References:
British Columbia Tourism
Discover Vancouver
Port of Vancouver
Atevo Travel
Rhapsody of the Seas
Royal Caribbean Lines
Juneau Web
Kiny Travel
Mount Robert's Tram
Chilkoot Trail
Railroad
Haines
Hubbard Glacier
Ketchikan Alaska
Bell's Ketchikan Alaska
cruise tips on Alaska
Cruisepark Alaska
A weeks cruise through the fiorded coastline of southeast Alaska in summer always brings great anticipation of charming views combined with a variety of wildlife that might put in an appearance anytime. Certainly we'll see the ubiquitous eagle, the gamboling dolphin and who knows what else. But first there is the matter of getting to the ship, which in this case means driving to Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada (Ref 1). This lovely port city makes for a pleasant starting point inasmuch as there are many attractions not the least of which is Canada Place, the marine terminal in the heart of town where the Royal Caribbean's new Rhapsody of the Seas awaits.
The Rhapsody of the Seas (Ref 2) is a new, state-of-the-art cruise ship with all the innovations...sliding canopy over the pool area for inclement weather, 7-story atrium/centrum, 8 lounges...with accommodations for 2,000 plus but with clever design that minimizes the sense of being crowded except for those debarkation periods when seemingly all the visitors disgorge at once. And remember, there are an additional 700 ship's personnel who in part will go ashore also. Anyway, even that does not really present a problem except where tenders are required and a schedule must be initiated with shore excursion ticket holders getting first choice.
The first day aboard starts with an exploration of the cabin and the ship's facilities. Fortunately, I find my berth on the Bridge Deck is convenient to just about everything. Early boarding starting at 1300 hours means a buffet lunch is available and a chance to try one of the two pools or initiate a walk through to see where the dining room and and public areas are located. There are not too many mysteries and all seems to be in order.
At 1930 hours the ship quietly departs Vancouver, more than two hours late while waiting for a bevy of passengers that missed a flight from Seattle and have to be bussed to the ship. Just before sundown, the vessel crosses under the Lions Gate Bridge at Stanley Park, a very nice sight and a promising start under good weather conditions. This is particularly important as weather can change abruptly in SE Alaska and the two previous voyages saw an awful lot of rain. As it turns out, the voyage is made in brilliantly clear weather and under quiet sea conditions.
The first full day at sea starts with cruising the so-called Inland Passage, protected waters through the strait between huge Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia. About 1000, the ship has to traverse open sea for about 100 miles before gaining the Alaskan portion of the Inland Passage later in the day. As it turns out, the voyage is smooth and without incident which permits unrestricted use of the deck activities. Everyone seems to be adjusting quickly with just a little talk about jet lag and time-consuming connections.
The next day begins with the ship passing islands on both sides with enjoyable views no matter which direction one looks. Noon sees the approach to Juneau, the capital of Alaska (Ref 3) and a moderately-sized city with a population of some 35,000 persons, that is strung some ten miles along the Gastineau Channel as far to the northwest as Auke Bay. This is the area of Mendenhall Glacier, a drive-in glacier as it were, which is the prime attraction for the first-time visitor. I and a few fellow passengers engaged a tour operator on the dock, Waterway Tours, to use their van to see the glacier and all the standard sights, such as the Chapel on the Lake and the Gastineau Fish Hatchery, for a few hours for about $20/person. They did an excellent job and brought us back to the ship. Later, I tried a new attraction, the Mount Roberts Tramway for an overall view of the city and port area.
The Mount Roberts Tramway (Ref 3) is in its second year of operation and leaves from the cruise dock area for a 5-minute climb ($17 round trip) to just over 1,700-ft to provide a fine view of the ship and surrounding countryside. A number of trails lead into the spruce/hemlock temperate rainforest so typical of SE Alaska.
Then its north through the Lynn Canal, Alaska's longest fiord, to Skagway and Haines. Skagway (Ref 4), the start of the Chilkoot Trail further north to Canada and the Yukon, was in its heydey 100 years ago, and is celebrating its centennial this year with all the gusto this almost-ghost town can muster. Goldminers each trudged nearly a ton of supplies up the 2,000ft. incline before the Canadian authorities would permit them entry. A road, called the Klondike Highway, has relatively recently been constructed that follows this path and with a rented car ($50 at Sourdough's Taxi where I have rented vehicles twice before) and with less than a half-ton of passengers, that reinactment was accomplished in about an hour. How times have changed. Once at the border at the summit, we just kept on going to Log Cabin Railroad Station to view the area near where the ground pounders took to the water in makeshift boats bound for Yukon country. The White Pass and Yukon Railroad ($85 round trip) on the east side of the valley carries visitors to the summit at where else but White Pass for a look around. On the return, a side road to Dyea is recommended to see the beginning of the Chilkoot Trail and the now deserted townsite of Dyea which was a competitor to Skagway a century ago.
Haines (Ref 5) is about 15 miles southwest of Skagway as the eagle flies however it is more than 250 miles if you go by land! The tiny port is on the west side of Lynn Canal and is the southern terminus of the Haines Highway that connects with the Alaskan Highway that, in turn, is the most direct route to Anchorage and Fairbanks. It is also the northern terminus of the southeast portion of the Alaska State Marine Ferry system which transports vehicles and you name it to Alaska. The town gains considerable attention as it abuts onto the flats of the Chilkat River where the meeting of eagles, especially around November, numbers into the thousands as they feast during the salmon runs. A few passengers will fly from Skagway, viewing glaciers and the countryside, and easily meet the ship when it stops over in the evening hours.
The ship heads west and further north along the coast to Yakutat Bay, about half way between Prince William Sound and Glacier Bay, the home of Hubbard Glacier (Ref 6). This handsome glacier is reputed to be the longest (some 80 miles in length) and most active tidewater glacier in Alaska. In appearance, the face is 500' high and six miles in width with about half that width visible from the sea. In July, it is common to see and hear parts of the glacier face spall off into the water to produce little berger bits floating at its base. The varieties of blue ice is very attractive and with good weather is a glorious sight.
The next day the ship heads south back to the Inland Passage to Ketchikan which calls itself the salmon capital of the world. Ketchikan (Ref 7) is probably the visitor's initial idea of what an Alaskan port should look like. The town hugs the shore as steep cliffs limit development to a narrow coastal edge. Buildings are built on wooden piers and the popular Creek Street is built on piers over the river. Salmon are to be seen in the creek and if more are needed then a short trip to the hatchery is in order. The small downtown is at dockside and is geared to the tourist. And for the most part, the tourist can walk to the local attractions, even totem parks, although the most developed totem areas will require a vehicle.
The last full day at sea is restful although there are still all those shipboard activities. Early tomorrow we will arrive in Vancouver and everyone will go their separate ways. It is curious that we start and stop in Canada since the US Passenger Vessel Act that prohibits foreign cruise vessels from carrying American passengers from US port to US port would still permit at least alternating visits to Seattle but I guess that would be splitting their operation a bit much. Seattle should be getting all this business as Americans by far are the principal revenue paying passengers but then again Seattle should not complain too loundly as I understand it was primarily Seattle interests that wanted to protect their Alaskan shipping trade and pushed for the protectionist act in the first place. How things do come around.
Overall, the Rhapsody of the Seas gains high marks for its appearance, design, operation, entertainment and service. Its public rooms are too few with almost all of these spaces in one lounge or another so that there always seems to be someone asking if you need a drink as soon as you sit down. The shipboard Art Auction continues to irritate inasmuch as it was conducted in the pubic atrium and I could hear it when I walked out of my room some five decks above. Perhaps if they hid it out of sight and sound! And personally, I would like to see more dancing oportunities as the ship has relatively few hours where a decent band plays dance music...and I don't mean the disco kind. Also, for the ladies, there is no gentlemen host program that is so popular on other cruise lines.
There is no lack of information on the internet concerning cruises to Alaska (Ref 8). Should you drive you might like to know about the parking available (Ref 9) or leave the vehicle at the best hotel parking you can find. You can direct questions or comments to WaikikiWeb@webtv.net or Mozzie at GeoCities.
The Tropics Shoreline
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posted 8/8/98
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