It is Day 22 and we arrived in Seattle this morning. We chose to leave the ship with last group group so we would have time for a leisurely breakfast and last minute packing. What beautiful weather, sun and relatively warm, not 114 like AZ today so we will enjoy our Seattle day before heading out tomorrow morning for home. Last night, we said our goodbyes to our favorite musicians on board ( the Hungarian viloinist as our favorite and we bought his CD to enjoy at home), and to some of the singers Bob performed with in the talent show.The talent show was on the big performance stage and we actually have a video of the performance. We had our final dinner at the Canaletto restaurant (see picture) with excellent Italian cuisine and finished our ... read more

Well day 20 of our trip and we are having a sea day having left Sitka and steaming (actally probably more like dieseling) toward Vitoria, BC. I'm actually typing this from the Starbucks in Victoria, but I'll get to that later. We attended another art auction (shucks, we didn't win the $500 credit), and are considering a couple more pictures, hey, the campagne flows freely and increases are art interest accordingly! Unlike my travelers in the Casino, at least we end up with art we like. And the purchases go toward future Holland America Mariner status levels. We had a rehearsal for the Talent Show which is Thursday before debarking at Victoria. I was talked in to participating. Will sing Strangers in Paradise. We got up really late this morning(lost an hour switching back to Arizona ... read more

Just to catch up, after coming back on board, we had a Savory & Swirl culinary event onboard (see picture) with chef and assistant. We left a soggy but delightful Kodiak Island last night and cruised today through Hubbard Bay Glacier, one of the longest at 7 miles. It is an advancing glacier, moving forward more than the combination of new snow and ice annualy produced and caling (ice breaking off) whereas Mendinhall Glacier is a receding glacier. See pictures of Hubbard. The ice was blue as has been the ice in the 3 glaciers we've seen. Not as high as I imagined but still dramatic. These pictures don't give the sense of majesty. Did hear ice breaking off in big boom sounds today. It was cold and rainy but I wasn't out long, just to ... read more

Greetings all in the Lower 48. Our best Alaska weather day yet. We docked in Anchorage about 7 am to a glorious sunny day. In the low 60s, the best ALASKA day yet. Didn't even bring our rain coats out. Had breadfast, took a shuttle provided by Holland America down town and are enjoying no sales tax in Anchorage, free wifi in Nordstroms and the convention center so I'm able to blog and charge my phone at the same time. We also found a wine store at reasonable prices (forget buying wine on the ship unless you like to spend $30 or more per bottle!). We stopped at the visitor center and talked to a volunteer who winters in El Mirage and summers up here. There are quite a few Arizona folks on the cruise as ... read more

Arrived at 8 am, had breakfast and was off the ship by 9:30. Did a little shopping on Franklin Street, then met up with friends Kathryn and Chuck for a tour of the Juneau. The Mendenhall Glacier is right outside of Juneau (pictures) and at 1 1/2 miles wide, is a large blue ice glacier with salmon in streams and nice path ways for observation. We got our National Park stamp at the visitor's center, felt 200 year old ice (it was cold), saw some salmon and a black bear (pretty hidden in the trees) so more easily seen with the human eye than a picture. Next we drove out to a famous glacier view spot for more pictures (see pictures with flowers). On to a beautfiul spot on the water that is a catholic retreat ... read more