7 Day Alaskan Inside Passage Cruise-- 2010

Seattle, Washington

• Monday-July 19, 2010

     Arriving a day early, we delighted ourselves in the spectacular attractions Seattle has to offer. One of the largest attractions is the Seattle Space Needle, standing as high as a sky scraper. This historic landmark was constructed for the 1962 World's Fair and weighs 9, 550 tons! It is 605 feet high at the tallest point and is 138 feet wide at its broadest point. It has been soundly built to withstand high winds and earthquakes, so don't hesitate to ascend this giant! Elevators took us up 520 feet to the observation deck where we had a 360 degree view of the valley! It was awesome to look over downtown Seattle and then out to the surrounding mountain ranges.

Seattle Space Needle: 605 ft high!

Seattle from the observation deck at 520 ft! Beautiful!

      Pikes Place Market was another delight. We watched fish fly and flip through the air as orders were filled. This was a truly fun way to get your fish weighed and wrapped, plus it thoroughly entertained the onlookers.

• Tuesday- July 20

     The Carnival Spirit loomed before us as we checked in our baggage and excitedly stepped foot on the ramp. This was it! We were finally here and ready to sail into a great vacation. Our balcony stateroom was crisply clean and warmly inviting. We dropped off our carry-on bags and headed straight too the big buffet awaiting us.

     We enjoyed the delicious food and then explored every inch of the ship. It was a great time to acquaint ourselves with the ship and plan the following day's activities! When we came back to our room our checked-in baggage was there waiting for us. We were so grateful that we didn't have to lug it up the ramp with us! This is a wonderful service and they also take them off ship at the end of our cruise. We loved only having to unpack once, while travel to these Alaskan ports of call!

     We lounged on the balcony, taking in the refreshing ocean air and tranquil essence of the ocean around us as we sailed towards Alaska.

Fun Day at Sea

• Wednesday- July 21  

     The ship has many entertainment opportunities: games, contests, dancing, Broadway shows, comedy clubs, pools, hot tubs, a lot of amazing food choices twenty-four-seven and so much more! You can do as little or as much as you want. For us we thoroughly enjoyed the Broadway shows, comedy clubs, fine dining and lounging on our balcony. A huge highlight of the day was dining in the elegant dining room with crystal chandeliers, exquisite food and VIP service. We enjoy choosing our dinner from a full menu and trying something new as one of our choices. It is always entertaining, delicious and fun at dinner time. The warm chocolate melting cake for dessert is a huge favorite! We love the dining experience!


Cruised Tracy Arm Fjord

• Thursday- July 22

    The Tracy Arm Fjord is nestled between ice-carved granite cliffs that raise 3,000 to 4,000 ft out of the water. The fjord stretches 30 miles in length and one-fifth of it that covered in glacier! During the summer, icebergs litter the waters of the fjord, ranging from the size of a three story house to the size of your hand. Sitting on our balcony, we had front row seats to the see it all!

     This was such a sight to see! It was so neat to watch these huge pieces of ice float right by the ship. Here is a short video of one that passed by our balcony!

Skagway, Alaska

• Friday- July 23

     Here we took a scenic float trip through the world famous Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. It was a relaxing rafting trip, with lots of breathtaking scenery. We saw lots of Bald Eagles up close and personal without needing binoculars! It was amazing to be so close to nature and the birds that live there.

      We also got to see the historic Haines and Fort Seward. Check out the pictures below! We sure had a great time in Skagway!

 
Juneau, Alaska

• Saturday- July 24

      From the Cruise dock to down town Juneau, we hopped a ride on the enclosed tramway going over the rain forest to the top of Mount Roberts. The aerial view was stunning! We could see the coastline and the verdant green forest below. We watched the award-winning film Seeing Daylight about the Tlingit culture and was fascinated with all the native and history artwork. This was definitely a must see and do!

Two eagles on top of the third tree from the left!

Mount Roberts Tramway

Going up Mount Roberts on the Tramway! Do you see the ship?

Ketchikan, Alaska

• Sunday- July 25

     While at this port we chose to zip over the Tongrass National Forest hanging from a dual cable zipline! And not just one zipline, but seven! Plus, we got to walking through the trees on three rope bridges! Our guides were great. They made the experience safe and fun! We loved zipping through the trees it was the BEST!! Check out the pictures below and the video of the Bear Creek Zipline Adventure.

 

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

• Monday- July 26

     Here we toured Victoria by a horse drawn trolley. The quite little town was quaint in its Victorian houses and English-looking gardens. With the sound of the clip-clop of the horse's hooves, we got to see historic buildings and old bridges constructed of river rocks. It was neat to note that this town still has tea time. It was nice.


Seattle, Washington

• Tuesday- July 27

     This morning we disembarked from the ship savoring the memories of a wonderful trip. Pictures just can't capture the raw beauty of Alaska! The smells, sounds and feel of Alaska was a treat for the senses. Our cruise up the Alaskan Inside Passage was an unforgettable, magestic adventure!

     Come join our next voyage up the Alaskan Inside Passage on July 24, 2012! For more information click here or visit my website, click on cruise specials, and then on my chamber page.