Words: Alaskan Cruise
Notes from my trip through the Inside Passage.
DAY ONE
July 23, 2005: Flew from Phoenix to Salt Lake City on Delta airlines in a Boeing 737. Flew from Salt Lake City to Seattle on a Canadair CRJ50. Smooth flight the whole way, and arrived on time. Passed over the Grand Canyon, Great Salt Lake, and saw Mt. Rainier.
Took shuttle bus from SeaTac airport to Dock 30 at the waterfront. Checkin was quick although the security screeners exposed the film in dad’s camera. We have room E506 on Emerald Deck. Very comfortable with all the luxuries of home. Lunch buffet was good, dad and I ate by the window and watched a cargo ship being loaded up by giant cranes.
Left the dock at 4pm, ship did a turnaround in the harbor. We went out on deck to wave goodbye to Seattle. Weather was clear and cool, and the sun was shining brightly. We explored the ship and had some pizza for dinner. Saw the string quartet playing classical music, and another band playing out by the pool area. Went to the Princess Theater and saw theWelcome Aboard dance number and comedy show. So far we have found the gift shop, art gallery, casino, Internet café, and several restaurants. I think the arcade is closed. Ship was launched in September 2004. The TV in the room gets Discovery, CNN, a movie channel, and one channel with maps, weather, and information about the ship itself.
We had a late dinner in the buffet. Spicy Cajun chicken, mashed potatoes, and strawberry cake for dessert. The average passenger gains a pound a day on the ship. The lifeboat drill was a very serious ordeal. Passengers must get their life jackets and report to their muster stations if the general alarm is sounded. Library and the gym are impressive for being on a ship. It is very quiet and stable as we head to Juneau. END DAY 1.
DAY TWO
July 24, 2005: Woke up about 8am, hit the breakfast buffet at about 8:30. It was all there. Eggs, cereal, pancakes, French toast, and loads of bacon, sausage, ham, and other wonderful things to eat. Sent mom an email from the Internet café. Very fast connection for 35 cents a minute. While walking around, we watched a martini mixing demonstration in the promenade shops. It was entertaining. Went swimming in the hot tub until 2pm. It was great until you got out, then it was shockingly cold. Cheeseburgers and fries for lunch, everything tasted great. Dad is not getting his money’s worth out of unlimited soft drink pass. We have each had two sodas so far. Went back to the room for a little nap after that.
At 4:15pm we went to Club Fusion to play Bingo. Didn’t win anything. Walked around the Sun Deck 10 times for one mile of exercise. Dinner was good, I had beef tenderloin with clam sauce, mashed potatoes and a roll. There was a large ice sculpture in the buffet area.
Tomorrow we arrive in Juneau at half past noon. After dinner we wandered around the ship. Captain’s formal cocktail party was underway, but we had no nice clothes with us. Saw an amazing performance in the Princess Theater called Piano Man. Elaborate costumes, sets, lighting, dancing, and excellent music. Sunset was cool out on deck, even though it was pretty wet. The sun went down at 9:45pm. We saw a ventriloquist from 10:15pm to 11:05pm when we got tired of his act and left. END DAY 2.
DAY THREE
July 25, 2005: Woke up and had another fabulous breakfast at the buffet. Dad and I went up on deck and sat in the chairs for a long time. We played shuffleboard and made up our own rules. Got an email from mom, and we wrote her back. Once the ship had docked at 12:30pm we watched a forklift operator connect up the gangway, and then we went ashore.
Dad’s bargain raincoat did not fit him at all or me very well, but we switched and I had to wear the tiny, wrinkled jacket. We walked to the Mt. Roberts tramway and rode it to the top. Ride was fast and the view was great. Went on an unscheduled nature walk through the woods, and then we bought some postcards in the gift shop. Rode back down the mountain with lunch on our minds. Dad found a McDonalds and he got a placemat that showed the locations of every McDonalds in Alaska. We had to catch our tour bus, and ran several blocks back to the dock in the misty weather. We were the last ones to get on, just made it!
We went to the State museum for an hour, a Salmon hatchery for half an hour, Green Angel Gardens for half an hour, and Mendenhall Glacier for an hour. At the Gardens we had an apple muffin and some hot, disgusting cinnamon tea. That five hour tour took most of our time on land, minus one little trip to the drugstore before we left. We ate a quiet dinner, filled out some postcards, and fell asleep exhausted. During the night we sailed 130nm to Skagway and I did not feel a thing. Three other cruise ships from the last port followed us the whole way! END DAY 3.
DAY FOUR
July 26, 2005: Woke up early today, had the same breakfast in the same buffet. Eggs, bacon, toast, and Froot Loops again. We are in Skagway now! Went ashore and boarded a bus that took us to the train depot. The rocks outside the dock are painted up with the names of ships and captains that have sailed into the port of Skagway, done traditionally by the First Mate of a vessel. Higher paintings indicate how much the crew like their captain.
Got on the railroad car easily enough. Very new inside with free bottled water from the Yukon. Sat on the wrong side of the car and missed lots of great pictures. Crossed into Canada, went through customs in British Columbia. Got on the same bus, and went into Yukon territory, and the small town of Carcross.
We had a lunch of BBQ chicken and saw a museum of stuffed bears, cougars, wolves, and birds of prey. Dad mailed a postcard at Canada Post. Rode 30 miles back to Skagway on tour bus, missed more great photos. Walked around town for a while, mailed my postcards, and bought some gifts at the Skagway Mining Co.
Dad and I went to the Santa Fe dining room for dinner. We thought it was Mexican food, but it turned out to be a fancy Italian restaurant. The waiter pushed in my chair and put my napkin on my lap! The only thing on the menu in English was New York Steak, so we had a couple of those. I had a slice of cheesecake with ice cream for dessert. After that we went to bed. END DAY 4.
DAY FIVE
July 27, 2005: Dad and I had breakfast at the Horizon buffet again. This is becoming the norm, none of the other restaurants are even open for breakfast. One of the officers was on and off the PA system from about 8am to 2pm, pointing out glaciers, icebergs, waterfalls, and info about the Tracy Arm fjord.
Dad and I spent the morning out on deck watching the scenery. Took lots of pictures, saw some icebergs and the water was a beautiful shade of green. We got rained on a little and had some hot chocolate. Pizza for lunch again. Saw a bald eagle from a great distance, two sea otters, and our twin ship, the Sapphire Princess. We went back to the room and watched cartoons until dinnertime. Dad and I both fell asleep while watching TV.
We ate dinner early so we could watch a show in the Princess Theater. We saw comedian David O’Reilly, his bit was making fun of audience members. Before that show, we watched an art auction in the Explorer’s Lounge. Some guy bought a bronze statue for $34,000 and some other guy bought a painting for $32,000. After the comedy show dad went to bed and I took some nighttime pictures of the ship with the tripod. END DAY 5.
DAY SIX
July 28, 2005: Got up super early and ate a light breakfast. We were docked in Ketchikan when I woke up. Went on the Totem and Town bus tour. It was sprinkling rain when we left. Tour bus went through town, then to a park with lots of totem poles and a large house made of cedar logs. Saw a bald eagle on top of a totem pole. Rained on the bus ride back to town, then the weather cleared up. Wandered around Ketchikan’s historic Creek Street, took photos, and bought ice cream. I rode up a mountain in a tram car to a fancy hotel, dad stayed at the bottom because the ride cost two bucks. Left port about 12:40pm, dad and I had cheeseburgers for lunch and then went swimming in a different pool. We are still a long way from Victoria.
Watched some cartoons and an AFI top 100 countdown on TV all afternoon. Had dinner at the Horizon buffet with another window seat. I had pizza, mashed potatoes, fries, chicken wings, two rolls, and a slice of chocolate cake for dinner. Still too early for the show, we went down to look at some maps in the library. The second formal night was going on, with photos, classical music, and lots of liqueur.
Dad and I saw a show called Undercover, which was a tribute to spies and espionage. They parodied Spy Vs Spy, Austin Powers, the Green Hornet, Charlie’s Angels, and of course, James Bond. It was a fantastic show. Dad went back to the buffet for a snack and then we went to bed. END DAY 6.
DAY SEVEN
July 29, 2005: Dad and I got up and had a large breakfast. We expected to arrive in Victoria at 7pm, so we had almost all day to do nothing. We took a tour of the galley in the Pacific Moon restaurant, which was huge and impressive. We walked around up on deck for a long time, and saw six men repainting the pool. Had some ice cream for lunch and then we went swimming for a couple of hours. I got sunburned on my face and shoulders.
Had dinner on the ship just as we pulled into Victoria. We had to put our suitcases outside our room before going ashore so they could be unloaded for us the next day. Went ashore, took a double-decker bus tour of the city. Saw some rich neighborhoods, the college, and the bus hit lots of low-hanging tree branches. Stopped on Mount Tommy to take some pictures of the city. Bought some gifts at the dock, and then went aboard and went to sleep. END DAY 7.
DAY EIGHT
July 30, 2005: Woke up early and had our last breakfast on the ship. It was already docked in Seattle when I woke up. Our disembarkation group was one of the last to leave the ship, at 9:30am. Went into the Princess building and were welcomed back into the USA. We had to locate our suitcases in the massive building full of people and chaos. The shuttle bus to the airport was stressful because the driver ran over a curb, missed the exit for the airport, and got lost trying to find his way back to the freeway. Another passenger directed him to the exit for SeaTac airport. Checked our bags in at the United counter and hopped a cab to downtown. It cost almost forty dollars to get to the Space Needle.
We waited in a LONG line to get up to the Space Needle, but the weather was nice so it was not bad. The view from the top was worth the wait. Had McDonalds for lunch. Rode a monorail for $2 that went for a few city blocks and then stopped at a random spot in downtown Seattle. We saw some strange people, and eventually found a bus that would take us to the airport. We saw most of downtown, the fare back was only $1.25.
We got dropped off at the wrong end of the airport and had to walk probably half a mile to the Departures terminal, then up an escalator, then took a subway train to the next terminal, then up another escalator, and then we found our gate. Flight to Los Angeles was smooth. I got the whole can of 7 Up. Dad had a Pepsi and was really hyper. At LAX we had a long walk to change planes, got on another CRJ50. Flight to Phoenix went through a storm, things got a little bumpy but it was thrilling. Came into town at night, landed at the small terminal at Sky Harbor. Mom was there waiting to take us home. END TRIP.
-Trevor Freeman
5 August 2005
THE PICTURES
Be sure to check out the rest of the photos from this trip in the Alaskan Cruise photo gallery!
Notes from my trip through the Inside Passage.
DAY ONE
July 23, 2005: Flew from Phoenix to Salt Lake City on Delta airlines in a Boeing 737. Flew from Salt Lake City to Seattle on a Canadair CRJ50. Smooth flight the whole way, and arrived on time. Passed over the Grand Canyon, Great Salt Lake, and saw Mt. Rainier.
Took shuttle bus from SeaTac airport to Dock 30 at the waterfront. Checkin was quick although the security screeners exposed the film in dad’s camera. We have room E506 on Emerald Deck. Very comfortable with all the luxuries of home. Lunch buffet was good, dad and I ate by the window and watched a cargo ship being loaded up by giant cranes.Left the dock at 4pm, ship did a turnaround in the harbor. We went out on deck to wave goodbye to Seattle. Weather was clear and cool, and the sun was shining brightly. We explored the ship and had some pizza for dinner. Saw the string quartet playing classical music, and another band playing out by the pool area. Went to the Princess Theater and saw theWelcome Aboard dance number and comedy show. So far we have found the gift shop, art gallery, casino, Internet café, and several restaurants. I think the arcade is closed. Ship was launched in September 2004. The TV in the room gets Discovery, CNN, a movie channel, and one channel with maps, weather, and information about the ship itself.
We had a late dinner in the buffet. Spicy Cajun chicken, mashed potatoes, and strawberry cake for dessert. The average passenger gains a pound a day on the ship. The lifeboat drill was a very serious ordeal. Passengers must get their life jackets and report to their muster stations if the general alarm is sounded. Library and the gym are impressive for being on a ship. It is very quiet and stable as we head to Juneau. END DAY 1.
DAY TWO
July 24, 2005: Woke up about 8am, hit the breakfast buffet at about 8:30. It was all there. Eggs, cereal, pancakes, French toast, and loads of bacon, sausage, ham, and other wonderful things to eat. Sent mom an email from the Internet café. Very fast connection for 35 cents a minute. While walking around, we watched a martini mixing demonstration in the promenade shops. It was entertaining. Went swimming in the hot tub until 2pm. It was great until you got out, then it was shockingly cold. Cheeseburgers and fries for lunch, everything tasted great. Dad is not getting his money’s worth out of unlimited soft drink pass. We have each had two sodas so far. Went back to the room for a little nap after that.
At 4:15pm we went to Club Fusion to play Bingo. Didn’t win anything. Walked around the Sun Deck 10 times for one mile of exercise. Dinner was good, I had beef tenderloin with clam sauce, mashed potatoes and a roll. There was a large ice sculpture in the buffet area.
Tomorrow we arrive in Juneau at half past noon. After dinner we wandered around the ship. Captain’s formal cocktail party was underway, but we had no nice clothes with us. Saw an amazing performance in the Princess Theater called Piano Man. Elaborate costumes, sets, lighting, dancing, and excellent music. Sunset was cool out on deck, even though it was pretty wet. The sun went down at 9:45pm. We saw a ventriloquist from 10:15pm to 11:05pm when we got tired of his act and left. END DAY 2.DAY THREE
July 25, 2005: Woke up and had another fabulous breakfast at the buffet. Dad and I went up on deck and sat in the chairs for a long time. We played shuffleboard and made up our own rules. Got an email from mom, and we wrote her back. Once the ship had docked at 12:30pm we watched a forklift operator connect up the gangway, and then we went ashore.
Dad’s bargain raincoat did not fit him at all or me very well, but we switched and I had to wear the tiny, wrinkled jacket. We walked to the Mt. Roberts tramway and rode it to the top. Ride was fast and the view was great. Went on an unscheduled nature walk through the woods, and then we bought some postcards in the gift shop. Rode back down the mountain with lunch on our minds. Dad found a McDonalds and he got a placemat that showed the locations of every McDonalds in Alaska. We had to catch our tour bus, and ran several blocks back to the dock in the misty weather. We were the last ones to get on, just made it!We went to the State museum for an hour, a Salmon hatchery for half an hour, Green Angel Gardens for half an hour, and Mendenhall Glacier for an hour. At the Gardens we had an apple muffin and some hot, disgusting cinnamon tea. That five hour tour took most of our time on land, minus one little trip to the drugstore before we left. We ate a quiet dinner, filled out some postcards, and fell asleep exhausted. During the night we sailed 130nm to Skagway and I did not feel a thing. Three other cruise ships from the last port followed us the whole way! END DAY 3.
DAY FOUR
July 26, 2005: Woke up early today, had the same breakfast in the same buffet. Eggs, bacon, toast, and Froot Loops again. We are in Skagway now! Went ashore and boarded a bus that took us to the train depot. The rocks outside the dock are painted up with the names of ships and captains that have sailed into the port of Skagway, done traditionally by the First Mate of a vessel. Higher paintings indicate how much the crew like their captain.
Got on the railroad car easily enough. Very new inside with free bottled water from the Yukon. Sat on the wrong side of the car and missed lots of great pictures. Crossed into Canada, went through customs in British Columbia. Got on the same bus, and went into Yukon territory, and the small town of Carcross.We had a lunch of BBQ chicken and saw a museum of stuffed bears, cougars, wolves, and birds of prey. Dad mailed a postcard at Canada Post. Rode 30 miles back to Skagway on tour bus, missed more great photos. Walked around town for a while, mailed my postcards, and bought some gifts at the Skagway Mining Co.
Dad and I went to the Santa Fe dining room for dinner. We thought it was Mexican food, but it turned out to be a fancy Italian restaurant. The waiter pushed in my chair and put my napkin on my lap! The only thing on the menu in English was New York Steak, so we had a couple of those. I had a slice of cheesecake with ice cream for dessert. After that we went to bed. END DAY 4.
DAY FIVE
July 27, 2005: Dad and I had breakfast at the Horizon buffet again. This is becoming the norm, none of the other restaurants are even open for breakfast. One of the officers was on and off the PA system from about 8am to 2pm, pointing out glaciers, icebergs, waterfalls, and info about the Tracy Arm fjord.
Dad and I spent the morning out on deck watching the scenery. Took lots of pictures, saw some icebergs and the water was a beautiful shade of green. We got rained on a little and had some hot chocolate. Pizza for lunch again. Saw a bald eagle from a great distance, two sea otters, and our twin ship, the Sapphire Princess. We went back to the room and watched cartoons until dinnertime. Dad and I both fell asleep while watching TV.We ate dinner early so we could watch a show in the Princess Theater. We saw comedian David O’Reilly, his bit was making fun of audience members. Before that show, we watched an art auction in the Explorer’s Lounge. Some guy bought a bronze statue for $34,000 and some other guy bought a painting for $32,000. After the comedy show dad went to bed and I took some nighttime pictures of the ship with the tripod. END DAY 5.
DAY SIX
July 28, 2005: Got up super early and ate a light breakfast. We were docked in Ketchikan when I woke up. Went on the Totem and Town bus tour. It was sprinkling rain when we left. Tour bus went through town, then to a park with lots of totem poles and a large house made of cedar logs. Saw a bald eagle on top of a totem pole. Rained on the bus ride back to town, then the weather cleared up. Wandered around Ketchikan’s historic Creek Street, took photos, and bought ice cream. I rode up a mountain in a tram car to a fancy hotel, dad stayed at the bottom because the ride cost two bucks. Left port about 12:40pm, dad and I had cheeseburgers for lunch and then went swimming in a different pool. We are still a long way from Victoria.
Watched some cartoons and an AFI top 100 countdown on TV all afternoon. Had dinner at the Horizon buffet with another window seat. I had pizza, mashed potatoes, fries, chicken wings, two rolls, and a slice of chocolate cake for dinner. Still too early for the show, we went down to look at some maps in the library. The second formal night was going on, with photos, classical music, and lots of liqueur.
Dad and I saw a show called Undercover, which was a tribute to spies and espionage. They parodied Spy Vs Spy, Austin Powers, the Green Hornet, Charlie’s Angels, and of course, James Bond. It was a fantastic show. Dad went back to the buffet for a snack and then we went to bed. END DAY 6.DAY SEVEN
July 29, 2005: Dad and I got up and had a large breakfast. We expected to arrive in Victoria at 7pm, so we had almost all day to do nothing. We took a tour of the galley in the Pacific Moon restaurant, which was huge and impressive. We walked around up on deck for a long time, and saw six men repainting the pool. Had some ice cream for lunch and then we went swimming for a couple of hours. I got sunburned on my face and shoulders.Had dinner on the ship just as we pulled into Victoria. We had to put our suitcases outside our room before going ashore so they could be unloaded for us the next day. Went ashore, took a double-decker bus tour of the city. Saw some rich neighborhoods, the college, and the bus hit lots of low-hanging tree branches. Stopped on Mount Tommy to take some pictures of the city. Bought some gifts at the dock, and then went aboard and went to sleep. END DAY 7.
DAY EIGHT
July 30, 2005: Woke up early and had our last breakfast on the ship. It was already docked in Seattle when I woke up. Our disembarkation group was one of the last to leave the ship, at 9:30am. Went into the Princess building and were welcomed back into the USA. We had to locate our suitcases in the massive building full of people and chaos. The shuttle bus to the airport was stressful because the driver ran over a curb, missed the exit for the airport, and got lost trying to find his way back to the freeway. Another passenger directed him to the exit for SeaTac airport. Checked our bags in at the United counter and hopped a cab to downtown. It cost almost forty dollars to get to the Space Needle.
We waited in a LONG line to get up to the Space Needle, but the weather was nice so it was not bad. The view from the top was worth the wait. Had McDonalds for lunch. Rode a monorail for $2 that went for a few city blocks and then stopped at a random spot in downtown Seattle. We saw some strange people, and eventually found a bus that would take us to the airport. We saw most of downtown, the fare back was only $1.25.
We got dropped off at the wrong end of the airport and had to walk probably half a mile to the Departures terminal, then up an escalator, then took a subway train to the next terminal, then up another escalator, and then we found our gate. Flight to Los Angeles was smooth. I got the whole can of 7 Up. Dad had a Pepsi and was really hyper. At LAX we had a long walk to change planes, got on another CRJ50. Flight to Phoenix went through a storm, things got a little bumpy but it was thrilling. Came into town at night, landed at the small terminal at Sky Harbor. Mom was there waiting to take us home. END TRIP.
-Trevor Freeman
5 August 2005
THE PICTURES
Be sure to check out the rest of the photos from this trip in the Alaskan Cruise photo gallery!