no1racefan1

This morning we went kayaking with Advemture 60 North. They were absolutely fantastic! It was only us and one other couple. It was supposed to be 30s and raining so we wore all our layers. Add on a splash skirt and a life jacket and I was like the marshmallow man. Turns out it wasn't as cold as the forecast and it barely rained. We were overdressed, but I was glad to have all those layers just in case! Then we had lunch at Gold Rush Bistro in Seward (3/5) and drove back to Anchorage. Returning the rental car was a breeze and there was a line of taxis outside the airport. We took a taxi to 49th State Brewing, which was excellent!! Now just chilling and getting excited to board tomorrow! Word from the captain is that our ship is repaired and ready to roll!!

There were two Silverseas ships in Seward yesterday, and here's a Celebrity ship cruising past our window this morning.

Resurrection Lodge on the Bay. We're here now and it's magical!

Sea otter Bald eagle We also saw two pods of orcas, mountain goats, harbor seals, steller sea lions, and kittiwakes!

Our Orca Quest cruise with Major Marine Tours was epic!! We saw everything we could have hoped for. It was cold and drizzly and I was very glad to have my layers, gloves, hat and hand warmers. We're really satisfied with just doing the 4-hour cruise.

Good morning! When we arrived at the lodge last night there was a note that said they have a Bayview suite available for tonight if we want to upgrade. I texted the owner to ask about the cost to upgrade, and they said free!! So we're switching rooms today because who would turn that down? This place is gorgeous and I thank whomever it was that suggested Resurrection Lodge on the Bay. Also includes a hot cooked breakfast and we were able to grab some apples and peanut butter to take on our Orca Quest cruise today. Which it's supposed to start raining just in time for our cruise 🫠 view from breakfast:

There's a lot of construction delays between Anchorage and Seward so be prepared if traveling there. NCL Spirit was in port when we got to Seward. I would have watched it sail but we were exhausted and crawled into bed after dinner.

Day 3: We didn't have anything planned for today and DH said he'd like to just drive around. We ended up driving all the way north to Matanuska Glacier and then back down to Seward. It was a long day but absolutely stunning scenery and perfect weather! I was comfortable in a long sleeve tee and fleece vest--no jacket necessary. Here's some random upside down photos from our day. I'm sorry I have no idea how to fix these, they look right when I attach them! Princess sent an email saying the mechanical issue should be fixed for our cruise and they anticipate no issues. Fingers crossed! We have been so blessed and thrilled with every moment of our trip so far 🥰

The Nordic spa at Alyeska Resort is AMAZING!!! If you like the thermal spa on cruise ships, you should definitely consider adding the Nordic spa to your land trip if possible.

I'm not a hot dog lover either but it was soooo good! And actually mine was a Polish sausage 😁

Day 2: Rented bikes from Pablo's Bike Rentals. They were all super cool and the bikes were in great shape. We rode the whole 22 mile RT trail. Weather was high 40s but sunny. Brisk for a bike ride but not uncomfortable! We saw several moose, one of which we had to ride right past!! After our ride we walked to intermational House of Hot Dogs. (If you read online that its right next to the bike rental place, its not! It just moved!) 5/5 recommend. Then we grabbed some more Wild Scoops on our way put of Anchorage. Now we're at the Alyeska Resort. The Seward Highway drive is just as spectacular as I read about! Don't know how to fix those, oops

Thank you!

Went to Moose's Tooth Pizza for dinner last night and it was awesome! We had about a 25 minute wait for a table so we sat out by the firepit and marveled over the mountains. We had the Call of the Wild pizza on cauliflower crust. It was the best gf crust I've ever had and such a unique pizza!! 5/5 recommend. After dinner we went to Wild Scoops ice cream. Ive been following them on FB. All their flavors sound so good and they make everything from local ingredients. They have several dairy free options. I got mine Baked Alaska style. 10/5 recommend, we will make it a point to go back to Wild Scoops on this trip! This morning we are going to bike the Tony Knowles coastal trail.

You might remember I was worried about our Budget rental car but it worked out perfectly! They gave us a free upgrade to a brand new 4-runner, for a minute I felt like we weren't on a budget 😆 It's 52 and sunny in Anchorage. Sitting outside in light jackets and we're perfectly cozy. YMMV.

18 hours and 3 flights later...we made it!

Flights have been smooth sailing so far. One more to go! All our layovers are during meal times so we're just eating our way through travel day 🥴 We're following the situation with Sapphore Princess but not going to worry about something that hasn't happened yet!!

That's how I read it as well. Then the next one for Sapphire is departing Canada Place on 5/25 and arriving Pine Island 5/26, which would be correct for the 5/25 sailing.

Wait, what?

🤢🤮 We avoid the buffet.

@Incredimom have an amazing trip, despite the rough start. I hope it is everything you want it to be!!! 🤩

Thank you! I'm glad to hear that about your orca cruise 🙂 I've tried to keep this more focused on Alaska and less on Princess, so I'm glad to hear it's been helpful!

Day 0: Is the day before you leave counted as Day 0? I have no idea if I'm using that correctly. Oh well! We're getting the last of our house chores done today, loving on our puppy lots, and finishing packing (or in DH's case, starting AND finishing packing). Sapphire Princess had some propulsion issues and were late getting into Vancouver yesterday and very late leaving. They are skipping Ketchikan. Crossing my fingers that the issue has been resolved...but whatever happens, we'll deal with it! It might surprise you to know that despite my OCD tendencies towards over-planning, once the actual trip comes we are both 'go with the flow' kind of people. I do always have some Plan Bs in my head if needed! 😂 Weather forecast for most of the places we are visiting is 50s and cloudy with a chance of rain. That's good enough for me! Seward's forecast isn't quite as promising, with highs in the low 40s and a greater chance of rain. We're prepared to be chilly on our orca quest cruise and our kayak tour 😬 Luckily for all of you who are sick of reading my ramblings, this will probably be my last long post until after the trip. Since I'll be on my phone, any live updates I share will be short and sweet! (Have I mentioned I hate typing on my phone??)

It looks like they are underway and are deviating from their usual route by sailing west of Vancouver Island. Maybe because of scheduling issues?

People boarding today received an email that boarding will be 3-5pm and not to show up before 3pm. Following since we're on the 18th. 🤞

We saw the Northern lights last night!