Mercury in inside passage

[Putterdude]

Some six weeks ago there was some conjecture whether the Mercury once leaving Vancouver would swing southwest thru the Strait of Juan de Fuca and go up the westside of Vancouver Island as depicted on Celebrity's brochures and website. I happy to tell you that as of this moment the Mercury is in front of our house in the Strait of Georgia heading northwest in the Inside Passage for Alaska. If any want updates next Sunday I will be happy to post.:)

[Imagineer]

Hi Putterdude, it was my post inquiring about the two varying routes, the August 9th, 23rd and 30th itineraries all show the inside route, whereas the 2nd and 16th sailing indicate the outside. Here's a link to the itinerary page for the Mercury August 09 cruises:

http://www.celebritycruises.com/search/vacationSearchResults.do;jsessionid=0000Hr_ntOSQT8NWgIbLvHXujPj:12hdbcuh7?dest=ALCAN&port=YVR&date=200907&ship=MR&showSailings=CSO&Submit222.x=62&Submit222.y=7&Submit222=Submit

 

...my inquiry to Celebrity indicates the reason is the unpredictability at that point in time of the tides in Seymour Narrows...

...we're all hoping that the conditions are favorable to do the inside, at least on the way back, which takes place during more of the daylight hours. In mid to late August, on the way up, its usually dark by the time you near Texada Island, whereas heading south it doesn't get dark until you get just north of Campbell River. We cruised to Alaska in August of 2006 on the Norwegian Wind, that, along with spending quite a few years living in Campbell River, I have a bit of experience watching the ships go by, and in August its almost always dark. In May and June the longer daylight hours really do make a difference of how much more you get to see...

...suppose the other reason is that it can be a bit rougher on the outside, which makes it a bit tougher on those susceptible to any sea sickness...

 

cheers,

 

the Imagineer

 

 

 

 

[Putterdude]

I am familiar with the routing shown on Celebrity's itinerary maps...if the Mercury fails to sail northbound in the Inside Passage this season...short of a sinking in Seymour Narrows....I buy you a drink.:D

[sweetpea2009]

Thanks Putterdude! I'm sailing north on the Mercury July 12th, and the map for my route showed us sailing outside Van Isl on the way up and inside the entire way down. It would be good news, indeed, were she to sail inside both ways.

 

:D

[LeftcoastBC]

I am familiar with the routing shown on Celebrity's itinerary maps...if the Mercury fails to sail northbound in the Inside Passage this season...short of a sinking in Seymour Narrows....I buy you a drink.:D

 

Hey !! does that include the dates that they actually say they will sail the other way on the web site... ?? :D

 

and how are we actually going to find out if they do go the other way on those dates. !! Seems you can't believe what you read :)

[Putterdude]

The first Sunday this Alaska season that the Mercury doesn't come by here I will get in touch with Imagineer and arrange to send him or her cash for a drink on me. Beyond that you will just have to take my word for it.:)

 

 

[hcat]

Thanks Putterdude! I'm sailing north on the Mercury July 12th, and the map for my route showed us sailing outside Van Isl on the way up and inside the entire way down. It would be good news, indeed, were she to sail inside both ways.

 

:D

 

This was the route taken when we cruised a pacific NW itin on Mercury--but that was awhile ago-- seas were rough going along the outside....

[Putterdude]

This was the route taken when we cruised a pacific NW itin on Mercury--but that was awhile ago-- seas were rough going along the outside....

 

Was that a NW itinerary or Alaskan itinerary? Because at the begining of the season and at the end of the season the Mercury does some itineraries in and around the Pacific Northwest which may have indeed taken here around Vancouver Island but not to Alaska.

[Mercruiser]

Here is my GPS track log from a trip many years ago on Celebrity Mercury, June 22 - 29, 2001 from Vancouver to Seward. If you have Google Earth installed, this file will open in Google Earth and display the GPS tracks. It's interesting to zoom in on the Seymour Narrows area or the Gastineau Channel

Mercury Track Log June 2001

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Very cool! A friend of ours had a portable GPS unit on our Alaska cruise on the Mercury. Guess he didn't know how to make a log. Is it hard? Maybe he could do one of our Panama Canal cruise.

[Mercruiser]

Very cool! A friend of ours had a portable GPS unit on our Alaska cruise on the Mercury. Guess he didn't know how to make a log. Is it hard? Maybe he could do one of our Panama Canal cruise.

 

It's easy enough to make a GPS track log if your GPS stores the necessary data. The steps to do this vary a bit depending on the model of GPS. As an example, here is how to do it with a Garmin GPSmap 60CSX. Garmin is a very popular brand. You may have seen their "Nuvi" models in stores. The steps for another Garmin unit will be similar.

 

1) Leave the GPS turned on where is can collect the position data. This is easy if you have a balcony. For this track log, I left my GPS out on the balcony whenver the ship was moving. This particular unit is waterproof - it might rain. If yours is not, put it in a ziplock bag. Bring a charger and extra batteries. You'll need to change them every day.

 

2) Depending on the model, you may have to save the track logs periodically so that the GPS track log does not start erasing the oldest data. You do not have to do this with the 60CSx. It has the option to save all track logs to a mini-SD memory card. I could go on a round-the-world cruise and not fill up the track log memory.

 

3) When you get back home, transfer the GPS track data to Mapsource. Mapsource is the Garmin PC program for managing maps, track logs, waypoints, etc.

 

4) In the Mapsource "View" menu, there is an option to "View in Google Earth". If Google Earth (free download) is installed, this brings up the track log, right in Google Earth. In Google Earth, in the File menu you have the option to "Share/Post". That's how I produced the link to the track log for everyone to see.

 

I suggest you try this with your own GPS well before going on your Panama cruise. Just try this on you next trip to the grocery store.

 

Another reason to take a GPS with you is to automatically record the locaton of all your digital photos. Have a look at this photo gallery of mine: Mazatlan stop. If you click the "Map This" button on the upper right, you'll see a Google Map showing where these photos were taken. This was done using the same GPS track logs described above. In this case, I used a free program called GPicSync to insert the photo location in all of the digital picture files. To do this requires that you take your GPS with you and leave it on while taking pictures. I just put my GPS in a pocket in my day pack.

 

Enjoy your tip to Panama. I'll be going on the Infinity Eastbound Panama Canal, April 10, 2011.

 

[soon to be cruising]

putterdude...

 

I am not the brightest person so i am sorry if you are going to repeat yourself to me...Our first port is sitka. I guess what i am asking you is what is the route if it does go to the inside passage.. South of Ketchikan I guess the ship can swing out towards sea. Is this correct? I really hope this is right since it sounds like this would make things a lot more enjoyable!

 

Thanks

Dave

[LeftcoastBC]

putterdude...

 

I am not the brightest person so i am sorry if you are going to repeat yourself to me...Our first port is sitka. I guess what i am asking you is what is the route if it does go to the inside passage.. South of Ketchikan I guess the ship can swing out towards sea. Is this correct? I really hope this is right since it sounds like this would make things a lot more enjoyable!

 

Thanks

Dave

 

I guess maybe we locals get carried away a bit sometimes. The Merc will generally do the "Inside passage". Now that is the water between Vancouver Island and the Mainland when referring to the large cruiseship Industry. "Outside" is just that on the Outside of Vancouver Island.

There is actually a further "Inside Passage" that ferry's and smaller vessels use all the way up the coast.(The real INside passage) Some cruise ships may choose to sail some of this also. Depends on a lot of things.

This is the route you want to sail all the time because of views.

 

The interest with the Merc this year is that on several sailing they actually show on the Online Itinerary on the website that they go "Outside" right from the get go when leaving Vancouver. It doesn't make much sense to us locals but with all the "Negative Press" in various forums that they have gotten about "Inside" routes being advertised and not actually sailed some of us think it may just happen. PD thinks it's just another screw up by =X= shore folks. Hence the banter. sorry.

[hcat]

Was that a NW itinerary or Alaskan itinerary? Because at the begining of the season and at the end of the season the Mercury does some itineraries in and around the Pacific Northwest which may have indeed taken here around Vancouver Island but not to Alaska.

 

Yes, ours was a Pacific NW itin--around Vancouver island .. stopped at Astoria Oregon, Nainamo, & Victoria . The seas on the outside were rough & , ship had to travel slowly & we were behind schedule for the trip down the passage--but it was beautiful ! Hope to do the full trip up to Alask some tim ein the future..

[Putterdude]

I guess maybe we locals get carried away a bit sometimes. The Merc will generally do the "Inside passage". Now that is the water between Vancouver Island and the Mainland when referring to the large cruiseship Industry. "Outside" is just that on the Outside of Vancouver Island.

There is actually a further "Inside Passage" that ferry's and smaller vessels use all the way up the coast.(The real INside passage) Some cruise ships may choose to sail some of this also. Depends on a lot of things.

This is the route you want to sail all the time because of views.

 

The interest with the Merc this year is that on several sailing they actually show on the Online Itinerary on the website that they go "Outside" right from the get go when leaving Vancouver. It doesn't make much sense to us locals but with all the "Negative Press" in various forums that they have gotten about "Inside" routes being advertised and not actually sailed some of us think it may just happen. PD thinks it's just another screw up by =X= shore folks. Hence the banter. sorry.

 

Well said, I probably couldn't have explained it any better short of attaching a chart. However I don't think that X has screwed up...I just think that they have used a bit of artistic licence in depicting how the Mercury is going to Alaska....on the outside.

In any event....for those scoring at home, at 6:50 pm this evening the Mercury was abeam Sechelt in the Inside Passage en-route to Alaska. As a point of interest, tonight the cruise ships came by quite slowly obvioulsy waiting for the tide in Seymour Narrows and last night they came by very quickly as though they were trying to catch the tide in the narrows.

[Putterdude]

For those keeping score...tonight at 7:15 pm the Mercury passed in front of us here in Sechelt northbound in the Strait of Georgia which forms part of the Inside Passage.

[Imagineer]

...thanks for the update Putterdude, let's just hope she keeps to that route...

 

cheers,

 

the Imagineer

[bondscruisegal]

Our May 24th cruise itinerary for the Mercury showed us cruising on the west side of Vancouver Island, but we actually sailed on the inside passage between the east side of Vancouver Island and the BC mainland.

[sweetpea2009]

Thanks Putterdude! I was just coming on here to check if you'd noticed her or not. :) I hope we sail by you in 5 weeks...

[LeftcoastBC]

It's the Aug 2nd and 16th dates that may cost the drinks :) although since the 24th MAY went inside you may be in the clear.

 

Here's the Itinerary for those dates from the website.

 

Vancouver, British Columbia, Sitka, Alaska, Hubbard Glacier (Cruising), Juneau, Alaska, Ketchikan, Alaska, Vancouver, British Columbia

 

Notice no "Inside" mentioned at all.

[Putterdude]

I am committed...what can I say.:D

[harryfat1]

Hi,

 

I know this thread is on the Mercury’s sailing in the inside passage, but what about the Infinity’s sailing from Seattle?

 

We will be on the Infinity sailing in August and according to Celebrity’s map, it’s inside passage on the northbound journey and outside Vancouver Island on the southbound leg, so just wanted to check with you experts on what’s what.

 

Thanks in advance for your insights.

[Putterdude]

Harry,

What Celebrity is showing for the Infinity is what sprarked the discussion about the Mercury....in my opinion they have just used some artistic license and in doing so they have confused a lot of pax. To my knowledge during the normal Alaska cruise season no ship departing Seattle sails up the east side of Vancouver Island, it would be out of there way and the only way they can make a 7 rtn trip work is to sail up the west side of the Island. Last year they did try returning the Infinity once or twice southbound on the east side and they were extremely late getting into Victoria and abandoned the plan. What is going happen on your cruise is you will sail up the west side of the Island then enter the Inside Passage when you are north of the Island and will enter through Queen Charlotte Sound and follow the same routing southbound.

[DougK]

Putterdude,

 

While I think you're absolutely right about the Mercury, I think you might be wrong about the Infinity this year. Celebrity changed the itineraries to have only two Alaska ports, and a longer Victoria stop this year -- compared to three Alaska ports and a brief Victoria stop last year. I'm guessing that skipping one Alaska port gives them time to come through the Inside Passage (east side of Vancouver Island) one direction. Do you disagree?

 

Has anybody come back from the Infinity's Alaska cruise yet, so we can know for sure? I think the first one of the season got back last Friday.

[harryfat1]

Hi, Putterdude,

 

Thanks for the explanation and insight.

 

Guess it’s easier for the artist to draw the arrows to show the voyage northbound one way and arrow on the opposite side southbound. Easier for the non professionals to visualize the cruise if it’s a “circular route” and the Marketing folks would rather make it look like it’s “inside passage” versus ”outside passage”. Perhaps there should be a disclaimer on their map – Warning: for illustration purposes only, not actual sailing route.

 

Maybe this was discussed previously – sorry to be repeating the topic as Johnny Come Lately – but for the Infinity, on the original hard copy 09 brochure, they had the Infinity visiting to 4 ports and was to arrive in Victoria late in the evening on the last night for the obligatory “foreign port” call. On the current revised itinerary, we now only have 3 ports (gave up Icy Strait Point) and in theory have more time in Victoria as we are to get in by 2 PM, but guess that all could change depends on the tidal condition referenced in previous posts..

 

Here is a really dumb question from a Newbie – Why can’t the fist port of call be Victoria out of Seattle and then head for Alaska and back? For example, day 2 on the cruise is call to Victoria from 8 AM to 4 PM, then head north. Day 3 is all day in sea. Day 4 is Hubbard Glacier. Day 5 is Juneau. Day 6 is Ketchikan part day and Day 7 on sea all day to be back? Is it a question of tide/logistics?

 

Thanks,