Sitka

 28 July, 2026

Crescent Bay, Sitka

Based on our research prior to the trip, this was probably going to be our best bet to see whales. While they hadn't been reported in large numbers, there were sightings over the previous several days, so we were hopeful - but didn't have an idea of what we might see. Our excursion boat was docked within a stone's throw of our ship, so access was easy. The slope of the pier transitions was manageable, and they were fairly new and in excellent repair. (I'd guess no more than a season or two old, but have nothing to estimate against.) Our whale watching boat was staffed by Captain Greg and mates Abby and Jacob. They were all three professional, polite, helpful, and informative to a fault. Their cautions were firm, but well delivered, and their information meaningful while avoiding ephemera just to fill empty space. The boat was only a season old, and absolutely impeccable. Binoculars were available for use if you didn't have your own, and the seats were more comfortable than expected while still being space-efficient. Yes, you pay a slight premium for the cruise-affiliated excursion, but in this case it was definitely worth the price of admission.

Bald Eagle Family

We started out with an established Bald Eagle nest. I only had my phone to shoot photos with, which is not
a mistake I'll repeat on our next trip, but I still managed a few nice shots of the parents leaving the nest to hunt for food and a decent shot of the nest, although making out the youngsters is difficult. 

Our next stop was an area well known as a rafting-up spot for Sea Otters. Again, my lack of photography gear vexed me. In addition to a large group we were able to observe a mother with a pup. When they need to dive for food the mothers will wrap the pups in kelp leaves for insulation and leave them floating on the surface, then return and gather them up to restore their body heat and share their catch. When not hunting and eating the otters spend most of their time floating on their backs, watching the world go by.

Juvenile Humpback

As we were leaving the otters a few whale spouts were observed, so the captain started moving the boat in their general direction. Other viewing boats were in the area and everyone maintained a loose formation with engines at idle as we scanned for more evidence of our cetacean friends. We were rewarded with a quick glimpse of a hump here and a fluke there, when suddenly a calf breached the surface, launching himself in the air, spinning onto her back, and landing with a splash. This was repeated several times over the next thirty minutes or so, and I was lucky enough to catch several images. It was as if she knew there was an audience and decided to practice his crowd-pleasing talents for a live audience.

This was the moment that I crossed the line from thinking whales were "neat" to becoming infatuated with them. I want to see more of them, in more environments, doing more things. Humpbacks have always been "meh" in the past, but after seeing them (relatively) "up close" they may just be my favorite. Belugas are adorable, and Orcas are incredible, but Humpbacks are fascinating.

After returning to the pier we queued up for the shuttle to downtown Sitka. This service was exceptionally well organized and ran smoothly. A short bus ride delivered us to the Visitor's Center, which is a short walk from the center of town. There are abundant shops and small restaurants to attract your attention. The hospitality is as we discovered all over Alaska - friendly and inviting, despite the number of ill-behaved tourists they deal with on a seasonal basis. Yes, Alaska is still the USA, but it's not like anywhere else in the USA. Adopt the attitude that you're visiting a foreign land and need to adapt to the local customs and you'll have an absolute blast - try to force things to fit your image of the world and you will experience friction.

When we were all "walked out" we hopped back on the shuttle and returned to the docks, where we had an "interesting" lunch at a crab restaurant that didn't have any crab rolls (a bit perplexing!) and steamed crab prices that obviously carried a "tourist surcharge" (most of us opted for fish & chips, which were quite lacking in comparison to the Ketchikan version) - but their seafood chowder was amazing and the Salmon Berry Lemonade was addictive enough to be classified as a controlled substance in most places.

We made our way back to the ship to get off our feet for a while and ended up at the Windjammer for a light dinner, still partially full from lunch. We had reservations for Spectra's Cabaret, which is first-come, first-served on seating, so we wanted to make sure we arrived in a timely fashion - after seeing The Book on Odyssey our expectations were high.

Sitka Sunset (no filter!)

Unfortunately, our expectations were not met. While the performers gave it their all, and there was
certainly effort and investment to support the production, there was no discernible story line detectable. I would imagine that some mind-altering substances, hallucinogenics to be precise, might enhance the experience, but otherwise I struggle to provide any level of endorsement. The Book (on Odyssey) is quirky and can be difficult to track at times (at least the first time you see it) - but there is a common thread that is easy to identify. Spectra's Cabaret just seems like an abstract journey filled with entropy.

We returned to the Tiki Bar for a bit of martini-medication before heading to our cabins. Skagway is next, and it promised to be another full day of Alaskan adventure.

Ketchikan

 27 July 2026

Ketchikan has two options for mooring. Larger ships can't get downtown, so they tie up a few miles out of town in Ward Cove and passengers take a complimentary shuttle bus in to town. There are berths for 4 "regular" size ships in Ketchikan proper. Ovation is on the larger size, so we were shuttled. After you exit the pier you weave your way through a massive gift shop, fashioned from a former pulp mill warehouse. I'd suggest delaying any souvenir purchases until your return, otherwise you'll be carrying them around all day. 

The buses we rode were sanitary and in good repair (this is Alaska, so there's lots of dirt and mud, depending upon the weather - so I address sanitation instead of cleanliness.) The drivers do a nice job of providing narration, pointing out various items of interest along the way, such as one of the world's smallest WalMarts and the airport that you have to take a ferry to.

The drop-off area is at the middle of the waterfront, and there are ample shopping opportunities in the immediate vicinity. If you walk to Creek Street or up to the salmon ladder you'll pass many other places, from t-shirt shops to local artisans, as well as several totem poles. Our first destination was the salmon ladder, which had plenty of salmon at the bottom, and several salmon working their way up the waterfall, but surprisingly few salmon in the ladder itself. After watching for a while, and trying to capture video of fish jumping upstream, we went in search of yarn, fabric, and books (a recurring theme throughout the rest of our journey!) We located the yarn shop not far downstream from the salmon ladder, and despite the threat of rain (we are in Alaska, after all) Jeff and I remained outside while the ladies perused the store. Jeff walked back over to the river, where a sea lion was on the prowl for spawning salmon, and witnessed a lady bump into someone, launching their cell phone into the river. A disturbing image, to be sure, and inspiration for me to investigate phone leashes to avoid suffering a similar fate in the future.

After procuring a few items in the yarn store, and a couple of books for grandchildren in the adjacent book shop, we set off in search of lunch. Of all the restaurant names imaginable, we were looking for the NY Bistro - in a small Alaskan town. We passed Creek Street (which was the social hub of the town in the early days, in every respect imaginable) and there it was - on the ground floor of the appropriately (but equally confusing) named New York Hotel. After entering the doors the name of the establishment felt more natural. Aside from the view of the street you could have easily been sitting in a Manhattan restaurant. It would be reasonable to characterize the space as "snug" - room to move, but not by much. Service was efficient, the menu varied, but not as flexible as on the "mainland" - most of Alaska is burdened with supply chain challenges, especially the smaller, more remote, towns. They tend to do an excellent job with what they have, but often work with a narrow focus. The highlight of the meal was the fish & chips. This was a dish sampled throughout our trip, and the dish from the NY Bistro won, hands-down. I can also give strong endorsements to the salmon cakes and the chowder - both were very well done. After lunch we stopped off for a few t-shirts on the way back to the shuttle.

When we arrived at the shuttle drop-off we were directed to the end of the line, approximately 400 yards back in the direction we had just walked. When members of your party have mobility issues this is information that would have been nice to have earlier in the process. How do you know where the line begins if there's no indication that the line even exists? Signage would have been an excellent and affordable solution to prevent mass inconvenience.

When we returned to the ship we were a bit weary from a day filled with walking. We opted for dinner at Giovanni's in order to eat earlier and get to bed for our early wake-up in Sitka for our wildlife/whale watching excursion.

Thank you for visiting Alaska, please exit via the gift shop.

 

Harry Potter Studio Tours - 2027

 Tickets are now available through December, 2027. This is one of our favorite experiences when you've overloaded on London. It does require a bit of planning, but it's not difficult. If you've visited London a time or two and are a fan of things Harry Potter, this should be in your wheelhouse.

Read my previous post for fairly detailed instructions on how to get to Watford Junction/Leavesden from London.

Cruising - Day Two

26 July, 2026

I was the first one up and about in our crew, so I decided to check out the Solarium. I wasn't quite ready for breakfast, but the coffee service was calling, and I must answer. After fixing my coffee I was tempted to grab a bagel and a plate of lox, just for a "little snack," but resisted and opted for an apple danish instead (you know, because it was healthy, thanks to the apples!) and went in search of a table. I located a vacant spot on the port side, with a nice - albeit partially obscured by fog - view. Just as I got in a rhythm of sipping, nibbling, and reading my phone pinged. My sister was up and about, ready for coffee. We met on the esplanade and waited for the others to make an appearance, then headed off to brunch.

After brunch Jeff headed to the casino to see if his luck would continue while the rest of us went to Two70 in search of seats, which we found near a gentleman who was having a heated discussion with his cellular provider over the functioning of his phone aboard the ship. It appeared to be a classic example of entitlement intersects technical ineptitude. He finally abandoned his call, much to our delight, and moved elsewhere - no doubt to find something else that didn't suit him.

Today's wildlife lecture covered the Alaskan bear population. While interesting, it wasn't quite as compelling as the whale lecture. We listened and gleaned information while keeping an eye peeled on the water for whale spouts. We did spot one or two in the distance, but never saw any humps, fins, or flukes.

We enjoyed beverages and snacks throughout the afternoon while reading, writing, knitting, and crocheting - a relaxing and restful afternoon. I did tend to some work details, trying to resolve an issue with an individual who had been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

Early seating dinner was upon us before we knew it, so we dropped all of our "stuff" in the cabins and headed to the main dining room.

Dinner was solid. Good but not particularly memorable, service was great. Then we're back out the door and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the evening. We ended up in the Schooner Bar, listening to some rather inventive performances by someone who once knew a guy who lived next door to a guy who was in a band of some renown.

All in all a nice day to unwind and not think about a whole lot before the next three days of port calls and activity were upon us.

 

Cruising - Day One

 25 July, 2026

"Orca Song"

As is my custom, I was up and about for coffee fairly early (putting my new insulated cup to good use) and met my sister and brother-in-law on the Royal Esplanade. Jeff has a similar cup that he procured on his last trip to Vancouver. Same style of artwork, created by indigenous PNW artists, but a different theme and color motif. I was drawn to the color and theme of my mug when I saw it on the shelf, and couldn't resist the temptation. I'm picky when it comes to drinking vessels (an expression of my neurodivergence) so this was a gamble for me. I've got a cabinet full of rarely-used cups and mugs, and didn't want to add to the collection. This has now become my "daily drinker" for coffee when I'm not at work. (Work mugs tend to take a beating, and I prefer a handle for more rugged conditions, so this is decidedly not "ambulance appropriate" by my standards.) I don't know that I was aware that an entire genre of art existed beyond the totem, but I'm happy to have discovered it.

Sea-Day Brunch provides ample flexibility, so we took our time getting to the dining room where I continued my Eggs Benedict project. I'm happy to report that Royal Caribbean continues their streak of poached-egg perfection (and I won't keep you in suspense, I had poached eggs of some sort every morning, and was joined by others several times, and of over 20 poached eggs only two didn't hit the mark of "perfect" - and those two were still quite good.)

Sailing up the coast is a constant stream of "look at that" moments, punctuated with "look, a whale" (generally just a spout, as the area you're scanning is so vast the odds of seeing a hump or a fin on the surface are incredibly small.) The last time we saw scenery like this was sailing the Strait of Magellan on Mariner of The Seas when we went around Cape Horn. There are no bad seats, as long as they have view of the outside.  Two70 on the Quantum-class ships is an excellent place to hang out if you want to enjoy the scenery without chasing every possible view.

Humpback

And on cruises such as this, you have the addition of enrichment lectures while you make your way up the coast. On this day we enjoyed an excellent lecture on whales. Growing up on the mid-Atlantic coast (not well known for whale activity) whales have always been one of the marine elements that didn't get much thought, like sea lions, penguins, and kelp beds. We see plenty of shark, dolphin/porpoise, turtles, and large gamefish, but whales are generally just "somewhere out there" or relegated to television specials from National Geographic or Jacques Cousteau.

But on this day, things changed. I don't know exactly why, but it was likely due to the geography of the situation. It was entirely plausible for the lecturer to mention something about humpbacks one minute and have one pop up next to the ship the next - which is a situation you don't often find yourself in.

I became enamored with whales. Not to the point of infatuation, but definitely fascination. The prospect of seeing the giants of the ocean (relatively) up-close was exhilarating, to say the least. Now it was a matter of the whales cooperating and allowing us a glimpse. Would we see humpbacks? Orca? Beluga? Or would we get skunked and only have the memory of spouts on a distant horizon?

Following the whale lecture, a retired RCMP Mountie shared the history of the RCMP as well as the path to becoming a Mountie and his personal experience serving. It was entertaining as well as educational, providing insight revealing a level of flexibility and adaptation not seen in U.S. law enforcement. Imagine the FBI serving at every level from County to Federal in the United States and you have a good idea of what the RCMP handles across Canada.

For dinner we visited Chops and had a wonderful time. The service was exceptional, even when compared to the already elevated experience that Chops usually provides. This is the first time we've dined in this venue as a party of four, and the distribution of side items was much more reasonable - a greater assortment with less waste, and an opportunity to try just a taste of something without feeling guilty for leaving a nearly-full dish on the table. 

All-in-all a fantastic day cruising North, to Alaska!

Vancouver - Boarding Day

We started the morning by packing up last minute items before taking a walk around the corner to Ciclo for one last amazing coffee.

Jeff is practically on a first-name basis with the baristas at this point, and they don't even need to ask for his order. Our arrival time at the port is 12:30 and our checkout time for the Air BnB is 11:00, so our goal is to push our departure to the absolute last moment and just arrive at the port early. The worst case scenario is that we end up waiting for boarding – but that's never been the case, especially since electronic boarding documents were implemented.

We lingered over our coffees and enjoyed some incredibly well-made pastries, enjoying our last few hours in Vancouver and anticipating the start of the "real" vacation, despite already having enjoyed some of the best food we've ever had in restaurants, anywhere. We returned to the AirBnB, put on the finishing touches, and shuttled our suitcases down to the lobby. 

Our challenge was going to be finding an Uber that would accommodate four passengers and all of our luggage. We requested an XL and a large Kia SUV arrived, which just fit everything. We had the good fortune of a driver who was familiar with all of the ins-and-outs of the cruise terminal drop-off process. Thanks to his knowledge we avoided the long drop-off lines and were able to take our luggage out of the car and hand it directly to a porter. We did have a bit of a longer walk than had we gone to the other entrance, but not having to wrangle suitcases more than compensated for the extra steps.

This is our 46th cruise, across four cruise lines, departing from 18 different ports in five countries. It was the most convenient and one of the smoothest processes we've ever experienced, even if it did involve a bit more walking than any others that we can recall. After dropping our luggage we snaked through a short maze of hallways to the elevators, rode up a level, and then continued along a concourse, out of the building. You then walk in another door and go through security. After security you show your passport and get a paper ticket (I think I've got the details in order, I may have a step or two mixed up, but the general concept tracks.) Then you proceed into a large room where there are a line of cruise reps armed with iPads. Boarding passes are scanned and (assuming you completed the online check-in) you're sent along ANOTHER path that runs parallel with the first path you followed from the elevator to the outside. You exit again, then proceed down the breezeway past the door you entered a few minutes ago (showing your paper ticket for passage) and then proceed back in the building, through US customs, and on to the ship. Despite walking approximately half the distance of the Yukon trail this entire process, from handing luggage to the porter to stepping off the gangway onto the ship, took us exactly thirty minutes. 

Thanks to the online safety briefing we were able to complete our muster station check-in within minutes after boarding and then headed to the Windjammer for lunch.

The Windjammer experience was one of the least hectic departure day lunches we've ever experienced. Perhaps it was because we were a party of four, maybe it was just the crowd, or the timing of the day (I heard that the late departure, due to waiting for the tide to allow bridge clearance, allowed some of the pre-cruise activities to run a bit later, so maybe that was it.) Whatever the reason, it was fantastic. 

By the time we finished lunch our cabins were available, so we were able to drop our carry-ons, convert to "vacation mode," and explore the ship. This was our second Quantum-class ship, and was recently "Amplified" (in Singapore last April) so we were curious to see the changes. Most obvious was the removal of the Bionic Bar and it's replacement, the Tiki Bar. The Tiki Bar has several frozen drink dispensers, a couple of which seem a bit questionable, but all are tasty. Giovanni's Kitchen was added, along with Izumi Teppanyaki. The family Splash Pad area was updated as well. The pool area aft of the Solarium has a sliding roof, providing a protected area for colder-climate itineraries. In place of El Loco Fresh (one of our favorite spots on Odyssey) there's a Fish & Ships on the pool deck - which received good reviews from everyone I spoke with. Odyssey has a Sports Bar, with food available for an added fee,  where Ovation has the Dog House, which has a selection of complementary hot dogs and brats which make a good mid-afternoon snack when returning from an excursion after lunch.

Our luggage was delivered promptly at 3:00 (air tags are brilliant for tracking progress!) so we returned to the room and spent about 30 minutes unpacking and organizing before relaxing on the balcony for a bit.

This is the first time we tried early seating for dinner. We have been on small cruises with only one seating, but traditionally we've always opted for late seating. It's difficult to make a comparison due to how unusual an Alaska itinerary is to a Caribbean itinerary. We have early seating for our upcoming New Year's cruise to be more kid-friendly for the grandsons, so that might give us a little better idea.

The welcome aboard comedian was a complete bust. He started strong, but after the fist five minutes or so he devolved into a stream of disjointed babbling and never managed to recover. We ended up in Boleros for a couple of drinks and called it a night.

We enjoyed our time in Vancouver, but it was nice to get settled on the ship.

Vancouver - Day 2

 23 July, 2026

A full and wonderful day!

We started out in search of breakfast. Who would have thought a Thursday morning would have been so busy? The first couple of places we tried quoted extensive waits and no options for coffee while we waited. Our ultimate destination was still highly recommended, and there was a coffee shop just around the corner, so we could begin our morning caffeination ritual while we waited for our table.

The weather was spectacular - especially after suffering through 90+ degree days with humidity levels you could slice with a knife in North Carolina. We were having a nice chat on the patio, enjoying our coffees, when a fire alarm activated. Suddenly our quiet and cozy wait was joined by a couple of hundred office workers, unceremoniously ejected from their desks by a cacophony of sirens and buzzers.

Cafe Medina

After checking our watches, and realizing we hadn't received a notice that our table was ready (long after it should have been) we packed up and made our way back to the restaurant. Investigation with the hostess revealed that another "Jeff" with a party of four had claimed our spot in the queue, walking up just as our slot became available. The hostess apologized profusely and we were seated immediately.

Café Medina (neither funky nor cold) is a bustling venue, considered the "original" Vancouver brunch destination, and renowned for their Belgian Waffles. The menu borders on the eclectic, but modifications are happily managed (I can't speak for substitutions, as we tend to avoid them unless they're offered, or mandated by a dietary restriction.) Service was on-par with our expectations, and the food was spectacular. Our table covered everything from waffles (have to try the specialty) and avocado toast to the Cassoulet. There were a couple of cocktails consumed, and, of course, plenty of coffee. We didn't linger over our table, as a healthy waiting list was standing by and we had places to go and things to see.

Our first destination was Granville Island, which has a variety of what can be generally described as "everything." Food, specialty boutiques, produce markets, craft stores, instrument makers, art galleries, and street vendors are all well represented. The ever-present trinket shops are available, but if you want to get a more useful souvenir there are plentiful options to choose from. We strolled along from shop to shop, ultimately headed for donuts (because brunch was at least an hour prior, and we had to get in some pre-cruise conditioning.) After small purchases at a yarn shop (or two) and a music store filled with local hand-made items, we paused to listen to a street musician and do a bit of people-watching. We arrived at Lee's Donuts and found a bit of a queue, which appeared to be fast-moving. If you're looking for the same donuts you'll find at your local chain establishment then you may be headed for disappointment. Lee's leans heavily on local and regional influences, with the base being a honey glaze as opposed to the typical simple-sugar glaze found in franchise shops. Filled variations on offer tend to be cyclical, specialty recipes - targeted by many customers - seem to be more consistent. Regardless of your choice, prepare for  deliciousness. We each chose a donut, and since a half-dozen made more economic sense than four singles, Jeff and I selected two. (We're walking it off, after all!) After we polished off our donuts we browsed a bit more before grabbing another Uber to head over to Stanley Park.

Stanley Park is the home of a collection of Pacific Northwest Totem Poles which are the most frequently visited tourist site in British Columbia. The collection began in 1920, with the purchase of poles from different areas. Over the years many original poles have been returned to their origins and what we see on display are replicas. The authentic poles have been carefully preserved and maintained over the years.

If you're visiting on your own, keep an eye out for tour buses, and try to be flexible. Buses will show up, purge their contents onto the park, and almost as quickly, disappear.  Your patience will be rewarded with better photo opportunities and easier access to the restrooms and gift shop. The area benefits from pleasant breezes, thanks to being on a point that projects into Vancouver Harbor. Seaplane traffic is plentiful, as are steady helicopter transits to the outlying islands - any aviation buff can be entertained well beyond the attention span of their companions.

Having logged more than our allocated steps for the day, we summoned yet another Uber for a ride back to our AirBnB. After unloading our purchases we worked on re-packing suitcases in anticipation of our move to the ship the next morning. This proved to be perfectly manageable, leaving a bit of time for relaxation and recharging before our dinner reservation.

Tonight our reservation is three blocks south of where we ate last night. Spoiler alert - I'd stay in this neighborhood again just to be close to these restaurants. Blue Water Cafe is an excellent choice if you're looking for good seafood. Service was spectacular, with one caveat - when the check was paid our server quickly adopted the attitude of "You're done - now leave." This was communicated without nuance or apology. After spending $100 per person on an amazing dinner, this was a bit abrupt and enough to avoid this server should I ever return. Our cocktails were innovative, delicate in flavor, and delicious. The selection of appetizer specials approached overwhelming - I opted for the trio of bluefin tuna nigiri, one portion each of Akami, Chutoro, and Otoro - and I don't regret my choice at all. The three cuts were simultaneously complimentary and contrasting, forming a culinary delight. For an entree two of us selected the Arctic Char, one chose steak and the other scallops. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their entrees without a single point of complaint.