.  This is a great surprise as our next port is Victoria and we thought we would travel on the west side of the island.  We will get the gorgeous scenic route and pass through Seymour Narrows at high tide.

Now, what venue do we go for lunch....decisions....decisions!

Sitka, Alaska

The weather is gorgeous and so is the scenery!

St. Michael's Orthodox Cathedral built in 1848!

Alaska Pioneer House

The flowers are gorgeous!

I couldn't take pictures inside but the stock was beautiful!

If this is Thursday, it must be Sitka.  We arrived at 7 AM and the weather is still awesome.  Sitka has a population of 9,250 and is located on Baranof Island.  It is only accessible from air or sea.  We’ve been here before and we love the fact it hasn’t been spoiled by all the jewellery stores and trinket shops.  It still has it’s Russian heritage.  It’s the fourth largest city in Alaska behind Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau. 

We had a wonderful day on shore.  We are off to Victoria with a glorious day at sea.  Cec has already won two dart tournaments so we'll see if he aces another one. 

Hubbard Glacier

Last night's sunset.  Picture was taken at 11 PM!

The entrance to Yakutat and Disenchantment Bay looking aft as we cruise toward the glacier.

Today is our most northerly point on this glorious cruise.  What a gorgeous day in Hubbard Glacier!  There was a lot of noise from the calving.   Nothing huge dropped but at least we saw some action.  Hubbard Glacier is a massive beauty located in Yakutat Bay and Disenchantment Bay.  It’s 200 miles northwest of Alaskan capital Juneau and very close to the Yukon border.  It’s the largest glacier in North America!  It was named after Gardiner G Hubbard in 1890.  He was the first president of the National Geographic Society and a regent of the Smithsonian Institute.

My first cruise to Alaska was about 30 years ago.  I came up here with my mom and my sister.  It was a wonderful trip with many memories.  For anyone doubting Global Warming, I’m no scientist and I don’t know if it’s because of nature or man but I know it’s happening.  I have the pictures to prove it.  I cannot believe how the glacier has changed over the years.  Both Hubbard and Glacier Bay. 

This boat is a shore excursion.  It takes you right up to the glaciers!

This is the picture where I notice global warming the most! 
The white streak on the right side was huge 30 years ago and spanned from one mountain to the other. 
Now it's almost gone!

Zoomed in

Wow!

Lots of passengers are on the shore excursion!

On our way home.  I don't want to leave!

Icy Strait Point

Queen Elizabeth 

After a very smooth cruise last night we arrived at Icy Strait Point.  Sunrise today was 3:58 AM and Sunset is 10:10 PM.  I’m loving the long nights.  When we woke, it’s a gorgeous sunny day!  The high will be 21C/70F.

Icy Strait Point is a privately owned tourist destination just outside the small village of Hoonah, Alaska.  It’s is located on Chichagof Island and is named after the nearby Icy Strait.  Owned by the Huna Totem Corporation, it is the only privately owned cruise destination in Alaska.  Huna Totem Corporation is owned by approximately 1,350 Alaskan natives with aboriginal ties to the Hoonah and the Glacier Bay area.  Many of them are of the Tlingit people.

This is our third visit to Icy Strait Point and it’s been about seven years when we were here with Carol and Dave Duthie.  That day we had heavy rain so today we are fortunate.  There is now one cruise ship dock and the Radiance of the Seas is at the dock.  We are using the tenders to get to shore.  The Queen Elizabeth is only sailing to Alaska five times but the Radiance will sail up here until September.

On our first trip we saw whales right by the shore.  It was a beautiful sight.  There are bears close by and it’s very rugged.  They built one of the world’s longest zip lines that drops 5,000 feet and drops 1,330 feet.  We love to go to the end of the zip line and watch everyone finish.  If anyone is contemplating a zip line, check to make sure your insurance covers you.  Many disqualify zip lines as it’s deemed as a dangerous sport.  Our insurance covers us, but we don’t want to do it. 

There are so many activities to do on this cruise.  We’ve noted a few differences with other cruise lines.  No annoying announcements, no bingo, no men’s hairy chest contest, no pushing of alcohol and many things other cruises charge for are free on Cunard.  Everyone respects the dress code.  It is dressier than the other cruise lines.  Afternoon tea is amazing!  It’s an event and we attend most days.  All the crew is very friendly.  When a band has a break, there is someone to fill in.  No venues go without entertainment in the evening.  There are three different piano players!   They all have different styles and are all very talented.

Tomorrow we go to Hubbard Glacier and Thursday we are in Sitka.  I hope this gorgeous weather continues!

The views are gorgeous!  We didn't see whales from the shore on this trip.

Hoonah in the distance

Icy Point Strait.  The ship was on the other side of this peninsula

He didn't catch these, they are fabric!

Fishing fleet in Hoonah

Explaining carving a totem pole!

Gorgeous wood canoe and you can do a canoe shore excursion!

Gorgeous totem poles!

Downtown Hoonah!

The scenery in Hoonah is amazing!

Skagway, Alaska

Libby Riddles, 1985 Iditarod Champion

Nice flowers!

Looking back down the street

Skagway River

I love these 1923 Tour Buses

Today we arrived in Skagway at 7 AM.  There is marine cloud this morning but again today it should clear by noon.  It’s not raining and the cool temperature is really nice for walking.  We decided last night to walk to the cemetery.  We’ve been there before on tour and found out there is a nice waterfall a little farther up the trail.  We walked from the ship to the railway yard and didn’t realise how far it was.  The signed said .5 miles to the cemetery gates and decided to walk back.   My fitbit already hit the goal I set.   It was a nice walk.

There is a Shuttle Bus $2.00 one way or $5.00 all day pass.  It doesn't take you to the cemetery, but does go close to the railway yards.  

Last night they had a wonderful presentation by Libby Riddles who became the first woman to win the grueling thousand mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race in 1985 by mushing her team out into a blizzard on the way to None  She shared her stories and love of sled dogs with thousands of visitors to Alaska.  She lives with 20 dogs in Homer, Alaska.

On this cruise we’ve met people from Australia and New Zealand doing “The Three Queens”.  They picked up the Queen Elizabeth in Vancouver and sailing to Alaska through the Panama Canal to New York.  They are disembarking the Queen Elizabeth and spending a few days in New York.  They they board the Queen Mary to Southampton.  They spend a few days in Southampton and board the Queen Victoria to Sydney!!!  Wow, that is a wonderful trip.