Leaving Ketchikan- photos

Before we get to the Juneau photos here are some taken after we had sailed from Ketchikan. These are stills I took between running the videocamera and eating scones.

Looking aft. The roofless balcony decks are unique to Princess (and some P & O ships as they share designs). These are the balconies of mini-suites which are extended balcony cabins featuring a small sofa and a larger bathroom with a tub as opposed to a small one with a shower stall found in all the lower cabin categories. There is no cover from the elements  in most so great balconies for sunbathing or stargazing but unusable if it is raining.

Leaving Ketchikan in our wake

Room service brings afternoon tea for two

Calm waters of the Inside Passage

The view from Skywalkers Lounge

Dusk

Promenade deck

Sunset

On to Juneau.

Our 2nd port stop was Juneau and above is a short video of our approach. We had scheduled ourselves lightly today. We had booked a whale watching trip with local specialists Harv 'n Marv whom we had used the year before. They use small boats carrying 6 passengers versus the larger boats Princess uses that can carry over 100. We don't want to be looking through a crowd of babbling heads trying to see humpback whales while listening to narration over a P.A system. I think the cost is $200 each for about 3 hours on the boat. Snacks, drinks and binoculars are included. As this is a private tour Princess is not involved in the booking and you are responsible for getting yourself back to the ship on time, otherwise you can take photos of her as she sails over the horizon.

On our previous visit we were lucky enough to have a whale breach suddenly next to our boat which was the only one nearby. It sent the boat rocking somewhat and other boats radioed to ask if we were ok. We were all elated but no photos were taken as it was totally unexpected and the whale was only out of the water for maybe 3 seconds. Our Captain, Tony had never seen one this close before.

We asked to sail with Capt. Tony this time around but were sad to learn that in the interim he had died. He was, I guess, in his late 30's.

We didn't have to rush off the ship for this so we had time for a leisurely Sabatini's breakfast. The breakfast you see in the video is my first of the day in the Horizon Court buffet.
Between the two meals I would leave the ship for an early morning walk to take some photos which will follow soon....

Afternoon Tea

With only one excursion in port and no desire to shop or sit in a tourist bar we went back to the ship afterwards and had lunch outdoors at the Ship's Trident Grill, where freshly grilled burgers and fries are offered among other savory treats. I had the knackwurst with sauerkraut and the excellent crispy fries. Being a former British line, Princess serves malt vinegar and HP steak sauce on the side.

A nap in the quiet of the Sanctuary would tide us over until sail away time which I believe was 2 pm.

I was certainly awake for that.  We had never sailed North from Ketchikan before. I knew we would be in sight of land for part of it at least and that the waters would be sheltered. with that in mind we had ordered Afternoon Tea, a civilized British treat, to be served on our balcony. It is possible to do this if you are in a suite, otherwise you can have it in the Sanctuary or in the MDR where it is served by white gloved waitstaff. We would serve ourselves at our leisure however and ordered for 4.30.
AT runs from 3.30 to 4.30 on the Princess ships.

SO with great memories of the bears and reindeer and Ketchikan without significant rain we were on deck watching the ship quietly sail away to our next port of call- Juneau, the Alaska state capital, reachable only by air or sea as there are no roads in.

A lecturer sailing with us can be heard on the video  now on your screen.....

More bears video

Once out of the rainforest's canopy we were in open terrain by the salmon hatchery  and saw some more bears.

We walked along the boardwalk towards the visitor center where there were reindeer to meet. Although she normally carries a lettuce or two in her pockets Carol had to rely on the lettuce provided at the reindeer corral. As you can see they were friendly and loved lettuce, certainly a lot more than I do.  Carol loved their soft hair as she petted them.

Another well-run Princess tour and an experience we will no doubt repeat on a future visit to Ketchikan. We booked this tour months in advance but you can cancel up until the day before. You are not charged for it until the day of the tour. It appears on your ship-board account.

While some would wander downtown or take another excursion or have a meal or spend time shopping or in a bar, we were going back on the ship for the rest of the day.

(video)

Bear excursion photos

Some photos from the bear expedition, although I was mainly concerned with using the camcorder. These would be distant shots out in the open after we left the forest.

This is a salmon hatchery

A group from a different excursion stops to watch a bear eating a salmon

Up ahead an abandoned sawmill

Mud flats as this is a tidal estuary

A captive eagle which had once been injured and nursed back to health here.

Carol rests after a visit to the gift shop. It would soon be time to return to the ship for lunch..

Ketchikan photos

Here are some photos from my morning walk off the ship when she docked in Ketchikan.

Hopefully this will give you a good idea of the scale of the ship. The deck with all the lights on is deck 7-Promenade Deck. There are a couple of people on the upper decks at the stern to help with the scale. The ship is registered at 116,000 Gross Tonnes but that is a measurement of interior volume not weight (multiply GT by 100 to get the cubic feet of space)

This was our 3rd Princess cruise in 12 months and the 2nd time we stayed in an aft suite.

As I was returning from my walk I saw Carol waving from our balcony- 2 rows down from the flag to the right of center. We have no cabins beneath us and only one above.

This boat was in the 2nd series of the TV show "Deadliest Catch" and is now an excursion boat in local waters so the fishermen get to stay dry....and alive. There are bleachers on deck for the passengers to sit on while the crew haul pots and explain what they do. They are not going to catch a lot of crab in Ketchikan waters so lower your expectations. We haven't taken this excursion yet.

The Diamond was berthed at the end dock, furthest from the tourist shops but it's a small town and you won't have to walk far.

Well it's not a long walk by my yardstick. Works up an appetite!

Now the shopping district can begin.

Ketchikan is the first city you come across on the way North from Canada. If you like salmon as much as bears do then this is the place to dine or buy some to take home with you. You can ship it home too but tell Fedex not to let your cat sign for it!

Opposite the shops the Norwegian Jewel has begun allowing passengers ashore. Buses have pulled up alongside her to take passengers on excursions.

This ship has cabins under the bridge, but facing forward like this means the balconies would be very windy when the ship is racing along at over 20 mph at sea. Usually such balconies are closed when the ship is underway and opened when in port. Not for me. Norwegian Cruise Lines is not a line I see myself sailing on. Each line has it's own style and way of entertaining it's guests. You need to read a lot on Cruise Critic to find the one that best suits you. Don't rely on the line's glossy brochures....

Time to head back to the ship for breakfast #2 !

Cappuccino, orange juice and a yogurt and granola parfait to get the meal rolling in Sabatini's

before setting off to see the bears.

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible

I have been in San Francisco (again) for the past 4 days and away from the computer and the thrilling tale of our Diamond Princess cruise.

We celebrated the 4th of July holiday with a repeat of last year's dinner cruise aboard the good ship California Hornblower.

I will get back to the Diamond tomorrow, Thursday July 10th.