Scenic Cruising in Glacier Bay and College Fjord

On By DbmakesIn Alaska August 2024, Cruising!

Thurs & Fri, August 15 & 16, 2024

These last two days of our cruise were all about absorbing the beauty of Alaska.  We had no port stops so it was all about relaxing, photography, and enjoying the spoils of the Royal Princess.

I have never been one to join in on all of the activities cruise ships have to offer.  I do enjoy the shows and I did attend a few of those.  Of course I also went to the casino but unfortunately did not win my fortune.  The overabundance of food and drink even gets to be a little much after a week. 

On Thursday morning we woke up to an absolutely crystal clear day in Glacier Bay.  It literally took my breath away when I opened the drapes in our cabin.  I’m not even sure which pictures to post because until I can look at them on my computer I can’t choose the best.  But here is just a sprinkling of some of the gorgeousness of the area.

And yes, Ivonne and I saw calving!!
The water was just so still
After we left the bay, we came in to have a little Irish coffee to warm up.  Even though it truly was not all that cold outside.
This was Thursday night’s dinner …. I started with escargot
And surf and turf
Today was Anabel’s birthday, back in Tucson, so we told her we would eat lobster in her honor
Lynda and Pete enjoying an after dinner cocktail

We went to the Motown Show after dinner and it was incredible!  Oh to be that young and have that much energy and talent!  I was pretty wound up after everything I experienced, so I couldn’t get to sleep until about 2:00 a.m.  I’m really glad that Ivonne was able to fall asleep pretty quickly.  I have been going out on our balcony every night saying prayers of thanks and still looking for the Northern Lights.  No luck yet.

We woke up Friday morning to a dark and dreary day.  Maybe we are finally hitting that cold and rainy weather?  We spent the morning getting all of our stuff organized and packed because our suitcases need to be in the hallway tonight no later than 10:00 p.m. I always find this challenging to do, but especially this time since we still have 3 days on land to explore.  What to keep out and what to pack! And of course, as usual, I brought too much stuff. 

Ivonne and I had giant pizzas for lunch and then attended an international wine tasting at noon. 

Way way WAY too much food!
Jim and Kim, neighbors of Lynda and Pete, celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary today!
Kim and I joined the Cha Cha Cha Dance class.  That worked off a few calories!

In the early evening we pulled into College Fjord.  I had no idea what to expect with this part of the trip but was once again blown away.  Even though it had been overcast and  dismal all day long, God cleared the skies so we could be overwhelmed by the beauty of this bay. 

It really was not that cold, and we are so grateful that we have our own balcony
The sun even came out!

It is so great how Princess invites naturalists on board to explain what we were seeing.  It was simulcast on the bridge cam in our room so we could really hear and understand what was being said.  The ship hung out in this bay longer than usual and turned around completely so both sides of the ship would see both sides of the bay.  A mama bear and her cubs were spotted, but not by us.  However, the naturalist said that today was the BEST viewing day of THE SEASON! WHAT A BLESSING. 

Thank you, God, for this beautiful world that we all share
Ivonne took this winning photograph

It’s about 9:30 p.m. as I write this, and it is still light outside.  I think the rest of the group is down watching a show in the theater, but I just really wanted some quiet time on my own to share the trip with you and just absorb the beauty I’ve  witnessed this week. 

We disembark the ship tomorrow morning about 9:00 a.m. and have a long bus ride up to Denali National Park.  This adventure is not over yet.

I leave you with this, which I just shot this moment.  I’m not sure if this will post because the internet is sketchy.  But I can make all of my pictures public after we return if you’re interested. 

Thank you, God, for this beautiful planet.

P.S.  Thanks, Deb Carnsew, for reminding me that today was my 17th anniversary of being cancer-free.  GOD IS GREAT. 

18 thoughts on “Scenic Cruising in Glacier Bay and College Fjord”

  3. denicebars's avatar denicebars


    so happy you are seeing this beauty. Hope you get to see a whale or glacier calf. Lots of sea otter in that area. Can you imagine my 6 year old kayaking in that area? He did. And yes it was cold. Hoping you see moose in the park. Love your photos

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  4. denicebars's avatar denicebars

    so happy you are seeing this beauty. Hope you get to see a whale or glacier calf. Lots of sea otter in that area. Can you imagine my 6 year old kayaking in that area? He did. And yes it was cold. Hoping you see moose in the park. Love your photos

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  6. Debra W. Guttas's avatar Debra W. Guttas

    Catching up here. SO GLAD you went on Princess, the best for Alaska IMHO, and that you booked your excursions (something David and I did not do only to find them all sold out).

    Looks like a fabulous trip so far!

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      1. Debra W. Guttas's avatar Debra W. Guttas

        We were on the Sky Princess, a small ship, in August 2000 on an 11-day cruise through the inland passage I think they call it. From a nature perspective, probably the best cruise we ever did. The beauty is beyond comprehension unless you’ve been there. Just wish we had known to book our excursions ahead of time because we missed out on seeing the bears fishing for salmon and so much more. It is not a destination to “wing it” like you can in Europe; the ports are so small and the excursions book up fast. But we still saw and experienced a lot to remember.

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        2. You were so young when you took your trip, so cut yourself some slack. Besides, we are so blessed to have YouTube where we can be Armchair Travelers and see (even better) everything that’s out there, sans the tourists, time limitations, and the hassle of plane travel. I am getting very close to being one of those kind of travelers.

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          1. Debra W. Guttas's avatar Debra W. Guttas

            I hear you, but personally I am chomping at the bit to travel! There are so many places I have yet to explore. I’ve been blessed to see much, but my appetite is not yet satiated.

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