how about an alaska cruise?

James was trying to find an interesting place to take two of his kids for a summer  vacation. After a little research we determine a 7 day Alaska Cruise from Seattle would be a fun experience.

We rented a Ford Flex so that we would all fit in one vehicle and drove to Victoria. My parents were our dog sitters. We found out when we returned the vehicle that dogs weren't allowed in it. oops.

We took the Clipper to Seattle and had one night in Seattle before getting on the ms Westerdam for our Alaskan adventure.

I really like Seattle. I like the energy of the city and the vibe. But wow, do they have bad taxi service! Luckily I like walking. We went through the Pike market, visited the Seattle Art Museum, had a tea from the first Starbucks, went to Pioneer Square and walked through the library.

The cruise was fun but wet. It rained almost everyday. That can happen in Alaska. Alaska is rugged and beautiful. The Hubbard Glacier was definitely the highlight for me. The Westerdam is a nice ship. We had two inside cabins that have an adjoining door. The rooms were very small but dark. Good for sleeping.  We purchased the thermal suite package and used it a lot. We also discovered happy hour(s) on this cruise - buy one drink, get the second for $1. Holland America makes good mojito's.

our itinerary  - july 2011

July 21 - drive to Victoria
July 22 - clipper to Seattle
July 23 - board the ms Westerdam
July 24 - at sea
July 25 - Juneau. We went zip lining over an old gold mine. So fun! Then we took the tram but it was quite foggy. Had a nice little hike around and saw the injured bald eagle. Had an expensive snack at Tracy's Crab Shack, bought some silt soap, fudge and salmon.
July 26 - Hubbard Glacier (cruising). So spectacular - the colour and sound is amazing. When the glacier calves it sounds like thunder. The captain got us 399 m away from the glacier. It looks small but it is seven miles wide.
July 27 - Sitka. We walked around town and it was interesting to see the Russian influences. We did the sea otters and raptor centre excursion so we saw lots of wild life. Including a humpback whale. It poured rained but it did not dampen our spirits.
July 28 - Ketchikan. We were super disappointed that our flight to the misty fjords was cancelled because of fog. Poked around town, went to Dolly's.
July 29 - Victoria. Family met us and we walked around town for a bit. 
July 30 - Seattle disembark. Another disgruntled cab driver. Noticed a parade set up on the way to buy cupcakes from Yellow Leaf.
Took the Clipper back to Victoria. Went to Butchart Gardens to see the fireworks. If you are in Victoria on a Saturday in the summer, go to the fireworks at Butchart Gardens.