Wulff's Blog: 2012 Pacific Cruise V: Glacier Bay, Sitka & Canadian Passage

Tue May 1 At Sea

1:30 pm On Deck for the Cure walkers met at the Atrium for their march to cure breast cancer. The money raised went to the Susan G. Komen Fund for the Cure. The walk entailed 12 trips around the ship so I opted for just giving a donation. Those who contributed received an On Deck for the Cure T-shirt. Annette is a cancer survivor so she will like the shirt. My niece is battling breast cancer at this time and is determined to win the bout.

Half an hour later Dr. Ian was Exploration Speaker with the topic Flight Among the Fjords.

The ship was making progress as it crossed over toward Glacier Bay, located north of Sitka.

My dessert at dinner:

Show Time: Joel Mason's Tribute to Elton John:
He was fantastic.

My snake moved to the couch.

Here his new friend is resting on my pillow.

Wed May 2 Glacier Bay National Park

10 am arrival to entrance of the Park:

As Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Glacier Bay National Park; protects a unique ecosystem of plants and animals living in concert with an ever-changing glacial landscape. Chunks of ice split off a glacier and crashed into the sea. Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anyplace else in the world.

We watched the landscape from the open deck.

At 10:30 am a National Park ranger presented "The Wonders of Glacier Bay" in the Mondriaan Lounge.

I did some of my early watching from the Crow's Nest. Others had the same idea.

A native American sold tribal wares in the Crow's Nest.

A member of the Huna Tribe, she shared stories and customs of the surrounding areas.

We observed glaciers along the shoreline.

Geologist Dr. Atwater was out on deck. She was a very kind and warm guide. This professor used to teach at the University of Santa Barbara. I asked permission to take the picture.

Drifting pieces of ice announced that we were approaching the Grand Pacific Glacier.

All hands were on deck.

The Grand Pacific Glacier:

Calving:

It was now 1:30 pm and time for the Polar Bear Plunge with Grand Pacific Glacier in the background.

As our ship headed back out toward the sea, I watched from the inside comfort of the Lido.

My 5:45 pm dinner started off with my favorite multi-grain dinner roll.

For the main course I chose English roast beef, wedge potatoes and fried tomato.

Worthy dessert:

Show Time: Stander Dance Trio
The varied stage lights produced different effects on my photos. The performers were energetic and talented. Some acts were a little PG.

The Marriage Game followed at 9:30 pm: The volunteer contestants all had a good sense of humor.

Then at 11 pm, the Filipino Crew Show, which began with the Filipino National Anthem. Note: Most of the crew members were recruited from either the Philippines or Indonesia.

Wed May 2 Sitka

I was out on deck at 6:30 am for our arrival in Sitka. The crew lowered tenders (our life boats) into the water to transport us to the dock. The tenders loomed below us waiting like water bugs.

I wanted to take a walking tour on my own. See map above. I had been to Sitka before when I conducted a travel study here. So I just jumped into a tender and headed ashore.

From the harbor dock I looked back at the Zaandam in the distance.

St. Peter's Episcopal "of the Sea"

Totem Pole on Totem Square:

The Bishop's House is one of the oldest standing Russian structures in America. Ivan Veniaminov (Bishop Innocent) was the first resident.

St. Michael's Cathedral (Russian onion dome) was built in 1844 and restored following a 1966 fire. Admission fee was
$5, payable in advance. I passed this up.

Pioneer House built for pensioned gold prospectors:

14 foot bronze statue of Skagway Bill Fonda, a Klondike Gold Rush pioneer.
(Emil and Liz in foreground)

Castle Hill with Russian canon: I was standing on the spot where the United States took possession of Alaska in 1867 for $7.2 million, less than two cents per acre. The dramatic setting was in the shadow of Mt. Edgecumbe. I climbed a number of steps to reach Castle Hill -- seemed like there were more of them than last time.

Russian canon and Blockhouse on Castle Hill:

Outside Harrigan Centennial Hall was this 50 foot ceremonial canoe.

Monument to Count Baranof:

Alaskan footwear:

Tender portage back to ship.

I did not attend the Black and White Officers
Ball in Mondriaan Lounge. However, I did
spend time with Larry on the Guitar before retiring with my towel animal.

Fri May 4 Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert. BC., Canada, named after Prince Rupert of the Rhine, was founded by Charles Melville Hays, the general manager of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) and was incorporated on March 10, 1910. Charles Hays had many grand ideas for Prince Rupert including berthing facilities for large passenger ships and the development of a major tourism industry. These plans fell through when Hays perished April 15, 1912, on the RMS Titanic.

Before breakfast I stepped out on the deck and photographed a fellow passenger, an empty freighter waiting to be loaded before heading to Asia and the Museum of Northern British Columbia by the dock.

After breakfast in the Lido, it was time to go ashore. Since I had led a tour of college student here in my first life, I limited my agenda to a self-guided walking tour.

Right at the exit ramp were two Mounties (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) to welcome us. Eleanor posed with the officers.

Only steps away was Prince Rupert. I asked him questions and found him to be the real Prince Rupert. He was born in Prague, the son of Frederick of Bohemia and Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James I of England. He became the first governor of the Hudson Bay Company, a position he held until his death in 1682. This city was named after him.

Exhibits set up along the dock-way included this one where salmon cutting was demonstrated.

The First Nation Carving Shed was closed so I was unable to watch Native Americans carve art work. It is only open when workers happen to show up.

Young volunteers were everywhere to assist tourists. These young ladies were by a boat exhibit that housed a ship that had strayed all the way across the ocean from Japan.

Nearby was a historic steam roller that had been used in road construction that led to this city. American troops finally completed the 100-mile stretch of road between Prince Rupert and Terrace during World War II to facilitate the movement of thousands of allied troops to the Aleutian Islands and the Pacific.

The Sunken Gardens were originally used for ammunition storage by the American military durting WW II. Thousands of tons of bombsand high explosives were shipped out of Prince Rupert for the war effort in the Pacific.

Monument to those who are out at sea:

Yes, the silver lady statue was alive.

Back on board the Zaandam I relaxed for lunch and watched the waterfront. Down below workers were unloading fish and giant crabs from the hold of a ship and placing them in cold water.
Some of pictures are a little cloudy because they were taken through the Lido windows.

After the fish and crabs were removed, some scraps were sorted out and dumped into the water. The remaining ice in the tubs was poured pack into the hold.

After our ship departed Prince Rupert I noticed this facility that was built to hoist huge containers and stack them on freight ships.

Show Time tonight took us on a musical journey through the decades starring the Zaandam Singers and Dancers.

Sat May 5 Inside Passage

The fabled Inside Passage is one of the most scenic sea-lanes in the world, and one of the few where deep-draft vessels can sail close to steep mountain walls. The scenery is unbelievable. With most of Southeast Alaska accessible only by boat or plane, the Inside Passage is a lifeline to the outside world.