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bjarrett7

By bjarrett7,
in Holland America Line

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IRL_Joanie

IRL_Joanie

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It's hard to put into words how wonderful this cruise has been! Just when I think that one day will be the highlight of the trip, there's another day that is the same or better!

 

Now before I write about our day in Sitka, I need to give a disclaimer... It was one of the sunny days. Our guides told us that it rains 300 days out of the year! But our day was sunny, clear and spectacular! It gives a new meaning to the song "on a clear day"

 

I loved tendering in Sitka because the ship was surrounded by the beauty of this place... Beautiful islands, bays, volcanos, sea otters, Eagles and whales... All of which you could spot from the balcony! I truly could not get over the beauty of this place!

 

 

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You are doing a great job in describing everything you see and are experiencing about Alaska:)

 

We cannot get enough of Alaska, which is one of the reasons we return every year just for the "feeling" we get there:)

 

For us, my once in a life time pipe dream has become almost a ritual. LOVE IT!!

 

Joanie

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bjarrett7

bjarrett7

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We planned to take the "otters, raptors and bears, oh my!" tour which I can't recommend enough! It was worth every Penney! The boat was clean spacious and provided many viewing options both inside and outside. The guides were very knowledgeable and professional. Binoculars were provided and small samples of local delicacies were served along the way such as local chocolate and smoked salmon.

 

The highlight of the trip was an unexpected encounter with a large congregation of humpback whales! Our boat was literally surrounded by them. Sorry that I don't have any pictures but hope to post some of my DH's later. I literally was so in awe by this experience and the beauty of the setting that all I could do was say, "oh wow" over and over again! We stopped counting at 12 but I am sure there were more!

 

We also encountered seals(I think) sea lions, otters and Eagles!

 

After the boat portion of this excursion we took a brief tour of the Raptor center that was very interesting as well as a tour of the Fortress of the Bears. We enjoyed the trip to these places as the bus driver was very knowledgeable about Sitka and pointed out interesting landmarks along the way. As we made our return to the ship on the bus, we drove along one of the bay's in Sitka surrounded by trees and mountains and just as I looked a large him back whale gave a large spout and then fluked (sp?) as if saying goodbye! It was HUGE! And it took my breath away. I will treasure that memory for a lifetime!

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bjarrett7

bjarrett7

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Last night we dined in the Pinnacle Grill. It was Le Cirque night. Our meal was delicious... I had the lobster salad, pea soup, chateaubriand and the chocolate soufflé. In one word: fabulous!

 

We also has excellent service by Pruti. I believe that's correct. Our first female waitress on our brief cruise history and she was delightful. She was very intuitive and gave us a magical ending to a magical day!

 

We bought a great bottle of wine and were not able to finish it so they poured it back into the bottle and we took it along to the show. We were able to grab a love seat with a coffee table and finish it as we enjoyed the show... Which by the way was great!

 

It was a juggling act which we had heard from one of the ship's entertainment staff was really good! I believe his name was Mike Price. Not only was he an amazing juggler but he was a great comedian! He left us in stitches and my DH and I both thought he was the entertainment highlight of the trip! So don't skip the juggling act!

 

Now off to enjoy my day in Ketchikan. [emoji41]

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bjarrett7

bjarrett7

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We thoroughly enjoyed our morning in Ketchikan. We had originally booked the "Alaskan fish camp" excursion but it was cancelled due to insufficient number of people signing up. So on the fly, my husband joined the Halibut fishing group and I decided to explore Ketchikan on my own.

 

ImageUploadedByForums1441379170.290070.jpg.1ca65064205646215c93e5a3ae5b21a1.jpg

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bjarrett7

bjarrett7

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So I set out on my own with a little map that the ship gave me. It was very easy to navigate my way around. I quickly found my way to Creek Street where I spent most of the morning meandering in the little shops and reading about the history of this part of town which back in its day was the equivalent of a red light district.

ImageUploadedByForums1441379812.171650.jpg.f21a04344139c226520663b8beffa7ae.jpg

I could have paid $10 to tour this one but I opted to admire it from afar. [emoji41]

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frankc98376

frankc98376

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We thoroughly enjoyed our morning in Ketchikan. We had originally booked the "Alaskan fish camp" excursion but it was cancelled due to insufficient number of people signing up. So on the fly, my husband joined the Halibut fishing group and I decided to explore Ketchikan on my own.

 

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Did you find Ketchikandies? Love that store :)

 

Looks like a beautiful day- a rarity in Ketchikan

Edited by frankc98376
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RuthC

RuthC

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I thought Dolly's House was a neat tour. I don't want to go through every time I'm in Ketchikan, but at least once is fun. Try it next time you're there.

 

Good grief, but she loved pink! It was a fun peek into the living conditions of the time---I wouldn't want to live in that house.

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bjarrett7

bjarrett7

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I must say that the sail away was spectacular! There was a fresh salmon bake by the pool. They served mussels and clams, sour dough bread, fresh salads and other goodies.

 

The waiters dressed up in lumberjack outfits which was... Interesting. I applaud their good natured effort!

 

We had a blast eating this delightful meal, listening to great music and drinking an Alaskan IPA... It just doesn't get much better than this!

 

We spent the rest of the day by the sea view pool on the stern of the ship admiring a 180 view of the inside passage, napping, and soaking up some sun.

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bjarrett7

bjarrett7

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I hate to sound like a chocolate junkie (OK I'm a chocolate junkie)- in Victoria ask about Rodgers Chocolates. They have great liquor filled chocolates and amazing huge truffles,

 

 

Missed Ketchicandies but will definitely look for the chocolates in Victoria! Thanks for the tip!

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bjarrett7

bjarrett7

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I want to thank you for putting your pictures in separate posts. It made it a lot easier to read, and enjoy, your cruise along with you.

 

 

No thank you Ruth C for the tip! I finally figured out what the problem was! This was my first "live from" attempt so I was happy to receive feedback.

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