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Ovation Goes North, Way North to Alaska! 11 Nights, May 13, 2019


twangster

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19 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

How did you manage to get the exit row seat

Oh, silly question. This is THE TWANGSTER you're asking. He can do just about anything. I bet they even offered him the controls of the aircraft so he could get in some flight time. But, I'm sure he declined so he could take those incredible photos to post on this blog. :3_grin:

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Day 7 - Juneau - continued

After the glacier flight it was such a nice day I wanted to go up the Mt. Roberts Tramway to catch the view.  Lines were short and I knew they would get longer later so up I went.  A ticket on the spot was $35.

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Stunning views.

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Celebrity Millennium

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There are a series of trails, some short, some long.  

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The short trail has some wood carvings on display, some in the form of mini totem poles.

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You can walk up the trail from town but it's not for the weak knee'd.

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inside the restaurant and shop area they have a bear on display.

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Wood carvers using only hand tools can be observed.

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Lady Baltimore is a rescue Bald Eagle that is unreleasable back into the wild.  She spends her summers in residence near the top of the tramway but unfortunately hadn't arrived yet for this season.

Time to head back down.

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A video from inside a tram as we went up.

Back on the ship I saw the North Star in operation.  However it was performing maintenance runs only and not accepting guests when I was there.

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In better light compared to our early morning arrival here is Juneau "downtown".

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As I walked the upper deck I noticed a strange mist hanging in the trees.  It's pollen being released by the trees.

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It was kind of cool.  Suddenly one tree would let loose it's pollen as if someone flipped a pollen switch on.

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A look over at the Millennium looking quite nice with her recent refresh.

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After dinner I went back up top side for a sunset.

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Returning to my cabin I discovered a crystal block gift from the Crown and Anchor Society for crossing a threshold on this sailing.  The first block is awarded at 140 points and then every 70 points thereafter.

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Day 8 - Early

Another stretch in the Alaskan Inside Passage from Juneau to Skagway,

Progress so far...

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Up early again looking for a sunrise.

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I found one, plus a rainbow.

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I found the location of the pot of gold!  Now I just need to raise some money for an expedition or maybe a helicopter,

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A hanging glacier.

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This stretch of the Inside Passage has some stunning scenery.

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The town of Haines where I picked up some cell signal that was a lot faster than the ship's Voom internet this far North,

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Haines is a short distance from Skagway by ship so I knew we were getting close to today's destination.

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Day 8 - Skagway

Looking back down the channel in the direction towards Haines.

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We followed the Millennium up from Juneau where we shared the port the day before.  She went in first so we could hang off the end of the pier.

It had the makings of a beautiful day.

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One thing about the crew on Ovation - they pressure wash the decks every morning.  On several occasions I've been chased off them when taking morning pictures.  Arriving into Skagway and the decks were closed so they could pressure wash them. 

Back here at the Windjammer outdoor eating section the deck was open but overspray from pressure washing activities one deck above us made the whole area very wet and challenging to use without getting soaked.   So much for the inaugural visit to Skagway.

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In Skagway there is a floating dock where the gangways are set because the tidal changes are pretty large.  Here on the fixed section of the pier you can see the effect of the tides with Two70° and deck 5 almost at the level of the pier.

There was some drama getting to this point.  I met at the requested time for my Royal excursion in the main theater.  There we waited, and waited.  Roughly 45 minutes later we were called in the first group of excursion to go off.  Apparently the pier dock workers are unionized.  Once the ships lines were set and the forklift ready to put the gangway into place a union break was called.   Some words had been exchanged so their break became "extended".   So we sat and waited, making us late for our scheduled arrival. 

At meal with an officer later in the cruise the hotel director said in all his years he had never seen anything like it. 

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At the end of the pier near the security entrance a dozen excursion operators held up signs but it's a rather small area and it was difficult to move around of find my excursion.  Eventually I did and we were directed to venture over to a less crowded area where a second excursion guide was waiting.

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I know some readers are looking at fishing tours in Skagway.  The entrance to the small boat marina is very convenient and less than a minute walk from the security gate to the pier.  

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They have a sign board to help you find your charter.

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For my excursion they had a motor coach waiting for the eight of us so we boarded our very large bus and made our way 10 minutes to the edge of town.

Today my "Glass Blowing Experience" would be held at Jewell Gardens.

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For my excursion they had a motor coach waiting for the eight of us so we boarded our very large bus and made our way 10 minutes to the edge of town.

Today my "Glass Blowing Experience" would be held at Jewell Gardens.

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We were led to a waiting area where we could see other local or non-cruise visitors at work.

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Shortly after arriving we were led to our work shop and Sam, our master glass blowing artist and guide.

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They have sample colors and patterns that we could pick from for our custom creation.

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We were given a safety briefing and provided a smock and protective eyewear.  Seeking a volunteer to kick off our group of 5 adults and 3 children I jumped up to go first.  

My colors included a white base and party mix of multiple colors.

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Sam escorted me over to the oven that keeps glass at over 2100 °F where he dipped a metal rod into the liquid glass and expertly gathered some on my pole. 

From here we took over to a smaller oven we would use several times to keep the glass at a high temperature as we would through the various phases.  Rolling and spinning the pole I could see the molten glass heating up into a more fluid but still thick gooey substance. 

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We quickly moved over to the color trays and dabbed the molten glass into my colors before returning to the oven to keep it all very hot.

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Here is another participant's color going on their glass.

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Sam handled the rod for the most part and had us "help" by putting our hands on the pole and following his movements.

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After giving an initial puff of air into the cool end of the hollow pole to start the process of making a glass globe we went back and forth to the heating oven several times to keep the temperature up.  Sam used a waterlogged wooden spoon to shape the glass so that we would end up with a round ball instead of some weird shape.

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The work table is set up with a tube we could blow into that inflated the ball at Sam's direction.  As a result it is our breath captured inside the glass globe for all of time.

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The colors are subdued at this point in the super heated state but as it later cools they will return.  Sam expertly cut our creation from the pole where we had a choice of a glass loop to hang it from or a glass flat base so it could sit on a table.

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Once completed the glass globes where placed in a oven to keep them around 900 °F from where they will be slowly cooled to set the glass otherwise if left out to cool in the air they would shatter when the glass cools too quickly.  Shipping is included so we all should get our creations in the coming weeks. 

The process was repeated for all 8 participants including the family with kids.  It's actually a pretty cool activity as a family as everyone picks their custom colors and participates to create the globe.  New clean mouthpieces are placed on the tube we blow into for each participant so that it's hygienic.  

After we concluded this portion we were free to explore the grounds and visit the glass blown display center then to a restaurant they have on site.  

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We were offered a complimentary beer or wine and a small plate of tasty snacks.

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They have a model train that runs around the track. 

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I confess I did purchase a few more items in their shop.  For a nominal shipping fee it should all arrive at home shortly.

While not a typical Alaskan excursion I'll have a lasting memory to take me back to the experience and Skagway every time I look at it. 

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Skagway continued

I asked our driver leaving Jewell Gardens if they could drop me off in town.  The town isn't very big and walkable.  You can see a different ship in the distance, it's not that far.

I really like Skagway because it has a fascinating history related to the Klondike Gold Rush.  Even though there was no gold right in this area when gold was discovered in the Klondike Skagway and the neighboring native community of Dyea were a popular route for steamships full of would be millionaires arriving from places like San Francisco.

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Part of that history includes the Red Onion Saloon which was actually one of the larger brothels in Skagway.

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Today there are women who will gladly accept your money in exchange for a tour of the former brothel upstairs.

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Downstairs it's simply a popular bar and restaurant.

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With a thirst satisfied I found something new I've never tried before in Skagway.

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A Klondike Doughboy.

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Broadway Street as it is pictured here today was not anything like this in the peak of the gold rush.  The National Park Service owns much of Skagway and they moved these buildings over the years into this downtown area bringing the buildings together when they were spread out across the valley back in the day.

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The National Park Service has done a great job with several areas setup that describe the history of Skagway.

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To reach the Klondike, stampeders needed to climb into the mountains and there were two routes from this area. 

The first through Dyea and the second through Skagway up the White Pass.  The Canadian border isn't far from the top of the White Pass but Canadian officials were finding hundreds of stampeders arriving with no supplies and no means to feed themselves so they introduced a requirement for anyone arriving at the border destined to the Klondike to have ample supplies, nearly two thousands pounds worth to sustain themselves for their trek across Canada to the Klondike. 

Therein lies the tortuous effort to climb into the mountains with all the supplies required to proceed and that presented business opportunities to capitalize on the stampeders.  Therein lies the real stories of Skagway. 

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The Park Service has this saloon set in the period on display along the main street.

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The Park service also has set up displays such as this one throughout the town.

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From the quote on the sign they've created this bronze monument to the stampeders.

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Here is what Skagway really looked like.  It was mostly a tent city.  That sign post indicates Broadway Street.  The same Broadway Street picture above.

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National Park Service Website - Klondike Gold Rush

With a growing hunger I stumbled across the Skagway Brewing Company.

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Prospector Pale Ale.

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Alaskan Halibut and Chips.

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Brewed on site they have a wide variety of beer available. 

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It turned into a fantastic day and the brewery's patio was starting to fill up.

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Back around town a lot of these buildings are from the period.

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The White Pass and Yukon Route railway is a popular excursion to do.  I was tempted to do it again on this glorious day but think I'll save this excursion for a future cruise with friends and family that haven't experienced it.

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It was a gorgeous day reaching just over 70°F which in May is unheard of.

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Back to the ship...

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Remember that picture from the start of the day?  Look how much the tide has lifted the ship.  These Alaskan Inside passage inlets definitely experience tidal changes.

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Day 8 - Evening

What do you know?  The North Star had a small line.


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The Haines-Skagway ferry was arriving.

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Sail away time.  Back down the inlet we came up from Juneau.

Time 8:34pm.

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So relaxing.  

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Waterfalls on both sides.

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Movie diehards wrapped in blankets.

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Sunset sky over Haines as we sail past once again. 

Time 9:22pm.

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This is why I tend to miss many shows when on an Alaskan cruise.

Time 9:34pm.

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Here is a time lapse of our departure from Skagway to Haines in the Taiya Inlet:

 

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Day 9 - Approach to Endicott Arm

Yesterday the Captain projected a 5am arrival to the mouth of Endicott Arm.  Consequently I was up early and top side to capture it.

Time 4:57am.

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The moon was clearly visible.

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This is the direction we are heading.  That valley to the right of center is where we will be in an hour or so.

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Glacial ice coming towards us was a sign we are on the right path.  This one struck me because at a distamce it looked like a small fishing boat.

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The sun was thinking about rising.

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The entrance to Endoctt Arm is close to the entrance of Tracy Arm and I suspect that is where this boat was heading.

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Looks like some rain in the distance.  No worries, that's Alaska.  

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It might look like a dead end but that is where Endicott Arm leads.

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On a growler, the name for medium sized chucks of glacial ice, I spotted a Bald Eagle keeping an eye on us.

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The ice was quite fascinating, very different sizes and shapes.  

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Upon closer inspection this one had a small colony of birds on it.

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Time to move around and see it from another perspective.

Time 5:51am.

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I think a lot of people become focused on Dawes Glacier and miss an incredible experience in Endicott Arm.  Glaciers are cool but you can only take so many pictures of a glacier.  Endicott Arm is constantly changing as you sail down it.  For me it's as incredible as the glacier is if not more.

While I was down here on deck 5 I thought I'd check out the outer viewing areas on this deck.  I like being down here when we are sailing through lots of ice.

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I thought I saw something on a piece of darker ice.

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Sure enough a Bald Eagle was perched on the ice, watching.  

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The surrounding terrain is pretty amazing.  Remember that drizzle we sailed through?  Beautiful blue skies now.  That's Alaska weather.

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Incredible volume of water coming down these waterfalls.

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Time to head up for a different perspective.

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They were running the North Star on a test run without any passengers.

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The Solarium was a popular viewing location but I still prefer being outdoors and moving around too much to try to anchor in a chair.

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It really is pretty amazing.

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I knew we were getting closer and I didn't want to be fading at the glacier without anything in my stomach I popped into the Windjammer for a quick breakfast.  Talk about a meal with a view!

Time 7:34am

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Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, continued...

It's been a struggle but here are some of my favorites pictures from several hundred taken this day.  However I wanted people who are taking this awesome cruise to get a preview of what to expect so here comes a bunch of photos.

After breakfast I ran back to my cabin to clean my lens.  Looking forward to where we are going. 

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Looking down from my balcony it's amazing to see these pieces of the glacier floating by so close to the ship.

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We had entered a section where there were a lot of small pieces of glacial ice.

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I remember this side channel from a previous cruise.  It was estimated this is where the face of the glacier was ~100 years ago.  Note the presence and size of trees.  It takes several decades for trees of this size to arrive.  Remember 100 years ago this was solid glacial ice and no vegetation was present as the ice moved down the channel. 

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I like to move around the ship so back to the bridge wings off the Solarium.

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They were getting more crowded but people tended to move forward, take a picture and back away so someone else could.

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For those that sought to stay in place the Solarium has awesome views.

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Starboard bridge wing.

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Looking back where we came from.  The walls of the canyon are very steep and drop off several hundred feet.  We are in deep water.

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First signs of the glacier!  

Time 8:30am

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The paid North Star Alaskan Experience ride was carrying guests at this point.

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Larger pieces of glacial ice was becoming more common.  These pieces are called growlers.  Actual icebergs are pretty uncommon at these glaciers which tend to calve resulting in these smaller pieces which are harmless to the ship.  

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We slowed and inched closer to the glacier.

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Each growler is unique and display what has been locked inside the glacier for scores of years.

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With my telephoto lens I was able to see the glacier quite clearly even at the distance of over a mile from where we were.

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Crowds where starting to form to take it all in.

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Large waterfalls line the sides of Endicott Arm.  These are pretty massive and the volume of water in each is pretty impressive.

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Here a mile or so from the glacier the vegetation is very different compared to where the glacier was 100 years ago   

This early low vegetation is beginning a life cycle that will eventually turn into a soil that eventually will support larger and larger vegetation   One hundred years from now trees will most likely be found here just as they are in that earlier photo of the side channel.

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I took a time lapse video approaching this point.

 

The North Star Alaskan Experience review has been posted to Royal Caribbean Blog here:

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2019/05/23/review-north-star-alaska-experience-ovation-of-the-seas

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Dawes Glacier

My reservation for the $49 North Star Alaskan Experience was for 10am.  Best times for glacier viewing on this sailing were between 9am and 10am.  This will vary for each sailing depending on arrival time and ice conditions.

After check in for the North Star Alaskan Experience there is a waiting area in a roped off section of the North Star Bar.    Hot chocolate is complimentary.

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As we waited the ship began it's turn.

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Incredible weather compared to the drizzle we sailed through earlier today.  That's Alaska weather.

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The glacier is approximately 1 mile away at this point.  This illustrates just how big it is - that's it's this visible from this distance.

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When it was our turn we were led up to board the North Star.

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By the time we boarded North Star the ship had turned and pointed down the inlet in the direction had had arrived from.

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We started our way back down Endicott Arm.

I used wide angle lens for this next shot so it makes the glacier look small but the views are pretty impressive.  Seeing the ship from outside the ship really makes you appreciate the scale of the mountains beside us.

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Rotating out over the side of ship is pretty awesome.  On Anthem the North Star only goes up and does a slight left/right move.  This ride takes you right over the edge of the ship looking down at the glacial ice floating below us.

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It's a pretty awesome experience.  

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When I first learned of the $49 charge I was skeptical but having done it at both Hubbard and Dawes Glaciers I am sold and would do it again on another cruise to Alaska.

Plus I still had my complimentary ride in the North Star booked for later today.

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The way back out Endicott Arm is still a pretty cool experience.  Now with the sun higher in the sky and seeing it from the other direction resulted in equally impressive sightseeing.

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To prove the Arm is tidal here are some chucks of ice stranded from high tide.

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Waterfalls galore.

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Paid North Star Alaskan Experience rides continued.

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The inlet opens up as we move closer to the Inside Passage where we started.

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Ice like this doesn't hurt the ship, it basically bounces off..  A few days later on a bridge tour I learned they used the bow thrusters to push ice away from the ship.

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Time for my complimentary North Star ride.  I had picked the first complimentary time slot of the day in the cruise planner before sailing.  

While this one doesn't go over the side of the ship there are still great views.

Time 11:30am

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If I hadn't mentioned it before the North Star Bar offers great sightseeing views.

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It's hard to put into words but I could sit here all day and watch the landscape go by.

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Remember that sunrise shot early this morning?

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I spotted another Bald Eagle.

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Time for a beer.  Okay I had two using my Crown and Anchor BOGO coupon.

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A small tour boat was entering the Arm.

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The complimentary North Ride Experience as we enter the Inside Passage in a time lapse captured as I drank my beer.

Lastly, here is a time lapse from my balcony starting with our entrance to Endicott Arm through Endicaott Arm to Dawes Glacier and back down to where we re-enter the Alaskan Inside Passage.

 

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Day 9 - Afternoon

Shortly after leaving Endicott Arm and re-entering the Inside Passage there were dozens of whales in the area.  A tell tale sprout of water was the easiest way to spot them.

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Some were closer to the ship but many were more distant in just about every direction I looked.

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When Humpback whales prepare to dive deep they go through a series of breaths designed to prepare their lungs for an extended submersion.  It starts with surfacing to deep breathe.

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The body barely skims the surface as they swim shallow for several breaths.

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Here you can see the blow hole they exhale and breathe through.

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After several deep breathes they are ready to dive which is characterized by curving their body driving their back higher above the surface.  This is why they are known as Humpbacks.

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Then they began to dive sometimes forcing their fluke or tail into the air.

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Once you see the fluke disappear like this they have likely submerged deeper looking for food or to swim underwater for a greater distance.  They can stay submerged for several minutes.

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Our position as we started the trek to Seattle.

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Sometime after 4:30pm I headed down to the Diamond Lounge for happy hour while continuing to whale watch.

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Earlier I mentioned that the Prince and Greene store on board was being converted to offer Alaskan merchandise.  It opened on day three. 

Here are some pictures.

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Having been on different classes of ships to Alaska it's not a bad little store.  I've grabbed things in these types of stores before and every time I use it I am reminded of my Alaska experience.  This is a great way to dispense of any extra OBC or on-board credit you might have left over at this point.

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Day 9 - Evening

Crown and Anchor Top Tier event in Two70°.

With the screens lowered the Vistarama was displaying the virtual fleet sailing behind us.  I've seen this before on Anthem and it's impressive.  On Anthem they presented the fleet starting with the Song of Norway slowly adding ships over the years.  The video was originally created for a Board of Director's meeting a few years ago and it's pretty impressive.

Crown and Anchor numbers:

Pinnacle 84, Diamond Plus 386, Diamond  598, Emerald  284, Platinum 476, Gold  999.    Total 2,827 C&A members on board.  

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With the evening progressing a sunset was in the making.  Possibly the "worst" sea conditions so far.

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I ventured back to the aft Windjammer outdoor seating area for it.

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What fantastic weather we've had.

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Our progress... as we leave the Alaskan Inside Passage and re-enter the Pacific Ocean.

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Day 10 - Sea Day

Bridge Tour!

How about a tour of the bridge of the largest cruise ship ever to visit Alaska?

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A cadet is charged with guiding our tour today.  He is early in his nautical career and is currently spending a few months on various ships learning more about ship operations.

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Here is demonstrates the observation panel in the floor of the bridge wing so that the pier can be seen as the ship approaches it.  It's very thick.

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The view down through the observational panel in the floor.

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The view aft.

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The Captain comes over to answer a few question and thank us for cruising with Ovation on this very special itinerary.

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Pretty good views forward as well.

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Quantum class are in the Guinness World Records. 

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A pretty cool tour compliments of the Crown and Anchor Society for top levels of the program.

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Day 11 - Sea Day

I woke early and checked our position.

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Never get tired of a sunrise over the sea.

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The day progressed and eventually led to the craze know as the 2 for $20 sale.   Deck 5 was a viable route to avoid the crazy shoppers that rival a black Friday experience.   

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Late afternoon the Food and Beverage team put out a cake in the Windjammer.

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It grew foggy.

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At times they sounded the ship's whistle every two minutes per standard fog protocol.  

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At this point we were within the Strait of Juan de Fuca in between Canada to our North and America to our South.

Whale sightings became frequent.  The Captain called out some of them over the PA.

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At one point I looked down from my balcony and a whale was right beside the ship.  I could clearly hear each breath as it surfaced for air.  Amazing!

A pod of Orca's was on the other side.  More whale call outs by the Captain.  Pretty cool.

Afternoon turned into evening and the fog lifted some, enough to barely make out Canada to our North.

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Our progress...

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Evening turned into a sunset.

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Ugh.  Time to pack.  

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Day 12 - Seattle

Around 5:30am we were along side Pier 91 in Seattle.  Below was the passenger drop off and pick up area.

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Cruise terminal to the left services two ships.

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Company ship Celebrity Solstice was arriving right behind us. 

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I went up to eat a last Windjammer breakfast at 6am.  Seattle from the ship.

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While up here I grabbed some photos of the pool signs for the main pool and the kid/baby Splash zones.

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The current pool is that circular pool like a lazy river that has jets to keep it circulating.

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After breakfast I was going down the aft stairs where they have a clear floor to look down the height of the elevator bank down to deck 5 below.

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The self-assist line was forming.

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I headed back to my cabin for a last minute sweep for any missing items I forgot to pack and to brush my teeth.

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For embarking Seattle passengers Pier 91 typically handles two ships.  

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Each ship has a designated luggage drop off area.

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The terminal itself is not very big.  There are marked entrances for each ship. 

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Ovation entrance to the left, Solstice entrance to the right.

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Debarking was easy.  I made my way down and found the self-assist line already leaving.  I joined the end of the line around 6:40am with 20 in front of me.  No stopping, off the ship, down the escalator and out the terminal.  Super easy.  

Today I would be using a ride share service to reach the airport.  The ride share pick up and drop off area is on the other side of that gray building in the distance.  You can do the 10 minute walk or use the free shuttle close to the ship.  

Time 6:47am

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I chose to walk since I would be sitting on a plane later.  On the walk I noticed the sign for the Quick Shuttle to Vancouver.  I looked at this as a means to fly in Seattle and shuttle to Vancouver.  They also pick up at the airport.  For any Canadians or Vancouverites this is a super easy way to get across the border.

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One last look at Ovation of the Seas.

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The ride share area is covered and has numbered stalls where you can meet your driver.

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Lyft was $33 to the airport. 

I arrived at the airport at 7:30am.

I had a noon flight but I like to get off the ship and beat the crowds.  Given it's a Friday an early ride to the airport meant beating Seattle rush hour traffic.  Ride share is often cheaper too before masses disembark and surge pricing goes into effect.  

I later learned of 1 1/2 wait times for cabs for guests leaving during later times.  There was no wait for a cab when I debarked.  

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The Port of Seattle offers a free luggage valet program.  

This program collects your luggage the last night of the cruise and delivers it to the airport and your airline free of charge (airline bag fees may apply).

For details check out this thread:

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/12993-port-of-seattle-free-port-valet-luggage-program/

 

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Some thoughts about Voom ship internet on this cruise.

I had pre-purchased a Voom Surf and Stream package at a sale price of $11.99 per day for a total price of $132.

Of my four cruises to Alaska on RCCL ships this was my worst ship internet experience.  

It started off great in Vancouver with the faster O3b service.  Shortly after going to sea it switched to the conventional geostationary satellite service which was expected this far North.  As we progressed it became very slow.  Like slower than the old dial-up service of the 90's at times.  It didn't really improve until we got closer to Seattle on the final sea days.

Texting usually worked but email was challenging and streaming impossible.

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Returning into O3b coverage areas they kept the ship on the old satellite system.  I suspect they don't want guests experiencing O3b for a day in Seattle and then facing the stark contrast of Alaska satellite internet. 

The Voom specialist offered a 20% discount.    

Satellite internet in Alaska has challenges that are well known but this was by far the worst ship internet I've ever experienced in Alaska.  

Most ports on Alaskan cruises have cellular service for major US cell providers so you need to carefully consider if you should purchase Voom when sailing to Alaska.

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