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Alaska Inside Passage Cruise: Whittier to Vancouver July 4th - 11th 2009 |
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Overview: Best Journeys of the World lists the Inside Passage of Alaska as being one of the worlds top cruises. How could it not be when sailing alongside mountains rising up 15,000 ft above the water as you coast along from the comforts of the Sapphire Princess. The cruise began in the small town of Whittier and headed south ending in Vancouver, BC. Making the cruise even more enjoyable was having so many family and friends to enjoy it with. Highlights and the coastal towns included College Fjord, Glacier Bay National Park, Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan. |
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Day 1 Whittier Up the morning of the cruise we dropped off the rental car and then got on the bus. It was a nice ride as we made our way along turn-again arm. Through a lengthy tunnel we got our first glimpse of the ship. After boarding, Mike and Dad and myself took a kike up to Portage Pass and got good views of the glacier and looking back at the ship. The evening was spent walking around the palatial ship. After our first taste of cruise eating we went to Mike and Ang's room to hang out on the balcony watching the mountains unfold by us.
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Day 2 College Fjord Up early on the deck by 6 we cruised by the College Glaciers and eventually ended up at the Harvard Glacier. When the glacier calved it sounded like gunshots- I only heard it twice. The rest of the day was spent walking around the ship. |
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Day 2 Glacier Bay National Park As we entered the bay we saw a few whales off in the distance. I was up on the deck the whole day as we traveled the parks inlets. It was unbelievably clear and hot outside. Only able to access the park by boat or plane it had a feel of a true wild landscape. The national park staff boated in and gave a presentation about the park later in the day.
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Another impressive sight. The Blue ice of the mile wide, 300 ft tall glacier that flowed from the jagged peaks in the distance. Later in the evening before dinner I had a memorable soak in the hot tube at the rear of the ship surrounded by the fjords of the park as we made our way back out.
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