We arrived in Prince Rupert early to a layer of fog. For a while we could not see the dock! By by 10:00 am it had cleared and we could see this pretty park across the dock. We had no specific plans for today, just to get off the ship and walk around a bit. The port information person mentioned a town-developed Sunken Garden that sounded nice. After walking up the hill seen in the above picture we found the garden. Reportedly it was started by town people who brought various flowers to beautify the site of a sunken hole in the midst of their downtown area. In 2003, a local garden club town took over the care of it and it has flourished ever since.
Bill and Mary's Wanderings
Random posts about our travels as we enjoy the "Travel Phase" of our lives...
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Cruise Day 11 - Prince Rupert, BC
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Cruise Day 10 - Ketchikan
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Cruise Day 9 - Juneau
Cruise Day 8 - Hubbard Glacier
When we got up it was foggy and rainy. We were hoping the weather would clear so we could see Hubbard Glacier , as opposed to our experience in Tracy Arm Fjord a few years ago when fog kept us from seeing the glacier there. But, alas, at 7:45 am the captain came on the speakers and stated that it was too dangerous to proceed due to ice and weather. So we got an unscheduled sea day. On a positive note, HAL offers a Glacier Guarantee so we should be eligible for a future cruise credit.
We sailed past Mount Logan, an 18,000 foot mountain that is the second tallest in North America, not that we could see the whole mountain. It's hard to believe that a mountain right at sea level is taller than the 14'ers in Colorado, but that's the case.After lunch we attended a port talk on Ketchikan and Prince Rupert, BC. We found about some things to see when we walk around Prince Rupert.
We had a very nice dinner, featuring Linguini Alfredo Chicken, with Dark Silk Torte for dessert. No special evening activities beside listening to the Violin-Piano duet after dinner.On to Juneau tomorrow!
Monday, August 31, 2026
Cruise Day 7 - Sea Day
Another quiet day, blessed with very smooth waters. When we woke this morning, the ship was going a mere 8 mph! Apparently the Captain has lots of time to get to Hubbard Glacier tomorrow so there is no need to rush. In the afternoon we did speed up to 11 mph to help the stabilizers be more effective. But after running at top speed for 3 of the first 4 days, this was quite the contrast.
I played bridge again this morning and had a good time. In the afternoon was passengers vs crew at Corn Hole. After everyone had tossed once, the score was tied so we had a sudden death playoff. I had a chance to win it, but missed so the crew won.Sunday, August 30, 2026
Cruise Day 6 - Valdez
Please remember that you can click on any picture to see a larger version.
The scenery from there was beautiful as you can see in these pictures. I love seeing our ship across the bay in front of those mountains!
We have a sea day tomorrow as we head to Hubbard Glacier on Monday, having reached the midpoint of our cruise. Seattle seems to be so very long ago!
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Cruise Day 5 - At Sea
Today turned out to be rather relaxing day. Last night the captain said how we would be having very strong winds once we exited the Cook Inlet and we could expect some rough seas and listing (tilting) of the ship. So Mary and I put on our wrist bands and went to sleep. We even got up early so we could shower and be ready before encountering any rough seas. But as of this morning, we only had a few moments of rough seas and by early afternoon things were much smoother.
This morning we went to "Ask the Captain" which was quite interesting. He did a very good job of giving his background and then answering questions from the audience.After that event we attended a port talk on Valdez and Juneau. Since we have excursions at both ports, I only took a few notes about gift shops.






































