The main purpose of the trip is to take the Disney Cruise from Vancouver to Alaska. I am typing this as we are about to leave our hotel rooms to board the cruise. It's been a circuitous journey.
Our original plan was to take the cruise departing on July 18, but a couple of medical events made it necessary to change our plans. First Jess's mother had a medical issue that saw her hospitalized for about a week, so there was some reluctance to leave while she was still in recovery. The one thing that "sealed the deal" was Anne came down with COVID around July 12, and wouldn't be cleared to sail on the 18th. Thankful both Rosa and Anne recovered fully. That cruises aren’t fully booked, and airlines have generous change policies, made the switch to this rather straightforward.
The remaining stumbling blocks are all the travel requirements. Disney also has (what I would call) onerous policies regarding COVID testing, not quite streamlined so multiple entries are required of the same data. More on that later.
Saturday, 8/6. We returned from our Virginia Beach trip on Friday, and had to repack for expected Alaska weather (50s at night to low 70s during the day). There is also reasonably high probably of rain in the long-term forecast (getting better as the days wear on). Typically for a cruise there is a "formal night," and we decided to not worry about it. Still, most of today was spent on packing.
With seven people going to the airport, we felt the best option was to take Joe's car, with luggage carrier on top, and go together. It worked fine as the carrier could take 4 carry-ons, and a backpack. We travel with six carry-ons total, and one backpack each. After dropping off at Terminal C, I took the car to EZ Way, and the shuttle back; this took about 25 minutes.
Today was when CLEAR made a difference. The six people went through the regualr TSA pre-check line, and I used CLEAR. And I got through before they did! It was unusual to have such a long wait at TSA pre-check.
Three of us have Gold Elite status, and each could bring in a guest. The receptionist "didn't see" there were seven in our party. Boarding at Gate C88 could be chaotic (and it probably was), but we preboarded as 1K members, so got settled rather quickly.
The WiFi system on the plane wasn't working, so most of the time we sat there staring into empty space. Anne had a window seat (in an exit row) by herself. We bought some food on board, and as 1K it was complimentary. I had Emmie and Harrison in my row, and they were no problems at all - having preloaded videos on their tablets helped, and Harrison was having a lot of fun with the (old) camera I gave him for the trip.
Taking two taxi's to the hotel cost C$34 each (quite reasonable). We had adjoining rooms with rather small beds. Harrison would sleep in our room.
We didn't get to bed until about midnight Vancouver time, but the kids seemed okay with it.
Harrison was having fun with the camera we lent him for the trip. This from inside the plane.
We had adjoining rooms at the Hyatt Regency. The beds are a bit small for two people, but we made do.
Accommodations. Hyatt Regency Vancouver (2 nights).
Sunday 8/7. Buffet breakfast is included, so we had our fill this morning. (And they are open until 11 am!)
Joe and Jess decided to visit Stanley Park with the kids, and they left after breakfast.
Anne and I stayed at a Renaissance Hotel in the area the last time we visited. It can no longer be found on Google Maps. From what I can gleam from the web, it is now Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront. Interestingly, Marriot.com doesn't show this location (1133 Hastings) while Hotels.com does.
The walk to the waterfront is about 10 minutes, so Anne and I walked there and lingered a bit, before we had lunch at the Waterfront Food Court.
I then went on a long(ish) walk of around 7 miles along the waterfront. When I turned around to come back after reaching Stanley, Joe said Harrison wanted to go to see the cruise ships leave; that would be Canada Place. I decided to join them, so stopped at a Turkish Coffee shop to have coffee and a baklava - too sweet. Harrison took videos of all three ships leaving, I saw only the Holland America Noordam leave. They were probably racing to see who would get to the next port first.
Joe bought Ramen for dinner. I had a McDonald's quarter pounder. When Anne and I took a walk after dinner, we couldn't help but get a few donuts from Tim Horton's.
Breakfast Buffet at Hyatt. Where is the Canadian bacon?
Holland America evidently has many cruise ships plying the Alaskan waters during the summer. This is the Noordam getting ready to leave. We would also encounter the Zuiderdam on our trip. They belong to the same class of ships built in the early 2000s, named after the points on a compass. We sailed on (if I remember correctly) the Westerdam in the late 1980s, that ship has (alas) been sold for scrap.
I recall enjoying this view the last time we visited Vancouver. Still fascinated.
The waterfront has some interesting architecture. This is the "digital orca," probably because the whale is made from black and white cubes.
A Rube Goldberg kind of weather vane.
From the Golden Horn Turkish cafe at the waterfront, the baklava is a bit too sweet for me.
We couldn't resist visiting these two outfits right next to the hotel.
One of the post-cruise activities I had in mind. Didn't happen!
Vancouver skyline viewed from Stanley Park. Notice the cut in the building in the center.
This building with a side carved off is part of the Alberni Complex.
As far as I could tell, sea planes seem to have free rein of the waters here, as long as they don't fly themselves into other objects. They can fly (what I consider) perilously close to cruise ships.
Monday 8/8. Today was the day we boarded. We would be at sea for 2 nights until we reach Skagway - although we will swing by a glacier. We were sailing against the open ocean, so it was a bit on the rough side.
Anne and I boarded before Joe's family. Here they just stepped onto the ship.
A wrist band is a wrist band, no? The last station to check for the band didn't know "orange" was one of the colors handed out for the day.
Vancouver Convention Center on the harborfront.
Canada Place as viewed from the Disney Wonder as it departed, promptly at 4 pm, I might add.
Balcony on the Disney Wonder. I am told this is the same ship we went on a few years back.
Selfie at dinner at Animators' Palate.
Don't bother mixing the ingredients, and you can call that a deconstructed carrot cake. This "no sugar added" dessert was quite good. Meals on board were not spectacular, but were quite okay.
These large windows have built-in cushions for customers to idle away.
Bow of the ship. A familiar scene for the rest of the trip.
Accommodations. Deck 7, cabin 7116. (7 nights.)
Tuesday 8/9. At-sea.
These narrow channels provide calm waters for smooth sailing. Of course that means longer routes and slower speeds. Despite the many hours at sea, we were on a rather tight schedule, having sailed over 1000 nautical miles for the week. 50 hours at 20 knots, 67 hours at 15 knots.
There are enough activities on board to keep children occupied. They have a kids club - which can be used as a babysitting facility - that opens until 11:30 pm.
Fishing boat on its way to work (or home).
We woke up to snow capped mountains.
First sighting of a humpback whale. We had seen the blows for a while before I saw the signature humpbacks, and, in this case, the fluke as the whale prepared to dive. (Right side of photo, close to land.)
Dinner tonight was at Tiana's Palace. Or was it Tritons?
Wednesday 8/10. Another at-sea day. We would cruise up the Tracy Arm and have a close view of the Sawyer Glacier. The same "entrance" leads to both this and Dawe's Glacier on the Endicott Arm. It was the Captain's choice as to which one the ship would visit. Emmie and Jess would go on an excursion that would bring them much closer to the glacier. Emmie was more excited about the bald eagles and the bear she saw.
Another whale sighting. Fluke on left part of photo. Someone on the ship suggested taking a video shot instead of individual photos - good advice. The video clip showed more of the action, too lazy to upload as it involves multiple steps.
About to enter Holkham Bay which then splits into the Tracy and Endicott Arms, with the Sawyer and the Dawes Glacier at their respective ends. We would be sailing up the Tracy Arm. This is where the terminal moraine is located, and is therefore quite shallow.
Holkham Bay. North for Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glacier, Southeast for Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier.
The St. Nicolas and St. Peter, from Sitka, would come alongside to take passengers for a closer up view of the glaciers.
Reminds me of the Milford Sound.
Mildford Sound, May 2004. That was a long time ago.
Sawyer Glacier first coming to view.
This little iceberg is not dirty. The dark parts are the gravel and dirt it collected along its journey. Larger rocks like this can be carried to places they don't seem to belong.
Close up of Sawyer Glacier (for Disney Wonder). Note the iceberg at lower right hand corner of photo.
That iceberg rolled over as we were watching it. Of course I couldn't get a shot of that moment. But the blue underside can clearly be seen, and the ripple caused by the rollover is coming towards us. That's why small boats are not to get close to these icebergs as one cannot tell how unstable they are.
Mother and son. I am sure there is a similar photograph from 35 or so years ago, in front of a different glacier.
Ice Falls is fed by the glacial lake Icefalls Lake.
Anne took this photograph of another cruise ship. I didn't realize there was a third one.
It evidently is a cruise ship tradition to leave towel animals on the bed. Emmie went to a class and can do quite a few of these.
Thursday 8/11. After being at sea for over 60 hours, we reached our first port: Skagway. Joe took the family for a "dog sled experience," a morning shore excursion that involved a 10 or so minute ride on a dog sled.
There is this SMART shuttle service where for US$5 you can ride all day - not that there are many places to go to, or there are long distances involved. We wanted to see if we can catch a ride on an RIB, but couldn’t find the place, and instead ended up near another cruise ship (Quantum of the Seas). There is a local tour kiosk there, by then it was too late, and we nixed the idea. Turns out there is a similar kiosk near the Wonder, in our rush to get to the shuttle we didn't notice it.
We then decided to walk around the town. Skagway is one main street, crisscrossed by approximately ten avenues. Joe's friends highly recommended Skagway Brewing Company, having served up some of the "best" fish sandwiches. The price was certainly up there, but I won’t even call the food outstanding.
We met up at the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway station with Joe, Harrison, and Christabel to ride the railway which took us to (guess where) the White Pass, into Canada, and back. At $134 per adult, it's not cheap, but it must be quite expensive to maintain such an operation. While CC slept most of the time, DD was outside for most of the time, transfixed by the experience.
Jessica took Emmie to a mountain climbing experience, which they thought was great.
Skagway used to be able to dock four cruise ships. One of the "spaces" was damaged, so it's now down to three. Quantum of the Seas was moored at the "distant" terminal, and passengers were tendered in.
Both the Noordam and the Wonder were docked at the main terminal, a short walk from town.
Skagway Brewing Company, whose burger was rated "world's best" by one of Joe's friends.
The food looks respectable, but Joe's friends need to try out more restaurants. The prices are certainly among the highest I have seen: Fish and chips with chips upgraded to Chili, $32.99, Fish Sandwich $19.99. We are talking US dollars here.
View from the balcony dining area. The place filled up as the afternoon wore on.
Broadway is the main street for Skagway. At the far (north) end of the business district is a "peep show" place, I do wonder if it is a museum. I bought in a nearby gift shop four caps for about $18. Turns out the sold for $12 (plus tax) closer to the cruise terminals. No real complaints, though.
Great excitement as our WPYR train approached.
Getting on the train. There were plenty of seats on board.
The Klondike Highway (Route 98) is on the other side of the valley. One can take it to get to Whitehorse, Yukon.
The Skagway River, or some tributary thereof.
This distant track was where we would go. Note the trestle bridge and tunnel on the left.
Part of the old bridge has collapsed. They discontinued use of it way before.
This is part of the trail used by hopeful miners to the Klondike goldfields, often with pack animals. Many perished along the way. The miners had to haul enough supplies up before they were allowed to proceed further.
The train crossed the border briefly before turning back. We couldn't get off the train ...
... as there were probably no immigration officers stationed at this depot (Northwest Mounted Police). The flags are (from left) Alaska, British Columbia, and Yukon Territory.
Returning to Skagway. Whew!
CC asleep inside the car ...
... while DD stood on the outside platform most of the time.
View of the Lynn Canal with the two cruise ships. The one on the right should be Disney Wonder, the other one is Holland America Noordam.
Something about DD makes him a darling of train people. We were admiring the train when the conductor invited him to the control room of the locomotive, and he was given a cap.
First to leave Skagway. That's how I determined which ship was ours in an earlier photograph.
Friday 8/12. Today's destination was Juneau, the capital city of Alaska. We joined a "basic" tour that would visit three locations: the Mendenhall Glacier, the Macauley Salmon Hatchery, and the Alaska State Museum.
As I recall, we visited the glacier on our prior trip, but I forget how we exactly got to see it. The trail to Nugget Falls is a bit less than 2 miles round trip. I started by myself, but Joe and Emmie decided to join a bit later. The best view of the glacier, however, is from the visitor center, although Nugget Falls brings one closer.
Salmon swimming upstream to spawn is just such a strong instinct. Even so, watching them in action was still an interesting experience. Macauley Hatchery release over 100 million into the ocean every year, and between 1% to 10% survive the five or so year growth process, before they swim back to the original stream to spawn.
By the time we got to our third stop - the Alaska Museum - Jess's leg was really bothering her. She was bitten by some insect that caused quite a bit of swelling. Our driver/guide was nice enough to take her back to the ship. (Jess is okay.) The Alaska Museum was a disappointment. I didn't know much more about the state after the visit.
We made it back in time for the "last call" at Cabanas for lunch. Dinner was at Animators' Palate, where some of the family's creations got animated and became part of a TV show.
After the second day we switched our dining time to 8:15 pm as 5:45 pm seemed a bit too early. So we had an additional couple of names to remember. Writing them down for the record: Blake and Charmane; Toto and Komand. For good measure, our room attendant was Pong. They treated us well.
Woke up to Juneau port. The Quantum was already there (of course we could have arrived earlier, the docking process was very smooth).
People hard at work servicing the ship. Here unloading packed garbage.
Mendenhall Glacier guide.
Selfie in front of Nugget Falls.
Quite close to the Glacier, but not the best vantage point.
A much nicer view from the Visitor Center.
Emmie (a little over half way up) climbing up the fallen rocks next to Nugget Falls.
Nice scenery along the way.
Fish ladder at the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery. The instinct to go upriver is so strong that getting hurt along the way or crowdedness would not stop the fish from finishing (or die trying) the journey.
And they kept coming in.
It's towards the end of the run of the King Salmon. They get separated out, males from females. They also attack the other fish.
Each tank contains between 200,000 to 250,000 small fry.
These five sea lions (or seals, I can't tell) enjoy leisurely meals at the bottom of the ladder.
The Hatchery has an aquarium. Included are these cute (or ugly) Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers.
The Alaska Museum was somewhat disappointing. This is the only photo I took, a modern Sleeved Tunic woven with techniques from different First Nations people (oops, wrong terminology; in the US they are Alaska Natives). And that's only because we have a friend interested in "cultural fabrics."
We made it back to the ship before Cabanas was closed for lunch.
CC spent about 45 minutes in the studio for this makeover. Jess got complimentary nail polish from the deal.
Juneau has no road access, so sea planes are quite common.
CC cannot eat dairy or peanuts. She has learned to enjoy simple dinners such as pasta. Can’t tell from this photo, though.
(I think) this is Anne's work for the show.
DD was dressed in the colors of his creation.
Saturday 8/13. One Ketchikan tour we could have joined seemed easy enough to replicate on our own. The expense of a rental car must be a lot cheaper than buying seven shore excursion tickets. So that was our plan.
Joe didn't feel well this morning, so I became the driver. By the time we got everyone in the car, it was about 1 pm (can't quite account for all the time gaps)! When we got to the Raptor Center, we found out it was for tour groups only, so we couldn't get in. They helpfully directed us to the estuary nearby, but we saw only a sea lion. Someone who had been there for a while said he saw a bear a couple of times. We didn't have that luck.
Saxman Totem Park was next. The kids found it quite interesting, and had fun pretending to be a totem pole (thanks to Anne's suggestion). We then parked in town and searched for Salmon along (what else) Salmon Creek. Anne and I took different paths, and we both saw quite a few salmon. Creek Street runs along the creek, and has many vantage points. Years ago it was also a red light district, with the moniker "where salmon and men come to spawn," with several plaques dedicated to the more notorious ladies of the night.
By the time I gassed up and returned the car, the total cost was around US$200. Having driven about 20 miles on it, it had to be one of the more expensive rentals I have done, ever. And since it was past 4:30 pm, I had to walk the 2 miles back to the ship. Which was somewhat my choice (as I could have taken a taxi, or tried one of those free shuttle buses). Along the way I stopped by McDonald's (probably the first in Alaska, Juneau being the second), and picked up some COVID test kits at Safeway.
Ketchikan as viewed from ship.
I put in $16 worth of gas at the end of the trip, so the total cost was around $190.
This was the itinerary that should be reasonably easy to replicate. Alas, this was the only place where the establishment took "tour groups" only.
Kats and the Three Baby Bears Totem at Saxman Totem Park.
Fun posing as a totem pole.
There must be a story here. Indeed there is a file that decodes every totem in this park.
Anne took this picture of someone’s catch.
Salmon congregating along the creek. They would swim at a leisurely pace, and then dart upstream. (Not sure if this was normal behavior, or the fish were startled.)
Prices at this McDonald's aren't that different from mainland. This is probably the first McDonald's in Alaska. Darian told the story that when Juneau's first opened, they ran out of burgers and had to airlift additional patties from the one in Ketchikan. The one in Juneau's is the second one in Alaska.
DD working on putting together a locomotive.
Finished! We had to leave it behind as there was no room in our luggage.
A bald eagle dove right in front of us and caught a fish. Now eating it.
Where the bald eagle dove. Creek Street is the row of houses in the background. It was a red light district in the old days, now mostly tourist shops and restaurants.
Jess and the kids joining the line dance at the last dinner on board.
Sunday 8/14. An at-sea day. There is this dilemma about what route to sail on. In the open sea one can go faster at the expense of comfort, and sailing in the inside passage makes for a much more pleasant ride. My observation is the captain will go all out at night, and go at a more leisurely pace during the day when passengers are out and about. Of course things don't all work out that way, but in any case this cruise feels a lot less rocky than the one we were on (Holland America Westerdam, I think) many years ago.
The winds were quite strong for most of the trip. Here it was directly against the boat.
Kids have enjoyed the various activities on board. The Kids' Club was also a good place for them to go.
The photo doesn't quite reflect how the fog looked.
Selfie with CC.
Monday 8/15. Day for disembarkation (or debarkation, but why say in 11 letters if you can say in 14?). Our cruise came to a stop, regardless of whether you felt it was too long or too short. We decided to take our luggage off ourselves, and could depart at our leisure. When they are done with you, they want you gone. They have to get the ship ready for the next trip, which departs at 4 pm, and guests start arriving as early as 11:30 am.
The line to leave the ship was long, but moved quite quickly. Until it was Joe Jr’s turn. The system wouldn't let him out, because he had a $10 credit on his account, and they wouldn't clear him until that was settled. Despite multiple calls between the gate agent and management, and Joe insisting he didn't want the money, the system wouldn't budge. So he had to go to the Treasurer to settle it (and by then they took his offer of not taking back the money!) and then go back to the end of the line. The whole process - including Canadian immigration, which was quick - took 40 minutes. Joe had reserved three rooms at the Hyatt Regency, one for himself just to be cautious, one for the rest of his family, and one for Anne and me. Amazingly they were all available when we showed up at 10 am. Lunch was eaten at or purchased and delivered (by Anne and me) from the Food Court next doors.
They want their passengers off the boat by 9:30 am, and need to get going at 4 pm. Lot's of logistics involved. Here is a fuel barge. Or it could be for liquid waste.
I call this a beaver.
Jelly fish are fascinating. Too bad our first instinct is fear.
Straight from the Finding Nemo cast.
Enjoying a cookie at the aquarium.
The six of us then took Bus 19 to Stanley Park Loop and went to the aquarium. Admission isn't cheap, but the aquarium didn't feel all that special or extensive. The children had a good time, though. I felt a sore throat was coming on - a worrisome sign. The RAT test at 6 pm was negative, so let's hope it's just a cold. (I don't think I have a temperature.)
Joe decided to fly back tonight, and managed to move his family’s flight forward (at considerable expense). When they tried to leave at 8:30 pm, there was only one taxi available. So Joe and DD ran to the train station to catch the "Canada Line" to the airport. It only cost C$3.10 (DD rode for free). Per their report, the line at the airport was "half a mile" long, but they managed to get through security and customs in time. The return flight is not as packed as the one coming over, and there is an empty middle set, which is great.
[Note: I didn't write anything during the cruise as there was not internet available, and I typed this 8/15 entry this evening. I will need to go back for the cruise week.]
Accommodation: Hyatt Regency Vancouver (2 nights).
Tuesday 8/16. Woke up feeling a bit under the weather, so wanted to make sure I wore my mask while out and about.
In any case, we took the bus (No. 2) to the Vancouver Museum - the credit card didn't swipe properly both ways, so we essentially got free rides. (When I check my credit card I see quite a few charges for bus rides, may be the system is only partially malfunctioning?) The museum had nice looking displays, but was still a disappointment. There were two large halls dedicated to the "history" of the Chinese in Vancouver, and I did not know much about it after having spent over an hour in them.
Museum of Vancouver.
Random photos at the MOV. This taken by Anne. Mahjong tiles hanging off the ceiling?
I took this one. Something related to First Nations people?
After a late lunch at the Royal Centre Food Court (Anne and I shared a noodle soup, and together we ate maybe 1/3 of it), and we came back to the hotel room to rest up - napped for only a short while.
Changing the flight from Wednesday to today wasn't a problem. I used (Anne's) miles to book, and canceled our cash purchase for a credit. It would have cost $250 additional each to stay with the cash tickets, doesn't make a lot of sense. Over $500 for a one way versus 15,000 miles plus $50.
On a good day the walk from the hotel to the Vancouver Center Station should be pleasant, but I was a little out of breath. After rush hour a ticket on the Canada Line costs seniors only C$2.05, and got us to the airport in 25 minutes. In contrast to Joe's experience, the place was quite empty, and we breezed through security. Priority Pass gave us lounge access at the SkyTeam lounge, and we could also visit Air Canada's lounge. We decided to stay with the Sky Team lounge. Boarding was delayed a bit, and we had an empty seat between us. Nodded on and off during the slightly shorter than the 5 hour flight.
Wednesday 8/17. Joe picked us up at the airport. Since I might be sick, I would stay at a friend's apartment until we decided what to do.
I also make an appointment to visit a nurse at our doctor's. Eventually Emmie and DD would also test positive.
Our current plan is for Jess and CC (who both tested negative) to fly back Friday, I move back home after they leave, and Joe drive back to Boston with Emmie and DD when they clear their isolation days (Sunday or Monday).
While I am glad to have gone on the cruise and spent time with family, my advice would be not get on one. It appears quite a few families got sick on the ship, even with Disney's rather onerous protocol. They were quarantined on Deck 2, and upon return to Vancouver were given the choice of continuing their quarantine or driving back to the US.
Meanwhile, the CDC is relaxing further the COVID requirements for cruise ship travel ...
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