LIVE from the Sapphire - 14 day Voyage of the Glaciers, August 31 - September 14, 2024.

[memoak]

On 9/11/2024 at 9:45 PM, theliterateleprechaun said:

Skagway

 

 

We met our friend Ronnie who works on the Discovery and invited him to come back to the Sapphire with us for the day. He loved being a 'guest' on the ship and getting to go places and eating places he'd not normally be allowed. 

 

 

After two days of scenic cruising, we were eager to get out for a walk and Ronnie wanted to join us. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you haven’t walked out to Yakutania Point yet, you must make it a priority! 

 

 

That's the hardest part of the trail. 

 

It was wonderful to reconnect with a treasured friend.

 

*For those who know him, he plans on one more contract with Princess. His girls are 2 and 8 and he feels he needs to be home more. He's opened a fishing tackle shop and has a dream of operating fishing charters in Goa. 

 

He has had a fishing website for awhile. He is one of the best in Vines 

 

[Sarnia 432]

49 minutes ago, andimark said:

Can you walk to Yakutania Point

yes, we did that, it was a nice walk on a lovely day, we enjoyed sitting on rocks in the sunshine!

 

not sure if the link works, but this is the trail from the bridge, which is just on the edge of town

https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/trail/us/alaska/yakutania-point-and-smugglers-cove 

[andimark]

3 minutes ago, Sarnia 432 said:

yes, we did that, it was a nice walk on a lovely day, we enjoyed sitting on rocks in the sunshine!

 

not sure if the link works, but this is the trail from the bridge, which is just on the edge of town

https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/trail/us/alaska/yakutania-point-and-smugglers-cove 

Perfect - thanks.

[XBGuy]

That hikes in Skagway are so much fun,  

 

The one that @theliterateleprechaun took is across the Skagway River from the town.  It is circled in the upper left of the map, above.  The trail circled at the lower left of the map (across the RR tracks) is takes you up to a lake.  It is fun, and offers a neat view of the cruise ship(s) docked below.  I will mention, however, that getting to the top requires a lot of huffing and puffing for this septuagenarian.

[andimark]

4 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

That hikes in Skagway are so much fun,  

 

The one that @theliterateleprechaun took is across the Skagway River from the town.  It is circled in the upper left of the map, above.  The trail circled at the lower left of the map (across the RR tracks) is takes you up to a lake.  It is fun, and offers a neat view of the cruise ship(s) docked below.  I will mention, however, that getting to the top requires a lot of huffing and puffing for this septuagenarian.

We took the one across the RR tracks several years ago, but turned back when we saw bear tracks!

[XBGuy]

1 hour ago, andimark said:

We took the one across the RR tracks several years ago, but turned back when we saw bear tracks!

 

🤣

 

Probably a good decision.

 

 

[theliterateleprechaun]

 

When we heard there was also an author on for the second week, Mom and I scoured the Patter for information. It was obscurely titled 'Raising Three Girls In The Rainforest.' The lecturer's name wasn't even included! I'll bet if people knew that it was Brendan Jones, the lecture hall would have been filled. 

 

 

Turn out was pathetic. 

 

Brendan had a fantastic slideshow to accompany his talk. To have an author open up and share so much of his personal life was GOLD. He told us about meeting his wife and moving onto a boat when they got married. In fact, they lived on the boat for more than five years and raised their first daughter there. We saw photos of life on a small boat, their cabin in the trees in Sitka, and heard about his wife homeschooling the three girls while also working as Sitka's judge. I loved how fearless his girls are and was in awe of their Alaskan upbringing. 

 

 

Brendan graciously signed copies for Mom and me and obliged us photos. 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I was fan-girling. 

I couldn't believe what I'd just experienced - such a rare opportunity. 

 

Brendan is currently working on a memoir. 

 

I'll post reviews to my Instagram page on both books once I've read them and will try to remember to post here as well. 

 

I will note the travesty of Princess's poor marketing on my survey. To have an author like this on board and only give him one lecture space in the timetable and not inform passengers properly had me shaking my head. 

 

[theliterateleprechaun]

Our cabin steward, Richard, surprised us nightly with terrific towel art.

 

 

I'm puzzled about what the above creature is supposed to be....any ideas?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[theliterateleprechaun]

Juneau

 

We were in port today with the Majestic Princess and had made plans to meet up with another crew friend and bring her on the Sapphire for lunch. 

 

 

 

It was as much a treat for us as it was for Hilda to play 'guest' and meet up with former colleagues! 

 

We repeated our walk out to the whale statue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and repeated happy hour at Devil's Club Brewery. 

 

We bought two of these glasses to take home and re-live our holiday memories. 

 

 

Jellyfish Fields Jelly Donut Ale all around. If you haven’t tried this one, you must. It tastes like a jelly donut because it's a mixture of beer, strawberry, marionberry, black currant and cherry puree, as well as vanilla, Graham cracker crumbs, and several flats of donut holes! 

 

 

The popcorn here is out of this world! 

 

We stopped in at the fudge shop to stock up on huckleberry truffles - another must when you stop in this port. Thanks for introducing us to this sweet treat @YVRteacher.

 

 

 

 

[theliterateleprechaun]

 

We were so excited to get invited to this fantastic cocktail party again! It was nice to see familiar faces; both passengers from last week's party and newly joined officers we'd sailed with before. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Saturday at 03:46 AM by theliterateleprechaun

[theliterateleprechaun]

Ketchikan

 

Our day started out perfectly! No rain and our crew friend, Juliet, from the Discovery was able to spend 20 minutes with us. 

 

 

On the way back from the Discovery, Auntie Marg tripped on an uneven plank on the boardwalk and fell flat on her face.

 

A kind shopkeeper phoned 911 and they arrived within minutes. After assessing her, they suggested that she head to the medical center on board for further testing and x-rays. Auntie Marg is 85 and spry, but she'd fainted after we'd got her seated and we were worried. 

 

She walked back to the ship complaining that something wasn't right about her elbow and sporting a few blood spatters on her clothing as well as a nasty bruise on her hand and nose. 

 

The medical center staff and as well as the 911 first responders in Ketchikan were top notch. After a three hour stint she came out with a smile, a cast and a sling. 

 

 

She'll need orthopedic surgery. 

 

*watch your step on the Ketchikan boardwalk and remember to put your insurance contact numbers in your wallet. 

 

When we looked outside, the wind had picked up and the rain was pouring, so we stayed on board and counted our blessings. 

 

Happy healing, Auntie Marg! I know you'll read this. 😘

[PurpleTraveller]

2 hours ago, theliterateleprechaun said:

 

When we heard there was also an author on for the second week, Mom and I scoured the Patter for information. It was obscurely titled 'Raising Three Girls In The Rainforest.' The lecturer's name wasn't even included! I'll bet if people knew that it was Brendan Jones, the lecture hall would have been filled. 

 

 

Turn out was pathetic. 

 

Brendan had a fantastic slideshow to accompany his talk. To have an author open up and share so much of his personal life was GOLD. He told us about meeting his wife and moving onto a boat when they got married. In fact, they lived on the boat for more than five years and raised their first daughter there. We saw photos of life on a small boat, their cabin in the trees in Sitka, and heard about his wife homeschooling the three girls while also working as Sitka's judge. I loved how fearless his girls are and was in awe of their Alaskan upbringing. 

 

 

Brendan graciously signed copies for Mom and me and obliged us photos. 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I was fan-girling. 

I couldn't believe what I'd just experienced - such a rare opportunity. 

 

Brendan is currently working on a memoir. 

 

I'll post reviews to my Instagram page on both books once I've read them and will try to remember to post here as well. 

 

I will note the travesty of Princess's poor marketing on my survey. To have an author like this on board and only give him one lecture space in the timetable and not inform passengers properly had me shaking my head. 

 

 

In June 2023 when on Crown Princess I had the pleasure of attending a presentation called "North to Alaska" by Brendan Jones. I checked my Princess Patter and his name was listed along with the name of his presentation. The presentation was well attended, very interesting and it was very enjoyable listening to his story of his life in Alaska. The timing of the presentation was perfect as it was the sea day before we visited Sitka. We got to see his home town with his presentation fresh in our minds which added to the great day we had there.

 

I am really enjoying your review and hope that your aunt recovers well from her Ketchikan injuries.

 

Edited Saturday at 04:51 AM by PurpleTraveller

[QuattroRomeo]

2 hours ago, theliterateleprechaun said:

I'm puzzled about what the above creature is supposed to be....any ideas?

Turtle?

[Mommapadraig]

4 hours ago, QuattroRomeo said:

Turtle?

I can see that.

[Mommapadraig]

Happy Healing to Marg. Sounds like she is one tough lady. 

[YVRteacher]

Welcome home!

I loved reading your travelogue and how you connect with the crew that have made you feel so special over the years. 
 

See you tomorrow!!

[theliterateleprechaun]

On 9/13/2024 at 9:47 PM, PurpleTraveller said:

 

In June 2023 when on Crown Princess I had the pleasure of attending a presentation called "North to Alaska" by Brendan Jones. I checked my Princess Patter and his name was listed along with the name of his presentation. The presentation was well attended, very interesting and it was very enjoyable listening to his story of his life in Alaska. The timing of the presentation was perfect as it was the sea day before we visited Sitka. We got to see his home town with his presentation fresh in our minds which added to the great day we had there.

 

I am really enjoying your review and hope that your aunt recovers well from her Ketchikan injuries.

 

Thank you. We talked to her this morning and she's home and neighbours have taken her to pick up some groceries and she's left a message on her doctor's answering service. With regard to the Patter - one of the downfalls of the new format is that there isn't enough room to mention who is presenting. I'm glad you were able to catch one of his lectures and enjoyed your time in Sitka. 

[theliterateleprechaun]

Glacier cruising days! 

 

Sorry it's taken me so long to post these photos. My biggest mistake this cruise was forgetting my battery charger for my DSLR. I had 10% battery life at the start of a two-week cruise. I saved it for the glacier days and turned if off after taking each picture. 😏

 

As I understand it, our two days in Hubbard Glacier were the only two days this season that Sapphire Princess was able to visit due to ice. How fortunate to be on both sailings! It was also wonderful that we were able to visit John Hopkins Glacier. Princess avoids this inlet in Glacier Bay most of the summer because the harbour seals are birthing. September 1st is opening day and the Sapphire was able to get access. We saw lots of calving and lots of seals on the bergy bits. I wish I had more photos to share, but for this cruise...this is it. 

 

 

 

 

 

Late-season sailing has advantages! 

 

 

[theliterateleprechaun]

For anyone interested, we are sailing on the Ruby September 26th and I'd love to have you following along. 

[YVRteacher]

9 hours ago, theliterateleprechaun said:

Glacier cruising days! 

 

Sorry it's taken me so long to post these photos. My biggest mistake this cruise was forgetting my battery charger for my DSLR. I had 10% battery life at the start of a two-week cruise. I saved it for the glacier days and turned if off after taking each picture. 😏

 

As I understand it, our two days in Hubbard Glacier were the only two days this season that Sapphire Princess was able to visit due to ice. How fortunate to be on both sailings! It was also wonderful that we were able to visit John Hopkins Glacier. Princess avoids this inlet in Glacier Bay most of the summer because the harbour seals are birthing. September 1st is opening day and the Sapphire was able to get access. We saw lots of calving and lots of seals on the bergy bits. I wish I had more photos to share, but for this cruise...this is it. 

 

 

 

 

 

Late-season sailing has advantages! 

 

 

That first photo is pure Alaskan magic!

[scubacruiserx2]

15 hours ago, theliterateleprechaun said:

Glacier cruising days! 

 

Sorry it's taken me so long to post these photos. My biggest mistake this cruise was forgetting my battery charger for my DSLR. I had 10% battery life at the start of a two-week cruise. I saved it for the glacier days and turned if off after taking each picture. 😏

 

As I understand it, our two days in Hubbard Glacier were the only two days this season that Sapphire Princess was able to visit due to ice. How fortunate to be on both sailings! It was also wonderful that we were able to visit John Hopkins Glacier. Princess avoids this inlet in Glacier Bay most of the summer because the harbour seals are birthing. September 1st is opening day and the Sapphire was able to get access. We saw lots of calving and lots of seals on the bergy bits. I wish I had more photos to share, but for this cruise...this is it. 

 

 

 

 

 

Late-season sailing has advantages! 

 

 

 

 

  Thank you for the review especially the DSLR photos !

We always carry 2 DSLR cameras with extra , pre charged batteries for the cold and 2 chargers for each camera . We have traveled 2 times to Alaska , Antarctica / Patagonia and are currently reviewing Iceland , Scotland and Ireland on the Caribbean last month . We did Antarctica in January this year on another cruise line . We feel that Antarctica/Patagonia and Iceland both blew Alaska away . We would gladly supply links - if you would like , but we don't wish to change the course of your photo review . Thanks again and enjoy your cruise and the cooler weather . ☺️🙂

 

[EDVM96]

17 hours ago, theliterateleprechaun said:

It was also wonderful that we were able to visit John Hopkins Glacier. Princess avoids this inlet in Glacier Bay most of the summer because the harbour seals are birthing. September 1st is opening day and the Sapphire was able to get access.

John Hopkins Inlet is usually closed to all vessel traffic from May 01 to June 30. And from July 01 to August 31, all vessels must remain further than 1/4 nautical mile from any seal hauled out on ice. That's why cruise ships don't enter the inlet until September.

 

However, in 2023 we were lucky on the Sapphire to visit John Hopkins Inlet on May 06. I don't know why we were allowed to do so after May 01.

 

John Hopkins Glacier, May 06 2023

 

[theliterateleprechaun]

5 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

 

  Thank you for the review especially the DSLR photos !

We always carry 2 DSLR cameras with extra , pre charged batteries for the cold and 2 chargers for each camera . We have traveled 2 times to Alaska , Antarctica / Patagonia and are currently reviewing Iceland , Scotland and Ireland on the Caribbean last month . We did Antarctica in January this year on another cruise line . We feel that Antarctica/Patagonia and Iceland both blew Alaska away . We would gladly supply links - if you would like , but we don't wish to change the course of your photo review . Thanks again and enjoy your cruise and the cooler weather . ☺️🙂

 

Thank you. I was so frustrated because I'm usually much better prepared for holidays. I won't forget my extra batteries and chargers next time. Live and learn! We know what you mean by Patagonia and Antarctica. We did that cruise last March and were in awe of the scenery. We've been to Greenland but not Iceland and have it on our bucket list. 😊

[theliterateleprechaun]

3 hours ago, EDVM96 said:

John Hopkins Inlet is usually closed to all vessel traffic from May 01 to June 30. And from July 01 to August 31, all vessels must remain further than 1/4 nautical mile from any seal hauled out on ice. That's why cruise ships don't enter the inlet until September.

 

However, in 2023 we were lucky on the Sapphire to visit John Hopkins Inlet on May 06. I don't know why we were allowed to do so after May 01.

 

John Hopkins Glacier, May 06 2023

 

WOW. Just WOW! It's spectacular with the snow. What a treat. Thank you for the information about JH Inlet. 😊