By Steve Weisman
My wife and I recently returned from our 9-day cruise to Alaska. Yes, we were exhausted, but we definitely checked a big trip off our bucket list. Having never been on a cruise before, needless to say, my wife and I were a little worried. So, to adjust for any potential issues, we built in a day’s stay in Seattle prior to leaving on the cruise and an extra day’s stay in Seattle after we returned.
Things went smoothly on both ends and getting on the Norwegian Sun was pretty much effortless. The day we were to board the ship, the shuttle driver delivered us right in front of the Norwegian Sun, and within 30 minutes we were through security and onboard. By noon, we were in the midst of meeting other travelers and scoping out the 12 levels of the Sun. Not as big as many other cruise ships, the Sun holds over 1900 visitors at capacity, along with 906 crew members. The amenities included 14 dining areas, 12 bar & lounges, several opportunities for entertainment, a casino, a spa, jogging track, sports courts, a fitness center. Internet station, athletic courts, two swimming pools, a kid’s pool and several hot tubs.
At 848 feet in length, there were several elevators, but we had to learn which ones went where. Yes, we did get mixed up from time to time on which elevator would get us to our balcony room on the 9th floor. We felt comfortable with the atmosphere on the Norwegian Sun, the courtesy and helpfulness of the crew. Whenever we were hungry, whenever we wanted some quality entertainment, whenever we wanted to head back to our room and just enjoy the peacefulness of our tiny – but private state room – to watch the beauty of Alaska and the sea.
Day 1 & 2 were at-sea days that took us from Seattle to our first stop: Sitka. During this time, we explored the Sun, and we had the chance to learn from the crew what was going to happen once we hit Sitka. We had a refresher on the history of Alaska and that at one time, Russia controlled the territory for its abundance of prime animal pelts. The fur trade business was huge. However, it was too much for Russia to handle, so in 1867 the United States purchased it for $7,200,000 or approximately $.02 per acre! Still, while many Americans believed this was a good move, there were also Americans figured this was foolish, and the purchase was called “Seward’s Folly” after the Secretary of State William H. Seward. Over the next 257 years, Americans have visited Alaska and learned of its rugged beauty and the importance of Alaska to the country itself! Alaska became a state in 1959, and since that time, tourists from all over the world have visited and continue to visit the state known as the Last Frontier.
Author and wife, Darial leaving Seattle.
My wife and I felt the best way to experience the majesty and rugged beauty of Alaska was to do so through a cruise. Our ports included Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Cruising Glacier Bay, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan (Warren Cove) and Victoria British Columbia. Each segment on this journey held incredible experiences. However, that would be pages, so I’ll hit what we think are our top three: Juneau, cruising Glacier Bay and charter fishing out of Ketchikan.
This humpback whale shows its tail (fluking) to help it begin a deep dive. (photo by Steve Weisman)
Humpback whale spouting. (photo by Steve Weisman)
Juneau is the capital of Alaska, and one of the oldest cities in the state. We knew there would be several whale excursions, but we had heard that Juneau was one of the top options, so we chose to do the Alaska Tales whale excursion with Captain James and crew members Monica and Kirston.
Randy, who was our bus driver to and from the dock, gave an informative narrative about Juneau, the wildlife, the fish and the people. One little tidbit…even though Juneau has a population of 32,000+ people, there are no roads in or out of Juneau because it is surrounded by water on one side and huge mountains and glaciers on the other. At the same time, there are 13,000 bald eagles but, get this, no moose! Randy took us by the famous Mendenhall Glacier and its popular Glacier Visitor Center. The Mendenhall Glacier is well over 13 miles long, dropping 4,500 feet over that stretch and is the only glacier in Alaska that is accessible by road.
The tour lasted two full hours, with a solid hour spent in the middle of humpback whale waters. The captain worked to keep the boat always around spouting humpback whales, and Monica and Kirston helped us move around the boat so we could be up top, up front or in the back. Our favorite pictures were the ones where the humpbacks would show their tail (fluking) as they begin a deep dive. I would guess we saw a minimum of 50 humpbacks during that hour, along with three orcas! There is always the chance to see other wildlife like the sea lions lounging around Benjamin Island.
The prominent Hubbard glacier in Glacier Bay National Park. (photo by Steve Weisman)
Immense and awe-inspiring are the two words my wife and I used to describe Glacier Bay National Park. Our cruise boat was able to slowly enter the bay and move along the rugged mountains. Our daily bulletin noted that “the park itself covers 3 million acres of rugged mountains, incredible glaciers, temperate rainforest, wild coastlines and deep sheltered fjords. Glacier Bay National Park is a highlight of Alaska’s Inside Passage and part of a 25-million-acre World Heritage Site—one of the world’s largest international protected areas. From sea to summit, Glacier Bay offers unlimited opportunities for adventure and inspiration.” Our park ranger noted that there are over 1,000 glaciers in the park itself.
Highlight for us was seeing Hubbard Glacier with the park ranger describing it as this continent’s largest tidewater glacier, a full 76 miles in length, 7 miles wide and an incredible 600 feet in height! Lots and lots of pictures! Plus, we got to see and hear “calving,” when chunks of ice break off and land in the water. Definitely an awesome excursion.
The park ranger also mentioned an unusual phenomenon, that of the blue bears, an uncommon color variant of the black bear. The ranger noted that the fur ranges from white to grey to black to silver tipped. These bears are found only in this part of Alaska and a small portion of western Canada.
This 8-pound silver salmon was one of two fish caught during salmon outing. (photo by Steve Weisman)
What can I say? After all, Ketchikan has the reputation of being the “salmon capital of the world!” Since the Norwegian Sun was only in port for approximately six hours, my chance of getting on a salmon charter was going to be a four-hour opportunity. However, I did get on a private charter with the Alaska Catch! Four others joined me on Captain Ted’s salmon boat. Our chances were not good with rain falling throughout the morning and plus, stormy weather over the previous couple of days had really stirred up the water.
We hit three different areas in search of silver salmon, since the king salmon bite had really slowed down. Over the course of the fishing excursion, we fished in depths of 130’ to over 1200’ with the goal of targeting suspended silver salmon. Captain Ted put out six different rigs with different color spoons and a flasher to help attract the salmon. Two on downriggers set at a specific depth, while the other four were shallower.
Yes, the bite, as expected, was slow. However, we picked up two silver salmon, one a 6 pounder and the other a solid 8 pounds. Something that totally amazed me was the depth of water. With rocky, tree laden islands, I could not believe we could be 150 then 480, then 800 and finally 1200 feet of water! We tried spot after spot, and even ran nearly 30 miles away from our port.
As we trolled, the rain just kept coming down, but the five of us had the luxury of sitting under the cab, protected from rain and wind. As we trolled, we learned that Captain Ted grew up in Michigan and fished salmon there since childhood, until about 5 years ago, when he moved up to Ketchikan and began guiding for Alaska Catch.
Unfortunately, the wind kicked up with gusts over 30 mph. So, our return to the harbor was into the wind, fighting 5+ foot swells. Never any worry or concern; Captain Ted navigated the angry waters with care and the knowledge that had come from both years on Lake Michigan and now Ketchikan. Yes, we wanted to all catch some silver salmon, but it wasn’t in the cards! As aways, that’s why they call it fishing, not catching!
Seattle skyline early morning return (photo by Steve Weisman)
Amazing how fast a 9-day cruise can go by with so many incredible sights along the way. Most definitely this cruise to Alaska had been on our bucket list for decades. I’m sure it’s the same on many cruises and cruise companies, but on this Norwegian Sun cruise, we met so many nice people, both Americans and foreigners, both young and old…all of us experiencing
“Alaska, the Last Frontier”. Yes, we each took hundreds of pictures that will forever keep our Alaskan visit close at hand!
